Jodi's Blog

Now, maybe I was just in the dark all these years...or maybe there are a number of people out there who might not have thought of this. Whenever I took my car in for repairs, I just agreed to the total, sighed, and signed over my first-born. Last year, I was given a very high price to get my car in line for inspection - so high, that I told the repairman that I would need to check out a few things before authorizing the repairs. I started to call around to check out prices - lo and behold, within ten minutes the original mechanic called me back and took $70 off the repair bill. Just like that. He "said" he happened to call around and find a part cheaper, but I wonder if they quote to maximum just to see who will pay it before lowering their estimates.
So...inspection time again. I just got the call about when needs to be repaired (wiper blades, wheel cylinders, rotors) to the tune of $345. I had already told the guy that I would probably get the wipers myself, so when he called me with the total, he had discounted the wiper blades already ($45 to $22 for three - about as good as I can get in an auto parts store). I told him I would need to check around and get back to him before authorizing anything. I called another chain store just down the road and got a price quote of $30 less. I then called the first place back and (screwing up my courage because this is never easy!) asked them to match it. He said yes without hesitation (makes me wonder if I could have gotten away with more???). Anyway, I am happy because I am going to get out of an inspection for $300ish (not so bad - I do not take good care of my cars and, I admit, drive quite hard). And I saved myself $53 ($30 + $23 on the blades), just by asking. Never hurts to try

Well, I survived my first full week of camping. Actually, it was wonderful. I even entertained a brief thought of how wonderful it would be to leave the rat race for a cabin in the woods...but that delusion was apparently brought on by a lack of cleanliness, as a hot shower brought me back to reality
We spent about $220 on groceries getting ready for the trip (almost my monthly budget!), but we also brought home a ton of stuff (probably $50 worth), such as two jars of jam with only one serving gone, four boxes of nearly full cereal, etc, so it's not as bad as it sounds. Plus, we fed a crowd most nights (DH's family), as well as ate every little think that appealed to us for a week (chips, cookies, ice cream, cheese, etc - all stuff we normally do not even buy). Ugh. We both agreed that it was time to get back to the "South Beach" when we got home. I'm hesitant to step on the scale.
The only other money we spent was $8 on renting a rowboat ($5/hr) and paddleboat ($3/half hour). Dh spent about $50 to go golfing twice. So that's...$323 for the cabin, $170 for food, $58 on entertainment for a grand total of $551 for a week's vacation for four. I can live with that. This will definitely be an annual event for us.
We saved money by: gathering and sawing our own firewood (well, actually, we had DH's nephew do a lot of it!), staying in all nights for a campfire/game night (cards, Yahtzee, poker, Scattergories, and many, many others), and making use of the (free) playground and beach for the kids. The only outing we did all week was to take the kids to my MIL's school as she teaches pre-k and they have a blast playing in her room.
It was great!

A thought occurred to me today as I was playing with my youngest son (I don't want to make it sound like I rarely get thoughts - I just rarely remember to share them!). Anyway, I watched him complete a puzzle that he was unable to do by himself a few weeks ago. Each time I saw him struggle with the pieces, I would take the pieces from his hand to show him the right way to do it. But no matter how many times I did that, he still would try to put them in the wrong way each time. A few weeks pass...and now with this particular puzzle, he is getting the pieces in right, everytime, by himself. Trial and error, combined with a little guidance, and he's got it.
Rings true for finances, too. How many of us have been frustrated by watching family and friends make finanicial mistakes, and tried to give them advice? And how many of us have been ignored? If someone is not a point where they are ready to make a change, we can talk ourselves blue in the face - and nothing will change. However, by being there and leading by example, down the road that same person might compare their path to yours and decide to make that change.
For me, I decided to live below my means after college, when DH and I were living paycheck to paycheck. First, we decided to keep a $500 cushion. That grew to $2000. Now we have 6 months of expenses tucked away. Other people may not have decided to make the change until they were facing a mountain of credit card debt and were at rock bottom. Whenever the concious decision is made, it's nice to have the support of people here.
I guess all I am saying is that we can share our ideas and lead by example, but we can't help others change until they are ready (no matter how much we hate to stand by and watch!). Just like I can't force my son to get that piece in right until he sees how to do it for himself, no matter how much I try to help him

Let me try this picture thing again...

Hey! I think it worked! I wanted to post the picture I took last weekend. It happened as DH and I were getting ready to leave for my brother's wedding. My brother had borrowed the car seat, then brought it back and left it on the passenger side of my car (where I obviously couldn't see it!). I ran it over. But, oh no, I didn't break it. Instead, I wrapped it around the wheel. It got wedged into the wheel itself. It's hard to explain - I would love to share the picture. So, I had to go buy a new car seat today as, even though it didn't break, I don't dare use a damaged car seat for my son. $40 mistake.
DH and I spent $200 today getting ready for the camping trip. Granted, a large chunk of that was not for camping specifically. i.e. two packages of diapers, when only half a package (or less) will be used this week. Some of our purchases:
$40 car booster seat
$12 Pink Floyd pajama pants (DH needed a new pair for this week - loved the Pink Floyd ones!)
$21 two packages of diapers
$10 laundry detergent picked up for my SIL
$14 dog food
That's $97 there in non-grocery expenses. I'm sure there was a little more too. So we really only spent about $100 on groceries, which I can live with. The stuff we bought will last us long after this week. Plus we filled two large boxes of home-grown produce to take with us on the trip, so all of that is free food.
I think we are mostly packed and ready. I did get a call today from a client who wanted to look at a house, but couldn't do it today - so tomorrow I will have to show this house, 45 minutes away, while Dh packs the car and the kids. Ugh. But if it turns into a sale, it will definitely be worth it...to the tune of about $2k.
Have a great week, everyone! I know I will have a ton of catching up to do when I get back, but I will be looking forward to hear about everyone's successes, large and small, when I return

I have a lot of catching up to do, since I haven't really written an entry in a week. Here's the recap of the week:
The good -
-Tonight I will be making more muffins for the freezer with some past-ripe bananas. If I am really ambitious, I will use up some zucchini too.
-DH went shopping and since they were all out of the larger value pack of meat, he took two smaller sizes to the butcher and had them rewrap them with the lower price! I was so proud of him. He would have NEVER done that a year ago.
-I finished my brother and new-SIL's wedding gift in time (just barely) and they really seemed to love it. I wrote a poem giving them advice for their marriage, including to get out, have fun, and spend time together. For each stanza, I directed them to open an envelope with contained a gift card that related to the poem. I think they really enjoyed it and it will provide them with dates in the coming year, ending with a night out at the restaurant where they had their first date.
-I got my first commission check from the recent house sales and the other is waiting at the office for me. I have already paid down $1500 on the cc (Dh's tuition last semester) and will use the next check to pay it off.

Some bad-
-$132 spent on the tuxes for the wedding. I had forgotten to budget this, so it took a chunk out of the checking account. $35 spent to get my hair done too.
-In general, a lot of money spent over the weekend with all the festivities. Would I change any of it? Nope!
-$14 spent on chicken BBQ dinners tonight. My cousin and his girlfriend were performing at our local farmer's market. I typically would have eaten after we got back, but my parents wanted to eat there, so I agreed.

Back to normal life...until Saturday, when we leave for a week of camping! The cabin is already paid for, so all we will need to do is a big grocery shop for the week on Friday or Saturday.

Wow, what a week. It started last Thursday with a get-together. My future SIL (now my SIL!) had a little party for the members of her bridal party while the guys were having their bachelor party. Friday, we spent the day getting ready for the rehearsal dinner (held on our lawn). Then we went to rehearsal, came back and ate ourselves silly. The weeks spent baking cookies for the party were a complete waste as my brother hired an ICE CREAM TRUCK to come to the party - it was so cool! What a great idea. I shudder to think of how much it cost them. Anyway, our cookies were ignored, but I can't blame anyone. The ice cream was so good.
Saturday was the big day - my brother's wedding. We got our hair done, went to the ceremony, then partied away the night until the DJ stopped playing and the restaurant closed us down. What a blast!
Sunday was the family reunion. After, the newlyweds came over to open their gifts. Monday, we spent the day cleaning up, taking down the tent, returning the tuxes, etc. Yesterday, I went back to work.
Whew. What a blast. I haven't even had time to visit, much less post here. It's good to be back!

Some friends called us yesterday and wanted to get together tonight. We invited them over here since we have the pool They brought the meat and beer and we made the sides and dessert. It was a good time. I also sent them away with two bags of veggies (sweet corn, cukes, zucchini and squash, swiss chard, and beets). It was nice to be able to share the extra food we have. They are going to use some of it to make baby food for their daughter.
No money spent today. In fact, we never left the house. I do have to pay my mom for some groceries she picked up for us. I will add it to her monthly check for household expenses. Other than that, I have no immediate bills to pay and still have some money in the bank. Feels nice
Tomorrow I have to pick my car up from the shop. I took it in because it is out of freon again, after we filled it last year ($400 total for freon and recharge) and they assured it there were no leaks. Well, there is a leak somewhere, but they can't find it. They told me that they would look at it for free. I told them I was not going to pay to have it refilled until they found the leak. Anyway, they ended up putting more freon in. They want me to drive it for a week, then take it back in so they can hopefully see where the leak is. I really hope they do not try to charge me for the freon that they put in, as I told them I would not pay. They will have a fight on their hands if they do Sorry, just an inherent distrust of mechanics. I would just as soon live without AC in my car then pay $300-400 each summer. We can always drive DH's car. But I do have to pay for the oil change they did when I pick it up tomorrow, so that will be $15-20.
I also am going to pick up a few things for my brother's wedding gift. I looked over his registry, but everything seemed so impersonal (towels from your sister? Or maybe a toaster??). I wanted to get him something thoughtful. DH and I decided to get a variety of gift certificates to places they enjoy (restaurants, ice cream parlors, coffee shops, mini golf, etc). I have a picture holder that would display the cards nicely. It will be a gift they can really use throughout the coming year. I hope they like it. And the best part is that I can cash in some of my cashback bonus points to get them for free
So tomorrow will be a spendy day. But that's okay. It will probably be a spendy week, with the wedding on Saturday.

Real estate
-Look into joining women's professional organization in nearby town for networking opportunities -ACK! Still not done. Keeps slipping my mind.
-Make an effort to pick up one new client - DONE. I did connect with a couple who looked at one of my listings. I have been e-mailing them houses, so it might turn into a sale.

Money:
-Pay second summer semester's tuition without loans, using commission checks I should be receiving in June - DONE. Checks should be received next week and cc will be paid.
-Make an additional $200 through various means (garage sale, farmer's market, E-Bay, etc) - I only made about $130 through the farmer's market and garage sale. I ran out of steam towards the end of the month.

Health:
-Maintain 140 weight - DONE

Sorting/simplification goal:
-Find a good, used desk for cheap - DONE. DH got one for free from my brother.
-Continue my "5 minutes per night" rule for getting my bedroom/upstairs in order - Oh, I haven't been so good on this one. I only did this about half the time.

I think I'll relax a bit for August - no formal goals. I have my brother's wedding and family reunion next weekend, then we will be going camping for a week. Time to just relax

Goals for August:
Groceries: 275
Household/Cell: 340
Car: 250 - should be able to meet this as DH's school ends next week for the summer
Medical: 15
Clothes: 20
Loans: 300.36
Entertainment: 100
Gifts: 125 (one wedding, one graduation)
Miscellaneous: 200
Real estate: 0
School: 0
Investment: 0
Cash withdrawals: 100 with no fees
Total expenses: 1725.36
Total income: (three paycheck month!!) 1920
Wow, in the black again. I should be getting two commission checks for about $3600 total, but they will be used to pay the cc ($3500), which has last semester's tuition on it, so I am not even going to count that money.

Late again...I have not been so anxious to do this since I started using Yodlee and can see net worth at a glance...but it's important to see how close to the budget I am sticking.

Goals for July were:
1. Cut out quick trips to the grocery store. I only made two or three trips this month, down from four last month. Slight improvement.
2. Cut back on gas consumption too. I managed a monthly expenditure of $224 - lowest in a while. A lot of this came from driving DH's car whenever possible instead of my minivan (although I must admit it had more to do with my broken AC). I cut out a few smaller trips like garage saling, running to the store when I really didn't need anything, etc. It also helped that DH's Monday night classes were cancelled, saving 60 miles per week.
3. No more ATM fees! Almost achieved - we only had one cash withdrawal for the entire month ($60 compared to the normal $200-300), but it was when DH was out of town to see his grandfather in the hospital - he had to go where he could to get cash.

July budget:
Groceries: 275 -> 337.19 (I put on several parties this month - accounts for the extra money spent)
Household/Cell: 409 -> 192.47 (still owe mom $240)
Car: 300 -> 224.84 YEAH!
Medical: 15 -> 30 (two co-pays)
Clothes: 20 -> 0
Loans: 300.36 -> 285.01 (paid the minimum on car loan instead of adding a little like usual)
Entertainment: 75 -> 364.54 ($342 reimbursed to me for bachelorette party - included in monthly income)
Gifts: 200 -> 132.40
Miscellaneous: 150 -> 327.84 (I forgot to include my future SIL's shower expense in this estimate)
Real estate: 0 -> 0
School: 2886 -> 2912.44 (tuition and books)
Investment: 0 -> 0
Cash withdrawals -> 160 -> 62
Total expenses: 1904.36 without tuition, (4790.36 with) -> 1982.73 (4868.73)
Estimated take-home income: 1893 -> 2134.01 (counting garage sale and farmer's market income)

Not too bad...considering I thought this month would be a lot worse. The extra time on my paycheck really helped out.

Wow, four days without a post. I have been too caught up in the No Spend Challenge. Well, this was my first day off the challenge and I have already made an unecessary purchase - breakfast out at McDonald's. Shame on me. Tomorrow DH is going to take the boys for their haircuts and get one himself before my brother's wedding next weekend - I will meet him out on my lunch break to help keep the kids under control while he is under the razor. Then we might go out for lunch after, so altogether, it will probably cost us $40-50 (3 haircuts plus lunch).
Tonight I am paying off three bills (my mom for housing expenses, a medical co-pay, and car registration). I have also transferred $150 back into savings (had to take out $200 two weeks ago for the car payment). I will still have a good chunk of money left after all this as I got extra time in my paycheck ($250). Plus, August is a three paycheck month instead of two.
The closings on my two real estate transactions have been scheduled for Monday. We had a slight snag today, which seems to have been worked out. Barring no issues, I will have enough money by next week to pay off the cc, which has DH's tuition from last month on it. Plus we signed contracts for another deal - just a small land deal - so in about three more weeks, I should have another closing. I also received a referral from an old client about someone else who wants to sell a home in a very desirable neighborhood, so I will follow up on that lead tomorrow.
No plans for this weekend except a card match at my house...might have to pick up a few snacks and soda, but shouldn't have to spend much at all.

that's what I had to take when I looked at my net worth today. It had gone down by $10k (into the negative) and I almost had a heart attack. I saw the reason - my Roth IRA had a balance of $0 - and I nearly had a second heart attack. I scrambled onto the website to find an error message telling me my balance was unavailable...breathe. Ok, it must be a computer error. A few minutes later it had straightened out and I could look at my positive (though not by much) net worth again. Phew.
I've been so busy keeping up with the No Spend Challenge that I feel like I've been neglecting my blog! Everything with any financial ramifications over the past 3 days is written in that thread, so it would feel redundant of me to repeat it all here. But I will say that it is surprising how much the little things add up. I'm up to over $30 in savings already without even sacrificing.
Our sweet corn is ready - delicious. We had it for lunch and dinner, and will probably continue to do so for another few weeks. Tonight I made some awesome zucchini muffins - very moist and flavorful - from a recipe I got off recipezaar.com. I am really getting into this muffin thing, and once I get a few more batches under my belt, I want to start experimenting a little more. my muffins always used to come out bad, but the last few batches have been wonderful. I like the idea of popping them into the freezer. I always get the mid-morning munchies and it would be so nice to grab one on my way out the door to work to have for a snack.

and it times out to mean three paychecks for me! Happy dance, happy dance. Since I figure out the budget based on two paychecks, this means an extra $526 for the month.
The good money karma continues - I uncovered another dollar today while cleaning off my dresser. My money pile is growing as I am not spending

Plan to spend no money for a week, and the money will come to you I purposefully took no money out of the ATM to avoid temptations. Then I found $16 in one pair of pants and $10 in another. Good money karma!! Now I have to hide it for the week so I won't be tempted to stop at any garage sales.
No major plans for the weekend, except my broker's annual party for all the agents who work in her two offices. She holds it at her house and puts on a delicious feast - lobster and steak, clams, corn on the cob, soda and beer. All I have to bring is a dish to pass. I signed up to either bring a salad or dessert - either of which I can make with things on hand at the house. I shouldn't have to spend any money this weekend.
I did (hopefully) pull together the offer on the land - but it still needs to be signed and the seller is out of town until Sunday. Until then, we will have to hold our breath that no other offers come in. I also got a phone call today from a buyer who wants to look at another lot - so possibly another potential sale.
Still pulling buckets of veggies out of the garden - and never got around to making the pickles. Probably will do it tomorrow.

With a roll of his eyes, DH agreed to not spend any money this week. Actually, he has $7, so I told him he could spend that and no more. Myself, I have nothing, so no temptation there. I might have to pay for a few small things here and there (i.e. parking if I go to an appt. for work), but I should be pretty close to nothing for the week. My bills are all paid off, so I have $27 left in the checking account until next payday ($61 yesterday minus $34 at the grocery store today).
Our garden is starting to overwhelm us already. I have enough cukes for a jar of pickles, though I might wait until I get enough to make several jars before I make them. We have all the lettuce and swiss chard we can eat, not to mention the beans (I already froze three bagfuls). Tonight we had beets - I cooked two big ones with the greens, but we didn't even finish half of that. After a disappointing year last year, we decided to plant an entire row of beets this year - and I think it might be too many!
I opted not to go sell at the Farmer's Market, as the blackberries are nearly gone and the mosquitos are viciously guarding the ones that are left. It just would not have been worth my time. I'm still short about $80 on my goal to earn an extra $200 this month. Hmmm...already had the garage sale and posted some things on Craig's list - maybe I'll advertise in the paper (anyone want to buy rock records or an extensive Reader's Digest collection dating back to 1917??).
Tonight we are writing out the thank you notes for my son's birthday. We are very fortunate to have so many people who love our kids so dearly.

Ok, I've committed to the week. And in good timing too - only $61 left in the checking and a week until payday. I'd like to avoid hitting the savings account if possible. We had two expenses this week that nearly wiped out my last paycheck - $153 for the vet (had to get DH's dog neutered - non negotiable!) and DH's speeding ticket ($155). Wow does that man cost me money! But he's worth it
Tomorrow I have to take ds1 to get fitted for the tux he will be wearing in my brother's wedding next month - I believe DH paid for it already, so that won't cost us anything. I also want to stock up a little on groceries before the challenge begins for me on Thursday. Here's hoping the next week goes smoothly...I told DH about the challenge and asked if he would join me - he rolled his eyes and said he'd let me know. He just doesn't see the fun in the challenge like I do.

Today I was cutting some swiss chard for dinner and my three year old walked up to me to ask "Can I eat this?" I have a three year old who will eat ANYTHING fresh from the garden! Tomatoes, cukes, beans, peppers, and even plain lettuce. What a great way to encourage kids to eat their veggies - to let them help you in the garden and get to eat the results.
On a less positive note...DH's speeding ticket cost us $155 tonight. Gotta love those NY surcharges. He was caught going 60 in a 45, JUST past where the limit dropped from 55. What a bummer. I told him we have to readjust the budget now

on a piece of land for a buyer. We got a counter-offer and I am waiting for a response from my buyers as to whether they will accept it. Hopefully I will know more tomorrow...
Reading up on the gardening posts by flash and contrary...I LOVE my garden. This year we expanded it (again). We grow: zucchini and yellow squash, yellow and green beans, beets, spinach, mesclun mix lettuce, swiss chard, cabbage, cauliflower, tomatoes, three kinds of peppers, broccoli, and cukes. I also put in an herb garden this year, but there are no cost savings to me and I really have no preference for fresh over dried, so I won't be doing it again next year. We eat 1 or 2 things from the garden every day, and that will be up to 3-4 in another few weeks. The best part is no waste - I only take what I need for each meal. No yucky watery bags of lettuce in the back of the fridge, no mushy cucumbers. I can't say enough about how great gardening is. It's really not that much work, either (of course, my father plows it for us with his tractor...) - but we only weed about every two weeks and water it only during the hottest of days. I have even been thinking about rereading TG to see Amy's methods for extending the growing season. How nice it would be to have fresh veggies through the fall and even into winter! It's something I will have to look into.
Speaking of gardening...I have totally fallen in love with one of my kitchen gadgets - a salad spinner. I bought it at a garage sale a few years back for $1, then it sat on a shelf for all this time. This year, I finally got it out and started using the colander part to gather my greens. I take a pair of scissors out to the garden with me and cut the greens as I throw them into the colander (leaving the stems in the compost) - take them inside, give them a wash and spin, and they are ready to serve or cook. Last year, I would gather the greens, wash each leaf individually, cut it up, have to bring the stems and unusable parts back to the compost heap...this is SO much easier. Wish I had thought of it sooner.

Ok, has anyone gotten the rebate from Walgreens back yet (Kotex)? I called today to ask a question about whether proof of purchases were required (they aren't) and while I was on the phone I asked whether using a coupon for the product would affect the rebate (one of flash's posts made me think of this). The CSR I spoke with said that the after-coupon price of the Kotex had to be over $10, not the price before coupons. Meaning that if I want this rebate, I have to go purchase one more package before the end of the month ($3.50 x 3 = $10.50 -$3 in coupons is only $7.50). GRRRR... just wondering how everyone else read this and if anyone has been able to sneak around this requirement.
I am looking forward to a weekend with NO PLANS. I was so hyper-scheduled last weekend that no plans sounds wonderful.
I checked our car loan today - still owe $1450. I was a little disappointed - it seems like it should be going down faster, but we have only been able to pay slightly more than the minimum lately.
Oh yes - hopefully some good news. I got a call tonight about writing an offer on some land tomorrow. It won't be a lot, but it will be a quick cash closing, meaning some money in my pocket if our offer gets accepted. Keeping my fingers crossed! My other two deals are going well - all major obstacles crossed. We are looking to close both in the second week of August. That money is already spent on DH's tuition, though At least we didn't have to take out a loan with the higher rates now though.

I embarked on a flash-like crusade today to see what I could get for not much moolah - and thanks to mjrube for the tip about Walgreens rebates this month. I got $25.14 worth of stuff for $2.36 (okay, $2.75 if you count the stamp I need to mail in my rebate).
I want to post a picture but am somewhat impaired on posting pics...any help??

Here is what I bought:
2 cans of mandarin oranges, $.99 on sale for $.39 each with in-store coupon
5 boxes of Royal gelatin, $.69 on sale for $.20 each with in-store coupon
3 packages of Kotex, $3.49 each, $3 in coupons used, $10 rebate = -$2.53
1 bottle Sunsilk conditioner (not a brand I have ever used, but it's free!), $4.49, free after rebate
1 bottle children's shampoo off the clearance rack, $2.19 (impulse buy, but it was on my "needs" list)
Total spent: $17.30, but I should get $14.94 back
Yea!!!!

Ouch. This is getting depressing. Net worth is done $3000 today. The charge for DH's summer tuition came through on the credit card. I can't wait until I get that one paid off. Net worth is still positive by a few thou, but this is probably the lowest it has been since we got married. I just keep telling myself that it WILL get better when DH gets out of school and gets a job.
He did consolidate his other student loans - and they are no longer in deferment (he is still in school for 5 more months). I don't know if that happens when you consolidate them, or if they just don't know that he is still in school. He needs to call to find out before the first payment is due in September. If we can defer them without interest accruing, then we will do that. Otherwise, we'll just start paying them.
Saved money today by: not leaving the house. Normally I would have worked today and not Wednesday, but I have two meetings to attend on Wed. In the past I would have worked a shorter day today and still went in on Wed., but I decided (in line with my new goal of avoiding unnecessary trips) to take today off and work my full day on Wed. I love having a flexible schedule.
I also made baby wipes today instead of running to the store for them. This is something I have done on and off through two babies, but not consistently. They are a little more inconvenient to use since they are made out of paper towels and still perforated (not detached, like baby wipes), but it does allow me to use up my baby soap and oil that I otherwise have no use for (my sons both have sensitive skin, so I don't use the perfurmed soaps regularly).
I picked wild blackberries today, as well as green beans and lettuce from the garden.
And I ate leftovers. I hate to throw food away.
Making progress, little by little, even though it feels like we are going backwards.

I had a wonderful weekend...but I am SO glad it is over! Party #2 was my future SIL's bachelorette party. We booked a limo for a 6 hour wine tour. Turns out the cheapest limo is definitely NOT the best (duh), but we didn't figure it would be as bad as it was. I feel a little responsible since I did all the research and presented the options to the rest of the bridal party, but then again, I let everyone make the decision together on which agency to use. Anyway, we are in the midst of a 90+ degree heat wave for about a week now, and the limo's AC was broken. And the door fell off. Nearly. The chauffer opened the door to let us out and part of the door fell apart on the floor. I could not see her face, but the other girls told me that the chauffer looked like she wanted to die. The other ladies who paid for the trip "encouraged" me to ask for a partial refund based on the condition of the limo and the fact that they had guaranteed a temperature of 10 degrees less than outside. I wrote an e-mail this afternoon. I told them I would follow up with a letter if I did not hear from them, and if I still received no reply, I would send my letter to the BBB. I figured that would get their attention. Granted, the limo was cheaper by $100 than any other company, but we still should not have to sweat like pigs for six hours!!! We'll see if it goes anywhere.
Aside from the limo, we had a blast. It was a lot of fun. I only bought one bottle of wine, keeping the budget in mind (and the fact that I rarely drink). My meal after was only $10. I spent about $5 on the tour for tips and ice cream. I think my future SIL had a really nice time, so that was what is important
Party #3 was yesterday - 20+ people over for my son's third birthday. Most of DH's family came from Binghamton, which was really nice. Again, a beastly hot day. We had the AC on all day so people could escape from the heat. We took the crew to our pond where DH and my brother had built a platform and rope swing, as well as a floating raft. It was the first time some of those city folk had done anything like this - a ton of fun. We had way more food than we needed and are still eating it three meals later. And the best part - no huge obnoxious toys that my son won't play with. He got some clothes, pajamas, a lot of books (which he loves), and a few versatile toys that he will really enjoy. Not to mention a little cash that I plan to use to purchase a savings bond for him.
Whew. I'm glad it's all over though.

A success! I think all had a good time. There were 7 kids total with parents. We met at the playground and played. Then we had pizza, played some more, had cupcakes and ice cream, played some more, opened presents, and played. It was a great place to have it - I didn't have to plan anything at all to keep the kids busy. I did splurge and bought ice cream for everyone at the stand across the street - $23 for 14 ice creams. There was no way to bring any with us in this heat (90 degress plus). Stupid me forgot the lighter, so my poor little boy had to pretend to blow the candles out (doesn't anyone smoke anymore?? not that I'm complaining!). He took it rather well.
Pizza: $20 for 17
Ice cream: $23 for 14
Drinks: $.88 for a can of lemonade, also brought water and 2 bottles of soda for $2
Paper goods: Used from stockpile, cost was neglible
Candles: $.68
Balloons: $1.49
$48.05! I can live with that. It was a very good time.
Party #2 tomorrow: Bachelorette party. No expenses for that except dinner at a casual restaurant.

Time to write the antithesis of my upbeat post a few days ago about how we were finding sources of income to make up our shortfalls...now out shortfalls have crept back up on us to set us back again. But not for long...we'll lick these debts yet.
Dh just informed me tonight that he got a speeding ticket. Bummer. It happened right as he went from a 55 MPH zone to a 45 MPH zone - but he was still doing 60. He's going to write a letter to try to plead it down, but even if he gets it dropped to some other type of violation, it will still be probably $100 with the NYS surcharges.
And we just charged nearly $3000 on the credit card- DH's summer tuition. This should be paid of in early August when we get the commission checks. Sigh. I hate having money spent before I even receive it.
And I spent $97 (saved $36) at the grocery store today to get ready for the party-weekend. Tomorrow we have ds's friend party at the park, Sat. I have organized the bachelorette party for my future SIL (starting with a brunch at my house and snacks throughout the day), and Sunday we have EVERYONE (parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts) coming to the house for ds's family party. I spent a lot of money getting ready for this weekend. But I should be set for a while now...I hope.
I have one more week until next payday ($526). I still have $350 in the checking account and over $1000 in the savings (not counting EF), so life is still good, right?

Money making ventures:
I left home this morning without my blackberries, so I was not able to try to sell them at work - but my mom did take a few quarts to our neighbor, so I'm glad they went to good use. I'll pick more tomorrow.
I posted my Reader's Digest collection (issues from 1917 to present) on craigslist, along with some records DH wanted to get rid of. No bites yet...I have been waiting for E-bay to have a commission sale, but I haven't seen one in about two months now. We have all this stuff taking up space!
No other ideas thus far...hmmm...

Here is a pic of where the coin has been visiting...now it's off to NJ...
Ok, I am having trouble posting this pic - any advice? The process seems to have changed since the last time I did it. I remember posting a link, but now I browse to find the image, click "update entry" and nothing happens...? I must be missing something.
...I just reread the instructions for uploading - it says I will be given a tag, but I am not getting one??

Three? How did that happen? He was just turning two yesterday...
We have planned a family party (Sunday) and a friend party (Friday). The friend party will be at a local playground with his cousin, three kids from his preschool class, and one other little boy we know. Very low-key. He has asked for red balloons, so those will be the decorations. I am going to pick up a sheet pizza before the party, make a homemade cake, and walk to the ice cream store across from the park to get baby-size dishes of ice cream for the kids to eat with their cake. So far I have spent $.68 for candles (we will use these for multiple parties over the next year), $1.47 for balloons, and $1.50 for favors per child ($1 coloring book, $.10 crayons, and $.40 Play-Doh). I will make the cake from scratch, so that will cost next to nothing. I figure $1 per child for ice cream and maybe $25 for the pizza. I guess that's a pretty cheap party, seeing as how we would probably have pizza at home anyway to celebrate.
The family party will be a cook-out at home - no special decorations, games, favors, etc. Just a day to surround my little boy with the people who care about him
We spent $109 total at Wal-Mart tonight This included the favors, supplies, and his gifts (a bike, art supplies), along with about $30 in school supplies for DH, $10 in diapers, and $5 for dinner. I'm pleased that we were able to get him some nice gifts for less than $60. His bike was on clearance, marked $30 down from $60. We spent another $8 to get the training wheels. We bought some cheap art supplies (markers and paints), and I got a set of construction truck puzzles a month ago from Books Are Fun for $12. I think that's pretty reasonable. He will be getting a ton of stuff from relatives, but I have been asked a few times what he needs, so he might get some clothes too (yeah!). My parents already bought him a life jacket, which I am really happy about because we like to do a lot of water activities.
I'm looking forward to this weekend - it's going to be fun!

It rained. It poured. It rained some more. I think we ended up with 3-4 inches here in central NY. So, no, I did not even bother to go to the Farmer's Market today. I would have been drenched, and I doubt anyone even come out to buy anything in this deluge.
I did bake up the two batches of cookies I mixed up last night - into the freezer they go, to be saved for my brother's rehearsal dinner next month. I have to say, I was disappointed in the texture of them. I don't know if it was because they were still cold when I baked them, or a result of sitting overnight before baking...but they were different - and not as good.
I did sneak out between the rain and picked four more quarts of blackberries. These are some of the biggest berries I have ever seen growing wild. Enormous! I'll take a few quarts in to work tomorrow to leave in the break room. If I sell two, well then, that's $10 in my pocket! The last quart I am taking to my neighbor, as she always shares her strawberries with us - and lately, raspberries too.

I got a head start on the baking for tomorrow's market - two batches of cookies all mixed up in the fridge to be baked tomorrow. In the morning I plan to head out to pick blackberries before it gets too hot. And then I will just have to make 2 or 3 more baked goods and I'll be ready to go. I hope this week goes as well (or better!) than last. I'll post tomorrow on the outcome.

Just a quick record of what we have harvested from the garden so far:
beet greens (x3)
spinach (x1)
swiss chard (x1)
lettuce, mesclun mix (x2)
basil, rosemary, and oregano (haven't used thyme or chives yet)

This is the first year that we have done the mesclun mix and I absolutely LOVE running to the garden to cut fresh salad. And it is so abundant, we probably could have it every night if we wanted. The best part? My brother gave us his leftover seeds, so it is completely free. And this is the stuff I pay $5.99/lb. for in the winter.
The beets we don't usually eat this early, but I planted way too many. We have been eating the greens as we thinned them. I think we have them thinned to a reasonable degree now, so we will wait a little bit until the beets are bigger before picking.
We have peppers to be ready soon, and many green tomatoes. I saw a teeny tiny cucumber today, so those will be exploding in a week or two, as will our teeny tiny green and yellow beans.
Broccoli and squash are still quite far off...broccoli was planted very late, and squash just seems to be taking its sweet ol' time.
Oh, how I love it. Life is fresh!

Real estate:
-Send letters to past clients with new contact information - DONE
-Look into joining women's professional organization in nearby town for networking opportunities - not yet done

Money:
-Pay DH's tuition without loans - DONE
-Pay off all credit cards accounts (3 with small balances) - I paid off all my balances, but had to run one back up for DH's tuition. This will be paid off by the end of the grace period (only $250 left)

Health:
-Maintain 140 weight - DONE
-Get back on track with eating right - this has gotten better. I have been gorging myself on all the wonderful fresh fruit that ripens in summer!

Sorting/simplification goal:
-Get rid off all unnecessary paperwork that is floating around - DONE
-Find a good, used desk for cheap. DH needs it for schoolwork, I could use it for organization - still looking
-Continue my "5 minutes per night" rule for getting my bedroom/upstairs in order - I need to be back on track with this one.

Goals for July
Real estate
-Look into joining women's professional organization in nearby town for networking opportunities
-Make an effort to pick up one new client

Money:
-Pay second summer semester's tuition without loans, using commission checks I should be receiving in June
-Make an additional $200 through various means (garage sale, farmer's market, E-Bay, etc).

Health:
-Maintain 140 weight

Sorting/simplification goal:
-Find a good, used desk for cheap
-Continue my "5 minutes per night" rule for getting my bedroom/upstairs in order
No big sorting tasks for this month - I'll be concentrating on making more money instead.