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Archive for June, 2007

All set.....

June 28th, 2007 at 05:26 am

We are already to leave on our trip. I have loaded the car with anything I could and tomorrow morning we will take off. We are heading for the Lake of the Ozarks (for any of you Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas folks, you know exactly where I'll be!) Thought about leaving tonight, but too many storms cruising up the state and I did'nt feel like driving in the rain in the dark.
Will look at a couple of condos to possibly invest in. I know DH is too much of a tightwad to pull the trigger, but it would be a great investment toward our retirement. (This is the area we plan on retiring in.)

Frugal vacation?

June 26th, 2007 at 07:52 pm

Okay, I am trying, we'll see. I have paid for the condo in advance with a check. I have bought enough food for breakfast, lunch and dinners. My paycheck will be direct deposited on Wednesday night, so that will be our spending money. I will leave DH to figure out how to pay for the boat rental. We have plans to eat out twice. I do need to buy new tennis shoes at the outlet mall and I will run by Tommy and Dress Barn (still have a gift card for here). I will look for more stuff on clearance to sell on ebay. This is the plan, not sure how the execution will go!

76, do I hear 77?

June 26th, 2007 at 12:55 am

I have successfully turned the AC up to 76 and all have aclimated. Wondering if I could get away with 77?? Hmmmm......

Garage Sale disappointment

June 24th, 2007 at 08:10 pm

I rolled out of bed yesterday morning and was actually able to stay awake long enough to go garage saling. My goal, of course, is not more junk for my home! Smile My goal is to find some good ebay goodies. Unfortuneately, not much to be found! Frown I went to 11 sales and could'nt find anything I thought was viable. Bummer! Maybe I will try again this Wednesday!

Doing bad on my dieting! May have to let this go for a while and come back to it later. Still keeping the weight I did lose off!

My biggest challenge is (was) eating out!! I am happy to report that I am trying very hard to keep our finances on the straight and narrow and I have been cooking our dinner at home every night for a week (whether anyone will eat it or not!)! Cupboards and freezer are getting low, but I don't want (nor can I, according to our finances) restock until we get back from our trip to the lake. I may even try to stretch it to after the 4th of July!

Cost of food going UP!! :-(

June 22nd, 2007 at 08:49 pm

I was watching the news yesterday (ugh) and they had a story about the fact that the cost of food will be up another 7% by the end of summer!! Yikes! I told my husband we are just going to have to starve! Smile Really though, they said the costs are rising due to corn being used to make ethanol instead of food. I guess I'm glad for the farmers! Finally they can grown something besides soybeans and make a profit!

On the carb front, I've been watching what I eat, but not necessarily cutting way down on anything.

Listed 10 things on ebay last night. Man that is time consuming!! Going to a garage sale this afternoon that is supposed to be a big hit, will see. Looking for more stuff to list on ebay. Going to try to make some money this way. You can get a debit card from Paypal and use it at any store. I was thinking of using this for FOOD! One less expense from our salaries that we can use for chompin up the debt!!

Happy Summer! : )

June 21st, 2007 at 08:57 pm

Happy first day of summer to all you hotties out there! Okay, honestly, I hate summer! You'd think because I was born in the summer I would have an ifinity for it, but NO!

Turned the AC up yesterday from 74 to 75. Have all the ceiling fans running to help out. Thinking about kicking it up another knotch (gotta love Emeril), but literally trying to hit 76. Wonder if anyone will notice or melt?

Expensive Earache

June 20th, 2007 at 09:25 pm

Took DD3 to the clinic to have her ear looked at. Tried to treat it at home first, but too painful.

$15 copay, $35 (!) drops! Geeze! $50! It still isn't feeling better. They said if it did'nt get better to bring her back in. What then? $40 antibiotics? Wish they would have just given her antibiotics instead. It has always worked before. Oh well, I'll give the drops another day and see what happens.

Happy Fathers Day!

June 18th, 2007 at 01:55 am

Happy Fathers Day to all celebrating today!
We have been busy spoiling DH! Big dinner for the whole family both sides! Got DH breakfast in bed and Guitar Hero for the PS2. Oh and some scratchers too!
No spend day! Smile

Costco film developing gone

June 15th, 2007 at 03:24 am

Went to Costco today to get the meat for our barbque on Fathers Day and I was going to drop off the 30 rolls of film I have gathered in a bag over the last 10 years! Wink I even brought along my address labels to make it easier. Anyhoo, I was told they no longer have anything but the one hour photo! Pooh! I guess I'll try Walmart. Guess I better try quick! Who knew it was going to be obsolete to take pictures with FILM?

Worked on the deck and painted again today, so I am skipping the Pilates.

Spent $161 at Costco, and $100 at the grocery store. This includes all kinds of stuff and is kind of a stock up thing. Did save a lot in coupons at the grocery store.

Made dinner again! Smile Have'nt done the eat out thing in quite a while. Got a check from pt job #2. Might take DH out for a fathers day dinner. Or maybe I'll put it in the saving account. Hmmm... will have to think on it!

Round and round with DH

June 14th, 2007 at 06:59 am

(I apologize for the ramble!)

I love this man, but sometimes he just makes me dizzy! Go to work, he says, make more money, quit your job, etc, etc. I think the stress from his job is affecting his brain!! I have not asked him for any extra money than he has been bringing home for the last 6 years and he thinks I should be asking for LESS! Has'nt the cost of living, gas, food, electric shot up??? Another job for more money and more hours came up, but he did'nt want me to take it because of the hours?? Anyway, I shake my head.

BTW, our electric rates are increasing by 2.1%. Our last bill was $84, this bill was $222. Grrrr.

Been exercising, sticking to the low carb and I GAINED weight. Maybe its muscle -right? Hah! Ate cookies and said to heck with it!

Took $60 out of my check and treated the girls, and some friends to a matinee and popcorn today. Saw Oceans 13. Pretty good, especially if you have seen the first two. Nice hot day to spend a cool time in a dark theater with George Clooney!Wink

Oh well, tomorrow is another day. I did tell DH to find me that perfect job with the perfect hours and I will gladly send in my resume. Will see what he comes up with!

So so on the goals

June 13th, 2007 at 04:19 am

We did our dental appointments and we did not have any co-pays! Smile

I went to Aldi, since I was in that direction. We bought some fruit and so such. I did get the girls each a candy bar there. That was about $52 total.

Took the girls to the library to sign up for the summer reading program and they got some books. Free! Smile

Filled up the van! Ouch! 62.60! This should last me 2 to 3 weeks.

Picked up the family some Fritz's (frozen custard stand). Again Free! Had a gift certificate.

On the diet/exercise side: kept up with the low carb, did'nt buy Fritz's for me, and did my Pilates work out again! I am working hard to get it down another pound!!

Goals Accomplished and A Choking Drumroll

June 12th, 2007 at 05:38 am

Okay, I made my goals! Smile I brought my lunch to work, I cooked dinner at home and I had a NO SPEND DAY!

Tomorrow we have dentist and orthodontist appointments which will cost co-pays. I will try for an otherwise no spend day. Try to resist those "mommy buy me's"!

Now... for the choking drumroll. I added up our debts, (minus the house) and we are in debt..... $22909.43!! The faster I go, the behinder I get!
DH is still putting all his commission money in a savings account and I am left with paying the bills with his itty bitty salary. (Remember we took the huge pay cut at the beginning of the year.) We are'nt spending the way we were, but we did spend alot on travel. (Which we had been nowhere in 7 years, then two big trips in a row!!)
It makes me feel like a financial failure! Frown I really felt like I could squeeze something out of nothing, we did it for years, but now I spoil the kids too much and I am still resisting getting the full time job in favor of staying home and raising said spoiled children. We do make them buy the big things themselves, but too many treats, McDonalds, etc... is taking a nickel, dime toll.

On the upside in personal growth, I have not abandoned the low carb diet and I actually did my Pilates today! Smile

Treating this as a journal

June 11th, 2007 at 04:58 am

I have been more worried about content, than I have of keeping track of my expenses.

I may just start leaving a ramble everyday, so I can track my progress and stop worrying whether anyone will find it interesting!

So todays spending:
McD's breakfast/coffee 3.00
Made dinner! Smile
Walgreens prescriptions 90.00
Walgreens almonds/diet coke/sugarless candy 11.20

Tomorrows goal:
pack lunch
cook dinner
no spend

Killer Couponing!

June 8th, 2007 at 12:46 am

Yeah! I saved $18 yesterday at a "15 hour" sale and I saved $16 today. There was a super cereal sale and I stocked the freezer with a million popsicles. And I scored some freebies at Dollar General! And there was a great Edy's sale with $1 off coupons! All the bagged lettuce was gone though! Frown
On the low carb front - well after almost a month and six pounds, I am stuck and have decided I may have to switch to Weight Watchers instead. I have heard before the low carb works better for men than for women and I guess maybe that is true. I still do plan on trying to eat less carbs as a rule. At least to think twice! Smile

No Pool

June 5th, 2007 at 06:19 am

The plan was to sell DD1's drum kit and buy one of those quick set up pools for the girls to entertain themselves with for the summer. The reality was, it is so shallow for where we can put it (as to not touch DH's lawn!) that we scrubbed the idea. Guess its sprinkler time!

Five pounds lost!

June 2nd, 2007 at 10:42 pm

I know it does'nt sound like much, but my "diet" has netted me a hard earned 5 pound loss! It has only taken two weeks! Smile I have been doing the low carb, but not no carb. I still eat carbs, since depriving myself would mean a diet and not a lifestyle change, so this will be a slow climb!