Early September 2007 Update

This ought to give you a picture of where things stand with me, moneywise:

1) I admit, I was a little worried about cash flow with the new mortgage, but things seem to be manageable. The biggest change is that we're actually using most of my salary, rather than saving it. Therefore, it'll take a bit longer to build back up our emergency fund. Thank goodness for fixed mortgages, however!

2) After much thought, I filled out an application for a new credit card with a 0% APR for balance transfers, and no fees. Unfortunately, they only gave me a limit of around $5300, which is not enough to cover the debt I'm carrying (approximately twice that). I may be getting to the point where I have so much available credit that new creditors are leery of giving me more, in case I suddenly decide to go on a spree. I transferred over as much as I could, but rather than try again with another card, I think I'll just suck it up and pay the remaining debt off at 10%. I'm still considering that one--I'm not terribly worried about the short-term impact on my credit score of applying for credit, but I just don't like the idea of multiple credit card accounts, period. Any thoughts/suggestions?

3) I thought I was being smart by stocking up at Costco close to my membership expiration date in July, and then renewing two months later. However, Costco technically doesn't allow that, though the woman who helped me was kind enough to change my renewal date to September. Just an FYI for you folks who might be considering the same thing--not sure how the other warehouse clubs operate.

4) We're receiving multiple collection calls for "Brandy and Nicholetta." They act like they don't believe that they have the wrong number and ask stupid questions: "Are you sure you don't know Brandy or Nicholetta?" I haven't quite figured out what to do about it. Interestingly, I get a bit of the same feeling I did when I actually was getting collection calls over 10 years ago--a bit of anger, helplessness and fear rolled into one. Not fun.

5) I've bought the Entertainment Book for 2008, and yesterday I got my 2008 edition of a local coupon book called the Chinook Book. I bought both for 2007 as well, and they paid for themselves in a short period of time.

6) I've been considering getting rid of my Swiffer Wet-Jet in favor of more ecologically-friendly options, but I figured I'd use up the rest of my pads and solution. Well, I finally used up the solution, but still had a ton of pads left. I've never been a big fan of the solution anyway, so I hacked the bottle: I drilled a hole in the bottom, filled it with a vinegar/castile soap/water solution, and plugged it with a rubber stopper. It works great! (You need to make sure the plug is a very tight fit. Other folks have done similar things with hose connectors, caps, and super glue.)

7) When we moved out of the rental, we had a balance due for our internet access. Qwest mailed us a check, which I didn't get around to depositing right away, and found too late that the check was void after 30 days. 30 days?! I called and asked them to reissue the check, which they did, but I wonder how much money they make off of people who don't deposit their checks but decide it's too much of a bother to call?

8) I've checked out a number of books from the library on saving money, simple living, etc. The last year has been very odd, and I feel like I've gotten off track. I haven't really been spending more, at least on unnecessary stuff, so maybe it's just a feeling of discomfort at carrying debt once again. (Or maybe I'm just bored? ) These books make me feel better, at least. Thanks to Get Rich Slowly for alerting me to a freebie.

Hope all of you are well!