HouseHappy's Personal Finance Blog

So its that time of year. I'm actually a little late putting out the Halloween decorations. I finally got around to it tonight! Woohoo!

Today I packed lunch and came home right after work. So today was a No Spender! I skipped the gym today and came home to have some more Me time. I made dinner at home, cleaned the kitchen, took 10 minutes to pick up the living room & then lugged stuff from the basement to decorate the house for Halloween. I'm not going to actually be in town for the holiday, so I"m not putting anything on the outside of the house.

Here's a few pics:

One of my favorite pieces from PartyLite. If you look close, you'll see the fish bone in the kitty's tummy!



And these are the kitty's counterparts:



And here's an obligatory picture of my naughty little kitty Jack. He knows he's not supposed to get on that table!




Today's 5 Things:

1. Put out Halloween decorations (DONE)
2. Pick up living room (DONE)
3. Pack lunch for tomorrow (DONE)
4. Review benefits options (DONE)
5. Pack library & gym bags for tomorrow (DONE)

Today was a good day. We had great weather, work was not boring for once, I stuck to my Weight Watchers plan, went to the gym and hung out with a friend tonight. I'm home now, catching up on some email & packing stuff for work food & gym clothes.

AND I still have the heat off, even though its getting cold at night. I'm probably going to pull out my down comforter this weekend.

While at work (and totally allowed), I made some calls as part of today's 5 Things. I got into it and made a few more that were on my to do list.

Today's 5+ Things:

1. Called the vet about cat vaccinations (DONE)

2. Call Comcast (DONE) & got them to bring my bill back to under $100 for cable, phone & internet. My last promotion ran out & the bill jumped up $50 bucks. I got them to knock it down by $60! Woohoo

3. Call eye doctor to determine when I need to come in again (DONE)

4. Research dentist recommendations from coworkers. I need to find an In-Network dentist. Next, I need to break up with my current one. I'm not looking forward to it because I've been with them for like 6 years. (DONE)

5. Research 2010 Benefits changes. There are some small changes, so I'm weighin my options. I have time to decide & I'll definately post about my decision (DONE)

6. Called Home Owners insurance to verify new policy info. My rates actually went down $1.00 from last year and I did some research and I feel like I am still getting a very competitive rate!

7. Redo Meal plan through Sunday. Life happens and I made some changes yesterday & today. All for the good. Had some really yummy pasta for dinner tonight! (DONE)

8. My standards: go to gym, make dinner at home, pack food for work & pack gym bag (DONE)

As it hits the last quarter of the year, a lot of upcoming financial things come into play.

- Open Enrollment for Insurance. Got the email today and am hoping to go over the options this week. I am not happy with the (cheaper) plan that I currently have and am going to switch back to the moderately priced one that I went with in years prior. The price difference was not worth the problems and hassle that I had this year.

- Holidays. I'm hoping to get Christmas shopping done by the first week of November. Usually my goal is the end of October, but since I'll be on a CRUISE the last week, I'll give myself the extra time.

- Winter. I need to winter-proof the house & car. And get new tires!

- Homeowners Association Fees - $75 per year. Due November. Tonight, I went to the annual meeting for the first time since I bought the house 2 Octobers ago. There was a minimal amount of people although there are 177 houses in my neighborhood. And at the end of the meeting, they were choosing board members. Guess who got volunteered by a whole group of strangers to be Vice President? Moi Well, maybe I can help make some changes or at least learn about the HOA. Its basically a meeting every two months with possible small projects thrown in. Something fun anyway!

Happy Monday All!

If you haven't already noticed, I am a fan of lists and plans. Following them is always a challange though, because I don't like being told what to do. Even if I'm the one doing the telling! LOL

I have a spending plan, meal plan and workout plan for this week. While at work today, I made a little chart on paper:

MONDAY
Planned Activities: Work, Gym
Planned Spending: $0.50 library fine
Meals: Pasta salad/Shake N Bake Chicken
Exercise: Gym 45 minutes

TUESDAY
Planned Activities: Work, Gym, Civic Association Meeting
Planned Spending: $8.00 groceries
Meals: Sloppy joe/Tuna Wrap
Exercise: Gym 45 minutes

WEDNESDAY
Planned Activities: Work, Gym
Planned Spending: $0.00
Meals: Tuna sandwich/Pasta with meat sauce
Exercise: Gym 45 minutes

THURSDAY
Planned Activities: Work, Park for walking, Nephew's baseball game
Planned Spending: $0.00
Meals: Salad with pasta/Soft taco
Exercise: Park 25 min walk

FRIDAY
Planned Activities: Work, Gym, Movies
Planned Spending: $10
Meals: Turkey Meatloaf Muffin/Salad with pasta
Exercise: Gym 45 minutes

SATURDAY
Planned Activities: Gym, Kennett Brewfest (beer tasting event); Spending night in West Chester
Planned Spending: $15-20 dinner
Meals: Salad & meatloaf for lunch/Dinner out with friends
Exercise: Gym 45 mins in early am.

SUNDAY
Planned Activities: West Chester Chili Cookoff
Planned Spending: $10.00 Cookoff Entrance fee, $5-10 drinks
Meals: Unknown breakfast; chili lunch, salad at home for dinner
Exercise: Walking around cookoff


In other frugal news:

- My heat is still off. I even had the windows open for a few hours yesterday.

- Most of my entertainment (other than planned events) has come in the form of books and movies borrowed from the library & new Fall shows on tv.

- I'm packing all my food for work & saving a bundle

- The addition of exercise into my routine has helped me sleep better and have more energy. Hopefully, in the near future, it will help with some of my health issues.

- The laundry I'm doing tonight will not need the dryer, so all of it will be line dried in the spare room.

Yesterday, I went to my nephew's baseball game. Spent $5 at the snack stand. Was still feeling really off and I splurged for some food & caffine to help that out.

Afterwards, instead of hitting the gym like I planned, I went home. I thought I'd take a half hour nap & then hit the gym. I laid down & slept for 3.5 hours! Crazy.

I woke up, got dressed, and made some food before heading out to the ghost tour with friends. Ticket was already paid for and someone else drove, so no spending for that even. I really enjoyed it, but it was a bit cheesy. I'd love to go back to Fort Delaware during the daytime and explore.

This morning, I woke up and headed straight to the gym. Then I headed to the grocery store & farmers market. I had a set list, and stuck to it. This pay period (30th thru 14th) I have a budget of $80 for groceries. So far, I've spent 54.97. I have $25.03 left and should be ok since the only items that I have to purchase would be perishables.

Then I came home. Suddenly, I felt really ill and a migrane came on without any warning. I must have pushed myself too hard this weekend, since Friday's migrane came back with a vengance. I have a physical scheduled later this month. I am going to have to talk to my doctor about this.


I would like to thank everyone who picked up my 5 Things. I just wanted to put out there some small goals for myself and the fact that others are joining me, helps motivate me as well as keep me accountable!

Today's 5 Things were:

1. Gym (DONE)
2. Grocery shop (stay within budget)(DONE)
3. Meal plan, pack food for tomorrow (DONE)
4. Clean kitchen (DONE)
5. Prepack library bag (to return), gym bag (DONE)

Tomorrow, my goals are to have a no spend day and to do the following:

1. Gym again
2. Clean living room
3. Laundry
4. Prapack food for Tuesday & Gym clothes
5. Return shirts to Old Navy

So I've learned that although I have a To-Do list, things don't always get accomplished. Lol - I'm sure it happens to everyone

I did not accomplish my calls yesterday, but I completed the other items on my 5 Things list.

Today, I had off of work. I have running non-stop trying to keep my house, life, finances and health in working order. And today, my body told me to STOP. Got myself a nice little migrane.

Today will be a no spender (not that I wasn't planning on that already). I'll be spending most of the day sleeping, but as I seem to have a pattern with migranes, I should feel better for awhile in the afternoon. So I revamped today's 5 things to be the following.

1. Have a me day and rest!(IN PROCESS)
2. Make a yummy lunch & dinner at home (LUNCH DONE, WORKING ON DINNER)
3. Play with the cats (BEEN GOING ON ALL DAY)
4. Upload pics onto computer to send to family (DONE)
5. Read through the posts I've missed on here and post myself (DONE)


I really enjoyed the play that I went to last night. I kept on budget with dinner out, spending $14.00 (including tip) for shrimp and a salad bar. Pretty healthy and yummy.

The play that we went to, Girls Night, was really awesome. The actors were very good, the plot was interesting and the songs and feeling of the play were just plain FUN. It was a really great night.

Tomorrow, I am going to my nephew's baseball game in the morning (FREE). My best friend is meeting us there, so it'll be good to catch up with her (Also FREE)

I hope to hit the gym tomorrow afternoon (depending on the headache) and then tomorrow night I'm taking a Ghost Tour with some friends at Fort Delaware. I'm really looking forward to this one. We will take a ferry over and have a 2 hour guided tour.

Sunday will be grocery shopping & housework. I'm asking my parents over for dinner. Should be a pretty frugal weekend overall.

Today I enjoyed some awesome weather and a half day off from work. I still made it to the gym and worked out for a bit.

Then I hit the grocery store. My budget for this pay period is $85.00 and I spent $26.94. I won't need any further groceries until my veggie and fruit shop at the Farmer's market this weekend.

After I got home, I watched borrowed dvds and made meatloaf muffins and browned ground turkey with onions to put in the freezer. And I still made a separate meal for dinner - Cajun Rice with beef. Unfortunately it wasn't that good. I won't be keeping that recipe. Oh well.

As I said before, my spending focus is grocery & entertaining. Today started a new pay period & I spent on plan with groceries, and spent nothing on entertainment today. Its a start

Out of the 5 Things I set for today, I accomplished.

1. Hit the gym (even though I have a 1/2 day of work! DONE
2. Sort paperwork, file & shred DONE
3. Grocery shop & attempt to get below budget! DONE
4. Try a new recipe for dinner DONE
5. Sort 5 items for Craiglist & list them for sale NOT DONE - PAPERWORK TOOK WAAAY TOO LONG!

Tomorrow's 5 Things are as follows:

1. Bring packed breakfast, lunch & snacks
2. Call & close extra money market account
3. Call & cancel Dentist appointment (need to find a new one in plan, which will be cheaper)
4. Go to dinner & a play with Mom, Sis & friends and ENJOY!
5. Stay on plan with eating. Packed all day food. Stick to fish, baked potato & salad for dinner out. Keep bill under $20.00!

Two no spenders in a row! I like it

Today, I worked, went to the library, headed to the gym for 50 minutes and then home to make dinner, clean the kitchen, do a budget and upload some photos for my mom.

I accomplished 4 out of 5 of the things I said I'd accomplish today. The one I missed was going through my financial paperwork. I'm cool with that though. I have a 1/2 day at work tomorrow. I took a half mental health day and plan on hanging out at home. I'll do the paperwork tomorrow night.

I would like to mention that meal planning has really helped me to both be frugal, but also eat better meals! Instead of grabbing fast food or a quick dinner of noodles, I am having real meals. Its so easy to get out of that habit since I live alone. But I'm back on track & I REALLY want to share how much I enjoy a real meal.

Last night I had buffalo breaded chicken, potatoes and a salad. Tonight, I had penne pasta with marinara, a ton of veggies & a tomato salad.

Tomorrow, my 5 Things are:

1. Hit the gym (even though I have a 1/2 day of work!
2. Sort paperwork, file & shred
3. Grocery shop & attempt to get below budget!
4. Try a new recipe for dinner
5. Sort 5 items for Craiglist & list them for sale

Happy Tuesday! I'm planning on having a No Spend day today, so it should be a good day!

The air/heat are still off at the house. Its been over a month now. The temps started dropping again, but I'm just layering up in the house as needed. Yay Fall!

I packed breakfast (cheerios & banana), snack (banana blueberry muffin) & lunch (pasta salad & carrots). I plan on hitting the gym after work and then staying in tonight to watch the Biggest Loser.

I'm passing on going out to the Pub that I usually go to on Tuesdays. Some of the group dynamics have changed and its just not a fun anymore. It makes me sad, but probably isn't a terrible thing as I wont be drinking or spending money

I talked before about my 5 Things list. Its meant for me to accomplish some goals for the day, but without being overwhelmed by a huge To-Do List. Here are today's 5 Things.

1. Go to the Gym after work
2. Go to the library
3. Finalize budget for pay period starting tomorrow
4. Go through financial paperwork, shred & file as needed
5. Make dinner at home

Today was a no spender. I have to say there were a lot of positives to my day today.

1. I packed my breakfast, lunch & snack for work & they were good!
2. I went to the gym and worked out for 50 minutes
3. I came home & immediately made a yummy dinner and packed my lunch for tomorrow.
4. I vegged on the couch in my superclean living room & played on the computer
5. I am watching good tv.
6. I have more energy from eating better and having more activity.
7. I am watching my cats literally attack each other. It should be a show on Animal TV. They could call it Battle Cats. Its too funny!

My pantry & freezer are looking a little bare, but my budget this pay period will not allow for a big grocery shop. This is where planning is extra important. I also have a handicap in that I want to incorporate a lot of fresh produce in with my meals and that can really add up. Darn me for loving fresh salads! lol

Here is my meal plan for the week:

Monday:
Lunch - Cucumber & tomato salad; Beeforoni
Dinner - Pasta with meat sauce

Tuesday:
Lunch: Pasta salad with Turkey pepperoni
Dinner: Buffalo Shake N Bake Chicken and potatoes

Wednesday:
Lunch: Tuna wrap with salad
Dinner: Meatloaf muffins and fries

Thursday:
Lunch: Sloppy joe over pasta
Dinner: Tuna wrap

Friday:
Lunch: Salad with Meatloaf muffin
Dinner: Dirty rice with beef

Saturday:
Lunch: Salad with pasta & turkey pepperoni
Dinner: Shake N bake chicken & potatoes

Sunday:
Lunch: Salad & Dirty Rice with beef
Dinner: Pasta with & morningstar chick'n

I may incorporate more salads and/or canned veggies as needed with the meals.

So my grocery plan between 9/30 and 10/14 is as follows:

Mid Week (9/30-ish)
($7.00) produce stand

Weekend #1:
Farmer's Market - ($19) for apples, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, celery, green pepper, mushrooms, bananas, onion
Grocery Store - ($28) for turkey bacon, ground turkey, milk, soda, salad dressing, stuffing, popcorn, cereal and animal crackers.

Weekend # 2
Farmers Market - ($17) for lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, green pepper, onion and carrots.
Grocery Store - ($2) milk

The big item - getting rid of mold in the basement - got scrapped due to poor weather planning. Its pouring and a dry basement would be best.

In between the gym, my newphew's baseball game and horror movie night with friends, I was able to knock off a LOT of items. Its like spring cleaning, but Fall cleaning instead.

I feel like I'm getting the house ready for the colder weather. Deep cleaning and airing out the house with the windows open possibly the last time before the winter.

And the only spending I've done this weekend, other than groceries is the dinner I bought for myself & my nephew Friday night. And I feel AWESOME that I got so much accomplished.

Below is a running tally of what I've accomplished this week.

Friday

- Clean junk drawer in kitchen
- Organize freezer, make list of items
- Wipe kitchen blinds
- Organize & wipe down pantry
- Meal plan for the week
- Grocery Plan for the week
- Entertainment budget/plan
- Make new workout playlist on MP3 player


Saturday

- Grocery shop
- Cleaned downstairs bath
- Clean kitchen, wash floor
- Wipe down refrigerator and cabinets
- Polish kitchen table

Sunday - Already accomplished

- Get produce from the Farmer's Market
- Vaccum stairs & upstairs hallway
- Clean spare bedroom, vaccum & wash floor
- De-hair the chair in the spare bedroom that the cats sleep on
- Clean bedroom, vaccum floor
- Clean upstairs bathroom & floor
- Polish wardrobe in bedroom

Still to do today:

- Laundry (edited - DONE)
- Budget
- Make meatloaf muffins (edited - DONE)
- Make blueberry muffins (edited - DONE)
- Mani/Pedi (edited - DONE)
- Organize garden stuff, store in basement (edited - DONE)
- Clean, dust & vaccum living room (edited - DONE)
- Wipe down living room blinds, dust fan (edited - DONE)
- Clean out car (edited - DONE)
- Put out fall decorations (edited - DONE)
- File/shred paperwork.
- Pack bag for gym (edited - DONE)
- Clean litter box

This weekend is going to have fabulous weather! I have all the windows open, am enjoying the breeze coming in off the field behind my house. I've actually been able to keep the air off since August 29th. I'm hoping to keep the heat off until November. Here's hoping!

My goal for this weekend is to spend as little as possible. And to help that along, I created a whole big (but frugal) To-Do list. I want to get things in order so I can stay better organized.

Let me just say that my To-Do List has 35 items, some small & some big. I don't plan on completing 100% of them as I do have obligations this weekend, but I hope to get a bulk of them done!

So far, I have done the following:

- Clean junk drawer in kitchen
- Organize freezer, make list of items
- Wipe kitchen blinds
- Organize & wipe down pantry


Now its 8pm, I have some tv watching planned (lol) and I will work to knock a couple more items off the list.

- Meal plan for the week
- Grocery Plan for the week
- Entertainment budget/plan
- Make new workout playlist on MP3 player
- Do pedicure

Tomorrow, I'm meeting my workout buddy at 9, I'm going to my nephew's baseball game at 2pm and at 7, I have movie night with some friends. In between, I hope to knock off a few more items.

- Clean downstairs bath
- Clean kitchen, wash floor and wipe down cabinets

Then Sunday, I plan on sleeping in and then getting as much as possible accomplished. Including removing a little mold in the basement (non-toxic, thank goodness!) and doing yard work.

Long day today. I ran some errands, bought kitty litter & some groceries, had dinner with a friend & did a bunch of chores around the house.

I've been focusing on little things to try to get myself back on track. I've been struggling with my weight and my finances and I've been gradually getting better

My current focus is entertainment spending. I've got $25.00 to last me until payday (the 30th).

Thats definately doable. I have a bunch of stuff to get done around the house this weekend and a few free activities planned such as Newphew's baseball games and a Horror Movie Night at a friend's house. I do have spending activities planned, including Pub Night tomorrow night. I'm going with only $10.00 to spend. That should get me 2 beers, plus tip. Keeping it simple

Last weekend, I went to a Half Way to St Patty's Day party that a friend threw (totally free). And then I went to the local Oktoberfest. My sister had free tickets and I only spent $10 on beer & food.

And I actually have a bunch of social activities planned in the next few months. I'm pretty excited about it. I'm doing new things and (sometimes) meeting new people.

For example, between now & the first week of November I have the following planned:

- Girls Night Out (its a play) with my mom, sister & best friend. My mom bought the ticket, but we'll probably do drinks after (est $20?)

- Kennet Brewfest - $30 All Day Beer Tasting. I am staying with friends in West Chester overnight

- West Chester Chili-fest. $10.00 all you can eat Chili tastings in a beautiful downtown area.

- Fort Delaware Paranormal Tour. Going with a bunch of friends, involves a ferry ride to a very historic local site. Ghost Hunters did their live Halloween special there. I'm really interested in how thats going to go!

Well, I am just working hard to not overspend on other items (eating out, video rentals) and save the money in my entertainment budget for these bigger events.

I'm trying a new thing. I always have a HUGE to do list running at any given time. And I never feel like I accomplished anything because at the end of the day, because I still had a long list going. So now, I am trying out a new rule, which I’ll call the '5 Things Rule'. Each day, I have 5 things, no matter how small that I HAVE to do that day. It can include anything from Go to work, to work out, to clean the bathroom, to put away laundry. At the end of the day, I need to have at least those 5 things done and if I do more, then it's a bonus.

Today I wasn't feeling well. I really wanted to get extra rest in, but I also wanted to get a couple of things done. So here were today's 5 Things:

1. Unclog upstairs bathroom sink drain - DONE
2. Pick up kitchen (no deep cleaning, just clutter and wiping down) - DONE
3. Pick up living room (no deep cleaning, just clutter) - DONE
4. Make a budget - DONE
5. Change sheets on bed - To be done right before bed


Tomorrow's 5 Things are supposed to be the following, but are subject to change!

1. Make a Meal Plan
2. Grocery shop
3. Walk
4. Pick up bedroom (just pick up, not deep clean)
5. Pay Bills


Also, since I spent a good amount of time on the couch today (cold meds really knock me out), I started thinking about Halloween Costumes. This year, I will be on a cruise to the Bahamas for Halloween, so I know they'll have a big party. I want a costume that meets the following requirements:

1. Frugal
2. Reusable for next year (minimal people will see it on the cruise)
3. Possibly used for non-Halloween purposes.

As I was watching a re-run of Veronica Mars, they had a scene where people were dressed up for an Around the World Party. One of the girls was dressed up in a beautiful Kimono. Suddenly, I have a flash to my local farmer’s market, where there is an Asian-inspired stand with items such as robes and fans. I have eyed the Japanese robes several times as an alternate for a dressing robe. So I'm going to check them out. Since the farmer's market is usually pretty low-cost, this should meet all of my requirements. I'll check the stand out next weekend. Here's hoping!

Sorry this is going to be long...

Well, once again, I'm sick. It seems like since my immune system went down for sickness a few months ago, I've been catching everything. I had a stomach bug two weeks ago & missed several days of work. Thursday, I started with a head cold. I've spent the weekend pretty much in bed because I can't spare any more sick days. Fun, huh?

So my money situation is still what it was a few weeks ago. I have a little credit card debt, the emergency fund is low and I would like to have more income.

In spite of all this, I recently signed up for a 7 day cruise to the Bahamas. I got a great deal on the cruise ($550 for 7 days) and have some savings bonds (that my parents just found in their safety deposit box) that I'm going to cash. I know I could use the funds to pay down the debt, but I really want to do the cruise.

I'm not going to make excuses. I plan on being tight with spending in all other areas, stick within my savings bond budget for the trip and work to sell things, get a roommate and a 2nd job.

So yeah, maybe not the best financial decision, but I think its the best for my overall well being.

In other news, today will be a no spender. I am going to eat out of my pantry until payday on Tuesday. I'm hoping for a no spender tomorrow as well.

I'm working on a meal plan for the week. I am spending today mostly on the couch, with a little light cleaning to ensure my mental health I'm watching Agatha Christie movies borrowed from the library, reading (books also from library) and am enjoying having the windows open and getting fresh air.

The air has actually been off since 8/31. And I'm planning on joining the No Heat Challange. My goal is to keep the heat off as long as possible!

So I came down with the sickness this week. I was home sick from work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I was sick enough to have to ask my mom to drop off food & supplies.

I did get out today to make a library run, grab some food & pick up a few redbox movies. An hour long errands trip and I needed a 2 hour nap to recover. Hopefully, this is the upswing and by tomorrow I'll be able to get some stuff done.

Right now, I have a list of like 35 things to do. Some big, some small. I did have an energy spurt this afternoon and was able to clean the kitchen and wipe down (anti-bacterialize) the downstairs bathroom. LOL - at least there will be no reason for spending tomorrow, except maybe a grocery shop.

Now that I'm not sleeping 18 out of the 24 hours a day, I've been playing on the internet. I'm working on a meal plan, new budget and, 4 months early, a Christmas list.

First, I listed every Holiday related expense. Then who is on my gift giving list. And now I'm working to identify what gifts to give. I do have one theme this year... With the new digital camera, I have lots of pics with friends and family and I plan to print out a couple and frame them as gifts. This is going to play a BIG part of my Christmas giving this year

Made a new budget tonight. I am working on spending little on eating out & food, but since I didnt make it to the grocery store today, I'll be buying my lunch tomorrow. After that, I'm hoping to make it through the rest of the month without eating out at work. We'll see how it goes

As for today, I had a VERY frugal day. I bought a bottle of soda & bag of cheddar popcorn for $4.00 and headed to a friend's house for a John Hughes movie marathon. Between my movie collection and hers, we had 3 movies to watch for free. Lots of fun and worth not getting to the grocery store for!

I've been reading my butt off lately. Tons of books from the library, from friends collections, ect.

I have a Stephen King book club at work, a sci-fi book club with some friends, and an online book club. I knew I was a reader, but I just realized how active reading is for me!

I even listen to books on tape at work. I'm currently reading (listening to) the Uglies Series by Scott Westerfield. The books are Uglies, Pretties, Specials and Extras. I just finished Pretties.

I have to laugh because its a series of teen books, but it has such adult themes, I would recommend it to anybody. Its about society, violence, Big Brother, appearance, rebellion and more. I found it through a recommendation from GoodReads.com. Check that site out if you're a reader

The reason I bring this up here is that I get hours and hours of enjoyment for free by utilizing the library and friends personal libraries, as well as online tools. Its something I really enjoy and its very, very frugal!

I'm going to keep updates of what I've been reading. I'm always looking for suggestions, so please let me know if you have any!

Currently reading:

World War Z - Max Brooks
Every Which Way But Dead - Kim Harrison

In an effort to continue getting back on track, I've packed food for work tomorrow. I'm also recommitting to Weight Watchers and can't wait to get started.

I've prepacked:

Breakfast: Cheerios & milk
Snack: Banana
Lunch: Pasta salad
Snack: Apple and peanut butter

I also have a bottle for water & 1 diet soda. There should be NO food spending tomorrow. Although, I do have to get gas and some groceries tomorrow.

Tonight I'm enjoying some movies that I already own, a book from the library and the big thunderstorm outside. All free things!

Well, today is going to be a hang around the house kind of day. I plan on cleaning and organizing. I'm heading to a party tonight, so I already got up and made jello shots. In my group of friends, its the thing I'm always asked to bring. Easy to make & fun to eat! LOL.

This week, I bought a curtain rod & hung curtains that I had from back in my college days. Its been on my To Do list since I got the house, but I've been very, very lazy. The curtains were from Pottery Barn and they REALLY make a difference in my bedroom.



Also, its only going to be 83 today, so last night I turned the air back off & opened the windows. I'll be turning it back on tomorrow as its supposed to be in the mid 90s for Sunday.

So my goals for today are the following:

- Organize Financial Paperwork
- Redo Budget
- Deep clean kitchen
- Deep clean living room
- organize clothes/household items for Good Will. List them & pack in car for delivery
- Do nails myself

And because I've been camera happy again - here are some cute kitty pictures. Believe it or not, playing with the cats can be a HUGE stress reliever

So, I've been absent for quite a while. Long story short, I had some health problems, house problems, car problems and generally a rough time lately. I've gone through my emergency fund & managed to add some credit card debt. UGH.

I should be able to pay off the credit card in the next month or two. Once I start sticking to a budget again. Some of the circumstances were beyond my control, some of the debt is from letting go of my finances and just working on getting myself back on track.

Things have pretty much gone to hell in a handbasket. My house is a mess, so I'm working to get that in order again. Next is my finances. Luckily work is NOT out of whack, so at least there's that.

Today was the first day I've had the energy to even take care of stuff. So today, I went to work. Then ran errands & did chores

-Went to the vet for prescription cat food
-Acme for free Redbox dvd
-Weeded the rocks in front of my house (1/2 hour)
-Cleaned the kitchen & cleaned out the fridge (REALLY a nasty mess)
-Ran the dishwasher
-Made dinner
-Packed food for work tomorrow
-Washed out my trash can (also a nasty mess)
-Did 2 loads of laundry. Hung up one load.
-Changed litter boxes and washed them out
-Sent birthday & thinking of you cards
-Tended to my tomato plants, picked all the ripe ones. Unfortunately, I had to throw away some that were over-ripe or split Still, have a lot of good ones!
-Saw that I have 2 peppers actually growing after all!
-Organized pictures on my computer.
-Brought down floor lamp from bedroom to living room since the ceiling fan motor blew & the light no longer works either.

-Now I'm going to make up my bed, watch the Redbox movie and go through all my paperwork to set a budget & pay my bills.

I will have a working budget before I go to bed tonight and I plan on keeping you all updated. I missed you guys!

So today, I came home to a leak in my living room ceiling. I rushed to put a bucket under it and ran downstairs to shut off the water to the house.



It appears that it was a steady, but slower leak that had started fairly soon before I came home. So my timing was lucky.

Of course, after I determined that the water was not coming from the upstairs bathroom and instead from pipes in the ceiling, I panicked. It was 4:45 and the ceiling was still filling with water, creating bubble pockets of water under the paint. I poked them to release the water in the buckets and water kept coming (obviously remaining water from the pipes).

I called my sister's boyfriend (who does home repairs) and he called a buddy who is a plumber. The plumbers (the buddy & his father) gave me a heck of a deal. They cut into the drywall - which was already damaged and would need to be replaced.



They replaced the pipe and were very nice during the whole thing.



They only charged me $125.00, which was awesome since the job probably cost twice that. But they were very good friends with my sister's boyfriend and I think they did it as a favor to him.

So now I have a big old hole in my ceiling. The drywall needs to be replaced. But that'll have to wait.

So, in the midst of all this, I cancelled my plans to meet friends out for our normal Tuesday outing. Instead I am now sitting at home with a glass of Captain & coke, full of dinner I just made and am settling in to watch a library movie. I just need to relax.

This doozy of an evening comes at the tail end of a biospy procedure that I had yesterday. I ended up not packing food yesterday & today for work and was feeling a little guilty for spluring on food out when I had a fridge full of food at home.

So tonight I'm taking it easy, having the rum & coke, watching the movie & heading to bed early. I've already pre-packed food for tomorrow, so I'm back on track

- So far this month, I packed my lunch all but 1 time. That purchased lunch was from last Thursday, and it broke a 6 week streak of packing breakfast & lunches for work. My goal for the rest of the month is to pack my lunch all but 1 time this pay period as well.

- I have yet to turn on the air conditioning this season. I came close yesterday because the humidity, but held out

- A friend from work gave me a cutting from her mint plant. I have already repotted it and am enjoying the fragrance. Once it starts growing again, I plan on using the leaves for mint water. Yummy in the summer!

- I gave myself a pedicure. A friend had given me a foot spa for my birthday a few years ago, so I make it an event. Soak my feet, paint the nails and generally act all girlie!

- Utilized the library & friends for all movies watched this month so far. No video rentals for me!

- I've listed a few items on Craigslist. I'm looking to partially fund my week long Staycation in July by selling items such as a graphing calculator, a scientific calculator, an old desk, two mini tables, two lamps and some plastic storage bins. Goal: $60.00

Just my luck - I had the day off on Friday & got a nice migrane.

So I slept in - which was enjoyable at least.

I got veggies from the farmer's market. Then I took the cat to the vet - $140.00. Poor little guy had a panic attack in the car - fun.

I did go to dinner with my parents and nephew and they came over afterwards so that I could take a migrane pill and we all watched a library movie - Hotel for Dogs. Very cute movie - especially for animal lovers.

Yesterday, I got gas in the am, took a walk in the park with a friend. Had a dull headache, but by the end of the walk, it was back to migrane status. Walking was probably not the best idea.

Yesterday afternoon, I went with a friend to a graduation party. Free catered food and a chance to catch up with some old friends. I ended the party early & headed back home in time for another migrane pill.

Today I am sitting around, and doing my best to get rid of the migrane. part of my problem is that I should have just stayed in bed Friday & Sat and I wouldn't still have the headache today. Its my own fault. Oh well.

My only two goals for today are to pack food for work tomorrow and to make a budget since payday is tomorrow. Definately doable

My dad's hard to shop for and doesn't have a lot of time to do entertainment type stuff. But there's a lot of stuff around the house he wants to get done, so I'm giving him the gift of my time and offering to help him: Clean out the garage, paint the window trim, set up a new entertainment stand. He has a bad back & really shouldnt be doing these jobs - much less by himself. AND I get to spend time with him

Edited to add: My dad's birthday is also in join, so this is a joint gift

Today I have a day off - and I'm running errands for 1/2 & chilling for the other.

I already headed to the Farmer's market to stock up on veggies with the last $11.78 of my grocery budget for this pay period. I ended up spending $11.86, but I'm perfectly happy to go over budget

I love my deals at the Farmer's market!For that amount, I was able to get the following:

- 2 bags of mixed greens (its a LOT of lettuce)
-3 cucumbers
-5 large tomatoes
-baby carrots
-3 green peppers
-mushrooms
-onion
-celery

I definately get a lot for my money & its all healthy

This afternoon, I get to head to the vet with the little kitty. Expensive, but necessary Poor guy is gonna hate me when I bring out the cat carrier.

Hope everyone has a good day!

CNN has an article talking about Obama's Pay as You Go Plan and they quoted him as saying,

"Paying for what you spend is basic common sense," Obama said. "Perhaps that's why, here in Washington, it's been so elusive."

Please let me know what you think! I find it pretty on point with what we talk about here.

And to be honest, this pay as you go plan reminds me of that movie Dave. Anyone remember that one? The guy impersonates the president who was medically incapacitated?

The best scene was when he invited a friend to the White House. The friend was an accountant and they balanced the budget in one night over sandwiches!

My favorite choice of exercise is walking. However, its been raining 5 out of 7 days for the past few weeks.

So I've turned to my trusy $20.00 elliptical - best bargain I've EVER gotten!

I'm able to burn about 400 calories (using my heart rate monitor bought on sale) for 30 minutes of exercise and I can watch tv while doing it

I also utilize library workout dvds, swap workout dvds from friends and use Comcast's On Demand Exercise tv.

I also use weighted bands for my wrists and ankles to up the workout. My sister gave me them for my birthday last year & boy were they a great gift!

But like I said, the best thing I do is walking. I utilize different local parks, neighborhoods around mine and even the local university campus.

I recently went walking at a park that is next to water on one side and a protected marsh on the other side.

The different scenery is what I enjoy most about the walking.












Since my home-based workouts can get a little repetitive and boring, I'm always looking for new ideas.

I have a few items on my wish list and am keeping an eye out for good deals:

Weighted jump rope
Weighted hula hoop - how fun is that one?

So last week, I realized I couldn't find my driver's license. However, I felt that it was likely in my house somewhere since I switch purses and sometimes just keep my license in my back pocket (not the best idea, I know!)

So I cleaned and organized and check piles of papers, went through my purses, went through my car, checked my pants, the washer and dryer. Finally, I gave up.

Then I went online to check what was needed to get a new license. I need $10 and basically a bunch of documents that I could NOT easily get my hands on.

My mind was running through how long it'll take to get the stuff and what are my chances of getting pulled over without my license? It would have been EXPENSIVE!

So in the end, after I started getting the paperwork together, I did one last check of my purse - which I'd already gone through several times. And in between a bunch of checks in my checkbook - there was my license!!!

So crisis adverted - but I'm still going to get that documentation where I would be able to use it quickly. Planning ahead never hurt anyone