I just redeemed my points for a $50 voucher. I am going to try and close the account over the next month, seeing as we now have our free ones with our new bank.
Also I just recieved my $20 voucher from www.valuedopinions.com
I have about $5 of credit in my account with them as well, for next time. They seem to send out surveys in waves. I will get a ton of them (ok, like 5 of them) and my balance will be at something like $19 (minimum you can cash out is $20). Then I will have to wait a month before getting another one so I can cash out.

Anyway, I'm not complaining. Technically it's free money!

Also, checked my emails and I have a $25 voucher to spend at Wallacec Bishop Jewellers before Feb 14th. AND they are having a sale! Last time I spent a voucher there I got a butterfly necklace pendant and a chain, so this time I can just get another pendant. The good thing about these jewellers is when they have sales, they actually HAVE SALES. I won't have to spend any more than my $25 voucher there, either.

To undo all of my good work, I bought a dress yesterday for $49.95. I had tried it on 3 times in the past two weeks - so I can't say it was an impulse purcahse. I am planning on wearing it to DF's sisters engagement.
Hmmm. Anyway that's probably going to be the LAST piece of clothing I buy for a very long while.

My plan for the next few weeks is to sock away enough money for the end of month credit card bill. It's at $900 and it's only in the first week of the cycle! $500 of it was for the solicitors fees, but DF has already given me his half. I think between that and the $1000 deposit to the real estate, it has really eaten up all our spare money. I am not sure if we are allowed to transfer any money from our savings for the house deposit - that would make it a hell of a lot easier.
See we had saved and budgetted enough to pay for lawyers fees and all that, but that's in our deposit (which is in our savings accounts). And while finance is still in limbo - I am not sure if I am meant to be taking any money out or not. So technically $1500 that was meant to come out of our savings has come out of our OWN money instead, leaving us both a bit short. (so that's $750 of the $900 CC balance - whew! I can breathe now!) Plus I am about to organise a pest inspection for next week too. That will probably be another hundred or so.

Realisically, the purchase price is $320k. Our deposit, of 5%, is $16k. And we have about $18.5k in our savings. PLUS, on the date of settlement, we will be getting $14k for the First Home Owners Grant. I'm not relying on that, obviously, for anything except the solicitors fees, which will be between $500-$1000. (Actual amount between $1000-$1500, but we've already paid $500).
On top of that, we've already paid a $1k deposit to the real estate, so really we owe $319k. Am I confusing you yet? I'm confusing myself!
All I'm trying to work out is... I don't know...!
I guess I am trying to work out if it's alright to withdraw $750 from my deposit to pay for solicitors fees and real estate deposit. Not to mention we should be withdrawing $5k midweek for our finance deposit. I am sure THAT is ok to do.

But really, I don't NEED to withdraw anything, because the CC is not due until MARCH. (unfortunately, it will be due about four days before settlement - another reason not to rely on the home owners grant, not that I would do that anyway. The grant is for home stuff, not a credit card bill! even if the credit card bill is mostly for home stuff...)
I am just one of those weird people that like to see the money there for something, so I can calm down.

Still don't know about finance. They give us credit cards before we even find out if we have GOT the loan! Weird.

This week is going to be a big week for us. Well. I am freaking out over all the things we have to do:

-organise a pest inspection (we've been slack - initially we weren't going to do it as there isn't that much chance of termites seeing as it is a high set home that is over 30 years old - termites dont like dry wood. Anyway but then DF started talking about doing a pest inspection, so now we are looking into it).
-organise a time with the real estate for the pest inspection and so we can get a ladder and look in the roof.
-transfer $2500 each out of our savings accounts.
-organise getting a check for $5k for deposit on Friday.
-get a $75 voucher for Df's sister for their engagement party
-figure out something to cook for their engagement party!
-pack some boxes
-baby proof the house for when my brother and his family stay
-organise the spare rooms so they can sleep there.
-plus then there's the money issue. like gamecock blogging about having all this money sitting there and not being able to use it! I feel the same way. AND haveing guests over is going to stretch it a bit.

*sigh*

***EDIT***
LOL. I just checked my bank account and realised I had forgotten that I had put $600 away already for the CC. God I'm an idiot sometimes...

sorry about the long winded rambling post.