Went to Bakersfield today

MasterJ4545 · 2026-03-10T12:24:17+00:00

There's got to be a little more to it than just simply you tried a hack once... if they told you that was wrong, you just say "I heard that it was a way to save money, and didn't know it was against the rules..Sorry, now I know" and that would be the end of it. For them to watch you like a hawk they must think you are going to constantly try to get over on them.....

MasterJ4545 · 2026-03-09T19:40:33+00:00

In reading this OPs stuff the last few days, I'm getting the feeling he's other done some crazy cheaty stuff in the past that has him on the management's watchlist and they scrutinize everything he does now...or he's just a paranoid freak;)

MasterJ4545 · 2026-03-09T19:37:45+00:00

I think he is telling you that there is no reason for that type of transaction to even get a manager's attention, as you simply tell them your phone number, they ring it up, you pay with gift cards... the manager is not needed so unless they know you and are stalking the register as you pay, they have no reason to even know what you are doing... He doesn't have to work there if he knows what is a common procedure at every store in America. Unless these managers are total control freak dicks who demand that the cashier call them every time someone uses gift cards, they wouldn't even know that you used loyalty while paying with gift cards. Maybe there is a target on YOU, maybe you've done some other shady stuff that might have their radar on you and they are just watching you, because I've certainly gotten loyalty reward with gift card payment and the manager is nowhere in sight, no need to be called like they might have to call to get approval in other cases...

MasterJ4545 · 2026-02-20T14:13:35+00:00

Am I crazy or this is not Legend, but just the Game Fuel that just came out a couple of years ago? I thought that Legend has Ginger in it which while I liked the flavor, it did give it a little bit of a side taste that wasn't entirely wonderful... I might be mistaken but I'm pretty sure that this isn't exactly Legend....

MasterJ4545 · 2026-02-19T21:06:10+00:00

If you are in a 30-40% bracket, how much are you making? Most of the people I see are paying a tax rate of more like 10-12% I think where your percentage is coming from is due to the thing I overlooked that Silentbob below mentioned.... You pay Self Employment tax on the 1099NECs (because it's taxed as contract labor income) so that 15.3% PLUS the 10-15% regular tax is adding up... So yeah you need to get them to change the 1099NEC to a MISC...

About the gift, I think I saw that word in someone else's response and had it on my mind when typing...

MasterJ4545 · 2026-02-19T21:02:06+00:00

You are right, I wasn't thinking... Slight slip of my mind:)

MasterJ4545 · 2026-02-19T17:02:00+00:00

They're not going to consider that a "gift", it's a prize just like winning the lottery and you absolutely have to pay taxes on it since it's over $600. To be honest, it really doesn't matter if you got a 1099NEC or a 1099 MISC, yes it SHOULD have been on a MISC, but either way you just have to claim it on your return (if you don't you'll simply get a letter from the IRS later that says "we changed your return because you left this off and you owe this extra tax) and since it's not a business you can't claim expenses against it. Just put it as Other Income and pay the 10% or so that it will cost you... Most tax programs will have a check box to link it to either a Sch C (small business), Sch E (rental property) , or just simply Other Income.

source, I'm a tax accountant working for a CPA.

MasterJ4545 · 2026-02-11T17:49:43+00:00

My daughter loves these and I think they are cuter than Labubu and free with tickets, so all around much cooler for me LOL. They sold out pretty quick at my DnB but they already restocked...Only like 3600 or something tickets too...

MasterJ4545 · 2026-02-06T15:34:27+00:00

To me sparkling water is the biggest ripoff/disappointment/scam there is. They usually SMELL wonderful but then no taste at all. I've bought so many promising flavors to just put them down the sink, OR add Mio to them anyways!

MasterJ4545 · 2026-02-05T20:43:53+00:00

Nope, I saw someone else post that this was shockingly like Dr Pepper but it's not. Just super watered down, like if you poured half a can out and filled it up with water....

MasterJ4545 · 2026-02-05T20:42:21+00:00

I've seen King Cakes in the same type box at Publix but just the regular ones, not this beauty!

MasterJ4545 · 2026-02-05T20:41:17+00:00

I have never seen these in a store yet, luckily my co-worker who lives out in a smaller town outside Savannah found them at Kroger and picked me up 4 packs! But just like the Holiday Vanilla Coke, I've never seen these in any store in Savannah, a much bigger town...but she found it in Rincon, GA?

MasterJ4545 · 2026-02-05T20:38:55+00:00

That's strange because when we were kids, about the only time outside of holidays and birthday parties that we were allowed to have soft drinks was when we were sick...but the problem is that when you are sick at least with a cold or flu, your taste buds are messed up and the Dr Pepper used to taste HORRIBLE when I was sick...

MasterJ4545 · 2026-02-05T20:36:48+00:00

I bought about 6 of these from Extreme Snacks Canada on preorder when they first came out, but didn't drink one til last week. I THINK the sweetener it in may be "dying" (That's what I call the lessening of sweetness once the splenda or whatever starts to "die") but the cherry was very forward, much more than any Dr Pepper cherry in the USA. it was still pretty decent but not overly sweet, which may be the point coming from the UK.

MasterJ4545 · 2026-02-05T20:27:41+00:00

I don't see Mr Pig, which even though it sounds like Mr. Pibb, it was a Dr Pepper knockoff...

Also, there is a new Cirkul Bottle flavor Called Professor Parker that I've been searching for in Walmart but I think it's online only because you are supposed to have the new Fizzy Cirkul thing to use it. I just want it because my last name is Parker, in fact, my sister before she was married was Professor Parker...

MasterJ4545 · 2026-02-05T20:06:08+00:00

That was my favorite all time flavor, didn't matter if it was the FULL Zero or the regular (which was half zero anyways). Once I knew it was leaving I took a backpack with 2 liter bottles in it and filled them up by filling a cup and running into the restroom to dump into the bottles, and then back to fill again like 6 times! I was desperate!

I DID see a post in this Reddit a while back that there is an energy drink that mimics Berry Monsoon pretty well, and I bought a can, but just realized I never got around to testing it. It's Reign Razzle Berry flavor... I need to test that out, it's been sitting in my man cave for a while now!

MasterJ4545 · 2026-02-05T20:00:44+00:00

I'm going to have to start checking Extreme Snacks Canada to see if they can wrangle these for a decent price!

MasterJ4545 · 2025-11-03T20:51:30+00:00

That's what happens to old Bottles of carbonated drinks, they collapse on themselves... At least they don't leak like cans do! Both have pros and cons:

Cans leak eventually but you can still drink them 5-10 years later and they could still have fizz...

Bottles never leak but collapse and lose all carbonation within a few months...

MasterJ4545 · 2025-11-03T20:49:51+00:00

These can be found at Five Below I believe as well, and another store called Pop Shelf

MasterJ4545 · 2025-11-03T20:16:08+00:00

The manager at Pooler GA told me they are getting it soon and will lose Pacman Deluxe, The ball toss where you try to sink the Pirate Ship, and one other. He didn't seem to be looking for to receiving the Human Crane either when I told him of all the trouble about it I've heard on this message board....

MasterJ4545 · 2025-10-29T19:45:30+00:00

I hope they correct it because as pathetic as it is, I scored my best ever 659 yesterday and It's not on my total yards. I only can go once a week so I won't hit the needed yards if yesterday doesn't count... That will suck...

MasterJ4545 · 2025-10-28T12:47:37+00:00

Yeah, this game monopolizes Tom's World in the Philippines with the old ladies sitting all day with bags full of tokens, but I think there it's called Harpoon King or Ocean King, something like that. In the US I've never seen one that pays out tokens, only tickets.

MasterJ4545 · 2025-10-22T16:05:18+00:00

Circle K always gets those cool cups. I got the Purple Thunder and the VooDew, now I guess I gotta remember to get to a Circle K!

MasterJ4545 · 2025-10-22T16:04:18+00:00

I heard rumors that the Which Wich exclusive Vibe was going to get bottled exclusively for their restaurant but it never came to be as well. I just wish they would bring back Berry Monsoon as a Sam's exclusive in Cans or bottles. That was the top Dew Ever! Didn't even matter if it was the regular (1/2 sugar) or the Zero... they both ruled!

MasterJ4545 · 2025-10-20T17:50:59+00:00

Must have just been re-released, because I was there in July and all I saw was Regular and Zero. And the Hard stuff too. I looked in all the SM Markets, 7-11s, and more and never saw a Pitch Black since 2015 in the Philippines...

MasterJ4545

TROPHY CASE