Swagbucks

There was a span in my life when I ordered things off Amazon and other sites almost every day.  At first, it started out small, but as more time passed, I started buying more and more things, putting myself in a bigger financial hole.  I always paid off all the money I used, but I hated using so much money on things I rarely used, which is why after awhile, I stopped buying things online altogether (besides on things I really wanted).  Then a year or two ago, my friends showed me this website called Swagbucks, where you can take surveys, watch videos, and do other things to get points to buy cool things (including things off Amazon).  They tried to get me to join for a year, but I never did because it seemed so tedious and I thought I'd never have the time.  Amazing how your view of something can change once you give it a chance.

So with that in mind, yesterday I made my Swagbucks account and began earning points.  My first impression so far is that it isn't that hard, and there are lots of things to do, but it does take awhile to accumulate points in the day.  I reached my first daily goal, though, so I feel pretty excited.  Yes, it's going to be awhile before I can really buy anything, but I'm making progress, and in time, I'll be able to buy things and save money at the same time.  I was skeptical of the site before, but now I can say, it's for real and pretty awesome. 

Here's to winning!

My First Booster Box

Last week, I did something that I said I would never do, which was order a Booster Box of trading cards.  In the past, when I played Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh, the temptation was always there to buy cards, but I always reasoned that it was better to use money on single cards I wanted, than use lots of money to buy cards I didn't want.  Not to mention, I never knew if it was worth it to use lots of money on something I only play part time.  I love Pokémon and grew up with it, but as I get older, there's less of it in my life, besides when my friends have arguments about it.  All these things were on my mind as I was contemplating buying the booster box, but in the end, I went with it since I had some money to spare, and I never treated myself, so why not do it this one time?

I ordered my booster box off Ebay and received it in 2 business days, which I was extremely happy about.  When it came in the mail, the first thing that caught my eye was how small it was.  From box openings and reaction videos I've seen of others opening the cards, the box seemed so much bigger, but that could have just been because of the camera.  Still, I was concerned, so I kept wondering as I walked to my friend's place if I had been gypped.  Luckily, I hadn't because when I opened the box, there were 36 packs as advertised.

It's funny how you wait so long for something, and then in an instant, it's over.  That statement can be applied to anything in life, and applies to these cards as well.  I agonized over buying the cards for so long, and then waited for them to come, but in less than 25 minutes, my friend and I had ripped off the plastic of all 36 packs.  Sad, I know.  All in all, I think the box was worth it.  We didn't get the top EX Pokémon in my opinion, which was Mew, or the Ho-Oh card I wanted, but I got the other 4 EX's, so in the end, I got at least 3-4 ultra rares.  I wish I had gotten the specific cards I wanted, but I think looking back, this purchase was worth the price.  Not just for the cards I did get, but the experience of opening packs of cards like a child again, and doing it with friends.  I don't know if I'll be buying any cards again in the future, but if I do, I'll certainly be less hesitant.   

Laptop Issues

When it comes to schoolwork, writing, or anything internet related, usually I do everything on my laptop (like most people).  Normally, that isn't an issue, but since my laptop is about 6 years old, it's starting to show its wear and tear.  Some of the buttons don't work, the volume isn't what it used to be, and the disk drive/memory is low.  At least that's what it said.  My laptop is supposed to have 60GB, but somehow, it says I've almost used all of that, which is impossible for even people who download a lot of stuff.  I only use my laptop for a few things, not enough things to take up that much space.  I even had a few people look at it and asked questions, but they're baffled.  It could be an error, but why is it like this?  Is it something that can be fixed?  What if the problem lingers?  I googled most of it and found out answer and that this was a common problem, but I still don't know what to do.  I wish technology didn't always have dumb issues like this.  We pay so much money for things, and yet, there's always something wrong.  It's just a pain, and another thing I have to deal with.

Prime Number

Being so busy with life the past few months, I haven't bought anything off Amazon in so long.  But now that school's out and I have some cash to spend, there's a few things I wanted to buy.  Nothing too expensive, just trading cards, and the WWE 2K14 video game, since I've been watching wrestling a lot recently.  But when I went to buy those things off Amazon, I saw that I didn't have enough for free shipping since they raised the price from $25 to $35.  It's nothing I didn't already know, and something that could easily be solved with Amazon Prime, but this was my sister's account, so it wasn't up to me.  And even if it was, I wouldn't pay extra for something I rarely use now.  It's just annoying that they raise the prices, even though they make millions of dollars already since it's manipulative, and just makes you use more money.  Something that won't change, but I wish things went back to the way they used to be.

Buying A Booster Box?

The more I've been playing Pokémon cards, the more I've been wanting to buy packs of them.  I've always traded and bought single cards, but it's not always easy trading, and after awhile, paying a lot for rare single cards is just too expensive.  That's why recently, I've been looking at booster boxes of cards.  In Pokémon, their boxes usually cost around $100 for 36 packs, which sounds like a lot, but when you consider that normally a pack costs between $4-5, the savings adds up.  It's just such a huge investment, and for someone like me who is a casual gamer and low on funds, I wonder if it is worth it?  Part of me says no, but a large part of me is excited at the possibility of opening so many packs.  Especially if I decide to get the Plasma Blast box or the Wild Blaze box, which isn't coming out till May.  The Plasma Blast set has Genesect EX and Virizion EX, two of the best and rarest cards, that I would want if I made a grass themed deck, but if I got the new one, I'd have a chance of getting the new Charizard EX cards, which I could add to my deck.  A tough decision for sure, but what would you guys suggest I do? 

A booster box might be in my future, but which one should I get?

Air Jordans

This past weekend, I did something I've never done before, and bought a pair of Air Jordans, the popular shoes from basketball player Michael Jordan and Nike.  I've always admired the shoes from afar, but never had the money to buy them until now.  With it being the first chance I had to buy a pair of Jordans, I didn't want to waste the opportunity buying the wrong pair, so I went to several shoe stores to find the "right" one.  Unfortunately, many cheaper designs I liked weren't available in my size, so I had to settle on the Jordan 45, which is a mix of black and white.  I like the color because it matches with a lot of things I wear, but I didn't like some of the bottom, which has dots on it, as well as the price tag, which was $120.  These shoes probably cost next to nothing to make in some shop overseas, but they charge an arm and a leg for it; which is ridiculous. 

You'd think I would be satisfied after using so much money on a pair of shoes, but I didn't learn my lesson because I bought another pair of Jordans online the very next day, the Jordan SC-3, which are red and black.  After making such a large purchase, I usually hold off before buying anything new, but I saw the shoes in person, and they were too good to pass up.  Not to mention, I love the colors, which are a mix of my favorites.  Hopefully when the shoes come, they meet my expectations.

Right now, I feel pretty happy about having 2 new pairs of Jordans, and just having new shoes overall since I really needed some.  But at the same time, I wonder what's the point?  I know having footwear is important, but I could have saved money, and it's not like I'm going to wear them everyday.  Not to mention, I never cared about them badly enough to buy them before, so why now?  The answer to that question is, because as a child in school, I was always teased for not having name-brand shoes, so now, I want some.  Being older, having Jordans now won't ease the pain I used to feel, but it feels cool having something I really want, when there's so few material  things in life I do want.  Will they truly make me happy?  I don't know, but as I find out, I'll have the footwear to find out and reach that goal.  One thing's for sure, I know this will not be the last pair of Jordan's I buy...

Billion Lost

In case you didn't know, or don't follow college basketball, businessman/investor Warren Buffet offered a billion dollars to anyone who could fill out a perfect NCAA March Madness bracket.  If you don't know anything about the sport, you might think this is easy, but this is even difficult for people who know a lot about the sport because of the high possibility of an upset.  And that was the case yesterday as Duke lost to Mercer.  With that loss, everyone was eliminated from Warren Buffet's challenge, and his billion dollars was safe.  I myself didn't enter a bracket because of the 1 in quintillion chance of winning (which is even lower than the lottery), but I can't help but think of what I'd do with all that money.  I'd donate to charity, pay off any money I owe, help out friends, etc, but it's just a pipe dream now.  One that Warren Buffet can laugh about now that he doesn't have to pay anyone.  In the end, at least we still have great college basketball.

In the end, Warren Buffet was the big winner of March Madness

Buying A Scale

Recently, with my blood pressure rising and gain in weight, I decided to make, what was in my mind, one of the few sound purchases of my life, which was a scale.  We have one in my house, like most families, but that scale was getting old, and giving inaccurate readings, so I wanted a new one to measure myself.  With all the different options out there, I was confused which one would be worth buying, but decided on a EatSmart digital one because it had the most buys and customer reviews.  It cost more, but I figured if that many people bought it, then there must be something good about it.

The scale came to my house a few days ago and looks splendid like some minimalist painting; it's white, slim, and glass, but very sturdy for its size, which I like.  Because it was digital and I stink with technology, I thought it would be difficult to set up, but it was actually very easy, and even came with batteries.  My only issue with the scale is that even though it's  consistent, it gives different weights in different rooms, which I understand if I do it on a rug, but all my floors are hardwood, so I don't know what to think.  I don't want to return it, but I want to know my weight.  Such a dilemma; I wish I was healthier, so I didn't have to deal with all this crap, but what's a person to do?

I'm not sure, but I know I'll be checking myself daily.

For The Person Who Has Everything

I'm currently facing in a dilemma right now in my life (although it's hardly something most would consider a problem).  The past few years, I've been spending lots of money on Amazon, buying all sorts of things from trading cards to films.  And for the most part, I was happy since I was buying things that were solely mine, and having fun enjoying them my way.  At the beginning, I bought things solely because I liked them, but after awhile, I started buying things based off of collecting or reputation.  The problem was that after awhile, I had everything I wanted since I bought everything.  And everything I did want either cost too much, or was something I decided I didn't need.  With that in mind, I wonder what I should do now?  I don't have everything in life (because who does), but now that nothing interests me enough to buy/want it, what do you get for the person who has everything they could ever want currently (not counting things that aren't material goods like happiness and love)?  And does it have anything to do with disillusionment of life, or is it simply finding something new to like?  I'm curious to see what you all think.

MLB Free Agency

(L-R) Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, Marlon Byrd, Matt Garza, Brian McCann, and Hiroki Kuroda are just some of the free agents who have signed, or are still on the market

The Winter meetings started in Orlando officially today, but besides when the Red Sox signed Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford to terrible contracts years ago, they've usually been a letdown to the weeks prior, in which at least one marquee free agent signs somewhere.  Last week was no exception as many stars took their "talents", as LeBron James would say, to new teams.  The biggest free agent Robinson Cano signed a mega 10 year, $240 million dollar contract with the Seattle Mariners, while Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, and Carlos Beltran signed with the New York Yankees for some questionable dollars.  None of this is anything new in baseball, but mega contracts for players during free agency is starting to become a problem, if it hasn't already been for the past decade.

Major League Baseball is not the only sport with contract issues, but they are the one that gives out the most money, has guaranteed contracts, and no salary cap.  It's bad enough that other smaller teams do not have an advantage signing free agents because they do not have enough funds, but it is even worse when players who aren't stars are getting paid as one, like Robinson Cano; he is a good player, and arguably the best 2nd baseman in the game, but his stats don't blow me away, he's never won an MVP, and is not the transcendent superstar Barry Bonds (despite PED allegations) or even Derek Jeter ever were.  Not to mention, he doesn't hustle all the time, which is a problem for any athlete.  For a team like the Mariners, who are starving to win, I see what they're trying to do, but I don't see this ending well since when was the last time a long term contract went well?  Manny Ramirez, Derek Jeter, etc.?  Those guys are once in a generation players, and as hard as it is to believe, another Robinson Cano will come along someday.  Baseball is not changing any time soon, especially with egotistical superstars who want money, but for the better of teams, I hope it changes.  No one is worth that much money!  And think of everything else that money could be used for.  Other players, advertising, improving the ballpark.

When a player asks, unless it's a good deal, just say no!

Downloading Music

Yesterday, I made an iTunes account for the first time ever (late, I know) because I wanted to download some K-Pop music I've been listening to.  It surprised me how much I wanted the music since usually I just ask my brother to help me or wait, but what surprised me even more was how complicated it was making an iTunes account.  There was so much information I had to put in, as well as other security features, which I was not prepared for.  But all things are like this now for protection, which I appreciate.

With that being the case, that brings me the issue of downloading music.  Everyone knows piracy is such a huge issue because it is easy to do and difficult to enforce.  But I do not think people should do it, whether for music, movies, or anything.  Yes, I know it saves money, and companies have boatloads of it, but think of all the musicians you listen to.  Some of them are struggling and need the sales to earn a living.  And for ones who do make a profit, depending on a contract, they may not even receive much money.  This reasoning is the way K-Pop fans feel because they truly love and want to help the musicians they listen to.  Some may think this is silly, but I don't think it's silly to obey the law and help support the musicians who bring happiness into our lives with the music they create.   

Downloading anything is a yes or no thought process, but know that it's more than that, and we, as individuals, have the choice to make a difference.

PS4 And XBox 1

In all my years of being a fan of video games, I can't recall as much buzz about gaming systems I know as little about as the PS4 and XBox 1.  I know they're the next generation video game systems of the top 2 gaming brands out there (sorry Nintendo), but that's it.  Other than that, everything I know is from commercials, parodies of it (like on South Park), and all the news stories I hear about what people will and have done for them.  It's crazy to think gaming systems cost over $600-700 and controllers over $50 now, when back in the day Sega and Nintendo 64 merchandise costing between $100-200 was too much.  I guess it shows how far technology has advanced in 20 years, or how obsessively crazy everyone has become.

I have yet to physically see or try either system, but they both look nice, while the graphics are ridiculously realistic.  In the past, I think I preferred the Xbox more than Playstation because my friends and I played games together more on that, and to me, it seemed a lot cheaper.  But now, I think I've shifted toward being a fan of Playstation since there's no question I play games on it more, there's less bugs, etc.  Of course, I'm no expert on gaming, but these are just my two cents on the two new gaming systems.  I only know one friend who has a PS4, and he says it is awesome, but there's no one else besides him.  Everyone may prefer new technology, but like a lot of things in life, I like the classic/vintage stuff.  Luckily, my Gameboy Color and Sega Dreamcast still work, so while everyone is playing their new stuff, I'll be stuck in the old.

If only my batteries and memory card still worked...

Out-of-Print Merchandise

The Slifer The Sky Dragon Shonen Jump Card that I want

With the recession and the ability for consumers to purchase merchandise online at a premium, this is a great time to buy things, especially with Black Friday less than a week away.  I usually never buy anything on that day, but I do buy lots of things off Amazon: films, cards, etc., but one thing I cannot stand is when merchandise is out-of print.  When that happens, it causes one thing that would usually only be a few dollars to skyrocket in price like it's a collector's item, when most of the time it isn't.  For example, there are really old films that cost a lot, but that is understandable because it's historical and may be one of a kind.  And even then, it's still reasonable.  But when a Disney film is selling for $60, or a card like that Egyptian God card from Shonen Jump costs close to $100, that's when you know things are crazy.  Worst of all, there are people who go crazy buying all these things.  I understand why a person would because as a collector myself, it's something I can relate to, but there are times when you have to know when to say no and walk away.  It's tough to do, especially with something so tempting, but if you don't, you'll be paying lots of money for something you may never enjoy.  I wish it wasn't like this because people buy things online to save money, not pay more.  You expect these kind of crazy kind of transactions from businesses, but not from regular people like you and me. 

Casinos

Gambling is something that seems foreign to me, but in some ways, I feel like I've been exposed to it my whole life.  Now, I've never been in a casino before (the closest I've been was in Sonic games), but my family plays the lottery a lot.  We've never won the "big one" as my dad calls it, but we've come close on a number of occasions, which has brought some profit, which is nice.  But I wonder as I get older if I'll be like the millions in the world who love gambling?  The odds of winning the lottery seem impossible, and I don't seem like a casino/Vegas person (especially since I can't play games and have no game face).  Even something as simple as betting doesn't seem like my forte, so if that's out, maybe I won't do anything.  I'll never say never though, especially with the temptation of scratch tickets, and the fact that everyone would want to win the lottery if they could.

On that note, it brings me to local news in the state of Massachusetts.  Just this past week, plans to build a new casino in the town of Milford were voted down.  Not a shock, considering this isn't the first time a casino has been voted down, and yet, I am always surprised by the results.  Everyone always talks about wanting a casino, or finding a quick way to get rich, yet whenever a casino is talked about being built close, everyone changes their mind.  It's funny and ironic.  I wonder why that is?  Could it have to do with what it would cost taxpayers, what it would do to the surrounding area, or religious purposes?  I'm sure it's a combination of all of the above.  Yet, at the end of day, I can't help thinking a casino would help, even though gambling is a terrible thing.  People would have a place to be, they'd have the potential to make money, people would be hired for jobs, and a casino would bring lots of business and tourists, which would boost the economy.  But I know this is a issue that is much deeper than money.  Just thought I'd give my two cents.

Online Classes

One thing every parent says is that "Education is the key to success".  As a child, I dismissed that notion because I knew money was they key to success.  Little did I know though, that most people (besides the really fortunate and lucky) need an education to achieve that sort of wealth.  So with that, like every child, I went to school.  And I did well (especially from 5th grade through middle school).  Once high school came along though, I realized I was just an average student, which wasn't a bad thing, but it made getting into good colleges tougher. 

I eventually got into college, but it wasn't easy getting in, and it hasn't been easy getting through it being by myself and with difficulty in classes.  I think I do okay in the classroom setting, but I dislike the other students sometimes, as well as some teacher's teaching styles.  Because that's happened numerously, I've taken a few online courses, which have proven to be surprisingly successful.  Whenever I take an online class, I'm always a bit nervous and confused because I still have to get used to everything being online, and I wonder how the teacher sets everything up, but after a few days, I get used to it.  The only downside is being motivated sometimes, but I always motivate myself when I have to.

My only downside with online classes and what colleges do is charging extra them (sometimes close to $1,000).  I understand colleges need to make money like any business or school, but in my mind, I feel as though they shouldn't charge extra for something we're already paying so much for.  Also, there can be some disadvantages, such as if the teacher is bad, or if the internet doesn't work; all things out of our control.  I know colleges will never change, but I think it's politically incorrect to charge so much for something that can make the difference between a grade and graduation.  Colleges are supposed to help students by giving them an education, but sometimes I question how they can when they take money out of hard working people's pockets.  Alas, as my friend said C'est la vie (that's life).  I suppose even though my family has to pay more, I'm grateful just to have an alternative to the class I had, and a chance to continue my education.  Something not many people are able to do.