Saved!

The trick with spending money, Janis, lies in knowing, with every fiber of your being, that it will return.   And so it must. As if on wings -      The Universe

Whew, glad the Universe was right. On Sunday I deposited a $750 check from a client into checking via ATM, and another check from a different client into savings using a different envelope. The receipt showed that $100 of the $750 had been immediately credited to my account, bumping up its meager balance, with the rest to show up later after the check cleared.

But yesterday I saw that I was almost overdrawn! Went online and there was NO record of that deposit, even though the savings one was there. I once managed to put a check in the deposit envelope and then stick an EMPTY envelope into the machine, apparently leaving the completed envelope on the counter. Fortunately, some honest soul took it in to the nearest branch, which deposited it for me and notified me. (I do write, "For deposit only" on the back every time i deposit a check.)

I transferred funds from my daughter's savings account into my checking to keep all hell from  breaking loose.

Then I called the local branch. A woman there explained that the check wouldn't show up until after Monday night. (But why did the savings deposit show?) Still, I was worried I''d made the same stupid mistake as several years ago.

Today, it is there.

And yesterday, my retainer check from New York, which usually shows up the sixth of the month or later, arrived EARLY! This means between the two of them, I can prepay my heating oil bill. Found a letter from the oil company inviting customers to do so if they cough up the money ($2590 in my case) by Friday. This will let us lock in a (presumably) lower rate. i was able to do this last year, and we paid "only" $2.19 per gallon all winter. This rate wil be $2.59. Now I can do it.

Thank you, Universe!

It takes money to save money

A rare rant from this corner.

t's hard to think about winter heating bills when it's nearing 100 degrees here, but I' did so today. As mentioned in an earlier post, I coughed up a lot of money and now have a fuel oil contract guaranteeing the price of $2.59 a gallon *or less* (took out a $99.95 "insurance" policy that says I'll be guaranteed the lower price if it drops below the prepaid price).

But you know what? This system IS NOT FAIR!!!

The way the deal worked is that one could only take advantage of this offer for "loyal customers" if one paid by cash or check only. "Credit cards cannot be accepted for the program." This same company accepts credit cards for all other oil purchases! So basically, the discount is only available to people who are fortunate enough to rhave big chunks of cash on hand. The people who really could benefit from this plan -- the working poor, or those on fixed incomes -- can't take advantage of it!

I've seen this kind of thing elsewhere. I imagine the heating fuel company has good reason to do this (maybe it's charged a lot by the credit card companies?) but it still infuriates me.

Into the pool!

Alison (minister who happens to live nearby) called, and we ended up inaugurating the pool late this afternoon. It  was really nice. Her husband had dropped her off on the way to the lake, and came by later to pick her up, and we sat out in the screen room on the deck and had gin and tonics and crackers and cheese.

My own husband had gone fishing. He got home just after they left, which was a shame.

Now I'm making pasta prima vera (ok, pasta prima summer, whatever that translates into). 

Jesse Cat had his staples out on Monday, and has delivered two short-tailed shrews to the door since, so I guess he's back on the time clock full time. Last night he slept with us, and I asked him telepathically if he would lie on my abdomen, as it hurt (gas/bloat/whatever hits women my hormonal age), and he did. Had never done that before. So I guess I am connecting with him in that manner.

Bob is coming to install the new deck door tomorrow. It will be delivered in the morning. My husband is on vacation and will be home if need be, as I will be across the river having the second radiation treatment. Then I'll go get the samurai from the airport. From a comment she left in an earlier post here, sounds like she did connect with A Certain Person from a past life.

I'm tired, but things go well.