morning productivity

[juldea]

Accomplished this morning:

• Slept in, meaning set the alarm for 8:00 and hit it FIVE TIMES! until 8:45. Normally londo doesn't let me do this, but he's out of town so I can!
  
• Was bothered during this by cats, who pushed open the bedroom door and came to investigate me and the loud noise. Must fix door latch.
  
• Made up July's budget. Whoa, where did I get money? Hooray!
  
• This includes my credit-card-paying-off plan - card #3 due to be paid off in full mid-July! Hooray!
  
• Cancelled that CC's identity theft protection plan ($9.99) and enrolled in USAA's ($4.95).
  
• Checked credit score - 728! My score is now "Excellent."
  
• I will now go make breakfast and get dressed and...
  
• ...go to Melville Keep and pick some fresh strawberries for work.
  

Oh - I have $100 of my economic stimulus check that I'm keeping for a present to me (the other $500 went to that CC that's being paid off next month.) What material possession have I been wanting lately that's a total splurge purchase? I'm kind of afraid of my prevailing thought (get a (small, tasteful, been thinking about it for four years) tattoo.)

Comments

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Well, by tasteful I mean relatively small and in an unobtrusive location. And let me tell you, location I've thought a LOT about - I want it to be showable at will but not visible without will, and not visible when wearing a bellydance costume either. I've basically figured that a hip location on the side or front will work well for this, but I'm not decided for absolutely sure yet.

About a year ago, a guy I know online made me an ambigram (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambigram) that read my first name one way, and the name of my MUD/online persona the other way, and was really neat looking. Being as I've been both names for 12 years now and do answer to each, it's something important to me. (I have the ambigram printed out at home, but I think I also have it online somewhere, too, and can link you to it if you like.)

re: 728

[etherial.livejournal.com]

ENVY.

Re: 728

[juldea.livejournal.com]

I kept high balances and only paid of monthly payments for many, many years. It's bad for my wallet, but I guess good for my credit score!

Re: 728

[goldbug.livejournal.com]

Actually, having high balances and only paying minimum payments *isn't* good for your credit score. But having a lengthy credit history is. In fact, some experts advise not canceling credit cards that you've had for many years, even if you don't use them anymore. When canceled, they eventually drop off your credit history and then your history doesn't appear as long.

Re: 728

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Ah, I guess that answers my question about whether or not to cancel the cards I'm paying off!

Re: 728

[goldbug.livejournal.com]

Here's a good article: http://www.fool.com/personal-finance/credit/2007/06/05/ditching-the-old-plastic.aspx?terms=cancel+credit+card&vstest=search_042607_linkdefault

Re: 728

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Good to know! I never thought of it in terms of the percentage of my open credit that I'm using, and yet I've seen that on my credit reports each time. Silly me. Well, right now I'm using the frozen-cards method of not touching them, and that works fine.

[nemoalia.livejournal.com]

I spent my excess rebate check (after I made a mortgage payment) on stocking my liquor cabinet.

Of course, stocking my yarn cabinet would have been equally fun.

But what tattoo are you thinking of?

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Heh, I have way too much yarn, and I very rarely drink, so neither of those are for me :) But good ideas!

See my reply to dervish above about the tat.