Window Shopper

Did you ever just take a minute and look at those people getting to the checkout at a busy store? I have. Some look okay. They have nowhere to go and all day to get there. Not bad. There are those who look like the sky is falling if they do not get out of there RIGHT NOW! Then some people look like they forgot everything on their lists. Of course, there are people who look like they swallowed an entire lemon. Those are the ones that are worth watching. The first thing I think is that they need a colon cleanser. Stopped up, are ya bud?

The worst case scenario has the harried mom and a few kids in a long line. The kids are finding new treasures everywhere. While the one kid asks if he can have something off that shelf, the other two are grabbing several things from the next shelf. Beware the kid with octopus arms! The poor mom ends up buying six things she didn’t want because she was unloading the cart while the juniors were loading it up again.

When I was young and foolish (well..young. I am possibly still foolish..LOL!), I learned how to go to the store and buy everything I needed and wanted. Of course, I was out of money by the time I left the store but what the heck! You only live once, right? After a while, I decided that if I continued to do that, we would never have a single cent past payday.

It did take some time for me to realize that the only way to save a dollar or two was to find the paper and scope out the best buys and then go after those. The stores call them loss leaders. They lure you into the store to buy the thing at a huge discount. Then they expect you to stay and buy more and more. Eventually, you will leave having bought much more than you could afford or care about. It’s a great sales tactic but awful for the low budget consumer.

My plan was to make a list and go after JUST those really great buys. That works most of the time. We actually go to four different stores to get our good deals. One of those stores is over 50 miles from the house but we buy for a solid month AND we also buy for another household. It’s a win win. I do not buy name brands unless that’s the best deal. Many, many of the unknown brands are good and sometimes better. With doing that, I have a huge savings therefore able to buy more for my family. Our cupboards are doing just fine. We are blessed!!!

The main thing here is to plan ahead, try not to shop while you are hungry. That’s a major no no! I did do that a few times. My sales slip at the checkout was WAAAAY more than I wanted to spend. Be sure to keep to the plan as much as possible. Build into your plan some surprises like, for instance, that product was this much last week but now it’s higher. Or how about that product that wasn’t available last week but is this week and you don’t want to miss that great price!

The last thing I am going to tell you is to have good, old fashioned common sense at the store. I do realize that particular quality is lacking in many people so it needs to be learned. If you do not learn it, you will always pay that higher price. Some day, you may want to know how to shop cheaply but effectively. This is the way to do it.

I think I’m in rebellion at the moment. For once, I do not want to go shopping, not even online. It isn’t that I don’t want things. Of course I do. But it’s getting to be sort of boring buying the same old things at the grocery store, same old things for the kids to wear, same old things that we need in the house. Wouldn’t it be great if only there was someplace that had stuff that wasn’t the same old, same old.

You think this is leading up to a place to go, don’t you. Ha. Nope. Cuz I got no idea where that would be. Maybe I could find it and then we would all rejoice together. So, I guess I will go hunting for a better place to shop, better stuff, some excitement in my shopping. Sigh. Not my best day, I can see. Ah well. Maybe it will be better in a little while. Who knows.

Happier Shopping!!!

It is coming up on Christmas shopping time. A number of years ago, we had until after Thanksgiving for the “season” to occur. Ah, some of you have no idea what I’m talking about, do you? In the 60s, the stores usually waited until the day after Thanksgiving to hit people with their after holiday sales that got everyone and their cat out to shop. IT was gruesome but it worked.

Then some bright eyed soul got the bright eyed idea that they could start the season a tad earlier. And that’s when things started to go downhill. They backed it up two weeks or so. Then in a couple of years, they did it again. Pretty soon, people were going after sales at the first of November. When it overran halloween, it got really serious.

Now, you will find stuff for Christmas in October, September and even as early as August in some places. Know what? Some people are even shopping for sales at the drug treatment centers. The world has gone nuts. Actually, a person could think they needed some after being at a department store sale or a sale at the mall. Thing is, I hate seeing the Christmas season, as the world sees it anyway, come up. Frankly, I would love it if all we celebrated was the reason for the season in the first place. But that apparently is living in a dream world.

Yesterday, we stopped at a fairly famous fast food place in a town some miles from home. We had been there in the past and had no problems whatsoever. It was always easy to get everything we needed…always. Everything. So, what was different this time?

We had two orders with us. Ours and another household order. This happens because we don’t have this particular fast food establishment in our area. This place is about 75-80 miles from home. It seems that two orders all at once confuses them. The orders were given. And combined. And shorted. How, you may ask? It was like this:

A new cashier was taking orders. We gave the first order and then the second order. Specifically said it was two orders to go. When the food came out, it was all mixed up in three bags. Our orders were rather sizable. It would be a real problem trying to sort it all out at the other people’s home. Two orders….7 sandwiches and three potato like substances in one order and 16 sandwiches and 4 potato like substances in the other order. What we got was 7 and 3….and 6 and 3. ACK!!! What’s up with that????

We went back inside to ask just that. The rather snotty little teen at the next register was making nasty noises about our coming back in. I asked her what was it she said. She replies back to me….in the snottiest possible way (I grew up hearing that the customer was always right…and this little teenybopper was treating me like she obviously treats her parents)…she says..I was not talking to YOU!! EEEK! “GET ME THE MANAGER, STAT!”

When the manager and trainee (who just happened to be part of the problem) came out, I explained first about the teenybopper who was snotty. Then, calmly, I told her (manager) that our order was in no way correct. When I tried to tell her that we were short and that it needed to be in separate containers, she couldn’t understand this. Sigh.

The original order taker was nowhere in sight. The manager trainee was not coming clean about screwing up the order himself. The manager is still not getting a clue what’s up. There we stand, waiting to leave. We had already had a bad day, nearly sleepless night and now this.

Trying to get through to someone who obviously is not getting the picture is somewhat frustrating. It’s like you are talking in a foreign language. I told her that we needed the correct number of items. We were missing 6 sandwiches and one potato like substance. By the way, there are three potato like substances that you can choose from there but we got two kinds. We only got three potato like substances instead of four. Reason? The fryer broke. Possibly the manager trainee was working on it when that happened?

The manager finally got a small clue when I started saying NO NO NO, that is not the order we asked for. She actually did get it after a while. We walked out with almost what we ordered, sorta.

In the end, this is actually unusual for this particular place which is why I refuse to tell you what fast food chain it is. No, it is not McDonalds. But that sure was a shopping no no. For the record and advice to anyone who has such problems, do NOT allow anyone to get away with shoddy work of any kind. If you want it a certain way, then it needs to be a certain way. Hold your ground. If necessary, get the manager and calmly…and nicely tell your story. Being nice will help any situation. You may or may not get satisfaction. It is highly likely that you will.

I have done some reviews on movies and other things on this blog. Dunno how many. But recently there was someone telling me that my review was late on a movie I had written. Uh yeah, I suppose it is late compared to when the movie came out. It will work that way…always with me. Tell you why.

Biggest reason that I won’t review a movie currently in the theaters is that lot’s of people do reviews on movies currently in the theaters. You really do not need me to do that. Next, I do not go to movies at the theater. Why?

1) Totally uncomfortable. When I watch a movie, I want my comfort! Period.
2) The price of going to the movies these days is really ridiculous. If you like, I’m permanently boycotting theaters.
3) The price of the food is asinine. I can make a bucket of popcorn for a fraction of the price they want. If you want milk duds, get em at the store. Much cheaper. The drinks are way out of line. Buy cans or bottles and watch your television at home. You can get refills that way!
4) There is always, without fail, some wonderful person sitting either behind me or in front of me that is going to bug the tar out of me with their blabbing or moving their head so that I cannot see, no matter where my head is. If there is someone behind me and I’m trying to see because of a wagging head in front, they cannot see either. If they are blabbing, it never stops. So, I end up not hearing the movie I just paid out for…makes it a waste of my time and money.

Why should I go through all of that trash when I can buy the DVD and watch the movie over and over for about the price of the one time theater visit??? Makes no sense.

So, as you can see, that’s why I am doing *late* reviews. They really are not late at all. Depends on if you have seen the movie or not. If not, then you get reminded that it exists. If you have seen it and loved it, it reminds you that it exists. If you saw it and hated it, reminds you not to see it again. Best of all worlds!!!

Happy Shopping!!!

Toy safety is now a high priority in the Senate committee room since there have been three recalls of toys made in China. Each time, the problem appears to be lead paint which the U.S. does not allow on toys in any form because of it’s toxic nature to children. Appearing before the Senate committee that is going to look into toy safety are the head of Mattel, the CEO of Toys “R” Us and acting chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Nancy Nord.

Along with this committee investigating these recalls, Senator Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) has introduced a bill that will treat any lead in children’s toys and other products as banned hazardous substances. And, in a johnny-come-lately style, China has agreed to ban the use of lead paint in children’s toys coming to America. What a nice thing for them to do and after only THREE recalls, too.

It’s not really a surprise that China is FINALLY getting around to doing something about their incoming nasty stuff since they are under tremendous pressure to change things. Let’s see, toys, pet food, fish and jewelry, have all been recalled because of health and safety problems. When do you think they got the clue? Yes, I am being sarcastic because it took this long to get their attention and it took a Senate committee meeting over it and a Summit with them over this same subject.

I wanted to take a moment to remember those who died six years ago today in a horrific attack in our country, something we are not used to nor do we wish to get used to it. We need think a moment about all the hurt inflicted on each of those families and on us as a nation. Take the time now to say a prayer for each one of them. This is our country of freedom and hope for the future. If we do not have that then we need to give up and hand it over to the bad guys. I don’t think so!! Remember the unity our country showed when attacked. Remember the love we felt for each other. Remember September 11th!!! Never forget who we are!!! LET FREEDOM RING!!

If you want to see other videos, please let me know and I will try to find them.

Happy Shopping!!!