Frugal Freedom

One Day At A Time

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Mon, 12 May 2008 02:30:00 +0000

I'm getting my lunch ready for another work week. I'm not looking forward to the week but it is better than being unemployed. Everyday that I go to work I am one day closer to succeeding with my retirement plan.

Last week, when I was playing with my mortgage spreadsheet, I figured out that I could pay it off in a year and a half if I sold off my stocks, RV, sold most of my possessions and used my emergency fund. I would be broke but free from my mortgage. Then I could live off of the rental income. I don't think I could really sell EVERYTHING but the thought of being free in a year and a half is very nice. At least I know that I could do it if I wanted to. Some days even a year and a half seems too long. Too bad I can't sell the house now. I'm feeling philosophical because I am 36 today and I want to retire before I'm 40. 4 more years. 4 years is plenty of time if I keep being thrifty.

Lost All Self-Control At The Grocery Store

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Sat, 10 May 2008 23:39:00 +0000

Yup, I lost my self-control. I went to the grocery store with a big long list and only bought 3/4 of the items but my bill was still $135. That's way above the $20-$30 that I could have spend on just necessities. I used the 'stocking up' excuse to rationalize my extra purchases. For example: I wanted cashews. They are very expensive in those tiny little cans so I bought the giant bucket for $10. I'll be eating cashews for quite a while. Soda was buy 2 cases get one free so of course I HAD to buy 3. I shouldn't be drinking that much soda. Definitely a want, not a need. My favorite brand of ice cream, Dreyers, just made their containers smaller. They were 1.75 (I forget the unit of measure) and now they are 1.5 containers. They look sooo small and they are the same price as before. I bought Safeway brand instead which was buy one get one free. That was not a 'need'. Granola bars were on close-out for $1.50 a box so I HAD to buy 4 boxes. Popcorn, buy one get one free. Bagels and Hawaiian bread...just wants. And watermelon, not on sale for $7. But I NEEDED it along with the apple sauce, pudding cups, honey, and bittersweet chocolate chips that I eat like candy.

Looking back on my purchases I see that I bought a lot of snack food and no real main dishes. Interesting. Well, if I can make 2 chicken breasts and a package of hot dogs last for 2 weeks supplemented with tuna or cheese spaghetti, then I will be on vacation and then it will be June. That means I will only have gone over my food budget by $35. Then if I buy a Fry's gift card for $300 and get the $30 bonus I will have only over-spent by $5.

Rationing The Groceries

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Sat, 10 May 2008 00:54:00 +0000

I made it to the end of the week without grocery shopping! That was my goal. Now I have to make sure I don't over-spend tomorrow. I need to stick to my list and menu. I think I will buy deli meat and have salads and sandwiches next week. I also need milk, soda, juice and iced tea. I am totally out of liquid except diet pepsi and water. Maybe I will just sleep in tomorrow and skip breakfast, then I won't have to eat my toast with water.

I was helped along this week because someone in the office brought in breakfast one day so I only ate a salad for lunch. Then they took me to lunch to celebrate my birthday which is this weekend. I have leftovers and cake! What could be better than that?

Almost Forgot My Forever Stamps

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Fri, 09 May 2008 02:22:00 +0000

Since they announced the postage rate increase a few months ago, I have been planning to buy some Forever Stamps. I didn't get around to it and my mother reminded me last weekend that the rate change will happen May 12. I never seem to make it to a post office. I used to buy stamps at the grocery store but I haven't been shopping lately. I found one of those orange envelopes that the mail person leaves to order stamps but since I can't mail letters from my home I would have to go to the post office anyway to leave my order. Then I remembered that I could order online. Yea! I can use a credit card too. One thing I dislike as much as going to the post office is writing checks. So, I ordered 3 books. That should get me through next year. There was a $1 shipping charge but I am ok with that for the convenience.

I am going to cancel my business license since my house is no longer a short term rental. I had to mail in paperwork every month to report any rental income. That will save 12 stamps a year. The only other monthly bill that I mail is my Discover card. I'm just not comfortable with giving Discover access to my bank account. I suppose I should look in to online bill pay. If I can pay the bill for free online I could save another 12 stamps. Save a stamp and save the hassle of mailing a letter...I like it!

Practicing Shopping Avoidance

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:42:00 +0000

The best way for me not to spend money is not to shop at all. Every time I go in to a store I see something that I "forgot" that I needed and I just have to get it. Commercials for stuff aren't too tempting so at least I can still watch TV. The only ones that get to me occasionally are the food ads. Pizza Hut's new pastas are very tempting but when I really think about it, I can make my own pasta and it tastes better for a lot less money.

I went in to the Habitat store the other day with a co-worker. We needed a couple of tables for the office. I love that store. Technically I can use my donation budget for purchases from the Habitat store because I consider it a charitable donation. I love some of the furniture that they have. One day I would like to build and furnish my entire house out of items from that store. It is a good thing that I don't have anywhere to put more stuff right now. My mobile home is full and there definitely isn't any room in the RV. So I can't even subdue my shopping craving at the Habitat store.

The only place I can still shop is the thrift store, and for clothes only. And then I must get rid of the same amount that I buy. My closet is small. I haven't been there in a few weeks. I think it is time to go back this weekend. The office wardrobe needs some rejuvenating. That will help the shopping craving, at least for another month.

Mortgage Payment Plan Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Wed, 07 May 2008 01:57:00 +0000

Another $1,200 extra principle payment for my mortgage! Only $64,800 to go until job freedom! That's the day when I no longer have to work to support my mortgage. I will be free to work less hours, change to a more enjoyable job regardless of pay, and pursue my passions!

4 years and 8 months left of my plan if I only contribute an extra $400 a month and move back in for all but one month a year. But any extra rent payments will knock months off the end of my payment plan. If I rent the house out for 3 years straight and continue to pay $1,200 each month towards the principle, I can have the mortgage paid off in 3 1/2 years. I think that is the quickest version of my plan. I have a spreadsheet with every scenario I can imagine including selling anything I can get my hands on to speed up the plan and using my emergency fund but I think I shouldn't stretch my money too thin. I wouldn't want to get in to financial trouble just before I pay off the house. I need my safety net.

I love watching my mortgage shrink. I am very glad I decided to payoff my mortgage instead of investing the money right now. Watching interest rates is too stressful. After my mortgage is paid off, then I will worry about investing. I'll either continue to rent out the house and live on the rental income or sell the house if the market is good and invest the money, using the interest to support myself. I have plenty of time to decide. 4 years and 8 months or less!

Examining The Wants And Needs On My Grocery List

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:42:00 +0000

I would usually go to the grocery store now. I am bored with the food that I have and my usual staples are dwindling. The grocery store is also where I overspend every month and with prices going up, I can't keep doing that. I made a list of all of my wants and needs and then thought about the food that I have left.

I want milk, juice and rootbeer. I have powdered milk, water and diet pepsi.

I want hawaiian bread and bagels. I have a frozen loaf of wheat bread.

I want some microwave dinners for the times I don't feel like cooking. I have hot dogs, frozen chicken and pasta that just needs to be cooked.

I want watermelon and strawberries. I have 3 oranges, lettuce, carrots and some fruit cocktail.

I want cookies. I have all the ingredients for cookies, I just have to put them together and bake them.

So, it looks like I don't NEED to go to the store just yet. I think I can make it until Saturday if I try.

One Good Thing About Being Technologically Behind

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Mon, 05 May 2008 00:24:00 +0000

People who are 'with it' upgrade their electronics and I get the cast-offs. I have to admit...I still have a cassette tape walkman. I haven't listened to it in quite a while. I used to take it with me on plane trips. It started eating batteries too fast to be of any use so I stopped taking it. I remember one very short layover in San Francisco where I dashed off the plane to buy some very expensive AA's from the gift shop. Too much trouble. After that I took a book or magazine or just read one of the many papers people leave behind.

During the last few trips that I have made I started missing being able to listen to music and I almost considered dusting off my walkman. I thought it might be a little embarrassing. Then, one of my coworkers mentioned that she bought a new mp3 player and she didn't need her old one anymore. She gave it to me. Didn't even want any money or anything. She was just happy that it was going to a new home. I am thrilled. It took a little work but I was able to figure out how to transfer music from my cd's. Now I can listen to music on my upcoming plane trip and it didn't cost me a dime!

There is one little catch though. I don't have a big cd collection because I am too cheap to buy them. I transferred a dozen of my favorite songs and now I want more. They cost 99 cents to download. How tempting! Just one or two or twenty songs wouldn't hurt right?

Water, Water Everywhere...Except Where I Want It

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:14:00 +0000

I emptied my second water tank today. Since I am trying to rely solely on rainwater I am carefully calculating how many gallons I have left. The monsoon season starts around the second week of July. I believe this year the monsoon will officially start on a certain day instead of waiting for 3 consecutive dew points of a certain number like they used to do. I am hoping it rains sooner than the second week of July but that is the date I am using for my water plan.

I have 10 weeks to go but one of those weeks I will be on vacation. I have water for 9 weeks. I use 50 gallons a week when I am conserving. Laundry uses more water. Since I use laundry water to water my plants, I don't think I am going to be able to water my plants unless I get more water. I just might need to buy some water from a neighbor. Maybe 200 gallons or so would make laundry and plant watering easier.

It will be different next summer (if I spend another year in this RV) because I have 400 gallons of extra storage space. The problem this year was that it didn't rain again after I got my extra tank. Who knew March would be the last rain? Maybe that means it will rain in May. I hope so. It did a few years back. It could do it again!

Got My Rent Check!

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Sat, 03 May 2008 02:02:00 +0000

But I am a pushover. I called them to remind them that the rent was due and they jumped in their car and delivered the check to my work. I was so happy to get the check I didn't mention the $50 late charge. I know, I know. I am a bad landlord. I can't wait to get out of this business. I am thrilled to be able to put another month of my mortgage repayment plan in motion though. I deposited the check after work which will allow me to pay another $1200 extra mortgage payment. Even if my renters moved out next month and I moved back in to my house (except for one month a year at peak tourist season) I will still be able to pay off my mortgage 4 years and 10 months from now. If I keep getting rent checks I will be able to pay off the mortgage faster. And of course selling the house would pay off the mortgage but I won't count on that yet.

4 years, 10 months and I'll be FREE!!!

Where Is My Rent Check?

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Fri, 02 May 2008 02:35:00 +0000

Once again the first of the month is here and I don't have a rent check from my renters. I shouldn't have to call and remind them every month. Maybe I should send a bill. The contract states that there is a $50 late charge. I need to enforce that. Of course, this is one of the things that I hate about being a landlord. I don't want to be their mother. I don't want to have to remind them. I don't want to be responsible for their actions if they do something bad. I don't want to clean up after them. This is a wonderful learning experience. I wanted to know what being a landlord was like and now I do. I also know that I don't like it. I will be very glad when I can sell this house or payoff the mortgage and maybe be able to afford a property manager to do the dirty work. Maybe in 5 years or less, if all goes well and my renters pay their rent.

Not the Right Time To Sell?

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Thu, 01 May 2008 02:00:00 +0000

I read an article today and now I can't find it again. I hate that. I found it at work and now that I am home it has disappeared. I don't know if it was on a blog or in the online newspaper. Anyway, this article was talking about how people are selling their things on Craig's List, ebay, and other sites to make money to pay for the ever increasing prices of food and gas. It said that Craig's List 'for sale' items were up 70%. The bad part was that there are so many things for sale that their value is going down.

Last year at this time I sold my embroidery machine on ebay. I just happened to pick the week before Mother's Day(I think that helped) and I sold it for more than I paid for it. Actually is was the design cards that really got people bidding. I bought the machine used and the store owner threw in about 20 design cards for free. Who knew they would be so popular? This year I was thinking about selling my serger since I don't use it. But after reading that article that said the price of items was going down because so many people are selling, I think I will hold on to my serger a little longer. I don't need the money right away and I don't want to just give it away. Maybe I could actually learn how to use it. Now that would be the most productive option.

Getting Hotter

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:39:00 +0000

It's getting hotter here in Arizona and that makes me tired. I had to turn on the AC this evening. Pretty soon I'll have to leave it on all day. I am not looking forward to those electric bills. Since I am paying for my rental house's utilities the bill will look outrageous but hopefully I charged enough extra rent to cover it. I didn't expect 8! people to move in to the house though. The spring and fall months should offset the summer bills. If not, this will be an expensive lesson and I definitely won't try it again next year. It might work out. I have a $700 cushion. Some of that should be saved for later repairs and maintenance but at least I won't have to pay out of my own pocket just yet. Now if I have to replace all of the carpet and repaint when they leave then I will be hurting.

One thing I need to do since it is getting hotter...put some shade up for my plants. I am quickly running out of water for them. Anything I can do to help them need less water is a plus. I tried stringing up a crude tarp/shade but it has been windy and so far my ties did not hold. I'll try again when the wind stops.

Also, I need to brush the cat more often. She is shedding like mad and even though I feed her hairball control formula, she still hacks one up every once in a while (I know you are cringing Mom!). She always manages to hit the carpet too. Could she aim for the linoleum once in a while? Oh no. That would be too easy to clean up.

10% Extra Sounds Too Good To Pass Up

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:42:00 +0000

This article at All Financial Matters talks about the retailers who will add 10% to the Tax Stimulus Rebate check that many of us will get soon. It sounds interesting. An extra $60 or so for groceries would be very nice since that is my biggest expense besides gas. I wouldn't just blow the money either. I would still stay within my monthly food budget and add my rebate check dollar amount to some other category like RV repairs. That is one category that needs some funding. When I came home today I noticed that the glass panel on the front door is loose. All of the caulk has dried out and cracked. I hope that is an inexpensive fix.

The only problem is that my favorite grocery store, Safeway, isn't one of the participants. Fry's (Kroger's) is on the list but I really dislike the parking lot at that store. It is so crowded and narrow. Would shopping there for the next 6 months be worth $60 if it increases my stress level? I'm not sure. Maybe more stores (like Safeway) will jump on the bandwagon in the next week so I won't have to make a decision.

Money Free Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:10:00 +0000

I think I would like that title better if it said "Free Money Weekend". It is the last weekend in April. Time to add up the monthly budget and see if there is anything left. I had quite a few unbudgeted expenses including a new water pump, 2 lunches with coworkers, new pants and a $20 trip to the dump. Adding it all up I am $83 ahead! I am sure this is a result of staying away from the grocery store. I was given some food by people who were going out of town so I made do with what I had and didn't go shopping. My grocery trips almost always result in extra groceries. I use the excuse that I am buying extra so that I don't have to go to the store the next weekend but I usually end up going the next weekend too.

Going in to a new month with my budget in the positive is very exciting. I just hope nothing breaks this month. It is also my birthday month, tax rebate check month and my vacation to visit family at the end of the month. So many things to look forward to! I think I will like May. Now if it would only rain then I would really be happy.

How Much Space Does One Person Really Need?

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 22:33:00 +0000

Part of my 5 year retirement plan is to build a house on my property to replace my mobile home and RV. If I am still on my own in 5 years I won't need to build a traditional 3 bedroom, 2 bath home. I don't need all of that space and I don't care what they say about resale value. I am going to build what I want and can afford. Building a larger house would just make me tied to my job longer. Plus, if I need a larger house some day I can build one and the little house will become the guest house.

My first small house plan consisted of a 2 bedroom, one bath house with a loft for my art studio. I like it but it will cost between $80-$100k at least. I would have to sell my rental house in order to pay for it so the plan depends on the housing market.

My next plan is even smaller, only 22'x22'. I wanted to see how small I could make it. Since I am living in a 11'x35' RV right now this little house would have more living space. The problem is that all of my stuff is being stored next door in my mobile home so I would either have to get rid of it all or at least most of it or add a second floor loft to my little house. I like the loft idea. The bedroom could be upstairs leaving the lower space for storage and office space. I estimate this house would cost between $50-$60k. I would probably still need to sell my rental house to finance the little house because I don't think a bank would be interested in that kind of tiny construction loan. I would love to build most of it myself with recycled building supplies from the Habitat Store. It would be fun to see how inexpensive it could be and to incorporate some of the fancy materials that are donated like carved entry doors and granite countertops.

Speaking of tiny houses, the people at this site: Tumbleweed Houses have made some of the smallest houses I have ever seen. Their use of space is amazing. Still, $35K for 70 sq.ft. is a little out of my price range.

I Think Qwest Just Likes Attention

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:34:00 +0000

Qwest sent me a check for $53.22. I assume it is a refund for overcharging me last month but they didn't include any kind of explanation. I would have been happy if they had just credited my account. I don't like to deposit checks. I either have to spend a stamp to mail them in or go out of my way to drop them off at the bank. My bank moved farther away from me after I signed up so it isn't very convenient at all. I am waiting for a bank to be build near where I live so that I can switch.

So far this year I have either had a problem with my Qwest service or my bill at least every month. I don't have these kind of problems with any other utility. I think Qwest is just needy. They miss me and they are afraid I will forget about them. If they are going to insist on getting my attention I guess I should be happy they sent me a check this time instead of disconnecting the internet or sending a $200 bill. I can't complain too much about a refund.

Something I Do That Is Pretty Much Just Cheap

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:56:00 +0000

I started going grey at 17. I'm 35 now. I'm not ready to accept it yet. I had been buying boxes of cheap hair dye in the $3-$4 range every month, but now I think even that is too much. Besides not wanting to spend the money I don't have enough water to wash the dye out of my hair. Yes, I wash my hair regularly but I usually use twice as much water to make sure all the dye is rinsed well. And also, I only need to touch up the roots and my bangs monthly. Whole head dye jobs can be put off to 3 or 4 times a year. I could also buy the separate bottles at the beauty supply store.

But, since I have a few of those $4 dye kits left I have been mixing my own touch-up dye. I know the label says not to mix and store the stuff so I am only mixing up about an inch of mixture in one of those tiny medicine cups. It is just enough to color my bangs and part. One kit has lasted 3 months so far with more applications left and I don't need as much water to rinse my hair. Pretty soon I'm going to have to do a more complete dye job though. Next month I will be house sitting for a friend and I can take super-long showers so I'll dye my hair while I'm there. I'm sure she won't mind!

Gas Prices Are Crimping My Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:07:00 +0000

The budget is getting tighter and tighter. Gas is $3.33 right now, the highest I have seen I think. I had a job a few years beck that paid for my gas. Boy, I wish I still had that job! I put in 16 gallons for $45. The pump was excruciatingly slow although the dollars still rang up quite quickly. I believe this is going to be another tight month.

I keep changing my mind about how to spend my tax rebate check. Now I think it will just go towards gas. I live in a rural area so I can't use public transportation. I should organize some sort of carpool. I could drive to a coworkers house and ride with him but he works longer hours and I don't want to give up 2 hours of sleep each day to same some gas money. Besides driving to work 5 times a week and short distances occasionally, I only make the drive in to town every other week to run errands and grocery shop. Someday there will be a grocery store nearby. Probably not for another year and a half. They keep running in to problems. I will just have to find other categories in my budget to borrow from. Who needs $100/month for food? I'm sure I could survive on rice, beans and ramen noodles. Gas is more important!

Analyzing My Minimum Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:00:00 +0000

I'm in the mood to retire now, right now. I was hacking my budget down to the bare minimum again trying to see if I can quit my job any time soon. It didn't work. No matter how I look at it, I can't get my budget small enough. The least I can live on is $680/month with a high deductible health insurance policy. I could make that much with a part time $10/hour job but there aren't a lot of those jobs available and any unplanned purchase would sink my budget. Plus I still have the big elephant around my neck...my house.

I had better stick to my 5 year plan to pay off my mortgage before I down-grade to a part time job even though 5 years seems like an eternity right now. It is so tempting to just quit and hope the house stays rented. But when the mortgage is paid off the rent will provide an extra income cushion that will make switching jobs so much easier. It would be even better if I could sell the house and invest the money but I don't see that happening any time soon.

Oh well. The next small victory to look forward to is my next rent check and my additional mortgage payment for May. I must stay motivated or 5 years will turn in to 7 or 9 or 14!

What's Growing In The Mini-Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:09:00 +0000

So far my little container garden is doing well. I started them off in my green house and moved them out to the kiddie pool when it got too hot. The peas didn't do too well. I think it is too hot for them already. The tomato plant really took off. It must be four times the size in just a month, and there are little tomatoes too. The sunflowers are good so far but they wilt if I don't keep the water level up. I fill the pool with 3-4 cans of recycled washing machine water twice a week.
The poplar tree babies are growing and the zucchini is still alive. The poor strawberry would love to spread it's roots but I don't have a permanent place for it yet. I think I only got 6 berries this year. The other red and Mexican bird of paradise and fairy duster are plugging along. They might be the only things that make it through the summer.

I am looking forward to tomatoes the most. I would like zucchini but I don't expect them to survive. I think everyone else can grow zucchini except me. Someday I will have a real garden plot with shade and protection from the critters. Until then I will have to make do with my kiddie pool garden and rejoice in the small victories (if there are any).

Another Chore Off My List

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:03:00 +0000

I had some leftover river rock from my backyard landscaping project at my rental house a year and a half ago. I hauled it out to my RV and stored it in some trash cans. If I ever had to live in my RV permanently (like now) I would use it to make a path so that I don't track in mud when it rains. I have put this project off for a long time. One of the trash cans I was using decided that it couldn't hold it together anymore and split in two places. Everyday more and more rock had spilled out and I knew I had to do something before it was all wasted. Plus, next weekend is supposed to be in the 90's so this was one of the last 70 degree weekends to get outdoor chores done.

I managed to load the back of my truck with paving brick before it got too hot today and then, when the front of the RV was shaded around 4:30, I laid out all the pavers. It took quite a while. I had to dig in to the rocky soil when the pavers got close to where my truck was parked because I would be running over them everyday. Then I spread the rock around the edges. Hopefully when it rains(probably not until July) I will be able to stay mud-free on the trek from RV to truck and truck to RV. Until I get a house with attached garage this will have to do.

Spring Cleaning: Finally Made That Trip To The Dump

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:20:00 +0000

I have been needing to make a trip to the dump for many months now. I had an old stove, washer, and fridge plus misc. trash and no way to get rid of it. Finally I arranged a trip with a neighbor today and I am trash free! It is so exciting.

It took 2 trips to get rid of everything and it cost $10 for each load so I spent $20. The dump was a scary place so I am glad that someone went with me. I had never been to a real dump, only small transfer stations where trash goes in to containers. This place was huge. I drove up the giant trash hill(trash hill had a great view). The smell was nasty. Everyone just lines up and dumps the trash out of their trucks and then the giant earth moving machines drive back and forth and move the trash around. I've seen that on TV but never in person. So much waste! It was amazing.

Near the entrance was a place for recycling but the signs were not clear so I had to ask where to put the appliances. There were also collection spots for things like hazardous household chemicals, computers, and batteries. That's good to know in the future. I think dropping things off in the recycled area is free but I am not sure.

Anyway, it was quite an adventure today. I got a major chore crossed off my list. Now I can go sweep out the garage and make it look purdy. Oh, yes...and when I was loading up the trash this morning, I looked in my water bucket and saw this giant centipede. Eek! I let it go far away from the garage.

Another Weekend Is Here

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:34:00 +0000

This weekend sort of crept up on me. I don't have anything planned. I guess that means I can do some of the things that are always on my to-do list like organizing the stuff in the storage room (when I moved out of the house I just dumped everything together) and of course, find things to sell on ebay. I am thinking about selling my serger because I don't use it. This would be a good time to sell it since Mother's Day is approaching. Last year I sold my embroidery machine around this time and I got a huge response.

Other misc. things to do are go to the other thrift stores, wash my car (at a car wash because I don't have water to spare), and thin out my closet. It has been chilly in the mornings for the past couple of days but I think warm days are here to stay. It's time for the winter clothes to go in to hibernation.

I could also try to arrange bricks for a patio (I doubt I will have the motivation for that), and cook something in the crock pot for next weeks lunches. And if I feel like procrastinating I can always go to the county fair. Well, I guess I have some things to do after all.

Whole Life Insurance Pushers

noreply@blogger.com (Daizy) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 02:36:00 +0000

My insurance company, State Farm, likes to call me a couple times a year and push whole life insurance. Not only do they use up my cell phone minutes but they act like I am totally crazy for not having whole life. I don't like it. I have my own term life insurance and I am perfectly happy with it. I am following Dave Ramsey's idea of building my own wealth so that I will be self insured by the time my term insurance runs out.

The agent asked me if I had children. Nope. Just a cat. I should set up a trust fund for my cat. There is a local cat shelter that will take care of cats for the rest of their lives for a donation of a couple thousand. She's an anti-social cat. I wonder if she could get a private room?

Then the agent suggested that I should get mortgage insurance to pay my mortgage for me. No thanks. I only owe $66,000 now and it is decreasing rapidly. My relatives would sell the house anyway and there is enough equity so that it could sell for an attractive price. No. Mortgage insurance is of no interest to me.

I think I have a good plan without whole life insurance. If I get married and have kids one day, the family should be adequately covered. And if I never have a family...I will have one rich cat!