Saving log - $6 tip box
Spending log - $1.50 coffee + $7 lunch (for two days)
Sister called. Part of the ditch about 100 yds from the property line (now part of the state of WI) washed out a bit, and there's water seeping into the basement, and sister wants to replant a whole lot of beans ... but everything made it through the flood unscathed. Berlin (20 mi southwest) on the Fox River is still a bit flooded, even now.
The utility company that is buying our excess solar power now wants to send us checks. Means, apparently, that we are generating more than $25 worth of power per month. Sister now is interested in getting the 7 acres certified for organic farming. Seems worthy; its not like our next door neighbor (state of WI) is pumping the ground full of fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides. It'll just be a repository for native plants - and a generator for "weed" seeds. It'll make weeding a chore.
The other bidness is that I got a bit blindsided to the tune of $85.22 from Capital One. I haven't used the card in over 6 months, when one of my yearly charges got pinged on it. Then, since I haven't been monitoring it like a hawk online (lost track of the username and password) and beforehand I decided to save a tree and not get a paper statement, well it meant Cap One had me for a couple of months of fees.
Lessons learned:
1. Beware the once/yr charges. (Moving that sucker in the next week)
2. Keep up the paper statements even with the online account.
Save a tree indeed. I could have bought and taken care of another tree for $85.
Final order of bidness is WaMu. I'm not a shareholder of it ... although a share could be had for the cost of a latte. Will Whoo Hoo! turn into Boo Hoo? WaMu would say no and would say no until the weekend it failed. So who knows? I have my paycheck in a WaMu checking account, along with a little savings account ... my tip box squeezings go into that. All told, I have about $1500 in WaMu at any one time. Easily FDIC insureable. I'd miss WaMu if they went under, but would figure that they would have the sense to go under early. As in the old saying: Don't panic, but if you are going to panic, panic first. More worried about my bank stock - MI. That stock could be had for a sandwich and latte. Its the difference between an account holder and a share holder.
farmette update (and other bidness)
July 15th, 2008 at 03:11 am
July 15th, 2008 at 03:54 am 1216094067
July 15th, 2008 at 06:15 am 1216102554
Unless you have more than 100K, you should be all right. The only issue would be if your old CD had a particularly sweet interest rate, the new one might not be so nice. Again, these are the times where ROI stands for return of investment instead of return on investment.
July 15th, 2008 at 12:24 pm 1216124692
In the savings and loan crisis, 747 savings and loans went under due to real estate. The RTC (remember them) said "The banking problems of the '80s and '90s came primarily, but not exclusively, from unsound real estate lending." Sound familiar?
Currently analysts are estimating 150 banks may go under.
July 15th, 2008 at 12:29 pm 1216124983