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Vanishing in America

Filed under: Weird & Wonderful

There's something about Labour Day that makes us nostalgic for the old days. The way life used to be - the very rhythm of our lives - was in part dictated by the stuff that surrounded us. All that is changing everyday, as new technologies replace old, and new ideas forge real changes in our environments and workplaces. Here's a gallery of things that are disappearing from our lives, for better or worse. Have a look and see if there are any other things that have vanished in recent years that you actually miss, and leave us a comment.

Who Chooses As Seen on TV Products?

Filed under: Shopping

Infomercial king A.J. Khubani does not like to play the role of dream destroyer (ahem, Simon Cowell), but he has little choice at the company's bi-monthly "inventors days" where would-be entrepreneurs pitch what they hope will be the next Snuggie or Pocket Fisherman in an American Idol-style competition.

Khubani, the 49-year-old CEO of TeleBrands (the company that brings you all of those 'As Seen On TV' products), has a keen eye for spotting a blockbuster product. He learned from one of the greatest pitchmen on television, the late Billy Mays, and he has scored some big hits including the Ped Egg, a foot callous scraper that has become the company's best-selling product ever and the Windshield Wonder car window cleaner.

But he doesn't always get it right. Much to Khubani's dismay, he passed on the Snuggie, the blanket with sleeves that has engendered an almost cult-like following.

You Can Save $100 a Week. Here's How

Filed under: Economizer, Budgeting & Planning, Saving

If you have lofty money saving goals, one way to reach them is to change the way you spend your money, week in, week out. To do this, you'll need to stop spending on a few discretionary items, like movie rentals and the gym. Read on for seven ways you can cut back and save big. And we'd love to hear your tips for how you've been able to cut back and save money during these tough times. Thanks in advance: we'll use your tips in an upcoming feature on WalletPop Canada.

As Seen on TV: Topsy Turvy Planter

Filed under: Video

The Product: Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter
The Price: $19.99 plus $7.95 shipping and handling
The Claims: Grows delicious tomatoes without the back-breaking work.
Buy-O-Meter Rating: 4 out of 5






Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter is a wacky, yet effective, way to grow tomatoes upside down. It's part of a line of Topsy Turvys that also grow strawberries, herbs and hot peppers.

I grew cherry tomatoes the Topsy Turvy way -- out my kitchen window on an eave hook that once hosted a bird feeder -- and the old fashioned way -- in my garden.

Topsy Turvy

I opened the plastic Topsy Turvy planting bag, slipped the tomato seedling into the slot, poured in potting soil and snapped on the lid -- the hardest part of the process. I watered the hanging plant every couple of days (the planter dries out quickly) and fertilized two or three times.

About eight weeks later, through a steamy summer, I had 40 or so cherry tomatoes hanging from a very unhappy vine. The poor thing seemed confused, growing down then up, searching for sun, afraid it might fall.

Somehow the cherry tomato plant stayed snug in the soil, though I wouldn't trust the planter to hold a vine of Big Boys or Beefeaters. The Topsy Turvy harvest was quicker and more bountiful than the seedling I planted in my garden. Near the end of the growing season, however, I ran out of space under my first floor kitchen window, and the plant was dragging on the ground.

My garden cherry tomato plant was hardy, leafy and handsome.

But in the same eight weeks, it produced only a handful of tomatoes, although its numbers finally caught up to Topsy Turvy. The garden plant needed staking, weeding and protection from deer and rabbits, who ate half my crop and probably wondered, "What the heck is that thing hanging outside the window?"

Bottom line

No planter can replace the satisfaction of tilling soil and nurturing a slender seedling into a luscious, tomato-dripping plant.

But not everyone has the space or desire to wrangle vines or pick cutworms off leaves. For them, Topsy Turvy is a great way to grow tomatoes -- upside down.

Where to Stop Overspending Everyday

Filed under: Budgeting & Planning, Economizer, Family Finances, Food & Drink

There's no shame in splurging once in a while, but in order to be able to do that, it's best to save a little everyday, on smaller purchases. And with our Starbucks or Tims habits, or our new reliance on prewashed salads and veggies, it's harder and harder to save on a daily basis. Check out our gallery to see where we're wildly overpaying for everyday items.





As Seen on TV: The Furminator

Filed under: Video

If you've got pets, you've got pet hair, and The Furminator claims to be one of the best pet hair combs out there. Find out what happens when WalletPop contributor Lisa Kaplan Gordon puts it to work on her furry friend.

Back to School Bento - New Way to Pack a Lunch

Filed under: Video, Family Finances, Food & Drink, Back to School

What's smaller than a bread box, easy on the environment, and cool enough for your kindergartner, fifth grader and high school student? That would be a bento box.





Bento -- a single-portion meal packed into a re-usable box, are as common as our brown bags in Japan. Traditionally they're filled with rice balls (o-nigiri), bits of fish or tofu, and some pickled or grilled vegetables. But with their growing popularity in the west, intrepid lunch-packers are learning that just about anything fits into a bento.

Of course, you're free to turn your kids onto o-nigiri (triangle-shaped rice balls with a bit of fish or pickled plumb tucked in the middle). They're the Japanese equivalent of a PB&J. Nutritious, delicious ... and way more healthy than that PB&J.

Interested in learning more? Here's a super-cool site featuring a wide-variety of bento boxes. And the go-to site for learning how to fill them? Lunchinabox.net, of course. Plug in your rice cooker and get started on the newest way to pack a back-to-school lunch.

Why Buying a Home is Evil

Filed under: Video, House & Home, Investing

Don't even think about buying a house - that's the advice of financial analyst James Altucher in conversation with DailyFinance's Nikhil Hutheesing. What does he think we should do with that money? Invest, invest, invest.

3 Stocks to Buy Now... Before They Go Up

Filed under: Video, Investing

The market is in the toilet - what better time to look at new investments that are priced to sell. Watch this Daily Finance video for three smart picks right now, according to one investment analyst.