PARENTS YOU MIGHT BE GOING THROUGH THIS SITUATION RIGHT NOW WITH YOUR TEEN. You’re almost done your Christmas shopping when your teen comes to you and mentions that her friends decided to have a Christmas gift exchange. There is only one problem, she has no money. It’s easy to say no you can’t shop because you have no money but that doesn’t solve the problem because no alternatives were offered for your teen to earn money. What do you do? One of my CBB fans is going through this problem with her teen and needs parenting advice. Christmas shopping is fun for just about anyone who plans on giving during the holidays whether gifts are bought online, the mall, downtown shops, small business owners or even at bazaars and craft shows. For some Christmas has turned into a huge consumer money grabbing spree but for the kids it will always be something they look forward to. Not all children participate in Christmas as it depends on the parents but for those that do your child at some point will want to buy their own gifts. Once your teen understands that giving is more important than receiving you may find […]
What Every Grocery Store Clerk Wants Customers To Know : The Grocery Game Challenge 2016 #4 July 25-31
There likely isn’t one grocery store clerk out there that hasn’t bitten their tongue when dealing with customers who don’t follow the rules or simply make up their own rules when grocery shopping. It’s been said that if you don’t take care of your customer then your competition will and with that comes silence and smiles from most retail clekrs. The grocery store clerk wants to say things to you badly so you can understand what it’s like being on the other side of the grocery belt all day but fears backlash from the customer and sometimes management. The customer is always right? WRONG!, but in customer service the employee may keep on smiling and carry on just to appease the customer. These bad customer experiences though make for a long work day for any grocery store clerk but always remember happy always outweighs negativity. You are part of the team What you are as a customer is part of the company you are spending your money at. That’s right when you shop at any store you become part of that organization which means you help us and we’ll help you. It’s a win-win if we all work […]
Why You Must Say YES To Your Grocery Receipt : The Grocery Game Challenge 2016 #3 June 13-19
HERE IS YOUR RECEIPT-NOW TAKE IT OR FORGO IMPORTANT INFORMATION I never leave a transaction where money is exchanged without proof of purchase especially at the supermarket because that grocery receipt is your financial life-line when using a grocery budget. There’s nothing wrong with being a receipt hog. You need this stuff to balance your budget but that’s not all. Writing this post came to me after I was doing my nosey thing in the grocery line waiting for my turn to put our products on the belt. The guy in front of me who looked like he was in his early 30’s was buying a small shop of milk, bread, steak, corn, mushrooms and a few other bits and bobs. I wasn’t too interested in his shop until my son had a mini tantrum and wanted out of the shopping cart so the wife took him and I waited in line without interruption. Then what happens next is what blows me away every time. The cashier said to the customer, “Would you like your receipt sir?” and he said, “um, no I don’t need it.” Really? Must be nice to be so fast and free with money. Why […]
Strange Things People Do At The Grocery Store To Save Money: The Grocery Game Challenge 2016 #3 Apr 17-24
SAVING MONEY CAN BECOME A CHALLENGE HIGH I’ve blogged about grocery shopping for 5 years now and have learned so much about how Canadians grocery shop. I’ve learned the good and the ugly about how far people will go to save money on one of the biggest budget expenses apart from mortgage/rent and vehicle payments- food. While at the supermarket I’m on full radar and see so many strange things people do to save money that it amazes me how they can be so easy-going about it. When cracks in the savings system are found some consumers cash in because they want more than a little, they want it all even if it’s a bit underhanded. Financial times are tough in many households as grocery prices and living expenses are steadily increasing where the tightest grocery budget will feel the strain. You may think that only people who are struggling to buy food will conquer the grocery store using crooked ways just to save a few bucks but this is far from true. Even the richest of people are frugal and will do just about anything to keep money flowing through their bank account even if it is cheating […]
How To Investigate Whether A Sale Price Is Worth Your Money : The Saturday Weekend Review 2016 #154
DON’T LET THE SALE PRICE BLIND YOU It’s amazing how many of us won’t blink an eye when shopping and see a sale price that silently shouts pick me, pick me. We believe we are reading the truth, but are we really? I’m betting that most of you have made your way to outlet stores across the country in search of quality products with a bargain sale price. Who wouldn’t, especially around the holidays when expenses can run high for any budget. Just recently we went to the Toronto Premium Outlet mall and to be honest there wasn’t as many deals as we thought we would find. In fact many of the prices were higher or just as much as we would pay had we bought the item at the mall. Some of the products we found with lower price tags may have been end of season or on a sale rack. I’m sure there were lots of deals to be found at the outlet stores although we were looking at specific items. Stores bank on customers believing that if they don’t buy it there than they will be paying more money somewhere else. Don’t let someone else tell […]
