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Today is December 28th. Including today, there are four more days left in 2011. You haven’t been living without a calendar, have you?
For many goals, it’s far too late to do anything now (how inspiring!), but for a few, now is the time to triple check and make sure you’re not missing the boat by a few inches. I nearly slipped myself tonight after work – I’ve been getting thoroughly sick of my current set of speakers that I use to jam out at work, decided I’d had enough, and had every intention of running out to WalMart and dropping $100 on some new ones. It dawned on me then that achievement or failure could hinge on that hundred bucks.
Looking at the preliminary numbers, I just might be right! Not only do I know to keep my wallet closed for the next few days, I know exactly what needs to be done to hit certain numbers. Depending on Friday’s paycheck for finality only slightly hampers my efforts.
And then, there are a few goals that I’ll just have to save for next year.
You. Go check your goals! Time’s a wastin’ and it’s down to the wire.
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Following directions…
Yeah, we do that
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The PA Attorney General says that “if a debt collector breaks the FDCPA once, they will do it again.” Turns out they’re right. My early problems with the latest collector to get a hand on my electric account, IC System, weren’t really problems, even if they were violations. My first letter from them came about two weeks after my first phone call from them. Do I care? Nope. One of the first phone calls came in at quarter after 9pm. Do I care? Nope.
Both are violations of the FDCPA, and in turn also violations of PA’s Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act. Neither has caused me any actual harm, or even annoyance. Doubling my balance, however, does. The FCEUA prohibits “collection of any amount not agreed to by the agreement creating the debt or authorized by law.” Now, I have no idea what I may have agreed to with the electric company when I moved in to my apartment, but I highly doubt that it was that. Pennsylvania law allows for 6% interest on debts, which certainly doesn’t double anything after 3 years.
Wolfram Alpha gives an interest rate of 23.11% to double a balance in 3 years. That sucks even for a credit card. Fuck. That. Shit.
I was on the fence before this, teetering between just paying the damn thing, or letting the statute of limitations run out. But for such a gross violation, one that does adversely affect me, is it time to fuck the collector? While I could report them to the AG, that wouldn’t benefit me directly, if the AG were to even take action in the first place. Is it time to sue, and play the $1,000 per violation lottery? If I did, there is of course a chance that they would settle it right away, but if not, I’d either have to grow some pretty big balls to take them on pro se, or find representation that would be willing to work on a contingency basis (and also take a hefty chunk of the proceeds [which would probably be worth it for pants-pissing prevention]).
What would you do?
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From November 1 to December 1, my net worth increased an average of $44.61 per day, or $1,338.41 overall, to -$29,493.97. This is a 4.54% increase, and results in a projected zero net worth on 3/11/2014.
Nothing special happened this month, really. Chugging along, pulling ahead of my goal just a little further, and – oh yeah – busted the halfway mark on my debt! With 2.4 years to go, I like where I’m at.
I was going to do a giveaway to mark the occasion, but then I forgot to budget for it. Oops!
No magic number this month, sadly enough, as the spreadsheet decided to stop working. I think it’s a LibreOffice problem. Sidebars updated.
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A whole three and a half years after I bought it, the scooter is finally paid for. I suppose one could also phrase that as “a year and a half early,” but we wouldn’t want to be too full of ourselves, now would we? Original balance of about $5,300, she’s been my primary vehicle off and on since then, and my only vehicle for almost two years now since I junked my last truck.
How did I do it?
Hard work. Determination. Grit.
That's some fine grit right there! Literally!
Now, all that’s left is for it to actually be mine. You see, for those who weren’t around for it, the scoot’s actually in mum’s name and credit, because my name and credit were (and still are) quite terrible. So, rather than paying the finance company, I’ve been depositing personal checks into her account every month. Here’s to waiting til I turn 25 in January and thereupon cease to be known as a “young driver.” Such a designation drives the insurance cost up from about $100/year to about $600/year. The lady at the insurance office actually told me NOT to go on the insurance because of that insanity, and that she would call me after my birthday. Awesome insurance lady of mine.
Speaking of scooters, you may or may not have noticed that I’m trying to do this. Feel free to do those things you do with it, while I do that thing I do with it.
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