March Madness Controlled/No Spend Thread

[singlemomky]

3cats - according to facebook Gldn has been working w/a trainer and keeping herself busy; lots of baking.

[3catslady]

Thanks, sapphire. I think I used the e-mail she gave me for the cookies the first time I ordered them last year. I haven't heard from her on that one so I looked in my book ans, low and behold, I found another one for her so I emailed her on that one. I have a lot of computer work to do, like get all the birthdays listed in my birthday page, finish inputting my March receipts, pay my bills, clean the bathroom and throw "junk" out of this room. I will see what I get done.

[startsmart]

mizbear - I think the same truck hit me! backed up and hit me again! So hard to breathe today and I had to go out for tea and juice. Back home and working on my laptop from bed. freelancing does have its advantages.

I also splurged and printed one of my favorite tulip pics as a poster. I picked up a frame for $14 last week and while I need a mat it's going to be awesome, great focal point for my wall o photos. I should note that about 2 years ago I decided to not buy any more pictures. Instead I bought a camera and want to decorate with my own pics (not that buying photos is bad but I realized I was buying the experience and living vicariously so instead of buying a print of Europe, I'll save my money and go myself!).

Talked to red2black on Sunday and she's been sick as well, work is busy and she can't get online lie she used to but I know she would appreciate the good juju and support!

[3catslady]

good juju and all the support I can muster to R2B2. And everyone that is sick, I am sending you good juju and support.

[sheilaincali]

Fingers Crossed Request- an old contact from about 6 years ago called DH today and told him he "wants him in his organization" and "will be talking to hr about setting up an interview". It's in the same field as DH is in now but with a LOT more advancement potential. He said that DH's talents are being wasted where he is. So I am hoping that he does follow up and interview DH. This would be a huge step for him. DH went from being an upper level manager to an hourly seasonal guy and it was a real blow to his ego. He doesn't complain but I know he misses his glory days.

[mizbear]

sheila- I have all my paws crossed!!!

start- I'll feel batter if you'll better- deal?

Good juju for R2B.

I made a sort of stew for dinner- chicken, onions, and some tomato stuff that was in the fridge- but I put waaay to much butter in the pan when I went to saute the onions. Oh well- Cat Cora I am not!

The rental office wil have to deal with lived in this time. Usually my place sparkles when they come, but I just don't feel great.

[reeneejune]

Amazingly Awesome Good News!!

I got a call yesterday from the apartment complex I had applied at, they left a message asking me if I would be interested in a 2 bedroom rather than the 1 bedroom because they have more than one applicant and they're trying to get us both into apartments. So I went in today on my lunch break and saw the apartment that just came open. It's a little on the small side, but it's got my 2nd bedroom/office/sewing room from which I can plot world domination. Or sew a cute dress. whatever. Then I went into the office to talk to the managers about it (they never specifically said I was approved). The carpet is an... interesting color. Like this. Only a little more blue. They ended up marking down the rent $50 a month, honoring the lower deposit I was expecting to pay with the 1 bedroom ($100 savings), giving me 10 days of free rent ($175 savings), and letting me pay part of the move in cost on the first and the rest on the 15th, all to get me to move in starting FRIDAY!!!!! I won't actually start moving until Monday, I think, since I still have to work all weekend. But I'm crazy excited to get to move 2 weeks earlier than expected.

[Deleted]

Mar 30, 2011 16:49:14 GMT -5 reeneejune said:

Amazingly Awesome Good News!!

I got a call yesterday from the apartment complex I had applied at, they left a message asking me if I would be interested in a 2 bedroom rather than the 1 bedroom because they have more than one applicant and they're trying to get us both into apartments. So I went in today on my lunch break and saw the apartment that just came open. It's a little on the small side, but it's got my 2nd bedroom/office/sewing room from which I can plot world domination. Or sew a cute dress. whatever. Then I went into the office to talk to the managers about it (they never specifically said I was approved). The carpet is an... interesting color. Like this. Only a little more blue. They ended up marking down the rent $50 a month, honoring the lower deposit I was expecting to pay with the 1 bedroom ($100 savings), giving me 10 days of free rent ($175 savings), and letting me pay part of the move in cost on the first and the rest on the 15th, all to get me to move in starting FRIDAY!!!!! I won't actually start moving until Monday, I think, since I still have to work all weekend. But I'm crazy excited to get to move 2 weeks earlier than expected.

CONGRATS, reeneejune!! ;D

[startsmart]

start- I'll feel batter if you'll better- deal?

*snort* I just got the most amazing visual of me not sick and mizbear patting a bowl of cake batter

[3catslady]

congrats reenee

[dianartemis]

Awesome reenee!

I got some dry cat food last night. Guess who decided she was going to eat it. That's right, the cat who's been snubbing it for the last 8 months. I give up!

[mizbear]

renee- YAY!!! I only wish I could have a 2 br- I would have to move in a roommate- or move into the $1800/month ones. If I'm paying tht much- I'm buying! Congrats! Congrats! Congrats!

start- Sound good to me! I have to make red velvet cake for my DN1s 12 birthday at the end of April. She loves red velvet.

dianartemis- Whereas dogs think we are Gods/Goddesses- Cats believe that they are Gods/Goddesses and we are here to worship them. Go figure.

[reeneejune]

Miz Bear - That's interesting. In the town I'm moving to, you could get a 4 bedroom HOUSE with a TON of space, huge lot, in the nicest neighborhood in town for $1,400 a month. The super high end, brand new apartments on the riverfront are two bedroom and $800 a month. Then again, you can still buy a respectable middle-class house, 2-3 bedroom for under $200k. My little two bedroom will cost me just $525 a month.

[mizbear]

You might get 2 br here for that with rental assistance.... or a private landlord (then who knows what you're getting)

[munjoyhill]

Update Munjoyhill March 2011


25/26 MOAN Days
15/15 No Spend Days

Made my No Spend goal, almost my MOAN goal!

Good news is I am down 63 lbs., 37 to go!

I started taking a Zumba class twice a week, wow, what a workout! And it's fun too.

[mizbear]

UPDATE MIZBEAR MARCH 2011- 1S, 3CS, 27NS

I MET AND EXCEEDED MY NS GOALS!!!!

GO BEAR! IT'S A NSD, NOT YOUR BIRTHDAY, BUT THAT'S OKAY...
SAVE SOME MONEY, DANCE FUNNY

[shanendoah]

Still at 11 of 12 NSD. No plans today to spend, so should meet our goal.

We will most likely have a new dog within the next few weeks. We went to the shelter nearest us yesterday. None of the dogs they currently have are good matches for us, but now that we're looking, we'll be looking.
I wish I could be one of those people that could adopt older dogs. I see them in the shelter and feel so awful for them, but at the same time, I can't imagine taking in a dog knowing I'm only going to have it 2-3 years. I just get too emotionally attached to put myself through that.

Tommorrow is April. How can it be April already?

ETA: Sheila: Fingers crossed for DH.
renee: Happy Happy Joy Joy

[dakota4600]

Shanendoah- Not sure how April snuck up on us either.

Munjoy- Congrats on the weight loss

Shelia- Good luck to DH

Reenee- Great news!

Last night I ran by a consignment sale to see if they had any really good stuff for mini-D. I got him a set of Cars sheets, a brand new game and a bunch of shorts for just over $30 bucks. I plan on going back on 50% off night to get more play clothes. He really needs a light spring jacket, but i didnt' see any. The Cars sheets qualified me as the coolest mommy. He walked around for 5 minutes holding the pillow case saying this is so cool.

[dianartemis]

Update: 15/15 NSD, 19/15 NEO, 7/15 MOANs.

WooHoo! I did it! Or I will have done it by then end of today, about time I made my NSD goal!
;D ;D

[sheilaincali]

Dakota- That is so sweet of your DS. I LOVE hearing stories about him. He reminds me so much of DS when he was that age.

All- Thanks for the good luck wishes for DH. I don't expect him to hear anything overnight but I will keep you all posted.

Rant- Gosh darn vandals!!!!! Went by our old office building (which we still own) to get some furniture we had left there to discover that vandals had decided to take target practice at the windows. Can't figure out how they got in because all the doors were locked and the windows were broken from the inside out. They were fortunately too inept to steal anything so they left behind $$$$ big money worth of tools and equipment. And this time they left all the vehicles that were in the shop (attached to the office) alone. So annoying! Last year they burned down another building on that property. Before that they broke into the building that is now burned down and TRASHED it. Got to the winter vehicle storage and busted out all of the windshields and things.
What possess kids to behave like this? I can understand theft to an extent but to just do petty damage? Jerks the whole lot of them

[startsmart]

still sicko and I kept trying to fall asleep and finally gave up at 3am. I think I fell asleep around 6am, woke up at 9am. I haven't really felt tired yet, just like my head is full of cottonballs. Workin' and doing the boring tasks so I don't have to think too much.

[reeneejune]

Today: Signed the rental agreement and picked up keys for my new apartment (!!!), made spare keys ( $12.50 for two house keys and two car keys!), had electric transferred into my name effective tomorrow (will take a little bit of a hit there since the landlord will be cleaning the carpet in the am, but they did give me a great deal so I figure it's even), and that was just in my 2 hour long lunch today.

April will be a little slim money-wise, but I know I can handle it. I live close enough to walk to work! And I'm going to sit down tonight and plan my meals to help make it a little easier.

[ses]

28/31 CSD

That is pretty good since those days include my much needed jaunt out of town last weekend!

I have sorted through about 1/3 of my mother's boxes of "precious things." I must not be a very good daughter, because there is A LOT that I don't consider especially precious. Some of it is very interesting. I have, however, vowed to drastically purge my stuff once I am finished with hers. KCgal is going to hate me when I make her go through some of the stuff with me before I trash some of it.

It is starting to warm up a little here and every time I step onto the deck i want to start planting my boxes even though it is weeks too early. I need to devise some method of keeping Calleigh from napping in them. Maybe some chicken wire will do the job. Need to head to the farm supply store and see what we can come up with.
I also need to stay away from www.gardeners.com. That is a very expensive place for me to visit. I really want two new hanging baskets. And they are purely "wants", and I know that. But the petunias in them smell so gooood.

Reenee--so happy things are working out for you. You have worked so hard turning your life around for this. I am so proud of you. Have you heard anything about the possible new job(s)?

Mizbear--how did the inspection go? I am sure you are glad to have that behind you. How is your grandmother doing? and how have things worked out between you and DB and fSIL?

[moneysquirrel]

Update: 19 NS Days and 10 CS Days = 29 NS/CS Days

Renee -- Great news about the apartment
Sheila -- Fingers crossed for DH
Honey -- Love the quilt and the article. So proud of you and envious of your talents.
Sapphire -- glad to have someone else staying the extra day.
Dakota -- great news on the "cool" items for mini-D. He is a "cool" kid so he deserves the fun stuff.

[MittenKitten]

Reenee: Happy Happy for you!
SES: Thanks for the SD book I received it today.
Sheila: Good juju for DH and I have NO idea what gets into some kids.
Went out shopping today at Target, CVS, Walgreens and the grocery store. Got some KILLER deals. At Target my bill was $58 after coupons $23 and change plus I returned something and received a $5.35 credit on my CC. Walgreens I figure I paid around $6.00 for 4 things of shaving gel, 8 travel items, 2 tubes of Colgate TP, 2 containers of baby wipes and 3 things of aluminum foil.

Any ideas for a name for April? Adventurous, Awesome, Ailing....

[shanendoah]

How about Already April as in Ack! Its Already April, or at least that's how I feel.

[ses]

How about Already April?

[spruby]

Already April or April Already works for me. I'll be joining in this month.

ses - thanks for the SD guide. I'm still trying to come - but it will depend on job search status.

[startsmart]

gah, I opened up the windows for air since it's so nice today and now I remember why I don't do that often: the dogs bark at every single noise! Although it was pretty funny when they went nuts over the ice cream truck.

[mizbear]

I got a recheck notice on my inspection- too much clutter. I didn't recieve a fire code violation or anything- just a need to be checked by management thing. The rental office lady said they handed out a ton of warnings and violations and my place was cluttered- but the older rental lady was not happy. She was making snarky comments and rolling her eyes. At least the place was clean.
I wasn't taught how to keep a house growing up- my grandmother did all the housework at her place (she did let me help dust sometimes) but the only cleaning I knew how to do was sanitizing a bathroom with straight bleach. My parents didn't clean and they didn't cook. I learned how to laundry by trial and error. We ate out every meal except breakfast- which usually consisted of poptarts because there were too many sodas in the fridge to fit milk in there and never any clean dishes. It's very humiliating.
So, I will have to have another inspection, according to the lease, in 30 days, but the maintenance guy saw me and told me to try and get things picked up and quick because there were so many warnings handed out that I may not get 30 days.

DGM is doing better- she has at least 1 more week at rehab efore she comes home.

DB thinks that he is exempt from the rules. Ex-SIL has been so wrapped up in her own drama that she honestly didn't realize she was creating drama for me until I totally lost with her on the phone this afternoon- after the inspection. Hopefully they will get it together- or she will at least. I would hate to say I can't watch the kids anymore.