Today I went to lunch with some friends at a popular sandwich restaurant. One friend asked for extra turkey, and also some pepperoni. Each add-on increased the price of her sandwich by a dollar, and she expressed surprise when her bill came. The prices were clearly marked on the order board, but she was distracted and hadn’t been paying attention.
Restaurants have set prices for certain menu items, and then charge extra for those little specialty items. It’s important that you study the menu or the order board carefully. The extras are sometimes listed at the bottom, or are indicated with an asterisk, so they aren’t always in big, bold letters right in front of you. In my friend’s case, she’s getting married in two weeks, and has a lot on her mind—I don’t think a sub-atomic explosion would have caught her attention at that point.
Sometimes if you call your credit card and ask to make your payment by phone, they’ll charge an extra fee for the privilege of talking to a real-live human instead of a machine or sending the money through the mail. There are always additional taxes and fees involved with automotive care, especially if they’ve had to dispose of oil or other hazardous substances.
Other places of business might not be so straight-forward with their add-ons. If you order movie tickets online, you might miss the little line that tells you about the service fee you’ll be charged in addition to the ticket price. You might not be aware of built-in gratuities that will show up on your hotel bill.
My advice is to read everything carefully. Make sure you understand the price as stated. If anything is unclear, ask the person helping you. They can walk you through their ordering procedures and explain what each fee is for. Many people don’t take the time to learn these things, and then they experience sticker shock when their bill is presented. Oftentimes, they decide that the extra wasn’t worth what they paid for it, and had they known about the charge, they would have gone without. If you’re interested in saving money, it’s well worth your time to ask some questions, and then you can determine if the additional expenditure is something that will be of value to you, or end up being money down the drain.
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Understanding the Real Cost of Home Ownership
Rental Cars – What I Wish I Knew a Few Weeks Ago
Calculate the Real Cost of a Purchase