Lesson 6: Life is a Game so Play for the Winning Team

Ugh I cannot tell you how many times I've seen some example of rude-ness on the Internet and in real life. Just because people are protected by a computer screen and an alias, they forget manners. If a donor takes the time to post a video clip, music file or any type of valuable resource there will always be that one complainer. Somethings that I have come across, "can you post this in English," "you don't have any feeling (ie: if someone posts their musical talents)," and "you are a noob." Unfortunately, I have not kept a recorded log of these comments so I will be updating as I surf the net in the near future. There is nothing wrong with complaining about something, I do it all the time. But, I never complain about a gift. No matter how big or small, I know how to receive something and say thank you. It's not that difficult. If people complain about things that they get as gifts it usually is for the purpose of getting specifically what they want the next time around. It might make sense at first, but think about this: why would they ever want to give you anything again if you didn't accept the first gift graciously. There are improved ways of asking for things such as , "I like your video thanks for posting, but I can't understand it as I only speak English if I could find it in that language it would be great," or " I like your song, maybe you need to work on ____ though," its called an affirmation sandwich. Psychology experts use it all the time. There are many ways of soliciting people for the things you want. But, being a total a-hole about it, like others owe it to you, will get you no where. A lot of people who are guilty might be turned off by me telling them what to do or giving them advice. It's ok to think that you are perfect and don't need anyone telling you what to do, but it could be costing you some serious bucks. If you are NOT nice to the people around you, you are less likely to ask them for or be granted favors. What if one person is an expert in something and you want advice, wouldn't it be better to have a trusted friend to help you out. It is way cheaper to build contacts, for things like walking the dog, house sitting, baby sitting or what have you rather than to go to a phone book to try and locate a professional. No matter how great their advertisement might be, you don't know these people, because you don't work there and see their true personalities first hand. In a way it's sort of funny, but then when I look at the big picture it's a bit sad. Also it is best to give as well as receive, if you are the type of person who only receives people are going to figure it out and not want to give you anything. Investing in the balance of give and take it essential. Getting pegged as a "taker" is definitely a market loss to your value as a friend. I wonder if anyone else has encountered such rudeness on the net and in real life? Here are some relevant links. Ungrateful Person Story and Why are People Rude. Here is a link on dealing with Needy People. This is a video of my favorite song from the mix tape. The artist from the tape is Yuri Chika and in this video she is singing with Briohny.

Lesson 5: Watching K-drama Videos For Free on the Internet

The internet is a great resource for free stuff. You can get all sorts of stuff for free legally and illegally in equal measure. General information and popular media are widely abundant and easy to find. But, if you are looking for something very specific and obscure you might need a professional (like me) or some friend of yours who spends 90% of their time in front of a computer on the internet. You could try to find it yourself, but this would be the equivalent of counting beans, watching grass grow or separating your two ply toilet paper as seen in the "Master Savers Video" below. Figure out how valuable your time is before you start. Today's post is about finding Korean Drama videos on the internet. Am I saying not to buy the actual DVD's? No, ofcourse not, buying something means that you are making an investment, therefore consider this research. Also, having the actual DVD's gives you the advantage of better quality and owner status. It's kind of like collecting card's; you can't really swap cards with your friends if your cards only exist on the internet. One reason why I want to publicize K-drama's is because of the emphasis on money that they put in their shows. Japanese drama's are great too! This particular video that I have attached is from the Japanese drama Yamada Taro Monogatari. I put a clip here because it shows a great grocery shopping scene. The story is about a really poor guy who everyone thinks is rich. In the video he is competing for a very cheap beef steak so that he can have a barbeque with his family. He has been trainning with a master bargain hunter (that lady with the thick glasses) and his other friend. This show, among others can be watched at a wonderful site called My Soju (warning: make sure you have good time management skills before visiting any video site)

Yamada03.4
Uploaded by tinkerbell004

Lesson 4: Referrals VS Advertising

(Scroll down for Mixtape) I put amazon ads on my blog because I frequently use the site to buy cheap items. I LOVE books! I have books all over the place, which is why I plan on putting ads for a lot of the books that I've read on this blog. So if you see an ad on my site for something I either use it myself or I have done research to determine that it might help someone out. Advertising is great, but in business it is far better to create a good reputation and be referred to someone else. Yesterday, I was looking for a place to buy a lot of eggs for one of my secret plans. I called about three places and most of the people that I talked to were very nice and polite. People can smell a rant from a mile away so let me just get to it. Everyone responds differently to certain speech styles and I have to say one of the companies really struck me as rude. Eggs Hawaii INC. Ugh what fugly customer service etiquette. The representative I first spoke to was nice, but when she transferred me to her manager to answer some of my questions, the manager was so condescending. I just wanted to know if they did delivery and she threw me into the fire. What is your store? Do you even have a business? Where is your location? What, where? No we don't even do that! Although they have good prices, even if I was a big name store I would never want to do business with them. I want to deal with people who are smart enough to know how a potential customer should be treated. It's okay to be exclusive when it comes to choosing who you want to sell your products to (as I understand that some companies only want to deal with high profile clientelle), but make sure to be upfront about that fact in a professional way. If you dont want regular individuals calling you, make that information readily available, discuss the minimum quantity you are willing to sell and don't treat the customer like they are wasting your time. A high maka maka company should have a high maka maka advertisement with more information that just a phone number. If you put an advertisement in the phone book expect many different types of people to call you. In theory an advertisement is a paid referral, a real referral is created through hard work, a sound business strategy, and a proven track record of success. Anyhow this is just my opinion on the whole thing, since it is a free country and all.

Lesson 3: Watch a Master Saver at Work

The man might know how to save, but does he know how to earn? He makes $15,ooo a year which is not enough to live comfortably even if he did loosen the grip on his pocket change. I must admit that it is impressive that he is able to save so much though. Saving money is great but I saw some ways that he could do it better. First of all, why is he buying paper towels? A cloth rag might be smarter and more economical. Second, I assumed that a man so interested in saving was equally interested in earning large amounts money. What is the purpose of saving if you are not saving to accumulate towards some goal. Just like we eat certain foods to produce a certain outcome, we must also save to promote a certain outcome, otherwise you miss a chance to use that will power to your advantage. Third, separating toilet paper and squeezing ketchup are time consuming activities, it is best to determine how much your time is worth before you mimic those kinds of practices. For more information on saving money at home check out this book by Josh Garskof, "The Cheap Bastard's Guide to the Good House and Home."

Lesson 2: A tip from your Waiter

Actual tips begin at 4min and 58 seconds. I like the clip because it's entertaining not because I agree with everything he says. It's great to see someone being real about issues in customer service. Watch out for the foul language if you are offended by that sort of thing. One thing to never be stingy on is a server's tip. Unless the worker was a complete butt head, a 15% tip is required. Why? you say... "I could be getting away with so much savings if I shave off this 15%." Yes, you are absolutely right, but essentially that would make you the butt head kicking a man/woman when he or she is down. A person working for petty cash taking care of people's demands all day should get a gratuity. I find that it is far better to establish a good relationship with an eating place so that you can become a repeat customer. Repeat customers usually are given free food as a token of appreciation. It is a good idea to target family owned restaraunts where the owner is present.

Lesson 1: We negociate instead of Yell & Complain

A Story about a Cheapskate Gone Wild
The subject of this story should subscribe to my blog he needs it!
(To find on Youtube: Quit bein Cheap yo! by Angel)

Instead of using your anger and outrage to get a lower rate as seen in the "Cheapskate Gone Wild" video clip, we act like civilized adults. One might think that if they make a big enough stink, a representative might give into the pressure, and provide a discount just to end the noise. Yet, one thing people don't realize is that it is perfectly legal for a representative to call the police on you if they feel like you pose a threat to them. Also, do you really want to take pointers from a kindergardener that you saw at a groccery store, crying because his or her mom wouldn't buy he or she a candy bar. If you think your hotel room should be cheaper try to work with the front desk associate by asking if your price can be lowered if you give up certain anemities that are included in your room fee. Make sure that you understand what you are being charged for before you check into the establishment by making a calm inquiry. Do your homework about hidden hotel fees so that you might go in with a sound game plan, instead of hoping to wing it with drama. ALWAYS REMEMBER TO TAKE DOWN NAMES. If perhaps one person says one thing but another person refuses to honor the agreement it is always good to have a name and a document in writing so that you may take your claim to a higher tier employee. Communicate your point nicely, but make sure to be firm about what you want. Also just as the front desk representative has a right to report you, you have a right to report hidden charges that have been deliberately concealed during your check in inquiry. For those who still prefer to be the loudest complainer on the block, make sure to take note that a front desk representative might not have the power to cheat the system for you. Neither does it make any sence that they will help you get what you want if you are degrading them.

What does "PAKE" mean (pronounced "PaaK-E)

(Hawaii residents can skip this intro)
In hawaii this word is used to describe someone who is very cheap or tight with money. In Hawaii the local creole is pidgin english and "pake" or "chang" is used to describe a chinese person in general; just like the word "haole" is used to describe a caucasian person or "popolo" is used to describe an African American person. For those wondering where I am headed while discussing the sensitive subject of race, let me assure you that I am a "pake" and a "katonk" so I am allowed to take pot shots at my own race. So for those of you who are not from hawaii, I dont think you should go around calling people these words freely should you decide to come and visit, as a person could get offended.

(Intro for everyone )
It has been my experience that all races and types of people can be equally stingy, not just the Chinese. Example 1: while I was working for a Japanese owned company one of their air conditioners went out. Workers and customers alike were very hot, but it took them many weeks to get someone to fix it. Although one might expect that there would be significant discounts for employees, we only got 10% off which is like equivalant to a Macy's sale where you might get a discount, but you're not sure if its even worth it to buy anything in the first place. Most of the equipment there looked way past the point of their depreciation value. Example 2: My brother went to a local ice cream bar and ordered a decadent shave ice, the owner was obviously a Korean person as she spoke the language fluently and was listening to a Korean radio station. When he paid her he thought she was offering him an extra straw so he refused but she thought that he was saying to keep the change. When he tried to nicely explain that he had made a mistake and that they had a misunderstanding her whole demeanor turned sour and she acted like it was pure torture to return his change (that was rightfully his anyway). Also, watch any Korean drama and see how many times themes of money comes up. Now I know I am being critical, but for those of you that know me you will agree that I am also a big fat tightwad. I think that if they had a contest like instead of the Cherry Blossom Queen contest they had "The pake" contest where they crown the biggest cheapskate I would probably win hands down. My one complaint with all this scrooging in the world today is that everyone wants to save money, but a lot of people don't know how to do it with class, style and sophistication.


A clip from the Chinese Drama "Frugal Game"
displaying classic examples of penny pinching in the domestic arena