stop wearing underware



.....underwear budget for the next ten years will be just $250. That’s a small price to pay to have some cotton wrapped around your special places, right?

WRONG! You’re forgetting the high hidden costs of underwear. Once you tack on the cost of washing your underwear, storing your underwear, going to the store and buying your underwear, money wasted on underwear that doesn’t fit you, and the ever-growing costs associated with underwear theft insurance, we’re talking tons of cash!......

Well we arn't broke yet...

The good:
-Sent tax return plus bonus almost ALL to the car...I can't wait to see next months bill with the new lower total!
-Food under budget even with eating out twice and extra convenience for illness!

The bad
-Gas for the car and gas for house was over budget partly due to a trip tp GA. being gone for a day cost a good bit of gas, but didn't save on heat much...

The Ugly
-miscelaneous! UGH, between the postal runs (mostly for husband ebaying stuff) and the medical stuff, and the suprises for my bros kids, plus ours, plus the treat my husband felt they needed while I was sick...UGH!

Actually the end of the month we have more money in than we sent out (so more goes off to the car next week)

----------
Non financial if I discount the week of absolute sick and reduce goals for the week after, I did amazingly good. (1 miss, 4 half days on workouts, all yep on food)

For March, in addition to all old goals:

Financial = Get up earlier than kids.....not sure if it will help, but I tried for this last week, up early means more stuff is done, and half my todo list saves me money. (bake not buy food to share/serve, check on bills not ignore, ect.)

Excersise = add abdominal and legs work for 5 minutes a day.

Diet = Limit treats to two servings a day (that would be my servings! though I do aim for less than double recomended, but seriously who can eat only a half cup of ice cream?)

So in effort to be semi respectable tonight (lenten thing at church) I decided holes in the jeans would be bad and hunted up something nicer. You may recall my recent medical issue, it came with a two size expansion (sorry not a size 8 anymore )

Well I am back in 10s, not great, and more irritating since I do not have a little one to hold...

But all my jeans that I know fit now, have holes, so I headed to the closet to see just how close to an 8 or 9 I am, grabbed one pair of size 9s and tried them on.

I couldn't even get it up to my hips much less over them! Talk about depressing moments! I checked, all other jeans even close to 9 have holes.....so I grabbed a pair a bit smaller..and a bit stretchier....

A size 6 and they fit! Good grief they have changed sizes dramaticaly! So I checked my size 31/34 jeans (you can't change that, 31 inch waist means 31 inch waist...no getting around that)...one fits, one doesn't (different cut, big hips).

I decided to dich the 9s..every time I have a kid (or lose one) I go thru the down phase of weight, and every time I come to the size 9s and I try them, and every time I get depressed because they don't fit....seems to me I am storing them for nothing but trouble!

The number (9) doesn't really bother me much, it is the fact that I haven't worn them since highschool (pre kid), and all outside reports (plus the tape measure) say I am thinner now.....shrunk in storage or something? I dunno, but out they go.

Remind me when I am all grown up, just how hard the whole process was....

I do hope some day to be all grown up, not giving up fun, but not having to war with myself to do simple things..like clean a kitchen!

Friday is my birthday, and I will be 20something...again . And in that 20something years I really feel I spent very little time growing up.

On the other hand in the last year or 3 I think I have done a great deal. From getting the finances straight to getting my job under control, to figuring out small talk...ok no I really havn't figured that one out yet. Working on it, really I am.

Anyway as the kids grow and work out their own lives I wonder how I will feel when they are teens, or when they are young adults, will I remember how irritating little details like filing papers can be, or will I be so good at it, I find their incompetance annoying..like their lack of table manners of yesteryear.

Will I teach them enough so they can 'keep house' or will I wonder over to visit and peek in their closets to find they still clean by stuffing it all in there?

Will I be able to guide them on track to finding a proffession they love, or will I rush them into a job and life they hate just because I want it for them?

Will I sigh in frustration as they struggle to decide how important church is (or is not) and I watch the oft empty pew?

Or will I get it all right find none of the above did I fail to teach, and yet still complain over niggling details like failing to iron their shirts........

Knowing me, I will be complaining, it is what I do best.

No not mine, his:

Bryan Berg, card stacker


Is Cardstacking your job?
Yep. And what a tough job it is (not). Imagine having no boss, getting to travel, setting your own hours, "working" a fraction of the days of the year, and doing something you love. Doing projects has been a challenge while in college because I am often gone for a week or more at a time.

Nice, getting paid to do what you love......and paid well! were did I put that deck of cards again?

We checked out the health food store, flour was 79cents a pound for whole wheat in bulk...and you had to put it in a plastic bag to take it home...somehow that doesn't sound 'organic'....... I can't recall the price of whole wheat at the former store though.

Also got yellow corn meal at 99cents a pound....that I am sure was cheaper at the food lion.

And saw MANY nuts and grains (saw quinona, I might try it, wonder if I spelled it right) most were well above the cost of white flour or nuts at BJs, though I am sure many were healthier.

Saw spelt flour, dying of curiosity what that is, and tasted three kinds of cheese...got suckered into buying one for the party we went to that night!

This is a problem! I bake every weekend (and then some) and I always use baking powder, in large quantities.

I tried one batch with soda and umm, shoot what is that stuff called.....cream of tarter, thats it, I read somewhere that the two in some combination works almost as good. We shall see.

And my local grocer stopped selling whole wheat flour..again a problem, Ig o thru 10lbs in a little less than a month, now I have to go find a new store to get it from.

Course snce I sent him in for flour, my husband tried a substitute, unbleached flour..instead he may have acuired a replacement for regular flour..wonder if I can find it in 20lb bags somewhere? (that is about a month of flour. 20lb of white, 10lb of whole wheat)

Now of course the heating bill is for the coldest part of January, but it still seems odd to open today, when it was a nice 70 degrees outside, my highest bill for heat all year!

The good news is, it should be my last high bill, the bad news is..I will be wanting AC soon!

BTW we took advantage of the day and took a walk wonderfully warm, a bit windy, and oh my youngests face watching leaves blow around! it was soooo cute, I wished I had a camera at the time to catch it.

This was said by my husband last night, in a 'I can't believe you set it so high, what is wrong' kind of tone, then while I was trying not to laugh at my once 'anti less than 70' husband, he did the same thing I do most days and pushed the button to switch it to saying the setting vs the 'actual temp. and it is still set at 62 from several nights ago.

Yep two great pieces of news.

1. My house is comfortably 67 in midday, simply due to nice warm sunny NC weather, and

2. My husband has really converted to a cooler house

Course at bedtime the house was still 67 and we were both shivering, I swear the time of day has way more to do with how cold I feel than the temp.

I never have enough time, and today I thought about looking at my days schedule like a budget, and finding the 'leaks'

I quickly thought about all the things I do and how much time I spend on each, and I found they don't add up to 24 hours!!!!

I have gaps, time that is slipping by with no record of what on earth I did with it!

Now looking closer I can find some, sitting on the couch with my DD in my lap talking to my husband about my day....but other gaps..how on earth can it possibly take 2 hours to get 3 kids dressed showered and fed?

I have to work on speed or something, and I definatly plan on being more concious of my time next month, I might not write it all down, but I want to find out just what I am doing with my day that is using up all the time.

And then I want to decide how to use my time more instead of just letting things happen, like money I want the splurge to mean something, not just some silly waste that will be forgotten long before the month is up.

I looked at a pack of 2 black dry erase markers for 2.17, pack of color for 2.99, and color with hangers and erasers attatched for 3.99.

I was looking at those dry erase options thinking 'I am rich, I can afford to pay the extra to get color, just because I want to'. I also thought I am smart, I am not paying extra for hangers, I store them in a bag in the threering binder I use.

The truth is, I can do the same work with black as with color. I don't even need the marker at all, I could use something cheaper, scratch paper, or something. I could keep using the faded one I have.

But I could afford to buy the color dry erase markers, and that little choice makes me, rich.

And now for the quickies:

*also bought a rice steamer for my birthday, mom said go buy one, and I did. Felt great to be able to just buy it (cost a bit more than the markers...)

*husband found some silicone bakeware on sale, bought a LOT.....and said 'I can't help it, I get excited when things are on sale'....I didn't say anything, I could hear his acnowledgement of how silly it was in his voice, and anyway I think I can give them as gifts.

*more stuff was sold! more stuff out of the house, though also more postage...though supposedly at some point I will get some back from that.

We were sitting in the car for some reason discussing the frequent 'how do I get my spouse on board' threads.

And he mentions 'well like if your spouse is still buying a pop every day for a buck you could just mention how you drink water, and ask if they think an insulated cup or something would help them drink water more'

ummm, I did that....

But I didn't remind him, I fiugured he certainly remembered and didn't need to be reminded of the unfrugal habits I helped him break.....

so do I get a medal?

My son wants sheets with cool animals, dinosaurs and general 'fluff' between the words..and I am finally making my own after way to lng searching for 'fluffy' ones.

The main trouble is his knowledge interest beats his emotional level..he is young, but he wants to read about things older kids do. Hard to find.

Anyway, I decided to be easy for my first try at harder fluffy papers, I used dinosaur clip art found on office, and wiki intro then made up a couple simple questions.


(ain't print screen grand?)

Now here is the thing, I am sure Wiki and microsoft wont mind me using it for my kid..but will they mind me offering it to other kids? (like free)

Office publisher for educators....

Many things we make for kids are the same templates over and over, crosswords, word searches, fill in the blank, maps, ect....

And kids like fancy clip art with the 'work'...but I personally do not enjoy hunting up worksheets only to reject half because they look too boring. Nor do I want to go make them all interesting myself, nor do I want to go pay store prices for fancy sheets that half the time contain errors.

I just want a simple template suggesting a couple clip arts, space for a name and date (yeah I know I could tell my kids work apart, but of all things that I do feel need practice, name and date tops my list.)

Anyway, buisnesses get tons of em, I want one.

*my glasses broke..I am wearing contacts, not to much time to get them in, but man I miss having eyes after I am 'ready for bed' I aught to use this as a way to make myself go to bed early, take them out and nothing can be done, but instead I am leaving them in till the last possible minute! Oh and no we don't have vision.

*The bill for my daughters busted chin came in, 50, not to terrible. but one heck of an expensive bandaid..(steristripped, no stitches, but stripped held better than any bandaid I have ever seen)

*finetune (found thru BA) has a way to preview music, seems to have 30 second sound bites of many songs. Which is cool for the musically challenged (me) I never know what a song is called or who wrote it, but now I can try it, then cut and past the name...

* and a photo of my little pot head

So I call my car loan company. All I want to know is how the interest is calculated.

The lady tells me it is about $y a day. Umm? For every day that I have the loan?

She doesn't know, she only knows it is $y a day this month, the total interest paid last month was X and the interest next month will be about X......

OK great, and my question is, how is that calculated? All I want to know is if I pay down the principle will it effect the interest or is the interest calculated for the life of the loan regardless of principle?

She doesn't know.

What good is a live person answering the phone about a loan if they don't know the terms of the loan?

She offers to transfer me to a local branch to speak to a loan officer.

Lovely.

I get transfered to a nice woman who asks to direct my call, sigh, loan officer, that is what I was transfered for, why can't people who are doing the transfering state the nature when they transfer, do I HAVE to repeat myself a million times?

Of course, there is no loan officer in the office that day....um hello you are a bank, all you do is take money and LOAN it!

So off I go transfered to another person.

"How may I direct your call?"

Sigh....

Loan officer..I need to speak to a loan officer, I just want to know how the interest is calculated on my car loan.

"I am sorry our loan officer is busy now, I can transfer you to his voice mail"

sigh.....
fine....

Really how hard can it be for a bank to know how it's interest is calculated? I left my message and an hour later got a call from a very nice man who explained and told me I had to pay down the principle in person. (btw 'busy' meant out ot lunch)

Why on earth they want you to be in person is beyond me, but regardless we now know for sure it will save on interest and we will be headed over there soon as all checks are in. (bonus plus income tax plus some loot leftover)

I introduced him to Pot*...I wanted a break, I wanted a minute of peace to get things done.

So I pulled out Pot. showed him how to use it. There was an instant attraction he was busy with Pot for hours, I had to drag him away for meals.

For most of the last two months he wont talk to me except to say "Pot", then he is off in his own little world again.

Last week I had enough, I took his pot away. I hid it, and for days he repeatedly requested "Pot", but I insisted he had to find something else to do, Then finally, he found a substitute, he stole my Pot!

Of course I wasn't willing to lose my pot! he should stop using but I needed mine!

Quickly his Pot was found and returned to him, and yet again tonight he had to be dragged away from the pot for snack and forced to stay away to get some sleep.

I may never get my son off his pot addiction, nor hear anything but "pot!", but at least he lets me have my pot in peace.

If you would like some peace and quiet and want to get pot for your kid try

here

But I'll warn you, it is addictive!


* he is one, it is really a cooking pot, no I do not use drugs nor do I condone the use of drugs. Please excersise caution around small chilren and pot(or pots).

Got a nice supprise in the mail today, my huaband did recieve his bonus for last year, we thought transfering to the other company in October would ruin that, but it didn't

Our plan is to put it straight to the emergency fund.

With a current aim of 3 months pay in the EF, the bonus will bring us 1/3 of the way there.

There was a time I thought I would never get a sisable EF....and here I am 1/3 of the way there. The Income tax return portion going there will bring it up to almost half...44%.

But then after that it will be slow growing...k being excell obsesed it will be growing by 5% a month till april...we don't know who will be signing the checks at the end of april, so we can't count to many chickens past that point.

Err now that you mention it, 5% isn't that slow of a growth....nice for interest, and will result in a full 3 months at the end of this year...could be worse.

Well after over a week of not caring, I am starting to try and pick up where I left off.

Mainly the financial goals are on track, It is easy to go back and write what was bought new, and easy to record the grocery and misc and gas spening after the fact, I am caught up on that.

The work out and eating was managed today as well, but nothing is going to make up for the time off. (and now I lost my excuse for the jeans being snug...actually truthfully the size 8s stopeed fitting last month, but I'll get them back!)

We finally joined the church we have been going to for over a year. Really there is no big reason for not joining, mainly my husband is a Baptist and the church is Lutheran, at first we assumed we would find some reason that we could not join due to the difference, but..there isn't one.

So we took the class....free
Took the oath....free
Got our member packet....free
Got our envelopes..tecnically free BUT

If you have ever been a member or had parents a member of the church you know the envelopes I mean, one per week of the year with your name preprinted on them (or not) plus some extra envelopes for special occassions. What on earth the vast majority of people do with them I dunno, but when I was a kid they were lost within a month.

Now I have my very own box of fancy envelopes...and the very first one? An extra envelope labled 'to defray envelope costs' sigh....do these things really help anyone? Can I just turn mine back in to help defray costs? Like I don't have enough things to try and remember on Sunday mornings!

I have a terrible case of 'The Gimmies'.

It all started last Friday when I took sick (previous post has

medical update), First when shopping I knew the week would be bad, so we bought lots of convenience food.

And we had to go to my brothers the next day, normally when I go somewhere we pack loads of food, I decided to only pack what I could stand up for, and buy the rest out...

Then Saturday AM I called for some reason or other and brother mentioned the pirate game, so instead of turning around and getting the cards we already own to play, I said sure buy new packs while getting medicine for the snots (little snot at home is fine, when out, I try to contain it), of course you can't buy yourself a present when visiting and not get one for the visitee's, so suprises all around, and few nice gifts as well (put away for birthday or christmas)

Then we eat out lunch (managed to pack snacks, but thats it) on the way to brothers (5 hour drive)

Fortunatly during the week I was too sick to want anything.

Till Thursday, when I was healthy enough to want plenty again. Sent husband to the store for a need, and almost called for junk, turns out I didn't have to call, he bought some anyway.....for the kids for putting up with a sick momma for so long...and chocolate, and bowls, we'll have get the bowl problem in its own post someday.

Then yesterday I stay up late researching swords...like I need one! and I spend time thinking of what I want for 30 bucks, and we filed our taxes , yeah sure I put smart things in my blog, but really in my head I was thinking of some really nice stuff to get (like one of those swords...or at least one of the paintings...).

Today I awoke in a funky mood, I wanted all sorts of things I normaly don't think about, like a new chain for my necklace, sure I miss wearing it, but normally spending that kind of money to replace a decoration is out of the thought process..today I had trouble not asking my husband to stop at the mall after the library to pick one up..I settled for cutting his leather up into a necklace...and now we need to buy him new leather, but honestly leather is cheaper, and he can live without. (it is for his hair, which is 'only' mid back length)

At Bjs I had troubles, I want that vaccume cleaner....it had circular brushes, so my long hair wouldn't break it.....and that bedding ....and those new books...and the chocolate...oooh that organizer thingie.....and those cookies.....and .....and.....and

Good grief! I noticed my dire situation at BJs and practically begged my daughter to need a potty to get me OUT! Actually my youngest son obliged but hey it worked.

I escaped, and my husband finished the shopping alone, in the end no more than usual was spent $72 (food plus easy ups.)

Though I did use my own card to pay

Medically speaking I am much better, if you are curious, I had a miscarriage, prolly. Unfortunatly the trouble started last Friday with a sick momma, weak, spotting, sickish, and pain. I think my body was having trouble letting go.

Thursday I felt great again, that night I lost a lot of blood (which is why I was online all night..up taking care of bleeding), but felt better, just weak. and that is why we think the baby is gone, and now momma is healthy...still tired though. And not really done, past experience it takes weeks to finish, though this is the first time the release was so bad.

So while the outcome is not what I hoped for, at least it seems to be decided.

I do have a Drs apointment next Wednesday (finally called last wednesday that was as soon as they could see me), but I will prolly cancel it, I feel fine now, and I don't need a Dr to tell me I am not pregnant (though I will wait a week of no bleeding and take a test before I go drinking again or anything)

For the first time in ages I can buy groceries.

Due really to procrastination and lack of organization I never registered my last checkcard, the one that will expire this year just to let you know how long ago they sent it.

Well ING sent me one, I imediatly pulled out my phone and called and activated it, it works.

And today I am buying, just because I can .

So Ba's post combined with my recent search for what I want sent me on a hunt for a knife I would like. Truthfully I do prefer swords.

Now first I have to say I am not a violent person, I have no desire to main, injure, or even defend myself, I just think they are cool...


by

Ugrik on diviant art

Or wicked....

from Kit Rae

Totaly worth watching in action (and hard to find clips online apparently, but most rmember the show)

highlander intro

But, well I am unlikely to ever get one, where would I put them? I have a perfectly good sword in my bedroom, in a box, fully wrapped, because..well even though it isn't sharp, I fear it dropping on my kids head someday.........

Mainly I just like the fantasy of a sword.

by spirit of gabriel

Awaiting the confirmation email, but the work is done.

Now to decide what to do with it....we always get a refund and always get a large one, can't say it is that nice though, we have raised our 'dependants' so high that no federal tax is taken out of normal checks....but those OT checks, they tax the living daylights out of them! pre-raise my husband joked it almost wasn't worth working OT, barely a 1$ an hour in the check! But all the rest is now on its merry way back to us.

My choice would be 5% steak, 47.5% savings, and then 47.5% car.

hmm wonder if I aught to send some to the church?

So my husband saw the paypal promotion regarding 15$ rebate when you spend 30$. and he comes to me and says "hey isn't that perfect, I just made 30, so I can go spend it on something"

Umm honey, you also just spent $30 last night, Out of norm spending, midweek (it was only Thursday!) and not all neccessary IMO....

I saw the paypal promotion and imediatly thought of buying christmas presents or birthday presents early. Could get a nice gift but spend less, my goal every year.

He on the other hand is thinking of the more expensive junk he wants....I have no idea how he puts up with the non spending we normally do.....

But I suppose I aught to be more sympathetic, I want stuff too....umm....ok this is corny but nothing comes to mind...oh paint, I want paint, (grey for kitchen) but we can't do it till spring (need ventilation).

And shelves, I have more than last time I complained, little by little we buy some and he puts them up, I want some more in the living room and another one in my sons room.

oooh I know what I want that can prolly be bought with paypal! Maybe even for 30ish. A queen sized blanket, for two blanket hogs in a queen sized bed a full sized blanket just ain't cutting it!

K figured out my whiny wants, now that waste is done on to convincing my husband to buy gifts regardless. (any ideas for a gma and gpa?)

I know Jeffrey helps thousands of people, but I still think of him as 'my advisor' With the help of SavingAdvice.com we have finally gotten our finances turned straight, headed in the right direction.

And the other day I saw he made the

top 10 list of PF bloggers!

Now to rant on Digg...
I clicked the 'blog this' button so I could share how cool it was, and got asked a billion questions, apparently letting Digg know you are blogging about a digg is complicated unless you use those ad covered blogs...so I shelved it, then I tried again, then I was hit with the stupidity of it, why do I care if anyone on Digg knows I blogged about it?

So duh, I came here and blogged

Somehow it seems Ironic to me that the month of love is also the month to celebrate presidents, but then I am libertarian.

Regardless I got some stuff for

DimeEd.com I also figured out my problem. I write what I am doing, and I am doing more medical, than educational. It still results in learning for my children, just not to much useful to share.

Check it out if you like games:
post on February (there are many for adults all they way down to toddlers, plus some information if you want it.)

So while hunting up nanamoms cards, just to see what they look like, I came accross

kids cards

This seller who has cards by an 8 year old and a 5 year old. None of them have any bids yet, but I am curious if they get any. It would be an interesting project for a kid.

The fact that shipping is not specified might be part of the problem.

(BTW I never did find the cards Nanamom listed)

I looked over his recent auctions (listed thanks to my 'encouragement' err, ok fine, nagging)

And he has quite a bit of money comming to him! Plus some old auctions he has to recieve payment/ship out, plus some recent winnings. (though due to the recent US players thing it is harder to jump the hoops to get the cash)

Unfortunatly he is prolly stewing due to needing that money for medical issues, he complains because every time we seem to get a bonus to get us ahead, something happens to crush those dreams..which is the true danger of counting chickens, when you don't get them...you might be annoyed.