. My computer problems are now mostly history, although I still can't print; my new printer has been ordered and should be here on Friday.
I'm loving my enhanced 4 GB of memory; what a world of difference it's making.
A technician came to the house last night and replaced the motherboard, memory and power supply on my brand new Dell, and whatever was causing my problem was fixed by those replacements.
As for what's happening with that job interview, I had, I can tell you now they're doing a background check on me, so I guess i'm still in the running.
On top of that, I also have a phone interview set up with a large financial company in my area. They need a content writer for their continuing education programs, to focus largely on estate planning.
This, after many months of inactivity on the job front.
After that phone interview, which I'll spend all morning preparing for, I'll head south to do another focus group thing with a potato chip company. I'm the "floater," meaning I'll only be interviewed on my potato chip eating habits should one of their scheduled participants fail to show up. Either way, I'll collect $125 for my trouble.
On Friday, I'm having my home undergo an energy efficiency test, complete with blower door test to detect hidden drafts, up to 25 CFLS bulbs, insulation around doors and windows, etc. The work is subsidized by the electric company and normally costs $75, but I got a discount coupon from the Sierra Club website so i only have to pay $50, and i think the cost of those CFL bulbs will practically add up to $50, so it will be worth it.
I'm curious what that blower door test will reveal. This is a 75+ year old house so I certainly expect drafts to be present, although they don't seem severe enough that I really notice them, except for under and around my doorways. The windows seem ok, but who knows?
I went to the bank that holds my mortgage and gave them a check for $22K to apply to my mortgage, bringing the balance down to $38,000. I didn't plan it this way, but having done that means that with my normal payments, I'll have the thing paid off in 6 years, which is the same timeframe I'd been planning on for the many years I've prepaid the mortgage.
I still plan to continue with prepayments, once I get a job, so I expect and hope to pay off the mortgage before the 6 years are up.
Now I don't have to feel so bad as I continue to pay 6% on my mortgage (can't refinance when you don't have a job) and my investments make around 1.2%.
About $12,000 of that $22,000 prepayment came from a taxable mutual fund I liquidated. That will be considered taxable income, but I still think that even with that I should remain in a lower 15% tax bracket.
I'd been planning all year to do a Roth IRA conversion becus i knew my tax bracket would be low, since I'm unemployed. But I decided that paying down the mortgage would have a bigger impact on my finances then doing a big Roth IRA conversion.
back in the groove
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:10 am
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:28 am 1283387296
Good luck on all of the job prospects!
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:40 am 1283388005
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:16 pm 1283429808
They're ok, but honestly, I've had many burn out before 7 years time. I think it may be that frequently turning them on for only a minute or so makes them wear out faster, and that they're designed to be on for long periods of time, when they are indeed energy-efficient. I'm guilty of just flicking lights on and off, when i'm moving from one room to another.
September 3rd, 2010 at 09:22 am 1283505744
Jerry