Christmas is over.

It was a wonderful Christmas, without giving into the temptation of buying ever toy made for a 2 year old. ;) I don't think Kasen minded that he didn't wake up to toy overload. He appreciated the few things that he got, and that's good enough for me! I do wish I could've spent more, just to get a few nicer things for the other people on my list, but, I'm happy with not going broke for one day.

Now, we're trying to find a few things we need for our trip to Utah. I'm still having a hard time with the idea of spending money on it all, but I know it will be so much fun. Seeing how much Kasen enjoyed the little bit of snow we got in Texas this week gave me a glimpse at how much he'll love all the snow he's going to see there!

Christmas, The Year Without style.

I got a bonus check for $200, so I decided that would be my Christmas budget. I REALLY wanted to beat it... what a challenge! I can't post what I bought (don't wanna ruin any surprises), but I spent a whopping $130 on Christmas gifts for everyone (Kasen's 2 sets of grandparents & his Auntie, 2 adults for the family gift exchange, 3 kiddos, & Kasen). Yes, I DO rock - thankyouverymuch. I didn't originally include them in my budget, and I splurged big time on our family Christmas pajamas (they came out to $60), but I can add them in & still come out $10 under budget!!! I'm gonna grab a few stocking stuffers & call it a day. I am very happy with what I did.

Don't let anyone bully you into believing that Christmas must make you go broke - or worse yet, use credit cards. *gasp* That is NOT what Christmas is about. Spend time with the people you love & make some amazing memories - that's what Christmas is all about.

A month later...

Still here, still chugging along. Barely (at the moment). We got hit with the end-of-year-everyone-is-closing-their-books-and-realized-you-owe-them-money crap. And taxes. Go figure. Merry Christmas to us. It's okay though. I'm going to try to buy ALL Christmas gifts for under $200 - I'm hoping $150 will do it, but we'll see. We have 3 kids to buy for - they're all getting coloring books. I think. Unless I can think of something else cheap yet adored by kids. Luke & I aren't doing gifts. I'm gonna go hit up the thrift & consignment stores for a bike or scooter for Kasen & I'll throw in a few other things that are priced right. We've got the 2 gifts for our family exchange also. That's it. I see no reason that I can't stick to my budget goal. The less I spend the better really 'cause I've also got to find Kasen some snow-appropriate boots, a coat, some gloves, & a hat for our trip to Utah in January. I really wish I hadn't bought those [non-refundable] airline tickets even if it was a HECK of a deal. We don't have the money we need to enjoy the trip, but we'll figure it out. I really need some sweaters & Luke & I both need a pair of shoes appropriate for snow, but we'll have to see if that happens or not. *sigh*

Anyway, that's where we stand right now. We're chugging along. I need to be better about posting here, I swear we did much better with things when I did.

Trying.

I'm feeling a bit discouraged. I know we've come a long way... but... I feel like there's still so far to go! There's no way we'll have this last stupid loan paid off when we planned to. I wish, wish, wish there were some way for me to make more money. I higher paying job, an extra job, anything. I don't feel like sacrificing sleep (and a clean house, clean laundry, etc) to make a little more than minimum wage for a few extra hours every night would be worth it. I wish someone would just hand me some money, no strings attached. That would be wonderful. But, it ain't gonna happen. I wish I could find some amazing job with good pay & the right hours, so I could add it to my life right now. I wish, I wish, I wish. I don't mind not blowing a lot of money on Christmas (although I REALLY want to get Kasen the cute wooden kids' table I saw at Costco... and a bike... or a scooter... and a big boy bed... see, nothing cheap on my wish list. sigh), but I do mind not having everything paid off as planned. I totally mind. We wanted this to be over at the end of the year. We're only 60% through the debt. That's not much more than half. :(

It's November. We've made almost made it to the end of the official year of The Year Without. In case you're wondering though, it won't be ending on December 31st, it will keep going until we're out of debt. Let's all hope that's sooner rather than later. For my sanity at least.

Woohoo!

Okay, a woohoo here should = NOT spending money... but...

We've been planning on taking a trip to Utah (if you've been following since day 1, you might remember that we were suppose to go this year, but put it off to follow the rules). Well, we decided we'd wait 'til we got this last loan paid off - in March. BUT, there is such an amazing deal right now, that we're gonna have to jump on it. All the major airlines are cutting their airfare if you'll fly during their dead times. Um, should I say dead when referring to a flight? Ick. Anyway... if we go in January, we can all 3 fly for under $600 (WITH taxes & fees), verses probably a little over $1000 if we go in March. Um, HELLO?, that's a big savings. So, we're going in January I think. We've got to get the kinks worked out tomorrow, since it's the last day to buy.

On to frugal news... We're doing well still, trucking along. I did buy a $9 bag of candy for Halloween night. I don't think it'd be fair to send my kid out & not repay the favor. -I did see a genius frugal idea today though. Send your kid out TorTing, and when they get back you hand out their candy. Doesn't cost you anything (but the costume) that way AND you save your kids' teeth. Is it awful that I feel like I'd seriously consider that??

Tomorrow my 1 year subscription runs out on the local mom board. That's gonna suck. I can still log on & such, but there are things I won't be able to see & I think I'll have to look at extra ads. Oh well, I knew going in that I wasn't gonna get to spend $20 on a renewal. The world will not end over it! (I think you have to be a member of something like this to understand how hard it is to do without. *sigh)

I can't believe Christmas is EIGHT weeks away! I have got to start saving some money & hitting the thrift stores for Kasen's gifts. And, if we're going to Utah, I guess I need find some snow-appropriate clothes for him too! I'm not sure I even know what snow-appropriate clothes are...

TWO freebies in one week!

Freebie # 1 was a Poken from The Green Wife. Hopefully they'll catch on 'cause they are a genius idea!

Freebie # 2 was walkie talkies from work. Score! They were literally going in the trash, since we got new ones that are supposed to be less finicky. So, I took some home to give us a means of communication between upstairs & downstairs or inside & outside. Kasen already loves them - bonus! ;)

Catching up.

Time slips by faster than I realize! We're doing great, staying on track!

I really wanted to borrow a costume for Kasen to wear for Halloween, but I wasn't having much luck with that, so I headed to a consignment shop where he picked out a Curious George costume. It was more than I wanted to spend ($8.99), but he didn't like the cheaper options I found & insisted on that one. Hopefully that means he'll wear it come Halloween... ;)

We did go out to eat (Pei Wei - yum!) on Saturday night, but it was within our rules, so nothing was broken there either. :) Right now I'm really wanting a 2nd (or even 3rd) loaf pan so I can make more than 1 loaf of bread at a time (actually, a bread machine would be most ideal, but I digress...). I'm thinking of hitting a thrift store to see what the have. Yet, at the same time I feel like that's somewhat frivolous since I already have a loaf pan that I can use. (See, I've gone crazy with frugality!)

I do want to find Kasen a (USED) bicycle for Christmas, I think that'd be at the top of his list. He also seems to really want a hoop-a-loop (ie holahoop - is that how you spell it), so perhaps those 2 things will be his gifts from Santa this year. Yes, I'm already thinking of Christmas. Come on though, you HAVE to think ahead when you're being frugal! I'm also thinking maybe our family gift exchange should have the requirement of being bought at a thrift store, wouldn't that make it more fun? :)

Anyway, that's about all that's going on money-wise in our house right now. We're still chiseling away at the debt. Unfortunately we had a hefty amount of money go to medical expenses last month, so that hurt us a little, but not horribly.

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.

Check out the ticker!

54% of our debt is gone! What a HUGE relief! Amazing! I am so excited. It seems like it has been forever, but at the same time, it's only been 7 months! Next month we will finish paying off college loan #1. That will leave us with just our last & final debt. We started out with 4 loans to repay & we're almost down to 1. Awesome!

Costco

Perhaps it was a breaking of the rules, but we got a Costco card this weekend. Why? Well, some of you may recall the Black Friday Fiasco of last year at WalMart. We vowed to not shop there after that (which is really hard when you live in a town that doesn't have much other than WalMart), but we still went to Sam's. Some. The last time I shopped there though I got a good dose of why I shouldn't shop there (refusal to price match what their website said was an in-store price!), so I was D.O.N.E.

A Costco membership is only $50 for a year (plus we got a $10 gift card for joining) & when I consider what we'll save on the few items we buy in bulk, it is a deal.

What else has been going on? Not much. We're not staying as on-track as we did the first 1/2 of the year, but we're getting there. We've thrown in a few exceptions to our original rules 'cause it really is stressful to live a year without. It's just not worth the complete stress. so by adding/bending a few rules we should be better able to cope.

Ticker has been updated! We're *this close* to being half way done!!!!

Crap.

I say I'm gonna get better about posting... then I forget.

So, let's see... Saturday, date night, we went out to dinner (& dessert), then we went & bought Luke a new pair of shoes. Well, 2 pairs. *sigh* Oh, and a soccer ball for Kasen, because he LOVES soccer, but has been improvising with a volleyball. He still had bday money, so we'll say that bought the ball. Luke's shoes though... well, everyone needs shoes, right?

That's about it for spending in the last few days. We're not as "on track" as we started, but we're still doing well. I don't go out & buy all kinds of crap at Target, Kohl's, or wherever else I feel like splurging. We don't eat out too often. We're learning to make do with a lot of things (take the "curtains" in our bedroom - they're black construction sheeting that I got for free at work... classy I tell you). We're hanging in there & hoping to hit our goals soon enough. -I still need to find out totals so I can update the ticker up there... Soon!

Nothing = good.

Nothing to report really. We're on track. There's a little unexpected blip on the radar, that may knock our plans off track a bit, but we'll still be okay. It will all still workout, it'll just take a little longer. Maybe.

I had lunch out this week once, which is okay per the rules.

Tomorrow night is date night for Luke & I, which is okay per the new rule I added.

Not much else really going on. Just paying bills, paying debts, & not spending. Yay!

Happy July 5th

I'm a day late on the wishes. Happy July 4th too, but that day has come & gone.

I bough groceries today. Back on the planning for 2 weeks of dinner boat. It does make shopping easier (and meal preparation). Tomorrow is Kasen's 2nd birthday. I'll spend money on donuts, then we'll go by the toy store so Kasen can spend his birthday money. The 3 of us will have dinner out, probably CFA so Kasen can play in their play area (unless I can think of a reason to go somewhere better... trust me, I'm trying!). That's what's up today & tomorrow. Exciting, huh?

Oh, as for me, (on an unrelated to finances note) I gave up dairy (for the most part) a few weeks ago. When I did that I decided maybe I'd eat meat occasionally, so I'd have some variety. Well, I've only eaten it a handful of times & chicken is NOT my friend. I thought I was fine with beef though - until I had some last night. We'll just say, I'm D.O.N.E. No more meat for me. Time to get creative with my food options now. I also heard about a doctor in Rockwall that I may have to go see. He sounds like what I've been trying to find, and he's close by - score! I'm suppose to go back to my DO in Sept to get my blood pressure pills refilled, so maybe I'll go see this guy instead. I keep pouring more & more money out to doctors, hoping one will have a solution that doesn't involve pills for the rest of my life, but I haven't been given a solution other than drugs yet. I'm still holding out hope, after all, I'm only 30!

Staying on track.

We're doing good still. We did Kasen's 2nd birthday pics (I made a trade with a wonderful friend), and we bribed him with ice cream/sno cones. When we left we had every intention of fulfilling that bribe by stopping at the sno cone stand (since it's on the way home). BUT, we decided to come home & give him one of the [free] popsicles I made. We done good. :)