If it's not one thing, it's something else....

Although I do not have my full "baby emergency fund," it has been growing and at this time I'm thankful it's there. Who knew my poor dog was going to have to have surgery on Tuesday??

I have 2 dogs (a Boxer named Damien age 11 & a Rott/Shepherd mix named Snoop who is 13) 3 cats (Tinkerbelle & Mystic who are between 10-12 years old and Smokey, my 5 1/2 month old kitten) and a 1 year old no-name turtle.

Pets are great companions. They quickly become part of the family and I really can't picture us not having pets. However, pets can be verrrryyy expensive!! You not only have the expected cost of food, food dishes, litterboxes, litter, toys, treats, annual shots, etc... But then there are those times when you're broke til next payday & your cat is favoring his front paw or you see blood in your dogs stool. Those expenses aren't planned and they always come at the worst time! (Right before Christmas your Boxer scratches his eye & has to have surgery twice totaling $900. Yeah, it happens!!!) The only thing to do is [ expect the unexpected ]! As Dave Ramsey says, have a rainy day fund because its gonna rain!!

Yesterday I took my Damien to the vet with a ruptured tumor on the inside of his thigh. It has been there for several years but we were always told to just watch it. If it started to bother him we would need to have it removed. Sooo... After bloodwork an EKG, a weeks worth of antibiotics and $65 later, he checked out okay and is now scheduled for surgery next week. Surgery will include anesthesia, the tumor removal & pathology, pain meds & additional antibiotics and will cost us $250ish. Yeah, I definitely didn't pencil that in the budget this month, but lucky for us, we've got it covered. No need for "American Distress" or "Master-Card."

Get your emergency fund, people!! You can't afford not to!

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Unnecessary stress

Why does everything have to be so difficult? Nothing is ever cut & dry. You always have to jump through hoops, sometimes stretch the truth, bend the rules, and stress yourself out ...unnecessarily, most of the time.

As I mentioned before, my ultimate goal for 2013 is to be debt free except the house... That's hard to do when you're already living paycheck to paycheck & cutting corners here & there. It's hard to really make headway unless you have a couple hundred dollars to play with in the beginning. We decided to try to refinance our house. With the current interest rates so low, we could easily save a few hundred dollars per month. It's a no-brainer!

Well, we already knew that the value of homes in our area is down. We were then told that they will only refinance at 85% LTV, plus trying to roll in closing costs, it left us with little room for play, and we were going to have to pay $425 upfront for an appraisal-/ non-refundable. That was a $425 risk we weren't willing to take.

After much disappointment, we discussed everything with my mother-in-law who is lonely since her husband passed away in September. She has struggled to make ends meet & she seemed thrilled to have us sell our house & move in with her! We figure we can at least get what we owe out of the house & walk away. We will live with her for two years while saving money for a down payment on a new house. We will help her with the bills & be company for her. It's a win- win!

So now, the loan officer I was dealing with, emailed me to say there is another option for us that requires no appraisal... The HARP program. I don't even think our mortgage is owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, so what the heck is she talking about? A loophole?? My thoughts... Why in the hell didn't you mention this sooner???? It's not that I regret our decision to sell our house, but we worried soooo much about whether or not we could refinance and stressed ourselves out over nothing...& she knew that! She waits until now... to say there's another option.

I guess as the old saying goes, everything happens for a reason... & I feel it all worked out for the best. If we get out from under this house now, we will be in a better position to buy a new house in a couple years.

It's tax season!!

We're among the many Americans that do not "break even." We get an income tax refund each year. We have thought of it as a savings account in the past ...we let the government take our money & "save" it all year, then give it back in one lump sum. I now know the ridiculousness in that way of thinking, & I know my money would be better invested & earning ME interest, rather than THEM. We may change our exemptions at a later time in order to cut down on the possibility of a refund & to collect more of our money throughout the year like we should be, but for now, this is working for us. I think that until we complete baby steps #1 & 2, we need that tax refund.

Soooo... What will we be doing with our money?? PAYING OFF DEBT!!

With our tax refund we paid off a loan that held a lien against my husbands motorcycle (he's now going to sell it to make even more money), paid off my braces, and a small line of credit. With eliminating those 3 things, and canceling insurance on the bike, we have reduced our monthly payments by $342!!! WOOOO! HOOOO!!

Then--- when we sell the bike we will have another $3K-$4K to put toward something else!! No, it won't be one of those fancy C purses or a new tv, but we will be smart with our money & do something that's going to make a difference in our future!

What will you spend your tax refund on?

I can't see.

I've known for a while that I've been needing to go have my eyes examined & that I probably need glasses. I think I can see fine, but compared to my husband...sometimes there are things he can read from a far distance that I can't... and there are times that I get really bad headaches at work (I'm on the computer allll dayyy). So, after my trip on Saturday to the eye dr, and it being confirmed that yes, I am indeed about half blind (not really but close enough), I now notice things are blurry a lot more & my head is hurting A LOT! I think it's psychosomatic. It's weird!!

It's official... I'm blind!

For the first time in my life, I will now be wearing glasses. I finally had my eyes tested today & low & behold my near sight & far sight are both blurry, I have Astigmatism & Esotropia. I've known for a while that my eye sight is not what it used to be, & I have headaches when I'm on the computer for long periods of time. So.... I now have 2 prescription glasses... One for reading/ the computer/ aka work.. And one for farther distance/driving. So.... As my husband says, I'm blind as a bat!
(UGHHH!)

Mind over matter.

Mind over matter. A simple statement but it holds a lot of weight. It's very difficult to ignore those voices in your head, especially when they say "I'm hungry!" I've fought that battle every single day for about 3 years now. Food is definitely my enemy! I struggle with the love of food & not wanting to gain weight. I think about food 99% of the time.

In 2011 I lost 26 lbs...which was a lot for my small build. I didn't need to lose any more weight...but I thought that I did. I I over-did it...worked out excessively morning, lunch time, & at night. I ate like a bird. I was burning off more than I was taking in on most days. After a while I started having dizzy spells & lightheadedness. Finally, I slowed it down. I started eating more & exercising less & I felt better....except I still didn't have those 6 pack abs that I wanted & I still thought I was fat!

It was all mental. Most everything is. You can do anything you set your mind to, they say...but that is easier said than done. I am an all-or-nothing person. I couldn't "treat" myself every once in a while because I felt like I failed if I ate that piece of cake ...so then I would eat everything I wanted for days, even weeks... It took a lot to get back "on track." I fought this battle ...& I still do. Now I've gained back about 5 lbs...which isn't a lot, but I can see less definition in my arms, my stomach, my legs... It makes me sick!! I hate it that I was so close & I gave up. I hate it that I ALWAYS think I am starving!! I over-eat, sneak food, lie about what I've eaten, & again, I think about food all day long. I can't overcome this within my own head. I'm not sure what to do but I just know I'm not happy with the way things are going at this time.

1 week challenge

If you're anything like me, the first thing I do in the morning is grab my phone...and not just because I use it as an alarm. I see several notifications from Facebook... this person commented on your status, that person posted a new photo... When I open it up its like reading the morning newspaper. I keep scrolling, skimming through what's been left overnight while I lay with my eyes closed. I click "like" or post a quick comment... I do this usually before I even get out of bed. Sometimes I may spend 10-15 mins. That 10-15 mins is crucial when you're trying to squeeze in a workout, take a shower & get dressed for work, put on makeup, cook your child breakfast & get out the door by 6am.

At night I take one last look before I go to sleep. Not to mention the numerous times each day. It's become addictive! It's like a drug!!

This brings me to think... How much time would I have on my hands if I stayed off of Facebook?? Wouldn't I be happier & more productive?

Time to put it to the test. I challenge myself (and you) to stay off Facebook for one week!

I've gotta put it in God's hands.

What's meant to be, will be.
There comes a time when you have little or no control over a situation & you have to step back, have faith & put it in God's hands! That's exactly what I am doing!!!
I should know more Wednesday if things will work out for us, but for now, I'll just pray...

Wanted: a new best friend, apply within

Wanted:
A new best friend to talk to, hang out with, be silly with, share things with, etc.

Qualifications / Job Description:
1. Must be able to go places with me, such as the mall, movies, skating, etc.
2. Must have your own money, as I will not "loan" you any & I don't need a charity case.
3. Must be willing to do crafts, color, & scrapbook.
4. Must keep all my secrets.
5. Must have a positive attitude.
6. Must not be a drama queen.
7. Must not be chemical dependent.
8. Must care more about people than things.
9. Must be willing to share your clothes with me.
10. Must have my back 100% of the time.
11. Must be able to talk on the phone for hours at a time.
12. Must love cats.
13. Must have more pounds to lose than I do.
14. Must not be competitive.
15. Must watch Teen Mom 2 and be ready to discuss.

Only serious applicants need apply.

Valentine's day: Just another day.

When you're on a budget, trying to save money & pay off debt, spending money on chocolates I don't need, a stuffed animal I will stuff in the closet or roses that will die, is just not necessary!!! I warned my husband.... DO NOT get me anything for Valentines day. I don't need any unwanted calories. I don't need a card unless there's lots of money inside (and we know that can't happen). I would rather save our money!!! I asked him, "don't you love me everyday?" His reply, of course I do. Okay well that's all I need. I don't need you to declare your love for me on a certain commercialized day by spending money we don't have!

Valentines day is just another day....

A wing and a prayer...

Against my better judgement (and Dave Ramsey's advice), I cleaned out my savings account at Christmas time ...not that a few hundred dollars is much savings anyway, because heaven forbid the furnace go out or one of our vehicles break down (Eddie would fix it though so I'm good, right? ...wrong.) What if something much worse happened like one of us losing our job? Or an unexpected medical problem/expense? ..a few hundred dollars wouldn't do much!

Sooo... We have been tacking our debt & just paying our regular household bills, buying groceries, gas, etc. so far this year...LIVING ON A WING & A PRAYER... Until we can get our tax refund & put back that $1000 for an emergency fund. But with that tax check we were planning to pay off a certain loan that holds a lien against my husbands motorcycle that he hasn't ridden in going on 2 years... We figure if we can pay that off, we can sell the bike for a few thousand & then pay off more debt! Then there's my braces. I still owe a few hundred on them, so I need to pay that off because now it's my daughters turn to get braces!! We hoped our tax refund check would cover everything but I wasn't holding my breath. I just hoped & prayed.

God is good!! Our check will cover the loan, the balance on my braces & fund our emergency account!!!!! It is just enough! I feel that God is looking out for us & God def works in mysterious ways. We have made it through with practically $0 to our names at most given times & we survived. I've put it in Gods hands & I know everything will be ok.

Pushing through...one dollar at a time.

Before getting on a "budget"/ if I can even call it that YET... We would spend freely, buy pretty much what we wanted, when we wanted...THEN paid the bills. Somehow it always worked out. Yes, sometimes something was a little late but never more than 30 days to effect the credit. Things fell into place, I guess u could say. I don't know how, but they did.

Now... It seems like the more I watch every penny being spent, the less money we have. The more I try to save, the more I realize how much money we don't have. I wonder what changed. Why are we feeling so broke all of a sudden? What if I hadn't started keeping tabs & cutting back when I did? This is just a prime example that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, God doesn't put more on us than we can handle, everything happens for a reason, & it only gets worse before it gets better.

I know with perseverance, determination, & that "Gazelle" approach to our $23K in debt, we will be in a better financial state . It just takes time! It takes commitment. It takes thinking outside the box, generating extra income, doing without the wants & only supplying the needs.
...living like no one else, so later we can LIVE LIKE NO ONE ELSE!!

Tomorrow I have an interview for a second job. It's contract work, working 5 months out of the year, in one month intervals, weekends Sat & Sun, first shift. It will be tough working 7 days a week for a whole month! That's approximately 30 days straight with no day off. I'm going to be tired, but I will make an extra $500 for the month to throw at my smallest debt. It will be worth it in the end!!!!

C's up, C's down!

Everywhere you look there are ladies carrying purses/handbags decorated in perfect backwards & frontwards, upside down & right-side up C's! What is with this epidemic? Why is Coach so popular? & most importantly, HOW IN THE HELL CAN PPL AFFORD THEM??? Two hundred seventy eight dollars for a New Legacy Signature Courtenay Hobo, or a Madison Op Art Sateen Isabelle for $298!!!
(These are two that I like-/ feel free to message me for an address to send one to, thanks) :P

As frugal as I am... and as materialistic as I AM NOT, I must admit, I WANT THE DAMN PURSE!
Is it necessary? No. Is it worth the money? No. Would I use it the rest of my life? No. Could I pay my electric bill instead? Yes!! SMH!

My question is.... Are 99% of women carrying a knock-off or are they really that frivolous when it comes to money??? ...I just can't see myself paying that much for a damn purse!

...What would Suze Orman say??
I must have 8 months' emergency fund, a Roth IRA & a healthy Stock Growth Money Mutual Fund, a 401K in which I contribute up to employer match, and zero consumable debt!

...can I buy the purse???
DENIED!!!

My semi-spa day

Inspired by a post seen earlier...

I was having a lazy Saturday, filled with back to back Roseanne episodes, naps & cuddling with my kitty cat, Smokey... so I decided to treat myself to a long, hot bubble bath by candlelight...relax in the tub & read a book. It was so soothing & refreshing! I gave myself a facial & tended to my month-old toenail polish! I also now have the smoothest legs ever! (I loooovveee Coochy by Pure Romance!)

Note to self:
I must do this more often!!

My doormat does not say "Welcome!"

For some reason I always allow myself to be treated like a doormat. I get stepped on & kicked when I'm down & my "Welcome" sign invites this type of treatment every chance one gets. I am kind-hearted, helpful, caring & giving. I'm a great listener & a loyal friend. I bend over backwards & go out of my way to help others & I do it from the kindness of my heart. I just don't know why there aren't more people in this world who behave the same way.

My new doormat shall read:
"Wrong address. Nobody here by that name."

I don't want to hear from people who only call when they want something...a ride, money, to borrow something, etc. I don't care to listen to you blabber on for an hour about your drama filled insignificant life, when you don't listen to my current struggles, goals or dreams. No, I won't attend your "Pure Romance party" as you didn't attend mine, and I really don't care to hear about how healthy you've been eating, when I have already told you I have an eating disorder. It's inconsiderate & hurtful. Hence, kick me when I'm down.

The numbers are in!

January has come & gone & what I'm left with is a pile of receipts and what appears to be a deficit in my budget. Are we spending more than we make? How can that be???
After a second look at the numbers, I see that in December we had money left over that carried us into January, so that is why it doesn't seem to balance. This is also why they say creating a budget takes at least 3 months. Dave Ramsey, you are right again!

Sex, dance & drink... & not in that order!

Have I mentioned that I LOVE to dance!?! I love to drink a few drinks & dance my butt off!! Hell, I don't even have to drink! It doesn't matter! I love going to the club & dancing till wee hours in the morning...I love music!
One of my favorite memories is having a Pure Romance (sex toys, etc) party at my house & after the presentation, cranking up the radio & my friends & I danced in my living room like no one was watching!! FUN TIMES for sure!!

Weird.

I had a friend send me a text message yesterday asking if I was busy this Friday or Sunday, did my hubby & I want to get together with her & her bf to go out to dinner. My reply was, sure I'd like to get together but we can't go out to eat, as we are on a budget. I got NO RESPONSE! Did I piss her off? Now that's weird!!

"Live like no one else so later you can live like no one else." -Dave Ramsey

Fuel for thought.

I am so proud of myself! I am now carpooling to & from work with a co-worker that lives a couple streets over from me. She is driving this week, I'll drive the next...so on & so forth... This will save me about $90 a month, not to mention wear & tear on my car. That's a huge savings! The way it's been, my husband & I spend about $360/ month on gas! That's crazzzyyy!! Neither of our vehicles are gas hogs, it's the price per gallon & our long commute. I'm anxious to total up January's fuel expense at the end of the month! :D Hoping to keep it under $250.

YouTube or NO YouTube?!?

I'm thinking of making a YouTube channel but not sure if I'd like myself on camera! I just think I would like to have "views" & subscribers & feedback...all of which I'm not getting here! Here I feel like I'm talking to myself, & ultimately I am!

...just a thought!