Friday, September 15, 2023

Frugal Friday....the September 15th Edition

Welcome to Frugal Friday!   What a week it's been.....

There are very few Frugal wins this past week but here goes....

*  My insurance processed the payment for my dermatology appointment on Aug. 28th.  The folks in charge at the front desk charged me a $50 co-pay even after I told them I had satisfied all my deductibles and co-pays for the year.  So I get the processed EOB this week and lo and behold insurance paid the bill and I didn't owe any co-pay or co-insurance.  Imagine that!  So I get to hound this pseudo -dermatology office for a $50 refund.  $50 isn't nothing so I'll be expecting that fee back...then I will cancel my appt. in Jan. with her as they have no clue about treating HS so going there is a waste of my time and resources.

*  Grocery shopping this week(yesterday)was quite low(so far), $45.33.  Take off the $11.25 back from Alexa, Ibotta and Kroger Cash Back and it's $34.08 spent(and $9+/- of that was for dog food).

*  I left feedback online Monday(which they requested)for that restaurant we had our Anniversary dinner at, back in late August. Obviously the feedback was not good(like the meal).  I didn't attack anyone personally but listed what was not up to my standards(a lot).  About an hour after posting feedback to their form, Hubs phone rings and it's the wife of the owner of the restaurant(well, co-owner, it's a family run business she owns with her hubby).  She was personally offended that I called their restaurant out and kept saying they have NEVER gotten a bad review.  Well maybe, since most people don't bother to give feedback and they've only been in business for 3 years, but they didn't know whom they were dealing with. lol  If for no other reason, I hoped to warn unsuspecting diners about this place.  She got semi-hysterical, then said they'd give us our money back but I am seriously doubtful that will happen(because I am a pessimist mostly).  I worked in the food industry and this woman really needs to grow aa thicker skin if they are going to survive in that cut throat business.  She kept saying they were a family run business and insinuated how dare! I give them a bad review.  Well, I am all for people starting businesses but I am not going to lie about my experience and if it's bad.
Anyway, about an hour later, Hubs gets an email from this woman's husband, Chef whatshisname.  He called us names(yes, I am a hillbilly rube who has never been  anywhere or eaten at a "fine dining" establishment before)and told us never to darken their door again.....believe me, we won't!  He told us to take our refund and spend it at Golden Corral. lol  I'll believe that refund when it's in my hands.  If it comes I'll take that $200 and spend it on groceries rather.

*  I had the bloodwork and EKG done Thursday for my upcoming surgery in Ohio next month.  These tests won't cost me anything out of pocket.

*  I found money! 

Nope.  Skunked again.  I only went to Walmart last Friday briefly and to Kroger yesterday, Thursday.  Maybe it's the horrible condition of the economy(inflation and jobs not paying a living wage)but nobody seems to be ditching pennies anymore at registers or in parking lots.  Drive-thrus might be an exception but I haven't been to one of those in ages. 8-)  

Total Found in last Week.... .00¢
Total Found this Year.......$3.05

That's all I got.  At least it's not triple digit temperatures here now(look for the positives in life).

 Just sitting home is frugal, right?

Any frugal wins in your neck of the woods?  Let's hear all about them since I don't seem to be able to find much!

Sluggy   

11 comments:

  1. Wow, I can't believe the wife called you and then you received an email from her husband. They will not make it in business very long if that is how they are going to act. Harassing people because they received a poor review is horrible. And telling you to never come back?? As if you would. Crazy.

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    1. Exactly. These people shouldn't be in a business that deals with the public. lol Frankly I WOULD rather go to Golden Corral....

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  2. "Family owned" so you can't leave a negative review? Seriously, at some point we decided that not upsetting proprietors was more important than holding them to any kind of standard.

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    1. Like I said, thin skinned folks shouldn't start a business. I am all for small businesses and will support the ones worth supporting. 8-)

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  3. Not only would I update my review to include the phone conversation, but I would screenshot the emails from the chef and blast them yet again. Warn people what type of nuts they're dealing with if they don't happen to like the place. Ridiculous behavior by business owners!! I hope the dermatology office refunds that $50 quickly! We've been waiting 7 months for a $1000 overcharge for my kids appointment. I knew I was right (all deductibles met/etc), but they argued, and have no kept changing the reason for the $1000 charge. Health"care" is a mess.

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    1. The feedback the restaurant asked for wasn't visible anywhere so I went to Yelp and copied that feedback AND mentioned the call and email they sent us that insulted us personally. Wow. You said it...nut jobs. I am sure my medical refund with take forever but 7 months?! They should be paying you interest on your refund after that length of time. Geez

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  4. I am in a food desert here. Lousy restaurants,lousy prices, lousy service, the perfect trifecta! But, they are local, and family owned, doncha' know. If you DARE criticize certain places, it is almost like you are committing heresy, and get comments like, "Well, they're a local business, you should support them, they're struggling." Yeah, because their food, service and prices suck. I don't understand why local, family owned businesses, restaurant or otherwise play the "shop local" card, and then treat those very customers like dirt...as if they are doing you a favor by allowing you to spend your time and money there. No thanks, I'll drive the extra 20 miles to not be ripped off and expected to compliment you for the pleasure, thank you just the same.

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  5. I found a penny so I won! Neener, neener

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  6. Your Dr mess is exactly why I refuse to pay any thing at my Dr visits. I always tell them I am going to wait for the visit to go through insurance and pay through MyChart after it's settled. I learned a long time ago that my Dr office and insurance company don't always agree on what their designation is! My lesson was my obgyn declares they are a specialist, my insurance company says no regular Dr, so that made my copay 25.00, not the 50.00 the office demanded at my visit. Even with proof, the Dr office would not refund the difference because they still held to the "we're a specialist office" crap. I've also learned that if I see a PA instead of the MD at an actual specialist office, my insurance only requires a regular visit copay, not a specialist copay. I have not gotten any push back so far for not paying at the time of visit. It's usually after the visit is over that I'm asked, what are they gonna do at that point? Cancel the appointment I was just at?

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  7. Golden Corral can be good! But, I have not been there in years, so who knows?
    My podiatrist does not know what a bunion is or how to treat one! She only trims my toenails. She knows no other treatment for ingrown toenails than sticking the clippers under the side of the toenails, and rippppping out the top of the nail. That hurts! I know why she treats me this way, but if I said, there would be offense and accusations toward me.

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  8. I braved a trip to Walmart for $.98 frozen cauliflower. Kroger raised the price to $1.69 so stocked up on 20 bags. Also found a hoodie marked down to $3. It was the only one with a clearance tag and just happened to be my size.

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