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Home > Archive: March, 2008

Archive for March, 2008

What Was I Thinking, No.2.....

March 31st, 2008 at 08:02 pm

I have made it a point to add the extra saved from utilities for the month to our mortgage principal. And, to add money each month to the principal of the truck loan. I've had problems with the truck loan, because they don't always follow my instructions. I usually add a note and then verbally ask for them to do it when I run by the bank. Unlike my mortgage payment, the truck loan people don't give me a receipt for each part of the transaction--just one total. So, it wasn't until I opened the statement that I found that they hadn't put it on the principal at all, but put it on the next payment. Rats. They forgot all the way from the window to the station she used. I guess that it might have sounded the same--both payment and principal start with a "p" and it can be hard to hear when the wind is howling like it has been. I guessed that I would just have to go inside each time. Then, Hubby and I were talking. I have been here for long enough and read many, many entries, and I finally get it. The interest rate on the truck loan is single digit. The interest rate on the credit card I am targeting isn't. No brainer here. Put the money on the credit card. Sheesh. Hubby almost shouted Hallelujah when I got it. So, I have reworked the budget and the extra on the truck loan will be applied to the credit card. I feel better now....

The Low Down.....

March 30th, 2008 at 12:46 am

Today was almost a no spend day. I blew it when I suggested we get a treat at the bakery across the street from our walk. Hubby has used this weekend to crash, and his neck has been hurting. I thought we needed to get out of the house for a short while, but the walk around the same area sometimes makes me feel a little like a hamster on a wheel. I had this intense craving for a sweet treat, and the atmosphere at the bakery is conducive to chilling and talking. So, I decided that we should count LOW spend days. Any day that we spend less than 20 dollars. And, count LOW LOW spend days. Any day that we spend less than 10 dollars. Today was a 4 dollar day.

I finished up mowing the yard and mulching and collecting the leaves. Our front trees drop their leaves in the spring. When I first moved here, I had a hard time with washing the pollen off my car and raking the leaves in the same season. Weird.

I think that tomorrow I'll get Hubby out of the house by getting him to grill some steaks. Steaks will bite into the budget a bit; but the weather is so nice, and Hubby could use the change of scenery. And, we could admire the yardwork....

What Was I Thinking, No. 1....

March 27th, 2008 at 08:02 pm

I was reviewing my Funds budget when I realized that I had way too much money in the Christmas Club. As in, I hadn't paid off Christmas with it yet. Huh? I've been paying the bills, but with the busyness of the last few months with medical issues, I hadn't followed up on some big things. Like paying off the credit card that contained the Christmas bills. Like the interest that was accruing on that card. Like the money was sitting there waiting. Oh good grief. Today, I transferred the money to checking and sent off the check to that card. Finally, I am moving forward a baby step or two....

I have gotten nothing else done today. Well, I did have a couple of conversations answering a question or two from my kids. I have to appreciate it that they like to bounce things off me from time to time. Makes me feel like I'm not too out to sea for them. When Hubby returned my call about his migraine meds, he apologized for being in a meeting. I realized that I had been in one, too. With the kids. Cool.

Hubby has tomorrow off. We'll be taking my car in for its annual inspection. And perhaps to buy a baby gift for the new grandson of the old friend who passed away a few months ago. They named the baby after him. How touching....

Eggscellent.....

March 24th, 2008 at 08:31 pm

We had a great Easter weekend. Hope you all had a great one, too! We spent a bit of money, but got a lot of mileage out of it. We got in a birthday, an Easter dinner with DD's boyfriend's family, DS in a jazz performance, visit to the Grandbaby, dinner out with everyone, luncheon with the BF and crew....wow. All in all, I think we spent at least $500. We had to stay in a hotel, but I get a manager's rate there. They've been doing that for me since I stayed there so frequently when DS was an undergrad. And, we had to board the dogs. We had a birthday dinner we paid for and a portion of the big dinner out. But, the BF family paid for all the food they cooked for us. They also bought DD an Easter outfit to wear to the church service where DS and BF were playing music. They are really nice people, and we also got to finally meet Granny. Hubby has today off and we're vegetating.

I did have to return to the post office and talk to them about the hold mail situation again. We had the mail held, but it didn't work again. And, I had a package they delivered sitting on my doorstep the whole time. This is getting really frustrating. The postmaster is supposed to call me about it. I did get some more information though. Seems the automated mail (junk letters, I suppose) often get delivered anyway since they are handed out (to subs?) without sorting it really. Or something to that effect. Explains why sometimes I have some in the box and at the post office at the same time. This time, they just delivered it all. I am going to try to get all that junk mail stopped. They did say that it would be helpful to leave the hold mail card for my carrier to pick up himself. I sometimes wonder if it is not the regular guy that is doing this because we all agree he is pretty great. I wasn't sure which of my neighbors would be home to ask them to get my mail. I really would like to be able to have the service work. I called the number that is online and the lady was really helpful about it. But, she accidently hung up on me transferring me to someone else. So, I just went on down to see if any mail was actually at the post office to retrieve. Nope. Oh well, try, try again....

Hubby and I are determined to get back on budget. I had a concern that the spending the last three months would trigger a spree that I wouldn't realize at first. Hubby doesn't have that problem. But, I've done a lot better getting back on budget after all is done. I don't know what I could have saved and how much less debt we would have had if I'd just had a detailed spending plan all along.....

Okay, This is Not Good.....

March 19th, 2008 at 08:36 pm

that they opened a branch of my favorite bakery the next highway over. I even thought about applying there when they were advertising for workers. I thought I would end up spending all my money there so it wouldn't work out. Not to mention gaining a ton of weight just being in the same room as the goodies. And the sandwiches are really good, too. Today, I was getting gas a block down the street, and I didn't/couldn't resist dropping in. Wow, I love that place. I ended up buying very little, but I saw things that I thought about on the way home. If I had stayed longer, I would have been in trouble. And, it is just around the corner. With the other stores 20 to 30 minutes away, I was okay. Now...this is not good....

Got an email from my bank (supposedly) telling me that due to excessive wrong logins, I needed to click on this link and reset my password. Instead, I logged onto the site directly and my account is not locked, nor had there been any alerts posted. I called the bank and got an abuse web address to which they wanted me to forward my email. They will investigate and shut down the site. They said they would NEVER have a link to click on in an email. The email people also picked the wrong time to send it to me. I have been out of town and not logged in for awhile. But, I can see where it might catch people who log on every day to check out their account. Good grief.

On the plus side, DD called and her follow up appointment with the oral surgeon had good news. Healing up great. And no more migraines since. Wish we had gotten her wisdom teeth xrayed when I originally thought about it. I'm such a proscrastinator. Would have saved some money with the headache meds and the doc visits. Not to mention the pain she's dealt with. Sheesh.

Another proscratination is the tax forms that have been sitting and waiting since February. I just need to copy them and mail everything off. You'd think that I would buckle down and do this. Especially since we're not paying anything. This will be the first time I've tried direct depositing a refund.

I've made friends with the bread machine that my SIL gave me years ago. I really like the bread much better than the store kind. But, once again, it tastes so good that I eat too much of it. I see a theme here.....



Whew......

March 18th, 2008 at 08:22 pm

Got back a couple of days ago from helping DD through oral surgery to remove a couple of pesky wisdom teeth that just might be the cause of the awful pain in her jaw and some of her migraines. We can only hope. At least it got rid of the things. One of them was pushing into her other teeth, so it was a good time to do it. Kinda ruined part of her spring break. We got to laughing...two years ago on spring break she got a nasty case of food poisoning at Disney World. Last year, she got a nasty sunburn (next time listen to mommy) learning to snow ski. This year, wisdom teeth. Oh well, at least she got to visit the Mouse, see snow, and get rid of headaches. There are good sides and bad sides to her spring breaks.

My bank account has been clobbered. I need to take stock. But, today, I am cleaning up stuff and awaiting the termite guy. I have rescheduled the inspection a couple of times now. Just hope he gets here before the nasty weather. Otherwise, he's on his own....

So far, my plan is this...I am using the house repair fund for Hubby's surgery bills. Then, I'll put the IRS refund and stimulus thingy in there and hopefully have enough to start back on the repair work. I used my challenge money and my savings for the first month of the year to pay for DD's booboo on the guy's truck. I'm using the dental fund and this last month's challenge money for her teeth and assorted expenses for traveling and keeping her in pudding and ice cream. I'm not netting anything so far this year, but I hope I'm holding steady. I need to reassess after I recover from forgetting one of my meds last night. I need a vacation.....