Digging Out From Our Mess

Today is the Day!!!

2012-02-16T09:52:00.000-05:00

G-man, Bossy, and Sassy will be leaving early this afternoon to visit G-man's mom. If all goes well, they should be there around bedtime (although I am sure they won't be going to be right away).

I didn't sleep well last night....worrying about them. But that is what I do....I worry.

Meanwhile, I will be making over my home office, clearing more ~~crap~~ extra items, and taking some time for myself. I am going to eat the foods no one else in the house likes. I am going to take a bath, and read some light and fluffy books I picked up at the library yesterday.

I am going to recharge my battery.

I do have a few mini-goals for the long weekend:

Comment on blogs that I may read but don't comment on often
Mail stuff
Vacuum my car

My home office....you have NO idea how excited I am about this!! Can't wait to show you guys!!!!!

I Have Run Out of Deals!

2012-02-15T08:54:00.000-05:00

I have wore contact lenses since I was 13 years old. WAY back in the day, you got one pair a year, and you had this little heat zapper thing to clean them. Eventually I wore daily wear, and threw out the contacts each night. LOVED IT. Until I developed an allergy or something to it and couldn't wear those anymore.

So I have worn 2-week wear ones for several years. It is fine. I usually order a full year of contacts so I can maximize discounts. If I order the contacts through the doctor...it is $30 a box!!! So I typically search the internet and order from various places. Same contacts...way cheaper. Usually around $20 a box. And if you are a new customer, you can find a coupon code for further discount.

Well, I think I have run out of "first time customer" deals. I went to sites that I was pretty sure I had never ordered from....and sure enough....years and years ago I did order from them. Bummer.

I can find $5 off codes. MAYBE a 10% code if I am lucky. But there is a pretty good chance that I will be paying more for my contacts this year than in years past. PLUS, my brand doesn't have a rebate offer this year (sometimes you get a rebate if you order a full year....but not this year).

I am completely out of contacts, and wearing my glasses, which need to be replaced anyway. So I need to decide today where I am ordering from. I am hoping that I can find one last place that is new to me. But it ain't looking good.

If you wear contacts....where do you order yours? I have already hit VisionDirect, ACLens, Lens.Com, 1-800-Contacts. And a few others. And what do you spend on yours??

One year later....

2012-02-14T09:45:00.001-05:00

This was my post from exactly one year ago. So, where are we now....

Still together. Have our good days and our bad days. At this point, issues aren't about the affair anymore....it is just poor communication. And it extends into all areas of our life.

It is frustrating to all get out. I am tired of it. But we are trying. I am trying to realize that there may be parts that will never change, and I may have to learn to live with it, or.......

So no Happy Valentine's Day for me. Never again. I got the kids a few things, and they were happy. I am trying to pretend for their sake today.

I just want the grand gesture. The big thing that says....you are special. I chose you above all others and always will. I have told him this....time and time again. Nothing. It isn't about money....although I am sure if we didn't have this debt, he would figure an expensive bobble would do the trick. But that isn't it....I need to know that the majority of my adult life hasn't been wasted.

ugh...crappy day.

ETA: My parents called to tell me that they sent the kids some candy. Apparently they overnighted it, and spent $33 to ship it. Now...these are the same parents who couldn't be bothered to call me back on my birthday when I wasn't home. But I called them to make sure there wasn't something else in the box, that they spent $33 shipping it. This was what I was told:

You are too old for us to buy you stuff for Valentine's Day. You can buy yourself something. And added "Happy Valentine's Day, my love."

The kicker...."my love" is what G-man's "friend" used to call him.

I quit.

Taking Back the Kitchen, part two

2012-02-13T17:12:00.000-05:00

(I have to say...this post and I did NOT get along! The pictures did not cooperate AT ALL. Just because I love you guys did I keep messing with it until it was somewhat better. I gave up eventually!! But you at least get the idea).

The second part of this challenge was our pantry. We have 2 corner cabinets that we use for food storage, both with lazy susans. I HATE the lazy susans. All the boxes get screwy, stuff falls behind them. If the shelf isn't full, everything shifts around. UGH. But this is what I have, so I need to embrace it.

Here were the starting points:

Upper Cabinet Before

Lower Cabinet Before

The first thing I did with the cabinets was empty them.

Upper Cabinet Contents

Lower Cabinet Contents

Then I threw out all the yucky stuff. Anything that only had a serving left (alot of snack food), I put in a sandwich baggie to be added to a lunch this week. This is what I threw out.

I cleaned the cabinets and added shelf paper. I ran out of paper for the the bottom two shelves, so I need to get more. I didn't want to fail the challenge, so I pressed on!

Yuck!!!

Double YUCK!!!

But once it was all cleaned out....I put new shelf paper down (or at least until I ran out!)

In the end, here are my finished cabinets:

Upper Cabinet After

Lower Cabinet After

I am not sure why I waited so long to do this....this really didn't take long, and it wasn't all that bad.

As for the mini challenge....writing a letter or note. I wrote this note that was enclosed with the pictures from Sassy's dance:

So there you are! Week 2...DONE. Oh....Week 3, you little devil....I can't wait to tackle you!!!

Decluttering Challenge, Week 2 - Part One

2012-02-13T16:13:00.000-05:00

Did you know that it IS possible for a small space to hold more stuff than say....the Mall of America??? Holy Dog Dirt....as I was pulling it all apart, I was amazed at how much STUFF was there.

Part One of this weeks challenge was my kitchen "crap catcher." It used to be useful. But overtime, I have relocated items, and it became the place where paper went to die. I would get some of it cleared out, and then MORE paper appeared! How does it do it????

So here is the starting point.

Sometimes you have to make a mess to clean up a mess. Here is a shot mid way through the purge.

Eventually we got to this point.

We decided to relocate the shelf to the home office/playroom (you will see it in the future!). The yuckiness behind there was just...well....YUCK.

In the end, here is the space.

Of the "stuff," one huge bag of trash was purged. I have a big box of stuff to be shredded. And the remainder was files, put away, or somehow otherwise used. My kitchen seems so much larger now! Of course, I still hate the floor (a long time ago we were going to replace it with black and white tile.....). But at least it is all cleaned up now!!!!

Stay tune for part two, the kitchen cabinets!!! And the mini challenge of course. ;)

This is driving me nuts

2012-02-13T12:42:00.001-05:00

I am trying to post my decluttering pics, and it is making everything go wanky. GRRRR. I will post later today, once I figure out why the pictures don't like me.

Sunday Night Chit-Chat - February 12, 2012

2012-02-12T19:58:00.000-05:00

I actually stopped what I was doing so I could participate in Sunday Night Chit Chat!

Who doesn't love puppies??!!!

Reading...
Nothing. BUT....I am hoping to get to the library in a few days and find something very light and Chick-Lit.

Watching...Believe it or not...I still haven't watched the stuff I was going to watch LAST Sunday night! Kids will go to bed at 8:30pm, and I am GOING to watch Grey's Anatomy while I fold laundry.

Listening to...

At the very moment...the kids are watching Blue's Big Musical Show. They have seen this thing dozens of times. So I am listening to Steve and Ray Charles belt it out right now.

Cooking/Baking....Nothing today. Dinner was "let's use up the left overs" night. All I did was make rice, and technically G-man did that while I was setting the table.

Happy you accomplished this week...
I am ALMOST finished with my decluttering challenge for the week. Oh, and 3 loads of laundry. And bookfair.

Looking forward to this week...

OMG....3 days, 16 hrs until G-man and the kids leave for Nannie's house, and I will have almost FOUR whole days ALONE. I say alone, but friends have already said....Girl's Night Out!

Thankful for today...
That we didn't have to go running errands at all this weekend. I haven't left the house since 9pm on Friday night when I got home from bookfair.

I love Sunday night. I will set up coffee and breakfast for tomorrow. Get lunch money ready. And be able to start the week off calmly.

Tagging....and not the illegal kind!

2012-02-11T09:08:00.001-05:00

Louise over at My Journey To Eliminate Debt was kind enough to Tag me on this Meme. Although, I will tell ya Louise....I wasn't able to cut and past the questions, and I had to rekey them....I am a lazy girl!! Extra work....ick. ;)

Here are the rules...

#1 - Post these rules.

#2 - Answer the 11 questions from the person who tagged you.

#3 - Create 11 new questions for the people you tag.

#4 - Tag 11 people and link them to your post.

#5 - Let them know that you tagged them.

So, here are my answers to her probing questions:

Favorite Movie. Grease. I saw it for the first time when I was about 9, and fell in love. Other favorite movies include That Thing You Do (catchy tune), Rock Star (no idea why, it just sucks me in), and A.I. (not a well known movie, but excellent). How is that for some variety?
Most Frugal Recipe. I will admit, this is not one of my specialities. I tend to find recipes that need 400 ingredients, and they are all weird and specialty. But I do make a Chicken Mexican Stew that is pretty inexpensive, easy, and quick!
What superhero would you like to be? In the world of "real" superheros, I would pick Batman. C'mon...cool car, cool outfit. In the world of made up superheros, I would be Captain Cleaning!
If you would only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be? A Wrinkle in Time. LOVE that book.
Who was your favorite teacher, and why? I really never had a favorite teacher. Maybe my Biology teacher in High School. I ended up being his teacher's assistant later on.
What brand name product do you refuse to give up to save money? Coffeemate Flavored Creamer. I need it for my coffee in the morning, and will NOT give it up.
Most memorable sporting moment you have seen. Not much of a sports gal. But I guess the '98 Superbowl, as we got married the day before, and on our mini-honeymoon, the only thing open was sports bars, so we had to watch.
The one makeup item you couldn't live without. Foundation. I have such uneven skin!
Do you have a nickname and how did you get it. Nope. Sorry.
If you could choose any job, what would it be. I would be a painter/wallpaper person. Not design. Just the grunt work. I love painting walls!
How did you meet your best friend. I have 2 BFF. My oldest and dearest BFF, I met in Math class in 11th grade. My other BFF I met on-line on an infertility website.

And my questions....

What financial decision would you still do, knowing what you know now?
First car?
Favorite meal?
Pancakes or Waffles?
If you could change your real name, what would you pick?
How did you meet your significant other?
How do you take your coffee?
What color do you have the most of in your wardrobe?
If you had $10,000 to spend on a vacation (and only on a vacation!!!), where would you go?
If you have kids...biggest parenting mistake. If you don't, what one thing do you hope you never do?
What one thing do you not like to admit about yourself?

And my taggees, in an attempt to pick people who haven't been tagged yet....

Getting Us There
Declutterer
Destination: Planet Debt Free
Misson: Debt Free
Mutant Supermodel
Newlyweds on a Budget
One Family One Income
Our Brains and Our Debt
Our Debt Blog
Paying For My Past
So Over Debt

One Goal for the Year - FAIL

2012-02-08T09:55:00.000-05:00

I wanted to decrease our cell phone bill. I just couldn't believe that we were actually getting the best deal. It seemed ridiculous the amount we were spending.

The plan we had was for 2 lines at 1400 minutes, with 10 "friends and family" numbers that were unlimited. If you looked at our minutes...we only used a few hundred minutes at most. But of the 10 special numbers....it could be 1500 or more. Texting was a cobbled together plan. Long story. We also had the data plan, and insurance on G-man's phone. We got a discount on ONE line (15%). With taxes, we were at $148 a month.

We spent 3 weeks going through all the plans and companies. What we found out was that what we really wanted in a plan....we sort of already had! No other plan gave us what we already were using, or at least not at a significant cost increase.

The only way to keep the talk usage the same...was to go unlimited with other companies. And that was almost $200 just for that. Texting...again, we would have to go unlimited.

We looked at Metro PCS, but there coverage in our area was poor. AT&T was too expensive and limiting for what we wanted. We ALMOST switched to Sprint, and the cost would have gone down a tad, but again, the coverage was poor.

In the end, we decided to stay with Verizon, and keep what we had in plans. The only differences in the plans now are:

The plan includes 2 lines (vs one line plus one line as before) at the same price, EXCEPT our discount will now be on both lines.
Texting was costing us $30 a month with the cobbled together plan. We switched to unlimited, for the same price, EXCEPT our discount will now be applied!

Data plan became the issue. Companies are really moving towards smart phones, and you are required to have a data plan. So with the new data plan to support our new phones....the bill will go up about $35 a month (taking the discounts into consideration).

We now are the proud owners of a Samsung Stratosphere. We are a little overwhelmed at how much the phone can actually do!!! But we were able to get both phones for $150 (which includes the $100 rebate). We are happy with our purchase.

So, as for decreasing the cell phone bill....FAIL. We tried, but for what we wanted (yes...WANTED), it wasn't going to happen. Moving on....next on the timeline of goals is the Will and Life insurance!

Just feeling good about it all

2012-02-07T08:09:00.000-05:00

I really hope I am not jinxing myself here.....

But we are about 6 weeks into the new year, and financially speaking, we are working the plans and so far so good!! I know that being 78k in debt isn't anything to celebrate. But it was 80k six weeks ago, so the trend is in the right direction.

Retirement loan paid off....now that money pays for the car. Late March we will do one more loan to wipe out the CC, and save hundreds of dollars a month, which will get applied elsewhere (probably medical stuff first, and then student loan).

We are writing less checks. I have been using cash for the kids' lunch. Debit card for co-pays at the doctor. Set up a few on-line things for other things. I still have a few checks to write, but they are very few.

The overtime money that was on this week's paycheck went into a separate account, and I don't miss it. I hate that we usually spend the OT and never really know where it went. Not anymore. On March 31, the OT money will be used as an extra payment, or towards something EXTRA. Not everyday things.

All but 2 of our February bills are paid already. Those will come from the next paycheck. While I would love to have everything paid for the month...we just aren't there yet. I have a secret fantasy (no longer secret), to be able to pay an entire month of bills in one shot, and not have to look at it again.

We have added almost $200 to our EF. Once it hits $2,000, the "extra" money will go into the home improvement fund. Need to have a better cushion for those things that have a tendency to wear out. We have used our tax return in the past, but our piddly tax return this year won't cut it.

Next paycheck we will resume saving for the kids' camp. By early May, that will be fully funded. Then onto Christmas savings.

MAYBE we are finally getting a handle on things!!!!

Decluttering Challenge- Week 1 complete

2012-02-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

So Carla picked a Personal Space challenge for week 1. I chose our Master Bedroom. Now, there is alot wrong with our bedroom in general. You can't tell very well from the pictures, but it is a small room, and we have large furniture. Since we had the furniture before we bought the house, we dealt (and still deal) with it.

The room is actually green, but looks more gray in the picture. The funny thing about that...is we want to paint the room gray! It has been over 10 years since we painted in here, and it is time. Floor....it needed to be refinished 10 years ago, but never happened. I want to put carpet in the bedroom eventually. The rug that we have under the bed is NASTY. It is so worn and dirty. YUCK.

We have to make due with what we have. The furniture itself is nice, but it is just so big for the space. Plus, we like darker furniture now. Anyway....on to the cleaning!!

Area 1: My dresser and small space between my dresser and G-man's dresser. We have various junk, socks, my sewing kit. That box on the floor is shoes to go to Goodwill. The laundry basket is full of miscelaneous junk.

Look at how pretty it is now!!! All clear and clean. I dusted, wiped down the mirror, and the floors got swept and washed.

Area 2: My side of the bed/behind the door. Alas, you really don't see this area when the door is open, but that is why there is a pile of $hit there. Nice pampers box.....my kids are 9!

But now if you look to the right....it holds the vacuum. Not perfect, but I didn't have anywhere to put it!

Area 3: Floor near the windows. That box is full of clothes from the kids that they have outgrown. I was waiting until I had a full box before taking it to Goodwill. Um...I think it is full. The basket...more junk.

And through the magic of the internet.....it is gone!!!! The clothes (and the shoes from above) are in my car, ready to be donated. The junk has been tossed.

Area 4: G-man's side of the bed. See that stuff on the floor...that is Sassy's box of Christmas decor for her room. Never made it back to the attic. If you look closely, you will probably see a few glasses, a magazine, other stuff. The space is very small....no room for a side table (or at least we haven't found one).

And......all clean!!! The floors don't look half bad in the pics, but trust me, in person...they really need to be refinished.

Area 5: Our bed. In the first picture, I obviously hadn't made the bed yet (I have to make the bed everyday...it bugs me if I don't). G-man has this thing right now that he wants all sorts of covers. So there are at least 3 covers on the bed. One is a twin...one is a full. The gray one (see right), is a queen, but it is a SMALL queen. None of them work for us. Plus, a picture fell off the wall, and it stayed there for at least a month. Notice a cat that needed to be a camera hog....

Once again...through the magic of the internet...the bed is made. I just noticed that it shifted and is not centered now. Oh well. It is too heavy for me to move alone.

So there ya go....challenge 1 accepted and accomplished. We also did the mini challenge, and donated several items to the local food bank (via girl scouts).

Now on to week 2 challenge....the family space challenge!!! This coming week I will be cleaning out and reorganizing the kitchen pantry.

Sunday Night Chit-Chat - February 5, 2012

2012-02-05T19:37:00.000-05:00

Is it Sunday Night already! It is!! Time for Carla's Sunday Night Chit-Chat!

Reading?

Still Nothing. Unless you count a zillion reports at work!!!

Watching?

I have Vampire Diaries, Grey's Anatomy, and Private Practice to watch later. Oh, and to finish the latest episode of Alcatraz (I miss Lost!!!)

Listening to?

Right now, the kids are watching Family Game Night. So that is what I hear in the background.

Cooking/Baking?

I made 2 dozen sugar cookies for Bookfair gifts to the teachers for tomorrow (We have a snow/blizzard theme). And I need to make cinnamon bread tonight for the preview.

Happy you accomplished this week?

I got my decluttering challenge done! More pictures tomorrow!

Looking forward to next week?

Getting ready for my weekend alone by getting my craft stuff ready for my home office makeover!

Thankful for today?

That Bossy is feeling better. That I got 4 loads of laundry done and put away today. And that female stuff is just about over (sorry, TMI!)

GBU - February 5, 2012

2012-02-05T08:50:00.001-05:00

Happy February!!!

Not much exciting about this past week. But this coming week will bring all sorts of stuff with it!!!

The Good:

Decided on cell phone plan; staying with same carrier, so phones have a discount, and we don't have to start over with activation fees and such.
Haven't bought anything for our bedroom while I have been cleaning and decluttering.
G-man and kids WILL be going away President's Day Weekend!!!!!

The Bad:

Bossy was sick most of the week (he is better now).
Rough draft of taxes shows a very small refund for federal, and owing for state.
G-man's car battery is acting up and probably needs to be replaced.
G-man didn't get the 2 OT shifts he applied for in March.

The Ugly:

Weight loss is going nowhere.
Still haven't mailed stuff that needs to be returned!

You know the deal....what are your GBUs this week?????

I did all of that....for 16 cents.

2012-02-03T08:17:00.000-05:00

My bad day just continued to get worse. I won't bore you with it. I will say that the Walmart trip was particularly amusing, and ended with me sprinting out of the store, just so I could get the heck out of there.

But the story I would like to share today involves gas for the car.

I have mentioned the fuel point program that some of the local stores have. One of the programs is $0.10 off per gallon for every $100 spent. They have other deals going on, like buy 6 of these items, get a bonus $0.20 off. That kind of thing. I usually save up points until I have $0.50 or $.60 cents off before I redeem them.

Now, there are 2 gas stations that take these points. One is a little further away, but typically the gas is cheaper. I try and use that gas station if I can. I based my errands around going to that station. I drove PAST the closer station. Get to the "cheaper" station to find out......

The gas was a big ole whopping 1 cent cheaper this week. 1 cent.

My day was already lousy. And there were several other mis-steps in errands prior to the gas station incident (but I will say the Walmart incident was AFTER the gas station). But to find out I went out of my way for 16 cents total. Not cool.

Additionally, the store has stopped its loyalty program, where you automatically get $0.05 off additional if you use your store loyalty card. Now it is purely based on the points you accumulate for purchases. That stinks.

16 cents. I did all of this for 16 cents.

Feeling like the gum on the bottom of the shoe of life

2012-02-02T10:21:00.000-05:00

Today is one of those days where you just want to quit. Work sucks. Sick kid. People are idiots. Everyone wants something.

I am at work, and I don't have a door. I am in the middle of the office, so I don't have the option to just shut the door and keep to myself. I have been at work for 1 hr and 15 min. The same person has called 3 times. The phone has rang 2x more (so we are up to 5 calls in 75 min.). Two people have come to the main door.

I did get part of my room cleaned yesterday, but sick Bossy was very needy. It was a long day. And today isn't looking much better. G-man is home with him. I came into work and was confronted with an email that apparently Boss was annoyed I had a sick kid.

Not a good day.

Taking Advantage Of The Situation

2012-02-01T08:19:00.000-05:00

Oh, I am a rotten mother. I know I am. Yeah, I love my kids, and would fight to the death for them. But today....I am just rotten.

Bossy is sick. No idea what is the actual ailment. He was a mess last night, up off and on all night. So he is home from school today.

G-man offered to stay home (not because he is a dedicated father....just because he didn't want to go to work!), but I said I would stay home with small sick boy. He then offered again this morning, with the idea that we BOTH stay home and just lay in bed all day. Um, no.

But the reason I am a rotten mom.....since I am home today....I am going to totally KICK IT in my decluttering challenge!!! Bossy is tucked in tight on the couch, and just laying there like a lump. He will probably remain that way most of the day. Of course I will check him, make sure he has enough to drink. Rub his head. But mostly I will be in my bedroom kicking butt and taking names!!!

Might as well take care of it today....the weekend is already full. And it will feel good to have my bedroom back again.

Day to Day Life

2012-01-31T08:04:00.001-05:00

First off....where were you all yesterday??? I know this is going to sound ridiculous...but I didn't get one comment, and my page views were WAY down. Either everyone is super busy, or I am boring. The world revolves around ME, so you know I am taking it personally!

Anyway, this is the last day of the month, so thought I would wrap up a few changes to report.....nothing of consequence....just the day to day little things.....

1) I have cut my check writing way down. I now pay for the kids lunch in cash (I get mostly ones at the bank for this....they probably think I am going to the strip club....). Since I have to go to the bank to deposit my paycheck, I just take care of it while I am there.

2) Our electric bill has gone down $6 a month. We are on a budget plan, so we pay the same amount each month (instead of the huge spike in the summer due to the A/C). Woo woo.....$6. It is already going to go to the new cell phone bill (more on that next week). One place giveth, another taketh.

3) Our overpayment from the retirement loan arrive. It was $16.XX. So about $2 more than we thought. Woo. Woo.

4) Some how we way overspent in the past week. I know about the unbudgeted gifts (roughly $100 total). The best I can figure is that because February is a 3 paycheck month for me, some items came out from my second January paycheck that normally get paid later. We had to dip into our savings a little (not the EF). I hate doing it. The savings acct is lower than I am comfortable, so I will need to replenish that. While I wish it could just be from my extra February paycheck, that is already alloted for "catch-up" on the oil bill. (Yes, I am a little behind. $342 a month is alot of money!!! By the end of February we will be all caught up again)

As usual....I am looking forward to payday tomorrow so I can pay a few bills. And G-man's check next week will have OT (which is going into a separate account) AND Holiday (MLK Day). Plus, it won't have the retirement loan coming out.....so I am curious to see what it will look like. I know that it will be an oddball check, as having all of those things happen at once isn't typical. But I am looking forward to it.

Nothing major to report.....just the day to day life stuff!

Decluttering Challenge Outline

2012-01-30T06:00:00.001-05:00

As you know (and alot of you are already participating in), Carla is hosting a Decluttering Challenge for February. I will be honest....even though I need to do this, February is a rough month for me to take this on. I have Bookfair, Winter Break for the kids, emotional stuff....but then I realized they are just excuses. Time to put my big girl panties on (and yes, they are still big...weight loss is a struggle!), and JUST DO IT!

Since I agreed to do my updates on Mondays....I thought I would just share with you the outline for the coming month:

Week One: Personal Space Challenge

This will run January 31-Feb 6. I decided that this is going to be our master bedroom, aka "the place everything lands that doesn't already have a home." I have several boxes of stuff in there that just need to be purged. And it needs a good cleaning!!! My personal challenge in this one is to NOT buy new stuff for the bedroom (like replacing the HORRIBLE rug).

Week Two: Family Space Challenge

This will run Feb 7 - Feb 13. *sigh* This week is bookfair, so I am going to be running like a mad woman. But again....JUST DO IT. This is going to be cleaning out the food pantry (which is really just a few cabinets in our kitchen, as we don't have a real pantry), and getting rid of the "crap catcher" in the kitchen.

Week Three: Productivity Challenge

This will run Feb 14 - Feb 20. Now, just as an added "bonus" in here...there is a chance that the kids and G-man will be going to visit his mom for the weekend...leaving me ALONE for 4 days!!! If that happens, I might be able to get to number 3!!! If not, then #1 is the main challenge.

1) Home office make over. This was on my personal goals 2012, so it is serving double duty. Love that! Once the home office is more organized, productivity will naturally go up, right? And the idea that I might be alone to do this and really clean it out....OOOOHHHHH.....I may need to excuse myself....is it hot in here??

2) Bulk cooking of pancakes, green chili, rice, and something else that is TBD. I am going to try and think of recipes that use some of the same ingredients (chop once, use twice!), just to make it easier. I am also planning on having the crock pot and the stock pot going.

3) (BONUS, baby!!!) Work on clearing out the attic for a minimum of 3 hours. It got messy again!!!

Week Four: The “Dreaded” Challenge

This will run Feb 21 - 29. Since it is dreaded....I gave it 2 extra days. :) Plus, if the kids and G-man are still gone, I have a leg up on this one. My rules!!! I haven't officially decided on this one. It is either going to be the coat closet (our house is over 100 years old, so closets aren't plentiful in our house), or the shelves in the basement. Still mulling this over. Hey, do I get double points if I do BOTH???

Looking forward to the mini challenges as well, and of course, seeing everyone else's before and after pictures. I will admit....I am not looking forward to sharing some of the "before" ones, but it is all for a good cause. Life is messy!!!

Sunday Night Chit-Chat - January 29, 2012

2012-01-29T19:08:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my world!!!!

Carla is having her Sunday Night Chit Chat....I have really come to look forward to this!!! Here is what is going on at the Mysti casa.....

Reading? Nothing. I just haven't been able to get into anything lately.

Watching? Family Game Night. Sort of. It is on and Bossy is watching it, and I can see the TV from where I am. But once the kids go to bed, I will probably watch some stuff on DVR....House, The Good Wife.

Listening to? The water pipes. I am waiting for Sassy to finish her shower so I can start a load of laundry.

Cooking/Baking? I made penne with vodka sauce for dinner. I may make some cinnamon bread for the kids for breakfast.

Happy you accomplished this week? I re-found my Microsoft Office disk (I found it, and lost it again!).

Looking forward to next week? Getting my new cell phone.

Thankful for today? That MAYBE in 2.5 weeks (weekend of Feb 17)....I will have 4 WHOLE days to myself!!! But since that is technically in the future and not today....I will also say I am thankful I have new printer cartridges so I can print again.

That is it from my end of the world......

GBU - January 28, 2012

2012-01-29T07:37:00.000-05:00

The Good:

Retirement loan is GONE!
Got paid for AdSense.
Discovered that there is a coin counting machine at a particular bank branch, which is free for customers of the bank (which I am...I just don't typically go to that branch).

The Bad:

Overbudget on Food and Gas this week.
Still waiting on a few tax things.

The Ugly:

Forgot to budget for upstart of new cell phone plan (new phone, paying for two months for that first billing cycle).

You know the deal....what are your GBUs this week?????

Look out house, here I come!

2012-01-28T07:35:00.000-05:00

Some people just naturally draw other to them. And alas, Carla is one of them. Seriously, she is a very cool chick. So I decided to jump on the bandwagon and join the February Challenge for decluttering!

Part of the challenge is to show you the pictures of the projects (no problem) and update you all on the progress (which I will do on Mondays).

I am looking forward to this!!!

Take that!

2012-01-26T08:51:00.000-05:00

Our retirement loan is gone!!!!!! YIPPEE!!! We shaved one full year off of the loan and it is paid in full!!

We made a bulk payment of $345 that posted too late to change the debit amount from G-man's check. So they took out the "full" payment of $105. So in reality, the loan has an over payment of about $15 (it is $14.XX because of interest, so not entirely sure of the exact amount yet). We spoke to the representative who said that the overpayment will be refunded to us by check.

Not a big deal. We will get it back, and it isn't a massive overpayment that will make a difference one way or another.

We are going to feel like we are rich....since both the retirement loan and the car loan have been coming out since November, things have been tight. Now we will have $210 more in our check (minus taxes), which was designed to cover the cost of the car. I can already feel a small shift for the positive!!!

In late March we will take out another loan to wipe out the CC debt (at 1.5%!!!). The new debate is if we should take out an extra $1000 to get a new mattress. It is a difference of $10 a month. It isn't about the money per se. For me it is about the principle. We have a few months to decide.

But look at that.....a plan actually WORKED. We put $115 per paycheck aside to accelerate the repayment of the retirement loan, and it is now gone!! One more paycheck worth will go into our savings, and then we will resume saving for Camp. We are totally on track!

Random Financial Things From This Week

2012-01-25T07:58:00.000-05:00

First off....thanks for all the love yesterday. I am doing much better today.

Second, I have noticed a bunch of things this week, and instead of a huge post, I wanted to just make some notes and brief comments.

Late Fees. I haven't seen one of those in a very long time. I flipped out when I saw one on CC2. But then I scrolled down further and saw it had already been reversed. I paid the bill on the due date, which was a weekend. Apparently their automated system charged the late fee because the payment wasn't posted by the due date. But since I did pay it before the deadline, they reversed it. Scared me for a minute.

G-man and the Grocery Store. OMG. I swear, he has no idea how to buy everything you need in one trip. The past several weeks, there will be 2 to 3 trips to the store, by him, on the same day. I don't count picking up prescriptions since those have to be paid for at the pharmacy. He realizes he forgot something (usually something major) and has to go back. Talk about a waste of time, gas, and money.

I suck at budgeting outside the norm. Sassy was invited to a birthday party. I need a gift for a baby shower. Do I have a budget for these types of items? Nope. Need to start another account for these random things. I budget for Christmas, tax bills, birthdays in our family. Other people....apparently they didn't make the cut in my scattered head.

I am "addicted" to getting gas points. One of the local grocery stores offers $1.00 off per gallon of gas when you fill a new prescription, and $0.50 off when you refill 5. In addition, they offer $0.10 off for every $50 of groceries you buy. How sad that I was "excited" yesterday at the eye doctor that I have a mild infection and needed drops. And my first thought was ....ooooohhhh......$1 off gas, plus I have 2 scripts to fill, which brings me to 4/5 I need for another $0.50 off!!! Additionally, I have $0.50 off per gallon at another store for my next fill up (probably sometime over the weekend).

The things that run through my head.....*sigh.*

Good thing I am super busy today

2012-01-24T08:47:00.000-05:00

Today is my wedding anniversary. Please....no Happy Anniversary. We (more ME) decided not to acknowledge it. We aren't at that point emotionally. Wounds of the past year run deep. Add in that this is a super emotionally loaded day for me, and I will be honest with ya.....what I really want to do is go buy stuff to make me happy....even though I know that 5 minutes later I will not be happy anymore.

All rolled into the emotion of today.....

Wedding Anniversary - 14 years today
It was the due date for my twin girls who died (they were due on our 10th wedding anniversary)
My "surprise" baby, that I miscarried was conceived (sorry...TMI) on the aforementioned 10th wedding anniversary.

All of this is weighing heavily on me. I started getting upset last night, and was so off my game.....I just went to bed. It is strange this morning....G-man and I have talked all morning, blah blah blah. Part of me wonders if he forgot since we already decided that we aren't acknowledging it....out of sight, out of mind?

My day consists of 2 doctor appointments, work, shopping for PTA, and bookfair planning meeting tonight. It is full to the brim with responsibility and no time to think about "stuff." If I didn't have all of that....I would probably perseverate on everything....do on-line window shopping and eventually convince myself that for everything I have been through....I deserve something!!!

But don't worry.....I won't. Promise. Knowing that I am making progress on our debt (we are down $1,200 since the first of the year, not including the $500+ we have paid on the retirement loan this month) is enough to keep me from back-sliding.

OK, you twisted my arm

2012-01-23T07:46:00.000-05:00

Kim asked to see pictures from the dance. My poor arm couldn't take the beating, so ok.....you get a pic.

The dance was "Winter Wonderland" so white lights and snowflakes were abundant. I worked the photo table (they had a professional photographer who is a parent at the school we partnered with; she volunteered her time, and sold really inexpensive packages that we will split the profit 50/50). So I got to see all the girls!!

The dads (or granddad, or uncle....it was "significant male" so girls who may not have a Dad who is active in their life could still feel like they could attend) were all dressed up too. It was wonderful to see them get into the spirit of it. Matching ties or shirts. Very cool.

Daddy and Sassy went to dinner before the dance, and all sorts of people came up to her and told her how beautiful she looked and to have a nice time. That made her smile. They had a great time at the dance, and I got a picture of the two of them dancing to "My Girl," which made my heart melt. Sassy said her feet hurt from the "high heels." ( click here to see her "high heels" ) I told her to get used to it....all women go through it! After dancing the night away, they went out for dessert. Sassy came home, floating on a cloud. And Daddy was pretty happy too. Here ya go...my NINE year old debutante!

Sassy just home from getting her hair done

Checking herself out in the mirror

Ready to go!