Cents To Save

Still Here....

2013-05-18T12:23:00.001-04:00

Where do I start? There is so much going on. And it revolves around mom. My last post talked about mom undergoing a cisternogram,to check the flow of her cerebral spinal fluid. The test took place about two weeks ago, and it was determined by the doctors that a shunt would help mom out.

The shunt is placed in the brain to help regulate the flow and pressure of the cerebral spinal fluid. She was in the hospital for over a week recovering. Was the shunt placement a success? Yes and no. For the most part her level of confusion is somewhat better. She still cannot see out of her left eye, but on the plus side she is not hearing voices.

Mom is very weak and tired. She has done nothing but sleep since her surgery. We have her staying at our home as she now needs 24 hour supervision. I am still working and this week I had my son in law come off and watch her. That is not going to work. Mom fell ( not son in law fault) mom just kinda slid out of bed onto the floor and we were both home at the time.

Watching mom does not make my son in law comfortable so we are going to interview and hire a companion for mom from Visiting Angels. They are coming this afternoon to do an assessment of mom and we will figure out a good match for mom. The companion will be staying win mom while I am at work.

Mom is now needing assistance getting up out of bed, getting to the bathroom and just about anything else. We have all accepted that this is her new normal. It is very sudden and hard to watch. Next week we will be going back to see her cancer doctors and try to get her back to radiation for her spine.

So, this is our life. It revolves around taking care of mom and making sure she is as comfortable as possible. Truthfully, I "know" that this is the cancer taking its toll on her. But I really have a HARD time watching her slowly deteriorate. It is so sad.

Staying Busy

2013-05-06T08:19:00.001-04:00

Just checking in for a few. Mom's condition is sometimes worse and sometimes better. Thursday she had a lumbar puncture to measure the pressure in the Cerebral Spinal Fluid. The neuro said it was a bit high and he removed a small additional amount. He said that to let him know if there was any improvement in her mental status over the next couple of days.

There was no improvement and the next thing for mom to do is to have a cisternogram, which is a nuclear med exam which involves another lumbar puncture with an injection of a radioactive isotope into her spinal fluid. She will then have several scans over the course of 24 to 48 hours ( maybe longer) to follow the flow of the spinal fluid.

The exam should reveal if there are any blockages or hindrances in the flow and if so she will be eligible for a shunt. The shunt will help equalize the pressure in her cerebral spinal fluid.

The weekend was slightly improved for mom, she was more cognizant and better able to communicate. And I was almost going to call the neuro to cancel the procedure for this week. Then last night, mom was complaining of a loud beeping noise that she thought was coming from her TV. The TV was on mute. It was hard to convince her that the TV was on mute. She finally accepted that the beeping was only in her mind. So, I am moving forward with the scheduled procedure.

This weekend was a purge of sorts for me too. With all that is going on with mom, I decided to close my eBay store. I bagged up a great majority of my inventory and donated it. My plate is too full with moms stuff. And my brain needed a break.

Is This Our New Normal?

2013-04-30T09:22:00.000-04:00

Everyday I as that question. "Is this our new normal today?" This of course refers to my mom's health. No doubt, she has been through a lot. More than I think that I could bear. But mom is extra special and doubly strong.

Recently, mom has been living on her own at her house. After her stay with us for about 8 weeks due to her daily infusion that we would give to her she was ready to be on her own. She enjoyed 3 weeks of independence. About two weeks ago, mom woke up with a massive nose bleed that bled uncontrollably. She drove herself to her primary doctor who could not stop the bleeding nor the high blood pressure and then sent her to a ear nose and throat specialist. Again she drove herself. I was on the other side of the state for work so I called my husband to take off work to at least meet her at the ENT specialist. The ENT had to insert a inflatable balloon into her right nostril to stop the bleeding. Mom said that was quite painful.

My husband drove mom home and she went to bed. In fact, she pretty much stayed in bed for about 3 days. I went over to her house the next day to take over groceries and she was just tired and wanted to sleep. I then went back over two days later and mom was still in her same clothes, I found out later that she did not answer the door when her pastor came over. I don't think she was eating or drinking much either. That afternoon I took her to the ER.

They( the doctors) could not really determine what caused the nosebleeds or her constant state of lethargy. They kept her in the hospital for 3 days. When she came back home with us she slept most of the time. We did make sure she was eating and drinking, but all she wanted to do was to sleep. My husband and I think mom has been experiencing small tiny seizures in her brain. We don't know that for sure, but either do the doctors. But when she does have a seizure, they do make her very, very tired.

We did take her to see her neurosurgeon to determine if there was water on the brain (hydrocephalus) but she did not see any increase in the fluid via mom's latest CT tests. She recommended a lumbar puncture to measure the pressure in the cerebral spinal fluid. If it is increased, mom will have a shunt put in to relive the pressure.

The lumbar puncture is scheduled for this Thursday. Radiation for her spine starts today, and continues for the next two weeks. Luckily we have been able to schedule most of these appointments on my "days off".

Yep, we have been busy. So, is this our new normal? Yes. Everyday brings new challenges. We have learned to go with the flow. I have learned to channel my stress into other areas. The little things that don't get done around the house don't bother me anymore. If dinner is not ready or I didn't have time to cook, we eat sandwiches..... or eggs. Some days I just don't have the energy to worry the every day stuff.

That being said, I have been keeping track of my grocery shopping expenses for the month of April. March groceries and eating out costs were a financial disaster. I will update our April grocery expenses by the end of the week. Did we do better for April? Check back in a couple of days and see.

Now I am off to catch up on my blog reading! Have a great day!

Visit my new Facebook page and Like!

Another round of Momma Drama

2013-04-19T10:36:00.001-04:00

Just checking in, mom has been having a few more health issues so we have all been busy around here. Looking forward to getting back to our normal soon.
I will be checking in again soon.

Flea Market Fun

2013-04-09T11:26:00.001-04:00

This weekend we took it easy. No projects to do, no grocery shopping, just hang out and do whatever. Saturday, we went for a drive about an hour south of here. My husband was born in a little town called Avon Park, Florida and I had never been there. This ended up being put destination for the day.

It has been 50 years since my husband has been back to Avon Park, and he has no real memories from that time, only what his mother has told him. The mobile home park and restaurant that they owned are long since gone. In there place is a car lot.

During our journey we did stop at the local Flea Market and I got to hunt for a few treasures. My husband was happy to find a new ball cap.

It was almost closing time and the aisles were kinds empty. The vendors were closing up.

At this vendor, I found a few things I could not live without. I just love the bright red tablecloth! Definitely catches your eye!

We did not stay too long, I managed to find several items that I have already listed on eBay, I especially love the Mushroom canisters!

All in all it was a great day!

Net Worth Update: March 2013

2013-04-08T14:13:00.001-04:00

ASSETS:

CASH 2,000.00

IRA 53,7200.00

DH 403b 8,124.00

DH401a. 1,346.00

DH ROTH 3,690.00

68,880.00

HOUSE #1 105,000.00

HOUSE #2 52,000.00. ( we are upside down - rental house)

157,000.00

225,880.00 TOTAL ASSETS

LIABILITIES

CC 100.00

MORT #1 98,130.00

MORT #2 91,425.00

189,655.00 TOTAL LIABILITIES

221,209.00

191,230.00

36,255.00 NET WORTH ( up from $29,790.00 in February)

JAN 2013 UPDATE

FEB 2013 UPDATE

Operation Christmas Child Update: April 2013

2013-04-03T09:51:00.001-04:00

Dollar General has great markdowns on seasonal merchandise. When I go to Dollar General I always check out their mark down tables. Yesterday, there were some St. Patricks's day items marked down to 70% off. So each item or package would only have been 30 cents. Not a bad deal especially for the plastic bracelets which come 6 to a pack. The pretty green flower lei come two to a pack. The children that receive these items are not really concerned with what the items are supposed to be used for but what they can do with them.

The bracelets would look cute on any child's wrist, boy or girl. The flower lei would definitely look bright and festive around the neck of a child and would definitely put a smile on their face.

When I took the items to the register, the cashier said all of the St. Patrick's Day items are now %90 OFF. Such a deal!! For $1.97 I was able to get 12 packs of the bracelets and 9 packs of the lei's. God is making a way for us to fill those boxes on a budget!

Will you be participating in Operation Christmas Child this year?

Dollar General Shopping Trip

2013-04-03T06:40:00.001-04:00

Even after my excessive grocery spending last month, I still needed to pick up a few necessary items. I decided to go to Dollar General because the stores are small and have what I need AND I don't become overwhelmed and distracted. I can focus on my list and get in and get out. When I go to Publix, I confess I do become distracted with the prettiness of the store and I will buy things I think I cannot live without.

Here is what I spent:

Pyrex detergent pods: $3.50 for a bag of 24

8 pack of coke: $3.75 I take these for lunch

Dial soap: $3.25 for a pack of 6

Conditioner: $3.00 the vinegar rinse was not working for me

Car deodorant: $2.50 for a pack of three ( not on my list )

Noodles: $1.25 last nights beef stroganoff

Coloring books: $1.00 for 2. They were half price and my grandson will enjoy them

Total spent: $20.00

Not bad, but I am hoping for a no spend day today!

Joining The Great Food Fight 2013

2013-04-01T09:59:00.001-04:00

The reality of our food budget was not by real. On paper, the food budget was "wonderful"! The numbers were looking good but that is because it was only on paper. Well, I decided to get REAL about our food budget and face the music. My inspiration is from Crystal at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff and her Great Food Fight. She and her husband are keeping track of their grocery and eating out spending on a piece of notebook paper tacked on the refrigerator door. You can see an example here.

Here is our notebook paper of shame.... Seriously! I am hanging my head in pure shame and disgust. But, that being said, I am determined to do better for the month of April. After you see the totals that we have for eating out and grocery shopping you can see we have a lot of room for improvement!!

Eating out and grocery shopping has cost us $1166.00 for the month of March. Definitely room for improvement. Our grocery budget included the cost of celebrating my deceased dads birthday ( which made my mom happy) and we did have my mom staying with us so we were buying for her grocery needs too. Somewhat lame excuses, but it is all I got.

We can do better this month by planning a weekly shopping trip instead of every couple of days. Utilize Aldi's more and Publix less.

How are your grocery costs? Are you staying within your budget?

Getting It Done Wednesday

2013-03-27T10:51:00.003-04:00

Today, I will be sitting on the porch and enjoying the day.

Mom went home yesterday to live at her house and get back on her own. We first went to MD Anderson to get her chemo treatment and then stopped by Publix to pick up a few groceries for her. She was anxious to get home and sleep in her own bed. Today she will be driving herself to a doctor's appointment and tomorrow she will go and get her taxes done. We are so proud of her for fighting so hard to get back to her normal!

Yesterday I worked all afternoon on organizing our taxes. Definitely a brain drain. I finally pulled together the eBay and rental info and I think it will all be good. Just a few last minute things to double check and I will turn them in tomorrow. Such a relief!

I did call in sick today. I have been feeling so overwhelmed with taking care of mom and her appointments AND getting the taxes together. I needed to have the house to myself and catch up on my sleep. I hated to call in today, but after catching up on much needed sleep this morning I am glad I did. Sometimes I have to remember to take care of myself or I will crash and burn.

Today List of Things to Do:

Go to Publix to get a few BOGO deals. Oscar Mayer hot dogs are my grandson's favorite.

Get the ingredients to make my own hazelnut creamer.

Try a natural shampoo recipe.

What about this natural deodrant?

Pick up some White Poster Board for eBay photography

Later this afternoon, I will grab my grandson and bring him over. He definitely makes my heart smile.

Have a great Wednesday!

Bright House Sucks!

2013-03-24T20:12:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week I "upgraded" my BrightHouse Cable subscription. I needed to add a phone line for my mom's life alert and since Bell South does not serve this area I had to go with BrightHouse. The "upgrade" included whole house DVR, phone line and faster internet @ 30mbps. The price was an monthly increase of $8.00, which I thought was pretty good considering we are now going to have a phone line to connect mom's Life Alert.

Since the change, I have had the WORST time with my internet speed. It is now only 8 to 11 mbps and it is driving me crazy. I just spent an hour on the phone with Brighthouse/Roadrunner going through different steps and connections to figure out why my internet speed is now so crappy. I have unhooked my modem, router, and re hooked them. I really want to throw them right out the window!!!

After all the connections and re-connections.... It has been determined that the new modem has caused my Norton Firewall to set a higher firewall protection. Great. I have already emailed Norton to ask how to change my Firewall settings to get my internet speed back. An who is to say that the Firewall is REALLY the problem. Honestly! I don't know if I am more mad at Brighthouse for not figuring this out when they installed it OR if I am more mad that I rely SO much on my internet!! Probably both.

I just want my internet speed back please. Slow sucks.

Mom Update: The rest of the week was pretty good. Mom is planning on going back to her home on Tuesday for a couple of days. On Thursday, she drove her self to her hair appointment. I think that was a major hurdle for her. We are proud of her progress! She has not really said what her living plans are going to be but we think she will stay at her house a couple of days and then come out here with us. Which is fine with us.

Budget Update: This week I started my auto withdrawal from my paycheck to my Roth IRA. I am starting out with 50.00 per check even though I thought originally I could handle more. Maybe in the near future I will adjust the amount. There have been no big payments made on the credit card. Our last paychecks were smaller than usual due to a week off earlier this month. the upcoming checks should be normal deposits and then we will see where we stand. I tell ya, that darn credit card is still hanging around. And yes, I know I really need to get rid of it!

Here are my latest eBay sales....

And the Winner Is......... and other things.

2013-03-17T17:55:00.001-04:00

Thanks to all who entered my Whimsical Wallet Giveaway! The randomly selected winner is

Brendecia Burgess @ Hems for Her. An email was sent and once I get your mailing address, your cute wallet will be on its way!

There will be more giveaways in the future. I am looking forward to working with Carla again. She is super creative and has beautiful items that she has hand crafted.

This has been a crazy busy weekend. We had my grandson most of the weekend and he wears us out. Oh to have the energy of a 4 year old! I did get some daily chores done, and I also put together 5 freezer crock pot meals for the next couple of weeks. I am looking forward to using them on my nights that I work late.

Our church family had terrible news yesterday. There was a wreck that occurred, a deacon and his wife were on their way to church for choir rehearsal and their car was struck and the deacon's wife was killed instantly! The deacon's car ended up on the front lawn of the church........ below as a picture and a brief article that was in the paper.

It was a sad, sad, day at church today. Many tears were shed at the absence of Alma. :(

A deacon at the Lake Hill Baptist Church on Old Winter Garden Road was severely injured and his wife was killed in a crash near the church Saturday afternoon.
John Oldaker, 76, and Alma Oldaker, 70, were on South Hudson Street headed to the church for choir practice at about 3 p.m. Saturday when they drove into the path of Eugene Shilton's 1996 Toyota
The force of the crash shoved the cars onto the church lawn, killing the deacon's wife.
John Oldaker was transported to a Orlando Regional Medical Center and has been in and out of consciousness all evening, according to Paul Thompson, a fellow deacon and the church's music director. He is expected to survive.
Thompson said the Oldakers were long-time members of the church and Alma Oldaker's parents also went to the church years ago

Alma Oldaker leaves behind two adult children, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Several choir members were inside the church at the time of the crash and heard the collision. Thompson said they were waiting for Alma Oldaker to come to practice.
It was her job to choose the songs for the church's upcoming Easter service and the choir was preparing to practice them with her.
"We're still going to do them one way or another, if the choir can get through them," Thompson said.
"They were good people," he added.

We will be there to support John as he recovers and deals with the loss of his wife.

When things like this happen, it always make you appreciate your loved ones, doesn't it? I treasure each day I have and try not to take it for granted.

A new week ahead, and I don't think mom has any appointments! Woo Hoo! I just hope I did not forget to write something down on our calendar. Hope you all have a great Sunday evening!

Saturday Morning: Back to work

2013-03-16T08:14:00.001-04:00

Glad it is the weekend! Going back to work after a week off is never easy,is it? My first week back was filled with a lot of driving. I work for a mobile ultrasound company and we go many places. Usually I don't mind so much but we have a lot of accounts in Daytona Beach and this week is Bike Week! Well, don't you know that two out of the three days I worked I was in Daytona! Turns out it really was not that bad traffic wise and it was entertaining to see all sorts of people riding their bikes! They are sure passionate about their bikes!

Yesterday,I finally turned in my Roth IRA direct deposit slip at work. I decided on just $50.00 a paycheck for now. I am so glad that is finally done. Previously I planned to put more in per check, but then after an adjustment in the Financial Goals, I am more comfortable with this new amount.

I also turned in automatic withdrawal amounts that are going to my formally ING Now Capital 360 accounts. Specifically I am sending 50.00 a paycheck to vacation fund and 45.00 to Christmas and gifts fund. I did hesitate on that for a bit, but I decided to go ahead a give it a try. I think this will help later on down the road with keeping track of the money.

Mom Update: This week we saw ALL of mom's MD Anderson's doctors. The good news is that her tumor markers are down and her remaining bloodwork is good. The plastic surgeon removed 30 staples from her scalp but is leaving the 20 some odd stitches in for the next 6 weeks or so. He is happy with her healing progress. Mom also finished her 6 weeks of antibiotics infusion ( the six weeks has gone by pretty fast).

Warning: next pic is kinda graphic....

This is what mom's scalp looked like three days post surgery, it looks a little better and her hair has grown back in a bit. Oddly enough, she has had no pain with all those staples. Here is what it looked like before surgery...

The not so good news is that the cancer is back in her scalp/skull and she again will need radiation. But, everyone ( the docs) want to wait for the incisions to heal as that is the same area that will be receiving radiation.

Mom talks about going home saying that she needs to try it to see if she can do it. But then she forgets or changes her mind. Time will tell and she still needs to rest and get her strength back.

Budget update: The savings account took a small hit because of the recent purchase of a new refrigerator, but at least it is paid for. There were some more unexpected costs last week, my car needed new brakes... And we did charge that. But will pay that back this coming Friday.

I will be working on a crock pot freezer plan ahead meal plan for the next couple of weeks. There are some great ideas on Pinterest and I can't wait to try them out.

One more day and I will be posting the winner of the whimsical wallet giveaway! If you have not entered, there is a link at the top left of my blog.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Financial Goals 2013: Revised Edition

2013-03-12T09:04:00.000-04:00

When putting together my Financial Goals for 2013, I believe now that I had unrealistic expectations of what we could actually accomplish. So it is time to revisit the original goals and revise them to better suit us.

1. Pay off remaining Credit Card Debt: Almost done. The balance now hovers at 350.00 dollars. The credit card debt has been as high as $13,000.00

2. Increase savings to 5000.00. Revising this amount to $3500.00

3. Save $1200.00 for Christmas,Weddings, and Birthdays.    This year, we took a hit our budget with unplanned weddings and some special birthdays. Going to do better this year. Christmas I will still plan to keep it around $500.00    no changes here. No money saved yet, but will definitely get going on it.

4. Save $2000.00 for a trip to Las Vegas in Spring. Nope. No money put aside, no trip. Too much going on around here with mom.

5. Begin contributing to my Roth again. Only 100.00 so far.

6. After all of the above are accomplished, it will be time to apply all extra money (at least $7000.00) to our primary mortgage. The balance on our primary mortgage is $98,800. We want very much to reduce the mortgage to $90,000 by the end of the year.   Ah.... No. There has been minimal extra sent to the mortgage company. Boo!

Below is what I thought I could magically do with the money in our budget. Not gonna happen.

The amount of extra or redirected money need to accomplish these goals for 2013 is

credit card debt 4500.00
gifts 1200.00
vacation    2000.00
mortgage extra 7000.00    (or $580.00 extra per month)
TOTAL 16,500.00

Here is the revised, what has a better chance of happening :)

credit card debt    350.00
gifts                        1200.00
vacation    2000.00
mortgage extra    2000.00

Roth                         1200.00
Savings    2500.00
                 9250.00

So, it is okay to readjust your goals. Sometimes what you think should happen, well, reality gets in the way and opens your eyes to what will probably happen.

That is not to say that in a couple of months things won't change again. Because they might. But this is what we are going with for now.

Reaching Out: Shut-Ins

2013-03-10T19:59:00.003-04:00

I split my Sunday church time between two churches. One is our old church which my husband attends full time AND teaches adult Sunday School. I go with him once or twice a month. The other Sundays I go to a church much closer to our new home. It is one that my daughter and I have visited and decided to make it our home church. It also has a great Sunday school nursery program for my grandson. He loves going every Sunday, and I feel it is my responsibility to provide him the opportunity to go.

I kinda dropped the ball when my kids were younger, so I guess the guilt weighs heavy on me. Any hoo.... I really, really like the church closer to our new home, but I still have ties to our old church. Plus the fact that my husband teaches every Sunday, I do need to go and show him support.

Let me back it up for a minute. When my mom was in the hospital (several times) over the last few years, her church was always there to support her. They were especially good about sending cards of caring and get well. She has STACKS of cards from her church. In fact, they are still sending cards to her out here while she is staying with us. Each time she gets a card from them, her face beams and she smiles so big. It is amazing what a little piece of mail can do!

While my dad was living, he would always want to see the mail. So I would go out and check it (while we were living there) and bring it back to him. He never got a card or letter. And you could see the disappointment in his face. Sadness is hard to hide.

As I reflect back on both situations, I have decided to send cards monthly to the home bound members of our old church. There are about 12 on the list and each one gets a handwritten card from my husband and I. I have asked others (through the church facebook page) to get on the bandwagon too. It is an opportunity to pass along a blessing and to receive a blessing.

Just wanted to share this ..... maybe it will inspire someone to lift the spirits of a home bound individual in their lives.

Have a great Sunday!

Saturday's Short List

2013-03-09T08:32:00.000-05:00

Here is your St Pat Cupcake Recipe!

This week just flew by for us! Our Stay-cation is just about over and I can see Monday looming in the future. We did enjoy our time off and for the most part it was semi-productive. I did get a few things done with eBay. I have been having some good luck with a bag if Vintage Maps I purchased at the Thrift Store.

A room that needed to get painted finally got a new coat of paint. We had an extra can of paint left over from one of the other bedrooms and we used it on that room. New curtains for the window and I repainted a shelf to go back in the room. I used candy apple red ...... it might be a bit bright for that room but we will see.

The weather has been awesome this last week, the sun has been shining and the humidity has been low. Absolutely gorgeous. We mowed, edged and fertilized and are now officially ready for summer to arrive.

Mom Update: We only had to see one of mom's docs last week. This doctor is her infection disease doctor. She was pleased with mom's weekly blood results and said that mom's PICC line can be pulled this coming Friday which means no more daily antibiotic infusions for mom! That is great news!

Next week we will see her team of doctors at MD Anderson over the course of two days. At this time we should find out how her tumor markers are doing in her blood work, when her staples and stitches can be removed from her scalp, and when she will be able to start her radiation treatments to her scalp. Yes, next week will be busy!!!

Budget Update: The refrigerator has been delivered successfully. Now to pay the bill. BOO!!
Our budget will take a hit on this but we used our Lowe's card to get an extra 5% off the purchase price. So, we will pull the money out of savings and pay that sucker off. What about our credit card debt you ask? It is still hovering around 350.00 to 400.00 dollars. I know..... I need to get rid of it. By the end of the month it should be gone. I am thinking about using a "rewards" card that gives cash back instead of our Marriott rewards card. Just for emergencies.... lol.

Visit here it enter my Giveaway of one of Carla's Whimsical wallets!

Have a great Saturday!!

Happy Friday and a Giveaway

2013-03-08T09:33:00.000-05:00

Whimiscal Wallet Giveaway! Enter Below

What have you accomplished this week? This was a week off for my husband and I, and we did manage to get some things accomplished. The yard is mowed and edged, the garage is cleaned out, some of my eBay stuff is organized (but a lot of it still needs attention).

Mom had several appointments that we had to take care of, but the outlook is good regarding her healing process post surgery. We did not take any trips this time, as I think it would have exhausted mom so maybe next time.

Our new refrigerator was delivered yesterday and it looks all pretty and shiny. Plus, the water and ice dispenser work and it does NOT leak on the floor. It is the small things that make me smile. Our savings took a hit due to the purchase, but it was worth every penny.

The next couple of days will be busy with last minute projects that need to get finished before we both go back to work next week but what gets done will get done. I am not stressing over it too much. There is a small painting project that definitively needs to get completed, so we will be busy with that. Pictures to follow.

Now for the Giveaway! I don't know about you but I love Carla's beautiful handcrafted items. In fact, I love them so much I wanted to share the opportunity to win one of her whimsical wallets that she made special just for this giveaway! This is a new giveaway widget I discovered, so I hope it works!!

Can ship to US or Canada only!

Good Luck!

March Goals 2013

2013-03-05T07:23:00.002-05:00

Before March gets away from me I need to get motivated and post my March goals 2013. This month I am going to focus on getting better organized. This is my challenge, as I tend to have stuff lying all over the place. It is not too messy but it does get a bit out of hand. I think it is because of so many distractions.....

Better organize my eBay rolling shelves. We are getting the delivery or our new refrigerator this week and the old one will go out in the garage as a back up for soda, beer and more freezer space. We have a two car garage, but it is getting crowded.

Get my couch cleaned. As much as I try, our dogs love to sneak up on the couch at night and claim it as their bed. I put a bean bag chair on it, a folding table..... and still they manage to wiggle up on the couch. It needs professional help!

Continue to walk daily. Since we have been on vacation, my husband and I have been walking about 2 miles a day. We both so need it. Out of shape we are! When we gat back to our regular schedule, I am hoping to continue the progress.

This is a short list, but it is packed with a lot to do. eBay alone takes a huge amount of time. Is it my escape from all that I have on my plate? Yes. Do I love it? Yes! Two good reasons to continue.

Saturday List To Do

2013-03-02T10:16:00.000-05:00

Happy Saturday! It is a chilly but sunny 47 degrees in Central Florida today. I love it. The weather is crisp and clear. We really treasure these cool spring days, as summer and it's heat is just around the corner. And with the heat, come the humidity.

Matanzas Bay

We started our week long vacation and since we are staying around the house we will look for a couple of day trips to take that we all will enjoy. I am NOT disappointed that we are not going to
Vegas this year, as we will save a ton of money by staying around here.

Our options for day trips include the beach, local lakes, or heck, even a movie. Mom still has several appointments next week so we will work around those. It will be nice to not have to drive to work every day. Although I will miss listening to my books on CD. Currently I am listening to "The Help". It is a great book! And, no, I have not seen the movie yet. Just a few things I need to get caught up on is movie watching.

We went for a walk early this morning, only about 1 1/2 miles. The walk was by the new High School near us. In the grove/field ( it was not posted as private) next to the High School were a couple of citrus trees. My husband (with my prodding) went up the hill and picked the a lemon off of the tree. It smells delicious. Now I will have to use it before it goes to waste.

Mom Update: Mom is slowly building her strength. She has two more weeks of daily infusions that help her with. Her last day of the infusions is March 16th. At least that is what her docs are saying right now.

Budget: Due to a large purchase ( a new refrigerator) we still have about $350.00 remaining on the credit card. BUT, we paid cash for the new refrigerator and I am totally excited about that! Our income will take a hit with me taking a week off, but my mental health needs it. I am going to make an effort to shop better for groceries. Perhaps stock pile items that we will definitely use like coffee, etc. when it goes on sale. Baby steps. I am also throwing any and all loose change in single 1.00 dollar bills in my "Sealed Pot"

ain't it pretty!

This weekend I will work on my monthly goals for March. How is your weekend looking?

check out my eBay sales here

Food Waste Friday: Lemons but no lemonade

2013-03-01T10:23:00.001-05:00

I love the convenience of shredded lettuce for tacos. But unfortunately, we did not use it all. Makes me glad I did not buy two bags.

As of late, I have been adding fresh lemon to my Coke Zero. But evidently this little lemon missed the boat. I found it rolling around the crisper drawer next to the above bag of shredded lettuce.

The cantaloupe has seen better days too. It does look okay but it definitely does not taste okay.

Kinda bitter....

And here is the fresh lemon juice that I did not know I had in the back of the fridge. It has been there's too long so it is getting pitched.

That is it for the wasted food extravaganza. It has been worse, that's for sure.

Linking up to the Frugal Girl

NET WORTH UPDATE: FEBRUARY 2013

2013-02-27T05:50:00.000-05:00

ASSETS:
CASH 2,800.00
IRA        52,000.00
DH 401 7800.00
DH ROTH 3650.00
                 66,250.00

HOUSE #1 102,060.00
HOUSE #2     53,000.00
                     155,060.00

221,131.00      TOTAL ASSETS

LIABILITIES
CC 430.00
MORT #1 98,500.00
MORT #2 92,300.00

                    191,230.00

221,209.00
191,230.00
29,979.00 NET WORTH

JAN 2013 UPDATE

No More Days Off: Becoming a Caregiver

2013-02-26T08:13:00.000-05:00

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Oh.... the life of a caregiver! My original work schedule was three days working mobile ultrasound and two days off during the week. Then I started another part time job at the college working about 8-10 hours a week. That left me with a day and a half off during the week.   Well..... those days off are now filled with taking care of mom, but doing it in such a way as to NOT make her feel less independent. She is "visiting" with us for an extended period of time :)

The days that I am not at work I am running mom to doctor's appointments and believe me she has a bunch of them! We visit MD Anderson so often that we are on a first name basis with the valet supervisor at the front door. He greets both of us with a big hug!

Next week is our "vacation" that was suppose to take place in Las Vegas. Husband and I are both off but we will be sticking close to home. Mom has her daily infusions and of course a couple of doctor appointments. We have managed to reschedule the great majority of them so that we are only at MD Anderson on day next week.

In lieu of a huge vacation we ( me, hubs, and mom) will take a brief trip to the coast for a couple of days. It will be far enough away to seem like a true break but not too far in case something changes with mom's health.   And there are tons of things we can do at the house that really need our attention too. So, I guess you can call it a working vacation!

I am grateful that my work schedule DOES allow for me to be there for my mom to assist her as she is recovering from her latest hospitalization. If not, she would have had to go to assisted living for 6 to 8 weeks. That would have been a total bummer for all of us. She has been through so much already and I don't think she would have like that at all.

I am also grateful for the time that we all get to spend together. It is NOT a burden it is a BLESSING. I know that mom is sick and I know what the outcome will be. But, I am thankful for the time that we are able to re-connect as mother-daughter. I am thankful that she is such a trooper and does not have pity parties. I am thankful that I am part of her caregiver team. And I am thankful for her positive outlook.   She always looks ahead, never behind her.

So, I really have no more days off to speak of, and looking back at my past employment history for the last couple of years I can see that God has provided me with the perfect job that allows me to be there for mom. And I am okay with my current schedule. I am blessed beyond words.

Here is what is happening at Happy Girl Thrift

Spenders and Savers: Together Forever

2013-02-21T07:09:00.003-05:00

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While I was reading Carla's post this morning, "From Spender to Saver" it reminded me of my own spending and saving habits. Most of the time I consider myself a "thrifty" kinda gal. I can make do with what ever is on hand. I learned these habits from my mom and dad. They both grew up during and post depression era.

Mom was the last of fourteen kids in a family that grew up on a farm in Wisconsin. Her mom made meals out of every part of every animal they raised on the farm. Nothing was wasted. Just about everything they ate was made by my grandma, rarely was there a store bought item in their pantry. Mostly because it was too expensive and town was a wagon ride that took an hour to get to.

To this day, my mom can use up leftovers in ways that are creative and tasty. She can also save her money wisely. She watches every penny but has a generous heart. Mom has never shared with me all of her holdings, but I am sure it is quite remarkable. At times she will talk about money or CD's she has at such and such bank and that I need to split those particular CD's equally among her grandchildren.

My dad was raised in an orphanage during the 20's. His life was hard but he survived and had a successful career in the Air Force. He too could squirrel away the money BUT he also could spend the money too! I think that is because of his up bringing. He knew he had to be careful with his money while a young man, but he certainly enjoyed his life.

credit

I fall in the middle of them with regards to saving and spending. I can squirrel away the money ( I hide it) and save a substantial amount. But, my husband is a true spendthrift. He has no qualms about spending large amounts of money on things needed for the house, cars and ourselves. Only the best for us, and he will tell you so. So I hesitate about "telling" him the exact numbers of our savings. The savings will grow quietly as I move money from our checking accounts to our saving accounts. Now, if he asks about the money I will tell him everything. In fact, it thrills me that he is taking an interest! But that does not happen very often.

I will give him updates on our debt and spending. The updates are brief and he is okay with that. I have tried for years to get us to work as a team financially but that has yet to be successful. At least in my eyes. If you ask him, he might tell you that all is right with our world financially.

There are still times that I will throw caution to the wind and become a spendthrift too. I think this habit developed while I was growing up. Whenever I went shopping my dad would give me 10.00 dollars to spend. And spend it I did. I would make sure that there was not a penny left from that 10.00! When I would tell my dad what I bought and that I spent ALL the money that would make him happy! What little girl did not want to please her daddy?

So as a mature adult I still make financial mistakes, sometimes they are real humdingers! I try not to beat myself up about it too much and move on. Being debt free is important to me, no doubt about it. But, it may just take us a little longer to get there. And that is okay too.

Monday's Short List

2013-02-18T06:29:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday! What are your plans for President's Day? I have to work today. But the upside is that traffic should be light and it won't take me the full hour to get to work this morning.

Here is my short list for this week:

1. List at least three things a day on eBay. I have tried to set bigger goals of listing 25 items a week, but that really never happens. I am going to try to break down that goal and list three items a day. That way my eBay store will always have activity and that alone should boost sales.

2. Follow up on a local thrift that tends to discard a bunch of mugs and dinnerware just because their are not complete sets. We are in talks so to speak to decide it they will let me pick up their excess for my eBay store. I love the thought of picking up mugs for free!!

3. I am also looking for a meet up group of eBay sellers in my area. There is a group about an hour away and I might go to their next meeting in March, but it would be nice to find one a bit closer to my own home. I think it would be great to meet other eBay sellers and exchange information.

That is about it for today. Happy President's Day!

Sunday Night Chit Chat

2013-02-17T19:31:00.003-05:00

I wanted to share this collage for a family calendar. My oldest son (the one in the pic with just his dad, and just me) struggles. We pray that he will find happiness but the family is fairly convinced he struggles with chemical imbalances. He will not get the help he needs. This has been an extraordinarily difficult weekend for him.

Love Sunday Night Chit Chat. Sometimes I can't think of anything interesting to post and this definitely helps. Do you ever run out of things to post about?

Reading: My coworkers have turned me on to books on tape (or CD) and I am on my second book already. My first book was "Water for Elephants" which was truly awesome. I am now "reading" Limitations. Different, but still pretty good.

Listening to: Pandora more specifically the Nora Jones station. Easy listening. Christmas music is gone for now.

Watching: Not watching anything at the moment, but I will be watching Ax men later on tonight.

Cooking/Baking: I have been doing better on cooking in general. Tonight was baked chicken, yellow rice, and roasted carrots.

Happy you accomplished this week: I am happy that I can take mom to her chemo appointments and doctor appointments as well as work both part time jobs and list a few things on eBay.

Looking forward to next week: Have a few less appointments to go to. Lol!

Thankful for today: I am thankful that I have my family, and most especially my mom semi living with us. It is a great opportunity to get to know her on a different level. And hopefully, she will learn a few things about me that she did not know. :)
Bonus Question: Have you ever received a gift you were less than thrilled with? Did you feel like you had to keep/use it in order to spare feelings from getting hurt?

Oh yes. my husband ( a kid at heart and will never change) feels it necessary to buy expensive gifts for my birthday and Christmas. I have a lot of jewelry that I will never wear because I just don't care to. I have to word my requests very carefully lol!