How Much is Too Much for a Purse? $280,000 Comes to Mind

Hermes Birkin Handbag
in Pink Leather
(not the blue croc w/diamonds
model described in the ad)
source: Wikimedia Commons
public domain

It's been a long, long time since I've posted anything under the category "examples of excess," and that's been intentional.  After posting a couple of times on things I found to be the total opposite of voluntary simplicity and simple living, I thought it brought a negative vibe to things.  Simple living is about positive, happy, peaceful, quality living.  No time for a negative attitude.

However, there's always an exception to the rule -- and today, while doing research for an article, I stumbled upon the following and just had to share this.  Not as criticism - it goes past that.  Really.

This is just laughable:  an online ad for a special deal (that's right, it's a bargain) on a Hermes bag, made of crocodile dyed blue and lots of little diamonds -- the "Queen of all Handbags," the reader is informed.

It's being sold for Two Hundred Eighty Thousand and No/100 Dollars ($280,000.00).  I have written this sum in the way that we always did in our legal documentation back in my lawyer days just to make it clear that I really do mean 280,000 smackeroos.

Check out the ad here for the "Hermes Birkin Handbag 35cm Blue Sahphire Diamond Porosous Crocodile," which is available for shipping the next business day after purchase!!!

Example of Excess.  Sure.

Good laugh, too.   The next time I'm debating with myself whether or not to spend cash on a purse (because I am a sucker for purses and shoes), I may still be questioning the price.  One thing's for sure, though:  $280,000 is definitely too much for a purse. 

What kind of person thinks this is acceptable?  I really really wonder about that.  Betcha Hermes doesn't ask too many questions, though.  Hee Hee.

I'm still laughing. 

Food Packaging Gets Tricky: Smaller Packaging for the Same Price

Food packages
Wikimedia Commons
Public Domain

A couple of weeks ago, I roamed around my local grocery with a list of items that I had purchased in January 2008 and compared what the prices were today, in 2011.

You can read that comparison for yourself here.

At the time, I thought "tricky, tricky" when I discovered the can of diced tomatoes and the box of pasta were both packaged in smaller amounts.  Not a huge difference, but it would add up fast enough if you were the manufacturer/supplier. 

Today, while surfing the web, I discovered that I'm not the only one wondering about this little trick.  At the New York Times, Stephanie Clifford and Catherine Rampell have written an article published today, "Food Inflation Kept Hidden in Tinier Bags," where they've investigated this national trend -- something that isn't new, they've been doing this for decades -- and its current guises:  companies are going green, offering more portability, etc.

No company wants to flat out admit that they're trying to keep that price on the can or box or bag from rising, and they'll just change that container before they'll up the price -- because maybe you'll choose not to buy their goods if you see that number rise.

Maybe you will, maybe you won't.  Truth is, food is food - and if you're needing two cups of tomato sauce for your recipe, you'll buy accordingly.  Some folk will be fooled by this trick.  Savvy shoppers won't.

Here's the reality.  The dollar is worth less, and things are costing more.  We're impacted by things like the rising cost of oil much more than in our gas tank.  (See my earlier post listing lots of products made by petroleum to get an idea.)

Times are tough, and getting tougher.  Which just makes living a life of voluntary simplicity that much smarter, IMHO. The fun, peace, quality of life -- that's just an added bonus or three ....

FYI:  I did another price comparison in August 2017.  You can read about it here.  

Preventing Alzheimer's Disease: Five Things You Can Do Right Now to Stop Alzheimer's

Double Whammy:
one cup of green tea each day can help
fight against getting Alzheimer's Disease
in two ways.
pix: Public Domain Photos

This weekend, a friend of mine talked with me for a long time about how hard it was to watch a friend of hers suffer from Alzheimer's Disease, and now that the disease had progressed to a certain point, her friend's husband was forced to face the fact that his wife would be safer in a 24/7 nursing facility than at home with him.

So this Saturday, my friend supported her two friends, this husband and wife, as they separated after living together for many, many years.  She'll sleep near nurses who can lift her.  He'll make his morning coffee for himself.

My friend cried and cried after leaving them.  Alone in her car.  It's something with which we can all empathize.

Avoiding Alzheimer's Disease: Can We Do It?  It's Worth a Try, Right?

Perhaps a failing brain is something that some of us must face because it's in our genes.  It's a tragic destiny that cannot be avoided.  Maybe.

However, many argue that there are ways to stop Alzheimer's Disease - or at least delay it.  In fact, more and more research is being done on ways to prevent this horrific disease, fueled in no small part due to the aging Baby Boomer generation and the skyrocketing care costs that the American economy will face if a cure or prevention isn't found. 

Is this a global threat?  Not really.  In India, for example, Alzheimer's Disease is rarely seen.  Many believe this is because turmeric is the national spice of India -- as prevalent as salt or black pepper is here in the United States. 

Five Ways to Prevent Alzheimer's Disease - Supported by Research Studies, Easy to Implement

You aren't doomed.  There are a great many easy things that you can do right now - things that research studies have confirmed, that will fight against Alzheimer's Disease in your future, including: 

1.  Caffeine.  I've already written about the studies on one cup of coffee each day.  Really, it's a daily dose of caffeine that is key here. 

2.  Red Wine. There's also a post about having one glass of red wine every week.  Seems research shows that this will cut the chance of dementia in women by 70%.  That's a big deal, and so easy to do, right? 

3.  Exercise.  A little bit of exercise will fight against dementia in your old age, too.  Fifteen minutes of exercise, just three times a week, will do the trick of lowering your risk by 30%.  That's nothing.  Walking the dog regularly gets you there. 

Other things that you can incorporate into your lifestyle, if you aren't doing this already:

4.   Green Tea.  Every day, drink green tea.  New research is revealing that green tea prevents Alzheimer's disease from developing.  Drink it without the caffeine taken out, and you've also covered the first tip on this list, as well. 

5.   Turmeric.  Eat lots of curry spiced with turmeric.  (Or tons of yellow mustard -- turmeric is what makes hot dog mustard so yellow.) Seems this yellow spice contains a chemical that may block a necessary component of Alzheimer's Disease -- studies continue to be done here, based in part upon the reality that India has 400 times less incidence of Alzheimer's disease than the United States.  You can check out the top 20 recipes using turmeric at AllRecipes.com, or maybe take it in a pill form. 

There's still more.  At the Alzheimer's Research & Prevention Foundation, they offer a three pillar fight against getting this terrible disease (their fourth pillar, medicines, deals with treatment after onset):

• Pillar One: Diet and Supplements (Vitamin C is really important but there's much more here)
• Pillar Two: Stress Management (One more example of how simplifying your life is smart)
• Pillar Three: Exercising Your Body and Your Brain (Fun stuff here, including one type of Yoga).