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Fiscal Chores and Such

September 2nd, 2011 at 02:45 am

Busy *Financial Chore* kind of day...

Deposited my paycheck and paid the mortgage.

Paid off my CU credit card (like to just pay it off at CU website, monthly).

Downloaded interest in all Quicken accounts (about $15 for August).

Transferred money over from savings so I could fund our ROTHs. Will put back with next paycheck. This solved *flow* problem from wanting to pay off all the one-time-reward credit cards and be done with them ASAP. I decided to pay off Target card with next paycheck (since it was due 9/28 or something like that). ROTH money from savings - and moved the Target pay off - and my checking balance stays in the black for the month.

I usually just round up and pay whole amounts on the credit cards (I am lazy that way), but had to remember to pay exact amount due on all these cards I intend to close! (Just what I need - some credit balance of pennies on every single card).

I shouldn't have anything to juggle around next month since I will have killed 4 credit cards.

Today I received all the Citi gift cards. Barnes and Noble gift card went to my balance online. Now I can mindlessly buy ebooks for a while. Dh asked if I was going to buy the latest Game of Thrones (Game of Thrones is all I have bought with my last gift card - too long to borrow from the library and read in time). Anyway, I checked and I am getting very high up on the ebook waiting list. Think I will save the gift card to buy deeply discounted/on sale books - or things I can't find at library. I expect the balance to last a LONG time.

Kohls cards - I locked up for later. Will probably buy some work clothing - will need some pants at some point.

Visited Plastic Jungle to trade the wal mart cards for cash and amazon gift cards. Dh already dropped them off in the mail. I should be mailed a $180-ish check in a few days, and e-mailed an amazon gift card code. Dh is chomping at the bit to buy a second roku for our cable ditching experiment. Hopefully this gift card code arrives very quickly!!

Cash will go to mortgage paydown.

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I have not taken my van in for anything more than an oil change in over 2 years. This morning it was acting up (out of nowhere). My uneducated guess is O2 censor. (2nd guess would be transmission - UGH).

I am not sure what I would do with a vehicle with pricey transmission problems. For all the OLD cars we have driven, we have never had major repairs or decisions of that type. (Dare I say it - never a transmission problem??) So, was worrying a bit.

Anyway, since we have driven such old cars, I often get complimented on how we must keep them up. Which I find kind of funny. It's more what we don't keep up (we don't do anything unnecessary). My rules are pretty much change the oil every 6 months, keep an eye on tire pressure and fluids, and take our vehicles in the second they have a problem. For the long run, this has worked very well for us.

For the short run? Problem could not be re-created, so dh just thought I was crazy, and repair shop did not find anything. Rolleyes So much for that method. Big Grin Actually - I just wish they had kept the car overnight - I expect it would act up again in the a.m.. But if it does, I know it should be okay for the daily commute or errands. Will see...

BUT, I had been planning to take the car in anyway for a lookover. Had some fluids topped off, got an oil change (was due anyway - so might as well get it done) and ended up needing new brake pads. No surprise there since no brake work has ever been done on car - hitting 90,000 miles.

I have the feeling I will be getting the O2 censor replaced soon. I can hope that's all it is, anyway. For now, whatever. Crossed a chore off my list! I got off easy - about $300. (I had wanted to wait maybe a month - since we JUST took dh's car in - but that is how it goes).

Oh - and it doesn't help that I am due for a smog check. I will hold off and see if I can get this diagnosed and fixed, first. Last thing I need is to fail, take it back to the shop, and then have to re-smog! The smog check is expensive. The car was spewing fumes today when it was acting up, of course!

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It's been a LONG week at work, this week. I am so ready for the 3-day weekend!

3 Responses to “Fiscal Chores and Such”

  1. Looking Forward Says:
    1314939047

    Your van story sounds all too familiar.. Smile

  2. mamasita Says:
    1314958005

    Ditto on the van story!

  3. FrugalTexan75 Says:
    1315015730

    I know in Texas if for whatever reason the car failed inspection, you could take it back to the same place within a time frame for free. I'd be surprised if it didn't work similarly in CA.

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