Yesterday was a roller coaster ride in the money department. While at work, I had some down time and was able to do a $30 survey online. It is always nice to earn extra money at the same time I'm earning my regular salary. That was the good news.

When I got home, my wife was waiting for me with the bad news. She had accidentally put her jeans in the wash without emptying her pockets. Her cell phone (that she just got a couple of months ago) was in her pocket. It is currently drying on the counter but does not appear as if it will come back to life. The phone will probably work but I think the screen is destroyed, making the phone kind of worthless.

Then I opened the mail and had 3 survey checks totaling $145, so that was more good news. And my wife also told me that she had gotten a bonus check at work, which neither of us was expecting, for $150. After taxes and the 401k deduction, the actual check came to $61, but $75 plus match went into the 401k.

At first, I thought she might have to buy a phone outright which can be very costly, but we checked our account and it turns out that 2 of our phones are eligible for upgrades, so she can get a new phone for free with a contract extension. In the meantime, she still has her old phone which is broken but still works, so she plugged her SIMM card into that so at least she has a phone until she gets a new one.

So more good news than bad, and the bad news turned out not so bad. I thought it would be costing us money but probably won't in the end.