Today is the day! Me and my neighbor started our walk. It took us exactly 30 minutes to walk 3.2 miles, taking 3376 steps and burning 188 calories. I am looking forward to tomorrow. Hopefully we can add to the calorie side and the step side. I am glad that it only took 30 minutes too, since I am starting my fall quarter at school next week. That will give me just enough time to get the kids off to school, walk with her, come home, take a shower, and get dressed for the day. So far so good!

My neighbor was on the ball too. She found a penny and a nickel while we were walking. She kept her money, and I found a good CD someone lost out of their car. She said something that made me laugh so hard.
She said she was going to tell her husband that she made money being a street walker with me. 6 cents isn't a lot, but is more than I found.

Add some money to my $20 challenge balance!

$.20 found while drinking with my cousin last night. It was my DS2BH's birthday Saturday.

$82.55
+$0.20
-------
$82.95 balance since June of 08

Okay, now when my younger cousin came over today to get out of her house, I expected her to keep me company while I did my house chores. I certainly did not expect her to do my dishes for me. I used that time to do laundry and picking up my living room. I told her that I would give her some gas money, as she did not have any gas. I also told her that I would buy her daughter's soccer team some Capri Sun drinks for their game this weekend.
When I tried to give her $10, she refused it. I did end up giving her two bucks and she was happy. She said that if I was going to pay her for doing my dishes, she would come over every week. I asked her if she vacuumed too. She said yes.
Would it be so bad if she made some much needed income? She doesn't have a job.
I need my house clean and I go to school full time and have a part time job.
I don't see who gets hurt here. I may get the house clean and not need to pay her anymore, and she will have to find money elsewhere, but for the time being, this is a win-win for everyone involved.
Right?

Thank you to the person who fixed the control panel button.
I was stressing, but found out that the new entry button worked the way it should.
The people who put this site together and run it for people like me are saints in my book, if that stands for anything.
I do appreciate all you do for us.
I look forward to thanking you again when you help me to get my financial life in order.
To all of those who were lost and are now found, make sure you thank people along the way. They do help and like to hear that they did!

On my thrifty Tuesday, I have gone over my financial aid with school, checked on sale prices at the grocery store, and I plan on clipping coupons later tonight. Woo Hoo. This thing is really coming together for us. It's a good thing too, since I am back to having enough for the bills and that is it. I will have to break the news to the boys that there is no more out to eat or what are you buying us to eat. Casseroles all around!!!!!

I have spent and/or saved all of my money that I got from selling my land. I didn't expect it to last long anyway. I am glad that I managed to pay off some bills and that I can worry a little less, but this really didn't help me with my money management skills any.
I did save half of the money. Maybe it was a little less than half, but it was a size-able chunk anyway.

I can't wait until I can post all of my interest from Smarty Pig. I have gotten over $2 on one account already. That is amazing. My mom told me to be careful though. All of these big name banks are going belly up and I need to watch it and get my money out in time.
She was telling me that Wachovia and Merrill Lynch is where her 401(k) is and that I will need this info when she dies so I know where to get it. I told her to have that stuff ready to go before she dies.
I am sorry to talk about that so lightly, but eventually, you, me, and everyone we know will die. I think that it doesn't affect me as much since I have dealt with death at a young age. I was 16 when my dad passed away and that really hurt, but I was never one to let my emotions get the best of me and I always try to joke my way around tough things. That is what helps me get around those feelings, just joking about it. Taking death lightly is what gets me through it. I don't mean to be rude about it, but I am sure that if someone over heard me, they may be offended. I would never say anything to purposely to offend, but like I said, that is just me.
You're welcome for the bring down, about death and me spending all of my money.

I previously posted about my weight loss and how reporting to you, the public, I could get better results. My money issues have since cleared up and I have focused on fixing my credit and saving money for my family's future.
My neighbor, not my cousin, came to me today and offered to walk the road with me every morning when our kids get on the bus. She is very skinny and is trying to build muscle. I am trying to quit smoking and lose weight.
Her idea of doing it everyday, at least every weekday, and recording the info: how long we walked, what our pedometers say, time and date, was a great idea. The fact that she asked me to do it with her makes me feel good too. She cares about my health and I do hers too.

We are very good friends, have been living next to each other for over four years, and have made a connection between our families.
We will now step into another demention together: Health.

I believe I will start a new page on the side bar to track our progress too.
Thanks for all your support!

My cousin did use my shower 3 or 4 times, but I don't think that I will ask her for any money. She is the type that would always make things even. She did use my dryer this morning, but we talked about that a week ago; How she would give me money on my light bill, since my dryer is electric.
I don't mind either since she is family. If I had a new neighbor move in and asked for these things, FORGET IT. But, I love her and would do anything for her. I offered her to sleep on my couch when her sister told me she was tired of her.
Thank goodness she didn't stay with me for three weeks, only one night.
I would have asked her for money then. Things like food, water, and lights are expensive, but how do you ask someone for money for these things if they obviously have nothing. She was squatting for a reason. She doesn't have a job since she is going to school full time. She still has to pay her other major bills, like car payment, insurance, cell phone, and the like. She also had to shell out a lot of money to move in next door and get the utilities up to date at her old place to change them over to here.

I am still happy she is there!

Today, I had cable hook up internet and I am at my home computer!YES!
As soon as the guy left, I helped my cousin pay her gas bill online.
She said she tried to do it at home, since she had cable 3 days before me, and didn't know her account number.

"Do you have any old checks with the account number on it?"

"Yes."

"Go get them and we will try it out."

"Ok."

She then left to go get it and get this, it was from 2004. Whatever, it worked.
She then went downtown to have them turn it on. She will be showering in her own house by tomorrow(hopefully).

Tuesday, I forgot to leave my door unlocked for her to shower. She said that she couldn't go anywhere since she didn't shower. I laughed at her and said, I saw that when I pulled up and your trash can was still sitting there. Couldn't even get the trash can without showering.
LOL
(I have never ever used that before. I thought is was kinda stupid, but it makes for shorter typing.)

I solved my cousins problem with having no place to live. She was squatting on her sisters couch and driving her and her family crazy. I offered for her to sleep on my couch instead of theirs. She only took me up on it for one night. Now she is living in the other side of my double, has her own couch to sleep on, since she doesn't have a bed yet, found her a fridge and stove for cheap, and moved some heavy stuff in.
Now I have a problem. She is always using my shower, adding to my gas and water bill. Should I charge her? She asked if she could dry some clothes at my house and wanted to give me $10 for my bill. But she hasn't done any laundry yet, only showered. I do want her to get on her feet again, and I know she is having problems with her ex and an old gas bill, along with a car payment and such, but I have two children I have to pay for and all the bills they incure.
I don't want to be a bi@#h, but I don't want to say no either.
PLEASE HELP

Saturday is a day for free fun.
I went to the fireworks downtown with my two lovely sons and my cousin. FREE
I also cooked some chops that had been in the freezer for almost a month. FREE
I love enjoying life for free.
Today, instead of taking the children to the park, which would have cost gas, I let them play with an old bag of flour in a plastic tub. FREE
I love it.

I am watching my spending. I sorta cheated a little. I added up everything I had used my debit card for in the last 6 months. I talked to S2BH about it. We will check his numbers out tonight. I didn't expect him to go back that far. I only want to know the week.
I am mainly focused on gasoline, lunch at work, and that's it.
I also just took care of my children's fundraiser stuff; writting checks, double checking math, and making sure the teacher got the money.
My boys are getting way better at turning in their paperwork, bringing it all home, and talking with us about their day.
I just can't seem to get homework time to be more fun.
That may sound silly, but I would rather it be fun than screaming about how he "Doesn't want to do it!", and me telling him "Tough, you have to."
I let them eat snacks while working, and no tv, but you can read a short story between papers.
I mainly think that they are tired. When you get home from school, you have been up all day, you're hungary, and you want to relax, not do more work.
I don't like to delay the homework though, since I tend to forget it and they try to stay up past bedtime to finish. I tell them, you can do what you want, when it is done.
I think I will try a monatary reward for finishing within the hour, or 30 minutes.
They just got new piggy banks they painted themselves. That might make things smoother.

I have counted change and added up what I spent this week and weekend, going over it with S2BH.
Let's go with what is fresh in my mind and go back from there.
Yesterday, since we worked all day long, we got to eat for free and our boss paid for the food. Save $5.00
I did buy a Mt. Dew for $1.00
After work I used a B1G1 cap and got two more Mt. Dews for $1.48
Saturday I did buy my dinner at Kid Rock/Lynard Skynard and spent $5.00
Friday night, on my way to work, there was an accident on the interstate and the police made us turn around. I got gas at the next exit spending $25.54
Thursday, I didn't spend much money on anything, but I did buy a pop at school out of the machine for $1.25
Also, to save a thousand dollars or so, I spent $30.00 to test out of a class so I won't take it next quarter.
I hope I did alright.
Finding money on the ground is helping me fund my children's piggy banks. I am also about to spend money on fundraiser items from their school. I hope I can find two cheap things that we can use and I am not just throwing my money away for the school.
I will prepare for tomorrow by preparing today!

I am trying not to think about it.
It has slipped my mind for more than a minute, but I can't think of anything else somedays.
I sold some land that I own. I didn't sell it all. After all, you never know what is down the road. There may be a time that I have no where else to go and I will have to buy a trailer and live on my land in the south.
I would prefer to build a house and be financially stable enough to move there and not be forced.
I just want my nest egg to come in.
In school, I have been learning that compound interest works better the longer it is in place.
Therefore, if I place $10,000 in an account now, by the time I am fifty, 24 years from now, I should have a pretty big hunk of change.
Now, I need the money now more than I ever have, but I want to save a large sum for later in life and for my children, should they need it.
How do I get this off my mind? The worse part is not knowing when or how I will receive the money. Does it all come in one check that me and my aunts have to divide? Will they divide it for me, bringing the question of if they stiff me, how do I get my money?
I don't want to think about it. I have been working and that money is helping. But I want to have NO credit card debt and buy a house within the next 5 years.
Is that too much to ask?

These were the words that my mom said to me last night when I said that we were going to the fair.
I have let some of my bills go that I shouldn't have. Number one being my cell phone and credit cards. Number two being that we can survive without cable, but not without rent and the extra $55.00 that the elementary school charges for full day kindergarden.
I would like to tell all of those frugal-er than I that, NO, I did not go to the fair. The only money spent yesterday was $12.00 for a birthday present for my DH's little brother. He loved it and spending time with him was good enough for us.
I also never mentioned the fair to my two young boys, knowing that they would cry when told that we wern't going, so they don't even know what they missed.
I do.
I won't cry. I've been plenty of times. You can tell that I am a grown up now. I only wanted to go for the food!!!!

After three months of slow work, things are finally starting to pick up. I will be working Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Last week I was to work Friday and Sunday, but after half an hour on Sunday, they asked me if I wanted to go home. I said no, then they told me to clock out and go see the show.
I understand that they were trying to be nice, knowing I wanted to see the show, but I would have rather been paid to see it, than to sit down and see it. I got bored and left early, but only after I stayed for an extra two hours off the clock. I should have watched Brooks and Dunn for free, but I figured that my children need me more and I am not making anything sitting in the grass.

The county fair is going on and tonight is the only night I can go. Should I?
The food is the real reason I want to go, but I am willing to buy tickets for the boys to enjoy some rides. I just have to keep DH away from the carny games that are rip offs. The food will be super expensive too. But, since we will not be going to the State fair, unless my Mom takes them, this will be their only chance this year.

I hope DH is in a good mood when he gets home. I have to get a couch out of the living room for my Momma's yard sale this weekend. I can't forget that on Friday she wants me to stop by in case she has to use the bathroom. I hope she doesn't drink a lot of water.

My son has asked if we could go get Daddy something for fathers day. He had heard a commerical for gifts and asked.
I told him that Daddy knew we don't have any money and we made his gifts that he gave him earlier. The daycare had them make a wallet and ties for him Thursday and Friday.
At least he knows. All you need is love.

For the last two weeks I have done nothing but school. Today, Friday the 13th, I get to work tonight. And it is an early call so I should get an extra hour or so. This starts a few weeks of working that I have not had for a while. You don't know how depressing it is to pick up your bi-weekly check and see five hours on it. Last Monday's check was okay, for 28 hours, but that is for two weeks. This is my lucky day and many more work hours are to come. After finals, I can work all day, except for the weekends, where my children have little league baseball. That still leaves my Saturday nights open to work, and that is when most events are anyway.
DH has been asked to start working overtime soon, and I will be pushing towards it. Now, I know that I will be doing extra around the house to make him happy when he gets home, when I am tired from working, but he makes twice what I do and works twice as hard. I can make that sacrifice.

I have saved and scrimped for rent this month. I only bought gas, paid for daycare for the week, and only bought lunch one time, spending $6.52 total.
I think that we can make it. As long as my DH check is as large as it should be, we will be okay.
My Grandma told me to come and get her credit card to buy my Grandpa his Father's Day gift. I would be happy to go and get him something that he wants.
He never asks for anything anyway.
He deserves it!
He asked for a weed eater, gas powered with a metal blade and a strap to keep some of the weight off his arms.
That will be nice.
She will be happy that I won't ask her for help with rent, even though I will ask her to write the check.
Thanks to that woman, and my Mother a time or two, I have never been late with my rent in over 4 years.
Thanks!

Finals are next week and I couldn't be more thrilled. I am doing great in my classes and I am looking forward to a week out of school.
I do wish I were working more often. Right now, I can barely pay the rent, with DH making $15.00 per hour.
That is sad. For 4 years, I made everything happen for $6.50-$8.00 per hour, and that includes all food and extras that were purchased in that time. I am a little resentful that DH has money in his pocket now, while that whole time and now I have nothing but change.
He does know that it is rough and I am not working as much now, but he doesn't think that he should have to give all his money to the family. I know you need gas money, I know you want to buy lunch with the guys at Dick's Bodacious Bar-B-Que, but that isn't fair to me or the children. I didn't have "spending money" forever. I still don't and that is why my credit cards look the way they do. I have put my foot down and refuse to borrow any money from my mother or grandmother. I think that he will have to exhaust his parents and family the way I have mine.
With him working so much and making twice what I did, why are things so hard? What is happening that I didn't see before?
I'll make it, I just don't want to stress anymore.

I went to work last night at the Tim McGraw concert. I enjoyed finally getting a full nights work in. Today is another full days work also. May Day is always crazy and they need plenty of help!
I am going to the Indy 500 tomorrow! It will be the first time going inside on race day. I have been to the night before several times, hanging out outside and eating the wonderful food. I can remember so well when my dad went to the race and telling me that it was no place for a little girl. I am no longer little and think that I can handle it. The heat is the worst thing I can think that would make tomorrow hard.
I plan on spending no more than $30 total. That will include food, drinks, and anything that I deem is a useful memoribilia item for me to remember that wonderful day. I will try to post more often. My school is taking a lot out of me, studying and such.

I spent $617 for a new bed. Thank you Stimilus Package!
I also have purchased $300 worth of car parts for my vehicle.

Right now, I am trying to save money for three different reasons.
I continue to save for my Wii, and should have enough for lots of accessories by Christmas.
I want to visit my cousin in Flordia this summer; she aggreed to help me pay for my round-trip flight.
I have also started a Smarty Pig Account for a great party in November of 2011. I have put a date on having a wedding, if there is to be one. This savings will go to having a great time for whatever happens at that time.

School is going great. The boys are doing good in school, and will be starting a new school in July. All and all, with some money put away, Mommy isn't as stressed. That is good.
I think that I am changing my ways for the better, although not all of my bills are up to date. I am making some progress anyway.

I looked up prices in a city guide for the race tickets.
For the cheap seats, it's $70-$95 per ticket.
I received two.
For parking, it is anywhere from $5-$25, so that is awesome too. Since I pick up my tickets at the parking lot, it works out. I am sure they planned it that way.

I haven't bought my freezer, but I am buying a bed with my rebate check. I can't see buying a freezer if we will just keep junk in it. Of course, I will stock up on some meat, but I am not a bake a months worth of food in one night.
I have two cassaroles in the freezer now, but they didn't want to eat the first one, so I am saving it for Dad when I am working at night and he wants to have food in a hurry.

Next Thursday is my birthday. Yeah. My mom is planning something awesome for me and my best friend and I are going out for lunch and then to mani-pedis. She knows how much I love them, but that I am saving money and not pampering myself in ways that cost. I do things at home, for less, and she is treating me for my b-day.
I also know my mom is going to blow me away with her gift.
She told me she wanted to take me to the gambling boat, but said that I would rather have the money than blow it. I said that was true.
Then she said that she was going to lay down about $1000 for a bed for me. WOW!!!

But, since I said that I was buying one with my rebate check, she said there went that.
Ouch!
So my gift is going to blow my socks off, I am sure.

I spent the day with my family on a road trip yesterday. We went to southern Indiana to visit our grandparents and my father at the cemetary. We bought some cheap flowers and built arrangements for everyone. We also visited the last family members who still live down south, and we talked for about four hours about how much we miss our dearly departed. They took me and my two cousins out to dinner and it was a great time. I will make an effort to go down there more often. This was only the second time in ten years that I have been there. This summer, we will have a family reunion of sorts and have even more fun. It will be great, and I will take my two children and BF and show them a piece of my history along with family.
We did buy some snacks to eat on the way there, and only spent about $10 total. I feel like we can take the trip for less than $50 everytime we go. Gas is the only big purchase needed for the two hour trip down there. I can't wait to go back.
I will also make it a point to post more often than I have in the last week.

Reading some money saving tips, I found some ways to cut corners in my budget. I can cut down on the "unnecessary trips" in my car to save gas. I will limit my alcohol consumption, even though I did save money staying home instead of going out. Cigarettes poses a bigger problem though.
I have signed my kids up for baseball this week, so in the coming months I will be spending time there rather than spending money somewhere else. I also live about 1/2 a block from the diamonds so we will pack lunch and drinks to drag there. Concession stand prices are crazy.
I know I have told myself this before, but we really HAVE TO QUIT EATING TAKEOUT!
Since I have a big grocery budget, I need to use it a little more wisely. I also can make all the foods we like to eat out at home. Us parents just need to quit being lazy. I am more guilty of it, as Daddy works early to late Monday through Friday. He should be tired. He gets up over an hour before we do.
I subscribed to recipe site that sends me weeks worth of food, the shopping list and all, but I have yet to implement it into our daily lives.
When I save up enough for my chest freezer, I know that I will use the cook and freeze a week method more. Right now my little freezer is full of crap.
I buy the healthy foods for us, and they go to waste. I think that is why I don't cook as much. Fast food tastes better. I love a homemade hamburger better, but my children are used to the flat, tasteless patty.
I also want to grill out at least twice a week this summer. That will be entertaining, and good for us. Outside in the sun, running and laughing; I can't wait.
If anyone has any suggestions on how I can make myself STOP the fast food route, PLEASE let me know. I tried doing it, complaining when Daddy brought it home, but I ate it and was glad he did. I would love to get out of that trap. Telling myself how much more money it costs isn't helping.
Also, I need to do the freeze it meals because I work nights and weekends, and DH works days. If I want both of us to quit buying, I need to have it ready for him to thaw or nuke and serve.

Veggies and Fruit are our least favorite. I want to add more of that into my children's diet. Grown ups too. So maybe I can buy a chocolate dip for them to have. Marshmallow sounds good too.

I have concluded that $5 will be sufficent for counting towards my total for the challenge for having a NO SPEND DAY!!! I like being at home with family, and it is getting easier to have more of these.
Library books are keeping me company, as well as the children cleaning their room, laundry going in that room, and the living room being clutter free for weeks now.
I am happy to be here, and that helps. I would have the boys go to the store with me to just get out of this house, full of clutter, stinking from dishes, and dirty clothes everywhere.
I have learned how to fight this urge, by cleaning my home. I no longer go ANYWHERE but here, just to escape. I still had to come home. I usually had two or three bags full of new crap. That wasn't helping.
I will count this towards my challenge, and every purchase that I pass up as well. If I were in my previous state of mind, it would have made me feel better to buy, buy, buy. I am better now, and working hard to teach my children the correct ways.

I was told that he was just going to do a simple oil change on my car. Now I am paying for two more parts for over $40 a piece. I wanted to pay rent. If my car breaks down and I can't work, I can't pay rent. I see his reasoning, but really, so close to the due date? I can't win.

Well, add my four hours in at work tonight and I might be able to put gas into my car this weekend.
I haven't been doing any unnecessary driving since gas is so high, but I am getting tired of staying home. The kids are driving me batty.
I think that we need to play some old games or do some more of our puzzles.
That would be great if I could find something fun for at home that wouldn't cost any money.

The end of March is my youngest son's 5th birthday. We will be having another small party at home. This time, the party will be even cheaper, as we will have a movie and popcorn for snack. After cake and presents, there will be a few games, or I could just hand out gift bags. Also, the time for the party will be later, so that maybe we could have a sleepover for family who wants to stay. I plan on asking at least one person to stay, which I don't see a problem with.
Also, I don't forsee anyone coming to this party who did not come to the last one. I invited several more people to come who didn't. My mom said to not let my feelings get hurt. They aren't. We didn't have room for all those people in my house in the first place. So I anticipate a great party this time too!