Campfrugal's Personal Finance Blog

I entered the contest over at Cash Flow Mantra http://cashflowmantra.com/ last week sometime and I won $75.00. I am so excited. Thank you Jim at CFM.

Adding $75.00 from a contest I won to my passive income category.

Previous Amount: $26.00
Add monies: $75.00
New Total: $101.00

I also just bought a book I cannot wait to read called:

The Feast Nearby: How I lost my job, buried a marriage, and found my way by keeping chickens, foraging, preserving, bartering, and eating locally (all on $40 a week)

through Amazon, but I used up some credit card credits to buy it, so it didn't cost me anything.

I have decided I would keep a running tally of how much interest I am paying on all my credit cards every month on my sidebar. I think looking at how much money I am wasting will help me stay focused and get those pesky credit cards paid off.

January Interest: $176.39

Adding $3.00 from a Pinecone survey to my passive income total.

Previous Amount: $23.00
Add monies: $3.00
New Total: $26.00

Has anyone caught the show and what are you doing to be an extreme cheapskate.

I have decided not to buy kitty litter anymore. Last year I spent $60.66 on kitty litter. My husband says he can bring home all the free sawdust I want. I thought with the sawdust, a box of baking soda and using some shredded paper from my recycle bin, I shouldn't have to buy anymore kitty litter.

As I was going through all of my receipts, other items caught my eye that I spend a lot of money on, for example:

*Shampoo. Why do we use so much shampoo. Hmm. Investigate.

*Apples. We eat a lot of apples. A bag of organic apples each week at $5.99/each comes to $311.48. I should be able to go to the farms and get them by the bushel for much less. I have an apple tree, but the apples are not real good for eatin, but possibly for applesauce or cider.

*Bottled water. I stopped this a while back, but for some reason, we have started buying it again. Need to push using the brita and refillables.

*Cat Food. Well, the cats have to eat also. I wonder if I can make my own for cheaper.

*Meat. Which is always a hefty price. I did buy a case of Zaycon Chicken when it went on sale in October and I know I saved a bundle here. I will do this again when the sale comes around. Now, if I can figure out a plan for the rest of the meat oonsumed around here.

Well, those are areas I am going to look into. I think if I combined all of my efforts above, I could probably save quite a bit.

Adding $3.00 from a Pinecone survey to my passive income total.

Previous Amount: $20.00
Add monies: $3.00
New Total: $23.00

Adding a $10.00 rebate check from Brita to my passive income total.

Previous Amount: $10.00
Add monies: $10.00
New Total: $20.00

I find if I blog about my goals here, it keeps me accountable. Not that I am not accountable, but having the SA bloggers on my team keeps motivated.

Goals for January:

*Need to get $304.00 back into my checking.

*Need to get my EF savings account back up to the minimum balance, where I am not charged a fee, of $300.00.

*Keep working on finding a part-time job. I did put two resumes in this week, with one as a great prospect, and the hours work great with my other schedules. Pray that I get it. Would love this job.

*Get baby shower invites done and mailed out by the end of the month.

*Get the rest of my bills paid before their respective due dates. Usually not a problem.

*Finish up Bunco party gifts, make desserts on that day and have a good time with the ladies.

*Get organized for the Club Board meeting.

*Keep up with my menu planning. This has been working out great and keeps me out of the grocery stores every other day.

*Call my new house cleaning job to see what day is best for them.

I usually track all of my spending by hand, meaning, I write everything down.

Well, I took advantage of the Excel spreadsheet I have on my computer and put all of my categories on this sheet. I have now been entering my totals in their allotted spot.

I also am using it like envelopes, with a spot for vacations, Christmas and such, where I am putting a certain amount of dollars for each of those categories, each month, so that when the time comes, I will have that amount available.

We will see how this works for me. Something new. I will probably keep track on paper as well, just in case I make a mistake on the spreadsheet.

Starting the 2012 year with a $10.00 check from serve.

New Total: $10.00

All of my passive income is going to pay down debt, so I am looking for all kinds of creative ways to get free money.

Dangers of Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

These are the new light bulbs many people are using to conserve power. They will soon be mandated by the government as "traditional light bulbs will be banned in 2014." So, with this new CFL technology, most of us will have no alternative but to use these toxic, cancer-causing, buzzing EMF polluters. The only alternative will be the more expensive LED bulbs which actually are the safest.

These new Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL) are notorious for generating a high EMF field, higher than normal fluorescent lights. And, because you are more likely to be closer to a CFL lamp, the exposure is even higher.

According to a World Health Organization study, exposure symptoms may include dermatological symptoms as well as neurasthenic and vegetative (fatigue, concentration difficulties, dizziness, heart palpitations and digestive disturbances).

"CFL and Fluorescent lights produce dangerously high EMFs"

There have also been reports that while they don’t cause skin cancer directly, they increase your chances of getting it.

It's important to understand that these energy-saving bulbs produce EMF of much higher intensity then regular bulbs. Of course they do not radiate as much as a microwave, but you have only one microwave at home and about 60 bulbs. Replacing all those bulbs with the energy saving bulbs could turn your house into a total electromagnetic mess.

Not only do these types of light bulbs produce high levels of EMF, they generate a especially potent and harmful type of EMF called "dirty EMF" which is even more toxic to the human body than other forms of EMF radiation

Levels of EMF around and close to some CFL lamps exceeds the doses considered to create risks. The impact of bringing many of these new EMF sources into our homes to replace the EMF free incandescent lamps might cause a tremendous effect on our health.

It has been shown that these new CFL light bulbs can cause Depression, Anxiety, and Panic Disorders. According to some Canadian research documents: "this type of EMF exposure, may cause adrenal glands to excrete too much Cortisol and adrenaline, which can lead to irritability and hyperactivity." The document states that EMF can cause a decrease in the brain
hormones, serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, all of which are linked to depression and anxiety.

"Studies point to a link between CFLs and migraines"

People with panic disorder have reported panic attacks triggered by entering stores with fluorescent lighting and homes with CFL. While some of these panic attacks that occur under this scenario may be the result of a visual trigger, rather than the result of EMFs. Two of the symptoms of panic attacks are derealization and depersonalization, or feelings of unreality. Depersonalization and derealization are caused by shallow breathing that results in chemical changes in the body. When this occurs, people report that things around them look a bit different.

Watch the related documentary on Planned Obsolescence called, "The Lightbulb Conspiray" aka Pyramids of Waste:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5DCwN28y8o

LAST YEARS GRAND TOTAL INCOME 2011:
*My regular base pay: $18,900.00
*Money from husband: $10,885.00
*My summer beach job: $ 3,379.46
*Income Tax Return: $2,108.00
*House Cleaning: $1,325.00
*Babysitting: $540.00
*Yard Sale and Pawn Shop: $340.00
*Passive Income: $306.73 (This is what I made from doing surveys and rebates)
**GRAND TOTAL INCOME: $37,784.19

YEARLY HOUSEHOLD LIVING EXPENSES 2011:

*Mortgage: $10,800.00 (Remaining on Mortgage: $100,389.09).
*Electric: $1,828.00
*Consumers Gas: $1,725.00
*Cell Phones: $1,167.29
*TV, Internet, Landline: $1,820.63
*Sewer Bill: $233.86
*Homeowners Insurance: $673.00
*Property Taxes: $1,134.58
**TOTAL: $19,382.36

*Groceries: $6,534.59 (includes food and household)
*Water Softener Salt $247.65
*Eating Out: $1,286.84
*House Maintenance: $1,276.90 (Furnace tune-up, new well pump, general maintenance)
*Vacations: $0 (didn't take any vacations this past year)
*Kid's Allowance: $640.00
*Clothing: $357.16
*Christmas: $655.50
*Birthdays: $400.00 (This is for 4 people, $100 budgeted each. Would like to cut this in half)
*Weddings/Graduations/Baby Showers: $174.00
*Memberships: $160.00 (Country Club, State Parks, Costco)
*Medical Costs: $446.33 (Doctor visits and RX. This was what was paid in cash and not put on a credit card, like Care Credit for the dentist)
*Homeschooling: $311.65
*Miscellaneous: $302.86 (stamps, computer ink, games, movies, haircuts, park entry fees, haunted houses, etc.)
**TOTAL: $12,793.48

VEHICLE COSTS:

*Vehicle Insurance: $603.31 (Neon)
*Vehicle Reg. and Tabs: $44.00 (Neon)
*Gas: $1,194.52 (Neon)
*Auto Care: $515.00 (Neon)
**TOTAL: $2,356.83

DEBT: (Credit Cards)

*Freedom Visa: $2,598.45
*Chase Wamu: $3,195.25
*Discover: $4,487.59
*Amazon Visa: $785.62
*Care Credit: $1,882.00
*Art Van: $760.00

**TOTAL CC DEBT: $13,708.91 Didn't get much debt paid off. The difference is I did pay off a doctor bill and a visa that I don't use anymore, but added the Care Credit and Amazon Visa. I did make big progress in the Art Van area, and expect to pay off the Art Van and Care Credit with my income tax return check. That will help in focusing my debt to the remaining four, Discover, Wamu, Freedom and Amazon.

*TOTAL PAID ON CC DEBT: $6,024.61

**GRAND TOTAL SPENT FOR 2011: $40,557.28

Well, my expenses outweigh my income by $2,443.09, which explains why I have no emergency fund left. I will rework my budget to make sure I do better in 2012. Absolutely need to look at cutting back in lots of different categories.

What I consider my "passive income" is money that I make from things like Pinecone surveys, rebates, items sold on ebay or craigslist, class-action lawsuit rebates and things along those lines, not from my regular job (i.e., my SSI, babysitting, cleaning houses, money my husband gives me or my summer job).

I was reading "The Family CEO" blog entry on how they track their debt snowflakes with a spreadsheet.

http://www.thefamilyceoblog.com/2011/11/reader-question-how-to-track-debt-snowflakes-with-a-spreadsheet/

I loved the idea and thought that would be a good way for me to help with paying off my debt in 2012. Plus, I think it will motivate me to list and sell some items on ebay and craiglist and look for other creative ways to make extra income to go towards debt repayment.

My budget is somewhat based on this entry here:

http://campfrugal.savingadvice.com/2011/12/22/what-needs-to-happen-the-plan_88642/

and here:

http://campfrugal.savingadvice.com/2011/11/29/new-plan-2012_86567/

Once I completely finalize my Spending, Saving and Debt Repayment Plan for 2012, I will blog about it in the New Year, along with my totals from 2011.

I am pretty excited about getting the New Year started.

Adding my last $3.00 for the year from a Pinecone survey to my passive income total.

Previous Amount: $303.73
Add monies: $3.00
New Total: $306.73

Also, looked into the Magic Jack. I know that it only costs $20/year, but I am confused as to how I change that over from my existing phone provider, which also provides my Internet and cable tv. I called to see what it would cost to drop the landline and get a cost on just internet and tv, but the representative pretty much assured me that I was getting a better savings with all three (landline, cable and tv) than with only two (cable and tv). So, I am a little confused here.
I would eventually like to just get rid of the landline and cable tv, by linking the tv through something like a roku or wii, and only pay for internet. Trying to figure all of this technology out is so frustrating and confusing. I am finding that this would be a great new job for someone to come into other people's homes to set this kind of stuff up. hmmm.

As most know, Murphy stole Santa's sleigh and made a stop at my home for Christmas. Even though I saved money on Christmas this year, I had to spend it on a new well pump - bummer. Plus, had to have someone back out yesterday to fix my "new" furnace again. Apparently the dust from the kitty litter is being sucked into where the burners are, so my furnace shuts itself down if it is not getting a full signal. I wasn't charged, thank goodness, because they were just out here the end of October giving it a cleaning.

Anyhow, had to change my kitty litter to a pellet, which the cats are not happy about. They have been very vocal about the changes in their potty, but eventually they both used it. I didn't completely change it over. I kept some of their normal kitty litter and mixed it with the pellets to do a gradual change over, but nonetheless, the cats still bitched about it.

I am thinking that I am eventually going to completely change the kitty litter over to shredded paper. I keep recycling my paper in the abitibi at our local school, but, if I shred it, I can use it in the kitty potty box and save myself a bundle. I am going to add up how much I spent on kitty litter over the past year to see how much I can save.

Got my vehicle and homeowner's insurance recently in the mail. It came down $140.70 for the next 6 months. Yes, finally, a savings. I will take it. I know, it is only 23.45/month, but every little bit helps.

DEBT: (Credit Cards)

*Freedom Visa: $2,598.45
*Chase Wamu: $3,195.25
*Discover: $4,487.59
*Amazon Visa: $785.62
*Care Credit: $1,882.00
*Art Van: $760.00

**TOTAL CC DEBT: $13,708.91 Didn't get much debt paid off. The difference is I did pay off a doctor bill and an old visa that I don't use anymore, but added to the Care Credit (for the dentist) and Amazon Visa (for my well pump). I did make big progress in the Art Van area, and expect to pay off the Art Van and Care Credit with my income tax return check. That will help me in focusing my debt to the remaining four, Discover, Wamu, Freedom and Amazon.

I do, however, need to get some money back into my EF as soon as possible.

Trying to keep myself positive and work my way back up the financial ladder. I need to rework my budget for just my income.

My income avenues are:

*Monthly SS check for the next year when my youngest turns 18 on December 26, 2012.

*Babysitting the neighbor's babies. This is sporadic, but it is usually an extra $100 - $140/month until June 2012. (she is a teacher).

*A house that I clean once a month - $65.00 (might try to add a house or two).

*Summer beach job - seasonal (Memorial Day to Labor Day). I only work this in the summer, but usually make around $3,000 or so.

*Looking to add another part-time job, which I already have been searching for. Something will come my way.

Right now I have 16.xx in my checking and 15.xx in my savings. My husband, for now, gave me $65.00, I have a check for $18.04, and I just transferred the rest of what was left in my Pay Pal ($24.03) to my checking.

All my bills (expenses and debts are paid) for the year, Christmas shopping is done and I have almost enough food to finish out the year, I believe. I do however need just a few items to finish out my menus, which I will pick up today.

January - I am hosting Bunco. I already have the plates, napkins and most of the items to put together the desserts. I have chosen a luau theme and the desserts will be pineapple upside down cake, pecan pie, punch (hawaiian punch with 7up and frozen pineapple chunks) and coffee. I have $40 left in the budget for the gifts. But January is a great time for gifts. So many sales.

February - Baby shower for my new grand-daughter on the way. I have a couple items, but keeping it simple. Menu will be chicken salad with croissants, spinach salad (baby spinach leaves, blueberries, strawberries, walnuts, melon and poppyseed dressing), gourmet potato chips, banana bread, cake, lemonade, water and coffee. Other items I need, I will use coupons or find at the resale shop.

Property taxes due on February 14, 2012 - $246.03.

March - New baby arrives. Due date, St. Patty's Day. Pretty excited.

April: - Easter dinner and the planning of the 2012 season opening of the beach club.

Besides filing for divorce in the new year, making sure I have a strict budget will help me attain my goals.

*Need to rebuild my emergency fund.

*Need to pay down my debt (using my income tax return and a strict debt re-paying method).

*Need to use the money I make at my summer job to buy myself a vehicle.

*Make a list of free/cheap things to do throughout the year with my children to keep me from failing.

Fun things I have right now to do.

*Movie - one free movie ticket - expires December 31, 2011. I will probably sneak out and catch a movie all by myself and use a coupon for some popcorn.

*Red Robin - Free burger - expires January 2 (I will use this for my youngest birthday dinner on December 26).

*Buddy's pizza - Free 4 square cheese pizza - expires January 10. I will definitely pick this up for one of our dinners.

*Model railroad open house with coupon. Will only cost $8.00 for me and my two children at home to attend.

*Ice skating on lake - need ice skates. Should be able to find some at the salvation army for cheap and then pay the $3.00 to have them re-sharpened.

*$25.00 gift card to Applebees. This will be a special treat.

*$20 gift card to Starbucks. I am going to treat my four children (3 of my own and daughter-in-law), so I can talk to them about the divorce, baby shower planning and my goals for the year).

*Tim Horton gift card with $1.37 left on it. - I will definitely use this up when I go out with my favorite neighbor for coffee to catch up on our lives. She needs to know about my decision for a divorce also. She is 74, but a pivotal part of my life. She came into my life the summer after my mother died, 6 years ago, and I can't tell you what a bond we have made.

*Enough points at mypoints.com for a $25.00 gift card. Just need to pick one.

*I am, however, gonna pay the $106 for the unlimited exercise program through our community schools for zumba, strength training and yoga. It runs from January through March and I can do unlimited classes Monday - Thursday.

*Once March is over, I can start walking outside again on the trails - Free.

*Free - Community yoga on Saturday mornings in my town at the Yoga place.

Well, that is the plan so far. Other than putting up my year-end totals and making a brand new doable budget, I believe I can keep myself busy and be happy.

So, over the past few months or maybe years, my marriage has been failing. My husband doesn't seem to think so, but then he is not the one who is mentally and emotionally abused.

Me and my kids have put up with so much, not to go into details, cause he is who he is. He just isn't right for me where I am at in my life.

I have been trying to get through the Holidays, but they are not leaving good impressions on my kids. I work very hard at keeping the peace and looking happy, so that my kids will have a Merry Christmas.

But, enough is enough. I am getting a divorce. I haven't seen an attorney yet. Not sure how I am gonna pay for it, and I am going to have to get another part-time job to make up the little difference I need financially to make it on my own, again.

I did send out a resume last night for an Administrative position right here in my own town and hoping that I will get a call this week.

Of course, it puts a damper on my debt, cause I will probably have to charge the divorce, but it shouldn't cost as much as most, because everything is pretty much set in stone. I get my stuff, he gets his. My kids are not his, so no problem there.

My husband is going to cry and beg me for him to stay and promise that he will change. I really don't want anyone to change for me. If there is to be change, he needs to do it for himself.

I will keep everyone updated. Plenty of prayers needed my way. I need a job and strength, but I have great faith that this is what I need to do.

Yes, it is the week before Christmas when the well pump went out, and there was no water all through the house.

But, much to my surprise, the well man showed up on time and fixed the problem.

I am now out $830 which drained my emergency fund and I had to take a cash advance off a credit card for half of it. Bummer.

I will now have to work even harder to catch up, but it only took half the time to shower, cause I have such great water pressure.

So, the Christmas elf has restored sanity in my home for my teenagers.

Merry Christmas. I hope you enjoy your showers.

It seems every time I get excited to think I have a new plan in place, something goes wrong. Well, I woke up this morning to no water pressure.

Called the well guy, he is coming out around 9 a.m. this morning. Please let it be something simple and not cost to much.

As I finish paying the bills for the year, it gives me a better idea as to where I am starting out next year.

My debt didn't go down much. I did pay off a doctor bill and an old visa, but added to it with a dentist bill on my Care Credit card. The only difference is, there is no interest on the Care Credit until April of 2012. My goal is to pay off the Care Credit and Art Van with my income tax return late March, early April 2012, which will help make a significant difference, and then help me focus all of my attention on the Discover, Wamu and Visa cards. I am going to revamp how I pay those, cause the Discover card's interest is extremely high. I am going to make some calls to see if I can get the interest rate lowered.

I also made some progress on my mortgage. And, with my next payment, I will be under the $100,000 mark. To me that is pretty exciting. I have 12.5 years left on this note, but am aiming towards having it paid off in 10 years or less. Of course, once I get my other debt paid off, I can totally focus on paying down my mortgage and saving more for retirement.

And, some time next year, I do need to purchase myself a vehicle. Maybe I can possibly swing that with the money I make from my summer beach job. I know I said in an earlier post that that money will be used to pay property taxes and Christmas, but if I put an extra $150 into my savings account each month, I could have that all covered by the time those payments come due, that way the over $3,000 that I make from my summer job can buy me a decent vehicle, possibly.

Well, as you can see, I am still tweaking my goals. I will post my year-end totals the beginning of January, like I always do. I am definitely going over my year-end totals from the past few years to see where I can make a difference.

As I have been trying to simplify my life even more, I often wonder how to handle the holidays. Not only do I cook all day on Thanksgiving only to sit down at the table for 20 minutes to eat and then clean for hours, I have two children with birthdays in December along with the Christmas and New Year's madness.

I started my baking today and because the print on the jar is so small, I misread how much of one ingredient I needed to add to the recipe. Needless to say, my fudge did not turn out, at all. Now, I make this fudge every year, with no problems, but today seems to be a little more challenging.

And then it dawned on me, why am I baking at all. No one in this house needs all the goodies on my list of items "to get baked". I really only need to bake something, if the occasion arises.

So, I decided to make one more batch of fudge only, with the correct amount of ingredients and put the rest of my baking ingredients away until someone needs something.

I know that my family appreciates all the goodies, but I have one child who is hypo-glycemic, one with low blood sugar, one that will just eat sugary items and then not be hungry for healthy food and my husband who is a total chocoholic and needs to visit the dentist. Then there is me. I am not actually overweight, but I would like to loose about 10 pounds and right now I seem to be craving a salad.

So, I am stopping all the madness and closing the baking cabinet door.

There hasn't been a Cost of Living Adjustment raise for two years due to the recession. But, this year there will be a 3.6% raise. That gives me an extra $56/month or $672 for the year . I'll take it.

A few times per month I go next door and watch my neighbors children. One 4 year old and three 2 year olds (yes triplets). I am only there from 6:30 a.m. until 8:15 a.m. and they pay me $20 each time.

Today was my last day until sometime in January. They gave me a $25.00 gift card to Applebee's (which I love) to thank me for making their mornings so much easier, along with paying me.

There is really nothing to buy them, so I am going to make them a platter of baked goodies to deliver the week of Christmas in return.

Well, I am just about done with my Christmas shopping. I think this is a transition year in how much I normally spend on my kids and how much they are used to receiving. They are getting older, 17, 20 and 26. Two of them have jobs and pay for a lot of items they already want or need, like clothes, vehicle costs, etc. And, my oldest lives on his own with his fiance.

So with that said, I am having some anxiety because it has been hard to figure out what to buy my kids, but I also have been a little cash strapped.

In the past years, I usually go off their list and buy items I definitely know they need or want and it totals a hefty sum. For instance, 2010 - spent $1,872.52, 2009 - spent $1,325.87 and 2008 - spent $1,533.86. Those amounts include all extended family presents, parties, baking items, wrapping paper, bags and such, but still seems quite high.

This year, I have totally recycled more. I have been using up items in my home, instead of going out and buying gifts. For example, I made some hard candy in cinnamon and wintergreen because I had most all the supplies around the house and then packaged them in extra jelly jars that I don't use for my Christmas Party gifts with the Bunco girls.



I have also used items for my kids that I never used and picked up along the way for cheap or free. They are brand new items that have been stored in my closet. For instance, a beautiful photo album in a brown suede box and a picture box for my daughter in law for scrapbooking, and a brand new 6-pack cooler and outdoor travel umbrella for my oldest son. His SUV has a tailgating table in the back and I thought he could use the umbrella and cooler with it.

I did purchase all of my kids one or two really nice gifts like a digital camera and boots for my daughter and hockey equipment (skates, gloves and stick) for my youngest, along with getting my oldest and his fiance a waffle maker and a brita for their sink faucet and some groupons to eat out. They are all getting bags of books (which I either got for great prices at used book stores or library and church sales. And for my husband, he is getting a pair of jeans, sweatshirt and candy (he is a dark chocolate candy lover). I pretty much had a rebate, coupon or found coupon codes for everything I bought this year.

So, overall this Christmas, I have only spent $545.08. I do have a couple more items to get for extended family, but I am feeling like it is not enough for my kids. Has anyone else had transition years where purchasing for their older teens and adult children become less. I just don't want this year to be the year of disappointment. The year where they remember they didn't get as much or what they want. It is causing my a lot of anxiety, but I think it needs to be done.

Well, Merry Christmas everyone. I am also looking forward to a prosperous New Year and have a plan in place. It just needs to be tweaked a bit.

So I went over budget on my Daughter's 20th Birthday.

Gifts: $40.18
Dessert: Sanders Hot Fudge Ice Cream Puffs $13.00
Dinner Out for 6 at Bar Louie's: $105.84
TOTAL: $159.02

I went over by $59.02. I will have to budget a little better next year.

Adding $18.04 from a class action settlement to my passive income total.

Previous Amount: $285.69
Add monies: $18.04
New Total: $303.73

Adding another $3.00 from Pinecone to my passive income total.

Previous Amount: $282.69
Add monies: $3.00
New Total: $285.69

Looking ahead to 2012, I have thoroughly pondered how I could possibly be completely out of debt by the end of the year.

Hmmm, as I have lost countless hours of sleep, I came across an idea. My best ideas come in the middle of the night.

What if I could just live off my income and use what my husband gives me to pay back my debt. Let's take a closer look.

My new 2012 regular income will be $1631/monthly. Here is what needs to come off that amount.

*Mortgage: $900/month
*Savings account transfer: $50.00
*Consumers Gas: $180.00 Right now, I am living off a credit of approximately $750, which will take me out of the cold months of next year.
*Electric: $163.00
*Cell phone plans: $100.00 I rounded this number up.
*Internet, cable, landline: $164.00
*Vehicle and Homeowner's Insurance: $143.00
*Water Softener Salt: $25.00
*Sewer Bill: $20.00
TOTAL: $1745.00

Leaving me $114.00 in the hole. But, I am living off a credit right now with my gas company, so that difference could be made up here. This makes consumers actually $66/month that I will keep adding to my checking account which by the time the credit balances out to when I will start owing again, I should be a head in my checking by around $300ish.

Now, for the debt part: The past few years, what my husband has given me from his income averages around $12,000 a year.

Right off the git go in 2012, I am going to get the Art Van paid off and my income tax return will pay off the Care Credit balance before the interest kicks in on that debt, leaving me around $10,000 owed. If I take what my husband gives me and completely apply it to my debt, I believe I could actually have all of my debt gone by the end of the year.

As for the rest of the expenses and unexpecteds, like groceries, gas, my new grand-daughter's baby shower, etc., I can use the money I make from my babysitting and house cleaning business to pay for those areas. I will just have to stay creative and put in a larger garden in the summer and do more canning, freezing, and harvesting next fall.

I have also started a craft business, which has made me a profit so far. I would like to just keep putting all of those monies directly into a seperate account until I can get to a point of paying myself.

And, my summer beach job money can go directly into my savings account to pay for the larger bills like property taxes, Christmas and emergencies, which is what I did last year and it worked out great.

The issue is when should I purchase a vehicle. I am still sharing my daughter's vehicle and eventually, I am going to have to get a vehicle of my own. So this is the area I am working on, but I will figure something out.

Adding another $3.00 from Pinecone to my passive income total.

Previous Amount: $279.69
Add monies: $3.00
New Total: $282.69

I have been toying with the idea of doing certain crafts throughout the year to bring in extra income. I need to have another form of income in place by January 2013.

So I thought I would put myself out there and make a few items to see how it went. Well, it went better than I could have ever expected, so I am thinking that I found my niche. I really didn't want to go back into an office enviornment, so I am going to give this a shot for a year and see what happens. So far, I cannot keep up with the demand. I have orders pending, but now it is too far into the season to get grapevines that are not too brittle. I will start sooner next year on this project.

These are some of the grapevine trees and wreaths I made, and all have been spoken and paid for.





I have sat down and made an outline as to the direction I want to take my craft business. I came up with a name "Bunny Run Cottage Treasures" and it will included handmade crafts throughout the year. Some will be seasonal and in limited quantities. I am also in the process of putting together a cookbook, which will be called "Bunny Run Cottage Recipes" and will include breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas, savings strategies, holiday entertaining ideas and lots of great pics.

Along with the crafts, I am becoming a part of the "Sisters on the Fly Club" sistersonthefly.com and will be getting my sister number soon.

I recently found my diamond in the rough, a Vintage 1968 Aloha travel trailer, but my husband seems to think it needs too much work, but my 17 year old wants to help me restore it. I have restored a vintage travel trailer in the past and it wasn't that hard, and the price was definately right, so I think my husband might loose this battle, unless he finds me something different soon and within my budget.



I can definately do something great with this travel trailer and be able to travel and make and sell my crafts out of it, similar to this:

http://thebeehivecottage.blogspot.com/2011/11/ivy-st-market-blogging-friends.html

What big fun my future holds, but a lot of work, but it is exciting work that has made me feel like I have a purpose again.

Adding $3.00 from Pinecone to my passive income total.

Previous Amount: $276.69
Add monies: $3.00
New Total: $279.69