Current rates here are 21% on bank-issued cards and 31% on store-issued cards, in 2023. Most of the stuff we buy using the card isn't deductible for income tax. If you owed $100.00 for a year at 21%, and they add the interest monthly, if your income tax rate is 25%, you have to earn a bit over $28.00, then pay more than $7.00 tax, to have the somewhat over $21.00 to pay the bank-issued "credit" (really "debt") card debt. On store-issued card, it's about $42.00, paying over $10.00 income tax, to have the $31.00 to pay the "credit" (really "debt") card amount owing. Pay the balances owing in full every billing period - earn from about 28%+ to 42%+ on part of your money! If you're a newly-minted adult who was issued a "credit"/ ("debt") card, maybe without applying and have used it, lacking the funds to pay the full amount owing each billing period ... go borrow the funds needed to pay that amount in full from dad, at 5% (or even 10%). Pay the amount owed in full ... and don't buy stuff that you can't pay the full amount owed every billing period. Isn't it wise to pay 5% - 10% to dad, to earn/avoid paying 28% - 42+% on some of your money?? ole joyful

I am a designer and also work with Abbey Carpet and Flooring in Petaluma CA. The basics about carpet: * There are many different fibers, but the common ones you'll see are polyester, nylon, smartstrand and wool. Both polyester and nylon come beck dyed or solution dyed. Smartstrand, a sturdy fiber, is solution dyed. Post dyed fibers mean that there are open dye sites for stains to latch to. Solution dyed means that the color goes through and through, like a carrot is orange all the way through, so there are no open dye sites to latch onto. Soiling happens to every surface because it's caused by the dirt that comes in on your shoes and feet. That needs to be vacuumed away or the cutting facets on the particles will begin to abrade the fibers and make the carpet looks worn and dirty. * Nylon and Smartstrand are resilient and will stand back up when vacuuming. While polyester fibers have become much cleaner during processing, they will lay down in traffic patterns over time and not pop back up with vacuuming. * If stain resistance is what you are looking for, then choose a solution dyed product. I recommend solution dyed nylon or Smartstrand. Liquids generally bead on the top of the carpet for quick removal - always dab - never rub because you'll abrade the fibers. * The argument about allergies is unfounded and the perception has changed through vigorous research. For a time, carpet was ripped out of schools for that reason, but is now being reinstalled. Carpet acts like a filter in the home. Particulates rest on the top of the carpet to be vacuumed away. Hard surface floors don't hold dust etc. so every time you walk through a room, those things get recirculated with every footstep or gust of breeze. * There are certain things to consider when choosing your carpet: where is it going and how are the rooms being used - A low, dense fiber on stairs is best; a rarely used guest bedroom might be a good place to save money and use a polyester. * Vacuums: The longer and softer the fiber, the more compression space when walking, so if lots of footprints bothers you then go with something denser. A soft carpet requires an adjustable vacuum and the ability to disengage the beater bar. There is no carpet manufacturer that will warrant their carpet if you use a Dyson - it's not on any manufacturer's list of recommended vacuums. Be sure to get the right vacuum for your material. An IRobot type vacuum has a different type of bristle movement that can unwind fibers. Disengage the beater bar when running it over a loop construction. * Generally speaking, carpet will be the least expensive installation and with basic care will easily last 15-20 years. Carpet generally uglies out long before it wears out. Warranties demand a professional cleaning every 18 months and it's a good idea... it keeps the carpet tight and clean. Think of your jeans stretching out between washes: carpet is fiber/material and it gets walked on every day, so keep it clean. *Always take carpet/flooring samples home to look at in your light. Color changes with light. A computer screen can't replicate what anything will look like in your space. *Shaw, Mohawk, Karastan, Phenix, Stanton, Engineered Floors are just some of the manufacturers producing solution dyed products. Please feel free to contact me if you'd like more information! Good luck!!!

Not sure if I've plugged them before but I am a very happy repeat customer of Brooklyn Bedding. Their signature hybrid mattress is the one I like, with my preference the soft (they also have medium and firm). I think we've gotten 3 or 4 of them over the years and absolutely LOVE the product. Service is also top notch. I bought a king size for our guest apartment, let it sit in the box till literally the day before the 120 night warranty expired, called and the company cheerfully picked it up and credited my payment. No muss, no fuss. Buying tip: they do 25% off sales for every holiday, so check in for that lower price if you are interested in purchasing.

Since the pandemic, I've sensed a shifting of power away from "the customer is always right" to "the customer is never right," to exaggerate just a bit. The other night, I'd gone out to feed my feral kitties about 8:30pm, and subsequently received a text from our handyman (who was due to work on a project at our house the next day) asking me to pick up an item from the hardware store. Since I hadn't taken along my wallet, I called Lowes, (which was near the kitties) to see if they took ApplePay. I was on hold for 35 minutes, but I was waiting in my car trying to observe the kitties anyway, so I didn't mind so much. They never picked up, so I drove across the parking lot to the store. Went inside and saw two employees at the Customer Service desk chatting. Asked if they accepted Apple Pay, and was eventually told no. I was in a bit of a hurry then, so I didn't alert them that I'd been on hold an exorbitantly long time -and were they aware? Anyway, then I called Home Depot, and ended up on hold for 20+ minutes, but it's on the way home, so I stopped in at the store, still carrying my phone which was playing the hold music. There was one employee is at the Customer Service desk, leaning against the counter, playing on her phone, so I asked, "Do you take Apple Pay?" She doesn't look up, and says, "Nope." So I asked her, "I'm still on hold" -and show her my phone. "Where is this phone located in the store, because it doesn't seem like your phone is ringing or anything." She looks around, still leaning, and then goes back to her phone. "Nope, not ringing here." So after finding out where the incoming calls should be ringing and being told rather saucily, "Here," I asked, "Well, do you think your manager might be interested to know something may be wrong with the phone system?" She literally shrugged and immediately returned her attention to playing on her phone. I don't think I had a full fifteen seconds eye-contact with her the entire time. The next morning, I went to a local True Value Store and bought the $200 item. I always get great service there, and I don't think to go there first nearly often enough. Similarly, few weeks ago, I went to DSW to look for a particular pair of sandals which the website said were in the store. I looked around for ten minutes, couldn't find them, and then asked not one but two employees where this particular shoe might be (showing them the pic on my phone). Each one literally pointed me toward the middle of the store and said, "Over there somewhere," -pretty much where I'd just spent ten minutes. So I left. This kind of thing has happened often enough over the last two-ish years that it doesn't feel like a one-off. It feels more deliberate, as if there has been a shift in attitude, a rebalancing of power.