Ah, those pesky memberships. Seems like everywhere we turn, someone is trying to hit us up with a subscription or some monthly due or fee.
I pay for streaming TV yet more than half the stuff I want to watch asks for another membership. It’s getting worse every month.
I pay for cell phone service, water, power, gas, a monthly maintenance service (like I said, because I travel a lot), health care, dental care, eye care, and home warranty. Most people have a car payment but I am lucky enough to have avoided that.
There is insurance on my house and, of course, the cars. And isn’t that a chunk of change lately right?
I am a financial advisor so I don’t pay for that, but many people can add that to their monthly costs. Oh, and by the way, if you lose money in the markets, you may still pay the fee. Kind of like a lawyer, unless they take the case as a slam-dunker, and then they may take half of what you get.
I used to have a mortgage but eliminated that, however, I do feel for those of you that still do.
I belong to two gyms and three pickle ball clubs and those costs keep going up every year. I’m getting ready to drop a gym and also one pickle ball club, so at least I will save a bit there.
Monthly food bills, gasoline bills, repair bills, fix it bills, supplies, travel fees, hotel surcharges and just buying a beer or two every week is amounting to a gastronomical (lol) amount and keeps growing, giving me even more gastronomic distress.
And how about the 360 degree spinning credit card machine that each and every time embarrassingly asks you to tip the counter person of a some take out that happens to ring you up?
Weren’t tips for table service? Now we are expected to tip on a cup of take out coffee?
And yeah, I do, but I think it’s going a bit over the line.
Then there’s taxes on all of it of course. And don’t get me started.
Well, too late.
Check out your property tax bills, energy invoices and cell phone bills. There are so many taxes on those services, it makes your head spin and your wallet close up in protest.
My wife keeps a dated inbox for stuff coming due and it’s a foot thick of bills with due dates written on a post-it so we know what to pay and when.
Miss a due date and wham, you get another fee.
Oh, and by the way. For those of you that have the California Fair Plan for fire insurance, miss that due date by a day and they will cancel you.
With the rising costs and fees that are driving us bonkers and into the proverbial poor house, it’s time to bitch. (Can I say that in these articles?)
Note to editor: replace that if necessary with “stand up and fight”!
Or should I say “NEGOTIFIGHT”.
I know that’s not a word, but I just made it one. It’s a combination of fight and negotiation.
Negotifight.
It rhymes with “I got to fight” and yes, we do.
Of course, on things like death and taxes, there is no negotiating.
But we can start to hammer down those that try and take more of our money every month, and if we all do that, we might find a little negotiating right back.
Things like gym memberships, bank charges or subscription fees. Things that seem absurd and excessive, whether it be the increase in fee or the charge itself. After all, it’s a recession and people are hurting. And businesses are hurting too. And businesses don’t want to lose customers, especially when they are hurting. At least the smart ones.
Your gym hit you up?
Like, literally hit you UP?
Then ask for a concession.
Or quit altogether and go lift weights at home. Better yet, get a group of friends and ya’all quit and go to the park together and work out. It’s outdoors and probably better for you anyway.
Paying for a sports membership? Go play and frolic at the free city parks instead.
Don’t want to tip the credit machine for a candy bar purchase but don’t want to look foolish?
Tell ‘em you’ll tip in cash and throw a quarter in the bucket. Or just choose “custom tip” and plug in 5%.
Have monthly memberships and fees?
Check the senior discounts. Yep, step up and ASK.
Not a senior? Flash a TRIPLE AAA card, school, military ID or whatever you think might get you some sympathy and a discount.
You would be surprised how many places take that.
Because I am running out of space and my soapbox is starting to collapse, just speak up, ask, resist and stand fast on these ridiculous increases.
It’s high time we do. And it will help bring inflation down if we all participate in just saying “no”.
Let’s all start to “Negotifight”!
“Watching the markets so you don’t have to”