Along with his lovely wife, our number #3 child (Man of the Year Son), the 2nd of our four boys and one daughter, just had a new baby boy this past Friday. I got to go see him on Saturday and on Sunday. He went home from the hospital yesterday. Welcome Grand-Baby Frugalis!!! This is the sixth grandchild (4 girls & now 2 boys) and we also have a great-grandson too.

Momma & baby doing fine!!

Well time flies while you are away. It really didn't feel like that long that I was away, but I realize now that it was.

Long ago in my younger life I did a lot of painting, and as a child I spent a bunch of time in the art studio of a rather famous Indian artist. My Dad, my brother, a nephew and even my ex-stepmother (Dad's wife #2) all paint. My Dad sold a lot of artwork when he was actively painting, so there is sort of a family trademark & tradition that I could step back into. I even dated a famous Indian artist's son at one time. He later married another girl and she's quite famous as well.

But - I married someone else, life happens and I got busy with my kids and that hobby had gone by the wayside. It's been over 20 years since I spent any time doing much painting, just the occassional sketching and odd tole-painting class back in the late 80's.

Since my status as a homeschooling mom has ended and my kids are all pretty much grown up I knew I needed to find my creative groove again. While I was on my little fall break from Saving Advice dot com I was busy. One of the things I was doing was setting up an art studio in CashHappySon's old room and I've started painting again. Once I got going good I did a LOT of paintings for Christmas gifts this year.

Here's one I just finished - I love the neon colors and the textured paint:

This was the inspiration - a nice pot of hot pink bougainvillea & a cool chippy multi-color painted chinese lantern that I hauled home from my last junque' buying trip (I mean literally, I drug that HEAVY lantern for about 4 hours thru a giant antique junkers mecca till I could mosy my way back to the car that was parked about 2 miles away!) A treasure w/it's purple, pink, red, black & white chippy paint!!!:



The original is a bit larger and has a bit more detailing and shadowing than this shot & it is signed and framed now.

FrugalSon who is still at home is painting with me. He's doing really well and perhaps I'll show you something he's done in the future.

To make this applicable, let us just say that trying to get back into painting full time is an expensive proposition if you go whole hog like me and try to get your equipment & paints together all at one time! OUCH! But, I'm generally very happy when I'm slinging paint - so if it costs a bit then my thinking is my sanity and joy is WELL worth it!

Goofy, but we each wear our official painting hat while we paint. Mine's an old smooshed up cowboy hat. His an old hat from the feed mill.

I am a registered member of my tribe and once I get grooving on high speed again will likely return to painting Indian art as I did when I was a teen. That's truly where my heart lies in regards to artwork. I am all about the creating, but the marketing and selling is something I really have to push myself to do. Although, I do have a good friend who owns an art gallery! May be time soon to call in those old favors.

It's been quite the busy month! My brother has been back in the hospital - smoker, COPD, enlarged heart, now w/congestive heart failure, a new diagnosis of sleep apnea & diabetes. He's home now but for how long we don't know.

I can't remember if I've posted about it but both sons who remain living at home have broken up w/their girlios and ManOfTheYear Son who is 2nd of the four boys recently got married. Four boys and a girl make up the Frugalis kiddos, w/only two left at home.

Sorry I haven't been around much to post or even read! I've missed everyone.


Adding to the $20 Challenge

$00.00 balance
$21.38 change & purse cleanout
______
$21.38 Sep MTD

2008 Challenge Total $452.71
Challenge Cumulative Total $981.32

Hubster has had his 62nd birthday this year and we are checking our facts and figures here. Upcoming work at his job is looking slim. Could we make the jump to full time retirement?

Yesterday I worked on updating our Net Worth Statement for August and things are looking UP! He was pleasantly surprised and had drastically under-estimated what we had so that was a nice bump up for him while he's worrying what his employer is doing.

Yes, you know me and my money tucked here and there style, while I slip him little pieces of paper every now and again and say we've got $XXX,XXX.00 amount of dollars here in this account and $X,XXX.00 here - it had been some time since I had given him the entire BIG picture.

He thinks he'd like to just stay employed and eventually just go to working part time where he's at. Hopefully more work will flow through the pipeline and be scheduled for when they run out of what's currently on tap.

But meanwhile back at the house even if he decided to take early Social Security we wouldn't go too hungry. We wouldn't be living the life of the Astor's but still we'd do okay.

Life's good! Carry on dancing!

Okay boys and girls I need help. How do I update my ticker? It says it needs to know the address of the ticker and my PIN. The pin I can handle. Where exactly am I going to find the address where the ticker resides? Am I overlooking the obvious?

AND, when I read their FAQ it says to just click on my ticker and it will take me to the right page. I click and it goes NOWHERE, just as if I've not clicked at all. Any clues?

My Colors? What's black and gray and pink all over? Just kidding -- Okay, I can play but I think I'll keep with an Olympic & USA patriotic theme:


SOLID GOLD - a loving, good-looking, hard-working Hubster who enjoys providing for his family which has allowed me to enjoy staying home for many years with our kiddos.

Silver - our fully stocked one year plus emergency fund! Also that currently we have no debt other than the mortgage!!

Bronze - relatively low interest on the mortgage.

Red - our two paid for vehicles that seldom let us down.

White - always plenty to eat and a nice place to lay our heads at night and the chance to tithe all the while never doing without any of the neccessaries and chances to splurge on the wants more often than not.

Blue - true blue, loving parents and in-laws who have passed the torch by generously giving to us by inheritance and down thru the years - who taught us the lessons of generosity, determined focused work and frugality as wise life choices.

Okay, what would a money blog be w/o a color mention of GREEN - symbolizing the earth of my homeland the good old USA, the color of money and the warm feeling I get inside because I have good online friends here at Saving Advice. So, here's a hat-tip to BA, thanks for a good thread idea - here's what I'd imagine your ideal kitchen to look like:



and another tip o' the hat to Michael Phelps for his amazing wins! ...and all the other athletes who have won the right to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics!

Finally uploaded the vacation pictures to my computer. Somewhere in America:

We exchanged our timeshare and got a very nice unit right on the water...

A couple of boat trips let us view many of the million dollar homes in the area.





But, our digs weren't too shabby either:






Our unit had a very nice balcony with it's own grill and such a lovely view! We spent a lot of time out there.



There was a great golfcart/hiking trail all around the lake for when you just needed some exercise.



We had a great time and always have enjoyed using our timeshare exchange.



While we were gone this time we managed to go out on two different lakes, swam at the two pools in our resort, the boys played tennis, we went out hiking, antiquing, eating out and lots of sight-seeing.

Already saving for next year's trip! Only thing to be decided is to where - possibilities currently being discussed are South Carolina, Texas or Louisiana.

Okay, Joseph Sangl & BAlite got me going on this one, here's my current desktop wallpaper. I stared at this one long enough that I painted my bathroom that deepest color of red. The desktop wallpaper is supposed to say something about me. What?, I'm wondering??

Does it say something else that I change it from time to time? The one I use the most often is of how I'd someday like one end of my house to look - if I had the money to add the loggia and roof covering the back steps down to the basement. Currently all I've got is a concrete patio out on that side - no roofing:



What???? You thought my desktop was going to be all black & white w/pink around the edges??

What does mine say about me?

What's on YOUR desktop wallpaper?

While we were gone on vacation we stopped at a local farmer's market and were given FREE two nice canvas tote bags big enough for shopping!

This link came in my mailbox this week. I'm trying to remember to take the canvas bags with me. It's a new habit to get into.

Click here and use the internal slide-bar to view.


http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200...

Hopefully, this will help serve me a good reminder.

Yesterday was a No Spend Day!

---
edited to add: The shopping cart in the picture above is about the size of one I was given not long ago. I painted mine a brassy gold color and have it in my utility room holding Hubster's dirty duds. The rest of us use the other tub for dirties. When I get tired of these at home I'll haul them to one of my junque booths & sell or use for display. You can also see one of the blahhhhh utilitarian light fixtures that I'm about to have changed out.



Here's the similar light fixture in the kitchen - consider these my BEFORE pictures.



Next week I paint the kitchen ceiling so Hubster can hang the lights.

CAN YOU DO THE SCRATCH-N-DENT HIP-HOP IN YOUR FUNKY BOOTS?

Got cases of chicken noodle soup yesterday at the scratch-n-dent for $3.88. Only catch? No labels. So, I spent a bit of time yesterday writing the contents on the cans & boxes. Each year finds somebody sick and wanting chicken noodle soup! Other good buy was pretzels 4 bags/$1. And I got Hubster some funky color shoe-polishes for his cowboys boots which are funky colored for .88 a can.


HOW ABOUT THE LENDER'S WALTZ?

Yesterday my step-dad paid me $50 on the computer he bought from Hubster. These dollars have to go back in the kitty. Sorry Hubster!


CAN YOU DO THE 401-K MAMBO?

This past week I finally got through all the paperwork on CashHappySon's 401-K offerings and got him signed up. Reading them is bad enough but explaining those things to another person is complicated to me, so I fell back on the nice explanation found around page 90 in David Bach's 'Automatic Millionaire' book. We set CashHappy's deferral rate to 18% which should just about match what he's been putting into his Roth.

Still left to do is stop CashHappys' Roth contributions for now. With his car payment, paying room & board here plus trying to save for moving out he can't afford to do both right now.

His 401-K plan does not offer an employer match that I could see. But, it did have a place to set up automatic 1% yearly increases, which we did. Thing is, the kiddo is 19. How likely will he be to stay at this place of employment? Ehhh, not too sure, but we're doing what we can while we can.


DO THE HEALTH-INSURANCE MOMBO??

Also yesterday we spent some time on the phone with FrugalSon's employee benefits office getting him signed up for health insurance. He finally got some small scrap of paperwork saying the open enrollment dates, which window was mighty short for use in view of vacation plans. There were no written explanation of benefits forthcoming!! BAHHH! It's complicated enough - try doing it without the info in front of you!

Eventually we got him signed up for health & dental insurance yesterday. They offer disability but the lady did not tell us about it and we'll have to call back another day to get a rate quote! Sheesh, it's always something.

Also on FrugalSon's we'll have to adjust his Roth contributions downward by about $30 a month in order to make his small salary cover everything. He's been contributing the maximum, but we'll just have the insurance and lower the contributions for now and if no huge expenses come up during the year attempt to fully fund his Roth from his emergency or car repair savings at the end of the contribution period.


DO THE HULA??

What I want to know is how do parents with 6 to 15 children handle all the paperwork for all their jobs??? Good grievies!!! I'm tired with just two of them still at home!

My parents generation never had to help with all this stuff because it didn't exist back then! They can say life is easier now, which may be true, but it is more complicated and comes with more hoops to be jumped through - what with the limited open enrollment dates and such! PHEW!


DO THE SHAREBUILDER BOO-GA-LOO!!

For myself there's a problem in my Sharebuilder account which requires me to send a notarized letter. I went to my bank last evening (long hours) and no notary was on duty. I'll be going back this morning to get the darn thing notarized and off in the mail. Due to security reasons it could not be handled over the phone. Pain in the patumpkus!!


I WANNA SEE YOU BELLYDANCE!
This entry reminds me of one of my favorite HAPPY songs - I Wanna See You Bellydance by the Red Elvises! Stop the music from up above & listen to a clip here:


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QQZMZQ/ref=dm_sp_alb?...

or listen to the entire song & watch them at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY_Ylj87e3g

Great Album!


No, I don't think I can dance - but if they keep those hoops low enough I think I can roll through them!

Anybody have any bunion pads? Ben-gay??

---
edited to add:
Found money in house clean-up:

$20 CHALLENGE
$022.74 balance
+000.28 clean-up
_______
$023.02 MTD

2008 Challenge Total $164.10
Challenge Cumulative Total $692.71

I'm over here today making myself some maps! Financial maps of a sort.

With today's ability to link accounts at various financial organizations I thought it was about time I mapped out where all the tie-ins were on the old push/pull of EFTs (electronic fund transfers).

For me it's important to do this and keep it for my own information as well as Hubsters or anyone who survives me to find out where all my little stashes are! I'm notorious for stashing money! A bit here and a bit there. None of my eggs are in one pot it seems.

Besides, there are so many nice enticing bonus savings & CC offers out there for those who can roust up enough change to participate. However it can leave money scattered all around the globe. NICE! IF you can remember where it's all at! Not so nice if you lose track of it.

I need someway to get a visual on it! I try not to be a total rate 'ho and chase rates daily, but I do join in the merry-making from time to time. Can't you just see some accountant going ditzy and cracking his/her mental health over the state of some folks books on their money making efforts from running after all these cool rate offers???

So, how to do it? I just drew a circle with the primary account holder in the center of a piece of paper and drew lines out to various checking, savings and investment accounts. Those that have a push/pull get a double ended arrow connecting them. I'm planning on keeping them with my Emergency Control Journal. Those of you familiar w/Flylady will know what I'm talking about. Anyway, it is something that I will have to keep updating.

Mine is a bit more complicated than some as I'm on all my kids (5) accounts as well as joint owner. So there are accounts spread everywhere and yon w/my name connecting them. And some we do transfer to/from in our own personal family bank kind of system. Example: CashHappySon wants to buy something off ebay and he doesn't have an account. I'll go in on my ebay account and bid/win/buy for him and then we'll just go online to our bank and transfer the money from his account to mine. Or FrugalSon has autodrafted the car insurance for both of them off his account. CashHappy has an automated draft covering his portion transferred monthly to FrugalSon. Saves a lot of check writing!

Plus for the moment we still have two open accounts for FIL's estate.

Anyway, it can get confusing if you've a bunch of accounts. Time to make the maps. One for each person in the house as to their own accounts.

How about you? Is it time for you to make a map/s? Or, do you have a better method? I'd love to hear about it!

Went to the bank this morning and deposited my May Challenge money.

I just added the $33.00 from the May $20 Challenge to my Roth IRA. Which allowed me a chance to again realize that I'm behind on my contributions. BoooHiisss!!

Fidelity will only take round numbers for these deposits so some months I round up and other months I round down, using .49/.50 as my deciding factor. We're half way thru the year, and I need to step up my game.

Time to stop just la-la-la-ing thru life Frugalis!!!

I'm getting ready to redo my budget and increase my contributions there and stop the Ameritrade contributions. I was supposed to have already done that but have just been lazy. So that would get me to 151.00 a month currently out of my personal budget plus the $100 going into it from the HouseBudget. I think I could easily put another hundred a month back myself. I'm going to try. Conceivably w/the challenge dollars I could get close to putting back $333 or more a month. I know we're eligible to put back more than that but that's about all I can do for now.

The only difference is that by putting it in Ameritrade if I wanted something, a travel op presented itself or I just NEEDED something I could conceivably use it. Haven't - but could. I know that if I put that money in the IRA I won't be touching it. So, it needs doing and I'm going to give it a go.

Hardly anyone says that they've put back too much for retirement, right?

----

Today Hubster and I just did another 6 month CD. Ehhh, the interest underwhelms me!! It was just an itty bit of money sitting in Hubster's ING account doing piddly! I'm sure there are other places paying more but it was easy to do it at ING while I was there doing the next thing...

----

Today I sent Jeffrey 2 more ING invites for the bonus referrals.

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Yesterday was a no spend, no driving day!

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FrugalisHouseBudget just paid the auto insurance policy and house policy. Good news is that it's finally doable online. Bad news is I ALWAYS hate turning loose of the money.

I love books! I love trees!

A website that allows you to plant a tree for every book you read!

Finally something I can get behind!!!

http://www.ecolibris.net/

This could get costly folks as I've read a BUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNCCCCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHH of books in my lifetime!

The conversation over on the SavingAdvice.com forums about folks trying to feed themselves on limited means and with limited shopping options has got me feeling all Lennonish this a.m. But, Albert will work! We're ALL needed to fight the gorilla on our joint humanity backs! No man is an island.



-------
The May utility figures are in:

$90.75 CableTV/Internet/Phone
$92.00 Gas
$63.00 Electricity
$49.40 Water/Ambulance
$14.00 Trash
_______
$309.15 May total

April totals were $318.70, so we're down $9.55 this month! YEAH!!

-------
Cleaning out the wallet to add to the $20 Challenge:

$013.25 balance
$020.17 cleanout
_______
$33.42 May MTD

2008 Challenge Total $141.08
Cumulative Challenge Total $669.69

Yesterday on a small grocery shop ($36.27) at Aldi's I went ahead and bought powdered coffee creamer there at $1.49 when I know I can get it cheaper at the dollar type stores, where it's usually just a dollar.

I did it the last time I shopped as well. And, I'm aggravated at myself about it.

No, I wasn't out, but I didn't want to run out either and I lazily didn't want to stop at the dollar store. Grrr!

And, I'm wondering just how much this convenience shopping is taxing me in a year's time?????

So, on the shopping list for the next dollar store shop? A BUNCH of creamer! Perhaps a years worth!

And another thing that came to mind while perusing the ticket upon my arrival home...the tax rate. There are two near-by Aldi's in our general metro area. One of them lies in a different town. I'm thinking the food-tax rate might be different in the smaller suburban town. I need to check on that. The difference? The one in the main metro area is 18 miles from my house. The other is 21 miles away. If taxes are lower, in the long run, it might pay to drive the extra 3 miles. Yesterday, I was already in the neighborhood of the one I shopped at. Next time, I might have a choice.

What kind of Convenience Tax are you paying? And on what? Is it worth it to you? How often are you convenience taxing yourself??? And would the actual tax rate on what you are buying be cheaper if you drove a few more miles? Would it be worth it to you?

I've got 30 cents here on the keyboard to add to the $20 Challenge.

Day before yesterday we locked in our timeshare exchange for this year's upcoming vacation. It is within 4 hours driving time so that won't hurt too badly on the old gas budget. Now it's just a matter of getting all the boys' employers on board with the time frame.

There is alot to be said for never being absent and covering other's shifts for them, and they've both done a lot of that, so, here's hoping! In any case, they're going. If they have to find alternate employment upon their return? So be it.


$20 CHALLENGE

$012.00 balance
+000.30 keyboard change
_______
$012.30 May MTD

2008 Challenge Total $119.96
Cumualtive Challenge Total $648.57

I've spent a bit at garage sales this week - $8.50 yesterday and $2.10 today.

This morning we spent our time outside doing some brush burning. Still cleaning up from the ice storm. There's still lots more to burn!

Yesterday I went to my* college reunion and made a haul!

I won three of the door prizes, and came home with a bunch of radishes from my friends garden! Well, well, Well!! hehe!! SCORE! I won a baseball cap with the school logo on it, a college T-shirt and a very VERY nice 8.0 pixel, 10x zoom, Canon PowerShot SX100 IS Digital Camera w/a super little LowePro carrying bag for it.

I was invited to this 'doings, by an old friend who actually graduated from there.

*I was a commuter student there and only attended 4 classes there while doing the majority of my schooling in my nearby metro area. My old friend called me up about three months ago and asked if I minded if he put me up for the Hall of Fame nominations. Now, I've done a few things in my life, some that were noteworthy, yet no total body of lifetime achievement that I would consider Hall of Fame worthy, but after reminding him of my commuter student status and my lack of achievements, I said, "Sure, why not, and thank you for thinking of me."

(Note: Surprise!!! (NOT - just kidding) I did not make the final cut!)

Anyway, Hubster and I went and had a very enjoyable day as his guests. We picked up my friend and his other friend and the four of us made a day trip of it.

The day started off early w/a little shopping trip at a store I often frequent near there - Hubster bought me a $2.42 wreath hanger to replace one I misplaced while dressing FIL's house, and Housebudget bought a small gift for my niece's upcoming birthday for under $5.

At the reception they had a wide cookie selection, cheese and crackers, bottled waters, and coffee at about 10:45.

We mingled. We met. We explained that we weren't the real deal 'Alumni', but mainly there as guests of my friend.

We toured. A highschool girlfriend's of mine family had donated a very large sum of money and had very lovely dorm built there. Very much like a resort, swimming pool, club house, laundry room, etc. The kids do still have to buddy up. Four to a unit. Four bedrooms w/locks, 2 showers, 2 stools, 4 sinks. Each bedroom had space for their own mini-frig & microwave. Fullsize bed, desk, dresser, nightstand, all provided. Very nice. Each 4 student unit has a shared common dining space & living room.

The campus is small, but the facilities are very well-kept. In the library they had set up very large display cases with memorabilia and had a nice slide show presentation and yearbooks & scrapbooks out on the tables. Librarians standing by to make copies.

The Alumni President made a bee-line for me as I was considerably younger than most of the attendees. (Delightful to be called a youngster again, even if I am a Gran and nearer to midlife than most!)

He wanted to enlist me on the Alumni committee. I somehow managed to escape him. Hubster did not want me to participate because of the commute involved. For me it would be an hour and a half drive even if I was interested, which I was decidely not. However, it wouldn't look bad on a resume!

Lunch was in the cafeteria with sandwiches, chips and a beautiful spread of fruit and dipping sauces, and a nice veggie & dip selection. It was very enjoyable watching the 2 Hall of Fame inductees' PowerPoint presentations and hearing their life tales. My older friend hid behind me and took a snooze as it did run on a bit!

But hey, people only generally get these ops once or twice in a lifetime so it was interesting to me to watch their enjoyment of their special day and hear their life stories.

Later we toured vendors booths and participated in a few more door prize drawings. Hubster bought me a $2 bag of Kettle Corn.

Afterwards we attended a very nice catered dinner and live music presentation, ending the evening early about 7:00 p.m. while the band played on as we had to make tracks to our part of the state to pick up FrugalSon. While dropping my old friend and my now new friend that came with, they gave us the radishes. I just washed & trimmed them up this morning and will use part of them in today's lunch salad.

All in all an enjoyable time spent on a day with lovely weather! Of note to SavingAdvice.com bloggers, I personally had a No Spend Day!!! Hubster bought gas and paid tolls out of Housebudget.

I tried to pay friend for our tickets but he wouldn't hear of it. I will be buying him a restaraunt gift certificate and mailing it to him w/a nice thank you card as well as one to the Alumni Foundation Reunion staff for the doorprizes.

Sweet Black Toffee got to come home from the vet last night. She is trying to walk herself around again. She wobbles and falls over a lot. Back left leg working great. Right rear leg comes and goes. We are to do physical therapy with her three times a day and she has some meds.

As long as she can eliminate on her own I think everything will be okay. As the doctor was explaining it to me the first day his scenario was we'd be doing basically a colostomy bag and physical manipulations to help her go potty, which wasn't the type of life we wanted for her or ourselves.

So far so good. She went potty by herself this morning and is on predisone which is keeping her thirsty & kidneys going as well. Mostly she is back to her usual sleeping all the time. You can wake her up and interact with her on any given day and within 2 or 3 minutes she'll tire out and curl back up to sleep. She is after all a little old lady!!




Vet bill on the CC to the tune of $180.00. Will pay that out of the Veterinary Fund. Thank goodness for pre-planning, although obviously there isn't enough in there for anything major.

Talk about your up and down days!!!

Right before we left for the vet my sister called and asked 'when was the last time I had talked to our Mom?' I had spent about 2 hours on the phone with her just the day before. Okay, she says, now she is wearing one of those heart monitor packs for 24 hours. Say what??? Both my parents are falling apart at the same time. I live one hour from my Dad and an hour and 1/2 from Mom.

I get off phone w/Sis, go to the vet w/Hubster & CashHappySon thinking we are going to say goodbye as they closed w/i 15 minutes, find the dog much better and get Toffee, come back home and call my Mom.

Seems she had recently changed health clinics to one closer to her home and they had changed her medications from one she takes twice a day to a time released type. The new one appears to be what is making her heart race.

After I got off the phone w/her CashHappySon started acting the 'wicked-child' again and I frankly did not need the additional stress. Hubster had his job cut out for him again trying to referee!

Ay-Carumba!! Thankfully the rest of the evening smoothed out and I went to bed early w/a warm corn-bag (microwave heated) and de-stressed w/a good book. I'm reading about the Ochs family who started the New York Times newspaper. Very interesting. The Trust: The Private and Powerful Family behind The New York Times, Susan E. Tifft and Alex S. Jones, Little, Brown and Company, 1999.**

Giving parental units time this a.m. to get up and running and I'll be calling to check in with both of them!

----
$20 CHALLENGE
$007.38 balance
+003.25 wallet cleanout
_______
$010.63 March MTD

2008 Challenge Total $65.07
Cumulative Challenge Total $593.68

----
When I was paying bills yesterday I thought I'd do a little addition and check how the utilities are running. This is more for informational purposes into the retirement planning stages because if we pay our house off and stay here I wanted to see where we'd be.

Going to try and start logging them here monthly.

Utilities for March 2008

$90.68 Phone*/Cable/DSL
$97.00 Natural Gas
$14.00 Trash Service
$62.00 Electric
$49.40 Water/Ambulance Fee**
______
$313.08

*Landline charges. I recently ended my cell phone contract that I'd had for about 6 years and have gone with an Emergency Use Only tracphone (pay as you go.) Cell is now paid out of my budget and Hubster doesn't carry one.

**A couple of months back the rural water district we live in decided to start charging us $2.50 month for emergency medical services fee in the off chance we need to use an ambulance. If we had our druthers we'd pay for an ambulance IF and when we needed one. Boo Hiss!

Okay, back to the utilities, so w/the projection of having the house paid off right about retirement time and adding in current house taxes of apprx. $56.00 a month and we'd be sitting here (in today's dollars) paying right at $370.00 to live in our home. Not too shabby, eh folks??? But, we must not forget to factor in that nasty inflation!!

$370 a month - That's low enough that we could stay here and hire out the lawn care, if we wanted to. Ahhh, the joys of not buying TOO MUCH house!

----
I personally had a no-spend day yesterday.

Busy here this morning balancing checkbooks and seeing what bills need paying and filing, etc.

One day this week? When??? ...Anyway got a call from my stepmother that my Dad had another mini-stroke TIA last Thursday and had his arm go completely numb for about 15 minutes. He drove himself and went and had a brain scan this week and was going to drive himself about 4 hours away for a delivery. GAAA! My stepmother is disabled but she can drive! Why didn't she take him to the doctor? Why didn't she call an ambulance? Call us sooner? Call me in time to drive him for the brain-scan? At least she finally called! I do check in on them every week or two, but still she can afford a phone call!

I am beyond p.o.'d!

So, I dropped everything that day and ran down and drove him to and from the place he had to make deliveries. He's previously had 5 bypass surgery and a massive stroke before. What is wrong with this woman that she can't call???????

I chewed them both out - why not call us and let us know at the time something is happening. Yes, it might be scary, but I'd rather be informed in time to help than to be left in the dark until sometime in the future when it might be too late!

On my doxie - I took FrugalSon & went to see her yesterday at the vet's office, didn't get to talk to the vet, but there wasn't any visible improvement. Unless we do a very costly (to us in our financial situation) surgery then it is unlikely that she will recover the use of her hind legs and as she is apprx. 10-13 years old and already sleeps 23 1/2 hours a day we will likely have to put her down. If we did the surgery, there was no guarantee that she wouldn't have the same thing happen w/other vertebrae, etc. We just can't afford to do it.

Myself, Hubster and CashHappySon will go visit today, and if there is no signs of improvement we will let her go. So sad. We got her from the pound when she was about 6-8 years old, and she's had a good run here with us. We just can't see that if she doesn't improve she'd have much quality of life. Too sad to write about it any more today.


To keep you kiddies entertained while I do my bookkeeping...

Uncle Jay explains the Stimulus Package

http://www.unclejayexplains.com/media/UJwmv01-28-08.wmv

Funnier....

Uncle Jay explains the Congressional Recess

http://www.unclejayexplains.com/media/UJwmv09-03-07.wmv

$20 CHALLENGE

$007.29 balance
+000.09 keyboard change
_______
$007.38 March MTD

2008 Challenge Total $61.82
Cumulative Challenge Total $590.43

edited to add:

Adding to the $20 CHALLENGE
$006.08 balance
+000.20 found on keyboard
_______
$006.28 March MTD

2008 Challenge Total $60.72
Cumulative Challenge Total $589.33

/end edit
----------


You might say I am a selfish woman.

I admit it.

I want to sleep at night.

Not to worry about money.

Do I want scads and scads of it? I wouldn't be opposed, but I'm not obsessed with having money for money's sake but the idea of having my financial life in order does carry a certain appeal. You know?

I do not think I am alone in this. Surely there are many MANY women who feel that security is important? And they want to know when their family has reached it???

Ladies am I right??

Anyone????

The Hubster and I - We are stuck in the same conversation we get into all the time.

Hubster is **(double digit) older than I and our time-frames for investing for the both of us has to be coalesced into a working order that covers needs of BOTH of our projected lifespans AND takes into consideration our differing risk tolerances.

Noting that I'm generally more of the risk taker and he's super conservative.

IOW, trying to decide on a joint investment strategy is quite different in a May/December marriage than it is in say a Dec/Dec marriage. Or a moderate growth/moderate risk tolerance marriage!

Try finding research or advice on how to do May/Dec retirement investing and see the dead air space where such information should be (Google reposited thank you very much) and you'll come up empty handed!

Add a big sprinkling of the fact that Hubster doesn't like to read or keep too informed on the topics of finances and investing makes it difficult at times to persuade someone to move forward w/ a planned proactive methodology.

We just touched on that subject again last night. I am a reader. Big Time. I read oodles and oodles. He reads zip, zero, nada. He can, he just refuses to do it for knowledge building. If someone at work broaches the subject of finances or investing, fine. If he hears something on the news, great. Then we can discuss, but if I find a relevant article.

He.will.NOT.read.it!

ARRRRRGHH - my frustration level is tapped out, because although I homeschooled my children I am not an educator* at heart and, as it takes me an inordinate amount of study time to EFFECTUALLY give someone verbally (I'm more of a writer, INFJ remember?) at-the-rise/drop-of the market, the background reasoning for why XYZ-abc+123=BAD MOVE at this time, on the spur of the moment and off the cuff.

[The above paragraph was taken almost verbatim from last night's financial discussion!]

GIANT point of frustration for me, but perhaps I should just be thankful that his general lack of interest makes me become a more informed investor in order to discuss the topic with him when it does come up! I just get frustrated at trying to do it all extemporaneously, which I truly SUCK AT!!

*No, Virginia, there is no educator here. I am an autodidactic lifelong learning fanatic, FACILITATOR w/a heavy penchant for research. Thus my librarian tendencies. Imagine my frustration in finding out he's interested in owning gold and taking my knowledge of the subject (admittedly small) but I do have a nice personally assembled - because I think at heart I could be a gold bug - $green$ notebook full of information on gold mining stocks & ETFs that I have assembled and keep updated then adding in my penchant to find people the information that they need to make INFORMED decisions only to be met w/someone on the other end who refuses to read it after I've found it!

Gadzooks & DARNATION!!!

That he's the man who has hitched his wagon to my star and is supposed to have my financial best interests at heart...well PHhhhFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFTTTT!!!

To his credit he does take a hands off approach for the most part while often acknowledging that most of the investing we are doing will be for MY benefit in the long term. He does admit that I'm the one who will likely beneft the most.

However, that isn't exactly true as I've tried to point out. Having our financial lives in order at any time should give BOTH OF US peace of mind, knowing that health care costs could be covered, prescriptions could be filled, that we might get to a place where LTC insurance could be purchased for the both of us, that we can get ourselves buried, continue eating into old age, etc., etc., etc. and that life could go on for any survivor should help BOTH OF US sleep a little better at night, IMHO.

I don't have any answers to my personal dilema here. But did need a nice place to vent. My fellow SavingAdvice.com forumites and bloggers will probably understand. Won't you???

I am a selfish woman. I want financial peace for not only myself, but my family as well. I don't want the kiddos to have to do a bunch of grunt work that we could've taken care of with some prudent COOPERATIVE planning! I don't want to be forced to make medical decisions later in his life based on whether or not we can afford it. I want to come along side my Hubster and help him make financial decisions that work for BOTH OF US!

I'm wishing right about now we had a video camera. Why? Perhaps if we video taped our financial conversations and family business meetings, documenting them w/either video or by taking corporate secretary type of notes we'd go farther in excuting a plan that could become more formalized and reviewable.

I just want to get out of loop mode where we're constantly going over the same ground.

What do you guys do to tag-team your couple finances FORWARD???

One of the things I do with cash in my wallet is donate to my church's building fund each week. Here's where I scrape the bottom of the purse out, check the coin purse and see if there is any folding money in the folding money spot.

On Sunday this week all I found in my wallet (aside from the cash for everyone's monthly allowances which are deposited into the First National Bank of Mom in the back hideyholes) was 51 cents. That's it.

Into the little special envelope it went.

For informational purposes - yes this extra money I donate to the bldg fund is just that. EXTRA. We do tithe from the household budget and I do tithe from my personal budget as well. Extra this Sunday out of household budget was $25.00 that went towards a SS class mission project we are doing in Mexico this year.

So, now I'm PERSONALLY busted AHHHEMMMMM (I mean Cash Flow Inhibited) until this coming Friday when I'll give myself another fiver from one of those dark recessed places in the wallet. That five will do me for the next week.

Tight rations for moi this month!

Who cares and why am I telling you about this?

I was just working on posting some financial doings in the YNAB software and decided that just for kicks and giggles I'd run over to Jesse's YNAB blog and see what was happening over there since I hadn't been in a coon's age. Well -- the latest article there talks about being financially aware of where every penny goes. Why? Because it's important. That's why!

Okay. So 51 cents went out this week to the church's building fund.

Meanwhile I've updated my links over to the left to show you the way to the YNAB blog. WELL WORTH VISITING.

Of other financial note this week. I sold a dresser from when the kiddos were little for $40.00. I deposited it locally this morning and promptly came home and deposited it over into my IRA along with $211 EXTRA from this month's budget to try to get that darn 2007 limit fully funded.

So for March here's what I've been able to come up with for MY latest portion of the 2007 contributions to MY IRA. The house budget puts in $100 a month towards current contributions which is not included here.

$101.00 my normal monthly do.
+ 23.00 from Feb's $20 Challenge(round-up)
+ 40.00 from dresser sale
+211.00 scraped from the March budget
_______
$375.00

So, if I've counted my chickens correctly and IF the Ameritrade Suze Orman $100.00 bonus gets posted before April 15 and it should based on my join date then I'll have 600.00 that I've contributed this past year to earn the bonus + 100.00 bonus which will equal $700 that I can put towards my 2007 contributions and IF I can scrape another $37.00 up before April 15th I will make it to complete my 2007 contributions.

Meanwhile back at the ranch as I said, house budget is feeding $100 a month into 2008 contributions and my 101.00 (the $1.00 extra to differentiate it from household contribution and not confuse folks at the brokerage) will then go towards 2008 as well. I may well then stop the $50 to Ameritrade and put it towards the IRA.

In the old L.L.Frugalis PERSONAL checkbook I am close to the bottom scrapings. I've got about $33.00 in there to last until the end of the month for whatever weird unaccounted thing comes up. If I am extra special careful (which I rarely am) I could conceivably have that much left over that I could use towards the $37 I need - probably won't happen. BUT, I'll find it somewhere in April's budget if it harelips the Easter bunny who as a matter of fact is coming way too early this year for my tastes.

Keep your fingers crossed kiddos that the luck of the Irish holds for me! Yes, I'm a bit of an Irish lass as I had a full-blooded Irish Grampy!





Here's so you don't have to scroll way down to visit the YNAB blog.


http://www.youneedabudget.com/category/blog//

I've got a big old honking pile of papers on my desk!

More Importantly - I'm TIRED TIRED TIRED of having a big old honking pile of papers on my desk!!

To-Do
1)Spend 15 minutes morning on deskwork.
2)Spend 15 minutes afternoon on deskwork.
3)Spend 15 minutes evening on deskwork.
4)Bank February's $20 Challenge money.
5)Figure out what CashHappySon's new auto insurance premiums are going to be.
6)Move money to Emigrant.
7)Move money to Roth IRA for 2007.
8)Go to the Dollar Store & get things on list.
9)Find another copy of my truck insurance paper to go in glovebox. Took the other one out when I went to get tag renewed yesterday.
10)Either Call or Take CashHappySon to employer to get new schedule straightened out. Make sure #9 is done before driving off!!
11)Spend 15 minutes before bedtime on deskwork.
12)Get some filing done!
13)Get some files cleaned out!!

Ta-Da
Already done this a.m.

1)Bed Made
2)Dressed to shoes, hair & makeup done.
3)Brushed, Flossed, Mouthwashed
4)Load of Laundry Done
5)Ate Breakfast (Strawberry Yogurt, OJ)
6)Midmorning Snack (10 Almonds & Green Tea)
7)Walked for 10 minutes.
8)Updated 4 checkbooks (don't ask) via computer.
9)On my third bottle of water.
10)Made a shopping list for Dollar Store.


Yesterday's Ta-Da's:
FrugalSon went with me yesterday on his day off and we got some running done:

1)Truck Tag Renewed til 2009.
2)Hubster & mine allowance money from ATM.
3)Went by my bank to get new register & make a deposit.
4)Took CashHappySon's uniform pants by to exchange them for a different size.
5)Made a clothing & junk donation to the local women's shelter.
6)Went to booth #1 & picked up February's sales check and put this weeks items into the booth. February - Booth 1 Sales after overhead $283.49 - Booth 2 Sales after overhead $60.49.
7)Had a NO SPEND DAY!

$20 CHALLENGE
$000.00 March beginning balance
+001.25 from Hubster
_______
$001.25 March MTD

2008 Challenge Total $055.69
Cumulative Challenge Total $584.30

Need a good laugh about the stimulus package?? Check it out...


http://www.salon.com/comics/opus/2008/03/02/opus/


FUNNY!!

On Sunday our church bulletin asked for volunteers to fill in when our office ladies go on vacation or are out sick. I volunteered myself, saying that I was contemplating going back to work sometime soon, but if they needed me before then I would be available. I was told I would be put on 'the list' w/others.

My thinking on this is two-fold:

1)I need to practice my office skills once again, as I've been out of the workplace for 20 years, give or take. And it will help fill in some of the gaps between other volunteer things I've done and now.

2)The financial secretary at the church is close to retirement and w/my accounting background I am qualified to do her job, and already know how to use the accounting software they are currently using. So, I'm thinking it won't hurt to have my foot already in the door, yes??

Bad part, my filling in is unpaid volunteer work. Our church had a recent crisis and financial times there are hard at the moment, so they can't really afford to pay anyone else plus pay the ladies their vacation or sick pay. We are between pastors and have an interim (fill-in) pastor for now.

However, supposedly filling in is only going to be here and there. I guess either no one else was on the list or I was the first pick, or they called everyone else on the list and I was the only one available????

Today I am going in because our head deacon's father passed away and the entire office staff is going to ride the church bus and go to the funeral in a town about an hour away. So, I'll be there till about 2 this afternoon.

I already sent a sympathy card to the family and wasn't planning on attending the funeral.

Today, supposedly all I'll be doing is answering the phones. So, after checking with the office manager - I'm taking some financial books I checked out of the library earlier this week and our checking account statements and plan on reading and/or balancing accounts if the phones are quiet.

For recent newbies - this is the same church that my FrugalSon used to work at in the mornings and he got laid off at the time of the crisis because of financial constraints.

Gotta go pack my lunch!

I learn something new every day!!


http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1098393/how_people_count_cas...

Who knew there were this many different ways to count cash?

$20 CHALLENGE

$008.95 balance
+000.40 change on keyboard
_______
$009.35 Feb MTD

2008 Challenge Total $041.25
Cumulative Challenge Total $569.86

No, not the sex talk...

The 40/70 Rule Talk, that is...

Time to talk to our parents about their finances, driving, future lifestyle choices, end of life health care, wills and deposit boxes, etc.

The '40-70 Rule' means that if we are 40+, or our parents are 70+, it's time to start the conversation about some of these difficult topics.

Or, if we are the older parent, here's a place to get topic starters for THE talk w/your boomer children:

To receive a FREE copy of The 40-70 Rule: A Guide to Conversation Starters for Boomers and Their Senior Loved Ones or to learn more about 40-70 rule program, visit www.4070talk.com.


http://www.homeinstead.com/resources/4070/communicationtip...

Have that talk soon...

Adding the quarter from earlier in the week that I drove around in the movie parking lot to stop and pickup. Money is money folks and it does add up.

$20 CHALLENGE

$008.10 balance
+000.25 quada from the lot
________
$008.35 Feb MTD

2008 Challenge Total $40.25
Cumulative Challenge Total $568.86


Last night was Valentine's dinner at the BBQ/steakhouse with our SS class - $23.98 which included the gratuity for Hubster and I to both have a very nice juicy GOOD steak and taters and pop.

A nice time visiting w/class members - I've had to miss SS class for the last three weeks because of being sick, so it was nice to get to go out, sit and visit. Hubster and kids have been attending w/o me.

I was seated at the end of the table across from two single guys - one who is going thru a divorce w/2 kids and another who is long divorced w/2 kids. I did my best to keep up the ol' conversational ball and ask them about their lives. I remember those days when I was single and going to events w/couples - it can be sucky! Hopefully they weren't too bored talking about themselves!!

After coming home and commenting here on the blogs I went to bed early to read and let dinner digest - it was just enough - not overstuffed like you sometimes get - but just right. On the reading bedside table is: "Your Money or Your Life" by Dominquez. I'm re-reading it again for about the fourth time trying to get into doing ALL THE STEPS to see what I've missed that could be helpful in the ol' monetary quest.

And, "Daring To Be Yourself" by Alexandra Stoddard which points you towards living a life of graciousness and niceities and joy and such. Noting the small things and taking pleasure in them. Nice to be reminded to take time to smell those roses and to enjoy your home and to pick a lifestyle and creating a refuge and peaceful home that is pleasing, warm and loving to you and your family & inviting and welcoming to your friends and guests!

While I was sick I re-read a bunch of my Paul E. Erdman books. If you like money and reading then I think you'd enjoy most any of his fiction books.

I'm up early by myself this morning, having coffee w/the pupster dogs and reading some and blogging here. Off to get ready for church. Still soggy and rainy here. Spent $5 this week having Miss Sweet Black Toffee's toenails clipped. CashHappySon paid $5 for Miss Carmelita Corn to get hers done. It was one of the smoother easy-going times we've had together this month!

Lunch will be Yummy Steak -a chicken fry steak meat w/brown gravy and onion soup mix cooked in the crocko'pot, baked potatoes (foil slipped tightly over the top of the crock & small tates forked and slipped on it, domed lid on tight), green salad, iced tea and cherry cake for dessert.

Hope everyone has a blessed and relaxed Sunday. Enjoy yourself and love on your peoples!!

How about you - do you re-read books?

When it asks you to do literal steps do you sometimes do like me and just skip them thinking they don't apply?

The "Your Money or Your Life" book is a good one to re-read as there is much I missed and/or forgot/forget!! Good to be reminded!

I am going to try to actually do ALL the steps they suggest.

Have you read this book and done the steps?

Dear Sweet Valentines,

I miss you guys when I don't get to read or post!

Sweetums, a/k/a The Hubster brought home a card & chocolates for his lovely bride - yours truly! He took me out to eat on Monday night for Valentines Day at the local steak and rib place (we used the gift card we got from my sister at Christmas) and will be taking me out again on Saturday for our Sunday School class's Valentines Banquet at another BBQ place (appx. $10 a plate), so I am being spoiled. He got chocolates and his favorite hot rolls (olive bread) cooked and a nice dinner, a card and fancy juice for supper. We are simple people with pretty simple tastes.

Cleaned out the wallet a few minutes ago and found 30 cents in there to take to the challenge.

There is lots more to post about what's been going on around the Frugalis house but I'll wait till tomorrow to fill you in on some of it. There is also more change laying around from various sources that I'll post about tomorrow.

Now I've got to go pickup FrugalSon from work and take his single pink rose bud for him to give to TheGrrl whom he works with. He took her out to eat Monday night as well and out to see 27 Dresses at the movies. He gave her a perfume vial that was in a flower type presentation form and some lotiony foo-foo stuff, a scarf, some chocolates and a card. She is being spoiled too. She gave him a big box of chocolates. Love is in the air!

Hope everyone has had a lovely day and if you are your own special someone give yourself a hug and squeeze from me! Then go do something just for you that you LOVE to do - spoil yourself!! Okay?

Happy Valentine's Day to Everyone at SavingsAdvice.com!


Luv,
LuxLivingFrugalis


$20 CHALLENGE
$006.16 balance
+000.30 wallet cleanout
_______
$006.46 Feb MTD

2008 Challenge Total $38.36
Cumulative Challenge Total $566.97

Do these things plug themselves in or what?? It's time to WHACK THE MOLE!! I found four items:

1)Toaster
2)Coffee pot
3)Microwave
4)DVD player left on overnight by some mystery guest who won't fess up!

Last month's bill $60.00. Wonder what it was in 2007??

Don't know what I'm talking about? Check out the back story here:

http://luxliving.savingadvice.com/2008/01/11/whack-a-mole-el...

Now - go WHACK YOUR MOLES!!!

Hubster's uncle on his Mom's side passed away and the funeral is today. I've got to run back to the grocery right now and get some of those throw-away pans.

Yesterday I purchased a spiral cut ham, a 24-ct case of pop, 2 packages of rolls, a jello ambrosia thingy, some creme puffs and today I'm going to bake a potato casserole. That should at least feed our crew and a couple of the out of town relatives.

I spent about $90 at the unscheduled grocery shop yesterday. Of course not all of that is for the funeral, but HARD-TIMES seem to be on the horizon and I'm forever stocking up against it or so it seems!

This was a favorite uncle, close in age, and almost identical in looks to Hubster. Back when they were in their 20's they were running buddies. We had just seen him at one of Unc's sister's funeral and he seemed fine. He's had some illness but it was certainly unexpected. He leaves behind a wife, 2 daughters, a son, and a grandson.

Hubster and three of our sons are going to be pall-bearers so they've got to show up early.

I'm off to scrounge up some pictures I was wanting to pass along to some of the relatives from out of Hubster's parents estate. They are of cousins & their kids and such when they were little.

Maybe they'd enjoy having them more than we, who hardly know them and only see them at the funerals. Now is a good time to pass them back around to those who would get greater enjoyment. And just maybe, they'll spark some moments of reflection today of happier times.

It's also a cold bugger-bear here today, I'm also off to round up some of the boy's long-johns to wear under my pants! So if I look a little lumpy, you'll know it's just a mirage!!

How to create something tasty out of a sea of black? The black sea that is my closet. You see, I am a lover of the simple black and white motif for a basic wardrobe. The only thing is I never buy much white!! hahaha!

I open my closet to look for a specific piece and WHAM the black hole that is my closet just kind of blends into differing shades of black! I need to do something about that!!

And I am trying.

I did buy some solid sherbert shade sweaters this year thinking I may go back to the corporate world at some point and I can always wear them to church.

I was just thinking about how to rotate my clothes better when I ran across the below website.

I like the idea this girl has below. I'd also take a head w/hair out of the way and hand shot to go w/each outfit to show what jewelry I've picked to go w/each outfit. Or a shot of just the jewelry items grouped together.



http://iwantthatdress.blogspot.com/2008/01/cataloguing-you...

How is this financial? The more combo outfits you can get out of your current clothing, the less you have to purchase foolishly to create some level of knowing that whatever comes up you've got something to wear!! Organized and planned equals less dollars spent.

However, I still need to do something about how to tell one black item from the next in my closet a little easier.



Maybe floodlights installed in the closet???

How about you - do you have your clothing well organized? Does it save you money???