Not only are the markets in the U.S. starting to look very shaky, but markets in countries such as Australia and Japan are looking bad themselves. In times such as these, there is an understandable desire to make room in the monthly budget, get rid of major debt, and in general find ways to make money go just a little further. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Many of us don’t actually stop, think, and break down the word “silverware.” We’re so used to the gray-metallic knives, forks, and spoons in our lives that we don’t ask ourselves the silly questions: why isn’t a type of plastic commonly used for our silverware? Why not a different, cheaper metal than silverware - can’t there be “copperware,” after all? [Read the rest of this entry...]

From pocket sundials to GPS watches, we’ve encountered more than our fair share of portable timekeepers in our years, but some of these watches have proven to be above the ordinary. I’m not referring only to concept watches, or watches made with special designs and features, but to the watches that take so much time, energy, and resources to produce that there’s no way they can be sold for cheap.
Watches have also risen to become a symbol of wealth, class, and status, an excuse to show off your purchasing power under the guise of simply “checking the time.” [Read the rest of this entry...]

One of the oldest conversational pieces between two people who are quibbling over a trade is for one side to ask the other, “why do you want this so much?” Indeed, when you receive competition for your possessions or your business, it can be a little off-putting; you feel like someone is simply out to get value from you in some way, and you’re not sure where. [Read the rest of this entry...]