(1) end of summer school - tomorrow, thank God
(2) Need to finish curriculum work...also by tomorrow
(3) need to get basic planning done so it doesn't kick me in the face when we return to school at the end of August
(4) Bathroom remodeling - busy busy busy...
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Spending money
We started demo on the bathroom last night. I got all the icky plastic tiles off the walls except for the ones behind the vanity and behind the toilet tank. It exposed waaaay more mildew than I'm comfortable with. Sinus alert! Headache! Asthma attack! We're going to have to get some of those nifty little things that cover my nose and mouth before I can do much more in there. I couldn't even take a shower - i washed my hair in the sink and took a sponge bath.
I'm sooooo looking forward to having a new bathroom...maybe I can even take a bath again instead of shower... ~sigh~
Summer school was worth it this year if the check gets us our new bathroom. The bad part is that it won't go to the cc's, but I don't think I'd make it through another winter with the bathroom in such bad shape without getting pretty ill.
So it's worth it. :)
I'm sooooo looking forward to having a new bathroom...maybe I can even take a bath again instead of shower... ~sigh~
Summer school was worth it this year if the check gets us our new bathroom. The bad part is that it won't go to the cc's, but I don't think I'd make it through another winter with the bathroom in such bad shape without getting pretty ill.
So it's worth it. :)
Monday, July 17, 2006
My best money saving tip...
From one of my favorite sites - No Credit Needed http://www.ncnblog.com (no, I haven't figured out links in blogger yet...) - anyway, he asked for posts of our very best money saving tips. My best one (or at least the one that helps us the most) is...
Meal Planning.
I'm not talking about "feeding the freezer" food frenzies (how's that for a terrific name?), mostly because I don't like cooking enough to actually be in the kitchen that long. But - what saves us a TON of money is to sit down sometime over the weekend, check what's in the freezer, what's in the pantry, and what's on sale, and write down seven dinners.
I don't even necessarily pick the days we'll have them - just to know that I have seven dinners that are available in the house and haven't been what we've eaten 16 times in the last few weeks stops me from (1) going out to eat, and (2) running to the tiny, overpriced grocery store in our little town (which can be almost as bad as going out to eat for all the junk I pick up).
It's that easy - my #1 money saving tip. :)
Meal Planning.
I'm not talking about "feeding the freezer" food frenzies (how's that for a terrific name?), mostly because I don't like cooking enough to actually be in the kitchen that long. But - what saves us a TON of money is to sit down sometime over the weekend, check what's in the freezer, what's in the pantry, and what's on sale, and write down seven dinners.
I don't even necessarily pick the days we'll have them - just to know that I have seven dinners that are available in the house and haven't been what we've eaten 16 times in the last few weeks stops me from (1) going out to eat, and (2) running to the tiny, overpriced grocery store in our little town (which can be almost as bad as going out to eat for all the junk I pick up).
It's that easy - my #1 money saving tip. :)
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Finding Money...
Dh is going over to a local RV resort today to apply for a part-time (only 5 hours/week) night watchman job. He called them yesterday and it sounded promising enough that he is hopeful on it. It would be sitting in the little box and checking ID's, then driving the grounds in a golf cart.
I have an appointment with a woman tomorrow night to make a bridesmaid's dress. This would be for a Sept wedding, so it's coming up fast - but that would be fun.
I also got 3 things posted on ebay, hopefully with more to go on tonight.
I've been making more stuff to try to post, either on ebay or on http://www.etsy.com . Possibly at the crafters' mall they opened here in town.
And dh is looking at pen & ink drawings to post on etsy, too.
So...we're trying to find money. With the summer school check and the paycheck next week, we'll get back on top of things. With the curriculum writing check, hopefully we can put more back into savings to get that back up, and get some money put aside for Christmas. Then, the ebay money plus any extra can go to get the fridge paid off first (after the end of Nov, if there's any left, it goes back to the first day we bought the fridge and puts interest at 25% back on - we aren't going to let that happen). We owe less than $200 on it, so that shouldn't be too bad. In a worst case scenario, we can use summer school check or curriculum money to pay it off.
I'm feeling a little better about it. I'd feel much better if we had more in savings, but that's my own stupid fault.
I've been watching Oprah's Debt Diet reruns, and taping them for dh. We aren't in situations like that, but we have our own spending issues. Maybe all of this will help.
I have an appointment with a woman tomorrow night to make a bridesmaid's dress. This would be for a Sept wedding, so it's coming up fast - but that would be fun.
I also got 3 things posted on ebay, hopefully with more to go on tonight.
I've been making more stuff to try to post, either on ebay or on http://www.etsy.com . Possibly at the crafters' mall they opened here in town.
And dh is looking at pen & ink drawings to post on etsy, too.
So...we're trying to find money. With the summer school check and the paycheck next week, we'll get back on top of things. With the curriculum writing check, hopefully we can put more back into savings to get that back up, and get some money put aside for Christmas. Then, the ebay money plus any extra can go to get the fridge paid off first (after the end of Nov, if there's any left, it goes back to the first day we bought the fridge and puts interest at 25% back on - we aren't going to let that happen). We owe less than $200 on it, so that shouldn't be too bad. In a worst case scenario, we can use summer school check or curriculum money to pay it off.
I'm feeling a little better about it. I'd feel much better if we had more in savings, but that's my own stupid fault.
I've been watching Oprah's Debt Diet reruns, and taping them for dh. We aren't in situations like that, but we have our own spending issues. Maybe all of this will help.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Budget
We blew our budget again.
Not only that, but we've used up almost all of our savings. We have about $50 left in ING, $30 in our regular savings. We're $80 over our cc#2, and at limit for cc#1. I have no idea what we'd do if something happened to the car or house.
I hate this.
I'm really good at kicking myself in the butt over this kind of stuff, because it's mostly me. I eat out too much. Crap, I just eat too much. It's not dh - it's me. I don't feel like cooking on some nights...so I talk him into going out to eat. I eat breakfast on the run. We make runs to the smaller grocery here in town - to get milk, etc - and if dh goes, he just gets what we need. If I go, I end up with chips, cookies, soda...in other words, loads of crap we don't need.
I need to stop this.
Plan:
~Put together new items for web page
~Check out http://www.etsy.com to sell some stuff
~Load ebay up with all our auction winnings to get caught up and get money back in savings.
~Dh to check out night watchman job at local RV park.
~Check into part time job at local fabric shop. (Less stressful than than waitressing, but less money)
I think that's a decent plan. Timeline: by the 15th. That gives me 5 days to get a handle on these things.
Not only that, but we've used up almost all of our savings. We have about $50 left in ING, $30 in our regular savings. We're $80 over our cc#2, and at limit for cc#1. I have no idea what we'd do if something happened to the car or house.
I hate this.
I'm really good at kicking myself in the butt over this kind of stuff, because it's mostly me. I eat out too much. Crap, I just eat too much. It's not dh - it's me. I don't feel like cooking on some nights...so I talk him into going out to eat. I eat breakfast on the run. We make runs to the smaller grocery here in town - to get milk, etc - and if dh goes, he just gets what we need. If I go, I end up with chips, cookies, soda...in other words, loads of crap we don't need.
I need to stop this.
Plan:
~Put together new items for web page
~Check out http://www.etsy.com to sell some stuff
~Load ebay up with all our auction winnings to get caught up and get money back in savings.
~Dh to check out night watchman job at local RV park.
~Check into part time job at local fabric shop. (Less stressful than than waitressing, but less money)
I think that's a decent plan. Timeline: by the 15th. That gives me 5 days to get a handle on these things.
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