From the category archives:

Product Reviews

Sweaters and Knitwear You Don’t Want To Wear, Photo Gallery

by SVB on December 24, 2008 in Money Saving Tips, Product Reviews

Just for fun, here’s a look at some sweaters and knitwear you probably don’t want to wear. Knock yourself out with these colorful ensembles!

Bring out your favorite Christmas apparel! Do you favor the mint green top or the bright purple and yellow warm vest you got several years ago? Don’t be too embarrassed though, there are a lot of winter and holiday clothing out there that leaves much to be desired. But they’re fun, and for many of us, we got them for a song (or for free, maybe by playing White Elephant).

I see a lot of these clothes on the sales racks in my favorite bargain stores. Target, Marshall’s, Ross Dress for Less, T. J. Max still have a bunch of these out on sale periodically. If you’re lucky, you may avoid the ultra-generosity of your well-meaning loved ones who can’t resist sharing their best color schemes and taste in clothes with you! :) For your own sake, pray that you get the bargain gift cards, the quality cookware or even the restaurant gift certificates instead. You don’t want to expand your Christmas wardrobe this way, do you?

All these gorgeous photos are from the CNN slideshow about unfortunate sweaters. I provide my own context below.

Sweaters and Knitwear You Don’t Want To Wear

Holiday Vests Quartet aka Il Divo

ugly sweaters
A charming quartet decked in colorful threads.

Purple Lady Jester

purple lady jester
This is not all that bad! I can see myself wearing something like this ;) .

He Who Had A Little Too Much To Drink

funny santa guy
This guy looks familiar. Wait, Steve… is that you?

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Nintendo Wii Review, Video Game System: Should You Buy?

by Millie Kay G. on December 17, 2008 in Product Reviews

To Wii or not to Wii? Check out our Nintendo Wii review, where we cover one of the hottest video game systems around.

When it comes to video games, I’ve spent hours playing with my family on my Nintendo DS and Sony’s triple threat of the Playstation 3, Playstation 2, and the Playstation Portable. However, with the Nintendo Wii’s continued popularity, this may be an appropriate time to expand our collection. Let’s take a look at the pros of cons of going the Wii way.

nintendo wii review

Should You Buy The Wii? Our Nintendo Wii Review: Pros and Cons

Pros

With 2 million Wii sales in November, Nintendo has shown for the third year in a row that its console has mass appeal. When I’ve taken a casual look around for them in years past, they’ve been scarce; however, my family and I have spotted them at retailers like Target this year; online retailers also seem to have them in abundance. Since the average price for a console seems to run about $350, the Nintendo Wii seems less expensive than its competitors, too.

I’ve read in the Chicago Tribune and heard from other news outlets about the Wii’s ability to get people moving across several generations. Games like Rock Band 2 and Wii Music can help families tune up, while sports titles like Wii Sports and We Ski can make competitors out of in-laws and the younger crowd. The list of multiplayer games available for the Wii appear to make it a great console for parties as well!

Wii Games Across The Generations: The Old School’s Still Open

In addition, the Wii has lots of downloadable titles like Midnight Bowling and World of Goo that I could buy with Wii Points, available from stores or online. And if I want to play the old classics like Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros., the Virtual Console is awaiting me on the Wii Shop channel. We still have a somewhat dusty SNES console from back in the day, but it would be fun to take on those old games again.

Other Wii channels have news, weather, and other ways to interact with other players. One bonus I didn’t expect is the Disc Channel, which lets you play games from Nintendo’s previous console, the GameCube. Game Informer’s January 2009 print issue has a rundown of the GameCube’s Top 25 games — titles that I could find used and at a decent price if I looked hard enough.

Wii Exclusives

Also, if I want to play more Pokemon games and Mario titles than are on the DS, I need to go to the Wii. As far as I can tell, they aren’t joining the Playstation franchise. Another Wii exclusive that intrigues me is Wii Fit. I’m not sure I could handle the balance board with any grace, but I need the exercise.

One more thing that appeals to me about the Wii: unlike the PS3, it’s friendly to tinkering. Lifehacker brought the Wii’s other exploits to my attention earlier in the year; if I needed another DVD player, it seems easy to give the Wii an upgrade.

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Blu-Ray DVD Player Review: Should We Give It The Green Light Now?

by Millie Kay G. on November 13, 2008 in Product Reviews

A Blu-ray DVD player review: some pros and cons of the Blu-ray.

Blu-Ray DVD Player

Lately, I can’t help noticing all the bargains on electronics, especially the Blu-ray players. After the Blu-ray format won out against the HD DVD format earlier this year, I didn’t pick up a Blu-ray player because of all the advice that said the prices would fall. EngadgetHD took a recent look at prices and noted that the prices have been falling, and we can expect to see more competitive pricing around the holidays. However, we’re still debating about the switch to Blu-ray in our household.

The Pros and Cons of Buying a Blu-Ray DVD Player

The Advantages

High definition means awesome pictures.

Why would I want a Blu-ray, anyway? First off, the high definition format means better pictures. Spend time in an electronics department at a big box store and you’re probably going to notice the difference in clarity. If you want your movie experiences to be as close to perfect as possible, then you might appreciate the way the movie studios are reissuing their titles for high definition.

Good deals are out there.

If you’re looking to upgrade from your old DVD player, you can find a standalone Blu-ray player for as low as $199. Check out CNET’s review of a Panasonic player. Or check out Gizmodo — they’ve scooped out some deals rumored to be available on Black Friday: for low prices, I might have to get up early!

There are players that can do anything.

Do you prefer to own a player that does more than show movies? Then pick up a Playstation 3. Mine lets me play games, lets me view my pictures and plays music. In addition, I can browse the internet and help medical researchers with the Folding@home project. Even my standard definition DVDs look better using the PS3. While we can’t afford to load up on another two PS3s for the rest of the house, picking up a used or refurbished one might be an option for us in the future (yes, we are gaming and electronics freaks ;) ).

Blu-ray movies will give you a little extra.

Even if you aren’t quite ready to buy a player now, I find it helpful to keep an eye on the movie prices. While I won’t replace my entire movie collection, I’m interested in the bonus features that come with many Blu-ray movies. For example, the larger disc size means we get more behind the scenes bonuses like documentaries, extra footage and interviews.

Not to mention, some of the Blu-ray movies like The Dark Knight are packaged with a digital copy of the movie so you can watch a standard definition version on your PC or a portable media player. Some useful sites that monitor new releases to Blu-ray include PS3 Fanboy and Amazon’s Blu-ray Store. Those sites also let visitors know about what’s on sale. With some patience, it might be possible for you to score a favorite movie for up to 50% off.

I like to rent more movies than I buy, so it’s cool that I’m noticing more Blu-ray movies at the local Blockbuster and its online store. Netflix rents out Blu-ray titles as well, for a dollar a month in addition to your membership fee.

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Best Cheap Eats Around Tulsa, Oklahoma

by Millie Kay G. on October 16, 2008 in Money Saving Tips, Product Reviews

Some of the best cheap eats around Tulsa, Oklahoma that you should drop by and visit sometime ;) !

In response to Wise Bread’s call to action — we have written this entry for their group writing project on “Best Cheap Eats in Your City”.

When I want to eat out, I don’t want to worry about the check being bigger than my plate. Since I’m due for a timeout from the kitchen, I should review how I can eat out for less in Tulsa (and elsewhere).

Way to Save #1: Enjoy the Appetizers

Mexican Restaurant, Chimichanga
Chimichanga Photo by The Tasty Island

 
A free or low-cost appetizer can help me from splurging on a more expensive entree. I don’t need a lot of meat with my pasta if I know I’m having good quality bread. A cup of soup or a salad can curb your appetite for less than a large entree, too. Or you can head down to:

El Tequila
8118 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa OK
(918)459-7677

The offerings on this busy Mexican restaurant’s menu are pretty extensive. The last time I went, I had the chimichanga, rice and beans for $5.99. While I was there, the waiters seemed attentive and made sure no one ran out of chips and salsa. The next time I go, I’ll be trying out the tortilla soup.

Way to Save #2: Try a Lower Cost Sandwich rather than the Dinner

Elmer's BBQ, Tulsa, OK
Elmer’s BBQ, home of the Badwich

 
Portion sizes at a lot of restaurants can seem hefty. Since I don’t want to tote around the leftovers to a movie, I’d scale back to a sandwich. I’ll enjoy the same great taste at a less-than-premium price. Haven’t tried barbecue bologna before? Done right, it’s a masterpiece of flavor (no, don’t sacrifice your Oscar Mayer).

Elmer’s BBQ
4130 S Peoria, Tulsa OK
(918)742-6702

This restaurant’s motto is “It Be Bad”, but you don’t have to feel bad about treating yourself to ribs, chopped beef, chicken, pork, ham, hot links, and more. The sliced bologna sandwich is $5.75 and comes with one side. The smoked chicken sandwich I want to try is also $5.75. They’re also known for the sandwich called “the Badwich”.

Some Badwich mentions around the web: The Badwich: It Be Bad!, The Badwich!, Elmer’s BBQ, Tulsa.

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