Entries from Brandon's Puppy tagged with 'Moolah'
An Expensive Holiday Weekend
Oh Ikea and Target, I cannot resist your siren song! We went to Ikea on Saturday, with just two intentions: buy Brandon's puppy, and get the boys new desks (just $20 each). You know where this is going already, don't...
The Tooth Fairy Savings and Loans
Brandon lost tooth No. 5 a week and a half ago ( on Monday 8/2) and tooth No. 6 yesterday. Though it's still a-ways away, the upper left lateral incisor is a bit loose as well. Between the recent tooth...
Trying to make some extra money
The community yard sale is in just three weeks, and my "sell" pile has taken over half my side of the closet. There are all sorts of things in there: some of the boys' old toys, all kinds of home...
Ruminations
Saw Sex and the City 2 with my little sister and a few friends of ours on Saturday. I haven't yet decided if I liked it, or if it was just "eh". I did love Liza Minelli's cameo, and Mr....
There, but not really
I was balancing our checkbook last night, and was pleasantly surprised to find that we had more money than I thought. Just a few minutes ago I realized why: our car insurance payment, which is set up as an auto-debit...
Grocery Shopping
A new Publix had their grand opening today about three miles South of us, so we headed over there this afternoon for some of their new store specials. Got over 7 pounds of bananas for $3 (on sale for $0.39...
One person's trash is another person's treasure
I participated in my community's seasonal Clean-Out Sale yesterday morning. My neighbor and I split the cost of a space, and we sold almost everything in our inventory. It's amazing how much stuff people have. One guy had a small...
I've got the plan, now I just need to put it into action
My boss asked me if I was planning on taking vacation soon, since my one-year-anniversary is coming up in a few weeks. I told her that I am not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. We can't afford even the...
Comparison shopping
We received a 1-Day Guest Pass for BJ's wholesale club in the mail a few weeks ago, so we went today and did some comparison shopping. Our Costco membership expired a few months ago, and as much as it hurts...
Terrific Tuesday
-Taxes have been filed, and we will have our return within a few days. -Did I mention I got a new camera over the weekend? My friend Lilli let me buy it off of her in a reverse layaway: get...
Out with the old, in with the new
In order to make room for some of the things the jolly guy dressed in red will be bringing, I've listed a few of the boys' neglected toys online. Considering how expensive toys are these days, I quite enjoy making...
Bling for Bucks
Seeing as how we’re a bit strapped this holiday season, I was going crazy trying to figure out ways to get some money together so that we can afford Christmas presents for the boys. Coincidentally, I was cleaning out my...
Frugal is the new black
Hubby gets the weekend paper at work for me whenever he works on Saturdays or Sundays, and I’ve been cutting coupons like a maniac. I’ve even made the effort to actually take them with me when I go to the...
Surprise savings
Want to know what I did yesterday that will save me a nice chunk of change every month? (Humor me and say yes, because you know I'm going to tell you anyway.) I joined the Walgreens prescription savings club. The...
Whew, that was close!
This morning I got a call from the company accountant: three direct deposits had some sort of error during the transmission and weren't going to go through for tomorrow. Of course mine was one of them. For a second there...
The juggler
I'm in the middle of a very delicate balancing act. You see, this is the week I've been dreading (and stressing over), all month. I've got three bills due, including one that is set up to automatically withdraw from my...
I need a money tree
When it comes to our finances, we end up taking one step forward and two steps back. We found out last week that Matty's school increased their fees. That news comes just a few weeks after hubby got demoted. We...
potentially dangerous
I discovered something today: did you know Walmart accepts paypal as a form of payment when you buy something online? I had no idea! Thanks to this new discovery, I am pretty much done with Brandon's back to school shopping,...
Dammit!!
Hubby walked in around 1:20pm and says, "why is it so hot in here?" Surprisingly, I hadn't noticed that the air was blowing not-so-cool air. He started cursing and pacing and then went outside, and it seems like the big...
We've got it covered!
Last night, I was flipping through the latest issue of the parenting magazine I subscribe to (since, you know, I have tons of time for leisure reading now), and read a great article in there about insurance coverage policies that...
Tightening the purse strings even more
As I am now unemployed, I'm being more frugal than usual. We have five birthday parties between this weekend and the end of the month. At first, I was going to get everyone gift cards, but that would mean spending...
Today
- Stayed home with Matty. He had a fever yesterday afternoon while at school, so I left work 30 minutes earlier than usual to pick him up. At 4 this morning he burnt up to 103.2, and he was shivering....
Am I really that surprised?!
So hubby, the boys and I went to Costco this evening when he got home from work. There were three things on our Costco list: hubby's deoderant, baby wipes and laundry detergent. That's three, right? Okay, well, somehow an extra...
There's good news, and there's bad news
The good news is, my car was declared a total loss by the body shop. Yes, this is good news. Once we get the payout from the insurance company, we can use it towards a new car. If my car...
In limbo
It's been almost two weeks since my accident, and we're still not sure what our next step is going to be. Hubby is taking the car to the body shop my insurance referred us to on Thursday afternoon, and I...
No choice but to be good
I’m happy to report that I go back to work tomorrow and there’s still money in my bank account (not much, but something's something). I didn’t want to spend a lot of money while on vacation, and I definitely achieved...
Note to Self
Among the many things I would like to do this week while I'm on vacation, I need to contact my auto insurance agent's office. My renewal is coming up, and although my premium only increased by $79 for the upcoming...
Frugality
(I'm having fun with the "F" theme, can you tell?) Before I head to bed, I wanted to mention how money-savvy I've been this week. On Thursday, the baby needed diapers, and we needed a few things for the house,...
5 Gs-UPDATED
On a whim, I bought a lotto ticket this morning. I was hesitant about wasting the dollar, but at the same time, I was feeling lucky and what’s a dollar if you win $5,000. Yeah, I’m not greedy, I’ll settle...
Frugality and productivity
We've had quite the cost-cutting day today. As I mentioned earlier, FIL finished the siding on the front of the house. While the men-folk were outside working, my MIL and I gave the boys haircuts with hubby's trimmer. Of course...
Looking for the silver lining
OMG, what a stressful week! On Monday, at some point during the day, the handyman that was working on our house fell off his ladder. He fell on his back and fractured a lower vertebrae. I have no idea how...
A good day
In spite of the gloominess the rain brought, I had a good day today. For starters, hubby got paid $60 more than we expected. His hours got cut a couple of weeks ago and I spent the whole week worrying...
Never mind
Just as I was about to get dressed to head out, it started raining. Again. So I guess I can take a few moments to blog some more. We were up last night when the news broke that O.J. Simpson...
Finally!!
Two Saturdays ago, we had someone come by so we could get yet another quote for the siding for our house. He's the father-in-law of a friend of mine, and I'm so glad we called him: his quote was $125...
A little bit of money does a lot of good, part 1
Blogfriends Jay and Deb have hit a rough patch, and they are asking the blog community for a bit of help. They need to send the gas and electric company $1000 by this Friday, or their power will be turned...
So close, yet so far.
Remember that home improvement project we've been anxious to get to? No, it's not fence installation, we already have a fence. I'm talking about the siding on our house. We finally got a decent quote last month and we were...
good things
Hubby got paid more than we expected this week. We were expecting a much shorter check because of those days he called in sick when he had the stomach bug a couple of weeks ago. It's not much more than...
Miscellaneous
We stayed home all weekend long, except for a Saturday evening outing to a friend's house. That's very odd for us, but it was nice to vegitate on the couch all weekend, watching movies and enjoying each other's company. If...
Good and Bad
The good: Our homeowner's insurance went down $1200 because of the mitigation discount. I'm calling the mortgage company first thing Monday for a new escrow analysis. The bad: As I'm driving into our driveway, hubby's car's power steering went out....
I don't want to jinx it
It is only Wednesday, but this week is looking a little better than the last one. The part we ordered for my car came in yesterday, and hubby's coworker is going to fix it for free today. Looks like we'll...
If the belt gets any tighter, it's going to snap!
Just when we thought we were in a good place, we got our annual escrow analysis from our mortgage company in the mail today. I don't want to get into details right now, let's just say it's not very pretty....
Breathing better
It took six months, but we are finally in a happy place with our monthly bills. (well, it would be a much happier place if we had no bills, but that’s not the case, so we’re making the best of...
Busy and breaking the bank
As much as I appreciate a day off, this short week has me all off-schedule. Brandon's graduation is tomorrow night, which means that we need to take the boys for haircuts tonight. We're having a baby shower at work on...
Relief
For the first time in over six months, our mortgage payment is up to date. We were never late enough that it was reported to the credit bureaus, but we paid past the 15th of the month and were charged...
Car Contemplations
Hubby’s job consists of being at a car dealership most of the day, just about every day. I think looking at shiny Ford grills and constant exposure to “new car smell” is messing with his head because he’s mentioned planning...
Happy Friday!!
It certainly is happy, now that we've received our highly anticipated stimulus payment from the IRS. We aren't getting a new computer like wb and sherlock did, but it will be put to good use (read: less fun), paying for...
A different way to commute
My employer recently initiated an incentive that sounds quite appealing: effective June 1st, they have the pass for the Metrorail and Metrobus for sale! Employees making below a certain amount will get it for free, and employees making above that...
Orovo
I was at a friend's house tonight, and someone was talking about their recent success using a weight loss supplement. I thought it was the one I heard about before, but this is a different one called Orovo. It's based...
Good News. Sort of.
I've just received official confirmation that beginning June 1st, I will be making 6% more than I make now. Of course, when you break it down per month, and subtract taxes, it's really not that much. But hey, something is...
Shoe Shopping
(wb, I know you're going to love this post!! LOL) Hubby, the boys and I headed to DSW this afternoon to get hubby new shoes for work. His have gotten so uncomfortable that his feet hurt. I know they must...
*crickets chirping*
I know, I know, it's been quiet around here. I'm in a funk, mostly worried about our finances. We're getting our escrow analysis next month and I'm just waiting for the bomb to drop. I have a running spreadsheet listing...
A successful shopping Saturday
Man, am I glad I didn't find a present for my mom yesterday...I found the perfect present for her this afternoon. I got this for her, in red to match her kitchen, for $29! We also purchased items for both...
Thankful
I was having a conversation with WB earlier today about mortgage payments. We're both in a bit of a financial crunch, but we're getting out of it more and more each day. Some people aren't so lucky. I found out...
Do you think I fit in her carry-on bag?!
My friend K and her new hubby are going to Europe for their first anniversary! She just heard from her hubby, who just hung up with their financial advisor, informing them that the penny stocks he invested in about five...
Where's my money???
We signed our return on February 29th, and mailed it on March 3rd. We've yet to receive our refund, and I can't even get a status online. What's up with that?! I know we filed during the S- and C-corp...
Thinking Out Loud
One day, I will make enough money to not worry about overdraft fees. I won’t have to freak out if I forget to write something down in my checking register. I will also be able to purchase whatever I want,...
Not a good way to start the day
I checked my banking online this morning, and I was greeted with a little red number. I don't know what I calculated wrong, but we seem to be overdrafted on two checks, even though my register reflected otherwise. And of...
Hope Now, or no hope at all?
I recently heard about a government program that is providing assistance to homeowners who are facing foreclosure. Many mortgage lenders are part of this alliance, our lender included, but I don't think we qualify for help because we aren't delinquent...
One step forward, two steps back
For the last few weeks, I've attempted to minimize our spending and pay off some of our smaller debts. We're eagerly awaiting our tax return to clear a few more things, then we'll only have our mortgage and two credit...
Argh, there go $55!
I filled the prescription Matty's doctor sent for the ointment for his bug bite. She gave me three samples so that I would only need to fill the script if I had to. Doh....
6 Little Numbers
For the second week in a row, I played the lotto last Saturday. I lost. I don’t know what’s worse: not playing but wishing and hoping that someday I win the lotto, or playing and losing that dollar, or three,...
Less money spent is always a good thing!
After the anxiety from the CDL exam, poor hubby had a dental appointment. He had five fillings done and is scheduled for more work and a wisdom tooth extraction in the coming weeks. What a way to "celebrate" passing the...
Wear it, or Live it?
My coworker is getting married in August and wants to get her husband a fancy shmancy watch as a wedding gift. She showed me a picture of the Rolex Daytona, and while it is absolutely stunning, if I had that...
Random Thoughts
I booked the bounce house and trackless train for the party next weekend. I can't wait to see Brandon's face when he sees them, especially the trackless train. And I'm sure Matty will love it too! Speaking of parties, it's...
Close Call
I understand how convenient automated payments are, but they tend to cause me distress instead of convenience. Every month I forget to write down the two recurring payments we have in our banking register, and every month I’m caught off...
Money doesn't buy happiness, but it does make the bills go away!
I know our financial situation has been an on-going topic around here. While things have been slowly falling into place, hubby and I both feel that if we're able to re-finance soon, then things will get better for us a...
A Healthy 2008
This year, I finally decided to enroll in a flexible spending account. I suspect it will come in handy. Paying for prescriptions with the FSA instead of our "own" money will be a nice change. Hubby has been in need...
Money Mission
I know I think out loud a lot about our monetary issues on this blog. I strongly believe that when it comes to goals, writing them down helps in reaching them. So I want to say, here and now, that...
It's good to have goals...
I was telling hubby over the weekend how, no matter how badly we may want to get away for a few days, we have to resist the urge to travel this year, even if it means no New York and...
Just in time for year's end
The A/C in my car stopped working yesterday. Hubby checked under the hood and concluded the belt had torn, mostly because he could see the tear. He took it to Tires Plus today and they discovered the tensioner was busted...
Reflecting
This year is over in one day, and here are some of our accomplishments: - Baby boy #2 was born without the assistance of drugs. Not that I had a choice, but I was braver than I thought! - I...
High maintenance tastes, low maintenance budget
Just because Christmas is upon us does not mean the shopping has to cease. There are great deals everywhere, all the time, you just need to know where to look. I am done looking because frankly I can’t afford to...
Almost feels like I got a new car!
Hubby had taken my car in for service on Tuesday. We picked it up this afternoon, and $900 later we've got four brand new tires, balanced and aligned, new struts, new front brakes, the front-right idler arm was replaced, and...
New Year's Resolution
Hubby and I were at the home improvement store earlier today, and I told him that next year we’ll get even stricter about our spending and using our credit cards. It has to wait till about February, after Matty’s baptism...
Payday loans
I just looked at our checking account balance online, and I’m so glad that both hubby and I get paid on Friday. Though it’s been less bumpy than anticipated, I’m still adapting to getting paid just once a month. Hubby...
Money makes the world go 'round
The current state of the economy is not being very kind to most people. It’s not just the plunging housing market, but the rising cost of oil, groceries, daycare…everything is getting more and more expensive. It seems like money doesn’t...
A necessary evil
I realized last week that I neglected to inform you all on the status of my home equity line request last month. Unfortunately, I was declined. The bad news: our loan to value amount is too high. The good news:...
Irony
A month or two ago, I cancelled my text message option and hubby's wireless internet option from our cell phone. It's cut our wireless bill by just under $15. But, in the last two weeks I've been texted 27 times,...
I made a list, and I've checked it twice!
I’ve become quite a savvy shopper lately. I’ve been clipping coupons for months, and I’ve been very good about actually taking them with me when I go to the grocery store. I have also kept an eye out on the...
A few choice words for google
You Suck! I could have picked choicer words, but this is a PG site. As I mentioned yesterday, my google rank is now a 2. It went down from a 4 in a matter of hours. Thanks to them, I...
Profitable Paid Blogging
It's been a little less than 3 months since I started writing paid posts, and I could not be more pleased. Here's a summary of my earnings so far: PayPerPost: 88 posts Total earned $799.98 (Paid to date $464.30, To...
Are You Feelin' Lucky?
We’re not the gambling type. The most we’ll bet is a dollar here and there on the state lottery every once in a while. We’ve also played a few bucks in the casino when we’ve been on a cruise, but...
Getting out of the Rut
For the last few weeks we’ve taken a proactive approach to improving our financial status. Instead of moping, whining and complaining, hubby and I decided to take action and get out of our rut. We have been taking lunch to...
So much for being responsible!! (UPDATED)
You may recall that last week I posted about Pier 1 Kids stores closing. Well, while hubby and his BFF were watching the Dolphins/Raiders game, my friend Marilu and I went over to the store in our area. We were...
Scheduling Simplified
A couple of times in the recent past I’ve alluded to the fact that I will be receiving a promotion. Well, it became official last week. It has been approved by the HR office. I am now a salary employee...
The Double-Edge Sword
I've been trying to create a budget for us to try and pay off my credit cards, and even if I wanted to tear the two up and never buy on credit again, I can't. Just about everything in this...
A glimmer of financial hope
The Federal Reserve cut interest rates today by half a percentage point. Although it sounds like that wouldn't do much, it did help stocks go up throughout the day, and it will help some with variable credit card rates and...
The Growing Honey-Do List
I called in sick to work today because I woke up with a nasty migraine, which caused me to get dizzy when I got up to get ready. I kept Matty at home with me since the sitter is pretty...
The Pleasures of Paid Posting
The 17th marks one month that I've been blogging for Pay Per Post, and I must say, I love it! So far I've written 22 posts (including this one) for them totaling $203.70, and 16 of them have been approved....
Financial Juggling
Both hubby and I get paid at the end of this week, and it couldn’t come soon enough. I don’t know how we’ve done it, but we’ve managed to keep ourselves afloat for the last couple of months in spite...
Shop Till Ya Drop
We just got home from spending the day at the local outlet mall. Local, considering it's over 40 miles away in the next county, but I digress. We started off our day by going to B&N to take Brandon to...
Liquid Money
I just finished paying the bills, and I must say that our recent purchase of a new showerhead made a small dent in our water bill. I know we can do better if we change the hardware in the boys'...
Ouch!
Just went to lunch with my sister, where I spent $8.42 on a salad and a drink. But it was pretty good, almost worth it. Almost....
Today's to-do list...
...has hardly been touched. I had big plans for having the morning off: get some laundry done, fold laundry from a few days ago, pick up a bit around the house, balance my check book, do the dishes, make a...
Good news Thursday
The day is almost over, but I wanted to share a few of the "little things" that brightened my day today: -hubby has an interview tomorrow for a new employment opportunity. Brandon's school is having a teacher work day since...
Jumpin' on the money-making bandwagon
I was a bit hesitant to do this, since this is a blog about a little kid and his baby brother. But wRitErsbLock convinced me that I don't really have anything to lose, that I should give it a shot....
Starting to get superstitious...
I was reading this post over at Pam's yesterday, and oh boy, can I relate! Not with the part about her 30-year-old daughter, but about the lack of mishaps on Friday the 13th...until now. Here is my week in review,...
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