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One of the things I really value about Hatrack is the opportunity to draw on the experience of dozens of intelligent people of diverse background and experience. And I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread where we warn each other about "learning experiences" we, as consumers, have faced.
There is a pretty good chance this will just turn into a whine thread, but we'll see how it goes.
#1. The Lego (tm) fruit snacks from Kellog's don't actually interlock in any way. I was very disappointed.
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The Spiderman utility belt sold from the back of Marvel comics in the late 1970s does not contain an actual working walkie talkie or wrist watch. Its grappling hook and rope are made of plastic, and are not strong enough to support the typical 7 year old boy. The "net" of webbing is both tiny--not nearly large enough to throw over someone you wish to capture--and relatively stiff.
The lesson that I as a young consumer learned from this is that advertising copy can be deceptive. And that allowing 6-8 weeks for delivery is an agonizing thing to do.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Walmart's prices on specific items are often not the lowest in the area, though they are usually competitive. They create this perception in various ways. One of the most effective ways is using the endcaps (displays at the end of aisles) and floor stacks which are priced dirt cheap. This sucks you into the aisles where prices are higher.
So, buy from the displays, and shop around. Especially for big ticket stuff.
Posts: 6316 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Sometimes it's cheaper to buy the name brand product than the WalMart brand. Last weak, Philly cream cheese was 20-30 cents cheaper than Fresh Value. Also, it's sometimes cheaper, per ounce, to buy the smaller package of a product than the larger one. I noticed this on frozen vegetables.
Posts: 3275 | Registered: May 2007
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HEB (grocery store here in the South) store brand pop tarts are always broken. Always. Can't put them in the toaster or give them to my kid without making a HUGE mess. Blah!
Posts: 1319 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Target brand prenatal vitamins are much more gag-inducing than other store-brand prenatal vitamins, for some reason I cannot fathom. I have switched to the Kaiser pharmacy brand instead and my stomach is much happier.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Clorox bleach is the only bleach that will whiten clothing as opposed to generic that produces a nasty yellow color.
Posts: 697 | Registered: Nov 2005
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The sauce in Hamburger Helper Microwave Singles (at least the stroganoff variety) takes far more than 3 minutes to thicken, even when prepared with slightly less water than the directions say to use. By the time the sauce is appropriately thick, the pasta is cold.
(However, it's still tasty. And since I got it at $0.45 a box, I'm not complaining too much.)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Bought a package of Wal-Mart crescent rolls (in a tube) and discoved a large dead bug squashed in there...
Posts: 369 | Registered: Apr 2007
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And you didn't sue for all you're worth? Think of all the pain and suffering and...and TRAUMA!! Yeah! That's it! You've been traumatized. That'll be a few million bucks, easy.
Posts: 368 | Registered: Dec 2005
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I mailed a valuable piece of electronics using an APC (insured, delivery confirmation with return receipt) and placed it in the drop, then opened the drop again to make sure it was gone.
The only message I have gotten through their tracking system is that the APC has notified the postal service to expect the package.
I filed a claim on it this morning, and the postal worker who specialized in claims said that they have know way of knowing I actually put the box into the drop.
Well, I suppose in one sense this is true, but the whole APC concept is based on trust. It allows them to save massive amounts of money.
If you send anything through an APC, and with the lines this time of year, it's probably a good idea, do not send anything of great inherent value.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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I did obtain remuneration for the XBox the Postal Service lost, eventually. Like, 3 months after filing my claim.
But on to today's topic: There was a sale on Egg Nog ice cream, and I tried to make a Root Beer Float out of it. It was really gross. Fortunately I only made one scoop. The resulting flavor was reminiscent of when you get root beer out of a founatain machine that is low on syrup.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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The pancake recipe in Betty Crocker's cookbook is actually better with one cup of milk instead of the three fourths it calls for.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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If you want to get Sudafed decongestant that actually decongests, go show your ID to the pharmacist and get the old-school stuff behind the counter. The new-school stuff on the shelves (Sudafed PE) is pseudo-Sudafed. It doesn't actually decongest you.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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The Wal-Mart stores in my area sell 12ct and 18ct eggs. The 18ct eggs have been just under twice the cost of the 12ct eggs for several months now. Getting 50% more eggs at 80% more cost is not a savings! Are there people out there who actually think 18 is twice as many as 12?
Same with tomato sauce. Small 8oz cans are priced x. Larger 16oz cans are priced at y. 2X<Y. Its cheaper to buy a cart load of small cans than a couple of big ones.
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
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Benadryl is also good, but it apparently makes people sleepy and it has something called "rebound congestion" which sudafed does not.
Possible TMI to follow:
However, I had a very unpleasant experience recently when I followed a night on benadryl with a day on sudafed (the real stuff) and for some reason, my body's solution to the dilemna was to route all moisture out through my eyes.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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But on to today's topic: There was a sale on Egg Nog ice cream, and I tried to make a Root Beer Float out of it. It was really gross. Fortunately I only made one scoop. The resulting flavor was reminiscent of when you get root beer out of a founatain machine that is low on syrup.
My ex-husband used to make floats with pineapple sherbet and diet coke. ugh. (Actually, he probably still does, but I'm not around to witness it anymore, praise be)
But 7-Up/Sprite/Sierra Mist with strawberry ice cream is quite good.
Posts: 2069 | Registered: May 2001
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quote:Originally posted by pooka: Benadryl is also good, but it apparently makes people sleepy and it has something called "rebound congestion" which sudafed does not.
Benadryl is an antihistamine, not a decongestant. Completely different effect.
And all antihistamines can cause rebound; it's caused by the body compensating, not by the medication itself.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Do not be in the first wave to buy any new electronic device. Wait about a year. It will get cheaper and more reliable.
Posts: 3354 | Registered: May 2005
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Those little plastic safes you buy when you're 8 years old to put money in are not big brother proof.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Those candy corn Hershey's kisses are awful, and I love candy corn and white chocolate. Blech blech blech.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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quote:The pancake recipe in Betty Crocker's cookbook is actually better with one cup of milk instead of the three fourths it calls for.
Flour has different absorbencies. Always experiment with recipes if you think it looks wrong or tastes wrong (too dry, too wet). It's probably not your cooking.
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Wal-Mart is evil. But, then, I suspect most of you know that.
The Shasta Root Beer they sell at Dollar Tree stores in 3 liter bottles is actually superior (at least IMHO) to the generic root beer they sell in most grocery stores in 2 liter bottles.
The battery-free mini-speakers they sell, however, are useless.
Posts: 3826 | Registered: May 2005
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Pepto-Bismol chewable tablets turn your tongue and teeth slightly brown. It's not bad, just slightly surprising when you first notice it.
Posts: 1215 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:Originally posted by aiua: Pepto-Bismol chewable tablets turn your tongue and teeth slightly brown. It's not bad, just slightly surprising when you first notice it.
It depends on how your body reacts to one of the ingredients. (I don't remember which ingredient it is that causes it.) My tongue turns almost black.
Posts: 1547 | Registered: Jan 2004
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It's called bismuth subsalicylate. When it combines with the trace amounts of sulfur in your saliva, it forms that black substance, called bismuth sulfide. I'm guessing that the darker your tongue turns, the higher the sulfur content in your saliva.
Posts: 1215 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:Originally posted by aiua: Pepto-Bismol chewable tablets turn your tongue and teeth slightly brown. It's not bad, just slightly surprising when you first notice it.
It depends on how your body reacts to one of the ingredients. (I don't remember which ingredient it is that causes it.) My tongue turns almost black.
Mine turns green. Dark green. And turns my vomit and, um, other problems I'm taking it for the same color, without doing anything to slow them down.
I don't take it any more.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:Originally posted by aiua: It's called bismuth subsalicylate. When it combines with the trace amounts of sulfur in your saliva, it forms that black substance, called bismuth sulfide. I'm guessing that the darker your tongue turns, the higher the sulfur content in your saliva.
Very interesting! I've always wondered what was going on there, chemically.
What's the significance of having more or less sulfur in your saliva? Is there any?
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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quote:Originally posted by lobo: Kroger dairy products are the best.
And Walmart is not evil. Walmart rocks!
I disagree on both.
Walmart is exceedingly evil in many ways. It rocks very infrequently.
And Altadena Dairy eggnog, Knudsen sour cream, and Philidelphia cream cheese are the very epitome of each of those dairy items; Kroger products cannot compare. (Daisy is acceptable sour cream.) Kroger yogurt is quite decent if you don't have access to better and their milk and butter are fine, but other than that...
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Alert: Target sells little 3-4 inch key lime pies in the bakery area. While YMMV, the one we tried was not food.
Posts: 4287 | Registered: Mar 2005
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I just almost crapped my pants because I thought I gave myself a dose of botulism or something. I ate about 8 of those kisses last night... I thought they were awesome.
Posts: 1355 | Registered: Jul 2006
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Wal-Mart gas is frequently a lot cheaper than neighboring gas stations, but only when demand is low. During very high-demand situations, Wal-Mart gas is substantially more expensive than nearby competitors. I first noticed this during Hurricane Ike, when gas prices shot up. Everyone was in line to fill up on gas at Wal-Mart that was nearly $4.00 per gallon, when there was $3.75 gas right next door, at Valero. No one was in line there at all. I assume that Wal-Mart was intentionally trying to take advantage of consumers who expect "low, low prices".
So, yeah. Wal-Mart IS evil. Caveat emptor!
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Noemon: What's the significance of having more or less sulfur in your saliva? Is there any?
Sulfur can come from a number of different sources. It can be released from sulfur containing foods, like garlic or cabbage, during digestion, after which it is absorbed into the blood stream and carried to the lungs. More common, perhaps, is that the bacteria living in your mouth produce volatile sulfur compounds.
The more sulfur compounds present, the worse the breath, the darker the hue your tongue will acquire.
Excess sulfur, and therefore bad breath, can be reduced simply by brushing your tongue, which is where about half of the bacteria in your mouth like to hang out. (I find scraping to be less gag-inducing than shoving a toothbrush back there.) Saliva helps in washing away bacteria and dissolving those sulfur compounds. A dry mouth provides a great environment for bacteria, so bad breath usually happens if you're dieting, fasting, or talk for long periods of time, as well as consuming alcohol or breathing through your nose while exercising. Eating or drinking increases the flow of saliva. The way that breath mints work is actually not by masking odor or killing bacteria directly, but by stimulating the salivary glands.
/way more than you probably wanted to know
Posts: 1215 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:Originally posted by PSI Teleport: Wal-Mart gas is frequently a lot cheaper than neighboring gas stations, but only when demand is low. During very high-demand situations, Wal-Mart gas is substantially more expensive than nearby competitors. I first noticed this during Hurricane Ike, when gas prices shot up. Everyone was in line to fill up on gas at Wal-Mart that was nearly $4.00 per gallon, when there was $3.75 gas right next door, at Valero. No one was in line there at all. I assume that Wal-Mart was intentionally trying to take advantage of consumers who expect "low, low prices".
So, yeah. Wal-Mart IS evil. Caveat emptor!
Was that the price with or without a Sam's Club card?
Posts: 1214 | Registered: Aug 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Noemon: What's the significance of having more or less sulfur in your saliva? Is there any?
Sulfur can come from a number of different sources. It can be released from sulfur containing foods, like garlic or cabbage, during digestion, after which it is absorbed into the blood stream and carried to the lungs. More common, perhaps, is that the bacteria living in your mouth produce volatile sulfur compounds.
The more sulfur compounds present, the worse the breath, the darker the hue your tongue will acquire.
Excess sulfur, and therefore bad breath, can be reduced simply by brushing your tongue, which is where about half of the bacteria in your mouth like to hang out. (I find scraping to be less gag-inducing than shoving a toothbrush back there.) Saliva helps in washing away bacteria and dissolving those sulfur compounds. A dry mouth provides a great environment for bacteria, so bad breath usually happens if you're dieting, fasting, or talk for long periods of time, as well as consuming alcohol or breathing through your nose while exercising. Eating or drinking increases the flow of saliva. The way that breath mints work is actually not by masking odor or killing bacteria directly, but by stimulating the salivary glands.
/way more than you probably wanted to know
Actually, I think that's kind of cool to know. Thanks. Posts: 3826 | Registered: May 2005
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