Ask and ye shall receive.

My townhouse lease is up for renewal. We actually got the papers for it back in November but we chose to not look at them until last week, because our rent is going up by a depressing amount. As a state employee, my paychecks are decreasing by an equally depressing amount.

Needless to say, I was not thrilled, but such is life.

Until I found out that my friend had just signed a lease for the exact same model townhouse for about $200 less (per month) than my new rent amount. No bueno. At all. Then I looked up our apartment complex's website and saw that if I were moving in to an identical unit this weekend, I'd be saving $200 a month.

I'll do it. I'll move. (I cannot even tell you how pissed my husband is going to be when I tell him we have to move this weekend)

So I took a trip to the leasing office yesterday morning to see if the lady who did our rental agreement was in. She was. And I showed her the online listing and my renewal papers and showed her how they don't so much add up. She was super nice, and took me in to the complex manager's office. Where I explained my situation again.

And after a very nice conversation and much staring at each other & hoping the other might back down, it was decided that we could renew our lease for 15 months at the same rate we paid last year. No increase. For 15 months. Till April 2011! Thank God I don't have to tell Ryan to pack up his crap in the next 4 days to move.

I am so thankful for this financial miracle.

I also already did our 2010 budget figuring I was going to have to pay a heinous amount in rent, so I just switched the RENT line back to the 2009 rate and added the difference to our credit card payments. We are only 6 days in, and 2010 is already kicking 2009's ass.