I guess some days it pours. It's been so *yawn* on the financial front recently. But certainly not today...

**I was *finally* approved for an insurance increase with my professional association "annually renewing" term life insurance. IT's kind of mid-way between a longer term and a 1-year-term, because I do not need to report any health changes to keep it, etc.

The plan was to get this going while I search out more long-term insurance. I already have a 30-year-term insurance, but it seems inadequate considering where life has headed. We bought it for the kids, not each other. But dh has been unemployed for 10 years, so it seems prudent to add more coverage.

My other life insurance policy is dirt cheap and I will be keeping it. So I am just looking to supplement it. It was 10 times income a decade ago. I was just approved for another 10 times current income. About 50% more. It took forever because of my recent thyroid surgery, which thankfully had no effect on my coverage. Basically it amounts to 13 times income + a paid off mortgage. This is more than ample for my family.

This policy will be about $330 per year. The other one is $240 per year. If I can lock in a reasonable 20-year-term and drop this temporary ($330) policy, I will. I will make that a goal to figure out this year. For the long run rather get a longer term policy that I am not ineligible for if x, y, or z happens. I have to ponder it though, because as a supplement, maybe it works well in that regard. Dh is still wanting to get back into the workforce, etc. So this still could just be a temporary need.

The motivation to lock in another 20-year term is because my spouse is no longer eligible for life insurance. Ouch! I know anything can happen tomorrow to put me in the same boat.

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**Electric company

Electric company sent me an offer to get a free state-of-the art programmable thermostat if we participate in a study. They want to see is cooling the house down "before it gets hot" saves energy.

I am fairly confident that it won't save energy, so let's just say I am not interested (Not interested in wasting electricity and bigger bills during the study). We already have very nice thermostats and we have never used the program function. Which I totally understand makes sense in some case. But we use FAR less energy by only turning it on when we really need it. & of course we have experimented a bit over the years.

I think one problem is if you just cool the house ahead of time, then you get used that that. & from experience, cooling off the house first doesn't do much on a 110 degree day. You turn it off and the house heats up FAST! (OR leave it on - and it is running ALL day, for sure).

Some days it is 80 degrees inside and it is hotter than hades. & other days it's gotten up to 85 and you haven't even noticed. So, this is why we don't use a program. Why we don't cool things ahead of time. I think a lot of it is just where the thermostat is, etc. In the winter we regularly leave our house at 60 degrees. BUT other days I feel like I am freezing my butt off at 70. Just depends how much chill is in the air. One thermostat in the middle of the house doesn't always measure very accurately.