Ugh, Readers, it has not been a good week. It started out promising, but quickly went downhill.
I officially fell into the bottom of the hole yesterday, when I checked my PNC balance only to find there was negative $38.00 in it. Double Ugh.
Apparently this week was when everyone decided to cash every check I had ever written them. Seriously, people, get to the bank on time. I budgeted that money during the pay period that check is dated, not the one four weeks later. You can deposit checks using your smart phone now-a-days, there's no excuse for that.
Then, since I was in a bad mood, I fell off my no soda wagon and drowned my sorrows in a 20 ounce Coke and half a bag of Sun Chips. Then I wanted to throw up for the rest of the afternoon.
At least today is payday and it's a three paycheck month.
Anyone else encountering road blocks lately?
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Friday, March 1, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
two certainties
First, let me say - giving up buying food at lunchtime is much harder than I anticipated. I've already messed up at least three times and it's only been a week! Big bummer. Like any good perfectionist, I was ready to give up and throw in towel for the rest of Lent, but I'm trying to trudge on.
Last night, The Hubs and I had our taxes done. Unfortunately, we have to hold off on filing (or rather, our accountant does, since she has the return) because we're claiming a residential energy credit.
I need to point out to all of you how imperative it is to have a great tax professional, especially if you have exemptions. Obviously, you want someone who knows all the laws, but you should also look for someone who understands your line of work and who can help you max out your benefits. Ours works with a lot of teachers in The Hubs' school district, which is how she came recommended to us, but she's also very knowledgeable about what I should be tracking as well. Even better, she has a great personality. Two years ago, we went to a guy that was very old school and we didn't feel like we were getting what we paid for. Now, I'm happy to hand over a check because I feel like she's working hard for us.
In any case, I'm happy we're getting a modest refund from the Feds (about the same as last year) as well as about $200 from the State. Last year, we owed NJ a few pennies (literally, it was only about $15), so I was super thorough this year about documenting any expenses to avoid that. Here are a few tips our accountant gave us that might help you as well!
Sidenote: Please remember I am *not* a tax professional and only dispensing some handy advice that has worked for our two-income, no-children household. Always, always, always checks with your own financial expert in regards to your taxes.
1. Track any job-related expenses, such as mileage and tolls, which were not reimbursed by your employer. Make sure you have documentation of such expenses (such as a spreadsheet, or even a notebook in your car), in case you're audited. This year, we were also able to include The Hubs' airfare & hotel expenses for the Cross Country trip to Disney, as well as little expenses like supplies for his classroom. I was able to deduct the fees to obtain my Notary Public license, as well as the money spent submitting applications through the Civil Service Commission.
2. Keep all your health care receipts. This includes co-pays, prescriptions, and glasses/eye exams. The Hubs and I are state employees, so our bi-weekly contributions to our health care plans are too small to write off on our taxes. But, we were able to combine all of our other health care expenses as a write off. This includes the miles we traveled to get to and from our doctor's offices! We forgot about this perk in 2012, so we had to give a rough estimate, but I'll be much better in 2013 about tracking our miles. You can get a print out of your yearly prescriptions at most pharmacies (as long as you consistently use the same place) which is so much easier than trying to keep a years worth of receipts. If I forgot to grab a receipt from the doctor's office, I just printed a copy of the check online or printed out a bank statement with the charge highlighted.
3. Donations are your friend. The key is to strike a balance between monetary donations and product donations. In 2011, we had all monetary donations, so our accountant told us we needed to start making trips to Goodwill (or any other like organization, Goodwill is just what we have around here). What you donate to Goodwill is considered a portion of your income. In 2012, we were able to donate three separate times, which led to a deduction of $1,700! That's definitely not chump change. Unfortunately, our monetary donations took a hit - less than $150 - so that's something we need to increase this coming year. I enrolled in a "Charitable Contribution" payroll deduction through my job this year, which will (hopefully) help even us out.
4. Make sure you're maximizing your pre-tax retirement contributions. Obviously, the more you sock away pre-tax, the lower your taxes will be in the first place. In 2011, I had about $2,000 I was able to write off due to my Deferred Compensation plan. In 2012, though, I dropped my contributions by a lot, and I didn't have anything to write off this year. Boo.
So those are a few things that helped us maximize our refund this year. Are there are tips or tricks you've learned over the years?
Last night, The Hubs and I had our taxes done. Unfortunately, we have to hold off on filing (or rather, our accountant does, since she has the return) because we're claiming a residential energy credit.
I need to point out to all of you how imperative it is to have a great tax professional, especially if you have exemptions. Obviously, you want someone who knows all the laws, but you should also look for someone who understands your line of work and who can help you max out your benefits. Ours works with a lot of teachers in The Hubs' school district, which is how she came recommended to us, but she's also very knowledgeable about what I should be tracking as well. Even better, she has a great personality. Two years ago, we went to a guy that was very old school and we didn't feel like we were getting what we paid for. Now, I'm happy to hand over a check because I feel like she's working hard for us.
In any case, I'm happy we're getting a modest refund from the Feds (about the same as last year) as well as about $200 from the State. Last year, we owed NJ a few pennies (literally, it was only about $15), so I was super thorough this year about documenting any expenses to avoid that. Here are a few tips our accountant gave us that might help you as well!
Sidenote: Please remember I am *not* a tax professional and only dispensing some handy advice that has worked for our two-income, no-children household. Always, always, always checks with your own financial expert in regards to your taxes.
1. Track any job-related expenses, such as mileage and tolls, which were not reimbursed by your employer. Make sure you have documentation of such expenses (such as a spreadsheet, or even a notebook in your car), in case you're audited. This year, we were also able to include The Hubs' airfare & hotel expenses for the Cross Country trip to Disney, as well as little expenses like supplies for his classroom. I was able to deduct the fees to obtain my Notary Public license, as well as the money spent submitting applications through the Civil Service Commission.
2. Keep all your health care receipts. This includes co-pays, prescriptions, and glasses/eye exams. The Hubs and I are state employees, so our bi-weekly contributions to our health care plans are too small to write off on our taxes. But, we were able to combine all of our other health care expenses as a write off. This includes the miles we traveled to get to and from our doctor's offices! We forgot about this perk in 2012, so we had to give a rough estimate, but I'll be much better in 2013 about tracking our miles. You can get a print out of your yearly prescriptions at most pharmacies (as long as you consistently use the same place) which is so much easier than trying to keep a years worth of receipts. If I forgot to grab a receipt from the doctor's office, I just printed a copy of the check online or printed out a bank statement with the charge highlighted.
3. Donations are your friend. The key is to strike a balance between monetary donations and product donations. In 2011, we had all monetary donations, so our accountant told us we needed to start making trips to Goodwill (or any other like organization, Goodwill is just what we have around here). What you donate to Goodwill is considered a portion of your income. In 2012, we were able to donate three separate times, which led to a deduction of $1,700! That's definitely not chump change. Unfortunately, our monetary donations took a hit - less than $150 - so that's something we need to increase this coming year. I enrolled in a "Charitable Contribution" payroll deduction through my job this year, which will (hopefully) help even us out.
4. Make sure you're maximizing your pre-tax retirement contributions. Obviously, the more you sock away pre-tax, the lower your taxes will be in the first place. In 2011, I had about $2,000 I was able to write off due to my Deferred Compensation plan. In 2012, though, I dropped my contributions by a lot, and I didn't have anything to write off this year. Boo.
So those are a few things that helped us maximize our refund this year. Are there are tips or tricks you've learned over the years?
Friday, January 18, 2013
get down (payment)
I finally input my December expenses into the online tracker. I was still in the hole almost $500 for the month, which actually isn't as bad as I thought, taking the extra Christmas spending into consideration.
We're still spending way too much money on groceries. By my count, it's between $300-$400 a month, and that doesn't include when I ask the Hubs to stop on his way home and pick something up. I definitely need to get back into the Fresh 20 groove (which I still owe you a post about) and start using coupons more frequently. I started drinking green smoothies again, which pretty much eliminates the need for any breakfast foods (the Hubs isn't a big breakfast eater).
I did cut down on the Wawa spending, though I didn't give it up totally like I wanted to. I think on every visit to Wawa, I would buy something, get back to my car, and then say "shit! I'm not supposed to be coming here!" But ya live and learn - I have yet to buy anything there this month!
I've been putting in applications left and right for part time jobs. I recently received an e-mail from Revel Casino for a Restaurant Host job; However, they want to interview me next Wednesday at 1:00 PM. Uhhhh, clearly, that's not going to work out, since I work a full time job. Of course, there's no contact information for the Recruitment Office in the e-mail so I'll have to try to get a hold of someone on my lunch break today to see if it can be changed. I also received a call from my current job's Human Resources for an interview for another position in the Courthouse's Civil Division. I'm pretty excited for that - hopefully, it will come with a pay raise!
But enough about me, let's get to the point of this whole post. You're already aware of my car troubles (if not, see here) and the subsequent search for a new one. The other night The Hubs and I were talking about what we were looking for, how much we can afford per month, and what we plan to put down. Since 2012 was a pretty disastrous year for us, financially speaking, we really don't have a big pile of money to throw down on a car. The Hubs thinks this is fine, since we're not purchasing a new vehicle, but I'm leery that not paying anything except taxes & tags will screw me in the long run.
After doing a little research, I've found we're both right, but The Hubs is a little more so in our case (but don't tell him that). If we were buying a new, or even slightly used (say a Certified Pre-Owned), then I would be correct by wanting to make a larger down payment which would cover the car's depreciation during my first year of owning it. But, since we're buying an older model, it's already had it's maximum depreciation. Edmund's recommends 10% for a used car. At the $9,500 price tag I'm looking to spend (or stay under), that's about $900 plus the $600-ish for sales, so about $1,400 all together. I think that's a number we can handle, provided that the dealerships are willing to negotiate their sticker prices.
The one thing I'm not worried about? My interest rate. Even though I might be the worst credit user in awhile, my credit score hasn't suffered, and I think I'm still bound to get a nice rate. I'm hoping for 4%. In any case, I better bone up on my negotiation skills:
P.S. if you follow me on Instagram (@kathyquicktick), you'll see just what I did to my Kohl's card the night after this post.
We're still spending way too much money on groceries. By my count, it's between $300-$400 a month, and that doesn't include when I ask the Hubs to stop on his way home and pick something up. I definitely need to get back into the Fresh 20 groove (which I still owe you a post about) and start using coupons more frequently. I started drinking green smoothies again, which pretty much eliminates the need for any breakfast foods (the Hubs isn't a big breakfast eater).
I did cut down on the Wawa spending, though I didn't give it up totally like I wanted to. I think on every visit to Wawa, I would buy something, get back to my car, and then say "shit! I'm not supposed to be coming here!" But ya live and learn - I have yet to buy anything there this month!
I've been putting in applications left and right for part time jobs. I recently received an e-mail from Revel Casino for a Restaurant Host job; However, they want to interview me next Wednesday at 1:00 PM. Uhhhh, clearly, that's not going to work out, since I work a full time job. Of course, there's no contact information for the Recruitment Office in the e-mail so I'll have to try to get a hold of someone on my lunch break today to see if it can be changed. I also received a call from my current job's Human Resources for an interview for another position in the Courthouse's Civil Division. I'm pretty excited for that - hopefully, it will come with a pay raise!
But enough about me, let's get to the point of this whole post. You're already aware of my car troubles (if not, see here) and the subsequent search for a new one. The other night The Hubs and I were talking about what we were looking for, how much we can afford per month, and what we plan to put down. Since 2012 was a pretty disastrous year for us, financially speaking, we really don't have a big pile of money to throw down on a car. The Hubs thinks this is fine, since we're not purchasing a new vehicle, but I'm leery that not paying anything except taxes & tags will screw me in the long run.
After doing a little research, I've found we're both right, but The Hubs is a little more so in our case (but don't tell him that). If we were buying a new, or even slightly used (say a Certified Pre-Owned), then I would be correct by wanting to make a larger down payment which would cover the car's depreciation during my first year of owning it. But, since we're buying an older model, it's already had it's maximum depreciation. Edmund's recommends 10% for a used car. At the $9,500 price tag I'm looking to spend (or stay under), that's about $900 plus the $600-ish for sales, so about $1,400 all together. I think that's a number we can handle, provided that the dealerships are willing to negotiate their sticker prices.
The one thing I'm not worried about? My interest rate. Even though I might be the worst credit user in awhile, my credit score hasn't suffered, and I think I'm still bound to get a nice rate. I'm hoping for 4%. In any case, I better bone up on my negotiation skills:
car shopping pretty much makes me want to jump off a building
P.S. if you follow me on Instagram (@kathyquicktick), you'll see just what I did to my Kohl's card the night after this post.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
the three f's
Fury, Frustration, and you can imagine the last F.
First (no that's not the last F hah!), lets start with something non-financial. I have gotten massive nosebleeds for three of the last five days. I'm talking takes a half hour to clot kinda stuff coming from waay up in my nasal cavity. It's a ton of fun, as you can imagine.
I still have not purchased a vehicle. I've only been to three dealerships so far, but pretty much no one's willing to negotiate on the prices of cars I am interested in and we all know I can't afford a ridiculous car payment right now. I probably can't afford a car payment at all, but driving my car for much longer is no longer a viable option. Almost two weeks ago, I spent $430 to replace the engine and transmission mounts (rubber rings that hold both pieces in place); However, that did nothing to solve the transmission issue. Admittedly, the jerking is better than it was before the repair, but I still can't accelerate rapidly, which is an issue when 30 out of the 35 miles of my commute are on the Parkway. There's part one of the Fury.
Fury: Part Two (it's a three part show) involves receiving a bill from my primary care physician last night for my flu shot. Apparently, Cigna decided to terminate my coverage 11/17/2012 even though I was supposed to be covered until 12/28/2012. Now I'm in a massive appeals battle with them. This is equal parts Fury and Frustration.
Fury: Part Three happened on the way home from work yesterday when I realized I needed to pay my Kohl's bill soon. I logged on and saw they charged me a $25.00 late fee for last month. Additionally, because I was "late" they ratcheted my interest rate up to 25% and wanted a minimum payment of $70.00! This was my last straw with Kohl's - I don't remember if I blogged about how they hiked up my minimum payment for absolutely no reason a few months ago. After asking other people who have charge cards with them, I found out I was the only one who suffered that increase. I called to "decline the changes", but was told if I did, they would close my account all together. Since I haven't had my Kohl's charge that long, closing the account would actually look worse on my credit report than keeping it open, so I didn't do anything about it. Last night, I called Customer Service regarding the late fee, and the representative said "I guess we'll take your word for it and remove the late fee." I went bananas on her. B-A-N-A-N-A-S. "Of course you're going to remove the late fee, because I have never made a late payment in the two years I've had your card and I've made your company a lot of money" is what I said to her not so nicely. At the end of the conversation, I informed her I would be transferring my remaining balance onto one of my other credit card and no longer shopping at the store. Which is exactly what I did.
The third F, as you've probably figured out, rhymes with Duck and ends with You. Not you personally, readers, because I love you all for reading this blog and I would never ever ever say those things to you. It was a big middle finger to the universe. At other points last night, it ended in F-It because I was feeling quite depressed about our financial situation and had no other words for my feelings. It's still pretty accurate for how I feel today, too.
I'm sure it'll all get better, but the question is when? I'm tired of waiting.
First (no that's not the last F hah!), lets start with something non-financial. I have gotten massive nosebleeds for three of the last five days. I'm talking takes a half hour to clot kinda stuff coming from waay up in my nasal cavity. It's a ton of fun, as you can imagine.
I still have not purchased a vehicle. I've only been to three dealerships so far, but pretty much no one's willing to negotiate on the prices of cars I am interested in and we all know I can't afford a ridiculous car payment right now. I probably can't afford a car payment at all, but driving my car for much longer is no longer a viable option. Almost two weeks ago, I spent $430 to replace the engine and transmission mounts (rubber rings that hold both pieces in place); However, that did nothing to solve the transmission issue. Admittedly, the jerking is better than it was before the repair, but I still can't accelerate rapidly, which is an issue when 30 out of the 35 miles of my commute are on the Parkway. There's part one of the Fury.
Fury: Part Two (it's a three part show) involves receiving a bill from my primary care physician last night for my flu shot. Apparently, Cigna decided to terminate my coverage 11/17/2012 even though I was supposed to be covered until 12/28/2012. Now I'm in a massive appeals battle with them. This is equal parts Fury and Frustration.
Fury: Part Three happened on the way home from work yesterday when I realized I needed to pay my Kohl's bill soon. I logged on and saw they charged me a $25.00 late fee for last month. Additionally, because I was "late" they ratcheted my interest rate up to 25% and wanted a minimum payment of $70.00! This was my last straw with Kohl's - I don't remember if I blogged about how they hiked up my minimum payment for absolutely no reason a few months ago. After asking other people who have charge cards with them, I found out I was the only one who suffered that increase. I called to "decline the changes", but was told if I did, they would close my account all together. Since I haven't had my Kohl's charge that long, closing the account would actually look worse on my credit report than keeping it open, so I didn't do anything about it. Last night, I called Customer Service regarding the late fee, and the representative said "I guess we'll take your word for it and remove the late fee." I went bananas on her. B-A-N-A-N-A-S. "Of course you're going to remove the late fee, because I have never made a late payment in the two years I've had your card and I've made your company a lot of money" is what I said to her not so nicely. At the end of the conversation, I informed her I would be transferring my remaining balance onto one of my other credit card and no longer shopping at the store. Which is exactly what I did.
The third F, as you've probably figured out, rhymes with Duck and ends with You. Not you personally, readers, because I love you all for reading this blog and I would never ever ever say those things to you. It was a big middle finger to the universe. At other points last night, it ended in F-It because I was feeling quite depressed about our financial situation and had no other words for my feelings. It's still pretty accurate for how I feel today, too.
I'm sure it'll all get better, but the question is when? I'm tired of waiting.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
lemons part 2
In the seemingly unending car saga that is our life, we have had not one, but both cars putz out on us within the last week. Can it get any better?
At the beginning of last week, my car's transmission started making the dreaded clunking noise. It wasn't terrible, as long as I could accelerate slowly and gave it ample time to warm up in the morning, but still, it's just one of those sounds that you know is bad news.
Then on Wednesday night, I'm out running errands in The Hubs' car when it won't start. I know it's not the battery because we just had that replaced about a month ago, plus all the lights are on in the car and the radio works. It has to be the starter. (His response when I call him and tell him: "is this a joke?") I call AAA and I wait. And wait. And wait. It's just about the end of their allotted time frame for when they could show up when I tried to start the car again. Miracle of miracles, it worked. I hightailed it out of that parking lot and back home before it could fritz out on me again. Of course, after I got home, the car wouldn't start again.
On Thursday, we both took off work so we could get the car looked at. After a few tries, it started and we were able to take it to our mechanic in Absecon. As suspected, it was the starter. The Hubs was able to borrow my mom's car on Friday to get to work while it got fixed. Another $300 down the drain. I also took my car for an oil change in the hopes that it was just low transmission fluid causing it to turn over so hard. Unfortunately, it wasn't, and the car still has problems switching between first and second gear. I'm taking it in for a full transmission service on the 27th, which will switch out all the old fluid and filter, but there won't be any major repairs done. A new transmission will cost more than the car is worth, so the plan is to just to drive as little as possible until it totally gives out.
In response to all this, the hunt for a new car for The Hubs has been renewed and I'm hoping by the end of next month, we'll have found one that's smaller, more fuel efficient, and, most importantly, more reliable. The Hubs owes more on the car than I thought (about $9,000), but I did an online instant trade-in offer on Auto Trader and got a quote for about $6,500 on the trade-in value. I think that number is a little low, so I'm hopeful we can get between $7,000 - $7,500 for it, especially now that we did so many repairs. I've used a few online calculators to figure out if we get a car between $15,000 - $17,000, his car payments will be approximately the same as they are now for the same amount of time (five years). We're going to my in-laws this weekend, so I'm going to try and push him to go car shopping in the Leigh Valley region either Saturday or Monday.
As for me, it's a bit more complicated (isn't it always?). I haven't had a car payment since 2010, and, as you probably know from reading this blog, my current finances sometimes don't allow for me to go grocery shopping in a pay period, let alone make a car payment. I also have zero money set aside for a down payment and (obviously) my car is worth virtually nothing as a trade-in. The only way I could afford a car payment right now would be to buy another older vehicle, and honestly, what's the point in that? I run the same risk of a different older car breaking down that I do with the one I currently own. I've found one dealership nearby that is offering a $4,500 "cash for clunkers" program and I plan to check them out, but I'm not getting my hopes up. The plan is to buckle down and get a second job (hopefully one close by), so I can sock away some extra money for a heftier down payment. I've also been whispering sweet nothings to the engine and rubbing the dashboardcreepily loveingly to keep it moving. Totally normal, right?
I know my brother-in-law and his wife recently had a similar circumstance happen to them, but Stephanie is waaaaaay more fiscally responsible than I am, so they were able to weather the storm a bit better than we are.
We did have one sliver of good luck (money-wise) this week - The Hubs won his fantasy football pool at work and came home Monday with $1,100! Football season is one of the only times I'm grateful I married a sports fanatic.
At the beginning of last week, my car's transmission started making the dreaded clunking noise. It wasn't terrible, as long as I could accelerate slowly and gave it ample time to warm up in the morning, but still, it's just one of those sounds that you know is bad news.
Then on Wednesday night, I'm out running errands in The Hubs' car when it won't start. I know it's not the battery because we just had that replaced about a month ago, plus all the lights are on in the car and the radio works. It has to be the starter. (His response when I call him and tell him: "is this a joke?") I call AAA and I wait. And wait. And wait. It's just about the end of their allotted time frame for when they could show up when I tried to start the car again. Miracle of miracles, it worked. I hightailed it out of that parking lot and back home before it could fritz out on me again. Of course, after I got home, the car wouldn't start again.
On Thursday, we both took off work so we could get the car looked at. After a few tries, it started and we were able to take it to our mechanic in Absecon. As suspected, it was the starter. The Hubs was able to borrow my mom's car on Friday to get to work while it got fixed. Another $300 down the drain. I also took my car for an oil change in the hopes that it was just low transmission fluid causing it to turn over so hard. Unfortunately, it wasn't, and the car still has problems switching between first and second gear. I'm taking it in for a full transmission service on the 27th, which will switch out all the old fluid and filter, but there won't be any major repairs done. A new transmission will cost more than the car is worth, so the plan is to just to drive as little as possible until it totally gives out.
In response to all this, the hunt for a new car for The Hubs has been renewed and I'm hoping by the end of next month, we'll have found one that's smaller, more fuel efficient, and, most importantly, more reliable. The Hubs owes more on the car than I thought (about $9,000), but I did an online instant trade-in offer on Auto Trader and got a quote for about $6,500 on the trade-in value. I think that number is a little low, so I'm hopeful we can get between $7,000 - $7,500 for it, especially now that we did so many repairs. I've used a few online calculators to figure out if we get a car between $15,000 - $17,000, his car payments will be approximately the same as they are now for the same amount of time (five years). We're going to my in-laws this weekend, so I'm going to try and push him to go car shopping in the Leigh Valley region either Saturday or Monday.
As for me, it's a bit more complicated (isn't it always?). I haven't had a car payment since 2010, and, as you probably know from reading this blog, my current finances sometimes don't allow for me to go grocery shopping in a pay period, let alone make a car payment. I also have zero money set aside for a down payment and (obviously) my car is worth virtually nothing as a trade-in. The only way I could afford a car payment right now would be to buy another older vehicle, and honestly, what's the point in that? I run the same risk of a different older car breaking down that I do with the one I currently own. I've found one dealership nearby that is offering a $4,500 "cash for clunkers" program and I plan to check them out, but I'm not getting my hopes up. The plan is to buckle down and get a second job (hopefully one close by), so I can sock away some extra money for a heftier down payment. I've also been whispering sweet nothings to the engine and rubbing the dashboard
I know my brother-in-law and his wife recently had a similar circumstance happen to them, but Stephanie is waaaaaay more fiscally responsible than I am, so they were able to weather the storm a bit better than we are.
We did have one sliver of good luck (money-wise) this week - The Hubs won his fantasy football pool at work and came home Monday with $1,100! Football season is one of the only times I'm grateful I married a sports fanatic.
Friday, December 7, 2012
friday noir
Who forgets to talk about Black Friday on a personal finance blog? Me, apparently.
I shied away from talking about the sales before "the day", because you could've found that in every corner of the internet. The problem with that is then you forget the whole thing, as in this case.
While I had every intention of going to Wal-Mart for their 10 PM Thanksgiving night sale, I was thoroughly exhausted after cleaning and cooking all day (it was my first year having people over for Thanksgiving dinner), that I barely got through my glass of wine before passing out on the couch.
For me, Black Friday tends to be a day where I spend money on myself or the house. The best deals of the day were definitely at Macy's. I wasted a lot of time in morning looking for a new work suit when I really should've been in the home department. The morning specials were crazy good! I ended up getting a 4 quart stainless steel saute pan for $11 and I've used it at least ten times since then. I love it. I also picked up a 5-piece roasting set (pan, rack, baster, & lifting tongs) which was on sale for $20, then I had a 15% off coupon bringing the total price to $18. Unfortunately, the 15% off coupon only worked on regular sales and not the morning specials, so that was the only item I was able to get a deeper discount on.
It seemed like every time I was in the line waiting to check out, I would see something else I wanted (like the above roasting pan). On my second go-round of the home department, I scored a 53-piece flatware set for only $32 (regular price: $80). Obviously, The Hubs and I have every day flatware, but we only have service for four. It doesn't make a difference to us whether we eat dinner with a salad fork or a dinner fork, but in prepping for Thanksgiving dinner, I realized I didn't even have matching flatware for my family of five. Now I won't have to borrow my mom's silverware to have a dinner party. #grownup.
Lastly, my big purchase of the day was a Ninja Professional Blender. The Hubs and I have been looking for a nice blender since we got married. First, we had one of those "blend and go" little machines which smelled like melting plastic when you would run it and couldn't chop ice at all. Gross. Then we got a basic Kitchen Aide blender, which was better, but still didn't crush ice like we needed. My mother-in-law got us a Magic Bullet set she found at a yard sale, but still no dice on the ice. I called The Hubs and he gave his blessing on the Ninja purchase. I hoped I would be able to use a $10 off coupon as well, but, unfortunately, that didn't work. $90 later, we have a blender that can in fact "turn ice into snow" and I've been able to enjoy my green smoothies once more. Yipee! The rest of the mall was a bust that Friday, but that's what long weekend are for, right? I, for one, appreciated the extended Black Friday sales and was able to pick up some actual gifts on Saturday. Of course I took advantage of Cyber Monday sales as well.
All in all, I was able to wrap up (pun intended) most of Christmas shopping in one weekend. I have two more actual presents to get, then the rest of family has asked for cash.
How are you doing with your Christmas list? Have you gotten any good deals lately?
I shied away from talking about the sales before "the day", because you could've found that in every corner of the internet. The problem with that is then you forget the whole thing, as in this case.
While I had every intention of going to Wal-Mart for their 10 PM Thanksgiving night sale, I was thoroughly exhausted after cleaning and cooking all day (it was my first year having people over for Thanksgiving dinner), that I barely got through my glass of wine before passing out on the couch.
For me, Black Friday tends to be a day where I spend money on myself or the house. The best deals of the day were definitely at Macy's. I wasted a lot of time in morning looking for a new work suit when I really should've been in the home department. The morning specials were crazy good! I ended up getting a 4 quart stainless steel saute pan for $11 and I've used it at least ten times since then. I love it. I also picked up a 5-piece roasting set (pan, rack, baster, & lifting tongs) which was on sale for $20, then I had a 15% off coupon bringing the total price to $18. Unfortunately, the 15% off coupon only worked on regular sales and not the morning specials, so that was the only item I was able to get a deeper discount on.
It seemed like every time I was in the line waiting to check out, I would see something else I wanted (like the above roasting pan). On my second go-round of the home department, I scored a 53-piece flatware set for only $32 (regular price: $80). Obviously, The Hubs and I have every day flatware, but we only have service for four. It doesn't make a difference to us whether we eat dinner with a salad fork or a dinner fork, but in prepping for Thanksgiving dinner, I realized I didn't even have matching flatware for my family of five. Now I won't have to borrow my mom's silverware to have a dinner party. #grownup.
Lastly, my big purchase of the day was a Ninja Professional Blender. The Hubs and I have been looking for a nice blender since we got married. First, we had one of those "blend and go" little machines which smelled like melting plastic when you would run it and couldn't chop ice at all. Gross. Then we got a basic Kitchen Aide blender, which was better, but still didn't crush ice like we needed. My mother-in-law got us a Magic Bullet set she found at a yard sale, but still no dice on the ice. I called The Hubs and he gave his blessing on the Ninja purchase. I hoped I would be able to use a $10 off coupon as well, but, unfortunately, that didn't work. $90 later, we have a blender that can in fact "turn ice into snow" and I've been able to enjoy my green smoothies once more. Yipee! The rest of the mall was a bust that Friday, but that's what long weekend are for, right? I, for one, appreciated the extended Black Friday sales and was able to pick up some actual gifts on Saturday. Of course I took advantage of Cyber Monday sales as well.
All in all, I was able to wrap up (pun intended) most of Christmas shopping in one weekend. I have two more actual presents to get, then the rest of family has asked for cash.
How are you doing with your Christmas list? Have you gotten any good deals lately?
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
tracked
I think I've told you all about how I've been tracking my daily expenses in a notebook, right? If I didn't, the concept is pretty simple: buy a small notebook, carry it everywhere, & write down everything you spend money on. Last week, I filled my first notebook. It lasted from just after Labor Day (September 4) to the end of November.
The problem I ran into was categorizing what I wrote down. It would've been pretty difficult to go through by hand and see where I spent the most money. I was unsure of how to create my own Excel tracking sheet, but I found online (of course I can't find the link to now), which was easy to use & I could customize my own categories as well as my method of purchase (auto-debit, credit card, check, etc).
I spent most of the day Friday organizing my notes into the Spreadsheet. By lunchtime, I was thoroughly depressed by how much money I was spending needlessly. Even though I was writing it down, I guess I had become desensitized to the process - just writing my spending didn't mean anything anymore. But seeing my monthly shortfall in big red numbers sure did.
That process spurred this month's challenge: No Wawa for one month. It is downright embarrassing how much I was spending on food at Wawa on a monthly basis. $22 in September, $31 in October, and $59 in November! More than $100 in three months. It was probably just because I didn't feel like eating whatever lunch I brought that day, or we hadn't gone food shopping so I needed breakfast. This was in addition to the other money I spent on food/eating out (but not groceries). Ridiculousness.
We're only five days into the month, but I'm doing good so far. I did buy an orange juice there on Saturday morning before we went to my in-laws (& I bought The Hubs a breakfast sandwich, but he's not included in the challenge), but I drank half & saved the other for another morning. The Hubs was kind enough to go grocery shopping on Monday afternoon so now we have food to eat at dinner (and consequently, leftovers for lunch the next day).
An informal and totally non-scientific poll of my co-workers found that most don't track their spending on a daily basis, but log in weekly/monthly to make sure everything is hunky-dory. Even though PNC's Virtual Wallet can do the tracking for me, I've realized I'm the type of person who needs to do everything manually, otherwise my brain just doesn't register that money is flying out the window.
What about you?
The problem I ran into was categorizing what I wrote down. It would've been pretty difficult to go through by hand and see where I spent the most money. I was unsure of how to create my own Excel tracking sheet, but I found online (of course I can't find the link to now), which was easy to use & I could customize my own categories as well as my method of purchase (auto-debit, credit card, check, etc).
I spent most of the day Friday organizing my notes into the Spreadsheet. By lunchtime, I was thoroughly depressed by how much money I was spending needlessly. Even though I was writing it down, I guess I had become desensitized to the process - just writing my spending didn't mean anything anymore. But seeing my monthly shortfall in big red numbers sure did.
That process spurred this month's challenge: No Wawa for one month. It is downright embarrassing how much I was spending on food at Wawa on a monthly basis. $22 in September, $31 in October, and $59 in November! More than $100 in three months. It was probably just because I didn't feel like eating whatever lunch I brought that day, or we hadn't gone food shopping so I needed breakfast. This was in addition to the other money I spent on food/eating out (but not groceries). Ridiculousness.
We're only five days into the month, but I'm doing good so far. I did buy an orange juice there on Saturday morning before we went to my in-laws (& I bought The Hubs a breakfast sandwich, but he's not included in the challenge), but I drank half & saved the other for another morning. The Hubs was kind enough to go grocery shopping on Monday afternoon so now we have food to eat at dinner (and consequently, leftovers for lunch the next day).
An informal and totally non-scientific poll of my co-workers found that most don't track their spending on a daily basis, but log in weekly/monthly to make sure everything is hunky-dory. Even though PNC's Virtual Wallet can do the tracking for me, I've realized I'm the type of person who needs to do everything manually, otherwise my brain just doesn't register that money is flying out the window.
What about you?
Thursday, November 15, 2012
my first word
was N-O. And like most kids, I said it a lot.
It's funny to look back on because now, as an adult, I have a difficult time saying no to pretty much anything. I think (based on absolutely no research) that's common in women. The Hubs probably hates it, since now by default, he pretty much does whatever I'm doing in our spare time. Plan your party? Sure. Host Thanksgiving dinner? Okay. Help you move? We'll be there with bells on.
While I am a people pleaser, I don't say yes to things because I want the laurels. 99% of the time, I enjoy whatever I'm doing and, more importantly, helping people is what feels right to me. I'm a "fixer" by nature & if whatever you need done makes your life easier/less stressful, then I'm glad to help out.
Unfortunately, saying yes can add up, financially speaking. This week, I had to decline an invitation to a friend's bachelorette party. The reason was two-fold: I have obligations with The Hubs' family that weekend which can't be changed, but also, it would have been expensive. With the holidays coming up and having so many financial "situations" (for lack of a better term) the past few months, it's money I just can't spend right now.
I'm bummed, but the best decisions are always the hardest ones, right?
It's funny to look back on because now, as an adult, I have a difficult time saying no to pretty much anything. I think (based on absolutely no research) that's common in women. The Hubs probably hates it, since now by default, he pretty much does whatever I'm doing in our spare time. Plan your party? Sure. Host Thanksgiving dinner? Okay. Help you move? We'll be there with bells on.
While I am a people pleaser, I don't say yes to things because I want the laurels. 99% of the time, I enjoy whatever I'm doing and, more importantly, helping people is what feels right to me. I'm a "fixer" by nature & if whatever you need done makes your life easier/less stressful, then I'm glad to help out.
Unfortunately, saying yes can add up, financially speaking. This week, I had to decline an invitation to a friend's bachelorette party. The reason was two-fold: I have obligations with The Hubs' family that weekend which can't be changed, but also, it would have been expensive. With the holidays coming up and having so many financial "situations" (for lack of a better term) the past few months, it's money I just can't spend right now.
I'm bummed, but the best decisions are always the hardest ones, right?
Thursday, November 8, 2012
hey hey what can I do?
Every time I've opened a blank post up this week, I haven't been able to come up with something to write. I like to try and keep my posts focused, lest this become reminiscent of my teenage LiveJournal days; However, clarity has been elusive. I'm going to indulge my stream-of-consciousness today in the hopes a more focused blogger will appear at the end.
When we last left off, pre-hurricane, we had just spent $1,800 on the Hubs' car. Prior to this, we had about $2,200 on our joint Chase card. We made a lump payment of $1,000 before the car repair; However, now we have a $3,300 bill. Ugh. At least at the end of this month, we'll get the Hubs' check for coaching track and that can get paid off. Sandy delayed that by at least a week though, since the whole season was pushed back a week (including the bonus pay schedule).
Speaking of Sandy, I had a bit of a panic moment this past weekend, when I believed there was a very real possibility we weren't going to be paid as scheduled tomorrow (since no one was in last week to submit their time sheets). Thankfully, it looks as though the State of NJ is going to come through and deposit a much needed paycheck in my bank account tomorrow. Phew.
Post car, but pre-Sandy, we went to the Hubs' cousin's wedding in North Jersey. Seriously, people, I love you all, but we need to get out of this wedding phase. I forgot to buy a card & we didn't have time to grab one before the wedding on Friday, so I figured I would mail it to them when we got back, but then I thought that having the cash might be in our best interest if the power was out for an extended period of time. Well, our power came back on sooner than most (so so lucky), but I just can't be trusted with money. In general. Ever. Plus I kind of over spent on groceries right before the storm, so I was doubly broke. Luckily, we didn't lose any food with the storm (again, so so lucky). I just wrote them the check this morning. Whoops.
I did fall into a bit of money yesterday, though! I'm in a football pick-em pool at work and I scored the most points two weeks ago and won $100! I would've won $185, but I hadn't paid my entry fee yet, so that had to be subtracted. I'm currently 13 points off the leader, so I don't know if I have a shot of winning any of the top three prizes, but I'm trying not to think about it or I'll mess up my winning strategy (which is really no strategy at all, but quickly trying to get all my picks in before the start of the first game on Thursday night). I already spent the $100 in the form of a check to the above mentioned bride and groom though. Whoomp whoomp.
I've been spending more money on food lately than I should, specifically lunches. I'm in one of those funks where whatever I've brought doesn't actually appeal to me by the time I need to eat it. Yesterday was one of those days and today is shaping up to be one too. Plus we're going to lunch tomorrow for my co-worker, who already transferred to another county, but we couldn't celebrate since we weren't at work last week!
Lastly, I'll leave you with a little quip about spending money to make money (kind of). After Financial Literacy Month was over, I was reading other personal finance blogs and came across Man vs. Debt. I saw he offered a "class" of sorts called "You vs. Debt" and I thought it would be interesting and relevant to the blog so I signed up. I just started getting the e-mails and was getting pretty excited about the whole thing (well, as excited as you can be for a personal finance class). Yesterday, I got the e-mail to complete my registration and when I went to the website, you had to pay a one time fee of $97! I guess in the grand scheme of things, $97 isn't a lot of money, but really, what could they possibly tell me that I don't already know? I get it - I need to spend less and make more. It's harder than it seems when you're a spender. That's the secret. I just put it out there for free. It was definitely a major WTF moment for me.
It feels to get that jumble of money related "stuff" out there, as disjointed and unorganized as it might have been. How are my lovely readers out there doing? I haven't had any comments on the last four posts - did I lose you all?
When we last left off, pre-hurricane, we had just spent $1,800 on the Hubs' car. Prior to this, we had about $2,200 on our joint Chase card. We made a lump payment of $1,000 before the car repair; However, now we have a $3,300 bill. Ugh. At least at the end of this month, we'll get the Hubs' check for coaching track and that can get paid off. Sandy delayed that by at least a week though, since the whole season was pushed back a week (including the bonus pay schedule).
Speaking of Sandy, I had a bit of a panic moment this past weekend, when I believed there was a very real possibility we weren't going to be paid as scheduled tomorrow (since no one was in last week to submit their time sheets). Thankfully, it looks as though the State of NJ is going to come through and deposit a much needed paycheck in my bank account tomorrow. Phew.
Post car, but pre-Sandy, we went to the Hubs' cousin's wedding in North Jersey. Seriously, people, I love you all, but we need to get out of this wedding phase. I forgot to buy a card & we didn't have time to grab one before the wedding on Friday, so I figured I would mail it to them when we got back, but then I thought that having the cash might be in our best interest if the power was out for an extended period of time. Well, our power came back on sooner than most (so so lucky), but I just can't be trusted with money. In general. Ever. Plus I kind of over spent on groceries right before the storm, so I was doubly broke. Luckily, we didn't lose any food with the storm (again, so so lucky). I just wrote them the check this morning. Whoops.
I did fall into a bit of money yesterday, though! I'm in a football pick-em pool at work and I scored the most points two weeks ago and won $100! I would've won $185, but I hadn't paid my entry fee yet, so that had to be subtracted. I'm currently 13 points off the leader, so I don't know if I have a shot of winning any of the top three prizes, but I'm trying not to think about it or I'll mess up my winning strategy (which is really no strategy at all, but quickly trying to get all my picks in before the start of the first game on Thursday night). I already spent the $100 in the form of a check to the above mentioned bride and groom though. Whoomp whoomp.
I've been spending more money on food lately than I should, specifically lunches. I'm in one of those funks where whatever I've brought doesn't actually appeal to me by the time I need to eat it. Yesterday was one of those days and today is shaping up to be one too. Plus we're going to lunch tomorrow for my co-worker, who already transferred to another county, but we couldn't celebrate since we weren't at work last week!
Lastly, I'll leave you with a little quip about spending money to make money (kind of). After Financial Literacy Month was over, I was reading other personal finance blogs and came across Man vs. Debt. I saw he offered a "class" of sorts called "You vs. Debt" and I thought it would be interesting and relevant to the blog so I signed up. I just started getting the e-mails and was getting pretty excited about the whole thing (well, as excited as you can be for a personal finance class). Yesterday, I got the e-mail to complete my registration and when I went to the website, you had to pay a one time fee of $97! I guess in the grand scheme of things, $97 isn't a lot of money, but really, what could they possibly tell me that I don't already know? I get it - I need to spend less and make more. It's harder than it seems when you're a spender. That's the secret. I just put it out there for free. It was definitely a major WTF moment for me.
It feels to get that jumble of money related "stuff" out there, as disjointed and unorganized as it might have been. How are my lovely readers out there doing? I haven't had any comments on the last four posts - did I lose you all?
Thursday, October 25, 2012
lemons
Oh readers, what a week it's been. Some of you have heard this saga already, but let's review it one more time for the people in the back.
On Thursday morning, there was a large puddle under the Hub's SUV (which I actually didn't notice until that afternoon). It was power steering fluid. We pour another container of fluid in it Thursday night. By Friday morning, it's gone again. At 5 PM on Friday, I get a call saying the truck won't start. Great. I called our mechanic & let him know we were going to tow it over. The Hubs was able to get it started before I called AAA and drove it to the shop. And so began our week as a one-car household.
In a nutshell, the power steering basically exploded. Not literally exploded, but it was kind of like getting a hole in your aorta and spewing blood everywhere. The entire engine was coated in power-steering fluid and driving for two days without fluid had damaged the pump. Both of those parts needed to be replaced. The car wouldn't start because the battery was on it's last leg, so that needed to be replaced. Then, because all that work was going on in the front end, we had to have a wheel alignment done.
But wait, I'm not done yet.
In August, we took the SUV for new brakes. At that time, our mechanic, Chris, let us know we needed new hub bearings. We didn't have the extra money to spare at that time (it would be about $600), but we made a mental note to plan for that service once school started. When Chris called me yesterday to let me know the worst of the repairs were over, he said "but I can't in good conscious let you drive it off my lot with the bearings as they are now."
What was I supposed to do? Those had to get replaced as well. The good news was only the left side needed to be replaced. The right side can hold out a few more months.
Still not done, though.
Last summer, the Hubs' gas sensor stopped working. A bit of googling revealed this was a common problem in Trailblazers, but Chevy would not acknowledge the problem with a recall. In Fall 2011, we received a letter from Chevy indicating they would be willing to cover half the cost of a new fuel sensor as long as we had it fixed at a dealership. Again, not something that was emergent, so we put away the letter for another day. In light of all these repairs, I went digging in my files for this letter. The Hubs and I both thought we had until the end of this year to have the repair done, but, of course, it needs to be completed by 10/31/2012. Yes, that's right, 5 days from today. Nothing like a little last minute action to light a fire under your ass.
We're picking up the truck up tonight and tomorrow morning bringing it back to our local dealer to fix the fuel sensor. They let me know on the phone the part was a little less than $150, so hopefully, they won't kill us on labor and we'll be able to put this epic repair on the books.
In response to this nightmare, we decided we're going to trade in this vehicle (and by we, I mean me, but the Hubs also later agreed). Although most people probably wouldn't bother to fix the car in that case, ultimately, I believe it will help us in the long run because we'll be able to take our time in shopping for a car and won't feel rushed into a decision that might not be the best in the long-term.
I'm a bit miffed that my husband is getting a new car before me, but I'll be so happy the day the Trailblazer is gone. Besides, now is the fun part: Car shopping! We'll definitely be downsizing - right now I'm digging the Kia Soul. The Hubs is a big guy (6'2" - I won't tell you what he weighs ;-) ), so we need something with head & leg room, but that's also fuel efficient. Feel free to send in your endorsement!
On Thursday morning, there was a large puddle under the Hub's SUV (which I actually didn't notice until that afternoon). It was power steering fluid. We pour another container of fluid in it Thursday night. By Friday morning, it's gone again. At 5 PM on Friday, I get a call saying the truck won't start. Great. I called our mechanic & let him know we were going to tow it over. The Hubs was able to get it started before I called AAA and drove it to the shop. And so began our week as a one-car household.
In a nutshell, the power steering basically exploded. Not literally exploded, but it was kind of like getting a hole in your aorta and spewing blood everywhere. The entire engine was coated in power-steering fluid and driving for two days without fluid had damaged the pump. Both of those parts needed to be replaced. The car wouldn't start because the battery was on it's last leg, so that needed to be replaced. Then, because all that work was going on in the front end, we had to have a wheel alignment done.
But wait, I'm not done yet.
In August, we took the SUV for new brakes. At that time, our mechanic, Chris, let us know we needed new hub bearings. We didn't have the extra money to spare at that time (it would be about $600), but we made a mental note to plan for that service once school started. When Chris called me yesterday to let me know the worst of the repairs were over, he said "but I can't in good conscious let you drive it off my lot with the bearings as they are now."
What was I supposed to do? Those had to get replaced as well. The good news was only the left side needed to be replaced. The right side can hold out a few more months.
Still not done, though.
Last summer, the Hubs' gas sensor stopped working. A bit of googling revealed this was a common problem in Trailblazers, but Chevy would not acknowledge the problem with a recall. In Fall 2011, we received a letter from Chevy indicating they would be willing to cover half the cost of a new fuel sensor as long as we had it fixed at a dealership. Again, not something that was emergent, so we put away the letter for another day. In light of all these repairs, I went digging in my files for this letter. The Hubs and I both thought we had until the end of this year to have the repair done, but, of course, it needs to be completed by 10/31/2012. Yes, that's right, 5 days from today. Nothing like a little last minute action to light a fire under your ass.
We're picking up the truck up tonight and tomorrow morning bringing it back to our local dealer to fix the fuel sensor. They let me know on the phone the part was a little less than $150, so hopefully, they won't kill us on labor and we'll be able to put this epic repair on the books.
In response to this nightmare, we decided we're going to trade in this vehicle (and by we, I mean me, but the Hubs also later agreed). Although most people probably wouldn't bother to fix the car in that case, ultimately, I believe it will help us in the long run because we'll be able to take our time in shopping for a car and won't feel rushed into a decision that might not be the best in the long-term.
I'm a bit miffed that my husband is getting a new car before me, but I'll be so happy the day the Trailblazer is gone. Besides, now is the fun part: Car shopping! We'll definitely be downsizing - right now I'm digging the Kia Soul. The Hubs is a big guy (6'2" - I won't tell you what he weighs ;-) ), so we need something with head & leg room, but that's also fuel efficient. Feel free to send in your endorsement!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
three points
I was passing the time at work reading A Cup of Jo 's archives yesterday and I happened upon a post about authenticity. Joanna's mother wrote this to her regarding the subject:
For Better:
Writing down daily expenses/purchases in a mini-notebook, including anything auto-debited from my account
Transferring chunks of money into my short-term savings account - I've learned that the less money I see in the "available" column, the less I spend overall.
Spending less money on groceries, overall. I'll have a post about that soon.
Being able to say no/put things back/be more realistic with my purchases. For example, I was in Target on Tuesday, and put back more than a few things that I just didn't need.
"It seems to me that being authentic is being brave enough or just candid enough to be honest about what you are experiencing or who you are, whether it is popular are not... Whenever you are honest, you are speaking for a thousand silent people who don't have the voice to say what they really feel or are really experiencing. So, if you ever talk about [the thing you went through], you will touch a million hearts. Because you are speaking for more than just yourself. You are never alone in what you are feeling."It resonated with me the whole day. I think I've done an okay job being authentic (so far!) with those that read this blog, but lately, I think I've been sticking my short-comings in the corner and not acknowledging them as I should. I don't want, nor can I afford, to resort back to the "ostrich syndrome" (sticking your head in the sand to avoid something). So with that, here's a list for you of what I've been able to do and what I still need to do in my financial life.
For Better:
Still Needs Work:
Has Been Totally Ignored:
So that's where I'm at. I'm getting there. Like most things, this takes a lot more time and effort than I initally think it will. I try not to get too frustrated with myself, but the perfectionist in me makes it hard somedays. I still get moody and want to buy a shirt sometimes, but I'm getting better at realizing that shopping high is going to last about as long as my bad mood.
In the wise words of Alanis Morisette: "And what it all comes down to/ Is that I haven't got it all figured out just yet"
How are you doing in your financial life?
Monday, October 15, 2012
too soon?
I come from a pretty traditional family. Not the "you can't live together until you're married" traditional, but the "you can't decorate for the holidays unless it's the same month." For most of my childhood, we didn't decorate our Christmas tree until Christmas Eve.
When we bought our house, I couldn't wait to start decorating... except it was the end of February with no major holidays in sight (St. Patrick's Day doesn't count for me) and we were getting married in less than three months, so there were other things I needed to spend my money on. I tried to resist the urge to buy holiday decorations at full price, but I couldn't pass on the Christmas cheer, regardless of how much it cost.
Now, we've gotswag decorations for pretty much every occasion, thanks to the clearance rack at Tar-jay. Which leaves me with the conundrum: What do I get everyone for Christmas this year?
I can see your heads spinning now. Christmas??? You say.... It's not even Halloween yet!
I know, I know. For most people, it's entirely too soon. But, if there's one thing I've learned from all my financial hiccups over the years, it's much better for me to spread out buying everyone's presents over the course of three-ish months, than to try to cram it all in between Black Friday & Christmas. The latter almost always reverts to me using my credit cards, which is a no-no this year.
I actually have three presents so far, two for my mom and one for the hubs (which I bought yesterday). Then I have a bonus present, which means I haven't decided what family member or friend will get it, but it'll be good for someone. Momma Q has given me a few ideas about what she wants, which is great, plus there's always a nice stand-by of gifts I know she needs/will use. It's always hard for me to practice gift-buying restraint when it comes to my Mom, because to me, she deserves everything!
I'm going to suggest to the hubs that we pair down the gifts we give each other and maybe get something for the house that we'll both enjoy or go on a trip somewhere instead.
Has anyone else started their holiday shopping yet, or am I the only one?
When we bought our house, I couldn't wait to start decorating... except it was the end of February with no major holidays in sight (St. Patrick's Day doesn't count for me) and we were getting married in less than three months, so there were other things I needed to spend my money on. I tried to resist the urge to buy holiday decorations at full price, but I couldn't pass on the Christmas cheer, regardless of how much it cost.
Now, we've got
I can see your heads spinning now. Christmas??? You say.... It's not even Halloween yet!
I know, I know. For most people, it's entirely too soon. But, if there's one thing I've learned from all my financial hiccups over the years, it's much better for me to spread out buying everyone's presents over the course of three-ish months, than to try to cram it all in between Black Friday & Christmas. The latter almost always reverts to me using my credit cards, which is a no-no this year.
I actually have three presents so far, two for my mom and one for the hubs (which I bought yesterday). Then I have a bonus present, which means I haven't decided what family member or friend will get it, but it'll be good for someone. Momma Q has given me a few ideas about what she wants, which is great, plus there's always a nice stand-by of gifts I know she needs/will use. It's always hard for me to practice gift-buying restraint when it comes to my Mom, because to me, she deserves everything!
I'm going to suggest to the hubs that we pair down the gifts we give each other and maybe get something for the house that we'll both enjoy or go on a trip somewhere instead.
Has anyone else started their holiday shopping yet, or am I the only one?
Thursday, October 11, 2012
den decisions
Hello, world! I'm back. A little tanner, a lot more tired, and still with a few bucks in my pocket (just barely).
Disney went swimmingly. I spent a bit more money than I anticipated - maybe about $50 more - but overall, it was good. Buying snacks & fruit in advance definitely helped. By the time we go back for the next race (in two years), I'll be a pro.
Today, I want to talk about our next big purchase: Re-doing our den. Which, actually, will be a series of smaller purchases. Last night, we decided it's finally time to stop procrastinating and start doing. The reason is kind of gross. For the past two summers, Molly has gotten fleas. I don't know how she's getting them because we put the drops on her (and now, she wears a flea collar too), plus I vacuum and wash everything more frequently than I'd like to. I've come to the conclusion that they must be living in our Berber rug and the only way to totally eliminate them is rip it all out and start over.
We don't plan on staying in this house very long (if it were up to me, I'd put it up for sale tomorrow), so we're looking to do some smaller updates instead of spending a large amount of money on a total renovation. Our first objective is to figure out what kind of flooring to put down.
I've been in luuurve with the idea of staining the concrete underlayment since I saw Chris & Julia do it in their basement. The hubs is digging it too, and it's currently the front-runner. My favorite bloggers on the planet, John & Sherry at Young House Love, did it too (& then, they re-did it with an oil based floor paint).
The second option would be to install some kind of hardwood or laminate flooring to match the existing flooring in entryway/living room/kitchen. We estimated we'd need about 300 square feet of flooring; The room is shaped like a wide "L" & is 21' feet long.
Our design dilemma is how to make the room function. Currently, the TV is mounted on the wall directly across from the sofa, about 6 feet away, which means you're always kind of staring up at the TV & it can get uncomfortable (we watch a lot of TV). That also leaves a lot of empty space on the other side of the room. We're having a hard time trying to integrate the room as a whole or divvy it up into two separate, but equal spaces.
But this isn't a design blog- it's a money blog. Back to the flooring. Staining the concrete looks like it might be our best bet financially. To tell the truth, I had a bit of sticker shock when looking at flooring prices. Of course, everything I liked (bamboo/cork options) was between $3 and $5 per square foot. Realistically, we need to be under $2 per square foot, plus any additional tools we'd need like underlayment. We haven't set an "official" flooring budget yet, but I think anything over $800 is out of the question (& that's for everything, not just the flooring).
Yesterday, I spoke with our contractor/handyman, Jack, whose done most of the work on our house so far and he's going to email me a quote for prepping the concrete that's already there. While this is a step we could do ourselves, I think buying or renting the tools we'd need might be about the same as paying him to do it. Plus, we can barely hang a picture, so I'm not sure this is the first major project I want to jump into.
We don't have many local flooring places in our neighborhood (in fact, I can't think of any), so we'll most likely be shopping at Lowe's. The hubs has a credit card there and we'd get 5% back on any purchases, which is nice. I'm going to do some Craigs List-ing, too, but I don't know how successful that will be considering the amount of flooring we need.
Any one else have a current house project going on or have any experience with flooring? The hubs and I are definitely not DIY-ers; I prefer reading about it to doing it any day of the week!
Disney went swimmingly. I spent a bit more money than I anticipated - maybe about $50 more - but overall, it was good. Buying snacks & fruit in advance definitely helped. By the time we go back for the next race (in two years), I'll be a pro.
Today, I want to talk about our next big purchase: Re-doing our den. Which, actually, will be a series of smaller purchases. Last night, we decided it's finally time to stop procrastinating and start doing. The reason is kind of gross. For the past two summers, Molly has gotten fleas. I don't know how she's getting them because we put the drops on her (and now, she wears a flea collar too), plus I vacuum and wash everything more frequently than I'd like to. I've come to the conclusion that they must be living in our Berber rug and the only way to totally eliminate them is rip it all out and start over.
We don't plan on staying in this house very long (if it were up to me, I'd put it up for sale tomorrow), so we're looking to do some smaller updates instead of spending a large amount of money on a total renovation. Our first objective is to figure out what kind of flooring to put down.
I've been in luuurve with the idea of staining the concrete underlayment since I saw Chris & Julia do it in their basement. The hubs is digging it too, and it's currently the front-runner. My favorite bloggers on the planet, John & Sherry at Young House Love, did it too (& then, they re-did it with an oil based floor paint).
The second option would be to install some kind of hardwood or laminate flooring to match the existing flooring in entryway/living room/kitchen. We estimated we'd need about 300 square feet of flooring; The room is shaped like a wide "L" & is 21' feet long.
 |
| rough rough rough sketch |
Our design dilemma is how to make the room function. Currently, the TV is mounted on the wall directly across from the sofa, about 6 feet away, which means you're always kind of staring up at the TV & it can get uncomfortable (we watch a lot of TV). That also leaves a lot of empty space on the other side of the room. We're having a hard time trying to integrate the room as a whole or divvy it up into two separate, but equal spaces.
But this isn't a design blog- it's a money blog. Back to the flooring. Staining the concrete looks like it might be our best bet financially. To tell the truth, I had a bit of sticker shock when looking at flooring prices. Of course, everything I liked (bamboo/cork options) was between $3 and $5 per square foot. Realistically, we need to be under $2 per square foot, plus any additional tools we'd need like underlayment. We haven't set an "official" flooring budget yet, but I think anything over $800 is out of the question (& that's for everything, not just the flooring).
Yesterday, I spoke with our contractor/handyman, Jack, whose done most of the work on our house so far and he's going to email me a quote for prepping the concrete that's already there. While this is a step we could do ourselves, I think buying or renting the tools we'd need might be about the same as paying him to do it. Plus, we can barely hang a picture, so I'm not sure this is the first major project I want to jump into.
We don't have many local flooring places in our neighborhood (in fact, I can't think of any), so we'll most likely be shopping at Lowe's. The hubs has a credit card there and we'd get 5% back on any purchases, which is nice. I'm going to do some Craigs List-ing, too, but I don't know how successful that will be considering the amount of flooring we need.
Any one else have a current house project going on or have any experience with flooring? The hubs and I are definitely not DIY-ers; I prefer reading about it to doing it any day of the week!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
tricks for treats
Well, Readers, I'm all packed up for our four day Disney excursion. I'll be back Monday to detail if I was able to stick to the budget. I am happy to report that I did not buy any new clothes for this trip, which honestly, might be a first. Actually, I did buy a new pack of socks, but those I can use all the time, so we won't count that ;-)
I'll leave you with a Yahoo article about how stores trick you into spending more money. There's some sneaky stuff going on- like increasing the size of the shopping cart so you spend more money (just another reason to use the handheld basket on smaller trips).
One of the points I could definitely relate to was rasing the price on an items just to mark it down so you feel like you're saving more money. Their example was people are more likely to buy a mixer for $399.00 marked down from $499.00 rather than buy the same mixer which isn't on sale for $349.00. Another trick is the 10 for $10 "deal": I definitely will almost always buy more of something when it's marked 10/$10 (which is what they want!) I can't tell you how many times The Hubs has said something like "You know, you don't have to buy ten of them."
Do you ever fall victim to one of their price tricks? Knowledge is half the battle!
Also, speaking of knowledge, check out my sister's blog for a post about Banned Books Week and see how many of the classics you've read. I've read a paltry 9 out of 46 books. Had I read this morning, I would've gone to the library instead of buying magazines for the plane ride tonight!
I'll leave you with a Yahoo article about how stores trick you into spending more money. There's some sneaky stuff going on- like increasing the size of the shopping cart so you spend more money (just another reason to use the handheld basket on smaller trips).
One of the points I could definitely relate to was rasing the price on an items just to mark it down so you feel like you're saving more money. Their example was people are more likely to buy a mixer for $399.00 marked down from $499.00 rather than buy the same mixer which isn't on sale for $349.00. Another trick is the 10 for $10 "deal": I definitely will almost always buy more of something when it's marked 10/$10 (which is what they want!) I can't tell you how many times The Hubs has said something like "You know, you don't have to buy ten of them."
Do you ever fall victim to one of their price tricks? Knowledge is half the battle!
Also, speaking of knowledge, check out my sister's blog for a post about Banned Books Week and see how many of the classics you've read. I've read a paltry 9 out of 46 books. Had I read this morning, I would've gone to the library instead of buying magazines for the plane ride tonight!
Monday, October 1, 2012
ten days
I was reading my favorite blog this morning, Young House Love, and John posted about his annual tradition, Aquatober. As the name suggests, he takes the whole month off from other beverages except water (and sometimes milk).
In any personal finance book or article you read, one of the suggestions you'll see over and over again is to cut out the small spending because it really adds up. The other day, I found myself justifying my Wawa coffee purchase because (and this really was my internal dialogue) "it's not like I buy $3 Starbucks everyday, or even that I buy coffee everyday. It's a twice, maybe three times a week purchase, so at $1.45 per purchase, it's less than $20 a month."
But you know what? It's still $20 I don't have at the end of the month. It's still 250 calories (in the 12 ounce; 300 in the 16 ounce) and 29 grams of sugar that I don't need to be taking in.
I can probably give up Wawa coffee for a month. I can probably give up my weekend Starbucks (actually, I know I can because I don't have any money left on my card). I definitely can't give up hot tea though. But, since that pretty much is flavored water, I'm going to let that slide in. I also have four cans of Diet Pepsi in the fridge. One can by the time we leave for Disney on Wednesday. This is already not going well.
Then I discovered the 10 Days program. Created by college students back in 2007, participants drink only water for one week. The money saved is used to provide 10 Rwandan communities with clean safe water.
10 Days? I can handle 10 Days. Is anyone else up for the challenge?
In any personal finance book or article you read, one of the suggestions you'll see over and over again is to cut out the small spending because it really adds up. The other day, I found myself justifying my Wawa coffee purchase because (and this really was my internal dialogue) "it's not like I buy $3 Starbucks everyday, or even that I buy coffee everyday. It's a twice, maybe three times a week purchase, so at $1.45 per purchase, it's less than $20 a month."
But you know what? It's still $20 I don't have at the end of the month. It's still 250 calories (in the 12 ounce; 300 in the 16 ounce) and 29 grams of sugar that I don't need to be taking in.
 |
| what 29 grams of sugar looks like (photo from Sugar Stacks) |
Then I discovered the 10 Days program. Created by college students back in 2007, participants drink only water for one week. The money saved is used to provide 10 Rwandan communities with clean safe water.
 |
| from 10 Days |
Friday, September 28, 2012
mish mash
I have a whole mess of financial thoughts running through my head today.
First, Molly is sick today. Actually, she's been sick since about Wednesday, but this morning it started to get worse instead of better. I took my child to the doctor like any good mother, only she's not covered by my health insurance. $255 later, we had blood drawn, a shot, meds, and new food to take home. I had to put that on our joint Chase card since this is the paycheck where the mortgage comes out and we're going to Disney next week.
Speaking of Disney, I managed to put aside $300 to take with me. We leave Wednesday night and come back Monday afternoon. Saturday will be taken up with race day, so I'm hoping that other than food, my expenses will be minimal and I'll be able to come back with some of that money.
Yesterday, I received an email that my job is not continuing my health plan in 2013. Next month I have to decide whether to jump onto the hubs plan or to take the other plan that's offered. I'm leaning towards the former right now, but it'll depend on what kind of coverage they'll offer for my post-op doctor visits and physical therapy when I get knee surgery later this year. It's very frustrating decision to have to make. I'll admit I had a "poor poor Kathy" mindset last night, but I'm getting over it.
It's not all bad news, though. I've been very good at documenting my spending this month and I think I've managed to reduce spending - not by much - but a little. I was able to stick to a budget when buying a bridal shower gift last week and spent less than I usually would. I even went to Home Goods yesterday with some co-workers and didn't see anything I wanted to buy! That's huge.
Any news with my readers - who's got big weekend plans? We're having people over for the Jets / 49ers game on Sunday since the tickets were too expensive for us to actually go.
First, Molly is sick today. Actually, she's been sick since about Wednesday, but this morning it started to get worse instead of better. I took my child to the doctor like any good mother, only she's not covered by my health insurance. $255 later, we had blood drawn, a shot, meds, and new food to take home. I had to put that on our joint Chase card since this is the paycheck where the mortgage comes out and we're going to Disney next week.
Speaking of Disney, I managed to put aside $300 to take with me. We leave Wednesday night and come back Monday afternoon. Saturday will be taken up with race day, so I'm hoping that other than food, my expenses will be minimal and I'll be able to come back with some of that money.
Yesterday, I received an email that my job is not continuing my health plan in 2013. Next month I have to decide whether to jump onto the hubs plan or to take the other plan that's offered. I'm leaning towards the former right now, but it'll depend on what kind of coverage they'll offer for my post-op doctor visits and physical therapy when I get knee surgery later this year. It's very frustrating decision to have to make. I'll admit I had a "poor poor Kathy" mindset last night, but I'm getting over it.
It's not all bad news, though. I've been very good at documenting my spending this month and I think I've managed to reduce spending - not by much - but a little. I was able to stick to a budget when buying a bridal shower gift last week and spent less than I usually would. I even went to Home Goods yesterday with some co-workers and didn't see anything I wanted to buy! That's huge.
Any news with my readers - who's got big weekend plans? We're having people over for the Jets / 49ers game on Sunday since the tickets were too expensive for us to actually go.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
magic isn't cheap
Next Wednesday, the hubs and I are traveling to the Most Magical Place on Earth (I feel the need to capitalize that, for some reason), as his cross country team is competing in the ESPN Cross Country Classic. Back when we first found out about the trip, we were both pretty psyched. I say we, because I was invited to attend as a chaperone. Sidenote: There are few words in the English language that make you feel old than chaperone.
Before you get your undies in a bunch about taxpayer money being wasted on a non-district employee such as myself (like my Mom), you should know we were responsible for paying our own way. Additionally, the girls cross country coach decided this year, the team would "upgrade" from a value resort to a moderate resort. For those of you who don't know, here are the differences:
Value Resort: Your basic amenities - food court, gift shop, pools (but no water slides), a lot of walking, sometimes long waits for the shuttles. Basically, we would be at the Wide World of Sports hotel (or other Value priced hotel) with every other cross country team attending.
Moderate Resort: A bit more upscale. There's a food court AND a table service restaurant and there are more pools (and some have water slides). The walking is about the same as well as the transportation (Disney shuttle).
I stayed in the Port Orleans Moderate resort when I went to Disney at 17. Honestly, I don't remember anything special about it. The two times the =hubs and I have gone to Disney as adults, we've stayed near Downtown Disney (because we're drunks). Personally, I would've been fine with spending less money on a Value resort this time around. But then again, when there aren't 500 obnoxious high schoolers around our resort while I'm trying to sleep - I'll be grateful.
Granted, I'm sure we saved some money by traveling in a large group, but some things are expensive in Disney no matter which way you look at it. The biggest of these is food. I did some research the other night on this and there are a few websites with helpful suggestions, but the most informative one is Mouse Savers. Every tip you could ever imagine for any Disney vacation is there.
The number #1 tip I found was that you can now bring your own water into the theme parks and fill up at the water fountains as your day goes on. Considering bottle of water usually cost at least $2, this is definitely going to come in handy. You can also bring snacks into the park as well. This weekend, we'll be picking up some travel-friendly snack packs to bring in with us.
The hubs and I also agreed to keep our meals light. He's decided to stick with two meals a day, so if he eats breakfast, he'll skip lunch, and munch on the snacks until dinner. I can't skip meals without turning into an angry bear, so my plan is to bring oatmeal that I can mix up in the room to eat for breakfast then hit the produce stand of whatever park we're in that day (there's one in every park) for a cheap, nutritious filler. Hopefully, when our day starts to wind down I'll be able to grab a few pieces of fruit for the next day as well.
For times that we have to eat in the park, Mouse Savers points out a few money-saving options:
Before you get your undies in a bunch about taxpayer money being wasted on a non-district employee such as myself (like my Mom), you should know we were responsible for paying our own way. Additionally, the girls cross country coach decided this year, the team would "upgrade" from a value resort to a moderate resort. For those of you who don't know, here are the differences:
Value Resort: Your basic amenities - food court, gift shop, pools (but no water slides), a lot of walking, sometimes long waits for the shuttles. Basically, we would be at the Wide World of Sports hotel (or other Value priced hotel) with every other cross country team attending.
Moderate Resort: A bit more upscale. There's a food court AND a table service restaurant and there are more pools (and some have water slides). The walking is about the same as well as the transportation (Disney shuttle).
I stayed in the Port Orleans Moderate resort when I went to Disney at 17. Honestly, I don't remember anything special about it. The two times the =hubs and I have gone to Disney as adults, we've stayed near Downtown Disney (because we're drunks). Personally, I would've been fine with spending less money on a Value resort this time around. But then again, when there aren't 500 obnoxious high schoolers around our resort while I'm trying to sleep - I'll be grateful.
Granted, I'm sure we saved some money by traveling in a large group, but some things are expensive in Disney no matter which way you look at it. The biggest of these is food. I did some research the other night on this and there are a few websites with helpful suggestions, but the most informative one is Mouse Savers. Every tip you could ever imagine for any Disney vacation is there.
The number #1 tip I found was that you can now bring your own water into the theme parks and fill up at the water fountains as your day goes on. Considering bottle of water usually cost at least $2, this is definitely going to come in handy. You can also bring snacks into the park as well. This weekend, we'll be picking up some travel-friendly snack packs to bring in with us.
The hubs and I also agreed to keep our meals light. He's decided to stick with two meals a day, so if he eats breakfast, he'll skip lunch, and munch on the snacks until dinner. I can't skip meals without turning into an angry bear, so my plan is to bring oatmeal that I can mix up in the room to eat for breakfast then hit the produce stand of whatever park we're in that day (there's one in every park) for a cheap, nutritious filler. Hopefully, when our day starts to wind down I'll be able to grab a few pieces of fruit for the next day as well.
For times that we have to eat in the park, Mouse Savers points out a few money-saving options:
- Split a large meal between the two of us. For example, you can get half a rotisserie chicken with mashed potatoes & vegetables for about $10 in at least one restaurant at all the different parks
- Buy kids meal portions at counter service restaurant - no kid required!
- Anything offered as a combination meal you can actually get a la carte. So instead of buying a sandwich, fries, salad, and drink, we can pick & chose what we'll actually eat. No wasted food OR money.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
under my umbrella
2011 to 2013 has been, is, and will be an exciting time for us as well as our family & friends.
In October 2010, we kicked off the start of "Wedding Fever" with one of my best friend's wedding. In April 2011, we got married. We had weddings in May and June 2011. Then our two other best friends got married (to each other!) in September 2011 and with that came the responsibilities of throwing a shower & a bachelorette party.
Then we had a lull - we missed a wedding in November 2011 due to Brian's track schedule. In June 2012, we started back up with a wedding in the Poconos. In August, we not only had two weddings, but the weddings were on the same day. I went to one, while the hubs went to the other. Besides the wedding, I also went to the shower, bachelorette party, & helped plan her office shower. The day after her wedding, I went to a bridal shower for Brian's cousin. Three weeks later, I attended a wedding for my co-worker.
Besides the weddings, I've also been to at least two baby showers in January 2011 and May 2012 (which was for triplets!).
Which brings us to the present. Lots of presents.
But don't get me wrong. I love weddings. I love bachelorette parties and I love showers. I'm a weirdo. I love planning them and I love going to them. Most women I know dread going to showers, but not me. Food? Presents? Cheesy games? Possibly Mimosas? Count me in.
Remember way back in April when we were talking about Financial Literacy Month? I briefly discussed back then that I have a hard time sticking to budgets when it comes to gifts. Weddings are fairly easy because all you have to do is write the check and buy a card (although our standard amount has risen about $50 since we first started dating). But now having gotten married and done the whole she-bang I find it harder to stick to a budget for my engaged friends because there are so many products out there that are useful.
Coming up, I have a shower in mid-October followed by a family wedding two weeks later. Throw in multiple birthdays in October/November and that takes us right to Christmas. We have a wedding in January 2013 and a long distance wedding in Colorado in May. I *think* Wedding Fever offically ends in October 2013 when two of our close friends get married, but a lot can happen in one year.
So we have some friends who are engaged, some who are married, and some who have started to segway into the baby portion of their lives. With all of these life events intersecting, it's become even more important that I stick to any budgets I set for each event.
I've beenhoarding collecting as many Bed, Bath, & Beyond coupons as I can so when the time comes for wedding showers, I'll be able to buy a few mid-range items without totally breaking the bank.
Anyone else hanging out at the intersection of weddings and babies? It looks like I'll be here for awhile, so get comfy!
sidenote: There will be no budgets, ever, for my future neice. That goes against the Aunt code (that totally exists, right?)
In October 2010, we kicked off the start of "Wedding Fever" with one of my best friend's wedding. In April 2011, we got married. We had weddings in May and June 2011. Then our two other best friends got married (to each other!) in September 2011 and with that came the responsibilities of throwing a shower & a bachelorette party.
Then we had a lull - we missed a wedding in November 2011 due to Brian's track schedule. In June 2012, we started back up with a wedding in the Poconos. In August, we not only had two weddings, but the weddings were on the same day. I went to one, while the hubs went to the other. Besides the wedding, I also went to the shower, bachelorette party, & helped plan her office shower. The day after her wedding, I went to a bridal shower for Brian's cousin. Three weeks later, I attended a wedding for my co-worker.
Besides the weddings, I've also been to at least two baby showers in January 2011 and May 2012 (which was for triplets!).
Which brings us to the present. Lots of presents.
But don't get me wrong. I love weddings. I love bachelorette parties and I love showers. I'm a weirdo. I love planning them and I love going to them. Most women I know dread going to showers, but not me. Food? Presents? Cheesy games? Possibly Mimosas? Count me in.
Remember way back in April when we were talking about Financial Literacy Month? I briefly discussed back then that I have a hard time sticking to budgets when it comes to gifts. Weddings are fairly easy because all you have to do is write the check and buy a card (although our standard amount has risen about $50 since we first started dating). But now having gotten married and done the whole she-bang I find it harder to stick to a budget for my engaged friends because there are so many products out there that are useful.
Coming up, I have a shower in mid-October followed by a family wedding two weeks later. Throw in multiple birthdays in October/November and that takes us right to Christmas. We have a wedding in January 2013 and a long distance wedding in Colorado in May. I *think* Wedding Fever offically ends in October 2013 when two of our close friends get married, but a lot can happen in one year.
So we have some friends who are engaged, some who are married, and some who have started to segway into the baby portion of their lives. With all of these life events intersecting, it's become even more important that I stick to any budgets I set for each event.
I've been
Anyone else hanging out at the intersection of weddings and babies? It looks like I'll be here for awhile, so get comfy!
sidenote: There will be no budgets, ever, for my future neice. That goes against the Aunt code (that totally exists, right?)
Friday, September 14, 2012
sub or hero?
Disclaimer: this post is not actually about the linguistics of a sub/hero/hoagie. I don't want this blog to be the start of geographical warfare (because that's totally what would happen). Authors Note: If you're visting South Jersey, it's hoagie.
I was reading Stephanie's blog this morning and she noted she has never made zucchini bread with nutmeg, simply because she didn't have it in her pantry. Instead, she uses pumpkin pie spice and it works out just fine. This got me thinking about all the times I haven't had something in the pantry/fridge that a receipe called for. When, and if, I meal planned, I usually just went right down the list and bought everything a receipe called for. This can get very expensive and half the time I don't use the ingredient again. Talk about a waste of money.
Lately, I've been getting better at checking out substitutions for common (and not so common) ingredients. I thought I would share with my lovely readers (all three of you) my favorites so far. Just know that these are necessarily "healthier" substitutions, but perhaps, easier.
Allspice: equal parts nutmeg, cinnamon, & cloves
Bread crumbs: rolled oats (crushed up a bit) or even plain potato chips crushed finely
Butter: 7/8 cup of oil for every one cup of butter
Buttermilk: just under 1 cup of milk combined with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Let sit for five minutes then use as needed
Egg: applesauce, half a banana, or plain yogurt can be great egg substitutes in baked goods, just remember to add a pinch of baking powder if you need the food to rise when cooking. If you're really in a pinch, try mixing two tablespoons of water with two tablespoons of baking powder.
Fish sauce (my secret ingredient in a lot of things!): 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce
Ginger: 1/2 teaspoon ground to substitute for 1 teaspoon fresh
Molasses: 3/4 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup white sugar combined with 1/4 cup water, OR 1 cup dark honey or maple syrup
Vinegar (white or cider): 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
That's just a very brief list - check here if you're looking for something specific.
It might take a few more minutes to make a substitute, but your wallet will definitely thank you when the receipe is done! What's your favorite?
I was reading Stephanie's blog this morning and she noted she has never made zucchini bread with nutmeg, simply because she didn't have it in her pantry. Instead, she uses pumpkin pie spice and it works out just fine. This got me thinking about all the times I haven't had something in the pantry/fridge that a receipe called for. When, and if, I meal planned, I usually just went right down the list and bought everything a receipe called for. This can get very expensive and half the time I don't use the ingredient again. Talk about a waste of money.
Lately, I've been getting better at checking out substitutions for common (and not so common) ingredients. I thought I would share with my lovely readers (all three of you) my favorites so far. Just know that these are necessarily "healthier" substitutions, but perhaps, easier.
Allspice: equal parts nutmeg, cinnamon, & cloves
Bread crumbs: rolled oats (crushed up a bit) or even plain potato chips crushed finely
Butter: 7/8 cup of oil for every one cup of butter
Buttermilk: just under 1 cup of milk combined with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Let sit for five minutes then use as needed
Egg: applesauce, half a banana, or plain yogurt can be great egg substitutes in baked goods, just remember to add a pinch of baking powder if you need the food to rise when cooking. If you're really in a pinch, try mixing two tablespoons of water with two tablespoons of baking powder.
Fish sauce (my secret ingredient in a lot of things!): 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce
Ginger: 1/2 teaspoon ground to substitute for 1 teaspoon fresh
Molasses: 3/4 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup white sugar combined with 1/4 cup water, OR 1 cup dark honey or maple syrup
Vinegar (white or cider): 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
That's just a very brief list - check here if you're looking for something specific.
It might take a few more minutes to make a substitute, but your wallet will definitely thank you when the receipe is done! What's your favorite?
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
what we have here...
... you know the rest.
We had a slight failure to communicate this week regarding our finances this past week. Luckily, it didn't cause any major damage, but I'll get to that momentarily.
Last month, we had to take The Hubs' vehicle to the repair shop. It was making this ridiculous clunking noise. Obviously, not good. If he were a single man, he would have let it go until the car didn't start anymore. But, since he decided to get married, I did my wifely duty and nagged him about it until he agreed to get it looked at. As it turns out, he needed new hub bearings (whatever those are), but more urgently, he needed new brakes (another thing I had nagged about for months, but wasn't as successful at getting replaced). We agreed to have the brakes replaced and once he started bringing home paycheck again, he would take back the car and fix the hub bearings.
Since my hubs is a teacher,we are on a pretty tight summer budget, we tend to blow through our summer budget by the end of July, and have to pinch our pennies until the first paycheck in September (what can I say, we like beer). We agreed to put his car expense on my Chase card and pay it off at the end of this month. Sounds okay, right?
Let's just say, I've never been so happy to have a car repair before. Had it not been for this charge, I would have never logged into my online account (since I haven't used the card since paying it off a few months ago) and I would have never seen all the other charges he put on it without giving me the heads up. Late fees and general chaos would have ensued.
It's not like this caused a big fight or anything. I was mildly annoyed for about an hour. I may have shot off a sarcastic text. But now it's over and done with - I'm over it.
So consider this a Public Service Announcement/Reminder to let your significant other know when using their credit cards ;-)
P.S.: I'm taking my car in for work this Friday - keep your fingers crossed this doesn't blow up our savings account like Bat Gat.
We had a slight failure to communicate this week regarding our finances this past week. Luckily, it didn't cause any major damage, but I'll get to that momentarily.
Last month, we had to take The Hubs' vehicle to the repair shop. It was making this ridiculous clunking noise. Obviously, not good. If he were a single man, he would have let it go until the car didn't start anymore. But, since he decided to get married, I did my wifely duty and nagged him about it until he agreed to get it looked at. As it turns out, he needed new hub bearings (whatever those are), but more urgently, he needed new brakes (another thing I had nagged about for months, but wasn't as successful at getting replaced). We agreed to have the brakes replaced and once he started bringing home paycheck again, he would take back the car and fix the hub bearings.
Since my hubs is a teacher,
Let's just say, I've never been so happy to have a car repair before. Had it not been for this charge, I would have never logged into my online account (since I haven't used the card since paying it off a few months ago) and I would have never seen all the other charges he put on it without giving me the heads up. Late fees and general chaos would have ensued.
It's not like this caused a big fight or anything. I was mildly annoyed for about an hour. I may have shot off a sarcastic text. But now it's over and done with - I'm over it.
So consider this a Public Service Announcement/Reminder to let your significant other know when using their credit cards ;-)
P.S.: I'm taking my car in for work this Friday - keep your fingers crossed this doesn't blow up our savings account like Bat Gat.
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