Found Not Lost

I think most of us know that it is probably best not to take payday loans. At least that is the advise we get most of the time, and it is sound advice.

HOWEVER, life does not always cooperate with being smart or sound. It likes to throw in monkey wrenches whenever it gets a chance because it knows that while we also all know that it is probably smart to have an emergency fund for just in case moments, we usually don’t. There are a great many people who live paycheck to paycheck and they are not irresponsible or dumb people, it’s just the way things are sometimes. I know, I’ve been there before.

When your only transportation to work conks out on you, when the pipes bust or the roof leaks, you don’t always have ready money to fix them and they have to be fixed. Those are times when Pay Day Loans are best utilized (not when you need a shopping spree to feel better). Now, it’s also easier and more convenient to apply for a payday loan. You don’t have to get in line at the store anymore, just go online and fill out an application. It’s convenient, secure and private.

While my daughters have been flying since they were toddlers, this is the first year that they traveled by themselves. Since they are minors traveling by themselves, there were a few things that were different:

1. There is a $100 additional fee that must be paid at check in. This is the fee for the added attention accorded to minors, such as escort to their seat and transport to their connecting flight. A family traveling together (such as my 3 daughters) only pays $100 for the group, not each. Thank goodness for that! I didn’t have extra $300. They also only take cash or credit card. No checks.
2. Each child is given a paper bracelet, much like the ones they get at amusement parks, to identify them as minors traveling alone. My ten year old daughter exclaimed, “we’re being barcoded!”
3. The airline gives parents a security pass so they can escort their children to the gate. They must stay at the gate. They must stay at the gate area until the plane pushes off.
4. Upon arrival at their destination, the responsible party picking them up must meet them at the gate for the ‘hand-off’.

I have yet to interview the girls to see what they thought of the experience.