Little Miss Sunshine

Friday night I stayed in and went to bed around 9pm. I get so tired from going non stop for days on end. It is so needed!
My son went to a movie with a buddy. Saturday I worked for 6 hours and then came home and basically laid around as well. Dinner was stuff in the freezer.
My son was gone all day at a baseball tournement. Today is church, grocery store and dance picnic. I also have to deliver newspapers. I usually throw them on Thursdays but I guess they had a major problem printing them so I only got them to my house on Saturday. Since it was raining all day yesterday I decided to wait till today to throw them. I really could care less. Yesterday I thought about giving up the paper route. I am torn since it was meant for my daughter to do and she is now not interested....yet I like the little check I get each month. I have to think about it. I may keep it thru June then stop when we go on vacation as that seems to be bothering me alot.

Has money been on your brain alot? I found myself drifting off to sleep last night but going over my checkbook beforehand and looking in my mind at my bills. I was a little discouraged I was doing that and that I find myself thinking about money more and more thru out my day. It just seems as a single mom you can not escape it. I have to really try to focus on money issues at certain times I guess and then try very hard to release it and not think about it for a period of time. It can be draining. I am already thinking about getting money saved for the next round of taxes I owe. It seems I cannot save as much anymore. There is so much more pressure. I keep telling myself if I save a little here and there and cut back as much as possible it will be OK. Gee it is getting harder and harder it seems.

Have a nice Sunday everyone.

YES he is home! I picked him and all his belongings on Tuesday evening. I was worried about fitting it all in my smaller mode of transportation--- IT DID ALL FIT!!! Now I am buying much more food that is the down side... having a guy back in the house we need more food. He did put on a little weight which I am so glad...he was so skinny before.....so he is watching his waist line more it seems.
Also he is mowing for me so I do give him some money for that. I feel it is right to do so. I have a huge yard and he bags it all. It is a big job. I would rather not deal with it....so I pay him to handle it for me.

I am collecting things for the garage sale. I got two boxes of odds and ends from work.....so they will be sold at my sale. Free stuff to make a little profit on.

Nothing else too exciting to report. Kids are with dad this weekend....so I will some time to work around here. We have an end of the year dance team picnic on Sunday. I am looking forward to a nice evening of chesseburgers and hot dogs. Should be fun for me and my girls.
Just watching my pennies and giving up things where I can...and making due.
Using my clothesline alot as well.

Because of the rain that is coming....I am not going to wash sheets today. I wanted to hang them all up on the clothesline so I will wait till Sunday and see how the weather is then.

I have my dinner planned for tonight and then we will hit Wal Mart for groceries on Sunday. I have been using up things in my pantry as much as I can.

I def. am going to have a garage sale in the middle of June. I will be looking for items thru the weeks leading up to it and sotring it in the basement. I only have lots of little things but maybe I can make a lot of little things add up. I am going to sell some home made greeting cards as well that I like to make and collect. I think all the money I earn will be used to visit my sister with my kids in the summer in VA. It will go towards gas since we will be driving. It will go and stay in an envelope for that purpose.

I picked up the Ford Focus today. $850 to get it all fixed up. Can I say honestly I started to cry over money and so much of it going out the door today?? I have not really done that in a long long time. Having a good boo hoo over money issues.
Then I got over it. It had to be fixed and I will just cut back. I will have a garage sale in June and in the mail TODAY.....a rebate for $100. Plus today was payday and I got the biggest paycheck I have earned at this job so far.....life is good! Enjoy it!

Took my SUV in to my car repair buddy. He only had to do an oil change and change a tail light bulb. CHEAP!!! YAHOO! Took my sons car in as well....brakes seem very very bad. I will know more on Friday. He gave me a car to use to get back and forth....another HUGE BLESSING for this single mom.

Went to the credit union and closed my account that has had nothing in it for months and months.....it had $5 in it so I got that back. So $5 in my pocket.

Ate all meals at home today. Will need to get a few groceries soon.

What's the deal with food shortages?? All local news in my area getting all hyper over it and making it the lead story for tonight. I appreciate them creating histeria. Not sure I am ready to go to COSTCO and purchase (4) 25 pound bags of rice. I also don't belong there....so I am def. out of luck. What is this world coming too??? I am a bit confused. So many problems!!! can anyone say one good thing about the world they live in anymore?? Is everything based on gloom and doom??? Gee whiz. Everyone out there take a deep breath and smile from ear to ear. I am saying this as I look in the mirror....Be blessed Little Miss Sunshine and everyone else out there in bloggy land.

Well I paid my VISA bill and boy I have about nothing left. It is very very scary for me as I almost always have a cushion of some sort. I will get a paycheck on Friday-granted I work part time so it is not a ton but it is very very helpful to say the least. Making due with what is on hand. I needed a card for Mothers Day so I went to the Dollar Store on my way to get the kids at school. 50 cents was a good deal.

I had a small panic when my daughter asked about getting some summer type clothes.....I just got nervous....but then I reasoned I will have some money and that any other purchases I can forget about till we get some clothes. Basic items.

I may have small garage sale as well. Why not. I have had one every year at my house for the school...so I have a nice group of regulars...... I may do it when the girls on their trip with their dad in June. Might be a tad more easier without them home. I will see.

Once my dd learns how to drive in early June she will have some type of job. I may have to give her the car and I may ride my bike to work. It will depend so much on everyone's work schedule. Again...I am so glad I work 1 mile away from home! I can bike or walk it easily!
So that will be another summer challenge for me.

Nothing too free at work...just TP.
I did get some small jewelry type boxes. I gave them to my youngest who likes to keep little treasures in them. Work is weird lately. Everyone is very moody. I have tried to kinda keep to myself and do my job. I do not need any more antics in my life. Three of the ladies are not moody but so nice to be around...I tend to enjoy their company the most. The other ladies who are moody I tend to make very small talk with and mind my own business. One gal who has been giving me the cold shoulder over nothing asked "if had a second to help her" take laundry to apartments. It is not my job at all...she was trying to avoid some residents. In the past I would of helped and felt terrible for not being a good sport. I told her NO I could not help her as I had to punch out, my shift was over for the day. I did not feel one speck of guilt. It is liberating to make choices for myself. There are times to be helpful and times that it is best to not be helpful. I enjoyed not being a doormat today.

Have a good rest of the week everyone.

Hi friends....I feel I have been gone for so long. Working 6 days straight really took a toll on my time it seems.
Sunday I had a day off so to speak. So I did a tiny bit of resting.
Today I grocery shopped at WalMart. Got some basics for the week to make due. I am very limited on money this month due to larger than usual VISA bill. I will pay it off in full this week--but it will leave me with nothing going forward for the month.

I called the gas company and got on the budget payment plan. I heard so many people talkng about it I decided to sign up. That way each month my bill is about the same amount. Hopefully I did not make a mistake or get ripped off. It seems legit and very OK.

My girls had a dance weekend. They were with my ex and I had to go because he of course is clueless as to what it takes and what is invloved. Of course I was there to do it all for the most part. The girls felt slighted by dad as he kept talking on his cell or playing games on the Blackberry. It was a shame for my ex.
I think it is just not a fit for him. My oldest won a scholarship for her tapping --she was voted the best by the judges!!! She was very shocked to win as tapping is her least favorite type of dance. So that was super neat. I enjoyed the host of the competetion who stressed having fun and dancing from your heart. He was very motivating to the dancers. I now have to pay a $300 bill for all the fun the girls enjoyed.

Hopefully I can keep expenses way down this week. I have a small stash of cash for little things but overall I should be OK. My son comes home in about a week from college so that will add some expense to my food bill. I just have to be very VERY CAREFUL till MAY 1st. I do get paid this FRIDAY so that will help alot.

Nothing too great for free at work. On Monday I will get all the Sunday papers ....so lots and lots of coupons!!
A lady threw out a huge Easter Lily plant with a beautiful HUGE wire ribbon. I took that home and put it on my porch. Some free magazines came my way....but that is about it.

I hope to get my clothesline up this week.
It is getting to be that time of year to find the clothespins and take advantage of the sun and wind. I love my line. I really encourage everyone to make the small investment and hang up a line and go green in this small easy way.

Have a good week everyone. Hope it is a good one.

I have noticed after I grocery shop and the clerks are bagging my groceries they get annoyed with me! I will simply place many of my groceries right back in the cart without bagging them. I simply roll the cart out to my car and load them in the trunk. Simple. I will use some bags...but why bag a loaf of bread or a bag of chips....or OJ?? I also live about 2 mins from the store....so I am close. These store clerks look at me like I am from Mars and that I am ungrateful for not wanting bags or their help?? When I ask them kindly to un-bag them....they give me looks to kill!!! I do try to tell them right away and or offer to help with my purchases. I thought we were all trying to be more green?? I just find that odd. I also have had that happen over and over at Wal-Mart. Anyone had that happen to them?? Why do they need to bag my box of tennis shoes or cat liter? Odd to say the least....maybe old habits die hard?? less bags I think is a good thing.

I need to remember to take my vitamins! I have been laxed a bit in this department and I have been more hit or miss. I think there are many ways to be frugl and yet take care of ourselves. Vitamins of a good quality seem to be worth it and can be had at good prices where ever. Also just getting more sleep or a cat nap is so healthy! Eating in balance and lerning to pray or meditate. Have you heard about Dr Laura's new book? Stop Whining? It is a good mantra for me nowadays.....there is loads to whine and carry on about. Getting grateful and more positive takes some skill and it must be purposeful. A good thing that is really healthy to do.

Think of ways to make very simple changes to make your life more healthy today. A great way to start a good weekend!

Happy Weekend everyone....!
I just took my kids out to a chain like place for dinner as a treat for my dd's birthday. I am not sure if it was worth it. It was not cheap and the kids seemed a little spoiled form all the eating out they do with their dad. I probably will not attempt that event for a very long time. It did not seem special in the least to anyone. I got my feelings hurt. I decided it was a sunk cost and I at least enjoyed it. Again...note to self....do not attempt that again for a very very very long time.

Paid my taxes and all my bills....WOW was that nuts!!!!!! It really took my breath away. Then today after paying bills for about 1 hour last night.....I got my VISA today and it is not too good. Mostly groceries and gas. I have my two day hotel bill on it and a mattress set...so it was not small. I have enough to pay it off in full of course. Frustrating....that gas and food add up so quickly. Anything for me is out of the question for some time.

My son who, is home from college for the weekend, has been complaining about dad's trip plans for the family summer vacation.
It is so hard as I can not really help him too much or offer alot of advice. I think he wants his way....and he is not getting it. I DO understand it is not to his liking and it is not much fun when you are much older than the other siblings. Tough. I wish my ex could take our son on a golf weekend and spend some time just him and my son alone for a bit. I think he really needs it. How would I feel being in his shoes?? Not sure. It is difficult.

Lots of running around this weekend.....then I have to take my son BACK to college on Sunday......so more gas will be needed. Five hours of driving --that is both ways.

Nothing too free at work. Some very beautiful ribbon.....and I got a free cookie from one lady. Boy they were the best oatmeal cookies I have ever had!!!Read the paper for free of course and I had packed my humble little lunch. I did get paid and I promptly cashed my check.
I have to keep things really frugal the rest of the month. No more eating out or eating with friends. Not that I do that anyway.....I have to keep it frugal. I also need to build up the savings account. It got very depleted after paying for taxes and my used SUV.
I like to be challenged. Building I must do---build I will do somehow...some way.

I also have to provide a cake and flowers for my boss's birthday on Monday. No one really wanted to do much and I really felt badly. I did not ask for everyone to pitch in. They simply don't think that way. One gal is bringing in some pop to drink. She is always generous and fun like. She is having bad marriage problems. She has asked me for advice. I feel badly for her...she is really a nice gal. I hope they can work it out.

If anyone gives me money to share the cost for the boss's birthday---- that will be nice and a bonus. I hope to keep it cheap and not too pricey.

I am off to have a glass of wine. I really need it. I need to relax a bit.

My side job did not pan out. I was going to clean a real estate office once a week with a friend. Oh well. I did email her and tell her that if she needed extra help on Thursday cleaning homes I could be free to do that. It is her busiest day of the week.....so we will see. I told her to keep me in mind for other jobs.

Nothing too greatthat was free at work....just a nice sturdy cardboard box to pack up Goodwill stuff. Some TP.
Some pretty ribbon to use for gift wrapping as well....and a free book which I donated to the school library.

Leftovers for dinner....and I did pack my lunch for work. The maintenance man at work had free donuts for all the housekeepers.....that was very nice of him. I had one to be nice and be part of the group fun. I will have leftovers for lunch tomorrow....since I am not working on Thursday. I have a very busy day planned of course to use my time wisely.

My electirc bill was a little lower this month. This weekend we are to have unseasonably cold weather again.....I had to put my heat on tonight....it is not warm anymore. Next week the clothesline goes back up in backyard....time to start hanging things out and up. Yahoo!

I bought TP at CVS today.....I had $2 in extra bucks plus the $1 TP coupon......I got a very,very good deal. I could not turn a good deal down! I am very stocked in TP....but glad to BE STOCKED! I use the leftover work cash I have to pay for stocking up on stuff. $10 went to pay for a field trip for my dd. Pay day is Friday! YAHOO.
Have a good evening everyone.

Next week on my day off I have to attend a work mtg. I will be paid for sitting there. It is from 9-12:30 and it is on fair housing. I asked if they could use my help to clean from 12:30 till 2:30. Yes!!! My boss was so happy to have the help. So on my day off I will have about 5 hours in for extra money. I would rather have some time off...but can use the extra bonus hours. Never hurts to ask and be creative.

Nothing free at work today.
Packed my lunch as well.

Hit WalMart and got a few needed things.

Had a WONDERFUL time talking to my teenager daughter. Things have been super rough the past year and well....we had a HUGE and I MEAN HUGE breakthru.....it took about every cell in my body not to cheer thru the aisles at WalMart and do a happy dance. God sure moves in interesting and surprising ways. Hopefully we are on track and things will get better for her and for me as well. Life is a challenge at times. It makes breakthroughs that much sweeter.

Awesome----

My parents came up and we re-did my dd's bedroom. Frankly I could not have done it without their help. It looks very cute and very clutter free and organized.
We moved the un-needed furniture and that was helpful. I was able to put the wood shelves I now do not need in the garage and clean up that area as well--that was nice bonus. My mom sewed some stuff and ironed and my dad put the three bookcases together. It was great to see them and have the help.
I had to spend some money.....on materials and also I made a rather nice lunch. I have some leftovers I gotta eat up now.

Not much free at work..coupons galore and free newspapers. I got two magazines as well. That is about it as far as free goes. I packed lunch of course with some leftovers.

I may have an opportunity to clean with a friend at a local/in town....real estate office once a week for about $40 cash for each of us. It would only take me 90 mins to do the job. I really hope my friend can land it......at this point it would be more easy cash for my pocket. She is not bonded and that might be a problem. We know the gal well who would be hiring us.....she is a good friend. Fingers crossed as they say.

Got 2 things at CVS today... a water purfier pitcher (to save on bottled water) that was on sale and some TP that was on sale and I had coupon for.
I could not pass the savings up. I had to pay for a dance cookout....that was $9.00.

I have all my meals planned.....hopefully we can make the groceries stretch all week long. Everything is so darn expensive. It really stinks. I want to buy some chocolate but am being good and walking past it when I see it.
Have a good week everyone!

Today I worked.....7 1/2 hours. Long day for me the part timer! I got some free newspapers to read and a new Better Homes and Garden magazine....the latest issue.
Free donut and OJ at work. Plus a nice cardboard box to place donations in next time I make a donation to the AmVets.
I got an April OUR DAILY BREAD as well.
That's about it. I had a free lamp but it was so broken I decided not to try and even keep it....the lampshade was gross so in the dumpster it went.

Today I am going out to an early dinner with a friend. So looking forward to that!

My parents are indeed coming up on Sunday. SO I need to shop for lunch items and stuff for the rest of the week, so I have to hit the grocery store as well tonight.

Nothing else too new too report. It is supposed to get nice and warm on Sunday. I hope because the cold weather is making it hard to keep the heat off. What a tough winter it has been for me.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Yes right in the pocket of my spring coat that I ATTEMPTED to wear yesterday! I nice rolled up $20 bill. I was trying so hard to feel spring like by wearing my spring coat...forget it!!! IT IS STILL SO COLD HERE!!!!! At least I found some money--is that cool to us frugal people or what??

I got my check in the mail for delivering newspapers...$28.00. Not too bad for such a small amount of work once a week.

Got my dd's matress set delivered this morning. It is nice and fresh. We just have to get her room put together. I bought three sets of small shelves at BIG LOTS.....that was $60.00. I have to put them all together. Pain in the neck.....oh well....it is worth it. She will likely stay better organized. Everything is pink already in her room and some things are Littlest Pet Shop themed. So Happy Birthday to her!! Her old bed is going to a friend. All my kids used this bed....so I was glad to see it go and YET, part of me was sad to see it go. It is nothing special....just an IKEA bed, but it had alot of sentiment tied up with it I guess. Oh well..it is OK. My parents may come up Sunday to bring her headboard they made for her. I talked to my mom today and she seemed bothered for some reason. I think she does not like that I am very busy. I felt kinda bad as they do not seem to mind the kids are not here when they might visit.....that hurt my feelings a bit....as I wish they would find that important. They tend to visit me much less than my sister, her two kids and husband. They will stay for days with her and her family and help her out with many things--yet with me...they practically make my house a pit stop. I have never figured that out. I think the last time we saw them was at Christmas. They live about 2 1/2 hrs away---so I am not sure what is going on. They keep telling me they want to help me with things around the house....but they never stay or visit long enough. My mom tends to get funky on me at times.....I have to remember it is not my doing. They may stop by on Sunday so we will see. I plan on doing all furniture moving myself and building the shelves.....I have to keep doing things myself and not counting on others at this point in my life. That is reality.

I have to keep on moving forward and learning to be happy where I am in life be it with money or with others. It is always best to deal in reality and not in fantasy.

I have to get to the bank to transfer money to pay my taxes gosh darn it. I promise to stop whinning about taxes very soon.
Have a good day everyone.

I mailed off my IRA contribution today.....cross that off the list of pain fiiled chores. I know in the long run I will be glad I did it. I also included with my check a note to my investment guy to call my tax person himself and have a good conversation about me and a few of my investments. I decided as lame as it sounds.....I just do not want to set up a meeting. I know things can be done in a five min. phone call directly.
I deposited my April money so that is resting till Thursday when I transfer money out of the savings to pay all my taxes. Then I will whine all day about all the blasted and stupid taxes I am paying. Luckily I have a plan to go out with a gal pal this weekend. I plan on forgetting the whole tax stuff and enjoying myself.

Work was shortened today as we did not have water where I work for a time due to some repair work that needed done....so instead of working 5 1/2 hrs I only worked 3 hours. So that stunk a bit. I will make up for about 1 hour extra on Saturday. I had the morning to do some housework---felt good to do some things.

Went to WalMart to get a few items of a misc nature. Nothing too fancy or wonderful to report. Just seeing the aisles so crowded really was worrisome.
Everyone is feeling the pinch. My dd bought 2 boxes of hair dye. Her hair is so long....we have to buy two. What a rip off. I wish she would wear her hair shorter like me!

Drying some towels on the indoor line and
trying to just watch the laundry soap. I have been using some samples for things....boy that sure is nice. Also making sure to turn all bottles in the shower upside down to get every little tiny drop out! Of course you all do that already right?

Ordered my dd's mattress set which should get here on Thursday. I got the pretty good one....it was reasonable. That will be her big gift. She has her BF sleeping over next week for a birthday dinner and some fun. Thankfully I get another paycheck just in time to pay for a small special dinner out. That should be fun I hope. I will bake her a cake as well.

Weds I have to go to the town clinic and get a booster shot for work purposes. I only have a small window of time to do it on Weds so I pray they can get me in and out very quickly. Of course that is free...work gladly pays for me to have some pain.

Nothing too free at work. I got 5 greeting cards and some stickers. Also a little old lady gave me a Christmas plate. She really wanted to give me something. I don't really like it but I could not refuse her gift of love to me.
When old people start giving things away I worry they are ready to pass on and leave this world. Or maybe she just hates clutter like me.

Have a good evening.

When I was married my ex's family celebrated every birthday in his family with a large party including a huge meal.
Now that I am divorced I am now free of these large cumbersome burdens of entertaining constantly. Each cousin, brother, sister in law.....mother in law, granny, aunt...you name it we had to have a party for them. Basically they partied with food if you sneezed it seemed! I am not against family time but having to do it about every other weekend grew to be just too much. Plus the cost involved to feed about 20-40 people at one time was ridiculous! I feel such a release from all that entertaining. I feel released from trying to impress everyone. It is amazing how much time and energy and money I put into these events.

What a wonderful place to be in my life.....

What are some things you have given up or have made an effort to reduce? Have you purged an area of your life and made an effort to live more simply and more honestly with your time, energy and resources???? It is always good to review ones self to see waht areas we need to work on from time to time.

Ugh...whata day at the grocery store.
Things are nuts there. Even with coupons and store brands.....it still cost about an arm and a leg. Gee not too fun.

Eating at home is still way cheaper and the best way to go all around as far as saving money. Along with bringing my lunch to work. Still makes so much sense.

Keeping track of keeping my fridge really organized and clean and neat along with my pantry is really key for me. It takes a small amount of time throughout the day for me to stay on top of things.....but it is really worth it.

I wanted to buy bird seed but passed...too much money! Also had a coupon for laundry soap....still too much money. Bought the brand that is priced the best. Again I will hit the Dollar Tree for some items I still need. All in all fridge is full along with the pantry so I should not complain too much but be grateful for all.

Hello friends! Happy Sunday to you.
Yes I had my taxes done. It was shocking to say the least. I have a hefty tax bill to pay this year. I was not totally prepared for the stagerring amount I owe. On one hand it is good as I am doing well with my very long time investments yet I still have to pay tax on what I have gained and earned. This was my very first time on my own as a single filer. I will be much better prepared next year to weather this terrible storm. I also have lined up a call from my investment guy to talk to my tax person....I think they need to be on the same page a tiny bit more. Once that occurs I may be able to save a bit more next year. I will have to spend the rest of the spring and summer working on building up my emergenccy fund a bit. I look at it as a challenge. One that spurs me not depresses me or makes me want to give up and maybe quit being frugal.

On that note I returned some clothes I bought for me and spent it on clothes my kids needed. We did some shopping at Sears and I found some awesome buys. We also only bought a few things......thankfully alot of spring clothes still work and we can make do with so much of what we have.

Spring break was maybe a little boring for the kids as we did not do much as far as trips or big things. We did see a movie ( Horton hears a who was darling by the way) minus movie snacks....and we did eat at Subway for $10. We rented two DVD's and played alot of games. My girls seemed to have entertained themsleves around the house while I worked as well. Just being able to read or sleep in was nice and welcoming. The girls cleaned their drawers ands closets too.

It has been hard to hear about everyone's fab trips and getaways....but I think we have just decided that there is a time a season for trips and now has not been a good time. In mid June the girls will go away with their dad for a week to South Carolina and stay at a luxury condo on the beach.

I have been really trying to stay as frugal as possible at least in my own life and I am looking at it as a daily challenge to do my best. Groceries have been tougher this week with everyone being home.....but we have managed to do pretty well. I have kept the pantry and fridge very neat and organized which helps so very much. This week should be better since we are back to school. Today I will grocery shop. I will try and keep things reasonable. Store brands help along with my coupons and simply questioning purchases for a moment helps. I now will put items in my cart and later take them back out.......so much can be impulse!

I am trying to get as many free samples as I can--- shipped to me. That is really a nice source of products, I use them alot.....again it just helps. This week I need to hit the Dollar Tree for a few things...that place helps as well if you stay focused and not buy too much junk or stuff.

Also just looking at things around the house and re-usung them in new ways. I needed a small table for the radio in the kitchen....I went to my porch and found a great little shabby chic table.....perfect. I do have to buy a matress and frame for my little one. I will be purchasing that very soon. That is something I need to do very soon. My parents made a head board for her as a gift. It will be nice to have her room look a bit fresher.

My little one is not having a birthday party. Instead we are having a best friend over for lunch and a movie play date. I think that will suffice. She seems very fine with the whole idea. Frankly I can not handle the stress and it simply is better to down play such hoopla with her. So that is the plan.

Every month seems to have more and more money challenges for me. I wonder where it all goes and why I can not save more. Sometimes I wish I could go back to my old life when I was not working and not worrying about money. I had a very care free time back then. Other times I welcome all the challenges as I feel it helps me grow and it has made me stronger as a person. Frankly I look back and at t imes I was very selfish I think. I might of lived in a huge bubble. It helps to come here and write and to share and also learn from others. One day at a time. Have a good Sunday everyone.

Hello Friends and Happy Easter! After church and some chaos is reduced today I will take some time and sit and write a bit here. It has been very hectic for me on a number of personal levels so I have not been able to really get to my blog here. Alas it is finally spring break here in my home so I have a bit more time to think and write and compose myself a bit. Have a lovely morning or day. By the way we have 6 inches of fresh Easter snow here. Someone down the street made a snow bunny in their front yard, complete with carrots! Life is too funny at times. Enjoy!

I did some grocery shopping today at Wal Mart. Sorry I just can't help myself. Prices are just too good to pass up.
I did not purchase too much since we are leaving to go out of town. YES!! I got the day off at work.....I will miss getting paid as I took it as a non paid day off. That is OK....just glad to have that flexibilty thank goodness.

Gas prices are crazy----$3.45! of course I am driving out of town....but the flip happy side is I will get some gas money from the mom going with me. SO we will be sharing the gas cost.

This week I got a ton of bills. I am prepared. I have made my Feb spousal support stretch like crazy! So I am doing fairly well as far as having the money for the bills ready.

I made a deposit WITH CASH on recital costumes....all those $5 bills and $10 bills that I stashed.....really made a good dent in that bill. I have a $28.00 check for delivering newspapers to cash on Friday along with my paycheck...yahoo!
Another big help

I ended up getting a horrible migraine today......I get them here and there....luckily I got to lay in bed for 1 hour and it was then gone. I can't afford to be sick with kids and work. I have some meds that really help and when they kick in I am so much better. Plus my ex had the girls over for dinner...so I did not have to cook a thing.

Thursday I will hit WalMart to buy a few clothing items, just a few pcs to get me thru this weekend. I need them so badly. Without the girls I should be able to shop quickly and make some choices rather fast.

Today I got some nice return address labels for free......I hate ordering that stuff.....so I was glad to get a bunch for free. I got some pretty free Easter cards at work....I may frame them for a decoration. I got some newspapers and some interesting catalogs to browse thru.
That's it...oh a nice old lady gave me a lunch treat for Weds. She always gives me little treats after I clean. She is the queen of candy too. She enjoys handing out fun treats to all the ladies who stop in.

Still lots of snow here....some has melted with the sun....but there is still a ton. It sure is amazing to see so much snow in huge mountian like piles.

Well have a good evening everyone.

We are having a blizzard. It is official.
So far about 18 inches. Crazy! What is even crazier is I went to work! I put in about 5 1/2 hours. I worked quickly and then left. So glad. Most cities are now declaring that no one is allowed to drive on the streets. Yes it is that bad.

This is when having a stock pile or pantry is so helpful and so critical! No one can get to the store. You also get resourceful in entertaining yourself.
It is nice too as there is no "spending"! Yahoo.

Nothing free at work today. I did help myself to a donut today from the cafe for free. I needed the sugar boost. Just glad again...to get in and then quickly get out. Hopefully a good day on Sunday.
I will wash three sets of sheets and organize tax papers for my appointment on Thursday. I also will keep the house tidy. I paid some bills today so I am up to date. I will also putter in my room and get rid of things not needed. I want to go thru my freebie baskets as well. My son leaves for college in the afternoon. Hopefully he gets back OK ---so far his college is open for school on Monday. Spring break or should I say his snow break is over with. He will be home on Good Friday for four days to celebrate Easter. So far all my kids will spend Easter with their dad. I will miss them.
It is still hard to be seperated on hoildays. They are used to spending it with his family. Just tough. Maybe I will work and spend time with the older folks.
That is a thought I had.

Have a good evening everyone.

I am now officially stuck in a blizzard.
Hope your weather where you are is better then mine! Went to the store around 7am before work to get a few more staples.
Gas at the gas stations is now selling out and there is not much left around here for some reason. I did buy some for the blower. Fingers crossed my son and I can get the blower going. I am supposed to work on Saturday. My boss said if it is too bad out to not bother going. I was shocked. I thought she wold say I HAD to be there or get or risk getting fired. She seemed pretty laid back about it all. We will see. I only live one mile away so I would be the best person to go in on a bad weather day. I will see what the morning brings. They can live without cleaning for one day.....the cooks and nurses HAVE to report.

Nothing too good for free at work. Just some TP. I took some yogurt for lunch which was a nice change of pace. Yogurt can really be a great lunch for not much cost outlay. A good habit for lunch. Plus how hard is it to take yogurt to work....? It involves zero brain work early in the morning.

My girls made it to their dad's house. I was glad---just nice to have "some" peace for a couple of days. I think my nerves needed re-charged. I was running on "E".

I don't think I will be eating out with my friend....the weather seems too ify right now. I am bummed but what can I do ??

Have a good evening everyone. Stay safe!

Here a few tips that help me in the laundry room.

1. Decorate your laundry area or room.
I have cupboards in mine and an open bookcase I had around. I keep school uniforms folded on it. I have cute wallpaper and some decorative country stuff. Baskets and old quilts make it homey and sweet. I also have a radio. Important to have music or talk radio. When I need to work alot in there.....I haul the small portable TV with VCR and watch an old movie as I work.
2. Keep socks organized in the laundry room. Each person has a drawer or two. Including mom! It is very easy to organize them quickly. Rubbermaid plastic drawers are what I use. Forget the sock hassles!!! This system of mine is genius!
3. Use a shower rod that is spring loaded to stretch cross the room or across two shelves in my case. Have plastic hangers to hang up clothes to dry.
4. Use drying racks. I set mine up in the dining room. We never eat in there so why not??
5. Wash as much as you can on cold
6. Of course cut your dryer sheets in half.
7. Make use of all space. I have an old bulletin board covered with contact paper across my utility sink. I can fold clothes on it or rest a laundry basket.
8. If you need some extra work space use a TV try table or two. Easy and they provide a surface to work on if needed.
9. Hang pegs in your work area.
10.Laundry never ends so keep things positive with a good work area that you keep neat as much as possible. Also limit your clothes and keep it basic.
11. Have laundry rules with children. My children for the most part need to gather and sort their own clothes. My older ones can do alot of their own laundry. When I have extra time I will launder things for them.
12. I got rid of my HUGE ironing board. I bought a small nice table top one from a garage sale. I have a HIGH quality iron that is a great help when I do need to iron which seems rare anymore. The small iron stores nicer and the older kids can use it without much hassle.
13. Sounds odd....but have a small clock in your laundry area. It helps to motivate and to stay on track. It also might encourage you to throw in one more load or to keep folding till American Idol is on.

I hope this little list inspires you to get control in your laundry room and motivates you to set up things in an organized fashion so laundry is not such an ordeal. Good Luck!

We are expecting another winter storm. I am so bummed out since I could barely get the driveway shoveled! We had so many layers of ice it was very hard to get it up. Oh well...the sun melted it some.....but we will have to see what the weather brings. We are supposed to get between 4-10 inches. Crazy.

I was off today from work. I did my newspapers and laundry and a tiny bit of shopping for some staples. I put gas in the car and made phone calls. I took my son to the dentist. Yahoo this new dentist he loves. So glad he made a connection with this guy. He is happy to be back in the groove of seeing the dentist. I also made an apt with the HS guidnace counselor to see about placing my oldest daughter in the local public High School. Busy day that's for sure.

Grilled cheese and soup for dinner along with some leftover steaks strips I had.
Tasty on a cold night.

My son is now NOT GOING to his dad's house. He will hang here till Sunday when he leaves to go back to college. I thought he was going to his dad's but he is not. So I will not be totally alone now. I am flexible.

Hello Friends! We have had horrible weather here. ICE AND SNOW! Tons of it.
Children did not have school today. I had to get to work. Again..thankful I live one mile away! The manager where I work has offered to us a vacation pay for all those who came to work faithfully today! I was so glad I made it in and did not even think about not going in. Now I will be rewarded. Four hours of "free" pay.

Nothing too new to report. Just rolling along with kids and house duties. My son is working for his granny and two uncles all week. It has been really nice to have him around....despite the money woes. He seems to be enjoying his quiet time away from school. This weekend my kids are off to their dad's. I will be organizing tax piles for my apt next week to get my taxes done. I also will be putting away old bills that I have thrown into a huge pile of a mess. Friday after work is speed cleaning time and clutter control. Saturday I work and of course we are expecting another winter storm.
I am eating out on Saturday late afternoon with my girlfriend. It is a huge treat for me to go out. We need some adult time and I am looking forward to it. I got two DVD's from the library in case I want to watch something different. I also picked up a book on caretakers and their stories. I hope to gain some insight for my job. Basically a restful type of weekend with not too much spending.

Next weekend we travel for dance. I get paid next Friday....so I will have cash to travel out of town. I pray the weather is decent. These weekends are fun but super tiring. I also need to buy a soft type roof carrier for my SUV. It simply WILL NOT hold all the luggage we take. I figure it is a good investment since we travel for dance and always have extra riders with us.

Not much free at work.....some rolls of toilet paper. Lots of coupons and some stickers for notecards or for my girls to craft with. Also some cute notepaper for lists or whatnot. Newspapers as well that are free to read at lunch.

I have had some temptations to buy a thing or two this week....I have resisted.
I have not eaten out either. I have packed my lunch and snacks and drinks.
I am really making my cash stretch!!!
Also I am trying to really use what I have on hand as far as food goes. It is not easy at all. It is a habit I need to do better at cultivating.

Have a good rest of the week everyone.

I went to the bank to cash my paycheck when the teller told me my son had overdrawn his checking account and has been charged $33 a day for the past three days. I had to fork over about half my paycheck to cover his rear end. I was very mad as I stood at the teller's window. I just feel like my son is getting in debt. He now owes me about 370.00 dollars. I just am really tired of things right now. He needs money for things at school, he has a part time job at school but it seems to never end or for him to get ahead. Maybe I am whining and that is just the way things are. I feel like I am drowning in kid expenses and that I can not save much anymore. I am very confused and feel very discouraged today. When I think of myself as old I wonder how the heck I will be able to live. Kids need this kids need that.....I am really in a slump today. It does not help to keep seeing news reports that things stink all over the place right now. I can't seem to make sense of it right now. Just difficult.
I KNOW I AM NOT ALONE. I just can't seem to figure out how to curb so many expenses that my kids seem to rack up.

I just felt sick cashing that paycheck and then handing most of it back to the teller. I work hard and it seems if I treat myself to a candy bar I feel it is not justified and feel tremendous guilt. I feel very depressed over money today.

My daughter birthday is in April and I just don't even want tohave apart or buy her too many gifts. Sad but that is how I feel. I am not looking forward to her birthday---I just look at everything as money and expenses.

Today I worked my small side job business. I worked for the same lady I did last time. She lost her favorite necklace in her apartment (she thinks) and asked me to help tear apart her apartment to find it. We did not find it but managed to clean out two drawers of clothes and her HUGE stash of jewlery. One drawer alone must of had 35 pairs of winter gloves! She could not bear to part with any of them! some were for shovleling snow. Something she will never ever do again. I decided to not push it....but it was so silly to see allthose nice....nice gloves. I also threw away some old orthpedic items, old newspapers and an old box or two. I also spent about 40 mins just talking to her. I worked for 2 hours. So $15 x 2 hrs. She is going to pay me on Friday since her son has all her money and pays all her bills. He is a nice guy and will pay me promptly.

I managed to get a free pair of new slippers, a cosmetic bag, and a scarf. Everything she offered me was really yucky. So I felt good working for part of my day off. I also did my once a week newspaper route---it was so cold!!! I did get it done fast since I did not want to freeze off my poor arm.

House cleaned today and am cathing up on laundry. Things for NOW are pretty neat around here.

We are eating out Friday as a treat since my son is home from college on Spring Break on starting on Friday afternoon. The kids want to go to Fridays'.
We will see. Luckily I get paid on Friday. I also will hit the outlet store on Friday to see if I can snag a kitchen clock....mine is dead. It is not the battery. So I need a clock.

Some things I do need to buy for a LONG TIME.......notepads, giftwrap supplies, cosmetics, shampoo, soaps, cookbooks, puzzles, hand creams, DVD's, books......I hve so many things. I do need a clock. It is driving me crazy not knowing the time in the kitchen.

Have a good evening everyone.

I have another dance competition in two weeks to attend in another near by state. It will involve staying at a hotel in a downtown city local for two nights. I am going to begin a small cash stash this week. To pay for small out of pocket expenses. I do have to pay $195.00 in fees for both daughters by March 1st. I have that in my checking account.

Last competition was close to home. We decided as dance moms to pack lunches and snacks. All the moms then decided it was not "worth it" and to buy at the food court. I decided to not go with my gut and we did buy food at the food court--you know go with the group idea as to not look too cheap! HUGE MISTAKE. Crowded and expensive was the food court we went to and I felt like the places were dirty. I have got to listen to my inner dance mom spirit. I have been involved with travel dance for over 5 years....I think I DO have some wisdom.
I have never regreted packing lunches and snacks....ever!!!!!!!! I must listen to my inner frugality! I will def. be packing snacks and drinks and whatever else we might want since I know we have a mini fridge.

We are stocked up on all dance supplies so I do not have to make any purchases before hand. I will have to buy some panty hose as I ran my last pair and some jeans.....
Yes I still have not bought jeans. I wore my black pants twice at the last competition. I never feel very fashionable, I have zero style. I am way too boring and simple. I am not chic at all. Oh well. I also need to find a better purse to travel with. With luggage and dance bags and huge make up bags I need a purse to go over my shoulder and to have room! So I am going to check out WalMart.

It really is fun and I love going to new places. I just need to be very organized.

Hello friends. I have been gone it seems so long! Just so busy with life in general. I had a terrible week last week. I had some real problems with my oldest daughter and it literally drained the life out of me. I am sorta back on track now. I worked 6 days straight last week. Was off on Sunday and only working three days this week. I had to cover for someone and this week she is covering for me. We had a ton of snow today so my girls were off and I was off. We did nothing. I did shovel....but the snow continues to fall.

I have not been spending too much money. I hope to put most of my next month's spousal support in the savings account. I am trying to build that back up after purchasing my SUV. I have been making due with things around here and eating at home alot. I have managed to save enough cash to purchase all the dance recital costumes. So that is safely tucked away for the end of March when the balance is due. I have found a few free things at work. I nice white terry bath mat, fresh flowers, ribbons for gift wrap, lots of toilet paper, five magazines, and of course lots of coupons and newspapers. Silly little things but they are free.

Things will get more expensive since my son is coming home for spring break from college. He is working for his grandmother so he will be busy and earning money. I will have to really up the food budget. He likes to eat and snack alot. Can't really blame him can I?

Gas is so expensive. It costs me less to fill up now with the new to me SUV--but it sure adds up. I am very careful about mindless driving. I try to combine and make do as much as possible. Again---I am very blessed to work ONE MILE away from home. It really helps!


I hope to get more on track now that alot of my chaos with children is hopefully behind me. It's been rough. Hope you are all well. I enjoy reading all your blogs for encouragement! I can't imagine living my life any other way than frugally and with financial purpose always on my mind.