The Shopping Nazi

There has been a lot of discussion about moving from large banks like Bank of America and Chase to smaller local banks and local credit unions. This has been the result of general frustration that a lot of people have had with their big banks. Now that frustration has reached the point of taking action.

In my travels, I see smaller local banks and credit unions courting the average depositor. They want people like you and me to move our money to their smaller bank, where we will be treated with more respect. Read the rest of this entry »

In this past week, I have seen the price of gas go up a good 15 cents per gallon. For many of us that are struggling in the Great Recession, this makes another obstacle we have to climb over to get out of the hole.

This week, I have found three more obstacles. Each of the three hidden charges were in my monthly bills. Things that I did not realize that I was being charged, then the money coming out of my pocket. When I questioned the charges, I was told it was written in to my agreement or terms of service.

Phone Bill – $15.61 in Other Charges, What is Other Charges? When asked for specifics I go the answer, “These include non-communications related charges such as Premium Handset Protection and communication-related charges, such as certain fees”. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are in  the Education/Teaching industry you should be reading one of the following magazines.

Thursday night I left the house and went down to the local fairgrounds to walk through the annual Idaho Sportsman Show. This is one of over a forty I attend in the course of a year. Why? You may be asking, “What possible benefit could I gain from going to all these trade shows?”

Can you think of a better place to find out about products and services in a non-committal environment. Here I can quiz sales representatives. I can sample gourmet foods. Watch demonstrations on the latests and greatest gadget. My wife can get estimates on putting a hot tub in the backyard. Then if I am really lucky, I get to win a prize from one of the vendors. Read the rest of this entry »

The true test of any product or service is the amount of repeat business it gets. New customers will come and go, but the ones that keep coming back is the true test of the business’s merit.

Repeat business is dependent upon that first impression. Rarely does a business get a second chance to WOW a customer to the point when they will return. Most of the time a customer does not return to that business because there was no overwhelming WOW factor.

Years ago we went with Tmobile as our cell phone carrier, because they offered a great deal on a nice flip phone for my wife and myself. Over the years they have always given us good service at a reasonable price. So we keep using them for our cell phone carrier. Read the rest of this entry »

It is a universal principle that if you are a good steward to what you have you will gain more. Those who are bad stewards will lose what they have. You see these people who never seem to have anything nice. They don’t take care of what they have, or they are replace what was stolen from them.

I hang my head low in shame over the amount of stuff I have had stolen or lost over the years. I must admit it was through carelessness on my part. I either did not lock locks or I left valuables in open tempting people to come by and steal from me. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are in  the Construction Industry you should be reading one of the following magazines.

If you are in  the Computer IT industry you should be reading one of the following magazines.

Yesterday, I shared, with you, some of the great benefits I have experienced since I moved to Idaho 15 years ago. Today, I want to share with you the top 7 businesses that impress me the most when I went to the state capitol building as part of annual Buy Idaho event.

Idaho Candy Company has been around since 1901. They are not a world player that competes with Nestle or Mars candies, but they do offer some tasty treats. The Cherry Cocktail and Idaho Spud are two of my favorites.

Dream Chocolate is another candy company. Well not just another candy company. They specialize in great chocolate bar with a custom label. Can you think of a better way to impress a future employer than by attaching a candy bar with your picture on it to your resume. Read the rest of this entry »

My dad always said, “Charity begins at home”. I believe this also holds true when it comes to any form of economic recovery. It is not the large corporations that will create jobs and make the United States a world economic leader again. It will be the small individuals and the business that is started in spare bedrooms and garages which will have the biggest affect on our economy.

When I was originally offered work in Idaho, all I knew about Idaho was that it was where potatoes were grown. Since then I learned that Idaho was much much more.

The first thing I noticed about Idaho was the drivers on the road were so polite. In the general people talked slower. Not as slow as people south of the Mason Dixon Line, but definitely slower than California. In addition to many other great factors, living in Idaho lowered my stress level and cost of living. Read the rest of this entry »