Whenever I have extra bread, cereal, or crackers to throw out, I like toput it in the yard for the animals. It doesn’t take long for the stuffto get eaten. Hope you enjoy the pictures. :)

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My husband and I were out of town for job training last week and on the way home we stopped to get gas. I was floored when my North Carolina State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) debit card did not work. What to do? We had to have gas to get home! Thankfully, we had acredit cardin our wallet for emergencies.

We arrived home Saturday morning and I called the 800 number for Raleigh SECU customer service. The rep told me thatthe $4000 check I had deposited to my account was going to be returned.I had deposited a$4000 check, but was not aware of its status.

I was told that my account was put on watch (basically frozen) because of the check. I asked that my account be unfrozen and the rep told me that only the person who put on the watch could remove it. Of course, I did not accept “no” for an answer and I asked to speak to someone that could do something about it. I was put on hold and within a few minutes she came back and told me that the watch had been lifted.

Monday morning rolled around and I spoke to one of the managers at my local branch. I wanted answers for why my entire account was frozen. I could see freezing the $4000, but not the rest of MY MONEY!!!!

So far, I’ve spoken to one of the branch managers, the teller manager, and the district vice president and I don’t feel that their answers are good enough. I’ve been given reasons about identity theft, making sure the money was there when they went to collect, and “I’m sorry”.

My major issue with all of this is that they just didn’t freeze the $4000. That would have been understandable. But no, they froze my entire account. That money is MINE. I worked hard for it. I saved it. I stretched and pinched during hard times to make it last. And now, all they can offer is “I’m sorry”? I’m all for forgiveness, but I don’t feel like “I’m sorry” is good enough. The vice president said he couldn’t guarantee that this wouldn’t happen again.

I’ve been a member of SECU for more than 15 years and I find this practice absolutely unacceptable. What do you think about this situation?

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I may be alone here, but I am not one of those moms that let’s their kids pick out their own lunchbox. The lunchbox that I buy needs to suit our needs. It needs to hold the items that we use most in the right way. It’s almost like finding the perfect purse.

Yesterday I went to Target and after looking at about 40 or so lunchboxes I finally decided on the Artic Zone lunchbox. It has a bottom chamber with container, which is perfect for keeping sandwiches safe. The top part is tall enough that it will hold a sports bottle upright so that it won’t leak.

Finding the right lunchbox is important to me because I don’t want to waste my money on something that doesn’t work for us. Still, paying $8.99 for a lunchbox made me cringe and complain. After all, I am a clearance shopper.

I bought the lunchbox at Target and then headed Wal-Mart. Imagine my surprise when I found the same lunchbox for $6.34. That’s a savings of $2.65 each!!!! You can see the pictures here. Compare the two Artic Zone lunchboxes and you’ll see there is very little difference between the two. The one on the left is from Wal-Mart and the one on the right is from Target.

I purchased the lunchboxes at Wal-Mart and then returned the other one to Target. I can handle a savings of 30%!

Have you found a big difference in the prices of things between Target and Wal-Mart?

image by Karen

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Congratulations! We’re pleased to inform you that your outstanding credit management has earned you a credit line increase on your Discover Card.

Your new Discover Card credit limit is $14,200.00.

Your increased buying power makes Discover Card the best choice for all your purchases.

They even enclosed another three checks. Oh geez. How lucky am I? :p

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At Thrifty Mommy, we love to make you smile. But I have been told lately that we haven’t been saving you money lately like we used to. So here is a combo for you …

Do your homework before hiring anyone to do anything for you. We recently had someone finish our staircase going downstairs and had to have them come back twice to fix the job. It was very frustrating. As for references and then CALL them. Go and see the job. We have allowed only one contractor to use us as a reference and are willing to let anyone see his work. He will also hopefully build our dream home when our ship comes in. It has to be cheaper here to build than to buy as houses are way overpriced in our local part of the forest.

However, don’t assume just because they appear to be busy, they are good. Case in point …

Joe grew up in a small town, then moved away to attend college and law school. He decided to come back to the small town because he could be a big man in this small town. He really wanted to impress everyone.

He opened his new law office, but business was very slow at first. One day, he saw a man coming up the sidewalk. He decided to make a big impression on this new client when he arrived.

As the man came to the door, Joe picked up the phone. He motioned the man in, all the while talking…

“No. Absolutely not. You tell those clowns in New York that I won’t settle this case for less than one million…”

“Yes. The Appeals Court has agreed to hear that case next week. I’ll be handling the primary argument and the other members of my team will provide support…”

“Okay. Tell the DA that I’ll meet with him next week to discuss the details…”

This sort of thing went on for almost 5 minutes. All the while the man sat patiently as Joe rattled instructions.

Finally, Joe put down the phone and turned to the man.

“I’m sorry for the delay, but as you can see, I’m very busy. What can I do for you?”

The man replied “I’m from the phone company…I came to hook up your phone.”

Sorry, I couldn’t resist this one. I got it from A Quick Laugh. I love the updates every day. I also get a quick verse and a quick recipe. You should try them if you don’t already have an overflowing mailbox.

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