Money, money, money! We work diligently for decades to pay our bills, put food on the table and clothes on our backs. After taking care of the necessities, decisions — and possibly some arguments — are made on where the leftover money goes toward. Spend or save? Buy or window shop? A gift for me or you?

One man in Michigan hasn’t wavered for more than half a century on what his annual purchase must be. And we’re not talking chump change here…

Man drives home 53rd new Cadillac in 53 years
Associated Press

FLINT, Mich. — There are loyal customers, and then there’s Joseph Macko. The 84-year-old Flint man has bought or leased a new Cadillac every year since 1955, the year Disneyland opened in Anaheim, Calif. “You only live one time. Money is to spend,” he told The Flint Journal. “I spend it once I get it.”

Macko, a retired General Motors Corp. worker, used to buy a new car every year, but he’s been leasing the last few years. Last week, he drove home this year’s fresh set of wheels — a black 2009 Cadillac DTS — from the Al Serra Auto Plaza in Grand Blanc.

Joseph Macko takes the wheel after signing a lease for a 2009 Cadillac DTS in Flint, Mich. It’s the 84-year-old retired worker’s 53rd Cadillac in 53 years. (AP Photo/The Flint Journal)

“He looks forward every year to buying a new car,” said Gordon Taylor, who has been Macko’s salesman for 22 years. “He wants that same vehicle.”

Marcella Macko said her husband isn’t the spendthrift he might seem — he saves up all year to pay for a new car.

But, she said, she just doesn’t get excited anymore about the annual ritual.

“He does, but I don’t,” she said.

Information from: The Flint Journal, www.mlive.com/flintjournal

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Looking back at your spending habits, is there one item you must buy every year? One super-expensive pair of shoes? The latest toy to add to your collection? A piece of new furniture? Any ODD must-have purchases?

Do you buy it because it’s on sale or a great deal, are following some kind of tradition or can’t break the habit?

The only thing I seem to religiously buy are cosmetics from Macy’s during the free gift sale. Though I believe the item itself is overpriced, the free samples you get with the gift makes it a good deal. Only problem is that the sale happens about three to four times a year and several brands offer this deal. So I have a huge collection of assorted products and cosmetic bags from Lancome, Estee Lauder and Clinique. Anyone want a free lipstick? I have jars full of them since I hardly wear lipstick and one stick takes forever to use!

What stores must you always check out when you go to the mall? Do you have to stop at a certain store every week to see what new items have been stocked? Or how about online shopping? Always checking out stores’ Web sites to see what the latest products are?

Do you see yourself as more of a spender or saver? Do you live by a budget and add up receipts? Are paychecks spent as soon as you get them? Do you go credit-card crazy or often pay by cash to keep a better eye on purchases?

Are you the type that will drive miles away to get that sale price? Spend 20 minutes in line for Costco gas to save pennies a gallon? Do you recycle all your cans to get that nickel back?

Four-and-a-half months left until Christmas! In a couple of months, you’ll start seeing Christmas decorations and holiday sales! Ever notice how Christmas stuff is out before Halloween is even over? I guess it’s a marketing scheme to get us to buy more.

Speaking of which, I actually got a telemarketer call (even though I am on the do-not-call list) the other night. A guy wanted to know if I was interested in buying a Christmas wreath as part of his organization’s holiday drive!! Just a heads up in case you get the same call… I told him I wasn’t even thinking about Christmas yet when he asked if I knew of anyone else who might want a wreath. Long story short, he said he’d gladly call back when it gets closer to the holidays…

Well, Christmas is more associated with gifts than it is decorations (if you consider what folks tend to get stressed out about). Some people like to get an early start, others shop year round and store their gifts until the appropriate occasion and many even wait till the day before to find their loved ones a gift.

Finding the perfect gift is hard, but it doesn’t take a genius to know not to send certain kind of gifts. Like maybe a pig’s head. Yup, according to a story on UPI, that’s what one man did and now he’s in trouble with the law:

LONDON — A London court has found a man guilty of sending a pig’s head disguised as a birthday present to his ex-girlfriend’s sister-in-law.

The Kingston Crown Court jury found Martin Anderson, 44, guilty of masterminding a hate campaign against Kim Teague that left the woman fearing violence, The Sun reported Monday.

Judge Stephen Bellamy set sentencing for Sept. 5.

“Obviously all options as to sentencing will be kept open,” he told Anderson after the guilty verdict was announced.

Teague had told the court she received a gift-wrapped package that contained the severed head of a pig with the letters “RIP” written on its forehead. She said she also received anonymous phone calls from someone who made pig noises over the line.

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So ruling out gifts that could be considered a “hate campaign,” what were some of the best gag gifts you ever gave or have received?

In terms of those “junk Christmas gifts that your grandmother gave you,” care to share what any of those were? What about some ODD gifts — perhaps a gift that maybe wasn’t meant for you in the first place?

Do you regift, return when possible or just give away to charity if you don’t like the gift? Ever tell a person that you didn’t like it?

Who is the hardest person to shop for in your life?

I haven’t posted anything on dumb behavior for a while so here are two unrelated stories. For those who remember the whole germophobe talk, I wouldn’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if these skinny dippers having fun in a city reservoir weren’t caught…

2 caught skinny dipping in Portland reservoir
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. — Two people caught skinny dipping in a Portland reservoir that is a main source of water for the city nearly caused officials to dump millions of gallons of water and close the facility.

Ryan Langsdorf, 28, and Ashley Moyer, 23, were found in one of two sections of the Mount Tabor Reservoir at about 3 a.m. Saturday during a spell of unusually hot weather. They were cited for trespassing.

But the two were swimming in a section of the reservoir that was not being used. Had that section been in use, water bureau officials say they would have had to dump millions of gallons of water from that pool and possibly shut off the reservoir.

Earlier this year, millions of gallons of water were dumped when someone put latex paint, a construction cone and hundreds of fliers into the water.
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And what’s up with men getting arrested for various activities using thongs? I’ve come across many stories with this theme…

Man accused of strolling in thong, fake breasts
Associated Press

MANCHESTER, Conn. — A Manchester man has been arrested after he allegedly strolled along Interstate 291 wearing nothing but a thong, fake breasts and a wig. Police say they received several calls about the man, which prompted an hour-long search over the weekend.

Police said they found the suspect Saturday fully clothed and collecting cans behind a business in Manchester. Police said they also found a wig and fake breasts in the man’s car.

The man, 42, was charged with disorderly conduct and simple trespass. He’s free after posting $2,500 bail.

Information from: The Hartford Courant, www.courant.com

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And here’s an interesting story by The Washington Post on compulsive buyers that also caught my eye. Maybe it was the word Coach in the first paragraph… (At least I said Coach, and not Gucci or Louis Vuitton!)

It made me wonder if we really are aware of our shopping habits or are many of us in denial…

WASHINGTON — Shannon Hassemer went on a shopping spree when she got her first credit card in college. Tired of owning just one pair of tennis shoes, she quickly filled her closet with luxury items from designers such as Gucci, Coach and Louis Vuitton.

“I wanted to fit in,” she said. “I was tired of looking like a boy.”

It was a boost to her self-esteem, which she describes as particularly low. Over the years, shopping became a source of comfort. It was a daily habit. When she had children, she started buying them expensive clothing. Now at 36, shopping has become a source of pain. She has enrolled in a debt-consolidation program to pay down the $35,000 she owes on her credit cards, and she is getting therapy once a week.

“When I’m unhappy, I want to shop to make myself happy,” said the mother of two from Bakersfield, Calif. “I’m happy for a brief moment and then angry with myself because I’ve spent money.”

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“It’s the ideology of America that you are what you own,” said Lorrin Koran, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University’s medical school who co-authored the 2006 American Journal of Psychiatry study. “You’re encouraged to identify yourself and value yourself based on what you own or buy or display.”

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The story goes on to share how some compulsive shoppers have jeopardized their retirement savings and entire net worth.

According to a study in the American Journal of Psychiatry, 5.8 percent of Americans are compulsive buyers. They buy things they don’t necessarily need or can’t afford to the point that it affects their relationships, their finances and/or their health.

Even mounting bills aren’t enough to keep some hard-core shopaholics from spending money on clothing, vacations or meals at fine restaurants, psychiatrists and financial planners said.

Have you ever monitored your shopping habits? Do you buy things for instant gratification only to regret the purchase later?

Sales can be the worst. I’ve been scolded in the past for buying something just because it’s on sale. Almost everything is “on sale” nowadays (just walk through a Macy’s) and could be a trap for you to unnecessarily spend money. I’m good about not having to shop (except at Costco, where I can go a bit overboard…) often without feeling sad. But if I do shop, I like to go home with something and the sale often justifies the purchase.

Is shopping your favorite pastime? Is our nation obsessed with material goods and designer names? What’s your favorite brand(s)? What sales can you just not resist? I’m always amazed when I see teen girls sporting brand-name bags and clothes…