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Got my 401k quarterly report from my old job, the one I haven't paid into for 6 years. After freefalling with the rest of the economy to $15k it's worked its way back up to a bit over $20k.
So the report this month tells me the portfolio's overall value has increased by over $800 this quarter from profits...
..while somehow losing over 3000 dollars.
HUH?
So the report this month tells me the portfolio's overall value has increased by over $800 this quarter from profits...
..while somehow losing over 3000 dollars.
HUH?
Occasionally I have GOOD luck.
Aug. 27th, 2012 06:42 pmAbout fifteen years ago Choice Hotels, the company I used to work for until I sabotaged myself, went public with an IPO. In celebration, they gave everyone, including peons like me, about six shares of stock. They weren't worth a great deal at the time, maybe $5.00 apiece, but I've held onto them. With stock divisions and so forth my number of shares has risen to fourteen. I don't pay much attention to them because the quarterly dividend check I receive usually works out to a grand total of $2.50.
The company must have had a seriously good quarter this time around, because the check I received was for about $143. :o Which just about covers the speeding ticket I got back in July. Go me.
The company must have had a seriously good quarter this time around, because the check I received was for about $143. :o Which just about covers the speeding ticket I got back in July. Go me.
Out goes the begging bowl
Jan. 28th, 2012 10:22 amIn two days my DeviantArt membership expires and (frankly) I can't afford to renew it. I realize my output here has been low in recent months, mainly because I've been trying to concentrate and produce stories for sales on Amazon and Smashwords but if you've enjoyed reading my free stuff here, please consider buying me a month's membership.
Progress Report
Jan. 25th, 2012 08:26 amWriting: Got a page and a half done this morning on Shadow of the Red Vixen thanks to waking up too early. That puts me about 2/3rds of the way through Chapter Two. Have to figure out how much time I'm going to spend with the tourism on Earth before the plot kicks in.
Job Hunt: No word from Holy Cross yet. Might call tomorrow if I don't hear anything soon. Meanwhile I've got a cram book for Civil Service examinations to look through and get an idea of what I'm up against if I want a government job.
Money: Is very tight right now as we wait for our paychecks to come in. I'm probably going to cancel our cable TV if we can't get a better deal with Verizon or Comcast, since we barely use it now that we have Netflix streaming.
Job Hunt: No word from Holy Cross yet. Might call tomorrow if I don't hear anything soon. Meanwhile I've got a cram book for Civil Service examinations to look through and get an idea of what I'm up against if I want a government job.
Money: Is very tight right now as we wait for our paychecks to come in. I'm probably going to cancel our cable TV if we can't get a better deal with Verizon or Comcast, since we barely use it now that we have Netflix streaming.
Some reassurance
Jan. 19th, 2012 04:13 amJust wanted to let everyone know that I'm doing Much Better Now, thanks. Tuesday was a combination of things hitting me all at once, the bank foul up, the car and a couple of other unexpected bills, and the kids reacting to Tracy and I's stressing out that just sent me over the edge briefly. I'm sorry if I worried anyone and I'm grateful for all the expressions of concern (especially a private and very generous one I received).
So, more or less in order.
1. The bank: For some silly reason the bank only made half of my deposit available after I entered it, the rest appearing the next business day. So even though I deposited it Friday evening, nothing showed up until Teusday morning thanks to the MLK holiday.
2. After some juggling, Tracy's car is working again. The $1200 bill the car shop had originally reported for replacing the A/C compressor in her car was reduced to a much more manageable $315, which we were able to pay for by dipping into our home equity account. So she might not be too comfortable in the summer, but at least her car is limping along until mine get paid off and we can replace hers.
3. Other bills, The original source of our weekend stress was our car registration fees with the state that are due at the end of the month. Those will be be paid. It just knocks down our reserves a bit more than we like.
4. Mom is doing just fine, aside from her dog Daisy jumping on her tummy unexpectedly a couple of days ago.
5. As I said earlier, I've applied for three jobs at Holy Cross Hospital. I honestly don't expect anything to come from them, but who knows. Shrug
We're okay. We'll survive until we get our tax returns back and we can build up the reserve in the checking account again. Now that we have our plan of attack sorted out we're both feeling a lot better and the kids in turn are less stressed out.
So, more or less in order.
1. The bank: For some silly reason the bank only made half of my deposit available after I entered it, the rest appearing the next business day. So even though I deposited it Friday evening, nothing showed up until Teusday morning thanks to the MLK holiday.
2. After some juggling, Tracy's car is working again. The $1200 bill the car shop had originally reported for replacing the A/C compressor in her car was reduced to a much more manageable $315, which we were able to pay for by dipping into our home equity account. So she might not be too comfortable in the summer, but at least her car is limping along until mine get paid off and we can replace hers.
3. Other bills, The original source of our weekend stress was our car registration fees with the state that are due at the end of the month. Those will be be paid. It just knocks down our reserves a bit more than we like.
4. Mom is doing just fine, aside from her dog Daisy jumping on her tummy unexpectedly a couple of days ago.
5. As I said earlier, I've applied for three jobs at Holy Cross Hospital. I honestly don't expect anything to come from them, but who knows. Shrug
We're okay. We'll survive until we get our tax returns back and we can build up the reserve in the checking account again. Now that we have our plan of attack sorted out we're both feeling a lot better and the kids in turn are less stressed out.
Feeling less frantic
Jan. 17th, 2012 02:44 pmSorry about the panic post earlier. Finally got the bad news from car shop ($1200 for full repairs. Less if we can cheat and avoid replacing the A/C compressor). It's... bad, but survivable.
I've also sent in a few applications for jobs at Holy Cross Hospital. Even if they pay a little less, more secure working hours and paid holidays would add up to quite a bit from my perpsective.
I've also sent in a few applications for jobs at Holy Cross Hospital. Even if they pay a little less, more secure working hours and paid holidays would add up to quite a bit from my perpsective.
Oh God, I'm so *tired*.
Jan. 17th, 2012 08:40 amTracy car wouldn't start yesterday morning. So when I got home I called AAA to give it a jump because I figured it had been sitting there since Friday in the cold and the battery needed to be charged.
No, couldn't be that simple. Instead the AAA guy pointed out that there's a thing in the engine called a Tensioner Spring that holds the belt running from the engine to the alternator tight, but it was loose now and needed to be replaced. So I had it towed to our car shop and it'll be looked at this morning.
That's on top of the back somehow processing my last paycheck for only $250 instead of $500 (which was bad enough because dof all the damned furlough days I had in December.) And this morning I couldn't find the home equity checkbook to cover whatever the shop is going gouge us to fix Tracy's car. So I need to arrage the transfer over the phone and God help me if they need me to show in person to arrange because then I need to take off time from work which I can't afford to do.
Since Thanksgiving, it seems like it's been one crisis after another. I've had to get extremely expensive repairs on my car twice. I've had that scare with my heart. Christmas was just one anxious rush. The kids have been ill. My mother went into the hosptital to have her appendix it out and I'm scared to death I'm going to have to ask for money again while she's recovering from that.
Oh, yeah, and my jobs sucks but I can't afford to leave it and I've got no appreciable skills to get a better one.
I feel like there's a vice around my chest right now. I was breaking into sobbing fits while I was driving into work. I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't what I'm going to do. I just want it to stop. Everything just STOP.
No, couldn't be that simple. Instead the AAA guy pointed out that there's a thing in the engine called a Tensioner Spring that holds the belt running from the engine to the alternator tight, but it was loose now and needed to be replaced. So I had it towed to our car shop and it'll be looked at this morning.
That's on top of the back somehow processing my last paycheck for only $250 instead of $500 (which was bad enough because dof all the damned furlough days I had in December.) And this morning I couldn't find the home equity checkbook to cover whatever the shop is going gouge us to fix Tracy's car. So I need to arrage the transfer over the phone and God help me if they need me to show in person to arrange because then I need to take off time from work which I can't afford to do.
Since Thanksgiving, it seems like it's been one crisis after another. I've had to get extremely expensive repairs on my car twice. I've had that scare with my heart. Christmas was just one anxious rush. The kids have been ill. My mother went into the hosptital to have her appendix it out and I'm scared to death I'm going to have to ask for money again while she's recovering from that.
Oh, yeah, and my jobs sucks but I can't afford to leave it and I've got no appreciable skills to get a better one.
I feel like there's a vice around my chest right now. I was breaking into sobbing fits while I was driving into work. I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't what I'm going to do. I just want it to stop. Everything just STOP.
Car Update. Ouch.
Dec. 3rd, 2011 02:51 pmTook the car to the local brake shop. Brake shop didn't even bother getting it onto the rack before saying I'd need new brake drums to the tune of $400. I (mentally) have them the finger and called Midas. Midas said they could do it for at least $30 cheaper and perhaps more if the problem was just with one brake pad. I winced and went to the bank draw some emergency money from our home equity account, thanking God we had one for emergencies, padding it to $500 because there's always something else turning up when I take it into the shop.
That "something else" worked out to $840 worth of repairs after the shop guy showed me why one brake was worn down and the other fine. It seems the hydraulic gaskets on the right front and left rear wheels were leaking fluid, as in I drove about 600 miles last weekend picking up my mom using basically unagumented muscle power to stop my car.
This is, barely, not a disaster for us. But it means we're going to have to pay more on the interest rather than the principal, and frankly if one more expensive thing happens, we're screwed.
So, if you've been thinking about buying one of my ebooks (smashwords link for non-Kindle formats), now would be a very good time. Or just hit the Donate button on my profile page if you're so inclined.
Thank you.
That "something else" worked out to $840 worth of repairs after the shop guy showed me why one brake was worn down and the other fine. It seems the hydraulic gaskets on the right front and left rear wheels were leaking fluid, as in I drove about 600 miles last weekend picking up my mom using basically unagumented muscle power to stop my car.
This is, barely, not a disaster for us. But it means we're going to have to pay more on the interest rather than the principal, and frankly if one more expensive thing happens, we're screwed.
So, if you've been thinking about buying one of my ebooks (smashwords link for non-Kindle formats), now would be a very good time. Or just hit the Donate button on my profile page if you're so inclined.
Thank you.
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SRL: Part Deux
Nov. 28th, 2011 08:56 pmAbout an hour ago I got my monthly payment from Amazon. About $15.00, which would have put me over the top to get my toy.
I'm laughing on the inside. Really.
I'm laughing on the inside. Really.
Mandatory Furloughs, Oh Joy
Jul. 26th, 2011 12:32 pmSo I got the news before lunch that we have to take 40 hours of mandatory unpaid leave this quarter and another the next quarter. This quarter I'm covered. I was already going to take five days off for a vacation at the end of August. I've got the time so I'll still be paid. But now I have to find another five days to take off between 9/1 and 12/1. The only bright spot is that I don't have to take them all at once.
This is turning into one of Those Days.
This is turning into one of Those Days.
