Wednesday, April 14, 2021

What is going on

My life insurance agent was reading my policy (my old one left a few years ago) and she noticed my insurance expires when I am 77... it's not a whole life policy like I was told it was. SO Hubby checked his... his is 87.  SO  she is now looking at options so we are covered as both our parents lived longer than that. She mentioned Hubby's life ins company does mortgage loans and so does my IRA company. She is going to get the interest rates for us to compare to what we have and she will also have the refinance costs so we can figure that in. When I got this insurance they were a life ins company only. Now they do everything from life insurance to making sure you have health ins for the best price that covers all your needs, to helping you do a budget, getting medical supplies to keep you in your home etc.

Hubby is fixing Son 2's weed eater and leaf blower. Son thought it was the battery as both are battery operated but it's actually the charger and the battery. Son 2 gave it to us instead of pitching it. Hubby priced the cost of just replacing the battery and charger compared to replacing the the weed eater and leaf blower. He found a sale at Lowes. that had the weed eater aka trimmer and leaf blower and 1battery and charger. He then priced buying the weed eater and leaf blower separate. He got them separate AND even with buying both new he spent less than he would have just replacing the two batteries and two chargers. We will be checking yard sales for chargers and batteries as this would be good to pass to one of the girls. Mean time it means we can split the trimming and get it done faster between the two of us.

Daughter 4 is taking the title of my car that she has been driving pretty for the past year. She went and got a quote for insurance and it will actually save me money even with me paying for the insurance until she gets back to work. I haven't liked the car, sits low to the ground and that stresses my back to get out of. 

My doctor agreed to a teledoc appt since I only needed meds. Saved me 3 hrs of driving, $12 in gas and $50 co pay as our ins pays completely for teledoc or online visits.

Asparagus is coming in. In next three weeks I will be freezing some and canning some as bread and butter using asparagus instead of cucumbers and get tired of it being on the table every day.

Furnace is turned down during the day, oil lamp or candle is used at dining table instead of electric light when needed.  Electric bill dropped $35 putting it below our average for this time of year.

I used the 55 lb. dog food bag as a trash bag saving 8 cents.

I got flower bulbs on clearance to plant on the hill at the mailbox. 

I got Hummingbird food on sale for half price. 

We only got milk this week. 

We took the dogs to the vet when opened in the morning (it's a walk in clinic) and got their toe nails cut and Charlotte got her allergy shot. By driving them back to the old vet even though it's 70 mils away  we save money. ALL the vets in this area charge $20 for nails PLUS office visit of $35 . EVEN if we take all 3 at the same time...they charge separate office visits for each dog. We pay $10 for toe nails and if that's all we are getting that is all we pay... no office visit charge. We did get a $48 charge for Charlotte's allergy shot and HER office visit even though doc did check all three of them. Wilbur is at 103 lbs. Doc said that since he is going to be 13 yrs. old May 3rd he wasn't going to put him on a diet but for me to make sure he was up and moving more. Slow walking was fine. He still runs some especially when it's a motorcycle going down the road. He will stand on his back feet to hug me around the waist when he is wanting a treat. Rascal is 9 yrs. old, he weighed in at 78 lbs. and Charlotte will be 4 yrs old on Father's day weighed in at 62 lbs. Doc said she will probably be in the low 80s when she gets the boys ages. She is just a bit shorter in the leg than the boys who are pretty much same height.

I went down the basement ramp coming in from the yard and found 2 places on the ramp it's self that the concrete is giving way (ramp about 20 yrs old). We were already to replace the walls at the basement door and have those blocks. We got the price from a company, they want $15,000 and 2 wks. Another one wants closer to $20,000 and 3 wks. E suggested we talk to his brother in law that does construction as he would take in account that Hubby can help with the work (the other two said no and they would supply the blocks for the walls even though we have them already) and let us pay directly for the materials. Right now the brother in law is working a job out of town and will be the rest of this week before he can come price it. He did say (since he knows the house) that he thought the ramp should be lengthened due to how steep it was. It can't be ADA standards as that would put it at 96 feet long ramp but it would be less steep. We have lean forward to get up it right now or lean back some if coming down.  He would also look at it to see if we will be able to ramp that side of the kitchen porch or only be able to put stairs on that side. Right now there is nothing there as the stairs are on the other two sides of that porch.

 Financial changes will be made.

How is your week going?

Blessed Be