Refinancing to Save Money

OK, we've actually got some paperwork here so we can go ahead and refinance our mortgage.  The interest rate dropped a couple times to 3.6something%, but it's pretty much settled at 3.75% for a 15-year fixed rate mortgage.  It would be nice to catch it at the lower rate, but the 3.75% is significantly lower than what we're paying now, and the required monthly payment will only go up about $20.  Like I said before, with the lower interest rate, if we continue to pay what we've been paying each month - required payment plus a bit extra - we will save thousands of dollars.

We have been thinking about doing this for a while, but at the same time we were thinking that we might have to call a Realtor and put the house on the market.  We weren't sure if we'd actually come out ahead, even with the lower rate, because there are a few fees to pay when refinancing - so we'd have to be able to recoup that cost before we'd actually start saving money.  But, we're still here, and FHA Refinance Rates are good, so we've decided to go ahead with it.  It should be pretty simple, since we're refinancing with the same bank and everything - just a matter of going over the paperwork and signing, so hopefully we'll get it all taken care of and locked in at a good rate before too long.  So we can start saving those thousands of dollars.

Now would be the perfect time for active duty military personnel and veterans to look into VA Refinancing to see if the lower interest rates can help save them some money.  They say a 1% reduction can save $100 to $600 per month, which can come in very handy for paying the rest of the bills.  Or, like us, plan to continue paying the same amount every month but reduce the length of the loan and the total amount of interest paid.  Either way, it's definitely worth looking into, but of course everyone has to make the best decision for their families.

Related articles

• Should I Refinance My Mortgage? (cascadesatstluciewestblog.wordpress.com)
• Four reasons not to refinance your home (theglobeandmail.com)

The Stuff I Forgot

After I published my 'Tuesday Tidbits' post yesterday, I kept thinking about the things I forgot to include.  While I was enjoying the wonderful weather  yesterday and soaking up some sunshine, I had all kinds of things going through my head that I was going to include.  Except that I was reading while I was out on the deck, so it must have been while I was working in the kitchen...

Oh well, whenever it was, I really need to figure out how to hold onto all the stuff that goes through my head before it's gone forever.  Blogging is supposed to help, but I have to actually get it posted for that to help.  Maybe I could get some kind of voice recorder to carry around with me?  Or I could just start a new weekly post called "What I Forgot Wednesday" and include all the stuff I forget to post Tuesday?  I bet there's no such thing as blogger's disability insurance that I could start collecting because I'm just not able to keep up, is there?

Does Anyone Really Write Checks Anymore?

I remember when we had to actually write checks and stick them in the mail to pay our bills.  Nowadays I go months between writing checks.  A book of checks can last me years.  I have all the bills either set up to pay automatically every month, like the car payment, internet, phone, and DirecTV, or I pay them online through my bank's website or the individual creditor's site.  There are a few places that aren't actually set up to take electronic payments, but I still don't have to write a check for those.  I can have my bank do it.  And, since I can do that, why would I want to write a check out by hand, stick it in an envelope, put a stamp on it, and actually mail it?

That's why I can't figure out why the Wisconsin Department of Transportation actually expects me to do just that.  When it's time to pay the car registration for the year, I actually have to mail the card they send back to them - in an envelope with a check.  Oh, I could pay online, but they'd charge me an additional fee, which I refuse to pay.  Why should it cost more to pay online?  It seems to me that they'd rather have people pay online because it would save them some time messing with paper checks, but what do I know?  Tomorrow I'll write a check and mail it off to renew Jeffrey's license plate sticker.  But I don't have to like it...

I know there are people who don't feel comfortable with it, but I think all banking, bill paying, etc. should be done online - or the option should at least be available.  I know our bank encourages it.  They say the electronic transactions are safer than handwritten checks - besides being more convenient for me.  It's even possible to email money to anyone with an email address and a US bank account, though I've never tried it. (No, I'm not taking volunteers!)

I have been checking our bank's website recently to keep an eye on mortgage rates, because we want to catch it as low as possible when we refinance.  It's also a good way to check CD interest rates and compare a Roth IRA with a traditional IRA.  Now that Jeffrey is 50, he can contribute an additional $1000 per year to either one of them.  (Just had to mention it)   The information is updated every day and all available without actually having to talk to a person, and that I like a lot.  When it's time to actually lock something in and sign papers, we'll have to talk to a real person, but until then I'm doing it all online.

Except for that check I have to write...

Homemade Bread Sans Gluten is Now Easy and Delicious

Moms with kids who suffer celiac disease know the hardships of having to live a life gluten-free. They watch their kids go through life unable to consume such staples as cereal, bread, pasta, and oatmeal. They themselves have to be ever-vigilant of the ingredients in the foods their child eats. Usually this results in a family-wide forgoing of foods with gluten in them. This is perhaps for the best because it rules out a lot of highly processed baked goods we'd otherwise stock the house with. But honestly, a home without bread is just not a home.

Gluten-free bread and other typically gluten-laden foodstuffs can be made with alternative ingredients from scratch, but tracking down the necessary ingredients is a pain. Then there's the dealing with the messes of making baked bread from scratch. After all of that, there's still the anxiety that comes with worrying about whether or not the right ingredients were used and the proper steps taken. It's a lot to ask for in the struggle to make bread an available edible for the family.

Luckily, for families with a member or members who suffer from celiac disease or have gluten sensitivity, there's a homemade gluten-free baking option that's non-messy and delicious. Bready is a bread baking machine that supplies those who purchase their machine with prepackaged gluten-free bread ingredients. You simply follow the easy steps that take you from a package of dry ingredients to fluffy, warm fresh bread that's gluten-free but flavor-packed.

Bready's gluten free bread machine can also be used to make gluten-free cakes. Talk about an awesome birthday present for somebody who can't consume gluten. There's no way a family used to tip-toeing around gluten foods isn't going to be happy about this product. Your next concern is going to be how to control your collective carb intake now that you can have as much bread as you want.

Saving Some Money on the Cell Phone Bill

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
 
We were discussing out cell phone plan the other night. We've currently got a family plan that allows us to share 1200 anytime minutes each month.  We've also got unlimited texting, picture messaging, and video messaging.  Jeffrey doesn't even carry his phone because he's got a phone from work they like him to carry because he can get all his email on it.  Cory uses his quite a bit for talking to his friends and texting, and I use mine once in a while.  So really, we're paying for 3 phones and lots of minutes, but we're really not using everything we're paying for, and any minutes we don't use are just gone.
 
I'm wondering if we could save some money like real TracFone customers everywhere by switching to TracFone.  We could still get brand name phones from leading manufacturers like Motorola, Kyocera, LG, Nokia and Samsung, anything from really simple phones to high-tech Smart phones.  You can get great phones packed with features like camera/video recorder, web access, app capabilities, mp3 player, and full QWERTY keyboard, for $29.99, so there's not a big cost to get started.   Here's a video showing some of the features available on one of the phones:
 



With TracFone, there are no contracts, no credit checks, no activation charges or cancelation fees. The difference with TracFone is that you only pay for what you use.  Select from pay as you go airtime cards or convenient no contract monthly plans.  There's a 1-year service card with 800 minutes for only $119.00, and double minutes for the life of your TracFone.  So does that mean you really get 1600 minutes?  Or is it just when you buy more minutes?  I'm not sure, but considering how often I use my phone, it probably wouldn't matter.  I'd probably be just fine with that, and it works out to only $10/month!  There are also monthly plans  that give you 200 minutes for under $30.00, and as low as $9.99 for 50 minutes.
 
TracFone offers great nationwide coverage and even international long distance for no extra charge.  It sounds like a really good deal, and according to these real TracFone customers the coverage is really reliable.  They had a cell phone signal when people who were paying much more had none!  And that's important, because it wouldn't help to save money on the cell phone bill if you had to give up service to do it.
 

Online College for Ease and Convenience

I got an email yesterday telling me that my student's bill was ready for viewing/paying.  Since it's summer, and school doesn't start again for at least a month (when does it start, anyway? I must look that up.), I wasn't sure what the bill was about.  So I looked it up.  Thankfully there's no payment due for a while, but he does have a balance on his account - for room and board next school year.  I never saw a break-down last year, so I wasn't sure what was room and board, what was tuition, and what was for books, so it was interesting to see.  Housing and food for next year at college - almost $3000.  If only he wasn't a theatre major who takes hands-on classes and needs interaction with other people to learn what he needs to learn, we could maybe research the best online colleges and save some money...

We live close enough to campus that I suppose he could live at home and commute, but when you consider the cost of buying him a car, the gas to get back and forth, and all the extra time it would take him to get back and forth to classes and all his extra-curricular activities, it's really not worth it.  Also, he'd still have to have some kind of food plan because he'd be on campus so much, and he'd still need to eat.  So, living on campus it is.

Now, if I decide to go to college, I don't think living on campus would be an option!  Or commuting either, because why should I?  There are so many online options available.  Being able to get a college education at my own pace and from the comfort of my own home definitely appeals to me.  I'm not going to be a theatre major.  I don't know what I'd like to study, but it's not theatre, so I don't really need that personal interaction, either.

There's a really handy site called DegreeJungle that ranks the top 65 online colleges in the United States that should make it easier to find the college, if I ever figure out what I might like to study.  Because I'm not going back to school just to go back to school - even though I always really liked school - even if it is easy and convenient to study online.  If you're thinking about online college and would like some help choosing the right college for you, check out the rankings at Degreejungle.com.

Splurge or Steal?

Good Morning America periodically has this segment where they have models wearing similar outfits.  One model wears the pricy designer version, and the other model wears a less expensive version of the same look.  Then the audience and the models have to guess which is the Splurge and which is the Steal.

First of all, what they classify as a 'Steal' is still more than I'd ever want to spend on an outfit.  For instance, the Floral Printed top with white denim outfit pictured here is a 'steal' at $188.  For one outfit!  Granted, it is cheaper than the $1,436 price tag of the more expensive outfit, but still.... And if someone is actually buying and wearing the expensive clothes, I have to wonder what she or herstyler are thinking!

Because, second, I usually like the less expensive outfit better - even if it still costs more than I'd ever spend.  I can't figure out why anyone would spend so much money on something that doesn't even look as good.  I don't know if it says I'm not fashionable or if I'm just instinctively cheap.  Probably both.  I don't get caught up in brand-names or the latest fashion, and I love shopping at Goodwill or from the clearance racks at Kohl's, Walmart, or Target - and often those are too expensive for my tastes.  Kohl's does have some cute tops in the stores right now that I'm hoping will make it to the clearance racks and down to a reasonable price.  We'll see.

If you didn't see GMA this morning, which one do you think is the more expensive outfit?  Which one do you like better?

Summertime in Branson

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
 

This summer would be a great time to get away to Branson.  Last summer we went to Vegas, which is trying to be a family vacation destination, but it's still mainly about gambling, partying, and drinking.  Sorry, Vegas, but you know it's true.  Branson, on the other hand really is a great family destination, and there are things happening all summer long.  National Kidsfest is happening right now through July 24th at Silver Dollar City.  There's a brand-new addition that's all about kids through age 7 as well as some great family-friendly shows.
 
We don't have young kids anymore, and it will be a while before Jason is old enough to enjoy something like this, but I'd like to visit Silver Dollar City and check out some of the over 30 rides and attractions they offer.  Moonlight Madness,  which runs July 23 - August 7, 2011, sounds like lots of fun because they offer extended ride hours and let you ride after dark, as well as hosting some great street dances.  Sounds like fun, doesn't it?
 

Besides the fun of Silver Dollar City, there are all the live shows Branson offers (Branson is known as the "Live Music Show Capital of the World") as well as shopping and golf and plenty of activities for everyone.  For a complete summer schedule, visit explorebranson.com.
 
The Hiltons of Branson are offering a Branson Best Value Vacation Package, which includes deluxe accommodations at the Hilton Branson Convention Center or Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing.  Each package includes two adult and two children’s tickets to the Legends of Kung Fu show at the White House Theater in Branson, two adult and two children’s two-day passes to Silver Dollar City®, a $25 gift card for shopping, and a $25 food credit for Level 2 Steakhouse. On top of all that, when you pay for two nights,  your third night is free!
 
Now really would be the perfect time to visit Branson!  Who's in?

It's Going to Get HOT

-- I typed this post once, but for some unknown reason, Blogger logged me out, and everything I'd written was GONE! --

The past few days have been gorgeous!  Yes, I do like hot summer weather, but I would be perfectly happy with an entire summer of days in the 70s and cool nights perfect for snuggling.  Unfortunately, that's not going to happen.  They say it's going to get HOT and stay HOT through next week.  And humid.  You know what that means - air conditioning!

Hopefully I won't turn into an icicle.  I hate when air conditioning = refrigeration.  I don't want to have to put on a sweatshirt when I should be able to wear summer clothes.  I don't want to be wishing I had some fireplace inserts to switch on for some extra warmth.  I turn up the temperature on the air conditioner as far as I can without it getting too stuffy in here, but I still get cold.  And yes, I'm watching the news right now as they tell me how dangerous this heat is and how hard it will be on people who don't have air conditioning, so I know I should be extremely thankful.  I'll just do my best to appreciate it and go outside periodically to sit in the sun until my toes thaw out.

For now I'm going to enjoy having my windows open with a nice breeze blowing in.  I don't know when I'll get to do that again.

Get a Haircut, Man!

Image via Wikipedia

I read an article recently that quoted 1 Corinthians 11:14-15 “Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair, it is degrading to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?”  The author went on to say that few Christians would answer that question with a “yes.”

Really?  Maybe I'm not thinking of it in quite those terms - that it's a shame, disgrace, or degrading to the man - but just the fact that men do not look good with long hair should be enough.  There's just something about a man's face that does not work with long hair.  I've never seen a man who actually looked good with long hair.  And if it's not degrading to be mistaken for a woman from behind, then what is?  There are some men who could actually be quite attractive, if only they'd get a haircut.  And nobody should need a Bible verse to tell them that - which is what that verse is saying...

I have no opinion on wilson cell booster canada, but that's my opinion on men with long hair.  What do you think? Are there any men who actually look better with long hair?  Show me.

Extra Cash for Old Electronics

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of uSell for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you're anything like us, you've got some old electronics lying around - cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras.  We have plenty of items we're not using anymore, but we never know what to do with them.  So they just sit around taking up space in our house and gathering dust.

Hopefully that's going to change.  I just found out about a site that helps you get Cash for Your Cell Phones and Electronics. Just enter the name of your device, model, or brand and then answer a few questions about the condition it's in to compare offers from top buyers.  If nobody is buying, they'll give you some suggestions for recycling or donating - so at least you get it out of the house and maybe even help someone in the process.
 
I entered one of our old cell phones, but I guess we've had it sitting around here too long, because no one wanted to buy it.  I'm thinking about donating it to Cell Phones for Soldiers.  That sounds like a way to help some very deserving people, and I know first-hand how hard it is on the family when a loved one is deployed.  Being able to communicate is so precious and important!
 
We do have some newer phones around here, so I'm going to have to try those, too.  After all, we're not using them any more, so we might as well get some extra cash if we can, right?  With a son in college we can use every bit we can find.  If it's not tuition, books, and housing, it's something.  Hopefully our newer phones will be worth something, and someone will want to buy them.
 
If you've got some extra electronics sitting around just gathering dust, be sure to check out uSell.  uSell finds the highest cash offers from top-rated buyers.  It's convenient and secure, and they guarantee you'll get the most cash for your items or they'll pay you the difference.
 

Your Other Left

Image via Wikipedia

I don't know why I let it bother me, but it still really, really bugs me when I see people out walking on the wrong side of the street.  And especially when they're pushing small children in strollers, or have ear buds in their ears listening to music while they walk.  I guess I should be happy they're out getting some exercise and not just relying on fat burners that work fast while staying indoors watching TV or something.

But, pedestrians walking on a street or road where there is no sidewalk should be facing traffic.  That means on the left side of the street.  As consistent as people are about walking on the other side of the street, with traffic instead of facing it, I have to believe they don't care - or no one ever cared enough about them to tell them which side of the street to walk on.  Either that or they think they're walking on the left side - though they obviously don't know why.  To that I say, Your Other Left!  Thankfully, our streets aren't very busy and are very safe, but it's good to get in the habit of walking where you're supposed to, just in case you ever have to walk on a busy road somewhere.  See Rules and Pointers for Pedestrians and Drivers from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Oh, and you people on bicycles?  You ride with the traffic.  You have wheels.  And tell your kids.  It's even more dangerous when they don't really know where they're supposed to go, and two or more kids on bikes split up when a car comes toward them, going to either side of the street so that the car has to go between them.

Do You Upromise?

Image via Wikipedia

I signed up for Upromise ages ago. It's a free rewards program that helps you earn money for college. Sounds like a good idea, right?  But only if you use it.  Unfortunately, I rarely remember to use it.  Now that our son is in college, it would really be nice if I had, 'cause we'd have a little extra money to help with those college expenses.

When I log in, Upromise tells me, "We think you're missing out on the EXTRA college savings you could be getting when you..."  And then they give me suggestions for how I could be earning more money.  There are still 3 years left of college (at least) so there is still time, right?

I just need to remember to check Upromise when I'm shopping online, because lots of stores offer cash back.  For instance, when I ordered the crib for Beth, I could have gotten 10% back if only I'd gone through Upromise when I ordered.  But no, I didn't think of it.

In addition to cash back savings, there are coupon codes to save even more money on online purchases.  You know how much I like saving money and using coupons.  You'd think I could remember to search for pottery barn coupons before I check out.  Oh, and remember those glasses I ordered yesterday?  Could have gotten 5% back.  5%!  But I didn't think to check.  I hate when there's money for the taking, and I don't take it!

It's not really Upromise's fault.  They have their TurboSaver browser add-on that's supposed to remind me when there are college savings available, like if I could earn cash for college or get williams sonoma coupons.  I've just never installed it.  Like I said, there's still time, right?

How about you? Do you Upromise?  How much money have you saved toward college?  How do you remember to use it?

Back to Work

Beth went back to work yesterday. Maternity Leave is over.  Well, it wasn't exactly Maternity Leave.  It was more like time off without pay.  Thankfully Tim has been working enough to pay the bills while she was off learning to be Jason's Mommy.  By the way, she's a good mommy!

Now she's back to work, taking care of 3 kids every day - her own and the two she watches every day.  She works as a nanny for a really nice family, and she gets to take her baby to work with her.  From what she posted on Facebook, it sounds like her first day back went well.  Eight weeks is a long time to be away from two adorable kids she loves.  I think she's happy to be back with them, and I'm sure they're happy to have her back.  Jason even helped out by being a happy boy and taking his naps.

So it sounds like everything is going well.  Of course, there will be ups and downs, but I'm sure everyone will adjust and settle into a routine that works for them.  And now that she's working again, Beth won't have to come to her dad for a cash advance when she needs something - and she can pay us back for some of the things that came up while she wasn't working, like gas for the car and an air conditioner.  The bad part is that we probably won't see Jason (and his mommy) as often as we did while she wasn't working.

Somebody Close the Garage Door

I stayed up way too late the other night. Beth and Tim (and Jason) were here.  About the time they were ready to pack up and leave, Beth changed Jason's diaper so she could put him right to bed when they got home if he fell asleep in the car.  Well, that woke him up, and he was so happy just laying there, talking and smiling, and we just enjoyed him for a while.  Still, it was getting late.  It was definitely time to turn off  with the Direct TV and retire for the night.

I suppose I could have gone to bed, but I was thinking that Beth came in the garage, and she'd need to go out that way - and somebody had to make sure the garage door got closed for the night.  When Beth lived here, she was notorious for not closing the garage door when she left.  And then, the other morning, we found the garage door wide open when we got up.  Cory had friends over, and we went to bed while they were still here.  They'd all come in through the garage, but he sent them out the front door, and didn't check the garage door before he went to bed.  So, when Beth wasn't leaving, it just seemed I needed to stay up until she wa finally ready to go so I could make sure the garage door got closed.  It's one of those things where I feel like  if I don't do it, nobody's going to do it.

Really, it's not a matter of life or death here where we live.  Those who live in Benton, may feel a need for home security benton, but here in Eagle we're pretty safe.  We don't often hear of break-ins or robberies.  It's still a good idea not to leave the garage door wide open overnight or the front door hanging open, just in case someone can't resist such an open invitation.  I'm just going to have to get everyone else in the habit of double-checking it so I don't have to be the one who stays up.