Went to the Salvation Army Store for a last minute costume get-together for my 11 year old. He finally decided to be the lead singer from My Chemical Romance. We actually found some black skinny pants to fit his really skinny butt, a longer jacket with some white horizontal stripes by the botton area. We brought it home and I altered it on the sewing machine to make it smaller to fit him a little better, and we bought some spray-in white hair color. We also painted his nails a dark purple color, borrowed from his sister. Total cost for his outfit $25.00

My daughter is wearing her costume from last year, a fairy of sorts.

Our dinner tonight will be Sloppy Joes, Macaroni Salad, Potato Chips and Blueberry Muffins.

Trick or Treating begins at 6:00 p.m. and then a Halloween Party at the Beach Clubhouse around 7:30.

And, it looks like the weather is going to cooperate. Be safe.

Grocery total at the store yesterday came to $85.78. I was out of a lot of items and some staples like toilet paper.

Anyhow, my memu as follows:

Monday: Baked Whole Chicken, Buttered Egg Noodles, Salad and Toasted French Bread. - Done

Tuesday: Halloween Dinner - Sloppy Joes, Macaroni Salad, Chips and Blueberry Muffins. (Keep out a little bit of Hamburger for Thursdays dinner)

Wednesday: Use leftover Chicken for my homemade Chicken Pot Pie, Acorn Squash and biscuits.

Thursday: Lasagna (some hamburger added to sauce from Tuesday), Salad and French Breach.

Friday: Fish Sandwiches, homemade Macaroni and Cheese, Salad

Saturday: Frankenmuth - Eating Out

Sunday: Leftovers Smorgasbord.

I have done some baking and have a couple different types of Banana Bread, Cupcakes, Pumpkin Bread, Ice Cream and lots of candy, after tonight.

Also, I have items for Breakfast and Lunches, which seem to be easiest for us.

Happy Halloween

That is always the question.

I asked everyone living in my household to give me two choices for dinner. I got, sloppy joes, fish, lasagna, BLT's and pancakes. You can tell the age difference by the choices.

Anyways, aren't you tired of those choices, cause I am. I need to go grocery shopping today, but I just can't figure out what to eat.

Three of us are not big meat eaters, but I feel I should have a decent dinner for my hard-working husband.

This is really becoming a chore. I need some new recipes. Oh, what to do?

Two years ago, I spent roughly around $2,500.00 on Christmas for all those on my Christmas List.

Last year, I spent $1,425.00. That was over $1,000 saved from the previous year.

So far this year, I have spent around $200.00, and that has pretty much been for all extended family members. I actually think I am done with extended family buying. Just maybe a bottle of wine or two. My goal is to come in under $1,500.00 this year.

As my kids get older, 12, 15 and 21, their Christmas List gets more expensive. The only difference is I have less people to buy for this year, so I am hoping for a Quality Christmas on less money. Cause my budget can't afford an expensive one.

My husband and I have decided not to exchange expensive gifts this year. There is nothing we need or want. We will do something small for each other that will hold just as many memories.

Holiday Tip. I am taking all of my old Christmas Cards that I have received in the past and using my scrapbooking cutter to cut the picture part to 6"x4" sizes and turning them into postcards. That way it only cost me 24 cents instead of 39 cents to send out Christmas Cards.

Happy Holidays

So the Tigers lost the World Series. St. Louis played their tail off. The Tigers had a lot of errors which resulted in the loss. Oh well, there is always next year.

It was fun to watch, but I am a little tired from staying up till midnight many nights in a row.

I will get an extra hour of sleep tonight. Daylight Savings Time cancellation came just in time.

I do love January, for a while anyways. It does get really cold and crisp here in Michigan, but it is like starting new again. This past year has been extremely hard and long. Burying my mom and my MIL, three days apart from each other, settling two estates, working a part-time summer job (it was different) and now there is only November and December left with so much left to do and spend.

Anyways, I am looking forward to January, so that I can have a new plan and goals for my finances and myself. It's like, you want to write those goals down now, but then it takes away from the January excitment. A New Year and a new outlook.

Hopefully, November and December will be fun, fast and eventful months. I hope the property is sold before January to a very-interested party who just seems to be taking his good ole time. I need to look at some new money making ventures and work my traveling into my life.

Well, enough from me.

I figured I better set some goals for the next two months, or at least get them down on paper or blog.

Get Up North Property SOLD
Close "The Ivory Tablet" Bookstore. Get commission check.
Deliver Mary Kay Items, get paid.

Pay my Jeep Insurance.

Chicago for Thanksgiving. Field Museum and Shedd's Aquarium. Make reservations.

Frankenmuth in November. Shopping at Bronners, lunch/dinner and shop in all the stores. Beautiful at Christmas time.

Christmas Shopping mostly at Circuit City.
Two I-pods, the cheapest ones.
$200 Gift Card for my oldest child
Digital Camera
The Movies PC Game
America's Army PC Game
New Printer
Plus, other Christmas Items at other stores for DH and kids.

Most of the extended family Christmas Shopping is done. Just need to start baking and put gift baskets together.

Two Birthdays in December. Plan something to do for DD and youngest DS. Maybe just dinner out and a gift.

DD's funds for the NYSUM trip to New York in December.

DD's Thespian Festival, December 1st and 2nd.

Something special for my DH.

Survive all the family Christmas dinners.

Keep working on my "Paying Off My Debt In 15 Months" Challenge.

Looking forward to January. All of the above will "hopefully" be accomplished and I will still be sane, not too broke or too far in debt.

Somedays, I would like to post more than one post. But when I do that, it cancels out my previous post. It just recently started doing that. Any ideas what may be happening? Maybe the aliens have invaded my blog.

I am ending two of my Challenges and starting a new Challenge.

The old Challenges were:

$20 Challenge which ended up being $205.89 total since starting this blog in May; and

Beach Money $1045.99. This was a part-time job I worked this past summer '06 (June, July and August) to make some extra money.

Both of those Challenges are over and I put the money to good use.

My new Challenge is my Vacation Money. I have been selling stuff on Cheapcycle, Craigs List, Ebay and will be using Rebates for this Challenge. I just sold a twin size down comforter for $12.00, so that is what I am starting my new Challenge with.

Vacation Money $12.00. This is so we will have spending money for when we travel, which was outlined in "Living Our Dreams". These amounts are represented under Author Infor to the right.

Tigers won against the Oakland A's last night to clinch a spot in the World Series. Go Tigers.

My daughter's eye exam and glasses - $169.00/done

Getting my oven fixed - $250.00/done

Son's college loan $93.00/done

Jeep Insurance $561.07. Will pay half at $281.07 this month and the other half when the next bill comes in.

Flu shots for two kids $50.00

I believe my property sold. Keep you fingers crossed. One step closer to that RV and traveling.

And, no new debt, that's cool.

I have always wanted to do some exploring and traveling outside of our own state and the surrounding states, And; in order for us to get to our goals and live our dream, I have put together the following plan.

Sell off our property. I have had it listed on Craig's List with a lot of responses, but I think I am going to list it with a Realtor to get the traffic and hopefully get it sold. That will give us cash in our pocket and ease up $400 I am paying per year to maintain it (Association fees, taxes and water bill)

Purchase a Class C motorhome in good condition. I have had motorhomes in the past and we just love them. The $400 that I used to keep up the property can go towards insurance and plates. We can use our Suzuki Samarai as our tow vehicle. It is small and light weight and fits the four of us.

Get my four major debts paid off before the interest kicks in next November, 2007. This will ease up a lot of cash flow.

We will keep our home base because we love where we live and it is affordable. I am making a binder of how-to's for taking care of the house for our 21 yo when he is staying there (i.e., how the A/C works, Furnace, washer/dryer, electrical box, etc.) All kinds of things he can refer to if need be.

We will take weekend trips to two or three weeks at a time when my husband's work is slow. He is also an artist and we would like to get his work out there for everyone to see. This could be a side-line income for us.

We also own a vacation package which we will utilize in some areas. It will be a nice change from the motorhome/campground thing to a resort type feeling. I have sold off a couple weeks which has given us some extra income. If anyone is interested, let me know, I may be able to get you an awesome deal.

I will keep adding money to my savings and my ING accounts.

I do have another blog where I am going to track my travels. I am going to add it to my links section.

One of the first things I need to do is purchase a digital camera. Hmmm, which one do I buy. Any suggestions.

Thanks for listening.

Yes, I live in Michigan and the Tigers are in the Play-offs. Me and my youngest DS went to Comerica Park for the fun day. We had fun, it was Free, but everything else was not. We got interviewed and also had an encounter with Jeff Daniels (the actor) in the souvenier store. He autographed ds's bat. Made DS real happy.

Also, my DD is going to New York in December. http://www.nysum.org/ for a ministry trip. She is very excited. She needs to raise $500 for the trip, but it is well worth it and we will get to our goal.

Still plugging away at getting Federal Aid (FASFA) for my oldest DS's college costs. You just can't believe the information they want. Sheesh. Hopefully, in the end, we will get reimbursed for the first semester and have a check available to pay for second semester.

Paid another $531.66 towards my debt (4 different type loans).
Prev. Total: $10,334.88
Paid $531.66
New Balance Owed: $9,803.22

My 4 Debts are:
Chase Visa
Care Credit Card (Dentist)
Citi Card (Dentist - Jamee)
Vacation Club

Those are the ones that I will have paid off in another 13 months - That is my goal.

Then, I am going to apply that amount to my Jeep payment and then my Mortgage. I going to try not to acquire any more debt, although, the Dentist cards fluctuate. But, hopefully, my teeth will be done and my kids cleanings will be all caught up. They don't have any cavities, thank God.

Added:
$250.00 to my general savings
$50.00 to my ING account
$10.00 to my $20 Challenge (Circuit City rebate)
Need to recount my change jar.

Need to really focus on Christmas Shopping. Has anyone started? Actually, I have extended family members done, just need to focus on the kids and hubby. I also need to get my oven fixed so I can bake some goodies.

Sorry, I haven't been here much, but with three children, one home-schooled, one half home-schooled, half high school and one in college, coaching 2 Odyssey of the Mind teams, my oldest DS's band performances, my DD's driver's training and piano, my youngest DS's sports competitions, a husband, house restoration and cleaning and two cats, its hard to get on this darn computer. Anyways, I am still around.

Have a great month.