Archive for April, 2010

Want it now? Be prepared to pay twice

“Special Offer!! Prices never to be repeated!!” “Buy now, and pay over 36 months.”

One of the oldest marketing ploys in the book, yet so many people still seem to fall for it hook, line and sinker.  It’s amazing how signage like that in a store window can cause people to behave like frenzied squirrels on an acid trip.

Often, people will tell themselves, “I will only buy what is on special,” but we all know that we will end up leaving the store with so many other extra items, simply because they were advertised as being “on special” – nevermind whether they were needed or not. The marketing monster manages to dig its claws into almost every single one of us. Because, at the end of the day, many of the so-called “items on special” actually really aren’t that cheap anyway.

 The flip side of the situation is that a lot most of the items advertised as being “on special” are actually absolutely non-essential luxury items. I mean, think back. When last were basic foodstuffs advertised “on special”? Or gas for that matter? Nooooo….99.99% of the time, it will be frivolous luxury items that will supposedly be “marked down” in order to sell them.

Hire purchase makes things so easy these days. But, at the end of the day, you could will end up paying double, or even more than double, for the item that you have purchased. One example I saw in a local store catalogue this morning was a classic example of this.

According to the New Credit Act in South Africa, it is mandatory to list the payment terms, amount per month which will be repaid, and the total amount that you will end up paying for the item at the end of the payment term. Almost every single item listed, would require you to repay double the purchase price for the item. Definitely not a wise way to purchase anything!

It’s pretty much like a 2 for 1 offer that you often see, but the only difference here is that you are paying for 2 items, but only receiving 1. If that had to happen at the checkout, I’m sure you would kick up a fuss. So why should it be acceptable to do that at any other time? I for one, do not see the logic in paying for 2 items and only receiving one. Sounds like daylight robbery to me.

Next time you see a “Never to be repeated” offer screaming at you from a store window, do yourself (as well as your budget and bank balance) a favour, and walk away. Do not give in to the voices in your head telling you that you “need” the item that is on special. Back away slowly, or better still, take off at a sprint.

Financial quickie update

It’s been a while since I’ve updated what I still owe on my outstanding debt.

I am definitely reaching the finish line, slowly but surely, and am down to owing the final $406! Not bad, considering that a few months ago, it was around the $2400 mark. It’s taken a lot of discipline, budget planning and willpower to get to where I am now.

Another two payments to reach the zero mark. I know it can be done.

Pedal perfect

Over the past few months, questions have arisen as to how to go about commuting to work by bike, so I thought I’d create a post to share what I have learned along the way.

For those of us who live 10km/6.25m or less from the office, this is a great form of transport, as it is often a lot quicker to cycle than to drive over a shorter distance. It’s also good to get in a quick training ride or two during the week, which could save a trip to the gym after work at night.

I’ll list a few items which are necessary to make the trip/commute as comfortable as possible.

First off, obviously, is a reliable bike. A bike that is sturdy enough to handle a daily trip, as well as the rigours of rude motorists (yes, unfortunately, every city in the world has these sad specimens). The bike I currently use, is a 2005 Diamondback Ascent EX 24 speed mountain bike. It’s been a brilliant choice, in that it has never let me down in any way, is relatively lightweight, and also provides a very comfortable ride. You’ll definitely want a bike that can withstand different road conditions as well, especially here in South Africa, where our roads were recently rated as the worst tarred roads in the world (not exactly something to be proud of though, is it?)

The most important piece of safety equipment you will need, is a helmet. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that ‘It isn’t really necessary’ or ‘It makes me look like a mushroom.’ Believe me, looking like a mushroom for an hour or two each day, is far better than living in a permanently vegetative state for the rest of your life after bouncing off a car bonnet, or the tarmac while not wearing a helmet. So get one, and make sure you wear it. Most importantly though, make sure it’s comfortable, and fits correctly.

By fitting correctly, your helmet should sit no more than half an inch above your ears, with the more pointed side facing the back, and the round side, or side with a peak on it facing the front (obviously). It needs to sit level on your head, and not be tilted towards the back or front of your head at all.

Your helmet will be your most crucially important piece of safety equipment, so do not buy the cheapest one you can lay hands on. I repeat, do NOT buy a cheap helmet. Your helmet is replaceable should anything happen, but your brain matter is not. You will also definitely notice a different with regards to how it fits compared to a cheap helmet. This is definitely a time where it is crucial to spend as much as you can possibly afford to spend. try as many helmets on as possible before purchasing one. Just because it ‘looks cool’ doesn’t mean it will fit you properly. Ideally, your helmet should be replaced every two to three years, as they can deteriorate due to sun/cold exposure.

Another important piece of equipment is gloves. Often, the argument has arisen that “It’s too hot for gloves.” Far rather a little discomfort in the form of wearing gloves, than a few days worth of discomfort after taking a spill, and introducing your naked palms to the tarmac. Not fun. Not fun at all. As with your helmet, try on as many different ones as possible, to see which ones fit you correctly, and are the most comfortable. here, it is not important to buy the most expensive pair of gloves that money can buy, but rather an issue of comfort and fit.

When commuting, it is extremely important that you be as visible as possible to motorists. Unfortunately, many of them will still claim to not see you, despite the fact that you are giving the local Christmas light display a run for its money (I speak from experience in this regard). The key here is to be as visible as humanely possible. Since the photo above was taken, I have since added a further two rear flashing lights to the bike, one red, and the other orange. They have different flashing modes, which makes you a lot more eye-catching than a standard static rear light. Oh…I have also managed to modify a Serfas Tube light, and convert it to a rear helmet light, which also works wonders for visibility. It’s more at a motorists eye level, which boots visibility substantially.

Lighting up the front of your bike is equally important. The standard for front lighting on a bike is white. Flashing lights are good for visibility in front as well. Again, yours truly managed to make a modification to a small flashing light that was meant to be a frame mounted model, and installed it on the front of the helmet. I was just fortunate that the Uvex helmet I use, has square vent holes, which made it a lot easier to mount.

Comfortable footwear is important as well, because you never know when you may need to hoof it to the office, be it after taking a tarmac tumble, or be it due to bike problems, such as a puncture. Some may say I am crazy, but I have found my 10-year-old Caterpillars to be the most faithful pair of sturdy and comfortable shoes ever.

Eye protection is also a personal preference issue, but being a contact lens wearer myself, I find a pair of sunglasses to be essential. It allows me to arrive at the office without having to extricate my contact lenses from my hair or ears…

Reading the above post makes biking look like an extremely expensive exercise, but if one shops around, and does research before making any purchases, it need not cost an arm and leg. The health benefits will also outweigh the purchase price after a month or two, as you will start to feel more energetic, and become fitter.

Should you have any questions regarding commuting by bike, or cycling in general, feel free to drop me a mail at thegreenpiggy[at]gmail[dot]com, and I will do my best to assist and offer advice.

Feel free to post comments

The site construction gremlins have landed

You may have noticed a few glitches on the site over the past few days. The visitor map isn’t displaying correctly, and yours truly is also experimenting with HTML and opening an online store. Please bear with me as the site goes through the ‘experimental stages.’

Comments and suggestions are more than welcome. Please let me know if there is anything you’d like to see on the site. All suggestions welcome.

It’s your money

As the above image shows, there are many scam artists out there who will do anything unscrupulous to make a quick buck. They prey on those who don’t read terms and conditions, and on people who don’t think before handing over their hard-earned cash.

As the letters above show, these conniving specimens come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from a seemingly innocent ‘funeral policy’ to an outright scam, such as the one that requires you to pay a processing fee for a prize that you are ‘guaranteed’ to have won! If it’s a prize, why on earth should you have to pay a processing fee to claim it??

These scams come in many other forms as well. A prime example is a so-called pre approved store card, or bank credit card, where you are contacted by the store or bank in question, and they do their utmost to persuade you that ‘you have been carefully pre selected for one of our amazing offers.’

They then go on to tell you that you can do so much ‘right now’ with that extra line of credit, and they really lay it on thick and throw temptation across your path. The biggest piece of bait they dangle in front of you is often along the lines of, ”You only need to pay back 5% of the outstanding balance per month,” or “First payment in six months.”

What a load of hogwash! What they neglect to add to their horrendously persuasive speech, is the fact that you will probably end up paying more than double the amount back for that apparently convenient line of credit. They also neglect to tell you about all of the hidden fees and charges. Their carefully rehearsed speech does not, but should,  include, “You will take a lifetime of minimum payments to pay for a moment’s convenience,” and “You will only pay back more than double what you initially borrowed.”

Another situation as mentioned in the above photo, is so-called debt consolidation loans. Many times, these are offered at horrendously high interest rates, and are only there to benefit the lender. At the end of the day, the poor person who is desperately trying to get out of debt “fast” is in fact making the hole they are in, even deeper than it already is.

From a personal point of view, another form of a scam artist, is the one that is ao often eloquently labelled as….tada (insert drum roll here) …insurance brokers. These sneaky specimens will often sell you policies or products that they stand to gain the most from, and not the ones that you will actually get the most benefit out of. Take the example in the photo above, of the poor unemployed girl who was conned into signing up for a policy! How much lower can these specimens stoop? I could go on indefinitely with regards to these sweet talking, sneaky,  scaly, underhanded specimens, but that will be reserved for another post…sometime.

Doctors could often be classified as scam artists as well. Many a time, they charge very handsomely for their time (often around 5 to 10 minutes per patient at most), hand you an equally expensive script for medication, of which the cost of it would probably feed a small african village for a week, and then have the nerve to tell you, “If this doesn’t work, come back and we will try something else.”

The nerve of it! What they neglect to tell you, is that the ‘guinea pig experimentation will be at your expense, both financially and health wise! (Furthermore, many hundreds of thousands of people die each year by complications and allergic reactions caused by chemical medications and misdiagnosis from doctors – but again, that is another entire post in itself).

When it comes to forking out your hard-earned cash, always take a moment to stop and think exactly what you are paying for, and what you are getting in return. Money may not ultimately be able to buy health, but it can make your life a lot more comfortable in many ways.

Comments welcome.