HEADLINE: OLD DOG LEARNS NEW TRICK

I saw the ad in the local paper: buy a fence, no interest for 2 years. 

Sounded pretty good, and the timing was excellent since we had two new dogs.

So the salesman came calling, measured the yard, and with the neighbor's fence already in place I spent thousand of dollars less than I thought I would.

Tick, tock, time goes by, two years, in fact, as I faithfully make payments on my interest free (for two years) fence.

The latest bill comes to my email inbox, as the balance has gone up hundreds (and hundreds and hundreds) of dollars. 

You smarties out there can see where this is going.

I call the store, ask about the increase in the balance, figuring that one of my kids bought, say, a used car. Or had their bathroom refinished and I didn't know about it.

The nice lady at the store tells me, "why that's the interest charges." I (really) still don't get it. She tells me "you weren't charged interest for two years. But it's been accumulating and since you didn't finish paying for the fence in full within the two years, the billing has 'caught up'."

More words were exchanged, the salesman should have said this, the contract should have said that (it did), and I feel once again that financial institutions will squeeze every last grain of cash from us and smash every quantum of trust between us in their pursuit to make MORE MONEY. Think about that the next time you pay $3.00 or more to take YOUR OWN MONEY out of a cash machine.

You grasshopper can learn from my stupidity. By the way, in the interest of balanced reporting, I would have bought the fence anyway.

Lately, these comedic blog posts are taking on the scent of "rants." Next time, I promise, back to the funny.