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Archive for December, 2009

Gift Cards

December 22nd, 2009 at 10:05 pm

There have been several articles on-line about gift cards being "on the way out".

Now I know that bank gift cards can be a pain what with fees and all, but I get an incredible amount of pleasure from giving and receiving gift cards.

I have 5 nephews and nieces. They all got gift cards, the most popular being Amazon. My sister gets a gift card unless I can find something I think she needs or wants in my area that she doesn't have in her locality.

Right now I have a $30 Walmart card, and a $25 gift card for Kohls which I am waiting to use after Christmas on sales.

I love hearing what the family does with the cards.

This year I couldn't find my bosses anything, so they both got amazon cards. They seemed pretty darned pleased too.

I recently got one for a restaurant and had a wonderful time with it.

So yes, of course, take care in buying gift cards, don't get ones with expiration dates or odd little fees, but don't let it keep you from getting them for people who could use them.

And a Merry Christmas to you all too!

Warning - When you get a new homeland, don't pay additional principal at first

December 17th, 2009 at 06:23 pm

Well, well, well.

When I made my first mortgage payment on the new home loan, I had a free month. So I took the money I would have spent on a mortgage payment and put it against the principal.

The mortgage company apparently has the money, but they sold my loan to another institution, and that institution sold my loan to someone else.

Its December, the first payment was 2 months ago, and I still don't see that my additional has been credited. I have made phone calls to various institutions, and this is turning into a major pain in the nether regions.

If I had been the foolish trusting woman I was before the BIG SPLIT, I would have simply accepted that they had put my money against the loan, but now I keep record of each principal reduction in my blog pages, and it immediately is noticiable that there is a GAP in moola.

So now I'm fighting for it, because if it isn't going against the principal, I want every penny back. Sheesh!!!! Double Sheesh.

Christmas Spending

December 8th, 2009 at 05:58 pm

So far I have purchased 2 gift cards for my neighbor and roomate, and 3 gift certificates/cards for my sister and some of the kids. I have also purchased several individual samplers of belgium chocolate and items that they can't buy where they live to send in a box. I got myself a DVD for NCIS on sale.

I put up my tree, which is the same one I've used for years, and put up lights, and have been going to matins and vespers services. I feel so excited about the season.

I will send only a few cards, to out-of-town friends.

My Emergency Unemployment account is up to $4K. I'm so excited. My yearly billing account is up to $1000. So I am not just saving to pay off the ex-spouse, but to also provide for emergencies. I still have aways to go.

I paid extra on my mortgage and still haven't received credit for the additional principal. I am continuing to look for this. Definite follow-up items.

I did receive the $20 credit from my car repair that I argued for. I spent it on a sprouter and some herbalism items and some health food flours I use.

I notice now that I'm buying Christmas presents, I really have to stick to the budget or I would overspend. I see so many little things I would like to buy people, but I have to say no. Presents is only a small part of Christmas.

Sunday was the Feast Day of Saint Nicholas, who is the real Santa Claus. Do you know how the legend of coming down the chimney started. He was secretly helping people in his congregation, and in those days, if you didn't have a dowry you couldn't get married. One poor man in his parish had 3 daughters and was in such bad shape, he was considering selling them as slaves, which would have meant a life of prostitution.

So Nicholas snuck to their house at night and tossed a bag a gold down their chimney - it was enough for a dowry for the eldest daughter. He continued this till he paid dowrys for all three daughters.

Not quite the same as buying things you don't need with money you don't have, is it?