Tossing Some Extra

I tossed an extra $50.00 today into my IRA. I got my Jethro pencil stub out and did some 'rithmetic...and came to the conclusion that the Real Estate Mutual Fund that I've got was what had made me the most money. It actually has triple the paper profit than any of the other funds I'm in.



I know, I know...past performance is no guarantee of future performance and I am a bit worried about the real estate sector overall for the short-term (next 5-10 years).

However, that being said, the price for it was down today AND by putting my $50 on the real estate play that brings my asset allocation closer back to alignment. So, all in all, for now it appears to be a good minor decision.

Finished!



The painters just finished up and left. My house is officially fully painted! Ta-da!

That's the good news. The bad news is that there are a couple of window trim boards that need to be replaced. Once that happens the painter guys promised to come back and do the finish work.

The better news is that the estimate I got was the price I had to pay. In other words, he didn't try to jack me up in the end! Woo-hoo!

I hope to add some before and after pics later.

WHOOP - Temple of the Slithering One



Da-da-da-da-da. da-da-da-daa-da.

Charmer anyone? You know -- of the snake kind??



The painters started work yesterday morning bright and early when all of a sudden I heard a whoop sound. I thought they were laughing or something and paid it never mind, but then comes a knock on my door and one of them tells me I have a "Big A** snake in my attic vent" at the ridge line. You've seen them, those big triangle shapes that are screened on the inside but let air in and out of the attic.

Well, I said, "thanks for letting me know." What was I supposed to say or do?? There were two big brawny guys out there...did they want me to come out and do something???

Anyway, that was a funny moment, I'm sure I did not make the appropriate response. I closed the door and went back to work and thought I'll tell The Hubster about it when he gets home.

I think there must be birds nesting in that area and that's why a snake was up there. Must of been pretty scary when that snake popped out at the guy up on the extension ladder at full extension. No wonder he 'whooped'.

How 'un-charming'.

Bowling for Dollars


Jesus was a Bowler??

CashHappySon went bowling with his grandparents and brought me home change of $1.96 to add to Piggy. S.T.R.I.K.E.!

Jesus was a Bowler?? Who knew?

FrugalSon helped me scrub the stove today and get the house ready to receive the new reading chair I bought for myself!

It's one I've been searching for - for about two years now. Bought it from my Mom! Ha! They'd only had it about a year when they decided to build a new house and it didn't fit in the new, so had been in storage. When I went to visit Sunday/Monday they were having a garage sale.

I had thought it would cost me about $600 to buy what I wanted, but got this recliner that looks like a great comfy club chair for 200.00. I've been saving up so I'm good with the purchase as it was well within my budget.

It is my new domicile. When you can't find me? I'm in the sunroom, reading! Do Not Disturb!


$20 CHALLENGE

$08.40 balance
+01.96 bowling for dollars
______
$10.36 Oct MTD

Cummulative Total $60.50

Caulk Me Baby One More Time!!



YEAH - the guy came early this morning and started doing the caulking pre-paint style. So far it isn't too bad, only one window trim board is rotted out and needs to be replaced that we didn't know about. There is one other one we already knew about. Not too bad for a 1942 house, heh?

We may experience rain at the beginning of next week so I'm tickled to at least have this portion started. I had to pay the paint contractor $940.00 last week - 1/2 of the estimated price.

It makes me nervous to pay someone money when they don't exactly start work that day...so to see the power-washing and caulking done I'm feeling some better after handing over the dollars!

We made the decision to have them do all of the work. We are just exhausted with what painting I've done on the house and what The Hubster has had to do at his Dad's house this year!

Also of note is that the Federalist style corner cabinet that came from F-I-L's house back in July and has been laying in my living room floor has finally found a place in the basement this morning. It's too tall to fit in the upstairs! BooHiss! That's how it is when you live in a house that isn't built to current standard building codes! Well, it isn't too tall - my ceilings are just too low!!

It required a corner of the basement to be cleaned out which required the hideyhole (storm) room to be cleared out first...we did that last weekend. Then it required enough strongmen (The Hubster, FrugalSon and CashHappySon) here to lift, tote and carry. DONE! I can walk thru my living room again! YEAH TEAM FRUGALIS!!

I see progress! While digging out the corner I was able to pull enough boxes of stuff out to start pricing for a basement/estate sale!

Dentist Picked Himself Some Dollars

The Hubster lost a crown the other day and his teeth needed cleaning...all to the tune of $626 that went on a %^!$@ Credit Card. Now to decide where to come up with the dollars to pay for it!

OUCH that hurts - in more ways than one! More of our hard-earned assets kissed gooooo-bye!

There is a Dental/Vision Category in our budget, unfortunately not near enough funds in there to pay them in full.

Hurrrrummmmpppppphhhhhh!!! And triple dog spit! Spit! SPIT!!!

And The Cable Snaps!! Stop The Insanity



Okay, the cable bill came and really it was me who snapped! Right to attention. They upped my bill by $2.00 w/never a by-your-leave, kiss-my-patootie or nothing. No notice whatsover of anykind last month, and nothing here in the bill this month explaining the increase.

This would make my cable bill for cable tv and internet dsl or whatsit called for the computer to be 54.41 and I was already griping about the 52.41.

I have gotten The Hubster on board and we will be shopping for new service from someone else. This is ridiculous. I don't want to build their infastructure for them...I just want a little 'juice' to keep me up and running!

I guess the part I hate the most is the 'no notice' deal!

Phhhppffft on them! This craziness of raising my rates has got to stop!!

Let's try this picture thing again...

AND THE WINNER IS...



Can't get the good pic that shows the whole truck (and the bananas) to show up. Oh well, you get the idea! It has a cute little camper shell on it that you can't see from this shot. Read the last entry in my blog for more about the Car Show results.

Did I Mention...??

Nope. I didn't.

Why? Because I had to recharge the batteries for the camera. (and now I can't get the system here to take the picture and upload it! RATS!)

FrugalSon entered his little 1988 Chevrolet S-10 Extended Cab Tahoe Package pickup in the church car show yesterday. He won!! Yea!! It's only just now turned 70,000 original miles and it's a little gem.

He won 2 of the door prizes. One was a big bottle of driveway cleaner. The other was a big sack full of car cleaning stuff, wax pads, air freshener, sprayer for garden hose, wax, some extra high gleam hotrod stuff, etc.

Thank you to our corporate sponsors again - a big Hoo-HA thank you to Auto Zone for graciously donating the door prizes! Team Frugalis thanks you very much!

Then he won Best of Class for 75-Present Truck Division. Woo-hoo! Got the trophy. There were 5 or 6 other trucks entered in this class.

Mom here was especially tickled since some jerk at FrugalSon's 2nd job was giving him a hard time about entering his later model truck into a car show!

Welllllll...phhhtpppttttt and Double phhhppttt on parade rainers!

I hate when people do that!

This is an EXCEPTIONALY GREAT & Hardworking kid I have here and he deserves some good stuff. So Mom is tickled pink he won! No, not the tires, nor the rims, but still...

He had to leave the car show early to go in to work so I went back over and sat with the truck until they announced the winners and handed out the trophies.

Now ordinarily I stay away from their jobsite while they are working but on purpose because Mr. Snooty made the wisecracks I just HAD TO take the trophy in and let FrugalSon know that he won and let him show it off to everyone! Even baby brother CashHappySon was pea green. Other coworkers gave the big pat o'back and he ate it up!

TAKE THAT Mr. Snooty Snot!! Well, yes of course, I made absolutely certain that Snooty got a good long look at it!

Didn't let him touch it though! HA! :P

Chalk one up for the good guys!!

P.S. Over to the right in the pic is the stalk of bananas we got off of our banana tree today! Also, today was a No Spender! Yeppers!! $$'s still in my pocket.

Is It Time To Cash In Your Old CD?



Will you make or lose money if you cash in an old Certificate of Deposit? Will the new higher interest rate really compensate for the hit you take on the early out penalty? Check here for the calculator that can help you decide!

Estimate for Painting - Done!


We have been having a really hard time finding someone in our small town to come and paint the second story of our house.

We have a walkout basement in the back and thus have ground slopes on two sides. Seems not many want to tackle the highwire act it would be to get to the second story roofline at the same time transgessing a ladder that sits atop those slopes!

Finally got a guy out yesterday who has given me a decent estimate and we are going with him. Never fear - I didn't tell him how hard it was to find anyone! Next stop was going to have to go to the Metro area to find someone who would be willing to do not only the job, but also to drive out here to the burbs!

The boys and I have painted all the house that we can reach on a regular ladder and I'm not about to try and tackle the extension ladder and I don't want The Hubster to do it.

He just turned 60, we don't have disability insurance and I need him to keep working for at least the next six years! I myself fell off the ladder onto the fence (ouch it, that made a big hole in my side!!), so really, this is the last house I will ever paint. That little fall was early in the springtime but it did slow me down a bit.

The ole gray mare just ain't what she used to be!! No longer invincible. BUT, if you tell anyone THAT I will hunt you down and kick you right in the keester. I can't climb worth spit, but I'm still a pretty high stepper!

Really, I'm not a total clutz, we just have really sandy soil, and all of a sudden as I was leaning in to paint barn #3 (The Clubhouse) there was just a definite lean to the left out of the clear blue and splash went the paint and poke went the hole in my side. Need a sign - Beware Sinking Sand!

To paint the three sides will be $1280.00. If we have painter also give the front side a second coat it will cost us $1880.00 for the total job. The extra 600.00 seems cheap to me as our house is pretty good sized. Anyway, I've booked him to do at least the 3 sides and his crew will be here in 1 1/2 weeks. YES!! YES!! Y.E.S.!!! I am so excited at finding someone and that this will get done before the snow flies this year.

WEEEE-DEEEE-WOOOOOOOOOO-HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Will I go whole hog and give them another 600.00?? I'm not sure, but I sure am tired of painting. There is this big house and five barns here. FIVE, I tell ya!!! The barns I've gotten all done. Let me just back up and say the boys have helped me - but only a little. They've been busy working and usually I paint a bit each day that I feel like it. Seems like I've been painting forever!!

Anyway, excited about the prospect of having it all done may make me turn loose of the extra money. Sure I could do it myself next spring, but really I'm absolutely sick of painting! We'll see. I may get good and rested up and take on finishing it up myself!

But, no more ladders, No - definitely no more ladder jobs for me! I had a dickens of a time getting myself down off the sunroom roof when I climbed atop it to do the ridge line on the front of the house! Twas comical, but still my equilibrium just isn't the same anymore. Mind is willing, but the bod is weak!

Next house I buy will either be 1)a condo where someone else does these kind of maintenance jobs; 2)a brick house; or 3)one with siding! Never again will I paint one of these jobbies!

Go Go Go Sale!!
Round Oak Table Sold



The lady from the antique store I sell at called and I sold my old round oak table yesterday that has been sitting there for a year! So glad that moved on to bless someone else.

What this means for me is I'll have to find something in the basement (never fear it's mounded up down there with Good Stuff) to take over there tomorrow to restock the booth. That table held a bunch of stuff!!

Think I'll take my Morris Chair and the old galvanized cowboy bathtub. I can put some of the tabletop stuff on the chair and loads of it in the tub. Will have to spend a little longer than normal over there reworking the display. CashHappySon is off in the mornings so he can help me haul stuff! YEAH!

This should mean an additional $100.00 of income from the booth! Since it happened yesterday it will be on my September check which I can pick up tomorrow as well. Isn't that great how that all works out?

This is money that I use to stretch out my own personal income of which I have none! Ha! I collect this booth money, the grocery money, the room and board money, my allowance and the household cleaning products & papergoods money and any other money that comes along into my own checking.

I did have another source of income that has decreased over the last 2 years from $720 a month to $360 a month. Last month was the last of those checks, so that income stream has dried up. Sadly!

Anyway, these bits and pieces of money are those from which I fund part of my retirement and other savings and investment projects, plus some of my truck gas, and the groceries, cleaning supplies & papergoods.

August's Check from booth sales was $159.35. I haven't asked how my other sales for September have been going so whatever's above the table sale will be a surprise to me.

It should be fairly good because from the middle of August until the middle of September I held a 30% off Summer Clearance Sale and there were many gaps in what was on the shelves when I went there the other day.

So perhaps there will be an amount equal to August's if not more. Whatever it is as long as I make booth rent $50 & advertising cost $5.00 per month then I'm generally happy with anything over because it means something has left my possession for good and I did try to redeem it without just tossing it away or giving it away.

I do donate lots of stuff to my local women's shelter and the Goodwill, but I prefer to make a little money on the things I can. LOTS of antique stuff in the basement just waiting to GO, GO, GO!!!

Anyway, glad my table sold. I originally paid $125.00 for the table and 6 chairs about 15 years ago at a garage sale. I refinished it for about $5.00 in supplies. We used it for a good number of meals until it just wasn't 'us' anymore and moved on to another style of decor.

I freecycled the chairs last year when I bought a replacement dining set at the auction. The table worked well for my original display at my booth, but it's past time for it AND other things to leave these premises in the countdown towards downsizing for retirement!

Moving On!!

!!!EXCITEMENT!!!New Amortization Feature



Well, that certainly isn't a very exciting title, but I can tell you what is exciting...IF you are a Countrywide mortgagee like myself and The Hubster.

While checking to make sure that our payment had posted correctly (yes, anal - so what!! You guys are too! That's why I love you so much!!) I noticed something I hadn't earlier.

Countrywide has recently (when??) added a new feature. Calculators that let you play around with the actual numbers to see what your results would be if you made additional payments on a one time basis, or on a monthly basis, etc. and it projects out your earlier payoff dates.

I LOVE THAT!!

Especially as The Hubster and I would love to enter our 'golden years' mortgage free and smiling!

I have routinely added extra to our mortgage from day one. Yes, literally day one. Immediately upon closing I made out a check and gave it to the closer to be applied! They hated me on sight!

Well, actually they respected me, but still...the envy / confused / hate looks were there. Why not just add extra to the down payment? Read John Avanzini (sp?) book on debt reduction.

Anyway...back to today, we've always added a bit extra on each payment which wasn't always easy, but we've done it.

Usually it's only been in the $12-25 range as that was truly all we could afford (back then there was too much car & CC debt) but it has helped.

If we continue w/my minimum current extra principal buydown rate we'll have the mortgage paid off by May 2013.

If I double that (may be relatively easy with my still-new $20 Challenge money) it will payoff in December of 2012.

BUT IF I can continue paying the same amount of interest money thrown off by the Money Market account, plus my challenge money, plus the extra we've always done it should fall away in Sept of 2011. Eleven months before our projected retirement date of August 2012. YEAH TEAM FRUGALIS!!!

But I think all of you, like us, who've paid off our credit card debt will agree that as you see that light broadening at the end of the tunnel, that things ramp up and somehow money comes from out of the blue and it just MIGHT go quicker than that! Here's hoping!!

Crossing my fingers! Because the more months ahead of retirement we pay it off -- the more we'll have to stick back for those early transition days from paycheck income to retirement income.

Anywho...if you're a Countrywide customer run on over online and check out their new calculators right there w/your own account information. I think you might get happy if you can find some extra dollars to throw at the mortgage!

Polka Everybody!!



Updating the mortage balance over on the right as October's payment has now posted.

On the 29th of September I was able to apply $253.04 extra to my principal in addition to my regular payment of 353.96. Part of this extra - $22.04 came from the August $20 Challenge Money and part from some of August & September's interest on the Money Market account.

August balance 24,882.58
September balance 24,630.49
October balance now 24,162.04! OH YEAH!!

Belly up to the bar folks, as it's time to roll back that balance!! Root beer for everyone!!

HELP WANTED OR UNWANTED?

Don't you just love when you get unwanted help?? And then need more help to get out from under the unwanted help???



Got a call this morning from Emigrant Direct where I had just recently sent a voided check from The Hubster & mine's joint checking to be added to the other one that is already on there being my personal checking account.

A lady called to verify the account number which I had printed on the check as they requested. It was kind of weird and I wondered out loud to her why couldn't she just match up the initials or the addresses if the number was off??

Anyway...it was a weird call and I'm just barely hanging in there telling her the last digit of my account number as I'm too wigged out talking about my accounts over the phone with someone who calls up seemingly out of the blue...How did I know it wasn't someone who had intercepted the check??

So, after the call is over and we've matched up my account number from the one or two digits I was willing to come forth with to what she's seeing on screen I decide that I will log on a bit later this afternoon to check this all out. I was heading out the door as the phone rang to begin with! Sigh!

About an hour or so passed before I could get back to the screen. So I go in to my accounts and see that isn't she lovely??? ...she has taken my old checking account off and put the joint checking on instead of just adding it to the linked accounts.

ARRRRRRRRGGGHHHHH!

Off to make a call and of course I'm connected to yet another foreign person whom I can barely understand and I feel can barely understand me!

I just want both accounts linked there so that if I want to contribute to them I can. If WE want to contribute from the joint accounts we'd be able to as well. Just like it said in the nice little letter I enclosed w/the voided check.

So - we'll see if the little fellow got it straight as I will have to log back in tomorrow and see if all is right with the world because I have to log on again anyway to verify the deposits.

Major pain in the watusi!

Doesn't help that I just spent a major amount of time yesterday on the phone w/3 folks trying to explain their convoluted accounting methods at my mortgage company! I hate doing phone 'business'.

...and I just HATE it when someone helps me when I didn't want their brand of help to begin with.

Have a nice day now - ya hear!! YEAH, and may the bird of paradise fly up your nose as well Kabobblemeister!!

Ppphhthttttt!! Pfft! Pft! and Double Phhffpptt!!

Keep your eyeballs crossed and your breath held praying that all will turn rightside when I log on tomorrow!

Laundry Room Confessional


Okay - this seems to be the appropriate time and place - does anyone besides me iron their money??

Time to 'fess up!

I'm High Stepping Now!!



Just now got on the phone with my mortgage company and got a little booboo on their part straightened out (it only took 3 of them to figure out their loverly accounting and be able to explain it to my satisfaction -- and they wonder why I'm confused!! HA!!!) and while there I finally made the extra principal payment from our money market interest that The Hubster finally agreed to release all to the tune of 253.04 extra to principal. YEAH TEAM FRUGALIS!!

This includes August's 22.05 - 22.04 = .01 left in piggy as seed money from the $20 Challenge. It won't post until the 29th when I'll get back online and update the totals over at the side.

The sound of wonderful.

"WOOPEEDEE!!!"


And before you ask -- the answer is...

Nope. Definitely not. Although that does kind of look like the reform school (I mean jr. high) I busted out of!

Check, Check and Double-check!

The personal checkbook balanced this a.m. Check, check and Double-check! I just love it when it balances! When it matches what my budgeting software says I'm supposed to have? - a THRILL! I'm such a geek as I get way too much excitement out of this simple process!

BLEW ME AWAY!!


The realtor called me Friday morning and told me to sit down as she had a rather insulting offer. I should say so!!

We have listed FIL's little house for $65,000.00. The offer was for $37,000.00. I guffawed. Really! Right out loud! Waa-Waa-Waa!

You've got to be kidding me? When most houses in the metro area sell for over 130,000.00 and closer to a couple of million she wants to offer 37,000.00???? Funny! I've heard of low-balling before but by that big of a margin? You gotta admit the lady's got nerve.

When I told The Hubster he said "tell her I don't want to sell the garage separate." Funny man! We counter-offered w/a thousand off the asking price. This lady wasn't even in the ball-park and nowhere near the bandstand!! The realtor told her she would tell us the offer, but wouldn't insult us with a contract.

Uh...no but thanks for thinking of us. The deallywho is this lady's brother lives next door and she wants to move nearby. Well, I think about six or seven neighborhoods over she could find something in her price-range. Even her sister-in-law who lives next door admits that her house is not nearly as nice and has no dining room in it, and they paid about 55,000 for it six or seven years ago and it has no garage, and no covered parking, no back covered patio, no fenced garden area, etc. that comes with the FIL house. I would buy this house myself if it were in my town.

I think we'll just wait. The realtor is planning to hold another open-house next weekend. Worse comes to worst, we'll find a leasing manager and lease that bad-boy out.

There are similar houses on the street, one of which is The Hubster's uncle's house and they are asking 69,500 for it and it is ramshackle as can be and FIL's house is move in ready with fresh paint, new carpet and has been babied all thru the years. We should have no problem moving it at or near the price we're asking. This house is no dog.

Still laughing!

Why Am I Dragging My Feet?


Photo Credit: Little Taylor

I have a victory to report!! It's a major concession by The Hubster. He's finally given me permission to take the monthly interest money from our Money Market 4.57% and use it to pay extra on our mortgage 6.75% principal! YEAH Hubster.

Now I've got to figure out why I'm the one dragging my feet. I've been 'cussin & discussin' with him about this for months now and suddenly he said yes about 2 weeks ago and I have yet to move on the deal.

Why is that?

Perhaps it's the idea of those dollars not compounding with the rest of them although I KNOW it is costing us 2.18% difference in the amount we have going out vs. what's coming in. I'm being silly and first thing tomorrow I'm getting online and making the extra principal payment.

Gotta move off of dead center here!!

Unless you guys can offer me good reasons why leaving it growing in the Money Market is a better plan. We are planning to retire in about 6 years so of course I would like to go into retirement with no house payment, but we might move before then.

What say ye, O Wise Ones???

Kisses for my Pretty!!



Oh I could just kiss him all over! The little accounting guy at our attorney's law office finally got all the federal estate taxes done on the FIL's estate and got us the number we need to get the stock transfers done!

Silly information and identity theft age that we are living in requires that it's all complicated and multi-layered. We have to transfer the stocks from FIL's name to the estate and then to The Hubster and myself. Had to go to the bank to get a certified signature which is different than a notarized one. Who knew??

His siblings do not wish to own any stocks so we are purchasing them from the estate. The sibs will get a one time check only. I don't understand these people. But hey, we'll be happy to own the entire block of it at what will be in a way at a discounted 20% off rate!

The stocks give off nice fat little dividend checks but once purchased and transferred these dividends and capital gains will be reinvested for now.

...and might just make us a nice little income stream during retirement. Happy thought.

We've been waiting since January for this part to be over!

Hohummm...patience is not my long suit.

PENNY BADUNKADUNK

Welll....this is embarassing, but I'm telling it anyway. Too funny not to tell....Last night I was in the bed, rolled over, reached around to pull up the sheet and found a penny stuck to the rumpus!

Hahahahaa...

how did this get there???

All I can come up with is that it was on the couch from when the husband was sitting there earlier in the day and I was laying there before going to bed.

Maybe it had fallen out of his pocket?

Hilarious! I rolled and The Hubster wanted to know what I was snortling & snorkling about!!! heheheeee

Well, ya'll said I was lucky at finding money...it was dark and I was hoping it was a quarter, but alas, when I turned on the light it was only a penny.

Now, I've taken some measurements and based on my calc-u-mu-lations - the girth x length (omgaudddddddd - when did that thing fall to gravity???) divided by the hip ratio, I oughta be picking up more than a penny back there!!



If I can't laugh at myself who can I laugh at?

So, my friends, if you're looking for MORE money...might I suggest that you look behind you!!



Adding it to the $20 Challenge!

HOOT!

CashHappySon just contributed .36 to Piggy from off of his entertainment center.

$20 CHALLENGE
25.15
+0.01 badunkadunk find
_____
25.16
+0.36 entertaining
_____
25.52 Sept. MTD

Could It Be The Death of Shopping?

Spent a beautiful day here, working a bit in the yard putting up some little garden fencing that came from F-I-L's house. Cute and it matches the buttercream house paint exactly! Love it!!

Brought my personal budget up to date. Finally - every one of the gazillion accounts here are current with the bank's autodrafts, the budget software, and checking amount all matching! WHEEEEEE!


Another day of NO SPENDING! Could it be....



Except of course if you don't count (I DON'T) the fact that I invested a budgeted amount into my IRA in the Bond Fund.

Hummm...well, I must be going to be one of those little old lady investors because darn it, it makes me happy to see those monthly dividends rolling in there!

I LIKE IT!!

I also did another laddered CD thingy today as well. Budgeting and executing the plans towards retirement!

I've Got Jewelry - How About You?



Yes, this is how this little tax jewel often feels like.

This was an email forward I received. I did not write it and I'm not sure of the author. I posted it over in the forums but thought some blog readers might like to see it.


TAX POEM
This is too true to be very funny:

"Tax his land,
Tax his wage,
Tax his bed in which he lays.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes is the rule.

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirts,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he tries to think

Tax his booze,
Tax his beers,
If he cries,
Tax his tears.

Tax his bills,
Tax his gas,
Tax his notes,
Tax his cash.

Tax him good and let him know
That after taxes, he has no dough.

If he hollers,
Tax him more,
Tax him until he's good and sore.

Tax his coffin, Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in which he lays.

Put these words upon his tomb,
"Taxes drove me to my doom!"

And when he's gone,
We won't relax,
We'll still be after the inheritance TAX !!

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax),
IRS Penalties (tax on topof tax),
Liquor Tax,
Luxury Tax,
Marriage License Tax,
Medicare Tax,
Property Tax,
Real Estate Tax,
Service charge taxes,
Social Security Tax,
Road Usage Tax (Truckers),
Sales Taxes,
Recreational Vehicle Tax,
School Tax,
State Income Tax,
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA),
Telephone Federal Excise Tax,
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax,
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax,
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax, Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax,
Telephone State and Local Tax,
Telephone Usage Charge Tax,
Utility Tax,
Vehicle License Registration Tax,
Vehicle Sales Tax,
Watercraft Registration Tax,
Well Permit Tax,
Workers Compensation Tax.

COMMENTS: Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago and there
was prosperity, absolutely no national debt, the largest middle
class in the world and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened ??????"

Got My Telephone Wheel Greased



I am not the greatest when it comes to insurance and telephone rates, so The Hubster (my hero) does all the rate comparing, shopping, etc. on those two items.

So, about two months ago I get a phone call from the phone company and the guy wants me to switch to something or the other and I try to dissuade him telling him that T.H. does this stuff.

Now, I am a hard nut to crack but he was not to be put off and proceeded to try to talk me into changing to some stupid service or another to which there would be no increase in rates - the bill would stay the same. Un-huh. Sure buddy!

To which I repeatedly answered "NO Thank you - Not Interested. Don't call me, I'll call you. Please take me off your calling list", etc., etc. Sheesh, some people just can't take a hint. I finally said, goodbye and hung up.

Fastforward to phone bill time and what do you know but there is a new service on there!! With a fee no less! Who would have thought it??

I was polite to the guy so it can't have been retalitory, but just plain ol'shoddy business practice! This kind of thing just infuriates me not necessarily for me because I know I'll complain long and loud...but for little old people who just get ripped off! GRRRRRRRRR!!!

Anyway, got The Hubster right on it...

Old Phone Bill = 35.33
Adjusted Bill -26.09
_______________________
Savings $9.24

Squeaky wheel greased again!! He's my man!!! Yeah Hubster!!

I hate that you have to watch these things like a hawk. Oughta be a law!! ..another law...yeah, that might be just what the world needs. Oh, and more Ninjas.

There probably is a law already. And I'll just go Ninja on the next phone rep who unsolicited dials MY phone!

For fun try this:
http://www.phonegod.net/morpheus/morpheus.htm

But until the phonegod delivers us, call 1-800-TalkToTheNinja!! I dare ya!

Tap Tap Tapping


I am tapping away at adding to our Retirement investment vehichles.

Scenario:

The Hubster has a 401-K - it's getting 9% contributions right now w/a 6% match from employer. Our contribution scheduled to go to 10% in January.

In addition for him we have another $50.00 a month going to his Roth IRA.

And he has a Rollover Traditional IRA that is static - meaning we aren't adding to it at this time and may in fact soon start drawing some out of it.

For me:

$36.00 to Emigrant monthly - building up to go into a non-retirement vehicle when I get enough saved up. I want this out from under the limited contributions area that IRAs and 401-Ks have. I am going to attempt to up this amount to $40 monthly next month - 36.00 is an odd figure based on an old income stream that has now finished, but I'm still trying to maintain putting this little bit back. Goal = increase to $40.00.

$60.00 monthly goes to my Spousal IRA.

Then we've also been putting $50 out of the family kitty into I-bonds, but that will be changing this month and I have to decide upon somewhere else to put this money since the interest rate has dropped.

I was also taking half of my grocery money for the last year and putting it into I-bonds (I want to eat when I get old). They are nice and liquid and in small enough amounts to prove useful in a tight. Now that interest rates have dropped then I'm going to have to do something else!

And an additional $50 has been going into small CD's at ING while they were offering good rates. We have them laddered at 1 a month in 1 year, 2 years, 3 years and are working at getting 4 years ones in place.

We also have our regular 10% savings that we are adding to our Long Term Investment Seed money. When we find an opportunity or one of our IRAs mutual funds are offering a decent sale - we buy it on the cheap. Have also used this in the past to buy Tax Lien Certificates to good affect.

Then we have some - usually 3-5% - that goes into our Short Term Goal money that we use to do whatever 'goofy' thing we want like updating computers, replacing a countertop, etc.

Tapping how? Tapping in that I'm just doing a little bit at a time - you know like you guys did in metal shop in high school. A bit here. A bit there. And soon you have a masterpiece. There aren't any vast sums here to invest at the moment. Bit by bit we will hopefully have some additional to rely upon other than just SS.

Tap, Tap, Tap!!

I wanted to post the pics of my old truck and my new truck. Is it possible I'm in a rut?

OLD BESSIE #1:


NEW OLD BESSIE #2:


Not exactly the same - but close! Sweet is that like Ole Bessie #1 the new to me Old Bessie #2 is also paid for! The new truck pic was taken from the dealers online ad, so isn't representative of my picture taking abilities. I'm going to try to find the link to where I describe the saga of The Hubster selling the old one. I had to kiss my asset goodbye! Sob!