A Consumer's How To #43: Buying & Selling Online

I have used Ebay to buy things such collectibles and a 8Gb minidisk for my Mp3 player. I like it well enough. I really enjoyed looking at the stuff on Etsy. I haven't anything from this site, but I liked the different mash-ups they have that enhance the site by enabling users to search item by color, or location of the seller. I like all the sites well enough, but I honestly don't do that much media buying so I don't really plan on using Half.com that much. Amazon I would use only for books. Craigslist is kind of cool because it is fairly local but there are some horror stories about people being robbed or killed when trying to purchase items they find on the list.

I would love to sell things that I have made or things that I no longer need. It seems like a fairly straight forward way to make extra money. (Yes, I know it can really complicated too.)

I have used PayPal for all of my transactions on Ebay. The only problem that I have had is when I forgot the password and it took an inordinate amount of time to retrieve it. I had a hard time getting a response from them. Since then I have been reluctant to buy things through PayPal, but only because I can't remember the password. But it would not keep me from using it totally.

Going Green Part Two no. 41 (act. 3)

I think it would be easiest for me to start conserving electricity in my house. I have already begun replacing my regular light bulbs with the compact flourescent bulbs that last longer and use up less energy. I need to replace my older thermostat with one that we can program, but we already adjust it so that our house is comfortable but neither cold nor hot. We are constantly on the look out for air leaks that need to be plugged. We are also very good about getting the system checked and filters changed. One thing that I do need to work on is shopping for our energy and looking for better renewable sources of energy.

The one thing that I believe would require the most commitment (at least for me) would be to recycle items. It is so easy and yet it would be so difficult to remember to sort the stuff into the bins and take it to the recycling place. My area doesn't have the recycling pick-up like parts of Houston. Knowing what and what not to hang on to is a little confusing too. I looked at the chart on the http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/shortest.html page and it is a little wordy. Also, who knew that so much is actually BAD for recycling. I would still love to give a shot and encourage my family to do the same.

Staying Healthy No. 42

I looked up acupuncture on the National Library of Medicine's medline. Within ten miles of my own home there are 3 or 4 Acupuncturists.

San Jacinto Chiropractic Wellness Center
106 Massey Tompkins Rd.
Baytown, TX 77521
281.422.2004
Map and directions

Description: We implement safe and natural chiropractic care for the entire family. Our goal is to optimize the health and well being of our patients.
URL: http://sanjacintochiropractic.com/

4.52 miles from zip code 77562

Baytown Acupuncture Clinic
1600 North 5th St.
Channelview, TX 77530
281.427.1833
Map and directions

Description: Specializing in pain relief, weight control, allergies, asthma, insomnia, smoking cessation, paralysis.

Languages Spoken: Chinese (nonspecific)

4.88 miles from zip code 77562

Pain Clinics
Allergy Asthma Arthritis & Pain Center
4721 Garth Rd., Ste. G
Baytown, TX 77521
281.420.9886
Map and directions

Description: Allergy, asthma, arthritis & pain center. Board certified in internal medicine, rheumatology, chronic neck/back pain, headaches, auto accidents/personal injuries.

4.52 miles from zip code 77562

I also tried out the pill identifer at http://www.drugs.com/pill_identification.html. I found that it was fairly accurate at identifying pills. I tried several combinations of shapes and colors and it was interesting to me that there are gear- and figure eight- shaped pills.

I created a family medical history tree. I think it is an interesting mash-up of straight genealogy work and medical records. It would interesting to trace conditions, traits and diseases through the family tree across generations. It might even provide great information in the search for vaccines and cures for common ailments by providing a link to a person who might have shared their family cure-all with other members of the family.

Going Green no. 41 (act. 1 and 2)

Okay, I feel guilty. And lazy. I know I could more than I do to keep my planet going. I don't know about starting a garden. I sort of have a puce thumb (somewhere between green and brown). I would love to compost but I really don't do that much cooking (my grandmother does and no way would she compost). I really wnat to get a Prius, but my truck is paid off and my money is set aside for other things.

I keep looking at all the local farmer's markets and wishing they were local. Most are inside Houston or on the other side of town. Of the links listed, I liked Local Harvest best, because they had stuff available online for sale as well as listing for smaller markets, but I wish the markets were a little longer lasting. Saturdays are every other for me and it is so hard to get up so early to drive across Houston or out to Seabrook and Nassau Bay. (I am going to try and get to the Nassau Bay one next weekend because I might be able to find it.)

Fitness No. 40

I have done all the steps in this little activity and I can't say that I am surprised by the numbers. I know all those things because I go to the gym every morning, but it does sting. I don't believe that numbers are always the way to interpret one's health. Health is more than just weighing a certain amount and working out so much in a day. While my weight may not be the "ideal" for everyone else, I don't feel like I am dying every minute.

I do plan to change the way I eat, but not to fix numbers. I don't want to obsess or become consumed by the numbers. I want to eat healthier, try new recipes and develop more adult tastes than I have now. I do plan to exercise more (mostly by playing tennis), but again, not because of any numbers that someone else makes up for what is ideal. I want to because I enjoy playing.

Nutrition #39 (Act. 1 and 2)

I like being able to look up nutritional information about the food I am going to eat. I have a tendency to run out for fast food, even though I am very conscious about trying to eat healthier, so it very helpful to find information about the best things to eat when I am running around.

Here is a recipe for Tofu-Coconut Curry, that I really want to try. It has high calories for four people, but serving six it drops dramatically, but I and not really sure about the amount of noodles I have included. I also switched the sugar to splenda which also helped drop some calories. I might have to try this both ways to double check it deliciousness.



Tofu Coconut Curry Recipe
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?r...

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Making (Or Listening) to Music Together (No. 26)

I actually signed up for Project Playlist, then built my own playlist, and posted it on my myspace profile. I like being able to see what is out there on the web. I also like being able to share what I am listening to with others.