“General Debt” Archive

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Excuse me, can I pay this bill?

I enjoy paying bills. I know. Sick. But, I like reducing debt so much that I feel good watching numbers go down. It’s a great feeling.

Anyway, I’m old school. I write checks to pay bills.

Yes, I know you can pay bills online.

I’m a nerd who likes writing checks.

I wrote a check to our utility company for about $60 and it hasn’t been cashed yet. No biggie right? Except, I wrote the check just over SIX months ago. I called about three months ago to make sure the payment was applied to my balance and it was… but the check remains un-cashed.

The friendly customer service person said my account was in good standing but when I asked her when the check would be cashed, she said to keep waiting.

So here we are, inching toward month SEVEN, and I’m confused as to what to do. Do I call the utility company and offer another check? Or do I lean back, kick my feet up, and figure it’s their loss?

What would you do?

*On a side note, this isn’t the first time this has happened to me. I paid another bill and more than a year went by. They never cashed the check and would not accept another payment because their system would not handle ‘double’ payments.

Posted by Beks on January 24, 2012 at 8:43 PM in General Debt, Morals and Money | 18 Comments »
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If You’re Feeling Blue…

I was reminded today that suicide around the holidays is a very real thing. Maybe it’s because every year, some poor soul sits on the ledge of a bridge near my office between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year? There have been two already and Thanksgiving was only a few days ago.

I wasn’t surprised to hear suicide rates have increased since the recession began. Money troubles can steer a huge part of our lives. Throw in the stress of holidays and it can be too much for some.

If you are concerned that someone you know may be considering ending their life, check out the Mayo clinic for advice.

Let’s keep an eye out for others. I’d prefer not to see them on a bridge over the next few weeks.

Posted by Beks on December 2, 2011 at 5:00 AM in General Debt, health | 3 Comments »
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The WORST Amusement Park Ride EVER!

I decided to try out one of those silly ‘Frightmare’ type amusement park rides last night. The ride had all the typical ‘scary’ things like monsters, ghosts, etc. Like the majority of Halloween rides, they save the most terrifying things for last. The monsters and ghosts disappeared, everything went black and then the room lit up with charge cards, FICO scores, and collections signs flashing. Mortgage lenders in suits with warped faces filled the air with terrifying laughs. Everyone started screaming – including me. I asked the guy running the ride to please let me off and he shut the whole thing down so I could get unbuckled.

I was petrified.

Then I woke up with a gasp.

That’s what I get for reading ‘Smart Money’ magazine before bed.

Posted by Beks on October 29, 2011 at 5:00 AM in Credit Reports/FICO, General Debt | 1 Comment »
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Boredom is Expensive…

For years, I’ve thought staying home with kids is easy. You can plan meals, cut coupons, and have time to shop for deals.

My reason for thinking this?

My sisters have made it look like a cake walk.

The problem?

I’m realizing, being married and childless while working a ton is WAY easier when it comes to finances. I didn’t have time to spend money. Don’t get me wrong. I am absolutely enjoying every single moment off work with my son but… I need to get out. And ‘getting out’, especially in the heat when I can’t go walk at a park, means walking in an enclosed shopping mall. Fortunately I’m still carrying 9 extra pounds (ugh) and I refuse to buy clothing at a size I don’t plan on staying, but I could see the whole ‘stay at home mom’ idea being very dangerous for my finances.

For those who have stay at home parenting down pat…

what on earth do you do when it’s too hot or too cold for free outdoor activities?

Posted by Beks on August 16, 2011 at 4:00 PM in General Debt, General Personal Finance | 10 Comments »
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Offbeat Frugality…

OK, OK, so the last money saving article I read wasn’t exactly helpful and I was a bit snarky in my comments about it soooo…

I decided to share an article from WalletPop to make up for it. Aaron Crowe wrote about 10 offbeat ways to be frugal and *gasp*, I liked it. Some suggestions were actually helpful! I particularly liked the way he said, ‘frugal is still the new black.’

That’s right folks, he said we’re cool.

Check out the article here.

Posted by Beks on February 2, 2011 at 5:00 AM in General Debt, General Personal Finance | 3 Comments »
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Radical Savings?

I was reading an article by Jennifer Mulrean about ‘7 radical ways to save money’. Her suggestions were:

1. Hold the mother of all garage sales.

The only thing left to sell in our garage is the actual garage… and I tried.

2. Quit smoking.

Easy. Well… only because I never started.

3. Tame your driving addiction.

Sure it triples my commute time, but I leave my car at home on a regular basis.

4. Buy used.

From clothes to books to cars, I haven’t been the first owner of much since we went on our debt diet.

5. Become a homebody. Consider the library for books, music and movies.

I can’t believe she shared the library tip!! That was MY secret!

6. Cut your housing expenses. Consider renting out a room.

We’ve had roommates for…ever.

7. Cut up your credit cards. Build an emergency fund first to handle most unexpected expenses.

Done. Well… again.

Radical? I don’t think so. Have you discovered a REAL radical way to save cash?

Posted by Beks on January 19, 2011 at 5:00 PM in General Debt, General Personal Finance | 14 Comments »
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Community College – A Good Investment…

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Zac Bissonnette’s recommendation for students to attend community college for two years prior to moving to a four year university. Surprisingly, a lot of you didn’t agree and several folks stated, ‘You get what you pay for.’

Here’s the funny part…

I attended community college prior to moving on to a private university.

Obviously I’m not the expert but let me tell you why I absolutely agree with Zac (obviously not all community colleges are the same as ours):

1. Our state college and our community college shared more than half of the same instructors – who taught the same classes at both. The difference? I paid $60 while my state friends paid $580.

2. The class sizes were significantly smaller at the community college vs. the state college. All of my teachers knew my name.

3. San Diego State University, our local state college, is notorious for its impossible acceptance standards. BUT, if you attend the local community college for two years, you are guaranteed a spot. While your perfect GPA valedictorian student can’t get in, my average GPA husband is registering for classes.

4. According to Bissonnette, students who transfer from community college to a four year university are more likely to graduate than those who started in university their freshman year.

5. Best of all, my student loans amounted to $15,000 instead of $30,000 and my diploma from my private university looks exactly the same as someone who attended all four years. There isn’t an asterisk on my diploma saying, ‘We only vouch for half her education.’

That’s just my experience… what’s yours?

Posted by Beks on November 15, 2010 at 5:00 AM in General Debt, Life Experiences, Living Frugal, Spending Money | 32 Comments »
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