MyThings Blog

Get Your Spring Cleaning Underway

Lori from MyThings — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:05:31 GMT

Spring is in the air. That means it’s time for the annual spring cleaning. Yay!

While spring cleaning typically refers to housecleaning, it can also be used as an overriding term for getting ones entire affairs in order, whether its tax receipts or emotions.

So while we love spring (really, who doesn’t love spring?), the spring cleaning task can be daunting. Ah, where to begin?

As with all missions, start with a checklist. There are lots of sites that offer printable spring cleaning check lists.

The queen of happy homemaking, Martha Stewart offers her checklist, which promises to be both manageable, and more surprisingly enjoyable. iVillage also has a nice, short, straight-forward checklist.

The list on All Things Frugal is not in printable format per se, but it includes some real creative gems of advice on how to deal with cleaning challenges such as removing crayon markings from the wall with a blow dryer and dusting window screens with a paint brush.

I also found this excellent maintenance guide called “15 Minute Cleanups for Every Room”. It’s more about making a room presentable than spotless, but since I’m not such an ambitious cleaner, I’m thinking, maybe I’ll start with this.

Beyond following a checklist, and making sure you cover all ground, there’s not much else to do, except to get motivated and get cleaning!

Tools to Help with New Year’s Resolutions

Lori from MyThings — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:01:46 GMT

by Lori Deschene

Most people make long lists of resolutions in December, pursue some of them in January, and revert to old habits by February. We work a little differently here at MyThings—which is why I’m posting the New Years blog now, after the dust has settled a bit. (That and I spent too much time making my list to fit this in last week). In this post, I’ll address the 5 most common New Year’s resolutions and give you some suggestions to tackle them.

5. Get more organized

It’s easy to get organized if you use all the tools at your disposal. For starters, itemize your belongings here at MyThings. You can store all your receipts, warranty information, and other materials in one secure place. Beyond that, you may benefit from utilizing these tools:

Task2Gather—a web-based project manager that helps you organize your to-do list
Task Coach—an advanced desktop manager that lets you break big goals into smaller ones and file them appropriately
Free Mind Mapping Applications—applications that represent your goals in visual terms as opposed to linear lists
Life Tango—a web app for setting, sharing, and tracking goals

4. Get in better shape/lose weight

Since I come from a large Italian family, I constantly fight my genetics. I’ve found the best way to stay healthy and trim is to eat reasonably sized portions of nutritious, non-processed food and to exercise regularly. Fad diets and extremes don’t work—it needs to be a complete lifestyle change. These tips should help you out:

Follow nutrition guidelines for better athletic performance.
Tone your lower stomach without sit-ups.
Try TrailRunner, a free iPod program to help you plan your workout.
Use your couch to get 6-pack abs in 6 minutes.

3. Save money/pay off debt

Most people live paycheck to paycheck, completely unprepared for career changes or economic turbulence. Financial experts recommend you “pay yourself” before any of your debtors. That’s right; allot a percentage of your check for savings every pay cycle. As you build your savings, use these tips and tools:

10 ideas to save money on clothes, groceries, bills, and more
Mint, money management application for your iPod or iPhone
Quicken’s “Spare Change Challenge” helps you figure out how much money you waste
Avoid debit card fees

2. Support charities/give back

This is a tough one, seeing as most of us don’t have enough time or money to spare. But that’s the thing—we probably would if we became more organized, efficient, and mindful of our budgets. While you work on those three, try these ideas:

Recycle your unwanted gadgets, books, CDs and sporting goods—and even get cash back.
Donate your old computer monitor to a family in need.
Learn to compost trash to help the environment.
“Green” your electronics to save energy.

1. Learn a new language, sport, or skill

In case you haven’t noticed the theme here, I’ve been pointing you to our assorted tips & tricks to make your goals reality. Why? For starters, I’ve spent hours finding them all over the web! More importantly, there are a lot of gems in that section of the site, especially when it comes to learning something new.

Get free books—to help you learn that new skill, whatever it is.
Become a better photographer.
Learn tips and tricks for sports.
Stop reading this blog.

That’s right—my final tip is to close your web browser, shut down your computer, and get out into the world. Do things instead of blogging about them, trade emoticons for real smiles, and just plain be in the presence of the people you love. The best start to achieving greatness is appreciating what you already have.

Photo rodneymulholland

Where to Recycle Everything for Cash

Lori from MyThings — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:34:52 GMT

by Lori Deschene

The year was 1984. I had pigtails and a lisp. I loved my jelly shoes, Pacman, The Smurfs—and recycling soda cans. That’s right! Every Saturday I gathered a trash bag full of cans and accompanied my father to the recycling place where a toothless man gave me $.5 for each one. These days I still get that warm-fuzzy I’m-doing-my-small-part-to-make-the-world-a-better-place feeling when I recycle. And depending on the item, I get a lot more money.

I’ve posted quite a few recycling suggestions on our Tips & Tricks page. Here they are together, in all their glory. Enjoy!

Get Cash for Your Old Books

UK: Check out Green Metropolis. You can buy books for just £3.75, and sell your old ones for £3.

US: Check out Cash 4 Books. Enter the ISBN, supply your contact information, send the book, and expect payment within three days after they receive your books.

Get Cash for Your Old CDs

UK: Visit Musicmagpie.com. Simply enter the details of your CDs, find out what they are worth and they will send you all the packaging you need to send them in.

US: Check out PlayIC.com to swap or sell DVDs, CDs, and games.

Get Cash for Your Old Gadgets

UK: Loot.com and Gumtree.com both offer a forum to buy and sell used items.

BuyMyTronics.com buys new, used, and broken electronics from any location in the world. You'll receive payment through PayPal within 48 hours of receipt.

US: VenJuvo.com helps you calculate your item’s worth and then buys it from you with two payment options—PayPal or check.

Second Rotation.com purchases mobile phones, gaming consoles, MP3 players, and other gadgets to resell them. You could earn over $150 for one item.

Get Cash for Your Old Sporting Goods

UK: Visit adpost.com. Categories range from archery to weight lifting and everying in between. For board equipment, try UK Board Sports.

US: Visit usedsports.com to sell your assorted sporting equipment.

Get Cash for Your Old Ink Cartridges

UK: Head on over to cashforcartridges.co.uk and check on their price list to see just how much you can make recycling cartridges.

US: Visit freerecycling.com. According to their list of qualifying ink jet cartridges, you can make up to $3.60 per item sent!

I have two more recycling tips that unfortunately don’t start with “Get Cash.” But remember that warm fuzzy feeling I mentioned before? Well, that’s the deal. Help other families, save the planet and what not…

Where to Recycle Your Old Computer Monitor

UK: Visit Donate a PC— a “matchmaking” service for individuals and organizations—to donate unwanted hardware to charities, non-profits, and educational establishments. According to the site, this service is ideal for people with one or two items to donate.

US: Visit Computers with Causes, a site that gives donated computers to needy families. Just click on your state at the bottom of the page and fill out the form.

Where to Recycle Your Old Mattress

Try one of these spots:

Conigliaro Industries, Framingham, MA., (508) 872-9668

DR3 Mattress Recycling Facility, San Leandro, CA. (510) 351-0520

MattCanada, Montréal, Québec (514) 648-7575

Goodwill Industries, Duluth, MN. (218) 722-6351

FEAT Enterprises, UK and Scotland, 01592 769258

Bed Busters, San Francisco, CA

Dreamsafe, Moorabbin, Australia

A few more links you may enjoy:

How to Recycle Toys

How to Recycle and Reuse Wire Coat Hangers

Composting Trash for Lazy People

10 Tips to Green All Your Electronics

Have a recycling idea to add? Please let us know!

How Retailers Woo Holiday Shoppers in a Recession

Lori from MyThings — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:21:05 GMT

by Lori Deschene

Retailers know we’re all strapped for cash this year, and they’re doing everything they can to capture a large piece of the pie—pushing value, empathizing with our plight, and using a little psychology.

First example: Kohl’s

Kohl’s increased its direct mail efforts to credit card holders this year to drive traffic to stores, where signs read, “Gifts that fit your budget beautifully.”

Kohl’s Chief Executive Kevin Mansell said, “What we’re trying to do is to try to more forcefully get the message out to consumers that we recognize the environment they’re in.” And encourage buy-now-pay-later behavior.

Second example: Potomac Mills mall

Potomac Mills, the Woodbridge, VA mall owned by Simon Property Group, Inc. capitalized on black Friday—the day after Thanksgiving—by staying open for 22 hours. As part of the “Shop Smarter” holiday campaign, the mall offered free coffee and chair massages.

Caroline Green, director of mall marketing and business development for Potomac Mills cited a theory that the longer people stay in a mall, the more money they will spend, which makes it worthwhile to stay open for almost a full day, and offer amenities to keep people there.

Third example: Woot

Then there’s my personal favorite approach: reverse psychology. Take this newsletter I recently received from Woot. In the first couple of paragraphs they suggest you save your money:

“As a retailer, it'd make sense for us to fall in with the BUY STUFF, AMERICA conga line. But by now, you know that we at Woot never do things the ‘normal’, ‘sensible’, ‘rational’, ‘intelligent’ way…That's why we're encouraging you and your fellow wooters to save this holiday season. Save your money! Save until you pull a saving muscle. Horde your money until you are literally choking on it.”

And then the hook:

“But be warned: you'll want to stay far away from Woot.com this week. The breadth and scope of bargains we'll be offering –especially starting Tuesday morning at midnight—will be powerfully tempting.”

Try as we may to set benchmarks for our own spending, we may succumb to clever marketing along the way. I suggest you do as much pre-purchase planning as possible so you know what you need and where you're going to buy it. Go to the store with just the cash you plan to spend, and maybe a small, pre-determined cushion for bargains. You may miss out on the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of amazing deals. But there are more satisfying things in life—like a new year that doesn’t start with credit card debt.

Top 10 Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas

Lori from MyThings — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:09:40 GMT

by Lori Deschene

In a recent post I discussed a few of the ways you can benefit from a low-budget holiday season. As you may remember from that blog, I am a bit of a Christmas junkie. That’s right—totally addicted to the cheer, good will, and festivity. Some nights I find myself curled up under my tree in the fetal position, mumbling, “Just one more cup of eggnog…” But that’s neither here nor there. This post is all about being crafty; channeling your inner Martha Stewart and making amazing gifts with inexpensive materials. What could possibly be more meaningful than something made with your heart and your own two hands?

I’ve scoured the web (and stolen ideas from Lifehacker) and here’s what I’ve come up with:

10. Flipbooks

The YouTube video shows a flipbook of a child’s first steps, which would make an amazing gift for grandparents.

9. Words of Wisdom

This one really touches me. A child from Massachusetts—a veritable genius factory, says this Boston descendant—created a “first-aid kit for the spirit.” She put inspirational quotes into a band-aid box and replaced the label with “Apply directly to the soul.”

8. No-Sew Quilt

Quilts are great because you have options—either go with a theme for the entire piece, or individualize the patches in a more meaningful way. You don’t need sewing skills to make this, but you will need a chunk of time.

7. Recipe Jars

The idea is simple. Gather the ingredients for, say, brownies or cookies, and layer them in a decorative jar. You can do this with anything—well, anything sweet and simple. Aunt Edna probably doesn’t want a jar full of garlic, onions, and meat.

6. Organic Cosmetics

Eco-friendly and image-conscious—the perfect combination for the women in your life. You can make an organic facial and body cream, a homemade sugar body scrub, and more.

5. A Chocolate-filled Basket

It’s a simple idea, really. Just gather an assortment of chocolatey goodness, arrange in a basket, then shrink wrap and adorn with ribbons.

4. A Personalized Recipe Book

If your sister adores seafood you could put together a collection of shrimp, lobster, and scallop dishes. You could use calligraphy and add illustrations or create the pages on your computer—or even just write them by hand with little stick figures putting food in their mouths. It’s the thought that counts!

3. A DVD slideshow

The word "slide" sounds a lot like the word "boring" but this isn’t your health teacher’s slideshow (which was actually kind of entertaining, if you recall.) Pull out the photos from your last family trip and immortalize those memories!

2. A Ribbon Bulletin Board

This is a great gift for kids because it allows them to wedge concert tickets, photo booth pictures, and other paper memories behind the ribbons. Think back to your elementary school days and add some color and glitter. Just remember what you learned back then: paste does not taste as good as it looks.

1. A Secret Hollow Book

This is my personal favorite because it combines two of my favorite things: antique books and secrecy. Get an old hardcover book, hollow out the pages with an X-Acto knife, and voila—you have a keepsake for storing treasured items.

I’ve already decided whose getting what in my family. Now it’s your turn. Do any of these ideas resonate with you, or do you have any to share?

20 Signs Your Stuff Owns You

Lori from MyThings — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:08:48 GMT

by Lori Deschene

Consider this a sister post to one I wrote in September, 20 Signs You Don’t Need That Thing. It was all about going through your stuff and deciding which items suffocate your space. Hopefully you tossed the Chicken Little bobble head and that spandex and crinoline dress from the 80s.

Now here’s another question: once you get rid of the clutter how do you feel about the rest? Does it shape your identity? Does it consume your energy and thoughts? If this list resonates with you, it likely does…

20. When you go on vacation you ask your mother to check in on your HDTV.

19. If you were offered an all-expense paid trip to Paris but could only bring a carry-on bag, you’d opt for another week of 9–5...and you have one of these jobs.

18. You wrote a prenup to protect your possessions when you were 15.

17. The word donate draws a tear—and it’s not joy you’re feeling.

16. If you were in a hot air balloon that was going down you’d consider tossing your dog before your purse. (PETA: I didn’t mean it).

15. When Ferris Bueller said Cameron’s dad shined his car with a diaper you thought “brilliant!” and seriously considered potty training your 6-week old baby.

14. Your will includes instructions to bury you with your prized possessions, like your iPhone, all your jewelry, or your troll doll collection.

13. If you were to meditate you’d chant something along the lines of, “Be calm. Be present. Believe you’ll beat Final Fantasy VIII.”

12. If your girlfriend gave you love coupons and a sweater she knitted for your birthday you’d ask, “Were they out of the Etymotic Research headphones for my iPod?”

11. When you imagine Bhutan, which measures its nation’s success in Gross National Happiness you think, “Yeah that might work—if I had a yak and roamed the mountains.”

10. You’re daily to-do list includes the following actions: buy, clean, repair, dust, organize, rearrange, and insure.

9. You consider your friend who drives a ’98 Chevy a caveman.

8. Your elderly mother could really benefit from using your Wii Fit—but you figure she gets enough exercise opening cat food.

7. At 4:00 on Friday you start daydreaming about the quality time you’ll spend with your DVDs over the weekend.

6. Your five-year old daughter says, “In school today we learned you don’t need stuff to make you happy!” You say, “Honey that’s just for poor kids.”

5. Your New Year’s resolutions all involve things you own—organize your iTunes library, fill your wine cellar, get your “Frankie Say Relax” shirt back from your ex.

4. You can’t stay in a hotel unless you bring your Gucci ice cube trays. You feel dirty drinking your Dirty Russian with plain-old-square-shaped ice.

3. You won’t move in with your significant other because the word “consolidate” makes you physically ill.

2. Your friends chose your nickname for you based on your prized possession—Kindle Kendall, Manolo Lola, iPhone Bob. OK, that last one doesn’t work as well but you get the point.

1. This list has made you angry. Insulting your stuff and how you feel about it is like putting baby in the corner.

You may wonder why I recommend evaluating your stuff-ism since this website invites you to catalogue it all for insurance purposes. What I’m saying is find a middle ground.

Bhutan ideals don’t translate word-for-word into our American reality. You can’t live a completely thing-free life. (Full disclosure: I’m a recovering shoe addict and I feel something I can only define as love for my flat-screen TV.) But you can prioritize the stuff that really matters above the stuff you own.

Photo Popsci

5 Ways to Benefit from a Low-Budget Holiday Season

Lori from MyThings — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:52:17 GMT

by Lori Deschene

Halloween just came and went and Christmas already dominates the retail sphere. I personally don’t mind it. Despite not following the Christian faith, I’ve always loved the season’s festivity. My inner drama queen adores the theatrical element—bright decorations, children’s glitter-and-cotton-ball art, and carolers in costume. Mostly I appreciate how happiness becomes a priority. People put aside their petty differences and commit small acts of kindness. Perhaps it’s the selfless nature of giving that creates this energy. When you imagine grandma cradled in a recliner enjoying the back massager you bought her you feel a more immediate connection to the frail woman who needs help on the bus.

The holidays awaken a vulnerability that many of us guard throughout the year. Since consumerism flavors the season—and we often connect the joy we share with parties we host, food we provide, and gifts we give—I wonder how many people will hold onto that guard. I say let it down. Here’s how I think you can do it, despite financial limitations:

5. Learn not to compete with the past. My mom throws extravagant parties with enough food to do her Italian heritage proud, and enough liquor to keep guests smiling even if the lasagna’s a little burnt. If she couldn’t host functions this grand I suspect she wouldn’t do it at all. That’s a mistake. This is a perfect time to practice letting go of your ego. It will inspire others to do the same. Plan it pot-luck-style. Ask people to bring their own beer. Hound your wealthiest friend to give you money. (OK, you probably won’t do that. How about asking him to send me some?) The point is: don’t let limitations close you off. Of all the things you sacrifice your heart should be the last.

4. Become more creative…and start early! I admit I feel cool when I get my gifts at Sharper Image, but I also feel cool when I can buy lunch (kind of a priority). If you’re crafty you can create amazing gifts. Usually right around the beginning of November I start crocheting blankets and scarves for Christmas presents. I also think about other gifts I can make, like photo slideshows for my grandparents. If you’re not the DIY type these presents will be even more meaningful.

3. Use reality as a teaching tool. People often see hardship as a road block, but I take a different approach. My favorite quote reads, “Reality is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I deal with it.” I know—it sounds kind of touchy-feely—but perception really is everything. If you’re a parent this is a wonderful time to teach your children about budgeting and the economy. Make it an adventure. When you’re shopping for your Thanksgiving meal, create mini-contests: who can find the lowest-priced cranberry sauce? Who can find festive napkins that costs under $4? Who can make Mommy a Perfect Cosmopolitan when we get home? (Kidding…kind of.)

2. Let your friends off the hook. The holidays are all about good will and compassion, so think outside your own gift box. Everyone wants to impress their friends and family. Make it easy to do that by creating a gift list online, perhaps at Today I Wish that contains low-cost or even re-gifted items. Imagine how relieved your sister will feel when she reads your number 1 item: my sister’s brownie recipe, ingredients, and a bowl.

1. Think bigger. Sounds like a contradiction, right? It’s not. Think of it as Costco-style event planning. Your family, your sister’s, and your brother’s might all have separate holiday dinners. If you do it all together and split the costs you can all save a little cash. Pick the sibling with the biggest home and then plan separate tables with adults and kids. Maybe the youngest ones will sit around the coffee table. Maybe people will eat at different times. Maybe you’ll all cram around one table like it’s a clown car. Who knows—you can make it work.

Maybe some of these aren’t realistic for you, or perhaps they don’t even apply because you’re independently wealthy and unscathed by the challenging times. Whatever the case may be, I say stay open—in fact, open up more. Now’s the perfect time to be more than what you can afford and buy.

Photo QuintanaRoo

10 Ideas to Save Money on Everything

Lori from MyThings — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 20:55:00 GMT

by Lori Deschene

You’d think people who make more money would save more money, but research shows that’s not true. HSBC reports that Americans with more than $250,000 in household income—who represent 1.5% of US households—also struggle with saving. That’s because most of us take on as many expenses as we can afford and oftentimes live beyond our means.

I’m not in that top 1.5% or even close, but I am excellent saver. I always get cheap airfare. I find high-quality generic products like it’s an extreme sport. The guy at Marshall’s knows me by name. This allows me to “pay myself” a chunk from every check. I’m ready to share my secrets.

10. Take advantage of trial offers and return incentives.

Here’s what I did recently to finance my expensive yoga addiction: I found 3 Bikram studios within a 30-mile radius of my house. Each offers the first 30 days for $30. One of them extends a follow-up deal: two months for the price of one ($115). That means I got five months for $205. Had I not done it this way I would have spent $490 on those five months. The best part? The other studios I tried send me discounts as incentives to return. It pays to shop around!

9. Buy clothes on the off-season, on eBay, and at off-price retailers like Marshalls.

In the winter I hit the clearance racks for tank tops. In the summer I look for winter coats. I shop at Marshalls for almost everything else. The retailer sells brand name clothing at 20–60% off, and they even have a clearance section. Then I check out eBay. A lot of my friends avoid this because of the potential for used or knock-off items. Not a problem for me. I search for auctions that are about the end, and only bid on the amazing deals. A Coach bag for $20? Who cares if it’s a fake at the price?

8. Use your checkbook.

I am part of a dying breed. I enter every purchase manually into my checkbook—even when I’ve used my debit card—so I always know exactly what I’ve spent. I then use that knowledge to make decisions throughout the month. If this isn’t your style, you can track your expenses via text message or using online software, like Mint.

7. Get and use club cards at grocery stores.

I’ve read some articles that call these cards a scam, implying the marked-down cost is actually the suggested retail price, and the savings are an illusion. My experience indicates this isn’t true. I’ve used my Safeway card for the past 3 years. I’ve purchased items for $2 that one week prior cost $4. On average, I save about 30% every trip because I only buy items on sale. Afraid of going generic when your brands have served you well? Check out Smart Money’s Top 5 Products to Buy Generic.

6. Use flight aggregator services.

I know a lot of people who travel exclusively with one airline, but I think this is a mistake. Whenever I fly, I check out Kayak, Farechase, Sidestep, Farecast, Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia, Cheaptickets, Hotwire, Priceline, Mobissimo, and Trabber. When possible I search with flexible travel dates to get the lowest fare. Of course this limits the SkyMiles you’ll acquire with any one provider, but you can offset this by booking your flights with a credit card that has a strong rewards program.

5. Become the social planner.

If I wait for my friends to make the plans I am at the mercy of their expensive tastes. If I do the leg-work myself, however, I can find the best bang for our bucks—free movies in the park, happy hour specials at restaurants, plays that offer free tickets when they have too many extra seats (look on Craigslist in the free section).

4. Fight your bills.

Have you ever gotten an insane mobile phone bill because you went a little text-crazy or went over your minutes? You don’t have to take it! One time I ran up $350 in overage charges. I called and asked to speak to a manager. I said, “I misunderstood my plan. I know you have the authority to adjust my bill, even if just once. That’s what it’s going to take to keep me as a customer.” He cut the bill in half. Here’s another example: my Comcast Internet service cut out for an hour last week. I called and complained, and they took $15 off my bill. Never hand over money you can keep with a little persuasion.

3. Make money off your things.

I actually covered this one in a previous blog, Top 5 Ways Your Things Can Make You Money. For example, you can get cash for your old electronics using Gazelle.com, post your photos on Shutterstock.com, or rent out your stuff on Zilok.com.

2. Buy high-quality used furniture.

If I shopped for furniture on my budget I’d spend a lot of time in Target. I’m not a big fan of futons and Oak basics, so I look on Craigslist. This year I paid $100 for a microfiber couch that originally sold for $800. The same man sold me 3 sturdy slate tables for $200—far less than they would sell for in a store and in near-perfect condition. I also got him to deliver them for free. I can’t really tell you how I did that one; just a gift, I guess!

1. Get your company to pay for things.

Do you use your Internet and cell phone for work-related communication? Expense it. Interested in taking a class? Check out Monster’s guide, Get Your Company to Pay for Your Learning. Want to join the gym? Check with HR. Many larger companies offer discounts on gym memberships. Looking for a new apartment? See if your company uses a broker; your company may even pay the fee. Granted times are tight right now so it may be a little harder to enjoy these perks, but nothing ventured is nothing gained.

Those are my two cents. Now I want them back. I warned you—I’m really cheap! But that means I can roll with the punches when times are tough. Can you?

Top 10 Overpriced Things People Buy for Halloween

Lori from MyThings — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:42:05 GMT

by Lori Deschene

Halloween doesn’t usually break the bank, right? I mean we’re dealing with candy and plastic fangs. You’re not likely to fall into debt over Reeses. It’s a fun holiday, and right about now people need something to bring their spirits up. (Get it—spirits? Never mind).

According to a Visa Inc. survey 75 percent of Americans plan to celebrate this Halloween, spending 10 percent more this year than they did last year—but that still totals only $47 each on candy and decorations. It’s the people who buy these things that have me scratching my head:

10. Prop Coffins

Economic crisis or not, short of a death in my family little would inspire me to buy a coffin—particularly one that costs between $450 and $800.

9. Human Skeleton

Wish you could hang real bones from your porch this Halloween? You just missed your chance. Auctioneer Tim Richards put a human skeleton on eBay in September, which fetched $500. Although the winner donated the skeleton to a forensic center, it was originally used as decoration. Wow. Just wow.

8. Deluxe Ouija Board

Why is this board nearly $90 more than an ordinary one, you ask? It makes it far safer to channel the dead! From the ad: “If you have fear of supernatural forces, this would be a great board for you as it has a protective pentacle.”

7. Authentic Alien costume

Even Scientologists—who believe alien spirits inhabit our bodies—lack the know-how to create an authentic alien costume. And who in the world would shell out $2400?

6. Haute Couture Pet Costumes

I am all for cute dog clothes, 365 days a year, actually. But I leave couture to the runway and royalty—or at least to living beings less likely to soil their velvet and silk baroque attire.

5. Skin & Bones Prop

This is one of those cut-out things you can place your head into for photos. Not only is it gruesome and priced at $900, it does not include the backing board, stand, or pictured head. I could probably be persuaded it they threw in the head.

4. Dremel Pumpkin Carving Kit

This is definitely the least of all evils here, but still I have to wonder, what kind of connoisseur of pumpkinry needs a special tool to form his masterpiece? Isn’t wielding a knife part of the fun?

3. Authentic Knives and Swords

I know—Angelina Jolie makes daggers sound so cool, particularly for 7-year old children. But if you need an actual blade to “get that authentic finishing touch to your Halloween costume” you may end up with an actual flesh wound.

2. Horror Collectible Action Figures

I’m not saying collections are bad. It’s just that I like collecting things that are free or cheap—fortunes from Chinese cookies, Snapple caps, dollar bills nestled in other people’s couches. How can I possibly put out $270 for mini Jaws when I can barely afford my candy corn habit?

1. Custom-Made Fangs

I take back my earlier assessment—fangs can break the bank. Although most of these bad boys are on-sale, they usually run for around $50. For that price they should come with a neck.

Want more? Check out last week's post Top 10 Things People Bought because of Social Networking

Top 10 Things People Bought Because of Social Networking

Lori from MyThings — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:33:01 GMT

by Lori Deschene

It was only a matter of time before social networks became shopping networks. Niche sites pop up all the time offering lefty vegetarians, Christian Jamba juice lovers, and cat-loving democrats a place to connect with like-minded people. Social networks are a goldmine for advertisers, but the content in profiles, blog posts, videos, pictures, and reviews is worlds more influential than the banner on the right-hand side of the page.

According to a recent report called “When did we start trusting strangers” involving 17,000 people in 29 countries, 29 percent of people have commented on a product or brand in a blog and 27 percent have posted an opinion in a social networking profile. Companies likely seed a lot of this stuff, but some of it’s too crazy to be planted. In this post we’ll explore all angles of marketing through social networks—from member campaigns to lame corporate ideas.

1. Carrots A Facebook group with over 100,000 members tried to create a global carrot shortage by instructing people to “go out and panic buy carrots” at 10:00 AM on May 15, 2008. According to their website—yup, they have a website—it will become an annual event. Despite their initial intentions to create a national veggie deficit, they recommend using the produce to make soup for the homeless. Because that’s what page views, click-throughs, and Internet influence are all about—helping the little guy.

2. Nudity YouTube member Chris3ff started the “Naked Vlog campaign” asking viewers to forsake their fabric restraints and take to the airwaves in the flesh. Last I checked his original video got 763,709 hits and 1146 comments. I know—this doesn’t involve buying a specific product but it’s a perfect example of viral influence (and self-inflicted-retina-damage, depending on whose video you watch).

3. DNA Analysis Are you curious how your DNA compares to your friends? Who isn’t right? At 23andme.com you can get a DNA analysis for just $399 and then connect with other people who have a similar genetic makeup. Their selling point is kind of interesting: see what diseases you’re genetically predisposed to. I can already visualize the member threads: “Prone to Elephantiasis Seeks Same for Support and Maybe More.”

4. Beer Technorati tracks over 118 million blogs—mostly people who make little if any money. And why should they? As teens we hide our journals under the mattress with Playboy and vodka nips, but as adults we expect our daily insights should suddenly become commodities. Here’s an interesting approach: don’t wait for advertisers to come knocking. Incite some good ‘ole bar hospitality using the “Buy Me a Beer Paypal Donation Wordpress PlugIn.” Apparently people are 200% more likely to give you money if you give a specific reason. (If you like this blog please buy me a BMW.)

5. 100 Pixels of Ad Space Then 21-year-old Alex Tew started The Million Dollar Homepage in 2005 to fund his college education. The idea: take one web page with a 1000x1000 pixel grid and sell each hundred pixel block to advertisers for $100. He didn’t promote the idea at all—just let word of mouth do it’s magic. He raised his first year’s tuition in under three weeks, and has earned over a million since the page first went up—all by squeezing a bunch of logos on one cramped-looking page. Now that’s the American (or in this case, UK) dream.

6. Blenders BlendTec got over 100 million people to watch videos of actors destroying things in blenders in the “Will it Blend” campaign. They mashed everything from iPhones and hockey pucks to garden rakes and Chuck Norris—the action figure, that is. While you’ll never actually need a blender that can liquidate golf clubs, wouldn’t you feel cool knowing your underachieving appliance could be more than just a smoothie maker?

7. A Band Sellaband.com lets you create an artist profile with a photo and at least three songs. You then get 5000 people to donate $10 each—or just one person to donate $50,000. Once you raise the cash the site hooks you up with an A&R person and producer to help you put out a studio album. Since the site launched two years, 300,000 people have invested over $2 million totaling 23 albums—which means $85,000 went nowhere. Great for the artists that get full funding and pretty smart for the site!

8. Celebrity Gossip Gossip blogger Perez Hilton first promoted his web site on Friendster—“when Friendster used to be cool” as he says. He went from being a Star Magazine flunky and entertainment outsider to the self-proclaimed “Queen of all Media.” His site now gets 600,000 hits daily. OK, so you don’t need to spend any money on Perezhilton.com—but admit it, gossip fans. You spend the company money by visiting during the work day. (Not me, of course. I’m on MyThings 24/7!)

9. Movie Tickets Facebook caught a lot of flak for their ill-conceived Beacon program. Forty-four companies signed up for Beacon, which alerts members when their friends make a purchase—buying movie tickets through Fandango, for example. So basically people were promoting without their consent since the updates were “opt-out” not “opt-in.” I personally would rather know what people are buying then a play-by-play of their actions, a la Twitter. (Really, Jenny, you swallowed a needle?)

10. I don’t actually have a 10^th item but “top 9” doesn’t have the same ring, so I’m asking for your help.

Has anyone on your favorite social network tried to push some kind of product on you? I’ll start with my biggest annoyance. I have a personal blog on MySpace and I like to keep it a promotion-free zone (unless of course you’re supporting me. Aint hypocrisy grand?) Someone I knew 8 million years ago frequently posts comments on my page about his songs on iTunes. We’re hardly friends anymore, yet he feels the need to promote to my friends. Kind of drives me nuts. Your turn. Speak. Network. Influence.