Category: Shopping

Not So Sharp

In our twenties, my friend Debbie and I went on a multi-month quest to find an elusive item: a graphite pen.  This thing wrote like a pen and produced “pencil” writing that was erasable.  (What can I say? We were nerds.)  We never really found one, although we heard they existed.

Now Sharpie has come out with just this thing.  I was so excited!  (hey some things never change)  Staples didn’t have them so I decided to order on Amazon.  

Good thing I read the reviews -these things are terrible!

http://www.amazon.com/Sharpie-Liquid-Mechanical-Pencils-1770244/dp/B003VQHQ8E

The quest continues!

Get Your Ice Cold Water Here

I have learned, from Barbara and then by my own experience, that you can take unopened (only) bottles of water (only) into Red Sox games.  Those people with those six-packs of ice cold water looked mighty smart on that sweltering day when the rest of us were going in to pay outrageous prices for water in plastic!

Virtual Shopping Meets Reality

From Sal:

“My friend Laura taught me that when shopping, it’s fun to put everything you want in your cart and then totally reevaluate when you get to the register.  You get all the fun of shopping, but you only end up with the things you really can’t live without.  If you go back and the same thing ends up in your cart again and again, maybe it’s time to buy it.  If you get to the register and notice that you’re already going over budget, just give that item back to any employee… you’ll hardly ever regret it!  We saved ourselves from spending over $100 at Ikea last night!”

Pro-Whining

From Sal

Sometimes, whining works!  I canceled my Comcast service and switched to a new cable provider for my new apartment, since I had such trouble with their billing department for the last 12 months.  The first time I called to cancel, they wanted to charge me $75 to end one week early, make me sit around with my cable box, and keep the new people from getting cable for a week.  But I tried back a few days later, and explained my problems right up front to the new person, who is not only easily ending our service as requested, but we get to deliver the box whenever we’re done with it and we are getting a refund, instead of a fee.  Whining win!

Why God Invented Wal-Mart

Today I learned to NEVER buy plumbing supplies at a plumbing supply store.  I paid more that twice the price than the same item at Wal-Mart and Home Depot AND it had a piece missing AND when I went back to get that piece they were closed on weekends!

Oh and I also learned not to count on the plumber showing up and how to install a float valve in a toilet.