Monday, July 18, 2011

Efficient....

I spent the morning at Coffee Bean doing what I hate....calling on bills where mistakes have been made: late charge, insurance didn't pay properly and Verizon added some weird fee.  Even if it's $2.00, if it's not suposed to be there, I will call and make sure it's off my bill.

My husband (the guy who never looked at his bills before he met me, spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars for things he didn't buy) keeps telling me, "Okay....but don't you think you are wasting your time?"

Umm...No.  Today after calling six places and 'winning' on all of them where mistakes were fixed and charges were returned to me, this man gets up to leave Coffee Bean.  As he passes me he says, "Wow!  I need someone like you working for me!" 

Lost in my own world I looked up confused. 

He laughed and said, "I've been listening to you on the phone....you're good.  I need my managers to be more like you!"

Ha.  I didn't know him but it was nice that someone actually noticed that yeah, I was doing the right thing.  And keeping these companies in line on their 'charges.'

Have you looked at your bills lately?  All of them?  Open your eyes, read the charges and don't believe everything on your bill.  You may be surprised at what you've been paying for over the years that you didn't even know about!  And if you find something, be brave.  Pick up the phone, ask about it or stop it.  

Never be embarrassed to want to know what charges are.  Cause the 'takers' know people believe more than they doubt.  It's your bill.  It's your money.  Keep it.

Monday, July 11, 2011

College for Who....?

My neighbor's daughter got into Stanford. 

I was so happy for them and said, "My kids will never get in there...unless they play on getting a scholarship for ping-pong."

My neighbor Maura laughed and told me something I thought was so cool I had to share, "Laurie, your kids could to Stanford and do nothing...or the could go to a community college and do everything!"

She's right. 

Forget pushing the ping-pong idea.