November 2009

Perfectionism: Is it perfect?

November 30, 2009

J. D. Roth holds forth on the subject of perfectionism, which he suggests is “the enemy of the good.” The point he makes, which is well taken, is that you can waste enormous amounts of time and ruin your health in the pursuit of perfection. True, to a degree. I have a friend who, having [...]

Read the full article →

Some days it’s not worth getting out of bed…

November 29, 2009

{sigh} Yesterday Costco had two new pairs of glasses ready: a new pair of progressives plus what the optician described as “intermediate” lenses. I’d asked him to clone the pair of ancient close-ups I use to grope around the house, because my new close-up prescription is way too strong: I can’t see my feet through [...]

Read the full article →

Seven painless ways to save

November 28, 2009

When the job ends on December 31, I’m planning to consolidate all my checking and savings accounts into just three: a checking account, an emergency savings account, and the self-escrow account to pay annual property tax and insurance bills. Right now I use one checking account as a “pool” from which incoming cash is disbursed [...]

Read the full article →

Most coveted junk

November 27, 2009

So, what do you want for Christmas? The New York Times “Home” section, one of my favorite catalogs for the aspiring nouveaux, has any number of inspirations for valuable junk you can give to friends and relatives, or, better yet, ask them to get for you. I love looking at this stuff. It’s so hilarious! [...]

Read the full article →

How to get rich on Black Friday

November 26, 2009

Comes the American Express statement in the mail, bearing good tidings. In only two more months, our annual rebate will be comin’ your way. Here’s a strategy, we’re told, “to give yourself or your family something special from Costco”: use the holidays as an opportunity to buy, buy, BUY and charge it all up on [...]

Read the full article →

Rent-a-solar-panel

November 25, 2009

In this month’s Scientific American, writer Christopher Mims reports that a few enterprising businessmen have figured out a way around the daunting cost of installing solar panels on private homes: don’t buy the things—rent them. It’s a brilliant idea. Here in Arizona, where a cloudy day is so rare as to elicit excited news reports [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries