Finances are looking up
We have been able to refinance the mortgage for a lower interest rate, and my bank is handling it now, so making payments is much faster and easier. I’ve also set up Bill Pay with the bank. I love it, because we don’t have to log in to various websites and we avoid convenience fees at the same time, plus it takes about ten minutes to pay the bills as opposed to an hour and a half.
Our emergency fund is looking pretty healthy, although it has a way to go yet. Saving is now automatic for us instead of being an afterthought. Just as there is always time for the things that are put first, there is money for saving when we make it a priority.
Our utility bills are a lot lower this year than last, because we’ve been making some adjustments there also. When we are able to plant some trees in the back yard, we can save even more money on cooling.
I don’t think we’re going to be adding a tankless water heater any time soon, because it requires the wiring to be changed, and that’s more than we want to take on.
We have stopped buying commercial cleaners, since the ones I make are so effective and much less expensive.
Borax, Baking Soda, Dawn dishwashing liquid, white vinegar and water couldn’t be simpler to combine in various configurations, and work just fine.