[bootlegga]

raydan raydan:

I don't pay bank fees because I keep at least "X" amount in my account and don't go over "Y" transactions in a month. Realized a long time ago that a lot of people have to pay because they don't have "X" dollars to their name.

I don't pay bank fees because I don't use debit - I just deposit my check in there and pay my bills with it. I put everything on my credit card and pay if off every month, and thereby earn a hefty amount of dividends from the credit card companies (all with no annual fees).

Last year, I got over $1000 cash back for buying groceries, gas, paying utility/phone bills, etc.

I realize not everyone can do this, but if you can, you certainly should.

[bootlegga]

Thanos Thanos:

Technically none of this is the free market. It's crony capitalism to the core. The internet providers doing everything they could to block American competitors like Verizon from setting up shop in Canada. And, even more insulting, the federal government, from both major parties, saying it has to be this way in order to "preserve our Canadian uniqueness". Or the UCP in Alberta crowing about low taxes when in exchange we pay the highest fees and basic set prices in the entire country for utilities, insurance, vehicle registration, administrative traffic penalties (like parking tickets or driving with lapsed registration), new park admittance charges, and dozens of other fees and surcharges that completely wipe out whatever benefits we supposedly get from not having a provincial sales tax.

Don't forget, toll roads are coming to Alberta too!

https://globalnews.ca/news/7440269/albe ... oads-bill/

So when the government expands Deerfoot or the ring road, expect to pay for the 'privilege' of using them.

Alberta tries to be just like in the US, lower taxes but a shit ton of fees.

Thanos Thanos:

Know what the actual free market would look like? Dozens more insurance providers flooding backwaters like Alberta and driving the basic costs down in an unending price war. Ditto too with the internet & cable & streaming industry being wide fucking open and not a single government in this country interfering in the supply & demand part of the equation at all, and certainly not doing a single thing to shelter the Canadian providers. And none of that protection is for jobs either, not when Shaw/Bell/Telus/Rogers do what they can each and every year to cut staffing levels in order to boost profits.

This ain't the free market. What we have is corporate-only socialism, the exact worst type of socialism that does nothing but gouge the customer base. And it'll never go away either because it's rooted in too deep and there's too many wealthy executives & shareholders who are doing very well off of having things operate this way. And, like I said, the real insult comes when some politician with nothing but diarrhea for words starts babbling that it's for the good of the country. Fuck that, and fuck them all too.

Well said!

[herbie]

I don't pay bank fees because I'm fucking OLD.
And I wouldn't go near a bank if you paid them for me. My local Credit Union sent a Happy Birthday card when I turned 60 announcing zero fees fo "Golden Agers".
A few years later when I sold out and retired, they came to my shop on my last day with a card and a basket of flowers and chocolates.
They just called last week and told me 'you got shitloads of money in Savings and it pays diddly squat for interest. If you want to pay out your mortgage this cycle, we'll offer no penalty. So of course I did.
Beat that for service, Imperialist and Royalist Bank.

[herbie]

Just came from shopping.
No white bread. No 1 or 2L milk. Every fruit you could want as long as it's apples.

Empty shelves and what's in stock only a high Party official could afford.

tell us again how bad communism sucks. Or rename SaveOn to G.U.M.

[raydan]

Went to the farmer's market yesterday and stocked up on local stuff... bread, sausages, beer, black current wine and fortified wine, mushroom quiche, Syrian pastries, cream and yogourt, pasta, seafood pie, smoked salmon, liver pâté and more.

Figure I spent +$200 for all that but there were no empty shelves.

[Scape]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k9teVvxjAQ

So are you following the crowd or leading the parade?