Figure this one out.

The experts keep telling us that we have to get credit thawed to everyday consumers like you and me if we’re going to pull out of this economic tailspin. We’re not going to reverse nasty trends including high unemployment rates unless we’re spending. Translation: Credit good.

Meanwhile, another team of gurus is instructing everyone to stop living on credit and to adopt a cash-based lifestyle. The best way to weather downturns is to confront them without a debt load. Translation: Credit bad.

With a lot of distinction-drawing and some headache-inducing mental gyrations, you can almost reconcile those two viewpoints. When you start thinking about the whole credit good/credit bad thing in terms of credit cards.

I think most people would agree that credit card companies aren’t the friendliest bunch. They like to smack people around with junk fees and they use “the fine print” like nobody’s business. They even have this little trick called “universal default”. If you fall behind on your Discover bill, the folks who issued your Visa might just decide to jack you around with a higher rate or a lower limit–even if you’ve paid that Visa bill religiously since the Carter Administration.

Anyway, it’s not surprising that the behavior of the credit card companies infuriated consumers. Enough people griped that it caught the ears of those in Washington. Regulation followed.

That happened in December. The Federal Reserve Board came up with a series of regs to govern the behavior of the credit card companies. The new policies put a stake in the heart of universal default, require more warning for rate changes and greater overall transparency. For better or for worse, a change is coming to the world of credit cards. It’s not coming quickly, though. The new regulations don’t kick in until 2010.

In the meantime, the credit card companies are working on making the “transition”. Depending on who you ask, that means they’re either trying to behave according to the upcoming policies or that they’re trying to wring every last penny they can from the card-carrying populace while they still have the chance.

We’re all in favor of regulation here, right? Well, maybe not.

Some might object on principle, believing that the 1996 deregulation of the industry was a good thing and that only an unfettered market can produce optimal results. Most, however, would probably agree that there’s some room for consumer protection in a business that operates from a foundation of tiny-print contracts and tricky rate alterations that even the smartest consumers can’t really track (or defend against).

Others may object to regulating the industry because it’s bound to hurt the credit card industry’s bottom line. If the creditors can’t continue to make a healthy chunk of change from junk fees and mystery rate increases, they’re going to need to do a few other things. Those options including slashing credit lines to provide greater protection, tightening standards for issuing cards in the first place and doing away with some of the super-low rate offers.

Why should that bother us? If it’s true that increased consumer spending and confidence are essential to come out of this recessionary funk, the prospect of reducing available credit doesn’t sound that good, does it?

Remember, we’re dumping billions/trillions into banks so that they can offer more credit in hopes that will get the economy cooking again. So why would we want to simultaneously give credit issuers a reason to cut back on credit lines?

Seems a little self-defeating, doesn’t it?

Not necessarily. Remember, that credit debate has two sides. The other argues that the very reason we’re in a mess right now is because of over-reliance on credit. Those folks say it’s time we stop spending money we don’t have. Only through more responsible behavior as individuals and as a nation can we hope to beat the recession. They say there’s a lesson to be learned here and that the lesson is not to worship at the altar of credit.

From this perspective, it makes perfect sense to protect people from getting kicked in the face by nefarious credit card companies even if the opportunity cost of that decision is an overall credit reduction. The value of that credit is minimal compared to the value of protecting people from nasty creditor behavior.

Federal regulations of the credit card industry might be good for consumers, but they might not be good for credit card companies.  Which means they might not turn out good for consumers.  Which means helping consumers might prolong the recession.  Then again, maybe it’s the opposite.  Getting dizzy?  Me, too.

I don’t have a horse in this race myself. I think both sides are right. I think we can probably spend our way out of this recession and turn things around for awhile. The question is whether we’ll learn a lesson from the process that allows us to eventually re-gear our economy in a sane fashion. Knowing how likely that is (read: ain’t gonna happen), I’m not going to lose any sleep over whether or not the credit card companies start slashing access to dough in the face of new regulation.

This whole freakish swirl of seeming self-defeat is exactly what happens when convenient shorter-term solutions are at odds with long-term sanity. Throw the always contentious matter of consumer protection and market sanctity into the picture and it gets even crazier.

All I can say is that, on the level of personal finance, there’s never been a better time to pay off your cards, chop them up into tiny plastic shards and walk away from them.  Credit rates aren’t headed south of potential gains from other investments any time soon and even if regs make the industry a little softer in a year, you can’t expect any favors before 2010.

I’m not a collector.  Sometimes, though, I wish I had a penchant for accumulation.  I had that nagging “I should be hoarding something” feeling after I found out just how much some old postage stamps are worth.  It’s amazing.

Obviously, the value of old postage stamps varies considerably based on all the usual factors governing the market prices of collectibles.  A ripped, bent or generally nasty looking stamp ain’t gonna bring as much as its pristine counterpart.  There’s also the question of what stamp you’re looking at.  Some oldies aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on, while others–even some that are relatively recent issues–can bring a bundle.

Which brings us to some of the heavy hitters in the stamp world.  Unless you’re familiar with the hobby, this information might shock you.  I know it took me by surprise.

The Swedish Three Skilling Banco from 1855 or 1857 (I’ve seen it associated with both years) was a pretty common stamp, based on what I can tell.  However, somewhere along the line one of them was printed in yellow instead of the normal green.  There’s only one of the three skilling yellow stamps in existence and you know what happens when there’s serious demand and very, very limited supply, right?  In 1996, the stamp sold for $2.3 million.

American stamps can bring hefty sums, too.  The 1867 Franklin Z-Grill is a perfect example of how the value of old postage stamps can reach lofty heights.  Around twenty years ago, one of the Franklin rarities brought over a cool million dollars at auction.  Apparently, this stamp was originally made in a way that was supposed to make it harder for postage cheats to reuse it.  The special construction wasn’t very efficient, though, so they didn’t print too many of them.

Here’s another big money stamp story.  Back before Hawaii was part of the U.S., it was still a destination for missionaries who hoped to bring Christianity to the island.  These church emissaries sent messages back home via post, using stamps that became known as “Hawaiian Missionary stamps“.  These little numbers were printed on low-quality paper with lousy illustrations.  Very few of the stamps lasted beyond their 1850s issue dates.  As a result, these babies are extremely valuable.  An unused one can bring three quarters of a million dollars.  That’s $750,000 for what was once a 2-cent stamp!

Sometimes, it’s not just about the stamp.  It’s about the way it was used.  The 1840 Penny Black, the first prepaid postage stamp in history, was an English issue and it’s a popular collectible item.  These stamps usually fetch between $240 and $3,000.  But guess what happens to the value of one of those Penny Black stamps when it bears a red Maltese cross cancellation?  It brings the seller over $2 million.

I’m not advising you to dump your other investments in favor of becoming a high-end stamp collector.  Just like any other market, stamps have their ups and downs.  There’s no guarantee that the value of old postage stamps will increase at a rate in excess to more traditional investments (if at all).

However, it is pretty wild to think about the fact that tiny old scraps of paper can be worth millions of bucks.

The original Amazons of Greek mythology were fierce women warriors with a reputation for developing new outposts and conquering the competition.  From their HQ in Pontus, they successfully beat bigger armies and founded cities from Smyrna to Paphos.

Amazon.com is following in those ancient footsteps, finding new product lines every day and smashing e-commerce competitors along the way.

Is there anybody left in the world who doesn’t buy stuff through Amazon?  Seriously, Amazon has gone from being a sorta hip place to order a hard-to-find book to being an online Wal-Mart and shopping mall all wrapped into one.

If you want it, you can probably get it at Amazon.com.  And you can probably get a pretty good deal, too.  If you’re smart, you can shave a few bucks off that already agreeable bottom line by using an Amazon coupon code.

Which brings us to finding those coupon codes.  The good news?  They’re not that hard to find.  The bad news?  There isn’t any.  Really, they’re not that hard to find AND they can actually save you a substantial chunk of change.

Here are just a few of my Amazon coupon code finds.

Dealspl.us has Amazon codes that will save you money on everything from “Tuscan triangles” (whatever those might happen to be) to cans of Wolfgang Puck soups (I’m partial to the clam chowder) to a free MP3 download.

TechBargains reminds us of the free shipping offer on purchases in excess of $25 and promises markdowns of up to 70% when you’re buying home and garden items.

CouponCodesMall has a list that should put you and the Amazon coupon code of your choice together, lickety-split.  Oxygenics showerheads?  They have the code.  Tea of Life teas?  They have the code.  ZeroSmoke smoking cessation aids for those who are still puffing away?  You can grab a coupon code and save.  It’s an impressive list.

That list is really just the beginning, though.  The fine people behind CouponCodesMall have created an Amazon coupon code search engine (thanks to The Consumerist for the tip, by the way).

If you can use Google, you can find the code you need.  It doesn’t get much easier than that, does it?

Well, maybe.  Although it isn’t necessarily a price reduction code, Norman Stein has outlined a cool way to get discounts on Amazon products.  It involves loading up your cart and waiting for Amazon to apply special discounts via your gold box.  I haven’t tried it, but it sounds like a real winner.

I don’t really understand why Amazon is called Amazon.  Sure, the competition thing is sort of a shared trait as is the urge for expansion, but the similarities between the retailer and the warrior women of lore basically ends there.  All in all, Amazon.com is a pretty nice outfit.  They have a lot of stuff, they sell that stuff at good prices and their willing to subtract a few bucks from the total if you’re willing to dig up a coupon code.

NOTE: I know a guy who was in business school back in the day.  One of his assignments was to pick an up-and-coming little company that might get big and successful.  He had to break down the reasoning, etc. in a lengthy report.  Anyway, my friend picked this new book-vending outfit with a crazy name–Amazon.com.

He was so convinced that he was onto something big that he wanted to sink the few extra pennies he and his wife had at the time into Amazon as an investment.  She rejected the idea, reminding him that he was just a lowly b-school kid and that he was not (at least at that point) a stock analyst.

Whoops.

Let me level with you right off the bat.  I don’t wear American Eagle Outfitter clothing.  I don’t shop there.  

That’s not because I’ve joined a boycott due to allegations that the store might be a little more anti-union than it should be.  It’s because David Lampsen isn’t a tiny guy and the stuff at AEO with an XL label tends to be a little on the skin-tight side of things.  If I sneezed in a button-up XL shirt from American Eagle, someone would lose an eye when the buttons shot across the room.

If you aren’t Lampsen lumpy, though, it’s a great place to shop.  Kids dig it because American Eagle has a knack for style.  Grown-ups like the subdued tones of the apparell and the way AE can blend rather classic styling with comfort.  Everyone should like the fact that you can find an American Eagle coupon on two to help you save money at the retailer.

That’s right, AE issues coupons.  

Things are a little tough for the ubiquitous mall retailer these days.  They’re embroiled in a lawsuit with CitiGroup, as AE claims that the investment group inappropriately stuck them with some really bad assets.  They’re also experiencing sales problems as the recession sneaks its way into shopping centers all around the world.  Their January numbers, for instance, were miserable.  TradingMarkets noted that they reported a massive 22% drop in sales:

The… retailer said total sales for all stores for the four weeks ended Jan. 31 were down 15 percent for $138.9 million, compared to $163.9 million in the same period last year.

In response to that kind of news, American Eagle is doing its best to trim its expenses at every turn and some of their ideas aren’t getting a particularly warm welcome.

Against that ugly backdrop, AE appears to believe that they need to do whatever they can to get people back into their stores with open wallets.  Maybe that’s the motivation behind some of the good American Eagle coupon deals I found online.

Finding American Eagle Outfitters’ discount codes isn’t very card.  You can find them with a simple Google search at a variety of sites.  Here are just a few examples of some of the deals I found with just a few seconds of searching.  Some of them are expired now, but they still give you a good idea of just how much you can save with an AE coupon.

RetailMeNot had a code that would get you 20% off any purchase.

Rather-Be-Shopping offered a coupon that would give you free shipping on any online order in excess of $100 and would direct you to some great clearance sales from AE that could save you as much as 70%.

Dealigg had $10 and $40 off coupons that could be used in-store or online.

DealCatcher presented information about the free shipping special as well as other great American Eagle deals.

GosuBlogger made it really easy to find a nice, solid 20% American Eagle coupon.

Getting the idea?  It isn’t all that hard to get a good deal at AE because there are so many strong coupons and coupon code offers available online for anyone who’s willing to look.

If you aren’t toting a Lampsenesque figure and look great in stuff from AE, goou’ll be saving a fortune and you’ll be helping a popular store that’s really feeling the sting of the recession.  

Note:  Unlike some of the other coupon offers upon which I’ve reported, AE doesn’t appear to offer coupons on its own site.  The American Eagle Outfitters website is worth visiting, though, because it has such a strong online “clearance rack”.  You can often find great items for as little as thirty cents on the dollar via the AE Clearance link.

Hi Everyone,

Here are the Blog Carnivals that we participated in over the last week.  Enjoy!

- Carnival of Personal Finance #189 (The Superbowl Edition) was hosted by Taking Charge and you can find our post entitled Ten Ways for Teens to Make Money listed there. – We were chosen as one of the Editors top picks for this post!

- Carnival of Money Stories #94 (The Chinese New Year Edition) was hosted by The Suns Financial Diary and you can find our post entitled In Search of the Perfect Pizza Hut Coupon listed there.

- Money Hacks Carnival #49 (The Frugalista Style Edition) was hosted by Little Miss Know It All and you can find our post entitled In Search of the Perfect Pizza Hut Coupon listed there.

- Festival of Frugality #162 was hosted by Gather Little by Little and you can find our post entitled Borders Coupons Leave Money for Chai Tea Lattes listed there.

Cash4Gold.  They advertise like crazy and their story is sort of appealing, especially in times like these when money is tight for a lot of people.

You send them any gold jewelry you might have gathering dust in the bottom of a jewelry box.  They look at it, assess it, and cut you a check for the stuff.  If you don’t like their offer, you can say “no thanks” and get your stuff back.  

What’s not to like about that?

Apparently, quite a bit.  If you do a little research, you’ll find a growing army of people who claim Cash4Gold is running a scam.  These gold buyers are getting a lot of negative online attention.

I’d never recommend using Cash4Gold, GoldKit or any of the other companies in the scrap gold business, but I won’t call them scammers.  They do just what they say they’ll do.  They’ll take your gold, they’ll pay you for the gold, they’ll give you a chance to take your gold back.

So, if these guys aren’t taking the gold and pretending like you never sent it, why wouldn’t I use them?  Because they pay horribly.  

Obviously, you can’t expect these outfits to pay market value for gold.  They need to cover their overhead expenses.  They want to make a profit.  They have to process the stuff and find buyers for it.  However, it does seem a bit crazy when people are getting a small fraction of market value when they send in their gold.

There have been a few people who’ve run online case studies about using Cash4Gold.  All of them are rather surprised at just how lousy the offer checks have been.  We might not be talking about pennies on the dollar, but we’re definitely in the nickel and dime per dollar range.

And to make matters worse, it’s obvious that Cash4Gold and Co. know that they’re lowballing the heck out of people.  When testers have contacted the company to reject pitiful offers, they’ve usually been treated to a higher counteroffer.  The second offers aren’t a small percentage boost over the original numbers, though.  They’re often two or even three times as high as that first check.  

What does that tell you about the kind of offers these guys are making?  

There are other reasons to be critical of these operations.  They say you have ten days to turn down the offer and to get your gold back.  They don’t tell you that the clock starts running on your ten days right after they print that first offer check.  If it takes nine days to go from their printers to your mailbox, you have one day to make the call.  It’s not ten days from receipt of the check, it’s ten days from when they came up with a number.

Those who go for the fast cash offers, where the company will make a quick direct deposit instead of sending an offer check, get the shaft even worse.  When you take the fast money you don’t get a chance to reject their offer.  That’s right, you could send off great-great grandma Lucy’s gold ring collection that’s worth thousands and if they decide to give you a five dollar bill, you’re stuck with it.

Look, those of us who encourage frugality may encourage you to sell unwanted and unneeded items.  When the economy is tough, there’s a temptation to part with things like little-used jewelry and to convert it into cash as quickly as possible.  All of that makes sense.

What doesn’t make sense is getting rid of gold by sending it off to one of these joints.  You could probably get a better deal at a local pawn shop–and we know just how generous those guys are.

If you want to sell your gold, you can send it to Cash4Gold and you will get some money.  You’ll also get a rotten deal.  No matter how desperate you are for cash, it never makes sense to take an absolutely rotten deal.

Note:  Here’s an interesting tidbit about Cash4Gold.  They’re worried enough about bad Internet “press” that they’ve offered at least one person a cash payoff to remove a critical blog post.  Reputation management is good policy for just about any business, but trying to pay off critics seems, well, a little sleazy, don’t you think?

Disclaimer:  This information is not intended to dispute or replace the advice of a tax preparation specialist, accountant or attorney.   PersonalFinanceAnalyst.com advises its readers to consult with a tax professional to determine the deductions for which they may qualify.

If you don’t already have your W-2s, they should be on their way.  It’s that time again.  Taxes.  And, like most people, you might be wondering what you can do this year to minimize your tax liability.  The search for deductions is underway.

One of the best known deductions is the charitable contribution.  The U.S. government makes the idea of donating to a recognized charity a little more attractive by providing a tax benefit to those who give.  

There are rules associated with donations.  Before we discuss the process of how to value a charitable contribution, it makes sense to revisit a few of those basic guidelines.

• Your donation must go to a qualified tax-exempt charitable organization.  Generally speaking, the charities must qualify under as 501(c)(3) organizations.  If the tax implications of giving are important to you and you’re not sure about an organization’s status, ask before you give. 
• You can only use the deduction if you’re itemizing on your return.  Those with simple tax situations who plan on taking the standard deduction won’t catch a break based on their generosity.  If you’re not itemizing, you’re not going to gain a tax advantage.
• There are different limits on deductions.  You can usually deduct cash contributions up to 50% of your adjusted gross income.  Deductions for property contributions cap at 30%.  You can generally deduct appreciated capital gains assets up to the 20% mark. 

It’s also worth noting that you shouldn’t itemize to claim deductions just because you can.  If your total itemized deductions don’t exceed the standard deduction, there’s no real reason to itemize.

If you make a cash donation, the valuation process is simple.  You can claim the dollar amount donated.  Things get a little stickier, however, when you’re dealing with non-cash contributions.

The Acting Director of the IRS once said that they “want people to be focused on helping these worth groups than worrying about tax issues.”  They’ve tried to accomplish that with respect to charitable giving by creating a very subjective process.  Although there are rules to follow, they leave a great deal of discretion in the hands of the individual taxpayer.  As one expert once noted, “How aggressive one wants to be on a tax return is a very personal decision”.

That discretionary aggression must take place within the general guideline that governs how to value charitable contributions:  Fair market value.

That’s the rule of thumb.  If you donate it, you can claim it’s fair market value.  That doesn’t represent the price of the item “new in the box”, but it’s actual reasonably ascertainable value in the marketplace.  

For instance, those who donate automobiles are often given a high-to-low range of potential values for the make and model given.  The charity will not, however, usually provide any instruction on what exact value to claim.  When it comes to valuing non-cash contributions, you’re left to your own devices to set those numbers.  As MoneyBlueBook noted:

The donation valuation process is generally subjective and you are responsible for assigning the proper value for your charitable donations. There is no exact IRS formula or chart as the agency relies on subjective approximations. 

Resist the temptation to go crazy, however.  If you decide to push the envelope on your claims, it’s like sending the IRS an embossed invitation to audit you.  According to MoneyBlueBook (referencing the valuation process for donated clothing):

When donating clothes for the tax deduction, the worst thing you can do is to drastically overestimate the donated clothing value and trigger an alarm bell. Triggering a red flag will send the IRS man running to your home to request receipts and proof of your donation. Because charitable donation is one of those tax items frequently abused by taxpayers, the IRS closely scrutinizes such claims.

In other words, be honest and accurate.

But just in case, keep good records.  Get receipts and follow the rules regarding third-party valuations for donated items with values in excess of $5,000.  The general rule is “fair market value” but everyone should consult IRS recommendations and heed the advice of a qualified tax professional before filing their taxes.

A few months ago, the folks at Bloomberg reported that U.S. unemployment could reach the 9% mark by the end of 2009. Most of us thought that was a frightening assessment.

It turns out that the Bloomberg projection may have been nothing more than an episode of Scooby Doo when compared to the possible Exorcist reality.  The unemployment horror show may be scarier than we imagined.

This morning, President Obama taled about the possibility of double-digit unemployment rates in reaction to the latest Departmet of Labor job numbers.  Obama is convinced that a good stimulus package could turn down the terror dial, but the fact that he’s out there raising the specter of 10%+ jobless rates demonstrates just how bad this situation is getting. 

Based on those new DOL stats, unemployment is already knocking at the 8% door, sitting at 7.6%.

Forbes summarizes today’s data:

The Labor Department said nonfarm payrolls shed 598,000 jobs in January, up from a revised 577,000 jobs lost in December, with unemployment climbing to 7.6%, from 7.2%.  

Forbes says those projections were basically in line with some of the more bearish forecasts.  That might be true for that report, but actual unemployment has been surpassing projections more often than not.  The DOL report says that we lost around 3 million jobs in 2008, a total that exceeded most expectations by 400,000. 

The Chief U.S. economist at Unicredit Global Research, Roger Kubarych, is shocked by just how fast U.S. companies are dumping employees.  Bloomberg quotes Kubarych:

It’s astonishing how quickly American businesses are laying people off…  They’ve learned that they have probably had too much staff for the kind of economy they foresee and they’re laying people off left and right.

If you’re not a little nervous yet, I invite you to take a look at this post on a Wall Street Journal blog.  It’s basically a collection of dire assessments about just how bad the unemployment situation and the “slow motion train wreck” of the U.S. economy is getting.  Warning:  It’s not for the faint of economic heart.

Scary stuff.

And here’s the kicker.  It might actually be even worse than we think.

That 7.6% is nasty, but another unemployment measure pegs the rate at 13.9%. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics refers to this statistic as the “U-6″.  Unlike the usual unemployment benchmark, U-6 considers those who have stopped looking for work.  You see, the usually-quoted figure considers those “who do not have a job, are available for work and have actively looked for work in the prior four weeks.”  

So, when you hear about 7.6% unemployment, we’re talking about people who are actively trying to find jobs.  It doesn’t account for those who’d like a job, but who aren’t currently sending out applications or hitting the local job center.   It also doesn’t include all of the people who lost full-time jobs and have settled for part-time opportunities as a replacement.

Again, the U-6 is on the verge of 14%.  

That’s another way of saying things might be even worse than they appear.

I’m not saying we’re doomed.  I’m not in the prediction business and even if I was a prognosticator, I don’t think I’d be willing to wager on the “standard” measure hitting the 10% mark.  I do, however, think it’s important for all of us–as employers, employees and citizens–to understand what we’re really up against.  Right now, we’re up against a very serious unemployment problem–a problem that may be even more serious than we recognize.

All but the most sociopathic among us have been sickened by the tale of Bernie Madoff’s alleged massive Ponzi scheme since the first headlines appeared.  

Some, however, felt more ill than most.  That’s because, in large measure, Madoff’s boondoggle was affinity fraud.  He didn’t just target people, he targeted those with whom he shared the most in common, those who were the most likely to trust him.  Bernie Madoff made his money by taking advantage of those who shared his faith.

Ronald Cass of the Wall Street Journal wrote a great article explaining affinity scams, why they work, and why the Jewish population might be uniquely vulnerable to them.  Discussing such malfeasance in a general sense, he writes:

The sense of common heritage, of community, also makes it less seemly to ask hard questions. Pressing a fellow parishioner or club member for hard information is like demanding receipts from your aunt — it just doesn’t feel right. Hucksters know that, they play on it, and they count on our trust to make their confidence games work.

I think that most of us felt that Madoff’s crime was, in some way, worse because of the affinity angle.  Those of us who aren’t Jewish, however, probably didn’t feel the same sting as those Jews who saw Madoff as both a twisted scoundrel and one who was all too happy to “eat his own”.

The release of Madoff’s “customer list” or, if you prefer, “victim list”, might help at least a few of us understand a little better.  That’s because one of the over 13,000 names on the list is Sandy Koufax.

Sandy Koufax is Jewish, but his legend exceeds his faith.  His fan base includes virtually every American who’s ever taken an interest in our national pastime, baseball.  Koufax, a baseball Hall-of-Famer, is generally regarded as one of the best pitchers to ever take the mound.  He pitched for the Dodgers in Brooklyn and in Los Angeles, striking out befuddled batters en masse on both coasts and everywhere in between.

Bernie Madoff screwed Sandy Koufax and that fact hammers home just how despicable his string of unarmed robberies really was.

You could argue that the other famous names on that list, and there are many, would make that point even if Koufax wasn’t on the list.  You might be right.  There’s something special about Sandy, though, that really underlines the nastiness of the whole affair.

That’s because the name Sandy Koufax has a special meaning for Jews while being a hero to so many who’ve never stepped into a synagogue.  He is legend, he is baseball, he is talent and he is principle.  Whether the man lives up to the reputation is immaterial.  Sandy Koufax is mythology and stealing cash from a symbol of all that’s good about America is never a good idea.

Willie “Pops” Stargell could hit.  The big Pittsburgh slugger, however, was in awe of Koufax.  He compared trying to get a hit off of Sandy to trying to drink coffee with a fork.  Bob Costas said that Koufax “doesn’t defy anything, except the norm.”

He was that good.

And if you don’t believe Pops and Bob, you can ask anyone else who’s ever watched or followed the game.  People marvel at Koufax more than forty years after he experienced his greatest baseball successes.

And, you could say, he was just as Jewish as he was talented.  When his turn to pitch in the World Series fell on Yom Kippur, Koufax famously honored his faith over his profession.  He wouldn’t pitch on the holiday.  That wasn’t just an act of Judaism, it was an act of principle.  It resonated.  If there’s one thing Americans like more than a great high and tight fastball, it’s someone who’s willing to stand on principle.

Koufax has been immortalized in poetry.  An excerpt from “Sandy Koufax, Baseball’s Jewish Star” hints at his significance:

We scoured the sporting pages for the vagrant Jewish name 

that would assuage our sorrow, and we found our twinkling star. 

He was young, wild, unfettered, and he once attended the same 

Jewish community center in Brooklyn where our own children 

would spend sparkling summers during his years of gloved glory. 

Jews related to Koufax, a man who rose to glory in the very secular world of professional sports while retaining his identity.  It’s an idea that was echoed in “The Night Game” by former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky:

Another time

I devised a left-hander

Even more gifted

Than Whitey Ford: a Dodger

People were amazed by him.

Once, when he was

young,

He refused to pitch on Yom Kippur.

In 2001, Israel’s new professional baseball league held its inaugural draft.  The first player chosen?  Sandy Koufax.  The league honored him with that ceremonial selection, reminding the senior citizen who left the game early due to arm injuries of just how important he was to the game and to Jews.

And today, we see his name again.  It’s not on a lineup card or a Hall of Fame bust, though.  It’s on a list with 13,000+ other names.  People robbed by Bernard Madoff.  He shares space with other celebrities, but for some reason knowing that Kevin Bacon or Steven Spielberg are victims doesn’t deliver the same gut punch.  Sandy Koufax has been different for decades.  He’s special to Jew and Goy alike.

A recent piece at Real Clear Politics defined this type of crime:  ”An ‘affinity fraud’ targets members of a specific group. The group can be ethnic, religious or social.”

Madoff may have targeted Jews, but the collateral damage of his attack has reached the social group of baseball fans.

And maybe, just maybe, that fact will help to extend a sense of the ugly burn accompanying affinity scams to the rest of us.

Using Coupons Makes Sense

Yes, it’s annoying to get stuck in line at the grocery store behind someone who’s using a stack of coupons when you just want to get out of there with your dish detergent and a head of cabbage ASAP.  Beyond that tiny inconvenience, however, it’s hard to think of too many bad things to say about coupons.

If you want to save some money (and who doesn’t?) you should be clipping and using coupons.

Many people wrongly think that it’s one of those frugality projects that simply doesn’t make sense because the savings are so low in relation to the time it takes to set things up.  I’ll be honest, I used to feel the same way.  After awhile, though, you have to start paying attention to what actual coupon clippers have to say about that.

So, when I found out that the folks from The Simple Dollar were making the equivalent of over $57 per hour by using coupons effectively, I started to change my mind.   And you can only hear so many true stories of people cutting their grocery bills by 2/3 before you have to admit that taking out the scissors every once in awhile is a good idea. 

Organization Is Essential

If you’re going to use coupons, you need to find them.  That isn’t particularly hard.  Pick up your local Sunday paper and you’ll have a surplus of coupons at your fingertips.  That’s just the beginning, though.  You also need to organize them.  Those great deals aren’t worth a penny if you can’t find them when you need them.

That’s why a good coupon organizer is an absolutely critical piece of the frugality puzzle.  As Smead Organomics states:

The coupon organizer is a necessity in any home that clips coupons (and enjoys saving money). Without easy access to the coupons they have clipped, most people forget they are there! This is why a coupon organizer can be one of the easiest yet most effective ways to quickly organize coupons and save some money.

 The Right Coupon Organizer

There are a million and one different coupon organization systems out there.  Using coupons effectively is simply a matter of finding the system and coupon organizer that works best for you.  Let’s look at a few options.  Maybe one of them will be a perfect fit for your couponing needs.

Envelopes are cheap!  If your quest for maximum savings extends to the very infrastructure of coupon clipping, you could go with the good ol’ envelope system.  Basically, you sort coupons by category into appropriately-labeled envelopes.  That’s it.  Easy and just about as cheap as you can get!   This handy tip article discusses the envelope system and a few other ways to sort your clippings.  You can consult it for a few additional ideas.

Mrs. A’s Coupon Organizer.  This is one of the most popular commercially-availabel coupon organizers.  If you’re ready to make a small investment in order to post substantial regular savings, you might want to take a good look at what Mrs. A is selling.  The company claims, “No more fumbling with coupons one at a time. Increase coupon savings like never before! This is the best coupon organizer you will ever buy!”  That’s a bold claim, but I have to admit that this looks like a nifty product.

The Couponizer.  This is another commercially available coupon organizer.  It’s actually a complete “coupon system” featuring everything from a sturdy wirebound notebook to a guide on how to use coupons effectively.  They even toss in a carrying bag, blank grocery lists and a pair of scissors.  The Couponizer is one stop shopping for any coupon clipper.

C.R. Gibson.  This company offers much more than coupon organization solutions, but their organizer is attractive and appears to be quite functional.  It’s an accordian file with a notebook integrated into it.  C.R. Gibson’s organizer is also refillable, allowing you to use it indefinitely.

Do It Yourself Binder.  If you’re not interested in finding a dedicated coupon organization tool, consider using a binder with insert pages.  It won’t cost as much as a commercial coupon product and you’ll have some flexibility in terms of how you want to set things up.  If your criteria for a coupon organizer involves keeping it cheap and very customizable, a binder system might be the right choice for you.

Now…  Start Clipping, Start Saving!