Comments on: I’m a Slave 4 That 1 Thing

By: slocker@twitter

slocker@twitter — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:13:58 +0000

Trying not to sound like a total shill for some big banks and I promise I am not, but here goes…
1) I had ordered something online from a place that sells band merchandise. Credit card charged and no package for 3+ weeks. I finally checked this place’s Yelp reviews / twitter feed / BB ratings and it turns out this company constantly rips people off left and right. Contacted Citibank and they were able to credit / reverse the charges.
2) I really, really dig and recommend Ally Bank. They refund all your ATM fees, and the first (only! hopefully) time I was over-drafted they pulled the money to cover it out of my interest and waived the $9.00 fee since I was a first time offender. If your credit union isn’t treating you well, Ally is pretty great for the no ATM fees.

By: kristindru

kristindru — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 17:31:37 +0000

I finally put together all my student loan information in one place and organized an attack plan AND discovered I had enough money in my savings to pay off a loan with 6.8% interest! It was just a small-ish amount (like spitting into the Atlantic Ocean) but it still feels good!

By: Splendorofmorgan

Splendorofmorgan — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:21:02 +0000

@sockhop I just did this for the first time last weekend (bought a car)! It was TERRIFYING. But I knew exactly which car I wanted and did 90% of the negotiation through email, and then gave a big smile for the last 10% and got $630 off the list price. You can do it! It’s okay to say you don’t understand something, even if they explain it and you still don’t understand. Don’t sign anything unless you understand it! And don’t be afraid to walk away. There are so many cars out there, including several just like the one you may fall in love with right then.

By: Splendorofmorgan

Splendorofmorgan — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:18:26 +0000

Logan, could you please start thinking of these fees in terms of actual money? It makes me so sad when people pay banks for the privilege of having access to your money. Imagine you’re window shopping and someone stops you and says, “That will be $5 for staring in this window.” And you had to hand over that money right then, when you wanted to spend that $5 on ice cream, and now you don’t have any money for ice cream. Imagine all the ice cream you could eat if you got a refund for all the bank fees you’ve paid in the past month!

By: sockhop

sockhop — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:16:13 +0000

My 1 thing was to transfer my valid out-of-state license to Georgia, where I’ve lived more or less under the radar for almost 7 years (counting the 4 in college). I spent 7 hours in the DMV today, but I finally got it all done and taken care of and the Department of Driver Services lady even complimented my picture.

My next thing is that I’m going to buy a car this weekend, and while I feel confident in the research I’ve done so far, I am terrified that I’ll be a chicken and agree to things (like financing, like anything) that I don’t understand. I’m pretty agreeable under pressure. Mostly, I feel like I need a real grownup to take care of these things or at least to go with me and make sure I don’t do something wrong. :/

By: Splendorofmorgan

Splendorofmorgan — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:15:18 +0000

@eagerber I haven’t had cable for years, and every time I go to someone’s house and their TV is on, I’m like, how can you stand this?! You sit through four commercials?! You just let them assault your time like that??

There must be another way than walking into the store. I would call, cancel, and mail in the equipment (with tracking so that they can’t say they “lost” it).

By: Michelle

Michelle — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:08:44 +0000

@OllyOlly Smartypants! Where do you live? There are good available radon maps in the US, although in Canada the one that is being developed is not available for free. They are helpful for determining if you need a radon test.

It doesn’t cause all the cancers, although it is a big cause of lung cancer, and it is a very distinctive carcinogen- radon-induced lung cancers are totally different from, say, tobacco-induced lung cancers. Radon studies are neat! And don’t worry. If you have radon, you can buy a filter; the exposure period required to develop cancer is probably pretty long, so you are taking good preventative steps in plenty of time! /end cancer prevention researcher interlude.

By: Tatiana

Tatiana — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:02:53 +0000

They charge you for e-statements? That’s just wacky. I really want to find you a better credit union! I work at one in SF and I wish you could join, but you’d be ineligible since you don’t live here. Unless you have immediate family who lives here…

By: pawnknee

pawnknee — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:50:16 +0000

@terrific Hmm, YNAB seems to work for me like balancing my checkbook on my own. Meaning, I can never get the numbers to reconcile. I prefer Mint, even tho it’s a bit of work.

By: aeroaeroaero

aeroaeroaero — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:45:40 +0000

@eagerber I dropped Comcast long ago (they’re THE WORST), but you can call them up and cancel. Unfortunately you have to go drop the stuff off at the store in person, but I think they give you a week (a month?) to do that.