PRIDE AND PREJUDICE



Catching myself up to date here...Friday was a NO SPEND DAY!!! Terrific!

But, alas...Saturday was a day of spending. We mowed FIL's yard and were in such a rush out the door to beat the realtor's open house that we didn't take our water bottles along, so that was 2.15 for colas (bad health choice), but some kind of liquid beverage was necessary.

Then about $6.00 for fastfood because I was zapped and there was no bread in the house and we were in no 'attire' shape to go into my small town grocery store. Ughhhh...you hate to go in looking like a bum AND smelling like a goat combined. Pride is a terrible thing! Look it just cost me $6.00 bucks!! This just gripes me!

Somedays there is just not enough time AND energy combined to get everything done. I had put off grocery shopping because of low energy on Friday thinking I would get to it on Saturday.

Well, ahhh...no. I didn't.

So today after church will be a forced quick stop for some bread, meaning that I'll have to go on Monday for a detailed shop. Putting off is really not ever all that great of an idea, is it?

Then The Hubster got on a wild tear yesterday afternoon to clean out one of the sheds (yeah!!!!) and re-caulk the windows in it. So, off he sent me to the hardware store for more window glazing caulky stuff which was $2.50ish and then I remembered that I needed to buy fertilizer stakes for the huge trees in back that have issues.

If I don't get them some MORE new growth around some rot there will be bigger 'tree surgeon' expenses later...so that cost me an additional $3.50 or so.

Don't ask me how but this fertilizer stuff is rounding off the deteriorating part with new growth and the gap is narrowing! It's working!!!

If it didn't there are two barns in peril and possibly even the house roof. These are old 100 year plus giantish trees and they provide good shade for my house in the summer time and it would be horrible to lose them!!

Dinner last night was homemade fish sandwiches on burger buns that were in the house. Yummy! Why didn't I move this meal up to be lunch? I dunno, except that it would have been another 45 minute wait to eat it and mowing makes a girl ravenous!

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!

Monitoring the Monitor



Awhile back The Hubster went on a computer upgrading spending spree and liked to have given me a heart-attack!! We finally had to have a Come To Jesus Heart to Heart T.A.L.K.


Stop Spending Already!!!


Well, he trades. ALOT. If we were in the old west I'd be up to my hipwaders in horse hock-ey-tooey because he would have been a darned good horse trader.

So, really this isn't a complaint...he just does a bunch of it...a little finagle here, I can sell this there, add to it from here and viola we've got a whole new system hunnnnneyyyy! Yeah right!!

Of course. Sure you can dear.

Yes, he finally sold the old monitor & speakers the other day and was happily getting ready to toddle off with the moola when THE MONEY MONITOR (yours truly) rightly explained to him that...

So Sorry, those funds go back into the Emergency Fund from which I so kindly let you borrow them against all kinds of my better judgement!

Oh yeah, right, I had forgotten all about that! Un-huh, sure ya did...that's what I'm here for lambykins!!

The Monitor is always on duty!

Just'sosya'know!!

Trust me I know how hard it can be. Back in the old days all you needed was a creepy lair and a hunchbacked assistant to watch your stashO'cash.

There is one monitor here that he'd like to have go on the fritz every now and then so to speak, if you KWIM?

TOO BAD, ain't happening Sweet Lips!!

So, that's why yesterday I had to make two bank runs...one to deposit working boys' paychecks and then off to our bank to return the goods ($160) to their hidey-hole! Leak Plugged!!

Thank you vera' much!!

Baby Baby Baaaaaaaaaaby!!

My baby boy (CashHappySon=freespender) turned 18 this past month. My next oldest (there are 5 altogether) who is still at home turned 20!

WELL OF ALL THE NERVE!!

I rushed to the mirror to check for grey hairs and there is only one crazy wild one in the front. Wheewwwww...twas afraid there would be more!! Where did The Hubster hide those tweezers????

Of happy note is that FrugalSon had an extra payperiod in August and made an extra truck payment to repay the family bank. Sept & October are covered for him. Only 8 more to go and the little truck is his, all his!!

In honor of CashHappy's 18th birthday we moved his money from his ING Long Term Retirement Savings Account to a Roth IRA account. He had enough put back to buy into two funds the Real Estate and Financial sectors. We got him set up on the Automatic Pay and so the last of my babies have been launched into adulthood.

Now to see if they will keep it up after Mom no longer has major oversight!

Wondering if any of the training we've been doing will bear any fruit. Both boys still at home have heard Mom and Dad in some pretty serious discussions about the effects losing Dad's pension has made on the household finances.

Hopefully they've heard enough to continue a lifetime retirement investing program of their own! Here's hoping!!

And yaaaaaaas, of course, I'll be right there nipping at their heels as long as it takes to see that they keep those monthly contributions up!

Whadddd'doIlookthateasy?? Not on your life - I'm gonna nag like you ain't neva seen a'fore nor likely to see agin'!! The stress of seeing a lifetime of plans go up in smoke was nigh on to devastating to The Hubster so I'll be sure and remind all of the children to keep their retirement plans in front of them as they go along!



This goes for YOU TOO!!! Are you putting back like you should??? ...please Please PLEASE make retirement savings a priority in your life!!

What? You thought I wasn't talking to YOU? Yagottabekidding!! Get on it Bubs & Bubbettes!! Talk to HR Tuesday morning! Call your Broker! Talk to your Banker. DO SOMETHING ABOUT RETIREMENT TODAY!!!! Stepping down now off of Mom's Rant Soapbox!

But neva fear I'll be back!!!


Sadly, my baby is no baby any more.

Never too late to start planning on that empty nest:
http://www.pgdc.com/usa/item/?itemID=29305

Now where was I?.... oh yeah, Tweezers!

"Honey, WWWWWHERE ARE THE TWEEEEEEEZERS!!!???!!!"

AM I JUST PARANOID?


"The cowboys have a way of trussing up a steer or a pugnacious bronco which fixes the brute so that it can neither move nor think. This is the hog-tie, and it is what Euclid did to geometry." ~Eric Bell, The Search for Truth


Okay long story.

The Hubster is eldest of five sibs. Their father passed away last year, The Hubster is the Executor on the estate.

One sister has a b-i-l who keeps trying to insert himself into the equation and it's starting to really aggravate me.

We were getting bids for painters and unsolicited he came up with his and it was the lowest and we did award the contract to him. The painting seems to be going fine.



NOW - he is wanting to sell the house for us at 3% commission. That might be more than okay if he was a licensed realtor but he isn't. The Hubster is not comfortable with this situation and the guy and Hubster's sister & husband keep trying to talk him out of getting with our attorney to verify the next needful thing. ARRRGGHHHH!!!

The attorney we have is the one of the most reputable people I know and I should know I was his legal secretary & office manager for years.

I hate it when someone tries to put their hand in your pocket!! The sales methods he uses and the paperwork he would execute might be perfectly legal and I'm not trying to impugne his reputation but by cracky no one 'official' asked ya!!

Ahhhhhhhgggghhhhh!!

I hate this - they call you at 10 o'clock at night and want an answer to something the next minute when you've no time to consider nor consult. The Hubster is feeling cornered (hog-tied if you will).

Keep trying to tell The Hubster you'd better be careful, because 1)it's true you don't want to insult your family and/but 2)you signed on to protect the interests of ALL of your siblings, not this outsider who keeps trying to squeeze in!!

Get out of our life SlimShady!

It would be entirely different if he politely offered his services, left his number and then went on about his business. This isn't how it is happening though!

So what if we call the attorney for a $45 phone call - if it saves ALL OF US loads of heartache later, it is worth it!

Anyway, The Hubster is calling the attorney this a.m. and knowing him he'll tell him the same thing I've been trying to tell him. There are times to cut corners and this isn't one of them!!

It Just Ain't Happening Sweet Pea!


What do yu'uns think?