Month: August 2017

Your Opinion: It’s Not Just What You Say That Matters, It’s How You Say It

Facebook has been an interesting place lately.  The easiest way to put it is that everyone seems to have an opinion about something.  And everybody wants to hear it.  But I’ve noticed something lately.  For me, it’s not just your opinion that makes what you say interesting, it’s how you present it.

Nearly Everything Is Polarizing, It Seems

I’m not going to get into my thoughts on the various things that are polarizing the nation. We have racial issues, a President, and so much more that has people fired up.  In many ways, that can be a good thing.  But, I’ve seen a lot of viciousness, so often it’s a sad thing.

With everything so polarizing these days, it’s hard to stay out of the crossfire.

Read moreYour Opinion: It’s Not Just What You Say That Matters, It’s How You Say It

3 Back To School Items We Aren’t Buying

I’m sure that stores lick their chops when it’s back to school season.  After all, every parent gets the same list with the same items to buy.  It definitely has to give a boost for the summer season, which have traditionally lower sales.

But, what items are really needed?  I’ve wrote in the past about how some parents barely bother with the list.  That I don’t agree with.  Even so, are there some items that you can skip or delay and save some money?  Absolutely.

Here are three items we aren’t buying (right now).

Clothes and Shoes

I’ll start off by saying that we have bought some clothes.  But, we don’t buy an entirely new set of clothes.  If the clothes from last year fit and don’t have holes, they get worn.  So, if you figure that your child needs four pairs of jeans, buy only what you need.

Besides, we’ve found that many stores will mark down kids clothes once school starts.  So, even if your child went through a massive growth spurt and you need all new stuff, you can save some big bucks by getting by with what you have for the first couple of weeks, and then scouring the stores for deals.

Read more3 Back To School Items We Aren’t Buying

Thoughts Following The Great American Eclipse

The eclipse was just about all that anybody was talking about a couple of days ago.  It was definitely eclipse fever.  Now that it’s done and over, I wanted to share some random thoughts.

The Past Was Fun To See

One of my favorite parts of the coverage leading up was showing old news reports or articles that talked about the eclipse.  One clip from a nightly news show was 38 years ago.  Also, I saw a newspaper clipping published 22 years ago which mentioned it.  I’m sure that back then, August 21, 2017 seemed so far away.

Read moreThoughts Following The Great American Eclipse

Are Our Amazon Kids Tablets Holding Up?

Our kids have had Amazon Kids Tablets for awhile.  They’re great for long car rides or when they need some down time.  We limit their time on them.  Now the Kids Tablet isn’t the official name.  They’re actually the Amazon Fire tablet.  But we bought them both with the kids bundle.  This include a kid friendly carrying case, a warranty, and a subscription to Free Time.

I’ll start off by saying that my wife doesn’t like them. She’s used to her iPad and we even use her old one for the kids as a secondary option.  So, she makes me deal with the Amazon tablets, and I have a slightly different approach.  Overall, I don’t really care for them too much, but for the value, I like them.

Here are some thoughts on various aspects.

Hardware

The hardware has actually held up pretty well.  My daughter’s buttons for volume and power are a bit harder to manage.  Overall, though, everything else has held up well.

Read moreAre Our Amazon Kids Tablets Holding Up?

Cryptocurrency Is The Next Buzz Word To Know

If you’d have asked me six months ago what cryptocurrency meant, I would have had no idea.  I probably would have ventured a guess that it had something to do with Bitcoin.  That part, as it turns out, is true.  Lucky guess on my part.

To be honest, I still don’t know much about cryptocurrency, but I know that it’s taking off.  I don’t have enough knowledge to explain what it is or what the benefits and risks are beyond a passing conversation, so this article won’t do that.

But I will tell you that it is something that people should know about.  Here’s why:

Cryptocurrency Is Digital

Everything is digital these days.  You can do everything online.  Take a picture and it’s instantly available and on the cloud.  You can converse with friends, family, or complete strangers.  If you need to buy something, you can take care of your needs all through a digitally connected device.  When you need a ride, you can get that, too.

See where I’m going with this?

Everything is available through your digital fingertips, so it sort of makes sense that a digital currency system would evolve.

Read moreCryptocurrency Is The Next Buzz Word To Know