Expenses

This category looks at stuff that we spend money on!

Coupons from CouponChief: Easing your bugdetary pressures at expensive holidays!

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Father’s Day in Taiwan is August 8th… mostly because of numerology. The sound of the two numbers in Chinese sounds like the word for ‘father’, ‘baba’. Of course, it is quite difficult to think of suitable presents for male friends. But *cough*Christmas*cough* is coming, only 141 days are left, and then it’s shopping time for almost everyone you know. So what do you buy the man in your life for father’s day, Christmas or indeed any significant day?

Well, surfing around CouponChief is like being a child in a candy store. There are so many options that you could follow: Automotive Products, Books, Magazines, Computing, Media, and Sports to just name a few highlights.

So for my father, I’d be inclined to choose CDs with Amazon Coupons or cookies from David’s. For my mother, it’d have to be books from Amazon as well as something Arty, I think. For my wife, well, she’s really into Carpentry at the moment, so I’m afraid a good selection of power tools with Home Depot Coupons would be the order of the day.

It’s silly to pass up coupons and coupon related deals just because … Only yesterday, a friend passed up a nearly $10 saving on purchasing a book, because of her impatience. So slow down, you’ve got 141 days to go, and take your time. The savings will be worth it when they are matched by a “Oh, you didn’t! You shouldn’t have”!

Suzuki Swift VVT: 1.6L of small car comfort

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Suzuki, for me, was always associated with the manufacture of motorcycles and small trucks. But in the last few years, Suzuki has manufactured an interesting range of small engined vehicles appropriate for crowded roads in Taiwan and Japan. First there was the Jimny, then the Swift, and now a car that I really like: The Swift VVT. It ain’t no Zonda, John either!

suzuki

This is the righthand drive model for roads in the UK. There is even a diesel version, too. It’s nippy, easy to park in crowded Taipei, with good fuel economy (about 25% better than my Mazda 323), and the four door is big enough for a small family. It’s no Benz, for sure! But there are quite a lot of thoughtful touches that are usually only included on much more expensive cars: electric wing mirrors, CD players that can play MP3s, to mention two that I noticed. With smaller needs for fuel consumption, you might find it a little lighter on your wallet, too!

Turns out from reading Wikipedia, the car has had quite a long history (and confusing one)… but the model featured here is known as the Suzuki MK4 Swift Sport. Suzuki’s website has a great 3D model that you can play with by rotating the car by 360 degrees.

Would you consider driving a small car where you live?

How do you spend it? Busted PC, that’s one way!

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Well, in a recent post, I was wondering what to do with some of the money that I earned from my blog over the last nine months. Unfortunately, I found one way that was unintended.

I was using my ‘puter to do some video editing. This morning I took my PC to have some additional equipment added to make the task quicker and easier, as well as provide a more sensible way to back up my files. I ordered up three things: a DVD rewriter, extra Ram, and a new video card. The store is normally super efficient with these kinds of order, but when I went back later. They told me that ‘perhaps’ the motherboard was broken. Yikes! In addition, there was no space for additional RAM.
I’ve still to confirm with them what I want to do, so I’m collecting my thoughts.  But it looks like I will need a new mother board, processor, ram… basically a whole new system, once I add the extra stuff.

Geez. I hadn’t expected that. I had intended to spend about $120, but it looks like it could be much more than that! Fortunately, these days I have another PC and my wife’s notebook, so I’m overendowed as it were with processing power. I can still blog regularly, I’m just hoping that the store don’t erase my data!

Anyone suggestions on a good quality motherboard I can get?