Lux Living Frugalis

Photo credit: Juanita Oros

Many of you know I'm of Native American ancestry, this is not my tribe but the situation in SD is one I've just been made aware of. If any of you can help in any way I'm sure it would be most appreciated! If all you can do is spread the word that help would be great as well. It's true there are many people in Haiti who need our help, but there are people here on American soil that need assistance too! National media attention is needed in this situation. Do not be fooled. We are not all 'casino rich' or receiving an 'Indian check' each month. Many do not receive any government assistance.



South Dakota Sioux Tribe Seeks Emergency Assistance After Ice Storm


"Last week's ice storm in South Dakota left thousands without power and water. While many Red Cross resources are being diverted to relief efforts in Haiti, there is still the need for money and supplies in the upper midwest, specifically for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, which has a full list of needed medical and general supplies.

Power outages forced 35 kidney dialysis patients from the tribe to temporary relocate to Rapid City, and the reservation requires glucose strips, first aid kits and even children's medicine.

The local Wal-mart has sent food and supplies, but in-kind contributions are being accepted. A full list of what the Tribe requests:

•Non-perishable food
•Cots
•Heat sources (heaters & fuel)
•Camp stoves & fuel
•Lithium 1, 2 and 3 batteries for law enforcement
•Lamps/Batteries/Lamp Oil
•Toilet paper
•Paper products for the shelters
•Pampers/formula
•Hand/baby wipes/Hand sanitizer

Ship in-kind donations to:
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman's Office
Attn: Ice Storm Emergency Supplies
PO Box 590
2001 Main Street (Tribal Offices)
Eagle Butte, SD 57625

You can also contribute money to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe's emergency relief fund, which has been depleted in the past months. Online donations are currently unavailable.
Mail checks to:
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe/2010 Disaster Account
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman's Office
Attn: Ice Storm Emergency Fund
PO Box 590
2001 Main Street (Tribal Offices)
Eagle Butte, SD 57625"


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704094304575...

http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/

One of the projects I worked on over the blizzard holidays was our own Saving Advice dot com owner, Jeffrey Strain's pet hunger project, The Penny Experiment.

I mailed off my art earlier this week to Jeffrey once we were able to mobilize ourselves from the snow banks. It does not yet appear on the pages of The Penny Experiment, so you are getting a sneak peek preview.

In For A Penny,
In For A Pound

by Lux Living Frugalis
16/100
5x7, mixed media, gallery wrapped canvas

How it might look framed:


I would recommend a much larger gold tone frame, or at least that's how I would frame it myself.

As many of my readers know I am of Native American ancestry and thus tried to use that theme in my project. And, as I am rather a private person I just signed it using my pseudonym here at Saving Advice.

BUT, here's the SPECIAL OFFER kicker, if any one of the members of Saving Advice dot com bloggerdom wins this auction and wants to ship it back to me (it cost me $3.45 via USPS to mail it to Jeffrey), I will sign my real life name to the back of the canvas and give my tribal registration info and will mail it back to you at my expense. Who knows, it may become more valuable that way.

These postcard size artworks, mine and others, will be auctioned to raise money for Jeffrey's hunger initiative on how one man took a found penny that teens scoffed at picking up and turned the nucleus idea of a penny outwards to help feed the hungry. To read more about the project and how to get involved, go to The Penny Experiment at:


http://www.pennyexperiment.com/


There, you'll be able to sign up for notice of when the auctioning begins. Be sure to check out the gallery.

My part of the world was under snow for a long while. We normally get snow that lasts two or three days at most on the ground. Here it is day 27 with snow still piled around the yard! We were unable to attend any of the extended family Christmas events because we were snowed in!

The snow eventually ended up topping the backs of those chairs. Definitely a weird weather pattern for this portion of the country.

Today finds 50 cents on the keyboard. Adding it to the $20 Challenge.

$20 CHALLENGE

$0000.00 balance
+0000.50 keyboard change
________
$0000.50 Jan MTD

2010 Challenge Total $0000.50
Cumulative Challenge Total $2091.09

I went purse diving looking for something in a purse I'm not carrying at the moment and found $.78 cents in there. Taking it to the challenge.

$20 CHALLENGE

$20.25 balance
+00.78 pearls
______
$21.03 MTD

2009 Challenge Total $1036.83
Cumulative Challenge Total $2090.59

Well, I've been busy. Elsewhere.

But to keep ImaSaver company over there on the upper right $20 Challenge corner, I did manage to have that $20 left over at the end of the last month, so I'm adding it to this month's $20 challenge, plus I found a quarter the other day. Adding that in as well.

$20 Challenge

$0000.00 Dec balance
+0020.25 keeping good company
________
$0020.25 Dec MTD

2009 Challenge Total $1,036.05
Cumulative Challenge Total $2,089.81

Tried to make this post last night and it went to blipdom. Trying again!

How much does it cost to stay the night in the Hotel de'Frugalis? Or put another way, how much does it cost to live here each day? $13.68.


Mortgage $000.00 (pd. off 9/21/09)
Insurance $001.59
Taxes $001.66
Utilities $010.43
____________________
Daily Rate $013.68*
Monthly Rate $410.40
Yearly Rate $4924.80

I am not unhappy with this figure.

Cheaper than most hotels I can think of.

And, we just lowered our rates when we reshopped our house insurance. And costs may go down further this year as my heating bill just came in way under last year's balanced payment plan figures.

However, it does go to show you how much even a paid for home can cost you.

"You paid off your house! AWESOME - now you're on easy street baby!!!"

It might blow somebody's mind to think it still costs to live here if they don't consider true costs. The actual rate above would be higher still if I'd of managed to figure in upkeep, repair and maintenance dollars.

It's here where I get to thinking of something many of us ofteN overlook or just gloss over:

Cost vs. price.


Figuring out the true cost of home ownership.

And then I get into thinking about Use Value vs. Exchange Value.

In many countries a home isn't thought of for it's dollar value like it often is here in the US, but more for the tradition or use value as a home to flourish in that is purchased for generational use, rather than flipping potential or investment potential.

That being considered, here's a nice calculator on the buy vs. rent debate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/10/business/2007_BUYRENT_GRAP...

This gentleman's article goes on to help you figure out, if you're in the shopping conundrum of rent vs. buy, how to understand the Rent Ratio. A way to effectively compare apples to oranges. Yes, the article is a bit dated, but the ratio will still work.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/business/28leonhardt.html?...

Okay, so now that begs the question, how much does it cost you to stay in the Hotel of YouAndYours-dom?

Thought some of you might be interested in reading this one about the cheapest cars to own:

http://autos.aol.com/article/cheapest-cars-own

http://www.me.berkeley.edu/one_wheel_vehicle/Movie.htm
Watch that puppy run! So cool! I want one. WHINE!!!

It pays to dive deep! Oh the things you see when you scavenge all the way to the bottom.

Yesterday's purse cleanout found $1.82 in change at the bottom to put towards the $20 Challenge. There's also a $20 buried deep in the wallet that MIGHT make it over to begin December's $20 Challenge with if I can keep it whole! It's leftover from my $10 a week November allowance. (Can't we afford a bigger allowance? Yes - I've just got no stomach to blow money for no good reason.) There's $50 incoming allowance on Tuesday, so I might just make it.

$20 CHALLENGE

$020.63 balance
+001.82 deep diving
_______
$022.46 Nov MTD

2009 Challenge Total $1015.80
Cumulative Challenge Total $2069.56

Okay, here's the transformation via pictures. This was the bed my Mom got me from one of her patients, WAY, WAY back in the day. I think I got this when I was about 10 years old. It was OLD OLD OLD when I got it. I am near OLD now!

It has been re-veneered once by me about 23 years ago and has since barely survived my troops.

Costs - Gel medium paste to fill in splits & cracks 11.99, plus tax and about $18 gallon of paint which I have much of left for other future projects. Hubster had sandpaper already.

Got the bed-in-a-bag for $40 smackers. And, I already have similiar toile fabric to make new curtains.

Time invested - about 6 hours so far. I did A LOT of sanding!

BEFORE-in sunroom:



DURING:


AFTER-in spare bedroom:

DONE-1)Shower, Dressed, Makeup, Breakfast & Vitamins.

DONE-2)House checking & Money Markets checkbooks balanced.

DONE-3)Stop an old autodraft before 1st.

DONE-4)Add new autodraft that will cover auto insurance, house insurance and house repairs their monthly pro-rated amount that we set back. To-do's numbers three & four are the result of insurance shopping that Hubster took care of for us - nice savings included! It paid for us to shop around - our new insurer is AAA. Twice the coverage and about $500 a year less cost! I'll take it! Auto insurance was due for renewal 11/30 so that's all spent, but there should be about a half of a year refund coming in on the house insur.! Old Agent - Send it!!

DONE-5)Set up CC payments for Dec - 56.14 & 23.15 balances on two cards. We never carry a balance any more. EVER. 69 days TOTALLY DEBT-FREE and counting!

DONE-6)Paperwork filing.

DONE-7)Recharge camera batteries.

DONE-8)New entry here showing my spare bedroom BEFORE & AFTER pics. After repainting the bed and investing in different bed-linens.

DONE-9)Clean out purse.

DONE-10)Sketch out painting idea for Jeffrey's Penny Experiment. http://www.pennyexperiment.com

DONE-11)Get old comforter & shams listed on Craigslist.

12)I've been eyeing the closet in the spare bedroom. The clothes/shoes/stored items all need to come out and the walls & shelves in there need a coat of paint. Actually while doing that I need to 'encourage' Hubster to help me change the way the shelving is in there to add some more up top storage - we now have a LOT of wasted space. There is probably wood in the attic that could be used to add some more simple storage shelving. He's not up yet - he'll be thrilled with this idea - NOT!!!

The reason I want to get into this closet is there is a bunch of his parents' stuff that needs going thru and either shared with siblings or gotten rid of. So far, it's just THERE, overlooked and neglected, as it will stay unless I press the issue.

This is their jewelry, his Dad's coin collection, and family photos. I feel bad - he has two sisters who could be enjoying some of their Mom's jewelry. The coins and Pop's jewelry could possibly be worth something as well, and they could all probably use a small cash influx right about now, and the family photos ought to be shared.

13)Work on FrugalSon's & my personal (not House) budgets for 2010.

Okay - that's today's direction. Here we go!

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Yesterday was a No Spend Day for the housebudget. Well, it was no-spend if you don't count that we popped off and invested in ING's 2% CDs yesterday. I don't consider that 'spent'. AND, while I had planned to pay yesterday for the meal out w/family, you can't beat my Dad to any restaraunt and pay first. He's a sweet little pain-in-d'patumpkus that way!

The whole way there I was encouraging Hubster to speed up or he'd beat us there and have already fixed it up with the cashier. Sure enough, he was there first. If I'd of been driving, we MIGHT have made it there early enough, but Hubster drives like your Great-Grandma on a handful of downers! I have to read in the car or go further C.R.A.Z.I.E.R. than I already am!

Found out yesterday that Dad will likely be having cataract surgery within the next month or so. If it's on a Friday, sister will drive him. Any other day of the week, I'm his chauffeur, and I'll need to budget gas money for that. Glad to do it - he often takes long driving trips to make his living/playing, it's worrisome enough for my 78 year old Dad to be out driving cross-country, so at the very least I need for him to be seeing well! He doesn't have to keep working, but does like a mad-man. He's a very hard worker.

Today we go to my Dad's town to eat out at a buffet place for our Thanksgiving meal with him and my brother, and take Dad another load of firewood. Not sure if my sister will make it or not. I did just see her the other day as she, Mom & my niece took me out for my birthday luncheon. Last night the Mom & Stepdad parental units came by for general Thanksgiving feasting. Several places to visit/separate celebrations on holidays? Oh the joys of divorced parents! Means we stretch these events over several days!

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I'm planning on participating in Jeffrey's (co-owner of Saving Advice dot com) Penny Experiment. Care to join me?

http://www.pennyexperiment.com/
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Do Black Plus Orange Equal Green? YES, today they do!

ING has some special offerings today on Black Friday only.

http://ingdirect.com/BlackFriday/

Think I'll take the $465ish I've been gathering together for our next CD purchase in our CD Savings Escrow Fund and add a bit to it to get to at least $500 & go ahead and do their 2%/12 month CD.

Yes, we have a line item in our budget called 'CD Savings Escrow' where we put back a bit of money each month towards purchasing CDs. Gather enough together to make it worthwhile and pop off & purchase one.

We also have line items for making 'Savings Bonds Purchases' and another for buying 'T-Bills' and the autoMAGIC ones for our 'DRIPS'. What can I say, I like having lots of various money piles!

And, I'm likely to bite on their $121 bonus for orange checking. Usually not a rate 'ho, but today, I think I will dally w/the orange in order to get a little green in my pocketbook.

I don't particularly NEED another checking account, but what the heck, I'm sure I can think of & set up another goal fund for something!

No, still not a big ING fan, but I'll happily take their money.

Re: their requirement that you make 3 signed debit transacations - does anybody care to comment on the 'where you have to sign for debit transactions', as I'm a little unclear on where exactly those places would be. I'm sure I've signed before at places, I just can't recall any specifics at the moment - brain fog has rolled in. I'd appreciate your comments & suggestions.

Help please?

I am thankful for all of you here at the Saving Advice dot com bloggerdom! All through the year you inspire me and help me stay focused. I do appreciate all of you so much. The differing perspectives of each of you are such a help to everyone. Here's hoping you all have very nice holidays with your families. I wish you all plenty of enough and MORE! Safe travels too!

In your honor I'm donating $8.03 to my $20 Challenge. Here's hoping it keeps me off the dole in my old age!!

Can somebody pass the turkey please?


$20 CHALLENGE UPDATE

$012.60 Nov balance
+008.03 turkey donation
_______
$020.63 Nov MTD

2009 Challenge Total $1013.98
Cumulative Challenge Total $2067.74

Steaming Past A Thousand! HIPPI-YIPPIE-YAH!

2006 Challenge $126.11 started late Aug
2007 Challenge $402.50
2008 Challenge $525.15
2009 Challenge +$1005.95 Nov YTD
------------------------
Cumulative Total $2059.71

This will be the first year I've been able to put back over $1,000.00 for the year in the $20 Challenge category! A goal has been reached. Perhaps next year I can get to $1500 or more. Watch out Ima Saver I'm picking up steam!


$0005.53 Nov balance
+0007.07 Steam booster additive
________
$0012.60 Nov MTD

2009 Challenge Total $1005.95
Cumulative Challenge Total $2059.71

Yesterday was a No-Spend-Day for me.

"Very few people have knowledge of their true expenses. Because they do not consider intermittent and irregular expenses as regular monthly obligations, their expenses turn into emergencies and financial crises." -Mary Hunt

As we are lately revamping the Frugalis House Budget, I thought I'd give a breakdown on what we put back each month on automotive expenses over and above repair/maintain/replace funds, gasoline expenses & the auto insurance escrow.

Many people overlook these costs listed below and then are caught short when it's time to pay the piper. Some of these things come up at the most inconvenient times.

These are monthly amounts set back for future costs. Yes, I literally move them into savings to hold until the money is all there. I also set back a small bit of money each month to replace our driver's licenses. On the side the date listed is when we anticipate needing these things replaced.

On the car:
Car Battery $2.15 /$50 - 2 years
Car Tires $10.41 / $250 - 2 years
Car Tag $6.95 /$83.40 - yearly
Car Oil Changes $8.75/$105-$35x3 times year
_____________________
$28.26 per month


On the truck:
Truck Battery $2.15 /$50 - 2 years
Truck Tires $22.22 / $400 - 18 months
Truck Tag $5.20 /$62.40 - yearly
Truck Oil Changes $5.83/$70-$35x2 times year
_______________________
$35.40 per month

Today was a No Spend Day for me. The housebudget spent money on dog food $11.45 & getting the dog's toenails clipped $5.00 and stocking up on dishwashing soap while it was on sale for 69 cents a bottle & some ice-cream $8.44.

A nice change of events (I'm afraid to call and find out why) but I got our recent electric bill and it's down about $30 lower than usual. I'll take it!

$000.10 Nov balance
+005.43 addition
_______
$005.53 Nov MTD

2009 Challenge Total $998.88
Cumulative Challenge Total $2052.64

MY $20 Challenge is to earn / save / find an extra $20 per month or MORE to put into my Roth IRA.

Today was a No-Spend Day!

Updating sidebar to reflect latest totals -

as of 11/18/2009:
RV Land Travel $260.22
Houseboat $428.78
Dream Car Fund $743.82

We've grown banana trees for years - technically we're in a growing zone that freezes each winter, so must take them out of the ground as winter approaches.

This year we didn't water them much at all besides the original watering in after planting and the occasional bucket of water I saved when showering. We dig them out and put them in the basement for overwintering. Took some pictures of a part of our crop.

The ferny looking thing is another plant, a cypress vine, not part of the banana.

These are Hawaiian fingerlings. Had some on my breakfast cereal today. We grow them more for the landscaping qualities, but the fruit is a nice side benefit. They make for great shade on our concrete patio.




During the last week of October the banana trees were taken out and put away for winter. Come next April out they'll go again. We call it cheap entertainment and a bit of exercise. We often have folks stop and out Hubster goes to give a lesson in banana growing in our climate.

Grrls (Lux's Personal) Just Wanna Have E-funds!

$1,391.56 02/18/09
$2,662.81 08/15/09
$3,044.52 08/24/09
$3,194.01 09/22/09
$3,346.03 09/26/09
$3,361.50 10/07/09
$3,408.01 11/07/09
$3,450.18 11/08/09 new balance

The Emperor will have no new clothes. At least not for awhile. Up to my eyeballs in calculator tape revamping the Frugalis Family housebudget. Better hope Santa puts clothes on the list for those here who need them as there is no room at the inn for new clothing. Being up in the air over the possibility of healthcare coverage for Hubster sees me throwing all extra dollars into the Medical category until we find out exactly what kind of coverage we'll be able to get.

Nope, not Hubster, he has better knees.

Today has been a No Spend Day.

Yes, we paid off the house, but those dollars are going into future house repairs or updates. For now.

Took another load of wood to my Dad today. Afterwards we were talking about getting something to eat before we headed out of town towards home. FrugalSon said, "Today bookkeepers eat free." That meant me, since I keep his financial records. I took him up on his offer. We had a very nice meal at a nice Mexican place - not here:

He did have tamales & an empanada and I had steak fajita nachos. Yums! We're calling it my birthday lunch. My birthday is later on in the month, but hey, it works for me!

Thanks FrugalSon! What a generous soul.

Yes, Hubster is an awfully sweet man, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about my plastic honey bear, Hank. He's about to get all likker'd up inside.

On Saturday I went to our local farm store where they were having a 20% off everything that fit in their 'green' bag sale. You had to buy their 99cent bag. So worth it.

They were having honey on sale. 5 lbs. bottles - which normally sells there at 13.99 a bottle, on sale for 10.99.

I had four dollar off coupons. I ended up getting my honey at $7.99 a bottle. Almost half off. SCORE!! How Sweet It Is!!

I bought four jugs. Honey does not go bad. It might crystalize, but stick jug in warm water and the honey melts back. This stash should last a while.

I have been weaning myself off of white sugar and have gone to using honey as my main sweetener.

I refill my little honey bear, Hank, from the big jug. A savings device. Buying those individual little bears can get costly. I'd like to have a nice glass or ceramic honeypot. Maybe I could put it on my Christmas list, along with the tea ball I'm asking for?

And as for honey bear's sidekick?

Meet Poppie, The Popcorn Clown.




A hold over from my childhood days. We keep our 'currently using' popcorn in an old Grapette Syrup bottle in the cabinet. Our storage for larger supplies is elsewhere. Poppie, kind of scary in a droopy sort of way, but friendly none the less. These are neat old bottles that had a slot in the top for making him into a bank.

Here the 1 lb. bags at the grocery had been going for .88 a bag for years. All of a sudden they are up to 1.39 a bag! I like to stock up so I don't have to wander out in the snow and ice later. Said farm store had 12&1/2 pound bags on sale for $5.49. Since they fit in the 20% off bag? I got two bags, making my outlay for popcorn at .359ish a pound. SCORE!!



Popcorn - an inexpensive, yet filling snack. It's a Sunday afternoon tradition at my house, no matter how large the luncheon feast, we pop a big bowl of popcorn and settle in for a movie & nap.

My bag was heaaaaa-vy - 45 lbs plus. I also stocked up on a few spices while I was at it. I can pack a bag let me tell you! And, now I have another nice little green bag to go with my others.

Hank & Poppie, a couple of friendly faces when I open my cupboard - they, along with Pigger, help me save & stretch our food money.

Yesterday was spent working on a really detailed networth statement and cooking a fabulous Sunday dinner.

On the norm I just catch the various bank accounts & retirement funds, but yesterday went to zillow & edmunds and did a more in-depth look at where we are at starting Hubster's official "Golden Years" with ALL of our assets! Not too shabby. Could of been a lot better, but for us, it's looking better than expected and Hubster was quite pleased with the "If We Cashed in All of Our Chips" numbers. I am too!

One of the things I'd been forgetting to put into our networth calculations is our burial plots. Ours are paid for already but we might end up selling & replacing them in a different location. Depends on if we decide to downsize and where.

Today I've got a To-Do list that far outnumbers five - there are 45 things on my list! Boy, am I behind!!

The majors today will be:

{x}2/3rds - filler now drying - 1)Filler on twin bed veneer. It's outside and up on the working platform.

[X]DONE w/a snafu - 2)Buy paint for above project. - Got the paint, started on back side of headboard. More gray looking than the deep black. I tried to tell the guy in the store that it didn't look right - he was filling in from electronics - but he insisted that it was right based on how dark it looked when dry. It did look dark, but I've got to go back tomorrow now as it just looks like a funky gray on the bed. POOODLES & FARTZWAZZLES!!

[X]DONE - 3)Mail off tube.

[X]DONE - 4)Content placed on my other blog.

[X]DONE - 5)Write & mail off sympathy note to friend's family. Long time ill, she passed away this weekend.

6)Get those newly figured out categories into YouNeedABudget software. I upgraded my software this weekend and we're going to be starting a fresh new budget this month with some newly aligned goals and taking into consideration the different income sources we're firing up. Keeping spending in a tight line will be KEY!! A fine balancing act, if you will. Of course we want to put off withdrawing from our retirement accounts as long as possible.

[X]DONE - 7)Get these entries up on Saving Advice!

Yesterday was a No-Spend Day.

I have a dime on my keyboard to start off November's $20 Challenge.

$20 CHALLENGE

$000.00 beginning balance
+000.10 laundress pay
_______
$000.10 Nov MTD

2009 Challenge Total $993.45
Cumulative Challenge Total $2047.21

Sicily's baking inspired me and I grabbed out my sourdough starter yesterday and made some fantastic sourdough rolls and I also made a chocolate pie. My fellows thank you Sicily!

While I'm out today I'll be making a bank run and depositing October's $20 Challenge Money. Yes, Pigger squealed again when I violated his inner sanctum!

And, speaking of inner sanctums, remind me to tell ya'll later, but Hubster has a stalker - one of his old fellow employees now hopped up on meth!

Off with their heads...

THEIR Trick?
Pay Czar's Just Getting Started
http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/1009/feinberg_fights...

YOUR Treat!!
The Zombie Jamboree* - a fun tune

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bNy2jA26Cg

*Language alert - contains curse word d*mn.

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Here's a link to Hulu and some of the shows from "The Bank of Mom and Dad".

Be sure and watch the followups as well.

http://www.hulu.com/bank-of-mom-and-dad


I could stand for them to be a bit less boney and have more meat, but tasty none the less!

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I have a spooky Halloween thing going on - my blog posts keep disappearing from the roll! Go to my HOME button and read back thru, my other post for today has some neat tunes in it. Does anyone know, did I push some PRIVATE button that made me disappear?

Edit to Add: Ahhh, I think I figured it out - if you do your posts early and put them in as drafts? It makes your other posts disappear from the main blog roll. Poooh! Go check out my other posts!


http://luxliving.savingadvice.com/2009/10/31/whos-the-quee...

Find out her name - Who's the Halloween Queen?

Click here to listen to one of my favorite bands from way, Way, WAY back in the day!:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHEuSGGmX-c


My favorite song of theirs is Chant 13th Hour.

Hope everyone has a nice safe holiday weekend. Enjoy the candy! I'm looking to after the holiday sales to stock up on some dark chocolate! $$'s saved. M&Ms here are up to OVER $4 a bag from $1.98 last year.

Think we'll snuggle in later tonight, pop some corn and watch one of my favorites - Don Knotts in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.

Here's the Haunted Organ song from that movie:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz_crHdfggY


...and if you really like good organ music?

Here you go:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FXoyr_FyFw

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Dodd moves to freeze CC interest rates:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28769.html

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One of my favorite treats to get at Halloween when I was a kid? Coins! So, if you've yet to buy candy, you might try running to the bank early this morning and getting a couple of rolls of pennies, nickles, dimes or quarters to hand out. I used to just love that! See, I've been a money nerd for a long time!

Do I have enough strength to bust thru the web of too much to do???

Today's Five - Fortified Plus

[X]DONE - 1)Dressed to shoes
[X]DONE - 2)Makeup
[X]DONE - 3)Bed made
[X]DONE - 4)Laundry
[X]DONE - 5)Breakfast
[X]DONE - 6)Walk
[X]DONE - 7)Replace Calculator Tape
[X]DONE - 8)Vacumn Living Room
[X]DONE - 9)Fix Lunch for self & Hubster
[X]DONE - 10)Dust TV w/static brush
tried can't find wire 11)Put wires on family art/Hang in Studio
[X]DONE - 12)Put papers back in safe
[X]DONE - 13)Get gift tube put together
[X]DONE - 14)Beans in Crockpot
[X]DONE - 15)Bake cornbread for supper
[X]DONE - 16)Find Orange Paint in basement
[X]DONE - 17)Paint orange on wall
{x}half done - 18)XFind address for tube / Xpackage up / mail off
[X]DONE - 19)Closet, find 2 things to donate - (I found four things)
[X]DONE - 20)Read for inspiration on Flylady dot net - I have seriously fallen off wagon w/Hubster home this year.
21)Work on New Proposed Budget for SS & Pension
22)Revamp house-budget's categories on You Need A Budget software
23)Update Networth for October
{x}half done - we spoke, we'll speak some more! 24)Talk w/Hubster about Roll Over funds where to invest - I'd like munis or T-bills or even somewhere outside the bounds of US borders, the state of the U.S.$ is worrying me.
[X]DONE - 25)Find 2 jobs online for Hubster to apply for tomorrow. He's still looking for employment because he can draw UE till late Dec. even w/SS.
At least in our state, here's a legal opinion:


http://nelp.3cdn.net/f96d84de63766102b2_8rm6b99ab.pdf


Hubster called UE office today and got the same answer.

And, if he gets a part-time job we might have access to a cheaper health-care insurance plan for him.


"Habits are cobwebs at first, cables at last." ~ancient proverb


Don't laugh at the first five or so of these on my list. The only thing I was consistently getting done was laundry. Some days I'm a nightgown girl all day, and it was getting to be too often when I had nowhere to go. Got to get back to my Flylady routines. I don't mind having one day a week to stay in my jams. But more than that? It's just too easy to let everything go to pot. And I need to eat breakfast EVERY day!!

I need good habits and I get better at keeping those good habits up when I keep in touch with the Flylady dot net method. I can't keep up with all the emails but I can check my book & read online to inspire myself.

Right now the second coat of paint is drying on my little orange spot and then I can move the chair back and vacumn that last tiny little corner & put the vacumn totally away. Everything else has been vacumned, even the dining room which I had no intention of doing today!

Another area that was getting sloppy was the cooking. If I don't stay on myself it's just too easy to forget to get anything out of the freezer and then just run out for fast food. That's got to stop! Beans are cooking in the crockpot and smelling good. After checking the cabinets and freezer I see I'm out of ham up stairs and will have to make a return visit to the basement to check for some canned ham to oooomph up the beans.

Okay, I told ya'll my house was a scary place after dark. While vacumning in the foyer I decided I'd open the front door to get right up to the threshold edge. Boy am I glad I did - the cobwebs - you wouldn't believe!!! It's scary in the daytime too!

No one ever uses my front door, like hardly NEVER! Jumping Jehosophat that thing was full of cobwebs which is unusual. So I go to cleaning it up and finally figure out why. The last time someone had it open (like maybe early spring?) someone (I'm not naming names), but someone AHEM! left the glass up on the storm door and it only had that very porous screen covering that part allowing critters into the space between storm door and wood door.

It's good to clean ocassionally! Really, I keep telling myself that. If someone had come to that door, they'd for sure think no one had been in this haunted house for ages! Truly. There was dust and cobwebs and other ick on the doorknob even! Oh my. Well, Housekeeper of the Year? I'm not. But, that glass over the screen being down? Will save some utility bill $$s come this winter! And it keeps winter weather off my wood door too.

Back to my list! Crack that whip. I likely won't get it all done, but I'm on it like white on rice.

Clearing out my purse - squeezed out a measley .25 cents to take to the challenge.

$30.82 Oct balance
+00.25 three nickles & a dime - hate to get caught too short in the wallet! :{ Looking mighty scary in there. Slim pickin's.
______
$31.07 Oct MTD

2009 Challenge Total $993.35
Cumulative Challenge Total $2047.11

As I'm often likely to do towards the end of the month, I went online and rounded up these accounts, just to stir up a bit of the juice in the old interest pot and decrease the leftover flotsam in my personal checking!

RV Land Travel Fund - strictly in savings form
$232.34 10/9/2009 balance
+002.66 eye of Benjamin
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$235.00 new balance

Houseboat Fund - riding the waves of DOW
$407.54 10/9/2009
-019.70 investments down - hex on the WallStreet gurus & their Congressional familiars (not to worry I still have the shares in good stuff - think DCA, steady DRPs)
+002.16 root of Money Plant (come on, 7 come 11, baby needs a new pair of deck-shoes!)
_______
$390.00 new balance

I used to own one of these cool granny pots pictured above. I paid $80 for it and used it for years and years in my yard for Harvest parties & other picnics. We'd build our fire INSIDE of it and use it to roast weinnies & marshmellows and keep our backsides warm and our fingers de-iced! Great fun. I sold it a few years ago, but I wish I still had it - I think I'd like to hold our elected officials feet to the fire over the current economy!! And I'm sorry to say to all her fans, but Nancy Pelosi* is looking rather witchy to me lately!

*Might as well stir the political pot while I'm at it!

edited later to add:
Pelosi - Can't always get what you want

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28919.html

Yesterday was a new day at the Frugalicious races...

Got up early and Hubster and FrugalSon loaded up the back of my pickup with wood for my Dad using the wheelbarrow as I was not venturing back into the muddy yard with my truck again after getting sunk and stuck the other night. I picked what appears like the last of my tomatoes for the year and took about half of them for Dad.

Then Frugalson & I loaded up and went to the bank and got my signature on Hubster's Carpenter's Pension notarized and then scooted on over to the post office and got it mailed off.

We took off on the backroads and drove the hour and half trip to my Dad's and he and FrugalSon unloaded the wood while his wife and I visited. They got through and I got to visit with my Dad for about 30 minutes and then we started heading back.

Dad had slipped me $40 for gas. He can well afford it and if he didn't get wood from me? ...he'd be buying it from someone. Nice. It takes about $50 to fill my truck and I can get one full trip to his town and back out of it, plus some other running around my town. Last trip was on me.

I needed to treat my helper to lunch so at his choice we stopped for a burger basket, frosty rootbeers and had the rare treat of fried pickles as an appetizer. Yummers. $17.23 + $3.00 tip.

After lunch we stopped at a good garage sale. I bought myself two nice little side-tables - they are very heavy, have a cute rustic style to them and are formica-ed on top. So useable with those tops & too Too TOO cute to pass up.

I don't know that I NEED them, but will try to work them into the house. If they don't work out I might sell one or both of them in my booth at a profit. Or maybe FrugalSon can use them downstairs in his apartment. They are sweet little tables & at $25 for the pair, I can easily double my money. The finish on the legs is a bit aged, but they could be really cutened up w/some beige or antique white paint on the legs! Or, even some barn red or a forest green for a bunkhouse or cabin look. Here's one of them before cleanup:





Also bought myself a cute new to me denim jacket for a $1.00, and the guy running the sale, who was flirting with me ended up giving me a paperback for free - wooo, a big spender type!

He was a nice man, but kind of overtly obvious with the compliments, thinking my son was my husband because obviously I couldn't P.O.S.S.I.B.L.Y. be that old, etc. Yeah, right. Nice to hear, but you know it's patently not true. I do look younger than my age, but not THAT young.

Also got two paintings in frames for $3 each. We'll probably paint over the canvases and have the frames to use for our creations. Cheap art material!!!

Then it was off to my Mom's house where they gave me a very nice metal patio table. They had three outdoor sets? I think one of them was from stepdad's Mom's estate. They are closing in their back patio and now have one inside that room and one set outside and this set just extra. Nice. I had given CashHappySon my old set when he moved away.



This patio set is black. My other outdoor set ALMOST matches it but is white/yellowish. The white set is 'chippy' and likely this coming spring, I'll wirebrush it down and paint it out black to match. I spot-shot the rusty areas the other day w/rustoleum to get it thru the winter. I nearly STOLE the white set late last year at a thrift store. All seven pieces for only $27.00! The other little table Hubster is using indoors for his printer stand.


(note one of the little arched water spigot cubbie covers that Hubster made the other day over on the left)

Mom THINKS she knows where the umbrella and stand is at in her storage building.

I'm counting my parental units as Corporate Sponsors! They're members of the Golden Eagle Elite Club!! Thank God for our parents. They've all done so much for us through the years.

We visited with Mom about 15 minutes and admired stepdad's handiwork on the new patio room, then jumped back in the truck.

Stopped at vitamin store and spent about $30 there, needed more magnesium for routine maintenance and also Sambucol to keep the sore throat and flu bug away. Pricey stuff but needed for to the keeping away of the creeping crud & the blue funks!

Then we stopped at the Dollar store for FrugalSon to buy more minutes for his Tracphone.

Then we got home by about 3:15 and I crashed! Then I got back up and took vitamin herby stuff to keep from being sick as I felt achy, and ate the rest of the Tortilla Soup from the other day at about 5:00 p.m. and then laid back down.

FrugalSon stayed outside and unloaded all the new bunkN'junque off the back of the truck.

FrugalSon then went out and helped Hubster who was mowing on the rider, by pushmowing the garden area and then the top-yard for the last mow of the season and to run all the gas out of the mowers so they can be winterized.

Hubster spent the day yesterday raking up all the leaves and twigs and general messiness that the tree cutters left behind and trying to repair a cheap-o rake that kept breaking on him. The last rake we had lasted about 15 years. This one? Lasted less than one season! Come on folks lets manufacture something worthwhile could we????

Then they stayed outside till dark-thirty chainsawing and stacking the rest of the wood in the front part of the yard. We are racing trying to beat winter! I had made Hubster promise not to chainsaw until I got home. I rushed around as much as possible for this daytrip to get back so he had some daylight left to work in. Supposed to be cold and wet the rest of the week here.

After all that cutting & stacking they came in and FrugalSon heated up the Black Bean soup that was also in the frig and they had that and sandwiches and marble cake for supper while I was going thru a nice little sleep cycle on the couch.

Poor FrugalSon had quite a busy day off!
I am feeling much better this morning. Like a new woman. Bouncing up at 5:30 a.m. Hubster is still sawing logs. In bed, that is!

Taking the $8 I didn't blow at a garage sale to the $20 Challenge.

$022.82 balance
+008.00 garage sale leavings
_______
$030.82 Oct MTD

2009 Challenge Total $993.10 (think I'll beat a thousand this year? Who'll give me odds?)
Cumulative Challenge Total $2046.86


*Little known L.L.Frugalis factoid: I used to jockey as a pre-teen.

S.S.S.G. = Social Security Speedy Gonzales.

Hubster's first SS check which we applied for on Monday morning 10/26/2009 at 9:00 a.m.? Hit our bank this morning Wednesday 10/28/2009 by 8:00 a.m.! Holy Cow, when did the U.S. government get so efficient???? I am thrilled, amazed, gobsmacked, etc., etc., etc.

We are both pretty darn impressed!

"¡Andale! ¡Andale! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba!" (Spanish for "Go on! Go on! Up! Up!) Yeeeehaw!!

Here I was thinking they were Speedy's cousin, Slowpoke Rodriquez!

One of my favorite childhood cartoons:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXJv5-L6FwM


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Tonight we filled out the online forms for Hubster's Carpenter's Pension to begin. We had busy busy daylight hours today that kept us from getting it done during the day.

It has to be printed out and taken in for a notarized signature. Spouses are protected from being left out of pension benefits and decisions by the law requiring that we sign off on the decisions. It's rather a strange thing. His application signature? Requires no notarization. Mine as spouse? Does.

Anywho, I plan to go first thing in the morning to the bank and get it notarized and off in the mail. The way I understand it we are asking for it to begin on 11/1. Not sure when the first check will arrive though. It will be back-pay from 11/1/09 though no matter when it actually starts.

First we had to get an estimated payment paper from them, which we did, telling them when he was planning on applying. That & the online application gets them on notice that he's to be put in the starting line up. Once they receive the notarized paperwork evidently they spring into action and send you a letter telling you when the first check will arrive.

We're going automatic deposits on this as well.

Once it's up and running they notify the authorized state insurance agency that he's eligble to go with that HCTC (I think it stands for health care tax credit) thingamadoodle that will get him the 65%-80% discount on some health care insurance coverage. The money in the pension check will be nice, but the healthcare benefits that we're hoping to get until he qualifies for Medicare? EXCELLENT.

Step by step folks. It's a process.

Keeping yourself going lockstep through the process can be, shall I say, taxing. He hates paperwork and gets majorly frustrated by all the little boxes to be checked and legally jargoned disclaimers that are made.

Also required are copies of birth certificates and marriage license. Fortunately that was all still out of the safe from the SS office visit.

Once this starts I will be so relieved. If you've been reading along with me from the beginning this was the mysteriously disappearing pension. I fought long and hard thru Congressmen, etc. to find out where it was 'hidden' and get it on somebody's radar that several million dollars of this company's pension funds had just slipped silently away after a company bankruptcy and was hidden deep within several layers of insurance buyouts by a major insurance company and it's many subsidiaries - I'm not naming names but it almost barked like a dog in it's commercials, Charlie Brown.

Finally we were able to get it taken over by this Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. It's a really AWESOMELY GOOD thing that they are doing protecting people's pensions in these trying financial times.

Today was a personal No Spend Day for me.

Today we went to another town to deliver some of CashHappySon's winter clothes.

Today the nearly local parental units came over. Since early this year they now live 30 minutes away instead of two hours away.

Today I got my truck stuck in the muddy yard trying to load up more wood to take to my Dad's tomorrow.

Today my Step-dad helped get the truck unstuck.

Today I baked a chocolate marble cake.

Today I balanced the housebudget checking account.

Today I called the bank on the sudden $15.47 checking fee that they whomped on our housebudget account. Because of Hubster's age we have a FREE Senior checking account.

Today they refunded the mistaken monthly fee.

Today my Mom had a brain scan and a check on her caratroid (sp?) artery to see why she's getting so confused and forgetful. No indication of when the results would be back.

Today my Mom told me the same story for about the 100th time.

Today I acted like I heard it for the very first time, again.

Today we had quite a spirited family discussion of the moral tone of our country and bashed various and assorted politicians.

Today I cooked a pot of Tortilla Soup for lunch.

Today I paid two CC's in full, as I do every month. We are still debt free. Housebudget paid.

Today I paid the water bill, 3000 gallons this month - $40.45 - that's for 3 adults, 2 of us who are home all day every day now. Housebudget paid. $2.50 of that is for prepaid ambulance service. ARG!

Today I cooked steak, baked potatoes and a salad for supper.

Today Hubster worked all afternoon cutting up the biggest chunks of the wood into small enough pieces so my Dad can carry them.

Today was quite a day.

Now, I'm going to bed w/the lumberjack! Talk to you all later.

Good night Gracie!

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link to Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.
http://www.pbgc.gov/


link to PDF file about a Predictable Secure Pension For Life - has a nice checklist:

http://www.pbgc.gov/docs/a_predictable_secure_pension_for_...
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