I have completely paid off the dental bill as of...well however long it takes ing to pay a bill once you tell it to do so...

Which is cool, sadly the CC will not be paid off this week. Most but not all. Prolly in two weeks. Not sure because I am not the one who pays it, I could be, but every time he shows me the info I forget.

Bad news for the week. I went camping with my daughters sleeping bag, it sucked, she needs a 20 degree or even a zero. a 40 degree bag means you wont die in 40 degree weather, since we camp down to 30 ish we really need to be a bit warmer when we sleep.

So birthday present for my younger son, Birthday party for both him and his sister, sleeping bags for the two of them, and.....tennis shoes for my oldest son. He keeps ruining his shoes. Not cheap, and this is why the CC will wait another two weeks.

While I frequently counsel my kids, friends and anyone else who wants to listen, that counting chickens is best done after they hatch (actually after they mature and manage not to die of diseases...)

I still like to waste a bit of time dreaming about my 'chickens'. That being a metaphor for money that may or may not ever appear.

So here it is, Of course 'regular bills' need paid first, and right now they are, debt needs gone (looks like end of Oct), and the EF needs restored....

but then....after we take care of real health insurance, like for the whole family. Then we want real retirement savings, Not sure how much that would be, but more than current.

And THEN...my dream of dreams...a maid.

I am currently putting a maid before a bigger house, what good is more space if I can't spend any time enjoying it because I am constantly vacuuming, mopping and cleaning bathrooms?

I really really hate cleaning, and I hate being in a house that needs cleaned......

Unfortunately with how many folk we have here, and all being way to messy by nature, we would need a daily maid.

After the maid, then yeah, sure a bigger house would be lovely, or an addition to this one? But really I would rather live a bit closer to all the 'stuff' we do.

My husband had a chat with my one son today about cheap vs value.

They were in the store buying groceries, saw an item with a $40 price tag, and a similar item right beside it for only $6.

Happened to be wine.

Both wines were rated the same or nearly the same from several magazines. So they talked about how, while there is a chance the expensive one tastes better, it is more likely they are both good, and we can save a good deal of money by sticking with the $6 stuff.

I love how many lessons can be learned while shopping. From discussions of how 'having' money and being free to spend it are not the same to talks of health (why buy the expensive bread?) And conversations on value, we really learn more at the store than most other places.

Now if I could only get a free night to relax and enjoy that wine!

I work very hard to keep the initial cost of scouting in both my troop and my pack low.

But I am failing miserably to keep MY costs low. Between the enormous amount of printing, the last minute nuke a dinner, and the constant outflow of food or supplies for den meetings, I am going broke.

Not that we didn't have scouting last two years when I Was broke, just that this year is far better than those. Things are just easier with enough money that I don't have to ask for donations, money to pay for he camping supplies/printouts/food/whatever.

This year the GS is really making it even harder, they have upped the book requirements and made every rank need to do a journey for their badges. I really don't know why they went with such an expensive model. In cubs you can avoid paying anything for a book, all the information is online. We do still buy some, but not nearly as many as the GS is asking for.

Why would you choose to make the program so inaccessible to girls? The point shouldn't be about making money, it should be about helping girls grow strong and responsible.

Before I got married I held down 3 jobs to pay the bills. (and before that I had two, but lived in my car). I wouldn't call that spoiled. Yet I really in many ways was, what I really wanted I got, every time.

After we got married I worked with kids, he worked with computers money was just fine, not dealt with the smartest way, but it was fine. I have no recollection of the total income, but it covered the bills and left too much for being silly (dinner out every night, really?) Though since I couldn't drive I still packed lunch every day!

Even though we both had jobs, we combined the money and spent it together.


Then when we had kids - I stopped working to take care of them. I haven't really had money to call my own since.

It is our money, if I wasn't here to take care of the kids, he wouldn't be able to go make the money. Conversely if he wasn't out making money I wouldn't be able to stay here. I can't possibly see how we could separate it into 'his' or 'mine'.

Most of the money goes to bills (including debt, and savings), then way too much for the volunteer organizations, and after that a bit of splurging I don't think either of us keeps track but all told we both splurge about the same amounts, though not at the same time. He gets more junky chocolate or pops, I get big stuff less often. When he gets big stuff he waits for the amazing deal, and even then doesn't always take the plunge.

All in all though it averages out, and the basics are all taken care of.

It is our money, it has to be how can we possibly claim to be deeply in love if we are not interested in looking out for the others best interest, monetarily and otherwise.

So about that windshield...it is awfully hard to pay someone to fix it if they wont come fix it!

First they said they would be here on Monday, then when I didn't answer the phone the figured we weren't here and didn't come. I know I should have been holding the phone close all do to make sure I could answer, but...somehow 5 kids got in the way.

Then when I call them the said it was too late so they would try again today. (my first free day)

Apparently they called again yesterday, of course I didn't answer, I never answer the phone! I was prolly in a meeting anyway. I called them three times this morning - no machine! How do you run a business with no answering machine!

When I finally get a hold of them to confirm they will be coming he tells me he wont get to it till after lunch time. Now I am glad you have a lot of business, but this is starting to get on my nerves!

Monday I had all day to wait, today I HAVE to be back at church at 5:45pm (preferably earlier)

Sheesh buddy, come take my money! (and fix the windshield)

Someone commented on an old post of mine from 2007 (not the reading addict one). I was trying to remember what was going on at that time, so I peeked at the rest of my posts that month.

It was a lovely walk down memory lane. The Thanksgiving we were all puky (and wonderful friends brought us food).

I was pregnant, but the rest of the house was sick.

That was also the first Winter I realized we had nearly halved our electric bill. (partly with reducing the temperature, partly with minor changes in curtains and such)

One of the neat things about blogging is the joy of looking back, seeing how far we have come, and how much has stayed the same.

I don't know that I would ever do this if it weren't for a few readers though. Some how keeping a journal or diary just for me never really seemed worth it. Between all the effort involved in spelling things actually using a pencil, and bothering to find the same book I wrote in last week was all just too much work! I know I am lazy.

But you give me an audience, and all of the sudden I am desperate to share! Though in my partial defense, some of my audience is family, and it is sorta the lazy way of keeping up with them....