Archive for September, 2009

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Who moved my bank?

September 23rd, 2009

My love/hate affair with my bank goes on

I went across the street to the mall last night to deposit a check that had arrived in the mail. The miserable check was payment for an article that was submitted about 8 months ago and was finally published in June. The mall was closing up when I walked in and the bank was gone. The windows were plastered over with sheets of white paper. “Where’s the bank?” I asked a cleaner. She shrugged meaning:

• I don’t know.
• I don’t care.
• I don’t understand English. I only arrived in this country from (Insert name of any third-world country) 2 days ago.

I eventually found someone who pointed across the street to a new building. I dropped the check in the deposit box.

The bank likes me

I used to have a bank account with money in it. In these recessionary days I maintain an overdraft at the bank. It is not huge, but it seems to glow in a psychedelic red that draws every bank official’s attention to it whenever they walk anywhere near. So I get lots of mail and e-mails from the bank. Some offer me loans – they want me to build on my overdraft, some say nice things like “Please attends to your overdraft” and others threaten, “Attend to the matter of your overdraft immediately. If you have already done so please ignore this letter.” No matter how angry they get, they never slam the door!

I don’t like the bank

The bank is not my friend. There was time, a few years ago, when I would bump into the manager at the fast food court in the mall and we sometimes ate together, discussing important stuff like the weather. I was convinced the guy was human. Before I could build on our friendship, they moved him and we got a dragon in his place. She does not greet me and did not even give me a calendar in December, a sure sign that I am at the bottom of the list. But you can depend on the bank. At one second past midnight on the first of every month I hear a ‘ting’ on my computer and an email slides in from the bank, listing the bank charges for the past month. The bank charges me:

• For depositing a check into my account.
• For withdrawing money from my account.
• For making a payment to someone from my account.
• For breathing anywhere near my account.

This is despite the many letters I write to the bank reminding them that any money in my account is mine.

Grandpa’s bank philosophy

I once mentioned to my wise old grandfather that I needed to go to the bank for something or other and he said, “forget the bank, my boy. They will never help you. The bank only comes out to offer you an umbrella after the rain has stopped.”

Tags: Bank, Bank manager, Depositing money, Overdraft, Withdrawing money
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My shopping support system is shot!

September 22nd, 2009

My money tree is bare and the there are no new buds

There is dramatic change in my life. I’ve started thinking about not spending money. I built my personal financial system over years and years of spending money, sometimes cautiously, sometimes rashly and sometimes wildly. At all times I planned, saved and budgeted, always keeping spending directly linked to earning. Today I’m in a “no-spend” period. I’ve saved hundreds of dollars this year by finding good deals on financial products. You can do it too.

Our shopping expeditions

This small section belongs under the advantages/disadvantages of working at home. Years ago I fell into the habit of accompanying my wife on her trips to the supermarket. These outings ranged from ‘totally boring’ to ‘mildly interesting’ until I discovered that there’s a man’s world in the supermarket. I found 10 varieties of olives, 20 varieties of pickles and a carousel of fiery hot spices. I found the exotic cheese counter and the cheap tee-shirt rack. Within reason, I bought what I fancied. Then the owners closed down the company I was managing – not enough work to justify, blah, blah, blah… the faltering hi-tech industry, yak, yak, yak… So our shopping trips have changed. I still accompany my wife. We go to the supermarket with a list. We buy the items on the list and come home. Money saved: Considerable.

I’ve seen some changes

One always learns as one goes through life. Long ago when I had a problem with money, my first port of call would be the bank and my friendly bank manager who would always lean over backwards to help me. That’s gone. These days when I have a problem with money I put as much distance as I can between me and the bank. I’m just another customer and I’ve never met the manager. I changed banks recently, mainly because the bank on Pine Street offered better deals than the bank on Elm Street. The bank treats me as a casual customer, so I treat the bank casually too.

Check your insurances

I can’t remember exactly why I got into this. I think I had sudden urge to make sure everything was in order in case I got hit by a bus. The results were surprising. Other than stuff like life insurance, pension and savings which I regard as a ‘do not touch’ subject unless the agent is present, I looked at such fascinating items as household and auto insurance. It’s been years since I reviewed these policies. I took them out and called a couple of new acquaintances in the insurance business. Surprise! The trusty old agents I had used all these years were no longer looking after my interest. They were simply renewing annually. I found a new agent and saved huge amounts of money for the same insurance coverage. I also told the new agent that I would be shopping around for new quotations at every renewal date.

Tags: Bank, Insurance, Money tree, No-spending, Shopping
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