Sorry for disappearing! Last week turned into a crazy week....school stuff, scout stuff, sick kids, a "plumbing" emergency, a showing that went bad (they showed up 1.5 hrs late, and walked into my house while we were there!). Add in crazy work stuff (especially with a short week), and the normal stuff.....yeah...there ya go.
But thank you to my readers who are so interested.....
*****
So yeah...the pool.
A few people have said that the pool was a deterrent for buyers. We have no idea if this is true or not. In 2 dozen showings, the pool has only been mentioned once. That is the really frustrating thing with our feedback, it gives us no idea what the problem is. OK, we have been told that the bedrooms are small. There is nothing we can do about that. I will agree that Sassy's room is small....about 8x10. But the other two bedrooms are 12x12, so not obscenely small. But not a grand master either. Other houses have sold with smaller bedrooms, so we are all at a bit of a loss.
Back to the pool....
After the initial FUUUDDDDGGGGEEEE moment, we started to look at the options.
Option 1: Get a new panel
This option was quickly eliminated. I went back through the pool stuff (thank you previous owners for leaving it all for us), and found the make and model of the pool Turns out that the company is no longer in business. Per the pool guy, each company is proprietary, so ordering a new panel is a crapshoot if it will work. And there is no guarantee that it would pass inspection.
Option 2: Get a new pool
The pool is 15x30' oval (which is a common size). A new pool, instillation, and water would run us about $2,500 minimum. And if a buyer didn't want the pool....that would be money down the drain.
Option 3: Collapse the pool
I know so many people have said this. But this is not an easy option. This would require the actual collapsing of the pool, disposal, burying the electrical, digging out the posts that held the solar cover. Once all of that is done, then you are left with 6 inches of sand underneath that needs to either be dug out, or covered with top soil. The whole area needs to be regraded (the pool is a little lower than the grade of the rest of the yard), and then sod or grass seed needs to be applied.
After you deal with that....you turn your attention to the deck. The back end of the deck would need to be finished off (either be squared off, since it is cut out to fit the oval, or have a very odd shape). Posts need to be added either way. Plus you need to add a rail. And coding standards have changed since the deck was built (circa 1993), so if we are retrofitting things....we could be looking at a new can of worms. OR...you have to pull it down, and then dispose of it, and then deal with the "dead" area under the deck.
We had priced out having someone collapse the pool previously.....just the pool is $500. If we had them deal with the sand, dirt, etc....we are up to $2,000. And we aren't to grass or electrical yet. And we aren't dealing with the deck yet.
Option 4: As Is
At the moment.....this is the option we are using until we can move on to the next part (I am getting there!). The listing has been changed that the pool is being sold "as is" right now. If a buyer came along, we are willing to credit some money back to deal with the pool, but that will be bridge we cross if we need to. In the short term, this absolves us from the inspection issue of the pool. We checked into how long we could leave the pool this way (for example....can we winter the pool?)...and right now it is holding. We were told we could probably let the pool freeze over the winter, but if we had another bad winter, the already weakened area will probably completely give out once the water thaws, which would result in the water gushing out and flooding our yard, and probably at least 2, probably 3, of the neighbors' yards.
We ordered a new cover (so at least you aren't looking at a green pool full of dead and alive algae), and I put that on over the weekend (and stepped on a nail in the process and ended up needing a tetanus shot and have a very sore foot!).
If we have showings and we get alot of negative feedback, then we will move on to the next phase sooner than later. But the master plan.....
G-man will come home late August (we have a family wedding, the kids' birthday), and he and I will collapse the pool ourselves, along with the deck. We are still working out the price for a dumpster, tool rental, etc. We are hoping that we have a friend or two who are willing to take a vacation day and help us out, but we aren't counting on that. It is going to be hard work. And once we are left with the mess of our yard.....
We are debating what to do. One thought is to turn part of it into a patio/fire pit area. We already have the sand down. A 10'x10' patio will be about $400 for materials. That doesn't take care of the entire area (figure it is about 20'x40' that we have to deal with). But we can do a few steps down to the yard....make some landscaping areas....add in a pathway to a patio. We are still working all of this out while we figure out coding, cost, etc.
The lower deck will get completely redone. Depending on patio decisions, we will need to deal with rails on at least 2 sides. We need about 40 boards to redo the floor, and then the whole thing will get stained.
***
This whole thing is a huge expense that we have to now deal with. A major yard renovation was not part of our computations. We are looking at that line between what do we HAVE to do, vs NEED to do. We are going to spend money one way or the other....either we do it or we have someone do it. As we delve deeper into the process, we can decide what we are going to DIY and what we will have someone do.
Because G-man will only be home for a week....we have to be realistic on what we can do ourselves in that time frame. Once he is gone, I am on my own again. And at that time of year, school will be starting, so I will be dealing with that as well. I would love to start on this on my own....but jumping into a project you aren't prepared for is a recipe for disaster. Of course, if something with the pool changes, such as it gives out, the timeline moves up.
Of course best case scenario is that someone makes an offer, we credit them something to deal with the pool, and we can walk away from it. But I struggled with not doing all of this work NOW....I feel it is a huge red flag on our property to list the pool "as is". And it is. But G-man can't come home right now, and I can't do it myself. It is a temporary solution while we work out the rest of the details.
We had no way to anticipate this. And we knew what the work would be collapsing the pool years ago....which is why we didn't do it before. Our hand is being forced to do something.
So there is the saga.....in all of its ugliness. It is overwhelming to deal with, and it is overwhelming to think that there is a chance that the kids and I are here indefinitely. But we are doing what we need to do.
Anyone want to come destroy my backyard???? We are buying the pizza and beer (or water or soda or whatever!)
Showing posts with label Home improvement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home improvement. Show all posts
Monday, June 1, 2015
Friday, March 20, 2015
Follow-up
WOW! I had no idea so many people would weigh in on the St. Joseph concept. My take away from the discussion was that it really is the power of belief and faith, along with positive thinking, not necessarily St. Joseph himself that is the key. I also found it interesting the number of people who had never heard of this, including Catholics! It sort of makes you wonder how traditions are started and spread......that is a whole other concept, but an interesting one. Any Anthropologists out there??? I am still not inclined to actually go through the ritual, but maybe I will explore other rituals that are more in line with my personal beliefs. So thank you for all of that!
A few people made some comment that I did want to address.
The Price. We had many discussions about the price. The price was set based on several things, one of which includes our current mortgage. But it also was based on the fact that our property is about 2x the size of alot of the properties in our neighborhood, and bigger than most of the properties in the "comp" area. We also have a deck and pool (which could be a negative as well....but it really comes down to a buyer). It is also NOT in disrepair (more on this in a minute).
The discussion we had (between us, and with the realtor) was that if we set the price where we did, and we weren't getting traffic, then we would have to assume it was the price. If we were getting activity, then we would then assume that the price wasn't the barrier. If people are willing to look at the house, then from the start they are willing to spend this amount of money on a house, even if it this isn't THE house for them after they have seen it.
We dropped the price in November. But we also knew when we put our house on the market that we were looking at a long haul. Unless the house sold by October, we were probably not going to sell it until Spring. No one wants to move during the holidays. And January and February in New England are really not prime either!
But here we are at Mid-March, and this IS the time that people want to buy and move. I am just a little weary after a long winter.
The buyer doesn't care about our personal situation....totally get that. We aren't trying to make money on this house. We just need to clear the mortgage. If the house doesn't sell as we get further into the spring, then more discussions will be had. But right now...here is where we are.
Condition. One commenter (unpublished) assumed that my house is in such a state of disrepair and that we are refusing to fix things! NO!!!!
My house is NOT in disrepair. Disrepair means that things are broken. Nothing is broken. Anything that was broken was fixed (such as a cracked window pane). In fact, all of the comments we have had from the showings have commented that the house is very clean and well maintained.
My house needs some UPGRADING by today's tastes. We do not have granite countertops or 42" cherry cabinets or glass tile backsplashes. If that is what you are looking for, that is NOT in this house. And as the realtor has said, if that is what you are wanting.....then you are looking in the wrong price range to start with.
But the cabinets are not falling apart. The floors are not rotted. The appliances work (even though they are older). With the exception of the kitchen, the house has a neutral color scheme (ok...Sassy's room screams 12 year old girl....). There is nothing that a new buyer HAS to do to make the house livable.....but all people want to put their personal stamp on things. I fully expect a new homeowner will paint, or rip out the vanity in the downstairs bathroom (which was Golden Oak and we painted about 5 years ago...but stylistically it is an older vanity). We have older items....but they still are in working condition.
I have complained about my house....and if that has led people to think it is worse than it it....I am sorry. But in reality, the house is fine. It just doesn't suit us anymore. In 2001, it was perfect. In 2015, not as much. If we were staying here forever, then we would upgrade things in the coming years. But we aren't staying. And ripping out a kitchen to put in a cheap upgrade isn't the answer to selling the house. All that looks like is that we put a cheap upgrade in.
We originally were going to take the house off the market for the winter and put it back on, well...NOW. The realtor talked us into leaving it on the market. That was a mistake. Yes, we had alot of traffic in January and February. But I think most of those buyer were new to looking at homes, and weren't ready to buy yet. Plus, the added pressure of the weather made it very difficult. If we had left it off, I would still be where I am....just less weary.
So here we are....Spring this weekend (but we will still have snow on the ground, and 2"-4" coming later today!). I will trade my snow shovel for a lawnmower in a few weeks. We can't do any planting for awhile, as it typically is May before we get past the frost point. Once we are able to, I look forward to putting a few plants in the front yard, taking out the patio furniture, and doing some sprucing up outside after the winter. I probably will get a Spring Wreath for the front door.
Inside, I think some fresh air will be lovely, when we can open the windows again! I already have a "spring" set of curtains (ok...they are actually table runners we use as curtains!) for the living room that will go up this weekend, and I may get some new "spring" hand towels for the kitchen.
So come on Spring....come on buyers!
A few people made some comment that I did want to address.
The Price. We had many discussions about the price. The price was set based on several things, one of which includes our current mortgage. But it also was based on the fact that our property is about 2x the size of alot of the properties in our neighborhood, and bigger than most of the properties in the "comp" area. We also have a deck and pool (which could be a negative as well....but it really comes down to a buyer). It is also NOT in disrepair (more on this in a minute).
The discussion we had (between us, and with the realtor) was that if we set the price where we did, and we weren't getting traffic, then we would have to assume it was the price. If we were getting activity, then we would then assume that the price wasn't the barrier. If people are willing to look at the house, then from the start they are willing to spend this amount of money on a house, even if it this isn't THE house for them after they have seen it.
We dropped the price in November. But we also knew when we put our house on the market that we were looking at a long haul. Unless the house sold by October, we were probably not going to sell it until Spring. No one wants to move during the holidays. And January and February in New England are really not prime either!
But here we are at Mid-March, and this IS the time that people want to buy and move. I am just a little weary after a long winter.
The buyer doesn't care about our personal situation....totally get that. We aren't trying to make money on this house. We just need to clear the mortgage. If the house doesn't sell as we get further into the spring, then more discussions will be had. But right now...here is where we are.
Condition. One commenter (unpublished) assumed that my house is in such a state of disrepair and that we are refusing to fix things! NO!!!!
My house is NOT in disrepair. Disrepair means that things are broken. Nothing is broken. Anything that was broken was fixed (such as a cracked window pane). In fact, all of the comments we have had from the showings have commented that the house is very clean and well maintained.
My house needs some UPGRADING by today's tastes. We do not have granite countertops or 42" cherry cabinets or glass tile backsplashes. If that is what you are looking for, that is NOT in this house. And as the realtor has said, if that is what you are wanting.....then you are looking in the wrong price range to start with.
But the cabinets are not falling apart. The floors are not rotted. The appliances work (even though they are older). With the exception of the kitchen, the house has a neutral color scheme (ok...Sassy's room screams 12 year old girl....). There is nothing that a new buyer HAS to do to make the house livable.....but all people want to put their personal stamp on things. I fully expect a new homeowner will paint, or rip out the vanity in the downstairs bathroom (which was Golden Oak and we painted about 5 years ago...but stylistically it is an older vanity). We have older items....but they still are in working condition.
I have complained about my house....and if that has led people to think it is worse than it it....I am sorry. But in reality, the house is fine. It just doesn't suit us anymore. In 2001, it was perfect. In 2015, not as much. If we were staying here forever, then we would upgrade things in the coming years. But we aren't staying. And ripping out a kitchen to put in a cheap upgrade isn't the answer to selling the house. All that looks like is that we put a cheap upgrade in.
We originally were going to take the house off the market for the winter and put it back on, well...NOW. The realtor talked us into leaving it on the market. That was a mistake. Yes, we had alot of traffic in January and February. But I think most of those buyer were new to looking at homes, and weren't ready to buy yet. Plus, the added pressure of the weather made it very difficult. If we had left it off, I would still be where I am....just less weary.
So here we are....Spring this weekend (but we will still have snow on the ground, and 2"-4" coming later today!). I will trade my snow shovel for a lawnmower in a few weeks. We can't do any planting for awhile, as it typically is May before we get past the frost point. Once we are able to, I look forward to putting a few plants in the front yard, taking out the patio furniture, and doing some sprucing up outside after the winter. I probably will get a Spring Wreath for the front door.
Inside, I think some fresh air will be lovely, when we can open the windows again! I already have a "spring" set of curtains (ok...they are actually table runners we use as curtains!) for the living room that will go up this weekend, and I may get some new "spring" hand towels for the kitchen.
So come on Spring....come on buyers!
Monday, February 10, 2014
Taxes and jobs
New week...yay!
Today is one of the kids' predetermined "late arrival" school days for professional development. I will say it again....whoever thought having the kids start late (10:30, vs 8am) just didn't think about parents. *sigh* While it was nice to not have the alarm go off at 6am, it does throw off the rhythm of the day.
Taxes are almost done. All the main numbers are in, but I have to fill in a few minor details. But.......drum roll please.......
Federal: $2653 REFUND
State: $117 OWE
I have no idea what happens with our state taxes other than they just go up every year. We have taxes taken out, and we have EXTRA taken out, and we almost always owe (last year was a rare $34 refund). I am not sweating this....it isn't that bad. And our federal refund is WAY larger than we expected (considering I thought we would owe).
We have too many little amounts that we have held on to for one reason or another. We are going to corral them all, and decide what to do. I already know that part is going towards new tires for my car. The tires are still ok for the moment, but I will need new tires (which we were already planning on for later this year....it was just a bummer that we spent $200 of our car savings on the alignment). And I already mentioned our poor bathroom floor.
The rest....*ducking from the eggs being thrown*....will probably sit in savings for a little bit.
G-man has applied for a new job out of state, and we will wait until that is decided before we do anything. If a move is in our future (it is a long shot), then the money will go toward that. G-man put CT as his second choice office, so if he gets that instead of out of state (they are the same job, just in different locations), we would still lose some money initially. He would move to a day position, and we would lose his night and Sunday pay. His base pay will be a lateral move at this time, but the potential path is much greater. In his current position....he will not receive any raises, ever. He is at the top of the scale, and his current position is considered a low grade position.
We are trying to laugh if I end up getting a new job at the same time we find out we are moving. Wouldn't that just be how we roll???
If none of the above work out....the extra money will go toward his car to pay it off faster, per What's the Cost (and Tanner, I haven't had a chance to check out your calculator suggestion!). We have started saving half of G-man's second job pay (since I increased my hours at my job) to see if we can make it without that money. If we can, then that savings will go toward either the move, or towards the car.
Anyway you put it...we should know about G-man's job within a month, so it isn't like this will dangle on forever. But we definitely will have a month in flux!!
Today is one of the kids' predetermined "late arrival" school days for professional development. I will say it again....whoever thought having the kids start late (10:30, vs 8am) just didn't think about parents. *sigh* While it was nice to not have the alarm go off at 6am, it does throw off the rhythm of the day.
Taxes are almost done. All the main numbers are in, but I have to fill in a few minor details. But.......drum roll please.......
Federal: $2653 REFUND
State: $117 OWE
I have no idea what happens with our state taxes other than they just go up every year. We have taxes taken out, and we have EXTRA taken out, and we almost always owe (last year was a rare $34 refund). I am not sweating this....it isn't that bad. And our federal refund is WAY larger than we expected (considering I thought we would owe).
We have too many little amounts that we have held on to for one reason or another. We are going to corral them all, and decide what to do. I already know that part is going towards new tires for my car. The tires are still ok for the moment, but I will need new tires (which we were already planning on for later this year....it was just a bummer that we spent $200 of our car savings on the alignment). And I already mentioned our poor bathroom floor.
The rest....*ducking from the eggs being thrown*....will probably sit in savings for a little bit.
G-man has applied for a new job out of state, and we will wait until that is decided before we do anything. If a move is in our future (it is a long shot), then the money will go toward that. G-man put CT as his second choice office, so if he gets that instead of out of state (they are the same job, just in different locations), we would still lose some money initially. He would move to a day position, and we would lose his night and Sunday pay. His base pay will be a lateral move at this time, but the potential path is much greater. In his current position....he will not receive any raises, ever. He is at the top of the scale, and his current position is considered a low grade position.
We are trying to laugh if I end up getting a new job at the same time we find out we are moving. Wouldn't that just be how we roll???
If none of the above work out....the extra money will go toward his car to pay it off faster, per What's the Cost (and Tanner, I haven't had a chance to check out your calculator suggestion!). We have started saving half of G-man's second job pay (since I increased my hours at my job) to see if we can make it without that money. If we can, then that savings will go toward either the move, or towards the car.
Anyway you put it...we should know about G-man's job within a month, so it isn't like this will dangle on forever. But we definitely will have a month in flux!!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Ew Ew Ew
I went outside after lunch...prepared to do a full afternoon of yard work. I had my water, my sunglasses. I had 2 helpers (who started off strong....and petered out quickly).
The first bed....I had to cut down the WAY overgrown Pampas Grass (I will be digging alot of it out and giving it to a neighbor). I managed to get a blister 90 seconds in when my hand got pinched with the clippers. Excellent. It took about an hour, but I got it all cut down, and the kids did a great job of picking it up and using the wheelbarrow to move it.
The second bed....didn't work out so well. About a minute into raking the leaves (the ones that G-man told me there weren't that many of and that's why he didn't take care of it last fall).....I saw it.
A SNAKE!!!!
It was the elusive Spitting King Anacobraconstrictor....it was 100,000 feet long and it tried to swallow me whole. EW EW EW!!!!
My ever so supportive husband (who is at work) told me to move to another area. How am I supposed to keep working knowing that this gigantic monster was after me! He may have friends....he may have even BIGGER cousins.
I tried....I really did. But I was too freaked out. Thus concluded my yardwork for the day.
The first bed....I had to cut down the WAY overgrown Pampas Grass (I will be digging alot of it out and giving it to a neighbor). I managed to get a blister 90 seconds in when my hand got pinched with the clippers. Excellent. It took about an hour, but I got it all cut down, and the kids did a great job of picking it up and using the wheelbarrow to move it.
The second bed....didn't work out so well. About a minute into raking the leaves (the ones that G-man told me there weren't that many of and that's why he didn't take care of it last fall).....I saw it.
A SNAKE!!!!
It was the elusive Spitting King Anacobraconstrictor....it was 100,000 feet long and it tried to swallow me whole. EW EW EW!!!!
My ever so supportive husband (who is at work) told me to move to another area. How am I supposed to keep working knowing that this gigantic monster was after me! He may have friends....he may have even BIGGER cousins.
I tried....I really did. But I was too freaked out. Thus concluded my yardwork for the day.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Skipping to the Bank! And a look ahead.
Today is payday, so off to the bank I go. This is going to sound so silly, but today, I can't wait! I will go after I pick up the kids, so it will be about 3:30pm by the time I get there. And here I am....counting down the hours.
I have many things to accomplish at the bank today:
The Basic Stuff
Once we have money in the account again, I can pay the bills that I have been itching to pay. None of them are terribly exciting....electric, phone. Next week will be much more exciting. Two credit card bills, dentist, car....those actually effect the bottom line.
The loan papers will get submitted tomorrow (after G-man has his part notarized), and we are hoping that it will fund within a week. But until then, we will keep going, business as usual. Depending on when it actually funds will determine final payouts. There is a chance that there may be a little CC debt left from residual interest, but that would get paid off in the next paycheck.
We should get our tax return soon, and be able to work on the repairs on Bossy's room.
G-man has ALOT of overtime this month, that will go into our overtime account, to be withdrawn at the end of June towards "something." As it stands now, April will bring about 20 hours of overtime. With May and June to come, we are hopeful that the overtime account will be plump, and I would love to make a big, fat payment to something. I am thinking if it we can make an extra $1,000 payment somewhere, anything left over in the account can go towards the repairs needed for the deck. Since we already know of 20 hours of OT, with 2 more months to go, plus anything that changes with me....I think it is a do-able goal.
Only 6.5 hrs to go until I hit the bank!!!
ETA: All missions accomplished!
I have many things to accomplish at the bank today:
The Basic Stuff
- The obvious....deposit my paycheck!
- Withdraw (or technically, subtract from my paycheck in cash) money towards our EF (remember, we do $25 a week, but I am a little behind, so I need to get some extra)
- Get money for the kids lunches for next week (my new cash system is working wonderfully!!)
- Notarize our loan papers
- Notarize papers for "found" money that the state has been holding for us for TEN years and we just found (no idea how much this is...the site won't tell us that. It could be $5 for all we know.)
- Get Lollipop
- Get info about opening savings accounts for them
- See what we can do about Sassy's ripped money
Once we have money in the account again, I can pay the bills that I have been itching to pay. None of them are terribly exciting....electric, phone. Next week will be much more exciting. Two credit card bills, dentist, car....those actually effect the bottom line.
The loan papers will get submitted tomorrow (after G-man has his part notarized), and we are hoping that it will fund within a week. But until then, we will keep going, business as usual. Depending on when it actually funds will determine final payouts. There is a chance that there may be a little CC debt left from residual interest, but that would get paid off in the next paycheck.
We should get our tax return soon, and be able to work on the repairs on Bossy's room.
G-man has ALOT of overtime this month, that will go into our overtime account, to be withdrawn at the end of June towards "something." As it stands now, April will bring about 20 hours of overtime. With May and June to come, we are hopeful that the overtime account will be plump, and I would love to make a big, fat payment to something. I am thinking if it we can make an extra $1,000 payment somewhere, anything left over in the account can go towards the repairs needed for the deck. Since we already know of 20 hours of OT, with 2 more months to go, plus anything that changes with me....I think it is a do-able goal.
Only 6.5 hrs to go until I hit the bank!!!
ETA: All missions accomplished!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Just feeling good about it all
I really hope I am not jinxing myself here.....
But we are about 6 weeks into the new year, and financially speaking, we are working the plans and so far so good!! I know that being 78k in debt isn't anything to celebrate. But it was 80k six weeks ago, so the trend is in the right direction.
Retirement loan paid off....now that money pays for the car. Late March we will do one more loan to wipe out the CC, and save hundreds of dollars a month, which will get applied elsewhere (probably medical stuff first, and then student loan).
We are writing less checks. I have been using cash for the kids' lunch. Debit card for co-pays at the doctor. Set up a few on-line things for other things. I still have a few checks to write, but they are very few.
The overtime money that was on this week's paycheck went into a separate account, and I don't miss it. I hate that we usually spend the OT and never really know where it went. Not anymore. On March 31, the OT money will be used as an extra payment, or towards something EXTRA. Not everyday things.
All but 2 of our February bills are paid already. Those will come from the next paycheck. While I would love to have everything paid for the month...we just aren't there yet. I have a secret fantasy (no longer secret), to be able to pay an entire month of bills in one shot, and not have to look at it again.
We have added almost $200 to our EF. Once it hits $2,000, the "extra" money will go into the home improvement fund. Need to have a better cushion for those things that have a tendency to wear out. We have used our tax return in the past, but our piddly tax return this year won't cut it.
Next paycheck we will resume saving for the kids' camp. By early May, that will be fully funded. Then onto Christmas savings.
MAYBE we are finally getting a handle on things!!!!
But we are about 6 weeks into the new year, and financially speaking, we are working the plans and so far so good!! I know that being 78k in debt isn't anything to celebrate. But it was 80k six weeks ago, so the trend is in the right direction.
Retirement loan paid off....now that money pays for the car. Late March we will do one more loan to wipe out the CC, and save hundreds of dollars a month, which will get applied elsewhere (probably medical stuff first, and then student loan).
We are writing less checks. I have been using cash for the kids' lunch. Debit card for co-pays at the doctor. Set up a few on-line things for other things. I still have a few checks to write, but they are very few.
The overtime money that was on this week's paycheck went into a separate account, and I don't miss it. I hate that we usually spend the OT and never really know where it went. Not anymore. On March 31, the OT money will be used as an extra payment, or towards something EXTRA. Not everyday things.
All but 2 of our February bills are paid already. Those will come from the next paycheck. While I would love to have everything paid for the month...we just aren't there yet. I have a secret fantasy (no longer secret), to be able to pay an entire month of bills in one shot, and not have to look at it again.
We have added almost $200 to our EF. Once it hits $2,000, the "extra" money will go into the home improvement fund. Need to have a better cushion for those things that have a tendency to wear out. We have used our tax return in the past, but our piddly tax return this year won't cut it.
Next paycheck we will resume saving for the kids' camp. By early May, that will be fully funded. Then onto Christmas savings.
MAYBE we are finally getting a handle on things!!!!
Friday, October 14, 2011
DIY vs Hiring someone
Now that the move is off, we can work on Bossy's room. We picked out the carpet, but still need to have the room measured and officially order it.
Prior to installation, we have to redo his ceiling. Our wonderful son picked at the tiles on the ceiling (he has a loft bed), and destroyed them. And they are so old, we can't get replacements. We decided to take it all down, sheetrock the ceiling, and then paint everything (the room hasn't been painted in 9 years).
We had planned on doing the ceiling ourselves (or I should say, G-man and a friend), but our time is really tight right now, and I am not sure that it will really come out....well.....good. The materials would have been about $100 in total. Plus the pizza and beer. ;)
So I got the idea just to see what it would cost to have someone do it. HAHAHA. It is a 12x12 room. We just need the ceiling done. We will do the demo of the existing tiles.
Guy 1 - $550. Didn't like him that much. He ripped down part of the ceiling to see what was under it, and just did it. Didn't ask us, just ripped out part of our ceiling....right in front of us. Now there is a hole where the tiles were....right over Bossy's bed. Plus, when I asked him what was involved in the project...he was very condecending.
Guy 2 - $720. Didn't even come out to look at the room. Just gave us a price over the phone based on the size of the room.
Guy 3 hasn't called us back. But it isn't looking good. I really wasn't expecting the cost to be this high. All of these people are using "one day" products, so it isn't like they have to come out again to sand and mud again. I realize that this is "skilled labor" and that they need to make their money too...but we are talking ONE wall.
So I am struggling with this one. The carpet will be about $500 installed (how could doing the ceiling be more expensive than the carpet???). Add in paint and supplies. We are probably at $600 at this point. To add ANOTHER $500+ to the project???
We have about $775 in the home improvement fund. You do the math....hiring someone really isn't in the budget. But it needs to get done, and if we do it and run into a problem or it comes out cruddy....I will be unhappy.
Yeah....I am being a baby on this.
I think in the end we will do it ourselves just because of cost. That said, it is unlikely we will be able to do it before my mother-in-law comes in 3 weeks. Our schedule is just too tight. That is a bummer. But it is what it is.
What would you do? Suck it up and hire someone.....or DIY?
Prior to installation, we have to redo his ceiling. Our wonderful son picked at the tiles on the ceiling (he has a loft bed), and destroyed them. And they are so old, we can't get replacements. We decided to take it all down, sheetrock the ceiling, and then paint everything (the room hasn't been painted in 9 years).
We had planned on doing the ceiling ourselves (or I should say, G-man and a friend), but our time is really tight right now, and I am not sure that it will really come out....well.....good. The materials would have been about $100 in total. Plus the pizza and beer. ;)
So I got the idea just to see what it would cost to have someone do it. HAHAHA. It is a 12x12 room. We just need the ceiling done. We will do the demo of the existing tiles.
Guy 1 - $550. Didn't like him that much. He ripped down part of the ceiling to see what was under it, and just did it. Didn't ask us, just ripped out part of our ceiling....right in front of us. Now there is a hole where the tiles were....right over Bossy's bed. Plus, when I asked him what was involved in the project...he was very condecending.
Guy 2 - $720. Didn't even come out to look at the room. Just gave us a price over the phone based on the size of the room.
Guy 3 hasn't called us back. But it isn't looking good. I really wasn't expecting the cost to be this high. All of these people are using "one day" products, so it isn't like they have to come out again to sand and mud again. I realize that this is "skilled labor" and that they need to make their money too...but we are talking ONE wall.
So I am struggling with this one. The carpet will be about $500 installed (how could doing the ceiling be more expensive than the carpet???). Add in paint and supplies. We are probably at $600 at this point. To add ANOTHER $500+ to the project???
We have about $775 in the home improvement fund. You do the math....hiring someone really isn't in the budget. But it needs to get done, and if we do it and run into a problem or it comes out cruddy....I will be unhappy.
Yeah....I am being a baby on this.
I think in the end we will do it ourselves just because of cost. That said, it is unlikely we will be able to do it before my mother-in-law comes in 3 weeks. Our schedule is just too tight. That is a bummer. But it is what it is.
What would you do? Suck it up and hire someone.....or DIY?
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
At least that is settled now
No move for us. At least now we can move forward on some other decisions that were waiting on this.
1) Bossy's bedroom carpet - if we were moving, we were going to put in a less expensive, neutral carpet. Now we will put in the gray carpet that we wanted (a little more expensive, but MUCH better).
2) Windows - we found out that yesterday that to fix 2/3 of the broken windows, it would be $110. So we will just do that and be done. The third window will be $316 plus installation....that will wait for now.
3) My car - I was concerned about taking on new debt right before we would try and get a new mortgage. Now I can get my new-to-me car whenever the time comes.
It is what it is. I am not holding my breath on moving....not like I did 6 years ago when we started this process. I honestly believe that there is a major factor at play that no one will just own up to.....education. G-man doesn't have the education they are looking for. Yes, it says "or equivalent work experience." But obviously they don't think he has that. I have played the education card already, and he doesn't listen to me. Until someone else tells him that is the problem.....nothing is going to change.
A part of me in relieved. I have WAY too much going on to worry about selling a house right now.
1) Bossy's bedroom carpet - if we were moving, we were going to put in a less expensive, neutral carpet. Now we will put in the gray carpet that we wanted (a little more expensive, but MUCH better).
2) Windows - we found out that yesterday that to fix 2/3 of the broken windows, it would be $110. So we will just do that and be done. The third window will be $316 plus installation....that will wait for now.
3) My car - I was concerned about taking on new debt right before we would try and get a new mortgage. Now I can get my new-to-me car whenever the time comes.
It is what it is. I am not holding my breath on moving....not like I did 6 years ago when we started this process. I honestly believe that there is a major factor at play that no one will just own up to.....education. G-man doesn't have the education they are looking for. Yes, it says "or equivalent work experience." But obviously they don't think he has that. I have played the education card already, and he doesn't listen to me. Until someone else tells him that is the problem.....nothing is going to change.
A part of me in relieved. I have WAY too much going on to worry about selling a house right now.
Monday, October 10, 2011
I have decided to rename Murphy....
I mean, he IS part of the family. My kids have nicknames in real life. Heck, even G-man and I have nicknames. Why shouldn't Murphy??
He so lovingly has moved in, put his Garfield alarm clock next to his bed. His food isn't even labeled anymore in the fridge....it is all communal at this point. He uses our soap. He drinks from my cup. He leaves the door open when he pees.
He has officially become one of the family. Congratulate me....It's a Boy!
I opened the curtains in our bedroom this morning to find a pane of the 100 year old glass cracked in 5 pieces. That now makes THREE panes of glass we have in the house that are cracked and need to be fixed.
If we put the house on the market, we know these will have to be fixed. Along with a few other things. If I took a conservative guess...it could cost us upwards of $2,000 to fix things....just so someone MAY come and look at my house and tell us all the things that are older and need to be replaced. But I am NOT renovating my kitchen for THEM. You want to do it....go right ahead....AFTER you close on our house.
I can't believe another window broke!!!!! We have talked about replacing the windows...but that just isn't ANYWHERE in the budget.
So, what shall I name our new addition? Snookums? Diddledoo? I am open for suggestions.
He so lovingly has moved in, put his Garfield alarm clock next to his bed. His food isn't even labeled anymore in the fridge....it is all communal at this point. He uses our soap. He drinks from my cup. He leaves the door open when he pees.
He has officially become one of the family. Congratulate me....It's a Boy!
I opened the curtains in our bedroom this morning to find a pane of the 100 year old glass cracked in 5 pieces. That now makes THREE panes of glass we have in the house that are cracked and need to be fixed.
If we put the house on the market, we know these will have to be fixed. Along with a few other things. If I took a conservative guess...it could cost us upwards of $2,000 to fix things....just so someone MAY come and look at my house and tell us all the things that are older and need to be replaced. But I am NOT renovating my kitchen for THEM. You want to do it....go right ahead....AFTER you close on our house.
I can't believe another window broke!!!!! We have talked about replacing the windows...but that just isn't ANYWHERE in the budget.
So, what shall I name our new addition? Snookums? Diddledoo? I am open for suggestions.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Beating away the financial blahs
I already know where and why these feelings are creeping in. But there are here....so now I have to deal with them. It is a combination of my meds being a little off, plus having a night out and spending money, and.....I am leaving for a few days to visit a friend.
I never claimed to be Gazelle intense. And while I love to read about others who are....it does frustrate me that we can't/won't do that. I just hate to adjust our current totals and have to adjust them UP.
I am frustrated that no matter what I do, the "master" plan doesn't work. There is ALWAYS a repair that ends up being way higher than what we have set aside. The cars...I question if we should have gotten rid of them awhile ago. The order of doing things seems to be in a constant state of change.
This year has been rough. But honestly...every year is rough. 2007 was the death of our twins, along with a huge oil leak. 2008 was my miscarriage and having to replace the roof. 2009 was the death of my father-in-law, car issues, and a myriad of other things. 2010...who knows. And now....2011....marriage issues, the pool, car issues.....now having to fix Bossy's room.....
Apparently....I just suck at this getting out of debt thing. G-man made a comment the other night that really upset me....."debt is just a way of life." That spoke VOLUMES to me. While he wants to be out of debt, and is participating more in the discussions....he isn't getting it yet that this noose around our neck is just weighing down our LIFE.
Now that our medical waiver is gone...my student loan is going up....we are unable to lower our interest rates without either opening another credit card, or maybe a new Lending Club loan....it is time to revisit the budget AGAIN...and figure this out.
I know I am not getting a raise at work (state budget cuts). I know that G-man is willing to work more overtime, when it is available....but if it isn't available....there isn't much we can do. I know that we are saving for Christmas, car stuff, irregular expenses.....and we are doing the best we can.
I am just frustrated that others are pulling way ahead, and we are treading water.
So my two small things for the day to make me financially feel better are 1) continue to pack up yard sale leftovers to sell at consignment (we did a trial run on Friday, and we will probably get about what we were asking at the yard sale), and 2) I bought some bulk coupons for shampoo, which with sales...will come out to about $1 a bottle.
Pity party over.
I never claimed to be Gazelle intense. And while I love to read about others who are....it does frustrate me that we can't/won't do that. I just hate to adjust our current totals and have to adjust them UP.
I am frustrated that no matter what I do, the "master" plan doesn't work. There is ALWAYS a repair that ends up being way higher than what we have set aside. The cars...I question if we should have gotten rid of them awhile ago. The order of doing things seems to be in a constant state of change.
This year has been rough. But honestly...every year is rough. 2007 was the death of our twins, along with a huge oil leak. 2008 was my miscarriage and having to replace the roof. 2009 was the death of my father-in-law, car issues, and a myriad of other things. 2010...who knows. And now....2011....marriage issues, the pool, car issues.....now having to fix Bossy's room.....
Apparently....I just suck at this getting out of debt thing. G-man made a comment the other night that really upset me....."debt is just a way of life." That spoke VOLUMES to me. While he wants to be out of debt, and is participating more in the discussions....he isn't getting it yet that this noose around our neck is just weighing down our LIFE.
Now that our medical waiver is gone...my student loan is going up....we are unable to lower our interest rates without either opening another credit card, or maybe a new Lending Club loan....it is time to revisit the budget AGAIN...and figure this out.
I know I am not getting a raise at work (state budget cuts). I know that G-man is willing to work more overtime, when it is available....but if it isn't available....there isn't much we can do. I know that we are saving for Christmas, car stuff, irregular expenses.....and we are doing the best we can.
I am just frustrated that others are pulling way ahead, and we are treading water.
So my two small things for the day to make me financially feel better are 1) continue to pack up yard sale leftovers to sell at consignment (we did a trial run on Friday, and we will probably get about what we were asking at the yard sale), and 2) I bought some bulk coupons for shampoo, which with sales...will come out to about $1 a bottle.
Pity party over.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
How do you save for it ALL?
Let's just put the saving while in debt debate aside for a minute. We all know there are things we WANT and if you save for them...then great, have at it. But what about things that you NEED, and you need to save for it ALL????
Home maintenance is pricey. I think the statistic is something like 5% of your home's value per year. For us, that would be about $9,500. I think that is a little on the high side yearly. But I would say that $3-4,000 isn't totally off the mark at times.
All of the things that need replacement aren't dead and broken....YET. They are all senior citizens, who aren't quite at round the clock care, but definitely in an assisted living situation. Legitimately, they all have lived out their lifespan. It isn't unreasonable to think that they need to be replaced.
The problem...trying to save for it all at once!!!
I sooooo wish I was more money savvy when we bought the house 10 years ago. There are so many things that I would have done differently as a whole. But one HUGE thing would have been starting a home maintenance fund. And then when things wore out, I would have a cushion. But no...we couldn't afford to save (how can you afford to NOT SAVE......ugh, lessons learned).
Things that need work around here (in no particular order):
It is completely overwhelming. Where do you even start to save??? What if you aren't able to do it one thing at a time, and multiple things go at the same time? What if a larger ticket item goes sooner than expected?? ARGH!!!
Back to the saving while in debt. Yes, we have an emergency fund, and the majority of things on the list aren't emergencies (kitchen appliances and furnace really are the only true emergency items). But I don't want to deplete the EF, and then struggle to rebuild, all the while with debt and other things looming.
Right now, the I call the plan the $115 plan. This is the amount that gets transferred from our checking account to ING savings per paycheck. It is the go-to money for larger savings goals. Camp was funded this way. The kids' birthday party (almost funded!) and Christmas will be funded this way. Once each of these accounts is funded, then the $115 will go towards saving for the extra stuff, until it is time to start saving again for Camp and Christmas.
Piggy back this with gift cards and such from other savings programs (My Points, Swagbucks), and we are cobbling it together. Not a great plan...but it is the only one I have at the moment. If we can make some MAJOR headway in the debt snowball, maybe I will slow that down a little to allow for more savings for the items.
And maybe in Fantasy World...we will get to take a vacation someday.
Home maintenance is pricey. I think the statistic is something like 5% of your home's value per year. For us, that would be about $9,500. I think that is a little on the high side yearly. But I would say that $3-4,000 isn't totally off the mark at times.
All of the things that need replacement aren't dead and broken....YET. They are all senior citizens, who aren't quite at round the clock care, but definitely in an assisted living situation. Legitimately, they all have lived out their lifespan. It isn't unreasonable to think that they need to be replaced.
The problem...trying to save for it all at once!!!
I sooooo wish I was more money savvy when we bought the house 10 years ago. There are so many things that I would have done differently as a whole. But one HUGE thing would have been starting a home maintenance fund. And then when things wore out, I would have a cushion. But no...we couldn't afford to save (how can you afford to NOT SAVE......ugh, lessons learned).
Things that need work around here (in no particular order):
- Pool liner (in process....the current liner was placed in 1993)
- Deck boards (also circa 1993)
- Stove/Oven (circa 1998)
- Refrigerator (circa 1998)
- Carpeting in Bossy's room (um, no idea on age, but I am guessing that you aren't supposed to see the floor boards underneath through the worn holes)
- Carpeting in Sassy's room (eh....it is really ok, but if we have an Adventure in Carpeting (starring 80's teen star Elisabeth Shue!), we might as well replace hers)
- Furnace (circa 1950's....still works but is highly inefficient)
- Windows (circa 1911...original to the house....again, works, but is inefficient)
- Living room couches (circa 1997)
- TV in our bedroom (circa 1994)
- Closet system (for the larger of the 2 closets we have...where 3 of us share it for all our clothes, and it just isn't working)
- Digital camera (circa 2004; we did get a newer one, and it doesn't work right and we hate it)
It is completely overwhelming. Where do you even start to save??? What if you aren't able to do it one thing at a time, and multiple things go at the same time? What if a larger ticket item goes sooner than expected?? ARGH!!!
Back to the saving while in debt. Yes, we have an emergency fund, and the majority of things on the list aren't emergencies (kitchen appliances and furnace really are the only true emergency items). But I don't want to deplete the EF, and then struggle to rebuild, all the while with debt and other things looming.
Right now, the I call the plan the $115 plan. This is the amount that gets transferred from our checking account to ING savings per paycheck. It is the go-to money for larger savings goals. Camp was funded this way. The kids' birthday party (almost funded!) and Christmas will be funded this way. Once each of these accounts is funded, then the $115 will go towards saving for the extra stuff, until it is time to start saving again for Camp and Christmas.
Piggy back this with gift cards and such from other savings programs (My Points, Swagbucks), and we are cobbling it together. Not a great plan...but it is the only one I have at the moment. If we can make some MAJOR headway in the debt snowball, maybe I will slow that down a little to allow for more savings for the items.
And maybe in Fantasy World...we will get to take a vacation someday.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
It must be sympathy pains....
I am convinced that household appliances and goods have a secret life. It is almost like the Freemasons....they have rings and meetings, and rituals that are so secretive that the lay person doesn't know what they are. But they exist. How do I know? Because as soon as one of them breaks down....they all start to break down.
I watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls over the weekend (I was sick in bed with Strep throat again). And one line from the movie (without spoilers for you have not seen it yet) was something like "their collective conscienceness is more powerful than the individual."
I can deal with one or two things needing to be replaced...but we are now starting to get into more coin than anticipated. And while we have our emergency fund, and still have $1,000 from our refi money that is sitting untouched.....plus a whole lot of overtime coming....I really wasn't planning on spending all of that just replacing stuff!! I had dreams of actually repaying debt.
I mentioned that our pool liner needs to be replaced. We researched it, and decided that this is not a DIY job for us. We have found a place that we can get the liner for $158 (and that is the thicker lining, and free shipping!!), but instillation will be about $450, plus chemicals and water. And that is if we are lucky. If there is a problem with the interior of the walls of pool once they remove the liner....that means $$$$$.
Now our oven has decided to get in on the act. A few days ago, it decided to stop warming properly. G-man looked at it and the bottom element isn't working right. We have already replaced that once, and if that is all it is....then we will be darn happy. If it turns out to be the thermostat, then we are screwed. Our elderly stove...well, they just don't make parts for it anymore. The thermostat was discontinued, and we can't find one that would work. Thus....the range would have to be replaced.
And the refrigerator....it doesn't want to be left out. The crisper drawers have decided to go wanky, and freeze anything that is in it. We tried adjusting the temp...but then the body of the fridge isn't cold enough.....and it is still freezing stuff in the crisper. Right now we are just not using the crispers....but it could be signs that a new fridge will be in our future.
I shouldn't complain TOO much.....the manuals for the oven and for the fridge indicate that they were purchased in 1992....so they have lived a long life. But do they have to die together....like an old married couple? ETA: If we escape this with a relatively inexpensive fix, we have already decided to start saving for new appliances.....so don't tell me to do it!
Pool....oven.....fridge.....really????
ETA, 1:15pm - The oven is fixed! G-man found a burnt wire and was able to fix it!! YIPPEE! But now I guess I have to start saving for when it really goes ka-put.
I watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls over the weekend (I was sick in bed with Strep throat again). And one line from the movie (without spoilers for you have not seen it yet) was something like "their collective conscienceness is more powerful than the individual."
I can deal with one or two things needing to be replaced...but we are now starting to get into more coin than anticipated. And while we have our emergency fund, and still have $1,000 from our refi money that is sitting untouched.....plus a whole lot of overtime coming....I really wasn't planning on spending all of that just replacing stuff!! I had dreams of actually repaying debt.
I mentioned that our pool liner needs to be replaced. We researched it, and decided that this is not a DIY job for us. We have found a place that we can get the liner for $158 (and that is the thicker lining, and free shipping!!), but instillation will be about $450, plus chemicals and water. And that is if we are lucky. If there is a problem with the interior of the walls of pool once they remove the liner....that means $$$$$.
Now our oven has decided to get in on the act. A few days ago, it decided to stop warming properly. G-man looked at it and the bottom element isn't working right. We have already replaced that once, and if that is all it is....then we will be darn happy. If it turns out to be the thermostat, then we are screwed. Our elderly stove...well, they just don't make parts for it anymore. The thermostat was discontinued, and we can't find one that would work. Thus....the range would have to be replaced.
And the refrigerator....it doesn't want to be left out. The crisper drawers have decided to go wanky, and freeze anything that is in it. We tried adjusting the temp...but then the body of the fridge isn't cold enough.....and it is still freezing stuff in the crisper. Right now we are just not using the crispers....but it could be signs that a new fridge will be in our future.
I shouldn't complain TOO much.....the manuals for the oven and for the fridge indicate that they were purchased in 1992....so they have lived a long life. But do they have to die together....like an old married couple? ETA: If we escape this with a relatively inexpensive fix, we have already decided to start saving for new appliances.....so don't tell me to do it!
Pool....oven.....fridge.....really????
ETA, 1:15pm - The oven is fixed! G-man found a burnt wire and was able to fix it!! YIPPEE! But now I guess I have to start saving for when it really goes ka-put.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Happy Tax Day!
I know ALL of you have already filed your taxes....right????
We owed $192 in state taxes, and had a $1,035 refund for federal. We scheduled the state taxes to be an autodebit for today (knowing today is payday, and we KNEW there would be money in our account). There it was when I checked on line this morning....the debit has already taken place.
Still haven't received our federal refund. That is estimated to arrive this Friday. Our plan was to repay ourselves the $192 for state, and the remainder will go to finish some home projects.
Is it bad that I am already thinking about NEXT tax day? With the mortgage refi, where we paid points, are now paying FHA mortgage insurance, and with slightly higher child care costs....our refund should be a little higher next year (of course, we are paying less in interest costs, so it may all even out. Who knows).
I am really hoping to be way on down the debt snowball road by then. We have hit so many potholes...our time is due! I would really LOVE to hit our goals for this year.....it is still possible....just will really take alot work, a little luck, and no more derailment.
But for today...I can sit back and know another tax year is gone, and focus forward.
We owed $192 in state taxes, and had a $1,035 refund for federal. We scheduled the state taxes to be an autodebit for today (knowing today is payday, and we KNEW there would be money in our account). There it was when I checked on line this morning....the debit has already taken place.
Still haven't received our federal refund. That is estimated to arrive this Friday. Our plan was to repay ourselves the $192 for state, and the remainder will go to finish some home projects.
Is it bad that I am already thinking about NEXT tax day? With the mortgage refi, where we paid points, are now paying FHA mortgage insurance, and with slightly higher child care costs....our refund should be a little higher next year (of course, we are paying less in interest costs, so it may all even out. Who knows).
I am really hoping to be way on down the debt snowball road by then. We have hit so many potholes...our time is due! I would really LOVE to hit our goals for this year.....it is still possible....just will really take alot work, a little luck, and no more derailment.
But for today...I can sit back and know another tax year is gone, and focus forward.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Swagbucks Reset
I know many of you use Swagbucks as a way of earning free stuff. I do too!
I got this idea how cool it would be to buy a dining room set using JUST Swagbucks. I know that it would take forever and a day, but it was a long term goal. The plan was to exchange Swagbucks for the $5 PayPal cards, and when I had enough....buy this set.
Well, I still have this idea.....albeit not the greatest idea given current circumstances. But I have to start over. I had about $45 in my PayPal account....and I used it in a panic during the early stages of my mess. Is it the worst thing in the world.....nope. Am I annoyed.....not really. It is what it is.
So I will start again. I haven't been on the computer much lately, but I am starting to get back to things. And Swagbucks is included in that. Today is Mega Swagbucks day, so maybe I will luck out and hit some big money!!!
I got this idea how cool it would be to buy a dining room set using JUST Swagbucks. I know that it would take forever and a day, but it was a long term goal. The plan was to exchange Swagbucks for the $5 PayPal cards, and when I had enough....buy this set.
Well, I still have this idea.....albeit not the greatest idea given current circumstances. But I have to start over. I had about $45 in my PayPal account....and I used it in a panic during the early stages of my mess. Is it the worst thing in the world.....nope. Am I annoyed.....not really. It is what it is.
So I will start again. I haven't been on the computer much lately, but I am starting to get back to things. And Swagbucks is included in that. Today is Mega Swagbucks day, so maybe I will luck out and hit some big money!!!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
How A Tape Measure Saved Us $1000
Disclaimer: This whole situation was created in a moment of weakness. While I am fairly confident that it would never have been followed through, it was tempting!!
We do not get the newspaper anymore. While the coupons were nice, I am not a hard core couponer, and the expense of the paper was way greater than the savings (throwing away hundreds of coupons isn't saving money). Additionally, I would thumb through the flyers. Something about actually touching the flyer was more tempting to make purchases than just looking at them on-line.
I guess our local paper is trying to drum up business, because we got a free newspaper for a few days last week. Included in one of them was a Best Buy flyer. Normally I would not look at that flyer. I am not an electronics fiend. I leave that flyer for hubby. But this one caught my eye.
The front cover showed refrigerator, stove, microwave, and dishwasher "combo". They were "silver mist" which gave you the idea of stainless steel, but not the expense (and less cleaning of finger prints....my major issue with stainless). You didn't have to buy all of them (we don't have room for a dishwasher). So for the three appliances, it was a little under $1100.
HMMMMM. Never mind that we don't have the money. And I was freaking out over Christmas spending just a few days ago. This was interesting.
We were looking at our current appliances. The fridge is circa 1991, per the little manufacturer tag inside. We couldn't find one for the stove (it may be on the back), but the owner's manual is dated 1992. So figure these appliances are going on 20 years old. The microwave is about 5 years old, but the handle is broken, and the replacement handle is $50, which seems ridiculous (that is 1/3 the cost of the whole thing!).
HMMMMM. The stove burners are starting to act funky. The fridge isn't Energy Star. HMMMMMMM.
I went on line and read reviews. All great reviews. The only downfall was that the oven wasn't self cleaning. I can live with that.....
Best Buy had 24 month no payment, 0% interest if paid in full before the end. Heck, we can pay off $1000 in 2 years!!! I wrote down all the dimensions. And G-man and I measured our space. BAM. That was the end of our plan.
The stove was the same size as ours, so no problem there. Microwave....no problem. But the fridge.....no go. The new fridge was 25 or 26 cu ft. Ours is 19 cu ft. The new fridge was several inches wider and taller. The taller would be ok, but the wider....no way. There was no room to fudge that much. We had maybe 2 inches give room. The cabinet on the other side of stove would have to come out, and that just opens a can of worms we weren't prepared for.
At some point we know that our appliances will give out and need to be replaced. And we will be limited on what we can do at that point unless we are ready to "redo" the entire kitchen. But we will cross that bridge when we get there. For now.....measuring our space first saved us alot of money, trouble, and heartache.
We do not get the newspaper anymore. While the coupons were nice, I am not a hard core couponer, and the expense of the paper was way greater than the savings (throwing away hundreds of coupons isn't saving money). Additionally, I would thumb through the flyers. Something about actually touching the flyer was more tempting to make purchases than just looking at them on-line.
I guess our local paper is trying to drum up business, because we got a free newspaper for a few days last week. Included in one of them was a Best Buy flyer. Normally I would not look at that flyer. I am not an electronics fiend. I leave that flyer for hubby. But this one caught my eye.
The front cover showed refrigerator, stove, microwave, and dishwasher "combo". They were "silver mist" which gave you the idea of stainless steel, but not the expense (and less cleaning of finger prints....my major issue with stainless). You didn't have to buy all of them (we don't have room for a dishwasher). So for the three appliances, it was a little under $1100.
HMMMMM. Never mind that we don't have the money. And I was freaking out over Christmas spending just a few days ago. This was interesting.
We were looking at our current appliances. The fridge is circa 1991, per the little manufacturer tag inside. We couldn't find one for the stove (it may be on the back), but the owner's manual is dated 1992. So figure these appliances are going on 20 years old. The microwave is about 5 years old, but the handle is broken, and the replacement handle is $50, which seems ridiculous (that is 1/3 the cost of the whole thing!).
HMMMMM. The stove burners are starting to act funky. The fridge isn't Energy Star. HMMMMMMM.
I went on line and read reviews. All great reviews. The only downfall was that the oven wasn't self cleaning. I can live with that.....
Best Buy had 24 month no payment, 0% interest if paid in full before the end. Heck, we can pay off $1000 in 2 years!!! I wrote down all the dimensions. And G-man and I measured our space. BAM. That was the end of our plan.
The stove was the same size as ours, so no problem there. Microwave....no problem. But the fridge.....no go. The new fridge was 25 or 26 cu ft. Ours is 19 cu ft. The new fridge was several inches wider and taller. The taller would be ok, but the wider....no way. There was no room to fudge that much. We had maybe 2 inches give room. The cabinet on the other side of stove would have to come out, and that just opens a can of worms we weren't prepared for.
At some point we know that our appliances will give out and need to be replaced. And we will be limited on what we can do at that point unless we are ready to "redo" the entire kitchen. But we will cross that bridge when we get there. For now.....measuring our space first saved us alot of money, trouble, and heartache.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
New Swagbucks Gift card!
Do you use Swagbucks? If you don't, you need to start! Just for using them as your search engine, you randomly earn Swagbucks, which you can redeem for cool gift cards, like Starbucks, Target, or even for PayPal.
But oh.....they now have one for Overstock.com! I have been wanting a dining room set from there. How freaking cool would it be to save up enough to get a whole dining room set!! I have a LONG way to go. Like, I need 114,000 to get what I want...and I have 4,300.
You can only redeem up to 5 of the same cards per month, so I will need to factor that in. Maybe my challenge will be to try and earn it by next Christmas! Let's see....14 months for 110k points. That is about 7900 points a month.....hmmmm.....this might be tough. ;)
It would take 18 months to be able to redeem all the cards anyway....so if I shoot for 18 months to get the table....that's about 6100 points a month, or just over 200 points a day. I better get searching.
But oh.....they now have one for Overstock.com! I have been wanting a dining room set from there. How freaking cool would it be to save up enough to get a whole dining room set!! I have a LONG way to go. Like, I need 114,000 to get what I want...and I have 4,300.
You can only redeem up to 5 of the same cards per month, so I will need to factor that in. Maybe my challenge will be to try and earn it by next Christmas! Let's see....14 months for 110k points. That is about 7900 points a month.....hmmmm.....this might be tough. ;)
It would take 18 months to be able to redeem all the cards anyway....so if I shoot for 18 months to get the table....that's about 6100 points a month, or just over 200 points a day. I better get searching.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Do you try to use a competitor's coupon?
This is where G-man's total passive approach to life gets in the way.
He was at Home Depot yesterday picking up paint. I gave him a Sherwin William's coupon for 25% and told him to ask if they accept competitor coupons. I have used these coupons successfully at Lowe's, so I thought we would give Home Depot a shot.
So he gave the coupon to the cashier, who said no, can't use it. *sigh*
If I was there, I would have asked for a manager. If the manager said No, then that is that. I tried. But usually the manager has the authority to give the green light. On $75 worth of paint, that coupon would have saved us $18.75!
But G-man took 19 year old-has worked at Home Depot for less than a year at her word. Because I am soooooo sure she knows the store policies like the back of her hand. GRRR. So when she said no, he accepted it, paid, and went on his way.
(and then proceeded to spend 2 hours on tinting the ceiling paint, vs the maybe 30 minutes it should have taken....but I digress).
What would you have done in this situation? Not used the coupon? Gone to Sherwin Williams? Asked for a manager? Something else???
He was at Home Depot yesterday picking up paint. I gave him a Sherwin William's coupon for 25% and told him to ask if they accept competitor coupons. I have used these coupons successfully at Lowe's, so I thought we would give Home Depot a shot.
So he gave the coupon to the cashier, who said no, can't use it. *sigh*
If I was there, I would have asked for a manager. If the manager said No, then that is that. I tried. But usually the manager has the authority to give the green light. On $75 worth of paint, that coupon would have saved us $18.75!
But G-man took 19 year old-has worked at Home Depot for less than a year at her word. Because I am soooooo sure she knows the store policies like the back of her hand. GRRR. So when she said no, he accepted it, paid, and went on his way.
(and then proceeded to spend 2 hours on tinting the ceiling paint, vs the maybe 30 minutes it should have taken....but I digress).
What would you have done in this situation? Not used the coupon? Gone to Sherwin Williams? Asked for a manager? Something else???
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Well darn....my math skills were off
We are so close to getting a $50 gift card for a home improvement store. Remember, I started using my rewards card just to get this and then I am done. I started the process, and I want to finish.
The points are awarded at the end of the billing cycle, which was yesterday. I checked my points, and I am 46 points short. So now I have to wait until the end of the next billing cycle (Mid November) before I can redeem the points. I basically need one more purchase to get there.
Frustrating. We were hoping to use the gift card as part of our hallway project (which I want done before Thanksgiving because my parents are coming to visit). No such luck.
The card won't go to waste. We have plenty to do. I was just trying to stretch the budget enough to paint and get new lights.
Bummer.
The points are awarded at the end of the billing cycle, which was yesterday. I checked my points, and I am 46 points short. So now I have to wait until the end of the next billing cycle (Mid November) before I can redeem the points. I basically need one more purchase to get there.
Frustrating. We were hoping to use the gift card as part of our hallway project (which I want done before Thanksgiving because my parents are coming to visit). No such luck.
The card won't go to waste. We have plenty to do. I was just trying to stretch the budget enough to paint and get new lights.
Bummer.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly - October 3, 2010
It has been a few weeks since I did this. So much for a "weekly" series. But you all know how it goes.....
If you are new to this...this is my weekly recap of the financial situations that fell into each category. It is completely subjective, as my ugly might not be that bad to you. But when you look at what was good and what was bad, and then analyze it based on past weeks....it becomes easier to see trends. This week seems to focus on Home Improvement.
So let's get to it.
The Good: I am happy to report that my "extra" $700 was not because I forgot something major!!! I am glad that I put some aside for bills, and used the rest on our regular expenses of gas, food, and the like. And it came in handy this week when we had to buy winterizing fertilizer (hello, $43 a bag!!!).
The Bad: This one actually happened last Saturday, but since I didn't do a round up last week, I am sticking it here. I gave into peer pressure on a purchase. I bought a spooky tree for my Ghost vignette that I started last year. It was $50. I used cash that I had been saving for some new clothes for me when I get into the next smaller size (which by the way....ain't going so well). So it didn't go against any budgeted money. But it probably wasn't the wisest decision. I was going to wait until after Halloween when things go on clearance....and she convinced me that being a cool seasonal item, and there was only 2 at the store....the chances that they would still have it after Halloween was small. So I bought my spooky tree.....and it is awesome!!!! But I know I didn't need it.
The Ugly: Home improvement projects can get expensive without proper planning. And in an effort to thwart that from happening, we have created an entirely new problem. We are going to paint our hallways (upstairs and downstairs), stairwell, and alcove area. And have the money put aside already for this project, and hopefully some new lights. But the color....*sigh* We have never had so much problem getting the color right in all the rooms we have painted. I swear, the little paint chip and the color on the wall are different.
So, how about you.....what are your GBUs for the week????
If you are new to this...this is my weekly recap of the financial situations that fell into each category. It is completely subjective, as my ugly might not be that bad to you. But when you look at what was good and what was bad, and then analyze it based on past weeks....it becomes easier to see trends. This week seems to focus on Home Improvement.
So let's get to it.
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Additionally, I was able to buy 3 smaller pumpkins ($4.56) and some fall flowers ($12.99) for my scarecrow vignette in front of the house, without guilt. I love decorating for the fall (heck, I like decorating in general!), and the little scene is much more well rounded and cute now. And the $18 I spent didn't break the bank, and I will get lots of pleasure from it.
The Ugly: Home improvement projects can get expensive without proper planning. And in an effort to thwart that from happening, we have created an entirely new problem. We are going to paint our hallways (upstairs and downstairs), stairwell, and alcove area. And have the money put aside already for this project, and hopefully some new lights. But the color....*sigh* We have never had so much problem getting the color right in all the rooms we have painted. I swear, the little paint chip and the color on the wall are different.
We have been buying sample jars, and so far, have put 10 colors up, and while we are getting closer....I am not sure we are there yet. Sample jars range in price from $3-$4, depending on where you get them. (For what it is worth, we have discovered that Lowe's has the best value....7 ounces for $2.94, vs 2 ounces for $3.99 at another place) We have a batch that are too "fleshy," a batch that are too "gold," and a batch that may be too "dark." (and the lighting in the hall stinks, so getting a good look is tough. In these pictures, the one we are leaning toward looks darker than it is in real life).
We have spent about $35 already on testers. While this is way better than spending $25 on a gallon and finding out it isn't right, we might need to get some more, upping the total to closer to $45....and we haven't even actually started!! I really want the lights for the project, so I have not been using the money put aside for this project for all the testers. But at some point we have to call it a day. The latest batch is closer to what we want, and there is about a 70% chance we will actually PICK one of those. But I think they may be too dark and may want to get 1 or 2 more testers.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The timing is STILL not right...but.....
UGH. Why this week? Why when I am stressed about school and money does this happen?
August is just a bad month for me emotionally. I have had alot of bad things happen in August, and it just builds over the month. So, I tend to be a little edgy to start.
Add in the kids' birthday (which is related to the emotional stuff too). Presents and cake. And we do not do parties, but we do one special day for them instead. This year it is the movies, lunch, and Bounce house place. (It was supposed to be a theme park, but the weather isn't good).
Add in back to school shopping. And August is an expensive month.
I got a small bonus at work. Which we decided to use towards the kids' birthday celebration. We have leaned a little on the credit cards due to higher than normal spending, and my mistake of opening Pandora's Box to get the credit card points.
And what happens.....My coveted bookcase is back. Maybe it is a good sign that no one wants to buy it and it is just waiting for me.
Not a good week to tempt me! UGH. WHINE AND CRY!!!
Someone slap me.
August is just a bad month for me emotionally. I have had alot of bad things happen in August, and it just builds over the month. So, I tend to be a little edgy to start.
Add in the kids' birthday (which is related to the emotional stuff too). Presents and cake. And we do not do parties, but we do one special day for them instead. This year it is the movies, lunch, and Bounce house place. (It was supposed to be a theme park, but the weather isn't good).
Add in back to school shopping. And August is an expensive month.
I got a small bonus at work. Which we decided to use towards the kids' birthday celebration. We have leaned a little on the credit cards due to higher than normal spending, and my mistake of opening Pandora's Box to get the credit card points.
And what happens.....My coveted bookcase is back. Maybe it is a good sign that no one wants to buy it and it is just waiting for me.
Not a good week to tempt me! UGH. WHINE AND CRY!!!
Someone slap me.
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