Timex, Casio, Seiko And Other Frugal Watches That Are Cool

     My first watch was a Timex. If you check into them they are a really cool company. I took pride in reviving an old Timex Expedition that is probably 16 years old. Now it works again. My parents gave me a box of old watches. My first watch was in it. It still works. Amazing since it is fifty years old. I have always had a watch fetish and still do.

     I seem to get on kicks. A bicycle kick. Computer kick. Model train kick. Now I am going through a watch kick. Being a clock watcher ( I can still see the clock on the wall from first grade in my mind) I am obsessed with time. Hate to be late. I also cannot understand how some people can make it just in time to their destination. I always seem to get to where I am going early. Just in case something comes up. I guess I just do not have faith and always figure something may go wrong. 

     Several months ago I decided that I would try to find a cool plain Jane Timex on ebay. I was surprised how much these old watches were selling for. To think how many I gave or threw away over the years. 

     I generally have a hard time throwing things away. Sometimes when I did I have regretted it. Such as the Rolex Submariner my uncle gave me. The WWII navigator watch the neighbor across the street gave me in the sixties. He was on a B24 Liberator as a navigator. I could not get these watches to work myself and just threw them away. These are the ones I should have taken to a jeweler. Oh well that is water under the bridge. 

     For a long time now I have liked Seiko, Timex and Casio watches. They give excellent performance at a decent price. How many of these do we have stuck in a drawer somewhere because they have stopped? Many cases it is just a battery. This theme sort of runs with the cleaning the closet out for a new wardrobe post some time back. 

     I have revived about seven watches since I got on the watch kick. I should never have to buy a watch again. Of course I will. Timex, Casio and Seiko seem to keep their case finish for a while when the ten dollar watches do not. A cut above the bottom I guess. Although I have been impressed with the time accuracy they keep. However when they need a battery the cases are so corroded that you cannot open then. The sweat from your body is caustic to them. You can sometimes salvage a band and the pins that hold on the bands for them. 

     That brings up another subject. Watch bands. I have been a o nylon watch band kick since July when I was off work and at home all day. Inspired by the band on the WWII navigator watch. That band is still intact and in service as we speak. Seventy years later. So I have purchased several of these in the past as many months. Different colors. This way you can match the band to the outfit you are wearing. They come in several widths. So you have to measure the width between the lugs (where the band attaches to the watch). They are measured in millimeters. So get out a ruler and measure it to make sure you get the tight width for your watch. They are flexible since they generally just slide through the watch pins. You can change the color in seconds. 

     The largest expense is the batteries. Each watch takes a specific Battery. So you have to make sure you get the right battery. The battery type is listed on the battery itself. Then you know what to buy. These are available at drug, grocery and big box stores. 

     So if you do not have any social skills. And like to mess with things. Pull out those old watches. If you keep your wardrobe classic it never goes out of style as long as you kick up your accessories. 

Timex, Casio, Seiko And Other Frugal Watches That Are Cool

     My first watch was a Timex. If you check into them they are a really cool company. I took pride in reviving an old Timex Expedition that is probably 16 years old. Now it works again. My parents gave me a box of old watches. My first watch was in it. It still works. Amazing since it is fifty years old. I have always had a watch fetish and still do.

     I seem to get on kicks. A bicycle kick. Computer kick. Model train kick. Now I am going through a watch kick. Being a clock watcher ( I can still see the clock on the wall from first grade in my mind) I am obsessed with time. Hate to be late. I also cannot understand how some people can make it just in time to their destination. I always seem to get to where I am going early. Just in case something comes up. I guess I just do not have faith and always figure something may go wrong. 

     Several months ago I decided that I would try to find a cool plain Jane Timex on ebay. I was surprised how much these old watches were selling for. To think how many I gave or threw away over the years. 

     I generally have a hard time throwing things away. Sometimes when I did I have regretted it. Such as the Rolex Submariner my uncle gave me. The WWII navigator watch the neighbor across the street gave me in the sixties. He was on a B24 Liberator as a navigator. I could not get these watches to work myself and just threw them away. These are the ones I should have taken to a jeweler. Oh well that is water under the bridge. 

     For a long time now I have liked Seiko, Timex and Casio watches. They give excellent performance at a decent price. How many of these do we have stuck in a drawer somewhere because they have stopped? Many cases it is just a battery. This theme sort of runs with the cleaning the closet out for a new wardrobe post some time back. 

     I have revived about seven watches since I got on the watch kick. I should never have to buy a watch again. Of course I will. Timex, Casio and Seiko seem to keep their case finish for a while when the ten dollar watches do not. A cut above the bottom I guess. Although I have been impressed with the time accuracy they keep. However when they need a battery the cases are so corroded that you cannot open then. The sweat from your body is caustic to them. You can sometimes salvage a band and the pins that hold on the bands for them. 

     That brings up another subject. Watch bands. I have been a o nylon watch band kick since July when I was off work and at home all day. Inspired by the band on the WWII navigator watch. That band is still intact and in service as we speak. Seventy years later. So I have purchased several of these in the past as many months. Different colors. This way you can match the band to the outfit you are wearing. They come in several widths. So you have to measure the width between the lugs (where the band attaches to the watch). They are measured in millimeters. So get out a ruler and measure it to make sure you get the tight width for your watch. They are flexible since they generally just slide through the watch pins. You can change the color in seconds. 

     The largest expense is the batteries. Each watch takes a specific Battery. So you have to make sure you get the right battery. The battery type is listed on the battery itself. Then you know what to buy. These are available at drug, grocery and big box stores. 

     So if you do not have any social skills. And like to mess with things. Pull out those old watches. If you keep your wardrobe classic it never goes out of style as long as you kick up your accessories. 

Have We Stopped Moving Forward?

     Have we stopped moving forward? Yes I think we have. When we started to move to a service economy in the eighties we slowed down quite a bit. In the early eighties the interest rates for loans were sky high. A consumer loan for someone with good credit was around 18%. The other side of the coin is that savings and investment rates were very high too.

     Let's say you have a small old family business. It has been profitable for say fifty years. You as an owner of the business are second or third generation. You have a load in the bank. Let's just say it is a furniture business. The furniture you produce costs a lot of money. Inflation has been high. So you pay your workers more than ever before. The older workers are getting old, retiring or dying off. The Baby Boomers (read my generation) are filling the ranks. We just don't work as hard as the previous generation (read Great Depression and World War Two people). We want more money. There is new technology we are interested in and want more money to buy it. If we get hurt on the job we will sue you. We are more likely to miss work. We were basically spoiled by our parents and grand parents who worked so hard and tried to make sure we did not have to go through what they did. So as a small business owner it was to their advantage to just close the business and make more then they netted off investments. Hence a bad economy. 

     So they drop the interest rate. Make credit easy. People take jobs and make things. We make things that other countries  want. So we sell them something. Now for the most part the children of my age are coming of age. At this juncture they can be at least thirty years old. They are so used to all the nice things. They will only do the very minimum. But they want. 

     We were solidly into telephones. You now the ones on the wall. I am totally cellular. As most people are now. Why fool with a home phone or pay phone. Pay phones are almost dead. I used to use them quite a bit.
     The bottom line is as a nation we are not as sharp as we used to be. High schools weren't merely a place to hang out until you quit or graduated. High schools actually were a place where you learned something. Perhaps to go to a job or go on to college. Now high school is just a place where you sit through and move on. If of course you choose to graduate.
     We as a nation have to change our mentality. Work hard and behave. Do not bother other people. Be nice.

Have We Stopped Moving Forward?

     Have we stopped moving forward? Yes I think we have. When we started to move to a service economy in the eighties we slowed down quite a bit. In the early eighties the interest rates for loans were sky high. A consumer loan for someone with good credit was around 18%. The other side of the coin is that savings and investment rates were very high too.

     Let's say you have a small old family business. It has been profitable for say fifty years. You as an owner of the business are second or third generation. You have a load in the bank. Let's just say it is a furniture business. The furniture you produce costs a lot of money. Inflation has been high. So you pay your workers more than ever before. The older workers are getting old, retiring or dying off. The Baby Boomers (read my generation) are filling the ranks. We just don't work as hard as the previous generation (read Great Depression and World War Two people). We want more money. There is new technology we are interested in and want more money to buy it. If we get hurt on the job we will sue you. We are more likely to miss work. We were basically spoiled by our parents and grand parents who worked so hard and tried to make sure we did not have to go through what they did. So as a small business owner it was to their advantage to just close the business and make more then they netted off investments. Hence a bad economy. 

     So they drop the interest rate. Make credit easy. People take jobs and make things. We make things that other countries  want. So we sell them something. Now for the most part the children of my age are coming of age. At this juncture they can be at least thirty years old. They are so used to all the nice things. They will only do the very minimum. But they want. 

     We were solidly into telephones. You now the ones on the wall. I am totally cellular. As most people are now. Why fool with a home phone or pay phone. Pay phones are almost dead. I used to use them quite a bit.
     The bottom line is as a nation we are not as sharp as we used to be. High schools weren't merely a place to hang out until you quit or graduated. High schools actually were a place where you learned something. Perhaps to go to a job or go on to college. Now high school is just a place where you sit through and move on. If of course you choose to graduate.
     We as a nation have to change our mentality. Work hard and behave. Do not bother other people. Be nice.

Are Multiple Part Time Jobs The Wave Of The Future?

     Unless you have a professional skill set or some kind of government job your choices may be that of a mercenary. If you have a low paying full time job it may have to be subsidized by a part time job. If you do not have a full time job you may have to have multiple part time jobs. Just to get by. 

     An article on the internet stated that there would be hardly any full time positions offered by employers this year. So people will have to survive on part time jobs. More than one. Since you will not be offered any benefits you should be able to at least get health insurance through the Affordable Care Act ( referred to as ACA henceforth). 

     More and more people are taking on multiple jobs that are part time. It can be quite a trick to make it work. Making sure that your work schedules do not overlap. Also it means no days off in many cases. You cannot be in two places at once and there are only so many hours in a day. Maybe cheap clones are the answer. But not for now. 

     Multiple jobs often involve multiple clothes changes. Irregular sleeping times. Several commutes. It would be a whole lot easier to just figure out a way to draw entitlements. This however is not an option for a lot of people. So we have to come up with a plan.
     Ideally you need a set schedule for the primary job. Many times you can give the employer your availability. Then when you find a secondary job you can work (hopefully) around the other primary job. With a little luck you may even work in at least one off day. That would be bliss. But it is more often than not that easy. But it is nice if it does.
     Proximity is important too. One does not want to have to drive, public transportation, bike or walk a long way to make very little money. It does not make it worth it. If you are lucky enough to have a car and use $10 worth of gas to drive an hour round trip to make $30 it is not much of a deal. If you can wash dishes at a local restaurant for a few hours a day one or two days a week within walking or bicycle distance it may be worth it to you.
     Another thing to do is take a hobby or side skill of yours and put to a money making endeavor. Maybe you car detail cars. Clean houses. Be a handyperson. Work on bicycles. Fix watches. Minor landscaping. Sell something on ebay. Whatever. Perhaps you can cut hair. Do nails. Fix a computer. The down side of this type of a project is that it leaves you liable. Most of the people you will be dealing with are either unable to perform these functions, too cheap to pay a professional, or just lazy. There is honest people out there but if you get over your head and mess up they may take you to small claims court and may open up a tax liability to you. So you have to be careful. With the exception of ebay they may also not pay you.
     So again entitlements may be the best way to go.

Are Multiple Part Time Jobs The Wave Of The Future?

     Unless you have a professional skill set or some kind of government job your choices may be that of a mercenary. If you have a low paying full time job it may have to be subsidized by a part time job. If you do not have a full time job you may have to have multiple part time jobs. Just to get by. 

     An article on the internet stated that there would be hardly any full time positions offered by employers this year. So people will have to survive on part time jobs. More than one. Since you will not be offered any benefits you should be able to at least get health insurance through the Affordable Care Act ( referred to as ACA henceforth). 

     More and more people are taking on multiple jobs that are part time. It can be quite a trick to make it work. Making sure that your work schedules do not overlap. Also it means no days off in many cases. You cannot be in two places at once and there are only so many hours in a day. Maybe cheap clones are the answer. But not for now. 

     Multiple jobs often involve multiple clothes changes. Irregular sleeping times. Several commutes. It would be a whole lot easier to just figure out a way to draw entitlements. This however is not an option for a lot of people. So we have to come up with a plan.
     Ideally you need a set schedule for the primary job. Many times you can give the employer your availability. Then when you find a secondary job you can work (hopefully) around the other primary job. With a little luck you may even work in at least one off day. That would be bliss. But it is more often than not that easy. But it is nice if it does.
     Proximity is important too. One does not want to have to drive, public transportation, bike or walk a long way to make very little money. It does not make it worth it. If you are lucky enough to have a car and use $10 worth of gas to drive an hour round trip to make $30 it is not much of a deal. If you can wash dishes at a local restaurant for a few hours a day one or two days a week within walking or bicycle distance it may be worth it to you.
     Another thing to do is take a hobby or side skill of yours and put to a money making endeavor. Maybe you car detail cars. Clean houses. Be a handyperson. Work on bicycles. Fix watches. Minor landscaping. Sell something on ebay. Whatever. Perhaps you can cut hair. Do nails. Fix a computer. The down side of this type of a project is that it leaves you liable. Most of the people you will be dealing with are either unable to perform these functions, too cheap to pay a professional, or just lazy. There is honest people out there but if you get over your head and mess up they may take you to small claims court and may open up a tax liability to you. So you have to be careful. With the exception of ebay they may also not pay you.
     So again entitlements may be the best way to go.

Public Television

     I have always been a fan of Public Television. Even as a youngster I would watch channel 13 in Pittsburgh, PA. Sometimes it would be a little fuzzy on my little black and white TV I had in my room. But I did have a TV. Just move around the rabbit ears and watch something. You know, the weird Public Television shows. Educational television. Nothing as intelligent as Happy Days or any other commercial television. "Hey". 

      Actually I grew fond of "This Old House" with Bob Vila hosting. "Victory Garden". ETC. As time went on I would spend Sunday nights watching PBS. I loved Masterpiece Theater. Probably watched some of the best shows ever on that series. 

     They had so many BBC shows. I mean good ones. Sherlock Holmes, Periot, Miss Marple. All great. Now they are mostly playing leftovers and real cheap shows. But I still love PBS.

Public Television

     I have always been a fan of Public Television. Even as a youngster I would watch channel 13 in Pittsburgh, PA. Sometimes it would be a little fuzzy on my little black and white TV I had in my room. But I did have a TV. Just move around the rabbit ears and watch something. You know, the weird Public Television shows. Educational television. Nothing as intelligent as Happy Days or any other commercial television. "Hey". 

      Actually I grew fond of "This Old House" with Bob Vila hosting. "Victory Garden". ETC. As time went on I would spend Sunday nights watching PBS. I loved Masterpiece Theater. Probably watched some of the best shows ever on that series. 

     They had so many BBC shows. I mean good ones. Sherlock Holmes, Periot, Miss Marple. All great. Now they are mostly playing leftovers and real cheap shows. But I still love PBS.

I'm Already Dead I Just Haven't Stopped Moving Yet

Sometimes I feel like I am already dead and just haven't stopped moving yet. Because there is a difference between being alive and living. They say a dinosour could be dead for ten minutes before they stopped moving. Sometimes I kind of feel that way.
You go to work. Get home from work. Get ready for work. Pay some bills. Do laundry. Clean house. But you know this isn't all bad. In those spaces of time between the things we have to do, come up with things you want to do. Have a few little hobbies you like. It doesn't have to be expensive either. As in the post Brand Conscience it doesn't have to be the best top of the line to work. Nor do you have to be the best at it.
Take the time to enjoy what you have. As many do not have what you have. As I am typing this I enjoying a program on PBS in HD with an antenna I bought at a yard sale for $5. Works well. I have a small TV. It is good enough.
I base that already being dead compared to a lot of things I used to do. Looking back those good old days weren't all that great sometimes. Just like now.
Being "dead" may not be so bad afterall. As long as I haven't stopped moving yet. Work hard and behave.

I'm Already Dead I Just Haven't Stopped Moving Yet

Sometimes I feel like I am already dead and just haven't stopped moving yet. Because there is a difference between being alive and living. They say a dinosour could be dead for ten minutes before they stopped moving. Sometimes I kind of feel that way.
You go to work. Get home from work. Get ready for work. Pay some bills. Do laundry. Clean house. But you know this isn't all bad. In those spaces of time between the things we have to do, come up with things you want to do. Have a few little hobbies you like. It doesn't have to be expensive either. As in the post Brand Conscience it doesn't have to be the best top of the line to work. Nor do you have to be the best at it.
Take the time to enjoy what you have. As many do not have what you have. As I am typing this I enjoying a program on PBS in HD with an antenna I bought at a yard sale for $5. Works well. I have a small TV. It is good enough.
I base that already being dead compared to a lot of things I used to do. Looking back those good old days weren't all that great sometimes. Just like now.
Being "dead" may not be so bad afterall. As long as I haven't stopped moving yet. Work hard and behave.

I'm Already Dead I Just Haven't Stopped Moving Yet

Sometimes I feel like I am already dead and just haven't stopped moving yet. Because there is a difference between being alive and living. They say a dinosour could be dead for ten minutes before they stopped moving. Sometimes I kind of feel that way. You go to work. Get home from work. Get ready for work. Pay some bills. Do laundry. Clean house. But you know this isn't all bad. In those spaces of time between the things we have to do, come up with things you want to do. Have a few little hobbies you like. It doesn't have to be expensive either. As in the post Brand Conscience it doesn't have to be the best top of the line to work. Nor do you have to be the best at it. Take the time to enjoy what you have. As many do not have what you have. As I am typing this I enjoying a program on PBS in HD with an antenna I bought at a yard sale for $5. Works well. I have a small TV. It is good enough. I base that already being dead compared to a lot of things I used to do. Looking back those good old days weren't all that great sometimes. Just like now. Being "dead" may not be so bad afterall. As long as I haven't stopped moving yet. Work hard and behave.

Brand Conscious

     The term brand according to the American Heritage dictionary means " A trademark or distinctive name identifying a product or manufacturer. Initially this is generally the one who originated the product or service. Then as time goes on someone else copies or slightly changes it to something that is tantamount maybe a little better or maybe a little cheaper. You know, Kleanex not a bathroom tissue.
     Even with a low income people are still brand conscious. We like our certain kind of things. In this day and age there are several generic products that perform the same function. At a lower price. A Casio will keep nearly as accurate of time as a Rolex. With a greatly less price of admission. The price of admission is what it is all about though. This is how success is judged. Maybe rightly so. Maybe not. If you are unable or unwilling to generate an income to get a Rolex you probably still need to know the time. You may still have to drive an automobile. Not a top of the line though. In so on and so forth.
     It is not worth the time and effort to strive for something beyond your means. Just so it says such and such on it.

Brand Conscious

     The term brand according to the American Heritage dictionary means " A trademark or distinctive name identifying a product or manufacturer. Initially this is generally the one who originated the product or service. Then as time goes on someone else copies or slightly changes it to something that is tantamount maybe a little better or maybe a little cheaper. You know, Kleanex not a bathroom tissue.
     Even with a low income people are still brand conscious. We like our certain kind of things. In this day and age there are several generic products that perform the same function. At a lower price. A Casio will keep nearly as accurate of time as a Rolex. With a greatly less price of admission. The price of admission is what it is all about though. This is how success is judged. Maybe rightly so. Maybe not. If you are unable or unwilling to generate an income to get a Rolex you probably still need to know the time. You may still have to drive an automobile. Not a top of the line though. In so on and so forth.
     It is not worth the time and effort to strive for something beyond your means. Just so it says such and such on it.

2014

     The Holiday Season is behind us. I am and have been for many years glad to see it go. I have always been a fan of January 2nd. Fresh new year. Going to be so much better. I am going to do the right things. You know. Work hard. Be healthy. Behave. Not waste and save money. Just like everyone else. However this year I did not write down any resolutions. Why write them down? As they are pretty much the same every year. With the same success rate. 

     Everyone I have talked to recently are glad to see the Holidays over. Like if they would take a national referendum we would just cut them out. I think that the event of celebrating Christmas did not come about till the 1800's anyway. Many, many years ago people got things once a year. Christmas. Shoes, clothes and a lot of other basic and essential things. Who waits for anything now? If you want or need it you just get it. 

     The stores start filling up with cheap junk decorations that no one needs in October. The hype starts out. Then the retailers start to pound us with endless messages. Now stores are starting to open on Thanksgiving. Even Christmas Day. As time goes on holidays are getting to be only for less and less people. Before long the only people that will be off on holidays are the people that don't work anyway and government workers. Most all the other holidays are just another working day. Some folks still have off. Many more do not. Holidays and sporting events are just a hype to get you spend money and get exited about something that is really nothing. Major holidays should be everybody off or no one. Hospitals and emergency services are a tough call here as a lot of people get hurt on holidays. Rainy or other bad weather holidays are many times safer as people do not get out and do dumb things. Enough whining. 

     January is a good time to clean the inside of your living arrangement. As many people who live in a cold climate cannot do anything outside with ease. Clean your closets. Paint the inside. Organize and get things ready to donate to your favorite charity if you no longer use them. If it is just junk. Throw it away. 

     Take a look at your total debt. How are you going to deal with it. Are you paying as much as you can. Put at least $500 in a separate account. You can quickly create this from a tax refund if you are getting anything back this year. That is not much but it is better off then nothing. Which is what most of us have. If you have an automobile that will usually cover the deductible. Even though I ride a bicycle. I still have a car. If it were to wrecked or stolen I would be hard pressed to come up with $500. Think about it.
     Look at the money you really need to spend in 2014. I need to spend about $700 for dental work (portion not covered by dental insurance). I get an eye examination in January. If I get the most basic pair of glasses it usually still takes about $150 to get out of the door. Again with vision insurance. I may be wiser to shift the eye thing to a want category than need as I have a couple pairs of glasses that still work. My eye doctor comes into the store that I work at and have not seen her for a while. If she is no longer at the store it will weigh in the decision.
     Auto care used to be a big one with me. Last year I was lax at best. An oil change, top off fluids and tire rotation. I think I cleaned the inside once. I should likely devote more time to the car. Without being fanatical. I have a low maintenance ride but deserves a little better.
      Looking forward again to be able to commute by bicycle. This saves about $200 a month in gas if one would have to use an automobile to get around. Living in an area with weak public transportation with the bus service closing at about six in the evening. and non existent over the weekends. Also stepping up on pleasure rides on off days. Adding a bid of adventure as I have found myself just wanting to be at home and doing basically nothing.
     At work I am going to commit to doing a better job. Try not to miss any work. Be nice to customers and co workers. This can be accomplished by not getting so stressed out. For the first several years of my employment we had a surprisingly stable workforce. Especially considering the nature of the job. A lot had to do with the economy surely. In the last several months we have had a lot of turnover. When I returned from my five weeks off we had five new people. With a lot more turnover on the horizon as I see it. The camaraderie is gone. But the last situation was an anomaly in are situation and especially working for a large corporation. So it is. I really do not care to socialize or get to know anyone new anymore and that may be for the better. Kind of a cog in the wheel thing. I was originally interested in moving to management and being "successful" but could care less now.
     I am definitely interested in improving this blog and taking it to the next level. I like The Simple dollar and Zen Habits which inspired me in the first place. I guess I need to write about things that people want to read.
     As far as clothing expenses I should be able to keep them low. A couple of pairs of work shoes and work pants. Undergarments. A a few finds as treats from Goodwill. Everything else should be fine. I cut my own hair (and it looks like it!). Shave with a simple Gillette safety razor. Use basic soap. Good enough.
     I like to cook at home. I do not go out to eat. I just have to eat. Sometimes skipping meals. Finding new thing to cook will be on the agenda. Maybe even cooking for others too.
     That is about it. I have not written much lately spending all the time I can with my mother and father who has been in the hospital since the first of November. But he is looking up Hopefully 2014 is going to looking up too.
     

2014

     The Holiday Season is behind us. I am and have been for many years glad to see it go. I have always been a fan of January 2nd. Fresh new year. Going to be so much better. I am going to do the right things. You know. Work hard. Be healthy. Behave. Not waste and save money. Just like everyone else. However this year I did not write down any resolutions. Why write them down? As they are pretty much the same every year. With the same success rate. 

     Everyone I have talked to recently are glad to see the Holidays over. Like if they would take a national referendum we would just cut them out. I think that the event of celebrating Christmas did not come about till the 1800's anyway. Many, many years ago people got things once a year. Christmas. Shoes, clothes and a lot of other basic and essential things. Who waits for anything now? If you want or need it you just get it. 

     The stores start filling up with cheap junk decorations that no one needs in October. The hype starts out. Then the retailers start to pound us with endless messages. Now stores are starting to open on Thanksgiving. Even Christmas Day. As time goes on holidays are getting to be only for less and less people. Before long the only people that will be off on holidays are the people that don't work anyway and government workers. Most all the other holidays are just another working day. Some folks still have off. Many more do not. Holidays and sporting events are just a hype to get you spend money and get exited about something that is really nothing. Major holidays should be everybody off or no one. Hospitals and emergency services are a tough call here as a lot of people get hurt on holidays. Rainy or other bad weather holidays are many times safer as people do not get out and do dumb things. Enough whining. 

     January is a good time to clean the inside of your living arrangement. As many people who live in a cold climate cannot do anything outside with ease. Clean your closets. Paint the inside. Organize and get things ready to donate to your favorite charity if you no longer use them. If it is just junk. Throw it away. 

     Take a look at your total debt. How are you going to deal with it. Are you paying as much as you can. Put at least $500 in a separate account. You can quickly create this from a tax refund if you are getting anything back this year. That is not much but it is better off then nothing. Which is what most of us have. If you have an automobile that will usually cover the deductible. Even though I ride a bicycle. I still have a car. If it were to wrecked or stolen I would be hard pressed to come up with $500. Think about it.
     Look at the money you really need to spend in 2014. I need to spend about $700 for dental work (portion not covered by dental insurance). I get an eye examination in January. If I get the most basic pair of glasses it usually still takes about $150 to get out of the door. Again with vision insurance. I may be wiser to shift the eye thing to a want category than need as I have a couple pairs of glasses that still work. My eye doctor comes into the store that I work at and have not seen her for a while. If she is no longer at the store it will weigh in the decision.
     Auto care used to be a big one with me. Last year I was lax at best. An oil change, top off fluids and tire rotation. I think I cleaned the inside once. I should likely devote more time to the car. Without being fanatical. I have a low maintenance ride but deserves a little better.
      Looking forward again to be able to commute by bicycle. This saves about $200 a month in gas if one would have to use an automobile to get around. Living in an area with weak public transportation with the bus service closing at about six in the evening. and non existent over the weekends. Also stepping up on pleasure rides on off days. Adding a bid of adventure as I have found myself just wanting to be at home and doing basically nothing.
     At work I am going to commit to doing a better job. Try not to miss any work. Be nice to customers and co workers. This can be accomplished by not getting so stressed out. For the first several years of my employment we had a surprisingly stable workforce. Especially considering the nature of the job. A lot had to do with the economy surely. In the last several months we have had a lot of turnover. When I returned from my five weeks off we had five new people. With a lot more turnover on the horizon as I see it. The camaraderie is gone. But the last situation was an anomaly in are situation and especially working for a large corporation. So it is. I really do not care to socialize or get to know anyone new anymore and that may be for the better. Kind of a cog in the wheel thing. I was originally interested in moving to management and being "successful" but could care less now.
     I am definitely interested in improving this blog and taking it to the next level. I like The Simple dollar and Zen Habits which inspired me in the first place. I guess I need to write about things that people want to read.
     As far as clothing expenses I should be able to keep them low. A couple of pairs of work shoes and work pants. Undergarments. A a few finds as treats from Goodwill. Everything else should be fine. I cut my own hair (and it looks like it!). Shave with a simple Gillette safety razor. Use basic soap. Good enough.
     I like to cook at home. I do not go out to eat. I just have to eat. Sometimes skipping meals. Finding new thing to cook will be on the agenda. Maybe even cooking for others too.
     That is about it. I have not written much lately spending all the time I can with my mother and father who has been in the hospital since the first of November. But he is looking up Hopefully 2014 is going to looking up too.