You Know You Are Old When

[Jstpssng]

I was working someplace in New Hampshire years ago. I went into Shaws Supermarket and kept close track of what I was spending as I was on a tight budget. As I went to check out I noticed those were their "Rewards" prices.
I put everything back, went to another chain supermarket and bought similar items. Their regular price was the same as those at Shaws with their rewards.

I had reservations at a motel. The owner said that he needed a CC # with at least a $500 limit.. (A common practice now, but it was the first time I'd heard of needing a credit card; and I was travelling all over New England at the time.)

I counteroffered with a $500 cash deposit, over and above the room rental.He said no. The more he insisted he needed a card instead, the less apt I was to give it to him. (Debit card tied into my savings.)
As I left he chased me out of the office yelling "You're the reason I require a Credit Card!" I almost pointed out that maybe his attitude was the problem.

I traveled all over New England for 10 years, most of the time with my dog who had stayed home that time. There was never a time when I had a problem returning, and where they knew us would sometimes make the reservation in her name. When I checked onto someplace new the first thing I told them was "If there's a problem I want to be rhe first to know about it."

There never was a problem.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Just give me your best price. If you want to give me a discount for anything else, fine, but I will compare your given online price to everyone else's.

I have two credit cards, all I will keep because between all the other "cards" I have, it's all the cards I need. I don't need anything on my keychain or phone for a better price

In the "old days" you could call a hotel and find out what they area REALLY charging. Now you have to go through so many 3rd party websites, it seems ridiculous. Way I see it, since the company is paying for it, if they want to save money, tell me where to stay.

My Dad (r.i.p.) & I went to a science fair in Washington D.C. years ago because a friend of mine had a display booth. We went to a Holiday Inn at Dupont Square, it was very late and they were sold out. Dad was so funny...he said "if the President were to walk in...what would you do?" The receptionist said they would give him the Predidential Suite. Dad looked at his watch then said "it's 11:45 p.m. and I have news for you...the President's not coming."
The guy said certainly you don't want to pay $400 for that! Dad said if we leave you get nothing...let us have it for $40 and that's more than letting it sit empty...so we got it!
The suite was huge. Dad's room was waaaay far from mine. Two bathrooms, a large dining room, one of those tables with about 20 chairs or so.

 

[goeduck]

I traveled all over New England for 10 years, most of the time with my dog who had stayed home that time. There was never a time when I had a problem returning, and where they knew us would sometimes make the reservation in her name.

When I traveled with my Red Heeler (now gone), she would beg on her back legs for treats at the check-in counter. Cuter than heck and the entire staff would come out to see her and give her treats and called her by name. Everyone one in hotels in the 3 states that I stayed at knew her by name, yet they never knew my name. "Your name, sir?" is what I got.

 

[Oaktree]

Went to the DMV kiosk after hours last night, renewed plates for 4 cars and the trailer. Scanned our weird bar code on the back of our driver's licenses. It fed all the info in, populated all the fields, and all we had to do was confirm the info was correct. Check. Check. Check. Last 4 digits of SSN. Done in 5 minutes with new registration sheet for the glove box and new stickers for the plates.

In our state vehicle registration is done at city/town hall, but even in my small town I don't think it takes more than 5 min or so to do 4 vehicles plus a trailer. Most time consuming part is that each registration has to be signed 3 times...get writer's cramp by the time I'm done.

I don't use rewards. They always seem to be a gimmick more than savings.

Yeah. It especially frosts me when you need to be part of a rewards program to get the advertised sale price on an item. Supermarkets are notorious for this. Typically I don't spend enough at any one business to benefit much from what I'd "save" by using one. I'd even include Amazon prime in this.
The only rewards card I have is for Irving gasoline.

Really, I never understood adults not even marginally competent enough to do things that are easily handled by grade-schoolers. It can't be that difficult, if an 8-year old can figure it out!

I worked in a tech field for much of my career, so I'm way more than "marginally competent". If something makes my life somehow easier or the benefits outweigh the hassle I'm all for it, but so much is just gadgetry that adds nothing but clutter.
I think we all picked up on new technology much easier when we were young than we do after a certain age.

 

[Fixastuff]

You read TBN for entertainment.

 

[Oaktree]

I was working someplace in New Hampshire years ago. I went into Shaws Supermarket and kept close track of what I was spending as I was on a tight budget. As I went to check out I noticed those were their "Rewards" prices.
I put everything back, went to another chain supermarket and bought similar items. Their regular price was the same as those at Shaws with their rewards.

I had reservations at a motel. The owner said that he needed a CC # with at least a $500 limit.. (A common practice now, but it was the first time I'd heard of needing a credit card; and I was travelling all over New England at the time.)

I counteroffered with a $500 cash deposit, over and above the room rental.He said no. The more he insisted he needed a card instead, the less apt I was to give it to him. (Debit card tied into my savings.)

Reminds me of the first business trip I ever went on. I was maybe 23 at the time, and a relatively new employee at this company. Just worked on a production line, but field service was shorthanded and I was familiar with the equipment so I was asked if I'd handle it. I had never been outside of New England before, had no credit card. Hotel and rental car reservations were made by my employer.
Got to my destination late at night, went to pick up my car and discovered that I needed a CC, even though the company had an account with that agency and it would go on their tab. Apparently, my driver's license wasn't enough ID, and I was under age to rent a car. Finally, I think the clerk at the rental counter felt sorry for me (or it was getting close to the end of her shift and she wanted to go home) and let me have the car.

To my surprise I discovered I enjoyed field service work (even though I hate flying), and transferred to that dept. maybe 6 mo. later...did that for the next 12 years. At the time American Express was the only CC company that would issue a card to someone under 25. Got to see a lot of the U.S. on someone else's dime.

 

[newbury]

Got to see a lot of the U.S. on someone else's dime.

Yup, that's how things can turn out. I joined the Army in 1975 to work being stuck in a lab as a biologist. I ended up "sliding" into computer GIS and travelling the world on Uncle Sam's dime training soldiers.

 

[D&D]

If something makes my life somehow easier or the benefits outweigh the hassle I'm all for it, but so much is just gadgetry that adds nothing but clutter.

Everything is gearing towards doing more yourself. Pick out your own supplies, load them into a cart, check yourself out, load your stuff into your vehicle. Go to the gas pump, pay first, pump it yourself. Virtual doctor visits, no worry about turning your head and coughing. Vehicle needs service, no problem, drop it off and a week or so they’ll give it back unfixed.
Corporate America is pushing people out of jobs and claiming no one wants to work. .gov and parents keep handing out money, why should they work?

Nothing on an app truly makes life easier. People think they are saving time and money. Wait until their job gets “apped”.

 

[steve tym]

With minimum wage going up the way it is, everybody is looking for ways to automate. It's cheaper than hiring a human being. See what happens when the kid flipping burgers gets $18 an hour.

 

[masscity]

Friends of mine, husband and wife worked for a company that made some kind of widget for the car industry. They said working conditions were terrible. They were paid $7.25 and hour.

There are many companies like this making widgets for the auto industry in the Detroit area and anywhere else cars are made.

It's not only burger flippers that get minimum wage.