For me, the best personal finance lessons are the ones I learn first-hand. When I actually experience something, I get a lot more out of it than simply by reading about it.
Last week I flew to San Francisco. To kill time on the early morning flight, I browsed the SkyMall catalog. Big mistake. There’s some cool stuff in there — cool stuff that I don’t actually need. Before I knew it, I was dog-earing pages for things like:
- A vinyl record-to-compact disc converter.
- A “handsome” bill organizer.
- A motion-activated camera for birdwatching.
- A baking pan for brownies where every piece is an “edge”.
And, of course, the piece de resistance: the Arcade Legends full-sized 100-game system, which features dozens of my childhood favorites like Asteroids, Centipede, Tempest, Berserk, and Missile Command. I was giving serious consideration to this $3700 monstrosity before I realized what an idiot I was being.
It sometimes frustrates me that I’m tempted by gadgets and toys still. I want not to care. I want to be able to walk into a store or browse through a catalog and not find myself longing for things I know I do not need. Fortunately, I’m usually able to remind myself of my goals. And none of my goals involve owning an Arcade Legends video game machine.
I put away the SkyMall catalog and I read a book instead.
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Even Stephen Colbert is not immune to the lures of skymall…don’t feel bad!
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SkyMall always gets me, too. The one thing I’ve always wanted to try out is that pen that scans text when you hover it over a page. I can’t imagine that it would work, but it says it does. I’m also a fan of that wall-sized crossword puzzle. It’s been there ever since I’ve been reading SkyMall.
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What? No Laserdic games like Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace? PHAIL.
Actually I still don’t get the point of that catalog. Surely, no one actually orders from it? And haven’t similar store like The Sharper Image gone belly up?
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Oh man, and that hot dog bun and dog toaster??!! I am a vegetarian, and I still want that thing. And the pretty furniture that hides the kitty litter box–c’mon, I am sure you like that one too, JD!
I know what you mean about the temptations. I can say I don’t care, but it’s not true (just like saying you aren’t influenced by ads)! I will be done this year with my debt snowball, and I sometimes consider adding “stuff” from West Elm and CB2 to my budget. Ahh! I faltered once and put Seattle Sounders tickets in my budget. Shame shame!
“Ohh, but how about those awesome shelves on page 55? Those could go up in my bedroom, hey we should renovate our bedroom…”
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I am an unrepentant SkyMall hoor. I consider it brain candy to keep me entertained during my flight. Wanting useless ornamental stuff is okay, buying is not.
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I actually did buy something from the SkyMall catalog, well after my trip. It was a cd rack, which held over 1,200 cds, which was rare at the time. I went home, measured, and purchased it from their website at a good price. Still in use and getting a bit full.
But that brownie pan with all the edges…they’re doing commercials for it on kids TV now and I’m trying to be strong here….
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Most of the stuff in SkyMall is made-in-China crap, even if it’s expensive. I think my favorites are the fake plastic–er, excuse me, resin statues. My other favorite is the Frontgate stuff, which are things that people buy to appear affluent–the actual affluent have no need for that stuff.
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If you cook your brownies in a muffin pan, every piece is an edge, too. ;D
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I’m from Norway, and was unaware of the Sky Mall catalog until we went to Hawaii for a month around Christmas. I had a lot of laughs browsing through it! It’s full of convenience trinkets and gadgets that solve one specific and CONSTRUCTED problem, and which would have no use otherwise; and when it breaks or fails to fulfill the promises, it becomes useless junk. Thrifty people are much better off spending their money on quality, multi-purpose equipment. (And seriously: An electric pet water fountain, with carbon filtering??? What is wrong with a good oldfashioned bowl?)
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Just do me one favor…never ever EVER buy the carved rosewood “Celtic harps” they occasionally have in the catalog. Especially if you have any intention of learning to play. They are absolute, irredeemable CRAP. (and I work for a music store, so I know!)
In fact, a general tip about musical instruments…don’t buy them from in-flight magazines. Just Say No.
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I want that brownie pan soooooo much!! Brownies with edges win!
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Or even better – cook your brownies in mini-muffin pan – bite size brownies! Perfect party food.
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Actually, the filtered pet fountains are pretty good – invested in one (though not from skymall) about a year ago, and haven’t regretted it. YMMV…
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I share your love of the Skymall catalog – I don’t fly much, but I always enjoy flipping through it. Last time, I was intrigued by their EZ Bed – a portable airmattress bed that actually has a frame, so it sets up like a normal bed. I filed it away, and waited a couple months, and realized that it really would be a good thing to have for our small condo, as we have many guests, who to date, had to sleep on a air mattress on the floor, which is very cold in the winter.
I did what a good GRS reader would do next – looked for reviews, and then looked for the best price online. I was able to get the bed $50 cheaper than on SkyMall by going straight to the manufacturer, and our guests have really enjoyed the upgrade to our accommodations!
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I just look through those things at all the ridiculous novelty junk (like this) for a laugh. I don’t think I’ve ever been tempted to buy any of it, though.
Today I *did* spend almost $50 on fiberglass and epoxy supplies. Did I “need” that? I don’t know, but the boat will be less cracked now, and closer to being ready to paint. My total investment in my boat so far is still less than two of those arcade machines.
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There is nothing in the SkyMall catalog that you NEED; everything for sale on those pages are things you WANT.
Before you can purchase things you WANT, you first need to buy things you NEED and then PAY YOURSELF through savings and investments. If you are lucky enough to have any money left over – then you can satisfy your WANTS.
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My wife and I love paging through SkyMall on flights, looking at all the neat stuff. We’ve never actually *bought* anything from it, but the products have led to several copy-cat things we’ve made ourselves.
We’re planning on making our own kitty-box hider kind of like this one: http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102519387&c= (we just have to find a cabinet we like!)
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I can totally relate, only eBay is my medium. SkyMall just never really offered me anything… Maybe I’m too quirky? Not sure. If they started selling car parts in there I’d be too hooked then I bet. (Unfortunately, my one and only hobby is an EXPENSIVE one, but I LOVE it and will never give it up, no matter how much it costs. And since I drive my car almost every day, I enjoy all the money I’ve put into her every time we go somewhere.)
To the comment about the pet fountain — It’s been GREAT for me. My cat would ONLY drink out of the sink before getting that, and since buying one (for about $65 IIRC) I haven’t been pestered by him for water out of the sink. Of course, we aren’t using the carbon filter with ours. All the carbon filters in my house are hooked up to fish tanks. (Three of them, soon to be only two.)
Anyhow, I don’t see what’s wrong with having things, and definitely nothing wrong with wanting them. Just keep it to things that you like and that decorate your space to show off how you feel, no need to over-do it like some. And absolutely not worth running up credit cards for…
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I love to look at catalogs. Christmas entertainment was picking out everything you likes for the Sears catalog and calculating how much it would cost. I planned many wardrobes dreamed of toys and never ordered them. We need to dream, enjoy the novelty of the items, and then get down to basics.
I thought I was the only one who wanted the brownie edges until all the hoopla about them. Muffin tins I have plenty will use them not just for edges but portion control. I freeze the extras!
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When I started flying on a regular basis, I was a sucker for the SkyMall magazine. I’m not sure what it was, maybe being strapped into the same seat for 4+ hours while being fed stale, recirculated air and really bad overpriced food, but something would compel me to look at the items, marvel at the inflated prices and still want to order! Lucky for me, after my first purchase or useless junk that immediately collected dust, I opted to bring a book to read on these flights.
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Do people seriously like edges?? The best brownie is the one from the middle, with NO edges–completely moist all around!
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Arcade Legends:
DIY for less than $800
http://www.geocities.com/sbspin/mame/index.htm
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there are few things more ridiculous than the contents of the skymall catalog. i flew to nola and back last week for a conference, and i had to suppress audible laughter while flipping through that thing.
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Am I the only person here who has never read “SkyMall”? I didn’t even have a clue what it was until I read about it here.
I do use airplanes from time to time, but mostly I sleep or do crossword puzzles.
I think I’m the person others complain about when they complain about other persons.
Bozo
PS: If “SkyMall” starts offering good specials on CDs (the bank type, not the earplugs type), send me a copy. Anything over 3.25% APY will suffice.
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I love that magazine too, I browse it, do some wish full thinking and then move on.
I think we have similar hangups. Now that I’m debt free but the house I still want to get rid of cable, keep the cellphone bill to a minimum and pay as much as possible on the mortgage. I think I may have gone too far, we put back over 2 grand a month in savings and investments and I still feel like I should have a part time job or should be doing something more.
It’s a constant debate in my brain between the part that says “You’re doing awesome, relax a little and enjoy it” and the part that says “you have to keep pushing and paying down the house and putting money in savings/investments.
I do have one bit of advice for you about making your own “MAME” cabinet. For now, just download MAME, grab the ROMS you want to play and let that be your “fix” for now. (NOTE: MAME is complicated but not too hard, spend a few minutes reading on how to use/play it and it take you back). Once you’ve done that, see if you still want a full size machine. If you do, follow the tons of advice on the net, you can buy an old cabinet, slap a cpu, VGA monitor and pick up an IPAC or JPAC and you’ll be in business.
Drop me an email and I’ll send you some pics of my work in progress, and I’ll give you a lot more information on how I’ve done it for less than 300 (so far..)
TW
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Okay, I’ll admit it. I have the brownie pan. I got it as a Christmas gift, and I love it. It makes wonderful cornbread and coffee cake, too.
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SkyMall is a private company which raked in annual revenues of ~$100 million in 2007, so people are buying these made in China products like crazy and the company is financially healthy.
I think of SkyMall like a Brookstone store in mall. Both companies have nothing you NEED only stuff people WANT, best to avoid if you are smart and frugal. Brookstone took in $500 million in 2007!
Sad to see this type of marketing in action, WHAT A WASTE of $600 million every year that could be used to cure cancer or some other noble cause.
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When I look through the SkyMall catalog, I laugh. For every single item in it, I already know of a cheaper (or free-as-in-beer, in the case of MAME) alternative.
Turn your next SkyMall experience into a game to see how much better you could do…
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This is a total mystery.
Why do you even look at “SkyMall”?
Why do you even fly?
Why don’t you walk?
As I am totally confused, (that’s why I am called a Bozo)
Bozo
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If you seriously find yourself being enticed by all sorts of Skymall stuff, it might be time to develop a more critical stance on consumerism, consumer goods, and the motives people have for wanting and spending and acquiring.
One the one hand, sure, it’s fine just to look and lust yet not spend….
But on the other hand, it doesn’t sound really healthy just to stay in that zone. It seems a lot healthier–and more in line with GRS–to see through the crap, the fake “needs” the crap addresses, and the freakish economy that both supports and feeds off of the manufacture and consumption of Stuff.
Yeah, the Stuff is “cool” and sometimes pragmatic, but shouldn’t we strive to “want” a society that doesn’t “need” automatic pet feeding devices and robotic vacuum discs? Isn’t being frugal a bit about returning to simple and less materialistic solutions for everyday problems? And doesn’t that involve developing a frugal mindset that sees so much Stuff as more harm than good?
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I just have to say, I can’t believe there are this many fans of the brownie pan. I thought I was the only one!!
Seriously though, Skymall is a truly incredible collection of junk. JS is bang on. It’s all the worst bits of the american shopping experience. They should practically rename the catalogue “Things you will buy, use once, then store in your garage for 10 years.”
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Recently, somebody gave me an emulator that allowed actual arcade game code to be played on a PC. They also gave me 20+ CDs worth of games which covered every arcade game I’d ever heard of.
I wish I could remember the name of the emulator, but I know it’s floating around on the Torrents.
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My wife loves the edge pieces of brownies and I have learned the hard way that my half of the pan is in the middle. Last night she came to me and said she thought of an idea on the way home from work. Then, she proceeded to sketch out with a drawing that looks strikingly similar to the skymall product you dog-eared. Crazy!
I guess we won’t be making millions off her invention and will be resigned to get rich slowly…
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I used to browse the Skymall catalog on flights, and dog-ear the pages with interesting stuff (which mainly interested me as potential gift ideas). Somehow, when I pulled out the catalog at home later, the stuff was never as appealing as it had been when I was on the plane, and I never ordered anything.
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Now I’m totally confused. What’s an “emulator”. I looked up “to emulate” in the dictionary, and found the definition. However, for the life of me, I could not find “emulator”. I must have an old dictionary.
I am an old fart, so maybe that’s it.
Bozo
PS: My eyes aren’t what they used to be, so bear with me, here. I’m trying to read a dictionary printed in 1963 with teensy, weensy type.
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LOL…Skymall. I love reading that thing when I’m on the plane. It’s all over-priced stuff, but the gadgets are always fun and interesting to look at (but NOT buy).
I too, always ogled the brownie pan, and knew exactly which one you were writing about.
@ #8, Jess: Great idea! Thanks!
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Love the mini-muffin pan idea for the brownies! Much cuter than the Sky Mall pan!
I find what I keep getting attracted to in Sky Mall are all the organizing “solutions”, but as I’ve gotten better about getting rid of stuff and not buying crap I don’t need, the desire to buy plastic bins to hold everything diminishes.
Although, thinking about Sky Mall reminded me of a old poster from the London Underground that I love. It seems appropriate to this particular discussion.
http://www.ltmcollection.org/posters/poster/poster.html?_IXMAXHITS_=1&IXinv=1992/11&IXsummary=results/results&IXsearchcommissioner=Art%20on%20the%20Underground&_IXFIRST_=83&IXenlarge=1062-79
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You did the right thing– put it away! I always found those items over priced and avalable elsewhere for less.
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Bozo,
An emulator is a computer program that runs the source code of another machine such as an Atari console, a Nintendo etc. There are emulators (programs) for just about every old school console out there.
Example, you grab the C64 emulator (program) from the net, they are usually very small in size, (someone took the time to copy the data that makes a C64 a C64 off the ROM chips in the device and save it to a computer file, then they write a program which runs the info on a PC) so your PC is emulating the original hardware. You grab a couple of pieces of the C64 software and run it using the emulation software and it’s like you are sitting in front of a C64, on your PC, usually in window mode, it doesn’t have to take up the whole screen so it’s not a 100% accurate experience but it does work.
(dictionary.com’s definition is: to imitate (a particular computer system) by using a software system, often including a microprogram or another computer that enables it to do the same work, run the same programs, etc., as the first.)
P.S. your whole comment may have been sarcasm that I missed, if that is the case then the jokes on me!
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OMG Wonder Woman bracelets!!!!!
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RJ,
Your comment concerns me:
“Yeah, the Stuff is “cool” and sometimes pragmatic, but shouldn’t we strive to “want” a society that doesn’t “need” automatic pet feeding devices and robotic vacuum discs?”
No, I don’t want to remove the wanting from our society. The fact that we live in a country where so much is spent on wants is proof of our success as a country. We don’t want for food, we don’t want for shelter, we don’t want for so many things that we have become a consumer driven, want fulfilling society.
Do I agree with it? NO. Do I participate? NO. Do I plan to do anything other than lead by example when the case of fulfilling wants vs needs comes up? NO. I do try to educate those around me and I preach the Dave Ramsey lifestyle but other than that it’s a live and let live world.
How do you get rid of a want based culture anyway? Laws that limit your spending, laws that limit your consumption? That’s a slippery slope and that’s not what America or Capitalism is about.
I agree with your frustration in that we’ve gone too far with the crap we are willing to buy just to spend some money and feel better about ourselves but you can’t change people, even through laws and regulations, they have to change themselves.
TW
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I don’t think it’s logistically impossible to create a non want-based culture, because you’re dealing with the hard wiring of our survival instinct. If we lived out in caves, we’d be “wanting” the drier, warmer caves or we’d “want” the softer pine needles to make our beds or the tasty berries instead of the boring roots. Obtaining those wants would allow us to be healthier than our counterparts in the damper, colder caves with the less varied food, which biologically speaking is “better” for a species.
On the surface, wanting a resin statue or an all-edges brownie pan is miles away from wanting a clean dry shelter, but it comes from the same primal need-state, which is why we rationally can say “This is crap that I don’t need to have a happy fulfilled life”, but still (kinda?) want it anyway.
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Ahh, SkyMall…I’ve actually never bought anything from that thing, I’m also quite the gadget head, my weakness is the Think Geek website. At this point I’ve trained myself to have a little more self-control when wanting to purchase something. The last gadget I bought was a GPS system which I really do need since I am absolutely terrible with directions and I bought it refurbished for 1/3 of retail price. So I still allow myself to indulge but a bit more controlled.
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My husband and I both enjoy flipping through SkyMall catalogs. He even brings them home for folks who don’t travel at all, but enjoy looking at them. I’ve bought one thing from SkyMall and it’s still awesome. It’s a stainless steel drying rack for dishes. I’ve had it for many years now. It’s well designed, easy to clean, and won’t disintegrate like the wooden one I had previously.
Shirley
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you crack me up!
I just call it ‘window shopping’ and I too dog-ear the pages of catalogs and such, but if you wait on the ordering long enough usually the order is never placed LOL
However I have been wanting that ‘edge’ pan for YEARS from king arthur since I first saw it there – still holding out – but weakening . . . weakening!
Must be strong . . .
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I like the middle of the brownies too, like Jenni (#21)!! That pan is no temptation for me. Just spent $400 on several pairs of new sneakers, though — but my feet were killing me, so I think it was necessary. (Nothing to do with Skymall, just an example of spending money and feeling slightly guilty.)
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I entertain myself on planes by writing commentary all over the SkyMall catalog. Every couple of pages, I’ll write something like, “This is snake oil” or, “A $2 spatula works just as well.” I try to keep it clean in case the next reader is a kid, and I hope it *is* a kid so they will see some written resistance to the assumption that we should buy buy buy this junk!
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I’m with Jenni, we need a brownie pan with NO edges – market THAT, SkyMall!
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The money-saving strategy I use when visiting a mall is to limit the amount of money to spend.
This way I make sure that I can buy only one thing per visit and have a simple lunch.
The experience is nice and I usually buy the best product for the price, as I have a limited budget.
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Flying back from our honeymoon last week, my husband and I also half-seriously considered how cool it would be to have the same arcade game system! That SkyMall catalog has some ridiculous stuff in there that we liked!
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