can't let the man get you down

I'm so frustrated with every financial institution ever (with the exception of First Bank in Colorado...but that's another story).  Dan and I have been trying so hard to get a credit card machine set up (which we did), a bank account for the business (which we did), save money (which we did), stick to a budget (which we mostly did) and I feel like all we ever do is get hit with stupid fees.  A fee for every transaction (I know I can't win here), but a fee for not having enough transactions? Really?  And fees for setting up the machines and fees for opening the account and minimum balances and withdrawal fees and money transfer fees.  Not to mention having to buy the credit card machine to avoid rental fees.  It's never ending.

Why are there so many fees? Why couldn't this be easy? I feel like every day I open another envelope from another bank only to find another statement with another fee.  I don't understand who is out to get me, but all of these fees are really starting to cramp my style.  I've had it with "the man." If I didn't have to accept credit cards, I wouldn't have to pay these fees.  But, since almost everybody pays with cards, it would essentially be financial suicide not to accept them.  So now, I have to try to accept as many cards as possible to avoid the not-enough-transactions fee.  It's such a horrible Catch 22: If only I could afford not to accept cards, I wouldn't have these fees that I can't afford to pay.  (Try to say that three times fast.  Except really please don't try, because then you might be as depressed as I am.) I'm sure the banks would come up with some absurd fee for me to operate a business account without credit card capabilities anyway. Why can't they take pity on the little guy and just cut me some slack?  I'm trying really, really hard.  Just when I feel like I'm finally starting to get ahead (or, truth be told, just break even),  bam! I'm hit with another fee.  It's not like I've done anything wrong, I'm apparently just not doing enough things right.  I'm rapidly learning that A's for effort don't count in the real world.

Do I sound jaded enough to you?  I'm going to go finish Owen Meany. Maybe I can follow Johnny Wheelwright to Canada.  I bet their banks don't have so many fees.