Tuesday!

lyndausvi

short+sassy said:

CharmedPam said:

@short+sassy, are you lowering the price by $50/month or lowering it to $50/month.  If it's the latter....um hi.  I'm your new tenant. 

@Misskittydanger, one of my friends was successful in quitting cigs via vape.  Her and her husband did it together, actually!  And then another friend of mine tried it and didn't do as well.  Good luck to your H!  I agree - I love some scents. 

Haha, BY $50/month.  I see I forgot that small, but important word.  I have been advertising at $900/month, but now I'm dropping it to $850/month.  I'm thinking about adding in a "rental discount" each month if tenants pay even one day early.  I did that once before and had great results.  I mean, those particular tenants were pretty awesome anyway.  But they loved that discount and ALWAYS paid early.  Sometimes, it was just by one day.  But usually it was a few days early and, one time, they even paid 2 weeks early.

I would love that.  I'm always early.  Sometimes even 2 weeks.  That was because I was OOT until the 1st.  I would rather pay early, than be a day late. Even though I wouldn't be penalized until the 5th.    I can't remember the last time I even paid on the last day of the month.  Normally it's a few days before.

 I guess that is why our landlord isn't even raising our rent.  Which I'm surprised.  I thought for sure they would as it's standard practice around here.

sparklepants41

@levioosa sending you and your dad healthy vibes!!!

Edited: posted before I was ready 

WinstonsGirl

Trying again

ETA - Nope

OurWildKingdom

Hi WW!

Good vibes to everyone who needs them!

Wedding planning update #1: We moved the date up a week (it was originally American Thanksgiving weekend) to accommodate FW's BFF, who always spends Thanksgiving weekend with her family in Michigan. So it's the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and it's a pay week for me, which will come in very handy!

Wedding planning update #2: On Friday the 28th, I looked at an art gallery for a ceremony venue. I liked the vibe, and the price was right, but the accessibility isn't great. FW's BFF uses a scooter; FMIL and another friend of FW's use canes; and my Grandma uses a walker. So this place isn't going to work. There's another gallery we're interested in in a building that I know is accessible, but they're undergoing renovations and we won't get to see it until the end of the month.

I'm basically alone in the house till Saturday. Yesterday, FW flew out to Los Angeles. She's staying there for nine days, then flying up to Portland for a week, and she'll fly home from Portland. Housemate #1 is visiting her family in Virginia, and Housemate #2 (who is rarely around anyway and is usually working when she's home) is probably going to be traveling for business later this week or this weekend. So just me and the beasties. Probably going to take Mutt to the dog park after work today. He's feeling lonely with FW gone, and the cats mostly ignore or tease him.

CharmedPam

@Short+Sassy, yes I'd love the discount.  I wish mortgages could do that. I always pay it on my 2nd paycheck of the month, no matter where it falls but it's usually way before the last day of the month.  I like to have it deducted the moment i get paid so I know how much is left to play with till next payday.  I'm usually like "awesome. I can afford subways' footlong deal of the month and.....a pack of gum.  But a roof over my head!"

@Ourwildkingdom, sounds like things are running smoothly on the wedding front.  Fingers cross that you like the gallery when you see it.  Have a nice QUIET rest of the week!

edit: words

kimmiinthemitten

I'm back at work today and had to park in the far back (of our 165,000 square foot facility) thanks to meetings.  I'm not happy about the limp/walk, but otherwise SSDD.

Rosie is getting spayed today.  She loves the vet so much, I'm hoping this doesn't change that.  We were supposed to go to H's aunts for dinner since an out of state aunt is in town, but we don't want to leave the pup alone.  And MIL is on our shit list.  Every time she comes over, she is hyper-critical of everything we do and H put his foot down and said we will no longer invite *her over if all she is going to do is tell us everything we do wrong.  I mean we have been ripped apart in the last month for everything from our weeds in the back yard to accusations of not feeding the dog enough!  And when you tell her you're sick of it, she plays the victim and doesn't understand why she's being picked on or why H is so negative.  Umm, excuse me.  Yeah, I need a break from you.

short+sassy

lyndausvi said:

I would love that.  I'm always early.  Sometimes even 2 weeks.  That was because I was OOT until the 1st.  I would rather pay early, than be a day late. Even though I wouldn't be penalized until the 5th.    I can't remember the last time I even paid on the last day of the month.  Normally it's a few days before.

 I guess that is why our landlord isn't even raising our rent.  Which I'm surprised.  I thought for sure they would as it's standard practice around here.

I re-analyze rental rates in the area as I have leases come up and/or it's been about a year since the last raise.  So-so tenants will either be raised to market rent or will have a small raise, as long as they're still within market range, even if their current rent is at market.

For great tenants, I always keep the rent 5-10% below market.  Which means I either don't raise their rent or only raise it a bit.  I belong to a real estate investing forum and I can tell you all that is an almost unanimous attitude among landlords.  Great tenants make life so easy and they deserve a better rental rate as an enticement to just stay happy right where they are, lol.

@CharmedPam, some banks will give a small interest rate discount on mortgages if you have a checking account with them and allow a direct deposit for the mortgage from that account.  Not my bank, of course, lol.  But I have heard of such things and think it is a relatively common practice.   

@OurWildKingdom, good to hear from you and the updates on your all's wedding.  I hope the other art gallery works out.  Maybe it will be extra pretty after its renovations .

DrillSergeantCat

I started my new job yesterday and so far i like it. I'm supposed to have an employee but she was let go yesterday. I'm catching pretty well. I have terrible reception and can't surf the net even if I did have the time. 

CharmedPam

DrillSergeantCat said:

I started my new job yesterday and so far i like it. I'm supposed to have an employee but she was let go yesterday. I'm catching pretty well. I have terrible reception and can't surf the net even if I did have the time. 

Glad you're loving the job!  Sucks that you have less internet time.  
Job over knotting though

GBCK

mrsconn23 said:

I believe the city public school system stays open during the summer to provide food and/or there is some sort of service that through them ensures kids get food during the summer.  

Don't even get me started on 'free lunch' programs and the BS that they put those parents through to get their kid's lunches, how they are forever moving the goalposts, changing form requirements, and whatnot. 

I am a proponent of just offering lunch to all kids, free of charge.  I'd gladly pay more taxes if it meant that every kid gets fed and there's no need-based qualifications.  A child who has food in their belly is going to have a much easier time in school all around. 

I work at one of 'em.

We have 'camps' that are free that go through the local school system that are part of the free-lunch program.  BUT, the camp gets full.
BUT #2, however, is that if you show up during the 'lunch window' (like 1130-12:30) and say you're there for free lunch, we will get the kid the box lunch (You do NOT need to show proof of need--honors system on this one).  The red tape we do to get these box lunches delivered daily from the school system is ASTOUNDING.  pegging everything, inventorying everything, inventorying leftovers, returning stuff--making sure waste is noted.  It's....urgle.  I"m glad I"m not the paperwork person for it)

And assuming we have enough of the box lunches for all kids involved, we will also provide them to the parents, assuming there are enough extras.  But, that's an 'if'.  

BUT, it's still a PITA for parents, I know.  Instead of putting your kid on the bus and knowing they get fed 2 balanced meals, you have to find your way to one of the outposts where they will feed your kid lunch.
It's less certainty and hard to transport and all that jazz.

But I"m glad we do it.  And, funny enough, when we're looking for programs to cut, all of the staff is much more willing to cut the money making hipster kids programs than this one.  in spite of the paperwork.