It's been an expensive week!
-- USPO Box Rent - $84 up from $76 a year ago
-- Real Property Taxes - not only are the bills inaccurate (blame the new computer system); the base rate "gotta pay regardless of exemptions" went up $41 from last year; and I was billed for an unpaid amount from 2008, which previous online records showed as paid in full. My records showed I paid in full. The 2008 added amount due was less than $10. I paid it to make it GO AWAY. Not worth the hassle of dealing with the tax assessor's office. I won't risk losing my condo for a $10 charge.
-- This was also the week to pay my annual home insurance. The good news??? The premium was the same as last year. I paid that bill PDQ!
-- Yesterday I went to the local supermarket. Several items on my list were not in stock. I ended up with three non-essential items in my cart, total about $10.00. One look at the long checkout lines made me rethink. I put the items back on the shelves and left the store empty-handed, heading for the gas station to spend that $10 to top off my tank.
-- STICKER SHOCK! When I topped off my tank exactly two weeks ago, the gallon price for regular was $4.799. Yesterday it was: $5.199! UP $0.40 per gallon in two weeks! (I remember when gas WAS ONLY $0.40 a gallon. But we won't go there.) My car will be spending less time on the road and more time in the condo parking lot.
Taking a long hard look at my budget. Some rethinking/reallocating is necessary.
Still wearing my mask in public.
Penny Pincher
