Money-Saving Tips

[catjones 1,719]

When a person foreign to Germany rents a car, they are not given all or any rules of the road. Those countries may not have the cycle right of way rule ( a rule I find dangerous ) and the renter might not even look to see if there's an oncoming cycle. There's a reason why you don't make a left turn on a 4 lane street from the right lane and cross traffic.
Pedestrians in the crosswalk is a different story.

[keith2011 2,707]

"When a person foreign to Germany rents a car, they are not given all or any rules of the road."

That is a very good point, bearing in mind that, for example, UK drivers do not expect people or cyclists to be on a crossing with a green light when motor traffic has a green light to turn right. In the UK a green light on a pedestrian/cycle crossing means everyone else has a red light and must stop!

[Krieg 15,112]

> I am perplexed that many drive worse when it is raining. I have never undestood that. Lashing down, windscreen wipers going full blast. And they drive the same speed as they would on a sunny, dry day.

Maybe it is something local? Or just in the motorway? Because in Berlin the traffic crawls when there is a tiny rain. It is very strange, you can have a big snow storm and traffic is normal, but a little rain and there will be chaos.

[skinnypuppy 95]

@Fietsrad: "What about the police? They do next to nothing..."

Now let's be fair. They're very busy guarding embassies and doughnut shops.
The thinking seems to be that cameras are a good replacement for boots on the streets.

[fraufruit 42,699]

Money saving tip - Do not look at any Black Friday sales ads.

[keith2011 2,707]

Indeed there is some real tempters out there trying to get me to spend on things I don't really absolutely need. Of course in many cases there might be a newer better model coming out in the new year so will do my best to hold off!😞

[fraufruit 42,699]

Himself needs a new phone. He will be looking.

[Fietsrad 433]

There is a new deposit/Pfandregelung from January 1, 2024 for milk-based drinks

Another chance to "save" 25c for each bottle returned 🙃

[keith2011 2,707]

"Another chance to "save" 25c for each bottle returned 🙃"

No saving if you have paid a deposit in advance. Really a loss given what you get back will only be 25c with no adjustment for inflation or potential interest earned during the period you held the bottle!😉

[pappnase 2,655]

I think the 'savings' come from keeping the bottles you buy now without a deposit and returning them in January with a deposit repaid. It's a short window to corner the market and relies on the system not being able to tell the difference between December and January bottles, but it might just work.

[Janx Spirit 11,391]

No it won't work 'cause they'll be missing the barcode.

[pappnase 2,655]

You think they are going to change the barcodes on every eligible bottle overnight on Sylvester? OK maybe, but I somehow doubt it. Still it's not really gonna be worth anything tricksy.

[Fietsrad 433]

The retailers know what they are doing, and they know that a significant number of containers are not returned, so they can trouser millions of 25c deposits, the system is fixed so they do not lose.

You can still "save" 8 whole cents for each empty beer bottle 🙃

[fraufruit 42,699]

To be fair, the retailers incur a lot of expense collecting and sending empty bottles back. The machines that we simply drop them in cost a fortune, take up a lot of space and they must be maintained, emptied, etc. They probably don't lose but I would be interested in knowing how much they profit from this venture.

[Fietsrad 433]

Something like 4 000 000 000 € Pfandschlupf, lost deposits, in twenty years, suggests Wikipedia

Who profits from it? May I have 1%?

Of course the plastic and aluminum containers getting a credit of 25c are pulverized, probably transported vast distances and turned into new products

[fraufruit 42,699]

So only 200,000,000 per year then. Wow!

I have to say that it sure cuts down on littering. I don't think that is ever mentioned.

[Janx Spirit 11,391]

The bottlers get to keep the lost deposits - should go to a climate change fund really.