Penny Pinching Mom

If It Sounds Too Good to Be True…

Hubby got a side job helping a guy clean out a hardware store he had sold. The guy has already gotten out pretty much everything he wants to keep, he just needed someone to help him get the rest out and clean up. He told Hubby to keep anything he wants and throw the rest away.

So Hubby called me yesterday while he was working on it and said he was bringing home several brand new cell phones. That made me happy, because I could really use a new one. My 3+ year old cheapo special has seen its better days, but I haven’t upgraded because I don’t want to have to sign another contract. I figured we could each keep one and sell the rest.

He brought them home, and I was impressed. There were two Blackberries, an LG, a Motorola, and a Kyocera, all very high-end models with all the features. I tried to turn one on, but it didn’t work. Then, upon attempting to remove the battery and do a more thorough inspection, I found out they were all just non-functioning display models.

So I’m still stuck with my old, beat up, boring cell phone. On the plus side, Pumpkin is deliriously happy to have five new authentic-looking toy phones.

What Would I Do Without the Bank?

I’ve had a checking account at all times since I was 18 years old. I haven’t always kept much money in it, but I don’t know what I would do without one. I guess I would have to go to town every time I needed to pay a bill, and buy money orders and send them in for the bills that weren’t close by.

That’s exactly what my in-laws do. I got involved in a nerve-wracking ordeal with them a couple of months ago because of it. They had let their satellite get cut off and not paid the bill, and it got sent to collections. Then they decided to get it cut back on, but the company wanted some sort of banking information from them before they would do it. But they don’t have a checking account, credit card or anything. They had a savings account in the not-so-distant past, but they closed it out.

I finally talked my mother-in-law into getting a prepaid debit card to use. They said they could put my debit card on the account, but I said no way. I know how that goes. If they didn’t pay their bill, it would come out of my checking account, and I wouldn’t know anything about it until it was a done deal.

In this day and time, everyone needs some kind of credit or debit card, or at least a bank account. I know some don’t like dealing with banks, but it makes life so much less of a hassle. But some people just don’t get that.

What’s Up With the Electric Bill?

So our second electric bill for our new place came in the mail the other day. The first one was only around $45, but it was just for a couple of weeks. This one was for a full month, and was right at $100.

I was rather shocked at first. We’ve had to use a lot of heat since we’ve been here due to cooler than normal temperatures for this time of year, but most of it has come from a kerosene heater. We’ve only been using those oil-filled electric heaters in the bedrooms at night, and I didn’t think they used that much electricity.

Then again, maybe they use more than I thought. We used one in Pumpkin’s bedroom at the old place when it was chilly at night, but now we’ve been using them in ours as well. I suppose fixing the roof has required a good bit of electricity too, because Hubby had to use a circular saw to cut the plywood.

If it’s still higher than I think it should be next month, maybe I’ll talk to the electric company. I don’t expect them to cut us a break or anything (like that would happen anyway), but maybe they can give us some idea of where to look for answers. It could be our ancient refrigerator, or maybe we need to check the wiring. But something needs to give. I mean, we’re not even using the dryer, so you’d think it would be lower than that.

People Are Strange

There’s a guy in Hubby’s family that I just don’t get. He’s a pretty good guy and all, and he has helped us out on several occasions. But sometimes I wonder if he is playing with a full deck.

He works, and his wife is getting back pay for disability and beginning a career in education. She’s not a teacher, but she has some sort of job in which she works with young people, and she makes good money. So they’re doing pretty good for themselves.

They have a pretty nice house, not real fancy, but pretty nice. They have a basement full of wine racks, they take frequent vacations, just bought a very expensive dog. But even though they have a respectably-sized yard, they don’t own a lawn mower.

I could understand if he hired someone to come mow for them, but he keeps wanting Hubby to come do it for them in exchange for stuff or services. Hubby tried to sell him an extra mower he has that runs great, but he wouldn’t buy it. WTH?

They live about 35 minutes away from us, and Hubby just can’t justify hooking up his trailer and buying the gas to go that far just to mow a yard that isn’t all that big. Especially if he’s not making anything from the deal. Call me crazy, but if I were them I’d either buy a riding mower and take the 30 minutes to an hour a week to do it myself, or pay someone who lives close by to do it. Heck, they’ve got teenage boys. If I had teenage boys, you’d better believe that would be one of their weekly chores.

Juggling Bills Again

I had hoped my time of juggling bills was over. But here I am, in front of the computer again with a notebook, pen and calculator, trying to figure out what I can and can’t pay.

I haven’t lost hope yet, though. While this month is looking pretty skin-of-teeth, I’m hopeful that next month will be better. I’m finally starting to get over my procrastination problem, and I’m determined that I’m going to get started on my own ebook. It may not make me rich, but I think I’ll be able to sell a few copies each month at least. And even better, I have an idea for another one already. I’m not going to work on them simultaneously, but maybe having an idea churning around in my head will motivate me to finish one so I can get on to the other.

Maybe this time next month, I won’t be stressing out over the bills. I say that almost every month, but maybe, just maybe, this time it will be true.

Mustard Yellow Is No Color for a House

I’ll be so glad when we get around to doing something about the horrible color of my house. I would like to put some nice vinyl siding on it myself, as I’m not particularly fond of whatever it is that’s on it. But I doubt it will be in the budget for a long time, so I guess I’ll have to settle for painting it.

Hubby keeps saying that he can probably get the paint for free. I’m not sure who he’s getting it from, but I hope he knows what he’s talking about and can get enough to do the whole thing. He can paint, but if it goes anything like the roofing did, he won’t be able to find anyone to help him. So I guess I’ll be learning how if we want to get it done.

I have a feeling that it will still be a while before we get around to it. Maybe I can live with it for a little longer, but I’ll certainly be relieved when we get it done.

A Weekend Off

I’m taking the weekend off from writing, except for a couple of small things I need to get out of the way. But I’ve got plenty of other things to keep me busy!

The house looks kind of like a tornado hit it, because I’ve been working my tail off for the past week trying to make my deadlines. So I’m going to try to get it cleaned up, and get the last little bit of stuff that’s on the porch moved to the garage. I have yet to get any chairs to go out there, so I may just bring our folding travel chairs from the garage to put out there for now. At least they would give us something to sit on besides the steps.

Pumpkin has a ball game this afternoon, so we’ll be going to that. At least they’re finally having one on a nice, sunny day! They’ve had to cancel one and cut two short for rain so far, and I haven’t taken her to one or two more because it was cold and windy.

Once that’s over, I’ll probably come home and finish the work I hope to have started by then I want to get my office in order and rearrange our bedroom, too. And I would like to have some time left over to spend with Hubby and Pumpkin. Maybe tomorrow we can go out and have a nice, leisurely Sunday. Maybe I’ll throw on something nice and put on my designer jewelry, and we’ll just go do a whole lot of nothing all day.

Ooh, Sunshine!

Today is supposed to be a pretty day. The sun is already shining brightly, so I’m optimistic. I’ve got a ton of work to do, but I’ve got to get out of the house and enjoy it at some point.

I probably won’t get to do much outside, but I do have to go pay some bills and run a couple of errands. I’m going to put on my vintage sunglasses, saunter out to the truck, and take my sweet time doing them, too.

I’m anxious to start wearing shorts, but I don’t think it’s supposed to be quite warm enough for that today. This spring has been cool for the most part, and according to the weatherman that’s not really going to change this week. They’re also calling for a chance of rain for the rest of the week, so I’ve got to get out and enjoy today in some small way.

I Don’t Tan

I have pretty much never been interested in getting a tan. In my teens I used that fake tan stuff a time or two, but only at my mom’s urging. She even mentioned taking me to the tanning bed, but I’m not about to risk my health and age myself prematurely in pursuit of darker skin. I’m very fair complected, and as much as it appears to offend some people, it doesn’t bother me in the least.

Hubby is always picking on me when I wear shorts. He says I look like I’ve used skin whitening cream on my legs. But from what I can tell, they’re not any lighter than the rest of me.

I do get slightly darker in the summer. I’m not an obsessive sunscreen wearer, so I usually get a little color and a burn or two. But if I know I’m going to be in the sun for more than 30 or 45 minutes, I slather on the sunscreen. If I don’t, I end up looking like a lobster.

We Are Officially Satelliteless

Hubby didn’t change his mind. I called this morning and got the satellite turned off. Goodbye, satellite bill (which was about $60 a month)!

As is always the case when you call to cancel something, the rep did everything she could think of to get me not to. She asked if she could interest me in a less expensive package. I just said no, because the only cheaper package is the family package, and it doesn’t have one of Hubby’s beloved wrestling channels on it. That wouldn’t last a day, because he would be fussing about having TV but no wrestling. She even offered us $5 off of regular price for a year, but I wasn’t interested in that either. Maybe if it had been $50.

At least we get to keep our equipment. From what I had been reading I thought we would have to send it back, but we don’t. So if we decide in the future that we want our satellite back, all we will have to do is hook up the dish and give them a call.