Friday, February 29, 2008

ETrade: Keep a paper copy!

So, I am trying to do my 2007 taxes, and I just got off the phone with Etrade. Here's the conversation I just had ...

Me: I've been trying for an hour to find my original "buy" transaction for my Pfizer stock, but I can't find it. I am very frustrated.

Etrade Phone Rep: Hmmm. When did you buy the stock?

Me: I'm not sure ... somewhere between 1995 and 2000, but I am not sure.

Etrade Phone Rep: Oh, that's the issue. We only keep transaction history for 7 years.

Me: You .. WHAT?

Etrade Phone Rep: Yes, you would have needed to keep paper records if you were intending on keeping your stock for over 7 years

Me: But, but, BUT ... you're "E"-trade. I should have been keeping paper records to back up a totally electronic trading site? What am I supposed to do about Cost basis for my Taxes?

Etrade Phone Rep: Well, you can ... [babbles about some form that can be used to tell IRS that you were too STUPID to write down your cost basis, but I can't hear her because my newborn -- who is clearly upset by Etrade's unbelievable deletion policy -- is shrieking at the top of his lungs.]

Me: I'LL BE SELLING ALL OF MY STOCK IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND CLOSING OUT MY ACCOUNT [I Hang up Phone and toss it unceremoniously across the room while I retrieve the baby]

So ... I'll be doing some selling today. I was tired of playing the stock market, anyways. It's one step away from gambling, sigh. In the meantime, I'll start rooting through some of the printouts I made in the early days and HOPEFULLY, I kept the transaction date and amount. Sigh.

The moral of the story:
If you aren't going to be doing FAST trading, Etrade is NOT for you.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Diapers.com ... Wow!

Now that I am using approximately 20 diapers a day, on a SLOW day, I have finally decided it is time to cost-comparison shop. My mother-in-law told me I should try Diapers.com, and passed along a coupon to me. I figured that once shipping was figured in, it would be more expensive, but was I pleasantly surprised!!!

First, the prices were lower than anything I've found so far. (NOTE: the wholesale club near us, COSTCO, doesn't carry Newborn diapers, so I have not been able to cost-compare there. And other more experienced moms tell me that if you keep a hawk-eye out for sales, such as at CVS and Target, you can in fact beat the Diapers.com price, but not with that initial coupon.)

Second, shipping is FREE if the order total is above $50, something that is EASY to do when you are ordering diapers.

Third, they have a huge selection, so I was able to try LUVs and Seventh Generation, which I had not yet found in Newborn Size.

Fourth, once I used the coupon code my mother-in-law sent to me, it was EVEN CHEAPER! (I just had to be careful that the total was still above $50 for the free shipping)

Once you order for the first time, you can signup for their referral program and get your own coupon code. I don't know how long this promotion lasts, but at this point, if you use the code "nitpicky" you'll get $5 off your first order (and I'll get a $1 credit, so everyone wins). So, feel free to pass along to anyone you know who is about to have a baby or has one. Especially here in the Newborn stage, when you really do NOT want to leave the house, this is a pretty swell service.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

ISO: Made in U.S.A Men's Underwear

So, my hubby hasn't bought new boxers in 15 years. His current ones are so thin and worn that I am sure they are about to evaporate. So, time to get some new ones, I think.

His are John Weitz brand, Made in the U.S.A.
So, I set about trying to find them. One internet search finally turned up a phone number, and the woman informed me that they have not made boxers for over 10 years. (I think she thought I was totally insane, btw.)

So, I rumaged through the various "Made in the U.S.A" sites that I know of, and I've found two sites that may have some interesting boxers. I am going to try both of these and I'll repost once we've gotten them ...

Made in USA Forever, Wickers Men's Boxers ($17)
and
City Boxers ($16-$20)

I've got my fingers crossed he likes some of these, because the other Made in the U.S.A options seem to be quite slim.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

First-time Parents: Buying clothes for Baby

I haven't posted since November ...
Between the holidays, birthing classes, my job, my pre-natal exercise regimen, and the arrival of Baby Nitpicky, posting on my blog has not been my #1 priority.

Now that Baby's been with us for 2 weeks, however, I am able to catch my breath and reflect on the successes and not-so-successes of the past weeks. I'd like to comment on clothing for newborns ... a topic that I clearly knew nothing about until two weeks ago.

The Nitpicky Consumer's Guide to Buying Newborn Clothing for First-Time Parents

1) One piece is better than many pieces.

A 'onesie' is a heck of a lot faster to put on a struggling newborn than a shirt + pants + socks. And if you've got a winter baby, you really want those feet covered. (Did I mention how quickly/easily babies can kick off their socks?)
Also, a point I had never even considered ... until the umbilical cord falls off (approx. 1-2 weeks), it is nearly impossible to use pants as the elastic usually hits right where that cord is.

2) Over the Head is BAD for new parents

A kicking, shrieking newborn does not like to have clothes put over his head. And if you have such clothes in your drawers, don't be surprised to find that Dad has 'resorted' the clothing after a particularly rough night. i.e. You'll find the over-the-head clothes in the garbage and the zipper/snap-front clothes not in the garbage.

3) Snaps are better than buttons, zippers are better than Snaps

Anything with an open front is good, but when you are after SPEED, buttons take third place, snaps take second and the ZIPPER takes the blue ribbon. [Note: If you have a winter baby, snaps do provide the advantage of being able to just unsnap the bottom half of the outfit, thus keeping the top half of baby nice and warm. I think other people solve this problem by putting on a little tshirt under the onesie, and letting this tshirt stay in place all day (or even for several days).]

4) The little sleeve 'cuffs' that can be folded over into 'mittens' are excellent

It took my husband and I quite some time to figure out what the 'backwards cuffs' were used for. In fact, we didn't figure it out ... my mother-in-law ended up telling us what they were. And once we finally figured this out, and flipped over the cuffs to make little mittens, it was wonderful! Anything that allows you to postpone trying to trim their little nails is really welcome.

5) Unisex colors and patterns are highly desirable

Although getting harder and harder to find (grrrrr), unisex patterns and colors are best. Sonograms can be wrong in predicting gender, and if there are plans for a second baby, wouldn't it be nice to be able to reuse many of the same clothes?

***

So, keeping in mind these 5 tips, here is my recommendation for the best overall outfit for use by first-time parents:

Gerber's ZIP FRONT SLEEP N PLAY onesies. Love them. Can't have enough of them. I wish they were "Made in USA" but you can't have everything, right? We've obviously got a winter newborn, so the long sleeves and long pants with built-in footies are really great for us.

And my husband likes the zipper. :>