Glitches in this blog - moving HERE

http://balancingourblessings.blogspot.com/

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Turned upside down, shaken and sifted once again.

Life has been a bit crazy around here.  Lots going on that created several directional shifts.  The brain has been in over-drive mode, so nothing has been dumping into the blog.  That's about to change.  I have some crazy challenges going on (some self imposed and others directed by necessity) and I need a place to track things.  So, here's a quick recap of things already on-going and a glimpse into what's coming.

 Balancing Our Blessings:  This is something I started years ago.  The beginning focus was on finances, but it has branched out into other areas (health and home) over the years.  Below are some goals and challenges currently going on.  Right now, the 1st 5 steps of Balancing Our Blessings (finances) are available on a separate page, should you need a jump start on cleaning up your financial yard.
     1.  Gifts on the Sly (part of finances):  This is a challenge I set for myself back in November.  All 2012 birthday gifts are to be purchased "on the sly."  I removed the "birthday gift" category from my monthly spending plan, so this category is now funded by spare change and free gift cards.
*Similar area of interest:  Free (or nearly there).  These posts have ideas of inexpensive creative gift giving.
     2.  Finances (no nifty name at this point):  The overall goal in this area is to have a balanced spending plan, a fully funded emergency account, a balance only on the mortgage and money going into long term savings on a regular basis.  I made 2 challenges specifically to this birth year.
          a.  reduce my monthly expenses to 75% of my income
          b.  fund my home remodeling account with at least 50% of the current estimates to complete
Other areas:  Free (or nearly there).  These posts will have ideas of creative gift giving.
     3.  Health (no nifty name at this point):  The overall goal in this area is to feel better, eat healthier and be able to enjoy more of life.  There have been several health challenges in my family lately, so there will be posts about digestive health, heart health, wheat sensitivities, unhealthy additives, recipes and general well being and fitness.  I made 1 overall challenge specifically to this birth year - lose 16 pounds.
     4.  Home (Mindful Living):  The overall goal in this area is to simplify home and life in general.  Reducing waste and toxins in all areas and returning to a better way of life.

The new addition will be:  My 2cents of Wisdom.  You'll just have to watch for these and see what it's about.  

So, there is my recap in a nutshell.  This is mainly to help me track things in my crazy world, but is being shared at the request of a few.  Perhaps you will find something useful when you drop in.  If so, feel free to share with others and/or drop me a note to let me know!

The problem with no plan

I had a plan for yesterday - had the day all mapped out - what was going to get done and when.  Then I woke with a headache.  It had a plan as well!  So, we compromised.  I would still get stuff accomplished today, but would shift what that "stuff" was.  Instead of going out to hand wash the car, I'd clean out the freezer, fridge and pantry.

Sounded fair enough.

I started in the freezer.  When I was done, only 12 things remained.  I tossed a bag of unidentifiable freezer burned items, as well as many partially used items with expiration dates more than 6 months old.  Now, I went into this "clean out" project expecting to find maybe one or two things that needed to be used up soon or tossed.  Um, this was an eye opener.

Back to a better plan to spend less and waste less!

Challenge: 26 new recipes - 1/26 baked oatmeal breakfast muffins

Below is what I made last night.  I used 3/4 cup honey instead of the Stevia and lactose free milk.  I didn't top any of them (it was late and I tossed them all in the fridge/freezer).  I didn't fill the cups enough the first time around, so the first dozen muffins are a bit small.  The next dozen I filled about 3/4 full, which seemed to work just fine.  


Verdict - tasty (even with no toppings) and super easy!

Baked Oatmeal Muffins

Confession

The past few days, I've been paying attention to what I haven't been paying attention to.  I must admit to becoming VERY LAZY over the past few months :(  If I were to show my check register, you would see my recent dedication to helping the fast food/restaurant industry stay afloat in this sluggish economy!  You would also see I've done my part to line the pockets of the gasoline giants and the electric industry.  The local refuse/recycle collectors are either thankful for my help in keeping them busy OR pissed at me for my sudden lack of consideration for the environment.  


This is not who I typically am - just who I've become while dealing with all of the pebbles, thorns, logs and frogs that life has thrown in my path lately.  This upsets me as I have allowed my money to seep every which way accept for the direction I wished it to go.  


This has set me back on my home remodeling.  


This can go on no longer.


Today, I woke and paid attention to undo what has been done lately.  I did not waste electricity.  Errands were done on the way home from the office.  I fed myself breakfast at home, brought lunch to work and made dinner at home.  


What can improve on that?  Well, I used disposable items at lunch.  I can fix that!  On this weekend's shopping list is a stop at the local Salvation Army store to pick up a plate, cereal/soup bowl, cup and set of utensils to keep at the office.  

Year 44 Goals - Getting Started

It's always good to know your starting point, right?  Well, here goes.


Health - AGH!  A few weeks ago, I had expected to only have 10 pounds left to lose in year 44.  Since I had to up that amount to 16, that pretty much sums it up.


Finances - I just finished setting up May's budget.  IF I can stick to it, I will be living off of 91% of my income - shifting 9% into the home remodeling savings account.


Home - The home remodeling savings account currently has 9% of the goal amount.  (9% must be my lucky number right now.)  If I stick with only the above 9% monthly contribution, I will fall short of my goal.


Personal Growth - Well, I have my crochet hook.  I've also tentatively registered for 2 classes this summer.  Right now (since I'm talking starting point), I spend almost zero time on my crafting and almost zero time exploring the world around me.  I find any excuse to get out of cooking and I have been seriously slacking in the waste reduction area.


So, as you can see, I have LOTS of work to do.  However, challenges keep one busy, right?  I can use busy right now.


Because I tend to rebel against myself, I am setting no specific mini goals for the upcoming week.  I'm simply going to attempt to be more aware.

Year 44 - Here I come with new goals!

It's that time of year again.  Well, a few days early, but ~ 


I've thought about it and decided the time was right to have some aggressive goals. Here's what I'll be focusing on for the next year.


Health

• Drop 16 pounds - This will put me 9 pounds under the maximum healthy weight for my height.

Finance

• Reduce monthly expenses to 75% of my current income. 

Home

This area is a bit difficult to set/monitor since lots of things depend on the schedule of someone else, so I've set more of a financial part to the project.

• Fund 1/2 of the home remodeling account (with current estimates).  If I posted how much this would mean, it could make someone choke.  (It will take more than the above financial goal to meet this one - *sigh*)

Personal growth/other

There are many items on this plate and many need a bit of research to determine if they can be taken on.  So, this one will be broken down into monthly tasks/goals to see which one(s) filter through to "doable."  


For now, here's what has made it through the filter:

• run a 5k - Not an easy task at my age after 2 heart surgeries, but I think I can do it.
• spend time on my crafty projects
• spend time exploring the world around me
• learn to crochet
• continue working towards my degree
• take a dance class
• continue decreasing household waste

Someone may have to stay on my rear to move forward on all of this, but...here goes!

Oh, and yes, I still have the "Gifts on the Sly" project going for 2012 and I'll still be working on the new recipes as well...first one coming up soon!

Challenge: 26 new recipes over 52 weeks (or less) - Introduction

This is the first of many challenges I am presenting to myself.  I am not the best cook and my kitchen is not ideal, so this will be a learning experience for me.  There are only a few requirements:

1.  It must be wheat-free.
2.  It must be quick to prepare. I have no tolerance for spending hours preparing something that will be devoured in minutes.  I'm thinking definitely less than an hour prep time.
3.  It must be easy.  That means the ingredients must be easily identifiable, easily located and require no "special" skills or equipment.
4.  It must not "break the bank."  While I haven't exactly set a limit, The goal is to find things I can then recommend to my daughter, who is on a budget.

While I am hopeful I will find (and try) 26 new recipes in a much shorter time, I am a realist.  I know I sidetrack myself, trip myself up and sometimes simply don't feel like doing something, so I am aiming for 1 new recipe every pay period.  Let's see how it goes.

*all related posts will be titled as "Challenge: 26 new recipes..." and labeled as "recipes"

Back in the saddle

I've been offline for a bit - had my daughter and grandsons up for a visit.  It was a bit frustrating since one of my big dogs is temporarily residing in my house and my youngest grandson is allergic to dogs.  Just a reminder of how much I have yet to get done with my house and yard!

Of course, while they were here, it was a "whatever you want" kind of time.  Out came the credit card that was just paid off - lol!  Oh well, checking that damage will wait for another day.

Today has been about reflection and regaining some balance and direction.

************************
A bit of reflection:

Health - We ate crappy, CRAPPY this past week!  I'm talking McDonald's, Sonic, donuts, awful zoo food, Wendy's, Chinese take out, etc.  While I may not have gained any weight, I feel awful today and it sure didn't do any good for my supposed to be wheat-free son.

Home - I have seriously been slacking on remodeling projects.  Though my 'helper' hasn't been available much lately, there is MUCH I can do on my own and simply haven't got off my lazy rear to do any of it.

Finances - Ha!  It has been a free-for-all spending session lately.  Unfortunately, I don't have much to show for it.

Personal Growth/Bucket List - Well, let's just say the list is still intact.
**********************
Now that I know where I am at, I can again start on a plan of action to move forward!  Stay tuned in - I believe I feel some awesome challenges and goals coming up.

Swamp Land

Ever get the feeling no matter what you do you just end up walking in circles?  Well, it's been one of those times for me lately.  Lots going on - a good amount out of my control - and no matter what I do, it seems I get nowhere fast!  It's days (weeks, months) like these that I fall back on my "SIMPLIFYINGMYLIFE" approach.  I seek out that one little thing that I CAN do something about.  Some days that means something as small as washing the dishes - sometimes it is something simple like dropping off a box of unwanted items at the local Salvation Army store.


The past few months have brought me to many "forks in the road."  Unfortunately, the paths before me have been covered in leaves, mud - hidden behind sheets of rain...you get the idea. It's like the paths are before me, but I've been kept in the "swamp land" and can't quite reach even the point of choosing which path I will take.  For much, I am still waiting on more information to be revealed, and that path will likely be chosen for me.


This place can become quite frustrating - especially when lasting longer than I feel it should!  However, I am slowly learning that struggling against it simply causes more frustration.  Instead, I am finding small measures of peace by accepting where I am at and taking time to clean up some of where I am, while waiting for the opportunity to move forward...even if just a bit...to see what lies ahead on any one of the roads before me.


Only time will tell which road must be taken, but until then...I do what I can, where I am at.

My 2cents - Navigating the murky waters of life

A while back (on my Facebook account) I started posting almost daily 'My 2cents of wisdom.'  I got side-tracked for a while, but had one for today.

Been awhile, but here's a few cents of wisdom for tonight.  Sometimes life throws things at you from so many directions, that you really don't even know where the roads are before you, as they all seem to be covered in leaves, dirt, mud, water, snow or ice.  Sometimes none of the roads - as they appear - seem appealing.  Sometimes one would rather choose a road not even on the horizon.  However, that one not being an option, one needs to pull back into reality and focus on what can be done right at the moment.  Then, sometimes ever so slowly, the weather will change just enough to reveal the roads laid out before you.  As that happens, you will then be ready (or at least more prepared) to step forward and tackle what may lay ahead on that path.

And the last one bites the dust!

I am SO excited!  Due to an unexpected bonus, my last credit card is paid in full!  This is WAY ahead of schedule and puts me back in the position - financially - to start school again this summer.  


Of course, there are still other issues on the table, so no final decision on that as of yet.


But for now, I'm celebrating being debt free - minus some medical bills and this crazy old house!

Progress!

17 days into the month, I am happy to report I paid off my smallest credit card!  I had expected this to take until at least mid-March, so I was a bit excited.  I was able to cut the additional $67 necessary in just the first 1/2 of February!  


Actually, I shaved that much - plus a few dollars more.  Those few dollars were immediately sent to the other credit card company, and now I am moving towards the next marker.


Area:  Finances
Marker #3: Pay off credit card #2 


Now, with the amount I originally had in the spending plan for credit cards, this would take 9 months - meaning it wouldn't be paid off until November.  If I can sustain the amount that I ended up paying in February, I could have it paid in 5.5 months - meaning mid-July.  However, I know of at least one utility bill I still need to make adjustments to.  If that change saves what I am expecting it to, it would mean paying it off in 4.5 months.  That puts us at mid-June - still too late to start back to school this summer.  


So, my goal is to find the money in the spending plan to pay this off even earlier.  Let's see how it goes.

Day 6 Focus on Health

Whew - I've made it to the final day of my lifting/driving restrictions!  Now it's time to focus on regaining my health.  Though this area is somewhat easy to mark progress in at times, it is also hard to define in a long term range - I mean, the ultimate goal is to 'be healthy.'  


I believe I'll just use the same format as I am using with the finance area for now.  My current goal in this area is to be within my 'healthy weight' range.   I have other goals that I want to achieve in this area - walk 'x' amount, lift 'x' amount, etc., but I guess I'll use those as markers along the way, or perhaps I'll use those as future goals.  Either way, it will all lead to a more healthy weight.  


I'm not sure yet how I want this to look before I return to taking classes.  However, I know it must start NOW.  


Thanks to the contrast running through my system from the testing, it was important to already get going with the first project.


Area:  Health
Project:  Hydrate (ongoing)


A day of no water will leave anyone a bit dehydrated.  Though I was hooked up to an IV for a few hours before discharge, I only finished about 1/2 the bag.  So it has been important to stay hydrated since discharge.  


Now that I can move a bit easier, I can start a physical project.


Area:  Health
Project #1:  Physical activity - walking
Period of time:  10 minutes/day - 3 days


This will get me to my re-check with my electrophysiologist.  Once he clears me, I can start increasing.


In the morning, I'll step on the dreaded scale and take some measurements - not my idea of fun.  Once I have my starting point, I can set my first marker.

Want vs. Need

Some people have a really hard time with this one - myself included.  When one has 'extra' money, it can become even more difficult to avoid mixing the two.  Here's my 'in the moment' example:


I've been slowly remodeling my house.  Most recently, I started the project of the large living area.  Now, I have a set amount going into the project account every month, but the balance is currently fairly low.


A big test popped up over the weekend.  I opened my newspaper to grab the coupon inserts and circulars.  I don't always look at all the circulars - I mean, why look at Office Depot if I need no supplies, right?  Well, I glanced through and saw the Conn's circular.  On the front page was a 43" flat screen TV - exactly the size I've been watching for for this room.  I've been watching the prices for the past few months, and this is a good deal.  It's an anniversary special, so the price is only good this week.  I wanted to run out and grab it!  Of course, I'm on driving restrictions, so it gave me time to think about it.  


It is the right TV and the right price.  However, I don't have enough in my remodeling account to cover it.  I'm close...really close, and could probably squeeze the extra amount needed out of this month's budget...if it were a NEED.


Now, I'll admit I might lean a little more towards grabbing this new TV if my old one wasn't working, or if it was the last thing needed to complete the project.  However, I currently have a working TV in this room and there's still a fair amount of work to be done on the project.  I might also lean more towards grabbing this IF my credit cards were paid off, but they're not.


So, as much as I hate passing up the $200+ savings, I will - with the hopes one will again go on sale for this amount when I am ready to make the purchase.  Now that I know one can be found for this amount, I will be much less likely to pay more for one when the time comes - I hope.

Day 5 - Focus on Finances - Marker #1 DONE! Marker #2 set

Out of the areas I'll be focusing on, finances will likely be the easiest area to mark progress in. My current goal in this area is to be debt free except for my mortgage...again!  I did this a few years ago, but now have small amounts on my credit cards and, of course, now a good amount of medical bills.  I'm still praying about this, but I believe my 'return to school' marker in this area will be for my credit cards to be paid off.  That is a bit hard for me to swallow as I really 'want' to return to school for the summer semester.  Want...not need.


My Unexpected Emergency Fund had already been funded with an amount equal to one yearly medical deductible.  Though my recent hospital stay was unexpected, I did not have to pay anything up front, so those bills will be worked into my monthly spending plan as they come in.  


With that already taken care of, my attention turned to my February Spending Plan.  I decided that would be my first financial marker for my new focus.


Area:  Finances
Marker #1:  Balanced spending plan for February - to include minimum payments to all verified medical bills and credit cards, as well as amounts designated for incidentals accounts - car maintenance, vet expenses, clothing needs, doctor visits, etc.


After a good amount of time and thought, it has been finalized.  All areas that I could think of have been at least noted on the plan - including the unexpected additional doctor appointments.  Minimum payments have been scheduled for all verified medical bills, as well as one of my two credit cards, and an extra amount has been allocated to my other credit card - the one with the lowest balance.  That leads to my second marker:


Area:  Finances
Marker #2:  Pay off credit card #1


Thankfully, this credit card has a pretty low balance.  Reviewing the account today, I realized I only need to squeeze an additional $67 out of February's spending plan to meet this marker by the end of the month.  

Putting my redirection into action

Day 5 - I knew I had to take some quick action to solidify my decision.  Emails have been sent to my professors to let them know I will be officially withdrawing as soon as I can drive up to the campus as required.  


Until further notice, outside of work, 100% of my attention and energy will be devoted to transforming things in my life from "chaos to clarity."  Focus will be on all that I already have going on - health, home, finances and a few other odds and ends.  While I'll be taking the next few days to contemplate exactly what this will cover, how best to proceed and how I will measure progress, I do know one thing:


If I can do this - having just got out of the hospital with heart issues - YOU can do it!  Is there a decision or course of action you've been needing to take?  Now is a good time.  

The beginning of redirection

February 1st involved blood work, a CT scan with contrast and an intrusive groin entry into my femoral artery and up into my heart.  It involved another reality check.  Thankfully, it also involved me sleeping in my own house again - well, at least resting.


Many things went through my mind over that 24 hour period between the event leading to the ER and the trip back home.  I was concerned about my daughter worrying, my son being at home by himself, items I still needed to take care of, work and school.  My concern of work was extremely short - a  simple text message and that was taken care of.  I knew I had, and would, miss some deadlines for the classes I had just begun.  I knew my will needed updated, my paperwork was a mess, my finances still needed some tweaking.  I was still on a quest to get my son's health back on track, school back on track and still needed to teach him to drive. I still had a house to finish simplifying, organizing and remodeling.  Obviously, I still had my health to tend to as well.


I left the hospital knowing what I needed to do.  First night home and rest was the only thing on the agenda.  The next morning I woke with that direction still on my mind.  Of course, I couldn't do much yet.  The focus for day 2 was hydration.  Having all of that contrast put in my system, it was important to hydrate and clean it through my kidneys.  Day 3 found me questioning the redirection.  I shot off a few emails to determine my status in my classes - sure I could handle 'it all' if I hadn't missed too many deadlines.  Hydration was still the main focus, with a little bit more movement.  Day 4 brought responses.  I was okay in both classes as long as I met the upcoming deadlines.  That meant it was going to be a busy weekend.  I can handle busy, I thought.  I'm good at busy.


But wait.  I was still feeling quite sluggish and still had other things that needed my attention. Being a pay day weekend, I needed to tend to my finances, I needed to follow up on some new things going on with my son's health.  I still needed to update my will and still had much to do around the house.  


The war of the good shoulder angel and the bad shoulder angel had begun.  The bad shoulder angel told me I could 'cover it all' as I had before.  The good shoulder angel reminded me that by trying that route, things were slipping.  Let me tell you how close the bad angel came to winning.  I just knew I could pull it all together.  


However, I was smart enough to step back and think about what I would advise someone else to do in this situation.  


Day 4 ended with me deciding to stand firm on my initial gut instinct on how to proceed.  I slept better.  Not well, but better.

A scare with a message

Early last week, I had a scare and ended up in the ER.  


Nutshell version:  Due to certain elevations in my blood work, I had to be admitted for further testing.  After a contrast CT scan to look for blood clots in the lungs, and what they now call a left heart catheterization to check for any heart damage came back clear, I was discharged.


Due to my prior heart issues with vtach, I will have to go on an event monitor for a month and have several check ups with my electrophysiologist and cardiologist over the next few months.  Other than that, the intrusive procedure left me with restrictions including 5 days of no lifting more than a gallon of milk and no driving.


The short return to the hospital brought a bit of redirection.  


Sitting in that hospital bed - not knowing what was about to be discovered - I realized I had added certain 'wants' to my plate, while allowing certain 'needs' to slip.

My focus had become too scattered.  


God works in mysterious ways and I've tried to become a better listener.


In a way, February 1, 2012 became the first day of the rest of my life - redirected.  My test results were clear and I was released from the hospital to get back to the daily routine of living...again.

Plastic Shopping Bags

Yesterday's trip to the store resulted in many plastic bags.  I had left my reusable bags in the car.  As I unpacked the groceries, I again thought about ways I could reuse the bags.  I must admit I only have about 4 ways I currently reuse these annoying things.

• liner for bathroom trash containers
• pick up bags for doggie droppings when walking
• bagging up items for donation (when boxes aren't readily available or amounts are too small)
• trash bag for car

In all of these ways, the bags will likely end up in the landfill.  Today, I've decided it would have been better to walk back out to the car to get my reusable bags.  Reviewing the above list, it really doesn't make a lot of sense to line the bathroom trash container.  99.9% of what goes in there is dry materials.  Those can easily be dumped and the container wiped down as needed.  It also doesn't make much sense to dispose of car trash in one when I can simply pay more attention and throw the trash in receptacles along my way (or simply quit bringing trash items into my car!).  So, I have decided to only keep some on hand for the doggie walks and small donations.  All the rest will be taken back to the store for recycling.  

Reusable shopping bags saves money (some retailers give a credit for every reusable bag used), clutter and unnecessary items going into the landfill.

Gifts on the Sly - This is almost too easy!

I just did the calculations.  With what this account of 'found money' is to cover - birthdays this year for my son, my daughter, my son-in-law and my 5 grandsons, and the budgets I have set for them this year - $100 for my son still at home, $50 each for my daughter and son-in-law, and $25 for each grandson - I only need to 'find' another $115.57 to fully fund this account - and it is only January!

Maybe it can be done...

Early during last pay period, I unexpectedly decided to pick up a second class this semester.  Since I emptied my Incidentals account in my Emergency Savings account at the end of the year, I had to absorb those fees into my regular budget or take money out of savings.  I refused to do the latter, as it wasn't what I defined as an emergency.  So, I decided to pay a bit more attention on my spending.  


Last week, I had a 'day of finances.'  I reviewed about 1/2 of my spending lines for unnecessary spending.  Since I do this about once a year, I wasn't expecting much.  However, one item was cut in half.  Not a huge savings - just under $9 a month, but why pay that $9 to someone else when I can do much more with it?  


Yesterday was pay day.  That meant it was time to review what was spent during the last pay period, shift money as needed and finalize this pay period's spending plan.  I knew I had been fairly careful, but I surprised even myself! 


Not only was I able to absorb the class expenses, but I was also able to put the allotted amounts into my Incidentals account AND pay almost $100 extra towards my credit card pay off!


Yep, I was excited!  I might actually be able to cut that 5.5 years (expected length of time to save for and finish remodeling this house) way down!


Today, in between reading 33 pages for one of my classes, I'll be working on reviewing the other 1/2 of my expenses.  Wonder what I'll find there...

Wheat FREE - Moving on along!

Just about a week and a half into the wheat free again thing and things are going well.  We aren't 100% wheat free yet - more like 80%, but I'll take that!  One night, my son really wanted Chinese.  Sesame Chicken, to be exact.  My guess is the breading on the chicken was wheat based.  Then, last night, he really wanted Wataburger.  I could have said NO either, or both times, but I've learned from the last attempts at suddenly pulling him 100% wheat free.  I have found it best to allow 'cheat days' every now and then.  It helps him realize how much and how often he can have something with processed wheat in it and how it makes him feel.  


A bonus to the change - I actually spent LESS on food!


Now, if only we can get his sleep schedule back on track!

Forget about it chicken - can't get much easier than this!

I'm thinking the crock pot (seldom used before) just may become my new best kitchen friend!  I've made this twice now - each a little bit differently - and each time it turned out a hit in my house.  I found it extremely easy and my son found it very tasty.


Here you go:


1 crock pot
1 whole chicken
various seasonings or veggies
-one time I filled the cavity with chopped carrots and celery and topped with a bit of minced garlic
-one time I filled the cavity with chopped onion, carrots and celery
no water or anything needed


Empty the cavity of the chicken.  Season as desired.  Cook on low over night or all day (about 10 hours).  The chicken will pretty much fall off the bones!


The possible uses for this are only as endless as your imagination.

Wheat FREE - working on day 5!

Well, the son survived a stay at a friend's house still wheat free!  Having cooked 2 whole chickens yesterday, tonight is as 'simple' as throwing together a side or two.  


He's feeling better and my clothes are already fitting better.  This will be a win-win...provided I can keep up with the cooking requirements of feeding a teen boy!

Gifts on the Sly - Movin' on up!

So, who thought this challenge was a bit crazy?  Hard to do?  


Well, at last post, the balance was $35.16


Today, I received $107 FREE money for opening a checking account back in November.


I've decided to now use that account to hold the Gifts on the Sly money, so add in the small balance of $3.32 in the account.


Add in $50 in FREE gift cards - thank you MyPoints!


Toss in the loose change gathered over the past 6 weeks - $13.95


The new available total is.....$209.43!


Next birthday is my son-in-law...stationed in South Korea.  He will likely get the gift cards.

$107 FREE Money!

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, ING (an online bank) had a great promo going on.  If you opened an account during the specified time, and then made 5 debit card purchases within 45 days, they would deposit $107 into your account.  There was nothing to lose.  My money had to sit somewhere and I paid by debit card anyway, so I signed up.  My deposit was minimal - just enough to cover 5 small charges.  Then, I waited.  


I checked the account today - deposit was made!


So, I received $107 for about 3 minutes of my time - not a bad return!


Now, what to do with the money?


Well, I could do many things with it - remodeling account, emergency savings account, pay off a bill, splurge on myself, BUT...remember my 'found money' challenge?  Any 'found' or 'free' money goes to my Gifts on the Sly account to cover birthday gifts for the year.


Yep, that's where this will go.  Thinking about it, I believe that's what this account will be used for.  That way, I can deposit the change and not carry it around.  Speaking of...I need to go update the amount in that account with a few recent 'finds.'

A day of finances - medical bills

Okay, one last thing to look at for the day.  Then I'm calling it quits and going for a walk!


Medical bills!  


They come fast after a procedure and they expect you to pay just as fast.  However, I have found many mistakes on these in the past and refuse to pay until I've had adequate time to review and verify the charges.  That is usually not fast enough for some office and they then threaten to turn the bill over to collections.  I say, "go for it!"  Work with me and you will get paid faster.  Threaten me or get testy and rude and you will get put at the bottom of the list.  


Currently, I have just over $2,300 in reviewed and approved medical bills to work into the spending plan.  However, there are many more still needing my review.  I must admit, I haven't been very active in that area lately.  Just trying to get a handle on some other things, I guess. 


Before it hit that amount, I had designated "x" amount of my spending plan to go towards paying these.  Each one gets a minimum payment monthly, with the lowest balance getting a little bit extra to get it paid off faster.  The intent - once the smallest is paid for, that amount then gets applied to the next smallest.  You've heard of the snowball approach before, I'm sure.  


I use the same approach with credit cards, but out of a separate 'money bucket.'  Once those are paid off, that amount will shift down to the medical bills.  


How long will it take to pay this off, I've yet to sit down and calculate that.  However, I expect the amount due to grow as I finish reviewing the bills from my son's recent surgery.  I need to shift more money over to these areas, but that will have to wait for me to finish my review.

A day of finances - Netflix

We were with Blockbuster until they closed all of their stores around us.  Then we switched over to Netflix.  Not too long ago, Netflix changed their plans.  I didn't actively change anything, so I got shifted to the 'Unlimited Streaming and 1 DVD out at a time' plan.  It is an auto-draft from my account, so I decided to take a look at it today.


My son and I both use the streaming, so that stays.  However, the 1 DVD - well, I've had the same DVD sitting here to watch for a month now.  That means I paid $7.99 to watch just this one movie (that I have yet to watch).  That doesn't make me happy!  So, I'm changing the plan to 'Unlimited Streaming' only.  That will cut my monthly bill in half.  


Now, there are many movies I'd like to see that are DVD only.  Guess I'll have to find an alternative source to borrow these from or gather them and then get the DVD subscription for a month and knock them out.  With me starting 2 classes tomorrow, that won't be any time soon.


Oh, and perfect timing!  New billing cycle starts in 2 days!


It may only be a savings of $8.65 (incl. tax) per month, but that adds up to $103.80 for the year.  That is just a few dollars short of covering 1 class at the community college!

A day of finances - cell phone and a good reason to stay organized

The next bill due this pay period is my cell phone.  I know this, though I can't lay my hands on the current bill.  I moved my desk a few months ago to prepare for the living room remodeling and things haven't been organized since!

So, I had this bright idea to go online.  I click on 'set up an account.'  It tells me I already have an account set up.  Really?  Hmm, guess it was set up when I got the phone/service last year.  I've never accessed my account online.  Next, I click 'account name reminder.'  It asks if I want it to my phone or email.  I chose 'phone' and enter my phone number - assuming it would text it to me.  Ha!  The screen then tells me it has been sent to my account email.  This would be the email account that was set up when I got this phone/service because it required a gmail account (and mine is a yahoo account).  That would be fine and wonderful...IF I ever used that account, therefore remembering that password!

Then it dawns on me...they linked my gmail account in my phone.  Okay, grab the phone and touch the little gmail button.  Ah...look...email.  All OLD.  WAIT.  Oh, a screen pops up telling me it isn't set to 'sync' and 'update' automatically.  What?  It did before this latest not-so-great update they pushed out recently.  Do I want to 'sync' or 'update?'  I just want access to the stupid email that was just sent.

Success!  Email received.  Username is ........ Yep, that was set up by the service tech, not me.  Okay, back to the website.  Enter the username.  Let's try a default password.  Waiting...

Yes!  Almost there!  Of course, there has to be a pop up screen first.  Do I want to go paperless?  Well, at this point, that would be wonderful...IF you will send it to the email of MY choice.  Let's see....

Oh, wow!  Sprint will begin charging $1.99 a month for a detailed paper statement!  That's okay - I only received a summary bill anyway.  I already know who I call.

Yeah!  I can have it sent to my yahoo account.  Okay, I'll sign up.  That done, can I please now see my current status?

Okay, there!  Bill paid!  While I was there, I grabbed the information and entered it on my Emergency Information Worksheet.  Then, I shot off an email to customer service regarding the inquiries I had about my account information (verifying employer discount is intact and getting contract end date) and about the phone service issues I've been having.  We shall see what comes of that, but for now, this service is now all caught up - nice and neat.

A day of finances - electric

Next up on the review/pay is the electric bill.  My payment is on time, but I wanted to check out a few things anyway.  Here's what I found:


-late charge is 5% (this has been noted on my spending plan worksheet)
-my current contract expires late March (this has been listed on my March To Do list)
-company does offer a budget billing plan


Now, I was on the budget billing plan with my previous provider for years and it was very beneficial.  When I saw the new one was offering this now, I must admit I thought about signing up.  This would even out my billing, BUT I am in the lower billing season since I'm not using my a/c.  For now, I think I will keep my budgeted amount where it is (which is remarkably close to what the budget billing amount would be), and push any 'left over' cash to paying off the credit cards.  


Account is current, late fees and renewal time have been noted accordingly, and access information for website is entered on my Emergency Information Worksheet.  


The only thing left to do to lower this bill is to reduce the usage, but that's a different post!

A day of finances - my mortgage

Since today is a company holiday, I decided to use it to jump start my quest to cut the 5.5 years down...WAY down, to a hopeful 2 years!


1st up - verify bank accounts (which led to the previous post)
2nd - pay the remaining bills due this pay period


The mortgage was first on that list.  Unfortunately, I put it off too long.  I had the money in the account, but just didn't get around to mailing the payment before the grace period was up.  That means I am adding a late fee of $26.80 to the payment.  


Completely my fault, completely avoidable.  So, I have to spend less in another area of my spending plan this month or put $26.80 less towards the remodeling project.  Given my goal, I'm voting for the first option.  


While in the area of mortgage, I decided it was worth a few minutes to make sure everything else was neat and tidy with this creditor.  Apparently, their records show I've been late 1 other time at some point over the last 6 months, so a phone call to the company is next on my list.
................................

Okay, after a call to verify, I agree.  They show my December payment was late and my bank records agree.  Family came in town and I got side-tracked.  So, another check has been written to take care of that - all caught up!


While on the call, I also verified my new payment amount (effective beginning March) and was excited to find it will only increase $6.77 a month!


Last item to resolve while on the call...access to their website.  With the remodeling going on, I've misplaced the little card they sent to use for log in.  A new one will be mailed tomorrow.  Once received, the information will be added to my Emergency Information Worksheet.


My homeowner's insurance and property taxes are included with my monthly payment.  Both have been reviewed and verified to be reasonable.  The only way to keep this cost low(er) is to avoid that pesky late fee.


Now, my largest monthly bill is all nice and neat.

Savings Accounts

When setting up a savings account, there are many more options available today than in years past.  Many brick building banks are now charging for withdrawals or requiring a minimum balance to be kept to avoid periodic service fees.  Also, interest rates are minimal (.01% at my bank as of today).  While it may be okay to keep a small amount of 'emergency funds' in such an account, there are other options.


Several years ago, I realized I could get a better rate with an online bank.  Opening deposit was minimal - $1 at that time, and there were no fees.  I wasn't sure how it all worked, but for $1 it was worth looking into.


While I have since switched from that first online bank (found a better interest rate), I have continued keeping the majority of my savings online.  Right now, I have 3 accounts at one bank.


Emergency Savings (for unexpected car repairs, medical deductibles, etc.)
Remodeling Account (this is a money market account with a debit card, but earns the same rate as the savings account)
Incidentals Account (this holds the accruing monies for expected expenses such as tires, vet visits, clothing, eye glasses, etc.)


The down side of the online banking is the transfer time - usually 2 days.  However, at any time, I can transfer the funds needed to my money market account and have immediate access with my debit card.


Interest rate on these accounts - 0.84% as of today!  Much better than the brick building banks!  


Remember, the monies going into these accounts are for short term issues - not long term investments.

Time to find the accelerator!

What did I do today?  I figured out, at the current rate in my spending plan, it will take 5.5 years to finish remodeling my house.  Guess it's time to step it up a notch!  

Wheat FREE - Made it to day two!

Left on his own, he still managed to tackle another day wheat free!  This week will be a little more challenging as he will be hanging with friends on and off all weekend.  Fingers crossed!

Wheat FREE - Finally, one full day!

Driving home from work today, I was tired.  It would have been really easy to pull into Whataburger and order dinner.  However - BUNS - and I don't think the kiddo would be too excited about a bunless Whataburger.  So I sucked it up, drove home and cooked dinner.  Day #3 of wheat free dinners, I might add.  Then came the question -

Me: "Son, what did you eat today?"

Son: "Um.."

Son:  "..a banana, an apple and some leftovers."

>SCORE<  NO WHEAT!

I can mark today on the calendar as his (once again) first wheat free day!

Um, sigh...

My dear teen son has been home sick the past few days (again).  It seems he consumed too much wheat over the holidays and his system, once again, turned on him.  So, here's part of what went down yesterday when I got home from the office:

Me:  Hey son, how are you feeling?
Son:  Not much better.  What's for dinner?  Oh, never mind.  I forgot you had a chicken in the crock pot.
Me:  What time did you get up?
Son:  About 2 (that would be p.m. for those curious).
Me:  What have you had to eat today?
Son:  Pop Tarts
Me:  Um, son, you aren't supposed to eat the Pop Tarts.
Son:  Why?
Me:  Um, what are they made out of?
Son:  Uh...I don't...oh...really?  They have wheat in them?  (heavy sigh)

Obviously lots of work to do here!  First, I need to remove (again) all of the wheat products from the house (except for the basic flour as I owe a few friends a cake before I toss that out).  That way, he will know whatever is in the house is safe for him.  Then, I need to get really serious about finding foods he can eat (at home and out), educating him on what to look for and teaching him how to cook.

Trying to change eating habits for a 17 year old has been - well - challenging to say the least!

Dear Neighbors, I'll be bringing over a box of food tomorrow.