March Madness Controlled/No Spend Thread

[reeneejune]

dividend - Beer Fridge? Why is this not a standard benefit at all workplaces?! Imagine how much more motivated employees would be!

All - There's a mountain range between me and the ocean. And if it managed to get over that mountain range, it's only about a 30-45 minute drive to the top of a second, higher mountain range from my house. Of course, if it gets that far, I suggest we use the bail fund to build an ark. Though it's rained hard enough over the past couple of days that I've been joking that we need row boat valet service between the parking lot and the front door.

[moneysquirrel]

Glad all of our West Coast members are safe.

Today was a major spend day. It was mainly a needed house repair that I have saved for and my long delayed Sam's trip. It would have been a CS day except for the few items that I threw in that were not an immediate need. Therefore it was a major spend day.

[mizbear]

Today was a NS. I just got good news about my DGM but potentially heartbreaking news about a guy in my life so I am very bad company right now.
HUGS.

[Deleted]

Hi ladies. I know I have been missing in action forever. I am busy in a long term subbing job for a 4th grade class. I will be there until the middle of April.

I have been wondering, has anyone heard from Sharing? I haven't seen her post since December. I hope she is ok. If anyone is in contact with her, can you please let her know that I am thinking of her?

Hope everyone else is doing well. I wish I could be an active member of this group, but unfortunately I am just too exhausted to keep up. I have been working on lesson plans since 9:30 this morning, and I still am not done. I have so much I still need to do around the house.
I do think of you all often and hope that everyone is doing well.

[InsertCoolName]

Morning. How is everyone? Such a sad day yesterday. My heart breaks for what Japan is having to deal with right now. I do believe that everything happens for a reason but sometimes I do not understand it why.

Still doing good on not spending. And I am almost certain that my husband hasn't spent any money since $20 at walmart the other night. He was wanting to get take out last night. Pizza. I said go to the store and buy some...much cheaper. And he listened. lol I am afraid that my easy no spend days are coming to an end though. I realized last night that I only have....well 87 days til baby gets here! We've got to get a few things that are important...like a car seat and bottles. lol Oh and some clothes. Can't bring home a nakey baby.

Now I gotta go work on a plan to get this stuff and keep it on the cheaper side.

[mizbear]

momof5- Don't get down on yourself about spending for needs for your family or the new arrival- whether those are needs because you don't have them yet or needs to keep you from throttling someone during that last bit of time (convenience items).

[shanendoah]

fighting the urge to spend this weekend. I know new things won't fill the hole my Smokey angel left, buts its so tempting to try...

[startsmart]

Today was definitely a spend day! Picked up a few things at Ikea and some spray paint for a project. Then I got a ton of plants for the front of my house! About half of them are in the ground, I need to finish the rest tomorrows well as seed the lawn. Also having a friend over to spray paint some of the ugly things we've found at thrift stores lately. Plant tins. Picture frames.

[pointy]

Update: 9/23 NS and 12/28 No QVC days...

[moneysquirrel]

Update: 7 NS Days 4 CS Days
It was nice having some time off. But tomorrow it is back to work and back to getting up at 5. I need to get to bed early tonight.

[MittenKitten]

Back from vaca, kids had a blast. They did pretty well for the trip although they lost it after about 3 hours. Man are those pools terrible about the clorine. I made sure the kids bathed or showered each time we were finished with the waterpark. At one point DS#1 looked like he had sunburn from all the clorine.

Shan: sorry do hear of your puppy passing. You did the right thing. Can't say anything else or I will cry.

Angel: good to see you. Come back when you have time. We all understand life getting crazy busy.

And boy do I need to sell or somehow get rid of my rental. It is just too far away and too much work and stress. Can't deal with it in addition to the rest of what I deal with.

On a great note DS#2 started at a day treatment facility for his autism and is doing great. He was trying to pack his bag to go yesterday. He goes every weekday afternoon. I think this will be very good for him.

[mizbear]

We are doing very well on the NS days. DGM is at rehab at the nursing home- but now BFF #4 (ex-SIL) is very ill. She is having female issues. I was so hoping things were looking up for them.

Yesterday was a NS and so is today. I will update my totals on Monday- but I will make my NS goals by the end of the week! (There's no money left to spend LOL) I have to get one more Rx filled- and school is going swimmingly.

[3catslady]

GLDNLVLY; You have an e-mail. I ordered cookies.

[singlemomky]

Had a GREAT visit at the plastic surgeon - Lil' Smokey's neck is doing so well he was released before the 1 year mark! Had a crazy, busy weekend and now I'm trying to finish up laundry and get everything ready for the week ahead - Happy Sunday to all.

[sapphire12]

welcome back from vaca MK!

Yeah for Lil Smokey's prognosis!

Today was a NS. I have to adjust to the time change. Oh joy.

[sheilaincali]

Sorry I have been mia a little lately. This head cold thingy really threw me for a loop. Suffered through Monday and Tuesday at work because I had no choice (sales tax audit). Wednesday stayed home. Thursday worked most of the day. Friday my co-workers asked me to leave at 9am because I was coughing so loud. Stayed home all weekend. Almost feel like I am back to normal now. Well- normal being a relative term

On the NS front- aside from having to buy cold type medicines it was a decent week NS wise. Didn't leave the house much so didn't spend much of anything. Hoping to get back into the swing of life this week and back on my routine.

[MittenKitten]

SMKY: How GREAT!

I am going to visit DS#2s program today. Looking forward to meeting his staff.

Sheila: glad you are feeling better.

Getting DS#2 up was a challenge. He went back to sleep as I was getting DS#1 off on the bus. Oh and he took all his clothes off last night so I have to go wash all his bedding. (He is NOT poddy trained yet) Fun!

[shanendoah]

Update: 4 of 12 NSD
Slow going right now, but oh well.
Discovered this weekend that the place we normally buy our gas (we buy bio-diesel, B50 or better) is no longer dispensing gas. It was a single pump outside one of the local bio-deisel distributor's offices. So now, the only place we know of is about 15 miles away, in a direction we never go. So now its time to do some research and see if we can find a new place somewhere near us. We'll use B20 if we have to, but we definitely prefer B99, B50 at the low end. (In case people don't know, in bio-diesel, the number after the B represents the percentage of bio, so B99 is 99% bio while B5 is only 5% bio and 95% regular diesel.)

On Friday, we were at CostCo, where they have an HP laptop on sale for a great price. We came very close to buying it, and I can't honestly say we won't still go back and get one, as the sale lasts until April. But for now, we held strong.

MK: Glad you had a good time. Its great that DS#2 is enjoying his new program

SMKY: Yay for lil smokey being released!

sheila: glad you are feeling better

mizbear: Thoughts for your good friend. Hang in there!

[Honeylioness]

mizbear - My thoughts are with you as you ride this emotional roller coaster at the moment.

Angel - So good to see you again!

shanendoah - I know the first few weeks after losing a pet are the hardest. Good for you on not trying to mask the grief by acquiring "things"

startsmart - You ARE the busy bee aren't you? Just a question ... do you ever have time anymore to just veg on the couch with a movie and the puppies? You need to take time for such idleness you know ... to recharge.

And I am very jealous of you being able to plant anything ... we have at least 4-6 more weeks before I can safely plant anything outside without worrying about it being killed off overnight.

mittenkitten - Welcome back, and great news about the day facility. How did it work out fighting the review panel for the money?

3cats - How are you doing? Is the extended winter getting you down? I have not seen as much of you lately



Update - On Friday my IRS tax refund showed up in my bank account. Happy Happy! I still have to do my Massachusetts filing - but as I owe them $33 they can bloody well wait.

On Friday night after dinner I sat down with all my bills and current statements. I know that there are people struggling with a LOT more debt than myself, however it does seem that your own debt, no matter the number, seems to be more stressful than someone else's numbers. So with a cold beer, my excel spreadsheet and a mantra that it was okay to not hoard every penny I paid off the following:

$210.00 - Condo Association Dues
$91.76 - Water/sewer
$150.00 - Verizon (New balance $5 per today's online statement)
$83.00 - AAA Membership Renewal (expired in August 2010)
$100.00 - Electricity (Paid off)
$22.00 - Medco
$250.00 - HSBC credit card (balance now $75)
$200.00 - Care Credit (Paid off)
$300.00 - Natural Gas (Paid off)
$50.00 - Costco Membership Renewal (expired October 2010)
$22.97 - Country Living Subscription
$20.95 - Amazon

$1500.68 - Total

Even with getting all my bills caught up I still have about $1,600 in my Savings Account/Emergency Fund. I owe my folks $300 for the airline ticket to come out to see them, but they said I can give that to them in April when I arrive. And April has five paychecks so I can add a bit more to my savings.

I am going to juggle some budget numbers and get back onto a strict allocation of what bill must come out of what check before we even go food shopping, I think that kind of structure will make me feel less "out of control". And shanendoah - Yes, I do feel as though I can breathe again knowing these figures aren't hanging over me like the Sword of Damocles.

So it did wind up being a rather "spendy" weekend because not only did I "spend" on paying off all these accounts but we had a major errand day on Saturday:

* Home Depot (for two new quilt hanging rods and replacement lights for the stove)
* Used Book Store (I got three DVDs for $12)
* Costco (132 lbs of kitty litter, 36 rolls of T.P., four whole chickens for $0.89/lb, and a package of 48 cans of cat food. Not very exotic but good deals and needed items)
* WalMart (girls needed strapless bras for their new dresses and I needed nylons and hairball remedy - the latter item for the cats not me)
* Grocery Store
* Chinese Restaurant - This was my big "splurge" with the refund money. I took us out to eat at our favorite restaurant.

[dianartemis]

All - There's a mountain range between me and the ocean. And if it managed to get over that mountain range, it's only about a 30-45 minute drive to the top of a second, higher mountain range from my house. Of course, if it gets that far, I suggest we use the bail fund to build an ark. Though it's rained hard enough over the past couple of days that I've been joking that we need row boat valet service between the parking lot and the front door.

reenee: I was about ready to start building the darn thing! I was without power for most of yesterday. I'm glad I wasn't able to go grocery shopping. I go shopping tonight and clean out my fridge and freezer. So yesterday was a spend, because I had to go out to eat and today will be a spend because I have to go grocery shopping and out to eat at lunch.

[mizbear]

* WalMart (girls needed strapless bras for their new dresses and I needed nylons and hairball remedy - the latter item for the cats not me)


Read more: notmsnmoney.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=wir&action=display&thread=4048&page=8#ixzz1Gaw6CgAh

Honey- I cracked up when I read that! Karma for recognizing that you don't have to "hoard every penny" and gettingyourself back on track.

HUGS to everyone. ex-SIL seems to be doing a little better, once they get the immediate problem stopped, then the gyn will decide the next step.

I am actually getting a bit done today though.

[Honeylioness]

OFF TOPIC POST AHEAD .... FEEL FREE TO SKIP OVER


You know how we all seem to know someone who just cannot catch a break? It might be a family member, co-worker or friend of a friend. Well, in my case it is L. Our relationship is rather hard to describe or define. Often I just tell people she is my sister. Technically not correct but as my mother "adopted" her over 25 years ago and has acted as her surrogate parent for this time it does fit. She is a few years older than I am but her life just seems to have been one horror after another:

* S3xually abused by her biological father starting at 13. Mom knew, did nothing, told L later on she was "... relieved, since then he did want to do 'that' with me..." . Traumatic forced abortion at 16 when her sire got her pregnant.

* Married an equally dysfunctional man at the age of 20 who had been abused by his father. Parents had decided mumps in their sons was no big deal and only took them to the hospital when their fevers were through the roof for over 48 hours. Three of the sons were made sterile because of it.

* Never had any chance for education and no encouragement to try from anyone in her, or her husband's, family.

* Five hospitalizations for eating disorders before the age of 32.

* Spouse went off to AF boot camp at the age of 27, There he broke all his marriage vows and most of the Commandments.

* Spouse continued his reckless ways once back home. At the end of three years not only had their house been foreclosed on because he stopped paying the mortgage and used the money for prostitutes, but L had a raging case of chlamydia that lasted four years, Hep B and was HIV+ thanks to him.

* L began having seizures that would spike her temp to 104+

* Finally divorced the dirt bag.

* Biological father dies from complications of diabetes. L is the one to find him four days later in a remote cabin.

* Home on the verge of foreclosure twice as she was unable to work for a long time. Now has a housemate who is an oddball to say the least and incredibly creepy at worse.

* Two rather severe episodes of alopecia. To this day the only hair on her body is her eyelashes, eyebrows and scalp.

* Biological mother finally dies. During her last ten years she did nothing but berate L for divorcing dirt bag and telling people "lies" about her father.

* Diagnosed with MPD about 12 years ago - actually a relief as it explained a lot of her seemingly random and bizarre behavior.

* Diagnosed two months ago with M.S.

* Found out last week she has some sort of lumps or masses on her spine, liver and spleen.



If anyone has the time/inclination I would appreciate any positive energy/prayers/ chants/ lighting of candles etc that you could send her way. It just breaks my heart that she has had such a very sad life and very little security, joy or peace in it.

[sapphire12]

honey -- wow. just wow. sending you and L hugs and prayers for what lies ahead.

[WholeLottaNothin]

Honey - Wow that is quite a list. Even just one or two of those things would send most people running for cover. I wish nothing but the best for her. She deserves it.

My grandma died on Wednesday from Alzheimer's. She was 86. The funeral was on Sunday, and while it was nice getting to see some of the relatives again, it was very emotionally exhausting. I have been draggin my wagon at work all day. It did help the budget (trying to find the silver lining) as we didn't have really any time to spend this weekend.

[singlemomky]

What a day! I have been on the phone w/the Social Security Administration for 1 1/2 hours trying to deal w/a client issue. The guy in the local office is trying to be helpful but the whole situation is driving me crazy!!!

[singlemomky]

And it gets even better - after the very helpful guy putting me on hold and holding quite a while; I got disconnected!

[dividend]

UPDATE 5 NS; 3 CS; 5 AS

Friday as a NS. Cooked a delicious bowl of pasta with chicken, mushrooms, pesto and pine nuts. DBF requests this all the time. So good! And we chilled at home.
Saturday was an AS. I grocery shopped, and stayed under budget (for the second week in a row, GO ME!). But I had decided that if I made it all week without eating out, we'd go for Indian food. So we tried a new buffet that was pretty delicious.
Sunday was on it's way to being a CS - bought some beer to to take to my brother's to watch his indoor team battle it out for the playoffs, but there was money in the grocery budget left to cover that (beer at home can count as groceries, right? ). We left my brother's house and DBF was starving so he drove to Chipotle, without really giving me a choice. I mean, I could have protested, insisted that we eat what I had planned for dinner, but ordering a burrito was way easier. I regret nothing.
So I've made it to the middle of the month payday, and I still have money in my "allowance", and the grocery fund is only negative because I came into the month with less than a full amount due to overspending in February. I'm doing good, I think. I'd like to get 4 NS this week (excluding Wednesday, when I will go to the Comets (indoor soccer) PLAYOFF GAME!!!!).
Happy Monday, ladies.

[Deleted]

I have a happy and a annoyed, lol.
First the happy, we stayed under budget this week for groceries (well one cent over) ;D.
The annoyed, I donated blood for the first time two months ago, felt like crap but was planning on donated again because I feel it is a good thing to do. Also I am O positive so my blood can be given to half of the population so go me ;D. However, I dislike phone call especially on my cell phone because they waste my minutes. I got a call from the red cross trying to sign me up to donate again (because I am eligible again). One, I was not on campus that day (wednesday vs the tuesday that I gave blood) and also I don't need an appointment, I can just stop in. I told the woman that I was unavailable that day but I really hated the phone calls, could she take me off the phone list. She said "Giving blood means you are on the call call, you knew that". No, I did not but if that if that is the only way not to have a phone call I won't give blood, take me off the list. Such a great way to convince people to give blood.

[startsmart]

nuttinhoney - so sorry to hear about your grandma ((((hugs)))) it's hard to handle I know so if you need an ear to just listen let me know.

heading out to an event in a bit, definitely will be spending. Okay work day so far, need to do a LOT to catch up with clients and tasks but I'll be up late tonight.

[MittenKitten]

Honey: Definately have L in my thoughts/prayers. Wow too bad some good people's lives are so filled with terrible things. Have you read "The Child Called It" that is a seriously disturbing book, especially since it is based on a real story.

The committee agreed to pay for blinds for his room so at least that is something. I may just increase my paid parent time, allocate more money for taxes and increased insurance fees and just buy what I want out of that. Less hassle. For some reason they think he only lives in his room.

nuttin: sorry to hear of your loss.

Hoping I have a cold and not strep throat. My throat started really hurting today. I do have a minor cold.... I am also between insurance. I applied for another policy for the family but need to talk to the company and of course the wait is horrendous so I haven't been able to talk to anyone. ARG! But my old insurance is still in effect.