Covering All Bases

So there is a distinct possibility I MAY have a second roommate moving in. Maybe. I'm kind of excited about this to be quite honest with all of you.

Anyway, it's laundry day week for me. And by that I mean I've pretty much neglected washing my clothes for weeks and I'm working through the stuff I don't normally wear anymore. Given the fact that I take the more European approach to clothes (wear them more than once if they aren't actually dirty), this means I haven't done laundry in a while (save a load of undergarments 2 weeks ago).

Most of you probably already read FB's blog Fabulously Broke, but if you haven't sauntered over to her other blog The Everyday Minimalist I'd suggest you check it out. She did a post a couple days ago about how people dry their clothes around the world that got me waxing nostalgic about my university days. When I moved into my apartment I bought one of those folding drying racks from IKEA to hang my delicates to dry on. It was under $20 at the time, and was one of the smartest purchases I made during that timeframe.

Now, I grew up in a rural area, on an acreage, where you get dirty looking after the animals/gardening. My dad is a mechanic, so you can be sure he gets pretty dirty too. We had one of those extra large washers that advertised it would wash 20 pairs of jeans at once, along with the matching dryer. You could do a lot of laundry in my parent's washer. Imagine my horror at realizing that my apartment only had 1 tiny washer and dryer per floor (Shall we say 3-4 pairs of jeans?), and that it would cost me $2.50 a load to wash, and $2 a load for ~25 minutes in the dryer (plus more for extra drying time).

W...T...F...

It didn't take much mental math to figure out that I wasn't going to be using that washer and dryer. I just flat out refused, both for the sake of my wallet and out of principle.

I spent my entire 3rd year of university washing my clothes in my bath tub, and hanging them to dry on every surface I could find in my apartment. I lived alone, so I really didn't really have to worry about pissing off my roommates doing that. The only thing that caused me grief was my bedding, which I periodically took down to the laundry mat. I stuffed as much clothing into those industrial washers as possible to save myself the tub washing, but that only happened when I had a load of sheets to wash.

By 4th year I did pay to use the apartment machines occasionally for convenience sake; senior design projects sure do know how to take the wind out of you. But, I still tub washed a lot of my clothes.

Fast forward a few more years and I'm now paying to have clothes dry cleaned. Why? Because I bought a tonne of clothes for work that were dry clean only.

That was smart. S-M-R-T....

I had been cursing the cost of cleaning my clothes, when I looked down at my jeans and realized they also had a dry clean only tag.

Seriously???? It's 98% cotton and 2% lycra! Since when is cotton dry clean only?!?

Seeing as my jeans had already been unceremoniously thrown in the washer and *gasp* didn't shrink, it got me thinking about my other clothes. Why are they dry clean only? What are they made of?

Cotton. Wool. Lycra. Cashmere. Polyester.

Funny, none of those fabrics in and of themselves are dry clean only materials. Cold water hand wash sure, but dry clean? Nah. From what I understand cashmere actually does worse at the dry cleaner's than it does in hand washing.

My wallet hurts thinking about the fact that it's been duped.

I have one dress that I bought in Paris which reads "Special Dry Clean Only". From what I gathered (googled) that meant it was to be sent to "trusted" dry cleaners only. That dress will continue to be dry cleaned.

The rest? You guys have a date with my tub, ASAP. Enjoy the cold bath.

Foul Ball

I went into the bank last Thursday to take out my money for the next 2 weeks. I wish there were still bank machines that gave out $5 and $10 bills rather than just $20 and $50 bills, it would save me a trip in to the bank to talk to a teller. Furthermore, it would save me from the frequent credit product pitches that the bank likes to give.

This is a little chunk of my most recent discussion:

"I see you don't have our XXXXXX visa, would you be interested in signing up for one today?"

"No thank you, I already have a credit card"

"But this is an excellent card. If you do any travelling and rent a car with it, if you get in an accident the card covers the insurance for you"

"I understand that, but I'm not interested in another credit card"

"This card has a lot of other perks as well that you might be interested in"

Seriously, I just want $5 and $10 bills, leave me alone.

"What is the interest rate on it?"

"19.9%"

"That's too high"

"But if you pay the card off every month, you don't have to pay anything and the rate doesn't matter"

"It's more a matter of principle"

Okay, so right now it's not strictly a matter of principle, but in general it is. 19.9% is just greedy, especially when you contrast it with what they pay you in a savings account.

"We also have a low rate card you might be interested in. The rate on it is 11.9%, and the annual fee is only $20"

"My existing card is 12.9%, and I don't pay an annual fee on it"

*blank look*

"Which bank is that with?"

"XXXXXXXX"

"Oh. I'll have to leave a comment in the notes about that"

Seriously guys, I know you can see right on the screen that I have a fairly healthy chunk of debt with your bank, why push it?

Okay, chances are your supervisor is making you do it, but still.

It used to be hard to apply for credit. Now it's hard to avoid having it pushed on you. I just wanted small bills.

The more the banks push, the more I want to pay the debt off NOW so that I have less of a reason to deal with them. I know a lot of people who are getting pissed off at the banks right now over it. One guy told his bank that if they don't stop calling him and pestering him to sign up for things he's going to close all of his accounts and go elsewhere. One of the girls I hung out with this past weekend got a message on her answering machine from her bank saying it was very important she call them back. When she did, they tried to sign her up for a credit card. Seriously? Call me saying it's important if someone has tried to drain my accounts, not because I don't have one of your credit products.

Banks, if you're reading this, PISS OFF!

Ode To My Car

Every time my car has to go in to the dealership for yet another problem, I always think about Adam Sandler's "Ode to my Car". While I don't use that many expletives in my day to day life, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel like using them when it comes to my vehicle.

As you can guess, it's back there again. This time it's my fan. It happened last weekend when I was at the bank depositing some of my casino floor earnings (woo hoo!). I came out of the bank, turned on my car, and... nothing. No air flow at all. I turned it on and off a couple times, tried adjusting things to see if it would come on... nothing.

Great.

It was a very cold drive home with no warm air in the vehicle. Thank god for heated seats.

So this morning I took it in for an early appointment at the dealership. I'm really hoping this is a warranty issue, I don't really want to be spending my little savings account on getting the fan fixed in what has been a problematic car.

I talked to my mom about the fact that I want to sell my car, but my parent's aren't comfortable with the idea of me being completely vehicleless when I live so far away from them (8 hours). It sounds like, all going well, I may actually end up borrowing one of their vehicles when I sell mine. Its a summer vehicle only, so I'm not sure how I'll deal with this come winter, but it gives me secondary transportation when I do put mine on the market. I'm very grateful for the fact that they would offer to lend me one of their vehicles, I definitely wasn't expecting it.

In the mean time I'm still quite frustrated at mine. *steaming*

Anyone else having car problems right now?

Edit: The dealership just called, the car had a fault in the blower motor. It's being replaced under warranty. I can stop holding my breath now, but it's still frustrating.

Grappling With Groupon

I think I'm going to cancel my Groupon account.

It's not really a problem with Groupon persay. Well, it is and it isn't.

I thought it was for coupons, not discounted gift certificates. The name is a little misleading.

Every day a new promotion is delivered to my inbox, tempting me with the siren song of heavily discounted wares. 50% off event tickets. 67% off spa services. Marked down dinners out, clothing and hair care. Everything I would spend money on, if only I had it.

Today's Groupon was my final straw. 50% off my favourite Indian restaurant. Only $15. It's just $15, that's not such a big deal, that doesn't hurt. Oh, but what about that spa package that's only $40, that's such a steal, I really should get that too. And on, and on... Next thing you know my debt payments aren't digging me out nearly as fast as they should be. Bugger.

If it was a coupon, it could sit in my envelope, patiently waiting until the cash reserves build up enough that I could use it. Instead, it's a limited time offer, like a sale sign in a store window screaming "BUY ME NOW WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!"

If I avoid the mall to get away from shopping temptations, why should I be allowing it in my inbox? At least at the mall I get to stretch my legs.

But anyway, Ta Ta for now Groupon. See you when I have money.

In Defence of Valentines Day

I like Valentine's Day.

There, I said it. Let the hate mail commence.

I like the cards, flowers, and all of the little gestures that come along with it. I'm not going to pretend I don't, because I do. I know we're supposed to love each other every single day, 365 days a year, but here's the thing: life gets in the way. When you're tired, you have a deadline at work, the dog just spilled the garbage can, your spouse left the toilet seat up (again...), and you're changing junior's 3rd diaper before 8am, how many people are thinking "I love ____. I'm going to do _____ to show them how I feel."? Very few. If you do, kudos. My hat's off to you, but you are a statistical anomaly.

If your entire focus on this day is the price of (admittedly overpriced) roses, or how much Hallmark is wringing out of your wallet, you're missing the point. If she loves you, a piece of paper folded in half with some heartfelt words on it is going to mean just as much to her, if not more, than a purchased card. Does she NEED a card? Well, no, but it is a nice sentiment. Same with flowers. Do you NEED to buy flowers from a florist who is making a killing off you for a very brief couple weeks in February? No. (Though if you do want to get flowers, check out Costco. Really good selection, way cheaper) If the shelf life of roses irks you, why not do something about it?

Why not make the flowers?

Out of duct tape?

Silvery duct tape flowers.

I think I'd propose on the spot to the guy who ever made me those....

Why are these things important to me anyway? Am I a materialistic prima donna? (Wait, don't answer that, my consumer debt isn't really helping my argument here) I'm going to go with no. Valentines Day was something that did get a bit of focus in my family though. My parents celebrated it, as did my grandparents. When I was a kid, my dad worked 2 day jobs, while going to school in the evening so he could get a better job. My mom looked after the farm, baked bread to sell at one of the stores in town, and looked after my sister and I. They were obviously very busy, and very tired. Valentine's Day was one day that come hell or high water the rat race took the back seat to the fact that they were in love and wanted to celebrate that. No one lamented over the price of a card, or snorted in derision at the shelf life of flowers. They are simply appreciated, and they are a beautiful display of the affection my parents share for each other.

Now, I've started seeing someone over the last couple weeks. Do I expect the same grand sweeping gestures my dad tries to show my mom? Of course not. But, we are going out tonight. We're going skating. It doesn't cost us anything, but it's special to me because we're making a point of seeing each other today. Like most people, I see him mostly on the weekend when there is more free time. Seeing him today is a little gesture that makes me incredibly happy, because if it wasn't for the fact that it is Valentine's Day today, I'd probably just see him again next weekend.

That little bow and quiver of arrows may have had some questionable aim over the last couple years, but I'm not going to hold it against the chubby little cherub. In fact, I support him. The little bugger has his heart in the right place, which is exactly what I hope for everyone else today. Happy Valentines Day everyone. Go show someone you care.

Price Check Please?

For some reason my back and neck are really sore today. Massage is covered by my insurance (up to a certain dollar amount), so I figured I'd book an appointment on pay day (so I can pay cash).

I looked up one of the spas near my house online, checked their prices, and then called to book an appointment. This was the tail end of the conversation.

*booking appointment, inquired about price*

Spa: "That will be $110"

Me: "Your website says $55-$75"

Spa: "That's the American price, our spa isn't listed on there"

Me: "I looked you up on the Canadian site, and they have different services listed based on the locations so I know it's not standard pricing."

Spa: "But that is the American price. We're globally owned though, so after the exchange rate it comes out to the same price."

Me: "The dollar is at par"

*long pause*

Spa: "It is right now"

*It has been for, ummm, quite a while, and is projected to be for some time in the future*

Me: "Thank you for your time, but my insurance won't cover that cost."

I'm glad I double checked the price before I hung up the phone, that would have been a VERY unpleasant surprise if I hadn't. Needless to say, I'm irritated. Granted, that could also be due to my back being sore. Has anyone else run into this lately? If so, how did you handle it?

Going A Little Far Don't You Think?

Don't get me wrong, I love my Starbucks, but don't you think you're going a little too far?

http://www.everydaymoney.ca/2011/01/starbucks-adds-whopping-drink-size.html

A 31 fluid ounces of sweetened beverage? 3 ounces shy of 1 liter? Is this really necessary? No, it's not. It's enabling gluttony. Why not just make the people walk out the door with 2 grandes or 4 shorts? They're the same thing!

I've always been a bit miffed by the fact that Starbucks doesn't list it's short beverage prices on the menu. I was right ticked off when I heard they were planning to take the talls off the menu as well. Marketers know full well that people order what they can see, do most people even know that they have a short option?

The problem here is twofold. Larger sizes come at larger prices. Only show people the larger sizes, and more often than not that's what they'll buy. Waistlines get larger and wallets get smaller.

I like the small coffee shop concept of Starbucks. Yes, the charm has taken a considerable hit during it's global hyper-expansion, but it's still there. Competing with McDonalds and 7-11? Come on Starbucks, I'm disappointed in you.

Frugal Blog Bone to Pick

I like reading blogs that teach me a thing or two about how to stretch a buck. I even subscribe to the daily mailings of one such blog, and read the entire e-mail religiously. I love reading about how I can repurpose my items that would otherwise collect dust, use the last of my milk up before (or even after) it's starting to turn, and get new ideas for saving money on my utilities. However, I'm thinking about stopping. Specifically, I'm thinking about stopping reading the ones about how to save money on groceries. Why?

They aren't realistic.

Admittedly, most of these blogs come out of the US, and for where they are the prices they're writing about may be reasonable. For me however, they're not. For example, I recently took the unit prices from the recipes of one blog, and decided to compare them with my trip to the grocery store today:

Their prices:
2L organic milk - $1.28
1 dozen organic eggs - $0.90
1 lb butter - $0.80

My prices:
2L regular milk - $2.89
1 dozen regular eggs - $2.35
1 lb butter - $3.99 (On Sale)

This is not from a high end grocery store, it's from an average one. These are not top dollar prices, in fact they're store brand. These aren't organic items, they're regular ones. If you want to go organic the price for the milk hits $5-6, and about the same for the eggs. I'm scared to look at the price of organic butter. Don't even get me started on meat and vegetables, because they're worse than the staple prices.

The suggestion that going to the farmer's market will lower my grocery bill is laughable. If anything, it's more expensive than the store. I go for certain things so that I can support the local farmers, but $5 for a dozen eggs hurts my wallet. I would love to go 100% local, but it just isn't realistic. Ditto for organic. We don't have clearance stores and I've never seen a double or triple coupon day (ever, in my life). Most of the coupons I've come across have "cannot be combined with other offers" written on the bottom of them, and they are a pittance off of pre-made foods that I don't use.

So to all those bloggers out there who come up with solid meat and potato meals for under $5... good on you. To those bloggers/commenters who look down their noses at those of us that can't meet your arbitrary dollar figures.... bite me.