Ms. CRANKY'S HAT, well, one of them

Ms. CRANKY'S HAT, well, one of them

Monday, June 25, 2012

Ms. CRANKY IS ENCOURAGED TO BUY NEW CLOTHES FOR A JOB INTERVIEW AND WE ALL KNOW HOW CHEAP (ERR, FRUGAL) SHE IS


Ms. Cranky has talked about this subject before but, no worries, this is from a 5 cent different angle.  Some might know that Ms. Cranky hates that things are marked $8.99 and $4.99 and that major TV hosts announce these prices as if, they too, are fooled that the prices aren’t like really $9 and $5 bucks.  Ms. Cranky doesn’t think her hallowed Barbara Walters does it but some of her charges do, really smart people and they act so excited about the price.
Ms. Cranky was recently deposed by a good friend to a chain store to pick up new pants and a t-shirt for a job interview.  Ms. Cranky hates to shop, will not try on (too painful) and does not like to spend money period.  But, she had made the mistake of telling a friend she was going on a job interview the next day and thought maybe her best pants wouldn’t work.  Ms. Cranky’s very best and quite nice black pants from Penney’s had to have the cuffs repaired and Ms. Cranky couldn’t find her black thread, though of course she did after the pants were repaired, so she hitched up the cuffs with brown thread instead although brown thread’s still better than the tiny gold pins Cranky usually uses!
She wears these pants on state occasions when she meets and greets people at events and she smiles a lot and thinks that no one is noticing her cuffs at that time.  They’re out for a good evening and it’s not about Cranky’s garb.
But, her friend was adamant that she could not go ‘frayed’ into the job interview, ouii, and pushed her, well, very much encouraged Ms. Cranky to go along only a few blocks down to a major chain store and get new clothes for the interview. 
Ms. Cranky did as she was told but was horrified by the not too good materials in this place and the prices were definitely not cheap.  Ms. Cranky favors Penney’s but it was too far away.  She looked at a few things, grabbed a pair of black pants in a size she hoped would fit and a few men’s tee shirts that were on sale.  Cranky thinks that men’s clothes are made better, are roomier, etc. and that women get the short shrift in clothes.  Women’s clothes, she thinks are more skimpily made with materials that don’t hold up. 
But, Cranky was, though not thrilled to be in the store in the first place, shocked at how high the prices were for stuff not that good and, then, to add to her already jaundiced view of things, the price wasn’t $19.99,  it was, instead, $19.94!!!  How adorable!  Where do they come up with these great ideas anyway?  Wait till they gush about that price on television.  Maybe the chain store had read Ms. Cranky’s other columns and decided to reform.  Wow, sometimes you just don’t know where the surprises are coming from.
Ms. Cranky would love to hear what you think about these ridiculous pricing notions and wonders --- ‘are we really dumb enough to fall for this?’ 
By the way, the interview went quite well and Cranky got excited about the creative possibilities of the job.  And, she got to walk in Riverside Park after, a mystical place she adores but by the time she wandered home, Cranky’s new pants were pretty wrinkled up, the man’s tee shirt, though, was just fine.

Ms. Cranky, June 2012, thanks for stopping by and come again!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

MS. CRANKY ON PRICES THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT


Ms. Cranky was on a trip away that lasted only one day and 14 hours but in that time, there were all these price things that got to her (you should know that Cranky has yet to feel better about the ‘sale’ on gum --- a sale for $1.49 plus tax!  Whatever happened here???  At this rate, she’ll have to stop offering gum to everybody.)
But, for this trip, Cranky was running a bit late because she usually hits the GNC vitamin store hidden in a corner of Penn Station and gets a huge bottle of water for $1.50.  Cranky knows that sounds like a lot but it’s a large and very cold bottle and Ms. Cranky is in love with its design.  The newsstand charges as much for a bottle a third its size.
But, last Saturday morning because she was late she went to purchase a small bottle of water from a ‘gourmet’ shop and it cost $2.50!!!  Cranky thought the woman said ‘$2.15’ and would have given her the rest as a tip.  But it was actually $2.50 for this small bottle, a pretty bottle okay, but, …. The woman behind the counter was great; Ms. Cranky said --- “I don’t believe the price but I’m thirsty and I’m getting on a train so what am I to do???”  The young woman answered with a sigh and stoicism ---    “Nawwwthing” she smiled!  Cranky thought --- ‘I think she’s heard this complaint before.’
At the next train station, Cranky already knew not to buy the coffee --- it was way over-priced and probably weak, the man who tried to sell it to her another time said --- “but, it’s cheaper than Dunkin’ Donuts” and Ms. Cranky, as nicely as she could, replied --- “but, Dunkin’ Donuts is way overpriced and I never buy theirs.”  So, she bought a little cake or something from him as she didn’t want him to feel bad. 
Then, last Saturday evening while out of town, Ms. Cranky went out of her way to get to this funky pizza parlor that served everything under the sun and was lots of fun.  If you sat in a little booth right inside the door,  you could watch the world stream by; it was located on a most active street and you never knew who might pop in.
Of course, when she finally got to this favorite place, as so many ‘favorite places’ of Cranky’s memory it had changed hands --- the old familiar booths were gone and in their place were those larger, louder, golden, glitzier booths which Cranky always found a bad sign, like she also thought huge laminated menus were a very bad sign. 
Cranky’s beloved little booth was gone, an empty spot remained to remind her and the counter was in a different place.  The long-standing Italian ownership looked to have retired.
But, Ms. Cranky soldiered on as she was, by now, really hungry and ordered a sandwich from a huge menu overhead.  She was really excited and pulled out her money when she heard a different and more expensive price quoted to her.  The money she held out was suddenly not enough.
Cranky said --- “But, I thought that was the price, pointing above to the huge sign done in bright red fluorescent paint.  But, the ‘new owner’ pulled open a brand new 'laminated' menu from the counter and showed her the new and, of course, ‘enhanced’ price.
When Ms. Cranky asked why the big sign above read differently, he just shrugged his shoulders.  It was late Saturday evening by now, there weren’t a lot of other places to go and, so, there was, once again, ‘nawwwwthing’ she could do
On her return to Penn Station but one day and 14 hours later, Cranky wanted to pick up some little thing to munch on, maybe one of those great pretzels they sell there.  Her dear friend, Alyson had bought her a lovely lunch for her train ride but she thought she’d use it for supper instead and pretend she was still on vacation, like a no cooking, no dishes vacation.
Cranky doesn’t treat herself a lot but she was still ‘officially on vacation’ and she had to walk right past the cute little pretzel stand to get to her subway line.  She quickly ordered and was handed a bag and, once again, pulled out money according to the price quoted on the sign above and, once again, she was given a different and, of course, inflated price. Why are they never lower prices!  Wouldn’t that be fun???
When Cranky asked --- “What about the price on the sign?” she was told by the young woman clerk ---- “Oh, the prices just went up today --- this morning.” 
Ms. Cranky mumbled that “I seem to be hearing this a lot lately, pulled out more money from her pocket, paid and walked away towards the subway and home. 
At least at home the prices stayed pretty much the same.

MS. CRANKY,
The week of June 4, 2012, keep those coupons handy and thanks, as always, for stopping by!  Ms. CRANKY would, of course, love to hear your stories of mysterious changing prices.  Stay well.