All Purpose Rant Away Thread - 3.2.1 GO!

[Linda Evans]

i had no luck either...went to walmart to buy sd card.... what was left on the rack was over priced garbage! only sales were chocolates & xmas decorations...picked up a 32gb card at staples for $15-
took the bus home i was FROZEN!

[bhlombardy]

I'm of the firm belief that retailers in Canada have gotten OFF the Boxing Day kick, and ON to the Black Friday bandwagon. I also blame the rise in popularity of gift cards.

I recall days of yore when I would wait in line before sunrise on Boxing Day in -20 degree weather for FutureShop to open because of at least 4 or 5 REALLY GREAT deals being offered. And I'm talking about deals what weren't ever made available any other time, and even if they were limited quantities. Boxing Day was *MY* Black Friday. It was a tradition with my friends and I, and we were always each on the hunt for something. Alas, I havent been out for Boxing Day in about 8 years... maybe more.

Despite the fact that my "wants" and "needs" are lessened today, I just don't see any great bargains in the Boxing Day sales compared to other times of the year. The prices are similar (or higher) than they are throughout the year. I notice this decline in direct correlation to the rise of "Black Friday" becoming a thing in Canada... which BTW is otherwise a completely fabricated day here. As I'm sure you're all aware, in the US, Black Friday is the day after their thanksgiving, roughly a month before Christmas and when MOST people have the day off anyway, making it a perfect storm of holiday shopping there. Here, it's just the third Friday in November. Regardless, when our dollar was near-par/at-par/better-than par with the US$ (for a few years between 2008 and 2014) Canadians would flock down there and take advantage of those sales that couldn't compare here. And thus Canadian Black Friday began, as our retailers started getting on the bandwagon to try and keep us at home, and spending our dollars in Canada instead.

Since the decline of our dollar, people are more reluctant to spend their dollars state-side anyway, but the Black Friday trend is already here, and it spelled a bigger success for Canadian retailers than Boxing Day. As such, Boxing Day started to dwindle. Retailers weren't going to have TWO holiday season door-buster events... and I wager they see Black Friday as a bigger money grab. More people are both gift-buying and self-buying on Black Friday. Whereas Boxing Day is more a self-buying endeavor and redeeming those gift cards we got in our stockings. From the retailer perspective, gift card redemption is money they already got pre-holiday, so they're almost GIVING away merchandise post-holiday. (Retailers actually bank on people to NOT redeem gift cards!) PLUS customers are more likely to pay a higher price for something when they have "free money" (gift cards) in their pockets than need to be encouraged to buy the items on sale. If retailers keep the prices higher at the point when more gift cards are out in the field, there's less stuff they will have to "give-away" so to speak.

Those of us in these forums are smarter shoppers (it's why we're here) so we ARE more likely to hold on to that gift card until a sale arises, but most consumers aren't so savvy... teens and millennials, for example, see it as $50 they didnt have yesterday, and an instant $50 discount off that $70 item -- instead of waiting for that $70 item to go on sale for $50.

In any event, I've seen the shift. I dont even bother with Boxing Day anymore. I see better deals on Black Friday, however not the GREAT deals like I used to see on Boxing Days of long ago.

[Tweets77]

wind-chill here is in the mid-40s, husband went out to plug in the van because he needs it tomorrow. Well, some puke neatly cut off the block heater cord, AARRGH!

Fingers crossed the van is hearty enough to start in the morning, we don't really want to have to pay for a darned boost!

Did the van start @Natalka ? People can be such a*%holes!! Hopefully karma will get that person!

[Natalka]

Yes, the van started - reluctantly, he said. Let it run quite a while to warm up, no sense driving on square tires...

[GoJays]

Yes, the van started - reluctantly, he said. Let it run quite a while to warm up, no sense driving on square tires...

Ours didn't. DH had to take his dad's car to work this morning. Hopefully it was just the cold weather and not something more sinister. FIL says the battery is almost at full charge.

[Natalka]

Oh too bad Jays, son said ours would be ok because it's a relatively new heavy duty battery, plus we use synthetic oil - don't know why the latter makes a difference but that's coming from a mechanic.

[bhlombardy]

Oh too bad Jays, son said ours would be ok because it's a relatively new heavy duty battery, plus we use synthetic oil - don't know why the latter makes a difference but that's coming from a mechanic.

I was going to chime in on the synthetic oil thing and recommend it before you mentioned it.

The primary reason cars have hard time starting in the bitter cold is because the engine parts have to slug through that cold thick oil in the engine block. The colder it is, the harder it is to push those pistons and get the engine moving. Hence the call for a "BLOCK" heater... to pre-warm up that oil to make it easier to start.

Imagine what it's like pouring honey or molasses that is stored in the fridge versus a jar that's left out at room temperature... motor oil is about the same premise.

A stronger battery really is only good to ensure it has enough energy to continually run the starter while your engine pushes through that thick oil and starts the ignition to run on its own.



Synthetic oil has a broader operating range than conventional motor oil. Meaning, it has a MUCH lower freezing temperature (as well as a much HIGHER breakdown point) and thus is far more fluid in the colder temperatures than conventional oil. For this reason alone, synthetic oil is a MUCH better option for cold starts than conventional oil.


I saw a demonstration about 10 years ago that proved this and convinced me on synthetic oil, and I've never used conventional oil since...

If you want the same demonstration, try this at home: "Freeze" a 1L jug of regular engine oil and 1L of synthetic oil in your home freezer and get it as cold as you can -- the colder the better. Most deep-freezers can do as low -25 degrees -- but it sounds like you can do this demo out on your back deck. -- They wont freeze solid not even close, but leave them in the freezer for at least 24 hours to get good and cold. Then try pouring them out of their respective bottles and into separate jugs or jars or some such. The synthetic oil jug will flow as well as it did at room temperature but the conventional oil will be a lot more sluggish. Depending on how cold you were able to get them, the Sythetic oil bottle could probably be emptied before the regular oil even touches the bottom of it's jar. Now imagine that same premise inside your engine. If that doesnt sell you on the virtues of using synthetic oil, nothing will.


Despite the ease of starting your engine, this also guarantees a quicker lubrication of your engine parts after starting which reduces engine wear, and gives your engine parts a longer lifespan.


Also... dont bother with "semi-synthetic" oils... they're no better than conventional oil in the cold.

[Newfiescreech]

So I have been sober for nearly 898days sober and my uncle kept poking at me that I had spiked the drink somehow yeah like I do that so every time I had a new drink he say oh it’s your cocktail! And I would say yeah I spiked it with lemon lime bitters or something dumb like that. But sorry that really gripes me!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Congratulations greentires4me .. 898 days being sober that’s awesome 👏 keep up wonderful hard work

[couponmummy]

Went to SDM and saw corn starch on sale for 1.99 so I got 2 and I got charged .60 tax. When did SDM started charging tax on groceries?

Went to another SDM and QUO velvet lipsticks were in a bin with a 50% off sticker on it. I did a self-scan and it was $6. Since we had a lot of cosmetics in our cart, we went to pay at the cosmetic counter. When she got to the lipsticks, we pointed out to her that it was 50% off, so $3. She says no, it is already 50% off, regular price is $12. If it's already reduced, don't put another discount sticker on it. Now I have to go back and buy more items to get to $30 for my 8000 bonus offer. I should go back and pay for the lipsticks at the front cash.

[coupon girl]

being sick last night and spending it in the bathroom and on the couch -instead of going out

[Tweets77]

being sick last night and spending it in the bathroom and on the couch -instead of going out

Sorry to hear @coupon girl ! I hope that you are feeling better today.

[johnb56789]

Well, I got two letters in the mail today from Reckitt Benckiser that gives out the Finish MIR. Apparently, two MIR that I sent in back in October were invalid. They said that the product that I bought did not match the Mail In Rebate. However, I know it did. I'm not even gonna bother to fight it as I can never get a word out of them. Tried contacting before and nothing, horrible website!! (Smartsaver.ca)

[Ciel]

When one parent keeps asking for favours for simple things that can be done on their own time/with their own hands. I lost my temper given that I was the only person who has done the bulk of snow shovelling while two parents act like it's not winter.

[Natalka]

Got shopping list all ready for Independent - especially to get the pork chops on sale - BUT gee the new flyer starts today. ARGH! Why are they different from other stores?
Sure wish all flyers would go back to starting on Saturday!

[GoodBoy]

Once again Canada Post lives down to my expectations. Have a package to be delivered to me - sadly Canada Post is the carrier ... it has been out for delivery since 9 AM Monday morning. Of course the website tracking is of no use and the help line is of no use. Such a POS organization! Still waiting for my delivery ...