Let it snow!!

I spent last night rolling some change and gathering up the bits of money I'd snowflaked the past 3 weeks. There is far more of it right now as I had a bit more extra money for Aug paycheck.

I went to the bank today and happily deposited $290 towards my personal loan. Together with the $158 I did at the end of August, that brings my snowflakes on the loan to $448! wheeee

On my goal list, my next item was to make $600 snowflakes towards my loan, so that means I have only $152 to go to acheive this. I don't think I'll get that much before my next payday on the 25th, but I sure will try.

My $18 000 loan is now under $8000 and it is a glorious feeling!

a 'green' gift

September is my birthday month. It's a milestone birthday. sigh. Just another day right?

Anyhoo, my spouse actually got me a gift this year, which is a huge change (don't ask...won't comment). He got me a new line for my clothesline. I know...not romantic in the least but it fits our status (dont' ask..won't comment :P) I adore my clothesline outside and the only sad part about the arrival of fall is that my days of using it are over and I'm back inside using the dryer for many things and hanging the shrinkables.

We've lived in the house for 13 years and other than an occasional 'air this thing out', the line remained unused, unless you count when my older son and I pretended it was a badminton net. About three years ago, I started getting serious about it. I have no clue what prompted the change. I am far from Suzy Homemaker. I have to say, though, I love it. In good weather, almost everything goes out there. The only exceptions are undies, socks, and tea towels.

The line was ragged. The plastic casing was broken in chunks with the bare wire showing.

I love how smooth looking the new one is. Even goes through the wheels quieter. Keep here oh hot weather you!! I want to use my new line.

dratted laptop

I feel like I've written this post before. In fact, I have LOL

I came home tonight to find my laptop cord 'fried' again. This would be the third powercord I'd have to buy at about $80 a shot. Or else it's the receptor in the laptop and that is kaput. I bought one after year one of the laptop's life was over. They said the wires just after the receptor nub frey and stop allowing the laptop to charge. I bought one. It lasted until the end of year 2. same story. another cord purchased.

I knew it was going again. It would start flickering that it was using the battery. You'd jiggle it and it would be fine again for awhile. Soon it was flickering more and more. Tonight it just won't read that it's charging at all.

Sigh.

This is absolutely like clockwork. I bought the laptop Sept 2006. bought the first replacement cord sept 2007 and the second sept 2008.

And now that sept 2009 is here, it's gone again.

I wonder if this is a common problem for laptops or if this is a Toshiba problem??

There is a Toshiba in the Staples flyer that is pretty much what I have for $879. I could get that and my problems would be over for awhile...hopefully.

I will take my laptop in to Office Plus where I've gotten the other power cords from. (Staples wanted $150 for the same cord set that OP had). I will get them to see if the part IN the laptop is OK or if it is the problem.

If it is just the powercord then I will bite the bullet and get a new one for just under $100 and start saving liked mad for a new laptop. If it is the laptop then I guess I will have to go through the 'buy from work plan'. It would mean about $90 off my cheque each month for a year, which isn't too bad either.

Part of me wants the new laptop. The other part of me just doesnt want that kind of $ going out the window so fast.

A glimmer of an end in sight...

...ok to be fair the glimmer is really dim and a long way off in the future. Dec 2010 in the future to be precise...but there's a method to my madness.

I've been going over the stats for my personal loan. This is my thrice expanded consolidated loan that was used for a vehicle purchase, a trip and consolidating some CC debt. It is due to mature in March 2011.

My payments are $580 a month. Currently about $515 of the payment goes to the acutal loan and the $65 left goes to interest. That's a long ways from the early days when just a lil over $400 went to the principal.

Based on this $515 a month, this loan, without any extra help, will be paid off by Dec 25th, 2010. Three months ahead of schedule.

Of course now that I've discovered the joy of snowflakes, I can see how this can be sped up.

At the end of July I was running these numbers over and over until I was stressing myself out. I had realllly wanted to have this loan paid off my June 2010 so that I could start the second year of my VehicleLoan making extra payments every month. I drove myself crazy so I backed off.

Knowing that just the payments alone will get me done early inspires me to snowflake more. It's being paid off early so every lil bit that pays it off even earlier, is just gravy IMHO. Sure it would be great to have it done reallly early. We shall see what I can accomplish.

Freeing up almost $600 a month when this is done, will be fantastic! Oh the things I can do.

Opinions Requested

One of the sidebars reflects a savings (that I haven't started yet) towards a new laptop. The laptop I currently have is having it's third bday this week and is starting to show signs that it has less life left than more.

There is a program through my employer that would allow me to purchase a computer with my own money, get reimbursed through the employer, and then they take x $ off for the next 10 months or 20 months, depending on how long I wish to stretch it out. It's great because it is interest free and then only a smaller amount comes off each cheque. This window is only open in September and October.

I currently have a Toshiba which, aside from where the powercord attaches, has been very good.

My options are to
a) Save $1000 ish dollars and when I have the money, and this one goes kaput, buy a new one.
b) Purchase now through employer in preparation for 'the end ' of this one
c) Hope to heck this one lasts and buy through employer NEXT Sept/Oct
d) Save up $ now and if I need to buy one during the year, I have some cash and will figure out how to pay for the rest.

thoughts?