I am going to start paying myself for doing chores around the house. I think I will do them more, and if I pretend really hard, I will work as hard as if I was working for someone else. I can give 110% to an employee, but myself is another story.
I will start doing this tomorrow. $1.00 per item. Yes, I am petty and will get $1.00 for sorting, $1.00 for washing, $1.00 for drying, $1.00 for folding and hanging, and $1.00 for putting it away.
That will make things around here a lot different. Where will I get this money to pay myself? I obviously can't take money out of my pocket and put it into my piggy bank. I will keep track of it like an employer would and pay myself at the end of the week. This is a great system. I just have to go to work everyday, keeping track of time and cash.
I will have to track that sort of stuff when I begin selling products at the summer street fairs. I think this year will be the easiest of all to control my self, spending, and happiness.

In less than two months, my oldest son will be seven. I have decided that home is a great place for the party. Since we are gaining tons of Wii stuff and the like, I believe that video games will be his theme. I can't wait to have fun. It will be cheap too. Then one month later, another b-day party for a six-year-old. Wonder what he will want as his theme.

This year's new year's bash is kid friendly. We are having a board game frenzy. Monopoly, Pictionary, and Sorry are just a few of the offerings that will be there.
I am looking forward to this weeks Girl's Nite, as my best friend is coming. She can never make it because she works Tuesday nights. Not this week. I can't wait for everyone to play RockBand on the Wii. Maybe the boys will go to a playdate that night and we can be loud and crude. We couldn't last week. Everyone got tired of going outside to smoke too. I guess they didn't mind too much though, since they are coming back this week.

Well, the old man's work is hosting a Christmas party at the local bowling alley. How fun!
I have heard that there will be free drinks and door prizes. There is a 32" flat screen we have our eye on.

I am also hosting some of his favorite friends from work here at home. The original plan was to go to the bar afterwards, but I think we will have more fun here at my house.

I think there will be about six guests. That is an estimate. We will play Wii and have a few drinks here. I will watch who drinks beer and such at the party and stop by and pick something up for them here. I don't want to buy a case of beer and no one drink it. I think I am doing something smart. What do you think?

I just turned in my research paper online. I can't wait for break this time. The last three breaks weren't looked to as wonderful as this one will be. I have been strung out this go round. I think it is just the holidays, this is a quarter that was more difficult. I also have been missing classes because of my boy's school. That isn't helping.
My grades shouldn't suffer that much.
Two more weeks!
Two more weeks!
The boys are out then too.
Whoopee!

Girl's Nite was wonderful. It was just me and my two cousins. We talked and listened to Christmas music. Not a dime spent!
We also planned some Christmas Carolling.
I can't wait. I have a research paper to write. Wanted to let you know that I am doing good with saving. I haven't blown any budgets for Christmas yet, except for maybe food. I can make up for the splurge at the grocery by not buying any Mt. Dew next time.

I heard a great saying on a website. I guess I read it really. It said that life is not about having everything you want, but wanting what you have.

I have been thinking about this for a while, way before Thanksgiving. What am I glad that I have in my life?

Family is number one.
A home and vehicles are another.
A job that I can relate my skills that I have now to.
And the urge to go and get everything out of life that I can is another.

What I am trying to write is that you have plenty now, even if you think you have nothing, you have so much more.

I have been thinking about our savings too. I am trying to figure what is going to keep saving.
What am I willing to give up to get what I want? I want savings. I don't want to spend good money on crap anymore. So, I am giving up crap. That is hard to do during the holiays. I can't help but get the cute crap that sits on the shelves. I will do my best and regretfully post anything I buy.

I have made a list of things that we have a surplus of at home, and we don't need to buy new ones at the store.
I am trying to save, I really am, but I have weaknesses.
So, I am trying to steer clear of wish lists, online window shopping, and the like.
I am trying to be more thankful for what I do have. That is the reason for the list.
I have a list on the fridge of things we need that we run out of in the kitchen.
I do put other household items that we may need:ear cleaners, t.p., soap, etc.

We have plenty of school supplies for all three of us in school.
I will never have to buy a pen or pencil again. There are too many food storage containers. I will not buy another box of sandwich bags until I have used all other items at home to hold things in.
Holidays always bring in candy.
True that most of the Halloween candy is gone, I don't want to buy any new since they will be getting some for Christmas.
This is really more than just about saving money, it is to show my family that we have so much and should be thankful. There are those out there without a home to live in, job to go to, and car to get there in.
We have warm beds, two vehicles, food in the fridge, and each other.

I have 69 days until my blogoversary. I can't believe how much you have helped my life and it hasn't even been a year yet. I am more knowledgeable now, way more then before I began reading and posting here. Thank you again for all of you help.

I cleared my savings to pay off credit card debt.
I had it for so long too.
I saved it for almost two months. It was exactly two months, if you want to say it doesn't clear until tomorrow.
I will take this lesson, with all it hurt me, and learn from it.
Never again will I run up a bill and not pay it in full. I won't fall for the catalogues promises of cheap costs.
Right!
I won't buy if I don't have the cash.
I also can't let myself fall for a scam again. I am in some trouble over a $5,000 internet scam.
How foolish!
At least I've learned my lesson, and I am growing up.
And my mom said that it would never happen.

No more living above our means. I just ordered a part on the internet for my DS2BH's car. I can't believe things cost so much. So, as of right now, we are cutting back. Starting with Christmas, we are going to the roots of what we need. I am not going out for anything that we already have. There are school supplies in a small box table in the corner of the living room. We have meat and pantry items in the kitchen. There is nothing that we really need to have for the next three to six months. I am going to save like I have never saved before. I may spend about $8 on the Sunday paper, for the coupons. I am also thinking about having the boys make a piniata, so I will need the newspaper.
I have started a list on the side of the fridge that will have the items we NEED from the store. I have written down what we run out of, when we run out.
This way, there is no over spending at the store.

I can not imagine having a house payment, along with all the insurance a house has, along with other payments on our salaries now. I am trying to change that. I will be looking for another job soon. I want something that will make money quick. I don't want to start a career right now. I am still in school. I can start serious job hunting when I graduate.

I am trying to get us ready for the life ahead. Our children are growing up, and fast. I am looking forward to our lives together in the years to come. I don't want those years to be filled with worry about debt and money.

Yeah! Christmas is coming.
I love it. I want to sing right now.
I really can't wait to take down Halloween decorations and put up a tree. Buy the way, HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2008.
I can't believe another year has flown by. When you are little, the time passes slowly. I can't believe that Christmas is here and my children are so big.

I am going shopping with my mom to an outlet mall about 35 miles south of here. We are going to the Levi's store to find jeans for my little ones. They aren't so little anymore.

I also have to find a present for my man. I have no idea what he would want.

Tick Tock. Tick Tock.

My little construction worker is about to build me some shelves in our shed. I will be able to put things up off of the floor. I will not have to step over or lean over crap to get to the crap that I want.
I am also about to do the switch of Summer Clothes for Winter Clothes. I got some space bags from my Momma for my birthday. I will empty them and fill them up again. Then, by that time, there will be shelves to put them on in the shed.
Thank goodness for my man. He got the wood from a guy at work yesterday. It was a little inconvenient, but it was worth it. I may have to buy a board or two for hanging it, but other than that, we are all set. My least fav part is going to be the emptying of the shed to build the things.
I am going to need pantry shelves too. Do you think I should buy those white wire ones?

I moved my fridge today. I cleaned the top off, wiped off the sides, vacuumed under and around it, and then emptied it so that I could move it myself.
I think I did a good job. I moved it out of the cubby hole behind the back door. I plan to build a pantry there.
I know that I will want the best area for my cooking and children's needs.
They are getting older and can soon pick out their own foods without my assistance.
I will let them know which shelf they can grab from. Right now they get to choose snacks from the drawers, but I am going to soon have a silverware drawer again.
I will also price compare all the things that I want to go into my pantry.
The construction worker that lives here should be able to get me some shelves no prob, but getting them put in will be a challenge. I know he works hard all week, but I want things built too.
I think that by January, I should have my kitchen set up the way I want it.
I finally got the triangle I need between the fridge, stove, and sink.
After vacuuming the entire room, since there is carpet in my kitchen, I wiped down the ceiling fan. Whoops!
I will still be happy that my fan blades aren't covered in dust.
I also plan on having a cute shower curtian as my pantry door. I wonder if I should get a design or just a white sheet for now.
I will have to figure that out when it gets built.
This is my sign that will go into the kitchen.

I haven't been adding my found money to my challenge. I am sorry.
I found two nickles at the Walmart after spending $195.
I found 16 cents in the washer yesterday.
I found $4 in a pair of my jeans after washing them today.
I wish I was thinking about it more when I find it. I really just stick it into my piggy bank at the end of the night, and that is when it hits me that I should post it.
Oh well.
I'm already on my way to bed now.
I'll do it tomorrow.
Find more money, post them both.
Here are three finds that are behind the times.


I did have to pull $200 out of my savings account today for a radiator for the work mule's car. I feel sorry for my DS2BH. He is working so hard, taking care of the three of us. Our boys are growing, so they are eating more. Gas went down, but that doesn't matter when it still guzzles it down.
I know it sucks to work all week and have nothing to show for it.
He wants to go in with his dad on a gun, but it won't be here, he won't use it, and it will set us back $150.
I guess he will sacrifice his new truck for it. I told him that if I could buy a new washer and dryer, I would buy him a truck. I bought the parts instead.

I hate to play the your money my money game anyway.
I have worked hard to get him to stop that anyway.
It wouldn't be fair if I started it now.

Besides, after this week, there is no more surplus money. The last of my land sale money is gone. I have paid off on credit cards, bought Christmas presents for all, and paid back my Grandma.
That was a large load off my chest.
I still owe credit cards, we will still buy more presents, and I still owe Granny, but life isn't as bad as it was.


BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE, INSTEAD OF HOW MUCH YOU WANT THAT!!!


Treasure your relationships, not your possessions.
— Anthony J. D'Angelo

My two loving children are out of school for three weeks.
They go to a year-round school. Nine weeks on, three weeks off. Summer is only a month and a half.

I am glad that my best friend and her mom are watching the boys for me so I can go to school while they are out.

I am trying to think of something I could give her that doesn't cost anything.
I have tried to clean her house, but she seems like she is ashamed of her clutter and doesn't want anyone to see it. I don't mind helping, but I see where she is coming from.

I guess I will have to build her a craft, or have the boys and her granddaughter to make her something and give it to her just because. I don't want to wait until Christmas. She means so much to us year-round.

99 days until my blogoversary.
I don't know where the time has gone. I believe that the posting here is helping me to think before I act. That is a plus. And, I hope to pass this info on to those who need the help.
Thanks to all 40,000 of you who have looked and commented.

I bought a washer and dryer set.
I went to a scratch and dent store, which was cool, and found a set for $325. Since I paid cash and was delivering it myself, I saved 10%. That took the bill down.

Overall, I am happy about my purchase. I did trash the old set, which made DS2BH mad a little. He wanted to fix them. I didn't want them sitting in my yard for months, covered in snow, wasting my space and making it look even more hillbilly than it does already.

I will be saving money on my water bill. I will definitely save on my electric bill, since the old dryer took a minimum of three runs through and this dryer only takes one turn. Sorta like it's supposed to.
They are energy savers, money savers, and my time savers.
I won out, even though I have to buy a work truck for my DS2BH. He really needs one too.
So, count $313 paid for my sanity and pleasure. Whatever pleasure I get from doing laundry is my own, and you can't take it from me now.

I went next door to my cousins last night. We had popcorn from my popcorn machine. We drank soda pop out of real glasses. That saved how much money?

At least $10 per person.
No one had to bring their own drink.
No one had to pitch in for paper cups.
No one had to buy a snack, since I had those things at home already.
Everyone had a great time, enjoying every loving cheap ass minute of it.

We went with the old standby game, Charades. It was my first time go round, but it was fun.
I also brought the paper strips for that game too, and the hat.

Good thing I showed up, huh?

I love my new Girl's Night that is so cheap and easy to enjoy.
Plus, when it is next door, it takes no gas at all.

I hate the fact that I only weigh myself every three months now. I used to love it, not knowing. But now, my BMI indicator on my side bar is not moving. I know that I am at least losing fat, if not weight. I do have a ton of muscle, which weighs more. But there is more than that there.
I don't weigh in until December 4th. So, if you think I am making no progress, it just isn't showing on here yet. I am pulling my pants up all the time, even when wearing a belt. I am also noticing that my bra isn't working as hard as it is used to.
In case you didn't know, your breasts are the first thing to lose mass. Way before the thighs or butt goes, the goods go. I have also noticed that my face is looking less fat. There is no nicer way to say it. I am not ashamed to say that my face is less fat than before.

I have been taking the stairs at school everyday, including the days that I wore heels too. I will start paying myself for that. It is at least worth a dollar a day to me to do it. I have been doing it for free.
Let's hope for at least 5 lbs. loss in December from what it is now.
Wish me luck!

I spent $20 on help for cleaning my house. That is sad. I can't believe that I am so lazy that I needed help. My two young un's are trying to help, but that doesn't mean that they are not leaving clutter about too.

I think that I will bust butt tomorrow when I am by myself, but I have to do laundry and I can't since my washer is broken. I used my cousin's today, but that was only two loads. That's hardly any clothes or lessening my piles.

I have to get a washer and dryer. My dryer takes a minimum of three times to dry one load. That is even with an extra spin on them.

I will take S2BH to Lowe's for his work and check the scratch and dent section while we are there.

My washer broke again. DS2BH wants to weld something on to it so that it won't come apart again.
Why can't I buy a sensibly priced economic and enviromently friendly product and use it.
I believe that my washer is not saving as much water as it could.

I should buy a set and just suprise him when he gets home.

Don't you think he would be mad?
Technically it's not his money I would be spending, but I would be asking for money for the bills soon enough.

Why should I have to suffer with 10-year-old hand-me-down set of appliances from his mom?

I want new ones!
I need new ones!
The money that it will save us on our utility bills alone is the reason I want to buy them. I still think that we should consider a new one.

I did find some money in the last load that broke the washer's back. It was a dime.
That's the only reason I do laundry anymore.
Add that to the Challenge!

Do you know what you have to do to get allowance? You have to do chores.
OKAY, CAN I CLEAN THE BATHROOM FOR $10?
Sure, but you have to clean the whole bathroom.

I delayed the cleaning as long as I could. I was fearing the mess I would have to clean up after my six-year-old cleaned the bathroom.
What was I thinking?
I let him start with the floor. First, pick up everything off of the floor. Take the trash out of the cans, clean the cans, and let them dry. Sweep and hand mop the floor.
Sounds good, right?
He did pick up everything, carrying the rugs outside to hang on the porch. I washed them and hung them out to dry so that he thought he carried them out himself and had to get them and put them back.
I didn't let him clean the trash can. That would be mean.
I made sure that the floor was dry, even if it does need mopped again. He then put the rugs back and wanted to move straight into the toilet.
I told him another day. Here is two bucks for the floor. If you earn $2 for every job in the bathroom:sink, floor, toilet, tub, and closet, you will get your $10 total.
He wants to do the inside of the toilet now, since it has been a couple of days.
I told him that the sink is next. I have let him clean the tub before. No shoes and very little spray, since that is the fun thing. I am glad that Clorox came out with green sprays. I still don't want him to spray his eyes, but he is bigger than that.
I told him that he could earn a quarter for every load of clothes he folds, and puts away. I only let him put his and his brothers clothes away.
I hang most of my things and he doesn't like hangers.
He wants a dollar. He is too old for coins now. I told him he has three more loads to fold. I may use this to my advantage. He is definately old enough to vacuum, and I have little bro dusting the living room, pretty much daily.
How old do they have to be to mow the lawn?
If I didn't care about the condition of my clean dishes, I would let them wash those. They do splash a lot though.

Now you see my problem with him cleaning the inside of the toilet.

Add $.01 to my son's $20 challenge. He was doing laundry and found a penny lying on the floor next to the dryer. I only find money in the machines.

I don't need a new dryer, I just want one. My washer was broken down. I couldn't stand not having my own washer. I was bumming my cousin's next door, since she did mine. I still didn't want to wait until she wasn't washing. I wanted to be able to do it when ever I wanted to.
I asked for my washer to be fixed. I threatened to buy a new one. He knows of my thing about having a matching washer/dryer. I was going to buy one when I bought my freezer in the scratch and dent, but he didn't want to spend the money then either.
I am glad he fixed the one I have.
It did save me about $400. I know I would have gone all out and bought $500 matching ones and it would have killed him.
I keep telling myself to leave my money in savings, but the other voice says,spend, spend, spend!
I hate it, but I have very little self control. I often act before thinking. I know this. I need him to tell me not to spend and fix the old one I've got.
Thanks so much, honey!

Last night was awesome, very fun. I can't do anything like that for a long while. Today, I had my very first hangover.
What an experience. The kids were good, that that was nice, but everything else sucked.

I still would have done it. I am glad we had a great time.

We got to the bar and I put money into the dart board machine. It told me that I had 16 credits. I only paid for four. That means someone had left $3 in there before we started. Thanks for the free games! There was no one around any of the dart boards when we got there or after. The pool tables were packed though. The price for that went up to a buck each game.

All in all, we had a great time and made it home before 12 am. I still went to my cousin's house after the boys were asleep. DS2BH had to work this morning, so they all went to bed and I went next door. That is where I got super slammed and had such a wonderful feeling this morning.

I will post how much money I am saving on liquor for the month. I may even wait longer, maybe only drinking at a holiday party or two.

111 days until my blogoversary. This is amazing that I have had the focus and determination to keep spilling my money guts all over.
I am sure that posting my doings here has help me to control excess spending, and ask questions to people like me before making a big decission about money.
I do appreciate the help I get from you, checking out all of your pages too.
When January rolls around, I should be more financially fit by one year of posting that 25 years of life didn't teach me.

I just got off of the phone with my baby sitter. We were talking about how nice it is that she is watching the boys so that we could go out tonight.
She started talking about her daughter's husband, her sons, and the other grown children she knows and how they are all nice guys. I said that her husband is nice too, since he puts up with her and all of us. She said that she couldn't ask for a nicer or better husband.

That got me thinking. She is happy, and I know they don't have a ton of money. They are scraping by just like we are. They also have a one and a half-year-old granddaughter. They do treat my children like her own, just like they did before their granddaughter was born.
It makes you see that you don't need to have money to have love. Sometimes we forget that. I have tried really hard this year to see that things don't buy happiness. Strange, it sort of started around January, when I started posting here.

Tonight is date night. I started to realize that we are still young, both below the age of 30, and that we are turning into an "old couple". I've been watching the marathon of "Married with Children" on TV, thinking to myself that we are them. They don't want to be with each other. I can't let us turn into Al and Peggy. So, we are going out!!
I have pulled money out of my debit card, so that I don't carry it with us, and plan to spend no more than $40 all night. I did take an extra $20 for a cab, just in case. But DS2BH has to work in the morning, so that means he won't be drinking as much as I.

I am also going on a "double date" with my cousin and a guy from DS2BH's work.
She is so excited. She has already tried out a couple of outfits and painted her nails and toes. I am excited too. I was supposed to take him out for his birthday, but he was so tired, he used the babysitter as a sleeping time with no interruptions.

So, I hope that my night of pool, darts, and a live band will satisfy my urge to go out for a while. I don't see going out again before the holidays. That doesn't include the parties for Halloween either. I guess I don't have to wait that long huh?

Ten things that helped me to...

Rack up Credit Card Debt.

10. I spent way too much money on clothing on my children when they were small. I should have been doing what I do now. Buying second hand and perusing clearance isles.

9. I cared about what other people thought about me. I spent money on things I didn't need. I didn't try to impress, but I didn't want people looking down on me.

8. I had a love affair with the dollar store. I went when I was upset, sad, bored, or didn't want to go home because it was nasty and full of clutter. Why was it full of clutter and hard to clean with two toddlers there? Due to my love affair with the dollar store.

7. I lost my job. That means that gas, groceries, cigarettes, and everything else that wasn't a bill went on my card. I opened up card after card, knowing that I didn't have the money to pay it back.

6. My live in partner and baby daddy didn't have a job either. There's more gas and expenses that I couldn't keep up with.

5. The ease of ordering things online. I could click and get. That is very tempting to do when you are sad about your situation.

4. Therapy shopping. That is the base of 4 or 5 of these. When I couldn't afford it anymore, what did I do? I spent time with my kids. They made me more happy then for some reason. Not that they didn't make me happy before, but they would upset me more often in the past. I think we were all going through some stress, with bills, clutter, and school issues to deal with, it's surprising they didn't take up smoking.

3. I thought if we had it all, we would be happy. How wrong I was!

2. Interest rates on maxed out cards are outrageous. I was buying $300 worth of stuff and paying $500 for it. DUH

1. I blame myself, but also the way I was raised, people I hung around, and way I looked at myself. I had to take a class in college that told us that our self esteem has a lot more to do with our lives than just your teen years. If you constantly tell yourself that you will not be able to do something, guess what, you can't do it. I told myself that things would make me happy. I told myself that people liked me because of what I had or how much money I had. I didn't want to instill that into my children, so I changed.

Well, I haven't found any money on our daily walks, but I can tell it is helping me with my energy for the day.

I bought Christmas yesterday. I walked into Target to buy some $1 nail polish remover and spent nearly $300.00
I did buy some furniture that I will give myself, along with 75% off clearance clothing for my boys and my BFF's daughter.

I feel good about the money I spent, even if it was a little much.
I just don't have to buy much when the season comes around.

Halloween costumes are next on my list.