Ironically, I was JUST talking to my mom about this last night. It’s pretty funny/scary to witness. I just have to keep my mouth shut when people start elaborating on what they plan on buying with their “rebate” checks. So far, the list includes a big-screen television, an i-Pod, an i-Phone, a new sound system for a car, the redecoration of a car’s interior (what the?), etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Tempting? YES.

Even more tempting? Knocking out the majority of my credit card debt (which began when I was 19 and at age 25 I am still regretting, yes I’ve read your blog(s) about credit cards…) and saving the rest for a month when I’m strapped for rent money.

The whole situation is rather humorous…but not.

@Angi: Redecorating a car’s interior? That’s just….crazy.

I probably should have included a note that this advice doesn’t apply for individuals who are debt free with solid income and savings. If you fit into that category, spend the “rebate” on whatever you like! Except for redecorating your car’s interior. That’s just insane.

Kudos on your plan to knock out a good chunk of your credit card debt. Since you’ve read my previous posts on the topic (kudos again), you know my credit card debt started the same age yours did. But on the bright side, you have a chance to get rid of all of it at an earlier age than I did! If you make that happen, I’ll give you a third kudos.

It’s funny because it’s true. I remember reading an article in Newsweek about ‘Poverty in America’ with a picture of an overweight dude in a recliner watching TV. Made me feel the same way.

Of all the people who have informed me they are spending their rebate on XYZ…not one of them is debt free with a solid income and savings. Not many people are these days…sadly…

I’m striving for that 3rd kudos!!!

RYC: On a scale of 1-10, 1 being the least ridiculous and 10 being the most…I would give Gwen Stefani’s “Bananas” song about a 9, and Mariah Carey’s a solid 8. The only reason Mariah didn’t break even with Gwen: she didn’t feel the need to spell out any words in her song.

@Alice: “Funny because it’s true” indeed. In the past, I’ve equated this trend with a balding man complaining about losing his hair while he is plucking hair from his head with tweezers. It’s not the same thing, but it’s pretty close!

@Angi: You should subtly give those people a link to this blog post. That or slap them upside the head. Whatever will best drive the point home.

Strive away. Your third kudos is in storage. Waiting.

Wow, it’s almost as ridiculous as Gwen’s song? I’m going to have to kill some brain cells and give it a listen.

Speaking of Gwen’s spelling out words in her song, that might actually have been the only redeeming quality of that song. An entire generation of teens will now know the proper spelling of “banana.”

OoOoOoH…I don’t know which would be more fun! Can I send them a link AND slap them upside the head!?

You do have a good point – never again will this generation misspell “banana”. I used to edit my highschool as well as college newspapers…I’m pretty sure at one point or another, I came across a “bannana/bananna” or two. A close relative to “vaccuum” and “embarass”. I’m sure you can attest, Teacher…

Gosh…M v. B’s stakes…I have no brilliant ideas at the moment. I could think of LOTS if we lived in the same general area of the U.S…when’s the game? I’ll have to mull this over.

Feel free to make mistakes in comments and then leave another comment to correct those mistakes. I think 4 comments on my most recent blog is the most I’ve gotten on any given blog thus far. It might help if I actually commented on the blogs I stalk instead of just simply stalking them…

@Angi: “Teacher” — that’s like calling someone “War Veteran.” So many painful memories…

In many ways, Gwen Stefani was the anti-Alanis Morrisette. Alanis is responsible for an entire generation — our generation — not knowing the true meaning of irony. Gwen might have created the most annoying song of the past five years, but at least she isn’t responsible for people thinking rain on your wedding day is ironic.

RYC: I hope 2 months is enough time to think of some stakes that are high enough for both of us to actually care who wins!!!

Regarding Alanis…there’s just too much material there to make fun of. She is a classic case of someone not paying attention to her grammar teacher…how exactly, is a black fly in your chardonnay ironic? A free ride when you’ve already paid…bad timing? Yes. Irony? I think not.

Yeeeaaahh I’m not in favor of the shaving our head idea. If I were a dude…MAYBE. But I’m a girl. I would either look like a cancer victim, or like I’d had a really, really bad case of lice. Neither of which are appealing…and I don’t wear hats. Bother…I’ll be thinking.

Seriously. 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife? Go buy a dang knife! And while you’re at it, a dictionary, so you can look up the definition of “ironic”.

Isn’t that the truth? Every restaurant parking lot near my home is crammed FULL of cars … representing people inside the restaurants, eating … and in case you hadn’t noticed, it’s not all that cheap to eat out anymore, no matter what poison you pick. Folks sit there wolfing overpriced fodder and imbibing beverages with a 200% markup, complaining about how President Bush has ruined the economy. Wake up, people. If you can afford to eat out, your economic outlook is not all that bleak. Lots of people don’t get to eat at all.

@Angi: If anyone asked, you could say you were simply paying homage to Britney Spears. Shaved head, lots of gum chewing, and Kevin Federline following you around. Yes, you’d have to recruit Federline for this to work, but I doubt that’d be a problem. He’s currently living under a bridge in Mississippi.

Another good point. Maybe in Alanis’ world knives are really expensive?

@Jenny: Very true. I live in what those from a big city would consider a small town, but every restaurant we have is packed each night. People are paying double, triple or quadruple what it would take to cook a meal themselves.

True…true…but that begs the question. Would YOU want K-Fed following you around??

Perhaps the only kind of knives available to Alanis are the kinds found in those expensive cooking stores, where something as simple as a small paring knife can run you upwards of $300 apiece? Wouldn’t you love to be that rich…because then I would buy an knife of equal quality for less money, pay off my bills, and with the rest of my money, feed the entire continent of Africa.

Which reminds me. Stay tuned for a blog about how grossly overpaid professional athletes are.

@Angi: Would I want him following me around? Well, no. But that’s to be expected since I’m a straight male. Also, I tend not to associate with people who live under bridges. It’s a germ thing.

I cannot imagine being at a place where I’d buy a $300 paring knife. I could win the lottery and I still couldn’t bring myself to do such a thing. It’s just not in me.

A blog post about finances and sports? That’s, like, two of my favorite topics!

True…you’re a straight male…alright, would you want Britney herself following you around? Or how about…Lindsey Lohan? Or Paris Hilton?

I love cooking…love kitchen utensils…love kitchen appliances…but I still would not ever buy a knife that expensive, when I could have bought 6 tanks of gasoline.

Finances and sports…combined…try to control yourself!

I was going to buy toilet paper. Does that count?

I’m still waiting for our government to stimulate me, though.

It’s called Capitalism

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