On my most recent trip out of town, I felt daring. I normally book my travel through Priceline, so I swear by their service and I've never gone wrong using them. Still, I squinted skeptically at William Shatner's pimping of Priceline's "Name Your Own Price" service. I'm a natural skeptic. But when Captain Kirk speaks, nerds like me listen.
The most concerning aspect for me was the dates. I knew I could make it to my travel site with no problems, but things pop up. You know...life. Priceline is pretty clear that if you don't make it you are up a creek. I decided, though, that I wouldn't bid a lot so my potential loss would be minimized.
I then chose the quality level of the hotel I was to stay at. Now, I'm perfectly okay staying at a half-star, pay-by-the-hour motel. Considering my experiences living in aluminum can-like structures in places worse than any US inner city, I just need a place to stretch out and stay dry. But one of the benefits of being my wife's husband is I stay in nice hotels. "Oh no! We're not getting car-jacked and/or shot this weekend just because you want to stay at a $20 a night piece of crap hotel," plays in my head when I start to consider the dives the cheapskate in me wants to stay at. So, I picked a 2.5 star hotel...think Holiday Inn Express or Comfort Inn. Priceline makes the choice of hotel for you around the zip code you provide. I KNOW! They choose! But, whatever. Don't fight the system.
Lastly, I chose my price. The hotel I ended up staying at was a $150/night hotel. Considering I was staying on a weekend, it would've probably been more. But, not with "Name Your Own Price"! I thought long and hard, tickled my intestinal fortitude, and typed in $80. That'll show em! Then, Shatner started talking in my head like in the commercials--"Mamby-pamby." So, I reached deep-down and typed in $50.
What popped out was one of the top ten hotels in the city I was visiting. I don't know about the other nine in the top ten, but the hotel I stayed in was first-rate. Clean, spacious, and with facilities and amenities through the roof. The customer services was superb. The most annoying thing I had to deal with was everyone wishing me a comfortable stay and a great day or night!
The next time you have to do leisure travel, I recommend you use the "Name Your Own Price" service from Priceline. It was well worth the anxiety I felt on the front end.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Quick Money-Saving Tip
The guy that installed our new air conditioner a few months ago is a family friend. He did a great job and I actually enjoyed talking to him. He pointed out that when the air conditioner runs, it lets out water. He told us, "If you catch that water, it's purified. You can drink it." Well, I knew I wouldn't be doing that. Then he added, "It's great to water your plants with during the summer." I nodded in acknowledgement and commenced to forgotting what he had told me.
This past week I was mowing the lawn and passed the air conditioner right after it shut off. Out of a PVC pipe coming from the side of the unit was an huge amount of water. I went over to the lawn the water was running onto and the ground for yards around was completely damp. "Wow! I've gotta catch this water."
Well, I've come to find out that the air conditioner is pumping out over five gallons of pure water a day. Because we're capitalists (I say that so that you realize we do it for the money, not the environment exactly), my wife bought a huge 60-gallon rain collection unit. We've been taking the water from the air conditioner and putting it in the collection unit when the rain's been scarce. The plants are thirsty no more!
Since my initial forays into collecting this water, I've changed out the coffee can I was collecting the water in for a six-dollar oil pan that has a pouring spout on it. At any rate, I'm hoping others can benefit from our little money-saving discovery.
This past week I was mowing the lawn and passed the air conditioner right after it shut off. Out of a PVC pipe coming from the side of the unit was an huge amount of water. I went over to the lawn the water was running onto and the ground for yards around was completely damp. "Wow! I've gotta catch this water."
Well, I've come to find out that the air conditioner is pumping out over five gallons of pure water a day. Because we're capitalists (I say that so that you realize we do it for the money, not the environment exactly), my wife bought a huge 60-gallon rain collection unit. We've been taking the water from the air conditioner and putting it in the collection unit when the rain's been scarce. The plants are thirsty no more!
Since my initial forays into collecting this water, I've changed out the coffee can I was collecting the water in for a six-dollar oil pan that has a pouring spout on it. At any rate, I'm hoping others can benefit from our little money-saving discovery.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Things I Learned During My Transition 1
It’s not about you; it’s about them!
When I decided to leave the Army, I did the right thing: I went to friends that I trusted who’d gone before me. They were very generous with their time. Each had different advice, but the theme that was common in each of their messages was “It’s not about you; it’s about them!” One of my friends put it bluntly when I was touting the best pieces of my resume—“Dude! Don’t you understand? They don’t give a sh*t! Unless you can tell them what you can do for them, you're not going to get hired.”
His comment was a splash of cold water. I’d been explaining why I deserved a job based on my experiences. Why a company would be crazy to pass on an opportunity to hire me. It took my friends’ candid comments to make me aware that companies didn’t owe me anything. I had to look at the hiring process from the hiring company's perspective. Unless I could convey how I would provide value to them, I wouldn’t get hired.
The conversations I’ve had with fellow transitioners in the last few months show that a lot of them need the blunt, in-your-face comments my friends provided me. Remember—“It’s not about you; it’s about them!” Look at it from the hiring manager’s perspective. Be humble and willing to explain how you can help them because of your professional experience. If you don’t, expect a smile, a “Thank you for your service”, and a silent phone as you wait for a callback.
When I decided to leave the Army, I did the right thing: I went to friends that I trusted who’d gone before me. They were very generous with their time. Each had different advice, but the theme that was common in each of their messages was “It’s not about you; it’s about them!” One of my friends put it bluntly when I was touting the best pieces of my resume—“Dude! Don’t you understand? They don’t give a sh*t! Unless you can tell them what you can do for them, you're not going to get hired.”
His comment was a splash of cold water. I’d been explaining why I deserved a job based on my experiences. Why a company would be crazy to pass on an opportunity to hire me. It took my friends’ candid comments to make me aware that companies didn’t owe me anything. I had to look at the hiring process from the hiring company's perspective. Unless I could convey how I would provide value to them, I wouldn’t get hired.
The conversations I’ve had with fellow transitioners in the last few months show that a lot of them need the blunt, in-your-face comments my friends provided me. Remember—“It’s not about you; it’s about them!” Look at it from the hiring manager’s perspective. Be humble and willing to explain how you can help them because of your professional experience. If you don’t, expect a smile, a “Thank you for your service”, and a silent phone as you wait for a callback.
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