Shopping Mania

So the dreaded season is here – the shopping mania season, the season to spend, spend and spend some more on gifts that might never be used and some that you have to give because it is expected (and because it somehow feels funny to receive gifts without reciprocating). It is the season when shopping and the frustrations that accompany it become a necessary evil!

Black Friday, Cyber Monday – these were the terms that seemed to offer hope this season or were they just some sugar coated terms to find another way to separate the willing masses from their money? So this year, I decided that I would be an active participant of this crazy phenomenon and actually try and nab some of these much touted deals (if they are for real) in the computer and electronics departments. So I psyched myself up that come Friday morning I would be up at the crack of dawn, all bundled up and ready to battle the masses for a hot deal!

Come Friday morning and my bed would not let me go! (at least that is the excuse that I gave myself) or was it because common sense took over and reminded me that I have a budget to keep and that all these is hype……anyway, I had come in late from a Thanksgiving Dinner out of State at an old dear family friend’s house so it was hard to get out of bed especially on a cold morning when I did not have to go to work! I am definitely not that crazy about shopping! When I finally got up and watched the news, I knew that for sure I would have been trampled on by the surging, crashing and crushing masses rushing into the malls at 5am in the morning to spend their money at the promise of saving some money in the process. So, I decided to restrategize - I went online to check and see which stores still had deals on items that I needed. It seemed to me that opinion was varied on whether or not there are any major savings though this did not deter people from going to shop. By afternoon, I had convinced myself that I could still get all that I needed online during the “Cyber Monday” sales.

Well, I did go to the mall finally in the evening (courtesy of my roommates) and I must say that I am proud of myself, I only spent minimally and only on some essential stuff that I have been looking for (and they were not on sale, sigh!). As for Cyber Monday, it has come and gone and I did not see any deal online that I cannot still go and get at the stores – minus the shipping and handling and the long wait for the item. Also I am still an old-fashioned shopper at heart – I need to see, feel and even test the item first!

So here I am as usual, no shopping done, waiting for Dec. 24th to rush in and fight with other last minute shoppers. And a fight it is - in the parking lot for a spot, in the stores for the left over items and then to make the long queue toward a tired, irate cashier for a very, very last minute deal! (if any).

Cash or Credit?

It took me four minutes to get to Kinnelon Bagels, a small Deli, off 23 North in Butler. I was hungry. Usually I don’t eat lunch until I get home but having scheduled back to back meetings my stomach begun rambling and the brain chemicals sent IM (Instant Messaging) asking for relief. I lined up tagged along and ordered a Grilled Chicken hot sub and some coffee. When I reached for my wallet I realized I didn't have enough cash. Since the store had a MasterCard and Visa Logos I opted to pay with my debit card. The young lady asked whether I had cash instead of using the card and wallah! The question “cash or credit?” popped up in my head.

Many small businesses prefer cash rather than credit. In fact some gas station marts will post notice of minimum purchases for credit card use. Part of the reason for this restriction is merchant fees that store owners pay for billing credit card companies. Fees range from per transaction fees (usually a percentage or a few cents on each card processed) to monthly or annual maintenance fees that can range from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars.

If you have watched a recent TV commercial for Visa “when the saints go marching in” it expounds that Life takes Visa. So here I was doing lunch and life needed cash! The young lady at the cashier turned to her father and asked whether she could swipe my debit card. That’s when we discussed merchant fees. I agonized with him over the dilemma of accepting plastic.

So next time you do lunch or make purchases under $10.00 be considerate of small business owners. Carry cash because no matter what you want to do in life, life doesn’t always take Visa.

This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite. He shall not require payment from his fellow Israelite or brother, because the LORD's time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. Deut 15:2