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”.

Christmas and New Years is over. We are 16 days into a new year. Most businesses use this time to regroup, examine profits and plan sales strategies for the 2010. Other stores are trying to unload unsold products.

After looking around, I see a lot of businesses who have closed their doors. There are still others who are downsizing. I cannot help think that all the stores that are currently empty and have gone out of business was because of driving customers away.

I know for myself the way I am treated by a business determines if I go back or not. Below is a list of the top 5 things that annoys me about a product or service.