Tomorrow is OCTOBER!

This year is flying by! Is it strange that I complain about the fact that I have to work, yet I'd really like to find a way to squeeze in a 2nd job. If I could find something I could do after Kasen goes to sleep (7pm) I'd jump on it. I don't really want to flip burgers though & retail places close too early to make it worthwhile. I'm just ready to be out of debt! So, if anyone knows of anything that I could do a few nights a week (I'd be more flexible on time on the weekend, but I'm not willing to give up much of my family time during the day), please share. Otherwise, we'll keep up the pace we're going at.

I am really trying to work on groceries right now. I have a pantry full of crap that needs to be used up before I go buy more stuff. Then I think we'll be eating lots of beans, baked potatoes, and sandwiches. Cheap, cheap.

Doing well!

Still hanging in there. I didn't go out to eat last week, we didn't go out to eat this weekend, no crazy purchases, etc. Yay!

Sunday I met some friends at Twisted Root and guess what? I didn't spend a dime! No food, no drink, no nothing! I was so proud of me. I would've loved some watermelon tea, but I didn't need it & I didn't want to waste money on it.

I've been looking for shoes, a Halloween costume, a jacket, & a coat for Kasen. It's hard to thrift shop when you're looking for specific items, but I've been trying. I finally hit a consignment shop today. I got Kasen a Cars jacket, which is what he asked for since he had a Cars jacket last year. I also stocked him up on pajamas since he has now decided he'd rather keep them on all day some days. It's not worth the battle, I'd rather him just keep them on all day & not have to deal with a huge fit over clothes. I also scored some GREAT stuff for a certain someone's upcoming baby shower. :) Still no shoes, Halloween costume, or coat. I've got time on all of those though.

I did hit Target today too though. I was on the look out for a specific gift for a birthday party this weekend. Didn't find it though, so that search continues...

I just found out my friend is getting married in January. In Utah. I'd love to be there, and I'm hoping I can be, but we'll have to see how it works out. Flights are expensive. I'm hoping at the least I can go for the day by myself. Or maybe Luke & I can go for the weekend. We'll see.

That's it so far. We're still trucking!

Getting back on track.

Gosh, it's hard to get back on track. This morning was "cold" (in Texan terms at least), but it's suppose to be warm this afternoon. I realized I don't own a jacket or coat for Kasen. My immediate thought was - I'll go look at Target or Old Navy on my lunch break. Wait! Hold up! Can't do that yet!! I have looked around a little at thrift stores, but I haven't seen anything yet. I haven't exhausted my search options yet though, so I had to remind myself I can only go buy new if I can't find used. The search is on.

Then, there's Halloween. No clue what Kasen would like to be, since he's not that opinionated yet. I'm sure he'd be happy to hang out in his pajamas instead of a costume, but I'd like to keep the tradition up for him. So, now I'm trying harder to search for a costume. I've been looking for one at thrift stores, but, again, my search has been in vain so far.

I haven't eaten out this week (yes, I realize it's only Wednesday & lunch time hasn't arrived yet), but I'm trying to make it all week without eating out. I need to lose some weight anyway, so I need to quit making my weekly trip to Bueno. Besides, I can slap some beans on a tortilla at home much cheaper anyway!

I'm gonna do this. I am gonna follow the rules. I hope.

MIA

Yep, I went missing. I see nobody called out the search crew though... ;)

So, we kinda fell off the wagon for a while. Oops. Time to get back on though. Saturday night we paid off college loan #1. Yay! So, we're down to just 1 college loan. Don't get me wrong, it's a big loan, but it's all we have left! It's probably gonna be 4 or 5 more months before we get it paid off (if nothing unexpected comes up), which seems like so long. It's hard 'cause that's further out than we first anticipated. We hoped to be done in January. However, in 4 or 5 months we'll be DEBT FREE BUT THE HOUSE!!!! Wow. To be 30 & not owe a dime to anyone other than the mortgage company is truly a rare thing. When I think of it that way, 4 or 5 months is suh a short time. Wow! I can't believe we've almost done this!

Can you handle the truth?

I went shopping at lunch. Bought a new pair of pants, a skirt, and a $5 under-tank. I wanted 2 pairs of pants, but I stopped myself. I "needed" new pants. I have 2 pairs of work pants that fit correctly enough for me to wear regularly. I have a couple other pairs that I rotate in, but they don't fit right. I just couldn't bring myself to buy a 2nd new pair though, so I bought a cheaper (COMFY!) skirt instead. A fair enough compromise for now. I know I'll have to buy more pants soon enough, but maybe I can hold off until I'm actually a size 8 instead of too big for an 8 & too small for a 10. (Boy is that frustrating!)
What else is new? Ummm, we got another magical check. You know, the kind where you've already paid your doctor & moved on, then you go to the mailbox one & magically a nice chunk of change has landed there? Love those! Of course this one is being turned right around to pay for more medical bills. *sigh*
We won't be paying off the college loan this month since we're treating all the grandparents (and Auntie) to a family vacation next month. We should be able to get it paid off in October though. Yay! Then we'll just have ONE outstanding debt (other than the mortgage). I can't wait to be D.O.N.E.!
Last week, Luke took his car in to have something-or-other fixed & to get a new battery. He bought the battery & installed it himself before heading to service (you wouldn't believe what a dealership charges for that service! Or, maybe you would...). I was a bit worried about how much the service was gonna cost, *but* [BIG but], it was free under some recall thing. Yay!
Next up, taking my car BACK to the dealership 'cause they broke something when they fixed my a/c. The a/c just randomly turns off. Fun times. Actually, it's not so bad 'cause I like to ride with the windows down. Can't do that with Kasen though, he's not always a fan of wind in his hair.
Anyway, there's my truth of the day. I went, I saw, I bought... and it felt good. ;)

Stress Shopper

I'm not a stress eater, drinker, pill popper, or any other stress related vice-haver (I think I made that word up, huh?), I'm a stress shopper. Ugh!
Yesterday was a horrible, no good, very bad day. On my lunch break I had to leave the office (I often don't, there's no temptation to spend if you aren't somewhere that allows you to spend). I was driving down the road when I realized exactly where I was headed - Target! My thoughts were:
"I 'need' some new pants."

"NO, you can wait on them."

"I 'need' new shoes."

"NO, you can wait on them too."
"I'd love a new purse."
"NO, you just got a new purse, that you love."

"I can go get Kasen something!"

"NO, Kasen doesn't need anything."
"I can just go look."
"NO, if you look, you might be tempted to buy - you're just stressed, keep driving!"
So, I did. Then I decided I NEEDED a drink from Sonic. No, a burrito from Taco Bueno. No, some fries from Chik Fil A...

I ended up getting some fries, a sweet tea (yum!), and a brownie from CFA. It didn't make everything better, but it helped.

I wonder now though... I have admitted that I have a problem, which is the first step (right?), so what's next? How do I avoid stress shopping? There's always gonna be stress you know.

Still trucking

We're in August already. Wow! Where is the year going?

Someone (who shall remain nameless) wanted to buy a new computer this weekend. LUCKILY we just sent off all our money to pay bills, so there is no money for crap. I mean, there is no money for important stuff like a new computer. (If you don't catch the sarcasm there you need help.)

On an opposite note... our neighbor just had his patio screened in. For only $500! Seems like a heck of a deal to me. So, I asked Luke to find out what it would cost to get ours covered. (Gotta start somewhere, right?) We'll see what that is. Yes, it's an investment, but a good one. I wondered (out loud, of course) if it would be around $1k to cover & screen it in. Then we could kick the dogs out - I mean, have a nice place for them to "vacation" outside of the house. haha, yes I am serious right now, it would be great to have an enclosed, screened-in patio. Although I do still want to make the patio larger. Much larger. Concrete is crazy expensive right now though, so I'll take what I can get. Even just covered would work. It's the small things that make me happy. I seriously doubt it'll be that cheap though. So, we'll continue with what we have - and with not spending.