The Price Is Not Right!

The recession has hit allot of people very hard. I'm one of them. We haven't gone broke but our plans have changed some due to not having the money. For some 15 months i lost on average of 30% of my normal wage due to 1- the work not coming in and 2- because of less work, less hours.

I'm very lucky in the fact i work for a great boss who kept most of us in some form of work, all though it did get very close on a few occasions.

Now we are back to normal hours with some extra cash we decided to get a few new things. I REALLY feel the cold so the first thing we upgraded was our bedding. Now as money had been tight we have realized the you don't have to pay retail or normal price for anything. What we did was find what we wanted noted the price and waited until the sales.

We bought new bedding, duvet and cover for 48% of the cost if we just went out and bought on the day we first saw what we wanted. 48% less. that's $200 odd saving.

Now we also wanted, well needed really, to get a bigger fridge. We have 2 but the on in the house is more for 1 person. When we do a shop there is not allot of room left so we put the excess in the "beer" fridge in the garage. And if things go in there unless its beer sometimes they don't come out.

My problem is this. We found the fridge/freezer that has the room and would fit in our kitchen.
In 3 months the shop has had sale after sale and there has been 4 different sale prices and 4 different recommended retail prices. So what is the best deal? Its the same damn fridge over a very short period of time surely the price would be stable. We are not talking a few dollars here. From $1800 down to $1350 that's allot of difference in my book over 3 months for the same product.

And it gets better. I looked at other stores and the price is up and down just as much.

Maybe I'm getting old and intolerant but if this recession has taught me anything its that shops are crafty bastards and if you are wanting to buy something expensive it pays to wait and watch the pricing.

We still have not bought a fridge yet but when i do it wont be full price .

I'm of to have a tomato

Goodbye

Pissed Off!

When I was growing up there was always someones house to go to for a BBQ or dinner. With so many aunties and uncles friends etc it was never boring. Every time a get together was on, the woman bought a plate and the men bought a crate. That's how it was.

There was always plenty of food and drink. When lots chip in it was great. And the next day whom ever hosted the party had left overs for the next week. What you bought was left, part of the thanks for having us mentality.

I mean, when I went as a young working adult my contribution was a box of beer (more than I would drink) and nibbles like chips , nuts and if I was staying the night I bought something for breakfast, like bacon or bread and eggs. That's how it was , that's how I am and will continue to be.

I realize that some people don't have the money but why then do they expect to be provided for and turn up with nothing?

An example was a BBQ for a special day. It cost me and my lovely woman close to $120.00 to put on lunch, food drink etc which we don't mind because we love to entertain but when some people turn up with nothing why did we bother? We are not a food bank and don't have endless pockets of cash.

We don't go anywhere without bringing something.

Sure when you get an invite " Come for dinner" sure we are there but always ALWAYS we take something. Wine , pudding what ever it is home-made baking. It is a contribution to the meal and the home we are going into.

I have seen some pretty amazing parties where the food and drink was endless all because everyone put in and I have seen some people not invited because of their "free lunch" attitude.

Am I being silly and selfish? Should I see that some can't afford to bring anything and shouldn't have to bring anything?

We live in a home we have made for ourselves and do not run a hotel. You can only give so much before you think: nope no more. I'm not going to feed and house the free-loaders that just think its great to come and stay. The food is great, beer in the fridge and wine in the rack. Yes, the things we have worked bloody hard to get FOR US. It's nice to share and most that come bring something that's just the way life is for me .

Telemarketers

Its been boring . No shop has tried to rip me off, no company has tried to take my money . NO . WAIT a minute!

Phone telemarketing. WHY do they ring when your having dinner. Is there a camera in my TV that when i just get the food , which was a nice piece of steak in this case, in to my mouth they ring my house.

" Good evening sir how are you today?"

"I'm fine "

"I'm blah de blah from blah de blah blah and we would like to know how good that steak is? ." or some question i don't recall .

SOD OF i don't want to talk, i want to eat, its night time, food time.

Here are two tips to get rid of them.

When the ask 'How are you today?" I go into this speech of how I'm not to good , my cats just died, my jobs in the toilet, wife's gone, house is going to the bank but thanks for asking and say goodbye and hang up.

The other one is they ask " Have you got time to blah blah?"
I say to them I'm just having dinner(which they can probably see from the camera in my TV) but will be free around midnight and can i have there home number and i will ring them back (to annoy them) but sadly they don't and they often get the point .

Yes they have a job to do but come on 7 at night when people are eating or settling down for the night its annoying, like having the Churchys turn up on your door at 6 am Sunday morning (but that's another rant.

Right I'm of to trim a tree

Angus McRant

Dentist and Drugs

Today i went to the dentist. I went a few weeks back as well just for a check up and a clean as everyone does. I unfortunately DO NOT DO DENTISTS WELL! Ever since i can remember i have had a real bad feeling about them. For years i have known i need to go but could not get the courage to go . Just sitting talking to the dentist I'm there arms folded cold sweating and arse clenched. I hate it but a little while ago my darling partner told me of some relaxing drugs that the dentist could give me and i would not be in such a state. Cool i thought give that a go i will.

Wow amazing. 2 little white pills( its the little one that are the strongest I'm sure) and I'm of to a happy place. Problem is that i loose all sense of , shall we say , all sense of Angus. I become this smiling happy wobbly glassed looking dude who needs his honey to really look after me. Once i fell asleep in the dentist chair , not a good look. Anyway, the last appointment a few weeks back at a new dentist, that had given me 2 new tablets to try, 730 am Saturday took the pills 800am lights out .

Don't remember a thing till Sunday morning. I have been told that the clean and check went well no holes or problems so to speak. After the visit i need to go to the small room but being under the influence couldn't find one but knew there was one over the road , a busy main road. Luckily my honey got me in the car and drove over the road where i bolted to the toilet completely out of control.

Apparently i slept most of the afternoon and then helped with the chores and even help preparing dinner. What do i remember? SOD ALL NOTHING NADA NINE CENTER OF A DONUT! In fact F@%$&*K ALL to be precise and that scares me to death.

For the appointment today i took 1/2 of 1 tablet and although i was wobbly happy glassed eyed i was still in control, well sort of. This is such a big deal for me to go to the dentist that i need drugs to get me there but i don't want to put my partner or myself in harm full situations.

Thank you darling for taking care of me.

Phobia's are never nice and with help i will get over mine (or at least manage it )


Angus

Shoppers Beware

The bastards have really done it now !!!!!!!!!!!

A while ago after doing some grocery shopping we were checking our receipts. Now knowing that all the prices are in the computer , we have been trusting that the price advertised on the shelf under each product is what we would pay. Not so we found out.

3 times in a very short space of time we noticed that the prices were different. When it happened the 2nd time we asked for a refund and got it no problem. The 3rd time same thing got a refund no problem.

What gets my goat up, is the fact that how many people payed the bigger price??

Supermarkets already charge over inflated prices for there products and since this has happened ive been watching other shoppers and not many of them check their dockets before leaving the shop. The refunds we got amounted to about 6 or 7 dollars. Times that by , i don't know, 5ooo that's alot of income that the supermarket has made from what i think is ripping of customers.

I it says $2.99 per widget then it should be $2.99. I know mistakes happen but if 100 people have bought that item before someone comments on it you do the math.

Today at a different shop the same thing happened. It said on the box $39.99. The price at the checkout was $42.99. Luckily i spotted it and took it up with customer services. We got our refund and i asked what is going to happen if someone else buys one, will there be the same mistake? He said and i quote "I will leave a note" .

To who the #!@!$@! Tooth Fairy!!!

Just another example of shops ripping people off. Watch your dockets people save yourself some cash. It may sound tight arse but why should i pay more than the price that is on the @##$! box.

I'm of for another coffee goodbye

Work

I'm a fairly hard worker. Over my 21 years at this job I've learnt a thing or two. Lately I've been increasingly frustrated by my foreman who gets me to do things and then stands over me watching and telling me exactly how do do it. Now am i wrong in thinking that if he knows how to do it then why the @%$# doesn't he do it himself and let me get on with what i have to do?
Some days i am here there and everywhere slowly getting further and further behind in my capacity. I don't mind being busy but when i get told to do a job that someone else could do (that someone being the person who stands and watches my do it ) then that is a waste of my time the persons time and my bosses money paying two people to do one job. Plus the lost production that goes along with it.
What do i do ?
I'm getting close to telling him to either do it himself or go find something to do. I'm not that thick or incapable of thought that i cannot problem solve. 21 years has giving me many skills but the one skill that is slowly seeping away is tolerance.

I'm of to get a tomato goodbye

Supermarket Rules

I went to the supermarket today like many in our town. We all have to eat and that is where we get food from. Sometimes , well most times it is like walking into a bloody "Valley Of The Damned" movie. I mean really we do it every week but still there are people in there that look as though they have just lost the will to live. Man I don't get it. ITS FOOD SHOPPING!!! I made the mistake of smiling at someone as i reached for a bottle of wine and the look I got as if I had just farted in their spacesuit. The isles are 10 feet wide , the trolleys 2 feet wide. Lots of room you would think. Then WHY do they stand on the left while they push there trolley out to the right and block all traffic and stand there thinking which thing to pick of the shelf??? Hm i mean really come on some self awareness and consideration for others around you. Yes sometimes when you are looking for something you need to stop but why stop with the trolley in the middle? And why do people go the wrong way around the shop? Its designed to be traveled in a certain direction not just any old way. You don't drive down the wrong side of a motorway do you?
The solution is a "Road Code" for supermarkets. And if you do not shop the right way you get fined or told to park you trolley and go to the naughty corner.
It would look something like this :

1-When entering shop a smile must be shown with in the first 30 seconds
2-The trolley must never be more than 18 inch's away from your belly button and always facing straight ahead
3-If stopping to check list one must first check that there is a parking space free other wise wave people past as quickly as possible
4-When entering a cross-section always give way to the right (left if in America) caring not to hold up traffic more than is necessary
5-When at the Deli or Meat counter wait your turn and be precise with your order get it and move away
6-Older people shop slower and must be given more room to stop and start. They've beenaround long enough and have earned that right
7-If you meet someone you know don't just stop and chat other people want to get home today
8-Last but not the least for god sake lighten up. Its shopping for the most important things we need and we do it every week .

I'm sure there are many other rules that could be added but its cold and I'm going to get by the fire goodbye