A person really has to watch

I have kept a Reader's Digest subscription going for years; the size is perfect for slipping in a purse (or lunchbox, in Cliff's case) so it's handy for those times when we're somewhere waiting, for instance at a doctor's or dentist's office.  The articles are brief, so you're not committing to a lot of time when you start reading.  I've learned a lot from Reader's Digest.
However, my subscription lapsed, and I've decided this is one thing we can easily do without.  I know it's time to renew, because they've been sending me bills for a couple of months.  But I didn't renew, so why are they sending me bills that sound like I re-subscribed?   In fact, they've sent me two magazines that I shouldn't have received, and the tone of their little notes make me feel more like a freeloader with each reminder.
I found a phone number on the bill Thursday and gave them a call.  I explained the problem to the customer service person and gave her my name and address.
"Oh," she said, "you're on automatic renewal."
What?  I never asked for that!
She took me off the plan and graciously told me I could keep the two magazines that I wasn't supposed to receive.
I just wonder how many people renew their subscriptions who otherwise would not, if they hadn't been bullied into "automatically renewal"?
The same day, I received a credit card bill charging me $1.82 in interest; I had made no purchases, so how did I rack up interest?  We're down to three credit cards, and I still have to weed at least one of them out; I just haven't decided which one.  I've gotten rid of Kohl's, Home Depot, Sears, and two gasoline credit cards.  I kept these for years because credit card holders get special deals; it was really hard to destroy my Kohl's card, because that's where I buy shoes, and sometimes I got 30% off a sale price as a card-holder.  Still, we do not need all that plastic filling up our billfolds.
If I get angry with any of my remaining three card providers, they are history.  I was ready to tell somebody that when I called Chase card customer service.
This summer we used that card to excess (the Arkansas trip and lots of diesel fuel for tractors), and in the end it took me three months to pay them off.  We swore never to let that happen again, even if we have to sit at home for the rest of our lives.
The lady explained to me that ours is a revolving charge account and the $1.82 is carried over from the previous month.
Just as I was getting ready to tell her what she could do with my account, she said, "Oh, wait; I think I can take that off your bill.  Yes, I can; it should show up as being removed within a few days."
So I still have a decision to make about which card I get rid of.  I'll wait and see if that $1.82 really is removed before I decide.



Here's a video to show you how my dog, Iris, plays with shadows.  She also plays with beams of light, and chases birds flying overhead.  She's nuts.