Posts filed under ‘expenses’
Are You Willing to Spend More for Clean Energy?
A few weeks ago I received our rate renewal form from our electric supply company. I read over the documentation and noticed that there were two options available.
Here are the original rates in the renewal notice I received:
- .0929 per kWH for 5% wind
- .097 per kWH for 50% wind
As you can see if I want to receive 50% of my electricity from a renewable source, (in this case wind), I have to pay more per kWH hour. Here is some information on wind power from the company who provides my electricity.
Wind power, the world’s fastest growing energy resource, displaces conventional power, reduces carbon dioxide and your carbon footprint, and helps eliminate air pollution problems such as smog and acid rain. Plus, wind is an unlimited resource with an unlimited supply!
I googled wind powered energy and after reading some very interesting details about wind farms I decided that I was willing to pay a higher premium for clean, renewable energy. Of course, before sending in the renewal form I called the electric supply company to inquire about rates. I also researched comparable rates for other companies offering clean energy alternatives.
Over the phone I was provided with the following rates:
- .088 per kWH for 5% wind
- .092 per kWH for 50% wind
I had already decided to select the 50% wind option, but hearing the new rate sealed the deal. I received the environmentally friendly choice at less than I would have paid for only 5% wind power, (.092 versus .0929), if I had sent in the original renewal form.
I certainly could have saved more money by choosing traditional energy sources, but from an environmental perspective I feel good about my decision.
So what about you? Would you be willing to spend more money for clean, renewable energy?
What’s Next? Another Unexpected Expense!
The past few months have been filled with unexpected expenses. First we had trouble with the car, then extensive work was required to repair cracked pipes that left our house smelling of sewage, the pipework left huge holes in our walls so then there were costs for repair work and now on top of everything else our air conditioner stopped working! I’ve been hesitant to review the numbers but today I decided to add up the total.
Pipe Work & Plumbing (Due to Sewage Smell)
- $900 – Original Fix Replaced Toilet & Resealed
- $4700 – Replacement of Cast Iron Pipes to PVC
- $165 – Drain Cleaning
- $700 – Replacement of Metal Sink
- Total = $6465.00
- $2200 – Repair and Painting of Walls Damaged From Pipe Work
- $143.69 – Paint Required for Damaged Walls
- Total = $2,343.69
- $875.19 – Car Maintenance Costs
- $40 – Diagnostic Cost for Car
- Total = $915.19
- ?? – Analysis Performed Friday (Fuses Replaced)
- $4000 – New Air Conditioning Unit (Fuses blew again)
- Total = $4,000+
Total for unexpected repairs so far: $13,723.88!
In addition to the unexpected expenses we also refinanced two properties which will cost us an additional $7,000 or so in closing costs. Refinancing will save us $151,000 in interest over the life of the two loans, but right now an additional $7,000 in costs stings.
Add it all together you see $20,000 in unexpected and unusual expenses for the month! That’s a crazy amount of money!
Why Yes That Is Sewage Water You Smell
Ahhhh, nothing like waking up, walking down the hall and smelling the glorious stench of raw sewage. That’s exactly how I spent the first few minutes of my morning. My house was built in the early 1950s and the drains for the shower can be accessed through a panel in our hallway. As I walked past that little door this morning I was inundated with the oh so pleasant smell of garbage and sewage water.
So, what’s a girl to do but call the plumber and hope for an easy and not too expensive solution. Before calling the plumbers I noticed that the room beneath that bathroom had some water damage in the ceiling. Hooray, hooray we’ll fix the bathroom issue and then fix the damaged plaster.
The plumbers came out about an hour later and explained that a rickety old toilet may be the culprit. They pulled the toilet back from the floor and showed me how all of the parts in my 50 year old toilet had rusted out. They further explained that the toilet was barely holding onto the floor and that the hole to the sewage line was exposed whenever the toilet shifted about on the one screw that seemed to keep it bolted in place.
The fix $300 to $400. My suggestion to go ahead and replace the ancient commode another $600 after parts and labor. $900 later I am now the proud owner of a newly installed toilet. The plumbers took their money and happily offered to return if any other problems arose.
Well I’m afraid to say I just wondered upstairs and noticed that the stink of sewage is not dissipating. I now wonder if the toilet was not causing the water damage or stench in my home after all. Let’s hope another call to the plumbers is not required tomorrow.
A Little Advice… Clothes for the Hospital
Budgeting for Baby
You should’ve seen me yesterday. I must have opened ten different browser tabs, gnucash (our financial tracking software) and three different spreadsheets. My goal: to figure out just how much money we have and how much money I would like us to have before the baby makes his or her appearance.
How Much Did We Spend On Lunch?
As I looked over the 2007 income statement I wasn’t surprised by too many of the numbers. As usual we spent quite a bit of money on our two homes. Over $37,000 in interest payments alone. My husband’s new $10,000 camera equipment was a little higher than I expected, but we both see that as an investment towards a future career. For the most part we kept our discretionary expenses at a minimum. Books, clothing, furniture, and travel expenses were all quite low. Although I would, of course, like to see some of those categories even lower.
I was surprised by one and only one number: our food bill. My husband and I live alone, no children, no relatives. Our total food bill was roughly $10,500. $4000 was spent on groceries while $6000 was spent on eating out. Broken down $4000 averaged over 12 months is $333 and $6000 is roughly $500. Those numbers don’t seem as horrible, but the amazing thing about that figure is that my husband and I almost never go out for dinner.
Honestly, it’s not so much an issue of frugality as it is an issue of time. My husband and I often work late and drive long distances to and from work. Whoever arrives home first starts cooking dinner, in the hopes that it will be ready when the other spouse arrives home.
What’s amazing about the $500 a month figure is that the majority of these expenses come from purchasing weekday lunches. It’s $5 here, $7 there, and then a few weekend lunches and wham you’re up to $500 a month.
But the problem is I no longer see lunch as a clear discretionary expense. My husband and I both enjoy eating lunch out. Lunch provides a short escape from the work world with people who’s company we enjoy. Although I’m frugal in just about every other aspect of life this is one area I cannot seem to overcome. I realize this is probably the sign of a bigger problem, like the need to find a new job, but for now I need to decide is the brief escape from work worth $6000?
