2008 May | Out of Debt Again

Electricity Update

By Mrs. Accountability on May 31st, 2008

We had a reprieve from the heat over the weekend, but now the summer is upon us. We have experimented with the thermostat and it seems we can tolerate 81°F during the day but no higher.

Here are a few numbers for comparison; we are consistently using less kilowatt hours, so there is improvement in that regard.

February 2007 1553kwh $143.51February 2008 1494kwh $160.29

March 2007 2041kwh … click here to continue reading Electricity Update

I Love Housework; My Timer Is My Friend

By Mrs. Accountability on May 30th, 2008

You know – the honest truth is I actually hate housework. But if there’s something I HAVE to do, like sit down and put receipts into Quicken, well you know, the dishwater’s cooling and I really need to get those dishes washed. And the floor needs swept and mopping, too. Oh, the dishes have drip dried, they need to be put away. Oh, and look there, the refrigerator needs to … click here to continue reading I Love Housework; My Timer Is My Friend

My Personal Banker Left Without Saying Good-bye

By Mrs. Accountability on May 29th, 2008

When I opened a new checking account recently, with the bank I’ve been with for eleven years, the gal who helped me out gave me her business card and told me she’d be my “personal banker”. What a novel idea, one which I’d never experienced before.

This branch does seem to go the extra mile with customer service – they have a greeter at the door who welcomes you. I’m not … click here to continue reading My Personal Banker Left Without Saying Good-bye

My Ethical Dilemma

By Mrs. Accountability on May 28th, 2008

If I order something for someone else who doesn’t use the Internet, and I go through Ebates or MyPoints, am I stealing from that person by taking the rebates or points for myself?

As I mentioned in earlier posts, I recently started using Ebates and MyPoints again. I used them faithfully years ago, when I had less money but more time to find the best deals.

My boss doesn’t use computers, so … click here to continue reading My Ethical Dilemma

My First Time Using Craigslist

By Mrs. Accountability on May 27th, 2008

I’ve known about Craigslist and Freecycle for several years. I used to moderate one of the Freecycle groups when they first got started, but I had to bow after a couple of years ago due to time constraints. So I’ve used Freecycle, but have never actually used Craigslist.

This past March our youngest son bought his first guitar and started teaching himself how to play. He’s learning so he can participate … click here to continue reading My First Time Using Craigslist

I Haven’t Used Shampoo or Conditioner In 301 Days

By Mrs. Accountability on May 26th, 2008

I began the No Poo Experiment on July 30th, 2007.

What is No Poo, you ask? Well, it means not using shampoo on one’s hair. That’s right, I discontinued shampooing — with chemical-laden, hormone-disrupting, commercially-produced detergents — 301 days ago.

My hair is doing great. The first thing I noticed — and continue to notice — is my hair isn’t falling out like it used to. It is normal to … click here to continue reading I Haven’t Used Shampoo or Conditioner In 301 Days

Wet Washing My Wedding Gown

By Mrs. Accountability on May 26th, 2008

When you consider wedding dresses can start in the hundreds and end up in the thousands, I think my Goodwill wedding gown for $25 was quite a frugal find. But the poor dress was filthy. So dirty in fact, I suspect it had been worn as a Halloween costume, and the trick or treater had gone from door to door for many miles. I checked around to see how … click here to continue reading Wet Washing My Wedding Gown

Adding META TAGS In Dan Rubin’s Thisaway Green Blogger Template

By Mrs. Accountability on May 25th, 2008

My template wouldn’t save when I tried to add META tags earlier this afternoon. I got the dreaded error message from Blogger, “Your template could not be parsed as it is not well-formed. Please make sure all XML elements are closed properly. XML error message: Element type “META” must be followed by either attribute specifications, “>” or “/>.”

I’ve known about and used META tags on websites for many years. … click here to continue reading Adding META TAGS In Dan Rubin’s Thisaway Green Blogger Template

A Great Deal on Business Cards

By Mrs. Accountability on May 24th, 2008

This past week I ordered 250 business cards and paid ~$9.67 for them. I’ve been working for the same company since 2001. I’ve never had my own business cards, for a couple of reasons. 1) I don’t seem to have much need for them 2) The agency for which I work is a non-profit and we are always running low on funds.

In an uncharacteristic turn of events, my request … click here to continue reading A Great Deal on Business Cards

How I Got In and Out of Debt The First Time

By Mrs. Accountability on May 23rd, 2008

I was a welfare mom with $6000 in credit card debt. Living at poverty level made credit card use almost a necessity some months, yet I knew deep down inside it was wrong. I didn’t want to be in debt, so I did something about it. Here’s my story.

I started working full time when I was 16 years old, and continued to work after my first son was born when … click here to continue reading How I Got In and Out of Debt The First Time