Tag: BJ’s

Coroneconomy – some local shopping sales bump

Posted on by Catherine

Is your supermarket busy? Here’s the Stop & Shop crush 6pm yesterday with lines for cashiers and self-checkout wrapped all around.

crush at supermarket 6pm_20200312_©c ryan

 

The essentials – one shopper’s cart last night -ice cream and water!

the essentials_ice cream and water_one shopper's cart at stop & shop Gloucester MA_20200312 ©c ryan

Not just UK apparently- here’s the toilet paper aisle at BJ’s today. Courtesy photo with note- “The shelves are empty here. The economy will be fine.” 

Coronavirus shopping_ not just UK toilet paper aisle at BJs_ Danvers MA 2020 March 13 © c king

Beyond health and safety conversations with family and friends, at this early week mark, I’m seeing discussions about which industries may be impacted disastrously or pick up. Ditto public services: public meetings will be postponed, but could roadwork ramp up as more people stay home and off the road? One friend canceled a party this weekend, signing off with some black humor – stay healthy and send suggestions for staying cooped up with kids. Another friend sparked a debate about sending students home from college (many untested):

“We are missing a huge opportunity as a Nation. Given that we have barely conducted 6000 tests in two weeks, when compared to South Korea which conducts 20,000 test A DAY! We clearly need to ramp up! Our college kids are healthy, pretty indestructible, and well educated. They could run tests, assist in research, help out in medical settings, even help in transforming hotels or other spaces into medical ready facilities. But we are sending them home, to sit on couches and play video games. Why?” – Linda 

Responses back ranged from the difficulties of such close quarters in dorms to alternative approaches in the works (like the Univ. of Washington appealing to grad students to do just that, and Colgate keeping kids on campus).

Healthy wishes to all and feeling grateful for the work that will be undertaken by so many–and at risk– to keep us safe.

New Glasses For Your Nerdy Buddy Joey-The Bet

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

image

How much do you think they cost including frames, super-lightweight lenses with scratch roofing and anti-glare?

Over $200 or under $200

OK, OK I can’t take it any more!!!!  I have to spill the beans.  If any of you heard the last podcast you were privy to my absolute meltdown rant about the reaming the Mrs took even after using a $50 for $200 Groupon worth of eyeglasses at a regional eyeglass place which shall go un-named (not in Gloucester).  It was the only time I’d gotten burnt using a Groupon but my ass still hurts from getting bent over at that place.  First of all the worst frames not including the lenses that they offered in the whole place started at $169. the frames the Mrs picked out were $228  Then if you wanted the standard lenses which are heavy and are thick as old school coca-cola bottles they are an additional $220 and if you want the the lightweight and scratch-proofing that is an additional $124.  After hearing all this in the store I was visibly and audibly upset, knowing we were being taken advantage of and I let the guy know it.  We opted to forgo the scratch proofing and lighter lenses and we paid $428 minus the Groupon which cost us $50 for $200 worth of glasses which netted $278 out the door for her middle of the road frames without any special lenses.

Listen to my rant about this experience on the GloucesterCast podcast by forwarding to 9 minutes in after clicking here-

https://goodmorninggloucester.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/041911gloucestercast.mp3

So as we left the un-named regional Eyeglass chain after shelling out the dough we got into the car where The Mrs knows I’m steaming mad.  I’m mad at myself for not investigating a little more but never in my wildest dreams did I think there could be that much juice in eyeglasses but apparently I was grossly mistaken.

I was railing on and on about how screwed we just got and how mad I was.  After hearing enough she starts to tell me that I’m just out of touch with prices nowadays and that it had been forever since I bought eyeglasses and that they must have gone up in price.

That’s when we made the bet.  I bet her that I could get glasses at Costco or BJ’s WITH the lighter lenses AND the scratch proofing for $200 or less.  She took the bet saying that there was no way.

Well wouldn’t you know I didn’t get one, but two pairs of goddamn glasses and two boxes (a dozen) contact lenses for $200.98.  One pair has the scratch proofing and the super-light anti-glare lenses for $108.98 and the other at $59.99 I got without the extras as a spare.

DSC04476

So there you go.  I paid for two pairs of prescription eyeglasses and a dozen contact lenses 30% less than she did for one pair without any upgrades. And for those of you wondering, she had a regular single prescription just like mine, no bifocal or progressive lenses.

Do your eyeglass shopping at BJ’s or Costco and save yourself some dough.