Quote from: Lori Dee on Today at 10:59:05 AMThanks, Everyone!
I am officially moved in and a little more than half unpacked. I got my internet connected last night and then... Windoze Updates, so I had to go back and remove all the crap that I told Microsoft not to install.
Today will be more unpacking and organizing. I have a new washer & dryer being delivered and installed this afternoon. That means I get to do laundry. Yay! That also means I got to do laundry. Boo!
I decided to move into the small bedroom for sleeping and use the Master Bedroom as my workspace. It has a lot more storage for my mining gear and plenty of room to set up a work bench or two for rock polishing and jewelry-making this winter.
Within the next week or so, I will be shopping for living room furniture. My back is grateful that I didn't move any big, heavy furniture. I have some ideas about what I want. Now it is just a matter of finding it. Online searches have not been fruitful, so I may have to visit furniture stores and see if they have anything close. That would be better because I can negotiate a better price by offering to pay in cash instead of financing.
I have two VA appointments already set up. I see a new psychologist here at the Pueblo VA Clinic, but my Endocrinology appointment is in Aurora, 111 miles away. Google says it is an hour and 45 minutes drive, but Google doesn't understand things like Denver traffic, road construction, and the plethora of idiots driving on I-25. The VA does reimburse for travel to appointments, but I just hate driving in big city traffic.
I am back online, but it will take me a bit to catch up. I really missed this place and all of you. 
I was surprised that many furniture stores do NOT offer a lower price for cash or check. It is same prices as when using credit cards. 5% off a $1,000 purchase is $50 and that should be tried for. Many merchants do NOT want to handle cash or take a personal check.
I was disappointed that it is the norm in the NYC area for merchants, restaurants, even gas stations to not offer a cash discount but instead charge 3-4% more when using a credit card, even a debit card.
I think that is wrong because I think the full price should be the price shown, and when paying cash, pay less or the same. Some places are like that, you pay the price posted with a credit card and the merchant can optionally offer a lowered price for cash.
There is a difference, although one can argue there is no effective difference. Either you get a higher price to pay or you get a price to pay that includes the fees, which could end up being the same price. Psychologically, it is better I think to get a cash discount rather than paying more to use a credit card.
Charging for the use of a debit card should be outlawed as nowadays much of those funds are transferred real time out of the customer's account and there is no float for the consumer. However, the card processor may not release that money to a merchant immediately and charge a processing fee.
Regardless, I hope you get a discount.
Financing is another matter. They make money giving you a loan, (or get the sale they otherwise may not have made) usually through a third party, and hope you do not pay it off before the same as cash time period ends. They may not get all of their money for what they sold up front though as a fee to them.
Any loan that does not allow early payment or early payoffs without penalties should not be taken.
I am amazed that many credit cards can get away charging a few percentage points up front for a cash advance. That fee is a super high APR equivalent when annualized.
Rip offs for those in need for money now in my option, and also for payday loans.
I am not saying that the credit card fees for a transaction at a store are out of line, but they can be treated as a cost of doing business or passed along to the consumer. More businesses are starting to pass those fees along to the consumer. Which is worse nowadays as people do not tend to use cash except for petty purchases and this drives up their prices paid.
I can see the merchant and consumer points of view on these matters.
Chrissy
