Its amazing how much different the walk is than the drive. As I drive the road to downtown, it feels really far away (which it is when you're sitting in traffic and looking for a parking spot) When I walk it, I'm always surprised at how short the distance actually is. I often discover some public fruit trees where I can grab free lemons or avocados or something, I get a feel for the town by reading the fliers posted on the poles, and stop into stores that I never would have gone into if I wasn't walking by. I agree, walking in your hometown is a GREAT way to get to know it.
People whose wages can go up at least have a chance of dealing with inflation. What about retires, people living on fixed incomes, and pensioners whose pensions are not indexed to inflation? They're cornered. That's why inflation is bad.
As much as I hope people reading this blog are on the more intelligent side of the spectrum, I still feel that a disclaimer should be added: don't walk late/early if it's not safe in your area to do that!
Join a hiking club. What you pay for gym membership could just as well go into boots, backpack, compass, maps, and hiking pole. After that, expenses are minimal. You'll explore miles and miles of hiking trails in county and state parks that your tax dollars were paying for all this time. Whether or not you lose much weight, you'll at least be able to take lots of photos of scenery.
I'm adding another agreement with Lindsay. Working out covers such a broad range of motivations. If your only goal is strength and fitness then a membership would be an unnecessary expense. If you like to combine workout time with community then it isn't.
I walk 3 miles 4-6 times a week and find the time an excellent opportunity to catch up on my reading via audio books and podcasts, or simply to enjoy a bit of quiet time in a beautiful seaside park.
I also go to the gym religiously three days a week and have for years. I have worked out alone but it was always a chore. By attending the gym on a regular schedule I've gotten to know a couple of the other regulars socially and most of them by name. Even on those days when I just don't want to go, and we all have them, the thought of seeing friendly faces is a good motivator.
Yes, health clubs do have those self-absorbed jocks who like to pose a lot but they are far from the majority. I'm sorry that they stick out so strongly in your memory that you didn't have an opportunity to experience the community of people who sweat together. And just because someone likes to stand in front of a mirror a lot doesn't mean that he or she can't be good company. Those people tend to know a lot about exercise and can be a great well of knowledge. When I got past my intimidation (and judgment) and asked for advice in rehabing from an injury a couple of people I thought of as vain turned out to be excellent teachers and temporary coaches.
Yes, a health club membership is expensive but for those many of us who enjoy the community, and who don't want working out to be an exercise in self-discipline there is a great deal of value to be derived, value which has nothing to do with showing off or dating.
For years I resisted the gym membership because of its expense -- bought a house in a walkable neighborhood (walked and ran regularly); had exercise videos, home gym equipment, strength band from a friend who is a physical therapist. For whatever reason, the diy didn't work for me -- developed joint problems from running, blood sugar levels creeping up, etc.
So I broke down and joined the Y, and it was one of the best things I've done for myself. I get strength training, cardio training (even those crazy cycle classes that raise my heart rate), an indoor pool, indoor track, etc. so that I can vary my workout. Sometimes it gets crowded (I go on my "lunch" hour -- which may be at 9:30 a.m. or 1 p.m.) and I wonder, "don't these people have to work?" But then I remember that many who I see don't have 9 to 5 hours: a physician, firefighter, teacher, retail manager. And I am more likely to see someone getting rehab with a walker or oxygen tank than I am to see tight-fitting clothes.
I do have DIY exercise friends -- some are avid cyclists and in terrific shape; others though think that walking is enough and have ended up being cardiac patients in their early 40s.
So while I agree that you shouldn't waste money on gym equipment or memberships, I would like to add my voice to the group that says: do what works for you.
I have done this walking and in my car, and it is a great way to see new things. Sometimes I like to choose a random person to follow for a while. You have to try hard not to look like a stalker though!
I find a couple of these responses scary. One response infers that by "donating" to your local police department, you'll get less tickets. So, that sounds like bribery (which people of third world nations have to do in order to get along with the local police). Another one says that if you have something in your car that is legal to own, you can be assured of getting harrassed by the police ("get the largest possible ticket"). What does that say about our free country that we should be afraid of our police force? I am not a speeder, at least not intentionally. But the times I have gotten a ticket were times when I was driving in the exact circumstances Paul described: on roads that you wouldn't expect a low speed limit and the speed limit had changed without my noticing it, because the road didn't change. And how many signs have you seen that were obscured by things on the road, like trees and such? So, what someone needs to invent is a radar detector that doesn't look like one.
While I agree with the overall message, I disagree that a gym membership is always a rip off. My fiancee and I go to our YMCA almost 6 days a week (we both work full time btw). I realize most people aren't like us, but there are many people who we see at the gym nearly everyday. When staying fit and healthy becomes a way of life, a [reasonably priced] gym is well worth it for the equipment, classes, social interactions, and community.
As an avid fan of bodyweight exercises, I like most of the alternate exercises suggested in the write-up. I will however note that it's probably a good idea to get advice from a trainer or fitness buff friend (or at the very least do some youtube and web research before hand) to get general tips on how to do them properly. Exercises done incorrectly could lead to things like joint problems. For example, jumping rope with bad technique puts unnecessary stress on the knees and back, and punching a heavy bag without proper wrist alignment or wrist bracing can potentially result in wrist sprains.
Finally, you've got to be kidding about the apartment complex gym. Every apartment complex gym I've seen has been utter and total crap. They usually only have rusty universal machines that are missing pieces, rickety p.o.s. treadmills, and if you're lucky a dip/pull-up tower that may or may not stay standing while you're on it.
Thanks for the link -- I have read of such open courses and even saw a mention of MIT courses in my morning newspaper. Learning can happen anywhere including the workplace.
I have known too many people who earned college credits (sometimes totalling more than 120 hours though at different institutions) but just had too many hurdles to getting a degree (interruptions for work and family obligations). They may have managed multimillion dollar businesses and organized community programs helping hundreds of people but then have difficulty finding a job after a layoff because of no degree. Being able to translate learning into credits can really help them move forward.
I've actually coded in both Fortran-77 and C++. The former, though, was a very long time ago--thanks for bringing back some old memories!
It's certainly true that pensions indexed to the CPI aren't growing as fast as the actual cost of living--anybody who runs a household can see that. My point in this article, though, was that a good bit of those changes (especially in the cost of food and fuel) are not inflation, but rather are declines in standard of living. A perfect inflation index (if there could be such a thing) might actually be producing much the same result just now, because a big chunk of the problem is that everyone is poorer now than a year ago.
Indexing for inflation isn't supposed protect you when people are getting poorer, just when the money is getting less valuable. Clearly, both thing are going on just now, and it's hard to see how much of any particular price change is due to one versus the other.
I think you're right about the key sources of rising prices just now: people in rich countries buying all the oil they want (even as the supply of oil has stopped growing), together with the attempt to turn food into fuel (ethanol and bio-diesel) so that we can keep to our motoring lifestyle.
Guest is right, though, that the rising money supply is what makes money less valuable. That's what's made the value of the dollar collapse.
The thing is, we're seeing all these forces active at once, which makes it really hard to tell how much of the rise in fuel and food costs is due to inflation (the money being less valuable) and how much is due to suppy and demand and lifestyle issues.
In a few years we'll be able to look back and figure out how much was one thing and how much was another. In the meantime, you've got the right prescription--walk, bicycle, and take the bus more; buy less.
I get paid biweekly at my job. Most months I'll get two checks although twice a year I'll get a third check, and a bonus paid out in March. I like this system because I can live off the two checks and toss the third checks and the bonus into the bank. I'm tricked into living below my means and I hope my colleagues view the system in a similar fashion.
Um, someone please delete that comment before someone hurts themselves. I know for a fact that the batt will explode if you short it out. The heat generated by the rapid discharge of the batt will weld the piece of metal to it pertinently which puts it in an unending loop of short out batt heat up bar, short out batt heat up bar and will eventually overheat the batt and cause it to explode!
I use "chopsticks on hand" as an alternative to birthday or special occasion cards when I am giving a gift card to a chinese restaurant, a gift for chinese new year, or an asian inspired gift such as a book on feng shui. I type my greeting in small type, cut it out and glue it on the chopsticks. The chopsticks become the card as well as an alternative to a bow. It has been a win-win situation for me.
I liked you post and I want to comment on what I really think inflation is but I'll be labeled a pinko. Suffice it say, it's simply the law of diminishing returns and supply and demand. If we stopped buying gas cold and started taking the bus or bike riding or conserving, car pooling, whatever... Agribusiness, Big Pharma, OPEC and the oil cartels their in collusion with would be forced to come off their reserves and bring prices down in order to move inventory. As far as food and produce, there are always cheaper alternatives but brand loyalty and force of habit keeps people slaves to businesses, the bigger ones at least, who raise prices number one create demand number two as a cushion against shortfalls if business falls off or the price of doing business goes up there's your inflation. BTW, the professor makes a good point, the quote un-quote "inflation" people are sqawking about now is due to the falling dollar, which is down because of our trade deficits and the fact that we increasingly can no longer take advantage of a weak dollar and bring it back up because we export almost nothing -- other than culture -- that can't be made for cheap somewhere else. The puppetmaster is at the Fed and it's pulling the strings and joshing with Wall Street as it is wont to do. I say on a fundamental level, fear, blind consumption and demand causes inflation. You made a great point about alternatives, choices, but unfortunately most people make the same choice over and over again and follow the crowd. More on this later folks......Tune in next week. Great job Phil.
I have a gym membership (which I use on my lunch hour every single work day provided Im not embroiled in a meeting that lasts the full 9 hour day), but on the weekends, especially in the winter, I like to workout at home with a good workout video rather than brave the cold for a run. I've purchased almost all of my videos from the goodwill or salvation army for around a dollar each. I've gotten some real winners (the videos from the early 90s are much much more difficult/provide a better workout than the fluff put out today on DVDs that cost $20+ each), which I've been using for a few years now including the first "The Firm: total aerobic body workout with weights" and "Nautilus High Impact Aerobics" along with many others. Videos are a good option for people who get bored jumproping in their apartment, or for those who need the motivation of a guided exercise routine. plus workout outfits ca. 1991 are highly amusing.
I agree that for different people it has a different value. I have free access to a "gym" at my apartment complex - which has crappy hours and minimal equipment.
I belong to a local gym with several locations near me. One by my house, one by work, and one in between. For $33 a month, I get unlimited classes (including spinning, zumba, yoga, kick-boxing), unlimited personal training (to make sure I'm not lifting incorrectly), sauna, and showers (with free shampoo ,etc.).
I did stop my membership when I was struggling with some bills and ran outside a lot, but I'm completely satisfied with how I'm spending this money.
Also, if you look at it from an entertainment/fun standpoint the 1 hour class I took this morning is far cheaper than going to or even renting a movie. Plus, better for me.
Its amazing how much different the walk is than the drive. As I drive the road to downtown, it feels really far away (which it is when you're sitting in traffic and looking for a parking spot) When I walk it, I'm always surprised at how short the distance actually is. I often discover some public fruit trees where I can grab free lemons or avocados or something, I get a feel for the town by reading the fliers posted on the poles, and stop into stores that I never would have gone into if I wasn't walking by. I agree, walking in your hometown is a GREAT way to get to know it.
Great idea for a post.
People whose wages can go up at least have a chance of dealing with inflation. What about retires, people living on fixed incomes, and pensioners whose pensions are not indexed to inflation? They're cornered. That's why inflation is bad.
As much as I hope people reading this blog are on the more intelligent side of the spectrum, I still feel that a disclaimer should be added: don't walk late/early if it's not safe in your area to do that!
Join a hiking club. What you pay for gym membership could just as well go into boots, backpack, compass, maps, and hiking pole. After that, expenses are minimal. You'll explore miles and miles of hiking trails in county and state parks that your tax dollars were paying for all this time. Whether or not you lose much weight, you'll at least be able to take lots of photos of scenery.
I'm adding another agreement with Lindsay. Working out covers such a broad range of motivations. If your only goal is strength and fitness then a membership would be an unnecessary expense. If you like to combine workout time with community then it isn't.
I walk 3 miles 4-6 times a week and find the time an excellent opportunity to catch up on my reading via audio books and podcasts, or simply to enjoy a bit of quiet time in a beautiful seaside park.
I also go to the gym religiously three days a week and have for years. I have worked out alone but it was always a chore. By attending the gym on a regular schedule I've gotten to know a couple of the other regulars socially and most of them by name. Even on those days when I just don't want to go, and we all have them, the thought of seeing friendly faces is a good motivator.
Yes, health clubs do have those self-absorbed jocks who like to pose a lot but they are far from the majority. I'm sorry that they stick out so strongly in your memory that you didn't have an opportunity to experience the community of people who sweat together. And just because someone likes to stand in front of a mirror a lot doesn't mean that he or she can't be good company. Those people tend to know a lot about exercise and can be a great well of knowledge. When I got past my intimidation (and judgment) and asked for advice in rehabing from an injury a couple of people I thought of as vain turned out to be excellent teachers and temporary coaches.
Yes, a health club membership is expensive but for those many of us who enjoy the community, and who don't want working out to be an exercise in self-discipline there is a great deal of value to be derived, value which has nothing to do with showing off or dating.
For years I resisted the gym membership because of its expense -- bought a house in a walkable neighborhood (walked and ran regularly); had exercise videos, home gym equipment, strength band from a friend who is a physical therapist. For whatever reason, the diy didn't work for me -- developed joint problems from running, blood sugar levels creeping up, etc.
So I broke down and joined the Y, and it was one of the best things I've done for myself. I get strength training, cardio training (even those crazy cycle classes that raise my heart rate), an indoor pool, indoor track, etc. so that I can vary my workout. Sometimes it gets crowded (I go on my "lunch" hour -- which may be at 9:30 a.m. or 1 p.m.) and I wonder,
"don't these people have to work?" But then I remember that many who I see don't have 9 to 5 hours: a physician, firefighter, teacher, retail manager. And I am more likely to see someone getting rehab with a walker or oxygen tank than I am to see tight-fitting clothes.
I do have DIY exercise friends -- some are avid cyclists and in terrific shape; others though think that walking is enough and have ended up being cardiac patients in their early 40s.
So while I agree that you shouldn't waste money on gym equipment or memberships, I would like to add my voice to the group that says: do what works for you.
I have done this walking and in my car, and it is a great way to see new things. Sometimes I like to choose a random person to follow for a while. You have to try hard not to look like a stalker though!
I find a couple of these responses scary. One response infers that by "donating" to your local police department, you'll get less tickets. So, that sounds like bribery (which people of third world nations have to do in order to get along with the local police). Another one says that if you have something in your car that is legal to own, you can be assured of getting harrassed by the police ("get the largest possible ticket"). What does that say about our free country that we should be afraid of our police force? I am not a speeder, at least not intentionally. But the times I have gotten a ticket were times when I was driving in the exact circumstances Paul described: on roads that you wouldn't expect a low speed limit and the speed limit had changed without my noticing it, because the road didn't change. And how many signs have you seen that were obscured by things on the road, like trees and such? So, what someone needs to invent is a radar detector that doesn't look like one.
This guy was probably schooled at Harvard Business School!
Walking is a great idea. Not only is it cheaper than many hobbies, but the exercise has its own benefits.
While I agree with the overall message, I disagree that a gym membership is always a rip off. My fiancee and I go to our YMCA almost 6 days a week (we both work full time btw). I realize most people aren't like us, but there are many people who we see at the gym nearly everyday. When staying fit and healthy becomes a way of life, a [reasonably priced] gym is well worth it for the equipment, classes, social interactions, and community.
As an avid fan of bodyweight exercises, I like most of the alternate exercises suggested in the write-up. I will however note that it's probably a good idea to get advice from a trainer or fitness buff friend (or at the very least do some youtube and web research before hand) to get general tips on how to do them properly. Exercises done incorrectly could lead to things like joint problems. For example, jumping rope with bad technique puts unnecessary stress on the knees and back, and punching a heavy bag without proper wrist alignment or wrist bracing can potentially result in wrist sprains.
Finally, you've got to be kidding about the apartment complex gym. Every apartment complex gym I've seen has been utter and total crap. They usually only have rusty universal machines that are missing pieces, rickety p.o.s. treadmills, and if you're lucky a dip/pull-up tower that may or may not stay standing while you're on it.
Thanks for the link -- I have read of such open courses and even saw a mention of MIT courses in my morning newspaper. Learning can happen anywhere including the workplace.
I have known too many people who earned college credits (sometimes totalling more than 120 hours though at different institutions) but just had too many hurdles to getting a degree (interruptions for work and family obligations). They may have managed multimillion dollar businesses and organized community programs helping hundreds of people but then have difficulty finding a job after a layoff because of no degree. Being able to translate learning into credits can really help them move forward.
@professor:
I've actually coded in both Fortran-77 and C++. The former, though, was a very long time ago--thanks for bringing back some old memories!
It's certainly true that pensions indexed to the CPI aren't growing as fast as the actual cost of living--anybody who runs a household can see that. My point in this article, though, was that a good bit of those changes (especially in the cost of food and fuel) are not inflation, but rather are declines in standard of living. A perfect inflation index (if there could be such a thing) might actually be producing much the same result just now, because a big chunk of the problem is that everyone is poorer now than a year ago.
Indexing for inflation isn't supposed protect you when people are getting poorer, just when the money is getting less valuable. Clearly, both thing are going on just now, and it's hard to see how much of any particular price change is due to one versus the other.
@Jabulani:
I think you're right about the key sources of rising prices just now: people in rich countries buying all the oil they want (even as the supply of oil has stopped growing), together with the attempt to turn food into fuel (ethanol and bio-diesel) so that we can keep to our motoring lifestyle.
Guest is right, though, that the rising money supply is what makes money less valuable. That's what's made the value of the dollar collapse.
The thing is, we're seeing all these forces active at once, which makes it really hard to tell how much of the rise in fuel and food costs is due to inflation (the money being less valuable) and how much is due to suppy and demand and lifestyle issues.
In a few years we'll be able to look back and figure out how much was one thing and how much was another. In the meantime, you've got the right prescription--walk, bicycle, and take the bus more; buy less.
Or, save even more money and stick to the legal speed limit?
thanks for the tips
very useful!
you're girlfriend's a stripper?
good luck, dude
Uhm, according to the Austrian school, inflation is an artificial expansion of the money supply. Rising prices are just a symptom.
I get paid biweekly at my job. Most months I'll get two checks although twice a year I'll get a third check, and a bonus paid out in March. I like this system because I can live off the two checks and toss the third checks and the bonus into the bank. I'm tricked into living below my means and I hope my colleagues view the system in a similar fashion.
Um, someone please delete that comment before someone hurts themselves. I know for a fact that the batt will explode if you short it out. The heat generated by the rapid discharge of the batt will weld the piece of metal to it pertinently which puts it in an unending loop of short out batt heat up bar, short out batt heat up bar and will eventually overheat the batt and cause it to explode!
I use "chopsticks on hand" as an alternative to birthday or special occasion cards when I am giving a gift card to a chinese restaurant, a gift for chinese new year, or an asian inspired gift such as a book on feng shui. I type my greeting in small type, cut it out and glue it on the chopsticks. The chopsticks become the card as well as an alternative to a bow. It has been a win-win situation for me.
Be careful purchasing things from Buy.com; I've heard some bad things about them: http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Buy
I liked you post and I want to comment on what I really think inflation is but I'll be labeled a pinko. Suffice it say, it's simply the law of diminishing returns and supply and demand. If we stopped buying gas cold and started taking the bus or bike riding or conserving, car pooling, whatever... Agribusiness, Big Pharma, OPEC and the oil cartels their in collusion with would be forced to come off their reserves and bring prices down in order to move inventory. As far as food and produce, there are always cheaper alternatives but brand loyalty and force of habit keeps people slaves to businesses, the bigger ones at least, who raise prices number one create demand number two as a cushion against shortfalls if business falls off or the price of doing business goes up there's your inflation. BTW, the professor makes a good point, the quote un-quote "inflation" people are sqawking about now is due to the falling dollar, which is down because of our trade deficits and the fact that we increasingly can no longer take advantage of a weak dollar and bring it back up because we export almost nothing -- other than culture -- that can't be made for cheap somewhere else. The puppetmaster is at the Fed and it's pulling the strings and joshing with Wall Street as it is wont to do. I say on a fundamental level, fear, blind consumption and demand causes inflation. You made a great point about alternatives, choices, but unfortunately most people make the same choice over and over again and follow the crowd. More on this later folks......Tune in next week. Great job Phil.
Jabulani Leffall
Monetary Gadfly, Common Currency
00000 Broke Blvd. Kitchenette #68 & 1/2
Lowcash, CA 90000-0000
I have a gym membership (which I use on my lunch hour every single work day provided Im not embroiled in a meeting that lasts the full 9 hour day), but on the weekends, especially in the winter, I like to workout at home with a good workout video rather than brave the cold for a run. I've purchased almost all of my videos from the goodwill or salvation army for around a dollar each. I've gotten some real winners (the videos from the early 90s are much much more difficult/provide a better workout than the fluff put out today on DVDs that cost $20+ each), which I've been using for a few years now including the first "The Firm: total aerobic body workout with weights" and "Nautilus High Impact Aerobics" along with many others. Videos are a good option for people who get bored jumproping in their apartment, or for those who need the motivation of a guided exercise routine. plus workout outfits ca. 1991 are highly amusing.
I agree that for different people it has a different value. I have free access to a "gym" at my apartment complex - which has crappy hours and minimal equipment.
I belong to a local gym with several locations near me. One by my house, one by work, and one in between. For $33 a month, I get unlimited classes (including spinning, zumba, yoga, kick-boxing), unlimited personal training (to make sure I'm not lifting incorrectly), sauna, and showers (with free shampoo ,etc.).
I did stop my membership when I was struggling with some bills and ran outside a lot, but I'm completely satisfied with how I'm spending this money.
Also, if you look at it from an entertainment/fun standpoint the 1 hour class I took this morning is far cheaper than going to or even renting a movie. Plus, better for me.