Saying goodbye to 2018

2018 brought a lot of changes - a new job for me and the same job for hubby.  (The end of the year even brought fewer hours for him.). We’ve been able to sell a car which did not live up to our expectations (after spending a lot of money trying) and replacing it with a car that we’re really happy with.  We traded motorcycles to get a bike that was more in line with what hubby needs.  We had some tree trimming done and most exciting of all, we took a cruise to celebrate our 40th anniversary.  All this while paying our main credit card down from $10k to $4k or less.  We haven’t been particularly frugal but that’s all about to change.  I have some big financial plans for 2019.

I’m going to detail out some of those goals in a post tomorrow for New Years Day and hope to post once a week in 2019,

Happy Labor Day!

I always enjoy a long holiday weekend.  That extra day is good for the mind and the body.

I mentioned in my last post that we would be sending another hunk of change to our debt but as it turns out (it always does), we had to hire a tree service to come cut some dead limbs off our very tall pine trees.  Money flies when you’re having fun - I guess.  Included in their fee was taking away all of the old yard trash, dead limbs and rotting firewood.  They did an awesome job with the cleanup and now we can move forward with getting the back yard back in order.  We will be raking all the pine straw to the rear of the yard and continue to kill any scrub and weeds that pop up.  We also need to finish the side fence this fall and get the gate rebuilt.

Be been trying to get our passport applications complete and it’s been a challenge.  I have one done and one to go.  I was very disappointed to learn that the post office will not take any applications on Saturday so we will both have to take off work to get this done.  DH is working out of town this coming week so it will be delayed at least a week.  If I had known, I did check the website and it had old information, I would have finished this before now.

I plan to get several things accomplished this week including assembling the fence gate, scrubbing bathrooms and recaulking, deep cleaning the kitchen, vacuuming, mowing the grass and maybe even some pressure washing.  I do better staying busy when he’s away.  There’s always quilting and sewing if I run out of things.

I read an article this week that said more people were grilling steaks because the economy was better.  I bought some great looking steaks at BJs today and grilled them for dinner.  Delicious.  I would estimate that our dinner cost about $20 for both of us -salad, potato, big steaks and a cocktail.  Compare that to what would cost $60 or more at Longhorn.  I have two more steaks that I will grill tomorrow ($12) that will make two or more meals of Steakhouse Noodle Soup.  

My next big project is to spray down the front porch with bleach then pressure wash it.  We need to touch up with caulk and paint before the cold wet weather of winter gets here.  Fall also brings a need to pressure wash the driveway and sidewalk.  The deck simply needs a wash down of the table and chairs since I pressure washed it earlier this year.  Now that the limbs are now dangling over the deck we can use it again.  I am curious if I would have better luck with growing some vegetables this spring.  I may give it a limited try.  Maybe a couple of tomato bushes, peppers and herbs.  

Progress on the Irish Chain Quilt is going slow, it’s a lot of quilting and many thick seams.  I just try to get 4-6 hours of quilting each week to keep progressing.  I need to start thinking about Christmas gifts.  It will be here before you know it. I saw Christmas tree boxes at Sam’s today.  

I’ve got to run - the dishwasher needs to be rebooted and I need to get some laundry started.  It may be a holiday weekend but we still need clean clothes and dishes.  I also need to get a Boston Buttin the crockpot.

Tuesday Update

One of my goals for this week was to finally pay the balance on our ER visit earlier this year.  In addition to the $600 copay (and the $150 copay at the Urgent Care),we owed an additional $465 for our portion of the MRI.  The total bill was about $11k less the thousand we paid and the thousand the insurance company paid.  They wrote off $9k in contractural discounts.  Ridiculous!  I logged on to their website and paid it off tonight.  That’s one more debt paid off.  I have a small dental balance that was supposed to get paid on our last visit but they didn’t collect it so it just rolled over.  That will be next week’s payment.  Friday is payday so that means another hunk of change to our primary consumer debt.  

I cooked a pot of chicken noodle soup Sunday night using just one chicken breast, some oldish celery sticks and some baby carrots that were much bigger than baby size.  We enjoyed the leftovers tonight with a grilled cheese sandwich.  I love frugal meals like that. It was just enough to satisfy and very inexpensive.  

Sunday we also made great progress in getting some landscape shrubs cut down to size.  We purchased a nice battery operated hedge trimmer from Home Depot using a gift certificate DH won several months ago.  $0 out of pocket for us!  I was able to trim and shape up some boxwoods and azaleas.  DH used his electric chainsaw to severely cut back a camellia bush that had grown over 12 feet tall.  It was growing into the dogwood beside it.  It’s rough looking right now.  It will either die or start putting out new limbs in the spring.  Either way, it’s better than it was before.   We still have a lot of cuttings and limbs in the backyard that we need to find a way to get rid of.  DH is going to see if a tree trimming company will come and trim our dead limbs AND get rid of the waste back there.  Hope it’s cost effective.

Saturday we exchanged two shirts at Kohls we bought the weekend before.  While we were there, we bought six pairs of socks using a $20 Kohl’s Cash coupon and less than $3 in cash.  What a bargain!  

My, how time flies!

I never expected that taking on a new job would be this hard.  Not the job itself but its impact of daily living and my energy level.  Yes, I know we’re all getting older and I do appreciate that but some days, it is difficult to comprehend.

I’m not going to update on every thing today but I will cover things a few at the time:

First, the job is going well.  It’s not super exciting or challenging at all but, it is a full time job with benefits and the pay is substantially more than the part time position I held before.  If I had my wish, I would want more authority and pay but for now, I’m satisfied with what I have.  There is a cast of characters at work (isn’t there always?) who are both interesting and annoying.  There’s always a treat or birthday or celebration which accounts for a slight weigh gain. For now, I’m trying to limit my portions and pass on excessive “celebrating” at work.  Friday, we ate three different times at work for some reason or another.  I was good and only had a taste here and there.

I have been able to make a Couple of large payments to one credit card as I mentioned in an earlier post.  That has been slowed down with some other expenses such as new tires for my car and two new pairs of glasses. I intend to keep up with this plan as much as possible.  

Plans -  we’ve booked a vacation for later this year, a cruise.  It’s a celebration vacation for our anniversary.  Our plan is to unplug, relax and enjoy with no thoughts about home, work, etc.  I put the deposit down two weeks ago and we’ve done a little shopping for some clothing that we will need.

I’m going to add a new goal for 2018.  I know it’s late in the year but I want to.  I’m going to can at least four things before the end of the year.  I put tomato jam up tonight (5 half pints plus a half pint in the fridge just for us).  It will be great on burgers and sandwiches especially when tomatoes take on that bland winter taste.  I know I will also put up some applesauce because I really enjoy that on potato pancakes.  Now, I just need to find two more things.

Catching Up!

It’s been almost month since I posted last and we’ve had a few things happen of consequence.  Within a few days of my last post, DH started feeling under the weather - mostly a fever which would spike at times to 101-102ish. After two days of this and his experiencing chills and no appetite, we decided to check in at the corner drugstore clinic to see if he had the flu.  We had a short visit there and the Nurse Practioner/Physicians Assistant deducted that it was unlikely to be the flu but was concerned about the stomach pain so she cancelled the appointment and sent us across the street to the Urgent care.  After an hour, $150, and a urine sample, the urgent care was also concerned about the stomach pain and whether we were looking at appendicitis.  Since they did not have a cat scan there, they said we should go directly to the emergency room.  So much for our Sunday!  We stopped quickly by the house (which was on the way) to pick up a phone charger and a few snacks for me.  By 6pm we were at the hospital.  Four hours later after a cat scan and an X-ray, they determined that it was NOT appendicitis but pneumonia.  They only found it because of the cat scan because it did not show up on the X-ray.  That was an $11,000 (retail charges) trip to the emergency room.  We left at 10 pm after an antibiotic IV and a prescription for 10days of antibiotics.  DH stayed home for four days finally returning to work on Friday.  He didn’t leave the house for two whole days so you know he was feeling bad.  Now, we just wait to see what additional charges, over the $600 ER copay and $150 copay, we owe.

As far as expenditures and budgeting goes, things could be better.  I’ve not yet started tackling our debt with those big payments but that will change this week.  We’ve already gotten our state tax return and that is going straight to our Amex account along with an extra payment this month.  With buying a new motorcycle, there are always some incidental expenses to get it ready to ride.  I am delighted that we reduced out debt and that DH now has a bike he wants to ride frequently.  (I didn’t see that with the other one.)  Our total debt for motorcycle is down by a t least $4k and the payment is ver $100less each month.  This also means that the insurance was a couple of hundred less for the year as well.

We bought a second hand car in early February anticipating that we would need it for business purposes.  Unfortunately, we’ve had to put some money - unexpectedly - into it.  We had the brake pads replaced and a new battery.  Now, it has an oil leak and it’s in the shop.  Looks like about $1,000 to fix.  If it’s much more, we will just sell it.  Hoping this is the last of its repair costs.

Grocery expenses have not dropped like it hoped.  I’ve been taking a lunch to work most days.  I average buying a box lunch one day a week but I did have a bad week and bought lunch three times last week - one day I completely forgot about lunch!  How does that happen?  Now, I have two items at work that could serve as an emergency lunch.  I will start taking a salad at least one day a week now that it might start warming up.

I have been able to do a little work in the yard over the past two-three weeks.  I have about 75% of my forsythia bush cut back.  The original two plants are about two feet tall.  The outer most ring of plants is to the ground.  DH took an axe and machete to them this morning.  I will finish that this coming weekend and move along to the azalea plants next.  I expect to spend a minimum of two hours each weekend on yard cleanup and maintenance for the foreseeable future.  We still have a fence to rebuild and the other fence to put back up.  We put seed on the yard last weekend and have been watering every day since.  Today, it rained all day so no watering.  I believe we have two more days of rain forecast.

My Irish Quilt is moving along.  I have 8x6 squares complete and assembled.  I’m working on ten more now.  Then we see what size it will be.

Ramping up the Frugal

When last we talked, I had put some frugal plans in place.  Since then, some things have changed and we are putting the frugal plans in overdrive.

First, we don’t expect a drop in income in the near future.  DH has decided to work full time throughout the year.  He also elected to sell his motorcycle (which represented a $19k debt) which was completed last week.  We’re still waiting on the title but the lien has been released and the account is paid.  Because he will be working all this year, he will be buying a smaller and less expensive bike to replace it.  Probably about $10-11k debt and a payment about half (or less) of what we were paying.

The biggest bang for our buck is what we will be doing with my paycheck.  About 85-90% of my net pay will be going direct to debt for the next several months.  I believe that by the end of June, our debt on credit cards will be mostly paid or we will have small (manageable) balances.  After that time, we will be using my paycheck to fund Christmas expenses, new tires for my car and money into savings.  I expect this to continue until Late summer and then we will reevaluate where we are financially and make adjustments.  The beauty of this plan is that it’s totally discretionary.  If an emergency comes up, we have the bandwidth to take care of it.

We may choose to pay down the new motorcycle or car or we could decide to pre-pay some expenses into 2019.  Either way, I plan to meet 2019 on solid financial footing with reduced debt and increased savings.  We will also be looking at other ways to reduce expenses including revamping our cellular service/bill.  We are paying way to much for this service.  We are also paying way too much for satellite tv.  We’ve talked about cutting it entirely but I am hesitant to do that.  It would be such a culture shock but it is an option if things get tight.

I am trying to keep grocery expenses down to $100 dollars each week or less which includes four lunches and four breakfasts for me each week,  and approximately two lunches and three breakfasts for DH.  Eating out is generally limited to every other Friday night and every Saturday morning (at a 10% discount) and then an “as needed” meal from time to time.

We have one more birthday gift to buy this month -  well,  actually two.  Then, no birthdays until May, then a break until September.

I’m still working on my Triple Irish Chain Quilt.  I have spent no additional money on it since purchasing green thread in February.  I will need to buy the backing and possibly some additional green fabric.  I’m using what I have until it runs out and then we will see what options are available.  I am open to binding it in a different green, if necessary.  I do have some batting on hand and will use it for this project or the next.

A new week and frugal plans

I’ve completed two weeks at my new job.  In fact, I should receive my first paycheck by the end of the week!  While I am excited to be brining in a paycheck that is roughly seven times what I was making with Hallmark, I am also very cognizant that we need to stay frugal.  (Especially since we’re anticipating a drop in income beginning in April.  I have no idea if it will be a small amount or a large amount because that decision is not in our hands.). The first week, I took my lunch every day except one.  The second week, it took my lunch every day.  My goal is to take a lunch at least four times as week and strive to take one on that fifth day as well.  While I would like to be packing two lunches every day, it is impractical for DH to take a lunch most days.  He is frequently out of the office at lunchtimes and on occasion, has taken a lunch only to be unable to eat it.

Currently, we eat breakfast out every Saturday morning and every other Friday night.  Occasionally, like tonight, we will pick up something midweek.  For example, tonight I stopped and got a pound of barbecue, a pint of Brunswick stew and a pint of potato salad.  I will be putting that meat into the freezer for another night.  The cost was $25 - for a full meal tonight and sandwich met for a second night.  I am trying to cut back our Friday evenings out to once every three weeks by making “fun” foods on Friday (pizza, fajitas, burgers) often with an adult beverage.

I also try to prepare a pot of soup or stew once a week.  This provides at least two meals and one night without cooking.  Soup is generally pretty cheap with anywhere from 1/2 to one pound of meat.  

This weekend, I plan to take pictures of some items I want to list for sale.  We have a lot of “stuff” that we don’t need, want or use.  Maybe I can recoup a few dollars here or there. Included are two bicycles, some MiniCooper parts, some excess motorcycle accessories, some kids toys.  

A Very Long Week

This week seems like it has lasted a month.  Of course, having your whole schedule turned upside down will do that to you.

Last Saturday, we picked up our purchase - a used car which we intend to use as a second car/business vehicle.   Unfortunately, it seems like it took up a good part of last Saturday and Sunday getting it cleaned up and checked out.  The good news is that the body is in good shape except for a surprise rust spot on the roof.  (DH has already removed the rust and applied a wax coating to protect it until we are able to prime and paint the spot.  It is invisible until you get above the roof.). The battery is a bit drained but the alternator and started are working properly.  To get the battery properly charged DH drove it around some today and will probably do again tomorrow.

Since then, I started my new job.  Up every day at 6 and out the door by 7.  It’s a far cry from rising when I wanted.  Monday, I was exhausted when I returned home.  I was very tired Tuesday, tired Wednesday.  By Thursday, I was managing but very glad that the week was nearing the end.  I have been working like a temp this week focusing on task work to help others.  They have kept me busy and gotten more than their money’s worth.  Monday, I start training on my actual job.

To keep the week moving smoothly, I had planned all easy and quick meals.  I did no housework all during the week except dinner cleanup.  It worked well but for next week, I have planned a little more aggressive dinner plan but I will be utilizing leftovers to help out with the work load.  I also hope to get at least one task done every night - paying bills, household tasks or errands.

 I was able to get all the laundry done today (Saturday) and tomorrow I will put it away and decide on tentative outfits for the week.  I will go grocery shopping and get items needed for the week including lunches for at least four days.  It takes a lot of effort and time to make those lunches but the trade off is not spending more those days on lunch.  Last week, I bought lunch only on Wednesday ($8).  My choices are limited and the average cost would be $7-8 each day so this saves $32 a week, $128 a month or $1536 a year!  I’m also eating breakfast at home which saves $3-4 a day.  I expect that I may transition to taking a breakfast with me instead of eating at home.  I want to experiment with an overnight oatmeal made in the crockpot to alternate with toast.  Eating at 6:30 leaves me too hungry at lunchtime.

Exciting News

My number one goal for 2018 was to secure a new job.  After searching for a full time job for nearly two years, I accepted a part time position as a Retail Merchandiser with Hallmark.  It was very interesting.  Some weeks I would get as few as 8 hours assigned and struggle to find things to fill those hours.  In some busy weeks, I was assigned upwards of 31 hours.  Sometimes the hours were a good fit and other times it was a complete fail.  I met some nice people and learned a lot about merchandising and how groceries stores work.  The thing you would be most surprised about is the fact that so much of the grocery store is managed and stocked by merchandisers:  beer, soft drinks, wine, bread, chips, magazines, chocolates and, of course, greeting cards.

Beginning in early December, I started casting my job net wider and applying for different kinds of jobs.  I went to a networking event and had an HR professional evaluate my resume and give me suggestions.  At first, I thought some of the ideas were wrong but since I’d had little luck landing an interview, they were worth trying.  Jan 2nd, I started applying again after a short holiday break. I applied for a job on Monday, January xx and received a call a couple of days later for a phone interview.  It went well and within a couple of days, an in person interview was scheduled on Thursday morning.  It was an exceptionally relaxed interview and I left with positive thoughts.  The following Monday I heard they wanted to check references.  By lunchtime the next day, I had an offer.  Things were happening quickly and I had the option of starting the following Monday or two weeks later.  I opted for the earliest option so I did my background check and drug test that same day.  I start Monday morning.  Honestly, I’m a little stressed but that’s my personality.  As soon as I get there, I’ll be fine - it’s just the anticipation.

As a result of this new job, there will be some changes.  I will start blogging once a week either on Saturday or Sunday.  Grocery shopping will be mostly at Publix except the occasional trip to Sam’s/BJs or other store.  I’ve set up a Walmart account so I can order and pick up from there as needed - maybe once a week on the way home.  (We’ve started drinking their coffee more often and our preferred margarine is only available here.  There’s a $30 minimum so it will be bulk buying.)

All my household chores will now happen in the evenings and on the weekends.  However, the biggest challenge will be getting enough sleep.  I really function best on 7.5-8 hours each night but that would mean a bedtime of 10pm.  I’d settle for lights out at 11. We’ll see how that goes.

Plans for the Week

I already have a menu plan in place for next week.  I’ve shopped most of my groceries and just need an idea for one night.

Sunday - Sessame chicken and vegetable fried rice

Monday - leftover fried rice with egg rolls and tiny Japanese salad

Tuesday - Spaghetti and Meatballs

Wednesday - Cauliflower Soup and side salad

Thursday - Italian Chicken and Mashed Potatoes

Friday - Fajitas (at home)

Saturday - Tacos at Birthday Party (taking salsa and guacamole)

I’ve set a budget of $75 per week for groceries.  Part of that plan depends on eating what we have on hand and only buying a meat for one meal each week.  Last week that one meat purchase was for six pounds of ground beef.  I only needed one pound but I was already at Sam’s.  Four 3/4 pound packets went into the freezer along with two dozen Italian meatballs and our dinner that night.  

Final numbers for the first two weeks total $195 (or $98 per week).  This is $23 more each week than the budget.  I did make that $38 purchase at Sam’s which would be most of the overage.  (That purchase alone provides the meat for 5-6 meals for the two of us so it was worth it.). I will really watch the spending for next weekend and try to keep purchases to a minimum.  

Part of the problem is deciding late on Saturday or Sunday what we will eat that night.  Sometimes there is not enough time to thaw a meat from the freezer so I buy a fresh pack.  That will be stopping.  More planning will mean less spending.

Tips, tricks and thoughts

I’m trying to be super frugal this year.  We will be making some fairly drastic cuts to our spending - some due to want to do it and some due to necessity. In the mist of all this, a few thoughts come to mind today that I wanted to share:

1.  Best Fudge Ever - I usually make a batch of fantasy fudge every year for Christmas.  This time, I tried something new and it really made a difference. First, I used Hershey semisweet chocolate instead of the Nestle brand I usually use.  This was dictated solely by price and I’m not sure what affect this substitution had on the final product.  Second, I added two Tablespoons of corn syrup to the fudge mixture (sugar, milk and butter).  I also did not obsess about the thermometer reaching its glorious 134 degrees.  I followed the recipe and after the allotted boiling time, I removed it from the heat even though the thermometer was a few degrees short.  The result was a moister fudge that not break apart when cutting and was smooth and melts when eating.  I’m going to do this from now on.  There must be some kind of chemical reaction between the sugar and the corn syrup that causes the change.

2.  I used the nozzle of an old fashioned squeeze bottle on the top of my oil container.  I have a very hard time controlling how much oil comes out of the bottle and where it goes.  I have found that, although the top does leak slightly, I have better control and use much less oil this way.  You may find that you can punch a hole in the seal of your container to achieve the same result.  I think I will try that with the next bottle of vegetable oil.

3.  Old white undershirts make great cleaning and polishing rugs.  Christmas brought a new supply of undershirts to our house so the old ones are getting recycled into rags.  I cut the neck ribbing and the sleeves off completely and toss.  (If you have a need for these, they can also be used for many things.). Then I cut the front from the back and then cut just below the armhole.  This gives me four medium sized rags from each tshirt.  They wash and dry quickly and can be bleached.  They’re great for cleaning windows and polishing furniture.  My old white washcloths are also now used for cleaning.

Week One in review

Well, week one was interesting.  DH had the week off but it was brutally cold and I still had work hours to complete.  He had a personal/new business project or two that he worked on and I was able to help when I could and work around him as necessary.  To complete the week, we tried two other new recipes -Beef and Barley Soup (definitely better the second day) and I recreated a recipe for Greek Potatoes (these were not as “lemony” as the Greek restaurant).

I made one trip to the grocery store spending $86.  I’m hoping to keep groceries to $300 per month.  I bought only sirloin (for the soup which we got four dinner sized servings and two lunch portions) and a pound of bacon which hasn’t been opened yet.  Other meals this week will be from the freezer.

I ended the week by cutting DH’s hair.  I’ve been doing this since 2009.  Every few months he will go to a barber just for a change but most times, I cut it.

Week 1, 2018

It’s early in the year but it’s time to get started.  One of my goals for the year is to try 26 new recipes.  I accomplished this same goal last year and was excited to add new meals to our menu.  I saw a couple of recipes for  smoked sausage and black eye pea soup and decided this would be a perfect way to use leftover black eyed peas from New Years Day.  

I built the soup around our leftovers using both recipes as roadmaps.  It is a spicy spoup, perfect for a cold evening.

I cut one package of fully cooked smoked sausage into thin (1/8”) coins and sauté in the pan until the edges started to take on a little color.  I removed some of the fat from the pan with a paper towel.  Next I added a little olive oil and sautéed our leftover opinions and peppers - about a cup total.  Then I added the following 

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies (Publix has a brand now)

2.5 - 3 cups of water

1 Chicken boullion cube

1 Chicken with tomato boullion cube

5 cups of cooked black eyed peas (no extra juice)

1 teaspoon salt

1teaspoon jalapeño tobasco sauce*

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper*

Simmer gently for about 45 minutes.  Thicken with a slurry of corn starch just to get a little body to the broth.

Serve with corn muffins or corn waffles!

You could also add some cooked greens to this soup if you like.

I call this New Years Soup.

A New Year - 2018

One of my goals for the year is to post at least once a week.  I’d also like posts to include meals, deals, diys, tips, and other topics that are share worthy.

Several of my goals for the new year are the same as last year: read 24 books, try 26 recipes and purge 104 items but first and foremost, I must find a better job.  I’ve enjoyed my six months as a Retail Merchandiser but I need something with more hours, better pay and some benefits.  I will start the year by being very aggressive with my search.

On a lighter note, dinner tonight is our traditional black-eyed peas with ham.  I season the beans by using broth made from the ham bone.  Today, I carefully cooked the beans on a very low heat.  The package recommends and hour and a half to cook but I found that they were already soft in an hour.  To save money, calories and carbs, we will not be having cornbread.