Lux Living Frugalis

Life's been busy. Went to see my Mom this week about 2 hours away. Collected money from my booth that is in her town and took a couple of boxes full of holiday items out of it and restocked w/one big box full of goodies taken from my other booth nearby me. This gives me a place to rotate items. I also pulled a couple of dolls out of the southern most booth #2 to put in #1 that had never been in booth #1.

Usually I go from booth #1 to booth #2 and then if after a while things don't move I then go ahead and donate them to our local women's shelter. They have a couple of garage sales a year to raise money.

This way I feel as if I've made an honest effort to get $$s for the items, but if they don't sell after a reasonable amount of time I become more comfortable with donating them.

I also won a few items from a local auction house this week, 3 chairs that I plan to resell. Also we went to a local auction the other night. Took FrugalSon and TheGrrl and a single lady from my SS class. We had a nice evening and I won most of the things I bid on which I will resell.

I'm going to include pic in this entry of the very nicely framed Indian painting that I bought at a garage sale late last year. The glass was broken on the picture so I paid $5.00 for it. My husband got the glass replaced for me for FREE. You may not be able to tell from the picture but it is quite large - sofa wall size. We took it over to the booth #1 on Saturday - listed for $250.00. If it doesn't sell at that price w/i a year, then I'll mark it down considerably and see what happens. Wish me luck!

I had to also go back this week to the clinic for a third time this month - now I have a cold and still the virus/stomach flu bug hangs on. GRRR! I'm ready to be well!!

Was told this time that there is no co-pay on my insurance for office visits. Not sure that is true, but it appears to be true for that clinic at least! Okay, I can live with that.

Frustrating the process is that this is the first year Hubster and I have signed up for the HSA at his work, which is supposed to have some kind of card with it, but there have been repeated mixups on the mailouts of the cards. I don't have a card YET, but supposedly there is some method for getting $$'s out refunded. This round of 4 scrips was in the $70 range. OUCH!! But that was a considerable savings off what it would have been w/o the insurance!


CashHappySon gave me 60 cents in dimes to add to the $20 Challenge.

$008.35 balance
+000.60 in dimes
________
$008.95 Feb MTD

2008 Challenge Total $040.85
Cumulative Challenge Total $569.46

Still trying to backtrack and capture what all happened in the last couple of weeks w/CashHappySon's Car Saga - these are captured notes from an email to a friend...

a/k/a
Lux's Semi Fast Car Sales -

"Youngest child sold the 89 Mercury that the backend's about to go out on last night (2/12) - $900 cash in - paid us back for the 94 Toyota with remaining new balance due $74.72 on that one that he no longer has.

We car shopped the bottom price point on Monday (2/11) and ended up pushing two of them off the street. Uhhhm, no thanks!! On the 12th we loaned him an additional $2250 to buy a 1993 Toyota Tercel w/83K miles on it.

The Lord blessed him with two willing buyers quickly - totalled Toyota and the Merc gone!! YEAH LORD!!! We had found a salvage that will sell the buyer a rear-end for the Mercury car for $100 bucks, so if that guy can get someone to put it in for him cheap, & fix an oil leak, he'll have a good car w/low low miles (less than 28K original).

So we started the week with 2 other cars and are ending it with just one that is drivable - FOR NOW. Hope the kid is learning something because Mom is tired of car shopping & car selling!

I have officially made my last car loan to my children, unless they get married and need something to drive a baby to the doctor in they can just forgedaboudit!! But, I'm not telling them that! And even then? Probably not. I'll just send a taxi or go myself.

The Lord blessed me yesterday (2/12) as well. I have a relative, an older female who when she was in her early 60's married a 96 year old multi-millionaire. He has since passed away, and she's remarried, but evidently she spends a great deal of time clothes shopping.

We took my Dad a load of wood yesterday and I came home with the entire back end of my truck filled with those giant 31 gallon plastic storage containers full of clothes from her, about 20 of those big BIG boxes full of NEW high-end clothes. I am spending my time this morning trying on clothes. Thankfully I carry rope behind my seat! Yeah for a girl truck!!

Miraculously they are almost all fitting. With curves you usually get clothes that fit one spot but not the others. I can normally try on 50 pairs of pants and find only one that fits w/o being alterted. This morning I've already tried on about 20 pairs and all but two pairs have fit and they are too short.

There are probably 90-100 pairs of dress pants here, 20 or so pair of jeans, 4 or 5 dresses, 4 skirts, 4 coats, about 25 blazers, 20-30 sweaters, 30 or 40 blouses, 3 pant suits, plus a few casual outfits as well. What doesn't fit is going to _______ Women's Shelter. That and most of the sweaters as I'm too hot natured to wear them very often. But, I think the Lord is fixing to send me back to work somewhere full time in an office. Otherwise there is no need for me to have this much stuff!

I'm going to have to find a couple of clothes racks to buy to fit all this stuff on as my closet will not hold any of it. I do not particularly like to go clothes shopping - so it's very VERY nice. I personally think she dials QVC & Home Shopping Network a bit too often!! But I'm very grateful for all the FREE FREE FREE beautiful nice things. Seems she has good taste. Not everything is 'me' but I can put it to good use.

Thank you Jesus!! The cup - It truly does runneth over!"

------------
But WAIT there's still more on the car saga!!!! Just so you guys know - Mom tried to be the voice of reason and kept saying why don't we just fix the 89 Mercury but of course being a teen he wanted something sportier and Dad thought since he'd run the oil low on it a couple of times that he'd probably done some damage that would result in serious consequences later. I'm no car expert but I'd of fixed what we had and kept it. It did take a bit of a while for the Mercury to sell w/it's problems advertised.

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?

Wet, rainy, gray, cold, ooooky day here. I've been washing some old dishware and collectibles and getting them priced to go to the junque' booth this afternoon. We'll be over in that town later because we are going out for our Sunday School class's Valentine's Dinner at a BBQ place.

THE Sweet Hubster & I are grouping our errands w/love munchies. Normally I would go over early on a Saturday morning - 15 minutes over and 15 back as it's in the next small burg over. I usually try to make it at least once a week. This will work, he rarely ever gets to visit the junque booth, so it's good for him to be reminded that I've got it and for the owner over there to know who he is in case he ever has to go pickup money or stuff or whatever.

FrugalSon gave me $1.51 in coins to go to the challenge. This is the son who usually squeaks his pennies HARD, so it's always a surprise when he forgoes money in his own pocket. He was cleaning up his room and found it.

CashHappySon acting the jerk today and is now stationed down in his hidey-hole apartment in the basement. Dad gave him the riot-act today instead of just Mom. God love him - the boy needs help and me patience and loving firmness to deal with him!!

I'm self-coloring my hair as I type and saving myself some hairdresser cost. Lady Clairol somethingorother normally costs me $2 + tax at the local dollar type store and I got this cheaper because I had a coupon.


$20 CHALLENGE

$006.59 balance
+001.51 change agent
_______
$008.10 Feb MTD

2008 Challenge Total $40.00
Cumulative Challenge Total $568.61

I'm recording here events of the last week or so for posterity & my faulty memory's sake - below are excerpts from email to a friend:


"CashHappySon sold his totalled Camry yesterday afternoon(2/7) to a salvage for $250.

It cost him 112.95 to get it released out of the wrecker place. And me four trips to the wrecker yard. First time was to take the autobody guy over and then take him back to his shop - wrecked Toyota Camry not worth fixing - something to do w/the suspension and it would never drive straight again. Besides which it was a $700 car to begin with.

Second trip was to go get car released from wrecker service after he found a buyer.

CashHappySon forgot his title papers after me telling him to pick them up, so third trip was backover to wrecker to get car released w/the papers and then later in the day a fourth trip to meet the salvage people - a forty-five minute wait. Then another trip to _______ (metro) to get a signature on some paperwork.

No fun. No fun."

--------------

But wait - it gets even more involved!!

More to come on that front but we pause here to add .13 to the $20 Challenge that CashHappySon gave me.

$20 CHALLENGE

$006.46 balance
+000.13 weary Mom taxi tip
_______
$006.59 Feb MTD (notice the extra zero's placeholding out front - that is my slightly prophetic notion that I'm shooting for this year - can't hit it if I don't aim for it, eh? Hope to roll it over to the thousands place though!)

2008 Challenge Total $038.49
Cumulative Challenge Total $567.10

On 7 February a friend wrote me:

"Your youngest child is even trying MY patience! Any remorse on his part? Does he expect you guys to buy him another one? Sigh"

I replied:

"trying your patience...

As he is mine!

Amen. Amen. Amen!! and the Lord knows, I don't have much to begin with!


Remorse? No. None that is discernible. On to the next thing.


Expect us to BUY him another one? Not if he has any contact with reality. We bought the other one (Toyota Camry) on the 7th of January. Loaned him $700 on it, plus the bearings went out and he had to borrow another 300 or so to fix that and get a couple of tires and get them put on. It didn't last a month, which is rather a bit longer than I had predicted it would last. Oh well, the payment $100 to Dad still has to be made today. Hard to pay for something you no longer have I would think.

I do not relish saviour mode. There is always another excuse and always ALWAYS it was the other guy's fault. Although I've told him repeatedly not to take that road but to use Hwy #** to go to and from work especially during the winter months. But what do I know? Apparently nothing.

We are meeting a friend who has an autobody shop here this afternoon (7th)at the wrecker service to see if there is any hope for the car, but I'm thinking probably not as I saw them tow it past me as I went to get him - and then it'll be him making calls to salvage yards to see who'll take it off his hands. He was surprised to be told that even though the police had the car towed he would have to pay the bill and apprx. $15 a day in storage charges.

The real world may be beginning to sink in, but it's a hard lesson to learn that life and the choices you make have a price.

No, I'm definitely not having any fun with this boychild. The other car he has, Grand Marquis, has not sold yet either. So he has two defunct vehicles and it seems he doesn't see his role in why both are trashed. DEEP SIGH!! His Dad took him to work last night 11 p.m. and I picked him up this morning at 7:00 a.m. But, geeee, it's the 'could care less' attitude that makes me want to keep him standing outside in the cold while I am slow to get out of bed and even slower on the drive over to get him. Perhaps a good 30 minute wait in the frozen morning hours would help someone see the error of his ways??? I won't do that, but it is how I feel. YUCK!

Guess who it will be that has to drive him around to shop for another clunker?? But, alas, and woe unto him, he doesn't have $$s YET, so guess who will be toting him around until he does??? It's right about 2 weeks until the next $500ish paycheck comes in. Or he could get lucky and someone buys the Grand Marquis.

I made my share of mistakes as a kid, but was much less stoic about the results and extra work I caused my family. He had an assignment to the steel plant down here about 3 miles from the house as a Security Guard, but without discussing it with either his Dad or I, he called his boss and asked to be placed back out at _______ 30 minutes from home! This was when he had the gas-guzzling Mercury on the road and costing himself about $50 a week in gas to get out there. And, we know why - at _________ he can sleep part of the night and at the steel plant he'd of had to stay awake. Gee, they actually expected him to WORK!!

The frustration level is much worse than you might imagine if you are the mother to one of this ilk!! The Coast Guard is looking better and better to have him as their charge. I've already offered to take him and drop him off. Pray for the Coast Guard, they are likely going to need it!!"

-----

Stay tuned...more to follow! GAAAA!!

Remember while all of this is happening I'm sick as sick can be, w/bronchitis, flu virus and resulting stomach upset all the resulting potty breaks and coughing my left lung up. Meanwhile I get a reaction to the medication for the bronchitis and break out in giant red welting hives ALLLLLLL over myyyyyyy boooooody!

Ohhhh. Some fun now!! huh?

Just wait - There is MORE!!

To update and log here what's been going on at the Frugalis Homestead...

On February 6th I spent my morning retrieving youngest (CashHappySon) from car wreck on the snowy icy hills nearby. He is fine and so were the other people. He was on a road I've told him repeatedly not to drive on in during inclement weather. Seems Mom does know best, however he hasn't quite got that lesson down yet.

The newest car (see above) we had just helped him buy 1/5/08ish for $700 was totalled and of course he only had liability insurance. It already had a bit of body damage to it anyway.

He wasn't issued a ticket but the police officer said the accident looked to be his fault. Following too closely, going a bit too fast for the conditions and he came upon another wreck and while trying to merge into the one lane he went sliding and hit a van w/a man, wife and small baby. Thankfully, thankfully, no one was hurt.

He had just spent $100 the day before getting the title changed over and he had yet to make the first payment to us. :{

Are we having fun yet?????

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

I have been missing in action because I had a reaction to the medication that I was taking for the bronchitis. Feeling better now.

I received a bounty of FREE clothes this week and while going thru them to try them on found $6.16 in the pockets!

Taking it to the challenge.


$20 CHALLENGE

$000.00 balance
+006.16 FREEBIES
_______
$006.16 Feb MTD

2008 Challenge Total $38.06
Cumulative Challenge Total $566.67

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!!!

Yeah, I've been sicker than a dog. Saturday before last had to take CashHappySon to the emergency room and he had strep-throat and the flu. While sitting there with him I started coughing. Well, I was trying to take care of him and let myself pass. He got penicillin and other meds. He has no insurance so this should be interesting. I'll let you know later what the bill is. His scrips $33.85.

Later in the week I had to take myself to the doc and have chest x-rays, breathing treatment, etc., etc. Come to find out I have bronchitis with a viral component. Whatever. Sick, sick, sick and coughing my last lung up to boot. Many juices and trips to the bathroom later I am again upright. YECK!! I have insurance and they couldn't figure out a co-pay for my visit so they said they'd bill the co-pay when they figured what it was. My scrips for four of them was $20.64. Not bad.

I spent a boatload on juice, kleenex, Sprite, crackers, yogurt and other assorted necessities.

---------
Made my house payment and am updating the balance over on the left. New balance $19,391.57.

Taking the $4 I got yesterday for selling books and adding it to the challenge. Also there are 3 cents here from the laundry fairy.

No. Not the ass in the picture. Isn't that from Shakespeare or some other midnight Summer's dream? Yes, it's been tooooooo many years since English Lit.

$20 CHALLENGE

$027.87 balance
+004.03 books/laundry fairy
________
$031.90 Jan MTD

2008 Challenge Total $31.90
Cumulative Challenge Total $560.51

Nobody claimed the pennies as theirs so, yeah, Anywhooooo...

Yesterday was a No Spend Day. Today looking like it will shape up similarly. Got to love those Back To Backs!! It's cold, Cold, COLD here today and I'm trying to stay inside. Have to run FrugalSon to work in a bit, but other than that I'm going to stay inside and toasty!

Posted a collectible book on Amazon yesterday for sale - I paid 50 cents for it at a garage sale last summer, just never got around to getting it posted for sale. Going list price for this rare badboy is in the $33ish range.

Also took pictures of my $5 to AT LEAST $125 if not more project and I'm still trying to decide where to sell it.

Any Shakespearean's here want to straighten me out?

Am I dreaming or was there a Prospero somewhere in Shakespeare land???

Nothing too exciting today. Just balancing accounts and doing filing and shredding! Boring but necessary.

Got the CC bill for the unexpected chainsaw purchase. Gaaa!! One expense I could have lived without. But Hubster sure looks fine in his flannel.

Received a $4 check for some books sold.

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!!

Okay since I just hung everything up last night when we got in from church and have yet to put it away...Here's my start on getting the closet more organized and a way to get more outfits out of what I have already WITHOUT SHOPPING!!

Outfit 1 - Church or Office w/Modifications

I also wear a black stretch skirt w/this jacket at times, but yesterday it was COLD COLD COLD outside and I needed warmth.

I think I could save some time by doing this either when I'm already dressed for going out or doing it w/o actually putting the outfits on.



To wear this to a corporate office I do believe I'd tone down the shoes and jewelry to black onyx jewelry and black shoes and possibly a black blouse or tee.



If you don't know what I'm talking about on organizing outfits check out my last blog post here:


http://luxliving.savingadvice.com/2008/01/21/something-tas...

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???

Today was a NO SPEND DAY.

Wow.

That's about all the news I have to report, yet I'm trying to consistently blog this year.

Doubtful I'll make it if that's all the exciting financial news I can come up with.

We took TheGrrl with us to church this morning and resisted the urge to stop after church and eat out. We don't do that very often anyway and we've taken her out to eat with us after church before, I just don't want to give her the idea it's something we do every Sunday. It did however feel funny just to pick her up for church and then drop her afterwards. I felt somehow guilty for not feeding her! Weird.

When my little familia got home we had leftover creamy chicken & rice, black eyed peas, corn salad, bread, chocolate brownie covered w/pie cherries & whipped cream. Yummers.

I do however, still get a thrill out of having those NSDs. It can be so hard to rack those No Spend Days up sometimes.

I remember when I first read Joe Dominquez's book, "Your Money or Your Life" and started logging my spending, how hard it sometimes seemed to just have a day with out spending some money. Those days when I could manage it got a big smiley face in the log book.

I have gotten much better at racking these days up over time! So, those of you who are just starting on that particular journey keep the faith and keep trying. We are often such creatures of habit that we think we have to stop in here and there and just see what's new, what's on sale, etc.

No, we don't.

NO - the consuming world will rock on without us!!

For me, it was regular grocery stores, scratch and dent grocery stores and antique and thrift stores and yard sales.

No - I don't HAVE TO stop. The world will go on!!

There were days when I had to grasp the steering wheel & tell myself, "I'm going to have a No Spend Day if it harelips the Pope!" So, yeah, keep driving, eyes on the road, don't even consider stopping. Just make it home and get inside and I promise the shaking will stop!! Eventually!

Right after you post your little Victorious smiley face here!!

Last night was more planned and unplanned tag team preaching by Hubster and Mrs. Frugalis to CashHappySon. It was a bit more measured in tone than the previous evening.

HOWEVER,

His cell phone bill just came yesterday to the tune of "Hang On Elizabeth I'm Coming" $287.47.

Digitalis, anyone???


He can afford a $40 plan.


Prayer Meeting Results:

No Repentance. Zip. Zero. Nada.

Promise by parental units to remove cell phone from his possession for 4 months time if it is not brought back into alignment with his cash flow projections next month.

This too shall pass.

This too shall pass.

This too shall pass.

oommmmmmmmmmmmmmm.


OOOOOmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.


OMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!


breathe in - breathe out...

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In other financial news, I've got $10.40 to take to the challenge. Ten being what I've taken out of my allowance to put away instead of spend and .40 was given to me by Hubster for the challenge.

$20 CHALLENGE

$0017.47 balance
+0010.40 Retirement cost proj. scares the beegeebers out of me!
________
$0027.87 Jan MTD

2008 Challenge Total
Cumulative Challenge Total $556.48

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Yesterday was a spending day.

Frugalson's girlfriends' parents are both sick and she doesn't drive so I picked her up and drove her to work. I made arrangements to pick her up early and we stopped at Sonic and got a couple of things to sip ($3.87 + tip) and chatted. She has the idea that they are dating exclusively and he has other ideas. He doesn't have any one else in mind right now just wanting to keep his options open.

I tried to gently reinforce this to her (I call her TheGrrl) as he has done himself. No, I'm not THAT BAD - she's the one who broached the subject. They are both still free agents. SO FAR, I really like this little girl but don't want her to become a cling-on, unless, that's what FrugalSon wants her to do.

He thinks she MAY be 'the one', but who knows. IF she wants to pump me for information or side with me against him it will be no go - she'll be on my extremely short list to hit the road! She tried it once when they first started dating and I told her he was my priority and that I wasn't going to play that game with her. I am trying to get to know her better as she may be my future d-i-love. All I know is her biological clock is ticking like crazy!!

TheGrrl and I then went to the grocery to pick up worcestershire that I forgot and a few bottles of pop. Then I dropped her at work.

TheGrrl works at the same place FrugalSon works and has managed to get her schedule switched so they are both working pretty much the same shifts.

TheGrrl was on days and him on nights so it really limited their time together. They were crossing paths for about an hour a day in the middle and had one day a week to actually go out or be together. Proximity may do them in or bring them closer. We shall see.

FrugalSon is a MODEL HANDSOME, 21 and has some limitations, so it is still somewhat questionable as to how his fates shall work out. Pray for him. He still doesn't drive either. She's 23 and doesn't drive, so pull for them to get their licenses. Parrallel parking is holding them both back. Anyway, they have a date set for her to go to church with us this coming Sunday.

We are currently investigating him paying for driving school hours to get that parrallel parking demon beat. I can't seem to teach him sufficiently.

On buying pop - CashHappysSon had bought two cases of a lemon/lime drink that he doesn't like. He donated it to the household. I can drink it IF I cut it w/real Sprite, so I bought 3 bottles of it on sale at 78 cents. Will buy more later to balance this out.

So HALLELLUJAH I got in and out of the grocery for under $5. I paid for this grocery run out of my budget since I'm the goof-ball who forgot these things when the HouseBudget was paying and I HATE making two trips. Trying to penalize myself in order to learn to GET IT ALL the first time!

Okay, I must admit I turned into a raving lunatic last night as CashHappySon did it again with the poor attitude, smart mouth and inability to follow directions (read that DIRECT IN-YO-FACE disobedience). Gaaa!!!

This was after I had just laid down my CC to the tune of $220ish dollars to have his car repaired because he's blown all his money. Only to come home and find that he has now targeted something else minor that just NEEDS to be fixed. (No, it's a clunker, I'm not paying to fix all this crap!!!)

I had a blow out pure old no bones about it CONNIPTION-FIT! Offered to leave the premises and let them all have it plain and simple and I would not stand in their way. (uh, I don't normally do that - Hubster and I almost NEVER fight.)

We spent quite a bit of time with him last night and Hubster says we're having another family meeting over it tonight. The boy is a brick wall and I'm a brick wall, and poor Hubster has to find a way to coalesce us into a functioning unit! Good luck to him.

Meanwhile back at the ranch somebody left the waitress a tip at the ol' Frugalis Bean Counter last night.

Taking it to the challenge!

$20 CHALLENGE

$017.15 balance
+000.32 tip because evidently I'm a real beaut while I waitress, sling hash & rage against disrespectful & ungrateful children at the same time*!
_______
$017.47 Jan MTD

2008 Challenge Total $17.47
Cumulative Challenge Total $546.08

*I do feel bad about raging, but sometimes people push you to the brink and it's time to push back!! But even so, I'm still a tiny bit flirty, ya know?

Okay folks, it's time to walk through your house or office and find out where you can whack the ever-more popping up mole of electricity usage!

If you don't know what I'm talking about check here:

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


For me this time it was the:

1)desk lamp (opened the curtains instead)
2)calculator
3)coffee pot
4)microwave oven


Come back and tell me what all you had to turn off or unplug!

Now WHACK THOSE MOLES!!!

Getting ready to zoom & follow CashHappySon off to the auto mechanic. Have you ever heard of those people who can stop a clock with their body's electrical system? Well, perhaps this boychild is the same way????? Seems we are forever taking him to the auto repair shop!

AND, what I haven't blogged about here was that his old car has a problem that is more costly to repair than the car is worth, and we are advertising it for sale with all it warts and dimples showing. So far, no takers.

We may have to take it to the local auto auction. Boychild did not follow fatherly advice on car upkeep (read that - let the oil levels get low) and may now be taking a BIG FINANCIAL LOSS. At least it's big for his income level and age.

So, that being the case he had to have something to drive to work. You may remember me speaking of his reckless spending ways that really accelerated in May of '07 and went downhill from there. SO, of course he has wiped out most of his savings. He is 19 and has no credit.

Dad & Mom to the rescue and I HATE IT!!! We loaned him $700 to buy a clunker. Guess what? It clunked on day two. Now we are off AGAIN to the mechanic.

Please, somebody, tell me that this part of my life is soon to be over??? I am not wanting to be one of 'those' parents who runs in to wipe up Juniors mess every time he gets his butte in a wad!

Hubster is much more of a marshmellow than Mom, and I didn't put up a giant wall of resistance because of where the boy works - it is about 30 minutes from home and he works the night shift. If we didn't help him get a car then GUESS WHO would be having to get out late at night and early in the mornings to haul him around to work??

And, because he was doing other goofball and dangerous things like racking up huge dateline charges trolling for girls and gigantic cell phone bills w/over $500+ worth of text messages, Mom has since taken away his debit card and taken back the checkbook and deactivating text capabilities at his cell provider, we are working TOGETHER - Once Again - on his learning to stay inside his budgetary limitations.

AGGGHHHHHHHH!!! I hate this!

It is TOO, TOO EASY for Hubster to say yes WE have to help him, but he isn't doing the GRUNT WORK nor is he getting the resentment from CashHappy. Dear Old Mommsie gets all that for my trouble!

For one thing I think it almost an impossible task for someone on the outside to set what has to be internal limits in the financial scope. He has to see the necessity of staying inside his limits, and this kid is fighting tooth and toenail to dangle as far over the side of the cliff as possible!


Sorry, had to whine somewhere!!

-----

Yesterday, out of my personal budget nothing was spent making ME have a No Spend Day.

However, the HouseBudget spent at the grocery store stocking up for a snowstorm that just blipped afterall.

-----
Taking the one dollar bills and change in the wallet to the challenge.

$015.42 balance
+001.73 wallet sweep
_______
$017.15 Jan MTD

2008 Challenge Total $17.15
Cumulative Challenge Total $545.76

Well I DID have a four day streak going...

Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday were all No Spend Days for me. Yesterday I spent as listed in my last entry. But hey, four days in a row was good. Going to spend a bit now as I'm off to the grocery store for the old pre-snow stockup. It's cold out there right now and overcast, snow predicted to come rolling in this evening some time. I believe the weather man, this time!

Thar's Gold On That There Asphalt!!

Well, maybe not gold, not in this instance anyway.

Yesterday afternoon both sons were off work and we tried to get ahold of their girlfriends last minute to go to the movies with us. Alas, the poor girlies missed out on a last minute date! We went to see Will Smith's "I Am Legend".

It was really good, but I had no idea it was a scary movie or I wouldn't have gone. I CUSSED out loud four different times in the movie when something jumped at me. I thought the old ticker was going to go at any minute.

I think I actually strained my shoulder by grabbing onto each boys shoulders as I sat in the middle.

Ohhh, and yeah, I did pick my feet up off the floor. You never know what scary thing is down there!! Wooooo.

After the movie we had to hurry home - IT WAS GETTING DARK!!! I saw a bit of shiny-shiny on the ground by the truck. So, looking carefully around to be sure no boogies were going to get me I grabbed that puppy up - it was a dime.

So, as you all know I've been collecting money WHERE-EVER I can find it since my Grampa H. taught me when I was knee-high to the proverbial grasshopper - We now can ascertain that I'm willing to risk being bit by the Boogie-Men to pick up a dime!

Man, was I glad to get home safe!

**I don't DO scary movies people and this here just proved my point. Of course both word police sons' first words out of their mouths when we got home was to tell Hubster "Dad, Mom cussed during the movie - FOUR TIMES!!!"

hahahhahaaaaaaaaa!

Hilarious.

I said it loud too where everyone could hear me*!! "OHHHHHHHH Shoot!" Or something like that!

*I'm kind of public safety minded that way - I was giving warning to the other citizens of the theatre to let's get the heck out'a here!!!

Anyway, I'm taking my dime**to the challenge.

$20 CHALLENGE
$015.32 balance
+000.10 The Risk Queen Salvaged
_______
$015.42 Jan MTD

2008 Challenge Total $15.42
Cumulative Challenge Total $544.03


**Effectively bringing down the cost of going to the movie by 10 cents. Matinee costs yesterday were $5.00 - I bought for myself and CashHappySon, so only $4.90 for me this time. FrugalSon paid his own way. We also got the DREADED fast food yesterday - but with FrugalSon's employee discount it was only $3.27 for all three of us to each have a burger & fries, w/water to drink from home!


Soooo, check that asphalt people. There's gold and silver and folding money to be found out there! But, do watch for the night boogies. And light up the dark!!

You can read the book it is based on here:

http://www.amazon.com/I-Am-Legend-Richard-Matheson/dp/076531...

Or light up your dark-night here:
http://www.amazon.com/Best-Bob-Marley/dp/079359412X/ref=sr_1...

How about you - do you nightmare from scary movies? I don't, but I don't like them.

Do you pick up money when you find it on the ground?

This story was found in my inbox this morning, author unknown. I thought this was cute in lieu of what Denise was just talking about over at her blog about Making Do!

"If you are 30 or older, you will think this is hilarious!!!! If not, send it to your parents! They'll think it's funny!

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were when they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning .... Uphill BOTH ways .. Yadda, yadda, yadda

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in heck I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!

But now that...

I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a dang Utopia! And I hate to say it but you kids today you don't know how good you've got it!

1. When I was a kid, we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the dang library and look it up ourselves... In the card catalog!! (Do you even know what a card catalog is? Didn't think so!)

2. There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter... With a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take like a week to get there!

3. There were no MP3's or Napsters! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the dang record store and shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and mess it all up!

4. We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it!

5. And we didn't have fancy Caller ID Boxes either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

6. We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'asteroids' and the graphics were horrible! Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

7. When you went to the movie theater there no such thing as stadium seating! All the seats were the same height! If a tall guy or some old broad with a hat sat in front of you and you couldn't see, you were just screwed!

8. Sure, we had cable television, but back then that was only like 15 channels and there was no onscreen menu! You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on!

And there was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons!

9. And we didn't have microwaves, if we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove or go build a fire ... Imagine that! If we wanted popcorn, we had to use that stupid JiffyPop thing or a pan with HOT oil and Real popcorn kernels and shake it all over the stove forever like an idiot.

10. When we were on the phone with our friends and our parents walked-in, we were stuck to the wall with a cord, a 7 foot cord that ran to the phone - not the phone base, the actual phone. We barely had enough length to sit on the floor and still be able to twirl the phone cord in our fingers. If you suddenly had to go to the bathroom - guess what we had to do..... Hang up and talk to them later.

That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled!!

You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980!

Regards,
The over 30 Crowd"

I'm ducking now - ;D if you've just got to throw something make it hundred dollar bills, won't you?

He did it again.

$20 CHALLENGE

$014.58 balance
+000.74 CashHappy contributes
_______
$015.32 Jan MTD

2008 Challenge Total $15.32
Cumulative Challenge Total $543.93

Yesterday was a No Spend Day, mostly because we (Hubster, myself, FrugalsSon and CashHappySon) started at 9:00 am and ending at 6:00 pm when we ran out of daylight cutting up & stacking MORE of the wood on our place that fell off or was hanging from the recent ice storm.

That is in addition to all the work Hubster did while he was on vacation!

I'm telling you the trees here were majorly decimated.

DEFORESTATION via Mother Nature on a grand scale!

It is so sad, and to make it worse I spent a lot of my time yesterday fending off my next door neighbor AGAIN who keeps wanting to cut down this or that ON MY PROPERTY!!

NO, I don't want it taken down!

LEAVE IT ALOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNE!!!!

What part does the guy not understand??

Poor Hubster - he is having to hear my ranting and raving over this issue. I am trying to be polite to the neighbor but he is getting on my one last nerve.

BY CRACKY, It takes A LONG, LONG, LONG time to grow a tree and if there is any way to save some of these then that is what we're going to do - on my side of the fence buckobobby!! GRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

Get this, he's going to rent 'at his expense' a brush hog to come on my property and cut down my bamboo stand.

Ummmmmm....NO THE *&@&*$& THANKS!!!

I like it.

I want it.

No, you can't come over here and cut it down!!

Makes a girl want to say a dirty word. Or SIX!!!

See, he likes his yard NAKED. I don't like mine that way. The bamboo stand in my yard blocks an unsightly view of one neighbor's swimming pool, plus it gives all kinds of creatures a cool place to hang out, etc.

You don't like it?

Tough Cookies Neighbor!


Did I mention that my house and my bamboo were here when you decided to move in the neighborhood and build???

I also don't like looking out my window and seeing your boat (which by the way you haven't touched in 8 years) in the back yard w/the blue tarp over it! We each have our crosses to bear.

But, I didn't say all that. If he keeps pushing me...I will.



Steetview - You can't see it in this picture but nearby sits a little Oriental cement pagoda light and a white wooden bridge that crosses the creek. Hopefully one day I am going to add an Oriental garden gate to this area (yes to keep out the one neighbor!!) From this p.o.view you can't see SawHappyNeighbor's house at all! And it is a lovely new brick home, but I don't want to look at it.



This side faces the creek and here I'm hoping to add a bench and then to the right in the picture add the gate. It is very peaceful here and the rest of the lawn is well-manicured so it isn't as if my whole place is covered with bamboo. There are two whole houses back behind this on the other side of the street that you can't even see. That's the part I like BEST!



Same streetview as above taken today after the icestorm and some cleanup.

The county is supposed to start pickup in the next week. Won't be too soon for me.

Yes, the bamboo will spring back. Even if we did let him cut it down it would just grow back stronger! But, we aren't going to do that - I reminded Hubster this is our neighbor that has a lawyer and isn't afraid to use him...sure as shooting he'd hurt his back or big toe nail over here and we'd be in court and/or have an insurance claim. No way!

We need an additional row of fencing!!

Currently I'm re-reading** Ric Edelman's book, 'The Truth About Money', which I highly recommend.

http://www.amazon.com/Truth-About-Money-3rd/dp/0060566582/re...

Looks like he has a new edition out on this one.


But thanks to Jeffrey's heads up over on the forums next I'm putting this book on my reading list:

'Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole', by Richard R. Barber.



http://www.amazon.com/Consumed-Markets-Children-Infantilize-...

*Attn. Ms. Paulette Goddard, this looks to be one you'd enjoy reading as well.


Excuse me, I've got to run over to my county library's website and put it on order to check out & then get ready for church. Don't you just love the cover art? Perfect!!

**also reading 'We Were the Mulvaneys' by Oates and 'The DHEA Breakthrough'.

The Best Way To Sweeten Your Resume?

One Must ENTER the contests at SavingAdvice.com* and win! That WIN listed in your accomplishments could easily tip the scales positive for the next boost up the earnings scale!

You, beautiful Queen, YOU!!

*Need not be present to win!!!

The Best Way To Have A Financially Happy Retirement is...

...to Make A Plan and then IMPLEMENT The Plan, Tweaking as You Go.

Or as my high school Civics teacher used to say...



Retirement, It's the Next Frontier!!

Can I Meet The Challenge?

CashHappy gave me $4.71 to add to my challenge! With this kid on my side, evidently so!


$20 CHALLENGE
$009.87 balance
+004.71 insistent manchild
_______
$014.58 Jan MTD

2008 Challenge Total $14.58
Cumulative Challenge Total $543.19