What and How I Spent My Week

Well I can tell you what I didn't do this week......I didn't spend much money on anything other than food/paper goods! lol

I went to Rite-Aid early in the week, but that doesn't count because I don't actually spend money there, do I?
Hubs and I went to Big Lots last Sunday, as they had their 20% off Everything in the Store Day.
We stocked up on some food/paper goods, as they were cheaper there than even when they go on sale at the grocery stores around here.
That came out to $67.12.

Napkins(because we always need those), brown sugar(holiday baking ahead), and some canned goods.
I make no secret that I am not a big fan of canned foods, at least not canned veggies outside of corn and water chestnuts.  But tomato products, olives and green chilies are another story!  I like to keep these 3 types of products stockpiled.
Especially in the tomato arena, I love to keep paste on hand.  It's so handy...duh...on hand, handy...lol  I find tomato paste is the jack-of-all-trades in the kitchen.  It can be used in so many ways in so many dishes.  Why pay more for pizza sauce.....you've got a can of paste, garlic and spices and access to water?....you've got pizza sauce.  You need an easy sauce thickener?...tomato paste.  Need to extent a sauce to feed more?.....tomato paste.  Need to help or fix a meatloaf and out of tomato sauce?.....dilute some tomato paste and cover that ugly meatloaf.
If tomato paste was a person, I'd marry it. 8-)
I also love green chiles when I do Mexican style dishes(and even beyond Mexican).  But access to fresh chiles here in PA?  Not happening.  And those tiny cans in the grocery store?....You'd think they were filled with gold instead with what they charge.  So any time I can find them cheaply, I buy them.
I also picked up some cornbread mix and pancake mix cheap.  I know I can make my own mix just as cheaply, if not cheaper.  I buy these for my family to use or for when I am rushed to get something on the table.  I try to encourage the kids to cook things for themselves and if I have a box with directions on it that's already to pour out and use, they are more likely to cook it if they are hungry.  I should make up batches of my own pancake mix and such but as soon as I do it, the kids will never eat another pancake.
Seriously.....they would do that!  They drive me crazy that way.


I also picked up a few Christmas presents at Big Lots.  Now I need to spend some time going through what I have picked up through the year and start calculating where we stand with the Christmas budget for 2012.  That should keep me busy and out of the stores wandering around, being tempted to buy crap I don't need NEXT week.

I took #2 Son driving a bit this week, since he still needs hours of practice before he can take his driver's test for his license.  Of course we hit some cemeteries while we were out and I got some Find A Grave photo requests fulfilled and took some extra shots of headstones to pass along to other memorials on that site.
The only spending(other than on gas)was $3.39 for fast food for a starving 16 year old.  We justified it by calling it Drive-Thru Window practice.......

We got Chinese take-out on Thursday night for dinner.  There was $34 out of our Eating Out part of the budget.

Besides the Usual daily stuff I do, there was some working on stockpile organizing and some changing out the wardrobe to the Fall/Winter clothing.  Still have some items to go through with that.

We finished pulling up the garden this morning.  We had a severe frost last night so many of my Collards didn't survive but I was able to harvest a shopping bag full of the smaller leaves.

 I gleaned some Morning Glory seed pods that had dried out already, off those flower vines before Hubs yanked it from the deck railing too.
If I can get these seeds to germinate next Spring, that's a money savings.  Yay!

We'll be attending a local Church auction this afternoon.  I talked about that last year HERE.  I'm hoping to get some more goodies this year.  Wish us luck bidding! 8-)

Other than a quart of milk I had Hubs bring home, I've spent $0 at the grocery stores this week.  And we've eaten at home 6 out of 7 days.  Tonight is a frugal pasta and sauce dinner plus leftover veggies in the fridge.  The Collards are on the menu for Sunday dinner but I'm still undecided on what to fix with them.....maybe a pork chop or two?

Oh, I almost forgot to add that I bought gas this week.  I drive so few miles that I can usually fill my minivan tank once a month(unless Hubs or the Daughter uses my car for work that month).  I had 80 gas points from Weis PMITA Markets that had to be used this week.  The timing was right so I filled up on Sunday.  I saved $12.42 on my gas fill-up.  Go me!

I'm off to get ready for the auction now.

Sluggy

Why I Like Gary Johnson

If you've been listening only to the national US Media outlets you have probably not heard that Gov. Gary Johnson is running for President this election cycle along with Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.  Jill Stein of the Green Party is also a national candidate for President, as is Virgil Goode of the Conservative Party. 

Gary Johnson will possibly be on all 50 state's ballots as a choice(as well as the District of Columbia) and at LEAST 48 state's ballots, if the litigation to keep him off the ballot by the Republican Party in 2 states is successful.  He is being challenged in Michigan and Oklahoma by those state's Republican Parties because the Republican Party is scared of losing too many votes to him.  Isn't it nice how the Reps and Dems use the very deep pockets of their national committees to pay lawyers to challenge and exclude viable candidates of other parties off state ballots?

The Democrat National Committee and the Republican National Committee have succeeded so far in keeping Gov. Johnson out of the Presidential Debates, which are controlled by a private corporation founded and staffed by ex-DNC and ex-RNC executives.
The last thing THEY want is an opposing voice in the debates and competition for votes at the polls on November 6th.
We live in a Political Duopoly folks.  The RNC and DNC control the process and limit your choice of who you can vote for in ALL elections in any way they can.  One way is by controlling the media and keeping it from informing the public about having a choice OTHER than Romney or Obama.

Anyway, I digress.....

This post is about Why I Like Gary Johnson and Why I'd Prefer to See Him as President of the U.S. over either "Obamney" candidate. ;-)

1--Gary Johnson is NOT a career politician.  He is an "Outsider".
I agree with the Founding Fathers, in that they did NOT feel our government should be staffed by men who spent their working lives employed as politicians in Washington DC.  No, look back, waaaay back into our history.  Our government use to be staffed with regular men who took time off from their lives and occupation to serve and then left and went back to their 'regular lives'.  Granted, many of those men were LAWYERS in regular life(and none of them were FEMALE), but that's a rant for another time. ;-)
Now we only have career politicians.....career politicians who are rich, because you can't get elected to office in this country anymore unless you have a millionaire's volume of money to run a campaign.  It's VERY easy to exclude anyone without vast financial resources out of politics nowadays.  No wonder the only people who seek/attain high government office are among the 1% in this country!  This is NOT representative of the bulk of our citizens.

Did you know every face on Mt. Rushmore was a political outsider when they ran for President?  So don't think someone who isn't part of the "current" establishment CAN'T run this country.....they have run, they have won and they have done a good job!

Gary was a small business owner.  He served 2 terms as Governor of New Mexico, then he left and went back to his life.  He is running for President because he feels he is called to do so and there is a need for our country to go in a new direction.
Every time the media runs a poll about limiting political terms,  the majority of the public thinks it's a very good idea.  So why do these same polled people keep voting in the same old politicians and parties every election?  You tell me because it boggles my mind!

I know Ross Perot ran as an outsider, non-politician in 1992.....because I voted for him too......so go ahead and blame Clinton on me. lol   Ross Perot has some good ideas but he wasn't "Presidential" material in my book.  He was a genius business man but he lacked political depth.   Plus his running mate, Gen. Stockdale, was akin to Joe Biden.....someone who was clueless about politics and someone NOBODY wanted to see ascending to the Presidency in a crisis!

2--Gary Johnson has climbed Mt. Everest.   Actually I don't care that he's climbed a mountain.//except that it's a metaphor for living your life and not backing down from challenges.
 He's also run Iron Man marathons and other athletic pursuits.  It just shows that there are other sides to him, like you and me.  He's not "just" a politician and it's not the only thing in his life.  Plus he's pretty hot for a man of his age...have you seen him in a pair of bike shorts yet?  ;-)

3--Gary Johnson is fiscally conservative and wants to keep the Government out of your wallet.  He is for smaller government.  Less bureaucracy....less LAYERS of bureaucracy that adds to your tax bill but doesn't make any programs you pay for operate any better.  Plus he believes the government(your tax money)shouldn't be funding certain programs.
Neither Dem or Rep Candidate wants smaller government.  Both are all about big government spending....they just want to spend YOUR money on different things or in different ways, but they still want as much of your money as they can possibly get their hands on.

4--Gary Johnson is socially accepting and wants to keep the Government our of your bedroom.  He is far and away more tolerant and socially accepting than the Dems and their candidate.  Don't agree, go check out the Dems record on civil liberties.  Johnson wants LGBT citizens to enjoy the same rights as Hetero citizens.  He wants to end the War on Drugs, end the current debacle of Immigration Policy, repeal of the Patriot Act and end the Police State that our Government has created.  Those drones being used in Afghanistan?  Wanna bet they'll be coming to YOUR neighborhood in the near future to spy on you as part of the excuse that it's part of the Government's War on Terror/Homeland Security?

5--Gary Johnson is going to work to force the Government to balance the budget.  We are on our way to an economic collapse if things keep going as they are now.  Gary Johnson vetoed more Government spending bills in 2 terms than every other Governor in this country combined did!  750 line item vetoes.  He's serious about cutting the waste in government....it's not just lip service.

6--Gary Johnson advocates for the elimination of the IRS and the Federal Tax System.  He plans to replace it with the Fair Tax System.  Think about having your ENTIRE paycheck instead of what you get after the Government gets it's hands on your wages!  Think about a tax system without all the loopholes for special interest groups both private and corporate.  Think about a tax system that will essentially hand a pink slip to the Washington DC lobbyists culture. Think about a tax system that can fully fund necessary social programs and cost the working man and woman less and doesn't take from both the front end of your wages AND the back end.
I'm going to do a post on the FAIR TAX soon but until then, if you want to read up on it, go HERE.

7--Gary Johnson will demand that the FEDERAL RESERVE be audited.  Did you know that our money is NOT printed by our government, that instead it is printed by a privately held bank?  The Fed is NOT a governmental agency, it is a private bank doing business with the Federal government.  Did you know no one is allowed to see the books of the Fed outside of the board of directors?  So our country is beholdened to a private, secretive company but has little control over it?
It's all more complicated than this but basically Money is created in a Closed Loop system and is loaned to the Government which has to pay interest on this money to the privately held banks.  The interest is paid by us taxpayers in more taxes.   Between the Government debt and our debt, the bankers are raking in the wealth and we all get poorer and poorer and our government goes further into debt.  Go check on one of the many Youtube videos explaining our banking system and try NOT to panic!

8--Gary Johnson has serious experience running things.  Not only did he grow and run a successful contractor business, but he successfully ran the state of New Mexico for 8 years and left office more popular then he was when he began.  He also left the state with better better bottom line, a greatly improved infrustructure and more efficient state programs and bureaucracy.  And he did this all without raising taxes OR laying off state workers.
Governors historically have made some of the best Presidents in this country.  The skill set a governor needs is similar to that of what a president needs. We need to start looking closer at state Governors as potential Presidential candidates!  A good Governor possesses the leadership to be a Statesman and the business acumen to oversee and run our country like a successful business.

9--Gary Johnson believes in a smaller presence outside of our borders.  No more occupying foreign lands indefinitely and jumping into wars outside of our shores.  Get out of Iraq and Afghanistan and bring the troops home NOW!  Stop perpetuating the US Military Complex and spending enough on war and rebuilding countries we destroy, when we could take that same amount of money and feed every single person in American, every day.  Why do we have enemies all over the world?  Because we have become the world's bully in the guise of friendship and help.  We always know what's best for everyone....just like our European forefathers knew what was best for the native peoples in America.  And you all know how it turned out for the Native Americas in that contest!

10--Gary Johnson wants to end the War on Drugs.  It's been a disaster and a failure.  All that money wasted on nonsense.  Didn't we learn anything from Prohibition in the 1920's?  Look at what making alcohol illegal did for us......caused a rise in the Mafia in this country and untold deaths from unsafe bootlegged booze.  Legalize marijuana and control it like those other drugs, alcohol and tobacco.  This would make it safer for the general public and get it out of the hands of organized crime elements.  Not to mention being able to grow hemp in this country.  This cash crop with many applications has been banned in this country for decades due to the DEA's zero tolerance for any product related to Cannabis(and the Wood Pulp lobby which is scared of some competition).  We are missing an opportunity to grow our hemp economy both at home and on the world stage due to this crazy policy stance by our government.

11--Gary Johnson believes in truly Free Markets.  Before you tell me we live in a society/country with Free Markets I will tell you that what you think is a Free Market is not.  We live in a country of Crony Capitalism.  There is no real open market of goods and services.  We are led to believe it is, but we are spoon fed only what the "Powers That Be" want us to have....limited choices.  Especially when it comes to political choices in elected leaders, like Presidents and Congress persons.
A truly Free Market will give rise to true price competition which will drive prices down.  Imagine having medical service's costs advertised and being able to comparison shop for medical services.  Did you know that 150 yrs or so ago we DID have this kind of competition and free market?!  Back before we had a third party(insurance companies) involved in the exchange of services between provider(doctor) and customer(patient) which led to prices charged skyrocketing. 

                                This photo and caption is for SonyaAnn......lolz

12--Gary Johnson makes common sense.  Go ahead.....go listen to Johnson.  Google his name or search on it on YouTube.  Go HERE.  Then go listen to Romney and Obama.  Then tell me which one makes more sense.....which one actually SAYS something you understand and believe in and isn't just "talking the talk" to get elected.

Feel free to agree with me or not.  I'm just trying to get people to wake up and THINK about the choices they make next month when they vote.  Do some research and look at the candidates' track records.
An informed decision is the best decision.

Sluggy

"Live Free!"

It"s Time Again for Decluttering Porn!...Or Is It?

I have so been out of it the last few months.
So out of the mood for decluttering.
And I've neglected you dear readers so so badly with my lack of decluttering porn.

So without further ado...or is that adieu?......I bring you Porn for Hoarders!

 20 x New in the Box Cherished Teddies

 2 white plastic shelving units

 A crazy goose neck standing Lamp

 Daughter in background Not included.....though some days.......

A box of Power Rangers kid's bedding(sheets, comforters, etc.)

A box of teddy bears, an electrical cord for a light-up house thing, a souvenir hat, and a pile of sheets of stickers and Christmas hangtags.
Notice the Teletubbies Xmas tags.......have I mentioned my youngest child is 16 yet?
Yes, those are "vintage" Teletubbies tags.....lol

This is all I could muster up for this donation trip.
Pathetic, yes?

I began going through my wardrobe(such that it is!)this week to change out the Summer ware for the Fall and Winter ware too.
Usually when I do this change out, I get rid of at least a small trash bag full of old items that either don't fit/are worn out/or I just don't like and don't wear anymore.
Since I stopped compulsively buying new clothes every season change, like the average American woman does, about 5 years ago, it's become harder and harder to find things to send off to a new home(or the trash if it's worn out).  I have been careful about not buying unless something truly needs replacing, and I replace with 1, not 4 more of the same item....except for when I find shoes that actually fit me.
(I have a weird foot shape/size.)
I've gotten down to a smallish wardrobe that seems right for me and my wear patterns.

But this change out?
The thought of impending economic catastrophe was looming in the back of my head as I sat and gave clothing the thumbs up or thumbs down.
As I see inflation increasing almost weekly as I hit the grocery and drug stores(and the gas pump too), I am feeling more of a need to hang onto what I have suddenly.
It's not like I have large piles of extra of things(except for pasta and toiletries)like in the old days.  If I let go of a sweater, I am developing this fear inside that once the SHTF I will have to roll a wheelbarrow full of money down to any of the clothing stores here to purchase a new one.  And the new one is made of inferior material and put together shoddily 2 continents away and won't last me any time at all equal to the number of Washingtons I'd have to put up to acquire it.

Maybe I'll feel less fearful once the election is well over and what I think is going to happen hasn't.....at least I can hope it's not going to come to pass, right?

I think for my sanity and peace of mind, I'll be holding onto my old clothes for a little while longer....just like I want to hang onto as much of my cash as I can for the time being.
So the only Decluttering Porn you'll continue to see here in the near future is of the useless crap kind.

Sluggy

Go Right to the Source and Ask the Horse.....

Every time you turn on TV you hear some talking head poltico blathering on about how Inflation in the US is NOT as bad as everyone(meaning all of us voters, regular citizens)says it is.  Then they pull out the figures of the CPI, which is short for Consumer Price Index,  to prove to us all that we don't have a clue what we are talking about.
Not that any of these Congress persons can be bothered to actually go to a grocery store and stand in line behind someone in the Express Lane with 74 items....they have illegal immigrants hired employees to do that.
But I digress....

Our politicians tell us that Inflation is not bad or it barely exists at all.
And this ladies and gentlemen is why I know that the people who run our government is full of Horseshit!
Yes, I said Horseshit.



While the current administration is tinkering with the Unemployment Rate numbers(They find a whole pile of jobs that were never counted right after a disastrous debate performance and the Unemployment Numbers go down?  Gee is that not mighty suspicious?!), the fine folks in The Labor Statistics Dept. are cooking the books of the CPI.
The CPI, or Consumer Price Index, is used to measure inflation by tracking the prices of goods and services month to month.  The reported differences from month to month are what give them the Inflation rate that the talking anchor heads screeched about on TV.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, who are responsible for measuring the CPI, uses "a representative basket of goods and services" to chart what we pay to live our lives.  When those same goods cost more the following month, the inflation rate goes up, cost less and it goes down.  Pretty simple and straightforward, right?

Well no....not when put into the hands of governmental agencies!

If you go to the CPI site you will see that the government tracks this CPI using different items in that "market basket".
There is the CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), and the CPI for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U).
The only difference really that I can see between the CPI-W and the CPI-U is that if one looks much worse than the other, the government can use the better one to make it's case that they are doing a splendid job with the economy.
How convenient, right?

The CPI also affects many cash flow mechanisms....meaning that if you are on a Govt. entitlement program, have a job, have insurance, etc., the numbers of the CPI affect what you pay or are paid for your work, your pension, your program payout, etc.

Then there is the Core-CPI.
This is the Holy Grail of CPIs.
The BIG ONE that our leaders use to tell how our economy is faring.

And how do I know that using this Core-CPI is horseshit?

Because the Consumer Price Index the government quotes, passes along to all news outlets and uses to generate the numbers for the inflation rate in our country omits FOOD and ENERGY.
Go google it and see for yourself....I'll wait for you.

Has that tidbit sunk in yet?
They DON'T COUNT what we pay for Food and Energy in the Inflation Rate.

Now tell me......what are 2 of the largest expenditures your average American citizen pays out for every month besides a mortgage or a rent payment?
Food--we all have to eat!
Energy--even IF you don't have to gas up a car to get to work, you have to have heating/cooling/lights in your home.

And they don't include these 2 things because of their volatility.  Prices can swing greatly due to drought for food products and OPEC issues for gas.
Yes, those categories may make the CPI swing widely some months but by excluding them the government gives a very disingenuous picture of what is really going on out in America beyond the Beltway.  It helps whomever is currently in power in DC stay there, but it's doing nothing but harm to the great masses of us average citizens out here in America.

Let me ask you dear readers.....
If you tried to buy every food/HBA item you bought last month, would your total bill be less?....the same?...or more?

If you had to buy the same number of gallons of gas for your car this month as you did last month, would that bill at the fuel pump be less?....how about the same?  No?....how much more?

Have any of your utility bills(electric/gas/cable/phone)gone up recently?  And was there an explanation of why the sudden increase?

Is what it costs you to live your live day-to-day the same or less than it was last month?

Face it America.
The People in Control of your destiny don't give a crap about you and your well being.
This goes across all political party lines folks.
It's not the Rep or Dems oppressing you.
It's those in power of BOTH stripes!

It's the great masses in American against the Ones in Power in Washington D.C. and in the Corporate Boardrooms who are in bed with the Politicians.
It's the 1%.......They are not us.
WE are NOT even on their radar except during election time!

Add in the empty headed Celebrities who are clueless that they are pawns in this game of chess.....they are so eager to be associated with politicians and the politicians are just as eager to take the stacks of cash they offer up on the Altar of  Political Power.

So the next time they start talking about the CPI on TV, feel free to ignore everything else that person says.
Because they are talking horseshit and YOU are NOT a horse's ass.

Sluggy

Performing Ponies

Seeing as old Joe Biden is a homeboy around these parts, I love me a good Biden joke.....ok, maybe that's redundant.

Joe Biden, the man who never met a speech he didn't steal.
I can't wait for this Debate Freak Show to start....

Sluggy