I have to make a confession even though it is only loosely financially related. I have let myself go physically since the move. This is especially shameful because I have a fitness center, indoor pool, park and mall at my disposal. I have been in somewhat of a depression due to finances. I hate that the subbing situation is such a mess. There are also some challenges with editing. There are also personal issues with the family which alone wouldn't be derailing, but they are adding...
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See below entry
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I mentioned in my last post that I don't have a system in place to manage all these gift cards. But I think keeping track of my blog is just the easiest.

I know it's going to take a while to get through all these. (Including gift cards that we don't expect to use for 10+ months).

GIFTS:
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$50 Cracker Barrel **PACK FOR OCTOBER TRIP**
$100 Benihana **DECEMBER**
$ 50 x2 Barnes & Noble **DECEMBER/JANUARY**
$ 15 x2 Target


MOVIES:
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$25 Regal gift...
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My variables have crept up to 101%. I can only conserve cash as much as possible now. I do actually have $57 available, left over from previous months, but I still want to be uber-careful.

Luck was on my side today. I had to go to the hospital for a mammogram. It took less than an hour, so parking was free. Then, this afternoon I picked up the boys from school. They didn't even ask for a treat. I took them home and we watched the Simpsons -- after homework was done, of...
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Current Balance $18,090.00
+$50.00 MO Payday
+$35.00 FB Sales
Balance $18,175.00

Local Savings $6985.00
GC Savings $2525.00
Capital 360 Savings (US) $3560.00
Capital 360 Savings (Mom Loan Payback Account)$2340.00
Capital 360 Savings (Rental Deposit Account #1)$1265.00
Capital 360 Savings (Rental Deposit Account #2)$1500.00
Total Savings = $18,175.00

52 Week Challenge
2017 Total = $892.00(We have paid weeks 1-28 and 44-52)
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Good week for sales!! Sales were $96.50!! And I sold a lot of the new items we just got when we went rummaging last weekend, $53.00 worth of rummage sale pickups, and $49.00 of that was profit! Love a quick turnaround!


Sale #721 (IM) $12.00
3 Backpacks @ $4.00 = $12.00 for my Mom

Sale #722 (SR) $20.00
(3) 3 Piece Outfits (New) - We paid $1.00 each at rummage sale
Sold all 3 as a bundle for $20.00
Profit = $17.00

Sale #723 (JC) $4.00
Dart Board - We paid...
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2017 TALLY:

$500 Gift Cards (AmEx Gold, Moi)
$525 Gift Cards (Citi Thank You, MH)
$499 Travel Rewards (Capital One Venture,MH)
$200 Cash (WF Wise, MH)
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$1,724 TOTAL *ONE-TIME REWARDS*

**In addition, various monthly rewards that I will tally at 12/31.

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I guess this is the flip side of managing several credit card rewards at once. It's raining rewards!

I received $500 gift cards and $200 cash...
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Clorox Wipes 35ct 4pks are on clearance at select Staples for only $2.00 per 4pk! My Mom was able to grab up 15 packs!

Total for 15 packs + tax = $31.95!!!
(Marked $6.00 each for rummage sale)


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My initial $100 Kiva loan is being paid back by 5 recipients living in Armenia, Pakistan, Uganda, Moldova and Palestine.

From my one-time $100 donation, I've been able to loan out $175 in micro loans.

Today, enough money was repaid that I could make another $25 loan, this time to a woman from Tajikistan.

There are thousands in need of assistance, but I am partial to 1) single/divorced women on their own, 2) women seeking $$ for their own or their daughters' educations...
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I was weeding a long perennial bed that runs parallel to my driveway. Between the perennial bed and the driveway is a stone wall which at one end is just a foot high and at the other end is about five feet high. I was weeding about in the middle.

I've climbed up and on top of that stone wall many dozens of times to access the perennial bed instead of walking around the wall and onto the grass on the other side of it.

Stupidly, I stood up from weeding and with my back to the...
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Every week our newspaper prints the real estate transfers that happened in our county. I am always surprised to see some of the prices of the houses and wonder who has the money to buy such expensive houses and maintain them.

I know there are some wealthy folks out there. It is just here in our Central Illinois area, we are still struggling with unemployment and underemployment. According to realtor.com the median home selling price is between $77,000 and $85,000. Yet, so many...
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Today I bought some cat food ($14) and filled a prescription ($13). That tips my variables just over 100%, and I have nine more days to go. Not surprised; C's setback has made budget-watching both difficult and trivial.

I also did another load of laundry.

I guess my goal for the rest of the nine days is to spend as little as possible -- but if C needs something, that is out the window.

C's company has left and she is napping. I may go over later, if she is up to it.

Tomorrow...
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We have used our homeowners insurance very little during the 23 years that we've owned our home, so it is nice to see our insurance company coming through for us after all the damage from the storm last month. I wasnt sure how it would work, but an adjuster came out and took pictures and talked with the hub and then a couple of weeks later we received notice of payment.

They estimated either replacement costs (minus depreciation) or repair costs. The payment amount is very...
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It was payday on Friday. I paid 71 to my only credit card - the new 0% offer. If I want it cleared in 25 months, I have to pay 126 each month, so I'm 55 short, not good. Once the catalogue is clear - it's at 195 now after Friday's pay3, I got the figure wrong - I can use that money.

I downloaded all of Swagbucks' mobile apps. The plan is to redeem for PayPal gift cards then put that towards hubby's credit card. It's taking ages though. I have redee0one 10PP so far. I actually...
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I have just learned I have a large and potentially quite expensive home repair which must be done ASAP.

The 4th and smallest bedroom in my house, which is used as storage and seldom visited by anyone, has a large hole in the ceiling. And it's dripping water. And I'm going to guess this has been a problem for awhile but I did not know.

My AC unit is roof mounted and not too far from the hole in the ceiling. As it has not rained in quite some time, I suspect the AC unit is...
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Okay I managed to resize some of the photos. I will start adding them probably in no reasonable order because I'm finding it difficult enough as is.

Asakusa Temple Daytime in tokyo.


Asakusa Temple Night


Asahi Brewery


Asahi Extra Cold


Tokyo Disneysea



Disney Sea Food (mochi ice cream and Gyoza dog)



Shinkansen (bullet train)


Kobe Beef


Kobe Cable Car, Port Tower, Zoo




Nara Deer park and Todaji Temple (day and night bon festival)




Osaka...
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So we start October 2nd our basement/garage remodel. We signed a contract and put down $15,000 deposit. After the drywall is up we pay another $10,000, and after all work is done we finalize our payment. Right now as it stands we are signed on for ~$47,000 to finish our garage, replace all windows, remodel our bathroom.

This does not include new garage doors which was quoted at $3700 from Costco installer or cabinetry in the laundry, family room, and garage. The cabinets...
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This is my last free week before the new job starts and I plan on knocking off as many things on my to-do list as possible.

Today, I'd really like to run up to White Flower Farm, about a 40-minute drive. They have a dwarf hydrangea called Ruby Slippers that I think would really work well in a small spot very close to my front door. It's bare dirt now because I pulled out the invasive sedges I'd planted there.

The Ruby Slippers only reaches 3 to 4 feet in height when maturity....
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Let's see, there's been a lot of little money-in, money-out activity since my last post.

I took a sick day on Tuesday simply because I hadn't gotten much sleep for a few days and it was messing me up. I have plenty of sick PTO (I rarely take even half of it) and I could see my work projects could all wait a day without burdening any co-workers, so I did it.

Felt much recovered after sleeping in most of the morning. In the afternoon AS and I went for a longish walk and ended...
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Just bought an ice cream cone at McDonald's for $1. No, I shouldn't have sugar, but after sitting out in the sun for a long baseball game, I felt like an ice cream cone was elevated to a "need."

C went to the game with me, along with her friend from Indiana. She did well, but seemed tired at the end. It was a long and boring game, and grandson did not perform very well. But at least it was a lovely day, though warm.

My inflammation is gone, so I am permitting myself small...
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