I mentioned in Analise's blog - everything is going out of business here.

Restaurant.com e-mailed me today to say that our favorite Thai place went out of business. Bummer!

I paid a whopping $2(?) for that gift certificate, so I think we would have been okay. BUT, they said I could exchange it for another one.

I had no idea they had that kind of guarantee. I am waiting for the confirmation to pick out a new restaurant.

Maybe we should used them sooner rather than later, lest we have to exchange them 10 times. *sigh*

ETA: Ended up going with an Ethiopian Restaurant. Something different...

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I applied for a new credit card with my CU.

Chase was too slow. They have yet to send us an affidavit and dh called them AGAIN this week. They said they couldn't fax it over and gave him more runaround. ANYWAY, I downloaded our card charges for the week, today, into Quicken. Lo and behold, they credited our account for both Fraudulent charges. Hallelujah. Only took a few months...

Anyway, I still feel like, what the hell? Why couldn't they have just told him they'd remove them then. ??????????

Too bad for them - I already applied for my new card. We're out.

My new plan is to not use the card, just to piss them off. They can close it when they tire of us not using it, in a couple of years. Which means I may close one of my other cards. I don't like having more than 2 cards open.

I may have a change of heart too. I am just too steamed to give them my business right now. Taking a break.

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I opened another savings account which pays 0.5% more interest than my money market/checking account. But I am keeping the MM because I really like it. Having checks would not have been a criteria of mine, but I have gotten spoiled by the account. None of this transferring funds business. (The new higher interest account is at the same bank so I can transfer funds instantly and write a check - now you are talking. Both account earn good interest overall).

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Met with our insurance agent yesterday. Nothing changed. I think our house was covered for something like $200k replacement when we bought, and we revised that to almost $400k in 2006, because constructions costs had gotten SO expensive in the boom.

Agent tells me costs have not dropped. Or so little it would make no difference.

I was skeptical. I didn't expect a huge drop on one hand. On the other hand, the industry has been so shaken, you can't tell me costs aren't dropping, or going to drop anyway. Something to research on my own a little I guess. We were kind of at an impasse there. Though I'd frankly rather be over insured. But certainly not WAY over insured. I'll keep my ear to the ground as far as construction costs.

I also had gotten it in my head that our deductibles were $1500 on our cars. They are only $1k. I have no idea where that figure came from.

We have comprehensive coverage on dh's car because it is so cheap and car theft is so prevalent in our neighborhood. I am on the fence about that one. I think we'll keep it for now, but as our cash grows, we will probably drop it. His car was near worthless until gas prices spiked in the summer. (Which made it more valuable and more rife for theft). So, what otherwise would be a no brainer has become rather complicated. More cash in the bank will make it rather a moot point though.

It also looks like we both drove about 10k miles last year. Go figure. Don't ask me how. It was the long trips. My commute is not long and I was shocked to see those #s. I know we drove about 1k miles to Disney and Yosemite. But yeah, that's only 1k. What the heck?

Actually, I think I figured it out. We had begun meeting dh's mom half way for exchanging kids. So if she takes the kids once a month, that is about 250 miles per month. (In the end it is the same as driving to/from San Jose once, just breaks it up a bit). Anyway, yes, we drove to San Jose a LOT less in 2008. But we drove half way a LOT more. THat's probably it.

It will be interesting to see how much our auto expenses drop when LM is done with preschool. It is a little out of the way. As is karate class. As they get older there are more activities and such closer to home. & BM simply walks to school. Quite a difference from driving the kids to preschool out past my work.

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Today I am working. I went to aerobics but will probably have to give up Saturdays for tax season. IF I go to work at 7 I can be done at 1-3. I didn't get here until 9 today though. Not thrilled with that, but will only be a few months.

Working Saturdays for 4 months.

Dh finally booked our weekend in San Francisco (so I will squeeze some time off). The suite averages $150/night. We are staying 2 nights for free (MIL's time share). We will have to pay $40+ to park though. We're staying near the wharf. It's got to be the most touristy area, but I love it for whatever reason. Love those noisy sea lions. I know we will eat well. I am not sure what else we will do. Planning to meet up with some friends for dinner one night. Another friend can get us into the newly re-opened Natural History museum for free. BUT I think we want some alone time too. So, we'll see. It would be nice to check it out and see if it is something the kid's speed. & nice to see someone I only get together with every year or 2. But, I don't want to muck up our alone weekend with all these other dates.

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Oh yeah, more stuff. Dh is proud he went to Safeway and spent $15. Full price was $35. HE saved about 60%. 2 manufacturer coupons, and some sales.

We bought some boots in another county in our quest for snow boots. Never really found anything worthwhile, and didn't need them, so dh returned them. I just noticed the return at Payless was more than we paid, by like a quarter! I mentioned to dh and he said it was probably the difference in sales tax rates. Good point!

Can we run a scam there? Start buying things in Placer and returning them in Sacramento? (Reminds me how shocked I am sometimes in the Bay Area because their sales tax is 0.5% higher. I notice it when I do a fast food run for the usual. We should start doing all our returns in San Jose).

Anyway, I am not sure if Wal Mart was smart enough to figure that one out. I will have to look again tonight. I'll let you know. I have the feeling it was just Payless...

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Entertaining my brain while I work: