Princess Perky's Page

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.

Apparently quite a bit, as I have done not much, and my husband is only one person with only two hands..and sorry a guy (really if he was home all the time he would be faster and more in practice, but he isn't, he is a computer guy, not a homemaker)

Anyway the balance of the work is either not done, or done by the kids. cleaning, laundry, dishes, amazing what they can do. And more amazing to me, is what their peers are NOT doing.

Before you go feeling sorry for them, they have scads of time to do what they like as well, after they clean up from lunch or whatever. I have always held that a child must learn to take care of themselves, and the training for that is NOW.

My youngest has very few responsibilities, we take advantage of what he likes to do, and let him so long as he is tall enough, and can get to it. So he tends to take the paper recycling to the bin...after some bigger person opens the door . He also Loves to put things in the hamper, and put his own clothes in some drawer or other. I still do not know why I fold laundry nothing makes it to the dresser folded!

My middle girl is showing amazing aptitude for all tasks, from dishes to laundry to 'clean up' She however cannot manage to sweep or vacume yet.

My oldest gets those 'tough' chores, plus some of the higher up dishes (breakables wait on Daddy).

All in all if I had more no cook food availible I would have nothing to do except help UE with the potty and occassional diapers (he is doing great on that whole PTing thing).

Reading a blog post regarding frugalness (found thru digg) I noticed I apparently have been dressing wrong (or right depending on how you look at it)

Mend clothes and reuse, or wear layers.
At home, I wear longjohns/ thermal underwear with ripped jeans. Why not? The pants are still wearable and no one is going to see me except family and the dogs and cats. The #1 rule of frugality: use what you have for as long as possible.

You mean your not supposed to have holes in your jeans? since not a single pair is holeless I certainly hope holes are fashionable..or in any event that any one who cares has better things to do than complain about my jeans.

For more formal affairs I do have 'slacks' with no holes.

Having medical issues here so all goals are failing, and out the window....

I hope to be back on track soon....

But in the meantime it is nice to see that without trying last months habits are showing, I have been eating more fruits and vegetables than before January..

We did it, two stores, Aldis and BJs plenty of food including some for the 'loaves and Fishes' collection at church (do you know how heavy a bag full of cans is?)

All for 75.75...I know that exactly because of excell

No none food, so nothing new. other goals met.

Not only did I have goals this month, I remembered them! for the whole month!

I recorded all my new purchases(5 things, all recorded here except two new soap pumps)...and redid my checkbook....and opened a ING checking account, and put the money we had building up into ING, and set up a autopay for the car bill, and a plan to pay it off early.

All in all a pretty good month financially. I can even see specifically, and down to the penny what was good or bad! (excell rocks!)

Food was under by almost 40$, cargas was well under due to my husband working a closer site. (ends Monday .)

But due to buying a dryer, paying the HOA and paying the car insurance, the monthly spending was overby more than 1K.

the money was availible and all, so no problems.

I now have a plan for the 'yearlystuff' like the HOA, to 'build up' and wait to be spent. One reason we want an ING checking account transfers from ing to ing are instant. so the 'build up' would earn intrest while waiting to be used. With no minimum 5 day wait to get it.

On a non-finance note, I had 3 fruits or veggies all but 5 days (two on those days), and I did my isometric stuff all but 1 day. And...my husband claims he can tell the improvement .

February I plan on going to the non BJs stores in rotation..instead of sometimes going to all three in one week. Plus I want to record it all individually. As well as continue to record all new purchases.

In adition to last months goals I want to add on 5 minutes of cardio, I know pathetically small, but just like only 100 iso, small and daily will happen. Plus I plan on 4 tall glasses of water a day.

On my daily check of the accounts I found a gas entry...not that it would hurt us...but, nice to know now...and husband forgot to tell me.

It seems the more kids we have the less we talk!

Last minute possible plans to go see my bro in GA on Saturday.....have to pack food and rearange shopping, plus gas to get there.

Husband sold two things on ebay, then paid for shipping from our checking....but he is getting paid in his paypal..somehow the math is way in his favor! But I am not really complaining, I am happy the stuff is out of the house.

(hey those were quickies...)

I am google defficient, I rarely find what I need though I am getting better.

I was killing time and came accross a list of 100 altenate search engines and decided to try

chachab, it was mentioned as having a guide. I assumed I was getting a some sort of computer program that would help narrow down the options or something.

But instead I got a live person!

I wasn't desperate for information or anything just wanted to test it, so I asked about plantains and said my husband bought one for the kids to try but I was clueless. (Cause he did)

Within seconds she brought back three recipe sites, the first of which included a discription of what it is like at each color phase (very important for a newbie like me)

I was way impressed, true I might have eventually searched out recipe plantain, but the live person understood 'new food' and all right off the bat.

I totally am going to use this way more, in fact if I can figure out how to get them on my bar instead of google I want it.

Due to some silly things I want right on my spreadsheet budget, I am having trouble copying the equations easily, and by hand is a pain, there has to be a better way.

While I work on it, I did most of it by hand to be ready, in February I plan on recording which store we go to and how often, my goal is to make it once a week for BJs (I was earlier aiming for less, but we get gas there, and we can't do that less than once a week) and every third week for the other 3. (harris teeter, aldis, and food lion)

The less you go the less you spend, and I want to spend less, though I have plenty budgeted.

Anyway I set up the form for that, so I have no excuse when I go shpping Friday-or Saturday (at Bjs and aldis, not food lion- I hope) not to fill it in properly.

Should make DH happy because the church is sponsering a food bank thing and I want him to buy some stuff for it, aldis seems like the perfect place for a tighwad to find things to donate. No offense to the recipients, but one can of corn is like another...

Though I am glad I read, oh phooey was it contrarys blog? about not all knowing how to cook? I am aiming for simple, though he list doesn't say pasta, wonder why not, posta topped with tomato sauce is way easy.

Oh well, canned fruit, veggies, and maybe meat if they have it it is.

I had this big old post about goals and how things were going and plans for February..and I lost it, the whoel thing thru one dumb click as I was switching between an IM and the main screen...

UGh I hate that.

Oh well, we have one trip to the Post office to mail some games my husband sold to add anyway. (so happy bout him selling some dust catchers!)

When he is done I will be taking that extra and transfering his portion to ING and mine writing a check for most to the church, and the remainder I so have to call the car company to see how to get it applied to principle.

I'll rewrite goals review after that.

Well not really, but I did decide to splurge yesterday and we all went to the discovery place.

We have a membership so the only cost was food.

While we were there at the end of the day we watched them set up some tables. They do this everynight or at least everynight we are there, so I sent my husband to ask what was up. He discovered a members only event. Did I mention we were members? So we stayed, and got to eat free, candy cookies and icecream, watch them destroy peeps via liquid nitrogen, a vacum, and somehow blow one up..I missed the explination, but I was there for the fire .

Then we got a first look at the new exhibit. All kinds of cool info on sugar (it is in concrete!) and taste buds (loved JC's face when the grape jelly bean turned to strawberry as she stopped holding her nose!)

There was more but we had to leave, it was past the kids bedtime, we rarely do that at all, but oh it was a great day.

total cost....16$ for dinner for 5 of us, plus the gas to drive there, not to shabby for a very full day

On a side note today we went grocery shopping and we are under budget to close out the month, and the rest of the loot burning a hole in my pocket I will call the car company today...if they arn't there i will call Monday to get it to them. applied to principle, not prepayment!

K I might be the only one to find this funny, but dude writes an article on how to lose weight, and says the actual diet he follows is weight watchers.. but he didn't pay for it...he read their patent!

Lastly, for the curious out there…I followed the Weight Watchers diet. I did not pay for the diet, nor did I go to meetings. I found out all the information about the diet on-line. The first place to look is at their patent.

10 unconventional diet tips

course I don't recomend his tips....but I do recomend searching for a patent before you pay for the plan!

Pre kid (of course) We lived the easy life, we had checks for weeks waiting to be cashed. We frequently went as much as a month in between trips to the bank, and still spent plenty..though plenty less than most of our peers.

I remember one persons shock when my husband told him about the backlog of checks waiting to be deposited, he couldn't understand how anyone could survive without constant cash in. We couldn't understand why not....

I also worked with a few people who were in love with the 'extra check months' (paid weekly) I thought they were nice, but never really had an effect on my budget. (extra then went to pay off my husbands loans)

Now my shock is not that many live paycheck to paycheck (went thru that phase, when the money out is that close to the money in..hard to balance, but we have)

No I am shocked that we wasted all that interest! We could have paid off the loans faster, paid less interest each month, saved it in a high interest account...a CD or simply savings, anything. But no, we were too lazy to make an extra trip (or three) to the bank!

Now there is direct deposit, love that, no trip to the bank! But now that we are back on track, we have a 'cushion' for 'mini emergencies' and a roll over, to pay bills that come in before the check does (first check is first friday nowadays, first bill is mortgage on the first..) That cushion and roll over are not earning interest in ING nor are they reducing the car loan. This has to change!

Of course you know I am lazy, so change has to be easy, and painless, and no work for me. which is why we looked into ING checking, direct deposit, no delay in transfer from checking to saving..I so hope it all works out.

And I so hope that I can teach my kids painless lazy ways to save/reduce interest earlier than I learned them! I also hope I can pass on easy painless budgeting, and a sense of how to rearange when kids come.

Well since I put my budget on the computer with excell, and of course my checkbook, I also have my goals, and a couple 'counting chickens' pages.

and I am checking the bank account every day! sheeshe, this from a gal who used to balance the book once a month and fill in all the reciepts only because I had to write a check, (or three).

Now I am at the opposite end, I don't feel I finished online unless I take a peek to see if any bills that were pending came out, or if the latest paycheck posted. I soooo am rolling my eyes at myself!

So I followed a link just to see what my retirement saving should be, I know it isn't where it should be right now, but I was just curious how far off it was...

you ready for this?

According to the calculator I should be saving 139% of my yearly income (well of my husbands, since I don't make any)

err yeah, I read it again, not a typo of mine, they said 139%! Exactly how am I supposed to do that?

I also looked at the graph and it says I would make the exact same salary for the next 40 some years, at which point I will switch to withdrawing my retirement, which goes up every year....err somehow that seems backwards, wouldn't I make more as I work, and need less as I grow old? (to a point)

I am not sure what a real retirement calculations would be, but I can understand why so many don't even bother if we are supposed to save more than we make, we might as well give up and enjoy the loot while it is here!

This is not to say I don't want to save for retirement, just that calculators may do more harm than good!

You ever count your chickens before they hatch? That makes very little sense unless you have read aesops fable

'the milk maid' (that is one version of many)

So the other night I was plotting how fast we could pay off the car, and I was looking at wether or not we should drop the food bill to pay it off earlier, but well I am enjoying the luxury so much lately I am not sure I am interested in cutting back again for a few months off the car bill.

Course that is not including any future expenses that may come up (insurance rising, kids needs, minor emergencies, ect)

I also did some math, my husband says he wants to take his 15% of the leftover and store it in ING (really the man is wonderful-my 15% will go to church and family splurges) and watch it pile up, of course I know the average leftover based on 45 hours a week and of course I figured out what it would come to....silly, counting chickens.

Course there is no pail on my head to fall as I daydream, but is there a harm in it anyway? Does Aesop no best, should I keep my dreaming to myself and focus on well something more useful?

I know compared to the northern portion of the country it is snuggly warm, but we have thin blood!

I lived in cold frugal houses most of my life so I am used to it (though don't you worry I complained a plenty then!)

My poor husband on the other hand grew up with climate control being tops on the 'spend here first'category, when you were cold you turned the heat up...he hates temperatures below 70 indoor.

But cold weather brings up an irritation of mine...wear a coat people!!!! Yeah you rubbing your arms, stamping your feet, and muttering about the cold....this is what coats are made for!

And please tell me, what would you do if your car broke down and you plus your small child were stuck waiting for help? Do they have to suffer because you assumed you would get right into a car, then straight to the store?

My daughter gets carsick and is in general required to remove her coat as soon as she gets in the car, and yet I still require her to wear one, it is a lap cover when she first gets in, it is warm and snuggly from house to car to church. And should the unthinkable occure, she will be relativly warm.

Oh and as to whether it will help you stay healthy, no a coat is not a barrier to cold germs, it is however useful to keep you warm..leaving your body free to fight any germs, instead of ignoring them as your body desperatly tries to keep you from freezing to death!