Think Outside The Piggy Bank

reward points

Are they worth it? I'm thinking more about store reward programs than the reward points earned with credit cards. Let's take the Shoppers Drug Mart (Canada's largest pharmacy chain) Shoppers Optimum Reward program as an example. When you rack up 7,000 points, you can save $10 on your next purchase. Sounds great, but in reality that means (if you don't end up earning extra bonus points along the way) that you've spent $700 to get the measly ten bucks. If you make it to the highest level of 75,000 points, you get rewarded with $150. But of course you've spent (again, without extra bonus points thrown in to help) a whopping $7,500! Now, it's true that if you would have spent that amount in that particular store anyway, then the reward is kinda nice (although still paltry), but I think the reward system entices you to spend more than you normally would. At least, it did with me a number of years ago. When I found myself deliberately buying things I didn't necessarily need (yes me, the frugal one!) just to get more points more quickly, I stopped using the Shoppers Optimum card and am glad I did.

Ha! Here's someone with a different take. Kathryn uses the reward system to much greater advantage, so perhaps I need to rethink my strategy.

Canadian Tire 'Money' coin

I've written about Canadian Tire 'money' before, but now they've come out with a $1 coin (featuring the same weird guy as on the paper bills), which depending on your point of view, is either kind of cool or just plain stupid. Now I personally wouldn't mind getting this coin, but the problem is that you have to spend $25 first to get it. And it's only available this Saturday and Sunday. Touted as the first ever Limited Edition Canadian Tire 'Money' coin, I wonder how many people will go for it. Like I said, I wouldn't mind having it, but there isn't anything worth $25 at the store that I actually need. I even scoured the weekly flyer hoping that something, anything, would catch my eye, but nothing did. Well, except for the Sesame Street sandwich maker (yes, it's a sandwich maker that toasts two sandwiches with an impression of Elmo & Cookie Monster), which also is kinda cool OR stupid depending on your point of view. In my case it first caught my eye, but then made it roll, snort. And another problem with the coin (like the bills) is that you can only use it in Canadian Tire stores. It can't be used in general circulation, although I'll bet you someone will try!

another reason to hate Bell Canada

Has it really been ten days since I last posted? Hmmm, whom or what can I blame? The heat? Nope. Myself? Probably. Bell Canada? Yes, why not!

And what is my latest reason for hating Bell Canada you may be asking? Well, they're making me pay for long-distance phone calls I didn't make. Yep, indeed. Here's the story. It's a longish one, so get yourself a drink.

Got my phone bill and noticed 15 long-distance phone calls that were made in the space of three days. Problem is that I didn't make any of the fifteen. In fact, I didn't make any long-distance calls for the entire billing period. So I get on my Bell Canada operated phone to enquire/complain, and of course encounter Emily. Now Emily and I don't get along too well in part because Emily isn't a person, but an automated voice recognition system. In other words, a computer and an annoying computer at that. Call me weird, but I don't really like the phone to begin with, and while I don't mind pressing numbers to indicate what I want, I resent having to speak out loud to someone who doesn't exist. Plus, when "she" keeps telling me, I'm sorry, I missed that, or I'm sorry, but I still didn't catch that, and You're trying to ____________. Is that right? I get testy real quick. When IT finally says, Let's try again. Tell me what I can help you with. You can say things like..., well, I end up saying things I'm sure she wasn't programmed to hear. Snort. 

This time I yelled CUSTOMER SERVICE REP! right away, and was put through to a real person. Who said, brpt brpt brpt brpt brpt brpt brpt brpt Angela brpt brpt brpt, to which I replied in my best Emily-like voice, I'm sorry, I can't understand your accent, could you please transfer me to someone else? Because you see, Big Corporation Bell Canada is so damn greedy, that in an effort to make itself more money, it has outsourced most of its call centre workforce to India. And while I actually feel bad for any employee Bell Canada is exploiting, when I'm agitated I don't want to have to struggle to make out what someone else is trying to say. Her response? Brpt brpt brpt not authorized to do so brpt brpt brpt. Well, I said, I guess the only thing I'm authorized to do is hang up. Which I did. 

So I called back and talked to someone I could understand a bit better, but not with better results. They tried to convince me I had somehow forgotten I'd made those calls. Kept telling me who some of the numbers belonged to as if that would prompt my memory. And parrot-like I kept repeating, I didn't make those calls, I didn't make those calls, I didn't make those calls. I finally told them to check my previous phone number and record (I had moved in June) to see how infrequently I called outside my local area. They then had the gall to tell me they already had. In other words, they could see this wasn't my usual calling pattern, but wanted me to pay anyway. Well, that pissed me off, and when I told them so, they finally agreed to give me a credit on my next bill.

The problem though is that they didn't try to figure out and fix what was going on. How can my phone line be registering calls that I don't make? And what about the next bill? What if this happens again? Their response? Oh, just call again and we'll send out a technician to troubleshoot because we can't have you calling every month. Um, no. And now that they know the situation, I certainly won't be paying for any more calls I don't make, credit or not. I have a pre-authorized payment system set up with them, but if I see any non-authorized calls, I'll cancel that so quick Emily won't know what hit her!

I'll keep you posted. Pass this on to other Bell Canada-hating Canucks! :)

earth day

Happy Earth Day! Did you see the cool new badge? Click on it and find out how you too can contribute to one million acts of green.

My local grocery store finally got in the act today and from now on will charge five cents for every plastic bag given out. A good idea for those who don't already use their own cloth bags and maybe it will inspire less use of plastic overall. A ban on certain pesticide products is in effect here in Ontario as of today as well, and that's another step forward. Hey, have you heard about the new Disney film called earth? I really want to go see it, but I don't think it's showing at a theatre I can get to. Pity.

So I decided to post this entry on each of my blogs, as it's relevant to all three. Being environmentally friendly can be cost effective in many ways; not only can it help your wallet in the short run, in the end, the less damage we do to this planet the less we'll have to spend to clean and fix it up. Making sure our habitat becomes safer is good for all the species our earth has to support, and veganism's emphasis on compassion for all ties in neatly with environmental concern. Again, Happy Earth Day however you decide to celebrate, and think green all the way!

earth hour

Don't forget that this Saturday, March 28, cities around the world will turn off their non-essential lights during Earth Hour (8:30 - 9:30pm) to raise awareness about climate change, and to show that it is possible to take action against global warming. I think it's a great idea because it demonstrates that every individual can make a difference, and that a whole group of individuals (say, a billion) acting together can have a huge impact. It gives me hope that we can use the same momentum for other issues as well.

I think we all need to start realizing the cost of our mass behaviour in terms of the sustainability of this planet, and of the creatures living on it. There's lots of other stuff you can do besides turning off the lights during this hour, hopefully on a regular basis as well, such as:

• install energy-saving light bulbs
• only run the dishwasher when it's full
• better yet, do them by hand!  
• unplug devices you're not using in addition to turning them off
• get a more energy-efficient fridge or freezer

So, this Saturday do your part and be in the dark! Snort. Because unfortunately there are enough people out there who still think that global warming is a bunch of hooey (which frankly, boggles my mind), and we need to counteract those naysayers.

a day of hope

But first, did you know that January 19th was Blue Monday -- the saddest day of the year? Not surprising I guess as the holidays are over, resolutions are broken, the bills have come in, and by now we're fed up with the snow, slush, lack of sun, and the long dark nights. I must say though that when the clerk I'd been grumbling to informed me of the status of the day, it cheered me up immediately! I suppose it was comforting to know that it wasn't just me. 

How fortunate then to have the saddest day followed by such an incredible day. If up to two million people attended the inauguration in person, how many more worldwide were witness to this historic ceremony on TV, radio, or Internet? And will January 20th ever come to be officially known as the day of hope, the day when things finally turned around? Certainly this event was not just important to Americans, because although America often acts as if it's the most important sibling within the global family, all nations have a stake in this. And while I have to admit that I was initially disappointed with not having a woman become president (Palin was nothing but embarrassing), I came to realize that Clinton would never have the unifying power that Obama so quickly displayed. Yesterday was a historic day for all citizens of the world no matter what happens from now on, so my only quibble I suppose is that it would have been nice if President Obama had somehow been able to curb the cost of this grand event. If he had insisted that at least part of the $160 million be diverted into starting to solve some of the economic problems in his country, then that would have been impressive indeed!

did I win?

Nope! :)

bought a Lotto 649 ticket today

Buying lottery tickets is something I rarely do as in general I consider it a waste of money, although harmless enough fun if it's something you can afford. But because tonight's draw was for $35 million, and I already had the change in my pocket, I figured why not. Then again maybe I shouldn't have as I have major misgivings about this whole lottery enterprise. [Yes, do relax and get yourself a cup of tea or something, as I'll probably outline them all, snort.]

First, I wish they would change the amount of money awarded in order to spread the wealth. I mean, what individual really needs $35 million? It's an obscene amount of money if you ask me. Wouldn't it be much nicer if they capped the award at $1 million (and no, please don't give me the "$1 million just doesn't go a long way anymore" routine), but had 35 draws so that more people or groups had a chance for this unexpected financial influx?

Secondly, I love how they include the warning "Know your limit, play within it!" on the ticket along with a telephone number to the Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline. At first glance this may seem like a decent thing to do, but somehow it just reminds me of the warnings and notices posted by various alcohol and tobacco companies. As they both have a vested interest in getting consumers to buy more of their product (i.e. drink and smoke more), it kinda strikes me as a conflict of interest. And the fact of the matter is that there are a lot of people who don't know their limit when it comes to gambling, which is why there's been a huge increase in people addicted to this activity, and a corresponding increase in the number of gambling-related suicides. Unfortunately I don't know the exact statistics and wish I had kept the newspaper article from a few years ago on this very topic, but I remember being disgusted at the time that the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation admitted that it could afford to pour millions into programs addressing addiction and suicide because it was a drop in the bucket in comparison to what they made!

That in turn made me look differently at their slick TV commercials with the catchy slogan "Imagine the Freedom", because certainly anyone addicted to gambling is not free by any means. And they make it look so easy too; buy a ticket and you won't have to work anymore. You can tell your boss to shove it, retire, and buy that big house. Or two or three. What they don't advertise of course is the staggering number of bankruptcies filed by lottery winners within a couple of years of winning. Again I don't know the exact statistic (will look it up and report back in an update), but I think it's close to 50 percent. Hmmm, I don't think bankruptcy offers much freedom either. On the other side of the coin it always surprises me when lottery winners announce they'll keep working at whatever job they have and while that certainly seems like the more responsible thing to do, a part of me feels that if they can afford to not work, then perhaps they should make room for someone else who really needs a job. And what galls me the most are people who win more than one large lottery! Um, in my opinion, if you've won a million or more once, then you should automatically be disqualified from all future lotteries. Like I said, we need to share the wealth.

Speaking of wealth, many people who play the lottery regularly (I'm not talking about the occasional ticket here or there) are the ones who can't always afford it. When you're making minimum wage, several different type of tickets at $2, $3 and $4 a pop really add up. I also saw this when I still worked for non-profit social service agencies, as a number of them would raise funds by selling Nevada tickets and profiting from Bingo hall games. Well, most of the people buying the tickets and playing in the halls are decidedly not rich, and it seemed questionable to me to take from them when in all probability a number of them were the very clients needing the programs offered by the agencies!

Getting back to those commercials I don't like, they also seem to me to encourage viewing the lottery as a viable way of making income (and I've known people who will spend hundreds of dollars convinced that they'll win as opposed to my philosophy that if I'm meant to win, then one ticket should do the trick) rather than as a fun game which in all likelihood will get you nothing. Except for maybe a free ticket to entice you to do it all over again. I also noticed that when I did occasionally play in the past the clerk redeeming my winning ticket always assumed I'd exchange what I'd won for another ticket or two. No thanks; I'll take the cash!

Thirdly (or is that sixthly by now?) and lastly, I have to share a lottery anecdote that always struck me as both funny and sad at the same time. Years ago when I was helping an elderly lady in her mid-eighties who was dying from COPD (a nasty lung disorder), I used to tease her about the scratch tickets she'd buy every week. What were they? Cash for Life! I mean, she knew she was dying so wouldn't have too much time to profit from this particular game, yet I could never get her to at least buy another type of ticket.

Well, wish me luck for tonight, but I guess that even if I don't win, this ticket certainly gave me a lot of material for a post.

At least two dollars worth I'd say, LOL.

waste not, want not

Apparently this idiom was first recorded in 1772 (yes, I Googled, LOL), but an even earlier version "willful waste makes woeful want" (never heard of that one I have to admit) goes all the way back to 1576. So I'm certainly not the first or only person to dislike waste, but it continues to surprise me when blatant waste occurs in times that are not exactly economically healthy, or by people who I wouldn't think could afford it. For example, not too long ago I saw this woman throw a skirt into the garbage can at the laundromat. When I happened to walk by I noticed that it still had a price tag attached and was obviously brand new. In a joking manner I asked her what was wrong with it, and she replied that it didn't fit. Personally I was floored as I would have automatically tried to pass it along to someone else or would have donated it to a second-hand clothing store, but what really got to me is that this happened in a laundromat. I mean, most people who can afford their own washer and dryer don't have to go to there, or else they simply to drop off their clothes and pay someone else to do it for them. (I once peeked at someone's bag to see how much it cost and was so flabbergasted that I now don't mind paying the $3 per load.)

But waste is everywhere. While I might complain about what I consider to be major waste at the macro level (and certainly lots of people would disagree with my stance on the Olympics for example), it's everywhere you go and it drives me nuts. Now I'm not saying that I never waste anything because of course I do, but I've lost count of the number of times I've seen perfectly good couches, chairs, tables and TV's so big they dwarf my little 20" antique set, just rotting in the rain. Hello? And it's a shame because there are lots of agencies that will come and pick up your stuff as long as you call them. (Or if you want to donate more directly, post your items on Craigslist, Kijiji or Freecycle.) The other day I saw this couple literally unload an entire truck of belongings at one of those charity boxes. I actually went up to them and asked them about it (no, I don't always mind my own business, snort) and they replied that they didn't have room in their new place. The kicker though was that they looked as if they couldn't even afford the old stuff they were getting rid of. I left shaking my head.

My own personal feeling is that wasting is not only foolish, but also disrespectful. It's taking for granted what you have, and what you can acquire, and it's almost like thumbing your nose at those who may not be able to afford what you can. If you think about it, it's just kinda rude on all levels. Don't you agree?

FORTY billion spent on Olympics?!

Okay, now I'm TWICE as appalled.

Back tomorrow.