Archive for the ‘homeownership’ Category

Debt Update…

Well, I was tempted to skip over this update and hope no one noticed.

Darn my honesty.

We went nowhere on debt this month. Why? Shopping Sprees? New TV’s?

Not so much.

Our extra debt payments went to insulating our home and to pay to my brother’s father-in-law (combined with some manual labor) for some desperately needed furniture.

Perhaps the best part of this equation? We have a nearly new fancy mattress. Now, sure, it would be difficult NOT to impress me. Our previous mattress was more than a dozen years old. But for TWO YEARS, I thought I was an insomniac.

Turns out. I’m not. I just needed a new bed.

I would say I’m losing sleep over this update but for the first time since we bought this house, the temperature in our bedroom is over 55 degrees even though it’s 37 outside and our mattress is zzzzzzzzzzz…

My Debt
• Original Debt: $38,495.86
• Added Debt: $1,781.50
• Total Debt: $40,277.36
• Paid: $ 31,662.16
• Remaining: $8,615.20

Broken Down

• Auto Loan 1: $0
• Credit Card: $0
• Student Loan: $8,615.20
• Auto Loan 2: $0
• Vet Loan: $0

The Story of the Free Couch…

My brother’s father-in-law is selling his second home here in San Diego. He lives in Northern California, isn’t particularly interested in trying to move a living room set, and needs a little help in the process. My brother called and asked if we wanted the couch set with the caveat that we take the hot tub in the backyard to the landfill.

Slightly desperate for couches that don’t smell like dog pee (thanks to the house-sitting incident)… cancel that… DESPERATE for couches that don’t smell like dog pee, I called my husband to ask if he could do the job.

(For those who are wondering why we didn’t get some cheap couches off Craigslist yet, I read a Time Magazine article about bed bugs that gave me cause to think twice about touching other people’s furniture. At least I know this set is bed bug free.)

I called my husband to ask if he’d be willing to do the job – assuming he wouldn’t. Silly me. I forgot who I married.

I told him the story and he said, ‘Does the hot tub work?’

‘No sweetie, it’s old. It just needs to be thrown away.’ I said.

‘But is it broken?’ he asked.

‘I’m pretty sure’

‘Could I fix it?’

‘No. We’re…’

‘But I could try’

‘Um. Let’s just take it to the…’

‘I’ll call our neighbor to help. I’ve always wanted a hot tub.’

‘Honey, I only want the couch set. I don’t want a broken hot tub…’

‘I think I have some concrete in the garage. I could pour a pad over the weekend. Tools! I’ll need to pull out my tools. I’ll borrow the tow trailer from grandpa…’

I could hear him furiously scribbling on his note pad.

I clicked END on my cell phone. My part of this conversation was obviously over.

The best part about my husband, he can fix anything. The worst part about my husband, he can fix anything and he knows it.

All I wanted was a couch that doesn’t smell like pee. Now I’m knee deep in a broken hot tub with a husband happily puttering around with his tool belt envisioning outdoor sports watching and beer drinking while sitting in his hot tub.

Sometimes, that man can really make me laugh.

[[ Thanks Stef. I really appreciate the couches]]

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