After going to the gym this morning, I returned to Sam's to do the shopping I intended to do yesterday.

I had $16 left on my gift card, and I spent $56 above that.

I bought two jars of soup base. I meant to buy one chicken, one beef, but I ended with two beef. So I have to go back tomorrow and exchange one.

My other purchases were a big bag of frozen vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower & carrots), 12 lbs. of flour, 2 lbs. of yeast, 45 rolls of toilet paper, two packages...
[ Read More ]

Don't read this if you're easily grossed out. Actually, I am thoroughly grossed out myself.

I made the most disgusting discovery last night. There was a fully engorged tick embedded in my right shoulder.

If you remember, I spent an hour or so on several days last week doing tree cleanup with my fallen crabapple and pine branches.

This is what it looks like now that I've removed many of the smaller branches:



(Plus there's a bunch of white pine branches.)

I do...
[ Read More ]

I feel like I have been in a fog the last couple of days. Mopey, no sleep, loss of concentration fog. I didn't make a lunch and I didn't have anything at work so I bought my lunch...which I really didn't have the money to do. And now I have this guilt. Just a rough day.

I did get an order for some cookies and other baked goods. I have to buy some supplies but I could make about $30 off the order. I also found some pictures that we used to have in our bedroom that I can...
[ Read More ]

Here it is Wednesday. It's gloomy. The thermometer says 57, but it is a chilly 57 with the wind. Winter just doesn't want to give way it seems. We had snow Sunday night/Monday morning. Yesterday it was at least sunny.

The past couple of weeks have kept me busy. We received our tax refund and decided to use it to replace our freezer that is in our garage and our refrigerator. They were to deliver them both a week ago last Sunday so we left church early to make sure we were home.

They...
[ Read More ]

I saw that a few of my friends use Earny, so I got on their website to take a look.

The premise is that they pay you the difference in what you paid for an item if the price drops.

Here's the thing, though: when you go to sign up, it gives you this message:
"Earny wants to access your Google Account
This will allow Earny to:
Read, send, delete, and manage your email"

Whaaaaaaat? Read, send, delete and manage my email???!!!!!

I didn't sign up. It seems slightly...
[ Read More ]

Back in January, I posted this blog entry regarding a possible new job: http://tryingtogetahead.savingadvice.com/2018/01/09/possible-new-job-need-your-feedback-plea_214641/

Fast forward to yesterday. I woke up yesterday morning thinking about the lady and that job. A few hours later, the lady calls me on the phone said that her manager was ready to hire and asked if I was still interested in the job and I told her that I was. How wild is that?

I learned some additional things...
[ Read More ]

Spring. The wind has been so bad that they keep canceling soccer practice due to air quality issues (dust in the air!). F had to have PE inside today, too. She's not very happy about it, but what can you do? It meant I didn't get a workout today, either (I usually walk/run during soccer practice).

I did walk to meet my friend to take her out for lunch for her birthday. The wind was just starting to kick up. Afterward, walked to the City to drop something off at Land...
[ Read More ]

So I went back to Sam's today to shop for the first time. I only needed a few items. But I ended up not getting them, because I had the new member treasure hunt to do, and I could see that was all I could handle right then.

For $4 (which I put on the gift card, so, really, free) I got a rotisserie chicken, 2 lbs of strawberries, two French bread baguettes, a large slice of pizza, a large fountain drink, and a sundae.

I had the pizza and drink for lunch. The sundae is in...
[ Read More ]

Hi all

I am going to document my job search and my goals during this time here. I think it will be helpful to me and maybe to others to watch and see

Anyway today I am going to figure out what the plan is.. hopefully talk to where I used to work (already left voice mails. sortof discouraging to leave voice mails. it makes me think 'they are busy with productive jobs' and I am unemployed' anyway!!) and get my resume up to date and posted.

probably figure out some goals...
[ Read More ]

My oldest daughter has a four year scholarship worth $14K per year, along with a $500 Honor's Scholarship. She also had another scholarship her freshman year (worth $1-2K). These have helped tremendously the first two years since we pay out of state tuition. This year, her third year, the Post 911 GI Bill has paid the difference after scholarships, along with a book and housing stipend. We have paid very little out of pocket this year. I need to do an update on that here soon....
[ Read More ]

Our income tax refund came so no more worries on that front. It actually came on the 11th, but since we didn't get the email or the text they were supposed to send to alert us, I only realized it today when checking the bank account and seeing the hefty balance. It only took 12 days from the day we filed online.

Most of the money will go into the Emergency Fund, but some will go to cover the lost income from jury duty DH has next week, at least if he actually gets called in.

I...
[ Read More ]

HI all

Got fired this morning. Contract company came to work, called me from downstairs and asked me to come down and advised Carla had told them it was not going to work out. Carla and I had a 1:1 at 1pm.. never happened. Carla told the contract company she talked to the 'program manager' Laura this morning and after that determined it was not fixable and better to let me go sooner vs later.

I was never told what was not fixable. or what my 'performance issues' were. I wonder...
[ Read More ]

Current Balance $21,270.00
+$50.00 MO Payday to Our Savings (4/13)
+$50.00 My Payday to Our Savings (4/20)
+$75.00 My Payday to Mom Loan Savings (4/20)
Balance $21,445.00

Local Savings $6150.00
GC Savings $3785.00
Capital 360 Savings (US) $5155.00
Capital 360 Savings (Mom Loan Payback Account)$3655.00
Capital 360 Savings (Rental Deposit Account #1)$1200.00
Capital 360 Savings (Rental Deposit Account #2)$1500.00
Total Savings = $21,445.00

52 Week Challenge
2018...
[ Read More ]

I am a soda drinker. Not the best habit. But I am spending $1.08 on a soda almost every morning. $1.08 doesn't seem bad until you figure it multiplied by 24 days on average. That is $25.92 a month. That's some gas, or some groceries, or almost my vision insurance premium! So I think it will be a lot better for my body and my bank accounts if I can do something about this. I know I can't go cold turkey, so I bought 8 little bottles for $3.33. So that makes them 0.42 each....
[ Read More ]

Ugh. I'm so sick of this.

I didn't go to the gym yesterday, because I decided that one of the special pleasures of retirement is not having to go out if you don't want to. The catch phrase on the news yesterday was"icy grip." Today it is "spring snow."

But I will go out to the gym today. I'll probably have to bus the kids later, anyway, so I might as well go out and get the car brushed off.

I bought a swimsuit yesterday! I got it online from Swimsuits for All; they...
[ Read More ]

This weekend was our quick getaway trip. I had budgeted $100, but we ended up spending a bit more than that. I put the groceries we got on Sunday under the grocery budget and put the fast food dinner from the drive home under Eating Out. While it means that we didn't meet our not eating out goal, I think we're still doing great considering it was part of our return drive from a planned vacation where we knew we'd be eating out.

I'm bummed we didn't make our Entertainment spending...
[ Read More ]

I've added some more cash to our Big Goal. Our plan is to add $108 per pay period. I keep forgetting when I do our budget in YNAB, so then I have to go back in and make adjustments for it to work! This is money from my husband's raise this year. We also save last year's raise. So we are still living on 2016 income!

I think I will switch this to an automatic savings transfer, then I can have automatically set up to record in YNAB as well. I can't let this money disappear into...
[ Read More ]

The weather was terrible on the weekend so we didn’t do much.

Groceries – spent a total of $79.71

Lunch out – On Sat we caught up with a friend for lunch we had Paella and beers, spent $37.50.

Garden Supplies – Got some supplies, $40.70.



[ Read More ]

After I posted on the 12th, I managed to get out into the garden. I was just going to do a little bit and 3 hours later I had weeded 5 of the raised beds. I was super sore that night and the next two days, but today I felt less stiff and almost back to normal. It was clear again, even though the forecast said it was going to rain all day, so I got another 2.5 hours in on the garden. DS helped me today.

We only got 3 beds done, but one was a strawberry bed and I had a lot...
[ Read More ]

Today sure flew by; I stayed inside all day as the weather is raw again and overcast.

I had a nurse come to the house this morning to give me a "refresher course" on MS injections. It pretty much confirmed I'm doing it the right way. She's a contract employee of Teva Neuroscience and does this p/t while she works a f/t job at a local internist's office. She was very talkative, maybe a little too much about her personal life, but that's ok.

After she left, I tried once again...
[ Read More ]