Do you have an I-Pod?

Several years ago my oldest daughter bought an I-Pod. She loves music and she wanted a way to listen to her many CD’s without having to carry them all around. The I-Pod came out and it seemed a logical answer to her question. She could download her many CD’s on to her I-pod and only have to carry around the one unit. She had friends who had purchased them and they gave her a good recommendation. She bought her I-Pod and was as happy as a lark with it.

My husband became intrigued with her little machine and decided that he wanted one too so I bought it for him for Christmas that year. I got him the 40 gig unit so that he would have all the room he needed for his music. His next quest had him downloading all of his CD’s on to the computer so that he could download them onto his I-Pod. This kept him busy for several weeks. What we discovered was that he could also download books on tape. He put the scriptures, several of his favorite books and other audio favorites onto his unit.

Then came the extra expenses of owning an I-pod. TF purchased a device that would allow him to play it thru his car stereo. Bonnie purchased some little speakers that she could take with her when she traveled. She would put her unit in the speaker box and be able to listen to it in her hotel room. Both of them have all the little extras for their units. Occasionally TF will purchase music from the I-Tunes store. This weekend, TF decided to purchase a new car radio that is designed with the I-Pod in mind. He went over to Best Buy and purchased the unit and had it installed. All you have to do is put your I-Pod into the glove box and plug it in. Everything comes up on the screen, on the radio, so that you can select what you want to listen to. This new radio has all the bells and whistles. Bonnie saw it and now she wants one. How spoiled can you get? I do have to admit that they have some pretty good music and books on it.

On a frugal note: I was reading my weekly Dollar Stretcher email this week and found some good articles. I have listed a few here that I thought were interesting.

Weddings are a billion-dollar industry in the United States, and the figures grow every year. How do you have the wedding of your dreams without waking up to a nightmare of debt the next day? http://www.stretcher.com/stories/04/04oct18e.cfm

Did you ever work for a company that went out of business or changed hands? Were you paying into a retirement plan and never receive any benefits. Check out this website to find your hard earned money? http://www.stretcher.com/stories/04/04oct18a.cfm

What’s hot in Halloween costumes this year? How much will it cost? http://www.bankrate.com/dls/news/pf/Halloween_costumesa1.asp

Homemade Halloween make-up, bruises and blood: http://www.stretcher.com/stories/00/001016b.cfm

Ever buy a car at an auto auction? http://www.stretcher.com/stories/03/03oct20d.cfm

Save money when buying appliances. http://www.stretcher.com/stories/04/04oct18b.cfm

One a personal note: Felicia is moving at the end of this week and we are down to the wire on getting her ready. We still have the last minute packing to do, get the U-Haul rented, get rid of everything in her garage that she doesn’t want, pack the U-Haul and get her out the door. Needless to say, it will be a busy week for me. Wish me luck and have a great week.