Cptacek's Personal Finance Blog

Thank you Nex-Tech Wireless

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:51:31 PST

Months ago, we switched our phones from Alltel to Nex-Tech. They had better service and were cheaper. We got free (adequate) phones, a $50 sign up bonus and $200 per line we switched. So, $400 total. This went to pay off the early termination fee that Alltel gave us for quitting...

Why am I forced to pay a checkoff?

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:57:09 PST

Whenever you sell wheat, corn, milo, soybeans or cattle (and I think mushrooms, hots, cotton, well, most any farm commodity) you are forced to pay some amount to the marketing board associated with that product. For instance, for wheat, the Kansas Wheat Commission gets $.01 per bushel...

Thoughts about being alone

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:51:31 PST

Very not financial. Maybe controversial. But I would like to hear your guys' thoughts...

My cousin C is 28 years old. She has recently been having trouble with an ovary, and had a cyst the size of a softball that burst. She had to go in and have exploratory surgery, and in the...

BNSF and Berkshire Hathaway

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:03:27 PST

woohoo! I bought 100 shares of BNSF at $79.79, and just found out today that Berkshire Hathaway is buying the whole company! Either we will get $100 a share, or equivalent shares of Berkshire Hathaway! Yippee!

That is all for today. Too tired.

Rolling along

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:30:20 PST

Well, things are just kind of rolling along. For some reason, I have a big break in bills from the 14th through the 24th, and starting in November my one bill paying bank is going to charge $8 a month for balances under $2000, so I needed to change all my direct deposits to a different...

Good news on insurance

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:56:01 PST

Got good news yesterday. We had freeze damage on 40 acres of our wheat this year, so we had to turn it in to insurance. We had 65% coverage and the price they guaranteed was around $8.50.

They guarantee the 5 year yield average on that farm. The theory behind that is so a good...

Inspired

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:09:42 PST

I don't know why, but http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com has inspired me this weekend. I admit I haven't done too well managing my house, well, ever. Always dishes to wash, clothes to wash. The bathroom is dirty. The floors are dirty. I don't know why, but this weekend, it just...

is it tax time yet?

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 20:55:49 PST

Apparently, at our house it is. I went through my pile of receipts today, sorting them into farm expenses, farm income, job searching expenses, depreciation, etc. I just had a huge pile I needed to get through, and it is now residing in a 1" binder and a 1" pile, sorted by date.

Usually...

beans!

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 16:47:23 PST

I don't remember who exactly suggested this blog (it was someone here, on a blog, or in a comment to a blog):
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com
but it is pretty good. I like to cook using the crock pot, especially in the summer.

One post she had was how to make beans:
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/cooking-dried-beans-in-crockpot.html

I...

thank a farmer

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:16:19 PST

I was reading another poster's blog, talking about how high the cost of all organic, all local, all natural food was in New York. I offered a suggestion that she could start a container garden, or freeze some of the produce that she got during the season to stretch it out over the...

I hope I'm not this way the rest of my life

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:39:25 PST

Reading the forums has been a little hard lately w.r.t. the baby boomlet going on over there lately. I COMPLETELY understand the excitement, but I just want to quietly pipe in and say a little circumspection may be prudent. Especially with some of them so early on in their pregnancy.

I...

hot day today

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 21:09:45 PST

It was over 105 degrees today! Wowzers, it was hot. I didn't get much accomplished. My calves got out AGAIN and our neighbor found them, so I had to hook up the trailer and go get them, and then I got some water for the calves and our new horse.

Let's get caught up. I started...

back to work

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:40:43 PST

I finally found a job, after being laid off Feb 9 this year. Started this past Monday. I was making $96,000 before I got laid off and now make $60,000...but it is only an hour away (60 miles) instead of 2.5 hours away (160 miles), so I get to see DH every night at least. I also...

I love you, my little baby

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 21:34:46 PST

I am so sorry, my little baby. I don't know what happened, if I did something wrong or not. I am sorry you aren't going to be able to grow and meet your mommy and daddy and feel our love for you. I pray that you have already met God today and let him hold you until I can see you...

Wow, this guy is brave. Or wants a target on his back.

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Wed, 06 May 2009 20:04:13 PST

Unafraid In Greenwich Connecticut
Clifford S. Asness
Managing and Founding Principal
AQR Capital Management, LLC

The President has just harshly castigated hedge fund managers for being unwilling to take his administration's bid for their Chrysler bonds. He called them "speculators"...

Dear Senator Brownback

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:26:00 PST

Senator Brownback,
I was happy to receive a letter from you dated April 16, 2009 in response to one I had in turn written to you regarding FOCA. In this letter, you assured me, and I am sure many other Kansans, that you would vote against any FOCA legislation and that you would work...

My dog, Bandit

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:45:29 PST

We have a Blue Heeler puppy, only about 5 months old, but 46 pounds! He is such a good dog. Doesn't bark, comes when we tell him to, was starting to help us chase cows until he broke his leg He is about a month into having a pin in his leg, and should get it out in a week or two,...

Up to 3!

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 16:39:06 PST

Well, as you know, I'm starting to feed baby calves to try to earn some money on the farm. I started out with a Holstein bull calf (a milking breed) that I bought for $80. He was about 2 weeks old and already eating out of the bottle.

Well, a few days ago, the farmer that has...

How's this plan?

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 22:57:28 PST

Ok, I just need some other eyes to look this over...

I have four credit card debts that I am trying to pay off. Boo! They were from last year, farm start up costs...and I am really concentrating on paying them off. They started out at 0% interest, but that ship has sailed. So,...

Get to write off a payment to elmothespaceman

chrissyptacek@gmail.com (cptacek) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:54:49 PST

I'm on my way to buying some baby calves, bottle feeding them, and then weaning them and graining them until they are about 500 lbs. Well, at least I got one! One little Holstein (a milking breed) bull calf I got from a dairy. When they get some more bull calves I'll go pick them...