You might be surprised to learn that the product-dating routinely found stamped on packaged foods in your local grocery is not required by the feds, or anyone else for that matter, except in the case of infant formulas (it surprised me). After all, every food processer/manufacturer I know of would lead us to believe that they know exactly when it is time to chuck those leftover salad dressings, eggs or baloney and replace it or them with a new package.

It was the General Brewing Company of San Francisco that was reportedly the first producer of a food product to add an “age date” to its containers. They started doing this way back in 1935, specifically, on their “Lucky Lager” beer bottles, in order to let their customers know that it had been properly aged. Apparently, other brewers were inclined to ship their beer to market before it was ready, thus exposing all those, well, “un” lucky lager consumers to green beer. It wasn’t until 1985 that the Boston Beer Company began including a “freshness date” on their Samuel Adams product to make sure it wasn’t too aged. And the rest is marketing history.

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WYSIWYG is the acronym for “what you see is what you get” and comes from the world of information technology. It involves a user interface that allows you to view a document on your computer screen with essentially the same editing and graphics with which it will appear when printed. Wouldn’t it be nice if people had such an interface? That is, some way for you to be assured that the pleasant gentleman you just met at a cocktail party is as he appears and is not secretly a pedophile or a serial killer or something.

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I found yesterday that I had forgotten to stuff any folding money in my pocket when I left for work in the morning. My kids both regard cash with disdain. They have completely transitioned to the digital age and use their debit cards almost exclusively. But, being old school (and old), I am still uncomfortable if I don’t have a few bucks in my jeans for emergencies.

Anyway, after work I popped into the local grocery store to pick up something for dinner and, at the checkout, used my debit card to not only make my purchase but to draw down some funds from my checking account. As the clerk handed me my cash, I commented to the elderly gentleman who was bagging my groceries that I felt really uncomfortable with no money. He said he could relate to that.

Continue “The rocky road to good budgeting”

In Folio Weekly’s “News of the Weird” I read with interest that officials at England’s 12th-century St. Peter’s Church in Seaford, East Sussex, made a 30-minute CD of the eerie quiet of the Church’s sanctuary for which it is known. As reported in the article, the recording of near-total silence was originally done as a local fund raising project. But the Church has now received world-wide attention for its efforts with orders coming in from as far away as Ghana. Those who have heard the CD have said only occasional footsteps on a squeaky wooden floor or a passing car’s distant hum can be heard. Amazing what some will do to find a little peace and quiet.

I thought I was the only one.

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