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Archive for July, 2010

The wagon: running after it

July 22nd, 2010 at 02:56 am

In my last post, I admitted that I fell off the wagon. I am determined to get back on. Part one is redoing the budget and then altering our savings rates, etc. to make sure we are meeting our goals and getting the most value out of our paychecks.

I did scribble down all the bills and all the savings goals on a couple of index cards. Next step, figuring out what it all means and what is left after savings to pay for gas, food, fun, etc.

I will keep you posted.

The wagon: I fell off

July 14th, 2010 at 08:55 pm

Recent events: namely, hubby giving away 5k, and the surprise when I have opened our last two credit card bills have shown me that I have officially fallen off the wagon.

When I joined this community and started a blog, I was on target. I was saving money, making more with the $20 challenge, being more creative using savings and discounts. It was great, financially speaking. And it was fun, like a new game.

Boy, have I gotten sloppy. I'm almost ashamed to admit it. I haven't been paying as close of attention to our spending as I should be. I haven't been socking away as much in the savings account as I could be. I have not been shopping around.

What happened?

Well, I got sloppy, for one.
2: I had a second kid and sleep became no.1 priority, not spending extra time managing the finances.
No.3 I started wanting to fix up the house in ways that we could see and enjoy. (Paid cash, but still)
No. 4 I started writing a weekly column for the metro newspaper that took up 3 nights a week-- so there was even less time and energy to spend on money.
No. 5 Because we are so tired and stressed, we spent more eating out and such.

That said. It's time to get back on the wagon. I read an article online today about all the folks suffering because of the recession, many without any more places to turn for help. It made it very clear to me that the well-being of my family is paramount, and the family has entrusted me with the job of managing the accounts to make sure this happens. This is a sacred trust.

We need to have more respect for the money we are earning. And start over again on our budget. Pay the savings account first, then live off of what's left. We used to do it that way, but lost our way these past 6 months.

It's clearer to me now that we are squandering our opportunity. We, like many, could be laid off any minute. Would I look back and be happy about the money we've wasted? No. So it's time to change. Seriously.

I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Another $30

July 13th, 2010 at 10:09 pm

Woo-hoo! The online yard sales is actually going pretty well. I've managed to sell a few things, and I've brought in about $8o so far thanks to Craigslist. This money has been added to the tiki fund.

I've also donated 4 boxes ad two bags of items to Goodwill, and am going through more closets and drawers hoping to find more. I am really determined to cut to the bone. We have way too much stuff in this very small 1400 sq ft house.

In other happy news, I have written 59,00 words of my novel, which means I am more than halfway finished. Th3e tiny green tomatoes have sprouted in the garden and it's raining outside, hopefully making way for more.

The bad news is, of course, that we are still 9,200 away from ur savings goal for the year, thanks to the 5000 my stupid hubby lent to his dead-beat friend, and which I will never see again. I am trying to not stew about it, but it is hard.

any thoughts on Mint.com?

July 7th, 2010 at 06:14 pm

I'm wondering if it's useful enough to warrant the time to set everything up. I started fiddling with it today and wasn't super impressed. I don't know.