Generation P

Generation P? What is that? Well, it's what Visa USA has annointed young consumers, ages 18 to 24 years of age, due to their proclivity to use plastic instead of cash or checks. If you haven't taken a look at the article on The Cincinnati Enquirer about this, you should. The article, Young shoppers prefer 'painless' plastic buying: Checks, cash continue to lose favor was published back in January, but was sent to me just last week by a co-worker who knew I'd be interested in reading it.

The young lady, 24 years old, that was featured in the article stated that she would "get so annoyed" when she entered a store that only accepted cash. She would just go somewhere else.

Howard Dvorkin, president of Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, says that consumers "spend substantially more than someone paying with cash or check." Why? "There's no pain involved when you pay with plastic."

These spending habits attribute greatly to the diminishing savings rate in America. According to the Ecomonist.com, "Not only is household saving close to a record low, but net national saving (at around 2% of GDP) is at its lowest rate since the Great Depression."

So, what does this mean for you and me? Well, I'm not sure exactly. I don't know how you spend your money. I do know that it's important to have discipline in the area of finances. I've had too many bad experiences with undisciplined money management, and quite frankly, I don't want to be broke like everybody else.

I don't care about keeping-up-with-the-Joneses, or having the newest and latest and trendiest. I just care about where I will be when I retire. Will I have the financial freedom to enjoy retirement, or will I be sporting the blue vest at old Wally World? I choose the first.

Honestly, I don't have a credit card. I have a debit card that is used only for gas. I write only one check every two weeks for my daughter's daycare. I use cash for everything else, groceries, clothing, eating out, entertainment, and so on. I've found that it is painful to part with cash, so I spend less. I'm more apt to look for a deal and get the most bang for my buck. And I like it that way.

More ramblings..

I woke up late this morning. I don't work on Tuesdays and Thursdays, for now, so I've decided to take advantage of it. After getting up, I made a quick breakfast for my daughter and myself. She sat down and watched some cartoons while she ate. I watched Cold Pizza and had my coffee and toast. I think I've only watched this show once or twice, but today, I was just in the mood.

Lucky me, they brought in Carlton Fisk for an interview. They started the interview discussing his home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. Every baseball fan is familiar with Fisk's coaxing of the ball as it flew into the foul pole, now known as the Fisk pole. They asked him about his emotions that day, before and right after the game-winning home run. It was great to hear him talk about it. Being a huge baseball fan myself, I remember old footage of that game and many others.

Continuing with the interview, Fisk was asked about the current steroid controversy. He mentioned that many ballplayers would have taken steroids had they been available in the 50s, 60s, and 70s . He thought about it once, but it was only a fleeting thought.

Asked about Barry Bonds, in particular, he quickly referred back to the great home run hitters of the past, Ruth, Maris and Mantle. When they were 39 years old, they averaged only 18 long balls each season. At age 39, Bonds hit 73. "You don't have to think hard about it," he said. He also talked about how many older ballplayers knew something was up back in the 90s and now with all the numbers these big guys are putting up. I find it sad.

What a great interview and great guy. Did I mention he was a great ballplayer too? I wish I could see more guys like him today. The Brock's, Bench's, Clemente's, and on and on...

I miss the days when guys would get hit by a pitch and simply take their base. I miss the days when guys cared about baseball more than their paychecks. I miss the days when guys simply played baseball.

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Blue vs. Black, White vs. Black, Rich vs. Poor
Well, they indicted 2 lacrosse players from Duke today. I hope the trial comes quick and is resolved quickly too. I don't know if the guys actually raped the alleged victim, so we'll just have to see what the evidence says.

I think it's sad though something like this has divided Durham. And, of course, like everything else in America, it's come down to a black vs. white issue, rich vs. poor. Only in America.

They cry justice when the black person is a victim AND cry mercy when the black person is the criminal. It think Americans, white, black, hispanic, asian, or whatever, should see the facts of the case as fact and not as fact from a tainted point of view. Too many times we claim to observe injustices because we view the world from the lens of color. Can't we try for once to view the world from the the lens of reality?

Friday ramblings..

Today's entry is going to be somewhat of a rambling more than anything. I decided to just talk about what's been going on.

Well, Matt and I bought an Xbox 360 the other day. Let me tell ya, they ain't cheap! Actually, it wasn't even a planned thing, we were at Target looking for some small things like shampoo and such and happened by the gaming section. We both noticed the 3 white boxes containing the new console, 1 core package, and 2 platinum packages. We immediately looked at eachother and wondered what our budget will allow. Funny, we went home and did our budget. As it turned out, we had the cash to buy it. So, we went back and bought it, long with a second controller and Call of Duty 2 (CoD2). When all was said and done, we spent $450.00 on this little white box with a brick for a power supply. Haha. We took it home and after completing an update on the thing, it crapped out. Just like that. Matt contacted technical support, but didn't want to waste time on shipping the thing over to where they can fix it, and then wait another 2 weeks while they fix it, then ship it back. So, he took it back and got his refund.

The very next day, he drove over to Best Buy during his lunch break and bought one. They had like 40 consoles! He went home and set it up, and voila, it was game time! I think I've played more than he has though. I love to play video games. Always have, since Nintendo. Matt traded in our old Xbox and accessories for a DVD remote and Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter (GRAW). We realized that it was cheaper to pay $20.00 for a DVD remote, than to buy a $150.00 DVD player. Our Xbox plays games, CDs, and DVDs. It's our little media center. Now, Matt wants to buy a Windows Media Center so he can network it with the 360 and our computer. I think that'll have to wait a bit. A good bit. He's such a geek.

Anyway, I've been playing CoD2 and am just having a blast. I love these shooter games, and, I just happen to be good at them. This one is set back in WW2 and you have to play different allied soldiers and work your way to US forces. The graphics are amazing, and the game play is pretty good. I think the new 360 controllers are sleek and the translation of game elements into the controller are great. Although, it's a bit tough switching from CoD2 to GRAW to Halo 2. Buttons and triggers do different things, and man, it takes a bit to get the hang of it when I switch over to a different game.

Last night, we played GRAW online with some of Matt's buddies. I think this was the greatest feature of Xbox Live and most especially, with the Halo 2 environment. Sure, you run into the little immature punks who love to talk to smack, but man, it's a lot of fun to get together with the same people all over the world. I get to play Halo 2 with my brother and sister, who are 2,000 miles away, or with some of Matt's buddies who live 2 miles away. Building communities, albeit gaming communities, but that's something that just watching television or listening to the radio can't do.

Let the ramblings continue. Ultimate Fighter 3 premiered last night. We love the show. We love UFC. Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock are coaches this time around, and I think this'll make for some good drama. That coupled with good fighting, good looking guys, and you have a great show. In my opinion of course. What do you expect? I am a girl after all. Yeah, I know, a girl who loves video games and UFC. It's true. I also love sports, baseball, football, hockey, soccer, and the list goes on and on. Oddly enough, I hate shopping. But, we can talk about that another day.

What the heck?

Okay, so anyone that keeps up with current events online or tv or, whatever, is familiar with the new illegal immigrant legislation recently passed by the House, which would make illegal immigrants felons. There have been protests all over the country, California, New York, Oklahoma, and God knows where the next one will take place? I know I've kept this blog comfortably within the realm of personal finances, but sometimes, I feel compelled to write about something else. Heck, it's my blog anyway and, well, I just need to vent a little. Or a lot.

I'd like to begin with the fact that I am a hispanic female. I am first-generation American. My parents emigrated from central Mexico in the early 1970s to southern California, where I and my three siblings were born and raised. Much has to be said about the opportunities this great country America has to offer to foreigners. It's the land of the free. Home of the brave. Where a man, or woman, has control of their destiny and possibly fortunes. I love this country!

My parents worked in the fields when they first crossed the border. They busted themselves ragged daily to give their children the best this world can offer. But, they never settled. They worked their way up the ladder slowly, from the fields, to the factories and finally into the comfy, air-conditioned offices they sit in today. My parents earned their way in this country, and still do. They have taught their children the value of hard work and respect. Respect for themselves, their work, and family.

I have to say, that the people crowding the streets of this great country protesting the proposed law making it a felony to be an illegal immigrant is, in my opinion, a disgrace to every American citizen. The cries of "If you hurt immigrants you are hurting America," or "We are your economy," or "Everyone deserves a better life" completely contradict anything they do. To come to this country, you have to obey it's laws. Like them or not, they are the backbone of this country.

Immigrants have been flooding into this great nation for hundreds of years, legally. Why do we have to make exception to that rule? And how does a law pertaining to illegal immigrants, clear violators of law, diminish their pursuits to a better life? They don't. By attempting to live above the law, they diminish the pursuits of the immigrants who come here legally.

Don't get me wrong, I want these people to have a better a life, to give their children what my parents gave me. All I ask is that they do it legally. There a thousands of immigrants who want to be here, and go through the proper channels to make it happen. They don't take shortcuts and they don't make excuses. Should this land of opportunity deny them the right to have a better life because others took a shortcut and are already here? No!

I am proud of my parents. I am proud of my heritage. But, if you want to come to my country so bad that you are willing to break the law, please, show some respect and put that Mexican flag, Puerto Rican flag, Venezuelan flag, El Salvador flag, Venezuelan flag, or whatever piece of cloth down, and pick up the stars and stripes. Because that is the country you are in where you are given every promise and every opportunity to pursue life, liberty and happiness!