So, every time I try to really get my efforts directed in the right direction, something always comes up.

Yesterday, we tried to get the logs hung in the livingroom, which is like asking my husband to cut off his right arm. He knows that usually I will give up asking him and hire someone. So , yesterday, I was going to take my daughter to the library. We got in the car and my Jeep wouldnt' start. Did I mention I am trying not to buy a newer one. So, after careful inspection, it was noted that I needed a battery. Okay, how much can one battery cost. I usually take my car in to be fixed, but my husband said he would do it. I almost fell on the ground. Well, $82.33 later, my car is up and running again.

But, what crap. It is the end of the month, which means not much money left.

Which brings me to my biggest rant - my husband. He doesn't make much money and doesn't seem to ever try to make his life better. I am constantly paying for everything; and I am on a limited income. I hardly get any money from him. I pay all the bills, buy all the groceries and have paid for all of the home renovations. I am buying my home and had mortgaged it before I married him.

I am still raising two children, which are not his, but give me a break. You don't get to live somewhere for free. I don't care if you are the one fixing my car; or doing the construction on my home, when needed. You need to contribute finacially. I do your laundry and cook your dinner every night. I also handed you my other Jeep, when he totalled his, for Free.

Well, he also has some debt, which he has decided to file for bankruptcy. Okay, do what you want, but don't include me or any of my assets/belongings. What does he do with his money.

It is really hard to keep in a budget and stay sane with another adult making stupid decisions. He just doesn't seem to be on the same page as me, but when I try to talk to him about goals and tell him what I think, he always says, "those are good goals, I'm in".

Like, I am saving to take some vacations next year with my kids; and he is just expecting that I am paying for him. Not so fast mister, you need to contribute financially.

He learned all of this mooching from his mother. She will use people over and over. Not me, I won't even answer the phone when she calls. I am unavailable.

Sorry, it is frustrating and I wonder sometimes why I said "Yes".

So I was able to find some great deals on the internet (Boscov's) for my neice and two nephews. I got two laptop computers, originally $89.95, on sale for $19.99 each, a Thomas the Tank travel thing and a Thomas the Tank sticker book with 100's of stickers. Original cost of all $206.96, but it only cost me $54.96 shipped. That is a savings of $152.00.

I will add that to my $20 Challenge
Prev. Balance $3,168.10
Add Savings $152.00
New Balance $3,320.10

Someone commented in a blog, can't remember which one, about what is/was a "Freedom Account". Well here is a link to explain it all.

http://www.mdmproofing.com/iym/freedom.html

Hope this helps in explaining it.

So I just did this Omaha Steaks bargain. I got the information through:

http://thecoupongame.blogspot.com/2008/10/amazingly-great-omaha-steak-deal.html

I ended up with the $25.00 gift card to use, then I ordered the steak burgers and got the cutlery set and carving board for FREE and it only cost me $1.98.

I also got a Kohl's $5.00 coupon/gift card to use at Kohl's for signing up for their e-mail which I should receive in the mail.

I also registered all our birthdays at Red Robin restaurant and got a $3.00 off purchase to use in my e-mail; and every time one of our birthdays rolls around, we get a FREE burger. We rarely ever go there, but it might be nice to do on our birthdays.

Plus, I found my son's Van's Snowboard Boots (brand new in box) on E-bay for Christmas. They are originally $109.99 with tax of $6.60, totaling $116.59. I got them for $50.11 shipped, saving me $66.79. I am adding that to my $20 challenge

Prev. Total $3,101.31
Add savings $66.79
New Total $3,168.10

So this weekend was pretty frugal for me. Usually, I am the one paying for all activities and such, but not this time.

Friday night. My youngest went to a Halloween Party, which he said "he had a blast", while I went to a Bunco party. I am a fill-in Bunco player. It cost $4.00 to play, but I won the floating bunco gift, a really cute Halloween hand towell, a very large candy bar, great conversation and dessert. I also took all the other bunco ladies a little Mary Kay sample gift bag.

Saturday - Delivered some Mary Kay product, then hung out at home with the kids. Later in the evening, my husband and I went to a 50th Birthday party for a friend. My husband bought the card and lotto tickets for inside the card (that's a first). They had a smorgasboard dinner and an open bar.

Sunday - Me and the kids made sugar cookies, hot chocolate and watched a Halloween movie at home. My husband brought home Chinese for dinner (another nice surprise) and then we went for a walk in the woods at one of our local parks. The trees and color of leaves was spectacular.

So, it essentially was a Free weekend for me. I hope I get more of those.

So, because I need to stay creative and keep us from going crazy while staying within my "Base Pay Budget Plan" I talked about in an earlier post, I found some great deals to use when the weather is sucky or we are just bored out of our minds.

Dave and Busters. If you register with them, you can get a Free $10.00 play card. Cool, we registered all of our e-mail addresses.

Game Works. If you register with them, they will add 100 extra points to your already existing rechargeable cards.

Walmarts free things just for the asking; or filling out of their forms online. I have been using this for a long time.

I have also used this Christmas as a form of entertainment. My youngest is getting snowboard pants, goggles and boots and our local ski hill offers a great discount to our homeschooling group, so I am buying him a discount card. My middle child had specific things she asked for which included a broadway play (This is for her birthday and just her and I going to it) and a Classic I-pod. My oldest is getting an awesome digital recorder to use when he is performing, so he can put the whole performance on his myspace or youtube pages. My husband is getting some new clothes (cause his are trashed and gift cards to his favorite gas station and store). I am also looking for snowpants and gear for all of us to go sledding (the kids are getting new sleds) and snowshoeing, just to get through the winter. I have some other ideas in mind, so this should be a fun winter.

So a couple nights ago, I could not sleep, cause all I could think about was how to re-do my budget to fit into just my base pay. It was excrutiating not getting up, flicking on the lights and waking everyone up in the house, just so I could re-work my budget. Well I managed to stay in bed until around 6:00 a.m., when my husband went out the door to work.

So, in my thoughts, I wondered if I could re-work my budget to fit into just my base pay, which is $35,712.00/yearly. I will be getting a raise in January of somewhere around $1200 - $1440 a year added to the above.

Anyways, as we all know, there are some things that are set in stone, like:

*Mortgage payment (my mortgage payment is quite low, so no need to mess with this area)

*Property taxes (which are very low for the area I live in, when I know what other people are paying)

*Auto and Homeowner's insurance (which keeps going down every six months and was the best quote from all insurance companies in this area)

*Jeep and License Plates/Tabs (even though my Jeep is not paid for, it will be paid for within the next 18 to 20 months). It does need some work on the rear seal, but I hate the thought of getting a newer one and having another 4 to 6 years of payments. Yuk.

*Utilities (Edison, Consumers, Sewer, which fluctuate, but with oil prices down, could probably have some savings here). I have kept track in these areas for the past few years and know what my average is.

*Entertainment Package (this includes our cell phones, satellite, landline phone, internet). I have this a cheaply as I can get it right now; and it is working for us.

*Kids schooling (I have a set amount that I spend each year in which we decide what classes, museum memberships, music lessons, etc. we want to take with that set amount).

*Christmas and Birthdays (I have a set amount in which I spend every year. If I come in under budget by finding great deals and using coupons, all the better).

*Vacation Fund (I think this is an important area to keep us all from getting cabin fever). I have changed my ING account over to this for a great way to save for vacations. We just can't decide where we want to go. We have a list).

*Debts (which I am working hard on to pay down. There are two credit cards that I would like to close once they are paid off). But, having credit cards helps keep my FICO score very high and they are manageable. I would like to add a dental plan. I found one that costs around $70/year. Our dentist is not on the list, but if we found a dentist to use just for cleanings and X-rays would probably save me in this area. The debts that I am working on getting rid of over the next 14 months are Gardner White, Chase Visa, WAMU Visa and my son's College loan. I am going to close the Chase and WAMU credit cards, because they are no longer giving me any rewards or rebates once they are paid off. I will keep the Care Credit card open cause that pays for dental work when needed at 0% interest; and within the next 20-24 months, I am hoping to have the rest of the debt paid off (Care Credit, Jeep loan and M.K. Visa). Once all that debt is tackled, I am going to start adding extra to my Mortgage payment.

But, here is where I found I might be able to really tweek my budget in order to fit into my base pay.
*Groceries (I spend around $5,500/year)
*Eating Out (I spend around $1,500/year)
*Gas for Jeep (I spend around $2,500/year)
*Clothing (Not sure how much I spend, but we do shop resale, clearance and places like the Salvation Army. Only my youngest child costs the most for clothes, cause I can't ever find anything to fit his tall and skinny body; and he is growing out of his shoes every few months)
*Appearance Maintenance (Haircuts, makeup, hair coloring, etc.) I use coupons for most of this area).

So, those are all the areas to keep inside my $35,712 budget. It is hard to do, but I think with some creativity, it can be done.

My other areas of income are to be put to other uses, like helping pay off debt, saving for retirement, saving for a newer car to pay for in cash). The other income sources include: My summer job at the Beach, Craigs list and E-bay sales, money I sometimes get from my husband (I pay all the bills and his work has been sporadic, so I can't rely on anything much from him. Sometimes work is good and sometimes it isn't), and my Mary Kay income will go directly into building my business for the next 14 months; at which time, I will loose half of my base pay, due to one of my kids turning 18; and then I will start using my Mary Kay income as part of my base pay.

So, there is the plan.

So here is where we have noticed a change in our local economy.

My daughters book club met at our local Starbucks yesterday. I could not believe how busy that store was, which I was really glad for. Yes I know their coffee is overpriced, but my oldest son works there. And, it is one of the only establishments I know that offer insurance; and we are very grateful for that. I am glad his job is secure, at this point. We don't go their often, but will support it, if it means keeping some of our kids employed and insured.

He also works at Hungry Howies, which is also busy. Even though it is a busy store, the last time my son was delivering pizzas, not one person gave him a tip. He relies on his tips for his gas.

I mentioned this to my girlfriend, who also said that her daughter, who works at BW3's, has not been getting any tips either.

How sad, people are still ordering pizzas and eating out, but not tipping. For the above, they rely on tips. My son relies on his tips to pay for his gas to run these pizzas around; and my girlfiend's daughter relies on her tips just to get by. She only makes something like $2.70 an hour because normally they get tips; and both of them have said that people are more rude than they used to be.

Well, Starbucks said that my son could have more hours, if he wanted, so he is going to have to tell Howies, in a nice way, that he will no longer be working there.

This is actually good, cause he can work at Starbucks for his insurance and do his music in the evenings. We already know two kids who want guitar lessons from him, plus his band has been performing about 2 - 3 times a week.

Got my youngest free spirit son his Sessions Alpha Star Snowboard Pants. They have been out of stock, but found a pair on e-bay. Originally they cost $110 plus tax, but got them for $70, plus S&H, total cost was $82.46, saving myself $34.14. Now I am working on his boots, goggles and gloves (and maybe a jacket). He got one last year, and I am hoping it still fits him for this year.

Also found my Darling Daughter an awesome Franco Sarto Purple Patent Purse/Bag. If you know anything about Franco Sarto, they are expensive, but awesome purses. They last forever. This purse probably cost around $78.00, if I go on the lower side. I got it for $14.00 shipped, saving myself $64.00.

Total savings $98.14

$20 Challenge
Prev. Total $3,101.31
Add savings $98.14
New Total $3,199.45

I am working on a few more deals, so stay tuned.

Bought a Dell Flip Digital Camcorder w/flash card. Originally $149.99, minus $100 online coupon and Free S&H, with tax, it cost me $52.99.
$149.99 Camcorder
$4.99 S&H, and
$3.00 Tax, totalling
$157.89, minus what I actually paid
$52.99, saving me a whopping $104.99.

I am putting that towards my $20 Challenge:

Prev. Total $2,996.41
Add $104.90
New Total $3,101.31

"Dividing the Dime" had a really nice comment on my last entry. She would like me to beef up my savings. Not a bad idea, but I want to put all of you at rest.

What most of you see on my side bar is not completely me. I don't mind if everyone sees my debt and such. I just have a problem with tooting my own horn, but here is goes.

I do have other savings areas. Mainly a Roth IRA and some great stock (that despite the economy) keeps going up (LOL). I dont put these numbers out there, because they are private. Sorry.

Also, all three of my kids have (or had) fully funded college accounts.

My oldest (23) has used most all of his money and we ended up pulling a small loan from our local credit union (in his name and mine to build his credit). He has graduated college and has two degrees. One in Digital Engineering. Yes he does own his own recording studio; and an Associates in Music Theory and Composition. He has won two voice scholarships and his band has won two battle of the bands. He has been offered a recording contract during his time in college, but turned it down, so that he can meet his goal of getting his Digital Engineering Degree and his Associates. He also buys and sells musical equipment. When he is not recording a band; performing with his his own band, or fixing and selling musical equipment, he also works at Hungry Howies and Starbucks. He is fazing those jobs out, which is disapointing, because I get 50% off pizzas and free coffee (my four favorite things - pizza, coffee, discounts and free). But he needs to move on and up with his life and goals and I am all for that.

My two other children's accounts are around $20,000.00 right now. I figured that was a good round number for me to save for them to put towards their college (if they choose to). They are in high yeilding, locked accounts and I will release the money to them when they turn 18. Their money can be used for college, a down payment on a home or funding their dreams. You just never know if your child will land a great job early on in life and not need to go to college.

My DD (16) is actually finishing up her high school credits this year and will need to have her money released early. She is far beyond intellegience. My kids are home educated, but I did let her take the MEAP test through the public school system. She was 4 points from being a perfect score. We laugh and joke as to "why couldn't you get those last 4 points". She will probably enter college doing something in linguistics or languages. She speaks many. She loves archaeology/anthropology, biblical studies and is writing some children's books. Her writings are incredible; and a 9th/10th grade public school teacher asked if she could have copies of some of her writings to use as examples in her classroom. My DD is an accompliced pianist and is a survivor from her childhood cancer. She is our hero.

My youngest DS (13) probably will not go to college. He is a very unschooly child. Connects his hands with his mind like no-one I know. He has all sorts of leads on the things he loves to do. He loves all kinds of sports and we have already been approched in baseball and bmxing for sponsorships. We'll see. We kind of need to make a decision this coming year. He also helps out at our local bike shop in town to make extra money.

So, back to my debt. The reason for the debt you see on the side bar is due to a few reasons. I used to be debt free, but over the past few years, we have had four major funerals to pay for. My two youngest kids dad passed away (we were divorced), three months later - my dad (their only surviving grandfather) passed away, then two years after that, my mom and the paternal grandmother passed away, three days apart from each other.

During the latter two, my computer blew up during the paternal grandmother's funeral and during my mom's viewing (in February), my furnace caught on fire and all had to be replaced.

Also, some of that debt was incurred because I am renavating my cottage/home that I bought nine years ago. I pulled my mutual funds out for the down payment, so I wouldn't pay PMI. So far, I have put on a master bedroom, bathroom, new beautiful big foyer, a new well, new wiring and electrical box, had my other meters updated, laid new wood floors, replaced entry doors,and the list goes on - all paid for with cash, as the cash comes along. The only part of the renovation that has been financed was the new furnace and central air unit.

My goal is to have all that debt paid off by January 2010 and my house almost completely finished. Then I am going to start adding an extra $475.00 to my mortgage, so that it is paid off within the next 9/10 years. And, all through those years, I am going to be following each one of my children's careers around the world, either watching a concert, baseball game or bmxing, and my daughter doing her book signings or researching some great archaeology project.

I think I should add a small motorhome to my goals. Well, I will think of that in a few years.

That is just a few facts about me and my money; and most of it was done as a single mom. I recently remarried. Next time, I will fill you in on the marriage part. Hope you all are doing well in these economic times. Keep your head up and rely on the Lord to guide you on your path.

I have added pictures in the past of my daughter and oldest son. I thought I would put one on of my youngest free spirit.