Free Insurance

I've had the opportunity to call and activate a fair number of credit cards. I've been issued new cards due to the old one expiring, banks identifying a set of potentially compromised numbers so it reissues a whole batch, the time I misplaced my wallet (while on a trip in the US, no less...) and had to get everything reissued (only to have my wallet reappear a couple weeks later), and my least favourite, banks canceling a line of cards.

In recent years, whenever I've activated a credit card everyone seems to be pushing a “Payment Protector” insurance plan, where, for a small premium, if injury or death prevents you from being able to pay your bill, they have you covered. I do not need such insurance. To be blunt, I think buying something on a credit card that you could not afford to pay for in cash at that moment is just plain stupid, aside from unavoidable and unplanned emergencies. I have no sympathy whatsoever for all these people who rack up credit card debt because of their own unwise spending habits. I personally would never be in a position where if I couldn't work due to an injury I wouldn't have the money to pay off my bill. I actually only use a credit card for the convenience and the provided rewards, not because I can buy whatever I want now and worry about paying for it later.

To Buy or Not to Buy—That is the Question

I can be so indecisive at times. I could list many situations where my own thoughts on what to do and/or how to proceed have bounced back and forth so many times it almost made me dizzy. One good example is what to do since my Mac is getting on in years.

The Old Lawn Chairs

I usually spend most of my lunch break sitting in the windowsill of the lunch room at work. As such, most people probably believe I am part cat. On the contrary, I believe I am actually part rodent—packrat to be precise. Maybe not anywhere near as bad as those people you might see on reality TV shows, but I still have trouble throwing away something that might have some value in the future or could be repairable. Or in some cases I know it has no value, but I just never get around to throwing it out.