I quite enjoyed the  Carmel Brulee Lattes and the Skinny Vanilla Lattes.  So much in fact that I ordered Ventis.  That is the special Starbucks name for extra large or shall I say, extra expensive.  The drinks I had were between $5.09 abd $5.41.  Ouch!

Looking back at the week I had a coffee every day and one day I had 2.  That is over $30 last week for coffee.   Although the “special” coffee was tasty, this trend will not continue.  I may indulge once a week, but that will be it.  $30 on coffee in a week is ridiculous.

When shopping for a mortgage you have do to your due negligence.  While 4.19% is  a competitive rate 3.89% is readily available right now.  No doing your due diligence can cost you, but how much?   The following compares the total interest paid on a $300,000 mortgage over a 35 year term with the difference fixed rates.  All calculations are made with the same monthly mortgage payment amount to eliminate any time value of money issues.

5.59% - $378,788

4.39% - $191,145

4.19% - $181,151

3.89% - $157,386

As you can see a small difference in the rate over the life of a mortgage can cost you tens of thousands of dollars.

How do you avoid playing the rate game?  Call your bank and ask for their "best rate."  Then do some research online and talk to a mortgage broker and let them find you their best rate.  Whether you use your bank or a mortgage broker ensure that the mortgage has features that meet your current and future needs.  I will have an article on this in the near future.

If you have a question about the $$$ savings you may experience by refinancing your mortgage for a lower rate, consolidating debt or are comparing different offers from lenders please feel free to email me at mortgagemath@debtfreeby43.com . You will receive a reply within 48 hours.  Your email address will only be used to reply to your question and will not be added to any mailing lists now or in the future!

I have set up this email address to send an auto response that will include a link to make a donation to Debt Free by 43.  Although a donation is required to have your question answered there is no minimum donation.  Simply donate what you feel an answer to your question is worth.  It is that easy!

I won't get rich, but it is my hope that I can generate  some cash every month to take my better half out for a nice dinner.  That may decrease the number of times she refers to herself as an "Excel widow."  I do love working with the numbers.  If you need some help please feel free to email me at the address above.  I appreciate your continued support.

On Saturday evening we took a trip down to Calgary to visit some family and found ourselves needing a place to stay for the night.  Although we could have stayed over with the people we were visiting, it would have been a little cramped.  Sharing one bathroom may have been a bit of a challenge, also. We decided staying in a  hotel may be a better option. Unfortunately, being as frugal as I am, the $$$ put me off a bit.  It was suggested that we try to get a  better rate on Priceline.  The couple that suggested it has talked to us about it before.  The basic premise is you bid what you want to pay for the area you want to stay in. You need to choose an area such as a city and what rating of hotel you are wanting. The rest is up to Priceline.

We ended up placing a bid for $65 dollars and staying at the Marriot in downtown Calgary.  When we arrived I asked the woman at the desk what rooms were normally selling for that evening. $149 is what I was told.  I was very happy to learn that we were saving that much money. We were also very happy with the quality and service of the hotel.

We will be using Priceline for booking hotels in the future.  I haven't researched fully, but the only two downfalls of booking rooms this way are that you committed to staying once your bid is accepted and you do not get to pick the hotel you stay in, only the area.  Not bad for the discount though!

This year, howerver, I called my insurance company and asked if they could do any better.  After a few minutes I was informed that I had very low premiums and they could not do better.

My better half suggested I get a quote from the insurance company she uses.  She is part of an Allumni group plan and through her I would fall under that umbrella.  After about 25 minutes on the phone I was quoted $332 dollars lower per year for the same coverage I was currently paying for.

My insurance has since been moved.  When I called to inform my previous insurance company that I didn't want to be renewed with them they inquired as to why.  When I brought up the amount I saved they fully understood.

I was chastized a tiny bit for not making the phone call a year sooner year as we would have likely saved even more money.  I am glad I made the switch.  For the time it took I saved the equivilent of earning $796 per hour, tax free.

When renewing any product or service, shop around it could save you a bundle.

I began thinking about driving habits and gas consumption. From what I have been able to Google about cost effective driving habits, moderate acceleration until you reach your required speed are easiest on the gas tank. Anticipating red lights and taking your foot off the gas and coasting will also help with gas consumption and is easier on the brakes.

The light turned green and he was again off. This time I saw that he had to brake fairly hard to stop for the next red light. He was now two car lengths ahead of me, definitely making progress.

The light turned green and again he was off. About four blocks down I had to stop at another light and he has obviously made it, definitely making better time on his trip than me. I got my green light and was on my way.

Three blocks down from the last light I see the truck and the young guy talking to a nice police officer. By the look on the young guy's face it his driving habits were costing him some cash.

The moral of the story would be drive reasonably and save a few bucks on your gas bill, replace your brakes less frequently and don't get dinged with what I often refer to as the "stupid tax."