title explained

Onward and upward! something that you say in order to encourage someone to forget an unpleasant experience or failure and to think about the future instead and move forward.

My e-mail: jjmiller6213@comcast.net

Friday, January 9, 2015

Nine Days In

Today's high temperature was: 12 degrees
Snowy all day, but sun shining
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I cannot believe we are already nine days into this new year.  I would think that hibernation would make the days feel longer, but not so.  I am so busy!

I got up about 9:15 and looked out at a new covering of about 2 inches of snow.  At 9:45, two guys arrived at the door and wondered if I wanted my driveway and car cleaned off--for 10 bucks.  Sure.  It took them exactly 6 minutes, so at 5 dollars a piece, they made almost one dollar a minute, LOL.

I messed around on Face Book, playing my usual games and then read my e-mails, checked out a couple of blogs.  Then at 11:00, I got dressed and went out to start my car.  At 11:15, I got in the car, drove up and down a few streets in the park and then came home and parked it on the opposite side of the driveway.

I made my bed, emptied the dishwasher and vacuumed.

That done, I had a sandwich for lunch, watched my Soap and cross stitched.

Then I called the company who supplies my natural gas.  My monthly budget payment is $50.00.  Last year it cost me $51.00 a month for my gas usage, but on this month's bill was a "wanted" payment of $70.00.  I asked why, when I am only suppose to pay $50.00

Explanation, so many budget plan people had to pay more last spring in their redetermination month of May.  They were mad.  So, the gas company decided to up every one's bill, by projecting how much overage of gas we would use.

I explained that this winter is not as cold or fierce as last year and...since I got my new furnace last February, I have continually used less gas.  This month I used 5 units ( or whatever they are called) less than last year at this time.

The lady in customer service agreed with me and put me on a new budget plan for low income seniors called, "Shut-Off Protection Plan".  I now pay $45.00 for the next 18 months--guaranteed.  Plus, the company owes me a credit of $61.99 so I don't have to pay anything this month--which I noted to the nice lady PROVES that I am using less gas then they projected I would last May.

AHA!!

I will however, continue to pay $50.00 a month, because that is what I have built into my budget.  There may come a month when I need to use that credit.

So now, my gas and electricity for a month is $90.00 and that my Dear Friends, is not a bad price to pay.
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Being old is a full time job.  If you don't check every item on every bill you get, "they" can slip things by you.  I expect my cable bill to go up next month and will be calling them.  If you call and complain about the price hike and explain  you can't afford it, they usually will set you up with a new promotion or discount as the same price or, even lower.  

I made a couple of loaves of a new bread recipe I saw on Face Book.  Real simple and quite a dense bread and I liked it.  I halved the recipe because I know that in a few days, the bread will dry out and I no longer will want it.  Although, the birds will love what is left--stale or not.

Then I spent most of the afternoon reading up on my new health insurance program.  Checking to make sure all my docs and dentist are in the plan and finding out how much insurance will pay toward vision and dental work.  Looks great!  Free dental cleaning and x-rays and 50% off the crown I need.  

Free eye exam and $200.00 toward new glasses.   My deductible is only $325.00 a year, which is a tiny bit more than on the insurance I used to have, BUT my plan payment is only $19.90, with the dental and vision and I used to pay $40.42, without that.  I will keep track of all out of pocket expenses and at years end will see how I came out.

I am starting to get a bit bored with my own company, so I think tomorrow morning, I will walk up to Merle and Pearl's and have a chat.  She called to tell me our doctor put her on a NEW arthritis med that she just knows is going to cure her.  I researched it a bit and it is the same drug she took before only a different name.  I won't tell her though as I know, if the mind thinks the drug is helping, than the drug will help.  LOL

Basketball and football games this weekend and I'm sure some more good Classic Movies and cross stitching and perhaps some crocheting.  I may have to make a run for milk and Diet Pepsi, but other than that--I should be good to go--perhaps even until February!!

10 comments:

  1. As I mentioned to you before, I was thinking about cross stitch or something to do with my hands, BUT I don't watch tv. So, that blew the idea out of the water.

    Sounds good about your insurance, Judy. Mine is a lot more than that so now I'm wondering if I should have checked out something else. But, I've had the same for many years and as of this date, never paid a penny out of pocket. No dental or vision, so the dental was kind of rough this year but thankfully I had saved enough for that.

    Stay warm.

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    1. I had the same health insurance since I live here-10 years, but my dentist told me about the Medicare Advantage plans that include dental, vision and hearing, along with Part D AND medical. So...I went for it. We shall see.

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  2. I make croutons with stale bread which I then use in soup or salads.

    I wish I had your electric and gas bills! I need to talk to my cable too, I think we have the same one? Charter? I wish I had guys that could come around in winter and offer shoveling, too. With dense living in parks like that I can see how they can make good money when there is snow.

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    Replies
    1. Jean, I have Comcast--everything bundled for 120.00 a month--actually 104.00 but with taxes and all, 120.00

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    2. I pay $162 for my bundle but I may have more channels and/or TVs than you do. That's going to change next summer when I supposedly have to start paying for some now "free" stuff. I'm going to try getting them to lower it like you did. I hate that we have to pay for TV when we spent most of our lives with free TV!

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  3. Insurance plan, I have nothing like that and dental would add $50 a month and so far do not spend that much a year except for a couple of years ago with crowns - so never added. You do good and I also check everything but everything is more costly.
    Take care, warm and healthy... Use to make sour dough bread but probably use about 4 slices a week and not worth it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This was a no knead bread--bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water. Mix it up, let it rise, divide, let it rise, bake. Small loaves, but actually kind of good, at least when it was warm with butter and strawberry jam. :-)

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  4. Judy, good for you for calling the gas company. How many people would do that? I hope you have good luck with your cable bill next month. For years I was cutting deals with them by threatening to quit. Maybe they called my bluff, because they're no longer cutting deals with me. I sure wish I could get Fios; I'd quit my cable co in a minute! We used to use satellite service, but the trees got so tall they blocked the signal. The cost of cutting them down would have crushed any savings.

    Good weekend to burrow!

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  5. H is getting dental insurance and it's a job to figure out which plan is the best.

    We called our cable company last year when we found out that our son was getting more than us for less money. They lowered our bill to the same as theirs. They will usually negotiate. People just don't realize it.

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  6. For someone who doesn't 'work', you sure are busy!

    The time you spent looking into insurance, gas, cable will pay off, it all adds up!

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