USAA Now shares 2nd place in our wedding Bank Battle!

That's right, miraculously we're STILL getting wedding checks sent our way :) I guess that "1 year to give a gift" rule is pretty common these days. Not that i really care one way or the other, i just find it pretty funny. This rule doesn't apply to birthdays, graduation,or Christmas so why weddings?

I asked a couple friends but no luck, they all came back pretty much with "i dunno, it's just the way it is". Okay, so let's just say that's the deal. Why do it though? I mean, it takes a lot of time to make arrangements to go to the wedding, get a hotel (if needed), and schedule your family's life around it cuz of the time it consumes, so the present part should be the easy part, right?

The only thing i can think of is that perhaps it just gets forgotten w/ all this other stuff going on. Or it's just laziness :) I've never sent a late gift myself, but if i did it would totally come down to the lazy factor. But enough of this talk, my word vomit is going wayyyy off track now.

The reason for this post is to give an update on our newest check contenders in our Bank Battle! So here they are:

• USAA moves up a notch to 2nd place with a $200'er (holler)
• Commerce Bank brings in another $50.00
• And PNC makes it a 3-way tie for first, w/ another respectable $100.00!

Ooh, and i almost forgot about the BEST gift ever! A $500 Savings Bond :) Similar to the others in my safe, it's a "Patriot Bond" (EE) worth $250 at the present time, which will work it's way up over the years. I love it! (For more info on bonds, check out the snazzy Treasurydirect.gov site.)

There's just something about those little guys that bring absolute joy to my life. I think it's the whole "you can watch me grow, but you can't spend me!" thing. Fine by me, my other bonds will now have an extra friend to play with. No shame in that game!

So there you have it, our old cash gift total worked it's way up from $6,000 to $6,350, and USAA is battling Navy Federal for the 2nd place title...will it end here? Only time, and laziness, will tell ;)

***Thirsting for more? Click for a randomly generated post!
• Digg this • Stumble this • PF Buzz this • Del.icio.us this • Subscribe to feed

My treasure's newly found value.

I WON THE LOTTERY!!! j/k....oh well, so what if Operation Panera is now down the toilet, it'll happen one day :) I DO have good news though!

Thanks to E.C. (& Tom's) post on my treasure chest find, I now have some answers regarding my savings bonds! Seriously thanks guys, there was no way i was gonna find that site myself w/ everything going on this week.

First, what are EE Savings Bonds? Directly from: Treasurydirect.gov

EE Bonds are reliable, low-risk government-backed savings products that you can use toward financing education, supplemental retirement income, birthday and graduation gifts, and other special events.

They are purchased at half the price of the face value, and mature over a certain amount of time. If redeemed in the first 5 years, the 3 most-recent months' interest will be forfeited, but anytime after 5 years is free from penalization. The interest gained are also state & local tax free, but you do have to pay federal tax.

Now, would you like to know the juicy details of how much mine are worth? do ya? do ya? Have you been good? okayyyyyyy, here we go!



Not bad, right? What was interesting was the fact that they were all purchases for only $25.00, i had no idea that's how it worked! Not only that, but that some are now worth 6 TIMES the original price! Sweetness for sure. The two under valued under $50 i wasn't expecting, but whatever it's totally a great deal.

After debating the last few days what to do with them, i think i'll hold onto them until each reaches 30 years (the limit at which interest will stop accruing). I *might* convert them into electronic bonds through that same website, so they're at least up to modern times, but either way those bad boys will remain in my safe for a bit.

Thanks everyone for the nice comments, and be sure to check out the site yourself and see what YOUR'S are worth!!! it's sexciting, that's for sure :)

***Thirsting for more? Click for a randomly generated post!
• Digg this • Stumble this • PF Buzz this • Del.icio.us this • Subscribe to feed

I found treasure in my safe!

How cool is it that i even HAVE a safe?! ha ha...i bought one a cple years back when i was in splurge-mode after hearing horror stories of important documents going up in flames. I also always thought it was "cool" using them at hotel stays, and seeing rich people use them on T.V. The most awesomest being Scrooge McDuck's of course, from Duck Tales.

At any rate, i was digging through it a few weeks back and came across an envelope full of old Savings Bonds I got when i was a wee one. My Grandparents were HUGE fans of these things, so I'm dedicating this post to them. Thank you much G-ma & G-pa!

The most awesome thing about 'em is that they just LOOK so old! i don't know what they look like now, but seeing the typed out text makes me laugh a little...i can see a banker putting one through a typewriter or something.

Here's what i found:
A $50 bond - dated FEB, 1980 - Series EE
A $50 bond - dated MAR, 1980 - Series EE
A $50 bond - dated DEC, 1984 - Series EE
A $50 bond - dated DEC, 1994 - Series EE
A $50 bond - dated DEC, 1996 - Series EE

I vaguely remember my mom telling me how important it was to hold on to them until the maturity date, so i'd imagine they have to be good by now. I'm just glad i still have them after all these years! To be honest though, i'm not sure if i really even want to cash them in. My mind is currently full of questions:


1) Are they still Valid??? i mean some are from 1980!! hahaa...
2) How much are they worth now?
3) What do the "EE"'s stand for?
4) Can i just roll up to a bank and turn them in willy nilly? And if so, what if I have an online back (I use USAA), would i get charged some crazy fee if i tried giving them up to a different bank?
5) Do i need to prove who i am? I'd imagine i'd have to show proper I.D. to prove my name, but i'm hoping not for the address that's listed on the bond...i've moved 20+ times in my life and can't imagine showing this proof.
6) What are the tax implications? Maybe there's some sort of tax-free status, considering i've been waiting over 20 years on some! i highly doubt it though.

As you can see, i'm just starting to dive into this crazy arena. If any of you know what's up, feel free to help me out. I'll probably just google it when i get some free time (or when i'm bored) but i'm way too lazy right now. Plus the "what if" excitement is fun for the time being ;)

Have a most joyous weekend everybody, and HAPPY BLOGGING!!!

***Thirsting for more? Click for a randomly generated post!
• Digg this • Stumble this • PF Buzz this • Del.icio.us this • Subscribe to feed