I was browsing personal finance blogs yesterday and came upon a post that really got me excited. The author was talking about the upcoming Feb 09 conversion of analog TV to digital TV.

Now I had heard before that if you already have cable TV, you won't lose your reception, but if you don't, and you have an older TV, you won't be able to get a picture without getting a digital converter box.

But what got me excited is that the author was saying you could get a picture with the digital converter box and WITHOUT cable. In other words, by getting one of those $40 coupons they're offering online for free and then spending $10 out of pocket for the converter box, that could give you a picture if you're willing to settle for the basic network channels. Hey, that's what i'm getting now, but I'm SPENDING $15 a month for the privilege.

It would be great to do away with that monthly expense if i could.

The author also noted that they got a better set of rabbit ear antennas for their TV and said they didn't have an outdoor antenna on their roof, an added expense (especially to get someone to do it for me, plus making it lightening proof) which would make it not worth my while.

So i also requested the free coupons, which should be coming in the mail soon. I could spend the $10 on the box and then maybe wait til after February 09 to see if by plugging in the converter box and then unplugging the cable wire, i could get a decent picture. If not, i could try the rabbit ears route, too, and return them to the store if rabbit ears didn't improve the picture any.

Has anyone who is content with just basic cable channels considered doing away with their monthly cable bills by getting the converter box? I hadn't known before that this could be an option!

So last night i got home from work around 6:30 pm. I changed my clothes and washed up, then walked out the door around 6:50 pm and up the street to my neighbors' house for their little anniversary party.

They had their great aunt and uncle there as well as her friend, friend's husband and 2 kids. I was the only one who brought an anniversary present! I had a nice time and when i left around 9:30 pm, her husband and their dog walked me back home cus it was very dark out.

I was a little disappointed they opened my present in another room so i didn't get to see that, but they seemed to like it. (??)

Her friend's husband, who is a painter, has a "30-year plan" which he says won't make him wealthy, but it will make his children wealth. Each year they buy one fixer-upper house after careful research. They only buy at bargain prices, and the updates needed are only cosmetic, nothing serious. Then they rent them out and make sure there's a small positive cash flow. They have 6 investment properties now. Hemade it sound so easy. I asked him if he'd be in trouble if one of his renters lost their job, and he said they could still swing it if they lost tenants on 2 rentals. (For how long, i don't know.)

I guess with the real estate market so beaten down, more people are interested in renting, so that bodes well for him.

He said they also took out all the money that was availalble in their HELOC and put it in a money market account so they'd have access to that money to fix up future properties. They were afraid the HELOC would be yanked by the bank. Smart move, i would say, though he acknowledged that he's losing 2% when comparing the HELOC repayment rate to the rate he's earning in the money market account.

I was feeling great that i got another freelance assignment out of the way today. The money has been coming in from past jobs done, so that is nice, but i don't really feel like doing them on my weekends. I'm always conflicted about this....extra money is always nice, especially given this economy and not knowing what's going to happen next, jobwise, but i work hard all week and sometimes i just want to relax. One or two freelance jobs a month would be ok, but i've done freelance work for the last 4 weekends straight. No more assignments in-house now, though she mentioned she had another one from a different agent.

After finishing the freelance job i finished putting new insulation in the basement ceiling where the insulation foam had dried. I'm calling that project DONE though I KNOW it didn't plug up every last mouse hole. I want to move on to my bathroom wallpaper job next. I'm not sure the $100+ i spent on new insulation was a worthwhile investment, since i was just replacing old insulation with new, at a slightly higher R level (R19 vs R12, i think), altho some of that old stuff was really covered in mouse poop. I probably would have done better to add to the attic insulation. I added to it when i bought the placd 13 years ago, but i've read you should have at least a foot of insulation (12 inches high) and i'm not sure mine's quite that much. I may have 9 inches, but one place i can't measure or even access is the center floor of my attic cus it's covered by a carpet and plywood. Who knows how much is in there. It would be a job to rip up all that carpet and i ain't gonna do it this season!

Still NO HEAT (as far as i know)
Boomeyer - Missouri
monkeymama - Northern California
debtfreeme - Northern California
Ima Saver - Georgia
scfr - Texas
snoopycool - Florida
sevenofseven - Northern California
princessperky - Charlotte, North Carolina
toyguy1963 - Ohio
Analise - northern California
Little gopher - Minnesota
Joan.of.the.Arch
canoineag - Denver
Buckeye - Ohio
Koppur - Massachusetts

Those who already turned on the heat:
Househopeful - Delaware Oct. 23
dmontngrey - Massachusetts Oct. 22
Fern - Oct. 19 Connecticut
mbkonef - SE Pennyslvania - Oct 17
Creditcardfree - Oct. 15
Nancy - Oct. ??
MilehighGirl - Oct. 11
wyozozo - Wyoming - Oct. 10
Mech - Oct. 3 Massachusetts
ME2 - Oct. 3
myenglishcastle - October 1 - Wisconsin
homebody - October 1