Bargains

I hate to let Anonymous stay at the top of the page for too long, so I'll tell you about how we're spending our money.  This time it isn't about envelopes, much.  
Our Grand Marquis is rear-wheel drive, meaning it's useless in snow or on icy roads.  Last winter we had to use our ancient Ford four-wheel-drive pickup for a solid month because of bad road conditions.  
This year, Cliff said, we're getting snow tires.  Thanks to budgeting, there's actually going to be money in checking this week to get the snow tires, studded, even.  So today's the day.  I'll lay odds it will be the mildest winter in history, making snow tires unnecessary, because that seems to be the way things happen.  However, it's a comfort knowing we'll be able to get around in our car if there's a blizzard or, more likely in this neck of the woods, an ice storm.  
I'm still watching prices on the Nook ereader:  Best Buy will have them on Black Friday as a door buster for $99.  However, Barnes and Noble has been selling reconditioned ones on Ebay for that price for quite awhile, and the 3G one is only $119.  I have my $99 set aside, waiting for the right opportunity.   
Amazon has a Garmin for $99 now, so I'm thinking this is the time to get another one, one that's current with new roads.  There's nothing wrong with the one we have except that sometimes it thinks we're out in the middle of a field instead of on the road; when that happens, the lady in the Garmin gets upset and yells at us to turn around.
Taxes are due by January 1, and I have that mostly squirreled away in the bank.  I intend to pay with a credit card, though, because of the rewards we get for using it.  As soon as the bill comes in January, I'll pay it in full.  
Did you know there's an extra payday in December?  That is perfect timing!  If ever humanity needed an extra payday, December would be the time.   
Alrighty then, Anonymous has lost his place of prominence.  

Nope, banks don't make mistakes

As Cliff and I were taking our walk this morning, I realized what happened with my checking account: Grandson gave me cash to replace what I had transferred out of his savings. Due to his needing a new tailpipe and muffler on his truck, I told him I'd just put it in my checking account and leave it, and when he got the work done on his truck I'd write him a check; which I did, and entered it in my checkbook.

I failed to write that deposit of his cash down, though.

I guess you could call it a small miracle. Because it's money I didn't realize I had.

Thanks, God! I'll take my miracles where I can find them.

And as for the grandson's phone: He bought a new cell phone to replace the one that he lost that was run over. He got the most expensive one T-Mobile has: It's also an MP3 player. The fact that he's had bad credit in the past doesn't help, with T-Mobile bills. For him to live here, one of our requirements is that he pay his bills on time, and hopefully clean up his credit problems. So far, so good.

Do banks make mistakes?

I usually start my day with a little Bible-reading and a prayer. Mostly I give thanks when I pray; I try not to ask favors of God, figuring He's handled things without my suggestions for a long time. Today, however, I did mention to Him that I could use a little extra cash for our upcoming Branson trip.

Later, I logged onto my online banking site to see that all recent checks, except one for about $45, have cleared. And the bank seems to think I have over $250 more than my checkbook attests to.

I wracked my brain, poring over the checkbook to see where my error occurred. I'm a sloppy bookkeeper at best, and I knew I had to have made a mistake someplace... a mistake which, if corrected, could be the answer to my morning prayer! $250 would be plenty of dough for us to spread around Branson, considering that we'll be having a lot of our fun right there at the condo.

But I found no glaring error in the checkbook, so I returned to my online statement. I decided to start by going over all deposits, to see if I'd missed listing one. That's when I found the mistake, and it isn't mine... it's the bank's.

I did an online transfer Friday for $265, from my grandson's savings account to my checking account, so I could pay his phone bill online for him. (I know, who pays that much for a cell phone? But that's none of my business.)

The bank has the transfer listed; but it also a separate deposit on the same day for the same exact amount... a deposit that doesn't exist. They've somehow listed the same deposit twice: one as a transfer, one as an actual deposit.

So today I'll call the bank and get it cleared up.

If they were to tell me I could keep it, I'd be back to tell you that the age of miracles isn't past.

God has done a lot of fantastic things for me, and answered many prayers (my horse, Blue, is an example). He's gotten us through some rough financial spots. But He's never flat-out given me a handout from the bank.

I'll let you know if He's changed His tactics.