It’s tax preparation time. Personally, I would much rather endure a root canal than work on my taxes.

It is that time of year to not only complete the necessary forms that meet those important Federal filing requirements, but an opportunity to review the previous year’s spending patterns.

The bigger family financial picture is easily revealed when an entire year’s worth of financial documents is laid out before you or condensed down into a financial software spreadsheet like we have on our computer.

What surprised me the most from my review of 2013 was a significant change in the names of the stores I chose to make the vast majority of my purchases from.

The names of once loved, top chain department stores were few and far between or did not appear at all. They had been replaced with local and regional names instead.

While shopping locally is always something I take into consideration, my increasing avoidance of the main stream, mall-type shopping experience has less to do with keeping it “local” and so much more to do with being turned off by the constant stream of pressure applied to me as a consumer every single time I step up to the register.

I call it retail panhandling and it makes me want to take a shower when I get home.

No, I don’t want to sign up for your store credit card.

No, I prefer not to give every store that asks my personal contact information. I do not need to hear from you (for the third time) on how I am missing out on “points” by not signing up for the store rewards program.

I came in to purchase a new sweater. Please ring up my sweater. Take the real green cash money I am giving you and hand me my receipt.

It is extremely simple and the people behind me so very much appreciate that you have not wasted their time either by asking me a bunch of questions I really do not want to answer.

No, I do not want to take your survey about how my experience was, since I have little to no intention of repeating it by ever coming into your store again.

I get even more irritated when banks engage in these types of marketing practices.

There are reasons why I prefer a credit union to service my primary checking, savings and credit accounts. The prime reason is that when I walk into the credit union and am assisted by a teller, that person is there to serve and focus on my financial transaction needs, period.

They are not there to sell me on goods and services I am not asking about, need or desire. They are not there to worry about the number of account or credit card quota “sales” they have made this week or month to keep their job.

When it comes to my money that is invested with a financial institution, the last person I want assisting me is a sales person. Instead, I actually insist on working with someone who specializes in financial transactions.

Bottom line is that I am going to shop and bank where I feel the most comfortable. Constant sales pressure does not make me feel comfortable and all it did was end up driving me away from your company completely instead of earning you more of my business.

You might want to rethink your practices.