Lucky Robin's Personal Finance Blog

Today has been a pretty long day. I had to take DH to the airport today so he could fly back to Alaska. He left early as he is covering a few days for his alternate so she can go on vacation with her husband for a little more than 2 weeks. He'll be a couple days late coming home, too. It'll mean extra money in his paychecks, which I'll probably use to rebuild the Emergency Fund, which got pretty decimated.

We stopped at the grocery store on the way home as I had some rebate coupons that expire on the 27th. One was $4 off any purchase of $5 or more and the other was $2 off any purchase from the meat department. Total spent was $29.16. I went a bit over my grocery budget. My normal grocery budget is $250 and I was trying to make it be $200 for a four week period. I think I've gone over by about $20, I'll check on it later. I did buy some staples this month that needed replacing and that may be why I couldn't quite do it. I'll try again next cycle. The next four week pay cycle starts on the 26th, so I'll be able to use up the rest of my rebate coupons then, unless I have to buy milk between now and then.

I did put $250 aside for groceries regardless, so I'm not taking money from elsewhere. It just may end up that I can't get it under $200 with so many organic purchases. If so, so be it.

We had to be very careful when we left the Fred Meyer parking lot. A couple of cars weren't and they were slipping and sliding around on the ice. One did spin. It reminded me of a figure-skating spin. Fortunately they were perfectly clear when it happened and finally pulled out okay. Its okay to laugh since no one got hurt. Just because the main roads are clear and bare, people assume that parking lots are just as safe to drive on, despite the layer of thick ice. I don't get folks sometimes.

I will only be driving to town once this week, and once halfway in to the game on Saturday, and maybe to Curves, which is 12 miles from my house, 3X per week. So I may possibly be able to knock down my gas budget anyhow, even if I can't do the grocery one. We'll see.

It was bright and sunny today and got up to 30 degrees F, which was better than yesterdays 20 (-7 to the Celsius people). The combination padlock on our shed is frozen and won't turn so we couldn't bring in the ornament boxes to take down the tree before DH left. It is supposed to get up to 40 sometime this week so hopefully I can get it open then. I'd like to get that tree down. Soon.

Today was game day and we spent 3 hours at the gym, with packed lunches. As usual, Rose's team lost the first game, but it was much better, it was 28 to 24. I really thought we were going to win the second game and I'm not a hundred percent certain we didn't win, because the person manning the scoreboard kept "forgetting" to put our points up when we made a basket but the other team's went up right away and never seemed to get forgotten. People had to keep going over to tell her to put the score up five times during that game. I wish they had someone impartial
running that thing and not one of the parents. Hire a high school student or something.

Anyway, the other team's last basket was made after the last buzzer sounded. It didn't even leave the girl's hand until the last buzzer had started but they counted it anyway. Sometimes we have good refs and sometimes we don't. They weren't calling much traveling or double dribbling in any of the games on any of the teams. Just fouls when they happened, usually. And the refs judged the basket good so the other team won by one point, final score 19-18, though there was a lot of disagreement from the coach and the parents. If we'd had instant replay, I think it would have been different. This is the only team we had already beaten once this system and they just weren't that good. I have no illusion about Rose's team, I know they are less skilled than most of the other ones that are more evenly divided between 5th and 6th graders but it was just a very fishy thing all around.
Regardless it was a good game even if a huge case of ditsiness seemed to overcome both teams at times. It was exciting and fun to watch and that's all I really care about as long as Rose is having a good time.

They had their team photo taken today so hopefully that turns out well. I forgot to ask DH how much it cost as he's the one that filled it out and handed it in. Probably $10 as that is usually how much these things cost. DH took me home after the game and then took the kids off to his mother's house to do laundry and visit, while I rest. Doc said to rest for the next 48 hours, which puts me pretty much to noon tomorrow. We still haven't gotten the dryer fixed or replaced. We probably will when the tax refund comes. Now that we are catching up on clothes, I can do a load a day and hang it on the drying racks.

Oh, I forgot to post yesterday that I went to the doctor. I have a problem with getting chronic kidney infections, its a side effect of the whole medical mess that tried to kill me a few years ago. We have to stay on top of it and I have to go in at first sign of symptoms to prevent further kidney damage. I came close to losing my right kidney at the time, so I'm very careful about this.

So I'm on medication, 2 RX's at $10 each, and these are different ones from the ones I was on last time. I insisted on that as the ones I had last time made me gain 15 pounds of water weight in 2 weeks time. Not fun. It went away after I went off them, but really didn't want to go through that again. It was really uncomfortable.

As for other things medically related, I have been kind of ignoring my exercise program lately, pretty much since before Christmas, so starting on Monday the doctor said I could do stuff again but to pace myself and watch for kidney pain, I am going to get back to it. I will start walking on the treadmill 20 minutes a day and hopefully get back up to an hour by month's end.

I keep wavering on whether I should cancel my Curves membership or not, but if I can just get back in the swing again I know I'll really start using it. Then again, with the treadmill and the weight bench and weights, it also seems like a waste of money sometimes. I don't know. It's kind of my last hold out between financial necessity and what I need to do for my health. We'll see.

I think I'll update my spending journal tomorrow seeing as it is almost midnight.

Sorry that last post today probably came across as very negative, and I've managed to shake off that negative vibe and just try to realize that you can only help those who want to be helped, not those who say they want it but don't, and next time I'll just walk away from it.

On to happier news. Yay, for us! DH and I finally finished the laundry room today. It has been bugging me for so long so I am very happy to be done with it. It is so nice to be able to get from the kitchen to the laundry room instead of having to go through my bedroom and then through the master bath to get there.

It's going to be so much easier to keep on top of the laundry now and to hang clothes on the drying racks as they come out of the washing machine.

The kitchen floor and laundry room floor got mopped today, too. It is nice to have a clean house again.

...to the clueless person on the forums, but didn't because I sort of thought it would be stirring up trouble no matter how badly it needed to be said, and plus it sounded too snarky. Or maybe snarky isn't the right word, I might be bordering on...well, worse than snarky. Anyway, I wanted to get it out of my system so here goes:

I am sorry you don't want my financial advice. I was very careful to read the entire thread before I posted to get a grip on what you were and were not willing to do, and I tried to give you friendly, thoughtful and encouraging advice that would fit into that category. Imagine my suprise when it was completely miscontrued, shot down, or twisted into something that bore no resemblalnce to the actual advice given.

I thought that since you asked for help in the beginning of the thread that you actually wanted advice on getting out of your situation, but it certainly comes across more like you just want to defend the choices you've already made, despite calling them horrible decisions yourself and that you are unwilling to recognize that this pattern of destructive financial behavior continues with your inability to cut luxury items and the belief that its going to sort itself out by itself if you can just get to the next month or to the tax refund and get caught up. Unfortunately these are many of the same choices that have put you where you are today.

And now the unforeseen has happened and you have had a car accident, and I'm sorry that you had it, don't get me wrong, for which you are going to have to pay out money for and your bills will likely remain behind and you will struggle for another year with the vain hope that if you just make it to the next tax return you'll survive. There is an expression, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten." You need to face up to some hard truths. What you are doing isn't going to cut it. You must change or you will not survive. That is the reality.

Beyond that, know this: I wasn't telling you how to raise your child. I don't really care how you raise your child, because I don't know you from Eve. But you know what? If I did and was actually telling you how to raise your child, I'd definitely have a lot to say about how sacrifice builds character and giving something up for a year or so until you can manage necessary bills will make her appreciate it that much more when it resumes and that by allowing her to continue you are setting a less than stellar example of setting financial priorities that she'll remember when she is a parent herself. Now, that would be giving parenting advice. But I won't say that, because you have absolutely no interest in hearing it, you've made it clear that you will not give up paying for the lessons or taking on an inconvenient or even a convenient 2nd job even if it means you will lose your car or not have electricity because of it. And I respect that. That is your choice. Raise your kids however you want, even if it means doing it in the dark.

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So umm, am I right? Too snarky? Or just too truthful?

Sometimes I wonder why I read the forums. I could just give my head a good crack against the wall for all the good it does answering some threads. Oh, its not most of the time, I do know this, but some days you run up against someone who says they want help but all they really want is "Oh, look at me, poor me, feel sorry for me, let me be the center of the universe." And against your better judgement you offer some common sense sound strategies knowing the will find a way not to take it.

Stubborn, bull-headed people in debt up to the hair folicles on the very tippy top of their heads, who say the have a problem but won't really admit to themselves that it really, truly exists or that they really need the advice. Won't consider the remote possiblility that their luxury items need to be cut out pronto so they can pay their real bills.

No cable? The horror. Child has to give up an acivity? Heaven forbid spoiled junior has to give up anything. $50 haircut at the salon? But I need that for me, I must have something for me when I'm cutting back everywhere else (but not really). But I don't have money to pay my (insert mortgage, car payment, power bill, sewer, garbage, water, etc.) whatever that I actually need to pay! Help me.

Sorry, this isn't brought on by any one post, just been building up. It's saving advice, but some people really just don't want any. They want a way to shoot down any that is given though and then wonder why they can't get ahead.

No more fruit flies! We managed to kill the buggers off without using bug bombs. It took a week, but with fly strips, scrubbing down the kitchen, putting all food in sealed containers or Ziploc baggies, and DH vacuuming up stray ones, our kitchen is now fruit fly free. Try saying that 5 times fast.

We decided not to chance anything tonight by cooking in the kitchen so we grabbed fast food. Not healthy either physically or financially, but that's the choice we made. We just did fast food drive thru after going to the chiropractor and making our milk run to town, then back to the school just in time for Rose's basketball practice.

I made bread last night in the bread machine and I shouldn't have to make any now until Sunday. Tomorrow we shall cook again. It's spaghetti and meatballs night, with salad and fruit (either apples, blueberries, cherries or pineapple as that is what we have on hand). I need to make up a new week's worth of menues as I misplaced the other ones I'd done. Oh, to be organized.

We did do some cleaning in the laundry room, the bit that still hadn't been done yet. There's a little bit left but its almost done, will probably be done before we go to bed tonight. Which will be really nice. Hopefully tomorrow we can work on taking down the Christmas tree or at least getting the ornaments and lights off. I want it done before DH leaves for Alaska on Sunday. I want my living room back before he goes and the tree itself is to heavy for me to haul out to the shed for storage (its fake).

One of these days I will be organized! And I believe that slightly more than I believe my neighbor will ever pay me back the $11.55 he owes me. Anyone have a bridge for sale?

So far this year:
we have found 3 pennies on the ground
we were given our nickle back because the convenience store didn't have pennies, netting us 2 cents
we have found one nickle on the ground

That is 10 cents, almost a penny for every day of the new year so far. Sure would be fun to keep that rate up!

I received an email back from the assistant superintendent of our school district today, saying I could call a number and talk to someone about setting up an appointment to go and view the curriculum we couldn't go and see because of the roads. I wasn't thrilled with the way it was handled, very holier than thou email, I was way more polite than they were, but at least I got my way and can review the course material when it is convenient to me.

Rose has another 3 hour basketball practice tonight. And math homework. And half a page of spelling homework. I never had this much homework in 5th grade. Or this much athletics practice. But its what she wants, so until it overwhelms her, its okay with me.

$1121.81 YTD spending
8.97 grocery spending
15.36 fast food
+ 1.29 sales tax on fast food
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$1147.43 New total YTD Spending

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$180.30 Month to date grocery spending
+ 8.97 1 gallon organic milk and 2 gallons regular 2% milk
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$189.27 MTD Grocery spending
_____________________________

$10.73 Left in the grocery budget

Yeah, right. So far we have one foot of snow, but it was supposed to be not as bad as last time. Silly meterologists, predicting the weather is not for mere mortal men.

We did not end up going to the meeting tonight, the roads are like glass. Did they reschedule the meeting? No. Did I write a disgruntled email to the school district superintendant? Yes. I shouldn't have to risk my life on the roads to meet their stupid state law standards.

As of 4 p.m. six school buses had slid off the road, 2 semi-trucks had jack-knifed and several cars were in ditches county-wide. But no, we aren't going to reschedule. I don't think they actually want parents to attend. Hence them not even sending the information notice home until last night. Not the brightest people in the world, those who run our school district. Scary thought, isn't it?

Today ended up being a no spend day as we weren't about to go out on the roads just for one item at the grocery store.

Dinner was a smorgasboard of leftovers for everyone but me. There wasn't enough for me, so I had whole wheat pancakes, ham, some cherries, and a salad. Weird, I know, but I do try to balance my meals.

Our neighbor had the nerve to ask us if he could borrow money again. He still owes us $11.55 that he has said at least 3 times he will pay back on "payday" but whenever payday came he never did.

Even if we had the money we wouldn't loan it to him. When DH said we had no cash on hand (well, except $7 or so in the change jar and we need to save that for milk in case we can't get to town we can use it at the gas station) he had the nerve to ask for us to write out a check to the store for him. Yeah, right. I don't give my mother a blank check for anything, let alone some guy with a history like his. I don't believe some people.

Ugh, more snow. And it is still snowing. I was hoping we were done for the winter. At least it is pretty. The schools are open today but are running 2 hours late and are on snow routes, which means we have to hike out to the highway for pickup and drop off.

I'm grateful we didn't lose power last night, though we had several surges.

Tonight is supposed to be the night when parents can go review the AIDS/HIV curriculum that will be taught soon but it may be cancelled. By Washington state law you cannot excuse your children from the course unless a parent has reviewed the material. I just want to know what they will teach so I can mitigate the information with our religious beliefs and family values.

I taught Rose about puberty, sex and pregnancy when she was 9, but we haven't really gone into STD's and prevention of STD's and HIV/AIDS. I wasn't really ready for that conversation when she was 9.

I just hate that my kids have to grow up so fast in certain areas. I know that if they don't, though, they are at greater risk. We can teach them abstinance until the cows come home, and that sex should be saved for marriage according to our religious beliefs, but it depends on the child as to whether that is the route they will go and that not everyone waits or even saves sex for a committed relationship.

So if they do go and do something stupid as a teenager, it won't put their lives at risk if they know how to protect themselves. At least we've already had the some people are gay conversation, what our religion says about it, what society says about it, and what the reality is about it (as in cousin so and so is gay and so is Mom's old friend L), so if that is brought up in the course as a risk factor its been covered.

I can't be the type of parent who will bury their head in the sand and assume my kids are the ones not doing it when they are older. It's not worth my child's life, health or safety to not be straight with them. But gosh, its an embarrassing conversation, talking about how HIV is contracted through sex (which they aren't supposed to have) or blood and how to prevent it for sure (abstinance)or how to mostly protect against it, (maybe) through safer sex. And how it can be contracted through injectable drugs (which they aren't supposed to do) and sharing needles (which they really aren't supposed to do.

My daughter still believes in Santa Claus (or says she does, she might just be greedy for the stocking). I am so not ready for talking about hanging another type of sock to help prevent this disease.

I'm sorry this is so off topic. Though financially, it does tie in. HIV/AIDS treatment is horrifically expensive. So is teenage pregnancy. And drug use and rehab. Avoiding these things, will save money. It'll save more than money. Not talking about them will cost more than we can ever bargain for as parents.

DH just went down to the gas station and filled one of our gas cans for $12.50 so we have it on hand for the generator. We have already had one brief power failure today and winds are expected to be nastier tonight, plus there is a very good chance of heavy snow if the temperatures plummet. Nothing like the 2 feet we got last time, but several inches.

I hope it doesn't hit us, but at least we have a back-up energy and heat supply. That generator may not turn out to be just an expensive piece of porch equipment after all. Though I am still feeling the pinch of buying the thing!

Rose's basketball practice was upped to 3 hours tonight. I hope the power does not go out at the school, though there are emergency lights I don't know if there are any in the gymnasium. I don't like these 3 hour practices. Especially on nights they assign math homework.

Dinner tonight is my lower carb version of Chile Verde.

Ingredients:

1/4 lb sugar-free bacon, crumbled
1 lb boneless pork roast, cubed
1.5 cups chopped scallions
1 T minced garlic
4 oz green chile peppers, diced (fresh or canned)
1.5 T jalapeno peppers, diced (fresh or canned
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

In large skillet, fry bacon crispy. Set aside. Start browning pork in bacon fat. Add bacon crumbled. When pork is browned, add scallions and garlic.* Saute until tender. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Simmer for 30 min. Turn up heat to medium for 15 min to thicken. If you want to add some thickener like corn starch or flour you can, but I don't.

*Optional: if desired, julienne chop a green bell pepper and add with scallions and garlic to stretch meal further. Serves 4 without bell pepper, 6 with.

Can serve by itself or with 100% whole wheat tortillas, veggie wraps, etc. Added cheese or sour cream also optional.

Recipe responds well to doubling, tripling or quadrupling for the freezer.

$1118.21 YTD spending
+ 3.62 milk
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$1121.83
- .02 store had no pennies to make change with
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$1121.81 YTD spending

________________________________

$176.70 Month to date grocery spending
+ 3.60 groceries
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$180.30 Total MTD grocery spending
_________________________________


$19.70 Total left in grocery budget

$1114.61 YTD Spending
+ 3.60 eggs
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$1118.21 Total new YTD Spending

_______________________

$173.10 Month to date grocery spending
+ 3.60 1/8/07 grocery spending
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$176.70 Total MTD grocery spending

The evening saw a lot accomplished. We found the floor in Tobias' room and unburied the dresser and put all his clothes away in it. That helped a lot. So now he has a perfect dresser and a perfect desk with his computer on it, which was perfect to begin with. One thing he does keep neat is his computer area. Just like his sister. These are old computers by the way, leftovers. They don't have much on them besides Word and Works and games.

I swear I did not buy 75% of the junk in his room. Grandparents. Enough said.

Dinner was an old stand-by: Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice. And I cheated, too as I had leftover chicken and leftover rice. So I just warmed up the chicken and rice, dumped in two jars of salsa, stirred it, reheated it and stirred it again. Presto, chango, dinner. Cheap, fast, easy.

DH and I are going to try to finish T's room tomorrow while he is at school. Who knows how succesful we'll be? At least his closet was still completely clean and organized from the last time I did it. Of course, that was because he couldn't get into it because of all the stuff in front of the door, but I'll take what I can get.

I don't know about you but spending my morning upside down in a chair while a nice lady pokes my gums with sharp sticks is not my idea of a fun time. I'm not afraid of the dentist or anything, I just find clinging to the arms of the chair for dear life so you don't slide headfirst onto the floor to be sort of uncomfortable. And I'm not a great fan of the suction thingy either. That goes back to when I was little and you used to spit the flouride into a suction device that grabbed onto my chin one time and left it a big purple bruise. Now they use a little vacuum tube, but still I get tense when I hear the noise.

DH went to the big library to poke around while I was at the dentist. Afterwards we took the long way home so we could stop by a farm in Lynden that sells fresh brown organic eggs. We got 2 dozen jumbo eggs for $3.60. Some of them are huge double yolkers, I'm sure. I usually eat 2 eggs for breakfast but with some of these babies I'll be having just one.

We are spending the afternoon cleaning in T's room, excpet Rose, who has algebra homework. I don't think I care for algebra and geometry to be taught in the 5th grade. The basics sure, but this is getting complicated for a ten-year-old.

Aside from the eggs we spent no money today, so it is a low spend day.

Cause if they do, I want to put them to work. Gotta earn their living just like the rest of us.

I've put out 3 apple cider vinegar traps and there are a couple caught in them. DH got impatient with the traps and he decided he was going to suck them up the vacuum hose. And as long as he moved slowly, it worked. Apparently fruit flies are stupid. And they do vacuum.

T's room is going to take more time than I thought. Probably won't be able to do much tomorrow as I have a dentist appointment smack dab in the middle of my child free hours at 11:30. Well, there is always Tuesday.

And then there is my daughter's room. What ever time it takes to do T's I will probably have to triple for Rose. For someone who spends almost no time at home or in her room when she is home, how did she become such a mess maker? I have a song I sing to her to the tune of the song Matchmaker from Fiddler on the Roof:

Mess Maker, Mess Maker
Make me a mess
Fill up the corners
And give me some stress
Cover the floor
Until there's no more
Mess maker
Make me a mess!

I don't get it. Her bed is always neatly made and her desk and computer are in perfect order. But there is nowhere else in the entire room except a little area that is a path to her bed from the door that is free of childhood debris.

Serious purging time. I just hope I can get it all done this week. DH is helping. DH is doing more than helping. He's doing more than I am. He also cleaned out, well half of, the laundry room and took the old freezer out onto the back porch. That opens up so much space in the laundry room. I can now set up the drying racks there and have room for the hampers, too! Love that. Anyway, there is room for the repairman to get to the dryer if and when I decide on fixing it.

Today was a no spend day, hooray. Didn't go anywhere, didn't shell out one cent. DH found a nickle last night that I forgot to mention. It went into the change jar.

I am on here posting so much today as I am trying to avoid cleaning and organizing my son's room. It is a disaster area and we are going to do some serious purging of old toys and clothes. He was given a big organizing unit for Christmas from his paternal grandparents but we can't even get it into his room to start! So, I suppose I should really go get on it and stop procrastinating. Who knows, maybe there is something e-bay saleable in there? Okay, into the breach I go.

My 4 week grocery budget is $200. 173.10 is how much I have spent on groceries so far. I have $26.10 left from which I will only need to buy milk and eggs. I have everything else I need for the month. I think this is going to work. Previously my grocery budget has been between $250 and $300 per 4 week pay cycle, so this is quite a cut for us. But with the right planning and the right management of leftovers, I think we will be just fine on this new budget.

$ 952.13 Previous YTD spending
$ 192.48 1/6/07 spending
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$1114.61 Total YTD spending

Grocery shopping:

@ Haggen

$10.89 2.73 lb uncured organic half ham
$ 5.49 1 pk Isernios Italian chicken sausage
$ 3.19 1 pk 100% whole wheat hoagies
-------
$19.57

@ Terra Organica

$11.58 2 packages organic additive and presevative free roasted turkey slices

@ Cost Cutter

$11.99 for 12.11 pounds chicken legs
$ 8.99 for 8 bottle case of apple juice
$ 5.99 for 12 can case of tomato sauce
$ 5.99 for 12 can case of green beans
-------
$32.96

@ Costco

$13.45 6 lb bag of preformed Sirloin patties
$ 9.99 3 lb box of bing cherries
$ 8.99 4 lbs kosher beef hotdogs
$ 5.99 1 pint of blueberries
$ 5.99 4 pack (non-cubed) butter
$ 7.99 3 pound box of fresh cut pineapple
-------
$52.40

$116.51 Total grocery spending for the day

Non-grocery spending:

@ Costco

$50.00 to cash card for gas

Dinner out

@ Rount Table Pizza

$23.76 meal
$ 2.21 sales tax
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$25.97 total cost of meal

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$116.51 groceries
$ 50.00 gas card
$ 25.97 eating out
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$192.48 Total spending for day

After DH deposited the pocketful of change he'd been forgetting about for the past couple days into the change jar, I was able to roll coin.

$10.00 in quarters
5.00 in dimes
2.00 in nickles
.50 in pennies
8.00 in $1 bills
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$25.50 total in coin jar
$20.00 to be paid back to savings
-------
$55.50 total deposit for Monday

This is going into my vacation fund tomorrow. I am going to town anyway for a dentist appointment so I will do my banking on the same trip.

$ 59.27 current vacation fund
$ 55.50
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$114.77 New vacation fund total

Rose's basketball games went pretty well today--for Rose. Our team lost both games but Rose made the most baskets of any of her teammates in the first game and was one of only 3 people to make any baskets on her team on the second game.

The first game was against our own school's other team and they have most of the 6th graders and the 5th graders they do have are the most advanced players. They didn't divide it up well, not mixing the experienced kids with the less so ones. Of the 10 kids on Rose's team, only half have played before. And this is the team they practice and scrimmage with, so we knew going in we wouldn't beat them. I just told Rose to do her best and she did.

The second game went pretty well considering that 5 out of 10 of their players were half a head to 8 inches taller than Rose who is the tallest girl on her team. There's not too much you can do when people outreach you by that
much, so I'm proud my daughter did so well against them.

I do wish they would have separate 5th and 6th grade teams and not combine
them together. They have enough kids to do it and its hard when you are
overmatched because of height, even though you play well.

I just wish that the girl who used to bully Rose would get her act together. She used to be such a good player and now she's just acting like a ditz and has made maybe one basket in 3 games when she used to be a top scorer. She doesn't pay any attention to what's going on around her, I don't know why she is even out there if she isn't going to give it her best. Well, she doesn't bully Rose anymore. Kind of hard to when Rose has flown right past her in skills this year. It's a good thing Rose isn't the vindictive sort or she'd have good reason to bully back now. Or at least tease.

Anyway, I still feel really good about Rose, knowing she is getting better and better all the time and trying hard.

We got smart and packed lunches today for the kids, since the games were from 12 to 2 and they just get so hungry. If we hadn't packed food, they would have wanted to go down the road to the Casino and get sub sandwiches at their market store that has a Port of Subs in it. Wanted to prevent the "can we eat outs" from happening.

After that we went into my mother's house to do laundry and Mom took over so we could go do the rest of our grocery shopping. We are trying for a weekend shop that means we won't shop again for the month except to buy eggs and milk. That is the best way I can think of right now to keep to the grocery budget of $200 a month.

Then Mom decided to take the kids overnight so we came home without them. I made whole wheat hamburger buns tonight as we are planning on making cheeseburgers for lunch tomorrow. I've got a few ideas to try next time to see if they might work better. We put them in a 9 X 13 glass pan and next time I think we'll try using a cookie sheet instead. The pan works great for rolls but less great for buns. I think I'll see about finding a different whole wheat bun recipe that's a little different, too.

It's late now so I will post our spending journal for today tomorrow.

This is my 5th Entry for today but it is payday so it is to be expected that I can't silence my keyboard for any decent stretch of time once I sit down to it.

It is a very interesting experience tracking daily spending. DH is totally on board with it and is even reminding me when I forget which is very helpful because I want to do this.

We had a very good day out and about while the kids were in school. It is nice to have some time just to be a couple, even if it is doing mundane things like paying bills and grocery shopping. Being able to have an uninterupted conversation in the car is pretty cool, too.

Dinner tonight was cooked out of the freezer and pantry, none of the new stuff. I am trying to stick to a menu plan so things will stay on track. So dinner was oven baked chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and milk for everyone else, and just a piece of chicken and some green beans for me. My stomach is still unsure of itself, though I am feeling miles and away better than yesterday.

I really wanted to buy some bananas today but the last time we did it brought in fruit flies with them so until they have all died off we aren't buying fruit unless it goes in the fridge. It is so frustrating, I've got a few pest strips hanging but they just don't want to land on them.

A few more days and they should be all dead, there is no more available food for them. We are being extra careful that if we do leave dishes in the sink because the dishwasher is full, that we rinse everything off. Last thing I need is a resurgence of the the things because someone left a ketchup blob on a plate.

I've got plenty of apples and oranges, which of course is why I want bananas. Sigh. Oh, well, I will live and if this is the only thing in my life that is upsetting than I think I am very happy to live with that!

$ 34.33 Balance as of 1/4/07
$917.80 Today's spending
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$952.13 New YTD total as of 1/5/07

Lau posted a link to an amortization template and I downloaded it and have been playing with it for about 20 minutes.

If I continue at the rate I am going with making an extra principal payment of $24.14 each month I will finish the loan in 8.4 years.

If I bump it up to $74.14 extra each month, I can finish the loan in 7 years, 3 months.

If I bump it up to $124.14 extra each month, I will finish the loan in 6.5 years.

If I bump it up to $224.14 extra each month, I can finish the loan in 5 years and 2 months.

Not sure what I'll do about any of it yet but its fun to play with it and see the possibilities.

Thanks for posting the link, Lau.

I made the mortgage payment today of:

$375.86 regular payment
+ 24.14 extra principal payment
--------
$400.00

Mortgage balance is now at $32,251.24.
I am just short of having made the 71st payment by $62.16.

That means I have 109 payments to go plus $62.16.

I have 9 years, 1 month and $62.16 left to payoff my mortgage.

I always pay $24.14 extra, and on occasion will pay $124.14 extra over the years, so it will be less time than that, actually. But putting it out like this helps me keep track.

If I never made another extra principal payment between now and the end of the loan I should have it paid off by 2016. I am planning to have it paid off earlier than that of course, my daughter starts college in the fall of 2014 and it should be paid off well before then.

Today was payday so of course, I paid some bills and we went grocery shopping.

Bills paid:

$260.00 Medical
$ 20.00 Rose's Lunch Account
$ 20.00 Tobias' Lunch Account
$ 93.00 Puget Sound Energy
$400.00 House Mortgage
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$793.00 Bills Paid

Groceries bought:

@ Terra Organica:

$ 7.98 2 5 lb bags of organic 100% whole wheat bread flour
$ 3.38 2 packages of organic 100%whole wheat tortillas
$ 3.39 1 box of Wheatines organic crackers
$ 5.09 1 jar of Spectrum Omega-3 Flaxseed Oil Mayonnaise
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$19.84 Total at Terra Organica

@ Fred Meyer:

$12.40 for 7.2 pounds leanest hamburger
$11.98 2 packages organic uncured ham
$ 2.10 for 5.53 pounds navel oranges
$ 1.99 1 gallon 2% milk
$ 4.99 1 gallon organic non-fat milk
$ 3.29 Organic Yogi Ginger Tea
-------
$36.75

$56.59 Total grocery spending

@ Fred Meyer non-grocery spending

$ 1.98 2 packs key sorters
$ 3.29 bottle of Rolaids
$12.98 2 bottles Vicks Sinex nasal spray
-------
$18.25
$ 1.87 sales tax
-------
$20.12 Total non-grocery spending

Meal Out for 2 at Cinco de Mayo

$21.13 cost of meal
$ 1.96 sales tax
-------
$23.09
$ 5.00 tip
-------
$28.09

$897.80 Total spending today

I still have some bills to pay and $300 or so to do it with but have will not sit down and do those until this weekend.

The hamburger was the leanest they make and was all in the reduced bin so it went straight into the freezer when we got home.

The oranges were on sale for 38 cents a pound, really great price.

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Edited to add:

I forgot we got $20 worth of gas today, too.

$897.80
+ 20.00
--------
$917.80 Total payday spending.

Today was the automatic deposit of $10 to savings, which I will be transferring to ING soon.

I have some horrible type of stomach bug, it hit hard last night. DH went and bought me egg flower soup from the Chinese place that has no MSG. It's the only thing that will go down right now. I hope this thing passes fast as we have to do our grocery shopping tomorrow. He also got a 1/2 gallon of non-fat milk and a 1/2 gallon of 2% milk as we were completely out. He took the money out of savings but I will pay it back tomorrow when we get paid. Which is why I'm waiting to send the $10 to ING, when I can send this with it.

We got our income tax booklet in the mail, now we just have to wait for his work to issue the paperwork and the banks to send the interest notices. Probably nothing will come until the last day of January. I hate waiting. We should be getting back close to $3000.

I so wish we had that money throughout the year but because of the way DH works, 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off, he gets taxed funny, as if he was making the same amount each week of the month, when he only works 2 of 4. It's stupid but there isn't a way around it. We've tried. There used to be back when you could claim as many exemptions as you wanted to, but now, even with the max we are allowed to claim, it still ties up $3000. Bugs the heck out of me.