Something different

I made my first Skype credit purchase today for the purpose of cross-border calling.  I put $14 on the account, and I set up the Caller ID to display my cell number. I don't have home phone service any more, and I don't miss it either.

Within Canada, the unlimited Worldline long distance service is great value for the $3.95 monthly price of it, and seems to meet most of my long distance needs. I've set it up the local number as one of my cell phone Favourites so it doesn't eat minutes.

What I have been missing the occasional call to a chatty cross-border long-term friend. We have Facebook and email, but it isn't the same. The first call to her land line from my Skype account cost me 8 cents. I got voicemail. I might call more often.

Update, March 3:
I reached her, and we managed to chat for nearly an hour. It was glorious.

Worry, worry, worry

I'm switching over to an insulin pump. Trying to wrap my mind around the new set of numbers and who pays for what is mind numbing. As near as I can tell:

• diabetes is a treatable condition, and treating it buys time until there is a cure
• time (to live, to love, to learn, to laugh) is an especially nice thing to have
• the approximately $7000 bill for the pump goes directly to the government. Less than a year after I was diagnosed, the Ontario government started to fund them.
• I pay the pump company directly for pump supplies ($260 per month)
• the government reimburses me for pump supplies with a $600 cheque every 3 months, and while I do not need to send them receipts, I should save them as I can be audited for proof of purchase later.
• private insurance requires a copy of the invoice from the pump supplies to help with the difference
• there is a 6 to 12 week wait between the need for the pump supplies and the arrival of the first government cheque
• according to the pump company, private insurance may be able to help with the costs before the subsidy starts, and to trigger this help, I need a letter from the pump company which goes to the government to trigger a letter which I can send to the insurance company.
• when I spoke with the insurance company on Friday, I learned they don't get involved before the subsidy starts. I will be calling them back.
• none of this factors in the cost of the insulin or supplies for the glucometer, which presumably are still covered at 80% by my private insurance plan
• the pump itself will be attached and start infusing on March 21
• I made my first pump supply purchase on Friday

I've yet to file my personal income tax return for 2010. Fingers crossed that the correct amount of tax deductions have been taken from my source pay. I worry about it because the year that I joined the company, it was late in the year, and I had no taxable income.

2009 was a big year for personal tax credits, plus I was taking a dividend from my self-incorporated company rather than a salary. When I started the salaried position in October, I'm sure there was a new hire payroll form I filled out to indicate personal tax credits.

Breakthrough

With the statement date upon us, the balance due to Visa in March is $1,639.86.

My February restrictions worked! Well that, or the short month was just cheaper.

It's my lowest monthly Visa payment due since April 2010.

Wake up and check the calendar

I just placed another sell order. Gulp. For all of my ESPP shares.

While they may well climb in value, it's risky and the key point is that they are of value now. This isn't 1999 either. Nor should it be. These kids weren't born yet!

Estimated proceeds: $6,662.20. Some of this amount will need to be reserved for taxes.

Update, February 25:
Your sell order for 313 INTC shares has been executed and should settle on Wednesday March 2, 2011. You will receive a notification when this transaction has settled and the proceeds have been sent via express mail.

An app for that?

Inspired by a recent article on parenting apps that came to me though Twitter, I downloaded ChoreBank to my iPhone at a cost of $1.99. It's similar to a system we've been using, except our self-serve low-tech version is paper based and supported by a fridge magnet.

Every little bit helps

A client just paid me for work a subcontractor has been doing. I get a small commission. Yay. I've applied some of it ($500) to the credit line debt, and left the rest in the business account to cover upcoming monthly business insurance fees and HST owed on the delta.

Oh, that

We survived the week on a $10 grocery run, relying mostly on an overstocked pantry.

Under the provisions of your Employee Stock Purchase Plan and based on the percentage contribution you elected, 170 shares of INTC were purchased for you on February 18, 2011.