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Lamentations, Irritations, Finances, Etc. (again)

The post from two weeks ago was actually written late October/early November. Blur the footage to simulate time zooming ahead three months and here we are in  mid-February. And where is "here", exactly?

Well, here are the end-of-January numbers:

CreditorInterest RateOwed
Amazon Store26.49%0.00
JetBlue22.24%0.00
Chase Visa22.24%0.00
Chase Amazon Prime18.99%0.00
Barnes and Noble16.24%0.00
Chase Slate13.74%0.00
Chase Freedom12.74%-209.89
CU Signature Visa 211.24%0.00
Bank A Signature Visa11.15%0.00
CU Signature Visa 18.40%-4,176.45
HELOC8.40%-87,619.58
Bank A Balance Transfer0.00%-7,597.33
BankAmericard Platinum0.00%-0.00
BestBuy0.00%-204.20
Citi Diamond Preferred0.00%-0.00
CreditFirst (Firestone)0.00%-425.38
Lowe's0.00%-27.48
Total CC Debt-12,640.73
All Debt-100,260.31


Yay, down $4,500, right?  It's not much, but it's progress. Despite more veterinary bills, and a new battery for the car, and expensive deductibles. Progress.

Except now we have the taxes for the rental property, school and local, which are just under $4,000. So, technically, still progress, just... miniscule. And I still don't know our income tax liability. We see the accountant this month. Thoughts and prayers, people. Thoughts and prayers.

Our Caterwaul crossed the rainbow bridge. We did our best to spoil her during her last good weeks, and then suddenly it was time. We miss her. She was our last and we're not ready yet, but when we are, we'll try to adopt a bonded adult pair.

The Project That Will Be The Death of Me is completed and was not, surprisingly, the death of me. It did come dangerously close to being the deaths of other involved parties, were it not for my iron self-control, unswerving devotion to pacifism, general cowardice, and resolute avoidance of actual jail time.

Beware, gentle reader: herein beginneth the part where I really whine and kvetch!

Yes, so, if you read the previous L.I.F.E. post, doubtless you were thinking, "$2,000 plus for a birthday trip? That must be some sizable damn milestone!"  Yes, indeedy. Especially since there is extended family in the area, so local transportation costs were negligible and lodging in certain locations was gratis.

The high costs were the direct result of Spouse covering other people's expenses on joint outings. Some of these people are minors and cannot be held responsible, but the guardians of these minors participated in the outings knowing that they did not have the means to pay for themselves and their families, in the apparent expectation that someone would make up the shortfall. Since no one else who was in attendance has much in the way of disposable funds, I believe they assumed Spouse would cover it; Spouse believes they're quite capable of assuming anyone/everyone could and would step in. I would be ungraciously peeved whichever is the case, but what really sets my spleen a-venting is that the people in question are generally vocal on the subject of "personal responsibility". I've come to believe the phrase is code for "other people are to blame for their circumstances, unlike me." Grrr.  

P.S. If you're interested, when I write my Name of the Wind parody, the hero's name will be Kvetch. 

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