Thursday, April 02, 2009

Useless information

This ticks me off. Articles like this.

Oh, not the "money-saving" part. I'm all about money-saving, believe me.

It's that someone got paid to regurgitate this old information -- and it's from Kiplinger. I wouldn't have the nerve to submit an article with such hackneyed tips as calling for cheaper car insurance and cutting back on dining out -- especially to Kiplinger. I was waiting for the paragraph on brewing coffee at home to save on "those $5 designer lattes."

We were so over the designer lattes a very long time ago and, when I say "we," I mean anyone who has read a paper, surfed the net or turned on the TV in the past year and a half. And, just in case the Wall Street Journal or Forbes is cutting checks for writers dishing out more of these recycled no-brainers, just know that we've already put light-saver bulbs in all our lamps, checked our insulation, had our cars in for a tune up, cancelled any unnecessary magazine subscriptions and go to the library instead of purchasing books.

We've clipped, bargained, swapped, thrifted, stretched and reused. And why is anyone still including a tip like, "stop all impulse purchases?"

I don't need some snot-nosed twenty-something with no kids, no mortgage and no life experience telling me to "manicure your nails at home and save on those trips to the salon" or "shop around and get the best price on designer labels." Are you kidding me? I've never had a manicure or a designer label in my life (this last, just on principle) and, if I had, that certainly went out the door when I had to "cancel my maid service" and do my own cleaning.

So, please, until someone comes up with some fresh ideas, let's declare a moratorium on these "money-saving tips" articles; and, while we're at it, any weight-loss article that mentions "smaller portions" and "fill up on fruits and veggies*."

*I hate, hate, hate, the word "veggies." I no longer call blankets "blankies" or pajamas "jammies." So, if you are older than ten, it's "vegetables." Thank you.

4 comments:

Meg said...

I read them for the humor effect. I figure I can always use a laugh, and I get quite a few laughs in when reading the "money saving tips" articles. My roommate and I try to outdo each other by sharing the most preposterous tips we can find in the articles and cackling with glee at them. My mom finds them pretty funny, too, and we swap "tips" as well for the humor value. No maid service, lattes, manicures, or designer labels at my house!!

Leslie Shelor said...

I've owned a few designer labels in my time, but they've all been hand-me-downs or thrift store finds.

Trasherati said...

Garr...I hate those articles. Like you, I mostly hate the fact that someone got paid to plagiarize. And I firmly believe the supermarket mags pass them around month after month.
Even more maddening are the BOOKS that are published full of that regurgitated crap. Seriously? A publisher fell for that? MORE THAN ONCE?

Darkgarden said...

I got me this designer shirt that was used in the filming of No Country For Old Men. Yeah, sweet. I know. Some of you may have heard.

I like to put it on and hop in the ole Hummer. Yeah. I know. Sweet. Not one of them cheapass Hummer 2's or 3's. No. No. The real thing.

I like to hop in and drive down to the local Starbucks. Yeah. Sweet. I like to stand there in my No Country For Old Men shirt, right next to the ole Hummer, sippin' on that Choco-Carmel-Doo-Doo Late. I'm famous for it. Yeah. They all know me. ... Sweet.