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Ruminations On Money And How To Keep It

Feb 19, 2019
by Caroline Miller
"Just Read It", Este Lauder, eye liner, how the rich spend their money, Macy's, The Dollar Store
2 Comments

Courtesy of google.com

I was wandering around the cosmetic section at Macy’s the other day, looking for an eyeliner.  I’d just seen a test edition of a new series of “Just Read It” and noted I looked as pale as a curtain sheer.  After 4 years of co-hosting the 10 minute book review program on YouTube with Susan Stoner, she and her hubby had decided to travel.  So, I’ll be hosting solo beginning in June.  A formal announcement will come later, but a little repeating won’t go amiss. I have written a blog for almost 9 years, 5 days a week, yet I have Facebook friends unaware of the fact or that I’ve published 4 books.  Obviously, I’m not the center of the universe.  That’s why a little repetition can be a good thing.

In any case, I hope this background explains why I was haunting the makeup counters at Macys.  And, I’m glad I did.  A little investigation proved that prices for eyeliner were as random as throwing dice.  Costs ranged from $17 to $32, depending on the label. 

At Este Lauder, I asked the clerk why her eyeliner cost $32 dollars when two counters away, I would pay $17.  The woman, with dyed black hair, gave me a withering gaze and flicked one hand in my direction as if I were a fly.  “If $17 is your price range, I suggest you go to the other counter.”

Ouch.  There was a put down.  She saw me as either too poor, too stingy or too stupid to warrant further attention.  So, I followed her advice, going one better.  I crossed not to another counter but a street, all the way to the Dollar Store, where I purchased an eyeliner for $1.00.

The notion that someone with money longs to pay $32 for a pencil that costs pennies to manufacturer is a fanciful notion shared only by those eager to part with their hard-earned cash.  Some luxury goods may support high prices.  A Cadillac, for example, might involve more moving parts than my tiny Scion; but that difference may also explain why I spend less time sitting in the waiting room of the auto repair department, reading coffee-stained magazines.

The skill of growing money doesn’t come from picking a lucky lottery ticket.  What’s required is a willingness to grow what’s in the bank. All the “best” people want a bargain, including the very rich.  No Este Lauder counter girl could intimidate them.  They know the difference between expensive and value.  They also don’t require the newest gadget when the older model still works.   

The other day, a Facebook friend posted the harrowing story of a lost hiker on her page.  The woman had survived a couple of days, wandering alone  in a wintry forest where the night temperature fell below zero.  She’d only meant to take a walk, so she  wasn’t prepared for a rigorous outing. Her one hope was her smart phone.  As ill-luck would have it, of course, she was outside a service area.

Eventually, rescuers found her.  She’d suffered little harm.  A happy ending, really.  Still, I couldn’t help wondering if the woman might have found her way home sooner if she’d carried a map.   

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2 Comments
  1. Christine Webb February 19, 2019 at 10:12 am Reply
    Seems to me, the sales woman behind the counter at Macy's was not only insensitive and snobbish but also ill-informed. After all, there's much more to an eye liner pencil than meets the eye. What ingredients were used in the different formulas, and were the ingredients tested on lab animals? All makeup made in China is. Rather than politely inform you of the differences between the products, she lost your patronage. Hoping both the CEO's of Este Lauder and Macy's read your blog today. They could learn a lesson, or two, from those at the Dollar store whom already know how to successfully meet the needs of their consumers.
    • Caroline Miller February 19, 2019 at 4:36 pm Reply
      Thanks to her off-handed treatment, I went to a competitor and saved a good deal of money. Thanks for much for your observations. Yes, I agree. She was rude.

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Contact Caroline at

carolinemiller11@yahoo.com

Portland, Oregon author Caroline Miller had distinguished careers as an educator, union president, elected official and artist/advocate.

Her play, Woman on the Scarlet Beast, was performed at the Post5 Theatre, Portland, OR, January/February 2015

Caroline published a serialized novelette, Marie Eau-Claire, on the website, The Colored Lens.  She also published the story Gustav Pavel,  a parable about ordinary lives, choice and alternate potential, on the website Fixional.co.

Caroline has published four novels

  • Ballet Noir
  • Trompe l’Oeil
  • Gothic Spring
  • Heart Land

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