DG's frugal journal

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floridacatlover
Posts: 8058
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 7:21 am

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by floridacatlover »

Jackielou wrote: Thu Feb 21, 2019 8:05 am You have gift cards that expire? In Canada most gift cards now must be good until you use them up. Visa and Mastercard gift cards are the only ones that do expire.
Jackie, I didn’t know that about Visa and Mastercard “gift cards” but like in Canada, giftcards in Florida and some other states have no expiration dates. The federal law says giftcards can expire in five years so I guess that is the case in states without their own laws. (Visa and MasterCard and Amex “giftcards” here come with hefty activation fees of $5.95 to $6.95 so I’m not a big fan although I have given them as gifts and will now check on expiration dates. I’m not sure why there is an exception for them.)

Businesses get around the no expiration date law by giving cards called “bonus cards” or promotional giftcards and they are not true giftcards. Bonus cards are available a lot at the holidays with deals such as “Buy $50 in giftcards and get a $10 bonus card that must be used between certain dates.” Promotional giftcards are given for attending a health care seminar or signing up for cable and things like that and expire in a year, at least in Florida.
Dgflorida
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Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

You nailed it Floridacatlover. Said it way better than me as well. Yep, promotional cards. Many of them actually have no money in them when you try to use them. A little trick played often I am told. So I am now doing far less of the promotional cards. The visa and MasterCard type ones are usually an actual zero balance. One healthcare here as you probably know give Publix gift cards. And I get that one every year and use it to buy a "free" whole turkey.
floridacatlover
Posts: 8058
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 7:21 am

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by floridacatlover »

Dgflorida wrote: Fri Feb 22, 2019 9:37 am You nailed it Floridacatlover. Said it way better than me as well. Yep, promotional cards. Many of them actually have no money in them when you try to use them. A little trick played often I am told. So I am now doing far less of the promotional cards. The visa and MasterCard type ones are usually an actual zero balance. One healthcare here as you probably know give Publix gift cards. And I get that one every year and use it to buy a "free" whole turkey.
Since I turn 65 this year, I’ll be on the lookout in the fall for Medicare info sessions that offer the promotional cards. I’ve been getting $10 Publix cards the past few years for getting my flu shot.
Dgflorida
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Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Saturday am

Weather is due to turn rainy next week, mid week. Eye injection on Monday. So today and tomorrow are my big yard days. I am going to work on the north side front yard today and maybe tomorrow. The pest people will spray the exterior on Tuesday, so I will try to get the leaves away from the foundation tomorrow as well. No outside work after Monday. I have a pile of repair clothes and put away winter things.to occupy my time. Hope to be productive. May spend some time in the kitchen as well. I will not get to the painting. The leaves must be dealt with every week since the choke point is the limited disposal pick up.
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Saturday am part 2

In thinking about how dusty my floors are due to the dry weather, I took comfort in that I sweep the floors by hand most of the time and don't use a lot of electricity with a vacuum cleaner. Then I realized that I use quite a bit of electricity this time of year on my electric leaf blower and electric lawn mower. Most people have gas powered yard equipment. I need to see how that plays out on my monthly bills.
Dgflorida
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Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: DG's frugal journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Sunday am

Very productive day in the yard. Of course, thanks to the dry weather, I was dusty dirty at the end of the day after blowing leaves and mowing grass. I took a cold shower because I was too dirty to wait for the water to warm up and I needed to make hubs dinner and didn't want to do it dirty. The shower was brief because it was cold.

More of the same today. Yard looks a lot better and the trash cans are all filled and ready for pickup on Thursday. There are still piles of leaves here and there, but a lot less. I am glad I feel so much better this year now that I stopped taking the thyroid medication. I really appreciate the excellent weather too.

Some people are using their ac already. Temperatures are close to 90F outside, but this house is not that warm. We have the windows open and it is staying in the 70's inside. Of course, we like it warm, so even 80F inside would be ok. So no ac for us. Hooray. Frugal dance.

It is warm enough now to wear my preferred, home made summer pj set. The bottom is just an old large t-shirt. I ran a shoe lace from a no longer useable sneaker through the bottom hem as a tie and cut off the t-shirt sleeves and collar to make a sort of skirt. It is an easy wear around the house and a frugal recycle.
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