Everything feels expensive during a recession.

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Yesterday I got a letter telling me that my census was going to be coming in the mail next week. I asked around. It turns out that everyone I asked got this letter.

I don’t know how much it costs to send letters to everyone in the country but I do know that it can’t be cheap. Besides the postage, you have to pay the people to write the letters, collate address databases, manage the project, stuff envelopes and so on.

I would guess that sending this letter – just to tell everyone that another letter is coming — cost the government millions.

With all of our money problems, is that really necessary?

For about three weeks my car has been telling me that my key fob needs a new battery. I didn’t think it was urgent so I waited, and today I called the dealership to find out how much a new battery would cost me.

The response:  Twelve dollars! For one stinking battery!

After hearing that, I decided to buy it myself from a third party. I found my closest Radio Shack and after a few minutes in the car and a few minutes in the store I had a new battery for $5.29. I installed the battery myself. This, of course, is a small savings, but an important lesson. With just a little work I saved over 50% off the cost of this new battery including installation.

The lesson learned? Laziness can be very costly over the course of time.

Side Story: When I got back in the car, the battery light did not turn off. It is not the car battery; my car has been operating fine. But it does make me wonder if the car is set to alert the driver after a period of time, opposed to the energy left in the battery, so that the dealer can sell a battery that has a super high profit margin.

By Mr. Frugal

By Christopher Borrelli
Chicago Tribune
(MCT)

 
Sit down and shut up. Why? Because, folks, today, have we got a rumble for you — a debate that has been brewing for ages, both sides entrenched and livid, and both positions questionable. Indeed, for as long as humans have assembled to enjoy live music this argument has raged, a salvo of beer cups and shouted derision all around:

Is it OK to stand and dance at a concert when everyone around you is sitting?

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Let’s consider this rationally. Both sides make good points. On the one hand, if you buy a ticket to a concert and stand-able music is played, you should be able to dance and sway and throw your hands in the air as generations before you have done — rocking out should be your prerogative. On the other hand, if you spend $132 on a ticket to a concert, you should be able to see that concert, and if the audience is in a sitting mood, who are you to block the sightlines of the 56 people behind you?

Let’s argue both sides of the issue:
———
HEY, YOU! SIT DOWN!

Hey, knucklehead! Down in front! Do you think the show is any better because you’re standing? Aw, poor babies. Are your feelings hurt? Too bad. Now sit the hell down, because your concert-going experience is in no way enhanced by standing.

Here’s why.

Intensity: This quality isn’t defined by whether you sit or stand. I have been rocked harder by Chicago Symphony Orchestra Mahler concerts than metal bands. Musicians get off on crowd engagement and applause. There has been only one concert at which I have stood that I couldn’t have imagined wanting to sit: Electric Wizard at Chicago’s Double Door, eons ago. Because there were no seats. But also because it’s easier to hold your arms in the air, devil horns fully extended, when standing.

Aesthetics: Trust me, seeing a field of rhythm-less, droopy-bottomed hipsters twitching spasmodically makes you wish for enough mouth guards to keep them all from swallowing their tongues. Not a pretty sight. If the music is danceable, that’s one thing. When Sea & Cake played Orchestra Hall, some of the crowd, seized by the magic, found space along the edge of the room and shimmied to their hearts’ content.

Enough, already: Standing is like a trap. If the band goes on longer than expected, what then? It can’t be any less intense, right? And so you stand. And stand. And stand, because sitting at that point is like giving up or something. But you could be sitting, ya’ dummy.

Fairness: The person sitting behind you might not want to stand. By choosing to stand, you force the person behind you to stand. Then the person behind him or her stands and, voila, you have a room full of people who aren’t standing because they’re reallyreallyreallyreally into the music. They’re standing because they have to, in order to see, sort of a Dork Domino Theory. But the person behind you might subscribe to the Sit It, Ya’ Knucklehead Theory.
Like me. Because my worldview at concerts is like my driving worldview: I don’t care what you do, just don’t do it in front of me.

— Kevin Williams
———
First, let me just say I’m a bit of a hypocrite. I’m here to defend standing at concerts and dancing when everyone around me is sitting on their hands, but I probably wouldn’t stand myself. I prefer not to have eyes on me; I have witnessed enough heated back-and-forths between concert standers and sitters to know sitters always prevail. Peer pressure is powerful.

And yet, if you need to dance, even if it’s right in front of me and I’m sitting, you should dance all night. There are exceptions, of course, like don’t dance during any performance in which the band is sitting.

Anywhere else, dance.

Dance at inappropriate times. Be that wacko in the front row who won’t sit down. The “live” in live performances already feels as though it’s bleeding from a million tiny cuts. Video screens, vocal tracking, teleprompters.

Unless you’re in a venue where sitting isn’t a real option, it’s easy to feel removed from performers these days.

The next time you’re in a balcony of a theater and someone in the front row is standing and you’re annoyed and wondering if he knows everyone behind him is sitting, remember where you are. No matter how much the concert industry has done in the name of convenience, a live show is still not hermetically sealed entertainment.

What’s that? If you just sat we wouldn’t be arguing?

True. But none of this is going away. As older performers acquire generations of fans — many of whom have reached the age where sitting is preferred, and many others for whom concert-going remains a leave-your-seat experience — concert venues say awkward confrontations between standing fans and fuming sitters are just getting worse.

What’s that? Standers should get their own section? Well, there are forward thinking concert halls and performers: For years, Bruce Springsteen has set aside thousands of tickets every show for a general-admission, standing section on the floor.

What? Majority rules? Thoughtful. But wasn’t it buttoned-down proletarian thinking that gave birth to pop music in the first place? Remember when rock was about stepping out of line?

Besides, a quick survey of venues suggests enforcement is random and etiquette murky.

Yes, energy and engagement are a two-way street — even when the performer’s knees are older than Brian Wilson. I’m reminded of the time I saw Wilco, and a man in the front row ate a sandwich, and Jeff Tweedy stopped mid-song to ask, “Do I come to where you work and eat a sandwich on your desk?” I’m reminded of my 14-year-old self, who thought quiet, obedient audiences were something other cultures endured because they weren’t democracies. I’m reminded of the woman who recently told me she tried to dance at an Eagles show and security sat her down.

Which is sad.

Surely, if you’re attending an Eagles concert in 2009, you need your exercise and you probably won’t be mall walking the next morning. Next time, stand your ground.

— Christopher Borrelli
———
(c) 2009, Chicago Tribune.
Visit the Chicago Tribune on the Internet at http://www.chicagotribune.com/
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
—————

First, let me say that I believe everyone should have health care. Let me rephrase that, I believe everyone should have good healthcare that is not too expensive and that actually covers what we need.

On November 7, the House passed Obama’s healthcare reform bill. The hopes are that the bill will expand coverage to the 36 million uninsured. This would result in 96% of the nation’s population being insured.

The legislation will require that most Americans carry insurance. It worries me any time someone makes something that costs money a requirement; what are people who have little to no money (and with the unemployment rate at a whopping 10.2 percent that’s a lot of people) supposed to do? Of course, “federal subsidies to those who otherwise could not afford it” will be provided. However,  if you’ve ever tried to qualify for government help or assistance, you know how hard that can be. So, all of those people barely scraping by most likely will not get any assistance, but will still have to pay for health insurance. And we have no idea how much it’s going to cost.

According to the Associated Press, “large companies would have to offer coverage to their employees. Both consumers and companies would be slapped with penalties if they defied the government’s mandates.” I agree that large companies should have to provide health insurance. I’m not ok with private citizens getting slapped with fines if they don’t have health insurance. Now, anyone who can’t afford health insurance will be criminalized.

Read more about being forced to buy health insurance: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/the-most-nightmarish-heal_b_281214.htmlThe AP goes on to say, “Insurance industry practices such as denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions would be banned, and insurers would no longer be able to charge higher premiums on the basis of gender or medical history. In a further slap, the industry would lose its exemption from federal antitrust restrictions on price gouging, bid rigging and market allocation.”

I’m glad that insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions. The 2007 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) attempted to provide more protection to people with pre-existing conditions. It allowed people to purchase individual coverage, mostly under state-run high-risk insurance plans. The only problem is the cost. So, you can get coverage, you just have to pay an awful lot for it (I’ve heard up to $2400 a month).  This bill is going to allow the government to sell insurance, and even the Congressional Budget Office, “forecasts that premiums for it would be more expensive than for policies sold by private firms.” I hope that we’ll have more choices, and that we’ll get better prices, but somehow, I doubt it. Insurance companies make money when they don’t cover procedures. Now, everyone will have to give the insurance companies money, or pay a fine. And the insurance companies can still raise their rates; the bill gives them that right.

Yes, there will be a public option. However, only 11 million people, or 2 percent of the population, may have access to the public plan. The public option was supposed to provide competition to the private insurance companies but that is looking less and less likely.

How are we going to pay for all of this? Again, to quote the Associated Press, “To pay for the expansion of coverage, the bill cuts Medicare’s projected spending by more than $400 billion over a decade. It also imposes a tax surcharge of 5.4 percent on income over $500,000 in the case of individuals and $1 million for families.” We’re going to cut Medicare—a program that is already in place and working. According to government and academic research, Medicare is cheaper and more effective than private plans.  According to Consumer Watchdog, “Medicare spends 2% of revenue on overhead; private insurers typically spend 25% to 27% for overhead and profit.

Medicare also comes with established relationships with health care providers which, though undercut by low reimbursement rates and a prescription drug program hamstrung by drug manufacturers, provide a solid base for expansion. Competition with a low-overhead health insurance alternative provided by Medicare will force private insurers to prove that they can be cost-effective while offering similarly comprehensive coverage.  Leveling the playing field between private insurers and the public option by requiring all players to guarantee access at a fair price would significantly reduce costs and increase access to health care.”

One of the biggest arguments centers around women’s right to choose and the right to comprehensive healthcare (including birth control).  Abortion will not be covered. Even if you have private coverage, if you are getting any help from the government, you will not be able to use this money to get an abortion, except in the usual cases of incest, rape or when the mother’s life is in danger. This is sneaky: if insurance companies cannot reject anyone, if they have to take people getting federal help, then they cannot cover abortions. Read the FDL site http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2009/11/07/stupak-amendment-could-likely-be-used-to-by-insurance-companies-to-discriminate-against-low-income-americans/ for more information. According to FDL’s Jon Walker, “There would be no way to prevent that at least one of the plan’s customers would be using affordability tax credits to help purchase the plan. So the effect is no plan sold on the exchange could offer abortion coverage as part of its basic package.”

This means that almost all women with insurance through the exchange will not have abortions covered.

The President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America says, “Simply put, the Stupak/Pitts amendment…restrict[s] women’s access to abortion coverage in the private health insurance market, undermining the ability of women to purchase private health plans that cover abortion, even if they pay for most of the premiums with their own money. This amendment reaches much further than the Hyde Amendment, which has prohibited public funding of abortion in most instances since 1977. ”

Scary.

What does it mean for young adults? The 18 to 34 age group is the largest group of uninsured people. The biggest change is that the bill will allow young people to stay on their parent’s policy until their 27th birthday. So, if you currently are on your parents insurance, or if you receive health care coverage from your employer, things will most likely stay the same.

However, some politicians have been proposing “young invincible plans.” Pay attention to anything that includes the name catastrophic. Everyone needs comprehensive treatment, treatment that includes preventive screening and regular check-ups, not a plan that only covers so-called catastrophes, with low-monthly costs and very high deductibles. For example: let’s say you are in a car accident. You will be insured, after you pay your deductible out of pocket. So if your hospital bill is $10,000 and your deductible is $5800, you’ll be paying $5800 out of pocket.

For more information about “Young Invincibles”:
http://www.campusprogress.org/cribsheets/4726/young-underinsured-and-overcharged

http://yiwantchange.org/

Definitions you need to know:
Insurance Exchange: the insurance marketplace, hopefully offering more affordable options
Public option: An option administered by the government, providing competition to private insurance companies

Like I said, we all need health insurance, but we need real coverage, competitive prices and a real public option. We need health insurance that covers everyone, comprehensively, and that doesn’t treat young Americans or women like special interest groups.

What do you think?

The House just approved the newest stimulus package. But before it passes it must go through the Senate.  First of all, what is the government thinking?

As a young, independent individual, I should be thrilled about receiving a $400 stimulus check, but I’m not.  Why aren’t I?  Our government thinks that this check will be used to help stimulate our economy by having the American people spend it on clothing and other useless material goods.  Are they a bunch of fools?  I’m going to use that money to pay my cable and Internet bill so I can watch TV online, and download stuff for free, because I’m piss poor.

Most American’s with half a brain are going to use that money to spend it on gas, bills, credit card debt, and food.  I’m sure not going to go out and buy some clothing or electronic goods. I’m paying my cable bill to steal my entertainment needs.

Besides, didn’t we try the stimulus check idea before, and didn’t we still end up in a recession?

By Jake Miller

What do you think? Are stimulus checks a good idea or not?

At least once a year I get a pile of yellow pages on my front stoop. I always get at least two—maybe because there are two people in my house, although why they don’t assume we can share is beyond me. But besides making great doorstops I don’t get much use out of them. I have an iPhone with an easy-to-use yellow pages app.

Yellowpagesgoesgreen.org is an organization working to eliminate the unsolicited delivery of Yellow and White Pages books. Like me, they would rather save the trees cut down to create these books and not have to bother recycling them.

They compare their organization to the National No-Call Registry that stopped (or at least decreased) the number of unwanted telephone solicitations. Yellowpagesgoesgreen.org is trying to start a national movement to get the Yellow/white pages industry to stop delivering books unsolicited or to begin moving legislation to mandate the stoppage of these books. This is NOT meant to stop the books from being delivered to people who want them; it is to stop the unsolicited delivery to people who don’t.

Yellowpagesgoesgreen.org was founded by a college student in Liberty, Missouri.

According to the website, “Over 500 million of these directories are printed every year. That is nearly two books for every person in the country! These directories produce a staggering amount of waste, not only in terms of misused natural resources but also in filling of valuable landfill space.”

The site offers these statistics:

To produce 500 million books:
•    19 million trees need to be harvested
•    1.6 billion pounds of paper are wasted
•    7.2 million barrels of oil are misspent in their processing (not including the wasted gas used for their delivery to your doorstep)
•    268,000 cubic yards of landfill are taken up
•    3.2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity are squandered

If you want to help the environment and stop unsolicited delivery of Yellow/White Pages books please visit www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org.

Do you still use paper Yellow or White pages? Do you think they should stop being delivered without a request?

Most of the students I know who were too young to vote, very strongly wanted Barack Obama to win.  School mock elections in my town exemplified this fact.  My 20 year old niece said it well, when she stated “we don’t need any more old guys running this country.”  Those who actually did vote, claim that they voted for Obama.  Come to think of it, the older folks, even many staunch Republicans I know, voted for Obama, also.  And I live in a typically Republican county.

I am increasingly impressed with Obama’s abilities.  He seems to have focus and clarity, demonstrated by how he is choosing his cabinet members and advisors.  He wants the most competent staff, regardless of party affiliation.  And isn’t it about time that non-partisan ideas prevailed!

The word change resonated loudly during the entire presidential campaign.  So, let’s get specific here. I’m wondering how people of different ages, people at different life stages, expect their lives to change under the new administration.

How do you think education will change under the Obama regime?

Will more money be available for K-12 public schools and for college programs?  Where will this money come from?  How will the money be allocated?  What will be the long term impact from changes to the current education system?

Will college become more affordable for you?
Obama is proposing a tax credit to facilitate paying for college tuition and other expenses?  How might this modify your plans for higher education?  Does this change which college you will select?  Does this possible education tax credit have any impact on your choice of majors or career?

How has the credit crisis impacted you and what do you expect under Obama’s leadership?
This country is heavily in debt, big-time debt, so is it any wonder that individuals and families are up to their eyeballs in debt, too?  Do you see Obama “fixing” any of this?  How soon do you think it will be before we can relax a little about the ups and downs of stock market?  Have your spending habits changed in the past few months?  Do you expect them to change under the new administration?

How safe is the stock market?
Young people are often advised so save for retirement.  But doesn’t that seem like an eternity from now? Having watched whatever little bits of money you’ve responsibly stashed away that is now all but gone, how do you see your investing habits changing under the new administration?

We wanted a new way of thinking in the White House.  We wanted change.  Americans got what they wanted.  Now it’s our turn to step up to the plate and take ownership of our lives again. So how will the Obama presidential victory impact YOU?

Check out Debra Karplus’ blog: http://DebraKarplus.blogspot.com

Citigroup (once the largest U.S. bank) has proven that it is too big to fail. Federal officials have agreed to a $326 billion rescue of the company.

An integral part of the U.S. financial system and the banking system
Citigroup has $2 trillion in assets, making them a critical part of the financial system. They were the biggest bank by market value a year or two ago, and now they’re worth 10 cents on the dollar.

This is the first time the government has actually absorbed bad assets, rather than just injecting money into a financial institution. This agreement gives the government control of executive bonuses and places a limit on dividend payments. So, not as much regulation as the banks in the U.K. got, but at least we (hopefully) won’t have any ridiculous six-figure bonuses either. The government gets preferred stock and stock warrants (the right to buy stock at a fixed price for a period of time). So if Citigroup does well, the government will do well too.

Clearly, our financial system is under a lot of stress. Assets are losing value. Even the strongest companies are down (Goldman Sachs is down 75 cents on the dollar). Not only house mortgages, but commercial mortgages and credit card debt as well.

Things are not good but they would be worse. Our banking system is huge—many trillions of dollars—the government is shoring it up a little (and the banks have done a lot to fix themselves, borrowing money from all over the world and selling stock all over the world), but if the government wasn’t doing this then we’d be in a depression. Companies need credit to stay in business. The whole economy depends on the big lenders—they lend to both big and small companies. So while it seems that the government is spending money right and left, things would be a lot worse if they weren’t. Many experts have identified this event “as the tipping point between dangerous market and economic conditions into a market crash with potential for a depression.”

The holiday shopping season is almost officially about to begin. Yes, I’m talking about Black Friday. While the mall may be frightening to many of us on a good day, Black Friday can be downright terrifying! And this year it’s not just the crowds and crazy mom’s looking for the last Tickle Me Elmo doll, it’s the fact that the jobless rate is high and our economy is still suffering.

This winter, many of us don’t have extra money to spend on extravagant holiday shopping. That’s why we have compiled a list of sites to help you figure out where you can cut corners. Knowing where the sales are can also help you plan your Black Friday shopping outing—know where the best prices are before you leave the house, and know where to head first when you hit the stores.

So, with a little legwork and a little luck, you should be able to navigate the treacherous waters of your local mall and save some loot in the process!

TGI Black Friday

http://tgiblackfriday.com/

This site the top Black Friday deals. Macy’s, Dell, Staples, Radio Shack, Bath & Body Works, Walgreen’s and many, many more. Go here before you go there.

Deal Catcher

http://www.dealcatcher.com/

This site has the newest coupons, rebates, printable coupons, and even let’s you compare prices. With free online coupon codes for Dell, Amazon, Best Buy and Overstock.

Black Friday Ads

http://bfads.net/

Dedicated to, well, black Friday ads, this site posts all the ads in one place. Check back regularly for Black Friday 2008 daily updates.

Deal Taker

http://www.dealtaker.com/blackfriday.html

If you haven’t found the coupons you’re looking for yet, try this one. They bill themselves as “your official black Friday portal” and judging from their list of stores, ads, and deals, they might not be far off.

Free Shipping

http://www.freeshipping.org/

If you’re planning on doing all of your Black Friday shopping online, Free Shipping can help you save on shipping costs. This site offers hundreds of free shipping codes organized by store. When you go to checkout online, simply enter your code and start saving!

Cara Newman