DH has been gone on a month-long business trip. He gets back tonight! Yea! I'm so excited that I woke up this morning before the alarm went off ... Just like a little kid on Christmas morning! There are some feelings that no amount of money can buy, and this is one of them.

Other good news:
- The post-spa-treatment breakout has cleared up ... just in time (barely)
- I went the entire month without eating takeout one time ... pat,pat,pat on the back for me
- I've selected a charitable organization in the area to volunteer with. (This is something that really helps me feel connected to a community, and I've been looking for a good one here in Austin.) I'm attending my 2nd meeting at the end of this week
- I tried Jeffrey's nifty "towel in the dryer" tip and it worked very well ... I will be doing that from now on to cut my electricity usage (thanks, baselle, for the confirmation that it worked)

Issues I'll be dealing with (together with DH) in the coming days are:
- We are going to see the pre-foreclosure house together ... I'm a tad nervous that DH is going to love it a bit too much ... I think it's probably just too much (size & cost).
- We are going to test drive a Smart Car and if we like it, will decide if we want to go on the wait list for one (we are getting by finewith one car right now, but know we will want a 2nd car eventually ... I've read about the Smart Car and think it would make a perfect 2nd car ... Since the current wait for a Smart Car is 12-15 months, that would force us to stretch the one-car-only business out a bit longer but would allow us to know that it is not a forever thing.)
- We have accounts at both Wachovia & WaMu. Both are on the short list of banks that are potentially the next to fail. We need to talk it over and decide if we are comfortable keeping those accounts or if we want to close one of them. (I don't see any need to close both.)
- Now that DH's busy season is wrapping up, it's time to decide if we want to purchase shares of Vanguard's Tax-Exempt Money Market Fund. I've been researching CD rates as well, as that is our alternative.
- DH's business account is not FDIC insured. I've been nagging him for months (maybe over a year in fact) to change it to a FDIC insured one. He didn't think it was a big deal, but the Indymac Bankclosure was the wake up call he needed to make him realize how important this is, so getting him set up with a different business account is now priority number one.

Hope all is well with all of you.

(The males in the group may want to stop reading this now, as this post falls under the TMI category. Consider yourselves warned.)

DH is currently on a long business trip. I am between work assignments. The first day I was off work I called a salon and scheduled an appointment. My appointment is tomorrow. I am going in to have a little "procedure" done. You see ... I am entering that certain "time of life" and have recently started noticing an increase in facial hair. (Fellas - I warned you. This is not a pretty post.) Fortunately it's very fine, super light peach fuzz. I think it's still at the stage where I'm the only one who really notices it, but it's definitely not going away on it's own and it won't be long before it is noticeable to others. So, I decided to get a facial waxing. (The idea of shaving bothers me for some reason. I don't want to use harsh chemical hair removal creams because I have sensitive skin. Electrolysis is expensive and I want to see how long the waxing lasts before I consider that option.) I scheduled this procedure while DH is gone and while I'm off work in case I have some sort of a reaction or breakout ... I'll have time to "heal" before I'm in the public eye.

Also, to tell you the truth, I'm embarassed to tell DH I'm having this done. My intellect tells me that this is something many women go through, and that it's just a biological thing and that I can't help it, but my emotional side fears the loss of femininity involved.

Here's where the possible "financial infidelity" comes in ... I stopped off at the bank while I was out running errands this morning and withdrew some cash so that I don't have to put the charge on my CC. DH doesn't scrutinize the bank statements, but he does check over the CC bills.

We each are given "pocket money" (allowance) each month that we are allowed to spend on whatever we want, and since I spend so little I have a great big fat "pocket money cushion" saved up, so it's definitely not like I'm spending money I'm not "entitled" to spend. (BTW, we are talking about $50 including tax & tip. I printed out an on-line coupon for new customers that will knock $10 off the cost.) And if I told DH about it, he might think it was a bit unnecessary and a bit of a waste of money, but I know he wouldn't try to stop me from doing it. He has never complained about my spending. This expenditure will get recorded in our household books, but just generically as "pocket money." (From time to time I get some cash to use as "walking around money" so it will look like that is what I did.)

But the fact remains that I am going to pay cash for something just so DH doesn't find out about it. Is that wrong? Ladies, have you ever done anything similar? Guys (if any of you are still reading), how would you feel if your wife did something like this?

Harris Interactive is a research company that conducts surveys on a variety of topics, not only consumer products but also "issues" such as health care, finances, politics, etc.

I've been doing HI surveys for several years. When you do surveys, you earn "points" that can be redeemed for rewards. In the past, I redeemed my points for gift cards at Target or Olive Garden. (Cash previously was not an option, so I figured that gift cards were the next best thing.)

I just completed a survey and when I went to redeem some points, I was pleasantly surprised to see that 800 HI Points can now be redeemed for a $5 Paypal credit. This is a brand new option. As far as I'm concerned, that's as good as cash!

If you'd like to join the HI panel, here is the web address:

http://www.harrispollonline.com/

If you're like me and check your mutual fund balances only on the last day of the month ... today is the day ... have you looked yet?

I just checked mine ... a 4.4% drop compared to end-May.

Oh well ... My grandpa told me that his father (my great-grandfather) told him that the price of a stock only matters when it is time to sell. And for those of you doing the math, yes, those words came from a man who was buying stock back in a day when very few people did, long before mutual funds. I will heed the words of my ancestor and not sweat it.

P.S. - I'll tell you what I AM sweating, tho. The 4.75% locked rate on my Wachovia MMA expires on Wednesday. I will miss it dearly. They're offering a 7-mo CD at 4.00% APY. I may go for that. They also have a 12-mo CD at 4.25% APY. (Both have a $5K min)

For anyone who is thinking of downsizing their home, is struggling with fitting their life and stuff in to a smaller home, or (especially) is thinking they need to move to a bigger house because their current one is getting too small, I highly recommend the book "Downsizing Your Home With Style" by Lauri Ward (copyright 2007).

I found this book on my last trip to the library. I was familiar with Ms. Ward from an appearance on Oprah and her book "Use What You Have Decorating" and was already a fan. Ms. Ward explains to us every day folks how to create beautiful home interiors in an affordable way, emphasising using what we already own.

This book exceeded my expectations ... It's great! It is chock full of practical strategies and specific tips for ... as the sub-title says ... "Living Well in a Small Space."

If what you currently own won't fill all of your needs, there is a section at the back of many of the chapters called "Good Buys" that tells you specifically where you can buy certain recommended items.

I just loved the pictures. While they were all of attractive rooms, it was easy to see that a "real" person lived in each and every one. You could even see family pets in some of the pictures. There wasn't anything in any of the pictures that I couldn't imagine having in my own home. I don't know about you, but I don't care for looking at the "home" mags because the glossy fancy pics tend to be of rooms that look so overdone and expensive and not necessarily welcoming. The pics in this book, in contrast, were of attractive inviting rooms that I could imagine living in. The cover pic that you can see below is quite a bit fancier than any of the other rooms pictured. I'd love to post some, but am concerned about copyright violations.

I find it much easier to take money-saving steps when the payoff is readily apparent:

- Clip a coupon, save a buck at the grocery store.
- Take a defensive driving course, save 10% on my car insurance.
Etc.

Where it's more challenging is when the payoff amount isn't really known, I just know that I'm saving "something." And if you throw in the fact that taking a particular step to save money is something I think of as a bit unpleasant, then it gets really hard to get and stay motivated to do what I know I should.

Those are the times when this blog really helps, because accountability comes in to play. And it seems "challenges" appeal to my competitive nature and help me stay interested.

Back in late-January when I was pondering our electric bill, I came up with a "Steam Free Mirror Challenge" for myself:
http://scfr.savingadvice.com/2008/02/11/steam-free-mirror-ch...

I am proud to say that except for one day when I was having a bit of rough morning and decided a steamy shower would be good therapy, every morning since starting the challenge my mirror has been steam free!
I know I'm saving on my electric bill, but I have no idea how much. My "payoff" is getting to brag here!

And now I have a new challenge for myself that I came up with while thinking about the rising price of gas: to only pump gas in the morning!

I know pumping gas in the morning when it is cooler (and therefore the gas is denser) can save you money (Edit note: I edited this from "quite a bit of money" to just "money" ... please see comments below). And I live in a hot place where the difference in temperature between the am and the pm can be 30 degrees. I know I should pump my gas in the morning. Problem is, I am not a morning person.
In order to pump gas in the morning on my way to work instead of on my way home from work, I am going to have to get my lazy self out of bed 15 minutes earlier.

I guess that's why it's called a challenge, eh?

EDIT - Additional comment: I'm also thinking about letting my tank get lower between fill ups, just so I'm dragging less weight (gasoline in the tank) around to improve gas mileage. After going through a 5-day widespread power outage and being unable to buy gas without driving over 30 minutes and waiting in line, I started filling up somewhere between 1/2 and 1/4 full. But I'm thinking maybe I should go back to waiting until it gets below 1/4 full to refill. Does anyone have an opinion on this?

First some background info ... 8-1/2 months ago we relocated from Seattle to Austin. We're in an apartment and are house hunting. We want to buy a house, but we are in no hurry. We are waiting until we find a super deal: house we really like, in a location we really like, at what we feel is a great price.

We are extremely flexible as far as location; DH works from home, and I am just doing temp work until we know where we will be settling. Our requirements have to do with proximity to things like golf courses and grocery stores, not places of employment.

We are also 100% flexible about closing date. While we do have a lease, we are completely prepared financially to break the lease and pay the required penalties (as spelled out in the lease), or to just keep paying the rent on an empty apartment, whichever winds up making the most sense financially. Having said that, since we renewed our lease, we have scaled back on the house hunting. As we get start to get closer to the end of the lease, we will intensify our efforts.

We are also fairly flexible about size and features of the home. We have preferences (some strong, some weak), but we are not allowing ourselves to get limited by certain requirements.

We are cash buyers. That matters to some sellers, and to some it does not. (Some will give you a better deal if you pay cash, some will not.) We expect to get a better deal; if we can't, we will move on to the next house.

If any realtors are reading this, they are probably rolling their eyes. When we talk to one at a house we look at, we can just tell that either they think we are full of BS, or we drive them crazy.

Q: Which area are you looking at?
A: We're flexible.

Q: When do you want to move?
A: We're flexible.

Q: What is your price point?
A: We're flexible.

Q: What are you looking for in a house? Certain number of bedrooms? Granite countertops?
A: We are looking for a great deal. As far as the features of the house, we are flexible.

That is all the honest-to-God truth ... Not one bit of BS involved, but somehow I don't think many of them believe us! And if they do believe us, it drives them nuts because they cannot mentally put us in to a box.

We have looked at hundreds of homes, including some foreclosures. We are neither specifically looking for a foreclosure, nor are we ruling them out. As always, "we are flexible."

Last weekend we went to look at 2 foreclosure houses. They were right next to each other. DH had heard about one of them (house A) from a guy he golfed with who lived in the area ... The guy said we should check it out, because the price had recently dropped and it was currently the best deal in the neighborhood (in his opinion).

We had tried to reach the agent for house A, but she never returned our repeated calls. We did reach the agent for house B (the house next door) and set up an appointment, and when we mentioned that we were trying to coordinate visits to both houses at the same time, she told us not to worry, that she would let us in to house A.

We showed up at house B at the set time, and no one was there. After several calls we finally reached the agent. She said she had the wrong time on her calendar, that she would be there soon, and she gave us the access code to house B. BTW ... She never did show up; she had no intention of coming out. We asked her "what about house A" and she said she was sorry but it was already under contract. We went in to house B and looked around. It was nice house in good shape, but we thought it was over-priced.

We then walked over to house A and found a 2nd number for the agent's company posted on the door. We called and finally reached someone (not the original agent but another one), and found out that the house was NOT under contract. The house B agent had flat out lied to us ... She just did not want us to go see house A. (We had googled her company name before we went out and found nothing. We suspect that all she does is buy up foreclosures and re-sale them.)

The agent for house A asked us to wait, and she popped in her car and was there in less than 30 minutes. Long story short, the guy DH got the tip from was right. It really is the best deal in the neighborhood. It was a former model home that had just about every upgrade you could imagine, but we decided it was just too big for us and the upkeep would be too much. (We had seen the square footage in the listing but thought it had to be a mistake ... It wasn't.)

But this is where it gets interesting ... When we walked in to the house, in the family room huge chunks of paint were hanging down and there was obviously water damage on the ceiling. And then I noticed that the air vents throught the entire house were full of bits of insulation. The agent was very surprised and went upstairs and in to the attic (positioned right above the family room). Someone had done something so that the water heater had drained out, and they had slashed open air ducts so that they filled with insulation. The house had been on the market for 3 months, and the agent had been out at the house 2 weeks before and everything had been fine. Coincidentally, that was the time the price on the house had dropped.

Hmmm ... Let's see...

Two foreclosure homes side by side ... Price on the clearly better and larger house drops to BELOW the price on the smaller and less desirable house ... Agents have access to all homes for sale at all times of the day and night, including the agent who clearly was not above pulling off a sneaky trick (telling us the house was already under contract when it wasn't) ... The house that is now clearly a much better deal is suddenly vandalised ... Hmmm ...

I must say that the world of foreclosures is definitely different than the much more genteel world of standard real estate transactions. Anyone who is thinking of trying to buy a foreclosure, be prepared to deal with anything and everything. We have looked at 4 foreclosures so far, and all have had issues:

- A pre-foreclosure where the owner had re-financed several times at higher loan amounts each time, apparently using the money to buy fancy toys, and then was unable to sell at the current market price because he owed more than the home was worth due to his own stupidity.

- A bank owned property where clearly the owner had stopped being able or willing to maintain the house, resulting in serious damage (holes in roof and siding)

- The 2 houses mentioned above: 1 over-priced, 1 sabotaged

We are not going to stop looking at foreclosures, but we now know not to be surprised by anything we may find.

Can anyone point out a flaw in my logic? I keep thinking I must be missing something.

I know buying & using reusable bags instead of getting plastic bags from the grocery store is all the rage right now, and I completely understand why. I totally get the whole "reduce, reuse, recycle" philosophy. I've been washing out and reusing my plastic baggies all of my life. I use the plastic bags the newspaper comes in as doggie pooper scooper bags. When I go to the farmer's market (where I'm just getting one or two items per stall) I bring a tote and put my produce in there directly. On the rare occasions I hit the outlet stores, I'll get a bag from the first store and tell other stores to skip the bag and just put my purchases directly in the first bag.

But for my household, I just haven't been able to figure out how giving up plastic grocery bags makes sense. We are a 2-person (and 1-dog) household, and the trash gets emptied every day. The trash has to be placed in tied-off plastic bags. So I use the bags from the grocery store, and I double bag because there are often little holes in them. On most days, we don't even fill up a grocery store sized bag of trash. I need all of my grocery bags for my household trash! The only way I could give up plastic grocery bags would be if I went out and bought replacement plastic bags, and I can't see the logic in buying something to replace the exact same thing that I get for free. And given that most store bought trash bags are for large size trash cans, they might end up using even more plastic and that would be most environmentally unfriendly.

If we were a big family and needed big trash bags and had to buy them, it would be an entirely different story. But we're a small family with small daily trash accumulation.

I think my logic is correct, and I think in our case in makes sense to keep getting plastic grocery bags, but I do feel a tad sheepish when I see all of these wonderful people walking out of the store with their "green" bags while I tote my old-fashioned plastic.

Am I missing something?

And may I just say a big thank you in advance to anyone who answers ... not only for your insights, but for understanding why stuff like this matters to someone like me (or should I say people like us).

Ordered Master Card Reward Check: On my last statement, my reward balance had exceeded $50 so I ordered my reward check. (I have to wait until the balance reaches $50 to order a check.) DH commented that the reward system probably works out well for the credit card companies because it's likely lots of folks forget to order their rewards. Not me ... As soon as I see that sucker has hit $50, I start dialing!

Skype: We signed up for Skype worldwide service and love it. For $10 a month, we can make unlimited calls anywhere in the world from our computer. Very handy with us living away from all of our family (cross country for me, round the world for DH)

Clothes Shopping: I boldly stated my intentions to tackle my clothes shopping demons in one marathon day of shopping, in order to update my skimpy wardrobe. That didn't happen, but I am happy to report that between Goodwill, Costco, and the Outlet Stores, I did manage to buy:
1 pair of shoes (Timberland)
1 pair of capri jeans (GV)
2 tanks (1 LLBean, 1 Liz Claiborne)
1 linen shirt (Jones NY)
I spent $75 total. Only the LLBean tank was slightly used; the rest were new.
I want to buy one pair of shorts (I only have one, and I have realized shorts are a staple here in hot Texas) and one pair of sneaker type shoes (currently have none), and that will get me through the summer. Once the after-summer sales start, I will try to get a couple more tanks and shorts ... I have learned that those are the real essential items during a Texas summer.
Have I ever mentioned how much I hate that show where people spend $5K on clothes in one shopping spree? I would love to watch a show where they taught you how to update your wardrobe for $2-300, which is my annual clothing budget.

Thoughts on Bank Failures: My thinking has shifted from "Oh goodness! What if one of my banks fails?" to "Gee - I wonder which of my banks will fail first?" I've decided to just accept that it is probably going to happen, and I will roll with the punches the best I can. When / if it happens, I will be sure to blog about it and share the experience with you-all. I have my money spread amongst several banks, so am not concerned about not being able to access funds.

Work: I have 2 new assignments lined up, but got a few days off in-between. Made a long list of things to get done and have been tackling the list aggressively. I'm feeling a bit challenged by my upcoming assignment, so I bought a couple workbooks and am doing a cram course of study to brush off my dusty skills. This temp work has been marvelous...Even better than expected. The 2nd of the 2 assignments I have lined up will wrap up just shortly before I head off to my mom's for 2 weeks to help her out with some things.

Coupons: I read a comment somewhere that seemed a bit snide about the use of coupons being just for things like "Hamburger Helper." First of all, if that's what people choose to eat, what is wrong with that? But more importantly, that is not the only type of thing coupons can be used for. I'll be the first to admit that I am not the world's biggest (and far from the best) couponer, but I do clip them, only for products that I like (I don't buy things just because there is a coupon). I pulled out my last grocery store bill and these were the items I used a coupon for:
- Ocean Spray Grapefruit Juice (the 100% juice kind ... so HFCS)
- Baby Einstein Milk (no kids in our house, but no reason why adults can't drink it when you get it for a good price, right?)
- YO-Plus Yogurt
- Noni's Biscotti
- California Kitchen Pizza
So, I just don't understand people who dis' coupons!

Final Form 5500-EZ: Since my husband rolled his Keogh's over in to a SEP IRA, the paperwork requirements are much easier (no annual filing requirements with the IRS). Yesterday I completed his FINAL Form 5500-EZ w/ the IRS, letting them know the plan has been closed. Yea - So glad I won't have to do that anymore! And lest you think I am late, the deadline for that particular form is July 31st, so I was in plenty of time.

Frugality Means Hating Waste: Here in Texas, our governor's mansion was recently severely damaged by an arsonist. That is the sort of thing that just steams me, as does vandalism and grafitti. I am willing to bet that the regulars on this site have never commited any form of vandalism or grafitti. Why? Because we hate waste of resources! Not only will the taxpayers of the state now have to pay to have the mansion either repaired or rebuilt, a beautiful 150-plus year old building will never be the same. Building materials, fire personnel, law enforment hours, tax dollars, a piece of our history ... All wasted! What a shame! And speaking of waste, the mansion was in the process of being restored and so the governor and his wife had moved out. On the news they mentioned they were renting a house that cost $9,900 per month. I realize that as the governor of the 2nd largest state in the country he deserves a few perks, but really, I wish he would be a better steward of the taxpayers' money! For 1/2 that, he could rent a place that would be appropriately posh!

My in-laws are easing (or should I say lurching) in to retirement. FIL is 72 and MIL is 68. They both worked very hard all of their lives. FIL owned his own business (with several employees) and MIL worked with him part-time, running the office. FIL has had a series of health issues in the past few years, and after several years of talking about how he was going to retire soon, MIL decided to take charge and push him along. She talked him in to putting their house up for sale. It sold fairly quickly, and then they rented a place in a more rural area. MIL moved in to the rental in late-April, but FIL stayed behind (moving in to SIL's house) to wrap things up with the business. He goes and visits MIL on the weekends, and has promised he will have tied up all of the loose ends with the business on June 20th, when he will permanently moving to the country. The entire family is saying "we'll believe it when we see it," as he really seems to be having a hard time actually taking the final steps.

I'm so proud of my MIL. She has been really ready to retire for about 8 years now, and she has put up with many promises deferred. Because of her culture and her personality, she generally takes a fairly submissive role in the marriage, but I guess she decided she had had enough and she put her foot down! The rest of the family has really gotten a kick out of watching her put her assert herself and (hopefully) drag FIL kicking and screaming in to a well-deserved retirement.

I think it's hard for FIL to deal with because at this stage in his life he really doesn't have interests outside of work (other than watching TV and reading the paper). Hopefully he won't turn in to a total couch potato. He is interested in gardening, and now that they have a place in the country hopefully he can get more involved in that. MIL on the other had is quite a social butterfly, especially with her religious group. She visits with her group members, makes friends quickly with the neighbors, keeps house, and likes to read. She will thrive in retirement, no doubt.

Anyway ... DH & I want to give them a nice retirement gift. We have come up with 2 ideas, and would love to hear any other suggestions. If we ask them what they want, they will say they don't want anything. So we have to take the approach of offering them option A, B, or C and letting them choose.

If anyone who has already retired has suggestions of what they would have liked to have received when they retired, please share. If anyone has done something like this for their parents or have thought about doing something like this for their folks, or just dreams about being able to do something like this for their parents some day, please share suggestions.

Don't be afraid to venture a bit into "just dreaming" sorts of ideas. FIL is not facing imminent death, but he is not going to be around forever, and this gift is our way of "giving him roses while he is still alive." We are able to do something nice for them, and we very much want to.

The 2 ideas we have are:

1. A 2-week cruise in their region (they live in another country) ... They have not cruised before, but they have enjoyed travelling in the past, and we thought they would feel more comfortable if they stuck close to home, especially given FIL's medical problems.

2. Business Class tickets to visit us here in the USA, plus some domestic travel with us (perhaps via Amtrak in a sleeper car) ... DH & I always fly coach, as have my in-laws in the past, but we think at their age they deserve to travel in comfort.

We thought about replacing their old car for them, but MIL does not drive and we do not know how much longer FIL will be able to drive. DH thinks it would be best if they just drive the current car for as long as it lasts, and when it dies, to encourage them to just rely on public transportation (which is excellent where they live).

I'd like to have at least another one or two options to toss out to them but am stumped, so any and all suggestions are welcome! Thank you!

(Back in December I wrote a short blog entry about how we got a 10% discount on our car insurance for taking a defensive driving course. It was a snoozer of an entry ... hastily written, and only one SA regular responded. But a funny thing happened ... It turned in to the blog entry that never dies. At least once a month, a non-SA person posts a question or comment on that entry, wanting to find out how they can take the course. Obviously, it's something people are interested in learning about and somehow it's attracting non-regulars to this site, so I thought I'd re-write what I learned, and I will try my best to be more concise, in the hopes that it will be more useful.)

First of all, I would like to state for the record that I do NOT work in the insurance field, and am in no way an expert on car insurance. I am just a consumer of car insurance who discovered a way to get a lesser-known discount on her car insurance. The following is what I believe to be true, but if any of you experts out there catch any mistakes or have anything to add, please feel free to chime in! Okay ...

Each state in the USA has different laws when it comes to car insurance. Some states require that auto insurance companies offer a discount to consumers if they complete a "defensive driving course." In some states, the discount must be offered to all drivers, in some states it is offered only to drivers over a certain age, and in some states it is not offered at all.

Taking a defensive driving course may be much easier than you think. Although how you take the course varies by state, it's very likely you can just complete the course on-line, in the comfort of your own home, in just a little bit of time.
(If memories of driver's ed class back in high school are holding you back, don't let that stop you ... It's nothing like that!)

The course need not be expensive. We paid $19.95 to take the course. You can shop around for the course. You can probably find a qualified course for around $20, so if you're finding prices much higher than that, keep looking. And if you are over a certain age (this will vary by state too), you may qualify for a discounted rate on the course.

The primary driver of the automobile must take the course. So if a husband and wife have 2 cars, they both must complete the course to get the discount on both cars.

Here is how getting the discount worked for us: My husband & I live in Texas. Our car insurance is through Geico. In TX, all residents are eligible for the defensive driver discount (there are no age restrictions). We have only 1 car and my husband is the primary driver, so he took the course. He took the course offered by Geico, on-line. We paid $19.95 for the course, and as soon as the course was completed and he had passed the on-line test, a 10% discount was applied to our car insurance policy. His course certificate is good for 3 years; after 3 years have passed, if we want to continue receiving the discount, he will have to retake the course. I should also add that my husband felt he got some very useful information from the course, so though the main goal was to save money it also hopefully helped make him a safer driver.

If you want to find out if you are eligible to receive a discount on your car insurance for taking a defensive driving course, my recommendation is that you contact your insurance company and ask them ... Ask them if they offer the discount for folks of your age in your state, and ask them if they offer the course themselves, and if so how much they charge. When you have completed the course, follow up with your insurance company and make sure they have applied the discount. When each insurance bill comes in, check it to make sure you are getting the discount each and every time.

If you are a Geico customer, check out Geico's state-by-state information at the following web site:

https://www.geico.com/information/states/

Click on your state's name. About 2/3 way down the page, you will hopefully see something that says "Save a little green," with a link to information for "authorized defensive driver program in ---(your state)---"

Even if you are not a Geico customer, if you check this link, you may at least be able to get some information about whether the discount is offered in your state and if there are any age restrications.

If you end up saving some money as a result of this information (and I hope you do), please come back and share your story! Drive safely.

Want to get a free skin cancer screening?

"Olay, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) and Marcia Cross have joined together to invite you and your girlfriends to get a free skin cancer screening"

Visit www.SkinCancerTakesFriends.org to see if there is a dermatologist in your area offering free screenings.

Although it says it is for "girlfriends," if you're a man who is intersted it certainly wouldn't hurt to ask if you are eligible.

As much as I love SA, I'm finding that I keep taking breaks from the forums more frequently and for longer periods of time.

It may just be my imagination, but the forums seem to be devolving in to a bunch of people fighting over who is right, and they are becoming downright uncivil.

Today was the last straw. I think for the sake of my stress levels, I should take a permanent break from the forums and just stick to the blogs (which of course I still LOVE).

This is what set me off. Someone wrote in a post "This board is retarded." Personally, I find that to be as offensive as any racial slur (and I live in multi-racial family so I've heard it all). Having a brother who is developmentally disabled no doubt makes me more sensitive to this than other people, and I have always been offended by that term even when it came from immature kids, but to hear it coming from an adult in what is supposed to be a civil discussion board ... Ugh!

It really seems like this site has split in to 2 worlds: The great folks who truly want to support each other and exchange ideas on the blogs, and the nasty bickering folks who are just trying to see who can scream louder than the others on the forums.

Am I the only one noticing this?

It really is a gift to require so little to be blissfully happy, don't you think?

Yesterday my favorite guy treated me to brunch at IHOP with a BOGO coupon he found (no beverage purchases required ... just buy one entree, get one free). So glad I decided to teach DH about coupons!

After that, we visited 2 new home centers. At one we received a $10 Target gift card for visiting (we filled out a form and they will be mailing it)...We had seen an ad in the paper and knew we could get the gift card for visiting. At the 2nd place we got free drinks.

In the late afternoon I took my dog for a long walk.

After dinner at home, DH and I watched "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" with Steve Martin & John Candy on TV. (Our current apartment comes with cable included.) We laughed our heads off.

So little spent. Just the cost of one entree + tax & tip at IHOP. The $10 gift card will more than cover the cost of the gas we used.

Such a divine day. Just like a mini-vacation. 'Tis a gift to be simple ...

If anyone knows how Costco sets their gas prices, please do share with the rest of us!

When we lived in Seattle, our Costco's gas prices were consistently a few cents less other nearby gas stations.

When we moved here to Austin, we initially found the Costco prices to be equal to the lowest-priced "regular" stations. So, I thought there was no difference and that it was a regional thing.

But just recently, since the latest spike in gas prices started, I have found Costco Austin's gas prices to be a bit lower than others.

Yesterday I paid $3.599/gallon at Costco, while other stations were charging $3.639 - $3.699.

The last time I filled up at Costco (about a month ago), the price was about 3-cents less than the stations.

This has me wondering if Costco uses a formula where they have a fixed profit they make, while maybe the "regular" stations are taking advantage and doing a teensy bit of "gouging"?

In any case, Costco is definitely shining right now as far as gas prices go.

What are you all experiencing where you live? Are you noticing a bigger price gap on Costco gas recently, or has the gap stayed the same as usual?

P.S. - As I was getting ready to leave Costco yesterday, a lady just about gave me a heart attack when she ran up right behind my car just as I started backing out and disappeared from view. Of course I hit the brakes ... She stood up and just stood there for a second staring at what I swear was a coin in her hand! For crying out loud, I'm all for picking up coins off the ground, but please don't put your life and my sanity in jeopardy like that! Wanna know my first thought? "That couldn't be baselle, could it? Naw - She doesn't live in Austin!"

We had a CD that was maturing tomorrow (Sunday). Since our bank is open on Saturday mornings and their computers were operating as if it was Monday already (since Monday is their next business day), we were able to go in today and get the CD closed without incurring any interest penalty. That was nice and convenient.

What was not so nice was waving buh-bye to the nice 5.3% APY we had on that CD!

I wonder when we will see rates like that again ... Can't happen soon enough as far as I'm concerned!


Oh well, I should count my blessings.

- Our Wachovia MMA has an APY of 4.75% that is locked in for about another 7 weeks.

- DH pushed me to open a 10-yr CD back in Nov ... I was a bit resistant at the time, but now am grateful for the 5.91% APY on that one

- And of course the fact that we have money in the bank at all ... That is certainly a blessing!

Yesterday my 5yo niece called me to tell me she had slipped getting up from the table, cracked the bottom of her chin on the table, split it open, and had to get stitches under her chin, so now she is going to have a scar under her chin just like her Aunt (me).

After telling me about how the stitches really didn't hurt because they were "butterfly stitches" and that she was very brave and did not cry so her mommy bought her a toy, we started talking about her new allowance. She became very animated and explained how when she gets her allowance ($3) she puts one dollar in the giving bank, one dollar in the college bank, and one dollar in the spending bank (which she saves up to buy something like a toy).

I asked her what her favorite thing was about getting an allowance. I completely expected her to say that it was when she got to go buy a new toy. But she said: "I Like to put Money in my Bank!" And of course I replied: "Me too, xxx! I like to put money in MY bank!"

Now we have 2 things in common.

I know from the comments left after I posted about setting up my HSA that some of you are interested in them.

So .... here's a little tip that I learned the hard way and that I hope will help you:

The first year you have set up an HSA, you have to pro-rate your contribution based on how long you had your HDHP.

For example, I had my HDHP for only the last 2 months of 2007, so the maximum I was allowed to contribute to my HSA (for a family) was:

$5,650 (maximum allowed 2007 contribution) / 12 months of the year x 2 months I had the HDHP = $942

But of course this did not dawn on me and I over-contributed. (Got too excited about the potential tax savings, I guess.) As MonkeyMama would say - "Doh." Rookie mistake.

Fortunately, it was not a really big deal. As soon as Turbo Tax told me I had made a "boo-boo" I contacted my HSA bank, and filled out a Distribution form for the Excess Contribution, and they sent me a check.

If you open an HSA this year, save yourself a step and pro-rate your contribtuion!

Yay! Just got my $100 bonus from TD Ameritrade for opening my Suze Orman "Save Yourself Account" and making my required 12 monthly deposits of $50 each!!!

WOOHOO!

Guess I can close my account now ...
Sorry Suze & TD Ameritrade.

Over a year ago, I posted on the forums regarding my older sister's financial troubles, the extent of which really became clear for me when she called to ask to "borrow" money to have her suffering cat put to sleep:
http://www.savingadvice.com/forums/general-discussion/26108-...

Thanks to all of the great feedback I received, I decided to "play it very cool" even tho' I wanted to jump in to "crisis mode!" I think I've managed to avoid turning her off by becoming preachy. She continues to make slow progress, and I keep my eyes and ears open for opportunities to offer support and make occasional gentle suggestions.

In addition to the steps mentioned on the forums (such as giving her a copy of Suze Orman's Women & Money), I've done a couple small things since then.

- When my other sibs and I went to DC, she decided to stay home to build up her emergency savings. Tho' we normally don't exchange Christmas gifts, I bought her a small souvenier gift in DC and attached a brief note telling her how much I supported her decision. She loved the gift.

- Sis is a hard-core environmentalist. She buys TP made from recycled paper. I knew better than to tell her to buy cheaper TP. But, when I saw that Costco started carrying TP made from recycled paper, I called her to let her know, and she thanked me. (She is not a member herself, but has friends she can tag along with when she wants to.)

- When I read a blog entry on "America Saves Week" (I am so sorry that I don't remember the name of the blog author) I sent her a little "FYI" with a link.

This is the Email I received in return:
thanks!

I've been doing the writing-down-every-penny-I-spend thang, to find the places I can cut a little to help save for my big trip with (name deleted). I honestly had no idea how much my couple lattes a week added up to until I did that........

Boy did that warm my heart!

Honestly, without the SA members' help, I know I would have come on too strong and just turned sis off. So thank you so much for helping me come up with a rational, reasonable approach.

Recently finished reading "The Number: A Completely Different Way to Think About the Rest of Your Life" by Lee Eisenberg.

From the inside flap: "It's the burning question for 76 million baby boomers. It is a question that ought to burn for everyone over thirty. It is a life-defining issue. Most of us don't want to face it, but we have to. It's The Number: How much money do you need to secure the rest of your life? Do you know what your Number is? Do you know how to think about it? Do you know what you want to do with it?"

First of all, I should say that while this is a personal finance book, it is NOT a general advice PF book. It is very focused on retirement, and it is probably most appropriate for folks who already have a fair amount tucked away in their retirement savings and are attempting a "reality check" about where they stand. If you are in the earlier stages of the PF journey (struggling to get out of debt, working out a budget, learning about 401Ks and IRAs and such) then this is NOT the book for you. I know everyone's situation is unique, but I'll throw out "35 and older, if retirement savings are your primary financial concern" as an appropriate demographic for this book. But if you're 30 and are hoping to retire at 50, by all means give it a look-see.

I enjoyed this book. Overall, I'd give it a B+.

The author spends quite a bit of time exploring all of the variables that make coming up with "The Number" so challenging. He also encourages us to think about how we envision our lives in retirement. He met with people who help others plan for their retirement (CFPs and the like). And he visited with people who are preparing for retirement or are already retired to see how they are "living their dream." He attended retirement planning seminars, met with the brain power at Fidelity Investments, and visited "active adult" communities. He writes with a sense of irreverant humor that sometimes borders on the snippy (he did live in NYC for quite a while which may explain that).

This book raised more questions than it answered (and that is not necessarily a bad thing), tho I did come away feeling that I had a slightly better grasp on my Number.

I really liked what he calls the "10 commandments of modern portfolio management" ... his condensation of the rules written about so much in the financial press that unfortunately too many people still don't follow. The following are Mr. Eisenberg's words, not mine, from pages 125-6 of the book. (If I'm breaking any copywrite laws, let me know and I'll delete.)

------------------------------------------

* Thou shalt not put all thy eggs in one basket.

* Thou shalt have the patience of a nesting hen.

* Thou shalt know that past performance is no guarantee of future results, nor shalt thou become so exuberant so as to forget that eggs drop, cookies crumble, bubbles burst, and that which goes up will eventually come down.

* Thou shalt not invest in anything thou dost fail to understand.

* Thou shalt not question the divine power of compounding interest.

* Thou shalt not squander long-term returns by incurring frequent trading commissions or excessive management fees.

* Thou shalt honor thy company's retirement plan.

* In particular, thou shalt honor thy company's match --- after all, it's free money.

* Thou shalt take on risk commensurate with thy ability to sleep well at night.

* Thou shalt honor thy age and timeline by properly apportioning thy ratio of stocks to bonds.

----------------------------------------

If you'd like to learn more, you can find links to articles by the author at the following site:

http://www.thenumberbook.com/thebook/articles.php

I'd recommend starting with the article "Nailing Your New York Number" from New York magazine.

I think my most important financial tool is my calendar. In my house, I am "defensive coordinator" ... I take the lead in making sure that the money that comes in STAYS in, rather than getting wasted on interest (paid or missed), late fees, penalties, or just missed opportunities.

I do not have an especially organized mind, and so I write oodles of reminders on my calendar. My husband thinks I'm a bit bonkers, but as soon as I become aware of an important date, I stop whatever I am doing and go to my calendar and write it down. Why? Because I learned the hard way just how quickly I can forget things. (And DH may think I'm bonkers, but I can't tell you how many times I have had to remind him of things he thought he would remember! I can't tell you because I already forgot!)

Some calendar notations are specific to a date when action must be taken:
- Days to pay bills or the rent
- Dates CDs are maturing
- Dates taxes are due (annual federal income, self-employment taxes, property taxes, city & state business taxes)
- Business Meetings
- Doctor or Dentist Appointments (who wants to pay no-show fees?)
- Dates library materials are due (who wants to pay late fees?)
- Dates to give the dog his monthly preventative, when his shots are due, or when his license expires (prevention is the best medicine after all)
- Driver's License and Passport expiration dates
- Date lease expires & deadline to give notice if moving out
- Election Days
- Day the postage rate increases (to 42-cents on May 12)

Some notations are general "on or around" reminders:
- Note to call a friend on the weekend, when cell phone minutes are free
- Order free credit report
- Take defensive driving course again to re-qualify for insurance discount
- Fund HSA or IRA
- Schedule a vet, doctor, or dentist appointment
- When it's okay to close a bank account without incurring an early-closing penalty
- When we can get a free carpet cleaning through our landlord

Some are notations in the form of a question. They are reminders to myself not to let things slip through the cracks, to followup if something has not been done:
- Did I receive that refund from Greyhound for my trip to DC?
- Did I get that prepaid gift card from Wachovia for opening the new account?
- Have I received that cashback bonus or those reward point redemption gift cards?
- Did Geico post the 10% discount for taking the defensive driving course?
- Did so-and-so reply to my account query?

On the last page of my calendar, I write notes that extend beyond the current year. Even tho' we are only 2 months in to 2008, I already have 7 notations for 2009 and later. Some of the really far away notations that just might illustrate that my husband is correct when he thinks I'm bonkers include the following:
- "2011 = Estate Tax exemption reverting back to $1mil??? Is there still no spousal exemption for non-citizen spouses? If our net worth exceeds $2mil, we need to think about what this means." --- Please do note the word IF in the preceeding sentence! Keep hope alive!
- "12/21/2012 - 'End of era' per Mayan calendar" --- Please don't ask me what I think this means. I have no idea. Just thought it might be something to think about as the time gets closer
- "~2013: Think about getting long-term care insurance (can pay for premiums w/ HSA)" --- This is a result of my decision to "revisit the whole LTCI question in about 5 years" --- Tho' if the world comes to an end in 2012, I guess it won't really matter, will it?

I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to take many of my dream vacations:

- Alaskan Cruise
- France
- South Africa
- Japan
- Washington DC

(I've done other travelling as well, but these are the ones that fall in to the "long-time dream" category that had nothing to do with social obligations such as visiting family.)

I'm perfectly happy to visit my dream destinations just once, and I don't feel the need to travel constantly. When I went to DC in the fall, it was my first "real trip" in 6 years, and my one (and probably only) trip to that area.

I stretch out my travel enjoyment by immersing myself completely in all of the phases:

Phase 1. Before: Dreaming / Planning / Anticipating (Good for a year or more of happy times)

Phase 2. During (The Trip Itself): Taking it all in, enjoying the fruits of the planning, and being able to leave with no regrets about things left undone.

Phase 3. After: The Fond Memories / Looking at Photos and Souveniers / Being able to relate when you hear stories about the place on the news, etc. (Good for a lifetime of happy memories and a much richer existence)

There are several more places I would like to visit.

I've been to NYC before, but never during the holiday season, and I think it would be really special to see the shops all decorated, to see the Rockettes at Radio City Hall, and perhaps take in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I'd like to go to England/Ireland/Scotland, to see the lands of my ancestors, to see where JRR Tolkein lived & worked and what inspired him, and to visit the Princess Diana memorials.

But my biggest travel fantasy, the one place I feel almost an ache to visit before I die is ... believe it or not ... Cuba!


My Cuba obsession began after seeing the Bueno Vista Social Club on PBS. I'm a big jazz lover. [Surprise! I'm not ALL about money.] I have the CDs; when I play them they never fail to lift my spirits. I just pop in a CD, and before long, I'm fantasizing about sitting in a jazz club in Havana, sipping a mojito, surrounded by people of all colors of the rainbow who are enjoying life and each other's company.



Today Fidel Castro resigned. So ... I have allowed myself to become hopeful that someday before I am too old, relations between the USA and Cuba will thaw, the travel restrictions for US Citizens will be lifted (I'm not the sort to go on a "back door" illegal tour), and I'll be able to fulfill this travel fantasy of mine.


My DH knows of my dream (and now you guys know too), and he has promised that, if the travel restrictions are lifted, we WILL take a trip there together. In the meantime, I will enjoy my free travel fantasies, and will keep saving so that there will be no financial barriers to taking the trip when/if the legal barries are gone.
Viva Cuba!

I've been challenging myself to shower without getting any steam on my mirror:

http://scfr.savingadvice.com/2008/02/11/steam-free-mirror-ch...

Today I had given myself permission to steam up the mirror because I cleaned the shower & tub and then showered immediately afterwards.

But I've gotten so used to limiting my hot water usage that I managed to get the shower & tub scrubbed squeaky clean and get myself showered off without a bit of steam on the mirror! That was a pleasant surprise. For cleaning, I just filled a bucket with hot water and used that for wetting down the walls and doing all of the rinsing ... didn't have to leave the water running at all.

I noticed a super nice and unanticipated side effect of this steam free challenge ... The entire bathroom stays cleaner and is much easier to clean now! It makes sense ... no muggy, steamy environment in which ickies (that's the scientific name for them, right?) can multiply means a cleaner room.

Yes, I know I'm one day early ...

I've added a new section to my "About Me" bio (there on the left), where I'll be posting cool quotes I think about or come across.

The quote just added applies to all of us (I think), and explains why I'm so happy to have found this community.

We're all in different positions financially ... Some of us are hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, while some of us are millionaires ... Some of us struggle to pay the bills, while some of us save for vacations and new cars ... Some of us have been in the investing game for awhile, some of us are just starting to learn, and some of us aren't even ready for the investing step yet ...

But each and every one of us is striving to do better ... We're not just dreaming about getting out of debt, or having a secure future, or becoming rich (whatever our individual goals are) ... We're actually woking at it! That's cool. And that's why I enjoy hearing everyone's stories and learning from all of you.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

One of my current pet projects is reducing our electricity usage.

As Ima Saver suggested, I'm monitoring our usage by reading the meter regularly and writing the amount down, then calculating daily kwh. This really does work, just as monitoring your spending by recording every penny spent works.

I'm also turning off and uplugging things when not in use.

I decided not to try to cut back on laundry, stove, and dishwasher usage since we're already careful about those, and we're not about to start eating out more often just to cut down on stove & dishwasher use!

One area where I knew I could stand to cut back was hot water usage for showers, so I came up with the idea of a "steam free mirror" challenge for myself. Our apartment bathroom is smallish (just a single sink, toilet, and shower close together), so it doesn't take long for the mirror to steam up when showering. My challenge to myself is to finish my shower without one bit of steam on the mirror.

It has been almost two weeks, and so far I've been 100% successful! I either keep the temp lower (lukewarm), or shower VERY quickly at a higher temp. I also turn the water off for periods of time during the shower when it doesn't need to be running..

It's not total deprivation. If it's one of those days when I feel the need for a bit of morning pampering, if I'm quick enough and keep the temp low enough, at the very end of my shower I can turn the temp up and stand under the running water just long enough to say the Serenity Prayer and still have steam free mirrors.

In response to a question I received, this is a condensation of information I have posted elsewhere. Hope this little cheat sheet helps anyone shopping for a HDHP & HSA (or just wanting to learn more about them)!

HDHP (High Deductible Health Plan): I chose United Health Care. Blue Cross / Blue Shield also seemed like an excellent choice. I'm sure there are other good ones too.

HSA (Health Savings Account): Exante and HSA Bank seem to be the "big 2," but I chose HSA Resources Bank due to wonderful experiences with their parent company (Stearns Bank).


If you are thinking about getting a HDHP and HSA and want to learn more, I recommend the following sites.


For General Info on HSAs:

ustreas.gov/offices/public-affairs/hsa/ (US Treasury site; lots of info on HSAs; I found the "HSA Basics" tri-fold brochure to be especially helpful)

finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/millionaire/50127 (good article by David Bach)


For general information on health insurance:

healthinsuranceinfo.net


For specific state-by-state info:

nahu.org/consumer/healthcare


For quotes:

ehealthinsurance.com

We all have many reasons we WANT to save:
- Retirement
- Children's Education
- House
- Car
- Vacation
- Etc, etc, etc --- The list is endless.

But it goes beyond wanting to save ... I believe we all MUST save. Driving home from the grocery store the other evening I started thinking about the rising price of food and how these increases must be affecting families of very limited means, especially those who have not saved any money. It makes me sad. I'm especially sad for the children of those families.

We all must save, because we have only limited control over the cost of essentials such as food and shelter. Without savings, how will we absorb a sudden spike in prices?

For example, let's say you are a family of 4 and your average monthly food expenditures (eating at home and dining out once in awhile) is a moderately frugal $500. [I know some of you will think this is an outlandishly high amount for a family of 4, and some of you will think it's not nearly enough. That's not the point. Plug in another number if you like.] If, over the course of a couple months, food prices rise by 20%, suddenly the same food is costing you $600, $100 more per month which equals a whopping $1,200 increase per year.

How are you going to absorb that extra cost while waiting for your next COLA or raise? And what if you don't get a COLA or raise? How are you going to pay an extra $1,200 per year for groceries?

You might decide to cut back on your food expenses, perhaps by eliminating the once-a-month meal out and switching to lower cost alternatives (more frozen veggies and less fresh, for example). But that probably won't make up for the entire cost increase. And you may cut back in other areas. But what if you are at a nearly bare-bones budget? There may not be a lot of places you can cut back. Are you going to make your children and yourself eat cheap food that is of poor nutritional value?

***If you have savings, you have given yourself the gift of a financial shock absorber in the event of dramatic price increases on essentials.***

You can rework your budget, perhaps cutting back a bit here and there while simultaneously allowing your grocery spending to increase a bit to partially keep up with rising food costs. [To use the example mentioned above, that family of 4 might increase their food allowance by $40 per month, make up $30 per month by making some changes to their food consumption, and cut back $30 in other areas. Where are they going to get that extra $40 a month without ringing up credit card debt? From their savings ... either by temporarily reducing the amount they save each month, or perhaps temporarily dipping in to it until they can find some new or higher source of income and replace it.]

I realize that blogging about the NEED to save on a "Savings Advice" site is like preaching to the choir, but I hope that anyone who might read this who doesn't have any money saved will take it to heart.

Please do whatever you must to accumulate some savings. Everyone's circumstances are different and for some people it is really challenging to save. But you must do it, even if it is just a little.

Even if it's just a little thing you can do to save, go ahead and do it! Skip the weekly Lotto ticket and put $1 in your savings jar. Walk or take the bus instead of driving and bank the gas money. Something ... anything ... is better than nothing.

Thanks for all the great advice you guys give!

Power Bill: I hated my last power bill ($94), so I am now Whacking The Mole, unplugging things and asking myself and DH: "Are you watching that?" ... Thank you LuxLivingFrugalis! I also started reading my electricity meter ... Thank you Ima Saver! It really does help when you see how much you are using on a daily basis, rather than waiting until the end of the month and being "surprised."

Hair Cuts: DH has hinted that he wouldn't mind my cutting his hair ... Last time I was at Costco there was an electric clipper set w/ instructional DVD that was $24.99 and I went ahead and bought it ... In 2-3 haircuts, it should be paid for ... Thank you DisneySteve! (I'll admit I'm quite nervous that I'll screw it up, but I'm going to do it anyway.)

Dunkin' Doughnuts Coffee: This is actually a question for you coffee fans. Our Costco is now carrying Dunkin' Doughnuts Coffee, 40oz bag of Original Blend (Medium Roast) for $15.99. I currently use the Kirkland Signature brand, 48 oz for $7.99. The instructions on both packages call for using the same amount of coffee (heaping T per 6oz cup). I like what I am using just fine, but I have heard folks here and elsewhere raving about Dunkin' Doughnuts Coffee. I think buying one bag of this might be nice as a treat but ... Is it really that good? Do you think it's worth paying 2.4 times as much for? [Ms. Koppur, are you reading this?]

Haven't done an update on the house hunt for awhile, so here goes.

We have been doing LOTs of looking. All over the place. Not finding much focus. I started to get a bit frustrated and told DH I was starting to feel like this:



DH talked our situation over w/ one of his new golf buddies who is in real estate, and he said feeling like that is not uncommon for househunters here in Austin. The "problem" (if you can call it that) is that there are just so many nice areas in Austin to live, and if you are not limited by some factors such as job location, it can be very hard to narrow down your choices. In some towns, you can pretty quickly settle on one part of town you want to live in ... but not so here ... Too many great choices!

Nevertheless, we decided to focus on one particular area, one particular age of home, and one particular price range. Armed with those parameters, we found 6 houses to look at on Sunday that looked nice and ventured out boldly, feeling very confident. Well ... when we saw what sort of neighborhood we would be living in while finding a house that met our parameters, we realized that just wasn't for us. [Hmm ... isn't it funny how the internet photos didn't show the falling down trailer with 3 junker cars in the yard and Christmas lights still up on the same block ... LOL] We either have to spend more, lower our standards, or change the geography of our search.

So, back to square one, sort of ... Although I do feel better, because I know that we were able to set up some clear parameters once, and even tho they did not turn out to be the right ones, if we did it once we can do it again!