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Archive for October, 2009

End of October Update

October 27th, 2009 at 02:02 pm

I have been writing a lot of blog posts then not publishing them lately. Lots going on just not really blog worthy or even easily explained.

So I guess this will just be a general update. We are finally going to buy our recumbent trikes for bike riding. We are doing it in the fall so that everything is ready for when the weather get nice again (in Denver, we have had days in January that have been nice enough for biking). We have been wanting them for two years now but buying a house came first and we finally have enough saved up to pay cash.

October was financially one of the best months we have had in awhile. Today I set up the payoff for a credit card for next month using this month's excesses. All in all, a very good month.

Prepaid Cell Phone Update

October 21st, 2009 at 03:25 pm

Well, I still have about 267 minutes to use up on my current phone but I have ordered a Net10 phone. While the Tmobile was easy and cheap, the phone didn't actually work in the house so everytime I answered the phone I had to go outside. Far too obnoxious. Assuming I wasted my remaining minutes(which I won't), the cell phone was the equivalent of $25 per month.

Since DH's phone is the equivalent of $8.30 per month, that means we saved about $39 per month over having a plan. That was more than I thought I would save so prepaid is definitely the way to go for us.

I won't be switching him, he uses his phone so rarely that Tmobile is definitely the cheapest option (Net10 would be 16.60 per month for him). I on the other hand have chatty family and I am the go to person when someone wants to call us so the higher usage requirement for Net10 shouldn't actually impact my costs at all. I just hope this phone works in the house (should, sprint has excellent coverage in my area).

If it doesn't, that will mean only AT&T has coverage inside my house and at that point I would go back to Tmobile (AT&T's prepaid is too expensive for what it is).

Finally some progress

October 13th, 2009 at 03:20 pm

Received the first settlement offer which was twice what I was thinking it would be (my insurance had been kind on the depreciation). As a result, I do have a base number for the month of October now. It will probably be a couple of months before the final tally is in but I am okay with base numbers and guesstimating the rest.

Since I have been bargain shopping for the replacements, I am going to have some money left over (couldn't replace everything even if I wanted to so no, I am not really coming out ahead but I am trying to look on the bright side). As a result I will be able to speed up my debt repayment and keep a higher than expected cushion. June will definitely be the last month for debt (assuming continual employment of course).

I was tempted to put some of the money into an IRA for hubby but we are just so ready for the credit card to be gone that I think we need to just put it on the debt and accept that I won't be maxing his out until next year. I am just so looking forward to that money going into short term and long term savings instead of into credit card payments.

Should I have waited?

October 9th, 2009 at 09:09 pm

My ethernet port was broken on my computer. The port is part of my motherboard which doesn't have any room for expansion (can't just add an ethernet card). I ended up deciding to upgrade the major components since I needed to replace them anyways (likely excuse).

I probably spent a week shopping for all the parts, decided to do an upgrade instead of a completely new computer simply to keep costs down. It cut the total cost in half. That said, I am building a monster.

I have the money but I do feel a little guilty. I was going to wait. Everyone else knew it wouldn't be for long but my goal was to wait as long as possible. Why is it that once I decide a plan of action, I almost immediately put it into place?

I used to be a big time procrastinator (stopped because it became too painful thanks to sleep deprivation and project pile ups) but nowadays, once I decide to do something, its already started.

I think part of my problem this time is that this is the first time I have done this type of project so I am excited to get working on it. Its built-in entertainment. If I had stuck with prebuilt computers, I probably could have waited months (or until I had wanted to play my pc games and they wouldn't run because I can't activate the reinstalled windows). Paying money for something isn't nearly as exciting as doing something.

*Sigh* Does anyone else tend to jump the gun on projects? I seem to always need to pace myself and I am not sure how other than don't do it if I don't have the cash.

Fix it or Replace it, hmmm

October 6th, 2009 at 03:09 pm

My computer is dying a slow painful death. At 5 years old, 5 moves, 1 of which was cross country and many dusty apartments, it is clear that something is seriously amiss (black screen). I am thinking graphics card. I suspect that my ethernet port is not far behind (though hard to test at the moment with no graphics). I am going to open up the case tonight and do an idiot check on the cords inside but I have been waiting for this machine to croak for awhile. Electronics don't like being tortured.

So a graphics card is only $100. Not bad, except it might not be the graphics card. Then I wasted $100. Or it might be the graphics card but something else might fail soon.

I could build a new one for $922. Or even cheaper if I open the computer up and decide the power supply and case can be reused. But I don't want to spend the money right now.

*Sigh* Probably will just make do with hubby's netbook for a couple months. Then build a new one.