Overall, the job loss was good for us. We were able to adjust and refocus but more importantly, we were able to prove to ourselves that we could survive our fear. Sometimes knowing what you are capable of is the best lesson.

Here are this month’s numbers…

Original Debt: $38,495.86
Paid: $19,149.13
Remaining: $19,346.73

Broken Down
Auto Loan 1: $0
Credit Card: $0
Student Loan: $9,501.52
Auto Loan 2: $9,845.21

Yup, we’re about $100 from HALFWAY!! Woo Hoo!!

We will hopefully receive our tax refund check in March so we should have a nice jump next month.

When my husband called me from work on Friday to let me know he had injured his eye and needed urgent care he mentioned…he had no healthcare coverage.

His employer had failed to send the application.

We panicked. Goodbye tax refund. Possibly goodbye house…goodbye car… goodbye right arm.

Thanks to some quick thinking on my husband’s part, his was rerouted to the hospital at his school rather than to the local emergency room.

A few hours later he was bandaged, drugged, and… bill free. Because he is an active student, he is given certain medical care for free. Whew!

For those of you who attend, or have children who attend, large universities, consider researching the medical options available. It could save you a bundle.

2.) An elderly woman wearing pants with ‘Naughty’ crocheted across her hind quarters.

While I can’t stop an octogenarian shopping at my local Target store from reliving her youth inappropriately, I can stop car payments. How?

Our tax refund this year is just shy of $6,000.

We will wipe out 60% of our car debt. SIXTY PERCENT!!

YES!!

‘Edible’ isn’t the response a wife wants to hear.

I’ve decided to cook the inexpensive meals you suggested when I first started the ‘pantry diet’ and review them here. I’m off to the grocery store!

If you have any additional meal suggestions you’d like to share, I’ll make them!

He finally carved out Saturday to build a large portion on the fence. Since it’s not a task he can complete by himself, he called my brothers and his brothers to help.

No one was available.

He looked at me, his last hope (his very last and desperate hope since I’m afraid of sunshine, bees, saw blades, splinters, and manual labor)… and said, ‘Hon, do you think you could help me out this weekend? I need strong helpers but everyone is busy.’

I thought about pulling the ‘I’m recovering from pneumonia’ card but quickly decided I should make an attempt at being a decent human being.

We worked together for a few hours. I drew lines on the beams and things seemed to be going well until he started calling out construction terms when measuring.

‘142 – 3 strong!’ He yelled.

‘Hut hut hike?’ I asked confused. Were we playing football?

Things only went downhill from there. I tripped repeatedly, accidentally broke boards, misfired the nail gun, and inaccurately measured several times.

Fortunately, his brother freed up his afternoon and stopped by to help for a few hours. His brother knows construction terminology and they moved like a set of skilled craftsmen. I was demoted to weed puller and water girl for the afternoon.

Despite the botched morning, the fence is nearly done and it’s beautiful thanks to the hard work of my husband and his brother. It’s times like these that I am thankful for the talented men in my life. Without them, I’d be a mess. Well… more of a mess than I already am.

And in case you were doubting the stability or reliability of our old fence… photos are more valuable than words…

and the last photo – the saw blade start to our new fence.

I spent about an hour compiling information and completing forms in the tax software. It was far easier than I expected and I am a bit perturbed at how difficult our accountant made us think it was and more importantly… how much he charged us to do it.

It’s upsetting to me how many hundreds of dollars we have wasted in the past for something so terribly simple.

Don’t tell my husband but… I actually enjoyed doing it. The chronic organizer/obsessive compulsive in me loved the structure and numbers. My husband offered to do the dishes for a week if I took care of the taxes. If he finds out I actually enjoyed it, I’m on KP duty again so… shhh!

So far, the results are going to make a change to our debt. We can’t finalize anything until mid-week but as it stands now, it’s a far different number than we were expecting.

More? Less? Are we going to have to pull out our credit card to pay the tax due or are we getting some cash back?

I guess you’ll have to wait and see…

I looked down at my doughy fresh sandwich and immediately felt guilty.

I forget that sometimes, weight gain is a blessing.

The first of the month is around the corner. I can hear the collective groan. Bills are due. Stress is high.

Be thankful for what you have. There are those who would trade you in an instant.

My husband bought me the Wii Active More Workouts game for Christmas so I figured that would be a good place to start. Users are given the option to choose easy, medium, or hard workouts. Given my current situation, I chose… medium.

The overachiever in me is incapable of choosing any option labeled ‘easy’.

And maybe, this choice would have been fine… had I not exchanged the flimsy resistance band from the package to my ultra strong 3 layer band.

31 minutes later I was sweating, gasping for breath, and wishing I had taught my dog to fetch my inhaler. Just thinking about the ‘hard’ level gives me night terrors.

I’m cancelling my gym membership.

In October of last year, I was approved for the Making Home Affordable program through Bank of America. I was told I would receive the paperwork in 45 business days or less. Surprise. Surprise. It’s been over 60 business days and I have yet to see any paperwork from my lender (except the multiple pre-approvals for Home Equity Lines of Credit they send each month).

I called last week to check the status and was told to call back the next day. They continued to tell me to call back for 3 days. Late last week, I was told I was no longer qualified for the Making Home Affordable Program. After months of delays, this was disheartening news.

I called again last night to discuss my refinancing options and was told I was still being considered for the Making Home Affordable program and was told to call back in two weeks.

Based on the current progress, I should have this resolved by the time I pay off my home in 30 years.

How much is the hike for us?

$50 a month.

I stared at my already lean budget and tried to find a line item to reduce. I’m already dancing with danger in my necessity line items. My ‘check engine’ light came on again but unless I can fix it for the $37 I have in my car repair fund, it won’t happen. I sadly looked at the non-necessity line items, pulled out my ugly red pen, and started scratching off our once monthly dinner out, my Saturday morning bike ride icy lemonade stop, and stretched the distance between haircuts to 14 weeks.

Thank you California.

I think lawmakers are hoping residents will forget about the painful tax hike 10 months from now when they are up for re-election but I have this to say…

My ratty split ends will remind me.

I’m off to send good vibes to my car. Maybe if I wash it lovingly and talk to it sweetly, it will fix itself.

Amazon.com has reduced their price by 25% (to 44.99)
Costco has a $10 off coupon until Jan. 24th (to $39.99)

If you find a better deal (on any software), share! I think we could all use a break this year.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1953704,00.html

She believes the extra long extensions to unemployment benefits are detrimental to pulling the economy out of the gutter.

My first reaction was to disagree. This is a tough economy and finding a job is difficult but… now I’m beginning to wonder if she’s right.

When I was laid off in late 2008, I didn’t apply for unemployment. I was so sure I’d find a job quickly that I didn’t want to deal with the paperwork. I hand delivered 5-7 applications a day and before I knew it, 4 weeks had slipped by. I started to panic and a sense of desperation overwhelmed me. I bumped up my search, applied for any and every job including dog trainer and street sweeper, and found a job before 2009 started. I worked pushing shopping carts and boxing groceries until I found a permanent position.

When my husband was laid off in late 2009, he searched for jobs in his field and applied for an average of 3 jobs a week. We knew unemployment bought us about 6-9 months worth of time and were willing to wait for the right position. He was eventually re-hired for his old position a few months later.

No, I don’t think this is true of everyone but I do wonder if nearly two years of unemployment checks is only making the problem worse.

Californians aren’t necessarily ‘prepared’ when it comes to rain stronger than a light mist. Our local fire station ran out of 700 sandbags in less than 4 hours on Saturday.

Our house is located near the top of a low grade hill with a strong supporting wall so we don’t run the risk of flooding or landslides but my husband had to install rain gutters to keep the water from seeping under our front door.

Yes. Prior to this week, we did not have rain gutters… on a 50 year old house. In fact, more than half our neighbors don’t have rain gutters. If it actually rained in California, maybe we would have considered this sooner. Financial setback – $200. I guess we’ll be eating top ramen for the next three weeks.

My husband has been out in the rain stacking sandbags in the neighbor’s yard downhill from us. Their house has started to flood and the storms aren’t halfway over.

Some things are still funny. The transit company was out in waders measuring the water height on the train tracks. It would have been appropriate had the water been more than… 4 inches.

I still can’t complain. My sister is in Kansas City where the weather hasn’t been above freezing for most of the month. Sorry Liz.

How is the weather fairing around you? Has it set you back in your finances?

It creaked. It groaned. It fell. I cried.

We have a couple options:

a. We can leave the fence broken, give away our dogs, and hope nothing larger than a hippo wants in or out of our yard.

b. We can do yet another band-aid fix – i.e. buy more chicken wire, bazooka bubble gum, and a load of hope and prayer.

c. We can construct what I consider a perfectly acceptable but perhaps not aesthetically pleasing Preskool bubbly plastic play gate in a rainbow of colors available at garage sales everywhere.

Or

d. We can build a real fence.

Now is not a good time for this to happen (when is?). My husband started his job on Tuesday and won’t receive a paycheck until next week. Fortunately, those of us who are paid bi-weekly receive three paychecks in one month two times per year. January just happens to be my three paycheck month.

Sniff. Goodbye extra car payment.

We decided to build a new fence with my third check. Over the last three years, we could have paid for a new fence several times over but never seemed to have enough to do anything more than band-aid fix after band-aid fix. My husband is constructing the fence and stringing it with power so we can add lighting in the future. Looking at the perfectly dug trenches in our back yard, it appears as though I am haunted by a 170 pound gopher who looks a lot like my husband.

It’s time to stretch ourselves. I’m tired of continuing to make bad temporary financial decisions.

There’s nothing quite like being told your lungs are ‘out of shape’.

I quietly whispered, ‘Can I still do a sprint Triathlon in March?’ I whispered because I thought maybe she wouldn’t hear me clearly and nod yes without thinking.

‘WHAT?!? Absolutely not. Maybe by the end of summer if you’re lucky. If you push too hard too fast, you’ll do serious damage.’

I’m heartbroken.

Doing a triathlon, specifically this triathlon in an area I love, was a way to prove to myself that I am capable of stretching, changing, and growing. It’s been a nice distraction from my debt reduction path and for now, it’s gone.

It’s time to take a moment and sit still.

I’ve never been good at that.

Your free credit report can only be obtained through www.annualcreditreport.com

If you are interested in obtaining your credit score, use the www.annualcreditreport.com site as well. Credit scores on this site run about $6 – $9.

If you use the direct website for the credit reporting agency, the cost of your score will be more than twice as much.

My sister and I were discussing our choices in mortgage lenders last night and were both surprised at how pleased we were with Wells Fargo (Her first mortgage and my home equity line are with Wells Fargo). And yes, we talk about stuff like that. Today’s topic at lunch? The differences between revolving and installment accounts and their impact on credit scores – oh, and the wow factor of that good looking guy from New Moon.

Wells Fargo’s service over the last three years has far exceeded my expectations. As an example, I had a concern about my account a few months ago and wanted to talk to a Wells Fargo representative. The representative, John, resolved my concern kindly and quickly then gave me his phone extension if I ever needed to call again.

I’ve heard about movements to convince consumers to pull money out of big banks and move it to small local banks. It sounds like a good idea… but I’m not planning on removing my Vice Grip clasp from Wells Fargo anytime in the near future. If I could, I’d move my first mortgage to Wells Fargo because I feel a connection with them. I feel valued. Sometimes I pick up the phone to call John to invite him to a summer BBQ before I remember John doesn’t live in California and he’d probably be a little more than creeped out that the lady with the endless questions from San Diego wants to spend time together.

Maybe you love Bank of America. Maybe you hate Wells Fargo. Maybe you hate them both and love your local credit union. It’s not about big or small banking; it’s about where you feel at home.

Banking is about feeling valued. If you don’t feel valued, it’s time to move on.

This year, our taxes have simplified a bit and I think we may be able to prepare them using tax software. I’ve never done this before and I’m a bit concerned about my abilities. Heck, I hardly trust myself to calculate the proper tip at a restaurant – and miscalculations of tips don’t generally result in jail time or huge fines.

But I’m motivated by one thing…

$6.65

Doesn’t seem like much… until I realized that is how much we pay our accountant per MINUTE to prepare our taxes. It adds up very quickly.

Suddenly, TurboTax for $53 on Amazon or $49 at Costco seems like a steal.

How do you prepare your taxes? Have you somehow managed to prepare them yourself without a Masters in Accounting?

What do we generally report? Mortgage/taxes, student loan interest, student books and fees, car registration, etc.

Since the lawsuit is still within the statute of limitations, I cannot say exactly what happened but I can say this…

It’s over – for now.

I received a call this afternoon from my attorney. The lawsuit against us has been dropped. Unfortunately, the statute of limitations won’t expire until March but for now, I’m very pleased.

Now if I can just survive the next 12 weeks!

This month: Experian

I discovered the credit reporting agencies are getting a little sneaky. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to navigate these sites to find the free reports. Be careful where you click!

I’ve been coughing… for 41 days.

I wanted to see a doctor about 3 weeks ago but our company was undergoing a major healthcare change and we were covered but didn’t have valid medical insurance cards. We were told to see a doctor if necessary and we would ‘likely’ be reimbursed for our expenses….Yeah. I didn’t fall for that either.

I decided to wait it out until my health insurance card arrived. Maybe this was a poor decision.

Especially since, today, my doctor told me I have pneumonia.

Oh but wait. There’s more.

My pneumonia initiated asthma.

The funny part about this is – I’m relieved. I’ve been feeling ridiculously overdramatic for the last few weeks as I cried because I couldn’t breathe and couldn’t stop coughing. My tears and misery have been vindicated!!

I’m off to take an insane amount of pharmaceuticals and sleep the week away.

We’re nearly halfway through our debt free journey!

Original Debt: $38,495.86
Paid: $18,212.82
Remaining: $20,283.04

Broken Down
Auto Loan 1: $0
Credit Card: $0
Student Loan: $9,608.58
Auto Loan 2: $10,674.46

My top four:

1. Replenish savings. Our bank accounts turned to rubble after the job loss and I find myself uncomfortable without a safety net. We do still have cash – but a trip to Taco Bell for two 89 cent burritos may cause an overdraft.

2. Pay off at least $19,000 in debt. We paid down over $17,000 this year and I think we may have a chance at $19,000 if we are able to keep our jobs.

3. Continue to find ways to live below my means. To start the new year off in the right direction, I registered for classes at our nearby community center rather than at a community college. I won’t get college credit (I don’t need it since I already have a degree) but I’ll save around $300 a year without having to give up my love for learning.

4. Take another budget vacation. Tent? Cheap motel? Roadtrip? Become a train hobo? Whatever we decide, it will be an adventure.

Do you have your goals planned for the year?

1. When you pay off credit cards and car loans, banks turn into the very worst version of your mother. They write sappy love notes telling you how much you are missed and wouldn’t it be nice if you’d care to spend the holidays with them?

2. It’s never too early to start teaching children about the perils of debt – but constantly singing ‘If you’re happy and debt free clap your hands’ to your six month old nephew may annoy his mother.

3. It was somehow possible to lower my already sub-par vacationing standards. I went from ‘Motel 4 type establishments’ to ‘tents with 25 cent showers’ – and it wasn’t bad!

4. Marrying my best friend and celebrating five years of wedded bliss was the best decision I ever made – well…other than the decision to wear clean underwear in case of an emergency.

5. Blog readers are awesome, supportive, and helpful. Thanks for helping me grow.

6. I’ve had more than my fair share of laughter and joy. Regardless of the numbers on my bank statement, the interest rate of my mortgage, or drama of life, my family and friends are unchanging. I am a very lucky girl.

Please be safe tonight. Save money, stay home.

We’re still working our way through those 37 meals hidden in our pantry and freezer and it’s likely to get a whole lot worse from here but I’m ready for the challenge.

Before you express concern for our health, we are still purchasing perishable items like greens and dairy products and my parents having been sharing the fruit from their apple and orange trees.

So here’s the question…

These are desperate financial times, what is your cheapest (and somehow still healthy) dinner?

We had been looking forward to becoming debt free in about 12 months, but our schedule has been delayed due to the bout of unemployment. I could tell you that I’m not disappointed… and I could also tell you I was excited to see my check engine light pop on this morning – but I’d be lying.

Setbacks and adjustment are just a part of the journey.

How are we dealing we ours?

Rather than jump straight into reducing debt, we are going to rally up our depleted savings. Depending on my husband’s actual start date, we should be back up in about 2 months. After we have a stable amount, we’re going to jump right back into the fight against our debt.

The good news? My husband will start working at construction prevailing wage rates in February or March. Prevailing wage rates are higher than he is currently earning and should help us get back on track faster.

Monday, I was tossed violently from the pool.

I was sitting at my desk typing a report when a co-worker came up and admired the photo of my family – all 26 of us (my parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews). The photo looked normal to me. It was all the people I love, a sea of heads, each of us connected to each other. She counted each family member and carefully looked at each smiling face. She continued to stare for a long time and finally said to me, ‘You have no idea how lucky you are.’ (She lost her mother when she was young and her father passed on over the summer).

She walked away, visibly saddened at reminder of her loss.

I picked up the picture, looked at my family… and felt like the most ungrateful person in the world. How dare we complain about our finances and lack of gifts for each other when we are beyond blessed with something far more valuable than money?

I have an unbreakable bond 25 people who love me, who never judge me, who will laugh at me (um, I mean WITH me), and will fight any battle to protect me. I am more confident, more centered, and happier because of their presence in my life.

We were right in saying we hadn’t had a ‘good’ Christmas in years. We’ve had an amazing, great, unbelievable, wonderful, blessed Christmas every year.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

For the first time in two and a half months, I’m going to sleep very well.

Looks like we can start to chip away at our debt again. Woo Hoo!!

This change to policy will be helpful to borrowers who struggle to make payments on time and suffer rising interest rates. It also forces credit card companies to apply payments to the debt with the higher interest rate first rather than pay off the teaser rate. I am hoping this will finally give those who find themselves continually stuck in the cycle of debt, a real chance to get ahead.

One of the changes, my favorite of all, is the restriction on issuing cards to those under 21. My first card was peddled to me on my college campus at the ripe old age of 19. I got in the habit of spending more than I made and by 21, I was more than $2,500 in debt.

Of course there is still a down side to this – I read an interesting article about how the changes will affect those who are careful with payments and are ‘good’ borrowers. It doesn’t look good! Check out the article at: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1791592/us_credit_card_issuers_must_prepare_pg2.html?cat=3

Regardless, I think this change will be good for those seeking to become debt free.

Either:

A.) My husband didn’t clean out his desk entirely and they want him to pick up his belongings or…

B.) He may have a job.

Let’s hope for ‘B’ shall we?

Let me make something clear, I am a very tidy person. Bleach and Windex are more pleasing to my nose than fine perfume. I actually get physically uncomfortable in disorderly places but…

The back of my pantry hasn’t seen the light of day since about 2007.

I figured I’d throw it all away… until I discovered loads of canned goods and boxed foods that weren’t set to expire for a few more years. In my bottom of my box freezer, I discovered frozen chicken and ground beef only a few months old.

I created a spreadsheet of foods and categorized them by meal type and location. Want to know how many meals we have stashed in the backs of cabinets and the bottom of the freezer?

37.

Yes, some of them are a stretch to be called a meal (example: the combination of boxed noodles and canned black beans I pretend to be soup or the egg flower soup with no eggs – which I guess is just technically broth) but we can survive the next 37 meals for free.

I know what you’re thinking – ‘I can’t possibly have 37 meals stashed around my house’. Clean out that pantry and freezer before you laugh at me. See if you can beat our 37 meal score. You’ll save some money this season by shopping in your pantry.

The truth is…

I didn’t.

I have two simple choices when it comes to reducing my debt. I can sprint or I can marathon.

I am currently sprinting. I’m pushing, giving it my all, and taking no breaks. Unemployment is forcing me to take a hard look at every dollar. There is no dinner with friends, no movies at theaters, no new clothes, no dental insurance, no doctor’s appointments, nothing. There is no waste.

Sure I could even go further. I could eat bread and water and be debt free faster. I could sell my car and bike to my bus stop in the dark and be debt free faster. I could stop wearing make-up, shower once weekly, and leave my electricity off and be debt free faster.

But my weariness would grow at the same sprinting pace and I would burn out before my balances ever read zero.

I can’t sprint forever and once my husband is employed again, I plan on slowing my pace to what is was before his layoff. Every once in a while, I think it’s OK to buy a $6 burger during happy hour at a nice restaurant. Once every few months, I like to buy my husband a bag of his favorite coffee.

This is my marathon. Sure, some folks will be faster and others will be slower but I’m running this debt marathon to finish – not to burn out before I see the finish line.

Are you sprinting or marathoning?

My best advice to the recently unemployed, be ready for a long ride. Prepare your finances immediately and don’t assume a check is coming anytime soon.

Our finances took a hit since we were carrying our mortgage and bills on my paycheck and savings alone but we’ve been able to level out a bit since the checks arrived. Whew!

Looks like I can finally buy some splurge items – and by splurge, I mean an occasional sale priced ground beef instead of a cart full of Ramen alone.

Trouble has started to present itself on the hydration front. There are no water sources on the trails or in the parks.

Unfortunately, I’m limited on how much I can carry. Once I mix in my necessities (granola bar, house keys, and shimmer lip gloss), my hands are full. I’d carry a backpack but I get quickly overheated – and if you’ve ever run with a backpack, you know how awful it feels.

Instead, I hike or run a little, walk back to my house, drink water, and head out again. I figured it was something I’d have to live with. But then, while out on a trail, a girl ran past me with a water bottle belt with tiny little pockets for necessities.

I never dreamed I’d be ogling a glorified fanny pack.

I went to the sports store and found one just like it… for $19.99. It’s not a life changing amount – unless you’re dealing with unemployment. That $19.99 would look better as four meals than an optional piece of sports equipment.

I debated with myself for a good half hour then finally, the accountant in me won the battle and I left empty handed. As I kissed my runners fanny pack goodbye, I promised I’d be back as soon as my husband was gainfully employed.

In the mean time, I will stick close to home or… duct tape a water bottle to my arm.

I’m still angry about the events surrounding the layoff and would prefer he tell them where they can shove their job offer but there would be hundreds, if not thousands, who would gladly take his spot. On top it that, the position pays prevailing wage – which is nearly twice his normal earnings.

So, here’s to hoping. Here’s to health care, a steady paycheck, and a good night’s sleep.

I’m hoping for the best.

We received an e-mail about a month ago proposing a company potluck instead of the catered affair. It sounded like a stupid idea to me. Dry mashed potatoes? Soggy salad? Not my idea of holiday cheer.

As I entered the giant conference room, I was assaulted by the powerful scents of AMAZING food. I was wrong about the culinary talents of my co-workers.

I am fortunate to work with a group of ethnically diverse folks. I filled my plate with lumpia, pancit, spicy dip, Mexican cheese wraps, and other foods I’d never had the opportunity to try before. For two hours, I ate the treasures created by my co-workers and shared my fresh warm bread. We talked and shared recipes. We caught up on recent gossip and for a moment…

forgot that the economy sucks.

It was by far the best company party we’ve ever had.

Try something new this year. It may just be the best thing you’ve ever done.

Maybe this recession isn’t all bad.

I’m working a temporary night job. At this point, I’m not turning anything down.

Sleep can wait until my husband is gainfully employed.

I’ll be sure to post tomorrow.

When I call Bank of America, they never know where to transfer me and my call is often magically ‘dropped’. We never received paper statements and our online statements have been a nightmare. Other than a statement of monthly payments, no other information was made available. I had no idea if or when our property taxes or mortgage insurance where paid and I could never find our principal balance. I called to ask why our mortgage payment jumped $150 a month and the best answer they ever offered was ‘I don’t know. Taxes maybe?’

Bank of America finally listed my full account information online this month.

Holy. Cow.

First, we were not notified that the cost of our homeowners insurance jumped by 50%. Call me crazy, but that’s kinda something I’d like to know.

Second, the extra money we’ve been paying on our principal balance the past two and half years has been offset by a reduction of our monthly payment.

This is hard to explain, but it’s sneaky by Bank of America none the less. We pay $20 extra per month on our second mortgage through Wells Fargo. They apply the $20 toward our principal balance but keep our payment the same. Since our principle balance is reduced and our payments are the same, our $20 is stretched to around $50-$75. Our $20 a month to Wells Fargo has paid off around $3,000 of mortgage debt instead of $720.

Bank of America has taken the $20 we designated toward principal and reduced our balance by exactly $20. Then, since our principal balance is reduced, they reduce our monthly payment. Unlike our loan with Wells Fargo, Bank of America has made it so we aren’t shaving any time off the life of our loan and we’re saving no money. Very Sneaky.

Realistically, I should have pushed harder for the information from Bank of America and demanded an explanation of the $150 hike. I assumed it was all from the recent property tax hikes, and most of it was, but I could have saved money by knowing there were other reasons behind the higher monthly payment. And, I would have liked to transfer the $20 I’m spending for no benefit at Bank of America and switched it to our Wells Fargo account.

I assumed my mortgage was the one payment I didn’t have to monitor closely – but I was really, really wrong.

Thank you Bank of America for making me your babysitter.

When my husband and I married, I participated in his family gift exchange as well (turns out, his family of 10 was interested in saving money too). It was a great way to feel a part of the family.

Now that the economy has tanked, everyone wants to do a gift exchange rather than a mass gifting. Aunt May, Grandma Joy, and co-worker Suzie want to exchange gifts this holiday. While it’s easy to bow out of work related exchanges (‘My husband is unemployed’ is always a fabulous and acceptable reason), it’s difficult to get out of extended family exchanges. Family members say “it’s only $20 or $30!” but I can’t afford toothpaste much less a $20 Sham Wow. $20 or $30 multiplied by ten or so exchanges just isn’t happening this year.

I know what you’ll say, “Hey, it’s family. They’ll understand.”

Um. Hello?

It’s family. The very definition of people who are allowed to make fun of you and feel no guilt.

Wait. Maybe that’s just my family.

Whatever.

Since I don’t particularly want to say, “Yes, I bought you the Sham Wow but I can’t afford to buy deodorant until February”, I’m going to hold off on gifts entirely this season.

Whew. I said it. No gifts.

For the most part, this isn’t a problem. If we run out of food, we invite ourselves over to dinner at our parents…er.. um… I mean, we visit our parents because we love them and the free food is just an added benefit.

This week presented a new problem…

We ran out of toothpaste and mouthwash.

Determined to stay on our budget, I robbed my luggage of two travel size tubes of toothpaste. We’re running low but we have enough to last until Friday when our new budget begins.

I dug through our closets but failed to find any mouthwash – travel size or otherwise. I went into the kitchen to see if I could find anything there. Soap? Comet? Dishwashing liquid? And then I stumbled upon a bottle of vodka.

“Sweetie?” I called to my husband in the living room “Do you think I could use vodka as a mouthwash? They’re both essentially alcohol right? Either way, the results will be positive. It will work or it won’t and I won’t care that we don’t have mouthwash anymore.”

My husband laughed as if I were making a joke.

I wasn’t.

I put the vodka back in the cabinet and figured that regular brushing and flossing will have to do until tomorrow.

But this morning, I searched my hypothesis and…

http://www.ehow.com/how_4524768_use-vodka-as-antibacterial-agent.html

So if you ever run out of mouthwash, you can make your own – and yes, you use vodka.

And just in case my mother reads this, let me clarify – you don’t actually have to drink the vodka.

And yes, I know I ended the above sentence with a preposition but sometimes, ending sentences with prepositions is the only way to not sound like Yoda.

Anyway – She is upper management and comes from a wealthy family. It didn’t cross her mind that, in a company full of employees who have been on a salary freeze for two years, it’s inappropriate to ask for six car seats. Yes. Six.

Heck, it’s probably inappropriate in any crowd.

She said she needed one for each of her cars… and then threw in that she needed six cars because she has six houses.

Financially, she’s where I want to be. Wait… she’s way past where I want to be. But the reality is, she keeps talking about being ‘happy tomorrow’. She’ll be happy when ‘this’ happens or happy when ‘that’ happens. Those things come and go yet her anger and resentment stay.

I wanted to shake the unhappy look off her face and scream ‘Lady! You’ve got money, a husband, and a healthy baby. What are you waiting for to be happy?!?!’

Hmm.

What am I waiting for to make me happy? Will being debt free be the one thing that puts a permanent grin on my face?

I know the answer to that and yet I still place my happiness in tomorrow.

Perhaps that’s something I need to work on.

I assumed this wouldn’t be a difficult task. It’s not like there’s a strong filter for reality tv. Come on. I’ve seen Jerry Springer and Tila Tequila.

California’s official nickname is ‘The Golden State’
San Diego calls itself ‘America’s Finest City’
Humility isn’t our strong point.

It only seems obvious that we would point a camera of reality tv at our Southern California city. I went to the HGTV site, Pie Town Productions, and the DIY network. Do you know how many home remodeling shows are based in ‘America’s Finest City’?

Zero.

But, there are two shows that film anywhere, anytime – Extreme Home Makeover and Deserving Design. For Extreme Home Makeover, we lack a compelling unique story. ‘My husband lost his job… just like everyone else’ isn’t nearly as impressive or distinctive as ‘Timmy is allergic to the sun’ or ‘Little Bonnie Sue doesn’t have sweat glands’.

And remarkably, Deserving Design didn’t call me back after I submitted my husband as ‘deserving’ because only once during the last five years of our marriage has he left the toilet seat up. It’s sweet but not as gripping as Jane Doe saving the world over the last 20 years rescuing one sweatshop child at a time.

Bummer. I really needed a new back patio before the toothpicks, dental floss, and tin foil holding it together collapse.

I am very thankful we are still credit card debt free. It’s not easy, especially around this time of year with all of the specials. I was very tempted to try to get a deal on an LCD TV but I told myself no. We are not where we’d like to be financially quite yet. Plus, there are more important things to spend money on right now (like visiting with family). Back when we were paying off credit card debt it was all about determining your priorities. The same thing goes once you pay off credit card debt.

I sometimes have my priorities straight. At other times they are way out of line, especially when it comes to specials. There is something about finding a great deal that gets my blood flowing. With visiting family, it made it pretty easy to not wake up early and join in on the shopping. But deep down I wanted to get that rush. I’m trying something different this year and will try reading a few Black Friday articles once I return home. Perhaps I can get a rush from reading about the awesome deals others have received (if you have a story – feel free to share!).

As for an update on our finances, they are doing well. They are not as great as I’d like them to be, but they could be better. Heh, they could always be better We decided to do some much needed work around our home that we have been putting off for some time. Some of it we did ourselves and some of it we outsourced. We finally hired someone to cut down a tree in our yard that has been in poor health since we purchased our home. The years went by and I knew we were on borrowed time this summer because a large part of the crown didn’t even get leaves on it. After they cut it down you could see all of the rot in the trunk. My guess is that it would have come down this winter after a heavy snow.

Things went well with deteriming our priority in regards to our tree. I cannot say the same for our car. In an effort to save some money we took off the full coverage insurance we had. Our car is worth less than $4K at this point so we felt that it was time to remove it. I probably don’t even have to say what happened next – it was in a collision that was not our fault. Thankfully there were no injuries and the damage was cosmetic but our car is worth even less now. I did kick myself for a little while for taking off the full coverage. We probably will think twice before removing the full coverage again from a vehicle. We still have a lot to learn

That is all the time I have for this update. I hope all of you had a fantastic Thanksgiving!

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Again, hurry. This offer is only good for today! You can sign up here

Thanks to Safari in the forums

I made the mistake of saying I’d rather be sick this weekend than pour concrete. Not only am I miserably sick, they cancelled pouring concrete because it’s raining.

I’ve been in bed since Thursday afternoon and it’s incredibly painful to speak. I can’t even moan in pain because that hurts too.

My husband has been on his knees praying for the last two days. At first I thought he was being sweet but based on his hidden snickers, I don’t think he’s praying for my recovery… I think he’s thanking God for the silence.

As an added bonus to him, I couldn’t go out on Black Friday – the deadliest financial holiday of the year. The store I buy my work clothes from had everything marked at 50% off.

I’m miserable but my husband is happy.

They let us escape the office 3 hours early yesterday (another reason to be thankful) so I went on a 2 hour hike in preparation for the food fest today. I thought maybe I could squeak out another run today but… I ate a chorizo burrito, a dozen mini pickles, and a slice of cheesecake. There will be no running today.

Be thankful for your blessings and… try not to eat too much.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I didn’t know they even wrote partial checks.

My husband is diligently looking for work but it’s difficult to find a job in this economy, in the construction field, and even worse, over the holidays. We’re guessing he won’t get an interview until into the new year.

But we’re still hanging on. We’re optimistic. Err. Um. He’s optimistic. I’m hanging on to his coat tails of sanguinity.

“I have good news!” he said with delight.

Did he get a job? Did he find a thousand dollars in change while cleaning the couch cushions? I thought.

“The neighbor rented an industrial size rototiller and if I help him at his house, he’ll bring it over here and we can use it! We can dig up the backyard!” he said.

It has become painfully obvious that my husband and I have differing meanings of ‘good news’.

In his defense, we have wanted to tear apart our backyard for months but we haven’t had the time or the money for a giant rototiller.

I don’t know how you spent your weekend but my hours passed painfully. I followed my husband with a shovel and a water hose while he smiled with glee pushing the manliest piece of machinery our yard has seen. The layer of dust is so thick on my scalp, I’m on wash number two and I can still do a good impression of Pig Pen from Charlie Brown. I may have ‘accidentally’ sprayed my husband’s face with water a few times out of sheer spite but it failed to wipe off his giddy look.

Next weekend our neighbor is renting a cement mixer… and has made the same offer. My husband said, “Sweetheart! We can finally widen our driveway – for FREE!! All it will take is a little bit of elbow grease!”

How is it that in less than a week, the Swine Flu is suddenly looking like a good way to spend Thanksgiving weekend?

No seriously. Stop laughing.

It IS cold to us thin skinned folks. The temperatures have been dipping down to the low 40’s at night. Last night it hovered at 60 degrees… inside our living room.

Yes, I could turn on the heater but since we’re trying to stretch our cash, we simply do without. We had two blankets on the bed but I was still chilled. I tried to snuggle with my husband to stay warm but his coughing kept shaking me awake. And no, I will not admit his cough is from the frosty internal temperature – well, not to his face anyway.

Our dogs have a heated floor in their dog house so they stay more toasty warm than we do. Please don’t tell my husband – he may ask to join them.

I added two more blankets last night and slept well. When my alarm goes off in the morning, I dress myself in three sweaters, a pair of sweatpants, and slippers. Sometimes, while putting on my make-up, I catch a glimpse of my Michelin Man appearance in the mirror and start to giggle.

Sometimes the circumstances of life are just funny.

I’m trying to beat my all time record internal house temperature of 56. Based on our new standard of living and the fact that the coldest month is still yet to come… I think I may just have a chance.

I hope you’re staying warm!

‘That person’ who crazily walks around with tissues to open doors and leaves a shower of Lysol in her wake.

Before you harass me about my germaphobic ways, remember I work with the general public. San Diegans are passing around the Swine Flu like a delicious piece of gossip.

I wouldn’t be quite so crazy but Thanksgiving is next week. If I have to spend my four days off in the hospital, I’d rather it be from a gnarly fall off a mountain face that bested me than from a virus that originated in an animal I don’t particularly like – even when served for a Christmas meal.

Plus, as the year ends, we’re all getting low on personal hours and no one can afford a day off. My co-workers spray the sick folks with Lysol like they’d spray a thug with mace. If someone collapses, we call poison control and haz-mat – not 911.

I sneezed this morning and my co-worker nonchalantly hummed Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ while spraying me with an anti-bacterial aerosol like she was disinfecting her toilet. I probably wouldn’t have minded but… all that mist makes my hair frizz.

I need to stay healthy. I need to stay working. I don’t care if I look silly.

It’s a dog eat dog world during flu season.