Thursday Thirteen #420

Preparing for tariffs. While President Trump insists that, over the long term, his new tariff policy will result in a stronger economy, most experts agree that short-term we can expect to see higher prices. After tooling around the internet, I've found 13 items we may wish to stock up on now, before retailers have to restock and reprice to reflect the cost of the tariffs.

Check the expiration date on the items you currently have on hand. If they are going to expire anytime in 2026, it's worth your while to replenish your personal supply now. 

1. Batteries

2. Toothpaste

3. OTC pain killers and cold meds

4. Rice

5. Canned soup

6. Coffee

7. Olive Oil

8. Laundry detergent 

9. Body wash 

10. Light bulbs 

11. Toilet paper/paper towels

The following items don't expire but are likely to climb in price when tariffs go into effect 

12. Small electronics, like blenders, microwaves and portable hair dryers

13. Hardware and tools, like flashlights, nails, nuts and bolts

 

PS I'm not suggesting hoarding. Just use your at-home storage space wisely and take advantage of pre-tariff prices when you still can.

 

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

 

 

 

I'm in!

 

Paul McCartney will be ending his North American tour in Chicago on November 24 and 25. My birthday is November 22. I take this as a sign from the universe that I must be in attendance for one of those shows. 

There was a lot of stress involved in getting me a ticket yesterday. But – spoiler alert – I'm in.

Days ago I requested a pre-sale code for each night, which arrived on my phone at 9:00 AM yesterday. I logged in with one on my laptop and the other on my phone. The pre-sale started at 10:00 and here's the message I got on my laptop. The one on my phone said I was 37000+ in line. I was not hopeful. The United Center has a capacity of less than 25,000 for concerts.

 

The ticket prices – which hadn't been announced before Tuesday – ranged from $40.60 to (gulp!) $4,135.90. For 50 minutes, I watched the queue number tick down oh-so slowly. I did yoga stretches as my eyes darted from phone to laptop and back again. I listened to Paul songs and wondered how I was going to pay for my ticket in the unlikely event I got one. I looked at the pad of lined paper on my coffee table that has an overview of my finances. I have a "slush fund" that I started back in March, seeded with money from my tax refund. 

My "slush fund" is different from my "household fund," which is money I have earmarked for sudden home expenses (like a broken window or a new refrigerator). It's not my "emergency fund," which is a 120-day CD and saved for unexpected taxes or a medical bill for me or the cats. I had unspecified plans for the "slush fund," adding $10 to it here or there, working toward hazy dreams of a someday kitchen remodel. 

On Tuesday morning, my "slush fund" had $815. Right now? $27.46.

Both my phone and my laptop let me in to the sale at the same time. I don't understand how that happened. I was so very far back. I can only imagine that many other fans had their credit cards rejected or choked when they saw the price of the seats that were left. I had an advantage. I only want one seat.

I opted for "best available" on both screens. Under $1,000 for two reasons: I didn't want ground floor in front of the stage because I'm too short to see anything and because, well, I don't have it. 

I got section 101, lower level, left of stage. 24 hours later, seats in my section are selling for $2,500+ each on Vivid Seats. 

I forget how popular Paul McCartney is. I have loved him since I was 6 years old, the same way I love blue skies and a cat's purr. It's basic and consistent and forever. It never occurs to me that other people love him, too. So the ticket demand and the price did surprise me.

But I am going. He is 83 and I am 67. I am aware that time is running short. My knight will be here for my birthday, and I will be there to see him.