This Little Piggy Went to the Bank

eBay Thursday

2008-10-04T16:04:00.006-05:00

Totally awesome Hello Kitty aquarium as seen on
Hello Kitty Hell.

Cinderella costume

eBay Wednesday

2008-10-01T04:49:00.003-05:00

eBay auction
More tomorrow

Stocks crushed

2008-09-29T18:35:00.000-05:00

Stocks crushed

Approximately $1.2 trillion in market value is gone after the House rejects the $700 billion bank bailout plan.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Stocks skidded Monday, with the Dow slumping nearly 778 points, in the biggest single-day point loss ever, after the House rejected the government's $700 billion bank bailout plan.
(click here to read more)

2008-09-04T04:20:00.002-05:00

Not News:

Almost half of employees living paycheck to paycheck

A survey of 7,192 workers released Wednesday by online job-search Web site CareerBuilder.com shows 47 percent of working Americans claim they always or usually live paycheck to paycheck just to make ends meet. This marks a jump from 43 percent in 2007.

More female workers -- 54 percent -- always or usually have to live paycheck to paycheck, compared to 41 percent of males. More men (77 percent) than women (72 percent) said they save some portion of their paycheck each month.

I think that if the survey pool had been larger the numbers would be different. Forty-seven percent seems low to me.

An interesting thing is that even people making $100,000 or more still aren't able to save. I know the saying, "the more you make, the more you spend" but I would have thought that more would at least spend what they can afford.

More Bad News for Michigan

2008-08-27T09:35:00.002-05:00

click here for entire article

Michigan was the only state where poverty rose and incomes fell last year, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday.

The statistics illustrate the uniqueness of Michigan's economic swoon, and the extent to which the auto industry's downward plunge has caused a ripple effect across the state.

Michigan's poverty rate was 14 percent, up from 13.5 percent in 2006 and a full percentage point above the national rate, which was virtually unchanged during the same period. The state's rate has grown steadily since 2000, when it was just above 10 percent. The number of people in poverty increased by 45,000 during 2006-07.

The 2007 median income in Michigan was $47,950, down 1.2 percent or $596 from the 2006 median of $48,546. The state's nationwide ranking slid from 24th to 27th.

They also showed Michigan's rate of "extreme poverty" -- a yearly income of less than half the poverty threshold, or $10,325 for a family of four -- jumped from 6 percent in 2006 to 6.5 percent last year. Eight years ago, the rate was 4.8 percent.

More than 18 percent of Michigan residents get some type of assistance through the state Department of Human Services, said Sheryl Thompson, acting director of outstate operations.

Even Mrs. Fields is feeling the pinch

2008-08-27T08:33:00.002-05:00

Mrs. Fields Famous Brands LLC plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to help restructure its business, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The company also owns TCBY frozen yogurt.

The company plans to continue doing business and has also hired Blackstone Advisory Services to explore a possible sale of TCBY.

"There are several food retailers right now that are mall-based that are under pressure," said Marti Kopacz, managing partner of the restructuring group at accounting firm Grant Thornton. "Food that is out of the home and food that is arguably discretionary is going to come under pressure when people don't feel that they've got that discretionary income in their wallets."
click here for entire article

For some reason, this story was popular on celebrity gossip websites. Is Debbie Fields considered a celebrity?

I was never a fan of these cookies, I prefer the Original Cookie Company. Oh no! She owns that too and Hot Sam. I haven't been to our local mall in probably a year or more, if other people are like me and shopping online, I can see why these stores are having problems.

Summer Giving Tree

2008-08-11T14:25:00.003-05:00

ATTENTION ALL ST. JOHN PARISHIONERS

The Christian Service Commission will be sponsoring
the Summer Giving Tree once again.

The tree is now up in the Parish Center.
Please come take a tag or two.

The items need to be returned to the Parish by
Monday, August 18th.

I stopped in today to get some tags and there are quite a few left.
If you can afford to help out, please considering doing so.
Most of the tags are such things as:

Undershirts, backpacks, paper, socks, TrapperKeepers, etc.

I think I'll set up a Paypal contribution on the sidebar for the various charities I support if anyone would like to help that way.

Jackson hasn't been hit by bad weather (Thank God) but the Michigan economy has been affecting us negatively.

Update Retirement Funds

2008-07-20T23:24:00.001-05:00

Updated amounts:

Car fund: $5,575.86
IRA'S: $55,854.32

I still need to get the totals from my stocks and 401k.

2008-06-15T18:22:00.002-05:00

From CNN:

Man Pays $30,000 in rent, faces eviction

LAGUNA HILLS, California (CNN) -- Charles Nelson has paid about $30,000 in rent since moving into a spacious four-bedroom home in August. He was stunned when a real estate agent knocked on his door recently and said the home was in foreclosure.

His landlord had not paid the mortgage since he moved in and the bank is now demanding the house back. Nelson will also lose his $7,700 security deposit.

More than 100 miles away in the working-class city of Palmdale, Fai Nomaaea -- a 35-year-old mother of eight -- can relate. The single mom was cleaning the yard when a man handed her a notice of foreclosure. Like Nelson, she had been paying her rent on time every month.

"It really is a frightening issue for tenants that have no way of knowing until almost the last minute that a landlord is defaulting on a property."

... in many cases, renters want to buy the properties being foreclosed, but the banks force them out anyway.

Nelson knows all about that. He called the bank to offer to buy the home he's renting but was told that he has to move out first and then make a bid. Now, he lives day-to-day, not knowing when he'll have to leave.

"There could be a knock on the door, saying we have 10 days, two weeks. I don't know."

Click here to read entire article.

The lady I sit next to at work is going through this exact thing. Not only is the owner not paying his mortgage, he is in violation of some safety concerns that he's had 6 months to correct. A representative from the city showed up on her day off to inspect the house to see if they had been repaired and he is the one who told her that the man hasn't been paying the mortgage. Last I knew she didn't pay June's rent because she may have to move if the bank is foreclosing.

The terrible part is that this owner just rented to her in late April to have her move in May 1st, knowing that he hadn't been paying the mortgage and probably had no intention to do so. He collected a deposit, 1st and last month's rent and a pet deposit. Even with that cash he most likely didn't use that money to pay on the arrears. That should be a criminal charge in my opinion.

Stamp Out Hunger

2008-05-08T19:34:00.003-05:00

This Saturday, participate in the Postal Service's Food Drive by leaving your non-perishable food items next to your mailbox.

Donate items like: pasta, rice, soup, juice, fruits and vegetables.

No glass containers or expired items. Please.

For more information: HelpStampOutHunger

The Hunger Facts on the website are heartbreaking. If you are able to help in any way, I encourage you to do so.

2008-05-08T19:32:00.001-05:00

Stamp Out Hunger?WidgetboxThis Saturday, leave non-perishable food items at your mailbox to participate.

Food Pantry To Open In May

2008-04-07T16:32:00.002-05:00

Food pantry to open in May

A new Jackson food pantry will open in early May in the new American Red Cross building, 3425 Francis St. It will be open every Wednesday evening with no restrictions on how often people come for food.

It is being organized by members of Queen of the Miraculous Medal Catholic Church, 606 S. Wisner St., but is an ecumenical effort.

"This is Christ's mission, that's what we are all about," said the Rev. Robert McGraw, senior pastor.

When he arrived at the parish four years ago, McGraw said he heard about the food pantry at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1505 W. Michigan Ave.

"I learned they were open on Saturday mornings, but what happens to feed people midweek? One weekend I preached a challenge to set a goal to at some point open another food pantry on Wednesdays, and here we are," McGraw said.

As final work is being done on the facility, it has become a project that "was meant to be" according to Mark Smith, a member of Queen's and religion education director at St. Mary Catholic Church, 301 S. Mechanic St.

He explained that Queen's had 135 members who wanted to volunteer at Immanuel's food pantry, but only 30 were needed. From not wanting to waste that time and talent, and wanting to feed people midweek, came the inspiration to open another pantry.

The "meant to be" part came when the Red Cross recently moved into its spacious new location and offered room to store pantry items and a separate room to distribute it to people.

"We're honored to give them the space," said Larry Lloyd, blood services director.

"We learned from Hurricane
Katrina that a lot of people are never thought of, or never put first. We want people to come to the food pantry and associate us with helping in other ways."

Janet Jaeger, who helps with Immanuel's pantry and is a member of End Hunger in Jackson, a coalition of food pantries that meets on a monthly basis, said she is delighted with the new facility.

Immanuel's pantry, Jaeger said, started in 2003 with a dozen families. Today it averages 260 families, with some Saturdays seeing more than 300.

"We want to have more food available in our community, and that location will be convenient for clients who can't get here. You know, we really can end hunger," she said.

Once the new pantry is up and running, McGraw said volunteers will take it a step further by offering people an "assessment" of their needs and helping them meet those needs. For instance, maybe a person has never been taught budgeting skills. Or a person needs help creating a resume or learning which agencies to call for specific assistance.

"We know they really don't want to be walking in the door asking for food. We want to help rebuild their dignity so the next time they come in it's as a volunteer to work at the pantry," McGraw said.

Over 300 people on a Saturday?!!! The economy in Jackson is horrible. And this is just one food bank. We don't have many but my church has one, there is the Interfaith Shelter which serves meals and people can stay and The Salvation Army. Possibly Catholic Social Services but that might be my associated with my church and now this one with Queen's.

But when I Google "End Hunger In Jackson" it says there are 10 groups. I've emailed Immanuel Church asking for more information and I'll post it when if they respond.

I have a list of items my church posted in the weekly bulletin that like to have on hand and I try to purchase those items when I go and have my mom drop those off when she volunteers there for funeral dinners. I usually try to do that once a month, but this article reminds me that I haven't in a while. I'm going to have to go grocery shopping this week.

This also reminds me, that the Post Office will be having their Food Drive in May. I'll do a post on that and I like to collect food at work. I think I'll see if anyone will do it at the golf course too.

Taxes

2008-04-03T20:11:00.002-05:00

Federal--Owe: $195.00
State--Refund: $295.00
City--Refund: $6.00

Plus for some reason the H&R Block website kept locking up on me while I was trying to input my Federal information so I ended up doing the Federal and State myself so I saved the $59.95.

Pretty good year.

2008-03-22T11:49:00.002-05:00

I've already blogged many times how Angelina donates 1/3 of her income.
PerezHilton.com reports:
Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie have donated $8 million to various charities through their non-profit Jolie Pitt Foundation.

Their biggest donations were to Doctors Without Borders (International Division) and the Global AIDS Alliance. The couple gave these organizations $1 million each.

In addition to donating cash, Brad and Angelina invest a lot of TIME helping out those in need. Brad's helping to re-build New Orleans with the Make It Right Foundation and Ange travels the world with the UN to advocate for refugees.

I really admire Angelina Jolie. She has really reinvented herself since adopting her son Maddox (who is the cutest little boy) and really stepped up and thrown herself into causes she really believes in.

She has said before that she divides her income into thirds. 1/3 to expenses, 1/3 to charity and 1/3 to investments.

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it. No matter how much your income, can you imagine cutting it by 33%?? Could you do it? Even if not for charity could you divert 33% to debt reduction, retirement, or children's college fund? Would you even try it for a month? Three months? Six months? (answer in the comments)

Another important thing that can be gained from this article is that even if you can't make monetary donations most non-profit organizations can benefit from your TIME. Most if not all can use more volunteers a few hours a week.

IRA & Car Fund Addition

2008-03-17T18:03:00.002-05:00

I made some additions to my IRA & car fund.

Evidently I forgot to add to the IRA for last year. ('duh) so $2,000 to fully fund 2007. $2,000 for 2008 and $1,000 to the car fund.

So that brings the car fund up to $4,423.79 and the IRA up $17,955.76 I added to the Blue Chip Growth fund which at the time was at $33.70 a share.

Retirment

2008-02-24T13:52:00.002-05:00

I overheard a co-worker talking about wanting to retire this year. She said she'd like to but isn't sure if she can afford it. She will have to check with a financial planner.

Since I wasn't part of the conversation I couldn't ask the following questions:

1. Do you already have an advisor or will you be hiring one now? If you are hiring one now, why did you wait so long?

2. Did you have any plan to retire or just decide? (for instance, I'd like to retire in 5 years)

3. What makes you think you CAN'T retire now?

Just some things that went through my mind, after all she has 35+ years with the company!! I think after 20 years or so, of working a person would have some idea about the future. Personally I think about retiring practically every day!!

Save $$$ Ordering Online

2008-02-20T15:54:00.002-05:00

Did you know that when ordering online you can Google the name of the store + promotional code and find a discount?

I just ordered a black Halo dress, found a code word and saved $45!!! How cool is that? Only took three or four seconds and saved 15%. Easy money.

Try it next time you buy online and let me know how much you saved.

As Platinum Soars, the Catalytic Converter Gets Hot

2008-02-18T16:37:00.003-05:00

Why are catalytic converter's getting stolen?

Catalytic converters use a small amount platinum to convert harmful engine emissions, including nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide, into less harmful ones, like nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

Platinum is currently trading at $2100 an ounce and each catalytic converter contains between three and seven grams. This recent price spike is largely the result of fears of mine closures due to power cutbacks in South Africa, which controls some 80 percent of the world's platinum output.

Palladium and rhodium, also used as catalysts, are running about $445 and $7300 an ounce, respectively.

I had been wondering why I was suddenly reading a rash of stories of catalytic converters being stolen from parked cars.

eBay Seller Boycott

2008-02-16T16:04:00.007-05:00

EBay seller boycott set to start Monday

Ebay sellers plan a weeklong strike to protest changes to the site's fee, search and feedback policies.

By Stacy Cowley

(FORTUNE Small Business) -- Activists opposed to eBay's (EBAY, Fortune 500) upcoming fee and policy changes are readying for a week long site boycott starting on Monday, with buyers and sellers waiting to see if this strike will succeed where past protests have failed.

The boycott, planned to run Feb. 19 - 25, is scheduled to overlap eBay's Feb. 20 rollout of significant changes announced last month.

Sellers say eBay's new policies are likely to cost them more money, but what's really inspired an outpouring of wrath is an adjustment to eBay's feedback system: sellers will no longer be able to leave negative commentary about their buyers. Critics say that will leave sellers vulnerable to negligent bidders and scammers.

"You get bad buyers as often as you get bad sellers," said M. Owens

Owens, who plans to participate in the boycott and avoid buying or selling on eBay next week, is also worried about the impact of a change to eBay's "best match" search algorithm, one of the least-publicized aspects of the upcoming changes. That search method, which will become eBay's default next month, favors sellers with high and detailed customer-satisfaction ratings. Low-volume sellers, like Owens, say this puts them at a disadvantage by burying their listings.

EBay spokesman Usher Lieberman said the company is taking a wait-and-see approach to the boycott talk

click here to read the entire article

I doubt that this boycott will make much difference to eBay, that is, unless the organizers are successful in getting a huge percentage of participants.

I disagree with the statemant that there are as many bad buyers as there are sellers.

What is the motivation to be a bad buyer? None that I can see. I've had bids and then didn't receive payment, but I still have the item, I'm out my listing fees and time but it has only happened once or twice in over 6 years. I wouldn't call that a big scam.

But to be a scammer as a seller? Yes, there is money to be made in that. How many of us have:
a) paid for an item and never received it or heard from the seller again?
b) received an item totally different than described?
c) seen (or bid on) items that were listed as pictures of the item?

Mutual Fund Update

2008-01-15T12:06:00.000-05:00

I received my latest statement from T. Rowe Price.

Blue Chip Growth $16,659.97 -$279.17
Mid-Cap Growth $39,356.08 -$488.61
Value $3,223.14 -$176.86

I took a little hit this year but hopefully next year will look better.

New Car

2008-01-06T18:39:00.000-05:00

My car turns 10 years oldnext month. It has over 240,000 miles on it and I drive 155 miles five days a week to get to work. I haven't had any major problems with it and I try to keep to a 5,000-6,000 mile oil change. But it will eventually need to be replaced.

Last May I finally opened a mutal fund with T.Rowe Price to use as a savings account for a car. My target is $20,000. That is assuming my current car lasts until I reach my goal. Hopefully I'll surpass my goal and still be driving my Escort.

I opened the account in May 2007 with $1,000 and have $300 automatically deposited each month. I'm thinking of increasing that amount to $400 or $450 this year. If we get a bonus this year I'll deposit that also.

I'm not able to access my account online and the last statement I have is only up to the end of 3rd quarter. My balance at that time was $2,479.67 already up by $279.67 Good times!!!!

Forbes: Top 10 Richest Fictional Characters

2008-01-01T14:56:00.000-05:00

The Forbes Fictional 15

To qualify: 1) must be an authored fictional creation 2) must star in a specific narrative work or series of works 3) must be known for being rich. Net worth estimates are based on an analysis of the fictional character's source material, and are valued against known real-world commodity and share price movements. In the case of privately held fictional concerns, we sought to identify comparable fictional public companies. All prices are as of market close, Dec. 10, 2007.

#1 Scrooge McDuck
$28.8 Billion

#2 Ming The Merciless
$20.9 billion

#3 Richie Rich
$16.1 billion

#4 Mom (Futurama)
$15.7 billion

#5 Jed Clampett
$11 billion

#6 C. Montgomery Burns (The Simpsons)
$15.7 billion

#7 Carter Pewterschmidt (Family Guy)
$7.2 billion

#8 Bruce Wayne (Batman)
$7 billion

#9 Thurston Howell 3rd (Gilligan's Island)
$6.3 billion

#10 Tony Stark
$6.3 billion

Goodbye 2007

2007-12-31T21:25:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!!!!

(one year I want to ring in the new year in Vegas)

Emergency Fund

2007-12-28T01:30:00.000-05:00

I've been noticing in reading debt reduction and personal finance blogs that most if not all have as a goal for 2008 to increase their emergency fund. By significant dollar amounts. This got me to wondering: How much money do people keep in their backup accounts? (Please take my poll)

My emergency fund is also my home improvement, vacation, IRA fund. I have $325 per pay payroll deducted into this account. I don't have an ATM card or checks for this account and although it's not very far away it's not terribly convenient to stop at. The balance is usually around $2000-$3000. Right now it is higher because I didn't go anywhere for vacation and the home improvements I did this summer I was able to pay for from my regular paychecks.

I'll call the credit union today or next week and request a check withdrawal for my 2008 IRA contribution and the account will be back down to it's normal balance.

If I don't go anywhere in the spring for vacation, I'll withdrawal some of the money and deposit it in my mutual account which is my new car fund. I have $300 withdrawn from my checking account each month for that fund but am thinking about increasing the amount for 2008.

How much do you have in your emergency fund? Do you have an emergency fund? Why or why not?

Indiana Man Buys Truck With Change

2007-12-25T11:04:00.001-05:00

Indiana Man Buys Truck With $25,000 In Change

FRANKFORT, Ind. -- Frankfort resident Paul Brant considers himself a penny pincher.

But it's his passion for saving quarters and gold dollar coins that's really paid off.
The 70-year-old used more than $25,000 in change Friday to buy a new Dodge Ram half-ton pickup truck.

That purchase comes 13 years after he bought another truck using spare change.

Brant stored his change in coffee cans, water jugs and piggy banks over the years.

He said he got so much change by using vending machines at Chrysler in Kokomo, where he works.

Brant was escorted Friday by sheriff's deputies as he brought the rolled coins to the dealership.

He said he was raised to be thrifty. His father always paid in cash and saved up loose change to take vacations.

I save my change too but I deposit it once or twice a year. I would hate to have to roll $25,000 worth at once. I usually have about $200 a year. I'm not sure from this article if they mean he uses the vending machines to change dollars into change to save or that he eats candy, chips and pop from machines so gets change.

I'm sure we've all heard the tip to always break a bill and save the change. This is a great tip. But I really try hard not to eat out or use the vending machines and I charge groceries and other purchases.

For a while I was also saving dollar bills but it's hard to find change at work unless I go to the cafeteria.

CNN Money.com

2007-12-16T12:37:00.000-05:00

Help! Our kids are driving us broke

(Money Magazine) -- Kerri and Mike Miller have a spending problem. Three of them, in fact.

Sorry I don't see that the kids are a problem. These two need to start being in charge and start parenting. It's about more than money. If they can't say no now, what's going to happen in 3 or 4 years when this girl dates, starts driving and eventually graduates high school?
There's 12-year-old Kate, a seventh-grader who covets a pair of $160 boots, prefers clothes from American Eagle rather than Target and recently got a $300 cell phone.

She wouldn't "prefer" AM over Target if they hadn't started shopping there. Also who in their right mind buys a 12 year old a $300 phone? and $160 boots? This family's priorities need to be straightened out. Perhaps volunteering at a homeless shelter would help.
There's nine-year-old Landon, who has a voracious appetite for video games. And their youngest, four-year-old Claire, will soon start taking ski lessons (cost: $224, not including equipment).

Unless this kid is going to the Olympics, this is just a waste of time and money.
All three kids attend summer camps that run about $60 a day for each child. And then there's the cost of babysitting ($200 a month), preschool ($4,000 a year) and braces ($3,000).

$200 a month for babysitting? Two kids are in school full-time, one is in preschool. They get shipped off to summer camp AND the mom doesn't work. Why do they need babysitting?
Even with Mike's six-figure salary in commercial finance, the Park City, Utah, couple's ends are nowhere close to meeting.

"I look at how much money we spend and I think, 'Where is it going?'" says Kerri, 44, who is a stay-at-home mom.

She needs to get a job. Not just for the income but it will keep her busy so she won't invent reasons to spend money.
It's not all going to the kids, of course: Mike and Kerri have their own indulgences, like the hot tub they put in last year.

Personally, I think hot tubs are one of the biggest wastes of money. No one I know that have bought them still use them. Now they are just large lawn ornaments. The neighbor next door must keep his running because I can hear it when I'm outside but I never see them use it. I wonder how much they spend heating it? Even if they use it when I don't see them, I can't imagine it's very often.
The home-equity line of credit they opened two years ago to pay for home improvements now often serves as a safety net when they come up short at the end of the month. The balance is almost $50,000.

He makes SIX FIGURES and they need to use their house for back up at the end of the month?!!
"We've seen that go up and up and up," admits Mike, 48. Meanwhile, aside from the $300,000 in Mike's 401(k), the couple have almost no savings. And that means no emergency fund and not a dime set aside for the children's college.

These kids will have to pay their own way through college but at least they'll have expensive clothes and electronics growing up.
Learning to say no to the kids won't solve the Millers' financial issues, but it is a good place to start.

You can click to read the rest of the article, frankly it bothers me.

I have a problem with the husband working in commercial finance yet his own family's finances are a complete mess. No savings, no emergency fund. Using credit to pay monthly bills. Spending more than income.

I wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

Fortune

2007-12-12T18:06:00.000-05:00

Best Stocks for 2008

Annaly
Yield: 5.2%

Berkshire Hathaway
Yield: 0%

Dick's Sporting Goods
Yield: 0%

Electronic Arts
Yield: 0%

Genentech
Yield: 0%

General Electric
Yield: 3%

Jacobs Engineering Yield: 0%

Merrill Lynch Yield: 2.4%

Petrobras Yield: 1.8%

St. Joe
Yield: 0%

2007-11-25T18:44:00.000-05:00

Insiders: 5 Confessions Of A Comcast Customer Service Rep
By Ben Popken on Readers

I've been meaning to post this from The Consumerist and am finally getting it up. Enjoy.

..."I am going to tell you a few things that you may not believe happens in a call center but it does. (yes it does!)

5. SUPERVISORS WILL ONLY STEP IN IF YOU REFUSE TO BE MOLLIFIED

Ever wonder why anytime you request a supervisor that the CAE tells you that we will need to get your information and have one call you back, or we ask if you allow us the opportunity to assist yo.? The reason for this is that we have escalation measures set in that a customer cannot speak to a supervisor unless the supervisor feels that he or she must take the call. Beyond that, it's the CAE's problem to calm down and take care of the customer. Usually the call may be taken away if the supervisor is listening to the CAE's phone call and see how irate the customer is, and that no matter what the CAE says a customer refuses to get off the phone unless they speak to a supervisor. So if anyone was wondering why they can't just request a supervisor...then there is your reason.

That's a better system than we have. For me the customer will request a supervisor, if they aren't in a "meeting" or out smoking, they will leave the customer on hold asking me stupid questions about why they want a supervisor hoping the customer will hang up. Most do. I guess this system works.

In another department the "supervisors" were just reps who got paid more that day to take the complaint calls. In other departments you just ask the person sitting next to you to talk take the call.

4. CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS NO IDEA WHEN A TECH WILL SHOW UP

You guys ever wonder why the person you speak to about your tech's expected time arrival is a mystery most of the time? That's because to the customer service rep at Comcast, it is. Only dispatch knows where a tech is and when a technician is on its way. Thanks to the bureaucratic way Comcast works, your CAE that you are screaming at must send an email to dispatch and wait for dispatch to send a reply, which can take about a minute to nearly thirty minutes. Now, they will always tell you that dispatch or the tech will call you back. More than likely, they will not. There is a chance that they may do it, but chances are pretty slim. So next time you call and ask where is your tech and when is he coming to fix your problem or do your installation, just relax and know that since there are so many customers and so few dispatch people capable of answering phones you will not get any good answer off the bat. Just be nice and ask them to fill out a resolve form and give you a reference number for later. It will make everyone's job easier.
[ed. Here are the numbers for dispatch so you can call directly, even if your Comcast rep can't.]

Yeah we HATE this question. I can look at the tech's log but I don't know what he/she's actually DOING or GOING TO DO. I could tell you that you are next but then the tech out in the field could rearrange his list and now I've hung up with you and you are last. Or if you are in Illinois he/she probably will just write that he/she was there and no one was available. Even if you have been sitting on the front step all day waiting. Or he/she could have went home sick or took 1/2 day off, if the outside supervisor "forgets" to pull the work from that tech and get it on another person no will be out.

3. IF YOU DON'T PICK UP THE PHONE WHEN THEY "CALL', YOUR APPOINTMENT IS CANCELED, EVEN IF THEY NEVER ACTUALLY CALLED

Let's also stay on the subject of dispatch and phone calls. I know that many of you notice that when you wonder why your tech isn't showing up and you find out your appointment was canceled. They consider that if you don't pick up your phone...even if they never called you...you are not home verified. That means the tech does not have to go to your house because your appointment was canceled. Please don't ask your CAE about these calls... the CAEs don't make them, dispatch does. No matter what you tell your CAE, the chances of a technician going to your home after your appointment was canceled and you were not home verified is slim to none and you WILL have to reschedule. Issues like these creates arguments with my supervisor in ways you can never believe. When your appointment gets canceled and your CAE says your appointment was cancelled with a claim that dispatch called you and they didn't just stop, breathe, and count to three and ask to reschedule. That's really all that can be done. I am sorry, guys.

Pretty much what I said in #4.

2. DON'T GET COMCAST PHONE IF YOUR AREA HAS LOTS OF CABLE OUTAGES

The next thing I want to cover is your services. Due to the monopolistic ways of cable companies I cannot say if a problem like this plagues other cable companies but beware of their phone service. Not that it's a bad product mind you but there are some caveats that will not be explained to you, until its too late. First thing you must ask yourself...does Comcast in my area suffer from lots of outages.? If your area does, then stay clear of it. When there's a cable outage, you will not have a phone. Also, I must mention that with the phone service, do not be delinquent with your payments. If you get to the point that they will disrupt your services (phone, cable box, and modem is deactivated) you will have to pay for your phone to be activated again. Hope they change that one.

If you are upset don't threaten me that you are going to take your business elsewhere. (we put you on hold and make fun of you) If that were the case you would just do it and not mention it. Unless you go with cable it's still our lines and our techs and within a few months we'll throw incentives at you and you'll be back.

1. COMCAST IS A GIANT, UNCARING MACHINE

I don't want to say much else but just know there's a very important thing I want to impart to the readers is that a business is only around to make money and charge you for the services they contain. When a business gets large enough it turns into a machine and the only thing that makes it seem human is the people they hire. Unless you really can't control yourself, keep your anger in check. For Comcast, your screams and your cries are not heard anymore. There are so many people screaming that Comcast has become tone deaf. They will start listening again soon when the money stops rolling in. That's how you put a company in check. You leave them and make them lose money in any way possible. Comcast needs a wake up call and the consumer needs to give it to them.

I doubt it's just Comcast, I've called other call centers for lots of different businesses and it's just the way it is.

I don't mind getting upset or pissed off customers and I actually enjoy the ones that scream and swear. Hee. **I** know it's not going to help but it is pretty funny and breaks up the day. The customers I do go out of my way to help though are the soft spoken nice ones who apologize for being upset. (upset? compared to others they are kittens and puppies) This type of customer I empathize with, I don't need a sad story about a sick mother, father, child blah blah. I KNOW the tech screwed you and if I can I'll fix it. No need to embellish.

Same as when I was in billing. Point out the error, give a short explanation (some of my peers really are stupid) then stop. If you're not getting anywhere ask for a supervisor. If that person is an idiot ask for their supervisor. You'll get results the higher you go.

Personally I avoid call centers but this reminds me I need to call AOL. Now THAT is a trip. I hope I can understand the person I get. Oiy.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T16:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving

Women in Red Series

2007-11-18T22:11:00.000-05:00

Meet Jane. She has a mortgage payment that is too big, two sons in college, credit card bills, a big loan -- and, finally, a game plan. (not sure why it was noted that the sons are in college, from this article it doesn't appear she is paying anything towards their education or living expenses.)

Jane is 52 and works as a secretary in eastern Massachusetts. Her youngest son turned 18 in May, and at that point $12,000 a year in child support stopped coming.

Jane has a long way to go to get her finances straightened out. What makes her a terrific addition to the Women in Red is her level of commitment.The good news is that Jane was prepared for this moment. (she may have known that his birthday was coming but in my opinion she was in NO WAY prepared)

The bad news is that she took out a $26,000 personal loan, which was co-signed by a friend -- and the loan has to be repaid in full by December 2008. (evidently the money wasn't earmarked for anything specific just day to day living)

The good news is that Jane owns her condominium and has about $150,000 in equity. (She couldn't qualify for a home-equity loan because of her credit history.)

The bad news is that it looks like she has to sell the condo in order to repay the loan next year. (it doesn't appear that she is making payments on the loan based on her list of monthly expenses.)

The good news is that this might be for the best: Jane can't really afford the condo. While it's in a good area and could be a good investment, the monthly mortgage and fees come to more than $1,400 a month. (her home is 76% of her income!! most analysts recommend 34%)

The really bad news is that Jane's take-home pay now, without the child support, is $1,840 per month.Jane is 52 and works as a secretary in eastern Massachusetts. (her monthly expenses are $3,208. Anyone can see what happens when you spend MORE than you make. She's running at $1,368 negative a month or $16,416 a year. Even when she was getting the child support she was still over spending.)

Even though the article mentions briefly a "health issue" that makes taking on a second job "difficult", there has to be something she can do part-time that wouldn't be too strenuous.

It doesn't sound like she's going to sell her condo but that really is her biggest expense (76%). Plus $400 on food. Damn what does she do eat all the time? She can nickel and dime the other expenses but without making payments on that loan which comes due in 12 months the only solution I see is selling and moving into a much cheaper place and start saving for retirement.

This article was from September, I looked for an update but didn't find one. Hopefully, her situation will be updated soon.

Unused Gift Cards

2007-11-13T19:57:00.000-05:00

Unused Gift Cards are big business.

I heard on the radio today that unclaimed gift cards total around $8 MILLION a year. Even if this figure is inflated that total is very high.

I still get upset that last Christmas I lost the $25 gift card my mom gave me to the local coffee shop. I swear I put it in my giftbag with the other presents after I unwrapped them, but when I went to go get it it wasn't there. I keep hoping it'll show up but it's been almost a year and nothing.

You know this year, I'll be extra careful.

Here are some tips to remember if you get a giftcard. (you know if you don't lose it right away):

Register it.
Spend it quickly.
Use the entire amount.

Cup of Joe and a Blanket to Go

2007-11-13T19:42:00.000-05:00

Church expands blanket giveaway in second year

Last year members of Calvary Apostolic Church handed out more than 110 blankets to warm needy people.

This year they are aiming for 500.

``We are looking to blanket Jackson County with warmth,'' said Angelic Sponaugle, who organizes the Cup of Joe and a Blanket To Go program. ``We saw such a great need and we didn't come near the need that was out there. We just felt like we needed to do it again.''

Pickup begins at 10 a.m. Jan. 19 at the Jackson Interfaith Shelter, 414 S. Blackstone St.
The group is hoping to expand its second annual event to two pickup locations, but a second spot has yet to be chosen to go along with the shelter, Sponaugle said. So far the group has collected 50 blankets.

``We are looking for the support of the community to help us,'' she said. ``It seems like people want to give and they want to help, but they don't know how. We feel like it is a wonderful way for folks to reach out to their community.''

The Rev. William Scott, pastor of the church, said he's been touched to see volunteers sacrifice their own hats, gloves and socks to help others.

``It is not about us,'' Scott said. ``It is about reaching out and touching people. Especially with the economy today.

``It seems Jackson has been hit pretty hard.''

Church members are looking for blankets, coats, hats and gloves -- whatever people are willing to donate to help warm people, Sponaugle said. They would also like to see people volunteer to pass out coffee and donated items.

Starbucks is providing the coffee again this year, Sponaugle said.

The Salvation Army and local motels have gotten on board to donate blankets, she said.

This year, Sponaugle hopes to show the church's appreciation to people who donate and participate by holding a free dinner at the church featuring a slide show of the event so people can see what happened to their blankets.

Food Pantries Low on Donations

2007-11-07T06:15:00.000-05:00

Due to increased demands by the needy this Summer
the shelves of most, if not all, food pantries, are low.

All food items are needed but the following would be most appreciated:

Cereal
Spaghetti Sauce
Soup
Canned Fruit
Jelly
Crackers
Powdered Milk
Paper Products

This was posted in my Catholic Church bulletin regarding the Saint Vincent De Paul pantry here in Jackson, Michigan. However, I've read stories online that food pantries across the state and entire country are low for various reasons.

If you can spare anything to help out your local pantry, I'm sure it would be appreciated.

Maybe do a space clearing (clutter) in your cabinets and donate that way. I usually find items I thought I might like to try that aren't expired that I've changed my mind on. hee.

Hard Times Hit Home

2007-11-07T05:45:00.000-05:00

Hard Times Hit Home:
A Family's tale of foreclosure

Sunday, October 14, 2007

By Cami Reister

The Grand Rapids Press

GRANDVILLE -- Greg and Tracy Sweeney share a bedroom in their 1,000-square-foot apartment.

Three of their school-age children are in the other, where mattresses are squeezed next to each other on the floor. Their oldest sleeps in a rollaway in the living room.

"You have to wait in line to use the bathroom. Wait in line to get into the kitchen. Wait in line to go into the living room," Tracy said.

(click title to read rest of story...)

From the story I'm going to assume they have 4 children and make approximately $75,000 or $6,250 monthly when the story started in 2001.

They moved to Michigan in 2001 and bought a home with a mortgage payment of $1,336 per month or 21% of his salary. It sounds like his is the only income. So far, good. I'm not good with dimensions and spacial awareness but 2,650 sounds reasonable.

In 2003 they decide to build a new home, the wife says of the builder, "we were mutually trying to help each other out." This in my opinion is where the fall started.

#1 They already had an adequate home
#2 No mention of an increase in salary
#3 Who buys or builds or takes on more debt "to help" some else out"?
#4 They got greedy and/or tried to "keep up with the Jone's" (even if the Jone's were imaginary)

They had expected the new mortgage payment to be $1,600. The wife says, "who wouldn't do it?"

I can answer that. I wouldn't. I can also find probably 5 to 10 other people pretty quickly who wouldn't have done it either. Especially with 4 kids. I wouldn't exactly call it EXTRA but if you have and extra $264 per month to pay for a new house I'm sure I could stay in the original house and find a better way to invest that $3,168.

Of course after putting the cart before the horse, the story get worse. Much worse. Blah, blah, blah.

Lost both houses. Lost his job. He got cancer. The kids had to switch schools. Now all six (?) are crammed into a two bedroom apartment. Their stuff is in storage. The story doesn't say but I can't imagine they have any or much savings left. Looking for jobs.

It's sad but I think that people should learn to live within or below our means because we never know what can happen.

I've been at my job, in three different cities, now maybe a fourth for 12 years but for the last 9 or 10 years it's been with no security that there won't be an announcement that the job has been eliminated.

I try (not very well) to spend or not spend, like this week will be my last paycheck because it could be.

IRS warns of wildfire donation scam

2007-11-04T18:26:00.000-05:00

Internal Revenue Service reveals an email 'phishing' scam that solicits donations for victims of California wildfires.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- People should be on the lookout for a new e-mail scam soliciting donations to California wildfire victims in the name of the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. government, the IRS said Friday.

The tax agency said the bogus e-mails appear to be a "phishing scheme" that tries to trick recipients into revealing personal and financial information that can be used to steal a person's assets.

The IRS said it does not send e-mails soliciting charitable donations and never asks people for the PIN numbers, passwords or other secret information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts.

People "should avoid opening any attachments or clicking on any links until they can verify the e-mail's legitimacy," IRS Deputy Commissioner for Operations Support Richard Spires said in a statement.

The agency said the scam e-mail urges recipients to click on a link which opens on a fake IRS Web site. That site includes a link to a donation form which requests the recipient's personal and financial information.

The IRS said it also believes that clicking on the link downloads malware, or malicious software, onto the recipient's computer. That software will steal passwords and other account information it finds on the victim's computer system.

It urged those who received the scam e-mail to help the IRS shut down the operation by forwarding it to phishingirs.gov, using instructions found in "how to protect yourself from suspicious e-mails or phishing schemes" on the genuine IRS Web site, www.irs.gov.

Since the mail box was established last year, the IRS has received more than 30,000 e-mails from taxpayers reporting almost 600 separate phishing incidents.

It's so sad that there are always people who will take advantage of a bad situation and exploit others. Just think if they would use that energy for good.

Signing Your Credit Cards

2007-11-04T16:29:00.000-05:00

Vendors Can Refuse Unsigned Credit Cards

I usually either put See ID or sign them and put See ID Also. Lately though I've noticed that if the transaction is small, under $20 the cashier doesn't even look at the signature. I find this convenient since it is my card plus in all news accounts of thieves using stolen cards they spend much more than $20.

Drive your car to death

2007-10-27T02:52:00.000-05:00

Drive your car to death, save $31,000

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- By keeping your car for 15 years, or 225,000 miles of driving, you could save nearly $31,000, according to Consumer Reports magazine. That's compared to the cost of buying an identical model every five years, which is roughly the rate at which most car owners trade in their vehicles.

In its annual national auto survey, the magazine found 6,769 readers who had logged more than 200,000 miles on their cars. Their cars included a 1990 Lexus LS400 with 332,000 miles and a 1994 Ford Ranger pick-up that had gone 488,000 miles.

Calculating the costs involved in buying a new Honda Civic EX every five years for 15 years - including depreciation, taxes, fees and insurance - the magazine estimated it would cost $20,500 more than it would have cost to simply maintain one car for the same period.

Added to that, the magazine factored in $10,300 in interest that could have been earned on that money, assuming a five percent interest rate and a three percent inflation rate, over that time.

The magazine found similar savings with other models.

The magazine recommends several cars that have the best shot at reaching the 200,000 mile mark and a few that, according to its data, aren't likely to make it.

All the cars in the magazine's "Good bets" list are manufactured by Honda and Toyota . The "Bad bets" are a mixture of European models and two Nissans.

Consumer Reports' "Good bets" for making 200,000 miles:

Honda Civic, Honda CR-V, Honda Element, Lexus ES, Lexus LS, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Prius, Toyota RAV4

Consumer Reports' "Bad bets" for making 200,000 miles:

BMW 7-series, Infiniti QX56, Jaguar X-type, V8-powered Mercedes-Benz M-class, Mercedes-Benz SL, Nissan Armada, Nissan Titan, Volkswagen Touareg, V6-powered Volvo XC90.

I log 150 miles a day going to work and have well over 200,000 miles. I love my car, it gets great gas mileage and I hardly ever have any mechanical problems.

I bought it brand new in February 1998, had it 0% financed and paid off in under 2 years. I'm hoping to not need to purchase a new car for at least another 3 or 4 years.

The Jones' at work almost all have Mercedes and huge SUV's but I'm happy with my car. It's paid off and gets me where I need to be.

50 Most Powerful Women In Business

2007-10-27T01:53:00.000-05:00

Fortune Magazine's 50 Most Powerful Women In Business

1 Indra Nooyi PepsiCo

2Anne Mulcahy Xerox

3 Meg Whitman eBay

4 Angela Braly Wellpoint

5 Irene Rosenfeld Kraft Foods

6 Pat Woertz Archer Daniels Midland

7 Susan Arnold Procter & Gamble

8 Oprah Winfrey Harpo

9 Andrea Jung Avon Products

10 Brenda Barnes Sara Lee

11 Ursula Burns Xerox

12 Sallie Krawcheck Citigroup

13 Ann Livermore Hewlett-Packard

14 Christine Poon Johnson & Johnson

15 Anne Sweeney Walt Disney, Disney-ABC Television Group

16 Zoe Cruz Morgan Stanley

17 Ginni Rometty IBM

18 Judy McGrath Viacom

19 Ann Moore Time Inc.

20 Sue Decker Yahoo

21 Susan Desmond-Hellmann Genentech

22 Diane Greene VMware

23 Amy Brinkley Bank of America

24 Susan Ivey R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, Reynolds American

25 Ellen Kullman DuPont

26 Charlene Begley General Electric

27 Heidi Miller J.P. Morgan Chase

28 Cece Sutton Wachovia

29 Sheryl Sandberg Google

30 Abigail Johnson Fidelity

31 Carol Meyrowitz TJX

32 Carrie Cox Schering-Plough

33 Linda Dillman Wal-Mart Stores

34 Shelly Lazarus WPP

35 Mary Sammons Rite Aid

36 Lisa Weber MetLife

37 Claire Babrowski Toys "R" Us

38 Joanne Maguire Lockheed Martin

39 Colleen Goggins Johnson & Johnson

40 Kathleen Murphy ING

41 Dawn Hudson PepsiCo

42 Liz Smith Avon Products

43 Cathleen Black Hearst

44 Pam Nicholson Enterprise

45 Melanie Healey Procter & Gamble

46 Amy Pascal Sony

47 Deirdre Connelly Eli Lilly

48 Jan Fields McDonald's

49 Julia Stewart IHOP

50 Cathie Lesjak Hewlett-Packard

The youngest is 38 and the oldest 63.
Highest paid? $30 million
Lowest? $7.8 million

12 newcomers to the list with the highest ranking--4th

Martha Stewart 28th last year is off the list this year

How the list is created:

FORTUNE ranks women in for-profit companies based on the size, importance, and health of their business in the global economy; career momentum; and social and cultural influence.

Paypal

2007-10-25T15:41:00.000-05:00

Yippee!!

Paypal decided in my favor regarding the imitation Louis Vuitton bag I purchased on eBay. I mailed the bag to Paypal today and when they receive it I will be refunded my purchase price.

The orginal shipping was $20 and it cost $26.35 today. MyPoupette charged $75 for their report but because of a problem they had they submitted the report after the due date. I'm going to ask them for a refund.

So at most this will be a $121.35 lesson or hopefully a $46.35 one. From now on, I will be MUCH more careful with auctions and descriptions.

2007-10-19T20:14:00.000-05:00

I'm still in a dispute with the seller at eBay. I escalated through Paypal and it looked like he wasn't going to respond but then on the last possible day he did.

I faxed my photos today and on Wednesday ordered a report through MyPoupette.com hopefully that will be enough to rule in my favor.

Unfortunately I didn't learn of that site until AFTER I had won the auction and had already paid.

Still looking at options for a laptop. My internet time has cut WAY down without it.

2007-10-09T05:50:00.000-05:00

A look at how Michigan stacks up nationally

The Associated Press A look at some of Michigan's economic indicators.

_Michigan's August unemployment rate was 7.4 percent, well above the national average of 4.6 percent.

_Michigan ranks in the top 10 states on home foreclosures.

_Employment in the state's transportation sector is expected to drop more than 12 percent in 2007 and more than 11 percent in 2008, according to the House Fiscal Agency.

_Michigan real disposable income is expected to fall 0.5 percent in 2007, while national real disposable income is expected to grow 2.7 percent, according to the HFA.

Michigan's image doesn't look to improve anytime soon
By KATHY BARKS HOFFMAN

Michigan's image, already in tatters from the troubles caused by its shrinking manufacturing base and a budget impasse that wasn't solved until a temporary government shutdown, isn't going to recover anytime soon.

Recall campaigns are being considered against Granholm and some of the lawmakers who voted to increase the income tax from 3.9 percent to 4.35 percent or expand the 6 percent sales tax to more services.

Economists with the state and at the University of Michigan expect job losses to continue through late 2008, with nearly 50,000 jobs disappearing next year, most of them in manufacturing. Other industries, such as pharmaceuticals, are taking hits.

Under the old business tax, which expires at the end of the year, companies had to pay the tax even if they posted no profits. They also paid more if they hired more employees or offered benefits, creating a disincentive to create jobs.

Other steps may be taken to smooth out the impact of the sales tax on services. Some lawmakers have suggested letting voters decide if they'd rather pay the service tax or raise the overall sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent. Others may try to find a way to tax fewer business-to-business services.

Lawmakers also may calm taxpayers' ire by eliminating a benefit that gives legislators and their families lifetime health care benefits starting at age 55 for anyone who has served six years in the Legislature, and by making more changes in public employee benefits that could save the state money down the road.

I heard on the news today that Michigan is the leader in unemployment of all states. Great.

I'm behind the recall of Granholm, I certainly didn't vote for her and never would have. Anyone would have been better, but DeVos was the better candidate.

The income tax increase I don't mind but the sales tax on the various services that haven't been taxed before is just unbelievable. Most don't make sense and I fail to see how it's going to bail out the state budget.

2007-09-27T18:22:00.000-05:00

Jackson unemployment rate drops

Jackson's unemployment rate fell in August to 7.6 percent after two months of increases according to data from the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth.

At this time last year, unemployment was at 7.5 percent. In July, unemployment was at 8.2 percent.

Big Deal. Michigan's economy sucks. The budget is a mess and the government is planning to shutdown. The people who will suffer the most if this happens are ones who can least afford it. Sick, dying and the mentally ill.

And really, the number of unemployed is probably higher it's just that the benefits have run out. It's disgusting that government isn't ran like a business.

Why No Posts? Warning Long Story

2007-09-26T05:09:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in a bit because it seems like I've been running around and getting nothing accomplished.

Here's the long story: I'd been thinking about getting a dog since I love my niece, Jade, so much. But since I have pretty much a 3 hour daily commute and my parents have said that they won't watch another grandchild (favoritism) I didn't think I would be able to. I had thought I had an agreement with my aunt and grandmother that they would provide daycare but that wasn't the case. This was AFTER I found the cutest little Bichon Frise puppy. So I told the two breeders (I know I shouldn't get a dog from a breeder but there weren't any rescues nearby) that I wouldn't be purchasing from them. Then the lady who sits next to me at work said that even being gone I would still be able to potty train a puppy. I called a dog walker and had a tentative agreement with her. But I was still not sure. I emailed the breeders for there opinion. Well, ironically, they knew each other (and I had inadvertently mixed up replies to emails so they knew I was in contact with each. Ooops!) The one here in Michigan offered me a 5 year old that I could have for no charge. Well, I really didn't want a used dog but I talked to my friend who has 4 different dogs and has breed once and she convinced me that a used dog would be just fine. I actually feel a bunch better about rescuing a dog than getting a new one from a breeder.

Her name is Betty and she is so cute and she loves everyone! (well except my uncle) She hardly barks. She's five and has been kennelled supposedly for the past year but we suspect longer. I think she was hit too because when you go to pick her up she cowers and presses against the ground. It's sad.

The good news is that my grandmother LOVES her. My aunt has always had a dog, usually poodles and I have NEVER, EVER seen my grandmother kiss or let one kiss her, but she lets Betty. She calls me every work day to make sure I'm up (hee) and waits for me to bring Betty over. She feeds her from a spoon and tells me what Betty's favorite foods are. (chicken, turkey and ice cream) She follows their dog, Luda, around and mimics almost everything he does. It's cute because Luda is a pit bull who weighs at least 60 pounds and is tall. Betty weighed 13.1 pounds when I got her (with grandma she probably has gained a few pounds) and she is short. Luda is mostly black and Betty is white. They look so funny sleeping together on the couch. No more kennel for Betty. She is spoiled and has the run of Grandma's house. Our house? Not so much, potty training here isn't going well and new carpet upstairs looks to be in our future.

Grooming is $25 for a wash and dry and $40 for a cut (both include $5 tip). She goes every 3 weeks alternating cuts. So I figure that's about $600 a year including gas because when I got her she needed a cut and stunk. I tried to bathe her but then it was wet stink. It was a Monday and I called every groomer in the Yellow Pages until FINALLY a lady in Brooklyn agreed to take her that same day. I really like her but it's about a 40 minute drive and it seems to take all day.

I'm going to call a mobile groomer today and get details on that. She also had horrible breath and I wanted her to have a check up. So off to Luda's vet we went. What fun!! It's no appointment first come, first serve, so I had time to see all different kinds of dogs coming in. I left her overnight since I have to leave so early in the morning. It was extra $$ but worth it for me. The dental cleaning, exam and heartworm pills came to $179.06 and I still need to take her back to get spayed. It was convenient for me to leave her overnight, but she was shaking when I picked her up so I'm thinking she wasn't sure if the good life was over already and it was back to cage living or she was just nervous. She's got enough mental problems to overcome without me adding to it. She doesn't know how to play and when I try to squeak or roll a ball at her she runs and hides. It's enough to make you cry.

Then I bought a dog carrier bag on eBay and it was a knock-off. The seller responded to my first email but then stopped. I filed a claim with Paypal and he so far hasn't responded to that. He has until September 30 and if no reply I'll get my money back. I'm upset with myself for not paying more attention to the pictures and being in a hurry but hopefully it'll work out ok.

Work is horrendous. I'm trying to get my EEOC complaint out in the mail today.

My laptop died and I hate using the computer in the den.

I was going to go the Las Vegas (my favorite place on earth!!) but my friend who said she would go with me, decided that since she was leaving for Europe on the 1st she had better wait. Unfortunately everyone else has kids and husband's or boyfriend's they can't/won't leave. Or vacation time already planned around the holidays. I even offered to pay. Oh well.

So I need a new laptop if anyone has any suggestions leave a link in the comments. I'm pretty computer stoopid so I'll probably just go to Office Max and pick out one. All lame excuses but that's what's been going on. I have been saving articles that I want to post about so maybe there will be a flood of new posts.

eBay Wednesday?

2007-09-05T18:07:00.001-05:00

Back issues of Mailbox News cake decorating magazines.
Continuing to clean out stuff that may be worth something to someone. Decided not to bother waiting until Thursday on these cake decorating magazines based on the final sale price of others. Also didn't bother with a 10 day listing.

I've sold some other things that I haven't listed.

I also got somewhat scammed on an item I bought. I didn't look carefully enough at the pictures and thought the item was real. I got it in the mail yesterday and turns out it is a fake. I'm so disappointed. It's not so much the money that I wasted it's that I really really wanted this (didn't NEED it at all) and would rather not have it than have a fake. I can't in good conscience sell a fake myself. I emailed the seller and am hoping that he will take it back. Lesson learned.

Web site swaps equipment for disabled

2007-08-21T13:02:00.001-05:00

Web site swaps equipment for elderly and the disabled
Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Looking to buy a lift chair, a reacher or a walker? Or how about a commode?

On ATxchange.org, you could find one at a great price -- maybe even for free.

The site is a sell-or-swap forum for assistive technology, the term used to describe machines, gadgets or furniture that help elderly people or those with disabilities perform daily tasks. They can be low- or high-tech, ranging from a toilet chair to a motorized scooter.

Users create a screen name and log in, post their items or view other postings. Anyone wanting a posted item can send a request to site managers, who respond with the seller's contact information. All items are used.

Jo Corder, assistive technology specialist at disAbility Connections, 409 Linden Ave., said sites like this help redistribute resources to those who need them. Often when a person with a disability dies, the assistive equipment stays with a family member who doesn't need it.

"The family doesn't have a resource for recycling these devices and they become obsolete," she said.

Corder said the main benefit is that ATxchange has postings from across the state and allows users to narrow search results to locations near their homes.

The East Lansing-based Michigan Disability Rights Coalition set up the site in February using more than $130,000 from the U.S. Department of Education.

But there have been only 30 postings, 99 users and four transactions. The Web site itself has only been viewed 629 times.

But project coordinator Aimee Sterk with the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition said it is set to grow as she and her colleagues send pamphlets and information to local organizations like disAbility Connections. Her group is also touring the state, giving presentations on how to use the Web site.

Cool like a Freecycle (you know how much I LOVE freecycle) for medical equipment.

"It has grown some, but we have not done any marketing of the site until this month," she said. "It's been very much word of mouth until now."

The Good Life

2007-08-20T11:51:00.000-05:00

Woman Says She Stole to Have The Good Life
Click to read entire story

GOFFSTOWN, N.H. -- A woman accused of stealing more than $1 million from her nonprofit employer said she used the money to pay for medical bills, vacations and her daughter's wedding.

Bevins said she's not certain how much money she took, but doesn't dispute Crotched Mountain's estimate of $1.3 million. She said at least $200,000 went to medical bills for her cancer treatments and another chunk paid for her daughter's wedding, which included a custom-made wedding dress. Bevins said she also took her family on two cruises and used stolen money to make donations to churches and other organizations.

Bevins said she's ashamed of what she's done, but blames at least part of her actions on her former employer.

I personally detest embezzlers. I feel that they get sentenced too lightly if they do any prison time at all. In my utopia each instance would be a separate count. Other than not using a gun, embezzlers are no different than bank robbers or home invaders. When working for a small company the theft can wipe the company out.

This woman is one of the worst I've heard of, she has the nerve to blame her theft on employer as though she's justified in some in way in stealing $2 million.

I think we can all agree that everyone wants "the good life". I don't know anyone who as a child (or adult) dreams of being homeless or hungry or jobless. But I also don't know anyone who steals to get it.

I also don't believe that her family didn't know anything about it. If your husband thinks you are making (for example) $45,000 per year, and somehow, as a family we are able to take two cruises, pay $200,000 in medical bills, pay for a fancy wedding and not mentioned but I'm sure vacations, then something isn't adding up and he HAS to know something fishy is going on.

It's always interesting to me that people believe that "the good life" is owed to them, but they are unwilling to work for it.

Unwilling to work two jobs.
Unwilling to cut back on expenses.
Unwilling to let go of unnecessary spending.
Unwilling to say no to competitive spending to keep with others.

But still you'll hear, "I deserve it". Hmmm.

OT: Happy Birthday Madonna

2007-08-16T19:51:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday

Madonna !!!!

Ok, not strictly personal finance related. But she sure knows how to market herself and keep relevant. Even now on her 49th birthday she's working on a new album, has a lucrutive endorsement deal with H&M, and (please, please) hopefully planning her next tour.

Her estimated net worth is $850 million at the end of 2006.

From Forbes Celebrity 100:
Madonna ranks 3rd in Celebrities, 1st in Press Rank and 2nd in Web Rank.

Madonna crisscrossed the globe last year for her tour, 'Confessions,' which drew over 1 million fans and grossed $194 million, making it the top-earning tour by a female artist in history.

NBC cut the Material Girl a hefty check to broadcast the 'Confessions' tour live last November, though ratings proved disappointing. In March, the always-fashion-forward singer linked up with retailer H&M for her own clothing line, M. (Rhinestones a-plenty, but no cone bras.)

Car Repairs

2007-07-26T20:02:00.000-05:00

I usually take my car to the dealership in Brooklyn which is 25 miles away but my grandmother told me to take it to "Mr. Brown". That's who she uses. So I dropped it off on Tuesday. I told him what the oil change guy said about the transmission and that my uncle said to get a flush.

I also said that it has a bunch of miles on it, it's a '98, I drive 150 miles a day and I want to have it hopefully another 6 years. If he saw anything else it needed to just fix it.

When I went back to my grandmothers, I was going to use her car while mine was being fixed, I asked if I should pay in cash or a check. She said she usually pays cash and tips because he's very cheap.

Then while I'm driving hers to the golf course it starts blowing smelly smoke from under the hood!! Yikes. I ask the guys at the course if they'll help me add water after it cools off. One of the guys looks at it later and decides it must be the thermometer.

Today Mr. Brown drops my car off to my grandmothers and I run her car over and pay him. It was only $50!! I was hoping it would be under $200 and it was only $200. I'm so glad. And he fixed the scratches on the drivers door that Jade made from hanging out the window. He didn't see the ones on the other side or he would have fixed those. It looks really good. I guess the oil pan was bent also.

I gave him $20 extra since it was so cheap and since my grandmother told me to tip.

$70 mechanic

Wednesday
$10 Woody's
$22.50 golf
$4.21 Wendy's

Want Vs Need

2007-07-21T15:50:00.000-05:00

I think before spending any amount of money it's important to first determine if it's a want or a need. This can actually be somewhat difficult. To make the determination doesn't mean you need to justify the purchase, that can always be done.

Here's a recent example:

Of course we all need to wear shoes. I'd like a cute pair of summer sandals. I found these at Zappos. At the time I first found them they were on sale for $188 marked down from $238.

I'd say that's a WANT. No way would I pay $188 for shoes, online. MAYBE instore after I tried them on, but still doubtful. I'm too cheap. Plus I'm missing the shoe collector gene.

Also I normally don't wear shoes with heels this high. Maybe 1/2 as much. But for some reason, I just think these are kinda cute. But I decided not to get them.

But then I was at Target and saw these for $11.49, still a heel a bit higher than I normally wear but actually cuter than the Zappos pair. And a MUCH better price. Mine aren't white they are beige. I can't wear them with sundresses and skirts.

If I hadn't found the cheaper Target pair I would have gone without.

Another example: After all the remodeling projects around the house and outside, my garage was cluttered with leftover materials. I only park my car in the garage during winter months but it was so full that I was afraid that it would take 6 months to clean out and then how to get rid of the junk?

I had my handymen come over, clean out the garage and move stuff in the basement. They brought their little trailer to take the stuff I was getting rid of to dispose of.

They were here about 7 hours. The garage looks the best it ever has! They mounted pegboard I had. Adjusted brackets that held ladders up. Moved shelving units from the basement to the garage. Moved an entertainment center and recliner from the living room to the basement. And hauled away a bunch of junk. My garage looks almost twice as big. Now all I have to do is get the basement back in order.

It cost $200 but that was a need. There is no way I would have been able to do it myself or if I could have it wouldn't have been the same quality and it would have taken much longer.

Another things I do is go through catalogs and rip out the pages with items I want. Then I set them aside for a few days. After a few days I toss them out when I'm recycling and don't give it another thought. This saves me a bunch of money. If it was something I really wanted then I'd remember it but usually I don't miss it and can't remember what anything was.

2007-07-20T19:16:00.000-05:00

Wednesday
$5.00 golf
$2.25 snacks @ golf
$8.90 Bone Island Grill
$4.60 mail-return to Puma

Thursday
$2.23 pop/cookies

Friday
$3.30 pop/(2)cookies

Car Repairs

2007-07-16T19:41:00.001-05:00

When I went to get my oil changed today, they told me the transmission fluid is leaking.
I wasn't surprised I kinda thought something was leaking. There are spots on the driveway. But I wasn't 100% sure it was coming from my car and not the painter's truck.
My uncle said to have them do a flush at the same time since it's probably been a bit since the last one. Now I just have to find time to take the car to the dealership or find a mechanic in town. The one guy I used to go to sold his business and I'm not familiar with the new owner.
I'm really trying to get at least another 3 or 4 years out of my car before buying a new one.

Good News!! My new car mutual fund already made $12.54!!!

$23.00 Papa Johns
$60.00 Maid

Not So Future Plans

2007-07-12T20:34:00.000-05:00

I still need to find an accountant. I'm not as freaked out over my IRA's but I need to make sure I'm maximizing my investments.

If I don't flip out at work and walk out, (or get fired) I'd like to retire in 6 six years from Worst Company when I'm 45. Then maybe just work part-time as an accountant. Actually if I end up suing Worst Company for harassment, I really will need help with investing.

I'll be done with school by then if I really buckle down and just get it done. Last I knew I need 2 more classes to get my Associate's Degree and I shouldn't need too many more credits for the Bachelor's Degree.

My immediate to do list: enroll in Fall classes, get references for accountant, file EEOC complaint

$100.00 Handyman
$15.00 gas (couldn't find credit card)
$ 4.76 coke & donuts

2007-07-09T18:50:00.000-05:00

I overheard some girls talking at work yesterday and one mentioned that we get 3 paychecks in August. ??? Who knows these things? I didn't even know that Friday was a payday until someone told me. If they hadn't said that I wouldn't have found out until I went to pay my American Express card. (I left my Visa home one day and needed gas)

Anyhoo, people at work are funny with their money. The two times we get 3 paychecks in one month they use it as free money to blow. Which is fine for them, but wouldn't it be easier in the long run to have an emergency fund? or at least a bit of a cushion with the other bills?

Maybe it's just me, I'd freak out if something came up and I didn't have the money to take care of it.

After everything is caught up and I have a cushion, then I can think about blowing money.

$29.55 Emmons (garbage service)
$60.00 Maid

2007-07-07T19:18:00.000-05:00

Saturday
$3.25 pool
$0.50 snack box

Friday
$1.25 Cherry Coke

2007-07-02T19:07:00.000-05:00

Monday
$4.74 Beaner's

Sunday
$1.75 pop/candy

2007-06-30T22:03:00.000-05:00

$8.00 Panera Bread
$1.50 pop/candy

2007-06-29T20:53:00.000-05:00

$15.00 gas
$2.74 pop/muffin/donut
$2.00 cookies

eBay Thursday

2007-06-28T20:56:00.001-05:00

Wilton 2001 Cake Decorating Yearbook
Wilton 2002 Cake Decorating Yearbook

Still cleaning out the basement and getting rid of craft and hobby items.

$2.45 pop/cookies

2007-06-27T19:49:00.000-05:00

I have to update pictures but the home improvements are continuing. The hallway looks good, I picked a light yellow for the walls, the ceiling is white. The basement floor is beige, I thought it would be more of a brown but it turned out much lighter.

All the stuff from the basement is shoved to one side and I'm really liking how empty it is. I going to try to get rid of most of the stuff. I quickly went through and picked out some stuff for eBay and for a garage sale. If we don't have a garage sale, I'll just donate it.

I'm also thinking about moving the entertainment center from the living room to the basement and the TV from the bedroom down there. Right now the TV in the living room doesn't fit in it but I really like it and don't want to give it away.

Some of the stuff can also be moved to the storage area under the steps. Some moved to the garage or storage shed. I'm hoping to get most of it cleared out before Joe comes back to start doing to sealant.

$1.50 pop at golf course (no golf got rained out)

$4.00 Taco Bell

$29.00 eBay mailing

$250.00 painter

Pictures of latest Home Improvement Project

2007-06-27T04:52:00.001-05:00

Here is my new front sidewalk before the steps were put in. You can't really tell but the old walk went from the door to the left in front of the bush to the driveway and was very narrow.

I had him put a small pad down so that it would be easier to drive in and out of the shed on my mower. You can kind of see where I have dented the doors. Hee.

I went from barely 3 feet wide to 5 feet curved at the corner and 4 feet next to the garage.

I'm going to either mulch behind the raised beds or plant grass and weedeat. Usually I have vegetables in the right hand bed and strawberries in the left but so far not this year.

I've been wanting to get this done for several years and for what ever reason would do a different project instead. Since I didn't go on a real vacation this spring, I finally just made the call and hired someone. I'm very happy with the result. The final cost for the concrete work was only $1,800. He got the work done in two days and I wasn't inconvenienced at all. That's exactly the way I like it.

401K

2007-06-24T19:17:00.000-05:00

Jeremy at genxfinance posted a great article titled:

Your 401(k) is Not a Savings Account.

He writes: What is probably (shocking) is that many (people) looking to take money out of their retirement plan only need a small amount (generally under $1,000) to cover some unexpected expenses and I’ve seen people take out $500 loans on three year terms.

Here at worst company, this is not shocking at all, it is the norm. So is filing for bankruptcy. They also live not from paycheck to paycheck but from this paycheck to the one after that. The not so funny part about this is that in my office we have 211 non-management employees (33 men/178 women) with an average of 17 years of service and a base pay of approximately $50,000. I don’t the statistics regarding number of children, household income, etc. I’d be interested to know what the average dollar amount of savings is. I’d bet it’s very very low. I don’t know if this is the norm for Michigan or nationwide. Most people here who talk about their finances admit to being at least one payment behind on rent and/or car payments.

Jeremy further writes: Loans should be your last resort. If your plan allows you to take a loan it should be treated as a last resort. Some people argue that tapping into your 401(k) isn’t all that bad of an idea because it is your money and you are simply paying yourself back the interest.

I’ve never really understood their rational of “I’m borrowing from myself”. My ex-boyfriend would borrow against his and spout this as his justification. The amounts he borrowed would be small (less than $1,000) and his payback would be around $15. Who spreads out $1,000 over 5 years? At least if he would have borrowed from the credit union the payment would have been higher and forced him to pay it back sooner and build good credit. He never learned NOT to get into trouble in the first place which would have gone a long way in itself. (by the way within a year of our breakup, he filed for bankruptcy)

Actually this is what I’ve noticed about most of the people at work. They run up bills, borrow from their 401(k) or file bankruptcy then in a few months are back in the same boat again.

Some of the exact same people who were claiming to wanting to purchase a house (or buy a car or go on a fab vacation) still have the same “goal” 5 years later. They haven’t made any changes to their spending/saving to actually achieve their “goals”.

Personally, I have my contributions to my 401(k) automatically deducted and I glance at my quarterly statements. I have a general idea of how much money is in my account but I don’t consider it part of current assets. It is strictly for retirement (which I hope to be in 6 years when I’m 45). I suppose if something dreadful was to happen and I absolutely had to use the money I would but it would have to be a catastrophic event.

Sunday

$1.75 pop/snacks at work (you can always tell when it's time to go to the store)

Saturday

$18.00 golf--9 holes Hankerd Hills

$11.00 dinner

Friday

$788 concrete steps

More Home Improvements

2007-06-18T21:53:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow the painter starts work. I'm having the entryway from the back door painted.
When the basement remodel was done, I had them fix the wall. It had been wall papered with this ugly paper and was peeling. I started tearing it down a while ago with the intent of painting it. When the guys were over I had them make the bottom part that was wood with trim piece taller. They don't like to paint and I decided that I don't want to do it, so I called my brother's friend who did my bedroom.
He's going to start off fixing the problems with the drywall, then painting the walls and the trim on the bottom set of stairs.
I always pay for supplies then just pay the workers for their time. Right now he quoted $175 but once I get someone in my clutches I usually find other things for them to do and just say, "add it to the bill".

Already I know I'm going to ask him to paint the trim around the windows. The other trim either needs to be cleaned with a Mr. Clean Eraser or painted. There's a yucky looking pipe in the laundry room that needs the rust scrapped off and painted. Plus I'm too lazy to paint the floor myself so I'll ask him. I painted it before grey but now that the colors are different it looks stupid. The laundry floor hadn't ever been done.

I'm getting a bunch of projects around the house done (this is instead of my normal May vacation) but I'd still rather have gone to Vegas.

My mom has been talking about going and she wants to plan for next April. That will be great but I'm going to need a fix before then. I wish I someone that could go at anytime, I'd love to go for a weekend once a month or so.

Oh well something to work on.

Monday
$3.37 Wendy's
$3.25 Pool
$60.00 Maid

Sunday
$2.25 junk food at work

Saturday
$5.67 Qdoba

Spending Money Like it's going out of style

2007-06-13T21:42:00.000-05:00

Monday I got a call at work from the concrete guy wanting to know if he could start that day. Well I had been sick since Wednesday (food poisoning or something) so I hadn't dismantled the stepping stones and mulch by the raised beds or cleared off the sidewalks. I told him he could but that I was at work.

They took care of clearing everything away and had hauled away the old concrete and dug most of the new forms. I was very impressed with how quickly they worked.

Then they came back this morning finished digging out the new front sidewalk and poured the cement. It was dried by time I got home from golf.

It looks so nice I love it!! I didn't get a chance to take "Before" pictures so I'll have to look and see if I have any where the walks just happened to be in it. Tomorrow I'll get some of the "After".

The cost of this project was $1,800. The steps for the front are being made (they didn't have 5' wide and 5 high in stock) and they should be around $800 delivered and set up. The reason I'm not 100% sure of the cost is because the quote was $760 but with black iron railing and I want the railing to be white so he has to paint them.

The other money that flew out was for 2 new golf clubs. I decided to get a new driver.

The one I'm using now came with my set which I've had for several years. The head is pretty small. I hit very straight but don't get much distance (I'm breaking my wrist at the wrong time-hard habit to break). I'm hoping this club will help with topping the ball too.

I'm also getting this hybrid club to replace my 3 wood.

So that was $317.98 plus I've ordered new golf outfits from Puma, LizGolf and eBay. I think I'm making up for not spending much money last year.

$8.00 Bone Island Grill
$3.00 Beaner's
$5.00 Golf
$2.00 pop @ golf

eBay Thursday

2007-06-12T05:44:00.001-05:00

McDonald's 1996 Halloween McNugget Buddies

Wilton Fondant or Candy Mold

Vanilla Ice

Ok, when I go to do my eBay listings, one time the option to start the auction at a later date/time will be available but the next time it won't be. ?? What the heck??

I much prefer using it. It's only $0.10 and I can do a few listings at a time and schedule them for Thursdays. I read somewhere that Thursday evenings are the best time to start a listing. I usually have pretty good luck with it so I'm sticking with it.

Here are three auctions I put together this morning since I can't sleep. The Wilton Baby mold I already sold one and offered this one as a 2nd chance but it didn't sell so I'm putting it up. I had bought it when I took the Wilton cake decorating classes. Those are a bunch of fun but I went crazy buying stuff that I now need to get out of here. I have some pans I need to sell too.

Vanilla Ice I bought as a branch of my Barbie collection. I already sold the 90210 dolls. I have a Michael Jackson (before we knew he was a nasty pervert) and Spice Dolls (I think I'll wait until the reunion tour in December) and New Kids on the Block I picked up when I worked at Meijer.

I might put up maybe one or two more auctions for this week and then a 3 or 4 every Thursday again. I need to get back into the groove. For no other reason than to clear things out of the basement and closets upstairs. Plus I'm getting some new golf clubs.

2007-06-12T04:29:00.000-05:00

Saturday

$3.50 pool
$15.00 golf
$1.50 pop @ golf

Monday

$3.25 junk @ work

The Best Job in the World

2007-06-08T19:13:00.000-05:00

Energy magnate's ex wins $184M divorce verdict

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- An energy magnate's estranged wife was awarded $184 million Monday in what appears to be one of the biggest divorce verdicts in U.S. history.

Citing irreconcilable differences, Maya Polsky, a 55-year-old art gallery owner, filed for divorce from her husband, Michael Polsky, in 2003.

Judge William Boyd ruled in October that Maya Polsky was entitled to half of the Chicago couple's cash and assets, with her share valued at $176 million. On Monday, the judge amended his decision to include previously omitted assets that increased the value of her award to $184 million.

Maya Polsky's attorney, Howard Rosenfeld, said more than $170 million of the award is nontaxable cash. He said that in researching the case he could find nothing in which a homemaker wife received such a significant award.

"She's very much satisfied with the court's decision. She thinks she was fairly treated by the court," Rosenfeld said.

The couple married in 1975 in Kiev, Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. They arrived in the United States in 1976 with only four suitcases and $500 in cash, according to court records. In 1980, they moved from Detroit to Chicago, where Michael Polsky found success in the energy business.

Judges in Illinois have some leeway in determining how to split marital assets. Rosenfeld successfully argued that Maya Polsky was her 57-year-old husband's trusted confidant and therefore entitled to half of the estate.

"They would walk together after dinners, and Michael would share details of his work, looking for empathy, advice or merely an open ear," Rosenfeld wrote in court filings. "For many years, their marital partnership flourished. Michael provided sustenance and security, and Maya provided love, support, advice and counsel."

Michael Polsky's attorneys contended that he was responsible for the couple's great wealth and said they will likely appeal Monday's decision.

"He intends to test this decision on appeal because he's always believed that this shouldn't have been a 50-50 split," attorney Joseph Tighe said.

David Meyer, a law professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said the Polsky case is "remarkable and historic" because of the size of the award and Boyd's decision to split the estate equally.

"Those are huge numbers," Meyer said. "When you get these cases of extraordinary wealth, it really puts to the test this notion of marriage as a complete partnership."

Gaetano Ferro, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, said he wasn't aware of a bigger award in the U.S.

Michael Polsky launched the company that eventually would become Northbrook-based SkyGen Energy, a leading independent power producer that sold in 2000 for about $450 million. He is now president and CEO of Invenergy Wind LLC, a Chicago-based wind energy company.

$184 million. Pretty good retirement buyout for 28 years of "work". I need a job like this, I wonder if he's already remarried?

Today

$20 Doctor (now what do I have?)
$2.00 (gatorade--doctor prescribed)

Wednesday

$5.00 golf
$3.25 golf snacks
$13.00 Woody's (after golf)

Made $400 from eBay

2007-06-03T20:02:00.001-05:00

I still need to subtract some mailing costs and I have one item that I offered on 2nd chance, but I'm doing pretty well on eBay.

The original post claimed the average household has 16 unused items worth $2,200. Well I have more than 16 items but so far I've sold a bit more than that. More of them I've posted here with pictures. A few I didn't.

Right now, I'd estimate my total haul at around $400. The last two auctions were my best ever, EVER.

I'm still amazed at how much they went for. It's almost sinful. I only wish I could say that it was because I had foresight to purchase the item knowing that I could sell it for a profit. But no, it was just dumb luck. I started a new hobby, started buying anything and everything to do with it, never used these, sold them 5 years later. The good thing is they were small and didn't take up much room to store for the last 5 years.

Did anyone else take the challenge? How did you do?

I love eBay but I doubt I'll ever do anything other than sell my own collections off through them. I just can't see me being a power-seller.

$1.69 McDonald's

Free At Last

2007-06-02T14:41:00.001-05:00

FINALLY!!!
FREE AT LAST

More Home Improvements

2007-05-29T07:19:00.000-05:00

Since my birthday is coming up it's time to renew my license plates. $70 !! Yikes. And this year they go from blue (my favorite color) to an ugly white. At least they are letting us keep the old ones.

The guy came over today and gave me the estimate for my sidewalks. I'll add pictures later. The price I had in mind was $2,500 or so. The estimate I got several years ago was $2,000 and that did not include a slab for new concrete steps for the front door or a angle slab to go into the shed. Plus with inflation and gas prices I was hoping to come in under $3,000. Well the bid is for $1,800!! I'm so happy!!! Plus that's with enlarging parts near the driveway that I wasn't expecting. It should look really nice. He thinks he can start in a week or two.

$70 License renewal
$7.89 Subway
$5.69 Water Store
$3.59 Post Office (eBay)

Vacation

2007-05-28T22:21:00.000-05:00

I'm on vacation!!!

This week became available and I hate working there so I traded Labor Day week for this week. I do have some good news. On Friday I went to Detroit for rushed testing for a job transfer I put in for. Unfortunately I need to be able to type 40wpm and I only typed 34wpm. I probably did type faster but I didn't read the directions (dummy) and only put one space between sentences (we were taught that in my computer class-the instructor claims it's been changed?) instead of two.

The tester thinks I can retest in a week or two. I think she's wrong but we'll see. The job is in Toledo, OH so it will still be a 150 round trip drive but I'll be out from under the manager from hell.

I'm not going anywhere special but I'm spending money.
Today I ordered golf clothes from Lizgolf & Puma. I want to look like a dorky country club old lady but I can't find those clothes. Where do they shop? So my clothes match but are much younger looking.

Then I remembered that I had picked some stuff out at M.A.C so I went back online and paid for that. Tuesday I'm getting a pedicure and I'm going to schedule a wax sometime this week. I'm also looking for a pair of sunglasses, my favorite pair is broken. I have a list of places in town that sell Oakley and I'll call tomorrow to see if the carry the pair I think I want. I need to run some errands and I want to go to the park and try to run.

Tuesday I have a guy coming over to give me an estimate for my concrete work. In my town, I've found it's pretty easy to get the estimate, it's getting them to accept the job that is impossible. The other business I left a message with never called back. So then I called another one and their phone is disconnected. I remember the price I was given a few years ago so if this one is around that price I'll go with it, also if they are willing to do the job and can do it soon that is even better.

Friday

$3.89 Taco Bell

Saturday

$19.11 Papa John's Pizza
$ 3.00 Driver's Tip

The Right and Proper Way to Complain

2007-05-25T20:08:00.000-05:00

From Everyday Cheapskate

Now and then it happens to all of us. Something goes wrong with a product or service and we feel as though we've been ripped off. And when that happens, you need to know how to complain.

The secret is to do so with such style and grace that your opponent is prompted to act—not out of duress but because you present a compelling case and make it possible for him to remediate the circumstance with dignity..

JUST THE FACTS.
While the details are fresh in your mind, write down what happened. Include as many details as possible so you don't have to rely on your memory.

START EASY.
Make at least one good-faith attempt to reach a resolution at the customer-service level. Don't threaten; simply state your case and the resolution you expect. TAKE NOTES. Keep a paper trail with all the names of the people you speak with, including their titles, phone numbers and dates of contact.

BE NICE.
No matter your method of communication, do not make threats or use foul language. Wait until your anger subsides. Stay calm; keep it professional.

WRITE TO THE TOP.
If you cannot reasonably resolve the issue, head straight for the top. Find the name and address of the highest level person in the company—the president or CEO. Don't waste your time working up the ladder. Go to the company's website or call the corporate office to find the name and mailing address of the president. State your case clearly.

USE STRONG LANGUAGE.
Words like shocking, appalled, egregious, outraged, and reprehensible get their attention. Use these words if they fairly describe your situation.

KNOW WHAT YOU WANT.
What will make you feel better and relieve the bitter taste you have in your mouth for this company? Explain this to the president in clear and precise terms.

NAME THE DATE.
Give a specific date two to three weeks hence by which you expect this matter to be resolved.

KEEP IT BRIEF.
Don't go on and on for many pages. Get to the point, and delete all unnecessary words. Use exclamation marks and other emphases with extreme caution, if at all. Let your choice of words deliver the tone you desire. Try to keep your letter to a single page.

PROOFREAD.
Some of us can't see our own spelling and grammatical errors. Find someone willing to proof your finished letter.

ATTACH DOCUMENTATION.
Make copies of the items that support your claim and prove your situation. Do not send original receipts, claim tickets or photos. Keep those originals in a safe place.

GET A SIGNED RECEIPT.
You have many options for sending your letter. It's best if you select a method that gives you a signed receipt. Certified U.S. Mail with return receipt (available at any post office) is the cheapest option; FedEx or Express Mail will get greater attention.

SAY THANK YOU.
Assume the best and thank the president in advance for his or her attention and for resolving this matter for you.

Now that you've done the work, stay alert. Expect the best but be prepared to follow up if the date you specify comes without a response. And whatever you, don't give up.

I think it's just as important to let a store or a company to know when they are doing something right as it is to tell them what is wrong.

When I was about 9 years old I wrote a letter to Jiffy Mixes telling them how much I liked that my mom bought them and they tasted really good. Well they ended up sending me a HUGE box of their products. It was cool to a little kid. I saved the letter that came with it for a long time.

I've also sent more than my share of complaint letters and emails, made phone calls and complained in person.

I also go through periods of time where it's my hobby to write letters to the editor of the local newspaper referencing articles they have recently printed.

eBay Thursday

2007-05-24T21:13:00.000-05:00

I just threw this up for sale quickly. The wedding one from last week is up to $31!!!!!!!!

Wow! I'm amazed, I would have been happy with $0.25-0.75 plus the $4.00 shipping.

I'm just hoping this one sells. The skort from last week FINALLY got a bid after I lowered the shipping by $2.00 and changed the starting bid to a penny. Even if it only sells for one cent, I'll still be happy.

My sister and her neighbor were going to have a garage sale on Friday and Saturday and I started to get a few things together, now they've changed their minds. I don't have enough to bother with on my own. I'll wait a little bit and see if anyone I know decides to have one that I can join in on, otherwise the stuff is going to Goodwill or Saint Vincent de Paul.

After tomorrow, I'm on vacation. I'll update my 16 item challenge and see how I'm doing. I need to find an accountant and I'll take pictures of my basement and post how much it cost me.

I do have a company coming over on Tuesday for a bid on my concrete and I have a call into another company also.

2007-05-24T20:50:00.000-05:00

Sunday

$.89 snickers @gas station
$.25 snack box
$1.25 Cherry Coke

Tuesday

$20.00 Doctor
$4.89 Starbucks

Wednesday

$5.75 Greystone
$3.25 golfcourse snacks

2007-05-19T17:26:00.000-05:00

$7.94 JoAnn Fabrics

Ebay Thursday

2007-05-17T17:30:00.000-05:00

Wilton Wedding Candy/Fondant Mold

Reebok Golf/Tennis Skort

I took a few weeks off from eBay Thursdays because the last 3 auctions I had some problems collecting. Not a big hairy deal but a little bit. After those, I did decide to upgrade my Paypal account so now I can accept credit cards. We'll see if that makes a difference in my auctions and how much the items sell for.

I need to update my spreadsheet and post how much I've made so far.

eBay seems to have removed the option to put together your listing and choose when it will start. That's too bad for me because I find it a pain to make my listings up on Thursdays, which is why I only put up 2 or 3 things at a time. I do have a box with stuff in it that I want to sell, but it seems that some of the stuff I have to sell there are the exact same things up with no bids. So I usually wait until those either sell or the auctions end.

2007-05-16T21:19:00.000-05:00

$15.00 Woody's
$ 7.50 golf
$25.00 doctor

2007-05-15T20:08:00.001-05:00

$60.00 Maid
$ 4.65 Beaner's

What??!!!

2007-05-14T12:40:00.000-05:00

Oh holy hell. I received paperwork from T. Rowe Price regarding my new mutual fund and under seperate cover a tax form 5498.

Evidently the Mid-Cap Mutual Fund that I have that I thought was a Roth IRA isn't it's a traditional.

I just got off the phone with a very nice service rep and from what I understand, I opened it as a Roth but in 2004, I transfered shares to open the Blue Chip Roth IRA and when I did that it closed the Mid-Cap as a Roth but still was open as a traditional. Hmmm. I'm sure I didn't know that was what I was doing. It still doesn't make sense to me.

I'm not sure how I didn't notice on any other statement prior to this but now I'm not sure what to do.

The Mid-Cap Growth is closed to new investors so I can't just open up a new Roth so at a minimum I'll either have to just continue with only the Blue Chip Growth or choose another open fund that is similar to what the Mid-Cap Growth was.

I need to decide what to do with the funds in the traditional. Either convert them to a Roth or leave it. My taxes for the past years are incorrect. Luckily is isn't a huge amount of money but I get more upset thinking about what if I hadn't caught it at all. Of course I did but that not the point.

I need an accountant this is too much for me to think about or have time to figure out.

Also my beneficiaries were outdated so had I died, some people would have been surprised with a little extra money not meant for them.

On a good note, I was able to change the date that the automatic investment to my new account happens so I won't miss a May investment. And this will teach me to be even more diligent in reading my statements.

$2.70 Dairy Queen

Great Ideas Are Everywhere

2007-05-12T18:44:00.000-05:00

Digging the baby carrot

They're sold in single-serving packs with ranch dressing for dipping on the side. They're passed out on airplanes and sold in plastic containers designed to fit in a car's cup holder. At Disney World, burgers now come two ways — with fries or baby carrots.

And when the nation's schoolchildren return to classes, many moms — hoping to weasel at least one fresh vegetable into their children's day — will drop a bag of the tiny carrots into lunch boxes.
But there's a twist to this great beta-carotene success story: Baby carrots aren't babies at all. They're grown-up carrots cut into 2-inch sections, pumped through water-filled pipes into whirling cement-mixer-size peelers and whittled down to the niblets Americans know, love and scarf down by the bagful.

"I was shocked when I first discovered that," says Jeanne Ambrose, a food and entertainment editor at Better Homes and Gardens. "I'd wondered how they got them all so perfectly matched to grow all the same shape and size."

The miniatures — the brainchild of a California farmer tired of discarding imperfect vegetables — have taken a steadily larger market share and now make up a third of sales of fresh carrots, says Philipp Simon, a plant breeder and geneticist who directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture's vegetable breeding program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The popularity of low-carb diets has taken a toll on carrot consumption in recent years, but Americans still are eating a lot more carrots each year than their parents did. In the 1960s, the average American ate more than 6 pounds of carrots a year; today, we eat almost 10½ pounds — a bright spot in a national diet often a few vegetable servings short of the recommended five a day.

The public has "pretty much adopted them as a snack food. They eat them raw. They're in convenient single-serving packages, which makes them easy to take to work or lunch or soccer games," Ambrose says.
Says Walter Willett, a nutrition professor at Harvard University: "Often people just want something to munch on, and carrots are a great alternative to a calorie-laden pastry or treat."

Baby carrots have remade the carrot. It's not just that Americans are eating more of them — the carrots themselves are better. Consumer demand has pushed carrot producers to take the sometimes bitter, sometimes woody carrot and breed it into a crisp, sweet powerhouse.

It all began about 16 years ago when Mike Yurosek of Newhall, Calif., got tired of seeing 400 tons of carrots a day drop down the cull shoot at his packing plant in Bakersfield. Culls are carrots that are too twisted, knobby, bent or broken to sell. In some loads, as many as 70% of carrots were tossed. And there are only so many discarded carrots you can feed to a pig or a steer, says Yurosek, now 82 and retired. "After that, their fat turns orange," he says.

Yurosek has always been a "think outside the carrot patch" guy. In the 1960s, Yurosek and Sons was selling carrots in plastic bags with a Bunny-Luv logo, a cartoon that got the farmers in trouble with Warner Bros., which was protective of its Bugs Bunny brand.

Instead of bringing in lawyers and spending a fortune, Yurosek recalls, "I said to my wife — she's a pretty good drawer — 'Hey, draw me up about 50 bunnies, would you? Then we'll send 'em to Warner Bros. and ask them to tell us which ones we can use.' "

The entertainment giant picked one, and Bunny-Luv lived on for the price of a pencil.

The farmer continued growing carrots — and throwing them out — for decades. But in 1986, Yurosek had the idea that would change American munching habits.

California's Central Valley is dotted with farms, fruit and vegetable processors, and freezing plants. Yurosek knew full well that freezers routinely cut up his long, well-shaped carrots into cubes, coins and mini-carrots. "If they can do that, why can't we, and pack 'em fresh?" he wondered.

First he had to cut the culls into something small enough to make use of their straight parts. "The first batch we did, we did in a potato peeler and cut them by hand," Yurosek says. Then he found a frozen-food company that was going out of business and bought an industrial green-bean cutter, which just happened to cut things into 2-inch pieces. Thus was born the standard size for a baby carrot.

Next, Yurosek sent one of his workers to a packing plant and loaded the cut-up carrots into an industrial potato peeler to take off the peel and smooth down the edges. What he ended up with was a little rough but still recognizable as the baby carrot of today.

After a bit of practice and an investment in some bagging machinery, he called one of his best customers, a Vons supermarket in Los Angeles. "I said, 'I'm sending you some carrots to see what you think.' Next day they called and said, 'We only want those.' "

The babies were an economic powerhouse. Stores paid 10 cents a bag for whole carrots and sold them for 17 cents. They paid 50 cents for a 1-pound package of baby carrots and sold them for $1. By 1989, more markets were on board, and the baby-carrot juggernaut had begun.
California is tops in carrot production

Today, these babies come from one place: Bakersfield, Calif. The state produces almost three-quarters of U.S. carrots because of its favorable climate and deep, not-too-heavy soil. Every day, somewhere in the state, carrots are either being planted or harvested — last year to the tune of 20 million pounds, says Jerry Munson of the Fresh Carrot Advisory Board.
Which is why Bakersfield is home to the nation's top two carrot processors: Grimmway Farms and Bolthouse Farms. In the early 1990s, Yurosek sold his company to rival Grimmway.

The Bunny-Luv logo still can be found on Grimmway's organic carrots. But it's Bakersfield's other carrot producer, Bolthouse, that carries on the Yurosek tradition. Yurosek's grandson Derek is Bolthouse's director of agricultural operations.

Minis — what they're called in the industry — have brought about a carrot-breeding revolution, says the USDA's Simon, who also teaches horticulture at the University of Wisconsin.

Carrots originally were sold in bulk, straight from the farm. The first advance was the "cello" carrot. Introduced in the 1950s, these were washed and sold in newfangled (at the time) cellophane bags. "Cello carrots had to look like a carrot, and that was enough," Simon says.
Enter the baby carrot. Suddenly carrots were "branded." Instead of just carrots, they were Bunny-Luv or Bolthouse or Grimmway carrots.

Consumers could remember the name, and if they got a bad carrot, they wouldn't buy that particular brand any more. Breeders got to work, getting rid of woodiness and bitterness. They also bred for enhanced length, smoothness and a cylindrical quality that lets processors clip off as little of the tip as possible.

Balancing these with the desirable sweetness and juiciness is a delicate task, Simon says. The faintly bitter taste is essential to what makes a carrot taste like a carrot. "I've had carrots that have more of a flavor note of peas or corn," he says.

Get the carrot too juicy and it breaks in the field. "There are some carrot varieties so succulent they're amazing, but they're like glass," Simon says. "Consumers like juicy carrots, but if they're all broken, you can't sell them."

None of this was done with fancy genetic engineering. "You just grow lots of carrots and look at them and taste them," Simon says. Breeders started experimenting with seed from varieties culled in the past for being too long to fit into the plastic bag.

"Prior to baby carrots, the ideal length for a carrot was somewhere between 6 and 7 inches," Simon says. Now they're typically 8 inches long, a "three-cut" that can make three 2-inch babies. And breeders are edging toward fields of even longer carrots. "You make it a four-cut, and you've got a 33% yield increase," Simon says.

Today, Yurosek is a contented man. He spends his days going sport fishing with his grandkids and trying to persuade his wife to make his favorite carrot recipe: her Bunny-Luv carrot cake.
"When you've done something you're proud of and it's been acknowledged, it's a dream come true."

Hee. I can't believe some people think mini carrots are grown that way. How funny. Personally, I like the even smaller, skinnier carrots. The minis are too fat and crunchy for me. I'll have to look and see what brand they are.

I like how the farmer was concerned about how many carrots he was disposing of and thought of a way to make money out of it instead.

That's what being frugal is all about. Instead of spending money, we save or instead of wasting we think of ways of reusing something. Maybe not in such a grand way but still.

Today

$0.50 Snack box
$13.50 Red Lobster (Mother's Day)

Friday

$3.00 Dairy Queen

Consumers Bill

2007-05-10T18:25:00.000-05:00

I went online to Consumers Energy to get more information about my bill history.

If you remember the other day I wrote:

According to them my highest bill last year was $344 (I think I would remember that!) and they are estimating a monthly bill of $195 for the Budget Plan.

Hee. Evidently I am able to forget a $300+ bill. But that was for January after my washing machine flooded my basement. Servicemaster brought in 3 or 4 huge blowers and they were running 24 hours for 8 days so when the bill was that large I wrote it off to that.

I pulled all the bills from March 2006 through April 2007 and the average DOES work out to be $193.46 who knew?

I will need to take some time this week and call to talk to a service rep about my account. Several years ago when gas distribution or sales were deregulated some company sent reps around door-to-door to sign people up. Of course it made no difference to me at the time and the one rep was REALLY good looking so I signed up. Now if there is a price difference I'll have to make a change.

In the meantime, I've been trying to keep away from the thermostat. It's hard though. One day the temperature will be in the 70's and stuffy in the house and the next day it'll be in the 50's and freezing. Ugg.

Wednesday

Golf $6.50
Dinner $8.91

Stamp Out Hunger

2007-05-08T19:09:00.001-05:00

Saturday is the 14th Annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

14th Annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive collects over 70 million pounds of food!

Each year, letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America collect non-perishable food items donated by customers for the annual National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Food Drive—the largest annual one-day food drive in the nation. Postal employees in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands collect food and deliver it to local community food banks, pantries and shelters.

An estimated 38 million people face hunger every day in America, including more than 9 million children. This drive is one way to help those right in their own city or town who need help.

(click here for more)

What Can You Do to Help??

1) Place bags of non perishables food items next to your mailbox on Friday night/Saturday morning.

2) Letter carriers will pick them up and deliver them to local food banks.

I need to remember to put my donation out Friday night. Last year I put it out Saturday morning but they must have already went around my neighborhood because when I got home from work the bags were still on the front step. You can also take the food to the post office if you live in a rural area or you get missed like I did.

$60.00 maid

Budget Plan

2007-05-07T20:54:00.000-05:00

I got a letter today from Consumers Power today regarding their Budget Plan. In my area of Michigan, Consumers Power is the electric & gas company.

According to them my highest bill last year was $344 (I think I would remember that!) and they are estimating a monthly bill of $195 for the Budget Plan.

With their plan I would pay $195 every month until next May. Then they will balance the account and either credit me any extra or bill me for under payment.

I think I signed up for this one time many years ago. Since then I take the figure they give me ($195) round up ($220) and budget that amount into my checking account. The checking account that I don't write checks out of. Only automatic withdrawals come out of that account.

I look at Consumers Budget Plan like I look at taxes. I want my money during the year. Why let them use it during the summer when I use less energy/gas than in the winter?

I can see it being helpful to others though who can't/won't budget.

Do other utility companies offer this plan?

$3.00 Dairy Queen
$8.99 Office Depot

New Job??

2007-05-06T20:35:00.001-05:00

So I've only been back to work about 3 weeks since my stress leave and I'm ready for another one. Actually I had the opportunity to be put off work on Friday but I decided to stick it out. I figured the disability department would probably deny my claim so I'll just work. I did tell the Union reps that I need to transfer for my well being so we will see if that helps.

In the meantime I've decided that if that doesn't go through I'm looking for another job. One in Jackson.

My favorite book, Your Money or Your Life, says to figure out how much you really make per hour. Well when I work it out, I actually make much less than 1/2 of my hourly rate. Of course, I didn't add in tuition reimbursement or 80% 401k match or health insurance but I still think I still think my quality of life will improve with a job that I don't have to commute to. Also a job where I'm not constantly being harassed at will be an improvement.

I got a copy of yesterday's paper from my mom and my sister said her company is going to be hiring office help soon. I'll keep my eyes and ears open, I've been lucky in the past, no reason to think my luck won't hold up.

Plus I've taken the Post Office test so cross my fingers something will finally come of that.
$2.43 coffee/donuts

2007-05-03T17:04:00.001-05:00

I finished my class with a passing grade so I don't have to pay Worst Company back for it. I not only enjoy taking classes to learn new things (and am working slowly toward a degree) but I feel it's extra compensation for the work I do. Kinda like a raise.

I'm working towards a degree in Accounting which is one of the programs that worst company approves for tuition reimbursement. I pay for the class when I sign up, fax in the information, within two or three pay periods the money is paid to me. When the class ends, I fax the same information back in along with proof of the grade which must be a 2.0 or better. As long as I fax the information in and the grade is 2.0 or higher, I'm all set. If for some reason I fail the class or don't fax the information in on time I would be responsible to pay Worst Company back in full probably on the next paycheck.

I'm still responsible for paying for the books needed for the classes but it's still a great deal.

I'm pretty sure I only need 2 more classes to complete the requirements for an Associate's degree in Accounting and Business Management.

If I'm still with Worst Company after I complete these programs I'll start towards a Bachelor's Degree. Hee. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I wasn't working AND going to school. I've been doing both for so long.

$5.00 Golf
$11.00 Bone Island Grille

Gas Prices Rising

2007-04-30T20:59:00.000-05:00

Watch out: Here comes $4 gasoline

Prices were supposed to peak below $3 a gallon, but refinery problems, strong demand could push them much higher.

Gasoline prices, already above $3 a gallon in some states, could charge higher this summer and hit $4 a gallon in some locations, according to one industry expert.

Pump prices were supposed to peak below $3 a gallon this May, then drop off before the summer driving season got into full swing, according to the Energy Department's price forecast.

Well, we're not even out of April yet, and the nationwide average price for a gallon of unleaded regular has hit $2.87.

One big factor driving prices: gasoline inventories continue to fall. After a promising one-week boost in refining activity, the latest report Wednesday actually shows refining activity falling.

And demand is already soaring, before the summer driving season is in full swing.
What this means for prices is obvious, and to most drivers it is not good news.

"More and more communities are going to see gasoline that approaches or exceeds $4 a gallon," said John Kilduff, an energy analyst at Man Financial in New York.

"Where we're currently at with prices, that's a given."

While geopolitical tensions have driven up the cost of crude oil, which accounts for about half the cost of a gallon of gas, refinery problems here in the United States are also to blame for the price jump.

Five states - California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Nevada - already have average prices above $3 a gallon, according to the motorist organization AAA. In California, the average price of gas has reached $3.35 a gallon.

Kilduff said it will be in those states, and possibly New England and the northern Midwest, where prices have the best chance of hitting $4 a gallon, mostly as a result of localized refinery problems.

The other factor behind $4 gas: Americans can't seem to get enough of it.The government said demand over the last four weeks rose by 2.3 percent. The average rate of growth is 1.5 percent.

With the current supply and demand situation, Kilduff thinks nationwide prices will have no trouble breaking the old non-inflation-adjusted record of $3.057 a gallon, hit in 2005 just after Hurricane Katrina.

It's worth noting that while $4 gasoline would be a record for American motorists, in Europe it's common. The average price for a gallon of gas in the Netherlands is over $7, and it's over $6 in many other European countries.

Also, Americans earn a lot more now than they did in 1980, so by some measures what people spend now on gas is only half of what is used to be.

In 1980, the average American had to work 105 minutes to buy enough gas to drive the average car 100 miles, David Wyss, chief economist at Standard & Poor's, said in a study last year. By 2006, the average American needed to work only 52 minutes, thanks in part to better fuel efficiency but mostly due to higher wages.

Retail gas prices have been climbing steadily as one refinery outage after another crimped production and U.S. drivers consumed ever more in spite of rising prices.

By early this week, retail prices had risen 32 percent since the start of the year, according to the Lundberg Survey.

And the Energy Information Administration said Wednesday that gasoline supplies, which have fallen 13 percent since early February, were "well below the lower end of the average range."

Moreover, EIA reported refinery utilization fell, with refineries running at only 87.8 percent of capacity last week.

Traders had been watching that number, and gasoline future prices fell sharply last week, when refinery activity jumped for first time in several weeks.

But Tuesday's refining news caused gasoline futures to spike more than 5 cents a gallon to $2.27, their highest price since last August, lessening the chances retail prices will fall anytime soon.

An EIA analyst, who forecast a high of $2.87 just two weeks ago, couldn't say if the agency's next forecast, due out May 8, will be revised higher, although it seems likely.

"Obviously, April is not progressing as we had hoped," said EIA economist Tancred Lidderdale.

Yesterday in town gas was $2.89, in Southfield it was $2.99. It's weird usually it's $0.05-0.07 cheaper in Southfield. I've broken the habit of running out and having to fill up in Chelsea where it costs more. I should pay more attention to the signs on the highway for the prices in Dexter. It's a good thing my car still gets good mileage. Two trips back & forth to work on a tank is about 9 gallons and aprox 295 miles. The bad part is I have to fill up every other day because the tank is so small. boo.

$1.25 Cherry Coke

Mail off Mutual Fund app

2007-04-29T19:19:00.000-05:00

I mailed off my application for my new mutual fund. I'm a bit excited over it. I've had CD's and my IRA mutual funds but not just a plain everyday one.

I'm planning on using it to park money over the next 3-5 years to save for a new car. I decided on the 15th of the month as the day for transfer. It really didn't matter to me so I just picked that number. I hope it's enough time so that the first deposit will be made in May.

$1.42 coffee @ gas station
$1.25 Cherry Coke
$0.25 snack box (didn't pack a lunch)

Extra Money???

2007-04-27T18:25:00.000-05:00

Yippee!!!

Evidently in addition to our contract raise of 2.5% that went into effect last paycheck we got a $375 lump sum bonus also. I guess everyone else got theirs on the last paycheck but since I was on disability I got mine today. I didn't know anything about it. Gotta love when that happens.

Then I found $70 in the kitchen cupboard. Maybe I should go do laundry and see if I can find any money there. Hee.

Now I just have one more person from eBay I'm waiting for payment from. After this round I'll go back to listing things. I've taken the last two weeks off while waiting for payments and mailing packages.

Long Lost Rebate

2007-04-26T17:42:00.001-05:00

When I signed up with Worst Company for DSL they were having a promotion to get a $100 Visa Gift card back. Of course, being Worst Company you had to jump through hoops to get it.

1) Fill out and mail in form.
2) Wait for reply.
3) Reply. No card. An email address to register for card.
4) Register for card.
5) Wait for reply.
6) Reply arrives. Instructions for card use & FAQ's about card. No card.
7) Wait for card.
8) Keep waiting.
9) Eventually forget.

So I come across the instruction & FAQ's and realize I never got the card. I called Worst Company "Customer Care" and ask where is my card. I'm told I'm not entitled to promotion because I'm an employee. Ugg. Well then why do I have a piece of paper reading as though the card is enclosed? No good answer.

Of course it doesn't take much to set me off or get my to boycott a company so I'm all set to do so even if they pay me. As I'm reading the 320+ emails that had piled up during my leave, I read that we've set up a new intracompany referral website for disgruntled customers. I filled in my information last Sunday and in a bit over a week the agent assigned to me had credited my account the $100. We don't know what happened to the original card but at least I got my $100.

Granted I shouldn't have let it wait so long (in my defense there has been other more important things going on) but at least I don't throw out/file away paperwork that I still need.

$1.17 pop
$7.59 Avon

New Mutual Fund

2007-04-24T18:46:00.000-05:00

I finally filled out the paperwork for my new mutual fund. It was 8 pages long but didn't have a beneficiary section.

When I had my will updated, my lawyer said that anything that can be left to another person without going through probate I should do that way. So I called T. Rowe Price today to get a form. They call it a Transfer on Death Registration Form. It's pretty straight forward.

While I had the rep on the line, I double checked my initial investment. (I keep calling it the minimum buy-in. Hee. Can you tell I'm overdue for my Vegas vacation?) Regular minimum is $2,500 but if you sign up for Automatic Asset Builder the minimum is waived. AAB is minimum of $50.

I'm set because I'm starting the fund with $1,000 and AAB of $300 per month. I might increase the monthly amount later but $300 is the minimum since that was aproximately my car payment when I had one.

I'll finish filling out the paperwork and mail it off tomorrow.

$600 Dennis

Free Credit Report

2007-04-22T12:19:00.001-05:00

I ordered my free credit report on March 21. I know I always order in March. I got a letter back saying that it had not been a year since my last free one so I didn't qualify. Ugg. I don't feel like digging out (not really digging, I'm just lazy) last year's to get the EXACT date, so I just waited a bit and I reordered today.

I guess I'll see if I get another letter or my report.

$60.00 maid
$1.25 Cherry Coke

Credit Card Fraud

2007-04-21T12:24:00.000-05:00

13 people indicted in $3 million credit card fraud

New York (AP) -- The diners didn't know it, but their credit cards were going to pay for more than their meals, prosecutors said.

Waiters in about 40 restaurants, in New York and elsewhere, quietly recorded customers' credit card information and passed it on to people who used the information to make more than $3 million worth of worth of illegal purchases, according to prosecutors.

Thirteen people were indicted Friday on charges stemming from their roles in the credit card fraud, prosecutors said.

The credit card account information was stolen from customers who visited restaurants in Manhattan's Chinatown and other parts of the New York metropolitan area, as well eateries in Florida, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Some members of the group stole customers' information; some made the counterfeit cards; others shopped for merchandise; and finally someone bought the goods for cash, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said.

Morgenthau said 12 of the 13 people indicted are in custody and are expected to be arraigned Monday. All the defendants are being charged with fourth-degree conspiracy, punishable by up to four years in prison. Seven are also being charged with second-degree grand larceny, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years.

Authorities were still seeking one suspect, identified by prosecutors only as "John Doe."

When the 35-year-old ringleader was arrested Wednesday, Morgenthau said, police found 296 fake credit cards, $200,000 in cash, numerous Rolex watches and expensive handbags in his Brooklyn home.

The district attorney said conspiracy leaders recruited and managed people who worked as waiters and provided them with small, hand-held "skimmers" that read and recorded information on the magnetic strips of patrons' credit cards.

The leaders, some of whom worked in the restaurants with their recruits, then collected the skimming devices and paid the waiters $35 to $50 for information from each credit card stored in the devices, Morgenthau said.

He said the conspirators operated from November 2005 until this week.
The suspects used the stolen information to create counterfeit credit cards by encoding the information on high-quality credit card blanks, Morgenthau said.

A few people I know don't order over the internet. "Oh no, it's not safe", they say. I say it's just as safe as using it in a store or as in this case a restaurant. I admit I do get a bit edgy when it takes the waitperson a long time to come back with my card. Nothing has ever happened but you never know. But really as this story points out they use skimmers and that takes what? 2 seconds? Unless I get gigged by an old school criminal who writes down the number or takes a smoke break goes out to the parking lot and orders a bunch of stuff from a catalog. Hee.

When I worked at Meijer (in the Video Rentals), a girl got fired because she got caught writing down customer's credit card numbers. I don't know if she actually used any of them or not. We didn't keep the applications with the customer name, address, social security number, credit card numbers safe either. They were rubber-banded together by day, then month. Then put in a box, then stuck in the back room where any other employee could get at them. There weren't any surveillance cameras back there either. Those were the good old days.

Any how, another reason (like I need one) to check my credit cards online frequently and get my Credit Report at least annually. You really can never be too careful.

$1.25 Cherry Coke
$ .80 Baby Ruth

I need to go grocery shopping!!

Charitable Giving

2007-04-20T22:01:00.000-05:00

Families in need of help

Catholic Charities of Jackson is collecting monetary donations to help the families of two Jackson children shot April 3.

Montrece Simpson, 10, remains hospitalized after being shot in the chest outside his home, 1031 S. Jackson St., where he lives with his mother, Shalonda Simpson.

"We're praying he'll have a good recovery," said Robert Goudeau, 47, his grandfather.
Police say they have no new leads in the shooting.

A bullet hit Antrana Brown, 15, in the left side of her head.

"My daughter said she pushed her sister into the house so she wouldn't get shot," said her mother, Debbie Jones, 34, whose other daughter, Denise, 14, was not harmed.

Antrana came home Saturday. On Monday, she visited friends at an after-school program that Catholic Charities puts on at St. John's United Church of Christ, said program coordinator Pam Gage.

Both children had been attending the Partnership Park program all year.

The families need help covering the cost to travel back and forth to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, Gage said. They also may need help with medical bills. It's unclear if they have insurance, Gage said.

Both children will need considerable rehabilitation, according to family members.

Antrana is undergoing intensive speech and cognitive therapies, Jones said.

I usually send my monthly donation money to the Interfaith Shelter but I had been thinking about alternating with another charity or adding another and increasing the amount.

My mom & I were invited to a fund raising kick off for Catholic Charities a few weeks ago, they gave a good presentation about the different services they offer.

Then these two little kids were shot while they were sitting on their porch talking. Yikes!! As far as I've heard the police haven't arrested anyone yet.

I found this little article on MLive.com about both of them so I've decided that at least this month's donation will go there.

$1.27 coffee

Good Finance Habits

2007-04-19T17:26:00.000-05:00

EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE, Apr 18, 2007 - Mary Hunt (click here to signup for everyday email tip)

Six Habits of Financially Responsible People

Funny thing about habits. Bad ones just happen while good ones are usually the result of considerable effort.

Habits are what personal character is made of, and basically they come in just two varieties: good and bad.

Some people act as if their habits were as predetermined as their blood type and are about as likely to ever change. But there are a select few who live by the truth: It is possible to learn good habits and unlearn bad ones, no matter how ingrained they are. It's all a matter of choice.

The secret of learning good habits or breaking bad ones is in choosing to repeat—or refrain from doing—something over and over and over again until it becomes a natural response, a habit.

Want to become more financially responsible? Here are the habits of those who are. Consciously focus on these actions, then repeat them over and over until they become natural responses.

Habit 1: Financially responsible people regularly balance their checkbooks. They calculate a current balance after every transaction and always know the exact state of their money.

Habit 2: Financially responsible people think first and spend later. Thinking means weighing needs and acknowledging wants. It means exercising discipline and delaying gratification—saving the money first and then buying the item.

Habit 3: Financially responsible people save money consistently. They never spend all they have because they are habitual savers. They see saving as a long-term process and make the sacrifices necessary to reach their goals. They are patient, steady, consistent and find saving money to be a necessity.

Habit 4: Financially responsible people fund their own emergencies. They don't buy into the notion that the purpose of credit cards is to pay for unexpected emergencies. Financially responsible people realize that life happens, and so they maintain significant emergency funds. Just in case.

Habit 5: Financially responsible people know their financial condition precisely. These folks usually know within a few bucks the current balance on their mortgage or other secured loans. They regularly update their net worth, which is the difference between the value of their assets and their liabilities. They make each financial move in light of the effect it will have on their net worth.

Habit 6: Financially responsible people refuse to live under the fantasy of entitlement. While others feel entitled to run up huge credit-card debt simply because they have an approved limit and uncontrollable desires, financially responsible people don't approach life with this feeling of entitlement. They are not driven to keep up with their neighbors at any cost. They are content to live within the limitations of their income.

Becoming financially responsible is a process. I sabotaged myself for many years, convinced that I could never change. But I was wrong. I have changed and continue to make new progress every single day.

It all starts with a single step: A decision to become financially responsible. And then it's just one step at a time—again and again. One good habit after another.

I'm very good at all of these except occasionally #2. Usually I'll wait forever to buy something. For instance, I had a TV in my bedroom, it was a hand-me-down from my aunt. It was so old it still had a knob to turn the channel and another one to turn it on and adjust the volume. Hee. Well it finally died. I kept checking ads and the internet for a year waiting a rock bottom deal.

One day I went to a bicycle shop with my brother (he was there to get something) and I was bored and tried on a pair of sunglasses. I didn't need them but I bought a pair for $183.

I'll wear a pair of canvas Keds until the tread on the bottom is smooth and they have holes in the toes. (I've been tempted to then use duct tape but I haven't done it yet)

As you can see I really need to work on #2 on my impulse items.

$1.25 Pepsi from machine
$0.25 snack box

Work is Just a Job

2007-04-17T21:44:00.001-05:00

I mentioned in passing that I had been off work for 8 weeks. It was actually a medical disability leave. Stress leave. Which is one of the top reasons for medical claims in my office, probably the whole company. The other reason is gastric bypass surgery. Yes, we are a bunch of depressed, stressed out fat people.

I'm never sure what the company's disability department is looking for in the documentation that the doctor submits, but they always deny claims. This time it was initially denied but then because there were "extenuating circumstances" to my situation it was decided that it would be approved. Yippee!!

Well all but one day and I can appeal that. I probably won't win the appeal but it won't hurt to submit the forms.

Last time I was off, I was denied and lost the appeal. I was happy to have enough money in the checking account to pay expenses but it sure would have been better to have been getting a paycheck.

I work in a call center for the Worst Company. The job is so easy my 2 1/2 year old niece could probably do it. It's just all the office conflicts and horrible management that make it hard to work there. Luckily (or unluckily) they pay well, the health benefits are good and they have tutition reimbursement. Unemployment in Jackson, where I live is 8% so I put up with the 150 mile a day commute and tolerate the problems at the Worst Company until I have the next breakdown.

It could be worse, at least I don't need the gastric bypass. Hee.

In the meantime, I'm saving up and going to school so I can retire early or get a different job closer to home. Although if I retire altogether I'll have plenty of time to work on getting my golf handicap down to a respectable number.

ETA: So a guy that left this office maybe a year ago came back while I was gone. I saw him for the first time the other day. OHMYGOSH!!! He looks really great. He used to be a chubby but now he's normal looking. So I mentioned it to the girl over the wall from me, who is on a diet (a real diet/exercise kind) that he lost weight.

Well, I'm sure you know where this is going. He had bypass surgery. Ugg. That's the first male that I know of.

$1.17 pop

Taxes Due

2007-04-16T17:23:00.000-05:00

Taxes are due tomorrow if you haven't finished them you have a bit over 24 hours to go.

I filed mine electronically and both state and federal were deposited on the same day. Very quickly, I was impressed.

I think I already mentioned my federal refund was larger than I like to get so I'll change my deductions for a longer period of time this year to pay in less and reduce next year's refund.

My city taxes can only be mailed in and I sent those last week. I'm getting a big $2.00!!! Yippee!!

Oh and I'm back to work (boo!) after 8 weeks off. I can't wait to retire. There is no way I'm working until I die.

$60 maid

Money Tip: Save, spend and give jars

2007-04-12T17:32:00.000-05:00

From Lifehacker:

Flickr user Stephanie Barnes is teaching her son Miles financial responsibility using 3 glass jars, which he labeled "Spend," "Give" and "Save."

One dollar of his allowance goes into each jar once a week. Spending money buys what he wants, saved money stays in the jar, and give money goes to charity, for a fabulously simple way to teach a child how to manage income. —Gina Trapani

I've always paid my bills this way. When I was 11 or 12 years old, I got my first job selling consessions at church bingo on Friday and Sunday nights. $3 + tips. I had (actually still have) a green index card box. On the index cards I would write the name of the bill and each weekend I would seperate my money amongst the cards. At first it was just books, Cedar Point, Christmas gifts. After I got older, and got a job at McDonald's my bills of course were different such as car insurance, clothes and make-up.

I still pay out money this way but just with direct deposit to my two different checking accounts and credit cards. I blogged about it here. This is about as close to a budget as I get but since I've been doing it for so many years it's natural and works well for me.

$3.00 Beaner's
4.20 Post Office

Tax Break on Mortgage Interest?

2007-04-10T21:58:00.000-05:00

From Blunt Money.com

Homeowner’s interest & student loans

A reason often given for not paying off your mortgage or student loans is that you get a tax break by having them. However, just having a mortgage or a student loan and paying thousands of dollars in interest on them doesn’t guarantee you a tax break. Whether or not you get a deduction for them depends on several factors.

For example, here are some figures based on our tax return:

Mortgage interest paid: $6291
Amount deductible: $0, because we were better off taking the standard deduction.

Student loan interest paid: $421
Amount deductible: $249

In other words, we paid $6712 in interest for a total savings of $249. Not my idea of a bargain. Of course, if we’d had a huge mortgage and paid enough in interest that combined with other deductible items it put us over the amount for the standard deduction, it might have been a different story. I still don’t like the idea of paying lots of money to pay slightly less elsewhere, but it would pay to run the numbers for your particular situation. It’s just a myth that buying a house or carrying a student loan will always save you money on your taxes.

I made a comment on her blog that I was never able to itemize when I had my mortgage. I would always hear people say (and read) that the biggest benefit to owning a home was the tax benefits. I always had a twinge of fear that somehow I doing something wrong, either with the mortgage or the taxes. It didn't make sense, EVERYONE says it, but I NEVER had enough to itemize. It was very frustrating. That was one of the reasons I decided to just pay off the debt as soon as I was able.

I started off paying $50 extra a month, but then I got a copy of the ammortizatin schedule got on track and would then make the regular payment plus the next 2 or 3 principal payments. Doing this meant that I was really making 4 years worth of payments in 1 calendar year.

I refinanced after my divorce to get the ex's name off the mortgage. One, I didn't want him to benefit from my excellent payment habits and two, I got a bit extra money to remodel my bathroom and get a lower interest rate and shorter term.

The other big reason I wanted the house paid in full is that I have an irrational (or maybe not so irrational?) fear of being homeless. I know that if I were to lose my job, I would get another one, no matter doing what. With the house and my car paid for, knowing that I can live on minimum wage (plus my savings) if necessary makes me feel much better.

$0.94 Beaners

Update on Remodeling

2007-04-07T18:28:00.000-05:00

The guys are coming back on Monday to finish up the basement. I need to call the adjustor again, since I didn't end up hearing from her last week.

I faxed the receipts for the materials on Sunday (lots of Amazon bonus points on the Visa card). I went today to Target to look for blinds for the livingroom but they didn't have what I want. I won't shop on Holidays so I'll have to get up early and go to Menard's or Meijer on Monday or while they are finishing up the laudryroom.

Good thing that since this had to happen, I'm off work to be here to take care of it. I just need to paint the trim around the windows, the floor and the steps. Everything was grey before but now it's more beige/tan.

I was hoping to be motivated enough to do it this past week but that didn't happen. I should have enough paint on hand (left over from bedroom) to do the trim.

Even though insurance is covering everything, I've been able to use up left over supplies I had on hand. Some 2x4's, trim work, drywall etc. I'm able to save the insurance company some money (lol) and get it out of my way. I'm having them fix up the entryway also. Their going to use leftover paneling to replace what is there currently, then I'm going to paint it white on the bottom and light yellow on top. The kitchen is light green and with the basement being beige now, I think it'll look nice. Hopefully I can paint the entryway myself, otherwise I'll have to call the painter and have him come do it.

I'm trying to get an answer from them if they want to do the concrete job. Any which way it's getting done this month or next. It doesn't matter to me who does it. I just wish he would say, "No" if he doesn't want to do it. I'd feel funny if I hire it out and the next time they come over and walk over it get upset.

$4.48 Dairy Queen

Investments

2007-04-06T07:16:00.000-05:00

I updated my stock holdings today. When the statements come in, I put them in pile next to the computer and once in a (great) while, I look them over, then file them away.

Ford, 105.88 shares = $848.10
Visteon, 40.55 shares = $355.23
Pepsi, 42.97 shares = $2,736.62
Harley-Davidson, 110.79 shares = $6,819.94
Yum!, 14.13 shares = $831.12
CMS, 228.73 shares = $4,149.07
AT&T, 130.91 shares = $5,140.92

401K as of 12/31/06 = $93,067.94

IRA's
Mid Cap Growth = $35,177.97
Blue Chip Growth = $15,115.69

Looking over the IRA statements it looks like I didn't max out my investments for 2006. I had even asked when I called to reset my password for their website. I could have used the $2,000 I put in for 2007 for 2006 and been up-to-date. Oh well, good thing I found out now instead of after the 15th! Then I would have really been upset. I wonder if I can charge it? Then I can get my bonus points, order a withdrawal from the credit union and make the payment when the check gets here on Monday. If not, I have to go to Target so I'll be on that side of town, I can just get the withdrawal myself and mail it today.

Update: Hmm, evidently I have too much money to manage alone. Hee. I called T.Rowe Price about my IRA contributions. Evidently, in January of this year I sent $2,000 in for 2006 then in March I sent in $2,000 for 2007. At first I really thought that they had credited someone else's money to my account, but I was wrong. I looked in my checkbook and there it was. How I forgot about that, I don't know, but I did. So 2006 is fully funded, and 2007 is 1/2 done. I should be able to get the other 1/2 invested by May.

I'm still waiting for a callback from the insurance adjustor. I already paid $1,700 for the work and charged the materials, they came up close to $1,500. I'm thinking maybe she's on vacation because of Easter. If I don't hear from her today, I'll call again on Monday. My checking account is looking a bit pathetic after all the pay outs.

eBay Thursday

2007-04-05T15:36:00.000-05:00

Up this week (I skipped last week) I have:

4 more Taco Bell talking dogs. Complete set of 90210 dolls.

I thought I had a Michael Jackson doll (before he became a creepy, white, pedophile) and N'Sync. But actually I have, wait for it...

Vanilla Ice (haaa haaaa)

New Kids on the Block (haa haaa) I didn't even buy their music.

Spice Girls (same as NKOTB--didn't have their music)

and

M.C. Hammer--Is he still alive??

In my own defense I'm pretty sure most of these I bought on clearance, evidently hoping their were an investment. I just waited too long. Oh well.

I've since learned to just buy collectibles that I LOVE not because I've been told or that I hope will increase in value. This way if I buy it for me, and it does increase that's a bonus. If it doesn't it still brings me enjoyment. I used to collect Precious Moments. Now I limit myself to just one or two pieces a year to add to my nativity scene. I still LOVE Barbie but I don't buy the high end Bob Mackie and other designers as much, they just haven't impressed me like the first ones did. Some of the Byron Lars are ok but still not like the Mackie's, I'm probably influenced by all those years of watching Dynasty and award shows.

BTW-- I did watch 90210 but not all seasons I think I dropped off after the 2nd or 3rd year. Oh the shame.

I made an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of my profit/losses from eBay. I need to update it some selling fees and actual postage but I'm not doing too bad. At least I'm clearing stuff out of here. 12 things are gone and 3 are awaiting payments. Close to 16 but no where near $2,200. But I knew it wouldn't be.