Coupons and security

I felt like a little kid yesterday. Remember when there was “nothing to do” and you’d whine “i’m bored,” stretching bored out into two syllables?  Yeah, that’s how I felt yesterday.  I think it’s one thing to be bored as a kid and a completely different thing to be bored as an adult.  How can you be bored as an adult? You’re in control of your life, you can go find something to do. But I couldn’t think of something that would make me not bored. I think this is part of seasonal affective disorder, which actually hasn’t been that bad for me in recent weeks so that’s good.  But it’s 6:33 am and I already feel bored today.  Ugh, I hate this.

Though I’m bored, it doesn’t mean that I haven’t been thinking about things to share with you all.  I actually have a bunch of things I want to share.  Here are a few of them:

coupons

On Saturday morning I sat down at the kitchen table with some breakfast and the newspaper.  I started with Washington Post Magazine and an interesting restaurant review but before long found myself pulling out the coupon section and getting a pair of scissors. I cut between 8-10 coupons for things like paper towels and things I can’t remember right now. I enjoy clipping coupons.  There’s something relaxing about it. But I think I like clipping them more than I like using them:  I totally forgot to take them to the store with me on Tuesday.  And that’s how it always goes.  I cut a bunch and then forget to use them.

Do you use coupons? What’s your thought on couponing? I think coupons are great, who doesn’t want to save money.  I do wish that I could find more coupons for things I actually buy regularly like fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, Arnold Bread, etc., instead of processed foods.

Oh and is it coo-pon or cue-pon?

security questions

When it comes to security questions, I choose questions whose answers are fact: what city were you born in, what was your high school mascot, mother’s maiden name, maternal grandmother’s name, etc. I never choose questions like “what is your favorite movie” or “what is your favorite icecream flavor” whose answers may vary and I’m left sitting at the computer wondering “what would I have written for that?” Apparently, this might not be the best strategy.

I signed us up for Mint.com this weekend and asked Mike for the passwords to our joint credit card. Each time you log in, the site asks one of three security questions so he gave me the answers to those too. When I looked at the answers, they were one of either a) in code, b) not true–at least not yet, or c) variable. I thought his answers were really funny but he said he read somewhere that the answers to these questions don’t have to be true, just something you remember.  That if someone really wanted access to your banking info, they could find out the answers to fact-based questions.  Hmm, I thought.  This definitely makes sense. After all these are called security questions, there for added security.

what types of security questions do you choose? when it asks the name of your childhood best friend, do you type her real name or the name of your favorite Babysitter’s Club character?