So we all want to save money when we shop so where do millions do their shopping? WALMART
I too am a walmart shopper tho I am reconsidering as too whether it really saved me money. From what i can tell alot of their products are from China and thus why they are more inexpensive. That of course makes me think i have saved alot on my shopping until the reports that the fuel demand has increased our prices and a huge portion of barrels of oil are now going to China as their fuel needs have increased 50 percent..........Hmmmmmmm
So I bought products made in China fueling their economy and more industry and thus they need more gas to produce our cheap goods that I buy. Those inexpensive products I bought are now turning into very expensive products day after day after day. It is like I am re-buying them every time I go to the gas station. Turns out they weren't cheap and as a matter of fact much more expensive than made in the USA products. So question is if we continue to buy these products will gas prices keep going up? In the world of supply and demand there is a built in leveler. With the prices being so high for fuel those cheap products will go higher due to transportation from factory to store and the manufacturing of them. We have less money to buy the products due to our money being eaten up by the high fuel costs so the demand for many non-essential products will drop. Well I can hope can't I ?
Perhaps their is a way we can control the fuel prices by putting less demand on products from China and the other countries who's fuel needs have risen drastically to produce the little nick knacks we buy, colored waste baskets to match the bedroom color that we change every six months and the lead containing toys that the kids look at when they open them only to toss them aside never to be played with again. My buying habits changed due to how much of my money goes into the fuel tank and now those habits will change even further. Supply and demand.
This consumers demand is going way down and going to be looking into non china made products.
What do yo think.... shoot me and email
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Off-Grid Solar living: the myths and truths
With all of the high prices for energy of any type, more and more the utilities and the government are talking of alternative energy sources, namely the free ones like the sun and wind. Years ago the only people talking about it or doing it were the granola types as we called them or the dooms day type. Perhaps the granolas were right in wanting to go natural and less pollution and tho it isn't doomsday the energy prices make it feel that way, at least to the bank account.
Ok ,so we weren't the granola type or the doomsday type but we bought land in an area where their were no power lines, most likely due to the high expense of getting the lines to the property or any property near here. After using a generator for quite some time and noticing the current neighbors had photovoltaic solar panels and wind generators we looked into it. Not long after that we set up a small simple system. A year later we went bigger.
Myths: Huge expense... We are the slowest big country to start utilizing solar and wind in mass scale. Germany, Sweden, Norway, Spain are huge consumers of solar and wind products and they don't do it because it is more expensive, they do it because it is more cost effective. Some places are much better at looking into the future and the needs and expense of current avenues in the future so they plan ahead and started implementing them slowly years ago. In retrospect it is the most inexpensive way to go in the long run.
Solar panels last for years and years and do not slowly wear out so you can purchase used panels for a real bargain. Wind generators do not have many parts that wear out and there are many inexpensive good ones out there. We didn't know this so we bought new. There is a case for both new and used. For now there are many tax incentives in the form of rebate's and money back from local state and federal agencies. This will end I am sure when everyone is forced to go green. As time goes on with the big push to go with sustainable energy, prices will (and they already are starting to) go up so anyone seeing the future should buy now because it won't be a myth that it costs a bundle in the future.
The other myth is that it is inconvenient and you will have to give up all your desired electrical amenities like your tv, dvd player, wii, stereo, microwave, computer, dishwasher, washing machine etc. Truth: A medium sized system can run all of them. We have a bazillion power tools, even a jack hammer and a frappuccino blender. Black outs and brown outs don't occur, rate hikes don't occur and if the sun and wind don't produce for a day or two due to storms we back the system up with a generator which only runs for 2 hours to charge the system for 24 hours worth of electricity. Now that's convenience!
Now many people envision systems that take a ton of maintenance, undependable and annoying. Years ago my vision of a system and home like this consisted of a little run down shack, barren land and candles for light! Boy was I wrong. We even have a swimming pool and until recently a pond with, yup you guessed it a waterfall with an electric pump. When the storms and black/brown outs occur I am sitting snuggly in my warm house on the internet or watching tv. I don't spend as much time doing maintenance as I used to do paying bills when I lived on grid. I also don't have to worry about high heating costs even for hot water. Solar water collectors do that for me and all for free from the sun
Years ago living off grid meant no phone, internet or cable tv. Well those days are gone now with the cell phone, satelite internet and dish network. We and all of our neighbors have been using cell phones as our home phone since they were the big baggy analog cell phones, satelite tv and internet from the very moment they were available, so in a way we were the highest must have techie gadget lovers of them all right from the beginning.
I am off for now to go tend to our garden which by the way is watered from rainwater runoff to storage barrels ( free water) and grey water from our laundry, shower etc.
Have a beautiful day !
Ok ,so we weren't the granola type or the doomsday type but we bought land in an area where their were no power lines, most likely due to the high expense of getting the lines to the property or any property near here. After using a generator for quite some time and noticing the current neighbors had photovoltaic solar panels and wind generators we looked into it. Not long after that we set up a small simple system. A year later we went bigger.
Myths: Huge expense... We are the slowest big country to start utilizing solar and wind in mass scale. Germany, Sweden, Norway, Spain are huge consumers of solar and wind products and they don't do it because it is more expensive, they do it because it is more cost effective. Some places are much better at looking into the future and the needs and expense of current avenues in the future so they plan ahead and started implementing them slowly years ago. In retrospect it is the most inexpensive way to go in the long run.
Solar panels last for years and years and do not slowly wear out so you can purchase used panels for a real bargain. Wind generators do not have many parts that wear out and there are many inexpensive good ones out there. We didn't know this so we bought new. There is a case for both new and used. For now there are many tax incentives in the form of rebate's and money back from local state and federal agencies. This will end I am sure when everyone is forced to go green. As time goes on with the big push to go with sustainable energy, prices will (and they already are starting to) go up so anyone seeing the future should buy now because it won't be a myth that it costs a bundle in the future.
The other myth is that it is inconvenient and you will have to give up all your desired electrical amenities like your tv, dvd player, wii, stereo, microwave, computer, dishwasher, washing machine etc. Truth: A medium sized system can run all of them. We have a bazillion power tools, even a jack hammer and a frappuccino blender. Black outs and brown outs don't occur, rate hikes don't occur and if the sun and wind don't produce for a day or two due to storms we back the system up with a generator which only runs for 2 hours to charge the system for 24 hours worth of electricity. Now that's convenience!
Now many people envision systems that take a ton of maintenance, undependable and annoying. Years ago my vision of a system and home like this consisted of a little run down shack, barren land and candles for light! Boy was I wrong. We even have a swimming pool and until recently a pond with, yup you guessed it a waterfall with an electric pump. When the storms and black/brown outs occur I am sitting snuggly in my warm house on the internet or watching tv. I don't spend as much time doing maintenance as I used to do paying bills when I lived on grid. I also don't have to worry about high heating costs even for hot water. Solar water collectors do that for me and all for free from the sun
Years ago living off grid meant no phone, internet or cable tv. Well those days are gone now with the cell phone, satelite internet and dish network. We and all of our neighbors have been using cell phones as our home phone since they were the big baggy analog cell phones, satelite tv and internet from the very moment they were available, so in a way we were the highest must have techie gadget lovers of them all right from the beginning.
I am off for now to go tend to our garden which by the way is watered from rainwater runoff to storage barrels ( free water) and grey water from our laundry, shower etc.
Have a beautiful day !
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Death trap of movies..POPCORN!
I woke up this beautiful sunny morning to make my tea and enjoy a bit of tv before starting my day. The morning news show was on, you know the local hometown bazillion hour show on every morning that really consists of nearly no news but rather how to make a waste paper basket out of old newspaper, jello and flour. Oh my gosh they had a news blurb ! Movie ticket prices are going up due to the rise in corn. Who are they kidding. I don't know about anyone else but I paid 11 dollars for a bucket of popcorn and a pop last time I went to the movies...and that isn't enough!
They need to get real. I think the syrup for the pop is like 17 cents, the popcorn kernels are like 25 cents and the butter if its real is another 50 cents. I think their heads got loose and rolled off and the hand that reaches for their wallet is doing the thinking.
Gas is so high no one wants to drive to the theaters and now they are whining they need more money for the popcorn. Ok so we just wont buy popcorn. Nope that wont fix it because then they will raise ticket prices even more because they say the concession income from popcorn supplements the movie prices...GRRRRRRRRRRRR
I think they forgot that we are a consumer driven economy, as a matter of fact I think our government forgot that as well. We are the masses and they are the few. I think its time the world is reminded of this fact and that big oil and govt and the "richies" are not the masses. If we don't buy it they have to change their strategy. If we only will pay a certain amount they either conform to what we can pay or go out of business.
They need to get real. I think the syrup for the pop is like 17 cents, the popcorn kernels are like 25 cents and the butter if its real is another 50 cents. I think their heads got loose and rolled off and the hand that reaches for their wallet is doing the thinking.
Gas is so high no one wants to drive to the theaters and now they are whining they need more money for the popcorn. Ok so we just wont buy popcorn. Nope that wont fix it because then they will raise ticket prices even more because they say the concession income from popcorn supplements the movie prices...GRRRRRRRRRRRR
I think they forgot that we are a consumer driven economy, as a matter of fact I think our government forgot that as well. We are the masses and they are the few. I think its time the world is reminded of this fact and that big oil and govt and the "richies" are not the masses. If we don't buy it they have to change their strategy. If we only will pay a certain amount they either conform to what we can pay or go out of business.
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