Need to return a Christmas gift? Here’s how to do it with style
So you really don’t like that floral nightie Nana sent you? The shoes you got for your fashion-conscious son are just ‘so last year’? Your daughter received two of the same Nintendo game?
Yes, it’s Christmas and we’ve all received – and given – presents that just aren’t quite right. In the back of our minds, we’re wishing it was a gift card instead. No matter the reason, there’s no need to feel embarrassed about returning them.
The 12 Pains of Christmas and how to avoid them
Have you heard of The 12 Pains of Christmas? Released in the mid-1980s, the song is a parody of the popular carol, The 12 Days of Christmas, where instead of touting the pleasure of receiving various gifts, the singer bemoans the less than sunshiny parts of the festive season.
But even if Bob Rivers sounds a bit like the Grinch who stole Christmas, we all know he has a point. For all the family get-togethers, presents and general bonhomie, there is plenty to complain about this time of year (and we don’t just mean the price of cherries).
Buying a home? Budget for all the extras, not just the house
There’s more to buying a home than just the asking price. Now that you’ve got your deposit and secured any available government grants, prepare yourself for the other charges and expenses that come with becoming a homeowner.
Research is vital to help you identify the associated costs. Setting aside a budget for these fees will save you a lot of time, and hassle. It also helps ensure there are as few unexpected nasty surprises as possible.
Fifty years of loyalty — and nothing to show for it
Yvonne Arnall didn’t expect any special treatment. Like most of us, she simply expected to be treated with respect and have her issue resolved in a timely manner.
Instead, what the Melbourne grandmother got was an abject failure in customer service that dragged on for almost six months. A saga that involved her driving hundreds of kilometres on multiple occasions for appointments that never eventuated. And when her initial request was finally resolved — on the eighth appointment — it came with an added insult: a pool of urine.