Finance Gets Personal

Back when I was interning as a bank teller (Is that the “This one time at band camp…” line of this blog?), my co-worker Patsy used to go through the Walgreens ads methodically and then show us all the things she bought for “free” after mail-in rebates. At the time, I thought this was a little nuts, especially since most of the items were things I saw no use for. So I’ve always been a little suspicious of personal finance bloggers who constantly post about their drugstore “deals.”

Fast forward to today at 5 p.m. I’m positively intrigued by an article on the MSN Money Smart Spending Blog about “The Drugstore Game.”

There is a CVS right by my stepson’s school, but I never go there for anything besides prescriptions because their prices tend to be really high. But I do have an Extra Care card that I’ve never activated, so tonight I decided to give “The Drugstore Game” a try.

I purchased a Schick Intuitions razor for $8.88, used a $4 off coupon, and got a a $6 credit for my next purchase. I also bought Aquafresh Extreme Clean toothpaste for $2.99 and got a $2.99 credit for my next purchase. So, if there are any Extra Care Bucks specials for things I use next week, I can stock up using my $8.99 in credits, which will give me credits to use the next week. I think I love this idea already!

Of course, the main reason I needed to go to CVS was to pick up my antidepressant prescription. Before now, there were only two people who know I am depressed - my husband and my sister (although I’m sure others have their suspicions). So I just have to mention this post from Make Love, Not Debt on the costs of denying depression. I can completely relate to this, and I think it’s great that he had the courage to post about it.

Photo Credit: i never understood the slash by Walsh, used under Creative Commons licensing

My 10-year high school reunion is next month.

There is going to be a barbeque on Saturday, an evening event with dinner, a DJ and possibly a mechanical bull (!) on Saturday night and an afternoon outing at the lake on Sunday.  People are ticked though because the evening event is $50 per person with a cash bar.  In our town, that’s a little ridiculous…

Still, I am probably going. 

But that is not the end of the drama.  Apparently the popular people planning the event left out some of the class officers, can’t find a bunch of people’s addresses and planned all of the events except for the barbeque outside of the town we graduated from (thus not contributing to its economy) and scheduled the reunion for the same weekend as the town’s annual “Community Days.”  So now other class members are blasting them on MySpace and scheduling their own events for that night.

Can we say high school all over again?

Photo Credit: High School Yearbook Photo by stillthedudeabides, used under Creative Commons licensing

I know I’ve already mentioned this once, but I just have to point out Antishay’s great series on Building a Snowflake Business.

This is really helpful for me since I don’t have the hours for a part-time job, haven’t been getting large bonuses/raises at work lately and have cut the budget as much as I plan to (for now).

I’m planning to post some things for sale on Craigslist tonight, then get started on implementing Shanti’s ideas for snowflake businesses.  There are a lot of areas I have training and expertise in (writing, graphic design, piano, etc.), but always seem to lack the confidence to get out there and try to make money with them.  But I think getting out of debt is worth it!

Photo Credit: Dog Day Morning by DWinton, used under Creative Commons licensing

I knew that stopping the debt snowball to replace our heat pump and hot water heater was necessary, but also dangerous.

You see, once I get started on a home improvement project, I want to keep improving!

Here is my list of things I currently want to do to the house:

• Install a storm door for the front entryway
• Replace the water-damaged storm door that leads out to the deck
• Replace the door leading out to the patio, which doesn’t close right and has rotted in the corner
• Put new knobs and deadbolts on the doors (shiny brass is icky!)
• Tile the floors in the bathrooms and laundry room
• Replace our aging dishwasher, stove and microwave with stainless steel appliances
• Replace our aging washer and dryer with front-loading machines
• Remove the popcorn ceiling texture from the ceilings
• Replace the ceiling fan in our bedroom
• Replace the carpeting
• Get a twin-size bunk bed for my stepson to save floor space in his bedroom and make it easier for his friends to spend the night

Some of these are needs and some are wants, but I don’t want to use our debt snowball payments for any of them.  So, it might be a while…

Meanwhile, my husband has this itch to finish the basement (once we’re sure we’ve got the water problem taken care of).  I don’t really think this is a good use of our money, but he’d like to at least finish the “office” section of the basement before we have a baby (the current office would be the baby’s room).  So, we’re trying to allocate some of our budget toward that without sacrificing our debt repayment.

Conflicting goals are such a pain!

Photo Credit: M. Design Interiors Inc. by decor8, used under Creative Commons licensing 

Who knew that taking a vacation in your own city has its own buzzword?  Staycation!

According to the Urban Dictionary, a staycation is defined as follows:

Check out the call for digital postcards and videos from your staycation at CNN.

Now I can be cheap and trendy!  Just call me the budget travelista!

On Friday, we received our $1,500 economic stimulus payment and a $213 state tax refund.

So, being proud Americans, we spent $3,467 on a new heat pump and $674 on a new hot water heater before the deposits even had a chance to hit the bank.

No need to thank us, America. We’re just doing our part to save the country…and not bake to death this summer…and have a hot shower that lasts more than five minutes…

Photo Credit: Be Patriotic or Else by Mike Licht, used under Creative Commons licensing

Why, a Mustang rental, of course!

I was looking through a friend’s scrapbook last night and there was a picture of a very old man sitting in the seat of a car.  It was her husband’s grandfather, who was turning 100. 

Apparently he’d always wanted a Mustang (he still jokes that someday he’s going to get one), so they rented one and picked him up for his 100th birthday party in it.

“After all, a 100-year-old man doesn’t need more stuff,” my friend said.

I couldn’t agree more!

Photo Credit: 20070106-mustang_gt_cardomain 1.jpg by ZHEPER Studios, used under Creative Commons licensing

If you or your fiance/spouse purchased any diamond jewelry or loose diamonds between January 1, 2004, and March 31, 2006, be sure to get your claim in for a piece of the $295 million class-action lawsuit against DeBeers.

You can read more about the lawsuit here. 

Although there’s no telling whether you’ll get $10 or thousands, you can look at the table in the article to determine the maximum amount you’re eligible to receive (it depends how many people file a claim, and for how much).  But hey, ten bucks is still ten bucks, and you can always turn your ice into snowflakes (yes, I plan to continue using lame wordplays on “snowflaking” - deal with it!).

To submit an electronic claim, click here.  To download a .pdf version to mail in, click here.  Remember, your claim must be submitted/postmarked by May 19, 2008.

(This post was included in the Carnival of Snowflaking, hosted by Dreaming of Ferraris.)

Photo Credit: Engagement Rings by elmada, used under Creative Commons licensing

Wow, I feel super old.

This morning when I dropped my stepson off at elementary school, there were some fourth or fifth grade boys outside discussing which cell phone company they would choose if it were up to them. 

“Sprint’s OK, but I think I’d pick AT&T.” 

Crazy! 

But consider this:  According to a study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, one-third of children age 10-12 own a cell phone.  And another market research firm recently estimated that 54% of 8-12-year-olds will own a cell phone by 2009.

Whatever happened to tying up the home phone line for hours?  For free!

Photo Credit: 365:027 by Groeten_Uit_Parbo, used under Creative Commons licensing

Yippee!

We got our first bid for house painting today and it’s only (ha!) $2,600! I was expecting something more in the neighborhood of $5,000.

Needless to say, we will not be taking a week’s vacation later this month to paint the house.

Yeah, I know, I shouldn’t just use the first company that quotes a good price, and I don’t plan to. But this at least gives us confidence that we’re making the right decision. I’ll be getting more quotes and checking references in the next few weeks, and we might not actually have it painted until summer/early fall.

Part of our “deal” for hiring someone else to paint is that we’re not going to go on vacation this year. That makes me sad, because we were planning to go to Minneapolis. I had the iteniary all planned out - Twins game (I’m trying to visit all the ballparks), Walker Museum of Art, play at the Guthrie, shopping trip to IKEA, riding the escalator with our shopping cart at Target, dinner at the German restaurant…sigh. But we really couldn’t afford it anyway.

So, we’re taking a vacation in our own city, and our house will be the hotel. Basically, we’ll be doing all the things tourists do that we’ve never done (or haven’t done in a while).

I’m just SO happy I’m not going to be spending the whole summer scraping and painting on a huge ladder!

(This post was included in the Carnival of Money Stories, hosted by Money Walks.)

Photo Credit: Cheerleader by Hometown Invasion Tour, used under Creative Commons licensing

Every year at the beginning of May, websites and newspaper ads offer Mother’s Day gift ideas.

These oh-so-helpful lists always include a version of the following list:

• Flowers (or alternately, the hanging basket of flowers - my mom’s Mother’s Day present for 15 consecutive years)
• A spa gift certificate / massage
• An iPod (yes, this is the ideal gift for all occasions - just adjust the color accordingly: pink=Mother’s Day)
• Heart-shaped necklaces, jewelry with the word “MOM” in it and anything with the kids’ birthstones (peridot, turquoise and ruby are going to look great together)
• Perfume (free purse included!)
• Candles
• Chocolate
• Something the kids made (thanks for the…?)

While some of these are tacky lovely ideas, why not consider an “experience” gift?

Here are some ideas that won’t clutter up your mom’s house, and could lead to lasting memories:

• Concert tickets
• A museum membership
• Tickets to a baseball game
• A night at a hotel (whoa, not those kind of memories)
• A cooking or wine-tasting class
• A hot air balloon ride
• Horseback riding
• Theme park admission

Whatever the “experience,” just make sure it is one your mom would enjoy, not just something you’ve been wanting to do. 

Bonus points: An experience that you can do with you mom (mom loves spending time with you!).

(This post was included in the Carnival of Personal Finance, hosted by Money Under 30.)

Photo Credit: Thumbs Up by Ju!ieT, used under Creative Commons licensing

When you tell someone you are buying a car, a house or even a new pair of shoes, do they ever express worry?

Or do they say they’re “so happy for you,” “jealous” or offer, “congratulations!” (that must be one great pair of shoes, by the way…).

Now that I’ve become a personal finance geek, what I really want to say is, “Are you financing that car?,” “How much of a down payment do you have?” and “Do you have any credit card debt?”

But those are not things a polite person says.

So instead, we confirm each other’s stupidity, encourage it even.

“Oh, wow! Did you get a new car?!”
“Is that a new top? I love that! Where did you get it?”
“Life’s too short to clean your own house!”

Right…

I guess I’m weird. Just don’t expect me to feign interest in the vacation you’re taking with your economic stimulus check.

Photo Credit: Consumerism by Daniel Hoye, used under Creative Commons licensing

Back in 1999 - long before Bank of America’s Keep the Change program - my bank teller supervisor was filling us in on her sneaky snowflaking technique that worked much the same way.

For every check she wrote or debit card transaction she made, she would write the amount in her checkbook register as an even number.  The change was “forgotten” - although she did write the actual dollar amounts to the left of her whole numbers so she could add up her savings and write it in the sidebar every once in a while.  Then, after a few months, she would transfer the “extra” money to her savings account.

She saved hundreds of dollars per year doing this, and used her savings for gambling during her annual Vegas trip (remember, snowflaking can be used toward any goal, even one that Finance Girl does not explicitly approve of).

If you already have a Bank of America checking account, you should definitely sign up for the Keep the Change program, because you get a 100% match on your savings for the first three months, and a 5% match thereafter (for a maximum match of $250 per year).  But if you don’t - hey, there’s always Debbie’s method. 

(This post was an editor’s pick in the Carnival of Snowflaking, hosted by Antishay Ventenne.)

Photo Credit: Keep the Change by Tokenhippygirl, used under Creative Commons licensing

Speaking of emergencies, I’m concerned we’re going to have one if we attempt to paint our house ourselves. No, this isn’t our house, but it’s about the same height. Yikes!

We are definitely in over our heads, and we haven’t even started yet. Last night we watched “10 Things You Must Know About Exterior Painting,” and we’re sitting there like, “What? How long do you have to wait to paint after it rains? You’re not supposed to use flat paint? Those little clips do what?”

Yeah. So we are getting some bids this week. I figure it will cost us between $1,000-$1,500 to do it ourselves, so if it costs $3,000 for someone else to do it, it’s probably well worth it.
I have a feeling it’s going to be more than that though…

Photo Credit: Our Scaffolding by nuanc, used under Creative Commons licensing

I was really looking forward to the new episodes of my favorite shows tonight, but My Name is Earl, The Office, 30 Rock and Grey’s Anatomy were all partially upended by tornado/storm coverage, so I’m going to have to watch them online (my computer is getting too old to work this hard!).

Not that I’m complaining or anything.

From 9:00-9:30 p.m., we were holed up in the basement while tornado sirens blared. Luckily, I bought a Red Cross emergency kit from Target last year for our basement. It includes a radio, two flashlights, extra batteries, whistles, face masks, ponchos, survival blankets, a first aid kit and crayons and a coloring book for kids (!), among other things. The radio came in handy tonight.

While I’m not always the best at emergency planning (I don’t even have a will or know how to do CPR), I’ve been on a mission for the past six months to improve. We now have carbon monoxide detectors on each floor, fire extinguishers in the kitchen and basement (we still need one in the garage), emergency fire escape ladders for our second-story bedrooms and AAA emergency kits with jumper cables in each of our cars. I’ve tested all the smoke detectors in our house, but probably need to replace the batteries just in case (Side note: Have you heard that you’re supposed to replace all your smoke detectors every 10 years? Is that crazy? Do people actually do that? We have at least eight of them - that’s expensive!)

What’s great about the emergency kit is that as long as it includes some kind of first aid kit, you can buy it tax free with your flexible health care spending account. In fact there are a lot of things you can buy with your flexcare dollars if you look at your plan closely. My plan with ADP has allowed me to buy Proactiv Solution (acne treatment for less than the price of my dermatologist visits), a heart rate monitor, a pedometer, band-aids, condoms, a blood pressure monitor and Nicorette. (Yep - we had a lot of money left over in our account at the end of the year, so I went on a health care shopping spree.)

While your area may not be prone to tornadoes, maybe you have your share of hurricanes, earthquakes or other natural disasters - or even just power outages. Having an emergency kit (especially for your car) is critical, and tax-free. If you don’t have a flexible health care spending account yet, this is another smart reason to sign up for one.

(This post was included in the Carnival of Personal Finance, hosted by Alpha Consumer.)

Photo Credit: Red Cross Disaster Relief by Vidiot, used under Creative Commons licensing

I love Thursday!

The anticipation of the weekend…

Payday is close enough that I can gas up my car without guilt (I’m on E!)…

I can start looking online at clothes I want to buy with my $60 personal spending money…

New episodes of The Office, My Name is Earl, 30 Rock and Grey’s Anatomy all on the same night…

The work week has usually died down…

It’s the last day of the week I have to dress up (hooray, casual Friday!)…

Maybe someday I’ll love Monday too

While my net worth improved this month, it will be going down again shortly
due to some much-needed home repairs…

Net worth as of April 1: $63,415
Net worth as of May 1: $67,943

Here are this month’s highlights:

• The cracks in our foundation walls started leaking again, making me question why we ever bought this home. Then, our sump pump failed, causing water to come up through new cracks in the foundation floor.
  We replaced the sump pump and called a structural engineer to assess our foundation. He came out today, and I’m happy to say that our house is structurally sound! We just need to do some regrading under the deck, maintain the slope against the south wall of the house and have the cracks in the wall sealed. Total cost should be under $1,000.
• I received a first quarter bonus of $2,100, which I put in savings along with my suspended debt snowball payments in anticipation of having to pay for expensive foundation work. Fortunately, I don’t need the money for the foundation, but we do have to replace our heat pump for about $3,000 within the next few weeks. Once that and the foundation issues are taken care of, I’ll replenish our regular $1,000 emergency fund and begin paying extra toward our debt again.
• I got a little impatient with this whole “saving” thing last week, and transferred $1,000 of the money I’d saved to our credit card debt, which is now down to $2,300.
• I started a diet on April 9, with a goal of losing one pound per week. So far, I’ve lost five pounds. It hasn’t been as hard as I thought it would be, especially since I haven’t incorporated exercise into my plan yet. I’m tracking my calorie consumption, weight and measurements on The Daily Plate, a website I learned about from Get Fit Slowly (the sister blog of Get Rich Slowly)
• Since signing up for My Coke Rewards, my Coke habit has gotten me a free subscription to the Oprah magazine and a free movie ticket.
• I finally finished our taxes after much procrastination, and am eagerly awaiting our refund and $1,500 economic stimulus payment.
• I’d been considering donating plasma to make an extra $60/week, but am even more squeamish about it given the things people have been typing into Google to find my website lately - bruising from donating plasma, sick after donating plasma, donating plasma weight loss - ew. I’m definitely going to try giving blood first, but probably not any time soon.
• I’ve been wanting to have a garage sale so I can replace our pathetic mattress, but don’t think I’ll have the time in May because we’re going to be painting our house. I’ve been collecting items, and will probably do it when the subdivision has its annual garage sale event in June.

Whew! Eventful month.

Oh, lord. The hits keep coming.

Back in January, our heat pump (it’s like a combination air conditioner/heater) was making weird noises and our electric bills were really high. I had someone come out and they said the compressor was weak and recommended replacing the unit for $3,000 (it’s 10 years old - about the average life expectancy). Since I didn’t have $3,000, I had a second company come out, and they said there was nothing wrong with the compressor, I just needed a new starter kit for $100. Obviously, I went with the second company.

Well, within a month or so, the heat pump was making noises again and our electric bills weren’t going down. So I switched the thermostat over to the gas furnace, and meant to call them back about it.

Three and a half months later, I finally got around to it (and only because we’ll be needing to use the A/C soon).

Turns out…the compressor is weak and the unit needs to be replaced for $3,000. Luckily, I just so happen to have $3,400 saved up in anticipation of upcoming foundation work. The structural engineer is coming tomorrow, so hopefully he’ll have good news. Then, I’ll start getting quotes for the heat pump.

As for this “baby emergency fund” of $1,000: Given the current condition of our household systems and appliances, we might need to rethink the amount.

Boo!

Photo Credit: Rocks and air conditioner by Sheila Steele, used under Creative Commons licensing

If you haven’t heard of Angie’s List, you’re not alone.

Angie’s List is a website where members can access and submit reviews of local companies, contractors and even doctors. I guess you could say it’s kind of like a member-generated Consumer Reports for local services.

While some cities offer free trial memberships as initial reviews are gathered, access to my city’s list is $59 per year or $7.50 per month with a $15 activation fee. I signed up today.

But why pay a fee for advice you can get for free from friends and neighbors?

Well, in my case, we’re looking for a structural engineer to examine some potential foundation problems and don’t know anyone who has had this type of service done. Although a few people are supposed to be getting back to me with leads, I haven’t heard from them yet and am starting to get impatient.

But my $22.50 should pay for itself if the structural engineer I found is as good as the 16 “A” reports he’s received from Angie’s List members. I must say I’m a little disappointed in the sparse reviews in some of the other categories on Angie’s List however. I plan on cancelling before the next month hits my debit card.

Has anyone else used Angie’s List? What are your experiences?

I’ll let you know how the inspection goes.

(This post was included in the Money Hacks Carnival, hosted by Save and Conquer.)

In the past two weeks, have you made an “emergency” trip to the store because you were out of something you need, like toothpaste, paper towels or shampoo?

When visiting, did you only purchase the item you ran out of?

On Thursday, I made a Target run for Q-Tips (which I’ve been out of for a few weeks). I also bought cotton balls (something I ran out of a few months ago), a new soap-dispensing brush for the kitchen sink (the old one broke and I threw it away last week) and pencil lead for our mechanical pencils (my stepson has been complaining that none of our mechanical pencils work because we don’t have lead).

So, my trip to buy generic $1 Q-Tips cost over $11. Of course, this example isn’t the best because I only purchased things I actually needed, but if it hadn’t been my lunch hour and I had time to browse, I’m sure I could have found a few other things to spend money on.

Following this logic, the more visits you make to a store, the more you end up spending in the long run.

Soooo, to save money, reduce your trips.

Here’s how:

• The next time you go to Target or Walmart for household items, buy two of each item on your list that you use regularly. For example, if deodorant is on your list, buy two sticks.
• Start a list of items you buy regularly in Word or Excel. My list includes things like shaving cream, trash bags, toilet bowl cleaner, light bulbs, computer paper, etc. Each time you go to the store, add any items that aren’t already listed (and that you plan to buy again).
• Once you’ve accumulated two of everything, you’re ready to reduce your store visits to once per month (or less). Whenever your first stick of deodorant runs out and you open the second one, circle “deodorant” on your printed Word/Excel list. Once you have a lot of items circled on your list, make one trip to the store and get everything.

This method is great because it not only saves you money by reducing impulse purchases and gas usage, it also allows you to stock up on items when they’re on sale (even if you haven’t circled that item on your list).

It does cost you some money up front, but is well worth it in the long-run. And, if you are ever in dire financial straights, you can rest easy knowing you can skip your trips to the store for a month or two without running out of anything.

(This post was included in the Festival of Frugality, hosted by Sound Money Matters.)

Photo Credit: Under the Bathroom Sink by Jill - Glossy Veneer, used under Creative Commons licensing

Courtesy of someecards.com:

Snowflaking, the popular concept of throwing all your extra little bits of money toward your debts, has quickly snowballed into its own website and carnival. Check out the first edition of the Carnival of Snowflakes, hosted by paidtwice, snowflaker extraordinaire!

The submissions include lots of practical advice and suggestions for coming up with extra snowflakes (even pennies!)

As for me, I’m trying to come up with a more systematic way to handle snowflaking. I currently snowflake all my bonus income and other “surprise” checks, but tend to re-absorb other savings back into my checking account. After reading all these submissions, I’m ready to go sell some more stuff on Craigslist, hawk off my old gold jewelry and teach Italian (not that I speak Italian, but that’s beside the point!).

Photo Credit: snowflake by Pesky Library, used under Creative Commons licensing

Back in February, I wrote about dumping my high-priced hair salon.

Well, the problem with not going to a fancy place is that you no longer have hair “appointments,” so until tonight, I hadn’t gotten a haircut in about 14 weeks. Yikes!

I finally went to Snip ‘N Clip and got my hair cut for $14 plus tip. That’s about $20 less than before, and I think it looks pretty good! The bangs are a little shorter than last time, but it’s actually kind of cute. I won’t really know how it looks ’til tomorrow though because my hair is so frizzy right now from all this rain.

Yearly savings: $140.

Photo Credit: Day 9 I 10 April 2008 I Snip snip by Shereen M, used under Creative Commons licensing

Snowflaking your debts can sometimes seem like a never-ending fool’s game of pennies and nickels, but stop for a minute and consider how you acquired your debt in the first place.

Chances are, you employed reverse snowflaking.

That’s right - reverse snowflaking. Many people with credit card debt (myself included) can’t really recall what they spent all that money on. Unlike a mortgage, student loan or car loan, there’s often nothing to show for your oversize credit card statement. That’s because you acquired the debt slowly…little by little.

Take my current credit card balance: $2,300. The last thing I remember was being in college and…I forget the rest. What did I spend the money on? I don’t know - probably a restaurant meal here, a trip to the mall there - maybe a few months’ rent.

It’s not really important. I’ve stopped the problem behavior (using credit) and started paying the money back little by little - the same way I spent it.

Don’t be frustrated if you’re not seeing your balances go down a thousand dollars at a time. Just know that someday, you’ll be out of debt and unable to remember all the little things you sacrificed along the way.

(This post was included in the Carnival of Snowflakes, hosted by paidtwice.)

Photo Credit: Blue Snowflake, Post-Print by Blue Sky, used under Creative Commons licensing

Recently, my husband and I have been diverting our regular debt payments to savings to take care of some potential foundation problems. The longer the money sits there, however, the more ideas we have for things we “need” to spend money on.

Here’s one example:

My husband’s ex-wife, who used to have joint physical and legal custody of their son, decided in July 2006 that she was going to move across town and concentrate more fully on her education by limiting her visits to every other weekend. Basically, my husband would have full physical custody and she would return the child support money he sends to the state every month. But of course, she didn’t want to make any legal changes (welfare fraud, anyone?).

My husband told her that the change would have to be legal, or no deal. Fine, she said.

Nearly two years later, we still haven’t hired a lawyer because the estimates we’ve gotten say it’s going to run about $1500-$1800, and we’ve been unable to figure out how to do what should be a simple process ourselves.

As far as we can tell from the hours and hours we’ve spent researching the situation, my husband needs to file a motion to modify the divorce decree and submit a new parenting plan (which has already been written and approved by the ex). However, no one can seem to tell us how to actually go about filing all the necessary paperwork. Ask a court clerk, and they all say, “I’m sorry, but we’re not allowed to dispense legal advice.” JFC, if administrative help constitutes legal advice, then give me a freaking law degree!

We’ve visited the law library, bought books from Nolo and checked the city and state courts websites. Most of the pro se information available focuses on defending yourself in criminal court, and the rest reads like a bunch of conflicting goo with no instructions for the actual filing process.

Clearly, we need to get this taken care of in one way or another eventually, because we are in a constant cycle of paying $350 and not being paid back until the next $350 is due (and sometimes after a second $350 has been paid). But more importantly, we are taking the risk that she won’t change her mind and pretend like this informal arrangement never occured.

I was an honors pre-law student in college, so it’s not like I’m a complete idiot (although I’m starting to feel like one…). You’d think our court system would be able to give people better advice than “consult a lawyer.” What gives?

Photo Credit: Library visitor by umjanedoan, used under Creative Commons licensing