Saw the $5500 credit sitting in my Citi Account so I requested a refund. Seems slow going but I have most my cash in a 5.70% CD in the meantime. Hoping I get the cash when we get back form vacation. So I Can have a little more liquid cash. & get it out of lala land and into my account earning some INTEREST which is the whole point!

Freecycle is dead this weekend - no replies for my stuff. Bummer. My e-mail has been working on and off so I wonder if there is a problem. I may repost when we get back, maybe use a different e-mail to make sure.

But while checking my e-mail I noticed that dh's new card had a new statement. Checked the rewards and it is good to go with $75 in gift card rewards. Woohoo. I have earned enough for $50, so will put ALL the cards away. ($125 total - in addition to the interest we intend to earn). I didn't even activate the WAMU one as it was a straight balance transfer.

Hmmm, since I got my rewards and can pay the bill today I guess maybe I will do that and then do the balance transfer when we return. Wow!!! I am going to hold off on mine until I can talk them into a higher limit. So maybe a few months since I am a new customer. I will call one of these days and plead my case.

Interestingly as I Set up my WAMU payments and stuff, noticed they have FICO score monitoring, alert you when it dips or falls, etc. Honestly all I see is that these BTs will help our score, with the exception of utiliziation. We will start out around 30-40% but will drop down soon enough with the 4% minimum payments. We have pretty high limits on our regular cards (all paid off monthly). But we can see what WAMU thinks about our FICO score in the meantime. Found that one interesting.

I paid all the bills for the month. I just have to write 1 check for preschool - but usually just pay her after the first - but post it to the prior month - part of prior month's budget. Just try to buy float like that with all my bills.

I just noticed that I have not used 1 stamp since the new rates. I usually mail my deposits but I shrunk the float in my account, and we got a new branch down the street for our bank - very convenient. (Plus I have mailed deposits in for well over a decade with nary a problem - but this last year the US mail has REALLY gone downhill - deposits disappearing for a time whereas it ALWAYS got there in one day - part of the reason I finally switched to a more local bank - something I never had before. Deposit time was taking 2-3 days all of a sudden instead of 1. IT's been better locally, but still iffy with the mail - so I am converting to actually visiting my bank these days - it is not so bad I guess). Plus I have dh run in my deposits sometimes which helps me a lot. I have been hand delivering big deposits for the immediate credit and feeling more safe about it overall. I have mailed plenty of big deposits in the past, but I didn't really have a choice when I have always lived a good hour or 2 from my little one-branch credit union. So I am becoming an in-person banking convert I guess... Maybe this is the end of stamps! Well, nearly anyway.

The house is coming along really well. Great since I Was lazy and got off to a late start. Feeling pretty pleased, tomorrow will be packing day.

Excited as vacation gets closer!