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Author: John

Two pairs of boots I cannot wear (for now).
Posted by: | January 4, 2019
| 2 Comments
| Personal

These two pairs of Italian boots are a Christmas gift from me to me. But I cannot wear them for now.

I work at a large company with 700-800 employees, and some of my colleagues follow my shoes. Some guys like to talk to me about shoes. They ask me about how I go about shopping for shoes. I didn’t think much of it at first. Then I realized they were trying to tap into my brain so they could buy the same shoes when I buy them. At least they are trying to emulate my style.

There is one particular guy at work… one day I caught him searching for my purple Chelsea boots. “I will find your boots. I like them. I will find them and buy them.” He said.

He couldn’t find my boots. He couldn’t, because my shoes are designer brand. They are only available for one season. But this forever changed how I share information at work. Now I don’t wear anything if they are available to purchase, so I don’t play twinsies with annoying mofos. I will only wear these boots after they are completely out of season and completely sold out.

Costco Shopping – December 24, 2018
Posted by: | December 24, 2018
| No Comments
| Costco Blog

55th Costco shopping in 2018 – $366.79 (today) / $4988.04 (this year)

Before Ring and Nest, a similar alarm system would cost $1,000 or more. Consumers didn’t know where to go to buy such alarm systems. We purchased alarm systems from professional alarm service providers. Installation was about $1,000.00 or more. And they hid the fact that the alarm system can call any number such as our own cellular phones. They made it seem like the system only works when they were professionally monitored. So, we paid hundreds of dollars every year for monitoring services.

Now, with Ring Security system. Consumers can have a better alarm system for less money. And it will not require monthly service. You can purchase monitoring services if you wish.

This Ring security system was Christmas gift for myself. I think this is my last Costco shopping of the year.

Merry Christmas

Costco Shopping – December 19, 2018
Posted by: | December 19, 2018
| No Comments
| Costco Blog

54th Costco shopping in 2018 – $33.68 (today) / $4621.25 (this year)

I bought a box of Christmas cards in 2009 at Costco. I still have the box with 5 cards left. So, I am literally using this box of cards for over a decade.

Today I bought a box of 40 beautiful Christmas cards for $7.97. When I’m done with these cards, I will be in my 60s (if I’m still alive). Imagine that.

Bag of Doritos was for my coworker who loves Doritos. He was very happy to see this bag on his desk. I told him NOT to share with anyone. I told him to take it home and enjoy it alone – which he did.

Costco Shopping – November 15, 2018
Posted by: | November 15, 2018
| No Comments
| Costco Blog

51st Costco shopping in 2018 – $165.32 (today) / $4,492.87 (this year)

It was a big Costco shopping day today because: 1) I am trying to fill my new refrigerator.  2) I need to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner, and 3) I was feeling down after what happened to my old refrigerator. I wanted to cheer myself up.

I bought a turkey roasting rack for my friend (an early Christmas gift).

I eat like a vegetarian Monday to Friday. But, during the weekend I eat whatever I want.. a lot of Moo-Moos and Oink-Oink’s.

Honey Roasted Nut Mix is SOOO good.

Costco’s Major Appliance Delivery Process
Posted by: | November 14, 2018
| 18 Comments
| Costco Blog

NOTE: The people who deliver Costco appliances are not Costco employees. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think most, if not all, major retailers hire third-party delivery companies. I think it is possible that one delivery company can work for multiple retailers. When the delivery companies do poor job, customers will direct their complain to the retailers, not the delivery companies.

I bought a refrigerator from Costco. Below is the delivery process.

  • When I ordered online – the website asked for my delivery address and phone number.
    • I left them my cell phone number, so I would receive the call when I’m at work.
  • 2 days before delivery – I received an email from Costco. The email contained a phone number just in case if I need to change my delivery date. The email said that I would receive a phone call that would tell me about the delivery window.
  • 1 day before delivery – they called me around 4:30 PM. It was an automated message informing me that my delivery window is between 7 am – 11 am. It also said that they would call me around 30 minutes before arriving at my house.
  • Day of the delivery – They came to my house at 9 am, but without calling me 30 minutes before-hand.
    • They hauled my old refrigerator & installed a new one with a water line in about 30-45 minutes

My delivery process was smooth and painless. People were pleasant. I hope your experience will be as pleasant as mine.

Final note: Appliance delivery can be a nightmare if your delivery people are young and don’t give a dang. I think I was a little lucky.

Buying a Refrigerator 2018 – Costco Shopping #50
Posted by: | November 11, 2018
| No Comments
| Costco Blog

50th Costco shopping in 2018 – $1,051.04 (today) / $4.327.55 (this year)

My refrigerator died at the worst possible time, while I was on a 7-day vacation.

When I came back from the vacation, inside of my freezer was at room temperature. All my food had to be trashed. I always keep my freezer full with rib-eye steaks, jumbo shrimps, fish, bacon, etc, etc… But it’s OK. It happens. Refrigerator dies. What can I do?

Luckily, before taking the trip, I took out the ice bucket and turned off the ice machine, so I didn’t have any water damage on the kitchen floor.

Shopping for a refrigerator.

My criteria for a new refrigerator:

  • Find the cheapest full-size unit. I refuse to buy an expensive refrigerator because refrigerators die. I don’t believe in paying $500 to fix a 10 year old refrigerator. I will pay $500 more and buy a new one with current technology.
  • Find a unit with good reviews.
  • I like side-by-side refrigerators. I don’t like the freezer on top. I don’t like the freezer on the bottom. But, that’s just my preference.
  • I like stainless steel – I understand stainless steel will show fingerprints. But I like the stainless refrigerators. Stainless steel will look the best in my kitchen.

I spent several hours researching refrigerators.

And guess what? Costco had the best price on refrigerators.

Basically, the price of refrigerators is almost universal. You can buy from anywhere and you will pay similar price. But there are distinct advantages to buying from Costco. They are:

  • Costco is slightly cheaper.
  • You get a Costco cashback reward from your purchase.
  • (In my case) I get 2 years warranty, extended by Costco, instead of the usual 1-year warranty from any other stores.
  • They haul away my old unit for free – some may charge $20 – $25 for this.
  • They will hook up the water line for free – some may charge extra for this.

*If you are in a hurry – relax and just buy from Costco.

I ordered GE 25.4 CuFt Side-By-Side Refrigerator in Stainless Steel. The total price was $1,051.04

I hope the delivery process will be smooth. I will update you.