Thanks, but no thanks

I have mindfully practiced the habit of checking the bank balance and credit accounts on a daily basis to guard against theft.  There has been an alarming increase in identity thefts/fraudulent use of debit cards in the past few weeks in our neck of the woods.  My aunt was a victim.  Our bank account is easy to check because we have reduced our debit card use to about 5 transactions (not including bill pay) a month.  I'm not kidding.

So yesterday, when I checked my credit card, which carries the biggest, ugliest balance of them all, I was surprised to see that they had increased my credit limit.  By A LOT.  ummmm... thanks?  Don't these people know I am (for all intensive purposes) unemployed?

So I called them up.  I politely asked if they would consider reducing my interest rate (19.9%) instead.  The lady put me on hold, turned around to consult with her imaginary manager, and then came back and told me 'no'.  Really?  Even though I've paid over the minimum and on time for over 12 months??  No.  You suck, Visa!!  But then she gave what she thought was a tantalizing offer: 0% interest for the next 12 months on all new purchases.  ooooo.  I informed her that this particular deal was of no interest to me because I was not planning on using my card.  ever.  again.  To which I was met with silence..

People, I'll say it again...  Debt.   is.   stupid.

Now I need to brush up on my negotiating skills and call back.  And talk to the fictious manager.  Because I've been a responsible bill payer.  I want my reduced-rate reward.  Not more debt.

Financial Planning: Holiday expenditures for the Fall



Have a plan for your money, or it will make the plans for you

(and you may not like those plans, particularly...)

Simple Mom posted a reminder about Holiday Budget Planning recently - and it was time to get started.  Well, it is too late for us to plan for this round of holidays, but it got me thinking and planning for next year.  Fly Lady also got me thinking about how to plan for holidays in the first place - only do what the family actually wants to do - not because you think you ought to.

So to pass the time on a longer car trip we took this past weekend, I wrote out a list (with every one's input) of the Fall/Halloween Activities that we like doing and want to do every year - or at least while the kids are young.

* Pumpkin patch visit.  (We always go to the same one - Bartel's Farm)

* Gleaning (again, we always go to the same farm - Miller Farms)

* Treatsylvania (a local, just-for-little-kids Trick-or-Treating event)

* Centennial Village (a local, just-for-little-kids Trick-or-Treating event )

* Trick-or-Treat Street at Dean's workplace

* Halloween trick-or-treating

* Pumpkin carving

* Fall colors drive/elk bugling

* Visit to the Denver Zoo

* Trunk-or-Treat at our church

* Make caramel apples

* Oktoberfest family gathering

* Apple cider & popcorn family game night

* Toasted pumpkin seeds

* Parties and the food items we bring along

Then, I priced out each activity.  Trick-or-Treating also means costumes and candy.  We make our own costumes, but sometimes I still need to purchase a few things.. material, paint, ect... 

The total was just under $300.  That is a lot of money to just come up with on the fly... yet you don't think about it as the fall season approaches.  We started actively zero-based budgeting in September, so we planned for about half of these items.  The other half - mainly the food items, were not really well thought out, so our food budget took a real hit the last half of this month.  Oops.  Live and learn.  So, beginning next month, $25 will be budgeted each month to go towards the Fall/Halloween fund.

So this is where true discipline takes place.  The money that we save towards long-term planned expenditures needs to reside in a safe place - our savings account - and not be touched.  We need to create virtual envelopes within our savings account so that we know how much of the savings is allocated to what expense item.

Enter the savings account spreadsheet.  As we begin each virtual envelope, we just add it to the list.  We have created a few this past month...

* 60K car service that will be performed next month, the week before we leave for OKC for Thanksgiving

* fuel/eating expenses for our trip to OKC

* Annual license plate tags, due in Jan.

* Furnace maintenance check next month

Unfortunately, there is only so much $$ to go around, so there is no way to set up something now for the xmas holidays. I honestly don't know where we will come up with the funds necessary for that.  I'll have to think about that tomorrow.  Or the day after that.  Or... the day after that.  Sigh.