Author Topic: Cellar Scribblings  (Read 8734030 times)

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Cellar Scribblings
« Reply #16000 on: March 02, 2019, 06:22:55 pm »
To my knowledge, the banks still take a commission.  Sometimes you will  go into a place and see a sign that charge cards are not accepted for purchases of under $5.00 or $10.00.  That's because those business don't want to pay the commission on those small purchases, and will try to force customers to pay cash for them instead.  Card companies have told business that they can't do that, but they still do it anyway.

A convenience store in the building where I work does that. Not only does it save the store the commission, but it forces you to make a bigger purchase if you don't have cash and really want the one thing.



Offline CellarDweller

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Re: Cellar Scribblings
« Reply #16001 on: March 03, 2019, 07:56:33 pm »
Hiya BetterMost friends.




Sunday evening here!

Shopping is done and put away, laundry is done and put away, bills are done and mail is sent, and now I'm catching up online.

Looking out the window and seeing the snow falling.  We were supposed to get a 'wintery mix' for tomorrow, and now they're saying we can have 5 - 8 inches overnight.   I anticipate working from home tomorrow, but we'll see what it's like when I wake up.

I hope I do work from home, I would like to get some spring cleaning done, specifically going through my storage tables and drawers, and getting rid of all the junk I don't need.

"Commission" is probably what I was thinking of when I said something about companies charging a business for accepting their cards. But I frequently see signs about not accepting cards for purchases less than $5.00 or $10.00, especially in "mom and pop" convenience stores. I also frequently see signs indicating that a business will accept Visa or Mastercard but not American Express.

Yeah, I see those signs too.  As I said, the stores are not supposed to do that, but they will anyway.

Yes, we have stores with those signs as well. However, as I said, I do not use my card for small purchases, use to be $20 but now down to about $15. However see friends and others using card for a cup of coffee ($4.50)

I have used the card for small purchases when I have no cash on hand, but most times I do, so it doesn't happen often.   I don't have any credit cards, but I have a debit card connected to my checking account, and that's what I use.  I've seen people use credit cards (not debit cards) to purchase groceries.  I can't imagine paying interest on your food.

A convenience store in the building where I work does that. Not only does it save the store the commission, but it forces you to make a bigger purchase if you don't have cash and really want the one thing.

You know, I hadn't thought of that.  Using the sign would make people buy more items to go over that limit.  How could I have missed that?


Tell him when l come up to him and ask to play the record, l'm gonna say: ''Voulez-vous jouer ce disque?''
'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!

Offline brianr

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Re: Cellar Scribblings
« Reply #16002 on: March 03, 2019, 11:57:00 pm »
I don't have any credit cards, but I have a debit card connected to my checking account, and that's what I use.  I've seen people use credit cards (not debit cards) to purchase groceries.  I can't imagine paying interest on your food.
I almost never use my debit card except to withdraw cash from the ATM and when I buy theatre tickets as the card charge is less. Also my dentist gives 5% discount for cash or debit card.
I have been using a credit card for probably 30 years and always pay it off at the end of the month (actually around the 20th). In fact I often plan payments so as to still have about 50 days before needing to pay the account. I have never paid interest on my credit card.  When I do use the debit card I have to think how much money is available in my bank cheque account. It does not earn any interest so I leave only a few hundred dollars there, sometimes less.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Cellar Scribblings
« Reply #16003 on: March 04, 2019, 10:46:04 am »
I have used the card for small purchases when I have no cash on hand, but most times I do, so it doesn't happen often.   I don't have any credit cards, but I have a debit card connected to my checking account, and that's what I use.  I've seen people use credit cards (not debit cards) to purchase groceries. I can't imagine paying interest on your food.

If you pay off your balance every month, you don't pay interest on the account.

A couple of times a very long time ago--say, 30 years--I ran a balance on a credit card for a month, but the immediately following month I paid it off. Maybe I paid a little bit of interest, but it wasn't much.

But this is just the way I was raised. When I was a small boy, before credit cards were available to "ordinary people" (by which I mean working- to lower-middle-class people), my mother and father did have "charge-a-plates" at local department stores (and you had to be "approved" to get those, but I don't know what that involved). These were not revolving credit accounts; they were merely a convenient substitute for cash, and you paid off that balance every month. This is more or less how I use credit cards. I do so much shopping online now that I couldn't get along without credit cards, but I still pay off the balance every month. Put another way, I use credit cards the way my parents used charge-a-plates, as a convenient substitute for cash, not as a revolving account.

This is the thing about credit cards: Once they were made widely available, the companies that issued the cards suckered in a lot of people to buy stuff they really couldn't afford because they didn't really have to pay for it. All they had to do was pay the interest each month, and that's how the card companies made money--off the interest cardholders paid. It's been a while now, but formerly from time to time I would hear news reports about how many thousands of dollars of credit card debt Americans were carrying. I can't imagine living that way--really, it's living "beyond your means" (is that even a thing anymore?).

I make two jokes about myself: Credit card companies don't make any money off me because I pay the balance every month, and I'm the only person I know who still has the concept of "the grocery money"--I get cash out of the bank to use when I go food shopping. (Yes, I once--once!--used a debit card to pay for groceries because I forgot to put "the grocery money" in my wallet, but then as soon as I got home, I took that money off my checking account register, just as if I'd written a check.)
« Last Edit: March 04, 2019, 02:25:15 pm by Jeff Wrangler »
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline brianr

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Re: Cellar Scribblings
« Reply #16004 on: March 04, 2019, 01:37:43 pm »
Not sure if it is age but about 2 weeks ago, I took out my credit card at the supermarket check out. Then I helped the lady pack my bags. That supermarket only has one person on each till, the other one which I use most often has what they call "dedicated packers". One person rings up the items, the other packs them into our bags. We no longer have disposable bags in stores. The government has made them illegal from July and most stores have already done away with them.
Anyway, when it came time to pay I could not find my credit card, searched my wallet and all my pockets. Finally I used my debit card then found the credit card in one of my bags where I must have dropped it. Relieved it was not lost but annoyed as, of course, the money went out of my bank account immediately.
My NZ credit card has a $5000 limit on it but I usually only have about $1500 each month, high this month as I paid my house insurance on it, just over $1000. My Australian card has an $8000 limit but I only use it when travelling overseas (or very occasional overseas purchase on the net), even so, it would rarely go over $3000 in one month - hotel bills etc.

Offline CellarDweller

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Re: Cellar Scribblings
« Reply #16005 on: March 04, 2019, 08:54:44 pm »
Hiya BetterMost friends.




Monday night here, and I'm relaxing at home.

I ended up going to work today.  I woke this morning and looked out the window, and i could see the show had stopped. While there were still plows going around, the streets were pretty clear, so I couldn't justify staying home.

A lot of people did stay home, however, so it was a very quiet day at the office.


Tell him when l come up to him and ask to play the record, l'm gonna say: ''Voulez-vous jouer ce disque?''
'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!

Offline CellarDweller

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Re: Cellar Scribblings
« Reply #16006 on: March 06, 2019, 08:45:40 pm »
Hiya BetterMost friends.




Happy hump day everyone!

;D

Had a good day at work, and I got everything accomplished that I needed to.

Tuesday was Fat Tuesday, and I had thought about getting a kings cake for the office, but they didn't look very appetizing, so I didn't buy one.

I have been eating some new stuff that's actually pretty tasty, I wasn't sure how it would taste.

Bird's Eye has a line of frozen pastas, but they're made from lentils and zucchini instead of flour, so they're low on carbs, and almost no sugars.  A serving of regular penne can have 71 grams of carbs per serving.  The Bird's Eye lentil & zucchini penne has 25 grams per serving.

I need to spend time this weekend getting my paperwork ready for my taxes.  Once I make sure I have everything, I can get them done.


Tell him when l come up to him and ask to play the record, l'm gonna say: ''Voulez-vous jouer ce disque?''
'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Cellar Scribblings
« Reply #16007 on: March 06, 2019, 11:16:06 pm »
Tuesday was Fat Tuesday, and I had thought about getting a kings cake for the office, but they didn't look very appetizing, so I didn't buy one.

Dang! I forgot to put up my Mardi Gras lights.

When my then-husband and I lived in NOLA, we sent a king cake back to our former coworkers in Duluth, MN. Because it's a newspaper, they aren't supposed to accept gifts from advertisers. They didn't look close enough to see it was from us, and they gave it to a homeless shelter!

At least it went to worthy recipients. But I feel bad for whoever got the baby and was then obligated to buy the next one!


Quote
I have been eating some new stuff that's actually pretty tasty, I wasn't sure how it would taste.

Bird's Eye has a line of frozen pastas, but they're made from lentils and zucchini instead of flour, so they're low on carbs, and almost no sugars.  A serving of regular penne can have 71 grams of carbs per serving.  The Bird's Eye lentil & zucchini penne has 25 grams per serving.


I've been amazed, just in the past month or two, at the explosion of frozen vegetable products replacing pasta, rice or potatoes. I've tried mashed cauliflower a couple of times in situations where I might normally use mashed potatoes or polenta and it's delicious! And the other night I made frozen riced-cauliflower fried rice with vegetables. Sauteed it with some Asian sauces and things, added shredded chicken, and voila! My son pronounced it "bomb." Which is a good thing!  :laugh:


Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Cellar Scribblings
« Reply #16008 on: March 07, 2019, 10:32:44 am »
I've been amazed, just in the past month or two, at the explosion of frozen vegetable products replacing pasta, rice or potatoes. I've tried mashed cauliflower a couple of times in situations where I might normally use mashed potatoes or polenta and it's delicious! And the other night I made frozen riced-cauliflower fried rice with vegetables.

I've seen mashed and riced cauliflower in the frozen food section of the supermarket where I shop. I love cauliflower, but I haven't felt inclined to try it mashed or riced; I've had no idea what to do with it. Simply as a vegetable/side dish, I'd just as soon have it un-mashed or un-riced, but these are interesting suggestions.

I don't have mashed potatoes very often, but I love brown rice!
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Cellar Scribblings
« Reply #16009 on: March 07, 2019, 11:47:23 am »
I've seen mashed and riced cauliflower in the frozen food section of the supermarket where I shop. I love cauliflower, but I haven't felt inclined to try it mashed or riced; I've had no idea what to do with it. Simply as a vegetable/side dish, I'd just as soon have it un-mashed or un-riced, but these are interesting suggestions.


You can use it the way you'd use mashed potatoes or rice, except with cauliflower you're getting a vegetable at the same time. And far fewer carbs, which I try to avoid.

For the fried cauliflower rice with vegetables, I used frozen riced cauliflower with vegetables already mixed in and packaged with that purpose in mind. I fried it in peanut and sesame oil, added shredded chicken and a sauce made from the following: soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic and maybe a touch of that ginger that comes in a tube, sriracha. I was initially going to add chopped onion and bell pepper but got lazy, decided it didn't need it and, in fact, it didn't.

The mashed cauliflower could go with something like meatloaf or pot roast or chicken or spaghetti sauce or ... well, pretty much anything, I guess.

My son really likes both, and although he likes to eat fairly healthy he also spends about 12 hours a week at the gym so doesn't have to worry about carbs or calories. He's also fairly picky and a bit snobbish about convenience foods. So for him to pronounce them "bomb" is saying something.