Does Anyone Pick Up Pennies Anymore?

A penny doesn't buy much these days, and it shows.

It seems that most people (including me) won't even stoop to pick up a penny. If I had a penny for every penny I saw on the sidewalk or on the stairs, I'd be a ... well I'd be at least a centanaire.

Silver coins obviously are more popular. I rarely see nickels, dimes or quarters lying about.

And dollar bills? A rare bread, but not unheard of.

I'll slow down for anything with a green or silver glint, but I leave the copper for toddlers and their piggy banks. What about you?

Too Good to Be True $10 HDTVs

It seems I'm always reading a story about the good deals other people get.

You know: the $10 bus tickets that are sold out when I try to book them, or the $9 airfares for routes that never happen to be mine.

That's why I would have been thrilled to snag an HDTV recently from Best Buy's website for the low, low price of $9.99.

But I also wouldn't have been too surprised when Best Buy backed out of the $1,690 errors and decided not to honor the purchases. Nothing in life is free-- and especially not an HDTV.

Some of the customers, however, aren't willing to walk away empty-handed. They're threatening a class-action lawsuit.

Get real. Frugality is one thing, but cheating others (even big box stores) is quite another.

Today's lesson:

Thriftiness: Good.

Expecting something for (nearly) nothing: Bad.

What Do You Splurge On?

Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies.

My cupboard is nearly always stocked, but to my credit, I'm a smart splurger. I have six packages (one opened) purchased weeks ago when they were on sale.

Even the thriftiest among us have a downfall. My big three are cookies, cupcakes and trips. I would (irrationally) rather spend $500 on plane tickets than $5 for a lunchtime value meal.

My husband is considered thrifty by all but me, so I can't complain ... too loudly. I think he splurges on Starbucks, but that's only because I can't stand the smell or taste of coffee. But still-- isn't it possible to get out the French press on weekdays once in awhile?

What's your splurge?

Recession Changes Shopping Habits

Although I try to avoid Wal-Mart, I seem to have always been the type of shopper described in a recent New York Times article, The Recession, Wal-Mart Style. Retailers are now finding that shoppers:

• stick to their grocery lists and cut back on browsing
  

• opt for private label food

• maintain their current vehicles rather than buying new

But the article doesn't describe me completely.

For example, I haven't traded in my vacation for an LCD television. And yes, I'll take ground beef before steak and chicken before beef, but that's just because I like them better. As my husband never fails to remind me, it's easy for me to be frugal when I have tastes like a peasant.

When Being Frugal Doesn't Pay

There's a limit to saving money.

For me, that limit is home repairs, car repairs and pretty much anything else that requires a toolbox. I'll spend any amount of money to save time and, more than likely, avoid a debilitating injury.

But a recent New York Times article proves that others don't quite know their limit. Take the woman who installed her own toilet, only to find the ceiling below it collapse. Or the man who happily accepted party leftovers of uncooked meat and fish to end up with food poisoning.

What's your limit?