In Which We Speak of Monetary Matters

[Buster's Uncle]

throwing money at problems is always a last resort.  That's why I tend to HAVE money when it does come to last resorts.

See, Bank of Dad used to give these personal finance seminars as part of their customer service - actually, more lectures; the President of the Bank was an ungodly sharp fellow -who knew he was smart- with an uncomplex philosophy about personal finances, and who didn't mind repeating himself until the lesson got through - or you judged it safe to flee the room in terror.

Money is armor against a hard world, if you keep it close.  Nickel and dime, nickel and dime, nickel and dime ALL the small stuff ALWAYS - so when you get in a wreck and get laid up for six months, the hard world can't swoop in and take everything.  It does happen.  -Also, so you can afford to woop it up on vacation, within reason.  Broke legs and vacations -semi-modest ones within reason, nothing like four times a year- is what that money is FOR.

It is hard for me to understand most people, always, because this is the ocean I was born swimming in, when it comes to money, and 95% of USican are freakin' aliens to me when it comes to parsimony and savings.  Have a little doggon self control.  Foreigners are almost always a lot better; even first-world western Europeans aren't nearly so spoiled, mostly.  Latino immigrants, I've noticed - THOSE folks know how to make a penny scream as it dies, and I approve of them.

You never know when you might wake up without a refrigerator.

[Buster's Uncle]

Bumped for th' banker...

[Buster's Uncle]

Say, I really REALLY need for Capital One to stop sending me something credit card-ish about once a month.  We have a wood stove, and said junkmail gets deposited there on the regular, opened but unread, but take a freakin' HINT.  Been going on for years.

I doubt it's even possible to do anything with whatever those things are, but the lack of absolute certainty offends, just as any actual credit card I've ever been cold-mailed does.

None of it's worth the time to write a letter or make a phone call - just, they need to euphemism off, and I need to vent now...

[Metaliturtle]

Go here https://www.optoutprescreen.com/ and opt out.  Should take care of capital one and anyone else tryna spam up the mailbox.

[Buster's Uncle]

Tell me how you know -FOR SURE- that's on the level and not a scam to pull my info.

[Metaliturtle]

20 years of hearing the same complaint from Boomers that stop after I say that to them.

[Buster's Uncle]

That's good, but I'd like certainty...

[Metaliturtle]

Well that's my best bet. Nothing is certain but evidence is there that it works.

[Buster's Uncle]

So this is backed by your word as a banker who banks on being trustworthy.  Let's see what I think of that tomorrow.

[Green1]

Say, I really REALLY need for Capital One to stop sending me something credit card-ish about once a month.  We have a wood stove, and said junkmail gets deposited there on the regular, opened but unread, but take a freakin' HINT.  Been going on for years.

I doubt it's even possible to do anything with whatever those things are, but the lack of absolute certainty offends, just as any actual credit card I've ever been cold-mailed does.

None of it's worth the time to write a letter or make a phone call - just, they need to euphemism off, and I need to vent now...

Some of those offers I get from places are hilariously bad. Like you pay like 100 USD a year fee, like 30++ percent interest, and they say "up to X" but it is probably not more than 500 to 1K.

But I am sure there are working people with fair to good credit short on a utility bill that would get suckered into this and end up paying that bill for years.

Only payday loan or the pawn shop is worse.

[Buster's Uncle]

These things have never existed in my universe.  Pop made sure, and I still believe him.

-Background on my sister's refrigerator story, bottom last page?  She comes to me as high priest of Daddy-Style miserliness for permission to spend sometimes.

[Buster's Uncle]

Oh, Fun Fact about me, Gamera, that ought to shock?

I got a semester study towards a business degree about 35 years ago - if I could do elementary school arithmetic worth trusting, I could actually manage the most basic of bookkeeping...

[Metaliturtle]

Oh, Fun Fact about me, Gamera, that ought to shock?

I got a semester study towards a business degree about 35 years ago - if I could do elementary school arithmetic worth trusting, I could actually manage the most basic of bookkeeping...

Now you just plug numbers into a magic box and it poops out a result.

[Buster's Uncle]

Eh, I'm not even smart at data entry.  Just no head for numbers, son of and brother of men who could/can do it standing on their heads...

I HAVE held down two convenience store cashier jobs, and didn't suck at counting money -or memorizing the price of everything in the store, you had to- to my vast surprise.