This summer I've done my part to stimulate the economy. Car repairs, several vacations, and multiple electronics purchases all put a dent in my savings account, but as a previous President advised, going shopping is my patriotic duty.
[Digression: the ex-President was mocked for merely talking about shopping, while his successor is lauded for passing out rebates on cars. One ($400 billion deficit) was a moron for spending too much, while another ($1.6 trillion deficit) is a genius. Good thing I got my MBA when I did; I don't understand postmodern economics.]
Some merchants are demonstrating how desperate they are for business by offering payment terms of three years or longer with no interest. (Only sign these agreements, dear reader, if you're absolutely sure you won't miss a payment, because the interest clawbacks are usurious.) So I've taken the merchants up on their offer and opened new lines of credit.
The most irritating step in the process is the "card activation". I called a toll-free number and was shunted to a live person who tried to conceal her Indian accent while she pressed me to buy credit-card insurance for a mere $9.99 a month. What's the point of saving on interest if you just give it back in fees? No, no, and no, I responded to ever more insistent questions that she recited from a programmed manual. Finally she gives up, activates my credit, and asks if I have any questions. When you want a conversation to end, don't do anything to prolong it. No. But thanks for allowing me to buy my new flatscreen TV.
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