June 05, 2019

Good morning crew,

It looks like my property taxes have gone up - again, and my homeowner's insurance has gone up - again, and now I can't afford beer and instant lottery tickets - again. So I am thinking about refinancing the house to take advantage of a lower interest rate.

But there are always problems with refinancing, like the microscope the bank wants to stick into every crevice of my financial life, not to mention the closing costs. And let me tell you it will take more than what I have saved in my countertop change jar to cover that.

It's a balancing act. Even if I do save a decent amount every month with a lower interest rate, it will take 18 months or two years before the savings pay off the closing costs that I will have to cough up on the front end. And by that time my property taxes will go up again, and my homeowner's insurance will go up again, and I'll end up burning the house down for the insurance money. There's never an easy solution. Never.

But, I guess it won't cost anything just to talk to the mortgage guy. I'm pretty good at saying no.

You know, I read recently that some people working for those multi-billion dollar technology companies on the west coast are living in campers and RVs because housing costs are so high. I wonder if the boss would let me put a camper in the parking lot of the office...

Laugh it up,

Joe

joe@gophercentral.com

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"My Mom said she learned how to swim when someone took her out in the lake and threw her off the boat. I said, 'Mom, they weren't trying to teach you how to swim.'" -Paula Poundstone

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"Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar." -Drew Carey

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"When I die, I want to die like my grandfather--who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming in terror--like all the passengers in his car."

Two buddies were getting dressed in the locker room after a workout, when the first man saw something that give him a bit of a shock.

"How long have you been wearing that bra?" the man asked his friend.

The friend replies, "Ever since my wife found it in the glove compartment."

Guaranteed to Roll Your Eyes

Three elderly doctors have been friends for many years, and one afternoon at the club they started talking about their final arrangements.

The first, a dentist, says, "When I die, I think I'd like my tombstone to be shaped like a tooth made of white marble."

"That's a very clever idea," says the cardiologist, "I'd love my tombstone to be shaped like a heart in red marble."

The urologist is silent for a bit, then says, "I'm thinking about having my ashes scattered."