So, I have been saving and saving for months. Bringing my lunch to work, not eating out as much even as a family. I've been cooking extra so there will be leftovers and the kids have been good about eating the leftovers for lunch too. we did have one extravagance over the summer and that was over the 4th of July but other than that we've been coupon cutting, and 2fer buying for months now.
Well, it's all gone. All those pennies we saved I done gone and spent it all and I feel a little spent, if you know what I mean. It was kinda nice seeing the savings build up little by little. It grew into a nice little nest egg there. But now poof, it's all gone. It went where it was supposed to but man was it easier to spend than it was to save. It tool months to gather all those pennies and it has disappeared in just under 2 weeks. Here's where it went: car repairs, flying 19 back to university, all 3 of us flying up to see him in his football scrimmage over labor day weekend (holiday flying is not cheap my friends, I don't care what the ads say), flying us and my in-laws up to him in the homecoming game, hotels for both trips (2 nights the first trip, 3 nights the second trip), senior pictures for 17, school books for 17, school uniforms for 17. Poof! Just like that. Almost as quickly as I wrote about it here it went away and now I look at the pitiful balance in my savings account and sigh! Pobrecito savings account all spent.
Easy come (not!), easy go, I guess. It's all for good things so, it's OK. I just feel a little overwhelmed at spending all that money so quickly. It was nice having that cushion there but no more. C'est la vie!
Showing posts with label Money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Money. Show all posts
Friday, August 07, 2009
Friday, April 03, 2009
Economic update!
Why we are were we are in this global economic mess has been blamed on many things. Bubbles bursting, unfunded mortgages, lack of corporate lending yadda yadda.
So, I have one question for the credit providing companies. WHY ARE YOU SENDING MY STILL DEPENDENT 19 YEAR OLD COLLEGE STUDENT WHO HAS STUDENT LOANS AND A WORK STUDY JOB CREDIT CARD APPLICATIONS? I'm sorry, I shouldn't be yelling. I know it's rude but really truly this week alone he got 4, yes four, applications. One of them guaranteeing him a $10k limit. HUH?! People, he can barely pay for gas and only covers meals when it's off the dollar menu.
And by the way, you can stop sending me mortgage refinance letters too. I thought there was a credit crunch. What the heck is going on here? Why are they throwing credit at him and not people who need it to make payroll, so that the employees can make their credit card payments?I have never said I was a numbers girls but these really don't add up for me. I am very very confused.
So, I have one question for the credit providing companies. WHY ARE YOU SENDING MY STILL DEPENDENT 19 YEAR OLD COLLEGE STUDENT WHO HAS STUDENT LOANS AND A WORK STUDY JOB CREDIT CARD APPLICATIONS? I'm sorry, I shouldn't be yelling. I know it's rude but really truly this week alone he got 4, yes four, applications. One of them guaranteeing him a $10k limit. HUH?! People, he can barely pay for gas and only covers meals when it's off the dollar menu.
And by the way, you can stop sending me mortgage refinance letters too. I thought there was a credit crunch. What the heck is going on here? Why are they throwing credit at him and not people who need it to make payroll, so that the employees can make their credit card payments?I have never said I was a numbers girls but these really don't add up for me. I am very very confused.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
GOLD!
Over the weekend one of the things I did was go to a Gold Party. Have you heard of these things? I hadn't. I had heard commercials on the radio about jewelry stores that would buy your jewelry but not house parties.
Remember Tupperware parties? Well, this was a bunch of women showing up at a friends house where 2 jewelers sat at her dinning room table and tested and weighed our pieces and paid us in check or cash for whatever we chose to sell them. HUH!? Exactly. I went with another girlfriend and we figured if we got $50 bucks that would be a lot. We did not have very high expectations.
I took junk. I mean I took earrings that had lost pairs, old awful stuff that I had since I was a kid but now think is hideous, some broken necklaces that I wasn't going to get fixed because I didn't even like them anymore. Most of what I gave him I thought was fake, some of it was and he handed it back to me. I took only one bracelet and my high school ring that I new were 'good'. Are you ready to hear what I got? Drum roll please...prrrrrrrrrrr......$515! I could not believe it. My girlfriend got $315. We were shocked. One woman took a necklace to just find out if it was any good. She'd worn it once. She got over $800 for it! Needless to say, we were very impressed. So impressed that my girlfriend and I are going to co-host a party ourselves. Obviously, the host gets a commission from the jewelers. It's all good!
Cuz let me tell you honey, Obama can do what he will for the economy but I know Uncle Sam isn't going to knock on my door and bail me out. A girls gotta bail herself outta this mess. So, why hang on to broken and mismatched pieces? No more. Sell it for cash. I did and I am going to spread the word to my friends.
Now, I can afford some of that comfort and joy ;)
Remember Tupperware parties? Well, this was a bunch of women showing up at a friends house where 2 jewelers sat at her dinning room table and tested and weighed our pieces and paid us in check or cash for whatever we chose to sell them. HUH!? Exactly. I went with another girlfriend and we figured if we got $50 bucks that would be a lot. We did not have very high expectations.
I took junk. I mean I took earrings that had lost pairs, old awful stuff that I had since I was a kid but now think is hideous, some broken necklaces that I wasn't going to get fixed because I didn't even like them anymore. Most of what I gave him I thought was fake, some of it was and he handed it back to me. I took only one bracelet and my high school ring that I new were 'good'. Are you ready to hear what I got? Drum roll please...prrrrrrrrrrr......$515! I could not believe it. My girlfriend got $315. We were shocked. One woman took a necklace to just find out if it was any good. She'd worn it once. She got over $800 for it! Needless to say, we were very impressed. So impressed that my girlfriend and I are going to co-host a party ourselves. Obviously, the host gets a commission from the jewelers. It's all good!
Cuz let me tell you honey, Obama can do what he will for the economy but I know Uncle Sam isn't going to knock on my door and bail me out. A girls gotta bail herself outta this mess. So, why hang on to broken and mismatched pieces? No more. Sell it for cash. I did and I am going to spread the word to my friends.
Now, I can afford some of that comfort and joy ;)
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Tips: College
I had no idea that you could talk to the Financial Aid office and negotiate! Well, I did it. Tell everyone you know. This is the best kept secret (as far as I'm concerned) about paying for college. I got them to increase his scholarship. AMAZING!!!!
#1: Apply to anywhere you want to go even if financially is it out of your reach. If you get accepted the school will put together a package so that you can afford it.
#2: Apply to more than one school. Most applications ask you to list what other schools you are applying to. If they don't have any competition they are less likely to be in a hurry to accept you.
#3: Ask questions. I have spoken to the FinAid office of 3 very different schools and they are very nice, helpful and willing to answer questions and help educate you on the process.
#4: Fill out the FAFSA (the govt. financial aid form) which ALL the schools use early. Scholarship $ gets given away fast. It's a first come first serve type of deal.
#5: Negotiate! Call, walk thru the numbers with them. I flat out told her, look I can't afford the gap. He simply can't go because the cost is prohibitive. She worked with me and I got and additional 15% in scholarship $. My son is going to the school he wants which is waaaay out of my reach and his aid package comes out to 75% of the cost. The cost not tuition, annual cost, that includes room & board, meals, books, incidentals and a couple trips home.
I did this yesterday and I feel like I won the lottery!
#1: Apply to anywhere you want to go even if financially is it out of your reach. If you get accepted the school will put together a package so that you can afford it.
#2: Apply to more than one school. Most applications ask you to list what other schools you are applying to. If they don't have any competition they are less likely to be in a hurry to accept you.
#3: Ask questions. I have spoken to the FinAid office of 3 very different schools and they are very nice, helpful and willing to answer questions and help educate you on the process.
#4: Fill out the FAFSA (the govt. financial aid form) which ALL the schools use early. Scholarship $ gets given away fast. It's a first come first serve type of deal.
#5: Negotiate! Call, walk thru the numbers with them. I flat out told her, look I can't afford the gap. He simply can't go because the cost is prohibitive. She worked with me and I got and additional 15% in scholarship $. My son is going to the school he wants which is waaaay out of my reach and his aid package comes out to 75% of the cost. The cost not tuition, annual cost, that includes room & board, meals, books, incidentals and a couple trips home.
I did this yesterday and I feel like I won the lottery!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
not a good week
As you know I had 2 teeth pulled unexpectedly. My GM is in the hospital with gall stones arguing and fighting with everyone. My best friends mom passed away. I found out that my EFC (Expected Family Contribution) for 18s college is $17,846 according to Uncle Sam. Do they think I am hiding it in my matress? WTF?! andmy mouth still hurts. Just a bad week. Is it over yet?
Friday, October 05, 2007
Week in review
Here's a look back and things that happened that I haven't mentioned...
* One of the things I decided after the trip was to seriously trim down this double wide body of mine. I'm no radical here. I didn't run out and join a gym or buy any exercise equipment. Why, you may ask. Quite frankly because I've done those things before and failed miserably each time. Now you need to understand I have done every diet there is. I have the knowledge, I know how to loose weight. It's quite simple: take in less calories than you burn. The problem here is will power. So, I decided. I'm gonna do it. I'll start slow, making simple lifestyle changes. First, let's start drinking the water I'm supposed to be drinking. Sounds easy enough. I can do that. Second, stop going to Starbucks and getting a latte and a donut for breakfast. Just have coffee in the office. Again, easy. Bonus here is I'll save $ too. I can do this. SO, Tuesday when hubby goes to the grocery store to buy Milk and cold cuts for the kids. I tell him bring home a surprise, something good. I do this all the time and he usually brings me back whatever veggie or fruit is on sale. A few weeks ago he brought back a beautiful eggplant and more recently a pack of zucchini- delish! So, he came home all excited. Look, I brought home something yummy and he pulls out a quart of Hagen Das Butter Pecan ice cream. We can eat it while we watch TV later! - I guess we're keeping the double wide this week!
* 15 got a brochure from Northwestern University. He got himself on their mailing list because he fell in love with the school 2 years ago when we visited Chicago and he wants to study Journalism and Broadcasting and found out they were famous for it. The kicker here isn't that he GOT the brochure, 17 gets tons of them. The kicker is he read it from cover to cover, he came out of his room explaining to us out of touch parents that he could double major, that they have work internships with out local newspapers, that they have mentor programs etc. I just sat there dumbfounded at the table while he told me all about it. I have a child who is researching, interested in and motivated all by himself to going to college. WOW! I just took in the moment and sent up a little prayer to raise his grades so that he actually have a shot at getting into the school.
* The vacuum cleaner died. It just stopped in mid-vacuum. There is only carpeting in one room but I have, I mean had one of those floor/carpet vacuums and instead of sweeping and having to pick up the dust, I vacuum the floor. I had to sweep this week- oh the agony!
* I have been ordering things online and all the boxes have been coming in. I've ordered scrapbook supplies and clothes. There was a reason I didn't order clothes online before, now I have to return half of it. It didn't fit right or I didn't like the color- it didn't look that bright on the computer. Returning the stuff is a pain in the butt!
*We have a football game tonight and we supposed to beat the pants off of this team. With any luck 17 should play well and make some fabulous plays and have something for the highlight film he has to make for Furman U. My in-laws are coming to my house so that we can drive them to the game. It should be fun.
*I balanced my checkbook. This may be normal and customary for your checkbook but for mine it was a treat. I have never spent so much time with it. I actually discovered that I had too much money. Can that be for real? But then I realized that I owed someone some $ that I hadn't paid them and poof! there it went. Ahhh, there's the low balance I know and love. The world is right again.
*I have been trying to post on blogs that I read and not be a lurker. I'm not good at that and want to do better. I will keep working on this.
So that was my week. The weekend is pretty packed but if I tell you about that now, then what will I blog about on Monday? So, I will keep you in suspense. HINT: There is a pile on the floor in front of a machine.
* One of the things I decided after the trip was to seriously trim down this double wide body of mine. I'm no radical here. I didn't run out and join a gym or buy any exercise equipment. Why, you may ask. Quite frankly because I've done those things before and failed miserably each time. Now you need to understand I have done every diet there is. I have the knowledge, I know how to loose weight. It's quite simple: take in less calories than you burn. The problem here is will power. So, I decided. I'm gonna do it. I'll start slow, making simple lifestyle changes. First, let's start drinking the water I'm supposed to be drinking. Sounds easy enough. I can do that. Second, stop going to Starbucks and getting a latte and a donut for breakfast. Just have coffee in the office. Again, easy. Bonus here is I'll save $ too. I can do this. SO, Tuesday when hubby goes to the grocery store to buy Milk and cold cuts for the kids. I tell him bring home a surprise, something good. I do this all the time and he usually brings me back whatever veggie or fruit is on sale. A few weeks ago he brought back a beautiful eggplant and more recently a pack of zucchini- delish! So, he came home all excited. Look, I brought home something yummy and he pulls out a quart of Hagen Das Butter Pecan ice cream. We can eat it while we watch TV later! - I guess we're keeping the double wide this week!
* 15 got a brochure from Northwestern University. He got himself on their mailing list because he fell in love with the school 2 years ago when we visited Chicago and he wants to study Journalism and Broadcasting and found out they were famous for it. The kicker here isn't that he GOT the brochure, 17 gets tons of them. The kicker is he read it from cover to cover, he came out of his room explaining to us out of touch parents that he could double major, that they have work internships with out local newspapers, that they have mentor programs etc. I just sat there dumbfounded at the table while he told me all about it. I have a child who is researching, interested in and motivated all by himself to going to college. WOW! I just took in the moment and sent up a little prayer to raise his grades so that he actually have a shot at getting into the school.
* The vacuum cleaner died. It just stopped in mid-vacuum. There is only carpeting in one room but I have, I mean had one of those floor/carpet vacuums and instead of sweeping and having to pick up the dust, I vacuum the floor. I had to sweep this week- oh the agony!
* I have been ordering things online and all the boxes have been coming in. I've ordered scrapbook supplies and clothes. There was a reason I didn't order clothes online before, now I have to return half of it. It didn't fit right or I didn't like the color- it didn't look that bright on the computer. Returning the stuff is a pain in the butt!
*We have a football game tonight and we supposed to beat the pants off of this team. With any luck 17 should play well and make some fabulous plays and have something for the highlight film he has to make for Furman U. My in-laws are coming to my house so that we can drive them to the game. It should be fun.
*I balanced my checkbook. This may be normal and customary for your checkbook but for mine it was a treat. I have never spent so much time with it. I actually discovered that I had too much money. Can that be for real? But then I realized that I owed someone some $ that I hadn't paid them and poof! there it went. Ahhh, there's the low balance I know and love. The world is right again.
*I have been trying to post on blogs that I read and not be a lurker. I'm not good at that and want to do better. I will keep working on this.
So that was my week. The weekend is pretty packed but if I tell you about that now, then what will I blog about on Monday? So, I will keep you in suspense. HINT: There is a pile on the floor in front of a machine.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Lost $$
You know that feeling you have when you reach into your wallet and your short on cash. Well that would be constantly but I mean short as in you thought you had a $20 and in fact you have a $10 not just that you wish you had more $.
Well, that happened to me this weekend. Now I'm not a math wiz but here's what happened. I had theater and dinner plans for Sunday that were all going to be paid for cash and so being the planner that I can sometimes be I went to the bank on Friday and took out $100 bucks for my weekend extravaganza of entertainment. Mind you I already had $34 in my wallet so I can do this math (100+34) now I've got $134. Woo hoo, for a girl who doesn't carry much cash that's a million bucks. I had to pay back someone for the theater ticket ($25) and have cash for dinner. The dinner was a super ritzy place that we were going to because they are part of a program offering limited menu at a fixed price with the intention of getting people (like moi) who can't normally afford the place to come out and try and then maybe we'll repeat (when we hit the lotto). So, dinner was to be $35 plus drinks and wine. Are you still with me? 25+35+drinks+wine= $100 and I have $134. I have extra, no problem. I was perfectly prepared to splurge and spend this on little ole me all in one day and have a fantabulous time.
Friday night, 17 needs $ for the movies and whatever. Fine. I have extra, remember, I give him $20. Saturday goes by running around doing groceries, getting school uniforms, taking kids to get haircuts for the first day of school and even driving thru for lunch. All paid for with plastic. yes, even the drive-thru. Thank you very much. I'm still good. Got all my money saved for me on Sunday(read in sing songy voice)...looking forward to it....working on my scrapbooks...thinking about tomorrow...gonna have a great time....(stop sing songy stuff).
Sunday is here. Make the usual waffles for the gang. Work on a scrapbook page that I was too tired to finish last night. Go take a shower and hubby drops me off at girlfriends house to go to theater. Once we are all ready to go, she's writing a check for the theater ticket, I tell her I've got cash. So, I open my wallet to separate it. Counting out the cash I have $70. Woah!What happened I had extra money! Now, I'm short! Where is it. I start looking thru all the nooks and crannies in my purse and wallet. I find coupons, receipts and business cards - no cash. I don't understand. I've counted the cash 3 times and its still only $70, apparently it doesn't increase by she upon recounting it. What to do?! OK, I have a check on me. I can write a check for the theater ticket. That leaves me with the $70 for dinner, if I don't have a cocktail I should be fine for dinner and wine. But where's the $30. I gave 17 $20 not more than that. I didn't pay for any of the errands on Sat. Friends hubby is trying to help me with the math he knows I'm not the best but even when he does it doesn't add up. I will have to deal with it later. Did one of the boys take $ without telling me? It would be a first. Maybe the $ I gave 17 was more than one bill stuck together, I'll ask him later. Friend now takes some extra cash because she's wonderful that way, to be sure that we are not short in our adventures of the day.
The theater was a hoot. It was a musical and a friend of our was in it. It was called "Tomfoolery" if you've never seen it and its playing near you run to buy a ticket. I need to see it again because I laughed so much that I know I couldn't hear it all. Too too funny! I forgot to give my other girlfriend the check to pay her back for the ticket. Oh, well. We have plenty of time before our dinner reservation so we go hang out at the local independent book store which we both LOVE. We sit and split an appetizer because we are both starving and neither of us had lunch before the theater. So, this will hold us till dinner 3 hours from now. Dinner was great. Good friends at a beautiful restaurant with good service and good food. The dessert was PHFft but the rest was good. A lovely time was had by all. My good friend had to fork out a little more $ to cover the valet- I told you it was a ritzy place- but what are friends for.
Got home told hubby about my outings. He had a grand time at home doing nothing. I mean NOTHING! He watched the golf tournament all day - that's it. Fine. Good for him. We each had our good time in our own way. Went to bed.
Woke up! Sat straight up in bed and yelled "Oh, thank goodness!" Hubby snored a little louder and shifted in bed as I looked over him at the clock. It was 2:35. I took a deep breath and thought well, at least I found the missing $. In my outings on Saturday although I didn't pay cash for any of the boys things. I did stop in a Scrapbook store and bought some very necessary pages and embellishments that I honestly really really needed. That I paid cash for because remember I had extra but I guess I forgot I had given my extra to my son and so now I was short. So, let's review the math shall we: extra$ minus $for son minus $for scrap supplies equals short for theater and dinner. Oh well it was pretty paper.
Well, that happened to me this weekend. Now I'm not a math wiz but here's what happened. I had theater and dinner plans for Sunday that were all going to be paid for cash and so being the planner that I can sometimes be I went to the bank on Friday and took out $100 bucks for my weekend extravaganza of entertainment. Mind you I already had $34 in my wallet so I can do this math (100+34) now I've got $134. Woo hoo, for a girl who doesn't carry much cash that's a million bucks. I had to pay back someone for the theater ticket ($25) and have cash for dinner. The dinner was a super ritzy place that we were going to because they are part of a program offering limited menu at a fixed price with the intention of getting people (like moi) who can't normally afford the place to come out and try and then maybe we'll repeat (when we hit the lotto). So, dinner was to be $35 plus drinks and wine. Are you still with me? 25+35+drinks+wine= $100 and I have $134. I have extra, no problem. I was perfectly prepared to splurge and spend this on little ole me all in one day and have a fantabulous time.
Friday night, 17 needs $ for the movies and whatever. Fine. I have extra, remember, I give him $20. Saturday goes by running around doing groceries, getting school uniforms, taking kids to get haircuts for the first day of school and even driving thru for lunch. All paid for with plastic. yes, even the drive-thru. Thank you very much. I'm still good. Got all my money saved for me on Sunday(read in sing songy voice)...looking forward to it....working on my scrapbooks...thinking about tomorrow...gonna have a great time....(stop sing songy stuff).
Sunday is here. Make the usual waffles for the gang. Work on a scrapbook page that I was too tired to finish last night. Go take a shower and hubby drops me off at girlfriends house to go to theater. Once we are all ready to go, she's writing a check for the theater ticket, I tell her I've got cash. So, I open my wallet to separate it. Counting out the cash I have $70. Woah!What happened I had extra money! Now, I'm short! Where is it. I start looking thru all the nooks and crannies in my purse and wallet. I find coupons, receipts and business cards - no cash. I don't understand. I've counted the cash 3 times and its still only $70, apparently it doesn't increase by she upon recounting it. What to do?! OK, I have a check on me. I can write a check for the theater ticket. That leaves me with the $70 for dinner, if I don't have a cocktail I should be fine for dinner and wine. But where's the $30. I gave 17 $20 not more than that. I didn't pay for any of the errands on Sat. Friends hubby is trying to help me with the math he knows I'm not the best but even when he does it doesn't add up. I will have to deal with it later. Did one of the boys take $ without telling me? It would be a first. Maybe the $ I gave 17 was more than one bill stuck together, I'll ask him later. Friend now takes some extra cash because she's wonderful that way, to be sure that we are not short in our adventures of the day.
The theater was a hoot. It was a musical and a friend of our was in it. It was called "Tomfoolery" if you've never seen it and its playing near you run to buy a ticket. I need to see it again because I laughed so much that I know I couldn't hear it all. Too too funny! I forgot to give my other girlfriend the check to pay her back for the ticket. Oh, well. We have plenty of time before our dinner reservation so we go hang out at the local independent book store which we both LOVE. We sit and split an appetizer because we are both starving and neither of us had lunch before the theater. So, this will hold us till dinner 3 hours from now. Dinner was great. Good friends at a beautiful restaurant with good service and good food. The dessert was PHFft but the rest was good. A lovely time was had by all. My good friend had to fork out a little more $ to cover the valet- I told you it was a ritzy place- but what are friends for.
Got home told hubby about my outings. He had a grand time at home doing nothing. I mean NOTHING! He watched the golf tournament all day - that's it. Fine. Good for him. We each had our good time in our own way. Went to bed.
Woke up! Sat straight up in bed and yelled "Oh, thank goodness!" Hubby snored a little louder and shifted in bed as I looked over him at the clock. It was 2:35. I took a deep breath and thought well, at least I found the missing $. In my outings on Saturday although I didn't pay cash for any of the boys things. I did stop in a Scrapbook store and bought some very necessary pages and embellishments that I honestly really really needed. That I paid cash for because remember I had extra but I guess I forgot I had given my extra to my son and so now I was short. So, let's review the math shall we: extra$ minus $for son minus $for scrap supplies equals short for theater and dinner. Oh well it was pretty paper.
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