DS did his first ever homework last night!!!!!!! My boy is growing up! He did a great job and did it all independantly and everything. Ok so Daddy had to help him figure out that the picture of a firecracker bursting was 'pop' but DS wrote it all and everything. I could even read it .

Oh money wise, I sent a lot of money to the CC leaving us with only 300$ for groceries for 3 weeks, sounds fine, but lately we havn't been doing that well, so we might me squeaking by then. But I thought about leaving more and decided since nothing else seems to be bringing the groceries under budget, maybe a lack of money will.

That will be the last big drop for the CC for quite awile, we used up what we are willing to of our savings, and have cut out everything we could. We also sold most all what we are willing to (a laptop and a computer) so we are going to have to pay the CC off for quite some time .

Got it, it is sligfhtly smaller than DDs old version, and much better looking, but the important part it has no cross bar, so I feel safer about her in the car now. We stuck the old one in the box (sortof) and are going to dump it in a dumpster, guess if it isn't safe for my DD I don't want anyone else using it.

We also had to buy kitten food, apparently they are starting to eat something, and unfortunatly they are starting to need a litter box, I hate PTing kids, and now I have kittens in need of help! ugh, fortunatly Fire (the mom) is relativly good about it, we just have to keep cleaning up the misses, so that they don't smell like litter boxes.

The major purchase of the day, a new carseat. Hopefully we can find one safe but not to big, and really cheap! OK mostly cheap.

I managed to do some weeeding last night, I am not a gardeners, right after I came inside I was reading a mag and it had a picture of poison ivy, all broad leaves look alike to me, so I really hope tiny ivy doesn't make you itch.

Also DH got another shelf up in the garage, he was talking about some other project, and we are keeping a list of stuff we need to get, but I don't want to buy anything until we finish what we have supplies for, meaning less clutter in the garage, and les money spent now (spent later)

about a bazzillion dollers

We had to get printer ink, ugh. We buy it at BJs to save money but that means a 3 pack, so it was almost 50$ (whichi is better than 60, 20 *3)

We also got some meat that we have a rebate for so hopefully we will be getting a 20$ check back for that.

Unfortunatly I discovered I need a new car seat, apparently the cross bar in DDs old one is about as dangerous as the sterring wheel for a driver, only her head is more likly to come in contact than her chest, not so cool. plus it is old and plastic apparently degrades, not cool either.

I can't wait, 2 more hours and I will get to see BBY3!

Unfortunatly there will also be a huge amount of spending today, BJs and grocery store. but we gotta eat right?

Got the CC bill last night. the intrest was dramatically less since last month due to the huge amount we put in, gonna do it one more time then it is back to piddling around with slightly more than the minimum

I kicked DH to the garage and he weedeated around the house, put up a shelf and a half, and goofed off with the cats, so we all were lazy but him (that was all during naptime, so the rest of the day he was lazy too)

Today is Monday, and today I have to err, nothing, I love my life . Actually I am going to try and get bills taken care of, hopefully I wasn't to terrible on my groceries estimate for the month and there is something left to pay the bills with.

Yep for real it will be lazy, though I might drag everyone out to the nature center afternap, or not. I might just stay home and do nothing

He made me an awesome poem about us together, and a starwars inspired note that starts off' in a galaxy five five years ago princess....

It was awesome I loved it! absolutly loved it! unfortunatly I didn't do anything for him, didn't even get dressed, DD was so clingy still I barely managed to make bathroom visits a priority!

While I have no intention of spending money I was kindof hoping to come up with some ingenious gift I could make for DH, and nothing nada zip. but I am going to plan on a nice evening with no computers, hopefully baby3 will cooperate for me.

Why are men so hard to 'make' for?

Actually that is backwards, first was the Drs for DD 18 months so we got lots of shots, but now we are all done till she is 4! I am happy about that. Unfortunatly I had to argue wiht the billing lady to even get her to check about the mistakes in the copays and then she would only check the one I had the insurance statement on me for. I really hate that I have to hunt up all the insurance statements since January to make sure they arn't billing us all wrong, by our guestimates we have enough credit from overpaying each visit for today to be free but she would only look at one visit so we only got 6$ off. Not cool at all.

Then we went to the Library, quick stop still owe 9$ from before I knew about online renewal, and got 15 more books, then the mall for packed pb sandwiches, and fries (the fries are the reward for finishing the hated pb, well hated by me)

Then it was off to starwars, really a spur of the moment decision, we never go see new movies, but we really wanted to see the Starwars while on the big screen and since DD was asleep we figured it would work, we were only slightly wrong. And we used our aniversary money so no actual out of pocket. Sortof.

THen DS reminded us we stil had to go to BJs, but the good news we were a little over 50, which included cat liter and cat food (stray had kittens and wants us to kitten sit, ugh, but cute)

All told and expensive day, but mostly neccessary or worth it. (though dude is too short to be Vader)

You know these groceries come up EVERY week! I know you got to eat, but I am so hoping to reign in the spending. WE need potatoes and ramen noodles, so the spending should be low, then tomorrow we are going to BJs and that well dunno how bad that will be, but all we need (all we ever need) is milk eggs bread and this time beef bullion. So hoping that is all we get, oh and another thing of laundry detergent. I hate storing a billion extras, one is cool, even two since we are almost out and will be replacing the one on the dryer (I know lousy spot for it, but it fits)

Also found a book old old book with recopies for homemade cosmetics, I am adding bath oil to the list of stuff to make for Christmas and birthdays and I might try the recipe for some of the stuff that looks like it acts as hair gel (book is so old written before hair gel) Also says adding an egg and gelatin to cheap shampoo makes a better shampoo than the most expensive out there, but it was written long before Pantine came out.

DH found all the stuff needed to put one shelf in DSs room (was leftover when we were going to put 3 in DDs room) and I went thru some books and got rid of 2 whole boxes! amazing since I love books. His shelf isn't near big enough for the remailing 7 but I put all the younger readers and the cartoon books (snoopy, bit silly of me I know) plus a couple that I was in the mood to reread. (the books his age are in DDs room on her shelf.)

I managed to rewash and wax the trunk, plus rainX the back window. Which means the whole top of the car is done, all that is left is the sides. I am pretty happy about me doing the car in small segments. (thanks flylady .)

So there was nothing in the closet, had to go shopping, found the gift (DS picked it out) for 9$ perfectly in our range, but then you have to add the 3$ bag (forgot one from home) 1$ for tissue paper, (again forgot) and 4$ for the card (forgot to get kids to make one) Hate last minute shopping.

We also got suckered into two starwars cereals, not like we don't eat them, but they are more expensive than toast, or english muffins or bagels (our usual fare)

plus salsa that we needed (I aam no good at making it) and some new kind of pringles (that we didn't need) and some old kind for me since there is no way I was making it much onger without food (and forgot to pack) oh and a christmas preasent for DS or DD, good price and on sale. And water shoes, not on sale, not a great price, but very important around here (DS's shoes have already been waterlogfged twice from washing the car.)

Then on the way home (late of course) we had to stop for food (which we should have packed knowing we would be late), cranky parents, and sleeping kids, drove around in a circle to let them sleep (DS needed it to make up for the hockey game) so we were even later for dinner, got burgers for 17$

all told my oh so frugal gift of 9$ cost us 70$! (BTW she liked it)

my niece had her birthday on Friday and we are headed there this afternoon to give her her gift, which we havn't found yet, thru the whole month I keep telling DH to go shopping in the closet to see if there is anything for her, legos on sale from after christmas, and some DT stuff. but nope not yet. So hopefully there is actually something there for her or we will be doing the last minute shopping thing that I hate.

BIls kids got hockey tickets for the local team, checkers (one of the perks of public school) and he couldn't go so we got to take DS, Well DH did, I have no intrest in hockey! not to mention no intrest in holding a sleeping DD while DH watches hockey! Anyway they had fun and if we call it an early Fathers day present, the money for DHs ticket and parking was an easy 17$

We bought the stuff for shelves in the garage eons ago, and DH finally cut them and got rid of the bed in front of the shelf space in the garage last night BIL toted it off, guess he has space to store that kind of stuff, and he does have houseguests that are eventually supposed to get their own place. When they do they have a counch end tables a bed and lamps . What is left in the garage is some stuff that makes a 'house' for the kittens, and a highchair/swing that we may or may not use for baby3 (it is huge) and a couple boxes for the good will, then we can finally put the car in the garage! (it was in once when we first moved, once and only once.)

I also washed the car and waxed the roof, I know I know the whole car needs it, but I don't have time to do the whole thing, I managed to do the roof and rainx the windshield. Hopefully I will have toime to go back out today or at least within the week and do another section (flyladys babsteps is really helping me accomplish big tasks flylady.net/)

Well DH went with DS and they wern't anywhere near less than 50! he bought stuff we use and prolly need. 10$ in Vanilla though, really ups the bill fast when you get little things, but is way cheaper to go with the giant thing than a bunch of little ones (and we like never buy store bought sweet junk, so we do use the vanilla a lot)

He also got another thing of laundry detergent, cause of the coupon and wants to use ANOTHER one next week (we go every week for milk) I know he is right it is cheaper, but I have to put it somewhere!

Went to the store a new one cause they had beef on sale for less than 2$ a lb (my pregnant criteria) Decided we really prefer our store more, better prices on most everything but the beef. Oh and the lettuce we got was priced on the sign at 99cents, but according to the checkout lady it was really not on sale till Firiday. Why on earth they would put the sign up when it wasn't on sale is beyond me, and if I wern't in such a hurry (always in a hurry with 2 kids) I would have argued that the manager make it the sale price. As it is DH and I are much to nice to stores.

Now DH and DS are at BJS picking up some milk and such, I have high hopes that the total for the week will be around 50$ a start at making up the previous weeks total of 140.

Well the stray we feed broiught us kittens on Mothers day, she wanted them in the house but we don't have a litter box and don't want one, nor do we want to be getting up in the night to let a cat in and out. So we let them in for the day but put them in the garage with the door propped so she could get out at night. This morning I woke up to find one dead kitten laying in a pool of blood. Not cool and not easy to explain to my 3 year old.

Electric, water, and Gas, cutting the bill is frugal, green and I've been supposed to do all the stuff my whole life, lights and water off, fridge closed, unplug stuff, heat down, etc.

Phone I don't have/don't want all the neccessities of life, use the callerID on the cell, which we use so we can have a phone in pgh, not exactly a neccessity, but if we have to have a phone I prefer a cell. It doesn't ring and wake kids napping up, does keep track of who called, and can travel.

Cable net, ok pure luxury, but I do use it for email (keeping me off the phone) savings advice and parental reminders (helps to know most parents would gladdly trade their troubles for mine.

Some stuff can't be gotten rid of and can't change, my house, trust me no one is buying it, and needs sewage and waste, which is constant (well rising, but not cuttable by me)

So this leaves food. And that is a true sacrifice, not cutting out pop, DH's done that to a large degree, not cutting readymade snacks, been there done that, but everytime I have a glass of milk I think about the cost. OF MILK! I really don't want my kids growing up thinking we are so broke we can't eat, to broke for movies or eatingout maybe, but for MILK! Ugh. Bad enough we are to broke for steak, much less too broke for any beef. looking at the list of what we bought last week (when we spent double my prefered limit.) it had no real obvious 'fluff'

BBQ sauce, which the kids and DH have on all chicken, which is why they don't mind my lousy cooking,
cheese, which we use on everything,
laundry detergent, already the cheapest brand in the store, plus had a coupon.
Milk, three gallons, that is limiting them
Bread, two loaves, again that is limiting
yogurt, two cases, about two weeks worth, organic, for DDs digestive tract (ped recomended)
chocolate chips, used in trail mix and in DHs yogurt, cheaper than snack cakes
grapes, I really hate limiting fruit
bluberries, ok that is a splurge, expensive fruit there, kids love it
mushrooms, again splurge, but its a vegetable!
onion, again splurge, again vegetable
hot sauce, neccessary to get DH to eat ramen noodles (I did try to get him to switch to cyanne pepper, no luck)

some other stuff but you get the picture, not easly cut out.

So I sort of forgot that it was this weekend, I don't know why I was thinking I had more time, anyway I think I will mix up some milk bath if I can find the recipe online, and then ship it out on Monday, since I am always late they wont be to surprised .

I still havn't gotten my pictures from the kids, but I know they are there .

err not going so well. I was going to make grilled cheese last night and it turns out the block went bad back in April, gross. (yeah kids and I notice) So I switched to cheese quesadillas, since the kids already saw the cheese (and I already had the griddle hot) good and all, but we used up all the remaining taco shells, which menas I have to make some, I hate making taco shells they never get thin enough and they take forever.

Oh and I tried to make bannanna bread, no idea where my brain was but I put in some baking soda instead of powder (yuck) and did the eggs wrong, and forgot to double the sugar. Not particularly edible.

(get your mind out of the gutters , it is a warehouse store.)

I forgot a few essentials on the list, we have to get a yogurt maker! Then there was the cheese, nice price at less than3$ a lb but still since it is BJs it is a HUGE bag. and the kids eat a lot of cheese, so it isn't going to last as long as I would like. Then the barbq sauce DH had to have, the butter I use constantly around here, and soap cause there was a coupon for it. I told DH and DCs that we will not be going to the grocery store next week, we will only be getting yogurt, milk and bread (maybe eggs). So we are about to find out what is lurking in the pantry.

Oh btw if you search for BJs website, make sure you put in the s!

The groceries were only 45ish$ so we made it under the 75 and now we have to go to BJS today which for milk, bread, chocolate chips and umm hopefully that is it, shouldn't be more than 25. (bout 10 for the milk, can't member the other prices)

Heartbeat! we are going to the midwife to hear baby3s heartbeat in an hour! I can't wait!

Grocery store tonight is going to be a rather large purchase we are out of a lot of stuff and I did the running list, added to it whenever I saw something we needed. THat always makes for a Loooong list! Hopefully since most of it is small it still wont be to terrible, and BJs should be small we just need milk, not even eggs, oh and butter.

A interesting money related thought last night, at like 3 am when I was trying to sleep and couldn't. Figured I would save it and type it here for all to see, but of course between then and now I forgot .

Ok so I finished balancing the checkbook and was ready to write out the bill for the CC this month. Where did all the extra money come from? I was hoping to be able to make a 100 plus minimum payment but I had enough for 500 plus! weird. I mean half the time I was finding gas totals with no reciept (DH tries but always loses several) and here I am done and find myself with extra loot! I had to use some to send to my Mom to pay for DHs birthday present, hopefully it is what he wanted. And of course we need groceries till next payday, but honestly I had not expected to have that much. I seem to be unable to accuratly predict my money, but at least this is in the right direction rather than the deficit problem.

So we put DS's new bond from grandparents in the lockbox, and found some of the coins we had been keeping, mostly old or forign, prolly not worth much but interesting. I also found a bunch of dollar coins (the newish gold ones) why on earth we used a CC for stuff when we had money sitting there, and not even fancy money! (Ok so there is some fancy stuff too)

Anyway on our new no CC rule we havn't gone over budget except for the dentist in a couple months (well over here and there, but not a deficit) And I hope to keep that up, maybe even improve on it, but I still have the desperation, of I don't know where on earth more money is going to be found. As soon as we get the CC paid off I want to start putting that money away, half for emergency stuff and half for vacation (DS deserves that trip to Washington DC). I just have to convince DH to keep up the frugal stuff without a CC looming over us.