The Ramblings of a Random Freak

I’m cheap.

I admit it.

Not cheap in a stingy, won’t be generous kind of way, cheap in a “why should I pay 20 bucks for something I can get for 7, or pay 1.10 for gas when it’s only 84 cents across the border?” kind of way.

I finished work tonight, and went to Lynden, WA… there’s a Safeway that’s open 24 hours a day there. Now, keep in mind, Safeway is NEVER the cheapest place to buy groceries, but for selection, location, and hours, the one in Lynden is ideal for me. There are other grocery stores in the area that are cheaper, but they’re closed when I’m there… heck, there are closer stores that are cheaper, right in Blaine. (border crossing town) when Lynden is around 15 miles from the border.

I mean… here’s an example

Milk? 2 Gallons (a gallon is slightly less than 4 Litres) for $4
Bacon? 3 Pounds for 7 bucks.
Ground Turkey? $2.49 a pound
Safeway brand Lasagna, big ass party size? $6.99 (this, I can tell you, is $20 at the Safeway in Surrey)

sadly, prices are rising in the US faster than here. When companies started catching flak for being so much more expensive in Canada, they did what every company who likes making money does – they started raising prices in the US… even still, they still pay around 30-40% less for groceries than Canadians, and around 30% less for gasoline. This is factoring in exchange rates, by the way.

when I get off work at 3am, there are no lineups at the border, no lines at the Safeway… so shopping is actually pleasant… I fill up with gas before crossing back, and drive the 24km home (around $1.25 in gas)

The end result is, I live cheaper, I stress less, and I eat much better. for less.

I don’t see how this could be a bad thing, do you?

SO yeah… Subway has this commercial on the radio – if you live in North America, you’ve probably heard it… the retarded mother who goes on about how all your you teach your kids to eat right, and blah, blah, blah… give them Subway cash cards, because you know you’re giving them something healthy and that they love…

Excuse me while I vomit.

First of all, there’s nothing particularly healthy about Subway – it’s McDonald’s in a more arrogant guise… “Doctors Associates Inc.”

Let’s compare the two

Subway – Fresh Veggies, Cheap, low quality meat, cheap, low quality bread. Pop. Chips.
McDonald’s – Fresh Veggies, Cheap, moderate quality meat, moderate quality bread. Pop. French Fries.

to be fair, McDonald’s only uses grade A meat and eggs, pretty sure Subway boycotts anything not on the verge of stock animal feed. I bought some “discount brand” turkey cold cuts, for $99 cents a POUND… it was about the same as what I get at a Subway.

Secondly, the concept behind candy at Christmas is teaching kids that candy is something for special occasions, rather than something to live off of. It’s not actually BAD for you in moderation. When you keep it a treat, it’s actually perfectly healthy (and in all likelihood, better for you than the crap they serve at Subway)

Mom, if you’re reading this, thank you for teaching me the joys of candy as a treat, something to be saved for special occasions – thank you for not being this doddering fool who wants to pander to the deceptive perception that Subway is some sort of treat.

Recap – Candy isn’t horrible, as long as it’s a treat. Subway is shit.

Have a nice day

Is it really worth 24 or 25 bucks per month to join the personal camsite of some girl who gets naked for $$$?

I mean, really – they all proclaim “It’s because I’m a real human being, and you’re lookin in on a “real life”"

but seriously… “real life” is boring as hell.

Yeah, I’d love to see your tits… but I’m not going to pay for the privilege – not in person, and not on the internet. It’s a waste of money…

It’s like paying someone to spit in your face and show you what you can’t have.

I guess maybe some people get off on that?

Really, I think paying these girls is ruining their lives, and messing with their heads. They feel special and important, because people are willing to pay…

So they’re prostituting themselves, but they feel like celebrities. Breaking news – people aren’t paying to see your shining personality, they’re paying because they want something to masturbate to… and that’s all these guys think you’re good for, regardless of what they say.

I like a girl who shows me her boobs as much as the next guy, but I don’t want to encourage your hookerish behavior.

Oh… and don’t do crack – next thing you know you’ll be letting scabby old men rub your coochie for a hoot.

Okay, that might be a little extreme, but I’m pissed off with Subway restaurants. One in particular.

Subway used to be a place where you could get a good sandwich at a reasonable price. They were up against a very established sandwich chain (Mr. Sub), so they fought tooth and nail, opening up cheap sandwich stores on every block.

Their most expensive sandwiches were a foot long, and under 5 bucks – the little ones were around 3 for the fancy varieties.

As they became more popular, they upgraded their food a little (different kinds of bread, more sauces, soups), and raised prices to be more “high end” than the competition. The end result? You pay more. Far more than any cost of living adjustments or wage adjustments, or food cost adjustments… the formerly 5 buck premium subs, which consist of maybe between 50 cents and $1 worth of raw food, are now going for between 7 and 9 bucks.

I’m not going to hold that against them – people pay it, so awesome – make more profit.

But when I walk in, and order, and pay a premium price, if you’re going to charge me extra to pay with something other than cash, you can bloody well go fuck yourself.

It’s one thing to double your prices over 2 years – when the food really isn’t any better, and the toasters don’t make it more premium. Stop fucking nickle and diming me – you’re making 7-8 dollars off my every visit already without adding in hidden charges and extra fees.

I’m going to make up some business cards, that are going to read as such:

“Dear Proprietor. I’ve been a loyal customer for several years, and brought many people here for some excellent meals. I understand your desire for profit, and your need to feed your family – so I didn’t complain when you raised prices. Today, I ordered a meal, and when I went to pay, the debit machine informed me that it was going to charge me an extra 25 cents to pay this way. I paid it, but I’m sick of being nickle and dimed to death by companies like yours.

Your products are already overpriced by more than enough to cover your costs of business, and this is just another example of greediness. If I could still pay the prices from 2 years ago, certainly I’d consider 25 cents a fair price for convenience… but today, it’s simply ignorance. You just lost a customer today. I’ll go somewhere they still appreciate my business, rather than charging me for being an inconvenience.”

I’ll pay for my meal, and leave a card with the cashier. I’m going to give 50 of these cards to everyone I know, and encourage them to use them.