Today is your day Boomer! As I head off for my weekly coffee with golf friends, I think about things like this: Ten things that used to be free and now cost money. (1)free refills at the coffee shop, uh uh. No way. You pay for what you get, even with big corporations like Tim Hortons. (2) Speaking of restaurants, what about free water and bread? Maybe tap water in nations like Canada, but not bubbly water. (3) Grocery bags used to be free, plastic and paper, but now? You may spend $200 on groceries, but they won't give you a 25 cents bag for free! (4) At the gas station, wasn't air for your tires free? Now, bring lots of loonies. (5) Also at the pump, didn't we get "fill-er up" for free....along with our windows washed? Gone now. (6) On airplanes, checked luggage was free; not so much anymore! (7) No service fees on chequing accounts at banks....bye bye, as major banks look to make even more money. (8) Television used to be free; get me a good set of rabbit ears and I could get CBC any time, any day! (9) Back to gas stations, what about free road maps? Check out the prices next time you go in. (10) And finally, advice used to be free...get it from friends, family, and neighbours. Now, we pay a huge internet fee for good or bad advice from pretty-well everyone....including social media bloggers like me! Ahhhhhh! Boomers, we lived through these "free" times; get out your already-stretched wallet NOW! Cheers.

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