I love the way the Newport News puts together 10 items to wear 10 different ways. Even after looking at the different ways to put the clothes together, I was able to find another outfit they left out.

http://www.newport-news.com/shop/category_splash.aspx?gp_coll_id=9&gp_cat_id=1649&gp_fashcoll_id=201

Anyhow, I am heading to my closet today to go through my clothes. I want to keep the items I mostly wear and try to do this 10 items, 10 ways look. I am going to get rid of old and worn out clothes and make a list of items I should be replacing. I have noticed that I do like blacks, whites, blues, but I also have browns, grays and some other colors.

I was also looking at the must have's for the fall season and patterned tights are back in and longer skirts. This might be something I would like to add to my wardrobe. I will try everything on and ask my kids for their honest opinion on how it looks on me and is the color right for me.

Anyhow, I usually wear the same couple items from off the top of the dryer when I do have a closet full of nice clothing. This should be fun.

September, as I have stated before, was an extremely hard month to get through. There was a lot going on and to pay for with little money, but we made it.

I am working on getting the bills paid for in October. I get paid on the 3rd and that is when everything gets paid.

I have already added to my ING account and Saving account (freedom accoount).

I will pay the trees that were cut down on Saturday in full on Wednesday the 3rd with cash of $300; and then I can take that off my debt area. I miss my trees, but my yard is beautiful. I was sitting out in a lounge chair yesterday admiring it and drawing up plans to replace the landscaping. Good thing, I have all the landscaping materials already, just need to lay stones and plant the trees, shrubs and perennials. I also have a small water garden that needs to go in. We will put fish in it next year. A lot more work left to be done, but the fun is beginning. I love working in gardens.

My doctor bill came in and they took off $1,115.50 because I am self-pay with no insurance. So it is costing me $258.50. I listed that I would pay $50.00 towards it this month, just until I see how much I have once everything is paid. I will probably get that bill paid off this month though.

I still have to pay the rest of my property taxes and that will be paid with my Ameriquest Check that I will be receiving this month.

The new foyer is coming along wonderfully and we will be headed back to Lowes to pick up the rest of the wood package to get it completely built. I am so looking forward to that. Once we put in our new door in the new addition, we will be taking out the wall between the new foyer and the house. Wow, that will look awesome.

My daughter is coming up on her Sixteenth birthday. I would like to do a surprise birthday party for her. The only problem is that her birthday is in December and we live in Michigan. Too snowy and cold.

When my oldest son turn sixteen (his birthday falls in April), we were able to have his outside with a bonfire. I am not sure that is going to work for my daughter.

So, I need some really cool ideas. There will probably be around 30 people, and, shhh, it is a surprise.

Also, my youngest son will be turning 13 in December. But he is easy. He just wants me to take him and his friends to the Skateboard/BMX park. Usually, over the past years, I have pizza for dinner, load all the kids up to take them to the pool at the local high school. It is only $2.00 per kid, then back to our house for opening presents, cake and ice cream. This year, we will just go to the BMX park.

Thanks in advance for the really cool ideas I know this group will come up with for my daughters "Sweet Sixteen".

I have been trying to organize my desk and simplify my life. Not that it is totally messy, just I am wanting to make it work for me and help me bring in passive income, reduce spending and add to savings, bargains, freebies, good stock finds, rebates, etc.

What I want out of it is a place to:

*Do some research
*Pay bills and keep them filed
*0% credit card offers
*Keep track of Investments
*Keep coupons organized (grocery store coupons and coupons off travel, hotel rooms, prescriptions, restaurants and shopping)
*An area for gift cards received
*A place for Rebate forms
*Travel brochures orderly
*Decorating ideas in one place
*Side business information/product
*Stuff I have for sale
*A binder (or something similar) of the local farmers and grocery stores I shop at, the best prices, etc.
*My kids education tests, transcripts, etc.
*Office supplies (pens, pencils, sharpener, paper, ink)
*Recycle area for cartridges, etc.
*Birthday/Wedding/Anniversary cards to send out

I want to be able to know right where everything is, so I can grab what I need and keep the passive income coming in with rebates, savings in coupons for food, grabing the $25.00 incentive coupon when I need a RX filled.

I don't want to come home from filling a RX, shopping for groceries, etc. only to find out I had a coupon that could get me more.

I am already pretty good at most of those, just need to organize my desk to cooperate. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

So yesterday, I didn't spend anything at the Dentist. My tooth is infected, so he didn't charge me, but wrote me a RX.

So, after writing out my bills for February, my debt is under $10,000; and this is what else I found out, after keeping track for the month.

My ING and Savings accounts are going up.

Spent $135.25 on gas, but $20.00 was in gas cards from mypoints.com; and

I opened a Sharebuilder account which I am investing in some stock on Friday.

I spent
$328.66 on Groceries
$110.05 on Fast Food/Eating Out

Extras:
Gym Pants for my daughter $33.92
Prescription for my tooth $26.09
Combination Lock for locker $4.02
Winter Gloves and Shirt $16.50
Boys Snow Pants $8.45
Bubble Mailer $1.05
For a total of $90.06 on Extras

I got everything accomplished for January, like paying my Jeep and Homeowner's Insurances, my Up North Property listed with a Realtor, drywall for my livingroom and cleaned two china cabinets.

So all of my regular light bulbs have started to burn out. I have none to replace them with.

I have decided to start replacing them with compact flourescents. The word on the street is, they will save me money over the long run, but are more expensive to buy in the beginning.

This is going to have to be a "replace as they burn out project"

I need to replace 25 bulbs total, but I am starting with 6, at a cost of around $15.00.

The street better be right.

Took clothing, shoes and toiletry items cleaned out of closets to an organization that helps those in need yesterday. It feels good to get more items cleared out.

Have a dentist appointment today and I think it is going to be costly. Going to have to put it on the Care Credit Card to cover the costs.

Need to get the brakes/rotors done on my Jeep, again; and an oil change.

File taxes. Just can't decide if I should do it through Turbo Tax or an independent tax accoountant.

Have someone interested in the property again, but they want a Land Contract. Not sure if I should go with this or list it with a Realtor.

I have some major changes coming in 2007, so I am getting a jump on my plans. I had a brief talk with my three children, ages 21 (college), 15 and 12 about my goals and plans, and that they were to be completely involved, if this was going to work.

My goal is to become debt free from the attorney, the four credit cards, get my taxes, homeowner's and jeep insurances paid, purchase Christmas and birthday gifts throughout the year or put a certain amount of money away for those times, garage sale more for items we need, finish my livingroom, siding and deck, etc.

We are writing down each month on a piece of paper (or two), adding the extra expenses (besides my regular bills, debt, savings and ING transfers). Items like the garbage pickup, insurances, taxes, baseball fee, house restoration, vacations, holidays, and any foreseeable money spent, so we can get an idea what is coming in and going out.

My kids, after Christmas, are supposed to list the top one to four things that are of interest to them (playing baseball, paying for college, a certain item they didn't get for Christmas and birthdays, etc.). We will see what money amounts they got for their birthdays and Christmas and then make a decision on how best to spend and save that money for those extra items they want or need and how best to go about getting them.

We have a couple small vacations that are needed to be taken and a Wedding and will figure that into the plan also.

After we get it all down on paper, I will type it up on my blog so you all can see and it will help me stay on track.

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.

Made a $400 payment to a credit card, lowering my debt.

Sold around $200 in jewelry that I just never wear, which allowed me to put the jewelry I kept in a smaller jewelry box and sell the large jewelry armoire for $25.00.

Completely went through all of my rooms and closets and I am completely organized. Sold a lot of stuff at a garage sale and took some to the Salvation Army.

Also, completely cleaned out the shed. Now it is totally organized.

The feeling of getting debt under control and everything else organized is awesome.

I filed an application with Square Trade because you could try it for a month Free and then it is $7.50 per month afterwards. Well, they already charged me. What happened to "Try It for Free". I am going to have to call them.

BTW, Square Trade is a company that goes through verifying that I actually own certain items and that my items are legite. I will be listing my property, vacation club weeks and book store on e-bay. It is actually a great thing, cause there are so many scammers out there and I want people to know that I am not scamming them and to bid with confidence.

So, it is worth it. If I can sell the items within the next month, then I can cancel my membership to Square Trade.

Got all my bills paid with money left over in my checking.

Went through all my clothes and got rid of them on Freecycle to someone who can use them.

Went though a couple other areas and got rid of some miscellaneous items on Freecycle to someone who wants them.

Had gifts in my gift box for two sister-in-laws birthdays and for my sweet nieces and nephews. I love having things on hand.

Did get all my grocerys. So now I have everything I need for all the family get-togethers over the next 5 days. I am always in charge of desserts (YUM).

Listed the debt/to do areas on my blog that I need to attend to. So now that is off my mind and down in writing.

And, Rascal Flats is singing on the "Today Show" this morning. What more can a gal ask for.

I have four different areas in which I would like to get completely redone and organized to save us money.

1. My back entryway off the driveway needs to be redone. I am looking at making it bigger so that I can actually call it a "foyer" or "mud room" depending on whether it is "clean" or "dirty". In this area, I would like a shelving unit for storing and hanging items like, winter coats, gloves and hats, canning supplies, some camping supplies (these are the supplies kept in a large rubbermaid bin we actually use in a hotel room - toaster, full-size coffee pot, electric frypan, paper plates, cups, bowls, napkins and plastic ware), and a some type of root cellar set-up for apples, oranges, squash and items that I have canned.

2. My bedroom closet - an area used for storing gifts for Christmas, Birthdays, card box containing all sorts of greeting cards, etc.

3. My laundry room. Needing to be cleaned out and organized to store items such as laundry items, batteries, lightbulbs, cleaning items, extra bedding and this would probably be a good area for storing all those fun samples that I get in the mail, hotel rooms, on sale stock-up items, etc.

4. My bathroom for normal, everyday used items. Did this - this morning.

My kids closets are gone through every three months to go through clothes, toys, shoes and anything else that may have collected in there.

Had a little time this morning to go through some different areas of my home and collect and organize samples. It was so much fun. I almost went to the store this morning to get my daughter something for her sunburn, but instead found a few different samples for her to use in my supply. Great savings there.

So now, I have all my samples organized and was able to scratch some items off my grocery list.

How does everyone else organize their samples? Make it a new entry in your Blog instead of commenting on mine. It makes it easier for everyone to read.

My samples are on a shelf in my bathroom, but wish I had a linen closet to hold more and for buying extra items that we use when they go on sale.