Why is it that when I have no extra money to go shopping, that’s when I can’t seem to pry myself away from my favorite shopping sites? Seriously, I need to stop checking the Buy.com sale pages so often because whenever I go there, I find yet another irresistible deal that I don’t want to pass up!

For instance, today I saw that this Invicta Subaqua Chronograph watch is one of the featured deals of the day. This is a very nice men’s watch that is made of rubber and stainless steel, and features analog Swiss movement. Invicta is a pretty famous name in watch circles because the company generally comes up with awesome designs at prices that are far more affordable to would-be collectors than, say, Omega or Rolex.

This particular Chronograph is water resistant to 500 meters, has luminous hands that you can still see when visibility is otherwise poor, has 60 second, 1/10 second, and 30 minute subdials, and has a 50mm case diameter.

What really got to me was the price on this one. The watch usually retails for $1995, but Buy.com is offering it for just $239.99! Plus, there’s an additional $20 discount for a limited time, dropping the total price down to an unbelievable $219.99 — with free shipping.

Like I said, I don’t really have any extra money for this right now, but I almost feel obligated to buy the watch because of how much I’d be saving! Someone stop me!!!

There used to be a time when being a high school graduate was enough to secure good employment for your entire working life, but those days are long gone. There’s just too much instability in today’s world to allow for lifetime employment, and when the economy takes a downturn, absolutely no one is safe from cutbacks and outsourcing. Still, you can significantly improve your chances of finding and keeping a high-paying job by getting a college degree.

Schools like Western Governors University make it more convenient and affordable than ever to earn an online degree in a variety of fields. WGU is fully accredited, which means your degree will actually be worth something in the job market, and is a nonprofit institution, which means they don’t see students as so many dollar signs. Plus, when you enroll in an online program, you’ll be able to go at your own pace. This ensures that school doesn’t interfere with existing work or family commitments and increases the likelihood of actually completing your coursework.

Think what you could do with an online business degree from Western Governors University. This kind of credential could help take your career — and salary — to new heights, so take a look at the WGU website for further details!

I just read a news blurb about a Rhode Island man named Alan MacQuattie who was recently charged with animal cruelty and unauthorized practice of veterinary medicine for operating on his own dog. Apparently the dog, a 14-year-old Lab mix, had a cyst on its leg, and MacQuattie couldn’t afford to have a vet remove the thing because MacQuattie is on a fixed income. So the 63-year-old gave the dog a local anesthetic and did the surgery himself.

The article didn’t say how MacQuattie got busted, but it was probably because the surgery site ended up getting infected, which likely prompted an emergency visit to the vet or something. In any case, the man has been charged with these misdemeanors and now has to pay some fines.

I don’t know how I feel about this. On the one hand, in this particular case it seems like MacQuattie maybe did have his dog’s best interests in mind — despite the vet’s claims that the dog wasn’t suffering from the benign cyst. On the other hand, there do have to be limits otherwise the crazies out there might attempt similar stunts and claim they were just doing it in their pet’s best interests. Hmm… tough call here.

(AP Photo/WPRI-TV)

Did you know Buy.com sells jewelry? I sure didn’t, but when I was cruising through the sale items today, I saw that they’re offering this certified 1/2 carat diamond ring right now. That 1/2 carat is the total weight of all the stones, which are set into a very nice white gold ring. The three diamonds in the center are just lovely, and the additional six along the sides give the piece an elegant look.

My 10-year wedding anniversary is coming up soon, and though my husband and I originally planned to take a trip to someplace romantic like Maui, we might have to scrap that idea because of a lack of funds. This diamond ring would make for an excellent substitute, especially because it’s just $249! Can you believe that? The suggested retail price is $1,000, so this is an amazing deal!

My original engagement ring is also just a 1/2 carat, which means this new ring wouldn’t be an upgrade or anything. Still, I think it would be a terrific way to signify the next part of our journey together as a married couple. Will my husband go for it? Maybe. I’m not usually a big jewelry person, so it’s not as though he has already spent thousands of dollars on other trinkets for me over the years. I guess I just have to drop some hints and see if he acts on my tips!

Why is this Sports Illustrated cover shot of Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn generating so much controversy??? Apparently some women’s group or other finds it objectionable because they deem the pose to be sexual in nature. Huh????? Are they serious? I don’t know about you, but I see nothing remotely sexual or controversial about this cover. She’s a skier and she’s bent over in a tuck position. That’s tuck with a “t”, not an “f”, ok? My god, what is wrong with people these days????

I’m trying to finish all my homework and household chores so I can be ready to sit back with a couple of beers and a bowl of popcorn to watch the Blackhawks take on the St. Louis Blues tonight. The Hawks are finally home again after a long road trip in which they played 8 games across 16 days. They finished the trip 5-3, which is not bad, but not great either — especially when you consider how teams like the Washington Capitals and Vancouver Canucks have been stringing together tons of wins. Shouldn’t the Hawks be doing the same?

Yes, Chicago is still in first place in the Central, and should win it rather easily. But the bigger problem is that the Hawks haven’t looked like the same dominant team since that massive collapse in Minnesota last month. They’ve had a bunch of sloppy games and have lost to teams they should have beaten. There are always excuses: long road trip, injuries, other goalie played his ass off, other teams really get up for games against the Hawks, can’t win ‘em all, blah, blah, blah.

I think the Hawks goaltending has been piss-poor recently and is going to be the Achille’s heel of this team in the playoffs. Cristobal Huet is so inconsistent that it’s frustrating to watch. I want to stand behind the guy because he’s the starting goalie, but he just has some awful, awful outings, ya know?

He’s getting another start tonight because Niemi is sick, and I hope he does well. This is a game the Hawks should win. If they don’t, wait for the excuses to come rolling in again.

One thing that some of my friends don’t know about me is that I’m kind of a freak about germs. I hide this part of my personality relatively well because it’s a quirk I’m not particularly proud of. Nevertheless, I actually carry around a pair of latex gloves in my purse and wouldn’t dare leave home without my trusty bottle of hand sanitizer. And I have a lot of trouble staying at hotels — especially after seeing lots of “hidden camera” videos of how poor a job the cleaning staff does of disinfecting the rooms.

One product I’ve been interested in adding to my germ-fighting arsenal is a UV toothbrush sanitizer, like the one made by IZAP. A toothbrush sanitizer consists of a little case that houses your toothbrush and focuses ultraviolet rays on the bristles. After a few minutes, the UV rays successfully destroy 99 percent of germs and bacteria, including the truly nasty stuff like E. coli, strep, and salmonella. Can you imagine those things living on the end of your toothbrush? That’s disgusting!

Anyway, I’ve seen these UV toothbrush sanitizers selling for as much as $40 in some stores, but this particular IZAP model is on sale for just $14.99 right now. At that price, I might need to buy a couple just so I can have a backup. After all, I plan on using mine every single day!