So, since quitting, I have made plans to have a garage sale at the end of this month to keep from going in the red too quickly.
Our wedding is in November, only three months away, and one month ahead of the holidays.
I made a promise to my son that if he received nothing but good remarks from school for the first semester, he would receive an X-Box for Christmas.
I know this seems extreme to some, but if he goes 90 school days without getting in trouble ONCE, then he deserves it!!!
I will be working extra at my security job I have had since 2006, so we aren't in dire straits.
The State Fair is here today and I will be working at my job I quit for one more week.
The people I am training to take over are in awe of the crap that I have been dealing with over the last almost full year and don't know how they will do it.
I said to ask the boss if they didn't know where something went, such as checks written with no reason, and they knew that he would lie or make up a reason before even asking.
That's why I am leaving.
I hope the kids school year does well, that our wedding goes off without a hitch (pun intended), and the year finishes as well as it started.
I bought four dollars in scratch off tickets and won $20. I think I'll be starting up with the challenge again. I find change constantly and never add it up. I will again be doing this.
Great to be back and doing so well!

Past view of my electric bills from the date I moved in way back in October:
07/06/2011 $221.75
06/03/2011 $147.64
05/04/2011 $158.69
04/05/2011 $80.39
03/04/2011 $130.93
02/03/2011 $249.78
01/03/2011 $160.23
12/02/2010 $74.32
11/04/2010 $29.12
10/05/2010 $177.06
Wonder what's up with that!

Tomorrow, I'm going to ask my boss if I can work Monday through Friday again. I have been doing three days for the last month or so and I am anxious about my kids over summer break. I want to take it back down to three days then as my night job will pick up as the warm weather progresses.
I love summer. It brings out the best music!

I know this post isn't going to get great reviews, but I am too excited to not share.
I have huggable hangers in my closet. I bought some from HSN, the Christmas Tree Shoppe, and Target.
I am saving money, as I only buy them when on sale. But I am currently thinking about using them for my children's clothes.
In the process of ridding my closet and my finance's, I am getting rid of the others on Listia.com. I have been getting rid of the "extra" hangers, by which I mean store hangers, dry-cleaners hangers, and donated hangers, from family that lent them to me when we had none.
The reasoning for purchasing such fuzzy and thin, magnetic, wonderful hangers that cost way more than their plastic tube counterparts had nothing to do with money.
I needed to finish putting our clothes away, specifically, mine.
I would wash, dry, fold, and put away their (F, and 2 sons) clothes. But mine, the only person who works in an office and needs neatly hung clothes, would be last and I didn't want to finish the job.
I would hang them on door handles, leave them in the garage on the sorter/hanger and have to go out there to get my clean clothes. I decided that I would need incentive and I wasn't to slip up again. If you spent that much on hangers, you'd make sure that every single one was used and in its proper place.
So, I use blue for mine and silver for his. Black for the kids? but they only get a few, and only on the clothes they won't be wearing often. Just the best for my hangers!
I love them and will be using them soon, as my dryer is full and I will be needing to hang work clothes again!!

And was shocked!
I thought I was getting a good deal, for the channels I get, speedy internet, and all that jazz, it was almost $80!
I had it down to around $69, but I guess my free HBO and Showtime is over. Now those channels are $10 each.
I will have to rethink this, as we are not spending any time watching those channels, but it is nice to use the On Demand part for movies when we have the time and inclination.
I will have to pay $46 for my plates in two weeks. I will also have to get a new license with my new address on it.
Woo Hoo. Then I'll be officially and totally settled in here.
I hope that the tennis ball sized hail we just had didn't damage my roof too much. I wonder what it did to the car. Too late to check. I'll see it in the morning.

I have recently been purchasing flowers and bulbs for my new home. I have already had a ton of flowers pop up that the former homeowner had planted, and now I am adding my own little pieces of heaven. I will be planting a garden as well, for food and for stress relief.
I have decided that I am not going to spend anymore money on the outdoors. I have purchased enough seed starter cups, dirt, seeds, and tools to last the summer.
I will eventually have food that I can feed my family and friends, cutting on my grocery bill. But I have decided that I can no longer spend any more money on these things, especially the items that are just for looks.
I am thankful to have this 1/2 an acre to plant and grow on, which I will use to its full extent. I plan on harvesting the walnuts in our backyard as well.
I really wanted to purchase a fruit tree, but alas, that must wait till next year!

I have learned that if I am ready to go by the time I awaken the Kraken from their beds, I will yell less, freak out less, can provide food and love more, and the whole house has a better feel to it. This saves our sanity, which saves me money. If I am up early, I can get my caffeine fix and not stop at the gas station on the way in to work.
Breakfast found in the fridge and cabinets will be cheaper than the bar or bag I grab to go with that great big soda at the same station.
I have my kids eat everyday, but making myself do it is another story.
If I get ready early, I can sit and eat with them, instead of putting socks on people who have been capable of that for YEARS. Saving my sanity and some cash one morning at time!

Well, today was the last day for 7 soaps for $20 at Bath and Body Works.
I did get 7 of them, 3 candles for $5, and a free $5 travel size body spray. I also had a 20% coupon off my entire order. So, I ended up paying less than $25 with tax for $50 worth of stuff.
Good deal for me, since we needed soap, I wanted new candles, and the free spray was cool too!
On budget with the bills, with things paid down and off. Only $100 on the credit card and the gym and house payment made. Next is cell phone and cable bill time.
Good deal all around!

So, I should have mentioned this before, but my first ink recycle with them gave me $49.20 towards the $80 worth of ink. I figured I'd get about $10 off or something, but really it was $50!
I recently received my rewards card for $10.68. I figured I had better return my ink and get some new black ink. Had I known the awesomeness that would be given to me, I would have recycled sooner.

So much going on. I forgot spring was so busy.
Little league baseball, official score keeper
Concert season on a roll, official patter-downer
Moving to a new house, new school district, new side of town
About to graduate, but not with the GPA I started with, in a few weeks, kids out of school next week
Indy 500, work, and the holiday of remembrance for all those who died for us to have the freedom to enjoy a bar-b-que or whatever we desire
So much to worry about, not letting stress get to me
Forgetting those who cause more stress in my life will be easier said than done
I will not stop reaching for my dreams and goals.

I see that I did post about my study drug to see if they could make a better fat burning drug.
I lost a total of 25 pounds but did not receive the total $ I was expecting. They clearly laid out what was to be paid, but they canceled the study early. I only lost around $140. I got my last check today for $205 instead of $345.
not bad

In my quest to save the Earth, I turn off my gas guzzler at the pharmacy and go inside to wait for our prescriptions. During the wait, of course I browse for things. I think about what I may be out of at home. I found some cheese dip for $2. At least three times last week someone was looking for cheese dip.
I picked it up.
I carry no basket, push no cart, and carry my heavy purse that prevents me from picking up what I need.
I did not needlessly pick up things that I know I want. This lead me to a form of, carry it around and put it down before you leave. No, I didn't put it back. I paid for it and was upset later.
I will not do this anymore.
I picked up a bag of pita chips with sea salt.
Why do I need these? Don't I have chips and wanted them before but didn't have salsa or cheese to go with it.
I put the item down and backed away. I then sat and waited until my name was called.
I'm proud of myself.
BTW I did buy one more thing, an impulse purchase set on the counter next to the pharmacist's cash register, but I need it. It is a new spray to help my son swallow pills easier. I know it is just sugar water, but the picture on the box of the little boy smiling will work more wonders than the spray to help out my youngest.
Guess that's better than it used to be, with a cart full of items "on sale".

It is amazing what happens when you stay away too long.
I am in the process of buying a house, finishing school, and even thinking hard about getting married.
Since there is no common-law marriage anymore, we will have to do the real deal.
But, more importantly, we are buying a house.
After careful deliberation, we have found a fixer-upper in a good neighborhood for $89,000. This is a great investment, as the last appraisal quoted it as worth $140,000.
My FHA loan is locked with a 30-year fixed rate of 4.8%.
Tell me about lucky, I already know.
Since I am moving into a home that is three times the one I am renting now, I will have some work to do by sticking to a budget for furniture. We are working towards minimization. That sounds like a lie, since we are getting so much room, but I want the home to be better than here, so that means downsizing or crap.
Hopefully this change in status from renting to owning will enhance the pride we have in our stuff.

Well, I guess this is my chance to prove to myself that I am responsible with money now. Since I only have around $1,500 to save and not blow on the holiday season, I think that I should be cautious to stay out of the mall, the stores, and especially the grocery. For some reason every year I always want to be the one to bring the best snacks or treats at a holiday party. This year I bought some pretzel rods and fancied them up with icing and chocolate. I promised myself and family that this was the only thing I was making. Then, I bought cookie mix and marshmellows to make some frosted flake wreaths. I am not very good about making promises to myself. I will keep this promise to my kids that I will have some money when the new year comes around. I already have bills that need to be paid too.
I WILL NOT OVERSPEND!
I WILL NOT OVERSPEND!
I WILL PRETEND THAT I AM AS BROKE AS I ALWAYS AM.
I WILL NOT BUY MYSELF MORE THAN TWO PRESENTS THIS YEAR. I WILL NOT!!!!!!!!!
(thanks for listening)

With all the problems the entire world is having with their money, I haven't posted in a while as I didn't even want to think about MY finances.
I am a grownup and will face it like a woman.
So, my credit stinks, my longest open card just closed on me and won't reopen it. I have been hanging on by string, but still making it. I also have gotten a new job. My training starts after Christmas. I am excited about that.
I worked Saturday night at my current job. I hadn't worked before then since Oct. 30th. Wow!
I am not worried a bit about Christmas as we know we are not getting much. Our drawing for the adult kids is going strong again for the third year in a row. I am not worried about school either. I am certain that I will pass with flying colors. My hope that I will do better next year doesn't seem so bleak. I could be way worse off.
On a better note, i am saving with SmartyPig and my Santa savings I just opened will be mighty full by next Christmas!
I am also taking part in a drug study that will pay $1115 after 8 months. I am happy with that too. It is for a weight loss drug. So, I want to win two ways. One to lighten my load and one to fatten my savings wallet.
The sun is shining...

Grandma:$500.00
Credit line:$175
Credit line#2:$165
Rent:$460
TV:$1000
Cable:$140
Phone:$50
Lights:$100
Gas:$75 on budget

That doesn't seem too bad to me.
I am glad that I have paid down the money I owe my grandma. I have no other outstanding debts, besides my student loans.
Way to go me!

When I don't post, I am irresponsible with money. I did make a good decision with about $100 though. I have purchased an electric heater for our living room to keep the gas heat off for as long as possible. $88 plus tax is $96.14. When I saw the ad in the paper, I was excited. I saved for a while for something in the house that was for all of us, and I think this was a good purchase.

I am currently finishing up a paper due for my Intro to Finance class. DIP financing is not as interesting as is sounds, but I am glad that some institutions are willing to help in these tough times.

My darling children are out of school for three weeks. Their fall break comes after my school semester is just beginning. Thank goodness for moms and best friend's moms!!!
My Smarty pig account is slowly but surely getting bigger. I added a goal to help my saving of daily money and when I roll change that I collect, I add it to those accounts.
Breakfast is over and cartoons are going. I am volunteering at the church for a rummage sale today. I really don't want to buy anything there, but I am taking $5 just in case I see something we need.

I am going to be a caller on the Dave Ramsey Show this Monday at 12:30-1:30 EST. I am so excited. I am going to talk about how I ended my love affair with the dollar store and all their junk that I spent my hard earned money on.
I can't wait.

Also, I found a penny on the ground in the city today. It was cool!

I went to work and bought dinner from the roach coach, but that was about it. We received free tickets for a pre-season football game, spending nothing there. And today, I am making pork chops that we have had in the freezer and plan on spending nothing today too!!!!!
That's a lot for me!
Found $.70 at work on the ground too. Don't ask me what my balance is, I don't think I have one. Right now my counting money jar says $8.86 in change on my desk. Way to go me!

Someone took my signs down last night. I know they were taken down and not blown off because they were on there good and there was no sign of it to be found.
So, I put new ones up. Can't get me down that easy. While I was putting a new one up, someone asked me where it was and stopped by. Thanks people! I'm feeling the love from strangers as I tell them that things are $1 and 50 cents. Take it out and give me peace. Too much stuff is probably how I ended up in this no money business in the first place. So far, there is $21.75 to put into Smartypig. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

I am selling my children's clothes and my useless crap! Dirt cheep prices will move the stuff, I hope. I have advertised craigslist.org and put 10 signs on corners around my street. I only plan on having a break when my mom shows up for a minute and on Friday when my kids are out of school.
My oldest boy will stay here with me and help out. He wants to sell his stuff. Awesome buddy. Help the family out. I will automatically put all the funds received from the sale smartypig.com account.
My mom gave me money for my kid's school pictures that they are taking tomorrow. Thanks, Mom!
I only need to get some change at the bank on the corner, a little cooler of water for my hot day tomorrow and pray for no overnight rain. I hate when I leave things outside as it is, but if they get rained on, I my be discouraged.
I hope that when we make some money the kids focus on me putting it away instead of spending it right away. I will let them keep the money from their toy sales, but encourage them to save it until they have $20 to put into their accounts at the bank.

I have managed to keep a small chunk of change, and I do mean change, in their accounts. I am not expecting to make more than $100 all weekend and so they should get what their stuff brings. They can see their account balance and I need to get them into the recording of the deposits. I will get a recorder book from the bank for them.
Wish me well on my money making endeavor. I only need a little shove, not a push over the edge!

I am shocked that after all this hard work that I had done over the last eight months has been to end in flames after less than two months of penny rolling.
My yard sale is two days away and I am worried that I won't have anything but a couple of cents and a couple of bucks for change. When I first got set up I had $60 for change. This week just needs to shape up.
Working less, which is weird, since I just got a $0.50 raise. My boss said that it would be on my check from yesterday, but it wasn't. When I asked him, he said that I should be happy I got it. Okay, but I still haven't gotten it yet! And it would have really helped to be on this check!
Signed oldest kid up for a runner's club after school two nights a week for 4 1/2 weeks. That should help him get some activity and separate the brothers that need some alone time. Got to get out there and find a job that will work with my schedule of school and my kid's school. Good Luck!

I paid $660 to have hot water. I am thankful. I am a little pissed about how ghetto the operators were to me. After I took my dishes to my grandmother's to do them, I told her that I almost felt sorry for making fun of my ex-sister-in-law for trading sexual favors to get her utilities turned back on. Almost.

Lights and gas paid. Water and phone are next. Maybe a credit card will get paid next month.

I guess that's where an emergency fund comes from. I only have $25 in mine and my man's transmission in his work truck went out Friday. Now he is driving the gas guzzler loaded down with hundreds of pounds of tools. No extra spending!

I returned a car part that was purchased but not needed. That was $42.
I worked from 6:30 to about 10:30 and made $25.
I did not buy any cigarettes or alcohol today, which is awesome for me since I am feeling down.

I contacted my cable company and they told me that in order to get service without buying a box for digital signal, my bill will be raising on September 11th from $33 to $45. "You get more channels." Don't you get that I am trying to go cheap? I guess I will see when those digital boxes are less and get a coupon for reimbursement or something. We can live with Fox and public television but with nothing even I will go crazy.

I tried to call my college today and it was a weird conversation. They changed the name of my school, which is cool, but I asked to talk to some really well known people in the office and the girl answering the phone did not know who I was talking about. So after asking if the dean was the same, she explained that there was an entire staff meeting and she was filling in. I asked her if there was a list of people's extensions so that I could leave a voicemail and she was looking at the list and no one I mentioned was on it.
Weird. I will call again tomorrow and get the down low on what I need to do to start up again this September 29th. Before you jump my case about needing work worse, I can't afford to start paying my student loans, which are about $10,000.00. I have only two months until my six month grace period is over. Really, it is over in August, but I will be registered by then. I forgot that I found two pennies on the ground today.

GO ME!!!

Paying off cards to get the credit card companies to stop calling me 20 times a day hardly seems worth it. I am now $200 lighter and my life seems bleak. Rent is paid, but we still have no hot water. The cable company is going to shut us off and repo our box. I don't know how much longer I can take this. My children have started school and their supplies and textbook fees really strapped me. At least I don't have to pay the $50 a week for Kindergarten this year.

$658 for gas due
$117 for cable due
$132 for phone due
$156 for lights due
$50 for one credit card due
$40 for another credit card due
$101 for yet another credit card due
$60 for my major credit card due
$18 for my last credit card due

My head is above water for now, but it won't be soon. My kids keep me going. My job lets me hang on. My sanity is still in check. Without those things, you would never hear from me again.

What is the name of my blog? You must first help yourself, which I have been doing, by doing a minimum of 20 hours of job searching every week. That is time I could be working and earning money, but my job isn't the best about giving hours. It isn't their fault. I will continue to look, since I am to be starting school again this fall.

Wish me luck!

Work and more work are planned for this weekend. We are sitting at home with the kids and watching TV. Lunch will come out of the freezer and dinner is on Dad. I hope that it doesn't rain on me at work tonight. It is raining now, so that is why we aren't going anywhere. Also, I work 25 miles away so I am saving our gas. Next week is back to school night and school starts that next Monday. Time flew so fast. We have most of our supplies ready to go. I hope that we have a good year this year.

These next two weeks are going to be outrageous with things that need to be done. I have already started on the laundry from our trip, but other than that I have to schedule my son's eye surgery, we have a family meeting with the school counselor, a lot of bills are due, and work is hounding me to come in early this week. Tomorrow I have to sign up the boys for school and finish getting their school supplies together. What else needs to be on my plate right now. I am starting school in the fall too. I had a six month break and I am ready to go back, get into the grove, and graduate. Hopefully with my degrees I can talk my boss into that raise I've deserved for over a year. I could also talk him into some working while the kids are at school sort of thing. I did that for a while, but he wanted me to do physical work instead of paperwork. I really hated getting dressed in my fancy office clothes to dust and clean on my hands and knees. I had no problem doing the laundry of the company, but really, scrubbing the table legs in a dress didn't work for me and I told him. Since I am deaf on the phone, I wasn't the best message taker for lunch time either.
I am going to be looking for a new job. Wish me luck.

Well, my lease is up in October. I really want to leave this dump, but it's cheap and has a great school for my little n's. Without finding a full time job that pays at least min. wage, I can't afford to go anywhere. I say at least minimum because I could be a waitress and make a few bucks. That won't be enough.
Right now rent is cheap for the good area I'm in, but I think my family needs more. I know that we should be happy for what we have, but my 6-y-o told me that our house is too small to get away from his brother. Two bedrooms, living room, kitchen and bath. That is a really tiny place when you write it down. I guess I'm not counting everything. There's a small bathroom, smaller laundry room, and a hallway connecting the four major rooms. I found a place with three bedrooms, fenced in backyard, attached garage, with new windows and insulation. $560 to $875 is quite a jump. DH won't let us move because he is the only one really working. My job is a joke. I work one week and not for two. Since I get paid bi-weekly, it sort of doesn't pay at all. I have to drive 45 miles to get 6 or 7 hours in and then drive home at 1 in the morning, and for what? To get a paycheck for $100 twice a month? Yes. At least I have that. I have to remind myself to be thankful for what I have. Maybe I'll find a cute small house for the same amount of money in November. I'm sure that my landlord will be flexible with me. I am their best tennant.
I am happy we have a house and aren't living off our parents.

Have I even thought about how much gas would cost to drive south this weekend. We are taking a non-gas guzzler, so that is a plus. But I have been to worried about having fun and budgeting that and forgot about gas. Food is good, clothes are owned, and we are ready to go. I hope that we only have to fill up twice. Once on the way there, and once on the way back.