Okay, I'm about to set off on my vacation. Victoria is pretty wired so hopefully I'll be able to do a couple posts while I'm up there.

For those who asked for the survey link, I put some more comments on the previous post here. A couple of you asked for links that I had sent links to last month. Go read my comments on the last entry and if you still haven't gotten the link let me now and I'll try to send them again, but it may be a few days depending on internet availability where I am.

As much as it pained me to do it, I transferred the $700 of vacation money out of ING and back to my CU. It will arrive on Thursday and we leave on Friday so that works out well. I left it in until the last possible minute so that I could earn as much interest as possible on it.

I spent $60 on prescriptions today and $22 on pizza dinner for the three of us. I'm trying not to cook too much before we leave as the fridge is pretty empty and I don't want to fill it with leftovers we won't eat before we leave.

I've got to get caught up on laundry so I can start packing for everyone. Why is it the mom/wife always ends up doing all the packing? How come everyone else seems to get all clueless when it comes time to nicely roll up their clothes and stick them in a suitcase but instead fill them up with dolls or trains?

Oh, well, I'll survive. I always do.

DH and I have settled on places to visit on our trip to the island. All prices are admission for 2 adults and 2 children.

Hatley Castle--Home of Lex Luthor on Smallville and Dr Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in X-Men, has 3 large gardens as well (one is Japanese, one is Italian, don't remember what the 3rd is) $52.00 About a four hour visit

B.C. Royal Museum currently showing the Titanic exhibit, plus standard exhibits
$68.50 Half day visit

Butchart Gardens with fireworks and laser show $56.00 Full day visit

Centre of the Universe--Planetarium and Observatory with interactive exhibits and shows $23 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Craigdarroch Castle--Just a local castle DH wants to see, had 39 rooms $31 1-2 hours

Total $230.50 Canadian
Or $220 American

That's what is on the agenda so far. We also plan a visit to the Undersea Garden and a carriage ride, but don't have prices on those as of yet.

So I have $700 saved up for our family vacation in 10 days and its sitting in my ING account along with my EF. And I'm looking at that balance and thinking how I really don't want to see it drop down when I take that $700 out. I like the higher balance.

Crazy, huh? I save up for it and then don't want to spend it. Strange when I am so looking forward to this trip. Having the extra money in there has already generated interest of a bit over a dollar this month. And I don't like the idea of the interest dropping down to half of what it is making now.

I'll get over it. I won't go cancelling the vacation just to save the money. I just think I'm being silly. Does anyone else ever have these random thoughts of not wanting to spend money saved for a specific purpose on that item?

I remember going through this before, too. Not wanting to spend the EF on a car repair emergency when that was what it was really there for.

Today is shaping up to be a no spend day. So was yesterday. The kids were begging to go out to eat or to go down to the gas station for junk food, but I have held firm. We just don't need to make any trips when we will be going to town tomorrow, and they don't need junk food anyway. They just want it.

I wrote 12 pages yesterday, so I am quite proud of myself. Getting back into the flow of things again was not as hard as I expected once that pesky writer's block broke.

I received the final final bill for my surgery and I owe $1097 for my portion. The last so-called final bill was off by $10. Not in my favor. Ah, well. Life goes on and I go with it, so I'll deal. As ever.

I had to harvest more broccoli this morning and pick more strawberries. The garden is going like gangbusters and the zucchini, cucumbers and squash are still in the flowering stage, so I imagine in a couple more weeks they will take off like crazy. Hopefully they will wait until we get back from our vacation.

We are trying to decide what we will do on the island. Butchart Gardens of course, with the fireworks and light show, and we plan on going to The Center of the Universe, but after that, it's pretty much open. There is a Native American exhibit that we wanted to see last time we were there.

I'd like to go inside the parliament building as it was closed last time we went for Canada Day. And I'd like to go whale watching and take the carriage ride through downtown Victoria. We took the carriage ride through old Victoria last time we went.

The kids want to see the Undersea Garden again, which is amazing. It's built right on the floor of the bay and you can look right into the underwater habitat. It also has stuff like in an aquarium. And maybe we'll go see Miniature World and the Butterfly Garden again. We have seven days up there and some things only take half days. But we don't want to run every single day. We'd like to just hang by the pool a couple times.

At least lodging isn't costing us anything. We're going through my parents' travel program. They had a bunch of points about to expire so they booked a condo for us to use. It has a full kitchen, so we will be taking some food across the border with us. I still have to check on exactly what can cross the border. But we know where the organic grocer is up there and there's always the QFC if we need it.

Aside from the Undersea Garden, when I ask my kids what they want to do up there they say they want to go to the Spaghetti Factory! And the ice cream place with 97 flavors. DH is just as bad, he wants to go back to "that little Italian place" and the ABC breakfast restuarant. Which we will, but of all the things they remember, they remember the restaurants the most vividly.

I guess I shouldn't throw stones. When I went to Disneyland last I was looking forward to the Blue Bayou restaurant an awful lot. Just have to remember this isn't a food vacation. We're only planning on one meal out a day anyway, since we can cook breakfast and one other meal at the condo, except the day we go to the one restaurant.

Not much going on today. Laundry and dishes and minor house pick up to do. And a nice day to hang clothes on the line. The weather report for this week scares me. It's going to be back in the mid to high 80's and one day at 90. Well, that will dry a lot of clothes, won't it?

I am finally getting around to posting the bills I paid from last week's paycheck.

$910.37 Medical Mortgage
$400.00 House Mortgage
$282.22 Propane
$201.89 Comcast (installation charges on top of cable/phone/internet)
$ 44.58 Garbage (2 months)
$ 71.36 Cell phone
$ 84.00 Herald
$445.00 MBNA MC#1
$110.00 Power
$ 50.00 Physical Therapy
$185.50 Car insurance (3 months)

A fair chunk of change going out, there. Tomorrow is payday again, but not like this one. This is the big one for the month and has a full seven days of wages on it. Tomorrow's pay usually only has one and a half days on it. This time it will be two and a half days on it with the new schedule change, and it will be like that from now on. The first payday will have 4.5 days on it instead of 5.5 days, so the difference is at both ends of the cycle. Then we have one week where he doesn't get paid at all, out of every four.

I'm glad the vacation money is taken care of now. And the association dues, which I thought were due at the end of June are actually due at the end of July, so that makes me happy.

I forgot to list that I topped off the vacation fund on payday and it is now fully funded at $700.00. I put it all in ING so that it could earn interest between now and vacation. The interest will stay in the Emergency Fund.

I was able to confirm my CU this morning with ING, so I was able to transfer my vacation money over. It'll be nice to earn a little real interest on that money instead of 1%.

It finally stopped raining yesterday afternoon so I decided to bite the bullet and hung three loads of towels on the clothesline. It's sunny today and they should be dry by this evening. It just isn't very warm. It was 45 this morning. It is up to 70 now so possibly they are dry. Dunno. I'll check when the bus comes. Hopefully hanging laundry again might trim the power bill back down. Who knows?

It's supposed to rain again tomorrow. Hello, its June. Enough already.

Well, I finally went into ING and set it up to verify with my main credit union. For a long time I wanted to keep them seperate and so if I wanted to transfer money to ING I had to physically move it from CU #1 to CU #3. Oh, I could have transferred it electronically but that would have added another 3 or 4 days to it floating around without earning any interest.

Anyway, once the test deposits are made I will then be able to transfer money from the main account to ING. This will save me some wasted time. I was very hesitant to do this when I first started with ING, but I've been with them since October and I think my internet banking fears are gone. Even though I've been internet banking with my CU for over a decade, it took me awhile to feel comfortable using a bank.

I am going to transfer the vacation fund into my ING account so it can earn some interest in the month before we go. I should have done this awhile ago, but I've been putting it off. No more of that. This week it goes in. Then I'll just have to remember to transfer it back out in plenty of time for vacation.

I've brought my checkbook balance up to date and with what I have leftover from the last paycheck, I am going to take and add $50 to the vacation fund. This will bring me to $402 in the vacatin fund. Which means $298 left to save until the end of July. It's going to be a bit squeaky, I think, but I can do it. Just have to keep focused on not having more than one meal out this month and same for next month. We'll certainly make up for that on vacation.

Oops, I also have $8 of rolled coin I can deposit as well. So that makes it $410 and only $290 to come up with.

I deposited $20.50 into the vacation fund today. That brings the new balance in that account to $352.00. I have $348.00 to go to reach my goal of $700 by end of July.

I am going to take my aluminum cans to the recycler on Wednesday and add that in to the vacation fund as well. It will probably only be a few dollars, though, even though the hamper is full of crushed cans. I wish I lived in a state that gave five cents a can like Oregon.

I rolled coin today and I have a total of $18 to deposit tomorrow. I never made it to the bank to deposit the $5.50 last time I rolled coin so that is now part of the $18. It will be added to my vacation fund account. There is also a $5 pinecone deposit that was made that I have not added in to the total.

$308.50 Old balance
18.00 rolled coin
+ 5.00 survey
--------
$331.50 New balance

$368.50 left to save to meet my goal of $700, so almost to the halfway point. Lodging is paid for already and has a full kitchen. Some food we will bring with us and some we will buy on the island. We can only take certain items across the border, but we know where a good grocery store is just outside of Victoria. We will have one meal out per day and visit at least five attractions. Just under two months left to save it up.

I was "cleaning" the junk drawer today and found $1.77 in change. Which was mostly dimes and pennies. You'd think I would have found more than one nickle, but no. So no rolling nickles today, but I had found enough dimes and pennies to complete rolls on those, so I will deposit the $5.50 into my vacation fund tomorrow.

Yesterday I deposited:

$10.00 in quarters
5.00 in dimes
1.50 in pennies
1.00 Sacajawea gold coin
5.00 check from Your2Cents survey payment
--------
$22.50

This went into the vacation fund.

$286.00 Beginning Balance
22.50 New Deposit
--------
$308.50 New Balance

Just $390.50 to go by the last week of July.

I counted my coins today and I just need 3 nickles and 3 dimes to make rolls, so that will probably turn up between now and when I go by that CU next. If I remember right there is a dime on the dryer. If I looked around a bit I could probably find it what is needed in the kitchen or living room. But not feeling quite that motivated.

So I'm sitting here with this empty little box that needs to be filled with typewritten letters and I think I've forgotten how to blog. I take a week off and suddenly I'm at a loss for words. Well, writing that is at least a start.

I had a fabulous time on my vacation and the really great thing is that I spent less than I budgeted for it. My roommate for the trip is an excellent deal finder and was finding cut rates right up until about a couple days before I left. So four days in the suite at the one hotel came to $249 for my half and three days in the second hotel came to $149, also for a suite.

Airplane tickets were free of course, through DH's miles, and since I was in first class there was a free meal on the plane on the way there. It was a good one, so I ate it and only had to buy dinner the first night.

It was $189 for the five day park hopper for Disneyland and California Adventure and I spent $48 for four hours at the Glen Ivy Spa and $29.95 to go on the Queen Mary with the historical tour, the World War II tour, and the ghosts and legends tour, which were all guided tours. So that comes to $664.95.

I came back home with $150 on souveniers for me, my kids, and my DH. I spent about $300 on food and bottled water. That puts me at a total of $1114. I came home with $286 and various amounts of coin.

So that $286 becomes the seed money for our new vacation fund. We are going to Victoria, B.C. Canada at the end of July. We are staying in my parent's travel company's condo up there as my folks needed to use their points or lose them, they reserved it for us. They have given points to both my sisters and my niece and figured it was our turn this year. They are joining us for two days, but its a three bedroom condo with a pullout couch so it should accommadate everyone just fine.

So anyway, that part will be free and we will just need to save the money for the ferry ride there and back, for food (which will partly come from the grocery budget for that month anyway, one meal out a day for each of us, and admissions into places we want to visit, like Butchart Gardens, The Butterfly Garden, and The Center of the Universe. I'm thinking we can probably get away with around $700 since we can bring a lot of our own food over the border. I will have to get a list on what is currently allowed and what isn't, aside from apples which I don't think have been allowed in my lifetime.

Hmm...guess I haven't forgotten how to blog after all.

I'm off on my vacation in a few short hours. I'll be off the blog treadmill for the week, I think, but will be back on Sunday Next. Hope you all have a great week out in PF blogland.

Today was kind of crazy, but it was the last banking day before my trip. I leave Sunday. So today I paid:

$335.29 Property Tax half year
$910.37 Medical Mortgage
$400.00 House Mortgage
$100.52 Citi Master Card
$400.00 BOA Master Card

And I got $1000 in traveler's checks and $70 in cash. I will be taking along a roll of quarters and a roll of pennies from my change jar. My cheapy souveniers are those flattened pennies you get with a design etched onto them. They have quite a few scattered about Disneyland and I try to get different ones each time I go. I have quite the collection.

I am going to try to keep my expenses down to $1400. I am allowing $330 to go on credit card but that will be paid off once the bill comes in. There are some places that will not take traveler's checks even though they are supposed to. I don't know why but they don't. Fortunately the park does and the hotels do. I am hoping not to use the CC at all. With splitting so many costs with my friend it is possible to achieve this. Probable is another story.

I also got out $100 for DH to use the week I am gone. He shouldn't need to use it all but I'm not counting on there being any when I get back. It should cover the two fast food meals a week for t-ball nights, adding money to their lunch accounts and replacement of milk, bread, eggs, etc. if needed. I tried to shop ahead so they won't have to buy much of anything.

Then we got our wifi network system and DH is going to try to get that installed and up and running tomorrow. Lots of money out but all of it planned and saved for so I don't feel bad about it. Maybe a little.

DH's check was supposed to have his raise on it but guess what? It was on the paper statement but not on the electronic deposit. What the H E DOUBLE HOCKEYSTICKS good does that do us, I ask you? Anyway, the extra will be added to next week's paycheck, which means a smaller tax bite out of it since next week's is the two day check. I am so over this company. REALLY BIG SIGH.

So that's me today. I'll try to do one more blog tomorrow before I pack. We'll see. If not, I'll blog you when I get back.

Today started off with a visit to the physical therapist, so that was $50 right out of the gate. After that I picked up DH from the airport and then we went to get gas at $3.10 a gallon. The other stations are at $3.25. We filled it up but we used the Costco cash card so I'm not sure how much it was off of that. Probably $45 as its an 18 gallon tank and only had 1.5 gallons in it at fill-up time.

Then we went to LensCrafters to pick up my year supply of contact lenses and to have both my regular glasses and my prescription sunglasses adjusted. No money out there as I'd already paid for the contacts.

After that we went to WalMart and bought more Rubbermaid tubs for moving stuff to storage and also items I'll need for my trip. I got a small First Aid Kit, bottle of Rolaids, nasal spray, sunblock, and vitamin C. I tried on swimsuits but none of them provided enough support on top, or enough material for that matter. When did one piece bathing suits get so low cut? If I wanted a flimsy bikini top I wouldn't be looking at a one piece to begin with. Sigh.

Then we went to Arby's for lunch. Just too much money out today, but I guess all of it but Arby's was necessary spending.

I wanted to take the car to the car wash but it is still closed. I am hoping it will reopen soon. My punch card is full and they owe me a free wash and wax and I'm getting annoyed waiting. I hope they aren't broken down. I know there are other carwashes in town but I've got a free one coming and I want it by golly!

Today was my first no spend day in forever, it seems. I've found myself relaxing far too much lately now that the money noose is no longer closed tightly around our necks. In fact, its more of a lasso than a noose now and the cowboy's aim is off a bit, too.

So I've decided I really need to get back in it and stop letting money piddle away left and right. I am also making up a budget for my vacation. I already know what hotel fees and taxes are going to be and I'm hoping to figure out how much money for food I will need. My souvinier budget is pretty strict, I get one lapel pin and one t-shirt or sweatshirt. I will be buying a gift for my parents-in-law there for their 40th, glass blown wine glasses with their names and wedding date etched on.

My friend and I are planning out our restaurants in advance, we have menus and pricing as well, so it shouldn't be too difficult. We also may split some meals, too. At some places portions are just huge and can easily be halved, even if you have to pay a $1.00 extra plate fee charge.

I have to go and buy a swimsuit tomorrow. My old one is so worn out that I think I might be committing a crime if I were to wear it in public. Now that our development's pool is repaired and back in operation I'd be needing one anyway, so this purchase is not simply for the trip. I found out they offer free water aerobics on W and F to homeowners here, so after I get back and have my operation and my recovery time, I will start doing that, I think.

I am going to try very hard to not waste money just because we have it. We still have debt. A lot of debt.

Today was just an average day and it almost seems silly to blog about it. Maybe I'm going through a faze? I dunno.

Anyway, I went to the massage therapist today as my hip went all wonky earlier this week. It helped a lot. That was $50.

Went to Costco and spent $126.00, though $100 of that went onto the cash card to be used as gas. Gas is up to $3.05 at Costco and well over $3.25 at most other stations. Again we are the highest gas in the state of Washington. Sucks to be us if we want to drive right now. Otherwise I just bought kosher beef hotdogs and chicken pot pies. Oh, and I picked up the new Hillary Duff CD/DVD Dignity for Rose but that was with her allowance, so it doesn't count into my spending.

I set aside $60 to go into the vacation fund but did not have the time to deposit it today.

My parkhopper ticket for Disneyland arrived today. Hard to believe that in 9 more days I will be hitting that park with a very good friend that I have not seen since 2003 and without the kids! Oh, we will take them in another year or two, I suppose, but the little one is still too afraid of many carnival rides and I don't want to waste a trip not being able to go on things because of that.

Then after that is the conference for my illness, so all told I will be away from home for 8 days. DH will be on his own with the kids, scary. Well, not really, he's a good hands on dad, but he might find it scary. At least they will be in school on five of those days.

I haven't decided yet on whether I will take my computer with me or not. Doubt I'd blog much anyway, I'll be exhausted from all the walking around and having fun.

I'm working on a trip budget and am going to do my best to stay within it or even under it. Still a work in progress, though.

Today in the mail I received two checks, one a $6 survey check from Your2Cents and the other a refund from the orthodontist of $246.80. It is all going into the vacation fund.

$134.47 beginning balance
246.89 orthodontist refund
+ 6.00 survey money
--------
$387.27 Ending balance for vacation fund

In addition to the $13 in rolled coin and $10 survey check that I deposited yesterday, I also had $25 in ones. So that was a total of $48 to the vacation fund. The new total in the vacation fund is $134.47.

Today was the day of the weekly auto deposit to savings of $10. I also had an additional $30 to add, so that is $40 that is being sent off to ING for the EF. That brings the new total in that account to $578.95.

We rented a storage unit this week and have started moving stuff into it, not much yet as its just whatever fits in the trunk on a day we are going there anyway. I think we may get a U-haul for one serious trip, though. But first we will try to borrow FIL's truck.

I had my carnial sacral therapy this morning and it went well. I am starting to see a bit more improvement.

DH came home yesterday so I drove to the airport to get him and we filled the car up with gas @ $2.95 a gallon. Ick.

Rose went to a birthday party last night and while we were out in that area we drove around looking at the houses there. They were gorgeous. This one for sale had a magnificent view of Mt. Baker and it was for sale so we grabbed the flyer. It was really an amazing house, 3000 square feet, tons of windows, custom built log cabin house with dark green trim, 3 bd, 2 ba, lots or room, granite countertops in the kitchen, huge decks, a loft, tile floor in the kitchen, hardwood floors in the other rooms on an acre of wooded land, jetted bath tubs and an outdoor hot tub. The roof was aluminum though and I don't like that. I like shingles. But it was still lovely.

The cost, though? Woo Hoo. $950,000! Holy guacamole. But I think for what it was that was a fair price, just not for us. I don't think I'd ever be willing to spend that much money on a house.

I rolled up my change jar today so that I can deposit it tomorrow when I go to the CU. I have:

$10.00 in quarters
$ 2.00 in nickles
$ .50 in pennies
$ .50 50 cent piece
-------
$13.00 rolled coin
$10.00 from NFO that I still haven't deposited
-------
$23.00 total to the vacation fund

I'm not really in a blogging frame of mind. I absolutely cannot think of anything remotely interesting to say. It's just been that kind of day.

I've got everything in place for my trip at end of April start of May as far as plane tickets (free, with miles), hotels are booked (all but one day half price with roommate), Blue Bayou reservations are made, and the registration check is waiting to be mailed off tomorrow. So all I have to do now is buy a park hopper pass and I'm set until its time to pack.

I think I will probably buy it online and have it mailed here or else buy it online but pick it up there. I need to see if there is enough time for it to be mailed here.

I am getting really excited. I haven't seen my friend S in 3 years and I am really looking forward to us getting together. As well as meeting up with a few other ladies later on at the convention that I haven't see in quite some time either. But S and I are going to be the only ones going to Disney beforehand.

I hope the weather is nice when we go. I can't say much good about the weather as the last few times I've been in Anaheim it rained for most of it. If I'd wanted a rainy vacation I would have stayed in the PNW, you know? Hopefully end of April is close enough to Cali's dry season.

Oh, look, I guess I came up with something to write about after all.

Our tax return showed up in our bank account today. This is the fastest we've ever gotten it. Just 3.5 weeks.

I haven't done anything with it yet, but the plan is:

$2000.00 to a credit card
$1000.00 to Vacation fund (but will send to ING until needed)
$ 458.13 to education fund (but will send to ING until needed)

Might as well earn some good interest on those last two things. I am setting up a spreadsheet to keep track of what's in the ING account so nothing ends up in the wrong place.

I am quite posty today, I know. This makes five, I think. Possibly six. But anyway...

I wish I could do more right now than just add $10 a week to savings. And I know I will again after my trip.

It feels weird to be taking money for just myself right now, but this trip is about learning more information about my disease and being with others who have to live with it as well and listening to lectures and speakers and blah, diddy, blah, blah, blah.

Plus, there's a side trip to Disneyland, but that's just gravy. I don't have to pay for my plane ticket, that's just miles cashed in (DH is a frequent flyer due to work) and since it is first class there will be a meal both directions (and they are good up in first class, not bad like in coach), so two less to buy total.

And DH gave me his guest pass for the Boardroom, which is a private waiting lounge at SeaTac and I can eat a meal in there as well, they usually have soup, veggies, cheese, other finger foods, fruit and beverages all for free.

I'm having a roommate to split hotel costs. I'm doing it as frugally as I know how (even the side trip I am splitting costs with a close friend who also has this disease). And we used Mouseplanet to look up all the restaurants in the park and their menus and prices so we could plan all of our meals and which ones we might split the cost of there as well. I also got information on surrounding restaurants and their menus and prices. Isn't the internet grand?

DH says I don't have to justify it, but I'm not trying to justify it to him, I'm trying to justify it to me. Why is it so hard for us as women to spend money on ourselves on something just for us? Especially when it is mostly health related? And one could also argue that going to Disneyland is good for mental health also. Okay, see? Justification again.

Here I am, almost having died a few years ago, having to turn my life completely upside down, having to deal with other health issues that I need to learn more about to stay healthy and I feel bad because I'm going to take a bit of time to have some fun in there, too. Okay, when I put it like that, I don't feel bad about it anymore. But I will still be glad when I can contribute the change jar and the surveys back into savings again. Building savings makes me happy.

Today I deposited to the vacation fund:

$10.00 roll of quarters
$ 0.50 roll of pennies
$ 4.00 in ones
--------
$14.50 subtotal
$71.97 vacation fund balance
-------
$86.47 new total

After my various errands today I came home with $5 in ones and DH had $3 in ones bfrom his own errands that I will deposit next time I go to town. I am saving all change and all ones for my trip and probably will divert all survey earnings into there as well until I go.

I suppose I could have done the last several posts in one big one, but I keep forgetting to add one more thing, so it just works out this way today. I think this is my fifth.

I took a survey with Your2Cents today and have a $6 check coming from them in the next 3 to 5 weeks.

The one that arrived today took the whole 5 weeks, though it is generally closer to 3 in the past. It will go in the vacation fund when it arrives.

I deposited:

$ 8.00 check from ACOP survey
$ 5.00 check from Your2Cents survey
$ 5.00 roll of dimes
$ 0.50 roll of pennies
$ 1.00 Sacajawea dollar
------
$19.50 total

Into the vacation fund today.
New total in fund:

$71.97

Not much but it will get $1000 from the tax return.

Well, as promised, Lightspeed had the money in my paypal account by the end of the next business day. I transferred it to my CU so it should show up on Friday. That is $18 received so far this month for my vacation fund.

Pending:
$5 from Your2Cents
$3 from ReadRevenue

I'm about 2 days out from cashing out at Dayslook. It'll be my first time cashing out with them so hopefully everything goes fine. It's a $5 cash out. I'm also 2 days out from cashing out at ReadRevenue again, although I don't think I will cash out until I find out what is going on with their system. I'll just keep building it up for awhile.