Had a great night in last night. I was able to get some things off my To-Do list done. I shredded 3 grocery bags full of documents, put away laundry, handwashed some items, watched tv & talked to an old friend by phone.

Today, I have grand plans (NOT!) I already made myself a nice hearty breakfast, I'm watching an episode of CSI and when its over, I will be getting to my to-do list.

1. Make food for party tonight
2. Seal basement windows with plastic window shrink wrap
3. Change cat litter
4. Clean out car
5. Plan work clothes for next week (trying to wear nicer outfits to work lately)
6. Meal plan for week (scrapped the old one)
7. Grocery Plan for week
8. Change sheets on bed.


Tomorrow, I hope to get my Christmas tree & do some decorating!

Today, I packed my food for work & came straight home after. I had a busy week and am totally beat.

I made dinner at home (FREE!) and am watching stuff off the dvr. I turned down a couple of invites to go out tonight, but since I have a big outing tomorrow, I decided to stay in.

I will be traveling to a friends house about 45 minutes away for her birthday party. I already have her bday gift (earrings from etsy.com) and am planning on bringing some type of appetizer. To be determined!

Today's 5 Things:

1. Work on Christmas presents (DONE)
2. pack lunch for work (DONE)
3. dinner at home (DONE)
4. Put laundry away (DONE)
5. Clean bedroom (DONE)

I had a great day with the family. Just my parents, sister & nephew. We had food, watched a movie & played boardgames. It was very nice & relaxing.

I did splurge on bringing coffee & drinks to the house, spent about $7.00 total.

Tonight, I came home to an empty house. The roommate went to her parents for the weekend! Woohoo. I am no relaxing with an old movie that I love, Desk Set, with Katherine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy. I love old movies!

Tomorrow, I head back to work. No Black Friday shopping for me! I plan on a low key & even lower spending this weekend. I have a $95 shortfall in my December budget. I am going to try to make up the difference. I am not counting on the income from the renter. Until its in my hand, it won't be budgeted. So in the mean time, I would REALLY like to not hit my savings to cover the shortfall.

I hope everyone had a great holiday & will have an even better weekend

Well, the doctor still is not sure whats going on with me. Unfortunately, my day to day living is affected, I have put hundreds of dollars into tests & copays and even had a horrible experience with a supposed 'specialist' that was just too busy to even listen to me. He truly did NOT hear what I said, as his advice is physically impossible for me to do right now.

So, I am back to square one. I will be seeing my primary physicial tomorrow ($20.00 copay). My budget for the next 2 months is going to be tight, tight, tight because I am paying the medical out of cash at this point.

The good news is that I have NOT wracked up any new debt during this period & I am still on track to pay off the small credit card at the end of the year.

I paid all of my bills for this pay period, and I currently have the following left for variable expenses to last me until the end of the month:

Groceries: $68.84
Spending: $44.45
Medical for copay: $20
Medical for medicines: $10-ish? This is the only variable expense not in cash. So I don't have the exact # with me at the moment, but its on my budget at home

I am going to challenge myself to spend as little as possible while at work and with eating out. The exception is the few social activities that I am capable of. I have been too tired to do much socially, but I do want to continue doing what I can

As for Christmas, I did some online shopping and was able to score big on some jewelry and other items off Etsy. Then yesterday, I did some shopping & hit up toys-r-us and Pier 1. I have cash for all my Christmas shopping, but Pier 1 was making an offer. Use your credit card for any purchase & get a $20.00 Pier 1 gift card in the mail. Heck, I"m in. When the bill comes, I will just pay it off. I spent $9 on 2 tree ornaments and will get $20.00 free. Can't beat that.

And in good news, although I am out of the Heat Challenge, we have been having decent weather & I was able to turn the heat off again! Whew

Well, I made it all the way through October with the heat off, which was my goal and last night I turned the heat on. It was 60 in my living room and I had had a bad day medically yesterday, so I wanted the comfort.

I'm keeping the heat on pretty low. When I left the house this morning, it was 64. I put the heat down to 61 and came home to 65. So it wasn't running during the day at least!

Today, my work group & I did a community event where we did yard work on houses owned/lived in by handicapped people. While we were there, the office was getting word of layoffs starting. My group was not affected, but I know plenty of people that were.

We finished the work on 3 houses by 10:30 and went to lunch as a group. $11.00 spent for a sandwich and fries AND a large salad to go (for dinner). From there, we were getting more texts about who was being affected and some of us decided to head to a bar. Of course, conversation turned to the layoffs as we heard more & more, but it was also good to relax with my coworkers. I spent $5.00 on a drink & desert.

I am grateful to have a job and I am not looking forward to seeing some people not be there tomorrow and those that are there, but will not be within the next few weeks.

Today was already spendy. I spent $2.70 on breakfast (has a slow start to the morning).

I spent $30 for a copay for a medical test & $5.13 for medicine.

And oops, I forgot AGAIN to get stamps darnit!

My goals for November are to:

1. Stick to my budget
2. Pack lunch every day for work. Have lee-way with breakfast
3. Keep my heat off as long as possible.
4. Make a masterlist of all my financial information
5. Pay cash for all medical expenses
6. Pay an extra $196.00 to CC#1

Today is another good health day! I'm trying not to push it, but I really need to get stuff done around the house.

I went to the store this morning, bought a little extra Halloween candy ($4.25), some cat litter & bags ($6.84) and some groceries ($18.06).

Then I came home & cleaned my bedroom, dusted & vacuumed. I also quick cleaned & vacuumed and wiped the upstairs bathroom.

I have most of the Friday the 13th movies on DVR, so I am having a marathon. I am putting my feet up for a few minutes, then will vacuum the living room.

The last goal I have for today is to prep as much food for the week as possible. Once I go back to work, I expect to be really tired in the evenings.

I am looking forward to seeing the trick or treaters! I love the costumes

After my bills have been paid this pay period, money is pretty tight. I have had a LOT of extra medical expenses. My HSA is about to run out of funds and after I refill my normal prescriptions one last time & pay the last of my ER bills, I will be out of funds and paying cash.

Right now, I have left in my budget:

Groceries: 47.39
Spending: 32.21
Mom Birthday: 40.00
Halloween leftover funds: 0.83
Stamps: 9
Photos for family gift: 7.4
Vacation Money: 37.1
Meds: 8.9

Next week, I am scheduled a week's vacation. However, I have no plans and since my health has not been at its best, I plan on doing very little strenuous activity. I'm debating splitting up the vacation time in case I have more bad health days & need to stay home. I plan on talking to my manager about it tomorrow.

There is very little time open to me for vacation days in Nov & Dec, that I am afraid if I don't use them, I might lose them.

In frugal news, the heat has yet to be turned on. Its starting to get a bit chilly, but so far blankets and an extra layer are doing me just fine!

I've been MIA for a little while now. Having problems with my health still and they can't tell me whats wrong. Its very frustrating.

On the financial front, I was paid on Friday. I paid all of my normal bills and have cash left for cat food & litter, groceries, & entertainment. Due to my illness, I haven't been able to cook much for myself, so I have been eating out. I'm running through my entertainment money faster than I'd like.

Well, I am hoping that this week is better than the last. Here's hoping.

Well, today is a cooler, rainy day & makes it perfect for lying around. Thank goodness, because I need it. I have done something to my leg or am having something going on because my leg is all swollen. I plan on going to the doctor tomorrow, but today, I will be putting my leg up.

This week is going to be very hectic for me. Monday, I hope to get to the doctors. Tuesday & Wednesday - I am watching my nephew after school. Wednesday night, I have a homeowners association meeting and Thursday will just have to be a night of rest

Yesterday, I went on a wine tasting tour. Its a really good deal $30.00 for tastings at 10 wineries over 2 weekends. A single tasting is around $7.00, so the deal is good. I did not pay for the pass today, as I was designated driver. I did pay for gas, brought food to picnic with and bought a bottle of wine to take home for a later date.

Today, I already returned some yard equipment to my parents, picked up a book & some Halloween decorations that my mom got me & dropped off some stuff my friend left in my car yesterday.

My goals today are to:

1. Sit down as much as possible (this is REALLY hard for me)
2. Create a meal plan for the week
3. Finalize a budget for October 1st
4. Make dinner & food for tomorrow
5. RELAX. I hate that I need to tell myself that


And here a few pics from the wineries!

Over the last 2 years or so, I've mentioned some backsliding with debt. I am not going to make excuses. But I am going say that I have not added to the debt in months and I am working to pay it off.

I've personally faced the reality of my debt, but I haven't really shared it. I'm going to be brave and do it now. UGH. I hope for constructive criticism and not flaming and I know my SavingAdvice family will come though

And I would note that over the last 4 years, I've paid off over $20,000 in student loans & school expenses, paid cash for the down payment on the house, bought a new a/c unit & hot water heater for the house & paid for several car repairs for my old car.

Mortgage: $157,224.83
2nd mortgage (part of a county incentive program) $4502.14 at 0% APR
Car Loan: $13,301.14 0% APR
Fed Student Loan: $3689.59 5% APR
CC#1 A: $627.77 $12% APR *this is the new debt
CC#2 D: $5654.70 0% APR *this is the new debt

I hate those #s and I plan on paying it down as quickly as possible.

CC#1 started at $751.20 at the beginning of September. I would also point out that my budget is very tight, even with the roommate, so I need to get creative about paying down the debt!

Well, I did not pack any food today (Failing my lunch challange for this pay period). So I had breakfast in the work cafe and will grab a sub from subway. I WILL be packing again tomorrow.

In other news; I got a $50 bonus from ING for opening a checking account with them.

I received a $10 gift card to Old Navy & another is on its way to me. I took advantage of a 3 times the points promotion!

Last night I returned a cable box from my bedroom, which will save me approximately $9 a month. I got 2 of the digital converters (Free).

Yesterday, I switch my homeowners insurance. The company I was originally with wanted $449.00 for the year. The new company is $480, but is the same company as my car insurance, so I will save 10% on the car insurance - savings of about $140 yearly. And I get better coverage with the new company.

I am still waiting to downgrade my gym membership. I will do that next week. Savings of about $10/month.

So - lots going on. This weekend, I am supposed to go to a Wine Tasting Festival at several wineries. The ticket for 2 days is $30. There are 10 wineries. There will be live music, beautiful scenery & some food.

The friends I am going with have done this before. Apparently they pack some food & each buys wine at a couple of the wineries and at the end, we sit at a picnic table & finish off all wine & have a picnic.

Lucky me can't drink. So I am going to be designated driver. I will not have to buy the pass $30 savings. I WILL bring food $approx $25 and I probably won't be buying any wine. So at least this way it will be more frugal!

Maybe I will be able to drink the 2nd Saturday of the festival.

My mom & I went to see Easy A, which we both really liked. She treated for the movie ticket & popcorn and I treated her to lunch out after. $10.85 spent for 2 slices of pizza, a large salad to split & 2 drinks. Not a bad deal.

We had a good time & it was REALLY good to get out of the house. Something is still not quite right with me, I am feeling pretty tired and just 'off' and being cooped up in the house due to lack of energy is getting me a little down. So the movie was a great pick me up and was much appreciated.

Tonight, I watched some trashy tv (Real Housewives of OC, ect), made sloppy joe & packed food for work tomorrow. Then I settled down to read 'Letters to Jackie: Condolences From a Grieving Nation'. Its a compilation of letters written to Mrs. Kennedy after JFK was assassinated. The letters are very moving and its a very interesting look into the lives of all types of Americans at that time.

I was not alive at the time of the assassination, but I do remember experiencing the Challenger launch and its tragic end while in school. That had an impact on me and I cannot imagine what I would feel about seeing the President assassinated.

I plan on asking my parents about their memory of the event and I know my dad will enjoy the conversation. He is a history man - but not in terms of facts and dates, but experiences. I actually plan on recommending the book to him as well.

I'm watching Til Debt Do Us Part & Gail just asked the couple to research the benefits of leasing a car.

I understand what she is trying to do - use leasing versus buying to get the cheapest payments possible to have them pay off their debt as quickly as possible.

However, she does NOT explain the the long term benefits/faults of leasing. Anyone watching this show is being led to believe that leasing is better because the payment is better 100% of the time.

What do you guys think? I'm a car buyer, not leaser. But I do understand that leasing has its benefits. I just feel its irresponsible to only give the benefits of one side for this one situation.

Well, I have been MIA. I was in the ER Monday night & out of work Tuesday through Thursday. There is a $150.00 copoay for the ER visit, which will be covered by my FSA plan. I went back to work yesterday after a follow up doctors appointment ($20 copay). After work, I ran some errands then rested up at home.

I plan on continuing the rest throughout the weekend. I feel better, but am not 100% yet. The last few days used up the last of my sick time, so I have to be very careful. Any more time, would have to be supplemented by my vacation time.

Yesterday, I spent:
$7.00 - Dollar store - groceries & greeting cards
$14.75 - lunch & dinner (salad & sandwich)
$47.79 - groceries (with lots of 'splurges' like bagel thins, strawberry yogurt & weight watchers muffins!)

Today, I spent $19.59 at WalMart. $9.88 of which was for a camping chair to take to my nephew's fall ball games. The rest went to shampoo, conditioner & deodorant. As for the chair - I lost the one I've used for years at a concert I attended this summer. So I'm happy to replace it, it will get MANY uses.

Today, I am running to the library ($0.75 fee to be paid) and then to my nephew's baseball game (free). I plan on watching library movies & reading at home tonight

Cash Envelope Balances (good through the 30th):

Kitty Litter: $10.00
Groceries: $29.43
Entertainment: $41.00
Weekend Wine Tour: $70 (this is a 2-day planned event with some good friends. This amount includes the ticker, food to picnic with & a bottle of wine)

I was laughing to myself earlier about how domestic I was being today. Then I realized I really was being more frugal than domestic.

Today, I made dinner at home, packed tomorrow's breakfast & lunch, sat with the windows open & a/c off, I drank water & lemonade instead of soda.

I bought veggies from the farmer's market vs the grocery store, probably saving me $5-10.00

I vacuumed with what I like to call my franken-vacuum. Its pieced together with electrical tape & a clothespin - but hey, it works! And it was free after my dad fixed it up.

I watched library movies & worked on a puzzle I bought for 50 cents at Good Will.

Then I took out my winter wool pea coat, which has been sitting in my bedroom closet waiting to have 2 buttons put on and my old express work pants, which needed the zipper re-sown and the pant leg hemmed. I did the buttons and zipper. But I am going to have to buy some hem tape because these pants have been a pain with the pant leg.

I also pre-planned my wardrobe & jewelry for the week. This is a first for me. But I am trying to adhere to the new enhancements to the work dress code & I wanted to be prepared for the week.

And I have to laugh, my personal goal is to actually do my hair & makeup each morning this week. Normally, I sleep in until the last possible second. Then I go to work with half wet hair & no makeup. Which is the norm for half my coworkers, but I decided I'm going to try to start spiffing myself up more

Hope everyone had a frugal day!

They have clarified some things in our work dress code. We have always been business casual during the week & allowed jeans on Friday. During the summer, they gave us Flip Flop Fridays.

Well now we have no more flip flops and they are cracking down on the dress code. This is because people are abusing it. Thanks coworkers... a few jerks ruin a good thing for all.

Anyway, I've always been able to wear solid colored fitted tops with my dress pants and khakis to work. Now, because of a very LITERAL interpretation of the 'no t-shirts rule', I can no longer wear these very clean cut, professional looking tops. Because they are technically t-shirts if they do not have additional details (cap sleeves, decorative necklines, ect). I find this ironic because the tops that now fit my dress code are actually LESS professional than these tops.

And it stinks because about 60% of the tops in my wardrobe are NO longer work appropriate. I am going to have to stretch my wardrobe though - because I am on a clothing spending break. This should be fun! Thank goodness sweater weather is fast approaching.

As for the weekend, I have a happy hour today & my nephew's baseball game tomorrow. I was invited to go with my sister to the Renaissance fair on Sunday, but I just don't have the money right now. So instead, I am planning a relaxing weekend around the house.

In the last month, my work has been promoting a Wellness Program as part of their EAP (Employee Assistance Programs). They have different program steps you can complete to earn points in the program. Each point = $1.00 and you can earn up to $200 per year on a debit card.

Step 1 - Get a screening. This included a free on-site blood draw & weight check. I was able to get my cholestorol, blood sugar & BMI numbers (25 points)

Step 2 - Take an online assessment. 10 minutes tops to enter your #S from the screening & to answer a few lifestyle questions. (50 points earned).

So for about 20 minutes of my time, I earned $75.00

The next steps are harder. Set health goals, complete them, talk to counselors, ect. I plan on working on my weight. Unfortunately, my company's programs only push Nutrisystem and not other lifestyle programs, such as Weight Watchers. I find this a shame because Nutrisystem is the one that provides meals for you. They aren't teaching you any health skills and as soon as you stop eating the meals - you're likely to gain the weight back.

I plan on earning the other $125 by jumping through a few hoops with little effort. Talking to a counselor about my weight loss journey isn't a problem for me. Its all done through the phone & private.

What I can't understand is that there are very few people in my office that are jumping at the free money that the program is providing. You don't have to be overweight to do this - your health goals could be around lowering cholesterol or increasing activity. And did I mention, its pretty much FREE MONEY? lol. I already have the 75 points posted. This will be going onto the debit card & will be used for Christmas.

Well, my vacation last week was great. I was at the beach Tues thru Thursday, then at a concert Festival Friday and another concert at the state fair on Saturday. Sunday was a lazy day. Breakfast with friends, and then home to unwind.
This week has been uneventful socially. I haven’t done anything. I even skipped my weekly Tuesday night at the local pub. I was feeling tired & I wanted to not spend money since I went overboard on vacation 

Yesterday, we had free health screenings at work. I’m a little skeptical, but they did blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and body fat. I’m all good except that I am in the overweight category. They haven’t explained much yet, but they are going to be starting a health program where we can earn points on a gift card up to $200/year. The first step was this screening, so I’m assuming the hoops they want us to jump through are to change anything that was not in the ‘good range’. Since I’m getting back to the Weight Watchers (Yes, I know, I’m on again, off again), I could earn gift cards for doing what I already am doing. AT the screening, they also gave us a free granola bar & some water. I like freebies.

I am working on my new monthly budget – which will include the car payment. It will be tight for the next few months as I do not want to change the amounts I’m paying to debt. But in January, my take home pay should increase as I can now greatly reduce the amount of money I put into my HSA since the big medicine I take FINALLY came out with a generic and is about $100/quarter less!

I have another vacation (Mini) coming up in August. Friends & I are going to be going to the beach for a few days & just renting some hotel rooms. WE have a pretty good deal, but there will be eating out and entertainment. I have funds saved towards that & am looking to add income from a few Craigslist sales to increase that amount.

Since I haven’t been going out this week, I have been heavily utilizing the library. I’m on season 5 of Angel and have gone through 3 books since Sunday. I’m a fast reader & LOVE to read.

My friends and family had the day off, but my work did not. Instead we earned a floating holiday. I could have used that to take the day off, but I decided to save it instead.

Being a day after a holiday, the parking lot was only 1/3 filled and the office was very empty. It was a fairly slow day & an hour prior to my end time, a manager called & told us to leave 1 hour early. That was a nice surprise!

I spent $5.00 on groceries from the dollar store & roughly $85 on a new garbage disposal. Not a planned expense for this month, but a necessary one since the kitchen sink is backed up from the old one breaking.

I packed all my food for work & already pre-packed food for tomorrow.

I'm still waiting to hear from the car insurance company. I just need to confirm they talked to the auto repair place about what happened & that they will close the case. I do not think anything will be covered since this technically was not an accident. They only opened the claim because the car had been on fire.

So hopefully, tomorrow I hope to hear that they closed the case. I just didnt want to buy a new car & put it on my insurance when I haven't gotten rid of the old one. Wish me luck!

Well, I am carless today, but my mom has kindly offered to drive me to the bank as well as the store for some groceries. Other than that, I will be housebound today. So I am taking advantage of the time & getting some stuff done.

1. Bank to cash savings bonds [done]
2. Grocery shop [done $10.48 at farmer's market]
3. Brown ground turkey & portion for freezer [done]
4. Make a pasta salad for the week [done]
5. Clean kitchen, wash floor [done]
6. Clean living room, dust & vacuum [done]
7. Clean nook by basement stairs [done]
8. Clean litter box [done]
9. Clean downstairs bathroom [done]
10. Tend container garden [done]
11. Clean upstairs bath
12. Clean bedroom
13. Clean out closet
14. organize rest of financial paperwork
15. Give self mani/pedi
16. Laundry [2 loads done]

Monkeymama mentioned she was looking to see if I'd been saving for a car & I will admit, I've made a mistake here. My car was in pretty good condition and there'd been no indication of any major problems. I planned putting more toward auto savings starting this summer for a new to me car in about 2 years (when my car hit about 11 years in age and closer to 100k miles).

Well, plans change & I have learned to not make assumptions on the longevity in my car. I have about $2.5-3k in cash to put down, so thats something.

I am looking at a car payment though, at least for a little while (I will aggressively be paying down the loan asap). I also have been scouring online & local dealers and I'm having trouble finding any reasonable used cars.

I think that based on the economy, people are keeping their cars longer & there seems to be less deals on used cars out there (the car I have now had 20k miles at 4 years with only 1 owner when I bought it). Now I'm seeing 40k milage on 3 year old cars.

So I have opened my options to include new cars. It would be my first if I went that route. I am an advocate of buying used, but sometimes there are deals to be had with new.

I will update you all with what I do, but I can tell you, I'll be moving quickly. I'm at the mercy of my parents who drove me around today & are letting me borrow their car Monday.

Well, after the car breakdown on Wednesday, my coworkers and managers couldn't stop talking about what happened. I think they felt bad because although I was working through my lunch & leaving early yesterday, my manager insisted we go out to lunch to Bertuccis.

I got my favorite meal & drank water, and when it came time to pay the bill, my managers paid for me. It was really unexpected and appreciated. Then my manager sent me home at 1 instead of my waiting until 2 when I was already set to leave.

In addition, I was told not to worry about making up the missing hours (I am an exempt employee).

Several coworkers called and offered to give me rides too and from work & just to make sure I was doing ok.

Really, it was very sweet. I'm off work today & they gave us a casual day for Monday. I had 2 different coworkers text me to let me know. I really do work in a nice place.

As for the car - its done for. No real trade in value either because the engine is blown More on that later.

So today, I was going to a work outing at a local park about a half hour away. My coworker & I were in my car on a very major highway (I-95) with lots of traffic when my car suddenly died. There was a loud bang, something MAY have fell off the bottom and tons of smoke started pouring out. We were able to get safely to the shoulder & as we did, a guy on a motorcyle (who had been behind us) yelled "your car is on fire!"

We hopped out of the car. I did not see flames, but there was a LOT of smoke. I called 911 and received help from the fire dept & the police. I called another coworker & asked them to stop & pick up my friend that had been riding with me.

The policeman gave me a ride home, I used my limited AAA membership to have the car towed. (extra miles since I wanted it towed more locally probably will cost about $30).

The tow truck took the car to the wrong repair place (they were right next to each other). So they fixed their mistake - but it meant the repair place couldnt look at the car today.

My car insurance wanted to start a claim, but it wasn't an accident, so I don't know that they will help me out at all. I will find out tomorrow what the issue is. But what I do know, is that the car is most likely a goner.

I do not have the savings to be able to buy a new to me car outright. So I am going to look into my options. I certainly do not want a car payment, but to get any kind of reliable vehicle, I may have to get a small one. I will take my time figuring it out.

My parents very nicely let me borrow one of their cars for tomorrow. I had plans to work 7am to 2pm & then meet friends to go to a Dave Matthews Band concert. We're tailgating & I'm bringing some beer from the fridge, but the tickets are already taken care of, so I shouldnt have much out of pocket.

My friends are driving, so I will bring the car back to my moms & my friends will pick me up there. They live in the same neighborhood as my parents, so they will drop me back there after the concert & I will crash on my parents couch.

Tonight when I got home, there was a problem with my kitchen sink. Its been tempermental since there's a problem with the garbage disposal. My dad is nice enough to volunteer to come over Friday morning (I already had the day off planned) and help me try to fix it.

So ugh, I have a bunch of extra expenses now. I'm going to emergency superfrugal mode and plan to spend AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. Wish me luck!

One of my coworkers reminded me this morning, that there are 6 months until Christmas. I'm planning a cash only Christmas, so I have been saving. I'm right on track to meet my goal.

I have to add a few more people to the list - sister's boyfriend's kids. So I am going to work hard to funnel a little extra money to the budget catagory.

Today at work, we felt the building shake. Someone on a phone call in a nearby office came out & said they were just on the phone with the office in Canada & the office had to hang up becuase they were in an earthquake. A minute later we felt it here. Tiny shaking, lasting only 30 seconds.

Security for the building said it was really a termite inspection, but we have a huge building and all 3 floors on all sides felt it. Two hours later, the local online paper confirmed it. We had a tremor all the way here in Delaware. Kinda crazy. Never felt that before.

*****warning -disturbing information to follow *****

There have been some recent abductions and rapes occuring close to my home and work. Two by the same man who basically carjacked the women, forced them to drive around at gunpoint, raped them several times, then set them free after he took their licenses and told them to not talk about what happened because he had their address. I'm happy to report, that as of today, the police have caught the guy.

These things can happen anywhere, but they are very much at the forefront of our minds in the community. A result of this community awareness is that different organizations have offered free self defense classes and I will be attending one tonight.

I'm glad they caught the guy and I'm very sorry for his victims and their families. I'll never understand violence, especially against women.

Well, I woke up in the middle of the night with a migrane I am staying home today, eating food from home, taking meds & sleeping off & on.

Today will likely be a no spender. Unless I suddenly make a good enough recovery to meet my friends tonight for a birthday. If I did, and right now its not looking good, I would have a soda & stay an hour. But I don't know that is even a possibility at the moment.

Hope everyone's doing well today.

HH

I had a great weekend. FRiday, I went to a friends house to watch horror movies. BRought snacks - $2.00. We watched movies already owned by people in the group.

SAturday, I went to my nephew's baseball game. They're in the playoffs and the games are pretty exciting. I spent a few dollars at the concession stand.

Sat night, I went and saw a friend in a play. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory. Its a little theater, not the big one I go to with my mom. But the production was really well done & they're doing Chicago soon. I'm definitely putting that on my to-do list.

Sunday, I hung out at home & did some chores. Then I painted the downstairs bath. I admit I tend to rush this work & it can cause problems. For example, I got paint on the ceiling & will have to re-paint that now too.

And the best - and funniest - mistake was that I got a little clumsy trying to paint around the toilet that I lost my balance and planted my butt right into a freshly painted wall. I was able to fix the wall, but the shorts are ruined. Splatters on them wouldnt matter, but pretty much the WHOLE backside is covered in paint, which dryed hard & stiff.

All in all, a great weekend!

I've been thinking about what I can do this summer & into the fall that is both frugal and fun. And I'm interested in where other people live and what fun things does your city/state have for you to do?

I live in Delaware -the [edited] First state. Its pretty much 2.5 hours from the top of the state to the bottom. But there is a LOT to do!

First, we are central to several big cities - its 45 minutes to Philadelphia, 2 hours to Baltimore, 4 to DC. Maryland & New Jersey share our border and offer some fun things too.

So here are some relatively frugal things I can do this summer/fall:

1. One of the best things about our state is that we have beaches. I can drive 2 hours, hit the beach for the day & drive home - Pay for parking at the park & ride, hit the beach all day, get some boardwalk food and window shop. $40 to fill up the gas tank, $5-10 parking all day, $20 food if I really splurge. Sometimes I go by myself, sometimes with friends & share the gas cost

2. Play at the local parks - The big one that I mentioned before is 15 mins away. It has miles of hiking, frisbee golf, volleyball, tennis, boating, fishing and camping. $3 to get in, bring your own picnic & balls or tennis rackets and you could have an all day event for $10 plus maybe another $15 for boat rental if you want to go that route.

3. Visit the animals at the Philadelphia zoo - 45 min drive, $90 for family season pass (I get that one becuase I take my nephew & we go several times a year & it includes free parking), plus gas. Packed lunch & drinks round out the day

4. Local carnivals - get some fair food, play some games, ride some rides, have a beer. Its as frugal or spendy as you make it.

5. Take a ride on the Western Railroad. Enjoy an old-fashioned train ride. $11.00/ticket

6. Visit Mt Cuba - a horticultural institution $5/tour through gardens

7. Visit Longwood Gardens (in PA) - acres of gardens, trees and architecture. Very picturesque and I'm sentimental about the place. My grandfather took my sister & there often as children. $16/ticket

8. Enjoy Delaware Park (Casino & horse races) - You can sit in the stands & watch the races, bring in your own food, get a beer. Free, maybe a few dollars for a beer and you don't have to pay entry or bet or buy anything (unless you want to)

9. 4th of July fireworks from the University of Delaware. Just park somewhere near & watch with buddies. Free

10. Visit the Rockford Tower in Rockford Park. 100 year stone tower "offering a panaramic view of the Brandywine valley. Not sure of cost

11. Pumpkin Chunkin' - Did this event last fall & will definitely go again this year. A fair type event where teams compete with machinary to chuck pumpkins across a field. $10 to get in, plus any food.

12. Tubing on the Brandywine River. Pay a company to drop you off & pick you up after you lazily drift down the river in an innertube for a few hours.

13. See a play at the local theater company

14. Walk the marshes at the bird sanctuaries. I did a few field trips as a kid & I think its something my dad would really like. I think I'll offer to take my dad there!

15. Explore Ashland Nature Center

16. See the Baltimore or Camden (NJ) aquariums - This is a fave of mine! I get to see sharks and all kinds of fun stuff!

17. Walk around the scenic Baltimore Harbor. See old ships & submarines, watch boats.

18. Visit Millburn Orchards - pick fruits and go on hayrides.

19. Explore Fort Delaware - only accessible by ferry, its historic and military background makes the site worth a visit.

20. Enjoy batting cages, mini golf & driving ranges. Pretty cheap & some are indoors, so great for rainy days.

21. Explore the HUGE flea market held every weekend at the Farmer's Market.

Please share - where do YOU live & what fun things do you have to do locally?

My roommate has been moving stuff in, but has yet to actually stay at the house. I keep missing her when she drops stuff off, so I hadn't seen her since Thursday. We have previously communicated by (my work) email and by phone, but when I came into work today, there was an email from her. I don't know why she didnt call me, but she emailed and since it was my work email, I didnt get it until this morning.

Apparently on Friday, one of my cats bit her hard about 3 times when she tried to pick her up to move her out of the room so she could shut the door.

The email made it seem like she was surprised more than anything, but I feel terrible. And of course, my mind started racing as to what she might do (sue, ect). I know its just becuase I don't really know her that well.

She is definitely staying at the house tonight, so I will be talking to her this evening, but I hope this isn't going to be a problem.