Some utilities talk

Has everyone settled down from the holidays?  Believe it or not...Christmas was almost 2 weeks ago at this point!  We did not really decorate for the holidays, so cleaning up was less than 15 minutes.  Not having my holiday stuff out definitely impacted my outlook.  It was a constant reminder that the kids and I are here...and G-man is THERE.  I know the kids missed it too. 

Electricity

One small benefit of not decorating was that our electric bill was considerably lower for December than it usually is!  The biggest benefit to this we won't see until the end of January.  See, there is a HUGE rate hike here in CT on electricity that started January 1.  In our case, it is a 50% rate hike on the delivery!!!  As a whole, this will probably result in about a 25% overall increase in the bill.  (Our supply fee is about half of the bill, and the delivery fee is the other half - and that is the part that just spiked!). 

However, we are on a leveled budget plan, so we pay the same amount each month, year round (currently it is $105, down from $130 originally - but the electric company adjusted it months back when our usage was lower than predicted).  It is based on an average of the past 12 months.  Our plan resets in January, so starting in February we will have a new budget amount.  Since our usage was down overall, our average will be lower.  Additionally, there is a good chance that by the time we leave, we will have a credit with the electric company!

Because of this, I am debating going off the budget plan, and just paying the monthly bill as it would be.  The winter has lower usage than the summer (because of the air conditioning).  And since we will be gone before the peak months hit, it may be cash-flow effective to just forgo the budget.  I am "guessing" that the budget rate will be around $130....actual usage may be closer to $100.

Oil

Any long time reader knows that we pay out the nose for heating oil.  Our current amount is $320 a month, every month, all year.....with a reset in August.  

When we sign up each year with the budget plan, we also have to decide if we want "cap protection."  For an additional fee, you are guaranteed to have the going per gallon cost on the day of your fill-up, not to go higher than your negotiated rate (this year it is 3.699).  However, if the price remains steady or goes up, that extra amount you pay is a waste...because you don't see a true benefit.  Typically the fee runs $25-$30 extra per month. 

In the past several years, we have purchased the cap protection because the oil prices were so high, there was a good chance they would come down.  Roughly, the rate would have to be about $0.16 cheaper per gallon to break even, and anything else would be actual savings.  

Well, our cap protection hasn't yielded savings in past years, as the rate either remained steady or rose (we still got the cheaper price based on the protection).  So this year we decided to forgo the cap protection and just do a fixed price.

Fixed price is the agreed price, regardless of what the per gallon cost is that day.  It never goes higher or lower.  And because who would have predicted that the prices would have DROPPED so drastically....we lost out on those savings.  BOOOOOO!!!!!

When we did the budget plan in August, we hadn't received the offer for the new job yet, but we knew things were in the pipeline.  We hedged our bets that we would get the job, and that we would sell the house and be gone before winter.  Yeah....that worked out well.

Water

We get a 2x a year water bill (May and November).  November is always higher because of the pool, watering the plants, etc.  But I choked when we got the November bill....$379!!!  GACK!!!  Our usage was up compared to the year before (kids taking more showers, and longer shower....despite working on this!!  And more sewer usage...I will spare you the details on this one.....).  But the rate also went up on this as well.

Not gonna lie....that bill wiped out our mini account where we save for these bills (that account also hold money for the 2x a year property taxes, and the 4x a year trash bill).  Was not a happy camper. We will have our May bill, and then we will have a "settle up" bill when we move.

I am really looking forward to getting rid of all of this and replacing it with new utilities!!  The electric bill will be lower, as the rate in SC is WAY lower than here in CT.  Even with running the air conditioning...it will be more energy efficient than window units (and the appliances will also most likely be more efficient!)  Oil will get replaced with natural gas (my girlfriend who used to live there said her gas bill was $62 a month....).  Water...no idea....that one is a mystery at this point.

Anyone else have sticker shock on their utilities???

If you can't figure it out....

Why do you assume I can?  Our electric bill was $213, and I have added and subtracted numbers every which way...and can't come up with $213.  So I called the electric company....

Warning....there are alot of numbers in this post, and I did it purposely.  Just so you could feel the wonder and excitement that was my phone call to the electric company.

HAHA.  32 minutes on the phone and no closer to an answer.  Asked to speak to someone else, and of course no one was available, and "someone will call you back."  Not holding my breath.  How much you wanna bet I am going to have to call again???

I reached the call center and explained that I was trying to determine how they came up with $213 for the bill.  And also that the bill stated that $213 was my new budget amount.....and that can't be right, since that more than doubles what we are currently paying.

First she tried to tell me it was because it was the settle up month (yes, I know).  I asked how much the settle up amount was.  UHHHHH.  I said, the balance forward was $88...is that the settle up amount.  UHHHHHH.

I asked what our new budget amount is.  UHHHHH.  Rough estimate based on previous year's usage would be $115 (which is what I got).  But she said the computer won't tell her the new amount until the balance is settled.

OK....assuming:

New budget amount = 115
Balance Forward = 88

The sum is 203 (which is NOT 213).

Then she tried to tell me it was based on the difference between the budgeted billed amount and the usage.

Usage = 1387 (we agreed on this, based on adding up all the bills for 12 months)

Billed per the bill - 1253
But if you add up all the bills it is 1260. 

So which is it?  UHHHHHH.

1387 - 1253 = 134
1387 - 1260 =  127

So we still aren't at 213.

213 - 134 = 79
213 - 127 =  86 (which is now closer to the 88 balance forward, so does that mean you are saying that 127 is the budget amount???  UHHHH)

Then she told me it was really 252 (which is the December usage + balance forward)  if we weren't on the budget plan.  What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?  We are on the budget plan.

This shouldn't be this hard:    Settle up amount + new budget rate = January bill.    

Why can't the bill just say:  Your settle up amount is X.  Your new budget amount is Y.  This isn't hard....this is basic math.  But since no one knows those numbers....I am expected to just "go with" the 213.

NOOOOOOOO.  I can come up with 203....but not 213. 

Then she said it was because I paid different amounts over the year.  Uh, no.  You billed 104....there were a few months that I paid a day late, so the amount got credited the next month.  But each month I had a zero balance toward the budget payment.  I paid 1286, and was billed for  1260, but still owe 88 because the usage was 1387......even though 1387-1286 is 101????


I know how to add and subtract.  If there is an error on the bill (which I think there is, since I can come up with 203), then just fix it.  If my new budget amount is 125 (which will get us to 213)....then I want to know how 1387/12 = 125, because my calculator says 115.

And this is why, ladies and gentleman....they don't want you to look at the bill.  They can't explain the bill, so they just hope you will pay what they say and go away.  If they are going to charge you an amount, you are owed an explanation of how they got to that number.

They hate people like me.

Another Oil Budget Year

A quick note to my crafty friends....my craft crisis is over.  I purchased new crepe paper, and a few other items (I had a coupon), so I am set for a few projects.  *ahhhhhh*  I can get my craft on again.  Just being in the store made me feel better.  Can I just sleep there....make a little bed on the silk flowers or something?

So, I called the oil company yesterday.  It is that wonderful time of year that we reset the oil budget for the coming year.  The bottom line is that our monthly bill will be a whopping $13 less than this year.  Woo.  Hoo.

I am kicking myself that we didn't call a few weeks ago.  The prices had dropped, and we were pretty sure they would drop further.  So we waited.  We were hoping to lock in a rate of $3.35 or so.  That would have made our monthly payments around $287, which would be a $54 savings per month.  I would have over $600 more to put elsewhere for the year.

But the rates started to rise....and here we are.  We do have "cap" protection, so our rate will never go higher than what we locked in at.  And if the rate drops on the day we get a delivery, we will get the lower rate per gallon.  But on a monthly basis, we still pay the same.  Usually this results in a credit in the end, which gets applied to the next year.

$13 a month.  $156 a year.  Woo.  Hoo.

It will either go to the student loan (remember yesterday when I talked about paying another $20 a month?) or into the car maintenance fund (remember a few days ago when I was stressing over that?)

Oh well....I supposed $329 a month is better than $342.  And it certainly is better than the $517 we were paying in 2008!!!!

Day to Day Life

First off....where were you all yesterday???  I know this is going to sound ridiculous...but I didn't get one comment, and my page views were WAY down.  Either everyone is super busy, or I am boring.  The world revolves around ME, so you know I am taking it personally!

Anyway, this is the last day of the month, so thought I would wrap up a few changes to report.....nothing of consequence....just the day to day little things.....

1)  I have cut my check writing way down.  I now pay for the kids lunch in cash (I get mostly ones at the bank for this....they probably think I am going to the strip club....).  Since I have to go to the bank to deposit my paycheck, I just take care of it while I am there.

2)  Our electric bill has gone down $6 a month.  We are on a budget plan, so we pay the same amount each month (instead of the huge spike in the summer due to the A/C).  Woo woo.....$6.  It is already going to go to the new cell phone bill (more on that next week).  One place giveth, another taketh.

3)  Our overpayment from the retirement loan arrive.  It was $16.XX.  So about $2 more than we thought.  Woo.  Woo.

4)  Some how we way overspent in the past week.  I know about the unbudgeted gifts (roughly $100 total).  The best I can figure is that because February is a 3 paycheck month for me, some items came out from my second January paycheck that normally get paid later. We had to dip into our savings a little (not the EF).  I hate doing it.  The savings acct is lower than I am comfortable, so I will need to replenish that.  While I wish it could just be from my extra February paycheck, that is already alloted for "catch-up" on the oil bill. (Yes, I am a little behind.  $342 a month is alot of money!!!  By the end of February we will be all caught up again)

As usual....I am looking forward to payday tomorrow so I can pay a few bills.  And G-man's check next week will have OT (which is going into a separate account) AND Holiday (MLK Day).  Plus, it won't have the retirement loan coming out.....so I am curious to see what it will look like.  I know that it will be an oddball check, as having all of those things happen at once isn't typical.  But I am looking forward to it.

Nothing major to report.....just the day to day life stuff!

It pays to ask

I was bumming hard about the oil bill.  So I waited a few days....and wouldn't you know it....the prices have dropped!!  I called again yesterday, and the price per gallon had dropped $0.10!!!

I got a super nice gal who did some quick analysis and we have been purchasing more oil than we really needed.  We have used under 900 gallons in the past two years, even with the really cold and snowy winter this year (hello, 7 FEET of snow!!). Her recommendation was to drop the total purchases a little bit, and if we need more....we will get it at the going rate that day.  Could be higher than what we were paying...could be lower.  We always know how much we have used because it is printed on our monthly fill-up receipt.  Easy to keep track.

By getting less oil, it also dropped the cap protection price (since it was per gallon).  Then, she asked if we would like 11 or 12 payments.....uh, 12 please!!!

Our new price will be $342...vs $402 last week.  That is a $60 a month savings!  And brings it almost in line with my estimate that it was going to go up $125 (it actually is $135).  So this is MUCH closer to what I was expecting.

All the little thing add up!!

The Oil Budget came..

And it is almost double what we have been paying.  An increase of 94%.  From $207 to $402.

And the spiral just keeps going....

And to add insult to injury...our retirement account lost 10k....

Just Like That.....

the beginning of the backward slide.

I updated our current totals, which now reflect the bill we got for Bossy's supplies (and that is only 4 months worth) and the recent car repair.  Add in a little interest...and it is a back slide of about $2k.

Plus, we found out that our mortgage company didn't pay one of the tax bills.  They claim they didn't have it....amazing how in the 10 years we have had the house, and the mortgage has been sold off many times....and this is the first time.  We have money in escrow, BUT, now that they have to account for another $800 a year, they are raising our escrow amount by $41 per month.  Part of me almost wants to do another refi.  Rates have dropped again, and if I compare mortgage rates, I might get a better deal.


I will have to call the medical company and set up a payment plan, but I have no idea where that money is going to come from.  Ideally they want stuff paid on a rolling 6 month basis.  I know they are going to want way more than we can give them.

I am estimating that our oil bill will be going up about $125 a month.  Again...no idea where that is coming from. 

In just over a day....our monthly expenses have skyrocketed.

Some hard choices will need to be made soon.  Cell phones....probably cut down to bare bones.  Cable....I have really REALLY been resisting getting rid of U-verse (cuz we love it), but we may have to.  Land line....which is very rarely used but I have just been afraid to get rid of....probably will go.

I am running out of things to cut back.

Hopefully we will get a decent amount back on our car issues (boy has that turned into another mess).  That may help some.   We have paid almost $3500 in car repairs and maintenance in 7 months....and that is just on our credit card.  That doesn't include stuff we paid cash for (some smaller repairs, oil changes, wiper blades).

Scared doesn't even to come close to my current state.

I may have to find a full time job.  I have no idea how I will be able to handle that right now.  I would like to parlay my current job into more hours...not sure if that will happen.  But I need more income.  Forget debt repayment....that is just to pay the minimums.

I have been really avoiding bankruptcy.  I really really don't want to go there.  But I may not have a choice.  Just thinking about it is making me feel dirty.

Overwhelmed.  I have no idea how others do this.....

We waited as long as we could....

but today is the day.  The air conditioners are going in.  Typically, the A/C goes in sometime in late June.  We try not to run it constantly, but it all depends on Mother Nature.  I know that the window units aren't the most efficient, but it is what we have.

The kids have box fans in their bedrooms, which actually do a nice job cooling their rooms, especially Sassy's room.  We do have A/C for them, but hopefully we won't need them.

The downstairs and our bedroom....those are animals of a different color.  The downstairs is just heavy with humidity.  As I type, my arms are sticking to the desk.  The floor in the kitchen just is sticky.  I think it is 20 degrees cooler OUTSIDE than it is in the house.  And our bedroom...I need it cooler.  Our windows face South, so it just retains heat.

While I was enjoying the prospect of lower electric bills....the time has come.  The good thing?  Here in CT, we have short summers, so it may be 6 weeks of use.  Not horrible.  I am looking forward to actually getting some sleep tonight, and being able to sit in the living room without sweat running down my back.

Are you saving money this summer?

This is a guest post by Andreas from moneysupermarket.com; who writes about all things finance including savings, loans and credit cards.

The economic climate during the last couple of years has caused people to be a bit more frugal during the months when we’re normally most likely to spend more money.

Many people get carried away with their spending during the summer months, but I see it as a great time to save money. The sun is shining during the summer months (depending on where you’re based) and you can use the hot weather to your advantage to save some money. 

Hang Your Clothes Outside  
Whilst the sun is shining during the summer period you should hang your clothes outside instead of using the conventional dryer. 

Hanging your clothes outside should help you to save money on electricity, and if you’re green minded you’ll be happy to know that you’re doing your bit for the environment too. 

Go on a Holiday Closer to Home 

I normally go abroad once a year but last year I decided to vacation at home in the UK and I did save a lot of money. Often referred to as a “staycation”, going on vacation locally is becoming much more popular as it’s a cheaper alternative to going abroad.  

As long as you feel like you’ve traveled far enough away from home then you will still feel like you’ve had a holiday experience. Do some research and see what areas you could travel to where you have never been before and try something new.

 

Try Not to Use Air Conditioners 

Using air conditioners during the summer can seriously inflate your electric bill; try to circulate the air around your home more effectively. You can use portable or ceiling fans and you can open all of your windows to try and generate a breeze. If you really feel like you need an air conditioner, make sure the one you choose has an energy star rating for being energy efficient.

 

Try to Avoid Using Your Car 

Instead of jumping in your car and heading off to enjoy the summer weather somewhere, why not consider jumping on the train and taking your bicycle with you? You’ll save money on petrol and do your bit for the environment too.

 

Grow Your Own Fruit and Veg or Visit a Farmers Market 

Take advantage of the hot weather and grow your own fruit and veg during the summer, you may be surprised by how green fingered you actually are. Foods like tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and even corn grow fantastically well so try them out. 

One other thing you could do is pay a visit to any local farmers markets in your area; they can be a great resource for fresh produce at great prices so see what they have to offer.

I hope I’ve outlined some ways in which you can save money during the summer period, if you have anything that you think I’ve missed be sure to let me know in the comments section.

Mysti's Note:  Thanks to Andreas for this post.  The thing I love about this post is that despite the fact that Andreas lives "across the pond" from me, in the UK, the ideas are still the same!

Would you gamble it?

No one knows what is going to happen with the gas and oil prices.  All I know is that they just keep going UP.  I have talked many times about 2008, when the prices were high (and those were lower than now!!) and we were paying  $517 a month for heating oil.  OUCH.  In the end, the company adjusted for the large credit we had once the price came down (we had price protection).

I spoke to the oil company this morning, as our budget plan expires at the end of this month.  Right now, we have about a $400 credit, but we will have the tank topped off (at a rate of $2.99/gal) at the end of the month, which will leave about a $200 credit (which equates to about $18 off per month for the next year).

Now comes the debate of the moment....when to lock in a rate for the next year.

Currently, the rate is $4.19/gal (plus a $0.30/gal fee for price protection....bring us to $4.49/gal).  If we lock in now....it will come out to about $430 a month for oil (plus cleaning of the furnace).  If the per gallon rate continues to go up, we won't have to pay more than this price...and if it falls, we will get the lower price per gallon, however we may still need to pay the higher rate and end up with a big credit again (unless they adjust it again, like in 2008).

We are paying $207 now....so we are looking at  double the current amount.

However, if the price drops, and we wait to lock it in....we would be looking at a much lower payment.  Of course, the flipside is if the prices go up, then we will be kicking ourselves that we didn't lock in at $4.19.

The "plan" right now is to wait and see what happens.  We can start our new budget year whenever we want.  So if we see the rates drop...we can pull the trigger.  If the prices continue to go up, we can ride it out until we are closer to needing to get oil (which would probably be October). 
In the meantime, we will raise our oil budget to $300/month and just put it in an ING account to hold onto it.  This way, we have a little bit of a slush fund for this, plus there is a chance that if the rate drops, we may be able to prebuy our oil and get a better rate.

Would you gamble it?  Would you lock in now? 

Oil Prices are going UP UP UP!!

One of the unfortunate realities of living in New England and having an old home (100 years old last year!!!), is that we have oil heat and oil-based hot water.  Our tank is a standard 275 gallon tank.  Typically, we use about half a tank per month during the winter months, and about 3/4 of a tank for spring and summer.  Fall is hit or miss.

We are on an auto fill plan, where the oil company just shows up on a schedule and fills the tank.  We had a fill up yesterday....which will probably be the last fill up until Fall (probably October, maybe early November).  We got 187 gallons.  We can look back at the history, and this at first appears high, but we haven't had a fill up since mid February....so all in all, it is about right.

We are also on a budget plan.  Our budget plan resets in June.  We have two options:  fixed rate, or capped rate.  A fixed rate plan is just that...we lock in a price, and no matter what the oil prices do, that is what we pay.  In a capped rate plan (which also has an additional charge associated with it), you lock in a rate, but if the price drops below your locked rate, you get the cheaper rate.  They figure out the number of gallons you will typically use and pre-purchase the oil.  The monthly charge is 1/11 of that, plus fees.

Last year we did fixed rate.  We figured out that prices needed to drop 70 cents to make it worth the extra money for the capped plan.  At that time, we locked in $2.999, and we felt it was unlikely for the price to drop that far and we couldn't justify paying the extra.  Good call for us....because the rate never dropped at all.

Yesterday's fill up would have been $3.999 a gallon if we didn't have the fixed rate.  This gives us an idea where the price is for our new budget plan....YIKES.  In 2008 when rates were high, we were paying $517 a month!!  Couple that with putting gas in two vehicles, and we were somewhere in the range of $1000 for oil and gas.  That is just insane.

That also caused some of our credit card problems.  We ran out of money. So gas went on a credit card....OFTEN.

Right now we are paying $207 a month (we had a credit last year).  I did a rough calculation...and if the rate locked in at $3.999....before fees and such....we would be at about $400 a month for oil.  If we do the capped rate plan, it will be closer to $430.  I think we will have a credit again...which will drop the price some.

No matter how you look at it....our oil bill is going UP.  Somewhere in the neighborhood of $150-$200.  This really bites.  We will probably do the capped plan, in hopes that oil prices will drop back down over the next year.  Gonna have to find $150 more in the budget.....UGH.

And just so you know...we have a programmable thermostat already.  It is set at 66 during the day when no one is home and overnight.  68 while we are awake.

CORRECTION:  I double checked the program, and we are at 64 overnight.

I found the culprit!!!

We get a water/sewer bill every 6 months (May and November).  It is generally about $180 in May, and $225 in November (thanks to summer water usage).  So that is what I budgeted for.

When the bill arrived and it was $350, I choked.  WHAT????  How is our bill almost 50% higher????

The only real difference in our water usage is that the kids now shower themselves.  We regulate the temperature for them, and then they do the rest.  Bossy is pretty much a "get in, get out" kind of kid.  And Sassy.....

*sigh*

I am now realizing how LONG Sassy is taking in the shower!!!  I helped Bossy dry off....Sassy got in....and I walked out.  I went downstairs, did a few things....and about 20 min later realized she was still in there!

Good grief, child.  You are only 4'3".  How long can it take to wash your hair and body??  You aren't even shaving yet!!

So now I am looking for a waterproof timer for the shower.  They will get 6 minutes each.  No more 20 minute soaking showers.   A 50% increase in water usage is just not cool.

Green Energy

Happy Earth Day!!

So I got a call from Viridian Energy last night.  Our state is deregulated, which means you can have one of multiple energy suppliers.  Of course, they are all trying to get your business.  We had Dominion Energy, which was one of the cheaper companies...no problems.

Viridian is new to our state, and they offer a "greener" solution to electric.  Additionally, their rate is lower!  Plus, they offered us a $50 cash rebate to switch over to them (no contract).  So we did it.

Now, the $50 cash will of course go into the debt repayment pot.  The reduced rate...that is a little trickier for us.  We are on a budget plan that doesn't reset until January.  So, we might get charged less per month, but in total, it will end up as a credit at the end of the year and actually effect NEXT YEAR'S plan.

Assuming our energy consumption stays the same, it will save us probably $5-$10 a month.  I am hoping to continue to cut our energy consumption....my goal is to have our electric bill under $100 a month (we are at $123 right now).

Our Energy Audit

We signed up for an energy audit through our electric company.  The charge is normally $75 (which is a good price to start with....) but I had a coupon that brought it down to only $25!

They started by testing our "draft" level of the house.  Without getting technical, lets just say our house is a wind tunnel.  Our house is 100 yrs old, with the original rope hung, single pane windows.  Enuf said.  The minimal air level we should have in the house was 875 (below that would require mechanical ventilation).  Our starting level was 4100!!! 

The program is designed to seal up to 25% of the draft areas and make energy saving recommendations.  Additionally, they would replace our light bulbs with the newer energy efficient ones.  Heck, we got over $25 in light bulbs alone.

The guys caulked around windows and doors.  Added weather stripping and draft guards to the doors.  Plus, they found a HUGE hole in the top of our linen closet that was leaking air into our attic.  By the end, our draft level was down just over 25%.  We got 8 new light bulbs, plus a fancy dancy 3-way energy efficient bulb.

Additionally, we are eligible for a TON of rebates if we do some improvements in the next 45 days.  Alot of this requires buying new appliances, which isn't happening.  BUT, the one we are seriously considering is adding insulation in the attic.  Currently we have an R15 value, and it should be R30, minimum.  The initial layout would be about $890.  But we would get $445 back as a rebate (50%) and be able to right off another $187 on our taxes next year....bringing the final cost to $258!  This will save tons of money on heating since the heat won't be escaping. 

The whole audit took about 2.5 hrs, and again, cost us only $25.  WELL worth the money.

Do they really think they can get away with this??

I have said it before, and I will say it again.......I hate people.  Ok, that is harsh.  I don't REALLY hate people, but I am so sick and tired of having to make everything into a mini project.  Why can't things just work the first time?  Why do I have to be a vigilante about following up on changes?

Newest case in point:  Our phone bill.

In an attempt to phase out the house phone and go wireless (we got a larger cell phone plan to cover all of this, and even with that, we may have overestimated what we needed and have to adjust.....more on the cell phone later.)  On Feb 25, G-man called the phone company and removed our unlimited long distance and additional services from our home phone.  This would reduce the bill to about $28/mo (with taxes and such), from about $59/mo.  Savings of $30 a month (which is offset by the increase in the cell phone, but eventually when we get rid of the home phone completely, then it really is a $30/mo savings.

Got the bill....$210!!  WHAT???!!!!!!  Clearly shows the change in service on FEBRUARY 25.  Prorated the long distance service charge for Feb 25-March 9.  Ok, that is fair....we pay for the time we used.  So far so good.

Then they itemized the long distance charges, and went back to the beginning of the billing cycle on February 10 (2 full weeks before we made the change), and proceeded to charge us $0.33 a minute for long distance.  But we still had unlimited long distance during this period of time.  Are you kidding me?

So I will have to call about this tomorrow.  I am hoping this is just a mistake and an easy fix.  But I am not confident this will be that easy.  Additionally on my "to call" list:  Bossy Boy's medical supply company, who sent us yet ANOTHER bill, this one for 2x more than the last....even though I have already called them and they said "oh, you have a waiver, you shouldn't have gotten a bill."  *sigh*

And also call the newspaper.  I keep trying to cancel the paper, and they keep delivering it, and of course charging us for it.  We called and cancelled.  We wrote CANCEL on the bill.  They called us, and we told them again CANCEL.  Take the hint people.

These three items should cost about $45 right now.  But I have bills totalling over $600 right now.  Let's think about this....$45 vs $600.  Sure, I would love to just give you $555 more than I should.  I am just that generous.

NOT!!!!!!

Cell phone debockle

I posted a few weeks ago about our new cell phone plan that we were so excited about.

Got our first bill (which was the first issue...since we were told we wouldn't get a bill until March).  And it was double the price!  WHOA!!!  Stop the presses.  I read over the bill very carefully, and found all the errors.  Some were bigger, some were smaller.....some were a surprise.

1)  No text plan on G-man's phone.  Charges:  $14.80 vs $5
2)  Speaking of the text plan....it was for 250 texts.  We were told it was the same as what we had with another carrier.....400.
3) No insurance on G-man's phone (and he already damaged it, hence the reason we got the insurance)
4)  $10 charge per line data package....what the???  No one mentioned this!!
5)  Activation charges....they were supposed to be waived!

So we went back to the store and spoke to a manager.  At first he was reluctant to do much, but I worked my Mysti Magic with him.  The easy fix...adding on the insurance (which was $2 higher than we were originally quoted).  The text plan....that got harder.  Long story short, I had to upgrade G-man's package because of his usage in the first 3 days.  The number of texts....nothing they could do for me.  G-man now has more, but mine will remain the same. 

The activation charges....he was being a pill.  We had the original business card where they wrote down the agreement, and he started questioning us:  Who wrote this?  Can you describe the man we talked to?  Turns out that the sales associate wrote the wrong name, but she was there and confirmed that yes, the activation charges should have been waived.  So he had to give it to us.

Which leaves us with the sticking point....the data charge.  Apparently all phones that have internet capability (which we didn't even know we had) has this charge.  This was in no way shape or form mentioned.  At all.  Total surprise.  We get 25 megabytes of internet usage (more on this in a minute) per month.  Some neat features are part of this..but again, we were unaware.

Manager offered to allow us to exchange for a phone that didn't require the package...but there was only one option.  And we hated that phone.  We agreed to the keep what we had, if he would waive the first month's charges.  He reluctantly agreed.  All in all....it came to $93 in credits.

Now, this megabyte thing.....please explain this to me in detail.  Without boring you bloggy friends (assuming you are still reading!) this is a very sneaky thing that I am not too happy about.  The quick version:  every 10 pages of internet that you access = 1 megabyte.  If you go over the 25 allowed, it is $0.25 per megabyte.

I had used 9 megabytes....what?  How?  I didn't even know I could access the internet!!

When we got the phone....we got a text message from the company inviting us to try a free demo of some applications.  Ok, we will try.  Didn't buy them...but it was fun to play for a few minutes.  That access was charged against our usage.  Wait.....That isn't "free."  I said this to him, and he more or less agreed.  No, we didn't get charged cold hard cash, but we did get "charged" as part of our usage. 

I really was tempted to cancel the whole thing. Except....we had already shopped around, and didn't like most of what we found.  So it was either deal with this, or deal with something we didn't like at all.  I am hoping that once the credits are added back in, and the dust settles, things will be ok.

The biggest thing I am going to have to watch is G-man.  He tends to happily go down the path and not pay attention to what he is doing.  So I am going to have to monitor his usage to make sure he doesn't go over his allotment.

Why can't these things just be simple????

A few updates

Car - We spent $100.99 fixing the wheel studs on G-man's car.  We used cash from the sale of stuff (you know, that money was supposed to go to the retirement loan, but that blew up in our face).  At least we didn't go into debt for this.  I e-mailed my friend whose hubby works for the car company to see if he had any ideas on what to do about this.

Taxes - I am still missing one W-2 (GRRRR).  But I am going to plug in all the numbers I have and add it in later.  I am curious where we will be.  The original plan was to put a refund toward the retirement loan, but I am rethinking it.  I might put it on Student Loan #2, and hopefully wipe that out shortly.  That will free up $60 a month, and combined with the $60 we will save  from getting rid of the land line phone, it will balance out the hike in the oil bill.

Decrease in electric bill - decided that extra $50 per month will go first toward the student loan, then toward Hospital #1.  Putting an extra $50 toward Hospital #1 will help chip that one away.

Cell phone 101

Cell phones.  Remember way back when before everyone had a cell phone.....you actually had to WAIT to talk to someone.  When G-man and I first started dating, he had a pager (remember those???).  I would page him and he would call me back.  Actually, we didn't get a cell phone until the kids were born, and that was a teeny tiny plan to be used in an emergency (hey, when your kids are born at 1 lb each, emergencies are a high liklihood).

But in this day and age, they have been ingrained into culture.  Additionally, when you have kids, you need to know that the school can get a hold of you.  Sick kids happen.  And with a special needs kid....you just never know.

I digress......(sorry, I am tired.....didn't sleep well last night, but that is a different post).

Our cell phone contract is up next month (March 7; we found the exact date when we called).  So yesterday, when we were both off from work, we went cell phone plan/phone shopping.  Here are the discoveries:

1)  Carriers are pushing you towards a "smart phone," aka, Droid, BlackBerry, Palm.  While selections are vast for these phones, selections are limited for "messaging phones," aka, ones that you just use to talk and text.

2)  If you get a smart phone, you are REQUIRED to sign up for the data streaming plan (which is the internet and all the really cool features that the phone will do).  This is about $25-$30 per month, per phone.  On top of whatever plan you have.

3)  Most of the carriers have similar plans.  They seem to be fairly standardized across the board. 

4)  Actual phones offered....vary greatly.   Again, messaging phones seem to be going the way of VHS (we aren't quite at Beta yet).  Yeah, you can get them, but I predict in the next few years, you will be forced to get a smart phone.

5)  Incentive to choose them....this was interesting.  The carrier we currently have basically said "no incentive, do what you want."  Only one had an answer (we will get to that.....).

While we both would have loved to get BlackBerries, that wasn't in the budget.  We can't justify spending $60 just so we can surf the web from our car (shouldn't we be watching the road anyway???).  So we are left with a messaging phone.

(Let me add....we both needed new phones.  Mine won't hold a charge anymore.  His has gone "swimming" twice in the pool, and took a spin in the washer....and believe it or not, it still worked for the MOST part....you don't need numbers 4, 5, and 6, right?)

(Boy I am rambling.......)

Bottom line, one carrier, Verizon, stood out.  Great customer service in the store.  Largest selection of decent phones (most of what we looked at was really cheap, or so basic that it could pass for a child's toy).  One of the higher end messaging phones was on a super deal of B1G1 free, plus it was on sale for $50.  So basically....it was 2 phones for $50.

Unfortunately this deal was ending as of tomorrow.  They offered to assign the phones a temporary number for a month, and we could carry over our official number in a month at contract end.  If we waited, then the phones would be about $100 EACH.  They could have a different deal going in March, but who knows.  Plus, we liked this phone best out of all our options, and liked it before we even knew of the deal.

But we would end up with 2 cell phone bills for the month of February and part of March.  Hmmmmm.  That isn't good.  So my brilliant self asked her....is there something you can do for us to eliminate that problem?  She said probably not, but she would ask.  EUREKA!

This people, is why you always need to ask.  The worst they will say is NO.  She asked the manager, and he was willing to credit us $70 on our first bill, which will take care of about half of the overlap charges.  Great, sign us up.

We signed up for a plan that has double the minutes we currently have, plus text.  And here is the really cool thing.....they offered us a discount due to G-man's job!  It was 19% off the main plan.  So when all is said and done, with taxes, our new plan will be about $6 more than our old plan, but we have 2x the minutes.

So we can officially get rid of the land line now and save that $60 a month.

We love our new phones.  We got cases, car chargers, and a new bluetooth each for a steal.  Great customer service.  $70 off our first bill.  We are happy.

Wooo Hooo! Electric bill update!

Our budget year is resetting, and per the bill today....our new budget monthly bill will be $123!!!  It was $170, so this is an extra $47 in the budget per month.  People, that is almost a 28% savings!!

And as an added bonus, we just have to pay the outstanding balance on the account from this month's bill, which is $66.  So for this month, we have an extra $104 in the budget.

I am excited!  I am hoping that maybe some of the electrically changes that we are making will make the monthly bill go down again next year.  I would love to see it closer to $100.  Of course, with window a/c, this is going to be a tough one.  But we will see.