So far. I've written about my bad experience with Chico's. A high up person got in touch with me, but never responded to my email. I also seem to have been taken off the mailing list, since I no longer receive catalogs. Retaliatory?
That's OK.
As I write, Mr. FS is on with Virgin Mobile. It is my fault. I noticed two charges for $20.60 for the same day on my Amex bill. I called Virgin to see if it was a mistake. They said I had to take it up with the credit card company. So I did. Amex said it seemed to be a mistake and removed the charge.
Virgin suspended daughter's phone service. After hours on the phone, including a 3-way call with us,Virgin, and Amex, we are ...nowhere. one rep says the charges were not an error; another rep said they were. Miss Em says they are. Virgin said that calling Amex set in motion a chain of events that will be hard to undo. When I said that the first rep told me to call Amex, Virgin said that it was a mistake to tell us that.
There is apparently no record of our chat with the supervisor. I can hear the annoyance in Mr. FS's voice. I think we will have to eat the loss of the minutes remaining on Miss Em's phone.
Roll of Companies I will no longer deal with:
DELL COMPUTER (don't ask)
CHICO'S (annoying)
Hamilton Books (this was a long time ago, so I may return)
VIRGIN MOBILE (winner of the worst contest or perhaps a tie with Dell)
Wonderful Companies that are famous for good service, and rightfully so:
Lands End
LL Bean
Nordstrom
Sierra Trading Post
VIRGIN UPSHOT: We have to contact the credit card company and file a reversal of chargeback, pay the contested bill, file a fraud something-or-other, and THEN contest the charges with Virgin. Should we bother?
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Friday, 7 May 2010
Can Iconic Design Be Frugal?
My blogroll is--to put it mildly--somewhat schizoid. In addition to faves who are living life in the frugal lane (Funny About Money, Revanche,Budgeting in the Fun Stuff, Simple in France, Cubicle Wall, Shelley, Roomfarm), I also feature Duchesse of Passage des Perles, Deja Pseu of Une Femme d'un Certain Age, Hostess and, most recently metscan. The latter three write about style and design. They are the aesthetes of the blogroll. That Duchesse and Deja Pseu are francophiles is only a positive.
My most recent addition is metscan. Why is she on the blogroll? Today's post featured her Cartier tank watch, certainly an icon of design and style. But very very expensive, out of reach for many. You could argue, however, that such an item IS frugal, in that it will provide many years of use, and, in the event of financial disaster, could be sold for most of its purchase price.
Metscan is also from Finland (or Suomi). It happens that I went to Finland as an 18 year old. A friend from childhood mentioned that she was going on a trip for youth put together by Finnair: for $200.00, you got your plane fare, lived with a host family for a week, and then spent a week in Helsinki at a hotel. Even at the time (1976), this was a ridiculously low price. I got a rush passport (oh, those halcyon pre-terrorist days) and off I went.
My romance with Finland predated the trip. I loved art and design. In high school I had my student membership to the Museum of Modern Art, and spent many Saturdays moseying around their collections (And inevitably had to fend off the advances of older men. I did not realize at the time that museums were high-end pick-up spots). I just loved the Design Collection, many of whose items were of Finnish origin.
Recently, Metscan posted on her blog pictures of her daughter's Helsinki apartment. It was filled with iconic pieces of design: to wit, an Eileen Gray table. Now all these pieces are expensive. But I believe that they are also frugal, because they will last forever. In fact, some of the pieces in Metscan's daughter's apartment belonged to her great-grandparents.
The Eileen Gray table is $550.00 at Design Within Reach. You can buy a knock-off for much, much less. In this instance, however, I would probably go for the original. Over twenty years, the price difference diminishes.
I wrote a while back about how my parents pined for the iconic Eames lounge chairs. After 20 years of marriage, they bought two, for, I think $1000.00 each. That was 35 years ago, and the chairs are still in service.
I've already promised my son a Noguchi coffee table once he is settled. My daughter wants two of the Kartell Eros chairs.
So thanks to aesthetic bloggers on my blogroll, for all the inspiration. And to the frugality bloggers. Truly, if you take a look, many of the aesthetes are writing about frugality, even if not directly. Similarly, many of the frugal bloggers are writing about beauty in its various guises. Truly, beauty is frugal, just as frugality is beautiful.
I think John Keats would agree. Do you?
My most recent addition is metscan. Why is she on the blogroll? Today's post featured her Cartier tank watch, certainly an icon of design and style. But very very expensive, out of reach for many. You could argue, however, that such an item IS frugal, in that it will provide many years of use, and, in the event of financial disaster, could be sold for most of its purchase price.
Metscan is also from Finland (or Suomi). It happens that I went to Finland as an 18 year old. A friend from childhood mentioned that she was going on a trip for youth put together by Finnair: for $200.00, you got your plane fare, lived with a host family for a week, and then spent a week in Helsinki at a hotel. Even at the time (1976), this was a ridiculously low price. I got a rush passport (oh, those halcyon pre-terrorist days) and off I went.
My romance with Finland predated the trip. I loved art and design. In high school I had my student membership to the Museum of Modern Art, and spent many Saturdays moseying around their collections (And inevitably had to fend off the advances of older men. I did not realize at the time that museums were high-end pick-up spots). I just loved the Design Collection, many of whose items were of Finnish origin.
Recently, Metscan posted on her blog pictures of her daughter's Helsinki apartment. It was filled with iconic pieces of design: to wit, an Eileen Gray table. Now all these pieces are expensive. But I believe that they are also frugal, because they will last forever. In fact, some of the pieces in Metscan's daughter's apartment belonged to her great-grandparents.
The Eileen Gray table is $550.00 at Design Within Reach. You can buy a knock-off for much, much less. In this instance, however, I would probably go for the original. Over twenty years, the price difference diminishes.
I wrote a while back about how my parents pined for the iconic Eames lounge chairs. After 20 years of marriage, they bought two, for, I think $1000.00 each. That was 35 years ago, and the chairs are still in service.
I've already promised my son a Noguchi coffee table once he is settled. My daughter wants two of the Kartell Eros chairs.
So thanks to aesthetic bloggers on my blogroll, for all the inspiration. And to the frugality bloggers. Truly, if you take a look, many of the aesthetes are writing about frugality, even if not directly. Similarly, many of the frugal bloggers are writing about beauty in its various guises. Truly, beauty is frugal, just as frugality is beautiful.
I think John Keats would agree. Do you?
Thursday, 6 May 2010
Advice and Cereal: Frugal Friends
I have one extremely frugal colleague, and my life took a definite upward turn when I moved to the office opposite his. (The window also helped). We chat about trivial things, which is relaxing, and fairly important things, which is not. Last week he brought me a frugal gift: a twin pack of Kashi cereal. "Why are you giving this to me? Don't you like it?"
Frugal Colleague explained that the twin pack was marked down to $1.25 at Walmart and that he had bought all 7 packs. And I was to be the recipient of one of the packs. There was also a sticky coupon for a free pack of cereal bars. Wow! thanks, Frugal Colleague.
This morning, Frugal Colleague explained that his new dental crown broke off when he was eating part of a chocolate Easter bunny that was reduced to 25 cents. Since we share the same dentist (and I swear that, between our families, we contribute about 90% of her income) I could tell him that her phone # is listed and that she takes emergency calls.
After he came back from the dentist's office, we continued out chat. As it happened, he had many issues to discuss. As it also happened, I had advice on all of them. So, just in case you have any of the same questions, here is the advice.
1. Frugal Colleague said he and his wife had not made any funeral arrangements.
Advice: Look into a burial society, like the Neptune Society. These are prepaid and no-frills. My in-laws did this and, when my mother-in-law died, it was a great simplifier.
2.Frugal Colleague said he had to buy some quick-drying pants for a 10-day trip to Turkey.
Advice: Pack about 3 pairs of old pants and discard as you go along. That way, you'll have room for souvenirs. Not that frugal people buy many souvenirs.
3. Frugal Colleague's wife just turned 66 and thinks she should wait till 70 to take Social Security.
Advice: Take it now, and repay at 70 if you want to reset the payments. This is a little-known feature of social security.
And here is a little poem from the days of autograph books. It is sent out to students and teachers during finals.
Can't think, brain numb,
Inspiration won't come.
Can't write, bad pen,
Best wishes , Amen.
Frugal Colleague explained that the twin pack was marked down to $1.25 at Walmart and that he had bought all 7 packs. And I was to be the recipient of one of the packs. There was also a sticky coupon for a free pack of cereal bars. Wow! thanks, Frugal Colleague.
This morning, Frugal Colleague explained that his new dental crown broke off when he was eating part of a chocolate Easter bunny that was reduced to 25 cents. Since we share the same dentist (and I swear that, between our families, we contribute about 90% of her income) I could tell him that her phone # is listed and that she takes emergency calls.
After he came back from the dentist's office, we continued out chat. As it happened, he had many issues to discuss. As it also happened, I had advice on all of them. So, just in case you have any of the same questions, here is the advice.
1. Frugal Colleague said he and his wife had not made any funeral arrangements.
Advice: Look into a burial society, like the Neptune Society. These are prepaid and no-frills. My in-laws did this and, when my mother-in-law died, it was a great simplifier.
2.Frugal Colleague said he had to buy some quick-drying pants for a 10-day trip to Turkey.
Advice: Pack about 3 pairs of old pants and discard as you go along. That way, you'll have room for souvenirs. Not that frugal people buy many souvenirs.
3. Frugal Colleague's wife just turned 66 and thinks she should wait till 70 to take Social Security.
Advice: Take it now, and repay at 70 if you want to reset the payments. This is a little-known feature of social security.
And here is a little poem from the days of autograph books. It is sent out to students and teachers during finals.
Can't think, brain numb,
Inspiration won't come.
Can't write, bad pen,
Best wishes , Amen.
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
My Aching Back: Frugality and American Medicine
Funny About Money asked how I damaged my sciatic nerve. Well, about a month ago, my very neat mother was coming to visit messy me. I was attempting to get something off a high shelf so I could neaten things up, and I stretched, and I stretched, and I stretched. Finally, a taller person came to my aid. But the damage was done.
Since I am doctor-phobic, I just waited for the pain to go away. I took ibuprofin and availed myself of small quantities of Mr. FS's painkillers (which he takes for a back problem).
Finally, I could stand it no more. I burst into tears and Mr. FS said, "That's it! I am making you an appointment." So he did.
The doctor to whom I was assigned had white hair, a crinkly face, a grandfatherly mien. I told him that I was taking painkillers, but that they weren't working. "Oh," he said, "That's because you're not taking enough." He prescribed various pills. If I had taken the full regimen, I would have been taking more than 20 pills a day!
He said that if the pills didn't work, I could get physical therapy.
Mr. FS did an on-line search and found a bunch of recommended exercises that I can do at home. So I did.
The pain has returned and is now on the OTHER side. My drug-loving doctor has an appointment available tomorrow; Mr. FS's doctor is booked up for three weeks. Does this suggest that drug-lover isn't very good? It may.
Anyway, the point of all this is that the doctor never mentioned the remedy that could be done at home and is absolutely free: a series of exercises. Even though my expensive health insurance allows me to fill the prescriptions and go to physical therapy, frugal me would have appreciated a mention of the frugal choice: exercise.
Do you think I'm being too hard on the crinkly faced doctor?
Since I am doctor-phobic, I just waited for the pain to go away. I took ibuprofin and availed myself of small quantities of Mr. FS's painkillers (which he takes for a back problem).
Finally, I could stand it no more. I burst into tears and Mr. FS said, "That's it! I am making you an appointment." So he did.
The doctor to whom I was assigned had white hair, a crinkly face, a grandfatherly mien. I told him that I was taking painkillers, but that they weren't working. "Oh," he said, "That's because you're not taking enough." He prescribed various pills. If I had taken the full regimen, I would have been taking more than 20 pills a day!
He said that if the pills didn't work, I could get physical therapy.
Mr. FS did an on-line search and found a bunch of recommended exercises that I can do at home. So I did.
The pain has returned and is now on the OTHER side. My drug-loving doctor has an appointment available tomorrow; Mr. FS's doctor is booked up for three weeks. Does this suggest that drug-lover isn't very good? It may.
Anyway, the point of all this is that the doctor never mentioned the remedy that could be done at home and is absolutely free: a series of exercises. Even though my expensive health insurance allows me to fill the prescriptions and go to physical therapy, frugal me would have appreciated a mention of the frugal choice: exercise.
Do you think I'm being too hard on the crinkly faced doctor?
Monday, 3 May 2010
OT: MOD
I've started a few posts on various topics, but all reflect one thing: I have damaged my sciatic nerve. This happened about a month ago. Now it is worse. You may detect some crabbiness in prior posts: if so, that is the true me emerging from the nice blog person.
Instead of a testament to crab, I will once more steal a post from my daughter. Check out the outfits for the mod party.
Instead of a testament to crab, I will once more steal a post from my daughter. Check out the outfits for the mod party.
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Book P-review: Possum Living
****UPDATE: Re comment below that refers to another blogger talking about the book. It seems that the book was discussed on Oprah! Well. Truly it must be the zeitgeist, because I don't watch Oprah nor do I read the blogger. I saw the book mentioned on Amazon, under "People who are interested in X book, might also be interested in Possum Living." Isn't it strange? Harmonic convergence.
I love reading books about frugality, not so much because I learn many frugal tips (since I know many already), but because I sometimes need a bit of affirmation from the universe. I have exhausted all the books in my local library on the topic. I just requested Possum Living, which is a reprint of a book published around 30 years ago, written by "Dolly Freed" (took me a while to realize that is a pseudonym).
Why a p-review? I don't know. Perhaps because I read a bit on-line. Also, it sometimes takes a while for the library to order the books I request, especially in the present budget crisis.
The gist is that Dolly and her Dad lived on a biggish piece of rural property 40 miles from Philadelphia. She was (illegally) removed from school and spent her teen years in the library, eventually becoming a NASA engineer. They lived a life of fishing, gardening, swapping, napping, and so on. They lived on around $1400/year.
Now many of us can't be possums. We are locked into high property taxes and other "necessary" expenses. Dolly and her Dad lived a version of extreme frugality. But her point was that she and her Dad looked perfectly middle-class.
Dolly shows that IT CAN BE DONE. How about if you don't want to be a possum? What about a semi-possum life? I think that would be available to many of us.
I started thinking about fun family activities. How about possum weekend? That could consist of eating the food in your pantry, cooking up some soup, going for a walk, whatever. How I wish my children were little; we could have had a lot of fun.
Many of my fave bloggers are already living a semi- or occasional possum life. I wrote about Simple in France a few days ago. And Revanche, a city girl, newly re-employed after a lay-off, and with heavy family responsibilities (financial and emotional), shows that even in expensive California, you can practice frugality by making chicken soup.
Have you read Possum Living? Are you ever a possum?
I love reading books about frugality, not so much because I learn many frugal tips (since I know many already), but because I sometimes need a bit of affirmation from the universe. I have exhausted all the books in my local library on the topic. I just requested Possum Living, which is a reprint of a book published around 30 years ago, written by "Dolly Freed" (took me a while to realize that is a pseudonym).
Why a p-review? I don't know. Perhaps because I read a bit on-line. Also, it sometimes takes a while for the library to order the books I request, especially in the present budget crisis.
The gist is that Dolly and her Dad lived on a biggish piece of rural property 40 miles from Philadelphia. She was (illegally) removed from school and spent her teen years in the library, eventually becoming a NASA engineer. They lived a life of fishing, gardening, swapping, napping, and so on. They lived on around $1400/year.
Now many of us can't be possums. We are locked into high property taxes and other "necessary" expenses. Dolly and her Dad lived a version of extreme frugality. But her point was that she and her Dad looked perfectly middle-class.
Dolly shows that IT CAN BE DONE. How about if you don't want to be a possum? What about a semi-possum life? I think that would be available to many of us.
I started thinking about fun family activities. How about possum weekend? That could consist of eating the food in your pantry, cooking up some soup, going for a walk, whatever. How I wish my children were little; we could have had a lot of fun.
Many of my fave bloggers are already living a semi- or occasional possum life. I wrote about Simple in France a few days ago. And Revanche, a city girl, newly re-employed after a lay-off, and with heavy family responsibilities (financial and emotional), shows that even in expensive California, you can practice frugality by making chicken soup.
Have you read Possum Living? Are you ever a possum?
Saturday, 1 May 2010
Lucy Marmalade's Pink Pearls and Other Gifts
How can I resist? I just dote on Lucy Marmalade PLUS she's wearing some beautiful pink pearls PLUS her ensemble illustrates the magpie approach to fashion: here and there, high and low. Also, she's learning about gifts--both receiving and giving.
Hmmmm. Is part of the bliss of having a daughter that I have another person on whom to bestow thrift store finds? A rather disquieting thought. But check out this post: Lucy is wearing a Missoni sweater I thrifted a while back (yes, the famous Goodwill). Orange is not my color, so I couldn't wear it. I even tried to sell it on Ebay; would you believe that no one was interested? It has the label and all...
Perhaps there is an element of karma in the fact that Lucy and I have different coloring. Maybe that Missoni sweater was just waiting for her to appreciate it (she turned it down the first few times).
And Lucy's posts are early Mother's Day gifts to me. Thanks Lucy M.
Hmmmm. Is part of the bliss of having a daughter that I have another person on whom to bestow thrift store finds? A rather disquieting thought. But check out this post: Lucy is wearing a Missoni sweater I thrifted a while back (yes, the famous Goodwill). Orange is not my color, so I couldn't wear it. I even tried to sell it on Ebay; would you believe that no one was interested? It has the label and all...
Perhaps there is an element of karma in the fact that Lucy and I have different coloring. Maybe that Missoni sweater was just waiting for her to appreciate it (she turned it down the first few times).
And Lucy's posts are early Mother's Day gifts to me. Thanks Lucy M.
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