Nov
15

Remember the Days of 5 Percent Passbook Savings

I remember when I was a kid that I could get a return of 5% on my savings account. You went into the bank with your change and opened up your first bank account and they gave you a passbook to keep track of your transactions. What happened to the good old days? Now you are lucky to get 1% on a money market or a 1 year certificate of deposit. With the recession and the housing market crash it has taken it’s toll on the economy. The stock market is so frenetic that it is hard to put your money into anything that gives you a steady return. Bonds look good if you are willing to take some risk with the lower rated bonds. Bankrate.com is a good place to checkout the current rates. I don’t see how retirees are surviving. Social security isn’t healthy and the majority of the population is getting older which means that the minority of the population will have to support the retirees. The retirees deserve this because they put in their time and paid into the system.

Nov
14

Overcharged by Walgreens

I am on my way to work and I stopped by Walgreens to pickup a drink for work. I purchased a gatorade and a power bar. I get to the cashier and I purchase the items. I get the receipt and It is over $6.00. I was in a hurry, but I had that nagging feeling that the amount was wrong. It turned out that I was charged for 2 gatorades and a power bar. I figured this out when I arrived to the office. Not much I can do about it now. The cashier was nice and talkative and I am guessing that it was an honest mistake. I should have did something about it at the moment I thought there was a problem. Has this ever happened to you?

Nov
11

Only Call Walmart to check a price if you have the patience of a saint

I was shopping for an item over the weekend so I figured it would give Walmart a shot. I called Walmart and the operator picked up immediately and asked me which department I needed. I said I was shopping for a movie so she transferred me. The phone rang over 20 times before a customer service person picked up and they say, “Please Hold”. I am driving and I have the phone built into the vehicle stereo so I figured it would wait for a minute or 2. I was on hold for over 10 minutes so I decided to hang up and call again. It takes me approximately 30 minutes to get home from town so I figured I would see how this turns out. I called again and reached the operator then it rang over 24 times again, but finally I reached a customer service representative who was very nice and gave me a price. I would only recommend calling Walmart if you have lots of time and lots of patience. Has this ever happened to you before at any retail establishment?

Nov
10

Should it matter who you sell your house to?

I was discussing with a seller the fact that they were selling their house. The seller was concerned that they had already accepted the offer without knowing all of the facts. The person that put in the offer on the house had their mother put in the offer on their behalf to hide the fact from the seller. The person that ultimately will take possession of the house has another house in the neighborhood and they rent out that house to college students that throw alot of parties. The rest of the neighborhood is upset about this. The seller is upset that they are selling to someone that will further decrease the value of the neighborhood if they rent it out to college students. I asked the seller if they received the offer that they needed on the house and they said yes. The seller is moving to another state and still feels morally obligated for the neighborhood. I don’t think that the neighborhood is the responsibility of the person selling the house. What are your thoughts?

Nov
09

18 items or less?

I was at Frys shopping the other night and I am ready to checkout so I go to what I thought was the Express lane. The Express lane says 18 items or less. I stood in line behind 2 other people and I started counting their items. The person just in front of me had 43 items and the person in front of them had 41 items. Now I am pretty sure that 41 and 43 are more than 18. I don’t say anything until I get up to the cashier. I mention casually that the people in front of me can’t count obviously. She apologized and said it happens time to time that people do that. I was very nice about it, and didn’t get upset at the cashier. I have been in retail for over 20 years and I can understand her pain. I just wish that people would follow the rules. I can see if you have a few more than 18 items, but don’t abuse the system. What are your thoughts about it?

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