Pennies on the Sidewalk

My sis, Dad and I threw a 60th b-day party for Mums this past weekend. She had a great time and everything went of perfectly. We even had relatives come in from CT and VT for it (the party was in RI).

The only downfall? My sis and I spent about $300 each for it, and Dad footed the food and drinks bill and spent close to $1,000. Not a bad amount for my Sis; she's got a fantastic job and so does her hubby. Not too bad for Dad; he's still paying down bills but just started a great new job a few weeks ago. Bad for me. I just don't have any extra money, let alone $300!

Of course, her 60th only comes around once, so it was worth it. Just have to buckle my belt and eat from the cupboards this month.

I just got an e-mail back from a company I sent my resume to...they want me to come in for an interview!!!! YES!!!

It's not technically my dream job (it's for a copy-editor at a publishing house) but it is certainly a step in the right direction. This would be a FAB opportunity to step into the book publishing field, which is what I want to do.

Yay me! I so rock!!!!

Stairs challenge is paying myself $.50 every time I go up the stairs at work instead of using the evelvator, and $0.25 every time I go down the stairs at work instead of using the elevator. Takes more effort to make me go up them than down them.


ING Account (aka $20 Challenge) Old Total: $366.21
Added Stairs total week 1: $2.00
New Total: $368.21

I work on the second floor of my office building. We have stairs (duh) but we also have an elevator. I hate taking the stairs because:

1. I get a little creeped out in the stairwell (it's kinda dark and very noisy)
2. I'm lazy LOL

Now that I'm back on WW, I need to start moving more and getting more exercise. So I have decided that I will pay myself for taking the stairs. $0.50 for every time I go up them instead of using the elevator and $0.25 every time I go down them (much easier than going up).

Every Friday I'll total out the week and add the $$ to my $20 Challenge/EF account.

OK, so not groceries in terms of fresh produce or meats or anything, but I did pick up a few things while I was poking around there last night. Much cheaper than at the regular stores. Yay for the X-mas Tree Shop!

Candy Bar (last splurge before WW)$1.00
2 packs of soup (just add water!) $3.00
2 Thai quick meals $3.98
Salt & pepper $.89
Pumpkin Butter (this is a gift for Mums on Turkey Day $2.99
-----------------------------------------
Total: $11.86

So today I officially started back on WW. Then I remembered tomorrow is the big 60th birthday bash me and my sis are throwing for mums...ugh, catered food, lots of drinking, a big huge cake...I will stay on WW, I will stay on WW.

Financially, I can't afford to do the WW meetings ($52 a month) or do the online WW program ($30 a month) and pay for the healthier food (why is junk food so much cheaper???) so I am doing this on my own. I think I will be OK, as I was on WW for 4 months the beginning of the year and lost almost 25 lbs. Of course, since I went off it in July, I've gained about 10 of those back.

*sigh*

Oh well. At least I'm not back at my original starting weight and at least I'm back on WW now instead of putting it off and gaining even more weight back.

First WI results will be next Friday! Yay!

Old Med CC Total: $590.95
Added (glasses): $266.21
Added (meds): $25.00
Pay (med rbm): - $103.78
Pay (plane tix): -$137.80
-------------------------
New Med CC Total: $640.58


Debt Tally
$9,054.08 to Mom
$3,567.04 to credit cards
$1,335.40 LB CC
$640.58 Medical CC

Total: $14,597.10

CC Savings update:

Old Savings (CC Debt) Total: $1,054.09
Added $110.00 DD from paycheck
New Savings (CC Debt) Total: $1,164.09

Had to buy a new alarm clock today. The one I have is only about 4 years old, but for some reason the alarm part doesn't work anymore. The thing I like about it is that it has 2 alarm clocks in it, so when I get up early, I don't have to reset the alarm for anyone who is getting up at a later time.

But Alarm 1 didn't go off on Tuesday and made me late for work. But I figured, "Hey, it has two alarms, I'm still good. No need to buy a new one yet."

Wrong.

Alarm 2 didn't go off today and made me late for work again. Late for work once in a great while is OK; not OK when it's twice in the same week!

So, I hit Tar-jay and got me a new alarm clock with (yup, you know it!) two alarm settings for only $14.99. Let's hope this one lasts a little longer than the old one.

And will be buying new glasses tonight, as well as a prescription I have to pick up at the Pharmacy. Damn, this Medical CC is getting a lot of use!! Luckily, I will be getting a reimbursement check for all medical expenses, including my contacts, glasses and prescription fees. As soon as those start rolling in, it's straight onto the Medical CC balance. I DO NOT want this CC getting out of control like they usually do!!!

Old Med CC Total: $327.20
Added (contacts): $125.95
Added (plane tix):$137.80
-------------------------
New Med CC Total: $590.95


Debt Tally
$9,054.08 to Mom
$3,567.04 to credit cards
$1,335.40 LB CC
$590.95 Medical CC

Total: $14,547.47

OK, here is my dilema:

I need to buy a plane ticket. It will only be about $150, tops. Originally, my $20 account was earmarked for something I really wanted, like a new tattoo. Lately, however, I've been thinking of it as my EF that I am trying to build up. Here's my question:

Do I take the $ for the plane ticket out of the EF and then replace it later, or do I just put the plane ticket on my CC and pay it off later?

I'm thinking with the interest on the CC, financially, it would be smarter to use the $ in my EF. I should be able to pay it off when I get paid tomorrow, so it shouldn't acrue any any interest. However, there is the chance I won't be able to pay it off right away, and it will acrue interest. But there is something about using that money for something other than an emergency that I really don't like.

Opinions please?




Also, a small addition to the EF via interest paid in October:

ING Account (aka $20 Challenge) Old Total: $365.17
Added: $1.04
New Total: $366.21

Have recently finished a fab book re: budgets. The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Living on a Budget by Jennifer Sander & Peter J. Sander

Normally books with budgets don't work for me. I just can't work with them, or they don't fit my needs, or they don't work for me. But the budget and examples in this book were wonderful! I had no problems following their plan, and have been working with that budget for almost 3 months now. And the ebst part, after you create the budget, there are all these tips for way to tweak it to fit your own personal saving/earning style.

I highly reccommend it for anyone who hates budget becasue they are scary: this one took all my fears away!

CC Savings update:
Old Savings (CC Debt) Total: $1,152.42
Added $0.24 interest
Minus $98.57 CC payment
New Savings (CC Debt) Total: $1,054.09

CC Automatic Monthly Payment:
$3,665.61 old total
- $98.57 (11/01 payment)
---------
$3,567.04 new total

Debt Tally
$9,054.08 to Mom
$3,567.04 to credit cards
$1,335.40 LB CC
$327.20 Medical CC

Total: $14,283.72

Variations on my Rice and Beans recipe...Enjoy!

This first note comes from yummy64:

Make the beans from dry to be even more frugal. Buying them canned is cheap but not frugal compared to dry. A pound of dry beans equals about 4 cans of beans and costs about a $1 to purchase.

Thanks yummy64!

And this second variation comes from tinapbeana:

Dirty Rice(ugly but good!)

- 2 cups rice uncooked
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 lb (maybe 1.5?) sausage
- 1 16 oz can drained black beans
- seasonings to taste ( I used chili , cayenne, garlic powders, salt & black pepper)

toast the uncooked rice on medium high heat in a frying pan (read this tip somewhere and it seems to make the rice cook faster). combine chicken stock & rice in pot and cook as normal (i add some of my spices now and the rest when the meal is cooked through). while rice is simmering, sautee onion in the pre-heated frying pan. add sausage and brown. when onion/sausage mix is done add it and the black beans to the rice. allow rice mix to cook completely as needed, season to taste.

I am loving this survey program! Last week I cashed in points for a $10 cash prize. I just cashed in more points fr another $10!! I've never been part of one of these surveys that actually let you earn enough $$ to get a check in the mail...and now I'm getting 2! And I've only been doing these for 2 months or so.

Just made a payment to my regular CC Debt.


Previous balance: $4,369.74
Payment 10/31/06: - $704.13
----------------------------
New balance: $3,665.61


Debt Tally

$9,054.08 to Mom
$3,665.61 to credit cards
$1,335.40 LB CC
$327.20 Medical CC

Total: $14,382.29

(Back under $15,000! )

A new poster asked for cheap recipes, and I thought...what a great idea...let's start a category for those!

Anyone who wants to contribute, please do and I'll add them as a new post with credit to you! Thanks


Rice and Beans:

2 c white rice
1 16oz can pink kindney beans
1 8 oz can black beans
2 green peppers
chilli powder to taste

Put cooked rice, beans, cut up peppers (uncooked or cooked in a skillet first, your preference) into a large pot and heat on low for about 10 mkinutes. Stir in chilli powder to taste.

Since I always have white rice and chili powder on hand, all I need to do is buy the two cans of beans, and the peppers, which is about $4.00 together...and I easily get about 4 meals out of this. If I'm feeling rich on a special day, I'll add in some cooked ground hamburger or turkey, or even some "fake" meat from BOCA...depending on which is cheaper.

Enjoy!

Last night after work I stopped by the grocery store to pick up some chicken and tomatos for the pasta dish I was cooking. So, I'm going along, "doo doo doooo" minding my own buisness and I go to checkout. I use one of those new self-checkout lanes (love those!) and after I'm done, I am waiting for my receipt to print. I look down at the coupon printer, and what do I see?

$0.12!!

Someone apparently though they were too good for the dime and two pennies and they left it sitting there, next to the printer. What did I do?

Grabbed that $0.12 baby! Hell, I'm not too good for $0.12! I pick single pennies up off the sidewalk, I'll defiantely grab someone's leftover change!

Whoo-hoo!

Money I am waiting on:

$293.76 work travel reimbursement (in paycheck 11/17/06)
$103.78 medical reimbursement (by 11/07/06) ***RECIEVED***
$125.95 medical reimbursement (by 11/14/06) ***RECIEVED***
$241.27 medical reimbursement (by 11/14/06)
$10 medical reimbursement (by 11/14/06)***RECIEVED***
$10.00 check from surveys (3-6 weeks, by X-mas I hope)
$10.00 check from surveys (3-6 weeks, by X-mas I hope) (Yes, this is a second check I am waiting on )
$350 bonus (??? Are they doing that again this year; around Turkey Day)
$768.00 extra paycheck in Dec due to how the weeks fall.
$52.08 my sis owes me (hopefully by November 17th)***RECIEVED***

Total expected in November: $876.84
Additional hoping for in November: $350.00
Total expected in December: $768.00
Additional hoping for in December: $20.00

Total Waiting on: $2,014.84

Spending it...

*Travel expense check will be split: $100 into EF Savings, $100 into CC Savings, and $93.76 onto Medical CC (to help pay for the coat)

*Medical expense checks go straight onto the Medical CC

*Survey checks go into the $20 Challenge/EF Account

*Bonus will be for the cross-country drive I am (hopefully!!) making in December.

*Money from Sis will also go towards the cross-country trip in December.

*Extra paycheck will be for X-mas shopping. NOTHING is going on the CC's this year!

OK....just a list of my Meds CC Activity to I can keep it all straight in my head.

Previous Balance: $200.30
Charge: + $19.98 (BLC)
Credit: - $19.98 (BLC)
Charge: + $65.16 (meds)
Charge: + $19.24 (CVS pharmacy)
Charge: + $149.51 (Coat & gloves)
Charge: + $18.50 (DW-90)
--------------------
TOTAL: $452.20
PAYMENT: 10/23/06 - $125.00
--------------------
New total: $327.20


Debt Tally

$9,054.08 to Mom
$4,369.74 to credit cards
$1,335.40 LB CC
$327.20 Medical CC

Total: $15,086.42

Whoo-hoo! I have earned enough points from MySurvey to get a $10 cash reward!! Just ordered it and I should have it in 3-6 weeks. Yay! More for the $20 account!

Like many women, I love shoes. And purses. And books. But I also love coats! For the winter I have a leather motorcycle jacket, a hot pink leather jacket, a black suede jacked w/maroon fur on the cuffs, a black LL Bean jacet (for when it snows), plus a very wide assortment of heavy sweaters and sweatshirts. I so do not need a new winter coat.

I bought a new winter coat today.

It's long, to my mid-calf, and black aw/fake black fur down the front, and so goddess damned cool!!! I figure it will be OK, though, because I don't have a winter coat that is appropriate for work. I don;t have an nice, dressy winter coats. And this will be perfect for any type of event where I need to be professional or dressy.

And it's so fucking cool!!!

Downside: $128 and I put it on a CC that is supposed to be for meds only.

*hanging head in shame*

*peeking up*

But it's such a cool coat!

Had $$ put aside for a bill, and it was over the amount I needed. Decided to add the remainder into my CC Savings Account.

Old Savings (CC Debt) Total: $1,129.44
Added $21.98 leftover
New Savings (CC Debt) Total: $1,152.42

Notes to myself.

To Do:

$100 to Dad
$75 to KofC Hall
Mail CD
Pick up Meds
Deposit check into savings
Pay Rent
Weather-strip windows
Trash Out
Laundry away
Dishes
Containers to storage

Worked as a tarot reader at a psychic faire today. It sucked. I had one reading and she didn;t even pay!!! I was so hoping to bring home an extra $100 today. Money is tight this week and I really could have used it. *sigh* Time to get brainstorming on new ways to bring in some extra Moo-nay.

Got one of my meds in the mail today. Turns out the company tat shipped it to me only had part of my address on it so the Fed Ex deilivery guy couldn't find my apartment. Here' the thing though; the meds I got...it's the one I still have some from the last refill left on. The other two I've been completely out of for over 2 weeks now.

And here's the real kicker...one is out of stock and on backroder until NOVEMBER 16th!!!!! And the other was brought to my house today but Fed Ex deiced not to leave it (when the left the first package) and marked it for a return to the shipper. After 25 minutes on the phone, I finally found out where the package was (a town about 20 mins from me) and convinced the manager there to hold the package until tomorrow at 5 so I could pick it up.

Hate to be rude to someone who doesn't deserve it, but I think it was explaining that the package contained anti-depressants and mood-stabilizers in my very colorful langauge that did it.

Damn mail service.

Debt tally to Mums is increasing fast... In another few days though, there will have been 2 major cc payments so it will lower my overall debt tally a bit. *sigh* Will I ever catch up, let alone get ahead???



$6,844.08 to Mom
+ $2,210.00 (borrowed for 2 cc payments)
----------
$9,054.08

Debt Tally

$9,054.08 to Mom
$4,369.74 to credit cards
$1,335.40 LB CC
$181.06 Medical CC

Total: $14,940.28

Just about $15,000 ...I think I'm going to be sick.

Found an article in the local paper about this and though we could all benefit. Enjoy!

Hightlights of the Article:

The BBB continues to warn customers to be wary of gas-saving clains for automotive devices or oil and gas additives. While some of the gas-sving products have been proven to work, the savings are usually small at best. Worse still, some can severly damage your engine or void a manufacturer warranty by adding after market devices to your car.

Some products than can damage your car or cause a substantial increase in exhaust emmisions:
Air Bleed Devices
Vapor Bleed Devices
Liquid Injection
Fuel Line Devices
Mixture Enhancers
Internal Engine Modifications

Instead of risking damage with these products, the BBB suggests you try these tips to increase gas milage and save some moeny at the punp:

~Buy only the octane level gas you need. Check your owners manual to find the specifications for your car. If you don't need the high octane level, don't waste the extra money on it.

~Drive more efficiently by driving within the posted speed limit. Gas milage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60mph.

~Avoid frequent and sudden starts adn stops. Accelerate slowly when starting from a dead stop: gas milage can be improved up to 5% around town this way.

~Use overdrive gears and cruise control when appropriate. They improve the fuel economy of your car when you're on the freeway.

~Keep windows closed when you're traveling at high speeds. Open windows cause air drag which reduces your milage by 10%.

~Avoid rough roads when possible. Dirt or gravel roads can reduce your gas milage by up to 30%.

~Remove excess weight from the trunk and backseat. An extra 100 pounds can reduce gas milage by 2%.

~Properly maintain your car: keep the engine tuned, tires inflated and aligned, change the oil on schedule, and check and replace air filters on a regular basis. Replaciong clogged filters can increase gas milage by 10%.


*Taken from the Wareham Courier, Thursday, October 19, 2006 issue

Although I usually wait til the end of the month to cash in my change jar, I had some free time the other night and I needed to do something to help me procrastinate claning the house. LOL So, I counted and rolled change. Then I got excited at how much was in there and just couldn't wait to deposit it.


ING Account (aka $20 Challenge) Old Total: $343.67
Added: $21.50
New Total: $365.17


(Psst...was just checking to see the last Change Roll I did...Oct 3rd for $27...so in 23 days I had $16.50 in rolled change and $5.00 in left-over $1 bills...not bad! )

Got a call today...another one of my CC's has agreed to settle! Yes!! So, this was an over $7,000 credit card debt I had. They agreed to settle for approx. 60% of what I owe.....$4,434.06!!!

I am so excited about this since this is the card that the law office was calling me and threatening me over and over.

I'll be making 3 payments of $1478.02 each. First payment is due end of this month, then end of November and end of December.

Now, along with that, I am almost done with making paymens on another CC that settled...Nov should be my last payment on that one...which means by January 2007 I will only have 1 CC to settle and pay off, plus my LB CC and what I owe Mums. Whew! Feels awesome!

Of course I don't have the $ I need to do this settlement in my account yet, so I am borrowing it from Mums. Which means what I owe her will raise considerably, but I'd so rather owe Mums than the CC companies!