Notes on Self Service

The other day I did my banking at an ATM.  I pumped my own gas, paying at the pump with my credit card.  I bought some groceries , used self scan at the grocery store, bagged them myself and wheeled them out to my car.

Not too long ago, I would have dealt with  the teller at the bank.  An attendant would have pumped my gas, and cleaned the windshield as well.  At the grocery store, not only would  a cashier  have rung through my purchases, she would have put them in a bag, and, if I would have had a cartload of groceries, called a  boy to wheel them out to my car, put them in my trunk, and take the cart away.

I would have had contact with four people.  I probably would have gotten to  know them, and there would be a conversation.  If I knew them well, I would learn about their lives, how there families were, and that information would be passed around to other people who know them.  They would ask the same of me. Sometimes I would be asked of my mother, or my grandmother.

 It was how the a town the size of ours worked.  Everyone knew everyone, or knew someone who knew someone.

Self service may be more efficient, but something is lost.

How to deal with contour sheets.

I hate folding contour sheets.  I can never do it so they are the same size or as neatly as a flat sheet.  It has gotten harder over the years with the addition of deep pockets, and elastic, sometime all the way around!

So here is my full proof method for dealing with contour sheets.

Take sheets off of bed.
Put immediately into washer.
Place in dryer, or if you are so inclined, on the clothesline.
Remove from dryer or clothesline.
Iron if you must. (this step is in memory of  my Grandma and for  my friend Jen.)
Replace sheets back onto the bed.

New isn't improved.

Once again a product I like has gone "new and improved."  Problem is, while it might be new, it is improved to a point that I don't like it any more.

I don't know if it is because I am of a certain age, but I don't want  Fabreeze to my laundry detergent,  fish oils in my shampoo, or having my deoderant or my dish soap smell like a flower arrangement.

What is wrong with detergent smelling like detergent, shampoo just be shampoo, and deoderant and dish soap that smells like, well, nothing?

I don't need or want lime green or purple ketchup. 

I am in the market for a new TV.  My big old honking Zennith is finally giving out signals that one day shortly it is going to blow.   I went looking the other day at TV's. 

The nice sales person was showing me a nice tv.   But then he went on about  Inputs, system outputs, USB ports, and where I could attach my game system, camera, Tivo, DVD, stereo , computer,  and told me about wireless keyboards, wireless speakers, and showed me a remote that you would need a PHD in rocket science to figure out.  

I asked him if they just made televisions designed for just watching tv.  He looked at me like I was nuts.

Tassimo VS Keurig

I do a lot of surveys.  Some pay cash, some points toward cash prizes. Every once in a while a survey company will ask if I want my name to go into the hat for the opportunity to try a product, and then answer questions about it.  I always say sure, but rarely get picked.  However lately I got picked for a doozie.

I did a survey about single serving coffee machines. I didn't have one,  but had been debating about getting one. Didn't know which one. So I guess I was who they were looking for.

The survey company  sent me both a Tassimo and a Keurig machine, and $150 in Visa gift cards to buy coffees.

I was to use each machine for two weeks, and answer 3 surveys about them. I got to keep both machines.

Here are my thoughts.

First of all I am not into flavoured coffees or cappuccinos or lattes. Maybe in the winter, but not now. Also, I am diabetic and have to watch the sugary drinks So I mainly bought just plain coffees, and some hot chocolate, as that what mom likes.  I rarely drink tea.

Tassimo, at least in my part of the world, seemed to have a better selection of flavoured coffees, and speciality blends, Keurig was better on the selection of teas. In the plain coffee selection, it was a draw. Price wise, the Tassimos were on special where I shop, but normally I couldn't see much difference in price locally. Selection was limited for both of them.

With separate milk pods, the Tassimo made better hot chocolates and flavoured drinks, but it was sometime I pain to deal with two separate pods.

As for the machines, they both seemed to brew good coffee. Tassimo was faster to warm up for the first cup in morning, but after that Keurig was quicker and easier to use, and made a hotter coffee. My mom, with her arthritis and lack of strength in her hands, could not handle the Tassimo, but the handle on the Keurig is a piece of cake for her.

It is much simpler to get hot water out of the Keurig, and the select a size of brew is much better and simpler to use.

The water tank on the Tassimo is a better design, easier to handle. The Keurig, while on the side, I find a bit awkward. My  mother cannot handle taking it off, so refills it with a cup.

The Keurig came with an adaptor and filter, so I can use regular coffee, the Tassimo I am limited to using just the pods. Though, I have read in places that you can get a pod to use your own.  Also if the scanner got gummed up the Tassimo would not work, and we would have to figure out how to get it going again.  It is much simpler to pop the k-cup in the Keurig and go.

In both cases when making more than 4 cups at a go, like for a crowd, it was a pain. Unless everyone wants a different kind, using a regular coffee machine is much easier, and probably more cost efficient.

So in my case, the Keurig has become my everyday coffee maker. The other one is being used by my brother.

   I would suggest that if you are into flavoured coffees, go with the Tassimo. If you are like me and just want your cup of coffee, go with the Keurig.

Using the internet to save money in Canada

I wrote this article a couple of years ago.  I have updated it, but the majority of it still held up. Some links were changed.

   

With the rising cost of food and other products, people are looking for any way of saving. The Internet is a wonderful tool to help you in your search for savings.

I can't promise that all the ways will work all the time, but it never hurts to try.

Contact Companies Directly

Check the advertisement or product package, and more often than not, you can find the website or email address.  The product website just might have coupons, offers, and possible samples.

 Email the companies. Tell them that you really like their products and ask if they will send you coupons. Cosmetic companies will sometimes offer samples if you say that you wish to try before you purchase.  

Don't hesitate to complain. Companies like to know if something is not right. Be prepared to give serial numbers, UPC, and/or expiration dates from the product. Sometimes the companies will send discount coupons in response. Also, praise a product if you really like it.

To find contact information, look for the 'Contact Us' link on the websites.  If you can't find it, look for a link called Sitemap.

 Remember to leave your name and address in your email.

Some websites and companies have print your own coupons. I find them difficult to use because some stores refuse them.  If you live in an area where these are not accepted, contact the company, inform them that local stores don't accept them and ask if they could possibly send you a 'real' coupon.

Companies often have email newsletters. They provide you with heads- up on new products, offers, coupons, samples, and contests.

Restaurants

Sign up for your favourite restaurant's newsletters. Some of them send you free or discounted meals for your birthday. Newsletters often contain special events.  Again, don't hesitate to complain if a meal was not up to snuff, or send a letter of praise if service was extra special. Most national and international chains have websites, but make sure you have the Canadian site.  

Stores

Most chains and outlets have web pages. You can sign up for newsletters with information on sales and web-only specials. Some offer discount coupons or giveaways as well. Also, you can check a store's website for the weekly flyer.

If you want to check flyers and don't have the newspaper you can check out flyers online.

http://www.flyermall.com/web/flyer/store.html lists most online flyers.

Coupon direct sites

www.save.ca , www.brandsaver.ca , www.websaver.ca www.gocoupons.ca

At these websites you select your province, and a list of coupons is shown. You must chose at least three, and not more than twenty. Then follow the instructions, type in your information, and in a week to ten days you will get the coupons sent to you via regular mail. Coupons have a short life, expiring usually in about 3 months. Some of the coupons you can order once, some twice a year, some every three months.

 At https://www.pgbrandsampler.com/brandsampler.jsp  they give away P&G sample packages occasionally. You can get up to 8 sample sizes of various products after filling in a survey. You must register, and they will email you when samples will be given away. There are a limited supply of products, so when the promotions are on, you mustn't dally.


Group sites
These are sites that a "deal" will be posted, and if enough people sign up for the deal, it happens. There are various incations of these types of sites, some local, some have web deals as well. Deals might be for merchandise or services, http://www.groupon.ca/  and http://www.cityxpress.com

A word of warning. Do some due dilegence here.  CBC program Market did a feature on one of these such sites and it is worth watching. http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/episodes/2013/04/whats-the-deal.html While the program deals with one specific site, the warnings might be applied to any of them. 

Freecycle

www.freecycle.org

Instead of throwing out things that might have some use left in them, some people a are willing to give it away for free!

People post them on local Freecycle sites. You can find a local group from the national website. Some sites allow you to place a wanted posting. From the main page you can find a group in your area, or information on starting one up. There is a Windsor based group, as well as a Leamington based group.

Blogs and Forums

There are several good blogs and forums out there that can help you with saving money.  They often list links to store flyers, deals, and coupons.  Several include forums where people share links to freebies, samples, coupons and contests.

For Canadians these include:

http://canadian-freebies-n-stuff.com/

www.smartcanucks.ca

www.canadianfreestuff.com

Another benefit of these types of sites is that coupon trains are often started here. A person will announce that a train is starting and ask for ten to twelve 'passengers'. The person will gather a list of addresses, and send a package of coupons to the the first person on the list. That one will take some coupons, and replace them with ones of equal value that you don't need, and then send the train off to the next person on the list.

You must register and log in to view the forums, but there is no charge. Use your Hotmail or Gmail to register, and under options, make sure that your privacy settings are set high. Use a nickname, as your username, and if you don't want email, check the user page.

Word of Mouth Programs

Word of Mouth is a buzz in advertising. For example www.buzzagent.com offers you the opportunity to try products and promotional sites, and ask you to create 'buzz' among your friends and family. You post your promotion on the word of mouth site. You sometimes receive the product for free, and get coupons to pass on to those you buzz. Other sites are http://www.theinsidersnet.com or  http://www.brandpower.ca/ 

Book publishers sometimes offer advance reading copies of books to people, and hold contests for copies. If you blog, you might get advanced copies as well.  Check out publisher websites.

Facebook
Increasingly, companies are using Facebook for contests, giveaways, and sample offerings. Often samples and giveaways are limited, and go fast.  Keep an eye on your favourite companies Facebook pages. 

Your local library
Most libraries now offer e-books for downloading. Check your local library website, or pay them a visit.

Keeping Safe and Words of Warning

To get things you've gotta give. Most sites have Privacy Policies, explaining what they do with the information they gather from you.  They claim to keep it safe, but often share information with other parties. The news is full of stories of information gone missing.

The original company might keep your data safe, but partners may not be so secure. There is a huge market for verifiable email address.

  Spam, the electronic version of junk mail, is a fact of life anymore. More dangerous are emails that carry viruses, or fraudulent scams. Take the time to learn about viruses, phishing, and 419 fraud. Always make sure that your computers anti virus program is up to date and running.

Here are some ways to keep you and your data safe, and your junk mail to a minimum.

Get yourself a Hotmail, Gmail, or Yahoo account to keep junk out of your general email account. This is almost a must. These accounts are free to use, and can be disposed of easily. Keep it exclusively for offers.

Always read the forms carefully. The privacy policies that most websites have, are mind numbing to read at best, but they spell out what the companies say they do with your information. Read them.

Watch what information you give out. Sometimes things are optional, such as birthdates and phone numbers. Don't give out any more information that you need to. I play around with the phone, sometimes putting 000-000-0000 works. If it isn't required, don't give it. 

There are often boxes asking if you want email from partners and third parties. If you don't check carefully how the request is written, you may end up with more email than you want.

It  is imperative to  to have a competent anti virus program. Learn how to use it, and run it often.

How much time you want to spend in your on line search is up to you. The time spent can be worth it in terms of savings.

What I want to do with this blog.

I want to try something different. I want this to be a place I can vent. To post reviews of products (and yes, I will be honest if I get free stuff).  It is to be a place where I can keep my sanity.  It will be a bit rough till I get going, and figure out things.

I am not a mommy. I don't have kids. I have never been married.  Currently I am not employed, but am a care giver to my elderly mother. ( Please note that I said I am not employed, not that I don't work.) I am a Canadian. I live in a small town in Southern Ontario.   I am 52 years old.  My opinions will be coloured by those facts.

As I said before this is going to be a bit rough, and bland till I get things figured out and where I want to go with this. Publishing for a while may be spotty.  Heck, it may disappear shortly.  But I want to get started.