Tag: groceries

Straight Talk

On By Michel McDonaldIn AdLeave a comment

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

When I got my first cell phone 9 years ago, I was afraid of getting a phone with a contract because they were just so darned expensive.  I went with a prepaid phone with maybe only 250 minutes per month for $25.  That was perfect for me because I don’t really use it that much.  I only use it when I’m traveling or on the bike trail.  That old phone is long dead and I’ve been looking for a new one.

Straight talk has phones with everything you need such as the “All You Need Plan” with 1000 minutes, 1000 texts and 30mb of data for only $30/mo.  They also have unlimited plans for only $45 a month with calls, pictures, text, web and messaging..  That is a huge savings if you are currently paying $75 to $100 per month.  I love that I would feel richer with those savings.  What would you buy with the money you are saving?  I think I would be buying more groceries, then again I might buy some music or books, who knows.

Straight Talk has an international option for only $5 more so you can call a friend in Mexico, Germany, England or anywhere you need to call.  I see people buying these phone cards from the store on the corner for Mexico and I just think they are wasting their money.  They can just get one of these prepaid cell phones and call their family for only an additional $5 with their international plan.

Scott Canterbury talks about Straight Talk in this YouTube video hook, line and sinker.  He talks about how much money he is saving each month and as a family he’d be saving much more.  Watch and see.  It’s just such a good plan to go with, I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want to.  They even have refurbished cell phones for as low as $10 with a camera, mp3 player, web and blue tooth.  They even have smart phones with touch screen, apps, maps etc.   There are no activation fees, contracts or credit checks.  You can’t beat that in a cell phone.  So watch the videos (links) and save some money for crying out loud.

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Save the Dollar Menu

On By Michel McDonaldIn FoodLeave a comment

It has recently come to my attention (via a comment in my KFC Dollar Menu post) that there is a website out there claiming the dollar menu is going away. ”Save the Dollar Menu!” has names, addresses and phone numbers of McDonald’s executives. You can call them and beg them to keep the dollar menu.

After a little research, I have found out that this is false information. The “Dollar Menu” is not going anywhere.

I came across a news article in the Media Post news website saying McDonald’s Considers ‘Tweaking’ Dollar Menu. The problem is with the increasing prices of food ingredients, they are going to lose money so they will probably raise the price of everything in the dollar menu but they aren’t getting rid of it entirely. In fact, they are even keeping the name “Dollar Menu” even though it’s going to be more than $1.

I know I’m gonna get comments from people saying that I’m advocating junk food and I’m a fat slob blah blah blah. Well, I’m not. I’m just setting the record straight.

I think there is a pro and a con to having the dollar menu. Wanna hear them? Of course you don’t but I’m gonna tell you anyway.

Pro: Groceries are very expensive. Try going to the grocery store and buying all the ingredients just to make 1 double cheeseburger or 1 chicken sandwich. It’s expensive! If you go to McDonald’s it’s only $1. That’s what I like about the Dollar Menu, it’s inexpensive and very convenient. You don’t have to buy the ingredients for many and you don’t even have to dirty any dishes in the process. It saves time and money.

Con: The problem with the dollar menu is that people take advantage of it and end up overeating because it’s so cheap. You can buy more than just 1 double cheeseburger or chicken sandwich, you can buy 10 if you like and sit there in your car and binge on fast food. Then you get fatter and fatter. That’s a reason people are so fat but not the only reason but it’s a reason.

You can blame McDonald’s for getting fat but the only real person to blame is yourself. You don’t have to order more than 1 burger you know. The dollar menu isn’t a challenge, it’s there to help people who can’t afford to pay $4 for everything else in their menu.

So the dollar menu isn’t going anywhere any time soon. There’s no reason to panic people with stupid websites like the “Save the Dollar Menu!” website. I’m sure there are better things to do with your time than to put people in a mass fast food panic.

The Situation With My Bike

On By Michel McDonaldIn Cycling, ExerciseLeave a comment

A couple of months ago my bike bit the dust. Well, the back wheel did. What happened was, I rode it to the store and all was ok, it started wobbling but not enough for me to stop and take notice. When I left the store, I unlocked my bike, put the groceries in the bag on the back rack and left. That’s when it took a turn for the worst. Get it? It’s a wheel… it took a “turn”… no?

Anyway, as I was leaving the space that I locked it up at, I got on it and started riding away. It was wobbling something terrible and I got off of it but couldn’t see anything wrong. I got back on it and continued to ride. All of a sudden something terrible happened and I had to get off the bike.

The sun was going down so it was hard to see what was wrong but I did notice that the long screw that holds the wheel onto the bike in the middle had unscrewed all the way over on the left side. The nuts on the right side were missing and so was everything else that was supposed to be in there. I didn’t see anything on the ground so I don’t know when that happened.

I walked the bike home which was a huge mistake, I should have gone across the street from where I was to use Chips cousins phone to have him come get me and the bike because walking it home ruined the back wheel.

The end of the long screw was digging into the middle of the wheel which screwed it up so much that the bike store told me that they can’t fix my wheel, I’d have to buy a new one which is $39.95 plus tax plus $7 to install.

I don’t know if by install they mean they will take the gears (cassette?) off my old wheel and put them on the new wheel or if he means that the new wheel has all the gears on it and installing means placing it on my bike frame. All I know is if it’s the latter, why should I pay someone $7 to do something that I can do for free.

I have put so much money into this mountain bike of mine, I just can’t keep sinking more and more money into it. The only original thing that is left on it is the frame and the chain. Everything else has been replaced.

When I had my first accident on the Oak st. bridge, I had to replace the handlebar stem and a new front wheel. I had to replace the pedals because one of them was broken because it was cheap plastic. My seat was making me impotent so I had to buy an ergo seat which gave me back problems and shoulder pain that wouldn’t go away for 8 months which is why I had to replace the handlebars with beach cruiser handlebars. My front tire got a bubble in it and broke the wiring for my bike computer so I had to buy a new computer and new tires.

I’m just going to get the new wheel and get it over with. I need my bike back for going to doctors appointments. I refuse to take the bus to visit the doctor with lunatics getting in my face at the bus station downtown. I also need it for the daily trip to the grocery store and so I can get back on the bike trail and lose this weight.

Yardsellr Negative Comments

On By Michel McDonaldIn Products I Like8 Comments

I’ve posted in here several times that I am on Yardsellr now.  Well, I have been noticing some disturbing trends happening over there.  Apparently it’s not just happening to me but other people as well.

People troll the Yardsellr website then leave nasty comments in people ads.  The other day 3 people left negative comments in my Pedi Paws ad saying the product is not worth your money, don’t waste your time etc.  Uh excuse me but I’m trying to sell it.  I don’t care what you think it’s worth.  Don’t go on my ads telling potential customers of mine that it’s a piece of crap and make me lose a sale.

Another person posted a comment on a video game of mine saying the game was gay.  I didn’t delete the comment but then he came back and posted another comment accusing me of deleting his prior comment and saying “gaaaaaaaayyyyyyy”.  Where were these people raised?  In the forest by wolves?  Don’t people have manners anymore?  First off, I didn’t delete your first stupid comment and second of all, I should just delete both your comments on principle.  I don’t even know why I didn’t delete them, I guess I figured if I deleted them I would get more spam in my other ads which I don’t want.

I clicked the “feedback” button so I could make a suggestion that they add a link or button to “report abuse” so that perhaps if a person gets reported enough times, their account might get banned from either commenting or using the website.  That’s when I ran into another persons feedback saying they are having the same issue as me.

Look, I’m all for leaving comments saying a product isn’t worth a damn but do it on a website that actually makes money.  Don’t leave those comments on a website where people are trying to sell their useless crap so they can scrape enough money together to buy groceries or pay their bills.

Besides the report button, I think they should also add a way for me to approve a comment before allowing it to be posted, just like in my blog and/or YouSayToo.  After so many nasty comments I have decided to make it impossible for people who aren’t members of YST to leave a comment and even members comments have to be approved before they be allowed to be seen.  On my blog the comment is not seen period until I approve it and that’s how it should be everywhere.  If I think a comment at Yardsellr is going to help me make the sale then I should be able to approve it but if it’s negative then it’s my prerogative to delete it and I shouldn’t be hassled by people who have too much time and negativity on their hands.

I wish people would grow up and stop with the internet bullying.  It doesn’t serve any purpose to be jackasses online.  My mother used to tell me that if I don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all.  I know it sounds corny but it’s true and should be applied to the internet too.  And parents, please monitor your children’s activity a little better.

Albertson’s 1 Penny Cookware

On By Michel McDonaldIn Daily Blog, Products I LikeLeave a comment

About a month or so ago, Albertson’s our local grocery store started this new campaign.  Cookware for a penny. It’s as close to free as it gets. Collect stickers & redeem in-store for your pots and pans.

The problem is, you only get 1 sticker for every $10 you spend. If you spend $15 you still get 1 sticker and what sucks even more is if you spend $19.99 you still only get 1 sticker. That number has to go up to $20 before you can get a 2nd sticker. So I guess when you are at the store buying groceries, keep in mind how much moneys worth of groceries you have in your cart so that you either don’t go over or under a $10 increment. Even if it means buying a candy bar or a bag of M&M’s or a bottle of water or package of cookies at the check stand.

7.8″ Non-stick fry pan. It’s 1¢ with 50 reward stickers or you can purchase it for $5.49 with 25 reward stickers. Retail price is $29.99
10.2″ Non-stick fry pan. It’s 1¢ with 60 reward stickers or you can purchase it for $8.99 with 30 reward stickers. Retail price is $39.99
7.8″ Casserole with Lid. It’s 1¢ with 70 reward stickers or you can purchase it for $9.99 with 35 reward stickers. Retail price is $44.99
9.4″ Saute Pan with Lid. It’s 1¢ with 80 reward stickers or you can purchase it for $11.99 with 40 reward stickers. Retail price is $49.99
10.6″ Square Grill Pan. It’s 1¢ with 80 reward stickers or you can purchase it for $11.99 with 40 reward stickers. Retail price is $49.99
9.4″ Dutch Oven with Lid. It’s 1¢ with 90 reward stickers or you can purchase it for $12.99 with 45 reward stickers. Retail price is $54.99
11″ Non-stick stir fry pan with Lid. It’s 1¢ with 90 reward stickers or you can purchase it for $12.99 with 45 reward stickers. Retail price is $54.99
13.7″ X 10.1″ Roasting Pan with Rack. It’s 1¢ with 110 reward stickers or you can purchase it for $19.99 with 55 reward stickers. Retail price is $89.99

I will be saving up for the 9.4″ Saute Pan with lid but I’m going to go the easier route by turning in 40 stickers and buying the rest with $11.99. I may also save up for the first 2 pans, the 7.8″ and 10.2″ frypans using the same deal with half the stickers and paying for the rest.

The little pan is great for omelette’s and the biggest one with the lid is great for hamburger helper or something like that which needs a lid. I’m not sure if I will have the stickers for all of these things by the deadline which is the end of January but one could hope.

Update 2011-01-24: We ended up getting the 9.4″ Saute Pan with Lid and the 9.4″ Dutch Oven with Lid.  We really didn’t need all of these and I’m very satisfied to have the 2 pots and pans we ended up with.

Goodbye Bicycle

On By Michel McDonaldIn CyclingLeave a comment

Well so much for exercise.  I went to the grocery store and as soon as I got on the bike to come home something felt a little strange with the chain.  I rode in front of the store from where I locked my bike at and tried to fiddle with the pedals to find out why the chain was giving me trouble but I couldn’t figure it out.

So I was fine to ride to the street I turn right on but then it started acting a little strange, the wheel didn’t feel right, it was wobbling.  I got off the bike in the middle of the street and had to walk it over to the sidewalk.  At first I thought the townie basket was coming off and was pushing against the wheel so I took the heavy groceries out.  That wasn’t it.

I still didn’t see it because the sun was almost finished going down so it was too dark to see, but then I saw it.  The bolt that goes all the way through the wheel was sticking out too far on the left.  The 2 nuts on the ride side were gone, I don’t even know what happened to those.  So since there was no long bolt to hold on to the frame on the right side the wheel couldn’t keep me balanced since it was only holding on the left side.

I had to walk the rest of the way home carrying 1 heavy grocery bag on my left hand and 1 light but still annoying grocery bag on my right hand while both hands held onto the handlebars.  The entire time I was walking the back wheel was rubbing against the brakes and making this awful noise which I can’t explain how it sounded.  Well, it sounded like some deep voiced animal either dying or giving birth.

I have 2 missing bolts and no idea where they are and no money until next week to be able to do anything about it.  It’s not going to be expensive, well, I don’t think it will be.  I mean it’s just a matter of screwing the bolt centered again and buying 2 nuts right?  Maybe?  I’m sure the nuts aren’t too expensive at Home Depot or maybe the bike store has them cheap.  Or who knows, maybe I have to bring the back wheel to the bike store and have them fix it and charge me $20 for it.

I wonder how this happened.  Last weekend when I rode the bike on my 22 mile trip I tightened everything .  In fact I did a full maintenance job on the entire bicycle to get it ready to ride with no issues.  How in the heck could that bolt screw itself all the way to the left?  It doesn’t make any sense at all.

Whatever, it doesn’t matter.  I’ll get it fixed and everything with be fine… blah blah blah.

Update 2011-01-28: As of this date I still do not have a new back wheel.  I just can’t afford it.

Nashbar Townie Basket

On By Michel McDonaldIn Bike1 Comment

Last week I bought this product for my bicycle from nashbar.com for carrying my groceries.  I got the rack for my birthday from Chips cousin and her girlfriend so all I needed was the bag.

The bag I got is called a Townie Basket and it’s small enough to carry a bag of groceries so I don’t have to keep wrapping the bags around my handlebars.  The more specific grocery I wanted to use this for was for the 2 gallons of milk I always buy because it’s cheaper to buy 2 gallons than 1 at $3.69.

So I got the bag today and put it on immediately which only took maybe a minute to figure out how it goes on.  I went to Albertson’s right away and got my 2 gallons of milk along with some other things that I needed which I ended up having to carry in my grocery bag on the handlebars… I’m gonna need another one for the other side lol.

The only problem is that with 2 heavy gallons of milk it was sagging outward.  I was petrified that they would fall out as soon as I hit a bump in the road or a pot hole, not paying attention to the road and watching the milk instead might make me accidentally hit a pot hole or a CAR lol.

Well, here are the pictures of the bag.  The first one is of the bag folded up on the rack, the 2nd one is the bag open and the 3rd one is of it with its handy dandy rain coat or as I like to call it, it’s shower cap.

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Ok, now to fix the problem with this bag sagging outward I had to think about how I was going to do this.  I remembered the metal with the holes I used to make it so the rack was secure on the bike so I grabbed the roll of that stuff and held it up then bent the top of it over then I held it on the clamp in the tool shed and cut off a piece, then I cut a 2nd piece.  Then I went back over to the patio table and started drilling holes in the hard plastic in the bag so I could screw these things in place and then I put it on the bike rack.  Viola, it doesn’t sag anymore so I don’t have to worry about anything falling out lol.  Well, for now anyway.

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It’s a really dark picture but you can see that it’s not black, it’s the silver or gray thing on the right.  Not only does it stay on the rack but because I used the pliers to curl it over the rack bar I know nobody will be able to steal it lol.  It’s too much trouble to be able to steal now.  I mean because it’s only on with bungee at the bottom in the 2nd rack hole then with the 2 metal pieces (the black one on the left) so it’s very easy to steal but not anymore.

So if I have any other problems I’m going to have to put a hole on the outside of the bag into the plastic and put a hook there so I can hook a bungee on the outside then hook the other side of the bungee cord to the other side of the rack to make damn sure nothing falls out.

Edit: While I was watching Stargate SG-1 today I was thinking of how I could make this even more secure to the rack, not so that it doesn’t make my milk fall out but secure as in security.  How do I keep people from trying to steal it?  Bracket it to the rack.  See, there are these straps at the bottom that you are supposed to put the rack through, the metal sticks that get screwed to the wheel part of the frame, those are supposed to go through these straps and you would think that those would be velcro so that just in case your rack doesn’t allow you to put them through, then you could just undo them with the velcro.  So I came up with something a little more permanent.

hpnx1203

This picture is taken from the inside of the wheel, as you can see the spokes on the right and left side.  I bracketed the bag to the rack so it would never be easy to separate.  Well, I mean it would if I was trying to but a thief couldn’t easily do it and the guards at the grocery store know me and my bike so they would know if someone was trying to take something off my bike anyway.  But this would definitely slow them down lol.

And to top it all off, I put an eye hook in the outside of the bag, you can see in the first 2 pictures, there is a little silver rectangle, that is the logo of the company I bought it from.  Well, I screwed the eye hook just below that logo so that I could easily attach a bungee cord to it then the other end of the bungee could attach to the other side of the rack.  This way everything will stay inside the bag and not fall out.  The neon yellow shower cap will be able to protect it with the bungee cord in place so that isn’t an issue.

Dumbing Down in Bakersfield

On By Michel McDonaldIn Daily BlogLeave a comment

Ok so I’m at the corner market buying eggs and a loaf of bread. I go to the counter and there are 2 women standing in front of the counter purchasing their groceries, I’m on their right and there is a woman on their left. The woman on the left asks “ok how much is 2 plus 6?” and the woman on the right says “um… 12?”

Excuse me? 12? Is that your final answer? I seem to recall covering this in elementary school and although I don’t remember everything from when I was in school, I definitely remember how to count and the correct response is 8. But my question is, why are you asking how much 2+6 is in the first place? It’s a no brainer. It’s an automatic answer in your own head. Sigh.

Dead Like Me Movie

On By Michel McDonaldIn Movies, TVLeave a comment

Last night I found out that there was a Dead Like Me movie.  I saw it on Facebook as an ad in the right side.  I thought it was for the tv series that only lasted 2 seasons but it was for the movie.  So I got curious about it and was looking at the Facebook page and saw a video which was a commercial on YouTube.  It looked pretty interesting.

When Dead Like Me first came to Showtime, I saw all the billboards and there were commercials for it on the Sci-Fi channel and stuff but I couldn’t watch it because I didn’t have Showtime back then.  But then one night I was sitting at my desk a few years ago and it was on Sci-Fi channel.  I was finally able to watch it and I watched the entire 2 seasons I think in a couple of months on Sci-Fi.

Now the movie.  I don’t know when they made the movie but it was released on video a few days ago on February 17th 2009.  Why did it go straight to DVD and not go in theaters?  That’s strange.  The sex in the city movie was in theaters.

I for one can’t wait to buy or rent this movie.  I wonder if the Red Box has it at the store?  There was a video on YouTube where Ellen Muth sounded like she was on the phone leaving a message saying buy the DVD, if you download it instead of buying it you are preventing us from making more movies or possibly continuing new seasons.

Ok Ellen, I won’t download it but in this economy I can’t buy it either.  I don’t know how anyone can expect people to splurge on things like buying blu-ray and DVD movies with our economy the way it is.  I mean if you still have your job that’s one thing, go ahead, help the economy out by buying movies.  But mostly people don’t have their jobs anymore so they can’t afford to spend any of their savings on anything but groceries and paying their bills.  I for one am one of the people suffering from this economy so I definitely cannot buy the DVD just yet.

Edit: I just wanted to clarify something.  When I say I don’t know how anyone can expect… I don’t mean any one person in particular.  I mean like the companies who are putting DVD’s out and the companies who are selling DVD’s.  It’s the same with Amazon selling their Kindle 2 for $359.  How can they expect to sell those right now?  Why couldn’t they wait for the economy to get back on track.  They can’t judge how well a movie or tv show is doing by it’s DVD sales because I’m sure DVD sales have dropped 50% or more.