baselle's Financial Diary

Saving log - $2 tip box
Spending log - $1 coffee + $15 chirashi lunch

Remember back in August that we had our mail stolen? And in November that the US Postal Inspection Service was pressing charges?

DH and I each got nice big envelopes in the mail today. Inside each was a nice little letter from the US Postal Inspection Service and several unopened envelopes, which, since the mail is mine, I opened 'em. Mine had the DRP letter and the CD statement that I had told them were missing, along with a wedding gift thank you. Thank G*d they were all unopened. (... and for an agnostic/atheist, I've been invoking deities a lot lately.)

The letter said that the culprit was convicted and is serving 4 years in prison. And the detective thanked us for our help.

The next time we see the married couple I'll have to mention that we *finally* got their thank you and tell them the story. Did you know that your thank you note helped put someone away for 4 years?

Saving log - $0
Spending log - $0

No spend day. I ate the other half of my sub sandwich while I listened to the 403B talk from the Merrill Lynch broker. It turned out that this was a check-in meeting, not too horrible or drastic. Trying to calm the troops from the sell-off from a couple of weeks ago. But there were some highlights:

1. There was more than 5M in total in our office's 403B retirement accounts, so now we will have A-shares, instead of R-shares. A-shares, we are told, have slightly lower fees - about .25% to .50%.

To an data geek like me, that's good news. Of course I will verify. My lawyer friend joked that I was sweating the small stuff. Au contraire, I said, I'm sweating the big stuff disguised as small stuff. Fees look small when you see them on the page, but when applied secretly on your account, they loom large. Worse, its not like there's going to be a line on our quarterly statement that says: Fees!

2. Someone asked about the socially responsible fund - who picks it and what criteria do you use? I'm not saying I told you so .... I'll just link to it instead. Tee hee.

3. I asked this one: because stocks are so volatile, when is the best time to rebalance? Now or wait a bit when things settle down?

The broker hemmed and hawed a bit. Now if you want to buy stuff cheap and you think this is just a burp (his opinion), or a little bit later if you are nervous. Luckily for me, everything went down in about the same measure, so eh...

Saving log - $5 tip box
Spending log - $1.68 coffee, milk + $10 lunch

Booking electronic pledges and now more electronic pledges are coming in. Tis the season.

My fourth right toe is now bruised, along with a spot on my foot. Damage from the 18 lb pole was blessedly minimal.

Lawyer friend's father - who lives on the east coast - is ill with a laundry list of ailments, including several different cancers. We had lunch and commiserated. Hard to know in that situation when to visit or help in the family dynamic or even get the straight scoop on what is going on.

DJ friend's Internet radio station is nearly ready to get on the air - the liners are done, he's got a good month or two of content, the servers are working and the website is nearly done. His tasks are also so data heavy that he listens to submissions while he's working. Its a strange, but great test - if the mix can pull him out of what he's doing and he's thinking "wow", then he knows its a good mix. Every so often he gives me a couple of MP3 files. He's turned me on to grime - a mix of UK rap and drum and bass, with a lot of dark elements in it. Coolness on the cheap!

March 26 is the date that jumps out at me. And who knows, grime might pay.

Saving log - 2$ tip box
Spending log - $1 coffee (didn't have the nofat or the lowfat milk, so I didn't buy milk) + $6 lunch

Now that life is quiet at work, it means that its quiet in the refrigerators, so I went back to my get a foot long, cut in quarters, nosh for couple of days trick. Planning ahead here - Thursday we have a lunch-time meeting discussing our 403B. I'm not sure whether this is a couple of times a year update thing or something more serious, but now I can have something to eat while I listen.

Dropped an 18 lb bar on my foot in gym. Ow! My trainer got a promotion, which means that her price is going up a bit, and apparently I'm a good enough customer so that I get a grandfathered in price break. Yay boo! She is worth it and she shouldn't but herself up for sale. But it does mean that I'm going to fool around with my numbers or get a training buddy to make 12 sessions last 2 months.

Right now rent has gone up slightly, so will the credit card, and now this. Time to squeeze a bit more out of the routine on all fronts. At least the HT flyer has some good deals on groceries.

The Ha Ha in the title comes from the preliminary results from Seattle mail-in vote on viaduct or tunnel. I voted for neither; it turns out that a majority of Seattleites did the same. Traffic sucks, but the voters here have been so disrespected by the governor, the mayor, and the powers that be on all fronts for years that two no-s was really the only way to go. Bwwwaphlt!

I saw the documentary Maxed Out and here this afternoon. My only regret is that I didn't see it on Tuesday, when all times for the Varsity Seattle are $6, off from $9.25. So much for being frugal.

My all means every journal/blogger/reader of blogs here on this site should see this movie. If it doesn't make it to a movie theater near you, Netflix it or Blockbuster it, or rent it from the library (when it gets there) or h%ll, even buy it...with cash, of course. If we (as bloggers) cannot encourage you to tackle your debt then this documentary will. My head is still spinning and if this entry is disjointed, its because the filmmaker covers so much ground that every American should know about. The links I sent at the top will give you a nice taste on some of the bits.

Now for a few of my observations.

A lot of what had happened - people getting in over their heads in debt - happened to me, too. (I became debt-free in October 2004.) For an agnostic/atheist, I am blessed that:

1.) I got in over my head back when the credit card companies hadn't thought up most of their wicked ways - universal debt, 2 cycle billing.
2.) I remained in good health.
3.) I can still be content even when living a materially-poor lifestyle - no house, no car, no kids, Goodwill as a furniture store.
4.) DH - to my knowledge - does not practice financial infidelity.
5.) I treasure my privacy. Cash is anonymous.
6.) I always had a job, even if it was a temp job.
7.) Nothing financially big went wrong with either me, DH, or in our family circles. At least nothing bigger than my emergency fund.

There but for the grace of G*d go I. Sheer luck. I'm not going to say that I dug out of debt my way, heroically, by my bootstraps. I had a lot of luck that many folks don't.

And finding out that credit card companies will magically "lose" your check until a day or two after the due date. I'm happy that I don't play chicken with my credit card bill. I pay it a day or two after the 15th, before the bill comes. I'm tempted to send the bill registered mail!

I do have a divergence of opinion with Michelle Singletary (second link) when she thought that the tithing clip was a cheap shot. Au contraire. In the clip, Jerry Falwell told his flock that even those in under heavy debt stress should still tithe. I have no problems with tithing if goes to G*d. I have a problem with it going to Jerry Falwell, who clearly needs it far less. My cheap shot.

Anyway, continuing on. As a person who pays in full most months and is a great saver, how this debt load most affects me is on the investment level. If the US government is playing a shell game with its debt - does that make me a chump for investing in T-bills? (they are 4 wk T-bills, so probably not, but still...) How do you assess risk?

Debt is slavery, no good or bad. If you are in debt in America, you are not free, period. You are watched, you are hounded, you are sold. A FICO score only determines how much of each you are. And I would make that case even if you have a 30 fixed mortgage.

Finally, a word. My credit card, Capital One, is bumping my rate from 7.99% to 12%, even though I'm a credit "deadbeat" (pays every month). Apparently this is occurring to many in my situation. Since my revolving piece is about $100 or so every once in awhile, the interest that I would pay is still minimal, but I'm still going to go through my $60 or recurring debt - the newspaper, Netflix, etc and see what I can get transferred to my debit card. Last I checked, 12% of 0$ is 0$. Perhaps the card companies will figure out a clever technique to get money out of that situation.

Saving log - $0
Spending log - $10 Denny's breakfast + $28 Trader Joe's

If I can't think of anything to say, I'll go for the recipes. The curry on Wednesday left quite a bit of thick coconut cream, so I semi-frugally used it like this - it also had the advantage of getting rid of a number of jars in the fridge:

Squash soup

1 lb package Trader Joe's squash chunks
1 can chicken stock
2 tbsp red pepper spread + 2 tbsp water to rinse out the jar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp brown sugar
1/3 can coconut cream - paste consistency
salt and pepper

Simmer squash chunks and chicken stock in a saucepan, until squash chunks are tender. Add the red pepper, cinnamon. Mash squash chunks in the soup, then puree until smooth. Heat gently, then stir in the coconut cream and brown sugar. Salt and pepper to taste.

I just didn't feel up to getting a squash then carving it up from its hard shell...I figure that avoiding the cost of a trip to the emergency room with a knife stuck in my hand has got to be frugal.

And because I'm on the recipe vibe, I have a foolproof way to cook edamame - soybeans in the pod. Don't make a face, they are terrific, and I feel like I can mindlessly snack on them. Not to mention they are .99/lb.

Edamame

1 lb bag
salted water - 1 tsp salt in water
kosher salt

Boil the salted water - get it rockin' and rollin'. Take the bag from the freezer, open and dump in water. The water will cool and the edamame pods will sink. Watch as the water returns to the boil. When all the edamame pods float, they are ready. Should take about 3 minutes

Dump the pods in a colander, then vigorously shake and flip the pods in the colander. You want the pods dry, but warm for the next step.

Put the edamame pods in a bowl, then sprinkle with kosher salt. You know you've done it right when the little hairs on the pods will catch the kosher salt, but they are dry enough so that salt doesn't melt.

Eating edamame - you don't eat the pod, you use your teeth to squeeze the beans out of the pod. Think sunflower seeds.

Saving log - $0
Spending log - $1.62 coffee, milk + $15 lunch

Just a lot of Robert Altman-esque Short Cuts today.

Succumbed to the lure of chirashi today. I got a new sushi chef, who gave me a slightly smaller plate but wasn't stingy with the fish. I'll have to remember that my usual sushi chef works on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.

Found out that the first person I met at work had died. A remembrance of his is tomorrow. He was the computer/network guy who showed up to fix your computer when it was ailing. He retired five years ago, but its still a bit of a shock.

Gave my assistant a little hug as she was leaving on her last day. She told me that she had done more varied stuff in 5 months here than she did in 7 years at workplace unnamed.

The 2007 Poetry on the Bus competition is up and running. I'm a bit lukewarm on the theme - but I have my idea and my twist. All I need is a bit of incubation on a couple of words (you only have 50) and I'll send my shot off. We find out on June 1 - perfect, I'll be in Paris not fretting about it - but by then I'll sure be able to use the $125.

Speaking of the bus, I relearned the pole slide today. It's where you use your angular momentum to slide into a window seat, usually stealing it from someone who hasn't discovered the trick.

DH discovered old stewing hens at .99/ each at the HT. Coq au vin tomorrow!

Wednesday, March 7
Saving log - $2 tip box
Spending log - $1.67 coffee, milk + $7 lunch

Thursday, March 8
Saving log - $4 tip box + $16.00 T-bill interest + $40 DRP + $35 another DRP
Spending log - $1.67 coffee, milk + $16 lunch

Right now I have about 41 million dollars of electronic data to book. Don't get too excited - most of it is going to other places. It was easy for my boss to triage my time and get me out of several commitments to other people in other departments. It feels different than last year - calmer - because with time I know I can get everything done and the 41 million is a great reason to leave me to do my task. I just have to remember I will always have something like this this time of year.

We also have issues with daylight saving. This brands me as an old fart, but I remember when you got the word in the paper when and which way you changed the clock, you changed the clock by hand and you went on with your life. The Windoz-ation of everything hasn't made anything better... but it has given you a great three week excuse for being late.

Tomorrow is my assistant's last day, so today I took her out to lunch. Lunch was curry, and for dinner DH made ... curry.

Lost another 1/2 pound, 1/2 inch of my hips, and 1% of body fat.

Found out what that extra $2000 in one of my retirement accounts was. Our match money gets deposited in it once per year on March 1.

Saving log - $2
Spending log - 1.62$ coffee, milk + $10 lunch

Noticed that I rarely finish my 16 oz coffee, so I decided to get the 12 oz coffee, which drops my cost about 40 cents.

This evening, I actually read one of the offers my bank mailed to me. If I, baselle, just used my debit card 40 times in 6 weeks, I could get a plane ticket. Oh boy! Spend twice a day for 6 weeks and then get the opportunity to spend even more in a foreign place.

Got to look away before I shred!

This week was going to be the week that I put that 20K into Vanguard. But this week was a wicked one for stocks (500 point drop), so I'm inclined to keep it in ING for just a little while longer. I hesitate to call it market timing, I just don't want to catch a falling knife.

Saving log - 0$ tip box (right now I get $3.20/day in ING)
Spending log - $10 Denny's + $1.50 tea + $35 Fred Meyer + $3.80 thrift store + $2 spinach

this entry dedicated to Princess Perky.

This afternoon I kicked around my neighborhood after deciding to buy some new underwear. I've dropped two pants sizes, and it means I've dropped two underwear sizes too. Lately I've been rolling the excess - in a sense creating fake "boy shorts" - but after pitching a couple with holes, it was time to refresh the inventory. Of course I buy new and aim for sales; used underwear isn't frugal, its just weird. I walked to Fred Meyer and along with the bikini briefs, just for laughs I got real boy shorts (black), 25% off.

There are few things sweeter, more secret, and more delicious than new fresh undies of a smaller size. The other thrill is that my size is now a medium there, too. I'll have to remember that when that dish of ice cream comes knocking and when I'm trying to do my 10 minutes of night calisthentics.

Inspired, I hit the thrift store. Nothing in the jeans/pants category, but I picked up a couple of tops, one for $1.49. I love dark colors - pastels do nothing for me.

Rounding off the spending by picking up 2 bags of spinach at a $1/bag. I consider bagged spinach (without E. coli) to be frugal because of the rinsing involved. The grit is gone, so it makes it easier for me to eat only vegetables as a late night snack. All that for a $1/bag means its worth it to me.

Saving log - $5 tip box + $16.06 T-bill interest + $75 from checking to saving
Spending log - $1.50 coffee + $13 lunch + $40 ATM

Noticed that the matching piece of my 403B jumped up by about $2000. I'll have to ask around to find out what's going on. Rumors seem to be better than HR right now. A mysterious email appeared that there will be upcoming changes in the 403B and to find out about them on March 15.

Scanned through the transactions on one of my DRPs. The transfer agent changed in August. Before August, all the transactions were as neat as a pin - credited on the 1st or 2nd of the month, except on December, when it was credited on December 15th - afterwards its the 5th, 6th, 8th. And they take the money out promptly on the 26th. Ten days of float, in other words.

Saving log - $1 tip box
Spending log - $1.50 coffee + $8 lunch

For tinapbeana - My favorite electronics tip:

Look at the brand of what you've bought and then hunt down the user forum online.

For instance, my MP3 player is an iRiver H10 20 Gb. The iRiver forum I use is here where you can find enthusiasts - people who probably have either tried doing what you want to do, have learned the secrets, or best of all, have solved your problem already. Often there is a "wiki" which is a cross between a FAQ and a better written owners' manual. A fabulous, free resource. So fabulous and free that you should consider looking for forums before you buy any electronic device.

Saving log - $2 tip box
Spending log - $1.50 coffee + $20 lunch + $9 mucinex

Woke up this morning almost, but not quite, normal and thinking that maybe, just maybe I might be well by the weekend.

Since it is the last day of the month, it was the last chance that I had to deposit my tip box drippings after work. So I did so at a freezing ATM at 6:30 tonight. I put in $44 from the tip box into savings and took out $40 from checking. Ridiculous when you think about it - why not short circuit the whole thing - deposit $4? Same thing, right?

But that's what savings looks like. Its important to save the $44, not the $4, now matter what it looks like. If you save the $4, you only have the 4 and the other 40 goes poof. If you save the $44, you have the full 44. Saver's alchemy to know that its not the same.

Savings log - 0$ tip box
Spending log - $1.50 coffee, tip + $4.50 soup for lunch

I was busy today so I went home to the news that the stock market's down big, big, big today. (-416).

Just because I wanted to know how a 416 point drop meant to me, I figured out that I've lost a bit over $3700 today. Who knows, it might be worse tomorrow or in the days to come.

Correction or crash, I've got to be philosophical about this.
From reinvesting dividends, my Drp portfolio is still in the black.
3 out of 4 of my drp stocks were (not now) close to their 52 week highs - bad because if you want to buy good company stock, you want to buy when the stock's cheap.
I have a fair amount of cash and T-bills (paying at 5.2%) to buck me up.
And 3% corrections to the stock market used to happen quite often, every few months or so.

Stocks go down, stocks go down. Repeat and note that its time for a glass of 3 buck-chuck wine.

Saving log - $9 tip box
Spending log - $1.37 coffee + $5 lunch

Pleasantly surprised at work - I walked in expecting piles and I saw only a little one. There were a couple of shockers on the work email - people leaving. Its February and it seems like all of the energy of fall disappears into a morass of depression in late winter. But our department is humming along. The temp staff that we hired to process the paper is mostly gone and its quiet again. I still have plenty to do and I'm now a week behind!

My trainer is going back home for a few days so the schedule is a little different this week. I worked out today and will tomorrow, which picked up my energy level a lot. Wore the medium gym shirt I was given when I joined the fitness challenge - it fit great. One year ago I still would have been an XL. I got weighed again today, and lost .8 of a pound over the past three days.

Again, not much on the financial front. I expect to finish the month (payday is Wednesday) with about $60. Bought another $100 I-bond at the end of this month; put another $50 in a Drp; all I expect to do this week (actually any Thursday) is watch my current T-bill rollover. Its amazing what you can save when you are in no condition to spend.

So close that I bought DHs Saturday breakfast to celebrate. The pinkeye disappeared and while the cough hasn't completely gone away, I'm not coughing every 30 seconds. Still have the earache at times. For awhile last week my head felt like the plane would never land.

I didn't go into work on Friday, but I was out and about a bit more. Took care of some business at the gym - and I weighed in at 186. At -2 pounds the flu/pinkeye eating plan is a winner.

Finished with picking through my MP3s, then reloaded my player. There were enough dups, mediocre and ickily ripped MP3s that I managed to get 17 Gigs down to 12. Being sick made me ruthless.

I didn't spend much money but one thing financial hit this week - our yearly lease is up and rent is going up by $45/month. We'll have to decide whether that's acceptable or whether the rental market is soft enough and our ambition is high enough that we move. Its the first rent raise in 5 years. My first impression is that we stay. Ambition is in short supply lately.

Spending log - 3.74$ mocha + 1.73$ croissant +2.50$ bag of salad +7.00$ pinkeye drops

Whatever I got, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I woke up this morning with the earache, the serial cough, the sore throat, and most embarassingly of all - pinkeye! I mean cripes, kick a girl when she's down. But I'm a lot more energetic today, so I decided to dress warmly and carefully, then step out and go somewhere. I mean with the pinkeye, I have to wash the sheets, the pillowcases, the towels - why stay home? Discovered that the fresh air helped to control my cough, and while the mocha was delicious, my appetite is still not there - only ate half of my croissant.

Thanks for the earache advice. What seems to be working for me is a combination of 1 aspirin and squirting into my ear a .3% solution of hydrogen peroxide (topical rinse strength). Hold for a few minutes, then mop up the excess. The only side effect that I've been experiencing is that what I've been coughing up and blowing out has been foamy. The plumbing's all connected as it were.

Within 1/2 of a Gig of music to review before I wipe my MP3 clean of files, and then re-load with reviewed files back on.

Sick again, at home still, no spend day again. I did manage to step out today and get the mail, plus I risked identity theft by putting my Netflix envelope in the mailbox. Right now its all about the coughing, tiredness and earache in one ear. And surprisingly its the earache that's bugging me the most. Anybody have a frugal earache cure?

Well this flu does put a crimp on spending. I've had two no spend days in a row because I've spent most hours asleep. Should also work well with the weight loss plan, too - with my appetite gone, I've eaten a small meal or two a day, and for the rest, its water, water, water.

It's hard to believe that pandemic flu would be even worse.. how could I possibly feel five times worse than I do now? But if it is, I have to think of this week as a dry run. When I get better, I'm going to move most of the bottled water inside. Its in the storage shed a couple of yards away but I don't feel up to getting it.

I'm also going to try out a couple of electrolyte recipes and see what they taste like. Mostly they call for sugar and salt and water. Simple enough, but its rough enough to cook when you're sick, then try following an unfamiliar recipe.

What I have right now, so I've spent only for over the counter items and soup. Other than my temperature spiking at nearly 102, not much is happening. I've the perfect sick project - I've been going through my MP3 music and picking out the stuff that didn't record well, that I hate, or that is too long.

So much for planting peas on President's Day.

Today
Savings log - $4
Spending log - $2 coffee, milk + $8 lunch + $8 takeout

Noticed that the rhododendron next to the front door is in bloom. It blooms in pink every year in February because its sheltered and its next to two dryer vents. Didn't cost me a thing - what a priceless pleasure and far prettier than a groundhog. The flower buds did get nipped from last month's freeze though. I'm thinking about getting some pea seeds and plant them this weekend. The rule out in Seattle is to plant peas on President's Day.

Left my bus pass on the living room end table and it went downhill in the morning. I did manage to get what I most wanted to get done this week. I got hit up for some flowers to a co worker at work, so I scooped up $5 in change from my tip box and sent it off.

Last Sunday I filled up my MP3 player, so I've been listening to what I have and have been pruning it. Listened to about 3.5 Gs of tunes and I have 12G more to go. I know how my DJ friend feels!

Got the post-chocolate hangover? You know, where you are bouncing off the wall from the chocolate with the knowledge that the acne will come in a couple of days?

Feb 13, Tuesday
Saving log - $9 tip box ($4 mine + $5 for the MP3 case I sold to DJ friend)
Spending log - 1.50$ coffee + 5$ lunch

After a great day of work yesterday, I got pounded today. Everybody was needy and calling. Sigh. It was nice to get the $5!

Opened up the bi-monthly electric bill and got a brutal surprise - $184! We had the same usage patterns as last year. Somehow every year its never a pleasant surprise.

I also paid into a Drp this month and a wrote a check to finish off paying the credit card completely. I plan on putting another $300 into ING this month.

Feb 14, Wednesday
Saving log - $1.50 tip box
Spending log - $1.50 coffee + 15$ lunch + 2.00$ snack + $17.30 CDs

Sigh. I got $40 last night and I spent it all by tonight. Last Sunday afternoon, the new CD store wasn't really open but the door was - the owner was talking to a friend - so DH and I walked through. We couldn't buy anything but the owner let me lay-away what I liked, to pay when he officially opened. I found 2 CDs from my young-college-hood. Tonight he was open for real and I bought them for real. It dates me, buying CDs in a brick and mortar store. Even the owner was my age, with a touch of gray. In a few years buying a CD will be like buying a buggy whip. He also had vinyl. Got to tell DJ friend about it.

DH and I both enjoyed the chocolates. Again, Valentine's Day is like most other holidays - it arrives at the back end of my paycheck, when you get paid on the 15th and last day of the month. So far, only Labor Day is the only exception.

Saving log - $.50
Spending log - $2 coffee, milk + $7 sundries

My assistant took me out to a Thai lunch today, and I went to the chiropractor. Gave DJ friend one of my carrying cases for my MP3 player (he's giving the same type of MP3 player to his wife) and he offered me $5 for it. Nice. When he pays, I'll put it in tip box.

Slight frugal tip: a big cell phone case often works to house an MP3 player.

Several items that we were looking for in the last two months finally came, so work came in a little torrent. I was productive and the day went by fast.

Wrote the check to MIL for the plane ticket for Paris. (1007$) For large purchases like this I under withdraw from my savings in a round number ($1000) just to keep things tight.

Bought $33 box of chocolate truffles I picked at the local chocolatier for DH on Valentine's Day. It wasn't much of a decision - I just went for 2 of nearly everything except the coconut and the peanut butter. I know DH doesn't really like peanut butter, but I forgot whether he really loves or really hates coconut. It was just a whole lot easier to say two of everything but these two, and there is nothing like appearing to be decisive when there is a line behind you.

Opening the box later, the chocolates were nestled in two by two and it looked like the hold of Noah's Ark.

It was such a nice day today, that I also walked to the library, something that I hadn't gotten a chance to do since early December.

The phone call last night with sister was wide ranging. We compared notes on how we were each handling our money.

Sister - putting in new windows in the house, new furnace, 3 small oriental rugs, loan to her partner's brother (paid back), one IRA. Happy that she got 800$ in interest.

Me - bed, IRAs in 2005, 2006, Roth IRA in 2007, $2500 in stock, loan to DH (paid back), $20,000 to Vanguard in a taxable account (soon to be another $20,000), MP3 player. Happy that I got $1,900 in interest and dividends, and $3,900 in paper profits.

I'm going to have to keep my yap shut though. I think that sister bought okay stuff, but she needs a little patience. Wait until she gets everything and then see.

Saving log - 0$
Spending log - 2$ coffee, milk + $7 lunch

I logged into my checking account online, and lo and behold my refund was grinning at me. (289$) I filed my taxes on Jan 29, got my refund on Feb 9. 11 days.

Shame on you if you do the rapid refund! H&R Block is loaning you your money and all because you want to shave a few days off.

Saving log - $7
Spending log - $1.50 coffee + $5 lunch

Not lbs, K. As in $190,000. Got a voicemail from sister telling me she (we) got the WiDNR bid from the executors yesterday, so I know what to expect today. WiDNR is offering $190,000 for the 72 acres, leaving us the 7 acre farmette - house, barn, sheds to sell. We also got a bid to rent the property to Peanut, the farmer whom we fear is an ecological pig. We received a form where we were to decide separate yays/nays on each bid.

So I called sister a few minutes ago and we hammered out the decision.

Yay - $190,000 State of WiDNR bid.
Nay - Peanut.

In my mind it boiled down to one paragraph in the option s.23.09(2)(d) document (we are the Grantors):
'Prior to the closing of this transaction, the Grantor shall remove and properly dispose of all hazardous or toxic wastes or chemicals located on, in or under the above described property.'

In other words, if Peanut makes a pig of himself, he pays about $4,000 to use the land, and it takes $4,000 for us to clean up after his pleasure ... its a wash, and he's not worth it.

Tomorrow I copy the forms and send them off. Now its the house and barn. Sister is furious at the executors for not checking the level of propane the house was getting and with the extremely frosty temperatures this last week, she figured that this cold snap blew both the water heater and the toilet, with possible burst pipes and water damage. Time to ask lawyer friend about executors' responsibilities.

Feb 6, Tuesday
Saving log - 0$
Spending log - $2 coffee, milk + 9$ lunch

Not much money movement yesterday, but a little gym movement. Lost 2.5 pounds, so I'm now at 188. Got chided a little for not drinking enough water, but the trainer and I had a number of good moments yesterday too. I could do situps to my toes on a padded incline set at the steepest incline. I even managed to do 3 sets of 10 situps (30 situps), which is very exciting. The best part was glancing over and seeing a relatively buff guy set the incline down a little to do his situps. The trainer nudged me... didja notice? Hah!

Feb 7, Wednesday
Saving log - 0$
Spending log - $2 coffee, milk

Several of our temporary staff are leaving at the end of this week, so we took them all out for a lunch on the department's dime, making it very nearly a no spend day. Got a little old fart jolt when the lunch conversation turned to Iowa, and I jokingly mentioned that The Music Man was set in Iowa. Blank stares all around. Man do we have trouble...

Thoughts while I was walking home... You stereotypically can be mean and cheap or kind and generous. I think I'll mix and match and try to be cheap and kind. After all there are a couple of people at work who really are mean and generous. Ick.