Frugal Living: May 6, 2008

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

25 new messages in 12 topics - digest

misc.consumers.frugal-living
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living?hl=en

misc.consumers.frugal-living@googlegroups.com

Today's topics:

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TOPIC: Emergency Room Bank Buster vs Doctors Office
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/b0b141578884ce91?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 11:48 am
From: assholexterminator

websurf1@cox.net wrote in
news:75c6b0e2-89aa-4574-972a-bd26667d702e@i36g2000prf.googlegroups.com:

> On May 4, 2:09 pm, hubbahubba <nomailfor...@soupnazi.org> wrote:
>> Goomba38 <Goomb...@comcast.net> wrote
>> innews:JKadndKFjJdASYrVnZ2dnUVZ_uudnZ2d@comcast.com:
>>
>>
>>
>> > Anonymous wrote:
>> >> Have to have hernia surgery; only have Medicare.
>>
>> >> My choices are go to emergency room and take pot luck on the
>> >> surgeon at a hospital not exactly known for it's excellence OR go
>> >> to doctors office and probably have them ask me for a deposit
>> >> before they will do anything. My guess is emergency room will
>> >> result in big overcharges that they will want me to pay only I am
>> >> judgement proof-they cannot get blood from a turnip, OR go to
>> >> private surgeon; my guess is he will say, you need to deposit XX
>> >> dollars before I will do it. Anyone here been in a similar
>> >> situation that can offer helpful advice or information? Thanks
>> >> much!
>>
>> > Emergency rooms are for emergencies. If you're not having bowel
>> > incarceration (and you'd probably know this and it would be an
>> > emergency!) you don't belong in an emergency room for this.
>> > Since you know about it in advance you have time to find a doctor
>> > who accepts Medicare and can arrange to find one that uses the
>> > hospital you prefer.
>>
> Welcome to a broken medical system, which still provides some of the
> best care in the world, if you can afford it.
> To the OP: please use your doctor. Your use of emergency rooms for
> non-emergencies is one of the reasons things are so expensive. Many
> uninsured or underinsured pull this stunt, even to the point of using
> an ambulance to get prescriptions. It's a thoroughly disgusting waste
> of limited resources.
>
>> Haha, Goomba must be a Cheney disciple, or a relative of the "soup
>> Nazi"! What an ass! He's in the right group though, extremely CHEAP,
>> even with his advice.
>>
>> To O.P. just go to the emergency and fuck them when they send u the
>> bill.
>
> To hubbahubba: Your political knowledge, attitude, and language put
> you at the bottom rung of literate humanity.
>

ROTFLMAO, No it is Bush and all the rich fuck doctors, insurance
companies and other assholes that are at the bottom of the rung. It is
assholes like you that will bring this Kountry down. Like the Doctor
Seuss story of the poor turtle (was it) everyone piling on his back
until the whole stack collapses, that is what will happen to this shit
Kountry with all you fucking greedy bastards out there, including many
of the doctors that are ripping people off with their sham medical
services. Let's give health care execs another fucking bonus, I think
the poor slobs using substandard so called "emergency" room services are
getting too much of a free ride. Go fuck yourself. Rest assured there is
no end in site to the pursuit of greed at others' expense in this
Kountry on the horizon with the next wave of cookie cutter prez.
Kandidates. More of the same, ad infinitum....Stay tuned while China
becomes the next superpower and the USA is relegated to a third world
Kountry with commensurate divisions between the classes. Maybe we will
get luck and Al Quieda or similar will put us out of our misery sooner
rather than later.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Gas Prices
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/0ee1641a39c5a013?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 10 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 11:58 am
From: clams_casino

Terri wrote:

>
>I guess I still don't get it then. I use cash to buy my gas. The guy
>down the road charges two prices for gas. The price for cash paying
>customers such as myself is less than those using credit cards.
>
>

I always pay by credit card. Most always, it's cheaper to pay a higher
list price via credit card vs. paying cash at cash-only only stations
considering my card (Chase) refunds 3% of each gas purchase (when paid
at the pump) - no annual fees & about 10 cents / gallon savings. I've
never seen a 10 cents / gallon savings when paying by cash.

== 2 of 10 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 12:05 pm
From: clams_casino

Larry Caldwell wrote:

>In article <oopr14lhh96n3c0ftsaulfislf8up8jlqi@4ax.com>,
>elbrecht@email.com (Jim Elbrecht) says...
>
>
>
>>Makes more sense than ever. I get 3% off for using the card. 3% of
>>$4 gas is better than 3% of the $1 gas I was getting when I signed up.
>>
>>
>
>Next month, Discover is offering 5% cash back on service station
>purchases. I think you have to go online to sign up at their web site.
>
>

Doesn't that apply during July - Sept? One catch is you have to
remember to sign up every year. Another is that there is a cap -
something like $400 total gas.

It's also only good when used as a pay at the pump purchase.

>Then I use the cash back account to buy $25 B. Dalton/Waldenbooks gift
>cards for $20, which is another 5%. Then Walden Books has its own
>rewards program. What can I say? I buy a lot of books. Using a credit
>card for gas buys about $300 worth of books a year, at no additional
>cost to me.
>
>

eBay is typically a much cheaper source for books. I really don't
understand why anyone buys a book new - at or near retail - when most
every book is usually found on eBay for a fraction of the list.

== 3 of 10 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 12:11 pm
From: clams_casino

SMS wrote:

> Terri wrote:
>
>> That makes sense. (Even if using a credit card to buy gas doesn't.)
>
>
> Why would you think that?
>
> The cheapest place to buy gas in my area is Costco. Not only doe the
> Costco Amex card give a 3% rebate(consumer card) or 5% rebate
> (business card), you can't pay with cash even if you wanted to. It's
> debit or credit card (only Amex) only. At $3.80 a gallon, that 5%
> rebate is a 19¢ per gallon rebate.

Apparently, Amex is providing you a full rebate. Typically gas
purchased at Walmart, BJ's, grocers like Stop & Shop & other large
discounters don't qualify for the full rebate with most credit cards.
It's usually cheaper to buy gas at retail stations & get a 3% refund via
credit card, even if the list price/ gallon is higher.

== 4 of 10 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 12:15 pm
From: clams_casino

The Real Bev wrote:

>
> Buy 100 shares of your favorite oil company and PRAY that gas prices
> go up. Buy 200 shares and you're in even better shape.
>
> Remember, you heard it here first.
>
When GW was first put in office, that made much sense (and much money),
but the future may not be anywhere as rewarding.

Then again, I was smart enough to buy some energy stocks in 2004, but
sold them way too early mid 2007 thinking the prices would level out as
the GW years came to an end.

Evidently, GW's effects will be felt longer than hoped.

== 5 of 10 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 1:08 pm
From: Dennis

On Sun, 04 May 2008 12:56:18 -0400, George <george@nospam.invalid>
wrote:

>Jim Elbrecht wrote:
>> Terri <Terri@micron.net> wrote:
>>
>>> Paul M. Eldridge <paul.eldridge@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote in
>>> news:fflr14he7qelmkd9940981fmkafhvgbibp@4ax.com:
>> -snip-
>>>> I believe it has to do with the VISA and MasterCard pre-authorizations
>>>> (I'm not sure if this is still the case, but the MasterCard limit per
>>>> transaction was set at $75.00).
>>> That makes sense. (Even if using a credit card to buy gas doesn't.)
>>
>> Makes more sense than ever. I get 3% off for using the card. 3% of
>> $4 gas is better than 3% of the $1 gas I was getting when I signed up.
>>
>> Jim
>Not really, you (and everyone else who purchases stuff) is paying for
>your "rewards" because the merchant has to charge more.

Maybe, but the reality is that people are using credit cards and
merchants are charging what they are charging. Given that my personal
use or non-use won't change anything, why should I leave the cash
rebate on the table?

Dennis (evil)
--
My output is down, my income is up, I take a short position on the long bond and
my revenue stream has its own cash flow. -George Carlin

== 6 of 10 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 1:20 pm
From: "Rod Speed"

clams_casino <PeterGriffin@DrunkinClam.com> wrote:
> The Real Bev wrote:
>
>>
>> Buy 100 shares of your favorite oil company and PRAY that gas prices
>> go up. Buy 200 shares and you're in even better shape.
>>
>> Remember, you heard it here first.
>>
> When GW was first put in office, that made much sense (and much
> money), but the future may not be anywhere as rewarding.
>
> Then again, I was smart enough to buy some energy stocks in 2004, but
> sold them way too early mid 2007 thinking the prices would level out
> as the GW years came to an end.
>
> Evidently, GW's effects will be felt longer than hoped.

Or its got nothing to do with the shrub.

== 7 of 10 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 2:50 pm
From: Dennis

On Tue, 06 May 2008 15:05:11 -0400, clams_casino
<PeterGriffin@DrunkinClam.com> wrote:

>Larry Caldwell wrote:
>
>>In article <oopr14lhh96n3c0ftsaulfislf8up8jlqi@4ax.com>,
>>elbrecht@email.com (Jim Elbrecht) says...
>>
>>
>>
>>>Makes more sense than ever. I get 3% off for using the card. 3% of
>>>$4 gas is better than 3% of the $1 gas I was getting when I signed up.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Next month, Discover is offering 5% cash back on service station
>>purchases. I think you have to go online to sign up at their web site.
>>
>>
>
>Doesn't that apply during July - Sept? One catch is you have to
>remember to sign up every year. Another is that there is a cap -
>something like $400 total gas.

The current special (April-June) is 5% rebate on home improvement
purchases. The deal changes every quarter and you have to explicitly
sign up each time (you can do it online in a couple minutes). I
believe it maxes out at $20 cash back per quarter (i.e., the 5% only
applies to the first $400 in category purchases). Still, if you are
going to make the purchases anyway, why not?

Dennis (evil)
--
The honest man is the one who realizes that he cannot
consume more, in his lifetime, than he produces.

== 8 of 10 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 4:33 pm
From: Larry Caldwell

In article <685460F2r5uv8U1@mid.individual.net>, rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com
(Rod Speed) says...

> The govt is nothing like bankrupted.

Only because the government prints the money. Currently they are
printing $2.2 billion of funny money a DAY to pay for our trade deficit.
The result is rapidly accelerating inflation. The only reason the
system hasn't collapsed is that too many nations are holding too many
dollars. This has the advantage of granting them enormous power. Other
countries already own the US Government. They call the tune by
financing the federal deficit with our trade deficit. If they quit
buying T-bills, the government would default its debts, which is the
definition of bankrupt.

Even without foreign intervention, the US Government is getting ready to
default on its obligations. If you look at your last Social Security
statement, you will see a warning that benefits may be reduced in the
future. The feds have already "borrowed" $36 trillion from the SS trust
fund, which they have no way of paying back. They need the SS surplus
to fund standard government operations.

Weimar Germany, anybody? That's where we are heading.

--
For email, replace firstnamelastinitial
with my first name and last initial.

== 9 of 10 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 4:44 pm
From: Larry Caldwell

In article <%xwTj.48$ek1.35@newsfe02.lga>, bashley101+usenet@gmail.com
(The Real Bev) says...
> Larry Caldwell wrote:
>
> > user132384@aol.com (caloo calay) says...
> >
> >> Small cars are less safe than big cars. Get whacked in a small car
> >> and have a llifetime of pain. No fun.
> >
> > Not according to Consumer Reports. In crash tests, SUVs and light
> > trucks were significantly more dangerous to drive than a conventional
> > compact car.
>
> More rollovers?

No, SUVs and light trucks are less safe in collisions. SUVs are built
on truck chassis, which lack the energy dissipating crumple zones
designed into cars. If you hit something in a Hummer, you are more
likely to be injured or die that if you are driving a Honda.

Consumer Reports also noted that conventional cars are less likely to
get into accidents than SUVs and light trucks, probably because they are
more maneuverable. There is a popular misconception that heavier=safer.
That is not true.

--
For email, replace firstnamelastinitial
with my first name and last initial.

== 10 of 10 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 4:59 pm
From: Larry Caldwell

In article <482064FE.6864890B@boi.hp.com>, cj@boi.hp.com (cj) says...

> Now, up here in Montana, we can go to *the* gas station in town (12
> miles) or we can go to the slightly cheaper gas station in the next town
> that has one (actually, they have 2!), it's only 75 miles. But to get
> gas at Costco, I usually have to fill up just to get there, it's only
> 240 miles. Oh, and there's only one place to get gas on the way, it's a
> mere 160 miles south of town.

Cheer up. You could be like urbanoids, burning $3 worth of gasoline to
save 5 cents a gallon at Costco. Why, if they buy 20 gallons of gas,
they save a buck!

I have found that the niftiest way to save money on gasoline is to stay
home.

--
For email, replace firstnamelastinitial
with my first name and last initial.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: New SPAM Posts by Cheapo Groovo
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/3be3fcd033e12b5c?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 12:18 pm
From: clams_casino

Cheapo Groovo wrote:

25 new messages in 12 topics - digest

misc.consumers.frugal-living
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living?hl=en

misc.consumers.frugal-living@googlegroups.com

Today's topics:

== 1 of 7 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 8:06 am
From: Al Bundy

On May 6, 8:48 am, "Walter Cohen" <w_co...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I have an iron whose face is all gunked up. Not sure how this happened but
> I am wondering if it can somehow be cleaned rather than me having to go out
> and purchase a new iron. When the iron is heated/hot it drags on the
> clothing item and sometimes transfers some of the gunk onto the clothing.
>
> Can I just use steel wool and/or a brillo pad on the face or will this
> scratch/ruin the iron face?
>
> Thanks,
> Walter

I've even used #400 sandpaper to speed the work. The scratches are so
tiny that it doesn't impair performance. A very fine drywall mesh
screen would work to and not build up the gunk on the mesh.

== 2 of 7 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 8:51 am
From: N8N

is it corrosion or hard water deposits? the plan of attack is
different, depending. Most of the responses I've seen seem to be
appropriate for corrosion. for hard water stains I would fill a
shallow pan with CLR and just soak and scrub.

nate

== 3 of 7 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 8:54 am
From: DerbyDad03

I've used 0000 steel wool to clean my irons many times over the years.

What's the gunk? If it's melted something or other, try some GooGone,
lighter fluid or WD-40 on the steel wool after heating the iron up to
loosen it.

== 4 of 7 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 10:07 am
From: "S. Barker"

just get some iron cleaner.

"Walter Cohen" <w_cohen@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:48205388$0$15161$607ed4bc@cv.net...
>I have an iron whose face is all gunked up. Not sure how this happened but
>I am wondering if it can somehow be cleaned rather than me having to go out
>and purchase a new iron. When the iron is heated/hot it drags on the
>clothing item and sometimes transfers some of the gunk onto the clothing.
>
> Can I just use steel wool and/or a brillo pad on the face or will this
> scratch/ruin the iron face?
>
> Thanks,
> Walter

== 5 of 7 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 10:53 am
From: "JR Weiss"

"S. Barker" <ichasetrains@coldmail.com> wrote...
> just get some iron cleaner.

Why? What's in it?

== 6 of 7 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 10:53 am
From: "JR Weiss"

"DerbyDad03" <teamarrows@eznet.net> wrote...

> I've used 0000 steel wool to clean my irons many times over the years.

That should work for surface corrosion or pitting.

> What's the gunk? If it's melted something or other, try some GooGone, lighter
> fluid or WD-40 on the steel wool after heating the iron up to loosen it.

HOWEVER, don't heat it any hotter than you can touch the iron with your flat
palm! Lighter fluid will, at best, instantly evaporate, or may flash and burn.

The 0000 steel wool with the solvent will likely work for many/most "gunk."
Kerosene was the old-fashioned solvent of choice, but GooGone or WD-40 are good
modern alternatives.

== 7 of 7 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 11:07 am
From: "JoeSpareBedroom"

I don't know, but it works really well. Made by Rowenta, a mfr of irons.
Brownish ointment in a tube.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Herbal Acne Home Remedies
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/a0b48bdb1d03b357?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 8:14 am
From: Charlieafpx@googlemail.com

A number of herbs are considered potent fighters of acne. These herbs
possess such power to treat and prevent acne from forming and
spreading. Examples of these herbal acne home remedies for acne are
the juniper, dandelion root, bergamot, chamomile, lavender, and
burdock root. They are said to be effective for minimizing toxicity
in the skin apart from than enhancing the skin�s overall condition.
[URL=�http://www.chinesemedicineadvisor.com�]Acne Home Remedies At
Your Fingertips[/URL]

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TOPIC: discount,Junior Series ( paypal accept ) ( www.power-saler.cn )discount,
Junior Series ( paypal accept ) ( www.power-saler.cn )
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/19a42fd40cdb67f1?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Tues, May 6 2008 8:23 am
From: goodsneaker@126.com

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