Weblog
07/10/07: Trying to Budget Home Improvements
While trying to budget some home improvements I glanced at the calendar and noticed that it was getting to be July - halfway through the year.Last year I was shocked to learn that I owed over $3000 in taxes between Federal and State. It turned out that when I asked my payroll company to "add another $15 to be taken out every check" they instead put me down for 15 dependents. I know my family is big, but what the heck? I narrowly escaped Federal underpayment penalties only because I'd received a refund the previous year, but I did have to pay State penalties. Yeah, I know I should have caught it, but my pay was a moving target at the time and I mostly just dump the darn checks in the bank and don't worry about it.
Anyway, in March I had them change withholdings to a more accurate amount. I made a mental note to check things at 1/2 year and run some test calculations.
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06/21/07: How Washington Mututal wants to screw you
I had a Providian credit card for some time. They were recently purchased by Washington Mututal. It's the card I used for many of my home renovations including my new windows.As luck would have it due to either an oversight on my part or thinking I'd clicked "submit" on an online payment I ended up late on my payment by less than 6 days one month. The next month I was billed a $40 late fee which I paid without worrying about it.
It wasn't until two months later that I realized they had also jacked my interest rate up from around 7% to over 22% as a result of that one late payment.
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06/16/07: Lighting or Lamp Post
Soon I hope to redo the front porch. It reaches the full width of the house and is covered. Currently there's only lighting above the front door and I'm looking for options.Read more ...
05/07/07: The new couch and chair
Well, they barely fit. I just now got around to taking a panorama of them, so here ya go. Both ends of the couch recline, and kind of slide out so they don't hit the wall:Read more ...
04/16/07: The unfortunate trip to the furniture store
We're having an "open-house" at work this week, and never have finished decorating the entire office. As Carla and I were passing Grand Home Furnishings today, I thought "Hey, they have silk plants!"Boy was that a mistake. Especially since I just finished paying off the bed we bought last year and my "zero interest zero payments" credit card was wide open, screaming for attention.
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04/06/07: No Renovations This Weekend
And not due to Easter. I've been waiting for it to get warm before diving into some of the things that will require an open window (such as drywall dust.)Seems we're due 1 to 3 inches of snow this weekend.
Really.
It was 80 last week. Now it's 32. Where's your global warming NOW, Al Gore?!?
