troy austian | blog

Heading South to See the Fam

I'm so excited!  I finally found a really great deal the other day on airfare to Oklahoma.  I'm way overdue for going to visit my family down south -- it's been way too long since I'm seen them, and I miss them a lot.  So, I'm very excited to be going to see my family over the holidays -- what a great way to finish out the year!  It'll be great to be there for the family Christmas party and see everyone.  I'm really looking forward to it.  And it won't hurt that it'll be a good bit warmer in Oklahoma than here in Minnesota!

Español

I'm a person who tends to do my research before making a purchase, and I've done that for Spanish language learning software since coming back from Argentina.  I remain motivated to take my competency in Spanish from just un poco toward conversational fluency.  I really enjoyed using the Spanish I do know, but it was barely enough for restaurants and taxis...some of the time...and certainly lacking when the people we were trying to communicate with spoke no English at all.  I took joy, though, in what I learned and was able to use while in Argentina. It was a lot of fun, even when we had to rely on hand gestures, but I want to be much better prepared next time.  I want to become fluent!

Gadgets and Me

I'm a gadget geek.  But I'm a pretty frugal one.  Just because some cool gadget appeals to me doesn't mean I have to buy it.  I'm content just checking it out...seeing it, learning about it.  Sometimes on my way home I'll pick up a dopio espresso macchiato from Starbucks and then stop in Best Buy while I drink it...just to look around.  I suppose Oprah might call that "a little me time."  I like to see what's out and what might be on sale.  But I don't buy the latest techie gadget just to have it.  And, honestly, I'm not that obsessed about it either -- I just take note of those gadgets that interest me or that I think I might like to have...if I'd spend the money.  But I very rarely spend the money unless the particular gadget meets a need -- I'm a practical guy, and so it's gotta be a practical purchase.

But even when it's practical, I really like to know that I got a good deal on a worthy item.  And so I'm very much one to research an item I'm interested in, read reviews, check out ratings, and follow prices in stores and especially on the Internet.  Yes, I do have a membership to ConsumerReports.org and, yes, I use it, as well as lots of other sites for ratings, reviews, and pricing.  Now, I also like to get the best when possible...if it's reasonably affordable and justified by my practical side.  Of course, that all has to start with knowing what the best is, what makes it the best, what the prices are, and where the value really lies.  Sometimes the best is worth the price, but sometimes the best is just not the best value.  All of this comes into play for me in feeling good about a purchase.  I'm not an impulse buyer, and I rarely have buyer's remorse, because I do my homework.  And the great thing for me is that it's usually homework I enjoy!

My "Black Friday" Rain Check Purchase

I went to Best Buy today to pick up my one select sale item from "Black Friday".  They were out of stock when I went in after Thanksgiving, but it was an item that allowed rain checks, which was great since that's not allowed for all of the after-Thanksgiving sale items.  So I got the rain check and then went back today after getting the email that my Instant Immersion™ Spanish Deluxe v2.0 had arrived and was waiting for me.  It normally sells for $39.99 at Best Buy, and for a few bucks less via some websites.  The Best Buy after-Thanksgiving sale price: $9.99!  Not bad.

I'll post another entry about my research of language learning software for Spanish, but I thought I'd mention that I bought this version because it's the best rated economy value (especially at $9.99!), not the best rated overall.  Still, I definitely find it a worthwhile purchase, and it'll help me toward my goal of fluency in Spanish.  It's not a big flat panel TV, but it was a great "Black Friday" buy!