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Archive for September, 2006

Doggy Dilemmas

September 28th, 2006 at 05:00 am

(Or... The Dog That Ate My No Spend Days) I did not make my no spend goals. Dear fat pup (okay shes 7) decided to get sick. Apparently she sees kitty poop as an appetizer and loves to nosh on it whenever she can get her hands (oops, paws) on it. What I don't understand is why it makes her so sick. She almost died from this before. She can't keep anything down. I took her to the vet. A shot and two prescriptions later (88.00) and she is still getting sick. I hope she gets better soon, she just looks so miserable! Our carpets are shot and we are having company on Saturday! Yikes!

Going for a record

September 25th, 2006 at 06:02 am

My plan is to have 5 no spend days in a row. This has never happened. 5 in a month maybe, 5 in a row, never. So today was day 1, no spending! I have gasoline and plenty of food, so it's just the wants to avoid!
They cut our hours at work again. Just a little, but it will eat up about 2 hours a weekend. Will have to adjust for this.
Made a Christmas gift spreadsheet today! Already well on my way to being done shopping! Just have to find out what my immediate family wants (Moms and Dads). We usually have lists we give out.
Will try this week to get ebay stuff moving. Thought about having a garage sale, but decided instead to pull out good stuff to list on ebay and everything else will go to charity.

Bribery killed the no spend day

September 23rd, 2006 at 06:11 am

Spent the day cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning. Bribed the kids with putting away their clothes and cleaning their rooms I'd buy them ice cream. Spent under $10.
Had a great yummy dinner at home. One of the steaks of yesterdays sale. Everyone ate and enjoyed! Little fussing! Yeah!
Will be a soccer/work weekend! Two more birthday parties coming up!

Big Coupon Day

September 22nd, 2006 at 05:23 am

Tried only to spend $100 on groceries today and did $102. The total was about $148. I saved $24 in the meat sale, a $10 coupon for groceries, and another $14 in coupons. I did spend on things like ice cream and a couple of treats for the girls, but otherwise, lots of produce and meat! I got 2 packs of ground round, and 9 steaks (sirloin, 1 chuck and London broil). The deal was five packages of meat for 19.99! So I bought 10 packs for 39.98. This will last a long while! Nice to see the freezer so full!

The price of disorganization

September 21st, 2006 at 05:27 am

You know, I really usually pride myself on being organized. When we received birthday gift cards and gift certificates, I put them all in my purse. Tonight DH and I snuck out for supper (amazing what an uninterrupted conversation can accomplish!)and when it was time to pay, lo and behold, no GC! Had to pay with debit card. Got home and there they were in the office "bill" sorting area. $38.00 out of pocket for a resturant I don't really like! Live and learn!

A no spend day~cheating?

September 20th, 2006 at 05:13 am

Okay, so I stayed home today and cleaned (woo hoo, but thank goodness I have the privledge of being able to do it!) and I did not spend any of MY money. However, we did have a Scout meeting tonight and it was pizza party night! :-) Yummy treat from the Scouts and enough left over for the family!

Mondays

September 19th, 2006 at 05:46 am

Mondays are a work day, but I was careful to take my breakfast and lunch and take my coffee.
Spent money after work at 2 grocery stores (love Aldi!) and bought gas. Also picked up McD's for dinner. That place just haunts me. Will work on dinner plan for rest of the month tomorrow!
Mondays are also music lessons and soccer practice.
I am tired! Going to bed! Will look forward to Tuesday - the stay at home day! :-)

Coveting a camera

September 18th, 2006 at 05:39 am

Ever since BF and I went to a scrapbooking weekend and I saw this camera, I have been wanting it. Yes, WANTING it! I am unashamed to say I have been lusting after this camera! I look at pictures of it and talk about it. It is a digital camera and camcorder in one. The zoom takes my breath away. I am now going to make the push, pull out the big guns and try to sell enough on ebay to pay for most of the cost. This is the only way I will be able to purchase this, as it is not even in the realm of our budget! So now I am eyeing everything in the house. Fair game....

What do you tell people?

September 16th, 2006 at 06:12 am

I have wanted to post this thought on the discussion boards, but I never seem to get there enough!
What do you tell people when you are discussing friends on the blog boards? I find myself all the time saying "My friend on the blogs..." and they look at me kind of odd, like hey, you've never even met this person. My DH has just accepted it and is actually interested in what everyone is up to. It cracks him up to hear my bust out laughing when I am reading many of your more fun adventures!
So what do you say?????

Birthdays are a coming!

September 15th, 2006 at 05:06 am

In our home the birthdays are a "season". We kick off on Sept. 16th for DD3, Sept. 20th for my mom, Sept. 29th for DD1 and Oct. 5th for DD2. Whew! There is barely time to recuperate before Christmas comes. We keep the birthdays pretty low key, although I do still pick up cupcakes (heaven forbid you can't make them to take to school! They must be store bought!) for DD3 in grade school. They will each get a little "friend" party, and we have one big family party in the middle of all the birthdays. We only get them one small present apiece, as they get PLENTY from everyone else!
Let the games begin!............

The little black book - revisited

September 14th, 2006 at 06:14 am

I faithfully kept track of my boyfriends...(kidding!) ummm I mean EXPENSES in my little book last month. In the end - it talked trash to me and I did'nt like it!
I have been keeping track again this month, and I did not set any goals to beat or anything. I am just trying to spend wiser and LESS! And if I have a no spend day - I mark the date and put a smiley face by it. So far 4 smileys. Will try for more! At least 10, we'll set the bar low and hope we exceed it - it is hard to do with kids!

Grocery Goof

September 12th, 2006 at 05:54 am

Okay, you know your over scheduled when... you go to the grocery store, buy the groceries, take them home and forget they were in the car. AHHH! Hours later I am talking to DH and bing! There is the thought, Oh *&^%! I forgot the ice cream, turkey, sour cream, bananas, etc. Believe it or not, most was still cool even though they were in the back of the van and it is warm out here. You think I will kill the girls if I still give them turkey in their lunches? It was still cool and smells okay. It sits in their lunch boxes for hours everyday anyway (although I try to put in a ice pack with it!) I don't know, I guess I will stick to peanut butter tomorrow until I decide.

Feeling Frustrated

September 11th, 2006 at 05:33 am

I know, I know, keep plugging on, rah, rah. I just get in a funk a lot about being in the hole. We should be farther than we are, things are moving so slow, we can't get things done to the house that need done....
I have a budget working. Each penny is accounted for. I made sure I did'nt over pay to the CC's so that we feel deprived or overextended... and now we just chug along. Lost the fever for the challenge. Impatience has taken hold.
Anyway, enough of my rant!

Love staying at home

September 7th, 2006 at 05:52 am

Another no spend day. Just stayed at home and did my Pilates. Husband and I are scheduled for a cruise. Leaving on St. Patricks Day. Must try to buff up for the event. I get so sea sick I am thinking that this will be an expensive weight loss cruise for me! :-)
Anyway, trying to keep the part time job down to one or two days a week so I can just be at home!! I also am volunteering at DD3's school. So nice to have the freedom to choose!
Have a CC repayment plan working, although I am too chicken to post any totals - yet. Someday!

No labor on Labor Day

September 5th, 2006 at 05:54 am

I was supposed to be busy cleaning all day and I did get some things done, but I got sucked into the CSI marathon and spent my time running back and forth between clean ups and tv! Oh well, a relaxing day!
Went to parents for BBQ. Fun to see my neice and spend time with family.
Didn't spend anything.

Picnics!

September 3rd, 2006 at 09:27 pm

Well, I did it! I got invited to a picnic each night of the weekend! NO COOKING - yeah! Last night I took chips and dip (which we had), tonight we are taking brownies and tomorrow I am not sure. (Don't worry we're not sponges, we equally treat all of these families!)
I am also excited that we have started fundraising for daughters soccer. I had'nt even thought about it, but we still owe close to $300 for this select soccer team and someone on the team suggested fundraising! Hey, if we can save, that is awesome!

August Ramblings/Rants/Totals/Thoughts, etc....

September 2nd, 2006 at 03:16 am

Lets see:

*Got my reply on the loan I applied for. Asked for 10,000, got 2,500. Whoppee freakin doo! At least it is 2500 at 0%. Will go it awhile and see if they will raise it.

*Paid off another CC.

*Husband is screaming he wants to leave his job. Not sure how to approach this. Told him to hang in there. He still won't refinance, which would really take a lot of stress off both of us.

*Kept track of my expenses in my little book this month. They were big ugly numbers:
Groceries-$500 for a family of five. Not horrible, but considering I shop sales and use coupons, I'm not impressed with myself.
Gas- $180. This is high to me since I am a part time working mom. The kids have to be run everywhere and with soccer, well.....
Eating Out - I was a little proud of myself on this one. I really tried hard this month. It was $400. At least it was less than the grocery bill total! And we had a birthday dinner included in that.
Clothes - $110. We NEVER spend this much, just back to school, kids growing thing.
Gifts - $256. Gave husband golf round for 2 at a NICE club. Also a baby shower gift and my neices bday.
School - $155. This includes back to school fees, books, and fundraisers.
Lessons - $131 for all three girls.
Soccer - some fees $52.00.
Medical - $40.
Stores - $385. T.P., cleaning stuff, dog food, general Target, Walmart Crap.
Entertainment - $33 - woo woo wild crowd here!
And the old MISC. - $631 (don't ask)(did include the $262 refridge fix)

At this point, my head is spinning and I don't even know what to think about September. I have paid all the bills and we are clear for the month.