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Archive for March, 2009

Happy April!

April 1st, 2009 at 02:02 am

I survived my weekend of dance. It was very hectic and fun all in one. I spent a wad of cash. I treated myself to a steak dinner at the hotel with some other moms. Boy was it GOOD! I never ever have steak and I ate every bite! YUM! So the weekend was nuts as far as cash spent. But now it is over with. I am so glad it is April. I can deposit my three months of spousal support....which is good timing. I have about $2000 left over for the budget. I am so glad about that. It will help pay for a new roof.

Nothing too new to report. My parents are heading up for this weekend to do stuff around my house....we are painting kitchen hardware, maybe porch furniture. I am really excited to freshen up things even more. My mom made curtains for me so they are coming as well.

I am trying to work on saving money in small ways for April.....no heat, turning off lights, using the clotheline more, reusing stuff.....that is my goal. I am returning pants I got at Wal Mart.....I bought 2 pairs and really only need one pair. So I will return them to save money. I am trying to save in small ways.
I think that is my goal for April.....saving in little ways that add up.....join me!

Have a good frugal week everyone.

Wallpaper is DOWN!!!

March 26th, 2009 at 04:01 pm

Hello frugal friends. Yes the wallpaper in the laundry room and kitchen is history! It went pretty smoothly since I had someone else do it all! The ladies I hired were so neat and clean and had such nice personalities. Everything is painted a warm off white as well. I got my new leather furniture too. I am very happy with it all. My mom is making me new curtains from a queen sheet she had. I have no clue how they will look but she has been sewing up a storm for me. She found me some decorating items at her thrift store as well. She loves to do that for me...I do not have the time...so it works out nicely. Next weekend they are coming up to paint hardware and clean cupboards. We also will decorate. My mom is so handy and so is my dad.

This weekend I am off to PA for a dance competition. This is an expensive one due to a 2 day hotel stay downtown and lots of eating out. We have alot of down time too. So that means all the girls will want to shop. ICK. I do not like to shop. So I will be gone till Sunday night. My travel pal is also driving. I always seem to drive so it will be nice to chill in the front seat a bit. I get a driving break.

I just met my friend who has a restraining order against her husband. We met for breakfast. She is staying at another friends house. I think she is done with him and I was glad to give her my lawyers name. I warned her 5 years ago to not marry....but of course she was too in love to hear me. He is very self centered and too old for her. He is so stuck in his old man ways. They had an oops baby and so now they have a 2 yr old to share custody with. He is too old for a baby. He is near 60!! I am glad she is getting out. He is a total loser. This is her second marriage....and she has asked me to slap her silly if she tries to get married again. I promised her I would slap her. I feel bad for all the kids...step kids....ugh... a big gigantic nightmare and mess and alot of chaos.
I am so glad I am boring!!!! I love it!

Work is going well. We have one girl we are still trying to get rid of. We have had mgmt meetings so now everyone sees how awful she is. I am so glad we opened our mouths finally. We had a department lunch yesterday and she acting all weird....I mean abnormal and strange right in front of the boss which was great......I was so glad she acting weird. It helps build our case against her. I had to report about another co-worker who was back talking to a resident. I was not sure if I should tattle but in the end I was glad I did as it bothered me non stop to see someone treat older people unkindly. My general mamanger thanked me for stepping up and reporting the situation to her. I guess this is not the first time either. I was sick over how terrible this girl was acting.


My two youngest are not going back to their private Christian school next year.
My ex is thrilled cause he can pocket the money and not pay tuition. I just decided the driving 30 min one way was literally killing me now that I am single mother and the fact that the public school has more opportunities pushed me to change. I see how my oldest is doing and she is thriving. I guess I figure change CAN BE GOOD. So come September we will have a new routine....!
I am kinda excited for everyone......including me. I will miss the school terribly and I still feel kinda badly. I know the time is right and it is a good thing to do.

Change can be a scary word. Change can be a glorious word as well.

Have a good frugal week and weekend everyone.

Working around the House

March 20th, 2009 at 12:35 am

I have been working on some home projects lately...hence no blogging! Today my new love seat and couch arrived from JCPenney's. I like it. It is that bonded leather which is great for us and our family room. I am getting a new chair from World Market. I bought an ottoman that matches. The furniture is pretty decent. My last set came from there.....it is great for kids and kitties. My old stuff is in the basement. The couch is on the porch waiting for a ministry to get it for a family in need.
I got a new tv for the bedroom and the old one went where else...the basement!
My wallpaper is coming down in the kitchen in the next two days. It will look so good. It also will be painted. I am also getting roof estimates as well. I have been socking money away at the credit union....so that is helping me to pay it all off. The roof will be from the tax refund. Thank goodness.

All in all I am making my money stretch far! I am not spending a dime on me....and I am so glad. I do not need a thing. I have been good about eating out and watching the food budget. I am really making due as much as possible in all other areas. I have been using coupons too....I got better organized and it makes a huge difference in saving money!

Hopefully I can keep up my stash account at the credit union to tackle other small household jobs that need done. My dad is coming back soon to spray paint all my kitchen hardware and clean and wax all my
cabinets--- I know that will make such a huge difference in making the kitchen look even better.

Next weekend I am in PA for dance. It is our last competition of the school year.
I am glad....it is so much money.....I do enjoy the memories and being with other moms and girls.

Another dance competition

March 9th, 2009 at 02:22 am

ONE MORE TO GO! I did really well in not spending too much money at this one. We got starbucks--yummy! My dance pal and I went beforehand and she treated. So nice of her. We did all go out for dinner at Macaroni Grill..UGH! $45.00 for three of us....one being 9yrs old! I was so good I ordered water and not wine! I tried to be good. My ex and his darling wife were there. Of course she had to stand right next to me to take photos of my daughter dancing. I was more than bothered. I wish she would stay on her side of the tracks and leave me to have my own viewing space.

Spent a lot at walmart today. I had to help my son buy food to go back to college. Cars got fixed....mine is fine...my son needed four new tires. That was a killer! My dishwasher is fixed. The pump was around $100 so I have to wait for my friend to bill me for that work. Hard month so far....money wise. I am just not buying anything for me. I wear the same old clothes and shoes and carry the same old purse.....I stil have not purchsed socks....I am not even buying those right now.

My dad and mom will be here to paint the powder room on Monday. I am going to make sloppy joes and fries and fruit. I hope my mom does not think I am a flunky. I am not going to try to make a fancy dinner when I do not have the time. Oh well.

I am going to take three days off for spring break...unpaid of course since my company took away all my vacation days.
So my paycheck will be very very low that week. I decided it is better to be with my girls then worry about making a few dollars. Hopefully I will be glad I was off.

I have to have my dad look at my roof I think it needs to be repalced. I am really nervous about that.....there are parts that look worn....parts that look great. I am not even sure how much that will cost. First I have to paint my trim outside as the wood is now exposed from the terrible winter we had.

I hope I do not sound like I am grumbling...but it seems like I get ahead and boom...I am struggling again. I am grateful for all I have. I just wish I had more "control" HA HA!

Have a good Monday everyone!

Working gal news

March 4th, 2009 at 02:11 am

Today I got very bummed at work..they let go of the assistant maintenance man....Creighton. This guy is a gem. I mean a real gem. His last day is Thursday.
He is a retired police chief and he is so good with people. He was let go because we can not afford to buy paint or lightbulbs so there is no work for him to do. Yes that is how bad it is!!!

So I decided to call an elder care in home service. I have an interview on Tuesday. My hope is I land a job and not work weekends and have some flex time! I am actually very excited! I am really looking forward to doing this interview! My dad wants me to network and talk to everyone about job ideas...my dad suggested working for the gov't! My mom says the same.....but to find out if taking away my sick/vacation time is against the law. She wants me to see if they did something illegal......might just see.

So yes! I am really excited to maybe do something new and kinda different. I want to work more with people and be able to invest time with people. Cleaning is fine but I have to work and not talk too much. I will be bummed if I do leave to not have my co-workers.....but time moves on and seasons come to an end. One of my co-workers is terrible....today I thought she was going to go postal that is how weird she is. I am sick of working with people who are so not into working and blaming everyone for their slothfulness! I am sure that is the norm.....but I am ready to challenge myself a bit.

My dryer got fixed. The loud buzzing got stopepd. It buzzes so loudly when the dryer is done it was making us all NUTS! I need a new pump to pump out the water in my dishwasher......so my friend is ordering it and will install it and look at everything when he removes it. SO more dish washing by hand!

I will miss Creighton. He was a kind and thoughtful gentleman....a very fine example of a hard worker. He was old fashioned. I hope things work out for him.

The economy is scary. Please listen to Mark Levin online for his radio show This is a plug or shout out for him. He is my hero right now---I listen to him alot--he seems to be telling the truth.
Don't be fooled....be alert.... end of preaching.

Work Woes

March 3rd, 2009 at 01:03 am

Today I was told that all my sick time...30 hours and 8 hours of vacation time I had been banking are now gone. Because I am part time from here on out if I need time off I will not get paid and I have zero benefits. I walked away from work today feeling really low and down. I just emailed my dad and asked him to ponder and think about the pros and cons of me working. I feel uterly worn out from trying to make it all work for a measly amount. I am not sure if I am supposed to be home saving money in other ways. I just feel so uneasy about it all. Hopefully my dad can give me his two cents.

Having my son home from college has been really fun. He is just a fun young man and we have had some belly laughs and comical moments between us all. He has reminded me that life is fun and it is always good to chuckle at what life throws at you.

I am still without a dishwasher.....I hope it gets fixed soon as washing so many dishes is plain old tiresome. I sound so spoiled I know.

This week my car and my son's car goes in for a tune up. We were supposed to do it today but the rental car was not available. So we go in on Friday. Hopefully we are ok.

Thanks for the wall paper ideas and stories. I hate wallpaper now with a passion. I looked at leather couches. WOW they are so expensive. I have got to figure out a way to get some leather but not go broke.

Did you see the news tonight? We as Americans are now saving too much money!
We are causing all the problems according to the white house. PLEAZE!!!!!!!!! Give me a royal break! I better stop watching the news.....it is so depressing and yet it is hard to believe this is our world.