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Forgot one important bill...

November 1st, 2006 at 05:38 pm

Well, I have been looking over the #'s again in the budget. Seems that I made one really huge mistake in my figures. Since we are paying Nov. rent with 1st Nov. check I just totally forgot that we would again have to pay the rent on the 2nd Nov. check for Dec. rent. And that rent is going up $20. It threw my #'s way out of wack. I knew it was too good to be true.Unless I can get the expenses down even more there will be no way I will be able to pay off debt.
I think that Dec. electric bill may be lower, considering I have not run heat or a/c in days and days. It was cold in the house this morning (DD's hands were very cold when I went to get her out of bed this morning) so I'm afraid that I may need to start turning on the heat. I'm trying to do everything I can to keep it off, though. Any suggestions you all may have regarding would help.
I know that the phone bill will be going down by an est. $20 per month, and will go down even more once my application for assistance is processed (but probably not until the begining of the year).
The water bill has gone down about $10 this month. I was shocked to see it because it always runs high. A fire in our apartment complex knocked out 16 apartments. I didn't think it would have made that big of a difference in the bill though. We have somewhere around 300 units here. It makes me wonder if I am not getting a super raw deal on my water bill. The only reason I can think of that would decrease so quickly is the fire and the lowered occupancy due to it. Several people have moved out of the complex since the fire.
I am going to experiment a little with the grocery bill. I still have plenty of food so I am going to hold off buying groceries all together for as long as I can. I will need to get bread and diapers in the near future and may need to get a few supplies for my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner, but other than that no spending-unless absolutely necessary. We will not go without food and a healthy balance of it.
The only other option at this point is to cut the smoking budget down again. DH has been getting a little laxed with his 10 cigarette a day limit so we have bought more this month than the actual 10 a day. But, I did budget for the extra considering it was the first month of doing it. But even if I did cut the cigarette budget out completely, we still would not have enough to cover the double payment of rent for this month.
I see that the only option is to take the PayPal money (going towards paying off the bank) to pay the remainder of the balance for the rent.
This also leaves no money for Christmas. We bought DD's birthday present last weekend on clearance last weekend. Her birthday is mid Dec. I know I should probably just make it a birthday/christmas gift, because she is only turning 1 yr. and won't remember it, but I figured that one gift for birthday and a small family party with normal food and a home made cake for dessert would be acceptably low key for the occasion. And I have 3 gifts that I will be making her for Christmas, all of them I consider free because I will be using up supplies (scrap fabric, sewing notions and polyfill) that I have had for ages and ages with no specific purpose for having them.
Anyways, enough of my rambling for now...

Did I do something bad?

November 1st, 2006 at 03:20 am

Back from Trick or Treating and the kids are in bed. I let DS load up on candy and he just crashed out when we put him in bed. DD was munching on a bag of goldfish from her brothers treat stash. She layed down and went to sleep with no problem. If it wasn't so unhealthy for them I would do this every night! LOL I like not having to fight at bedtime! All is quiet in the house and neighborhood (for a change). Unfortunately, I ate some of DS's candy (he was so sweet sharing with everybody) and now I'm totally wired. I should put this energy to use!

On the holiday shopping note, I just wanted to share a pretty good deal I got on a present for DS. I thought about getting him a book club membership. Well, I did after they called me soliciting me to sign up. I was given a trial offer of 2 books and I recieved 3 books and a bookbag for free for trying out a membership. If I didn't like the books I could ship them back to the company at their expense and I could keep the free stuff. So, I figured that I could get a bookbag and a couple books for him for free. I got the shipment in last night and called them up this morning to cancel my membership. They went ahead and threw in the other 2 books for free as well! So, 5 books and a bookbag, for free! He will like them a lot as they are books of some of his favorite animated movies. I feel a little bad about scamming my way out of actually buying them though. I have never done anything like this before (that I can recolect). Buuttt, if they are just going to give them away why not take them, right? *I say as the guilt digs a little deeper*

The Weekend-Part 1

October 30th, 2006 at 05:22 pm

I have decided to put this blog entry into 2 parts, the first being my rant about the weekend and trhe second being the weekends financial no no's.

Well, this weekend was pretty rough. One of our neighbors had a party on Saturday night. They live across the street, then there is an alley, then their back yard. I do not know these neighbors, but I'm really having a hard time wanting to be friends with them. The party was originally for kids during the day, but once evening time came the adults decided to party it up. At first I thought that they had a live band playing because the music was so loud. Then, they changed the station. I could not believe that it was just the radio! We are talking almost a football fields length away and I could hear the radio plainly enough to be able to sing along in my house with the doors shut and the T.V. on. This went on till around 2 in the morning, and the partying continued until around 4 in the morning. I know this because another neighbors dog stayed up to yap at the partiers until then.
There was also a fight in our parking lot (unrelated to the party across the street) involving three grown men.
DH took DS out to my FIL's house to play and ended up staying the night over there. It was a nice break from the boy, but I wish that they were here when all that was going on. I felt very unsafe. I feel like my neighborhood is going downhill, and fast. I want to move, but I can't afford to pay the month to month rate for 60 days and put a deposit and rent down on a new apt.
I woke up this morning and went outside to check out the weather. I was greated to a yard full of empty beer bottles. I hate this place. It seems like this complex is one step away from turning into government subsidized housing. I know that these few things seem to be minor, but I would be sitting here all day to write down everything wrong with this area.
All the more reason to save up, so we can move out of this dump!


I can't see!

October 29th, 2006 at 02:25 am

Well, the conversation about dinner went over better than I expected. DH said he would just work harder to ensure that I would be able to go too. I guess the inlaws have set up a sitter for the kids already. If we get to go we are going to some kind of fancy fondue place. $50 a plate is still pretty steep...
In other news, I lost my glasses about 3 days ago. They are somewhere in the house, but for the life of me I can't find them. If I had them on my head I could see to find them, but since they're not I am without. I got a migraine last night and again tonight from not wearing them. It's now down to a dull roar, tollerable, but I don't know for how long. I saved an old pair of glasses should something like this happen, but they don't seem to help any. I think my perscription got a lot stronger when I got this new pair.
It is truely amazing to me how my house can just junk up in a day. I was out of commission last night completely and DH fed and put the kids to bed. This morning it looked like a bomb went off in the apartment. And I now have two more loads of laundry to do, on top of the two I had before. Really though, I am greatful for his help. I don't think I would have made it last night without him. It literally felt like someone was choking me to death. I figure if I go slow tonight I can get things cleaned up pretty good and might be able to find those glasses in the process. Wish me luck!

Potential fight over dinner (of all things)

October 26th, 2006 at 03:11 am

Talked with FIL last night about the craigslist thing, he is all for it. I also talked to him about depositing PayPal money into his acct. to pay the bank this time. Just trying to get it paid as quickly as possible. He said it was fine. He said that DH had already talked with him about that. Hummm... then he said that he talked with DH about holding back money for the TG holiday. We are having a lot of family in town and I guess everybody is going to go to a nice place to eat at some point during that time. He suggested that DH save back around $100 for the dinner so no one would have to worry about paying for us. Sigh... that's a lot of money right now. DH told me nothing about it. I'm sure he just forgot to, he does often. At any rate, I don't know if we can swing it. I am going to go over the budget for next month again and see where we will sit with it. I hate to tell DH no, as it is with family that he has not seen in quite awhile. The only way that I see it remotely happening at this point is to just let him go and me stay at home with the kids. I will gladly do it for him, but I know that there is probably going to be a little tiff about the whole thing. I am not looking forward to it.

Christmas Toys

October 24th, 2006 at 11:22 pm

I've been thinking about Christmas for the kids a lot here lately. My MIL asked me what I would like for her to get them (she's so sweet- I'm lucky) so I've been doing and online search for some toys that will last them for a few years developmentally. I know that she will get them whatever I ask for (last year it didn't even cross my mind to ask for it and she got DS a motorized two seater truck!!) I know she's a little more strapped for cash this year so I started looking on craigslist for toys. They have some great ones in my area!! I'm going to let her know about it tonight and see what she thinks.

A Lazy Monday (for a change)

October 23rd, 2006 at 07:15 pm

I've been off to a slow start this morning. The weather has cooled down over the past few days and I haven't been turning on the heat yet. It's making mew want to stay under the covers longer.
It was a wonderful morning, no mishaps or messes to clean up and everyone was happy. Well, DH wasn't but that's just because he had to go and pay his ticket today. But he wasn't terrible. DD went to sleep for her 1st nap without a squeek a little while ago and DS is watching Sesame Street, which gives me a moment to write and look through the forums. I should be starting on my bread and a few more meals by now, but I'm just rolling with the laziness of the day so far.
I'm thinking that I might have to go up to the store and get a half gall. of milk. I get WIC tomorrow so I am trying to wait.
This is my last effort for laziness. I've finally got out of my house clothes and am starting to get motivated. I don't think I'll make it to the store today, but it's probably for the best anyway. DS can go without drinking milk for one morning (tomorrow). I'll just give him yogurt and juice for breakfast tomorrow. If all goes well, today will be (aside from DH's ticket) a no spending day and I like the idea of that!