I can't believe I bought from the meat truck guy.

[ondreeuh]

I burned my eggs this morning, so I had the front door open with just the screen closed while we fanned out the house. A nice lady came to the door and there was nowhere to hide LOL. I was in my pajamas and asked for a brochure since it wasn't a good time . I had seen a delivery truck in the neighborhood before, and I was just thinking of it as farm-home delivery, not a "meat truck." The lady said she'd get one, and came back with her manager. He brought out a box of prime beef in different cuts, showed me how they were packaged, etc. His truck was professional looking at least. He showed me a laminated "brochure" with prices, and offered me a deal. I said we really just eat chicken, so he grabbed a box of chicken that included 4 types of pre-marinated chicken, plain breasts, and breaded nuggets. He said he would sell it at his cost, to gain a new customer. I decided to try it - I haven't been cooking at ALL lately and figured it was worth paying for the convenience. I wrote him a check, put some real clothes on, and then put the chicken away.

 

I immediately felt regret - he said there were 70 servings, but there are only 45 breasts and a bag of nuggets. The breasts are tiny, too - normally I can split a breast between two people, but these are probably 1/3 the size of a regular breast. I calculated how much I spent per small serving and wanted to throw up. It's not even like these are organic, local breasts. The box shows they were packaged in FL, I think (I'm in Alaska!) and they say "restaurant quality." Nothing special.

 

It's not so much the money as the feeling of being stupid. I was not in a good frame of mind to make a decision - I was in pajamas, hadn't even had my coffee, and was distracted by my kids. My husband has been out of the country for 2 weeks, his return date has been postponed a few times due to China restricting their airspace or something, and I feel like I didn't handle my responsibility well.

 

Recently someone said here that financial mistakes could be thought of as paying tuition to the school of life. I'm trying to remind myself of that - also that the price of a chicken breast was not too much more than a McDonald's hamburger. I did cook up some of the Italian chicken for dinner and it was delicious, but I will ask my kids to NOT tell their father where that box of chicken in the freezer came from.

[Barb_]

:grouphug: I bought magazines from one of the perky magazine kids once. And I typically pride myself on my discernment. It happens.

[idnib]

When I've made financial mistakes I try to remember I was lucky enough to have the money in the first place. :grouphug:

[scrappyhappymama]

Those meat salespeople can be tricky! Once one came by, and like you I was busy and distracted. And ALL my kids rushed to the door with me because we were expecting a package from Amazon.

 

So the fellow starts asking his questions and before I can respond my boys keep answering things like "We LOVE steak!" and "My papa grills *all* the time." I'm telling him no thanks and trying to push my kids back in the door and the salesman is totally ignoring me and responding to the kids! They are all "YES, we'd love some meat" and "YES, we have a *big* freezer!" and he starts to head away from the door, saying "I'll be right back to show you what we've got!" I had to literally shout "Everybody STOP!" I told my kids to get in the house NOW in my best mama means business voice, and told the pushy salesman that I was not buying meat off a truck thankyouverymuch!

 

Even though I managed to escape, I could totally feel myself being wooed by the enthusiasm of my kids and the sucking up of the salesman. So I totally understand!

[ondreeuh]

If only I had been so wise! I just completely let my guard down and went along for the ride, which is really unlike me.

 

Time to make a giant "NO SOLICITING" sign that can be seen from the street.

[Catwoman]

First it's the meat truck guy... then the lobster truck guy... then the Avon lady... and then those nicely dressed people from some church you've never heard of.... WHERE WILL IT END???? :eek: :eek: :eek:

 

Sorry to hear about your experience with the Meat Truck Guy. But hey, he was making a delivery in the neighborhood and he just happened to have some extra stuff in the truck that he could sell you at a great price... :D:D:D

 

I just yell, "We're not interested," through the closed and locked door. If he persists, I tell him I need to see the solicitor's license he got from the township. (As far as I know, there is no such thing, but as far as the Meat Truck Guy knows, there just might be, so that one gets 'em every time. :tongue_smilie:)

[Melissa in Australia]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

I know what it is like having DH overseas :grouphug:

[LaxMom]

Never, ever buy anything at your door, in your jammies. It's always a mistake.

Not sure? Look down. Jammies? No thank you.

 

:D

 

If it makes you feel better, several years ago there was a raid (!!) two doors down from us. Masked cops everywhere, SWAT, completely insane. So, there's a knock on our door and there stand two teenagers selling magazines. I couldn't very well send them out into a raid, so I pulled them in and bought two of the world's most expensive magazine subscriptions. :lol:

 

So the second rule is: if the house two doors down is being raided, it's also not a good time to make rational purchasing decisions.

[DawnM]

I have done it. :grouphug:

 

The one thing that expensive lesson taught me is that I won't do it again! The meat wasn't too bad, but as you said, it was VERY pricey for the actual amount.

[Lolly]

At least it was tasty! Which makes me wonder if it was the meat truck guy or the Schwan truck. It is at least a reputable business with good, but expensive, food. Fil purchased steaks from a generic truck at the door once. They were horrid!!!:tongue_smilie:

[MSNative]

Never, ever buy anything at your door, in your jammies. It's always a mistake.

Not sure? Look down. Jammies? No thank you.

 

:D

 

 

So the second rule is: if the house two doors down is being raided, it's also not a good time to make rational purchasing decisions.

 

Rules to live by. :lol: These actually made me laugh out loud and spill coffee on my jammies. Now I have to change and will no longer have the protective power of the jammies.

 

OP - I have bought books twice from sweet door to door student salespeople. Now I just don't answer the door.

[Night Elf]

I couldn't very well send them out into a raid, so I pulled them in and bought two of the world's most expensive magazine subscriptions. :lol:

 

I did this too. I bought 2 of them and never received the subscriptions.

 

OP - I have bought books twice from sweet door to door student salespeople. Now I just don't answer the door.

 

I did this too. I think it was called Southwestern Books or something like that. They were educational, she had several awesome shiny books, and I was a homeschooler. I kind of felt stupid after she left, but at least I had the books in hand unlike the magazines!

[Dobela]

We were moving into our house when the meat guys showed up. My parents were here and my dad, a salesman, very patiently listened to their spiel. He never intended to buy but knows how it feels when no one wants to listen to you as a salesman. I guess it is his way of being polite LOL. Before it was over 2 of our new neighbors were buying meat from the truck, one couple buying it for their kids who were coming to visit because they claimed their kids always buy meat from the trucks and believe it to be the best meat available. We didn't buy. Later the neighbors seemed surprised that the meat truck never returned as they wanted to be repeat customers.

[MeaganS]

However, do buy tamales from the sweet little Mexican kids selling them door to door with their mom waiting in the truck. Yum! :001_smile:

 

I followed "The Meat Man" on the interstate through a traffic jam last week and kept thinking of you guys. His license plate even said "MEATMAN."

[jujsky]

 

Recently someone said here that financial mistakes could be thought of as paying tuition to the school of life.

 

I'll have to remember that one!

 

Hey, we all make dumb mistakes -- especially when we're tired, distracted, and without caffeine. At least it was a professional-looking meat truck and not a skeevy one. You didn't exercise total bad judgment. ;)

[redsquirrel]

I have a rule that I just don't buy from door to door sales people. Ever. No meat guy (we are vegetarian), no magazines, no kids books, no avon, no nothing. Ever.

 

That is my fall back at all times. I don't take the info either. It makes it much easier. I don't have to remember anything, I just say no thanks.

[melissad2]

I had a door to door salesman try to sell me a vacuum once that was $1800! :svengo:

 

I told him for $1800 it better come with a maid to push it around!

[Chava_Raizel]

I beat myself up over buying a bunch of educational software from a friendly college girl who came by last month. It was more than I would normally spend, but I was caught off guard because when she came earlier and I was out, dh told her to come back and talk to me since I make the educational decisions. :001_rolleyes: I felt like I had to order something since he made her come back and the software was the least expensive.

 

I literally felt sick to my stomach for days after, but in the end, my kids got some fun computer games to do for free time on school days.

[Chava_Raizel]

I had a door to door salesman try to sell me a vacuum once that was $1800! :svengo:

 

I told him for $1800 it better come with a maid to push it around!

 

Now that's just obscene! Who has $1800 to spend on a vacuum?!

[JessReplanted]

I have a rule that I just don't buy from door to door sales people. Ever. No meat guy (we are vegetarian), no magazines, no kids books, no avon, no nothing. Ever.

 

That is my fall back at all times. I don't take the info either. It makes it much easier. I don't have to remember anything, I just say no thanks.

 

:iagree:

[Ruby Rose]

Lighten up on yourself. You bought food, not a pair of $400 stilettos! Look at it this way, it got you cooking again!

[LaxMom]

Now that's just obscene! Who has $1800 to spend on a vacuum?!

 

My guess would be Kirby or Rainbow, and I sure hope it was Rainbow because Kirbys weight a TON!

[justLisa]

My guess would be Kirby or Rainbow, and I sure hope it was Rainbow because Kirbys weight a TON!

 

The Kirby guy came to my house well after 8pm. He acted like he could not believe I did not want him to come in and clean my carpet.

[Sumiller]

If only I had been so wise! I just completely let my guard down and went along for the ride, which is really unlike me.

 

Time to make a giant "NO SOLICITING" sign that can be seen from the street.

 

:iagree:I keep telling my dh that I want one of these. We get the meat truck, magazine kids (college age), lawn care, replacement window, college kids painting, etc...you get the point. I'm sooooo tired of being nice to them. How many times do I have to say, "I am NOT interested." And they always come at a time when dh is at work. It's like they know women are an easier sell. Just the other day, I opened the door to another young man with clipboard in hand. Our conversation went like this:

 

Me: Yes?

Young man: Hi, how are you today?

Me: Fine, I'm not interested.

Young man: Oh, (pause) you must get a lot of people knocking on your door.

Me: Yes. Goodbye. (closed door went back to making dinner)

 

Now, ask anyone who knows me, I'm not usually short with people but I've about had it with the door to door sales people taking up my time.

[Nestof3]

My husband bought from one -- our neighbor. He felt bad b/c the man wasn't doing great financially. I was annoyed because I don't use pre-marinated products and because he kept making choices that kept him financially strapped.

 

My husband regretted it immediately but even more so when they trashed their foreclosed house. They even tried to steal the A/C unit.

 

And yes, the chicken breasts are dinky.

[Nestof3]

Lawn care. That's my dh's business, and our lawn is in pretty top shape. Some man came by telling me he could help us get rid of weeds and put down mulch to make the beds look nicer. Our lawn and beds were immaculate at this point.

 

(sigh)

 

My dh is so different. He has potential customers come up to him telling him they are not happy with the weeds, Bermuda grass, brown patch, etc. sometimes my husband knows the company treating the lawn. He's honest and tells them that's the best they'll get out of fescue in the summer -- that he wouldn't do things any differently.

 

:iagree:I keep telling my dh that I want one of these. We get the meat truck, magazine kids (college age), lawn care, replacement window, college kids painting, etc...you get the point. I'm sooooo tired of being nice to them. How many times do I have to say, "I am NOT interested." And they always come at a time when dh is at work. It's like they know women are an easier sell. Just the other day, I opened the door to another young man with clipboard in hand. Our conversation went like this:

 

Me: Yes?

Young man: Hi, how are you today?

Me: Fine, I'm not interested.

Young man: Oh, (pause) you must get a lot of people knocking on your door.

Me: Yes. Goodbye. (closed door went back to making dinner)

 

Now, ask anyone who knows me, I'm not usually short with people but I've about had it with the door to door sales people taking up my time.

[Myeightkiddies]

I have a rule that I just don't buy from door to door sales people. Ever. No meat guy (we are vegetarian), no magazines, no kids books, no avon, no nothing. Ever.

 

That is my fall back at all times. I don't take the info either. It makes it much easier. I don't have to remember anything, I just say no thanks.

 

:iagree:

 

If I need something I will go buy it. That way I will get exactly what I want and will most likely pay a good price for it.

[Guest]

It's not so much the money as the feeling of being stupid. I was not in a good frame of mind to make a decision

 

I totally know the feeling, I'm sorry to say. :grouphug: I remember once when my oldest was a toddler, someone stopped me at the mall and said I had an "interesting look" and gave me a model-scout card. I went to check it out. DH said as I was leaving, "DON'T sign up for anything! My uncle used to run a finishing school and this is EXACTLY what they did!" I sat there while they totally pulled the wool over my eyes. I gave them my credit card and signed up for modeling school! :svengo: How STUPID could I be?

 

I cried my eyes out on the way home. I could totally see all the "grooming" they used in retrospect: in the waiting area, there was a video loop depicting a SAHM who was "so happy" she had this fabulous opportunity to be a SAHM and also modeling on the side. There was a picture on the saleswoman's desk of the one model in all of history who went to their school and became a professional model. They measured and weighed me and declared I was "exactly perfect" for catalog assignments. :glare: It was a SCAM from the word go and I could NOT believe I took the bait! The "cancellation clause" said I had to send in my cancellation within three days in order to get a refund on my tuition deposit. I had to FedEx it that day. I felt so stupid; I begged dh to please, please not tell anyone about it!

 

This is actually the first time I have ever mentioned it since. Such is the power of getting scammed. :grouphug:

[ondreeuh]

Danielle, I am sorry you went through that, but doesn't it make you feel a little bit better to know that other intelligent, discerning people sometimes fall for this stuff?

 

I minored in psychology, and one of the only books I kept was Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. I handed down to my daughter just last month because I thought she would enjoy it. Looks like I need to read it again.

[mirth]

My friend said in India there are itinerant cooks, who just kind of go door-to-door in his neighborhood daily and cook dinner for the family, clean up for the most part, and then leave. Why can't that kind of truck come around?

[gardening momma]

I bought from the meat truck a few weeks ago, and also a few years ago. I love the meat (we've only bought beef). I think the first time I paid the price they asked, but this time I bargained until I got a better deal than I expected to get--I was ready to walk away & close the door and he caved. In theory I bought for below his cost--who knows if he was honest about his cost--but if it was true, then his other sales would make up for it, plus he was trying for an incentive that was worth losing a few bucks on one sale for.

[Catwoman]

If it makes you feel better, several years ago there was a raid (!!) two doors down from us. Masked cops everywhere, SWAT, completely insane. So, there's a knock on our door and there stand two teenagers selling magazines. I couldn't very well send them out into a raid, so I pulled them in and bought two of the world's most expensive magazine subscriptions. :lol:

 

So the second rule is: if the house two doors down is being raided, it's also not a good time to make rational purchasing decisions.

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[besroma]

:grouphug: I am so glad they were delicious! ;)

[besroma]

Never, ever buy anything at your door, in your jammies. It's always a mistake.

Not sure? Look down. Jammies? No thank you.

 

:D

 

If it makes you feel better, several years ago there was a raid (!!) two doors down from us. Masked cops everywhere, SWAT, completely insane. So, there's a knock on our door and there stand two teenagers selling magazines. I couldn't very well send them out into a raid, so I pulled them in and bought two of the world's most expensive magazine subscriptions. :lol:

 

So the second rule is: if the house two doors down is being raided, it's also not a good time to make rational purchasing decisions.

 

:lol: :lol: