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❖ THE GRIPE ❖
A Personal Affront, Reported Faithfully
I ordered a pair of boots online in October and they do not fit. The box has sat by the front door since Tuesday, and Larry has sniffed it twice and reached no conclusion. I went to mail the boots back and found that 72 percent of retailers now charge for at least some returns, up from 66 percent a year ago. A mailed return costs $11.99 at T.J.Maxx, $9.99 plus tax at Macy's for people outside its rewards program, and $4.95 at Zara. Many of the same retailers take returns in the store for nothing. The article calls this a holiday shopping trick. It is a drive to a building to return something I never had to leave the house to buy.
❖ THE DAMAGE REPORT ❖
Today's News, Ranked By How Much It Ruined My Mood
🔥 MOST ENRAGING
The National Association of Realtors says that payment, with 20 percent down, is up $48 from the second quarter and $69 from a year ago. A typical starter home costs $368,000 and takes 36.3 percent of household income with 10 percent down. The only region where prices fell was the West, down 0.6 percent, where the median home still costs $629,000. Slower growth is the good news in this report.
😩 MOST EXHAUSTING
The 14-inch model costs $2,899 and the 16-inch costs $3,399. Apple long held that touchscreens belonged on phones and tablets, and the article notes that Steve Jobs called reaching across a keyboard to touch a vertical screen impractical. This laptop keeps its keyboard and does not turn into a tablet. The screen is now touchable and the laptop is otherwise the same.
😤 UNREASONABLY ANNOYING
The article lists fake shipping notices claiming a package is held for an unpaid fee, and links that ask for an ID scan or a selfie to unlock an order or a refund. The scammer uses the selfie to open an account in your name. It also warns about sellers who move the chat to text, where marketplace protections no longer apply. A package that really is late now looks the same as the scam about a late package.
🤷 SOMEHOW ALSO HAPPENING
The kid's quesadilla meal runs about $4.15 to $5, and the build-your-own is $5 to $6, against $9.50 to $11 or more for a regular burrito or bowl. Both come with a drink and chips or fruit. The article estimates savings of $5 to $6 and says the portions are smaller, especially the protein. It suggests asking for extra rice and beans, which it says makes the meal 20 to 30 percent bigger.
Your K-Cup Has Been Sitting in a Warehouse for Months
That grocery store pod? It was roasted long before it hit the shelf. Coffee starts losing flavor within weeks of roasting — which is why your morning cup tastes flat, no matter how nice your machine is.
Angelino's does it differently. A third-generation roaster in Los Angeles, they roast, grind, and seal every pod in-house for peak freshness, then ship it to your door within days of roasting. The difference is the first thing you'll notice: real aroma, real flavor, no bitterness.
Mix and match from 50+ specialty coffees, teas, and flavored blends — all Keurig®-compatible — and save more with every box you add, up to 34% off at 12+. Order once whenever you're running low, or subscribe for an extra 5% if that's easier. Entirely up to you.
New customers get 15% off their first order — applied automatically, no code needed.
❖ AND SOME OTHER STUFF ❖
Briefly, And With Limited Enthusiasm
▸ The average U.S. household pays about $295 a month for utilities. LendingTree found Fresno highest at $409.63 and Denver lowest at $238.19, using 2024 Census data from the 50 largest metro areas.
▸ Social Security's retirement trust fund is projected to run out of reserves in late 2032. After that, incoming revenue would cover about 78 percent of scheduled benefits, and the proposals in Congress mostly set up commissions to plan a fix.
▸ A consumer article warns about recent data breaches without naming one. It advises unique passwords, two-factor authentication and never sharing verification codes. No company and no count of affected people appears in it.
✦ THE ONE GOOD THING
Fine. Peter Hughes, a metal detectorist, found a 400-year-old brass padlock with other treasure on a beach near Port Talbot, Wales, and spent about 20 years trying to open it. The Museum of Wales and Cardiff University finally used a micro-CT scan, and the third scan showed the combination, ANCE. The padlock came from the Ann Francis, which wrecked in December 1583. I have a puzzle on the dining table with a missing corner, and I am going to check under the couch first.
North America buys up to 10 million tonnes of road salt from overseas each winter. Atlas Salt (TSXV: SALT) is building a closer source in Newfoundland, projected to generate C$188M a year.
Check the return policy before you click buy.
THE GRUMP · (AND LARRY)