Freddie's Fabulous Finds For Xmas

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FREDDIE'S FABULOUS FINDS FOR XMAS

Since they moved up black Friday a month and since it's still a bad economy, I figure this is a good thread to start.

I'm the ultimate shopper. I'm always looking for a bargain or a product worth the money.

I hope others will use this thread to help those who need a Christmas or Hanukkah gift idea or someone just looking for a bargain that they would otherwise miss and pay more to buy.

Let me start off with my favorite thing, Polartec fleece by Malden Mills. For those of you who know what Polartec fleece is, once you wear it, you won't do without it. Oh, my God, I wear mine all the time, nearly all year long and I have several by Polo in different colors. Yet, they are pricey at $69 each.

So, this year, I wanted to buy myself a new one without the Ralph Lauren brand name and found the same at Amazon for around 40-50 bucks depending on your size.

Here's the real bargain, Cabelas has Polartec fleece 200 warm for $25 and Polartec fleece 300 warmer for $30. It's not in their bargain basement department, but just type in Polartec on their search engine and it will pop up.

Everyone else sells Polartec fleece 300 for $80. Granted you may not find your size and color at Cabelas, it's hit and miss, but I was able to buy a red 200 without a hood, and a brown and blue 300 in XXL with a hood, all for $90. Bargain.

If anyone has found any bargains, please share.

 

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Uggs for men

What about guys' slippers?

I've wasted money every year on slippers. They only last a year, that is, until I discovered Uggs.

Yeah, I know we all think of those Ugg pink and blue ugly boots for women, but if you guys want quality slippers that will outlast your dog, Google, Uggs Byron from Austrailia.

It looks like a shoe and it is lined with thick, warm, soft shearling. I've had mine for 3 years now and they look like new. You could even wear them outside and when driving.

Everyone sells them for $120, but if you look around and even for my big size 13 foot, I was able to find chocolate brown one for $100, black one for $80, and another chocolate brown on on E-Bay for $60 and free shipping at Englins.

My advice is to stick with the chocolate brown. They are all leather and a little more suppotive than the ones that are leather and suede, the tan and black are leather and suede instead of all leather.

Yet, even if you pay full prize, mens Ugg slippers are worth the money, especially if you're diabetic and your feet are always cold. These are the slippers for you.

By the way, buy the same size as you would when buying a shoe. They'll fit snug in the beginning and you'll be cursing me wishing you had bought a bigger size, but trust me, they stretch out. If you have shoe stretchers, use those overnight and viola.

One more bit of advice, if you can afford it, buy more than one and alternate them. Shoes, as well as slippers, will last years longer, if you don't wear them every day. Give them a chance to return to the their shape by not wearing them for a day or two.

 

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Radar detector

Anyone getting ready to buy a radar detector?

If I were in the market, I'd only look at Escort and Valentine One.

I had an Escort for years and in conjunction with a CB radio, unless you're not paying attention, I defy you to get a speeding ticket.

I switched to Valentine One years ago and when they upgraded their technology, I returned my unit to them and for $50 they upgraded mine with their newest stuff. Wow!

What I like about Valentine over Escort is Valentine has arrows that tells you where the radar is coming from front, back or sides. It also has a counter that lets you know if there's more than one, important with multiple speed traps as some of you truckers may know.

It also has different settings so that you're not picking up alarms and microwave ovens. Also, the different sounds that it makes tells you if it's a false alarm or the real deal. It even has instant on, but if you caught with instant on radar, chances are you're fucked.

Yeah, it's a bit pricey at $400, but one ticket and insurance surcharges for six years in Massachusetts will cost you much more than that.

I returned my old one again and because they changed the unit making it lighter and smaller, get this, for $200, they sent me a brand new $400 unit. Double Wow!

What company does that? If only the car companies would do that.

I'm done with my Chevy, after 6 years and 100,000 miles. Here's my car back. I'll take that new $30,000 blue one for $15,000. Okay? Fair trade."

"Security!"

 

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Anyone looking to buy a car?

Here's my recommendations.

Ford Mustang GT, only don't go crazy with the options. If you do, your $30,000bargain will be $40,000 and up there with a BMW 3 series, which we all know is a better car, especially if you spring for the $1,200 sports package with the Recaro seats, the only way I'd buy a Bimmer.

Now, if you're going to buy an automatic, don't buy a Mustang GT. You're making my skin crawl. It's like going down a blackboard with your fingernails.

The car comes standard with a six speed standard. You'd ruin the experience of buying a Mustang by buying an automatic. Trust me. Learn how to drive a stick.

If you must buy a Mustang with an automatic, buy the six cylinder. It has plenty of pep for what you'd do with the car.

Don't want to buy American? Do you want a car that gets better gas mileage and is fun to drive, too?

I have the car for you.

VW GTI, 2-door hatch. Yeah, baby!

The new ones, 2011 come with the 18" wheels standard. Too bad. The car rides, handles, goes quicker, stops shorter, and gets better gas mileage with the 17". Eveyone pops for the plus one wheels without first doing the research.

If I were buying the GTI, the only options I'd buy are the better radio and the floor mats, which comes with splash guards all around, and maybe the better headlights.

The touring package at nearly 3,000 for leather seats and a sunroof is too expensive and not necessary. Besides a car without a sunroof is always safer in a crash. Did you know that?

Cars without sunroofs have more structural integrity and sedans are normally safter than coupes and two door hardtops. Of course, it depends on the make and the model. Forget about convertibles, unless they are packing a roll bar, you're dead.

Anyway, the standard interior on the GTI is the tarten plaid. Cool. I love the steering wheel and the car goes faster and handles better than a Mini Cooper S. Moverover, you could buy a brand new GTI with the above options for around $27,000. Not bad, considering a Mini Cooper would be closer to $35,000.

Yeah, sure they'll be Suburu and Mazda guys who swear by their cars, but the GTI blows them all away every year in all the car mag tests. It's not just the statistics but the way the car feels when driving it and GTI has it all over the others.

These are just my opinions, of course.

 

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Gillette Proglide Razor

Have any of you tried the new Gillette Proglide?

Yeah, it gives a wicked close shave but at a price. The blades are wicked expensive.

I have a tip, though, that can be used on any blade. Just as the Samuri wipe their blades after they killed someone, if you do the same with your razor after shaving, dry the blade, the sharpness of the blade will last, at least twice as long.

It's not the actually cutting that dulls the blade, but the water that turns to rust. Don't believe me? Try it.

My blades have lasted 3 and 4 times as long.

I'm just trying to save everyone a few bucks.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Who doesn't like gadgets? All guys love gadgets.

I replaced my police flashlight the other day. You know the kind. The black one, a little smaller than a baseball bat and that weighs ten pounds with all the D cell batteries that it takes.

Only, I discovered that it only puts out only 40 lumins, a little more than a hundred fireflies (lol).

So, I did some research and bought one of those handy dandy flashlights like they have on CSI.

It's made by Olight, the M20 Warrior special operations tactical flashlight. Sounds impressiive, doesn't it?

I can even attach this to my AK47, if I had one (lol).

It puts out 320 lumins and has low, medium, and high, along with a strobe light for disco dancing, I guess.

It lights up my whole backyard, so that now I can check for skunks and gang members before letting the dog out.

"Get him, buddy. Get the gang member."

I saw a similar light that only has 198 lumins, same size and style but that cost twice as much. I only paid $75 on Amazon. It even comes with a holster and a case, batteries sold seperately though. Weird that it doesn't come with a battery, so I bought the rechargeable ones.

I like it. It's only a little bigger than a magic marker, weighs 8 ounces, and fits in my hand. The end of it is all scalloped so that, after blinding someone with the strobe light feature, you can beat them to death, before fleeing.

I plan on buying one for my daughters. I bought them Kubatons last year.

Google that, if you don't know what they are, but it's good protection for close quarters combat when striking someone by surprise. Everyone should carry a Kubaton attached to their keyring. Only, I'm not totally sure if they are legal. Check your local laws before killing someone.