Invasion of the Pests

While most of you have probably been fretting over the national debt, whether it will be paid, and what it will mean for our economy – I’ve been dealing with armies of pests.  Of course, I’m concerned about what will happen with our out-of-control debt but I’ve been pre-occupied with termites eating our house, moles destroying our yard, and wasps leaving big red welts on my arms and legs.

Termites

Obviously the nastiest of these are the termites.  They just showed up a few weeks ago and we’ve already had them taken care of.  As usual I started out with Angies List and built a short list of exterminators who all came out and gave us bids.  I know a lot more about termites now than I ever wanted to know and spent more than I wanted to get rid of them.  However, after a lot of research and some negotiating we decided on a plan that should keep the house termite-free for at least 15 years.  I’ll have to package everything I learned into a post for you homeowners, “Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Killing Termites”.

This time I actually ended up going with a provider I didn’t find on Angies List.  We picked a much bigger company that specializes in killing termites and provides service all over the country. They offered the best deal in terms of cost, treatment, and coverage so they made the most sense.  Something I already knew but was reminded of was to ask a lot of questions when you’re getting bids so it’s easier to compare estimates and to be sure of exactly what you’re getting. 

I also learned that there’s a definite difference between what the salesman promises and what the technician can deliver.  I know this is often the case in my own industry but now I’ve seen it in multiple areas other than software development.  We’re still in the process of having the termite company properly repair concrete drill holes that they couldn’t get seem to get right the first two times.  I’ve actually made a list of all the things the salesman told us that the technician came out and contradicted several days later.  I guess the lesson here is nothing new – buyer beware.

Other Pests

Although the wasp invasion was more painful than the termites, it was certainly cheaper to handle.  My son got a good laugh out of watching me battle angry wasps with my shovel but after losing that battle a cheap can of Raid brought the invasion to an end.  Our mole problem seems to have been solved by setting mole traps that my father-in-law let us borrow.  It’s amazing how much damage just one mole can do to your yard in such a short period of time.

Being a homeowner has it’s benefits but it can also get expensive and a bit stressful at times.  It makes a big difference if you have a backup savings account or emergency fund you can dip into when expensive things pop up.  I also have an interesting story about financing home projects and the quoted price of a project that I’ll share in the future.

Money Articles

Hopefully our pest invasion is over for the summer and Congress will get their act together and figure something out about our nation’s debts.  If you want something to take your mind off of the debt debacle, you can checkout some of these articles:

Real Estate

• Vacation Homes vs. Investment Properties @ Lazy Man & Money
• First-time Buyer: Getting Pre-Approved for a Mortgage @ Million Dollar Journey
• Real Estate Commission @ Consumerism Commentary

Career

• Location Independent Lifestyle & The Pros and Cons of Blogging @ The Digerati Life
• Three Keys to Career Success @ Bargaineering
• Corporate coffee cost cutting @ Brip Blap
• How Not to Get Promoted @ Free Money Finance
• The Point of a Summer Job @ Money Ning
• How Do You Feel About a 40-Hour Week? @ Fiscal Fizzle
• How to Ask for (and Get) a Raise in a Struggling Economy @ PT Money
• What Would You Do If You Were Self-Employed? @ Sweating The Big Stuff

Personal Finance

• Potential Savings via Product Placement @ Suns Financial Diary
• 7 Back To School Savings Tips @ My Dollar Plan
• The Secret to Building Wealth Most People Ignore @ Frugal Dad
• Why You Should be Paying Attention to Medigap Plans @ Generation X Finance
• Money Leak: Do You Check All Your Billing Statements for Mistakes? @ Moolanomy
• Using Cash [It’s the Only Way to Go] @ Debt Free Adventure
• How to Save Money Buying Inexpensive Furniture for Your Home @ The Money Crashers
• Is Extreme Couponing for Everyone? @ Cool to be Frugal

Last but not least, thanks to the Canadian Finance Blog for including the post on investment costs in personal finance carnvial.

Ben Edwards, the founder of Money Smart Life, saved up enough to buy a Nintendo back when he was 12 years old. When he used the money to buy shares of Wal-Mart stock instead, he knew he wasn't like the other kids... His addiction to personal finance has paid off for his family and now he's helping you to afford the life that you want. Check him out on the web at Google Plus, Twitter and Facebook.

All posts by Ben Edwards