Cost savings measure that hasn't worked?

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Forums › Finance and wealth management › Cost savings measure that hasn't worked?

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#1720377 15-Feb-2017 08:22

kiwifidget:

We spent a small fortune about 2 years ago replacing all our light bulbs (mostly halogens and some normal ones) with LED bulbs.

There was no drop in the power bill at all.

On the upside we haven't had to replace an LED bulb yet.

You're not doing what I do with the low power ones and going "Oh F... it, they are low power, why bother turning them off" all the time are you?

Ive changed everything I can here out now except the garage lights which are still old t8 fluros because I'm still looking for LED replacements that dont flicker as much or more than the fluro they are replacing.

Richard rich.ms

kiwifidget

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#1720389 15-Feb-2017 08:36

richms:

You're not doing what I do with the low power ones and going "Oh F... it, they are low power, why bother turning them off" all the time are you?

Ive changed everything I can here out now except the garage lights which are still old t8 fluros because I'm still looking for LED replacements that dont flicker as much or more than the fluro they are replacing.

We use lights the same amount as always.

I'm a bit of a stickler for only using lights in the room I am in.

It's probably a habit from when I was poor and single.

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jpoc

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#1720394 15-Feb-2017 08:43

Rikkitic:

Never use them. Why should I do someone else's job for free?

Because if I am buying, say, twenty items including ten cans of beer from Pak'nSave in Wairau Road, I can go to the self scan checkout and scan my items and I will always be charged for ten cans plus the other stuff. Always.

If I go to the normal checkout the bill will include a charge for either 10 or 11 cans. Never 9. Never ever 9. This is consistent and it seems to me that I must be very unlucky or it is deliberate.

Also, if I shop on a day with a big petrol discount, about half of the time, the checkout operator does not give me the petrol voucher and I must ask for it.

This suggests to me that there is dishonesty there. The self scan checkouts do at least seem to be honest.

It is not just Pak'nSave they are all at it. At least they do not have a loyalty card. If I shop in Countdown or New World, I note that, if I do not swipe a loyalty card, the checkout operator will swipe her mate's card. They even do that if I specifically ask them not to. I do not want to be part of their fraud on their employer so, at that point I just walk out leaving them to return the goods to the shelves and explain to the boss what is going on.

Bung

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#1720403 15-Feb-2017 09:09

jpoc: At least they do not have a loyalty card. If I shop in Countdown or New World, I note that, if I do not swipe a loyalty card, the checkout operator will swipe her mate's card. They even do that if I specifically ask them not to. I do not want to be part of their fraud on their employer so, at that point I just walk out leaving them to return the goods to the shelves and explain to the boss what is going on.

In a parallel universe to yours if no card is scanned you don't get cardholder discounts. To avoid grumpy customers who didn't realize that some stores use a store card to give you the discount price.

kiwifidget

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#1720411 15-Feb-2017 09:15

BlinkyBill: Moving in together to save on rent and utility bills.

Himself genuinely believed this would happen.

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SaltyNZ

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#1720415 15-Feb-2017 09:26

Bung: To avoid grumpy customers who didn't realize that some stores use a store card to give you the discount price.

Which is great because it means I can get the loyalty card discount of $1.27 off a $400 shopping basket and not have to give up my privacy by having a loyalty card.

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Geektastic

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#1720436 15-Feb-2017 10:10

Bung:
jpoc: At least they do not have a loyalty card. If I shop in Countdown or New World, I note that, if I do not swipe a loyalty card, the checkout operator will swipe her mate's card. They even do that if I specifically ask them not to. I do not want to be part of their fraud on their employer so, at that point I just walk out leaving them to return the goods to the shelves and explain to the boss what is going on.

In a parallel universe to yours if no card is scanned you don't get cardholder discounts. To avoid grumpy customers who didn't realize that some stores use a store card to give you the discount price.

The discounts are usually pathetic anyway - I went to Countdown the other day and spent about $175. The card savings amounted to...$1.60!

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#1720437 15-Feb-2017 10:13

kiwifidget:

We spent a small fortune about 2 years ago replacing all our light bulbs (mostly halogens and some normal ones) with LED bulbs.

There was no drop in the power bill at all.

On the upside we haven't had to replace an LED bulb yet.

When we remodelled the kitchen in 2008, we used the fluorescent ones that are bent tightly to fit into the standard halogen ceiling light fixtures (LED was uncommon and very expensive at the time).

Amazingly we have yet to replace a single one of those fittings! Of course, now I have said that....!

Jaxson

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#1720591 15-Feb-2017 13:02

Remember you can only save power during periods the device is on.

So if an LED light is $10, and uses half the power of a budget one at $2, and they're only on for 1/2 hour a day in a toilet, then it's going to take approximately 1.2 billion years to pay itself off, and you'll never notice the reduction in your monthly power bill.

Compact flourescents are already pretty energy efficient, and if you don't have much money, it's sensible to migrate your main kitchen type lights over first.

sen8or

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#1720593 15-Feb-2017 13:08

jpoc:

Rikkitic:

Never use them. Why should I do someone else's job for free?

Because if I am buying, say, twenty items including ten cans of beer from Pak'nSave in Wairau Road, I can go to the self scan checkout and scan my items and I will always be charged for ten cans plus the other stuff. Always.

If I go to the normal checkout the bill will include a charge for either 10 or 11 cans. Never 9. Never ever 9. This is consistent and it seems to me that I must be very unlucky or it is deliberate.

Also, if I shop on a day with a big petrol discount, about half of the time, the checkout operator does not give me the petrol voucher and I must ask for it.

This suggests to me that there is dishonesty there. The self scan checkouts do at least seem to be honest.

It is not just Pak'nSave they are all at it. At least they do not have a loyalty card. If I shop in Countdown or New World, I note that, if I do not swipe a loyalty card, the checkout operator will swipe her mate's card. They even do that if I specifically ask them not to. I do not want to be part of their fraud on their employer so, at that point I just walk out leaving them to return the goods to the shelves and explain to the boss what is going on.

I find Pak n Save (Hornby) pricing far more prone to errors than quantities. I would estimate that around 1/3 the time that my wife shops there, an item is either scanned wrong (E.G charged for apples when they were onions or weighing to products at once) or the shelf price (on special) or special price (stickers on the packaging reflecting a discount) are not charged correctly resulting in an overcgharge. She is vigilant with the grocery docket and continuously gets the amount refunded, but it happens far too frequently for it to be "operator error".

Good profit in overcharging the masses if only a minority pick up on it.....

richms

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#1720595 15-Feb-2017 13:11

Jaxson:

Compact flourescents are already pretty energy efficient, and if you don't have much money, it's sensible to migrate your main kitchen type lights over first.

Yeah but they are a terrible light distribution and warmup times and all sorts of other reasons they suck and should be replaced.

Richard rich.ms

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#1720596 15-Feb-2017 13:11

Jaxson:

Remember you can only save power during periods the device is on.

So if an LED light is $10, and uses half the power of a budget one at $2, and they're only on for 1/2 hour a day in a toilet, then it's going to take approximately 1.2 billion years to pay itself off, and you'll never notice the reduction in your monthly power bill.

Compact flourescents are already pretty energy efficient, and if you don't have much money, it's sensible to migrate your main kitchen type lights over first.

We did our kitchen / dining / living room about 2 years ago into LEDs, went from 11 x 100w incandescent bulbs to 11 x 13w LEDs. These lights are on frequently for 3-6 hours at a time. We would have been replacing 1-2 light bulbs each month or so (crappy quality downlights plus crappy quality bulbs), so the payoff was noticed pretty quickly.

SepticSceptic

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#1720660 15-Feb-2017 14:38

sen8or:

jpoc:

Rikkitic:

Never use them. Why should I do someone else's job for free?

Because if I am buying, say, twenty items including ten cans of beer from Pak'nSave in Wairau Road, I can go to the self scan checkout and scan my items and I will always be charged for ten cans plus the other stuff. Always.

If I go to the normal checkout the bill will include a charge for either 10 or 11 cans. Never 9. Never ever 9. This is consistent and it seems to me that I must be very unlucky or it is deliberate.

Also, if I shop on a day with a big petrol discount, about half of the time, the checkout operator does not give me the petrol voucher and I must ask for it.

This suggests to me that there is dishonesty there. The self scan checkouts do at least seem to be honest.

It is not just Pak'nSave they are all at it. At least they do not have a loyalty card. If I shop in Countdown or New World, I note that, if I do not swipe a loyalty card, the checkout operator will swipe her mate's card. They even do that if I specifically ask them not to. I do not want to be part of their fraud on their employer so, at that point I just walk out leaving them to return the goods to the shelves and explain to the boss what is going on.

I find Pak n Save (Hornby) pricing far more prone to errors than quantities. I would estimate that around 1/3 the time that my wife shops there, an item is either scanned wrong (E.G charged for apples when they were onions or weighing to products at once) or the shelf price (on special) or special price (stickers on the packaging reflecting a discount) are not charged correctly resulting in an overcgharge. She is vigilant with the grocery docket and continuously gets the amount refunded, but it happens far too frequently for it to be "operator error".

Good profit in overcharging the masses if only a minority pick up on it.....

Here's one I found yesterday - Clearskin Wine boxes - outside labelled 3L on the outside.

Wife reckoned I was drinking too much, and finished the cask in less than a week of cooking. Looking at the cask, looks slightly smaller than a standard 3Litre cask, but the cracker was that the wino's cushion was labelled as a 2 Litre bladder.

So was paying for a substandard 3L cask of wine-ish, where it was only 2L - a 30% loss ..

Have yet to take it up with Pak n Save ..

kiwifidget

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#1720775 15-Feb-2017 18:56

SepticSceptic:

Here's one I found yesterday - Clearskin Wine boxes - outside labelled 3L on the outside.

Wife reckoned I was drinking too much, and finished the cask in less than a week of cooking. Looking at the cask, looks slightly smaller than a standard 3Litre cask, but the cracker was that the wino's cushion was labelled as a 2 Litre bladder.

So was paying for a substandard 3L cask of wine-ish, where it was only 2L - a 30% loss ..

Have yet to take it up with Pak n Save ..

And I thought the wine companies couldn't sink any lower after FairGo highlighted NZ wine companies are putting Australian wine into the bottles they sell in NZ so they can export more of the good stuff.

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cadman

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#1720881 15-Feb-2017 21:44

sen8or: I find Pak n Save (Hornby) pricing far more prone to errors than quantities. I would estimate that around 1/3 the time that my wife shops there, an item is either scanned wrong (E.G charged for apples when they were onions or weighing to products at once) or the shelf price (on special) or special price (stickers on the packaging reflecting a discount) are not charged correctly resulting in an overcgharge. She is vigilant with the grocery docket and continuously gets the amount refunded, but it happens far too frequently for it to be "operator error".

Good profit in overcharging the masses if only a minority pick up on it.....

Same here. So much so that when I do a big shop that won't fit all on the conveyor, I put what fits on and leave the rest in the trolley and move to the checkout so I can monitor every scan then just hand the balance of the goods over manually. I was once asked by a checkout supervisor not to do that (for what reason I don't know - it's no slower and is actually beneficial to those behind you because they can put their purchases on the conveyor) so I told her I would stop once they fixed their constant overcharging on the shelf prices so I didn't have to watch the display like a hawk. Almost immediately the words came out of my mouth something scanned at a price over what it was supposed to be proving my point.

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