9:07 am - Sun 2.15.2009
Fun With Finances

So here we are.

While I'd like to have other, more interesting thoughts to think, the thoughts I'm currently thinking are still centering on issues financial in nature.

As I said in my last entry, I've cut back on cable and land-line phone service; now I'm wondering what else I can do.

Trying to prioritize. Trying to be creative. Trying to make this a positive thing; not thinking "Oh shit, I'm going under!", but instead thinking "If I do this stuff, I won't go under...".

I'm thinking I could probably do cheaper car insurance.

The first order of business will be to call my current insurer - Met Life - to see if they can give me any breaks (They should, really - I drive my car much less than the average, and certainly less than the average Los Angeleno - but if not, it's not like they're the only game in town).

I don't know if there's anything to do about my cell phone - I have to double-check, but contract-wise, I think I'm stuck with AT$T for another year-and-a-half (I got sucked into the free-phone-upgrade-if-you-extend-your-contract thing) - but it couldn't hurt to see if they have some basic "poor people service" they don't like to advertise.

(I regret the decision to extend my cell phone contract, because what I wish I could do right now is go with Metro PCS or someplace like that, where you get unlimited minutes for a flat rate. But that doesn't seem to be an option at this juncture.)

Of course, the two biggest, downright monolithic expenses are rent and food.

Even though the last thing in the world I want to do right now is move, I did recently check some listings.

It did not make me feel hopeful.

While my search was not exhaustive, based on what I saw (And from casual checking over the years), it would be simply impossible for me to do any better, in terms of rent, while getting what I currently have (A spacious "single" in a conveniently located area that doesn't scare me too much).

In fact, what I currently pay seems to be the low-end of rents for singles in my immediate area (I guess that's what you call "gentrification", when they try to get scumbags like me out of the neighborhood).

I was initially excited about the possibility of a place called Artiste Apartments.

The website listed their prices for "bachelors" - a step down from what I have now - as being from $575-675.

But when I emailed the manager at one of their locations, he told me that was old information, and now they rent from $625-700 (In comparison, I currently pay $720).

I may email the guy back, and see if I can at least see what the $625 apartments look like (I'm guessing "small" will spring to mind), but if I'm going to "go down in the world", I'd really like more bang for my buck in terms of savings.

Anyway...

Well, things have gotten away from me, and it's almost time to head out to WW, so I'll have to save the "food" part of these financial ramblings for later (I've been thinking about a WW-centric entry anyway, so I'll probably "fold it into" that).

Have I mentioned lately that I really would like to book something...?

(Seems foolhardy to want acting to serve as the cavalry, riding to my rescue, but here we are...)

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