Savvy Budget

DAY 3 - 31.5 hrs in 72

Whew, I completed 31.5 hours of CEU's in 72 hrs. I attended two seminars one on Friday and One on Saturday and completed 18 hrs of online CEU's just last night. Definitely, a nail biter. Also another lesson in NOT procrastinating. Had I been on top of my game, I could have completed all 30 hrs for $0.00 and I heck of a lot less stress. There are plenty of free classes out there and some are available from work. Instead I spent $262.oo on classes just this week.

CRAP!- that could have been $262 toward SD. That doesn't include time off from work, gas and food. Let's not even discuss the lost time from my week. Saturday alone was 8 hrs spent at a very inconvenient time. And Sunday night UGH, I was cramming 18 hrs of CEU's in 10 hrs. I still need to pay $60 just to get my little gold seal.

In my only defense I would have completed these this week but I canceled my CC and had it re-issued before I remembered that I needed it to complete online classes.

I did learn to use my debit card which is sort of good. I used cash instead of credit which is VERY good. I even had to activate it- it has never been used. I have to say this, online classes I took were better than some of the face to face classes I have taken in the past. Who would have thought?

I am restating a previous goal/commitment; " I am not waiting until the last minute this time." I am going to start rounding up CEU's starting in August. I have one luncheon on my calendar for the last Friday of the month. That bunch is kind of sketchy about actually sending your CEU certificate, but it is early in the renewal game and I will give it a shot. I will also be reviewing available seminars at least monthly. I will try for weekly. I missed several that were free because I did not look. I have set a goal of 20 hrs by the end of this year. The secondary goal is to have that many at no cost to myself. I will only need 10 more in the following 18 months to renew. I am committed to acquiring all 30 hrs free.

The total saving is conservatively $100- I am almost assured 20 free hrs from work and luncheon seminars. That would leave 10 hrs. Two seminars ( waiting for cheap classes) would cost $50 each minimum. At regular cost for seminars ( no freebies) 30 hrs could run $600. I am going to count it at a $100 savings because I do shop around. I just did not do as well as I had hoped this renewal period.

I still have to pay $60 for renewal. Luckily, the Boards have made it easier. We can now do it online with a cc ( lol- I am going to use my debit card and essentially use cash). This saves us having to buy a cashiers check as we have been required in years past. It also saves me sending it with a return reciept. I can verify they received it almost immediately. That alone is worth a great deal. If it does not arrive and you waited till the absolute last minute you can lose your license. Heck nah, I ain't taking that exam again! That was the craziest 4 hrs of my life. And the test is harder- they have over a 50% failure rate right now! I would just go on to Med School. It would be easier than getting a new license with this board.

I also have an interesting strategy to gain several CEU hrs. It could save me a considerable sum of money and time. I will let you know how it pans out.I have to wait until August 1st to start accumulating CEU's again Single Ma's Fabulous Financials would love this deal :) She just loves a good Hustle, I mean bargain.

posted by Casper @ 3:53 AM 1 comments

Day 2

I know that day #1 posted as Sunday, but it was really Saturday when I wrote it so today is really truly #2

So far I have only spent $1.75. But that will change in a little bit as I need to go out for cigarettes and soda. I did get good news. I made $13.25 at my sister's yardsale. Not much but every bit helps. When that get deposited, along with the $1146 from insurance, I should have a grand total of $1486.25 totward stupid debt. That's nearly $1500 in case you did not notice.

I like seeing this Stupid Debt rolling along toward completion. At this rate I will be free of Stupid Debt by the end of the year. It will be such a load off my mind.

I have also noticed that the more I put in, the more I am inspired to put in. After paying this off, I should be able to clear my CC debt by spring 2007.

That will only leave my mortgage, which will hopefully be gone by the end of the year also. The house is up for sale CHEAP. When the house sells it should actually pay off all other debt. It would be nice to knock out all debt in one swoop. It would only take the house selling. Please house, SELL!

I went through a box I had set aside and found a few things to sell plus a nice cool linen dress I can wear to work on my field days. There was also a t-shirt for sleeping, pair of shorts I should be wearing again soon, and a white linen dress I can wear next summer. All are money savers if I utilize them. I plan to utilize them.

posted by Casper @ 6:32 PM 0 comments

Day 1- And a successfull trip to Wal-Mart

I am stealing an idea from We’re In Debt I am going to start numbering my days toward becoming debt free.

I went into two walmarts and a grocery store today. How much did I spend?? $0 Everything I looked at, I turned my nose up at. I figured I have it already, I don't need it or I can get by with what I have cheaper. I was quite proud.

I attended the last Seminar needed for renewing my license today. YEAH!

I used a coupon for a free bottle of contact solution up to $8 or $8 off a twin pack. It was only 6.00 for one bottle and 12.00 for two. I hated to waste the extra $2.00 from the coupon so I got two bottles for $5.01 after tax. Since it does not expire until 2008. I went with two bottles. I gotta take care of my eyes.

I did save the receipt for tax purposes. While $5 is not much, It looks like this year I will be itemizing. I had a laptop stolen from one car and damage and a stereo to my other car. Loss from theft is deductable. Those items will bring my deductions up enough to itemize. I need to check out if the vandalism to my house is also decuctable. Man I have been hit hard this year. Next year WILL be better.

Last night one of the ladies in my building cleaned out her purses. I got Four for free. One is genuine Gucci, One is Nine West, One was big and UGLY ( my older sister will love it) and one was small and pink. I added a quarter for each of the three purses I am keeping and USING. I easily saved a dollar on each one.

I also added $1 in quarters to the EF jar for saving $50 at least by shopping around for CEU's. I was going to attend one for 5 hrs at a cost of $160. I attended two, One on Friday and One on Saturday for $50 each. I also attended 2 free luncheons fora total of 2 CEU's in the last two weeks.

I also made a vow to keep an eye out each week for more free CEU's. We do get a few each year from work. I am going to conservatively estimate 10 CEU credits for the next 2 years from work. Those are face to face CEU's.We have to have 10 CEU credits from face to face meetings. We can have up to 20 CEU credits from self study.- My goal is accumulate a total of 30 free CEU's before my next renewal ( July 2008). That is a savings of roughly $500 over two years.

I added a quarter to the jar for remembering to use my free Contact solution coupon before it expires on Monday.


Update: I went to a local grocery. I bought 2 packs cigarettes ( used a coupon) and 4 boxes of Pop-tarts. Why 4 boxes of Pop-tarts?- They were on clearance and only $1.50. I figure for 6 bucks, I can stay away from stopping for snacks before during and after work. I have to break that habit. I can spend 6 bucks easy in one day. These should last 2 weeks.

I am cooking rice and veggies. It will be lunch Sunday and Monday. I am working on cleaning out the fridge and freezer, in anticipation of an upcoming move. :) :)

posted by Casper @ 11:44 AM 0 comments

I received the second check from Gieco. This one is for $80. That gives me a total of $1146 to deposit in my SD account.

I got paid today, but was not able to make it to the office to pick up my check. Depending on the budgeting of that check, I should be able to make a sizeable deposit toward SD.

In September, I receive 3 paychecks. As you can guess, I am going to aim toward depositing all of the third check in my SD account. If all goes well, I will have $3,000/$5000 by October 1st.

I need to kick it up in the outside revenue department. I know that if I busted my butt, I could have all of the money by October 31st. I also know I am not busting my butt at all right now.

I had another plus today. I did not have to pay to eat at all. I attended a seminar and lunch was provided. As were soft drinks- YEAH! $1 in the EF jar. I am thinking about getting a pie chart for the EF. It might inspire me to kick it up a notch. I just checked my jar and I have $15.75 in my EF jar.

For those unaware, My EF jar is an empty chocolate syrup jar that I washed and left the label on to remind myself that saving is sweet LOL.
Everytime I save at least a dollar, I put a quarter in the jar. When the jar is full, I deposit the money in a Credit Union account. I average $70 when the jar is full. My goal is to have at least 3 months of expenses saved. I am nowhere close.

I do have the $1000 EF but it is separate. I use the Credit Union account to build up the 3-6 months EF. While I am paying off debt, I am not budgeting deposits to the long term emergency account. I use the EF jar to inspire me to save more money. This way I am saving money to put toward debt and still adding a little to my EF at the same time.

When I have all my debts caught up, I will budget for the emergency fund.My long term goal for my long term EF is to have a full year set aside. I will start with 3-6 months and go from there.

posted by Casper @ 3:53 PM 0 comments

I received Check # 1= $1066.58

I received the first check ($1066.58) from the insurance company. It will probably be next week before I can deposit it. Hopefully, I will have received the second one and I can make both deposits in one trip.

ANd I have a confession. I have been eating out EVERY DAY!! I can not believe how undisciplined I am. Here I am wanting to pay off debt and I'm drinking sodas and snacks all day. I need to put a stop to this quick.

posted by Casper @ 5:31 AM 0 comments

Goals For August

I decided to set some goals for August. Here they are and I'll report back on them at the end of August.

1. $2000 in stupid debt account
2. raise and additional $300 from outside efforts.
3. Gather 25 boxes for move
4. Post expenses every day in my new formulated budget spreadsheet.
5. Take my lunch 3/5 days each week
6. Wean off sodas.
7. Have my LR clean and organized
8. Stay on schedule each day at work
9. Improve my paperwork completion turn around
10. Make strides toward resolving my SD

posted by Casper @ 7:56 PM 0 comments

Made Deposit to SD Account

Today I deposited $222 into my SD account. The cash total so far is $247. When the two insurance checks arrive I will deposit those. With two checks totalling $1146 added to my current balance, I should have $1393/$5000. I have been saying $4k but my graph at No Credit Needed Network was set up already with my original $5K. -We will stick with that.

My next mileage check will barely cover my gas for August. Out of the first mileage check, I will deduct insurance and the rest will go toward SD. That should take me over the $2000. I will also take $300 or $400 out of my wages that would have been sent to CC and apply to SD.

I think I can reach the$2500 mark by end of August if I work really hard.

posted by Casper @ 4:08 PM 0 comments

Some of You Will be Quite Proud

Friday, I received a phone call from car smasher's insurance company. They left a message that they were sending me a check and to please call them back. I did. This was all early Friday morning. I received no call back.

For those who don't know, this adjuster has been rude from word go. Not just rude but abusive from the word hello. I had to call her boss and ask him to listen to their taped portion of the call. He did and she has been civil ever since. :)

Monday morning, I called PITB adjuster again. She was civil but I gathered she did not like it. Still, she was professional and that is all I ask.
I told her I had called back right after she left a message. She responded that she had needed to verify the spelling of my name and my address. She said she had gone back and listened to the tape and got it from there. She also stated my check should arrive in about 5 business days.

I asked about the rental car mentioned on the estimate. She told me to call back when I put it in the shop. I pointed out that my body shop was about 30 miles from any rental office and that due to work I drive 100-200 miles a day. I noted that this might get expensive for mileage and since I owned a second car, could they simply give me the daily allotment. The allotment is $22.50, if I am not mistaken. She offered $20 a day for 4 days and that she could send a check immediately. I accepted.

$80 extra dollars is a good thing.

So remember:
Keep excellent evidence
Keep records of conversations- In fact in a situation such as this keep a log of all action and inactions ( names, dates, ect.)- even if you are totally honest, if you get mixed up or forget an important fact they may decide you are being dishonest.- This helped my case tremendously- she could not keep her lies straight. Single Ma just posted about the importance of being organized-Read it here
Don't take abuse- or give it
Call a supervisor if needed- don't abuse this
Be honest
Don't be afraid to ask for concessions. I netted an additional $80 that will help offset the rate increase I expect when my insurance company finds out.- They will claim I reside in a dangerous area- phhhht

posted by Casper @ 4:28 AM 0 comments

Plans For A Comeback

Lets see. I had to pay for a laptop stolen from my car= $800
My car was broken into but still runs and no windows broken= -$800 value on the car.
My other car was hit. Their insurance is sending me a check= $1066

I owe $4000 in stupid debt. I have $222 set aside. I will add the $1066 to that for a total of $1288 to put toward SD. That leaves $2,712 for my SD goal. I plan to have that down to $2000 by the end of August. You know, just seeing those numbers make me feel better.

I called my cc company and lowered my auto pay to $100 a month instead of $500. I have not charged anything on the CC since February. I only owe $3467.59. My minimum payment is $81.78. the monthly finance charge last month was $42.78. I also had my card number changed due to the break in to my second car this week. Just in case the number was laying around somewhere. I am sure it wasn't, but better safe than sorry.

I am putting the CC payoff on hold until the SD is paid off as it has the greatest potential to bite me in the butt. While I will be making very very little headway with the CC. It is important to get rid of the SD first. If I can put $500 toward it each month until the end of the year, I should have it gone. I can easily pull $500 each month out of my mileage check and I am taking $400 out of CC repayment so that will help.

The SD paperwork goes in the mail in the morning! I have everything ready to go. I have put some older stamps in my purse so I will not even be out that amount. YEAH !!! I should have it back by Sept 1st and I will know all the numbers I have to work with.

I also spoke with my sister. We are planning a yardsale at a couple of different locations within the next few months. My goal is to sock away another $1000 by the end of the year through outside sales. This will include yardsales, individual sales and whatever else I can think of. I am calling AOl in a few minutes and see what I can work out with them.

I made another gallon of tea. I cleaned out the fridge. After I wipe it down one last time, I am putting things back in an order that will help me use up what I have on hand.

I will be disciplined in my taking lunch and drinks to work. Monday, I have a luncheon and CEU opportunity. CEU is Continuing Education Credit. I have to have 30 every two years to renew my professional license. This is not only a free unit it includes a free lunch. While the free CEU was the deciding factor, the lunch is nice.

I am handwashing bras tonight. I seem to have established the habit. I highly recommend it. The hot water in a washing machine is hard on the elastic and spandex in them. The dryer even more so. If I end up machine washing, I hang them to dry.

Even after all these plans, I hate to see the dip I am going to have in my networth. I was truly hoping to somehow salvage this month.

posted by Casper @ 8:22 PM 0 comments

WHEW! - Diverted A Big Expense

My dad and his helper came over to pick up my dearly departed "Crimson Ride" ( see Bama / University of Alabama, also play on " Crimson Tide"). The helper who I have previously referred to as dumbass is now elevated to hero. He replaced a few vital parts and whala! the Crimson Ride is on the road again. Yep, my sweet little baby is still running. I hope she stays that way for at least another 5 years.

In honor of her resurection, I believe I will spring for the needed tuneup. If she is going to be loyal enought to pull through the least I can do is give her what she needs and deserves. The plus side is that it should increase her MPG and I will be able to drive her more for work and pile the mileage on her not the cute sports car.

The cute sports car ( little red chili pepper) will not be getting her cosmetic surgery any time soon. ( man, I hate that part- I hate driving an ugly car when I don't have to.) She has maybe 5 years left and I hate to put 1/3 of her value into cosmetics. Any other time I would, simply because I value an attractive car- Not as vain as this sounds, BUT people do judge you by what you drive.

I will be taking the insurance check and investing that in a tune-up for the utilitarian vehicle. If the investment pays off, I will have even better gas mileage than before the recent vandalism of the car. It used to get 34.6 mpg. Cute car gets 30-31 mpg.

With utilitarian vehicle getting better mpg I can park cute car. I would save by putting all the heavy miles on the utility vehicle and get better gas mileage to boot.

I would then have more money left over from my mileage check to A) pay toward stupid debt, B) increase the replacement fund for my vehicles, C) have funds to cover the cosmetic repairs and finally D) The cute car would last longer with fewer miles on it- the subsequent cosmetic repairs would also extend how long I am willing to drive the car.

posted by Casper @ 12:25 PM 0 comments

Expecting A Huge Downturn In Networth

It looks like I will be moving. I have had three incidences against my car recently. All occurred at my present residence. This does not include the incident where someone hit my car. Not so ironically, each incident occurred within 24 hrs of when the girl who hit my car has received bad news from the insurance company. No one else has had this problem with their car/ The landlord reports no previous issues either.

There are more details related to this but I will pass on posting them. I get a headache eveytime I even think about it. I will say this. I have filed police reports as is appropriate and I have refrained from any retaliatory actions. I am going to let Kharma bust her. That's not say that if I gather legal evidence I won't take her to court.

This last time has in all likelihood immobilized one of my cars permanently. The repairs will probably run more than the cost of the car when I bought it.


At this point I am not sure what my plan is going to be. I need to recover the cost of the laptop, possible repairs to my station wagon ( I have not decided whether I will even try to have it repaired.) and to my sports car. I am also concerned that there will be even more cost. A quick estimate of the cost are currently $3k-$4K. Geeze! Add that on top of all my other expenses I have incurred and I am pretty bummed. It appears I will be retiring the "Crimson Ride." For those who don't know, I am a huge Bama Fan and the dearly departed vehicle was indeed Crimson in color.

Somehow I will overcome this obstacle. Somehow....


The bright side is that I will be getting a roommate. I have known her for two years and we are both extremely responsible. We have discussed boundaries and how we would handle expenses.It is nice that we both attend the same church. We can go together. She is very excited and I am becoming more so.


I looked at an extremely nice apartment complex. They have pools. Yes, multiple pools. There is a fitness center, tennis courts and a raquetball club. The new place is only 4 miles from my job. We added up expected expenses and we estimated we would each be saving $300 or more every month. YEAH!!

The place is much nicer than where we live now. We are also excited about the sunroom ( more like a sun alcove). My dad and her mom have offered to help us move. That would help alot. We can even throw a moving in party. We are both pretty quiet, so the party would be more like a dinner party or small BBQ.

If you have any moving tips feel free to post them in the comments.

posted by Casper @ 1:38 PM 0 comments

$100 toward SD

For those unfamiliar with SD, that means Stupid Debt.

I deposited my paycheck today. I actually got paid last Friday but was too busy to reurn to the office at the time checks arrived.

I took out what I received in mileage. $465 to be exact for two weeks. Out of that I replaced the $100 I took out of my EF (the basic $1000 Dave recommends) for tires last week. I did not go to the bank for this money. I was on a tight schedule that week. And I replaced it today.

That left $365. I bought a soda and two Rally burgers for dinner. I worked late. Oh and .39 worth of Milano cookies. .39 will get you three cookies. Sometimes you just have to treat yourself. I did at least pack my lunch today. I also carried a quart of sweet tea. And I am thinking about how to reproduce the Milano cookies. They seem pretty basic, but oh so good. They would make a great gift.

That left $360. I took $100 out of that to go toward my SD. That left $260.

I put $20 worth of gas in my car. Now I am down to $240.

I took out $100 to cover tags I did not buy two weeks ago. That money went toward the car repairs I needed that weekend.

I have $140 for gas until the end of the month. Not bad considering this month ends next weekend.

I do have one dilemma. One of our coworkers has been out sick. She called today saying she begged her doctor to let her come back tomorrow. She also reports she has no food in the house at all. Her two kids are staying with her mother.

The dilemma is this: She lives paycheck to paycheck, drives an expensive vehicle, has a nice house and spends a lot of money. How do I decide how much to give? I had planned on $100. Then I was reminded of how much she spends while working a low paying job. I do feel bad for her but how do I weigh this against the fact that she should save for emergencies. I doubt she will learn a lesson from this.

$50? $40? $25??? I am stuggling with the fact that I am working toward improving myself and have some to share but she just lives paycheck to paycheck due to her own choices. I do want to be charitable. Am I just being a judgemental witch???

posted by Casper @ 8:56 PM 0 comments

LR Johnson.. Come on Down!

posted by Casper @ 5:38 PM 3 comments

I Am Trying A New Tool

I am starting a new tool. I am too frugal to buy Quicken at this time so the next thing to me is my new handy dandy spreadsheet. Ok, I cheated I printed it out and I'll use a calculator.

Across the top or spaces for 31 days. Down the right hand side are my categories such as Income, Tythe, Rent ect.... I can total for a whole day by adding the numbers down. I can total a whole category by totaling the numbers across- Wheeeeeee, Oh what fun you can have with this item.

I will leave it on my desk at home and each day when I come home I will fill it in for the day. We will see how well I do looking at the cold hard numbers each day.

This should be good.

posted by Casper @ 4:09 AM 1 comments

Discovery - Value of Contentment

I thought I was good to go. I did not think my "wants" were out of line. Recently, I have discovered a few things. Maybe I should say I have re-evaluated my goals.

I discovered I do not "need" new silverware. What I currently own is somewhat mis-matched. There is not a complete set of 8 settings. What I do have is a mostly matched set and a few odd ones.

Problem? I thought so and had it on my wish list. Then I realized that for the most part, I only cook for myself and a few friends. They don't care as long as the food is good. When I have a more formal meal I can just break out grandma's silver. It is beautiful and should be used. Besides, it is not like I am saving it to take with me so I can return it. I'm sure she has no need for her old silver in the after-life.

I don't have a complete set of matching glasses. I have a few sets and several odd ones. Again, if I need a matched set, I can break out the other grandma's set she left me. I really like them too. I have received many compliments on them over the years.

New towels? They would be nice but if I have picky company I can leave out the matched set and put away the others. I have this thing about old towels. I like them because they are soft and broke in. I will use a towel until is so threadbare it starts to disintegrate. Then it becomes a cleaning towel. I'll even wash them. If I have a really nasty mess, I don't feel bad about finally throwing it away. It is not like I have no presentable towels. I just don't NEED them right now.

Clothes- (I know, you guys and gals have heard enough about my wardrobe woes.)

I could definitely use new clothes. Luckily, I work in a casual dress environment. I pulled together as many outfits as I could from what I have in my size. I discovered that while I may not like all of my choices. I definitely have choices. The fact that they are in good condition and PAID for makes them more palatable. In fact it makes me almost love them.

I have become more creative in my work wardrobe. I can optionally work out of the office all day and have all day office days. On the days I work completely out of the office, I tend to wear my less than impressive outfits. I can alternately wear the same outfit or its components more than once a week ( i.e. my favorite khakis). I can wear then on a in-the-office day and then again on an out-of-the-office day.

Since my clients are simple people and my work speaks for itself. There is no need to try and impress them with my fashion sense. In fact if I dressed up to much they would see me more as the "college girl" thinking I know more than them and that I rely solely on "book learning."
My more simple clothing choices assist me with fitting in. For my more sophisticated clients, they just like me or don't based on my performance. This is a good thing. I do plan to upgrade my wardrobe as I go. Currently I am ok in the wardrobe department.

I am also fortunate in that many of my coworkers bring their own lunch and are penny pinching along with me. A few of them PP out of need. I PP out of need and desire.

My PP ways paid off just this week. I had to replace a stolen laptop that was in my possesion when it disappeared. As much as I hated losing the nearly $800. At least I was able to do so without being put in a bind.

Auto- I have two cars by choice. I choose to own two paid off cars because it is important to me to have a back up. I also like the options the two cars give me. One is sporty and one is utlitarian. Both run well, are dependable and have no payments. Both were also purchased as very good deals.

I would like a new car. I keep coming back to the point I have no need for a new car. I have attractive and I have functional. I plan to drive both for at least 5 more years.

That brings me to another decision. The funtional vehicle is not getting the mpg it should. I have known it needed a few repairs ( o2 sensor and some outlet issue) and a tune up. I put them off due to cost. I have been driving the cute car.

I made the decision to go ahead and repair and tune up the funtional car. This will allow me to put the majority of my mileage on the functional car and spare the cute car. In fact before the other car's mpg declined from 34.6 mpg to less than 20 mpg it was beating the cute car.

The plan is to have the damage recently inflicted on cute car repaired, spruce it up and use it for recreational driving only. I was going to wait but I realized that all these work miles are killing my plan to wait 5 years for a new car and pay cash.

Besides, I was puttng almost no miles on the functional car. It was just sitting there. This way with a moderate investment, I can extend the life of the more attractive car. This would be more financially prudent. Another plus, I really like the cute car but will not be buying another small convertable. This way I can enjoy it longer before I give in completely to "oldattude." EEEK

posted by Casper @ 9:31 PM 1 comments

Cutie Car Cost Per Mile

How much has it cost me to operate one of my cars?

Purchase price + Financing =$14,000
Insurance for 6 years =$4,400 ( includes ins. to end of this year)
Gas ( 110K miles/30mpg =3667 gallons of gas x $2.50 average) =$9,667
Insurance for 6 years =$5,500 Holy crap!
Repairs/ maint. etc =$2900
Tires =$1,200
Tags, registration etc =$750 =$38,417/110,000 miles
=.35 a mile

I wonder, just how little per mile I could possibly go on this vehicle? I am amazed by the total cost. Some people spend that much on the purchase price alone.


Some numbers I guestimated, as I do not remember some total costs. I guessed on the high side. Another note, The majority of the miles have been reimbursed as mileage.

2 years @ $400 per month ( average)=$9600.
$28,817 ($38417-$9600)/110,000= .26 per mile

This makes me want to keep the car until I can get the cost of the car down to less than a dime a mile. With gas at the price it is now, I doubt it. Although, with the majority of the miles reimbursed, it may be possible. I will have to do the math on this at a later date. I may also do the math on the my other vehicle.

posted by Casper @ 10:04 PM 1 comments

I was inspired by this blog entry

Peter Smith posted this on his blog. My Financial Awareness - About This Site

I loved it and I felt it deserved repeating. I am going to print it out and place in my organizer as a reminder and inspiration. This man is a source of excellent perspective.

How to Avoid Greed

posted by Casper @ 11:56 PM 0 comments

The Gazelle Is Up But Still a Little Wobbly

Ok, the gazelle was wounded but she is not out.

In light of the fact that I have taken some hard hits in the last month, I am working on some new strategies. They include:

• Skipping a sweet little (unannounced to all of you) trip this weekend. I had planned on visiting a dear person in NYC. The plane ticket was covered so it was going to be of very little expense to me.
• Instead of visiting him, I am going to visit my sister and help out the yard sale. I took several things over there to put in the sale. I will now get home from work and load up even more items, spend the weekend with her and try to earn some money. All of this will be earmarked to SD.
• I went to the grocery store to pick up one item. I found 12 packs of cheese slices on sale for $.69. Call me insane, I bought 10. The scary part is that one of the factors for picking up so many is the expiration date. July 2007. Cheese product that can last a whole year ? In addition to the cheese, I picked up two bags of mixed raw vegetables. The same brand I use in my stir fry. These were a different mix. I really like them and they stay fresh a long time. Stir fry for lunch and dinner next week. Might even use one bag for snacking at work. Gotta be healthy.
• Unloading several items from my car. Less weight = better gas mileage= less $ spent on gas= more money toward retiring SD.
• Be even more diligent about caring for my clothes. Loosing even one piece from my wardrobe at this point could cause serious problems. (My sneakers are getting threadbare as it is. Stains could put them out of commision entirely. I have key blouses that go with several pairs of pants and skirts. The loss of a pair of pants would be especially bad right now. As I wear them with several different blouses and they truly stretch my wardrobe.
• Focus, Focus, Focus on work. This is my source of income and what keeps me afloat.
• Eating out is no longer optional. I will be cutting out dinner with the ladies from church once a month if I do not make dramatic improvements in my cash flow.
• Continue adding a quarter to my EF jar and making regular deposits. The EF needs to be fully funded with no deviation.
• Sodas are now totally off the shopping list.
• I need to focus on losing the weight. I have a closet full of clothes in much smaller sizes. The clothes I have now are shabby in my opinion but they will have to do. I have priorities that need addressing before this one. I can move into better clothes by practicing discipline.

posted by Casper @ 7:47 PM 2 comments

Laptop Resolution

I paid for it. I went into the corporate office and handed over a check for the full amount. The only thing left is to wait until a new one is received and turned over to me. It will be nice to have a new laptop for work. Too bad I had to pay for it. A hard lesson learned.

I took the money out of my general expense account. Due to scrimping and saving, I have enough to cover my expenses and the replacement.

posted by Casper @ 4:37 PM 0 comments

1, 2, 3, 4.......

Breathe.

This whole car situation is raising my blood pressure. I find myself clenching my jar and furrowing my brow. LOL- she is giving me wrinkles.

Today when I came in from work, I went in put down my bags and then went back out for a notebook. She was in the hallway heading up the stairs. She called out my name in a tone that indicated she was "not pleased." This is being nice.

I reminded myself that I am not allowing myself to be dragged into any bickering or arguing. I am going to let the professionals handle the situation. I kept walking toward the door. She then YELLED my name. There is no nice way to put it. She was demanding I stop and respond to her. I stopped, took a breathe and turned around. Her attitude in a split second told me she was P'd off. I responded sharply, "WHAT?" I did not mean to be sharp- but her facial and body language took my stress level right back up. I hate when I allow my buttons to be pushed. If you can't control your own emotions, how can you expect to succeed in life?

Was she trying to bully and intimidate me? She let me know she had been contacted by her insurance company this morning. Angry pause and an attempt to stare me down. When I did not respond she added they had an appointment to come out and check out the damage to her vehicle. I let her know that they were making me go to them and my appointment was next week AND that I had to take time off from work. In a dripping with sarcasm voice responded that that was too bad. End of conversation.

I think she thinks that because she scrubbed the paint off with a Brillo pad that there is no evidence and I should back off. I think she may have been drunk when she left the note on my door apologizing and admitting she hit my car or she thinks I lost it. She can think again.

The bumper has clear evidence of being scrubbed and scratches. I also have my evidence taken the day of the incident. It will clearly show she tampered with evidence. I do have a sick feeling that the insurance company is going to deny the claim. They have been known to use any excuse to get out of paying. I will then have to file in small claims court. I'll do it too. I hate when someone maliciously evades responsibility.

I need to discuss a different topic this one is getting to me.

posted by Casper @ 3:59 PM 1 comments

Update on Laptop

The total is $786.63. I will take the payment in to the office tomorrow.

The owners stated they were very appreciative of my attitude and sense of responsibility. I was appreciative of the fact that they did not fire me or write me up.

They were actually very nice about it. They stated that things happen and that it would not reflect badly on me at all. In fact it would never be brought up again. I was told that they had come to know me in the time I had worked for them and that I had demonstrated an excellent sense of responsibility and ethics. They went on to say they were appreciative of the fact that my biggest concern had not been how to get out of paying for the computer.

After dealing with the woman who got smashed and decided to share the smash with my car, I can see why they were impressed. To me it was just the right thing to do. Why is this so odd??

When I have kids, I hope I raise then with a decent sense of responsibility. I will probably be that mom who calls the police to turn my teenager in and then stands crying with my "baby" waiting on the police to pick them up. When I bail them out I will hug them and then beat their butt.

posted by Casper @ 6:27 PM 2 comments

I Took Action

I called the woman's (who hit my car) insurance company and filed a claim. I had spoken with her earlier and it caused me great concern. She has been dodging me and not returning written messages or voicemail. So I called from a different number. Hello... We live in the same building and she passes by my door anytime she leaves the building.

During today's conversation, she repeatedly stated she would "help" me "some" toward the repair bill. I made it clear that she was responsible for the entire bill and that I had gone out of my way to ensure the bill would not cost her an arm and a leg if she decided to pay out of pocket. I had cut her a break by being willing to accept less than pre-accident condition. I told her that I had felt bad for her and had asked the person giving me the estimate to let me know what was the cheapest alternative.

She tells me that she "got around" to looking at the damage to my car. ( 3 weeks later?) and she decided that MAYBE she put the little scratch on the front bumper. :::shaking head::::: You cannot smash someone's car and then decide you will pick the little scratch over the actual damage you inflicted. I let her know, "uh-uh, I know who put that scratch on the front bumper and they will testify to it." She really irks me and her " I'll be nice and pay for that little scratch." attitude.

THEN she says, "Did you know you have a flat tire? I let her know it is not flat, it is shredded and that it occurred last night in a very bad neighborhood leaving me no choice but to drive to a safer location only to find that my spare was not MY spare resulting in my needing a tow home.

I mean how could I NOT know my tire is hanging in shreds? I am beginning to think this woman is not the sharpest crayon in the box. That would be the only possible reason why she thinks I will go along with her not meeting her obligation or that I would say, "OK, you can pay for the little scratch and I will pay for the HUGE smashed in portion since you "decided" you did the little one or let her pay "some" and forget the rest after she has been dodging me AND insulting me by lieing.

If she had come to me and attempted to work something out I would have gone along with it. I hate to be a jerk or uncaring. I can also see I would have gotten burned. I am glad I did not offer to let her make payments. I would have never seen them. So all in all it is a blessing she is pulling this stunt. It allowed me to wise up and make contact with her insurance without a guilty conscience for being for being mean. Not that it is mean to expect someone to take responsibility for their actions.

posted by Casper @ 4:00 PM 1 comments

I Almost Cried

Yesterday, someone stole the my work laptop from my car. I had to report it stolen today. So far my bosses have been very decent about it. I have yet to hear the owner's response. He is going to freak. I can not tell you how bad I feel. I would have felt less horrid if the laptop had been mine.

Don't get me wrong.I would have been furious. I HATE theives! But this did not even belong to me. Even worse, it belonged to my boss. It was for my use but this was purchased by the company that pays my salary and I am responsible for the loss of a very expensive piece of equipment.

If they ask me to replace it, I will feel a little better. At least I replaced an older laptop with a new one and the company is no worse off. I will have a lot less guilt on my consciouse. I am hoping they are insured, but then I will always feel bad. I was the one who LOST ( had stolen) a laptop. I did not lose it, it was stolen. It was still my responsibility to maintain possession of it.
I am actually quite sick about this.

So far I have :
*had my car damaged twice in the last few weeks. The person who damaged my car does not look like they are going to pay the damages and is dodging me.
*I had a blow out on a good tire today, while I was in a B-A-D neighborhood.
* I will probably need to buy a rim.
*My spare was not MY spare and did not fit my car.
* I had $85 tow bill for 7 miles.
*I now have to drive my gas drinking second car until I can get another tire on the other car. Which will be pretty quick.
*And to top it all off, someone STOLE my work computer. This is not going to reflect on my responsibility well at all. I look like an idjiot.

How could things be worse? Well, for starters, I could be up to my neck in debt and living paycheck to paycheck. These expenses could have put me in dire circumstances. As it is, my goals have just been trampled on and I will need to readjust. AND earn the trust of my employers back. :(
I am sick, just sick about it.

posted by Casper @ 8:55 PM 0 comments

Gazelle Steps July 10th

Today's efforts to be a Gazelle include:

* took my lunch and beverages to work

* boxed up a few items for the big yard sale- I want to maximize my profit. Profits are headed toward SD.

* resisted a strong urge to grab fast food on the way home

* made rice and steamed veggies for dinner Monday night and breakfast and Dinner on Tuesday.

* Left extra sandwiches in fridge at work for Lunch tomorrow. ( Can't forget if they are already there.

*Made 1 1/2 gallons tea for this week's beverages

* Completed 2 loads of laundry in order to stay ahead.

* added $1 to my savings jar ( when full it is deposited in my EF account. This amount is usually $70)

* Worked on 2007 Financial Goals and strategies- How is this helping my current finances?? The plan helped me see where I need/want to be next year. I am able to plan my route to get there.

I am also able see changes that need to be made and begin implementing them now. An example might be, I want to restock my pantry all new next year. So this year I am REALLY focusing on eating out of my pantry. I am also making plans as to exactly what items I am aiming for in next years pantry.

I would not be entirely disappointed if I should empty my overflowing pantry this year. This would mean I had accomplished a disciplined job of cooking at home, minimizing additional out of pocket expenses for food and that I had not been wasteful.

Another example would be, I broke down my misc. Category and how much each misc. expense cost me each month/year. I saw my misc. annual expenses is projected to be over my total budgeted misc. amount ( currently $50 a month).

That tells me I need to consider moving some of these items from the misc category, reduce the amounts I spend on each expense and to be more creative with my income production and resources.

Positive Event: I received a $72 check from some bank shops I did almost two months ago. I am putting the full amount in my SD fund. I hope to deposit $107 on Tuesday.

posted by Casper @ 9:10 PM 1 comments

I AM a Gazelle

I have dilly dallied enough on this blog. Time to FOCUS!

Number one Gazelle project. Is Paying off Stupid Debt ( SD )

What have I done today?

* Decided to forego my monthly haircut ( $15 to the SD kitty- so far total is $50)

* packed a lunch for tomorrow- ham and cheese sandwiches plus a granola bar and a buddy bar in case I forget breakfast. NO EXCUSES

* Put a big fill and freeze icepack in my cooler- ( not frozen, it is my backup for the office freezer. I will swap this and the waterbottles I freeze out until there is more room in the freezer)

* set rice aside to soak. Monday Dinner is stir-fry from what is on hand. I checked the fridge and I have plenty of fixings

* Decided to sell my Blue tooth headset NIP- It came free with the cell phone I purchased for work
Rounded up an entire carload of items already for my family's yardsale.

* Completed about 20 emails for Mypoints- I also sent my sister an invitation to join. We have discussed this and she wants to earn free gift certificates. This way I get additional points for referring her to Mypoints.) After earning enough for my dad's Christmas, I am going to use the next few gift certificates for personal expenses. ( gas mostly and then groceries. I may even try try trading a $20 or $25 gift certificate to Walmart for a haircut from my hairdresser. I am also considering a trade off. My dad gives my sister Cash to buy my Christmas presents- If I have enough Gift cards, we nay use them and she can reimburse me the cash. We will see how this plays out.)

*Decided to just do desert instead of the full meal with the women I eat out with each month.- ( savings of $20) We go out this Tuesday.

* I am firmly committed to using ONLY the $60 I have allocated for gas this week. I will drive the old work car to work today as it has plenty of gas and it is my office day- The likelihood of my driving around today is small. MPG should not be a big issue.)

Today's total in the SD Kitty is $50 to date.

posted by Casper @ 12:34 AM 1 comments

Pushing and planning

As I mentioned previously, My family is having a three week yard sale. Normally, I am against such drawn out sales. My family seems to do pretty well with these sales. They don't do them too often and they live on a relatively busy highway. Location, location, location.

I have decided to pack up several items and put them up for sale. My goal is to raise as much as possible toward my SD. I am pushing toward the payoff. It probably won't hurt and it could possibly be quite rewarding.

So far, I have taken several pieces of art work off my walls and out of my closet. These are pieces of which I am not overly fond. I want to eventually replace most of them so why not start now? So I am cleaning house and piling up what I want to enter into the "3 week sale." I am actually getting a bit excited. Every dollar I earn is a dollar towrd being DEBT FREE!!!

My little sister has a booth at a sale house. It is sort of like a consignment shop but they simply charge straight rent. I am going to ask her if I can put a few items in her booth, Right now I am on her good side. The $400 savings in jeans put me solidly in this position. I am also considering rounding up excllent condition items of clothing that I do not use and place them in consignment. I know this is a venture I want to explore and exploit more in the following year. I am working on my "Gazelle Intensity." Those who know Dave Ramsey ( http://daveramsey.com/ )will know this term.

Right now the plan is to load up my old work car since it has the most room. I will drive it to my family's house and help set up for the sale.

As a side note: On Saturday, I will take the old work car in to my mechanic's shop and have him run a diagnostic analysis. He does not charge me so that is a plus already. After we run the diagnostics, I will create a plan to tune up the car out of my mileage money. So yes, I have decided to focus an getting the old work car into shape before I focus on the sports car. I want the mileage from work to accumulate on the work vehicle and save the cute car for casual driving. The longer each one last, the longer I will have to save toward my favorite 100% down payment plan. I just need to stay focused on here and now. SD, SD SD that is the main objective.

posted by Casper @ 10:00 PM 2 comments

Looking forward July 10th-16

My goals for this week are:

1)Fill my paperwork out each day and turn in within 24 hrs. Timesheets included.

2) pack my lunch each day

3) sign up for my CEU class

4) Make contact with girl who hit my car.

5) Make contact with SOMEONE about my SD. All of their voicemails say they will contact you within 48hrs. if they are on vacation for the 4th, then their voicemail should say so. I want to get this SD paperwork rolling. The sooner I get the final talley and all of the paperwork back, the sooner I can start paying it off. Right now it is one my highest goals.

6)research whether it would be wiser to fix up my old work car or my cute car.

7) Reduce the amount of snacks and sodas I consume.

8) Remember to attend my supervision on Tuesday. I need this for my licensure.

9) Organize my Licensure material and complete more self study CEU's This is critical for my job and licensure.

10) When I receive my mileage check, add all of it to stupid debt fund. This should be a few hundred dollars. ( the next mileage check will be for August gas, ins and some toward repairs.)

posted by Casper @ 7:39 PM 0 comments

A look back at this week July 3-9

Par for the course, it has been a mixed week.

As a recap:

The good:
*I managed to take my lunch one day
*I made sweet tea for most of the week. Saved $5-$7 on soft drinks. I could have done sooo much better.
*I saved a ton by getting to my mechanic just in the nick of time. ( I did not panic at the $70 bill because I had the money for my tags and I have my mileage budgeted for such expenses.
*I opened a new account with a $25 certificate. I won it two years ago and just now got around to using it. I was fortunate they allowed me to use it at all. I decided to use this one for auto expenses.
*Another person looked at the house and stated they would look into financing. We'll see.
*The T&T event for the Fourth of July is over!! ( I spent and saved a lot. I saved more than I spent.)
*My sister reimbursed me for what I bought her at the T&T.= $25 out of the $103 I spent. All of the jeans fit and she loves each one of them. She is more than thrilled. She told me she was proud of me. Awwwe, does my heart good. We tallied up a conservative estimate of how much she saved with the jeans I bought for her. She normally spends $40 and up. That would have been at least $400. After figuring tax we decided she saved more than $400 just with 10 pairs of jeans that cost her $10)
*My dad sold a pair of boots for me. $5 toward stupid debt. ($35 out of $4000)
*I finally received communication from one of the persons responsible for handling my SD. Although after two weeks she only communicated that she was no longer handling my SD. I had already discovered this when I followed up with corporate after two weeks and no communication from her or her supervisor.
* I left a message for the new SD girl- after a week, no repsonse. Sigh... I am gonna have to follow up with her and then contact her supervisor if I do not hear from her by this time next week. I am proud that I am following up on this so well.
* I was able to finish more of this SD paperwork. I now have everything completed but what I absolutely need to talk with my representive about.
* I received the estimate for repairing my car. I only need to copy it and give it to the girl who hit my car.
* My family is having a yard sale and I am included. I boxed and priced some merchandise while I was at their house. I have boxed some merchandise here at my house but need to gather and price more. They are having a 3 week yard sale and my goal is $50 in profits. All will go toward SD.
* I finished yet another Christmas. The only gift I definately need to finish is my dad's. I am trying to save enough Mypoints to earn enough Gift Certificates to pay for his gift.
* My sister is doing better at being frugal- Not great, but the change is progress. I will continue to work with her on this issue. Some of you remember that part of my fanancial goal is to be able to assist my sisters. One is intellectually challenged and the other is a financial planning dingbat. The more I can help Dingbat help herself the better. Yes, I know calling someone a dingbat is ugly- in our family it is a bit of a pet name. Her other is just plain Brat.
* I am planning next week's meals in order to save money. I already have the meat out for the next 3 days.
*I am slowly increasing my discipline.
* I picked up a few more items to sell ( no cost- someone was downsizing)


The bad:
*I managed to take my lunch only one day.
*I ate out far too much.
* I have not progressed much on the SD. I had hoped to be closer to sending in the paperwork than I am at this moment.
I did not get my tags and will need to mail them costing me $4 extra dollars. ( a girl could do worse.)
I left a message on the door of the girl who hit my car- no response even though I know she has been home. Hmmmm, I need to really get on this this week.
* I did not get signed up for the CEU class on Ethics. I really need to organize my licensure material. no licensure = NO JOB= NO $$$$.
* I only put $5 toward my Stupid Debt (SD)
* I have been daydreaming about a trip to Europe. I need to stay focused on my current goals first.

posted by Casper @ 5:58 PM 0 comments

Unprepared

I was going to attend church this evening. Actually, I was struggling with the decision for some reason. OH yes, I am lazy, that's why. I decided that not only should I attend church, but I needed to attend. So ok, I had arrived home from my sister's house an hour before church. I discovered that I have nothing clean and presentable to wear to church. Which is a complete shame considering all the clothes I received lately. So I am sitting at home tonight doing laundry and feling guilty.

Why feel guilty with a decent excuse like no clean clothes?? UH, because their is no excuse for no clean clothes. This means I also have no clean clothes for work or stepping out of the house. How did I get home? Was I naked? No, I was wearing a rumpled dress that had gotten slightly dirty while performimg some chores at my sister's house.

In a nut shell, I am not prepared. Basicly, I am a bum. A bum who can not even be prepared to attend a service to thank the Lord who gives me all things good, including allowing me to be at my mechanics's garage just in the nick of time to save me a fortune. What an ingrate I am.

I think I may just put on my old prom dress, if it is at least clean.


Edited later that evening...

Ok, I rounded up an outfit that was at least presentable. I attended the service and I am glad I did. For those uniterested in my religious activities you may find what happened amusing. I was late and sat at the very back, to the side where we have seating but no kneelers. I was kneeling for prayer. Unbeknownst to me, my knes was tightly on my skirt, there was no slack. When I adjusted my position, I fell forward and nearly landed face first on the floor. I barely caught myself before my nose made contact with the marble floor. After I righted myself, I had to hold back laughing at my own self. This would not have been funny had it happened to someone else but somehow it was funny when I did it. It was also pretty embarassing. And for those wondering, yes, I did tythe, something I need to catch up on.

posted by Casper @ 3:17 PM 0 comments

SIGH.. relief or distress??

I took my car into my beloved mechanic' garage to tighten a belt that was squeaking. Dwight ( my beloved, honest, incredibly capable and reasonably priced mechanic), asked me why there was coolant leaking out of my car. My heart sunk as I stated I do not know. I was only there to tighten up a sqeaky belt.

Turns out that not only did I have a squeaky belt, I had a broken belt and an overheating radiator. I felt nervouse about the expense but relieved that we had caught it right at the garage, instead of on the side of the road. Evidently, it must have occured late yesterday because everything had been fine on the gauges earlier in the day.

Lucky is not the word. I was scheduled to be in the town I grew up in for a training session Friday. I made plans to spend the weekend with my sister.We have a branch office in this town. My mechanic is just outside of this town. I let no else touch my car outside of an emergency.

Saturday morning, I took my car to the only man we trust to do body work on our family's cars. He wrote up the estimate for the damage to my car that occurred two weeks ago. I then headed over to my mechanic to get the belt tightened. Had I been in town the week before, we would have missed the belt that broke last night ( or maybe caught it before it broke). Had I waited til next week, My car may have needed a new engine. At the worst, I may have been stranded in a very bad neighborhood or out in the Boondocks. I am so glad I did not decide to drive my other car Friday.

I am reminding myself that while I would rather not have needed to spend $70 today on two belts and labor, It is fortuneate that is all it cost. Being stranded would have required a $300 tow to my mechanic, or worse. I could have been stranded and injured or stranded with an even bigger repair bill. An engine would have cost at least $3800. All in all, $70 is a bargain.

My mechanic and I were discussing maintenance. I am due for a full tune-up. We totaled up the cost. $500 give or take. He always runs his estimates high and if he can legitimately eliminate any cost he will. I am glad he could not take my car for a few weeks.

I need to round up an additional $500. Sigh... one more expense. Luckily it can wait. While it is due, the car is running fine and I should be able to get the Stupid Debt out of the way first. Sigh.. once again.

On a more positive note, I opened an additional savings account with my free $25 certificate. This will either be my Stupid Debt account or my freedom account to buy a new car.

The same branch is promoting a 10 month $500 cd for 5.35% APR. Don't think I did not notice that is not a true 5.35 % CD. With the duration being 10 months I believe you only realize 3.7% or something like that. I was doing the math in my head and decided I did not like the deceptive advertizing.

posted by Casper @ 9:41 PM 0 comments

Back to Reality

Ok, the holidays are over and it is back to my reality. Which is.... I am not so young and I am somewhat broke. I am also very motivated to become financially independant.

*************************************************************************************

POSTIVE NOTES
I finsished another Christmas gift today. So far that is 3 gifts completed and only my dad's Christmas gift to finish. his Birthday gift is done but I have been adding a couple things here and there to it.

Total cost for my oldest sister's gift= Maybe $5. I purchased clearance scrapbooking materials for pennies on the dollars during the first part of the year. I also received the second gift certificate from Mypoints today. I am sending a total of $50 in gift certificates and a bunch of scrapbooking material.

I placed it all in a fancy Victoria Secret's box that someone in my building did not want after they took the wedding gift out. I don't normally use such an odd reused box for her gifts as she can be a little snooty. But I thought it would be funny to let her think I sent her lingerie. The card will say something along the lines of, " Here is something I thought you and Bruce could enjoy." She opens the wrapping paper finds a Victoria's Secret Box and rolls her eyes. She then opens the box to find scrapbook items and another box with the gift cards. The gift card box will have another card with something along the lines of, " I hope you and Bruce enjoy a nice dinner out together." I am curious to hear what she has to say about the packaging.

I am going to continue racking up Mypoints at no cost. I would like to see If I can complete my dad's gift with the Mypoints. That would allow me to buy his gift at no cost to myself. Hmmm... I wonder if I could rack up enough points to purchase the ER DVDs I want at no cost. Sounds like a new goal to me!
*************************************************************************************

ANOTHER POSITIVE NOTE

I followed up with the person handling my Stupid Debt. I sent an email to corporate letting them know I have been unsuccesful in contacting my contact person and their supervisor. I sent a copy to the president of the company.

I also called corporate and discovered my case has been transfered to another person. I called and left her a message and I hope to hear from her in the next 48hrs. I am feeling confident about this person.

DUH note- I may actually owe $5000 the receipt I found was not what I thought. LONG STORY. The $5000 is only an estimated on the high side. Better to not owe as much as I thought, than to owe more than I thought and to be blind sided. I am going to stick with an estimate of $4000.

*************************************************************************************

I made further contact with the person who hit my car. I misplaced the contact information so I wrote a polite note and taped it to her door. I am surprised that she has not left a note for me since she should have already contacted her insurance company. I am seriously thinking she is going to be paying this out of her pocket. As long as I get the money, I do not care who writes the check. I am still alittle concerned over this situation.

Normally it would be a major priority. At the present time, I have higher priorities. I was focusing on and balancing work and the Church Festival. I need my job but I am no Holy Roller. I can't say why it has been such a priority to work so hard on this festival. I think a lot of it is the socializing. I work a great deal and I don't often take advantage of social opportunitites. I also have very few female friends. I adore the women in my church and I cherish working with them so I suppose I valued their companionship more than I do the money I will receive from the car smasher person. Awwwwe, I do value things more than money. I might not be so bad after all.
*************************************************************************************

Update on this month's goals

1)Getting to work early - decent. I have only been late once. That is not a normal problem for me. I just wanted to focus on getting there ealier.

Turning paperwork in daily- That would be a big fat negative. I HAVE to get caught up this week.

2) Follow daily schedule- better,in light of the fact that in my job the schedule will change due to circumstances. I have been cutting back on exactly what I schedule. I find if I don't overload my schedule, then I can focus more. At the end of the work day if I only lack one item to finish, I find it easier to push myself to finish that one item.

3)Complete ALL paperwork daily- see #1

4) complete all follow ups in less than 24 hours- yep- doing good on that one.

5)Turn time sheets in FIRST thing every other Monday- That will be this next Monday.

6)Have all Stupid Debt paperwork completed and submitted.- Hey, I am doing well on this one. I am down to 2 pages out of 11 left to complete. I will finish those after I speak with my contact person this week. I should have my paperwork turned in next week. Then it is just a matter of 6-8 weeks for processing and then the fun begins.

7) Set aside an additional $300 toward my Stupid Debt.- I should be on track for this one. I have $260 left for 3 weeks of gas this month. I have already set my car insurance aside. The next mileage check will hopefully be set aside intact.

I then have one more payday before the end of the month. Mileage is included on our payday. That mileage will be set aside for August's auto expenses. Any mileage left over at the end of the month will be applied to Stupid Debt.

8)Clean and organize LR- Well.... it is still a work in progress. I have several items from T&T sitting here that need to be put away. I have part of my bags packed for this weekend sitting here. I have merchandise sitting all over the place. I have been setting a timer to work for 30 minutes on important stuff. When the timer goes off, I set it for 15 minutes and use that to clean up or do other chores. I set a timer ( purchased for .50) for 30 minutes. That is all I allow myself at one sitting. It is a Flylady trick and I find it quite handy.

9)Take my lunch 4 out of 5 days each week- This week has been a complete bust. I did just pack my cooler with Ham and Cheese sandwiches and some small snacks. I am currently brewing tea as I type. So today ( Thursday) should be good to go. Friday will be the same. I am doing fair about eating out of the pantry. My goal is to have it empty by the end of the year.

10)organize a solid work wardrobe in my current size and next one down.- This is in progress. I did pick up a number of solid additions to my wardrobe.

I took a recipe box and placed dividers in it. The dividers have each a size from currentsize to goal size at the top. I then placed index cards between each divider. On each card I write down an outfit. I am still working on the style I want to use for my index cards. I have been writing one main items on each card and then listing additional items that coordinate with the main item. I can't decide on whether to use bottoms or tops for the main items as a rule. For the most part I have listed the bottoms and their coordinating tops. Dresses get listed as one outfit on a card by themselves. I will adjust as needed. I like this plan. I think it will be a big plus when it comes to tracking clothing. I will be able to see what I have, what I need and different ways to wear each item. Should be a money and headache saver.

So far I have 7 outfits on index cards in my current size. I need to set aside time to put different outfits together. I know I have more than seven outfits.

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I used the Energy Saver bulb I got at T&T. The bulb blew in my DR and I just swapped it out.

When my next door neighbor moved recently, I received a few compact energy saver bulbs. I used two of those this week also. I purchased a lamp for my desk ( T&T of course- and it is FABULOUS). I put two in there. Very Nice! I have been swapping out old blown bulbs for the new energy saver ones. By the end of the year, I should be completely converted.

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I got the final tally on my car tags. The total will be $100.70. I have the funds set aside in my purse. I will be paying for my tags this Friday!! Another bill down. I just need to complete the transaction.
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posted by Casper @ 8:50 PM 0 comments

HAPPY 4TH of JULY

Baseball, apple pie and hot dog, it is over! The Trash and Treasures adventure is finally done. Till next year that is. Our final total= $20,300. Yes, twenty thousand three hundred dollars.

I woke up sick and was not able to be there for the opening. I will save all the gory details of the sickness. But by 1:00 pm I was feeling better and went in to help. I even did my victory cheer for everyone when we got the total. I wasn't at my best. Which is a real shame.

I do a really good V-I-C-T-O-R-Y cheer for a 36 year old woman. And reaching this goal was worth doing a public cheer. I was doing good but was still a little weak and I lost my balance on the Y. I had to extend a foot and it looked more like victorx not victory. Next year will be a bigger goal and a better cheer. Maybe by then, I will be able to record it and have it on this blog. If I work really hard I may be here cheering for attaining a big personal goal and for our church attaining a major goal. I know our leaders and the ladies working were very proud!

Last year we did $16000. Our leader sets the goal higher and higher each year. I love that about her. We were looking good as far as presales ( workers get to buy during set up as a reward for all their efforts)and our leader decided $20,000 was our goal. We had a special blessing Monday night that our efforts would be rewarding and the proceeds would be effective were they were sent. This is charity after all. Well, that was one heck of a blessing because it did the trick.

I'll make a little confession here, since none of you know me and I could not gain from this in any way. I was prepared to top off the total for up to $1000. Reaching $20,000 meant a lot to me and if we had been $1000 or less from reaching that goal, I would have topped it off. When we were doing the final count I approached the leader and quietly told her If we were close I would donate to reach our goal. At that point I though we were only going to be in the $19,000 range. They did not need me after all and I feel a little stupid for making the offer.
For those wondering, My final cost for all the items I purchased this year from T&T was $103 I am sure I will spend more next year, but it will be pre-budgeted.

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I am also considering dabbling in E-bay. Last night when I was browsing for ER season one, I checked out my paypal account. I have $74 in credit from a purchase lst year that went bad. My first thought was to transfer those funds to my checking account and put it toward debt. Then I realized that I could "invest" the $74.

As with most investments, there is the risk of losing money. I am toying with using the $74 to pay listing fees on eBay. I am also conscious of the fact that I need to wait on this venture for several reasons. Some of these are: I have a lot going on right now and I need to ensure I can handle business appropriately, I need to learn more about how to do business on eBay and summer is not the best time to venture into eBay as sales are better come fall or so I hear.

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A very positive note:

Another person looked at my house and they are supposed to be trying to borrow the money. My dad quoted them the lowest price at which I was willing to let a different buyer purchase it. I wanted to make more and this price is lower than what I paid for the house BUT I need to get rid of this house and it would free up that house payment not to mention the interest I loose each month. The house is soon going to be needing a new roof. The biggest plus to selling the house is that even after paying off the mortgage, I would have enough to be instantaneously DEBT FREE. The last point is not the big motivator. The roof and the fact that the house is actually costing me money each month that I will not be recovering are the two leading motivators. The House MUST GO!
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posted by Casper @ 4:30 PM 0 comments

2 Days and Counting

2 More days til the big event of T&T.

Sunday I bought:

Matching red sweater to the red sleeveless sweater I bought Saturday. I now have the twin set for a total of $1

Nintendo game player for my sister. The trick is to now find Nintendo games for my sister to play. She will reimburse me for the game but the trick is now to find the games she wants cheap. She wants Mario Brothers.

Hazelnut Cream candle barely used. Normally $4. I paid $1. I can not tell you how much I love those candles.

Bag of 12 votives- .50

Gift hangy thing that is very popular in my profession Looks Brand New, Cost= .50 For my intermediate supervisor at Christmas or when I think she need a pick me up.

Cooler for my car- dang it- You know,I will find the one I can not find $2.00- At least I can carry more drinks and quit spending $3-$5 a day on sodas and water.

And my personal favorite-- A brand new in the box Dirt Devil Handheld. I can now vacuum my car and NOT spend $1 every few weeks- Cost= $1- after the first vacuuming, I am clearing a savings :) My car has been desparatelt needing a vacuum and aI have been too cheap to make the purchase.

2 bottles essential oils for my home .25 total :) I love the scents. They are tangerine peel and cranberry. They are both delightful. And both are full. The price tag says Body Shop $7. As if I would pay that much.

And last I purchased a silver heartshaped potpouri satchet thing. It looks brand new. I will use that as a gift for one of my co-workers.

I also brought home a bag of matching clear hangers. They are two part hangers. one hanger hold the top and the attaching clip hanger hold the bottom. They can also be used separately. These will be useful for organizing my clothes for the week. Cost? Free

Thank Goodness we only have two more days. One more day to set up and then the day of the sale. I'm not sure my budget can hold out for long with these kinds of bargains. LOL I say that half jokingly.

As a reminder of how rewarding yardsales and volunteering can be:

I have picked up the needed items to round out my current wardrobe and 3 sizes down. I have purchased clothing that was better quality than I might have purchased on my own. Even at thrifts and on sale or clearance I could never have purchased as many pieces as I have for only .50 each.

I have picked up brand new gift items for low pennies on the dollar. This is probably the second largest savings next to the clothing purchases.

I picked up items my little sister was wanting to purchase. I was able to assist someone near and dear to me Purchase items they needed and wanted for pennies on the dollar.

My sister now owns a handheld Nintendo and a stationary, hooked up to a tv Nintendo. She also has all the jeans she will need for probably the next year, hopefuly longer. I also purchased her a new bathrobe and a few tops- she hasn't given me feedback as to whether she likes them or not.

I was able to pick up several items that will save me money. Among those are a stack of 50 disposable bowls .25, Brand New Dirt Devil Handheld $1, Candles in my favorite scent I would have purchased eventually $1, etc.

Why all the post related to my church yard sale. Because it is evidence of how you can save by being creative in your purchases. Think ahead, look at all your resources and unlike me be disciplined in your purchases. Actually, I don't think I did all that bad. I just felt like I was spending a lot on too many things. When I break it down most items were very wise investments. That being said, I will be relieved when the sale is completely over. I and the rest of the lovely ladies are exhausted.


Should I tell you I have already started my wishlist for next year's Trash and Treasures??

posted by Casper @ 6:41 PM 1 comments

July Goals

Here are my goals for July:
1)Show up early at work and turn in paperwork daily
2)Follow daily schedule
3)complete ALL daily paperwork by end of day
4)Complete all folow ups in 24hrs
5)Turn in time sheets FIRST thing every second Monday
6)Have ALL of my Stupid Debt paperwork completed and submitted
7)Set aside an additional $300 toward stupid debt ($3000- $30 - $300= $2770)
8)Clean and organize LR
9)Take my lunch 4 out of 5 days each week.
10)Organize a solid work wardrobe for current size and next one down

Note the priority is WORK- that is what brings in the money I fret over and without WORK I would definitley be fretting more. I am not slacking at work and there are no problems, except psy-co-worker. Work is a priority and my performance should reflect this priority.

I had many more items on my list but I set a limit of 10 items and I am sticking with them. I tend to overload myself. I am already looking at Goals for August. By the way, Where did half this year go?? Not mention half of my life. It all seems to just be flying by.

posted by Casper @ 10:48 AM 0 comments

Money Saving Recipe From My Little Sister

Faux Febreeze Recipe

My sister sent this recipe to me and all I can say is FABULOUS!!

It cost pennies compared to $4.79 for a bottle at the store. I cut the cost further. You will know I am frugal when you read this one.

When I use dryer sheets, I cut them in half. I use one. The next load I use the other. I keep a ziplock bag with my laundry supplies. The manufactuer makes them stronger than needed. I have been cutting them for years. I believe I learned this tip in high school. I save the two used sheets.

Sometimes, I use those two used sheets if the load is very small. Now, I save all the used ones even the ones I have used twice. I put them in a jar with 25 oz of water. It soaks the last bit of fabric softener out of the sheets. I then pour the water into my old Febreeze bottle. It takes several used sheets but I was going to throw them away.

I normally do not use liguid fabric softener. From time to time I find offers for free samples of liguid fabric softener. I order those and use them in my Faux Febreeze. Basicly, I have free febreeze all the time. Doodoodo0doodooo, I'm loving it.

posted by Casper @ 8:48 PM 0 comments

July 1st- afternoon

I spent $26 at the T&T. What did I purchase?
8 books- 1 is a HUGE coffee table book about the last Tzar and Tzarina- that will go in someone's Christmas gift
handheld gameboy- for sister- she will reimburse me - for some reason she has become interested in video games as an adult- hey, if it makes her happy.
1 pair black jeans brand new for me.
10 pairs of jeans for my little sister ( she will reimburse me $1 for each pair that fits)
cake decorating items - 12 pastry bags, close to 250 new birthday candles, word stenciling kit for messages on cakes. ( I can use these to create bakery quality cakes for very little cost.)
200 ct muffin cup liners- muffins are a healthy inexpensive breakfast
4 brand new oven mitts- look like the one in the Arby's commercial - 2 of them are gift basket item for one sister. She will love them and I know she can use them.
1 ultra expensive twin sweater set ( still .50)
1 very nice long black skirt
1 red sweater
1 energy saver lighbulb- new in the package- Halogen? not sure but I love buying these at steep discounts. They last longer and cost less to operate. Gotta love that.
1 polar fleece vest- reversible red/black
1 large fluffy terrycloth robe for my sister- I have been singing the virtues of a comfy terry robe. I got her one to try. She will reimburse me.

So out of $26- my sister will reimburse me up to $15. Any jeans she does not want I can easily sell for $5 each. The cake decorating supplies were a package deal and any I do not need I can sell easily. I think I did well for $11. Out of what I can sell and what I get reimbursed, I should have no out of pocket expenses for today's purchases. The only down side is that I have spent $84 so far that could have gone for Stupid Debt. I am not beating myself up because each purchase has actually been an investment with a decent payoff.

Most purchases I consider investments. HOW? Well, I invest .50 for each item of clothing. The return is a very nice work and casual wardrobe for approximately $45 that will last me through this time next year. I conservatively estimate the value of the return to to be $250. I would not have purchased as many items- but I know I can find great sales and discounts at dept. stores and thrifts so I will leave the estimate at $250. That is a return of 500% If my rounded up figures are correct. I can't guaranty that on many investments.

I have more than I would have purchased in stores and still came in WAY under budget. I will be able to spend more on unmentionables.

As for shoes I have been set for quite some time since the first of the year. I love buying shoes and any pair I like that is marked down for clearance or even better clearanced clearance and final clearance I buy as long as that price is under $5. I have even purchased some expensive shoes for as little as $3. I wear them very rarely, but they are lovely and for special occassions.

Yes, ladies if you are vigilant and have a great place to buy shoes you can find stunning shoes under $10. I work at keeping my shoes in good shape. Just because I run into great sales from time to time and will stock up, does not mean I throw them away headlessly. The longer they stay in good shape, the longer I can wear them and hold out til the next amazing sale comes up

Most of the items are excellent quality and will pay an addition return of respect and some admiration for my taste and discernment. We sometimes try to pretend that those things do not matter but it is true that people judge us by appearance. Looking attractive at work has its own return. I am not a slave to fashion but I do try to keep in mind the benefits of wearing better clothes.

The gift items, I have purchased so far, fair equally as well. I know what I would have budgeted. I know what I have spent on purchases so far. The difference is exceptional. I also know they will be very much appreciated. I was actually able to buy my sisters better and more useful gifts than if I had taken what I had budgeted and went to department or specialty stores. My sisters appreciate a truly good bargain. They are aware of where the gifts come from and look forward to receiving them.We all win.
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posted by Casper @ 2:53 PM 0 comments