Nothing says Valentine’s Day…
Nothing says Happy Valentine’s Day like Hot Cross Buns.
Quick and polite
When asked “Do you have an Everyday Rewards card?” at Safeway, what’s the quickest, most polite way of saying:
“Yes I do, it’s tucked inside my wallet somewhere, but I know full well that there’s no benefit to me if it’s scanned on a transaction less than $30. This one is only $15, so I don’t get a petrol discount, and I don’t get Frequent Flyer points, all I get is more data on my shopping habits going into the Woolworths Corporation database, and the more they know about my shopping habits, the more likely it is they’ll be able to direct highly targeted and irritating advertising at me, and I really don’t want that thanks very much. So I realise you’re only following your script, but to be quite honest, I
cancan’t be arsed getting it out, thanks very much.”
There’s no quick and polite way of saying that, so I think a little white lie isn’t out of the question, along the lines of “I don’t have it with me.”
(On the subject of Woolworths, one of my pics got used on the Cult Of Mac web site. Cool. Thanks for the tipoff, Damien.)
Adults-only Lego
I found this Lego set on Amazon UK. It’s actually way more elaborate (and expensive) than any I remember seeing in the Australian catalogues, but what I thought was really funny was that Amazon has attached a legal-sounding age restriction to it, as if it was an adult video game or DVD, or alcohol.
“Not for sale to persons under the age of 16. By placing an order for this product, you declare that you are 16 years of age or over. This item must be used responsibly and appropriately.”
That’s right folks — responsibly and appropriately — which means no giving it to your 7 year-old and letting him pull all the pieces apart to make robots.
Tags: age restrictions, Amazon, Lego
7 comments
Put it on plastic
On AM on Thursday they noted research which shows four in ten people use credit for basic purchases such as groceries, the implication being that many of those are doing so because they can’t use cash as they need to defer that spending to stay afloat.
PETER RYAN: So credit cards being used for entertainment or paying for the groceries at the supermarket whereas once upon a time they would have been a direct charge from the savings account?
CHRISTINE CHRISTIAN: Would have been a direct charge from the savings account or cash, and credit cards were you know, generally used then for bigger ticket items where people felt that they could purchase the item and then pay it off over a period of time.
The research is specifically about people who have no choice but to use their credit cards for such purchases:
Four in ten (43 percent) Australians expect they will need to use their credit card to pay for otherwise unaffordable expenses in the coming months
I’m certainly one person who uses the credit card regularly for things like groceries — but happily for me it’s not because I have no choice; it’s a deliberate decision.
I do it because my cards have an interest-free period, and I pay the entire credit card bill before the due date, so I don’t incur any interest.
There’s the convenience of not continually having to go and get cash. And the cash sitting in my mortgage offset account for a bit longer helps reduce my home loan interest.
And then there’s the points. Most of my purchases are now on the Mastercard, which earns Commonwealth Award points (for a $59 annual fee — I’m not totally convinced it’s worth it).
Additionally if I remember to hand over my supermarket loyalty card when buying groceries (well, those I don’t buy at a greengrocer or at Aldi) for transactions over $30, I earn frequent flyer points and petrol discounts.
The frequent flyer points I’ve earnt (plus a bunch that have been sitting in my account for quite some time, some of which came over from the Mastercard) have piled up and last weekend I ordered a new barbecue with them — a Weber Q which apparently has an RRP of $419. I’ve been meaning to buy a barbecue for ages, so I’m looking forward to having a go of it. (Surprisingly unlike that clock I ordered years ago which took weeks to turn up, they’ve already been in touch about delivering it.)
The Commonwealth Awards points, I’m still saving. They might go into a new digital camera when my old Canon A70 finally dies. Or perhaps towards a new TV if I eventually get enough points. (I just realised my Loewe 68cm 4:3 CRT is almost ten years old. Damn thing still works, though a slight flickering occasionally at the top of screen might give me a good excuse to upgrade.)
Sadly none of the schemes I’m in have the gizmo I’m currently coveting: the Topfield 7160 PVR. I might have to buy that one myself.
On the credit card, naturally.
Of course, I’d never want to be in the position of not paying the card off in full every month. I wouldn’t want to be using it for spending on things I can’t afford, and it would be especially alarming if those things were the essentials of life.
That must be a scary position to be in.
PS. There’s an interesting article in today’s Age, where Choice notes: “If you are shopping exclusively at Woolworths chasing points in the hope of getting a $50 gift voucher, you are much better off just shopping at a cheaper store like Aldi or Costco if you are looking to save money.”
I’m sharp and smart
…apparently.
(It’s a sharps disposal container at Monash Medical Centre.)
Also spotted just before Christmas, reindeer carrot in Safeway:
- “The carrots preferred by reindeers.”
- “Ingredients: Carrots, magic, love.”
I wonder if the ACCC would approve of those claims?
Tags: advertising, food, hospital
8 comments
Christmas is coming
So here we are, Christmas Eve. After yesterday’s heat, it was still 30 degrees C overnight. Thankfully it’s cooled down now to 25, and I’ve opened up the house to let it all in — though hopefully not too many flies.
Tomorrow we’ll pile over to my sister’s house for Christmas lunch, but it’s looking like we won’t get to use the pool, as evidently it will be cooler, so not the stinking hot Australian Christmas we sometimes get.
“We can’t replicate an Australian Christmas over here. It’s too cold. Sometimes it snows. You can hear sleigh bells. Nah, it’s not like Christmas at all.” — Lee Tulloch in New York, The Age, 22/12/99
Brighton Beach station
Bourke Street
Little Bourke Street
To all those reading, thanks for all the comments over the year, and have a great Christmas and New Year.
Tags: Christmas, Melbourne
12 comments
Advertising – it’s part of the plan
Massive billboards to remind us about how great the government is? It’s part of the plan.
That’s Richmond Station; there’s others at South Yarra and Malvern and no doubt elsewhere.
Mind you, the first of the new trains apparently hasn’t actually made it into service yet.
It’s a bit like Myki. Lucky they’re not putting up lots of billboards for that… What? Oh. D’oh!
PS. Previously:
- 3/8/2009 – Advertising PT on PT
- 28/4/2009 – Remember, the government delayed expanding the train fleet, despite the warnings
PPS. The photo on page 4 of today’s MX may look quite familiar.
Stealth advertising
Seen on Saturday: Don’t go to Dan Murphy’s for your booze — keep going and come to Winelovers Warehouse instead!
Technically they’re their truck is illegally parked, of course, hanging out of the parking space into No Standing territory. But I wonder how many people were suckered in?
Tags: advertising, alcohol
3 comments
