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Money -Saving or investing or not wasting money.

August 17, 2008

Go one week without using any cash.

Must use charge, debit or EFT. Keep track of the very few times you have to use cash.

I've done this, it wasn't as easy as I thought. Something kept coming up: the charge machine wasn't working or something like that and I don't have a debit card which would take care of some of the smaller stores which only take debit. But the hardest thing was lottery tickets, vending machines and giving money to the homeless (I had decided that I wasn't going to have these count but eventually I had a week go by without having any of the ca$h issues comes up). Since then, I've had a few more cashless weeks but usually I only need a few dollars for little things.

February 9, 2008

Do my taxes in 2008.

Mail by April 15, 2008.

They're done and in the mail!!! I'm actually getting more back than I thought. I ended up making a little more last year (I ended up workng more hours at the end of the year) and I did a few different things with my payroll deductions. So I just wasn't sure where I'd be. (I'll have some opposite but similar issues later this year, so it'll be hard to judge for 2008 tax returns too)


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December 11, 2007

Switch to a charge card with better rewards.

My current car rewards expire after 3 years and I don't update cars that often so it's kind of a waste.

I switched to a Chase card with better rewards six months ago, I'm not sure if the percentage is better, but since I'll actually redeem the points, it'll be way better for me. Plus, I just upgraded it to a better program.

February 7, 2007

Do my taxes in 2007.

Mail by April 15, 2007.

Done! Got them mailed today. It's the earliest I've done them in years. I owe the Feds a little, but I get a four times that back from the state so I don't feel too bad, I just hate sending either money...

April 15, 2006

Do my current taxes.

Mail by April 15, 2006.

Done and mailed!!!

March 11, 2006

Do my taxes for last year.

And actually mail them. (These are the 2004 taxes).

Mailed!!!! I hate doing them, I'm always afraid I should be claiming something else...

March 6, 2006

Figure out a plan for my mortgage.

I pay a extra on my mortgage, but bank interest payment rates are about to exceed my 4.25% mortgage interest rates I need to figure out a better plan to pay this off.

My mortgage is actually a five year ARM (this means after 5 years it becomes an Adjustable Rate Mortgage). So in November of 2008 my rate will start fluctuating (probably up). So instead of paying the extra, I'm putting it in a "Christmas Account" in the bank, when I get $1000 I'll put it in a CD and start earning more interest than the 4.25% my mortgage is charging me (4.5%-4.7% in March of 2006). When my arm is up, I'll cash the CDs and pay down the principal a little more than if I did it the other way (a lot more if interest rates keep going up). If rates go down I'll go back to the old way (and my money in the CD will be lock in at the higher rate still).

February 17, 2006

Do my taxes for the year before last.

And actually mail them.

Done and mailed! (Only two years late!)
Got my refund already (March 13).

November 11, 2005

Sell at least 15% of my comic books.

I have thousands that I'd like to get rid of.

Sell something on eBay.

Anything, just get it going so you can sell more...

Make Money On-Line.

Something consistent. More than just ad(?)s, unless I can somehow get a reliable check out of it.

Recently Completed

My 101 Things (click for the FULL LIST with explainations).

      Blogging
    • 05/25/06 Complete a 26 Things project.
    • Create a new 101 in 1001 list that starts on September 9, 2008.
    • Post a review for each of my 50 favorite movies.
    • Post a review of every book I read.
    • Post a review of every movie I see in a theater.
    • 03/08/06 Post this list on-line.

      Entertainment
    • 01/01/08 Do the Hines Drive lights drive again.
    • 10/05/08 Go to the Detroit Zoo.
    • 12/17/07 Go to the Greenfield Village Christmas celebration.
    • List 50 favorite films, buy them!
    • 12/08/05 See Anna Nalick in concert.
    • 07/01/06 See Audra Kubat in concert again.
    • See Blondfire in concert again.
    • See Conjure One in concert again.
    • See Delerium in concert again.
    • See Liz Phair in concert again.
    • 07/14/07 See a movie every day for a week.

      Family
    • Have the extended family over once a year.
    • 12/25/06 Host family Christmas at my house one year.
    • 09/15/07 Make sure I see Mom once a month (and get a meal with her).

      Health
    • 08/16/08 Bicycle 101 miles.
    • 09/18/06 Drink a half gallon of water a day.
    • Eat Healthier.
    • 12/20/06 Get an eye examination.
    • Get my hearing checked.
    • 12/25/06 Go two weeks without Coca Cola.
    • Roller Blade more.
    • Rollerblade 101 miles.
    • Sleep better.
    • 10/23/06 Take a yoga class
    • Walk daily.

      Home
    • Clean out the junk room.
    • Decide if I might actually want to live in Costa Rica.
    • 03/15/06 Frame all of my college degrees.
    • 12/20/06 Frame more vacation photos.
    • 12/25/06 Get a better kind of projector for the living room.
    • 03/03/06 Get a new carbon monoxide detector.
    • 01/15/06 Get a new desk chair.
    • 03/11/06 Get a new desk for the landing.
    • Get new living room couch and chairs.
    • 08/08/06 Get new living room tables and end tables.
    • 08/08/06 Get some kind of window drapes/treatments for the living room.
    • Get the drywall re-taped and painted in my condo.
    • 08/16/08 Move somewhere else local?
    • Paint the inside of the garage
    • Reverse the door on my office at home.

      Me
    • 08/16/08 Adopt a Baby?
    • Attend church every week for a three-month period.
    • Find a church I like (try several new ones).
    • Get some new suits.
    • 03/16/06 Order the brown dress shoes that I like.
    • Release at least 50 bookcrossing books.
    • 06/02/07 Take another community education class.
    • Take at least 10 photos a day.
    • Take lunch to work everyday for two weeks.
    • Try ice skating.

      Money
    • 04/15/06 Do my current taxes.
    • 03/11/06 Do my taxes for last year.
    • 02/17/06 Do my taxes for the year before last.
    • 02/07/07 Do my taxes in 2007.
    • 02/09/08 Do my taxes in 2008.
    • 03/06/06 Figure out a plan for my mortgage.
    • 08/17/08 Go one week without using any cash.
    • Make Money On-Line.
    • Sell at least 15% of my comic books.
    • Sell something on eBay.
    • 12/11/07 Switch to a charge card with better rewards.

      Other
    • 08/02/08 Change all exterior bulbs in my car.
    • 01/24/07 Clear out my Amazon Wishlist.
    • Get some updated content going on all the web sites that I own.
    • Get up the minute that the alarm goes off.
    • 10/22/06 Take my telescope out of the city.

      Technology
    • 05/31/06 Be an early adopter for the next new Palm OS phone.
    • 10/02/07 Figure out a better backup system for my computer info
    • 12/09/07 Finish converting my Xbox into a media system.
    • 05/24/08 Get Mom hooked up with a TiVo or something similar.
    • 03/02/07 Get Mom using the Internet.
    • 04/06/06 Get a new battery for my digital camera.
    • 04/07/06 Get an SLR digital camera.
    • Get most of my digital photos online.
    • 05/31/06 Get some kind of faster Internet connection for while I'm on the go.
    • 08/17/08 Get something for my car to integrate my iPod better.
    • Scan my old photos.
    • Upgrade (replace) the desktop Macintosh computer.

      Vacation
    • Attend Burning Man.
    • Attend SXSW.
    • Fly first class.
    • Get in the car and just travel for 10-14 days.
    • Go back to the kite festival in Grand Haven.
    • Go to France.
    • Go to a Hot Air Balloon festival.
    • 11/27/08 Live out of the country for at least two weeks.
    • 08/16/08 Take Mom to England.
    • Take a Geek Cruise.
    • 12/30/06 Take a warm vacation in winter 2006-07.
    • 12/09/07 Take a warm vacation in winter 2007-08.
    • 04/18/06 Vacation in Egypt.
    • 12/30/06 Visit Costa Rica again.
    • Visit Roswell, New Mexico.
    • Visit friends in Boston.
    • 05/10/06 Watch all the Egypt specials I've taped.