A Quick Mid-Week Update

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I’ve had a lot of ideas for posts flying around in my head but haven’t really been able to get any of them coherently on “paper.” Sorry if this post is a little unorganized a jumpy, but that’s just the way my brain has been this week. And, a picture that’s as random as the post.

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I have been super slacking on working out this week.

For the past few weeks I have been working my butt off (literally) at the gym! I was meeting a friend up to 5x per week for really tough workouts! We did our regular workout on Sunday but truthfully my heart wasn’t in it. I skipped Monday and Tuesday but have committed myself to going to spinning on Wednesday morning (today). I really wanted to work out each weekday this week since my dad will be here this weekend but I guess I’ll have to let myself slide. ;)

OMG it was 99 degrees here on Tuesday!

Seriously. Driving home from work the thermometer read 99 even though I’d been driving for about 10 minutes already. I already had dry, brownish spots on my grass when I got home. Gosh I hope this summer isn’t as dry as the last!

I still have so much to do before my dad gets here!

I know my dad is reading and thinking that I don’t need to go through all the trouble but it’s the first time he’s visited my home that’s not a dorm room or apartment. AND he’ll be staying with me since I have a guest room now! I’m super excited but I still have a bit of prep to do on the house!

I was denied from Google AdSense. 

Sad day. They gave a whole list of reasons and improvements I can make before I resubmit. I only glanced over the list once last night but I’m not even sure how to do some of it! I’m hoping later this week or early next I can go through the list and make changes. I’m sure some of my bloggy friends will be receiving emails with cries for help. ;)

My knees still hurt but they’re healing.

Oh, did I not tell you that I fell off my bike in. my. own. driveway….on my birthday!? Yeah. I have one of those bikes with the special shoes/pedals and I was already “clipped in” to one of my pedals when I lost my balance in the driveway. Before I knew it I was lying on the driveway with scraped up knees. I went on my bike ride anyway but have had some serious road rash on my knees ever since. No skirts for me at work for a while. ;)

I want to eat everything in sight.

No I’m not pregnant. No, it’s not “that” time. Sometimes when I eat really healthy for a while (I’ve been pretty good for the last 3 weeks except for some birthday splurges) I get this urge to eat everything chocolate and sugary that I can get my hands on. I’m trying to indulge a little to satisfy my craving without going nuts!

But at least my budgeting is going well!

I got my Minor Emergency Fund up to $1000 and I’ve spent barely any money this paycheck! I can’t wait to really start throwing money towards my car fund! Squee!

What’s been going on with you this week?

My Birthday and Pictures of Spring

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Warning: This post is picture heavy! Enjoy! ;)

Yikes. Last week completely got away from me. I had so much going on last week it was almost like I had a real social life! ;) Wednesday night a friend and I went to a Spring Spa for Spouses (military spouses that is). And not to sound ungrateful, but it was mostly just direct sale people trying to sell us makeup and protein shakes and stuff. On Friday (my birthday!) we had a charity bowling thing after work that was actually so much fun! Then Saturday was out to dinner with a few friends for more birthday celebrations. Then on Sunday it was gym, grocery, yard work, and then to a friend’s house for a little barbecue for Mother’s Day/my birthday. Y’all, this was one of my best birthdays ever!!! Several celebrations and cake on Friday and Sunday. I have seriously met some of the most amazing friends here in Nebraska. They sure know how to make a girl feel special. :)

So on Sunday while I was mowing the lawn, I started looking around and realized that OMG everything is blooming! It’s finally Spring in Nebraska and it’s gorgeous!!!

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The flowers above are from a bush that my awesome husband planted for me while I was at work one Saturday. :) Isn’t he the best?

purpletreeThese little purple beauties are from a tree on the side of our house. I didn’t even know it flowered but it’s so pretty!

backyardtreeAnd this is the tree in our backyard! Last Fall and during the Winter it had these weird little berries that the dogs would eat (and then throw up of course) but I’m so excited to see it flower this Spring!

budsThis is another bush Manny planted for me in our front garden. I know these are just buds but we didn’t think this bush was going to flower until next year. I hope it blooms soon!

prettygirlAnd would you look at the beautiful girl so happy to be out in the sunshine! The dogs go bananas after I mow the grass. They run around like they’ve never seen grass in their life! And they’re definitely loving this warmer weather.

louisIs he in hog heaven or what? I am so happy that the weather is finally improving around here. And obviously, so are the dogs.

What have you been up to lately? Is it finally warm wherever you are?

 

 

 

Why is it always the plumbing?

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Ah, homeownership. It’s all sunshine and rainbows until a pipe starts leaking. Or until the grass gets really long and when you try to cut it the mower shuts off like 15 times. Or when the dogs are acting out by doing their business in the house because your husband is gone.

Let’s back up a minute.

Like I said, it’s been raining (and snowing) for the last week here in Nebraska. I had mowed the lawn about 3 days before all the rain started so I didn’t think to do it again. Over the weekend and into Monday I noticed that the grass really needed cutting and on Monday I figured there was no time like the present! Um, have you ever tried to mow grass that’s 6-8 inches long and slightly damp. I don’t suggest it. Your mower will get bogged down. It will stall. You will have to restart it 17 times. And if you’re me, it’ll run out of gas. Twice.

Fast forward to later Monday evening…

…I’m puttering around the house when I hear a hissing sound coming from the ground floor bathroom. I went in to investigate but didn’t think too much of it and figured maybe water was running because of the ice maker or something. I almost went to bed but then realized I had forgotten to take the trash out and went back downstairs. After taking the trash out I noticed the hissing sound again. I went into the bathroom and had two realizations that led me to sprint downstairs and shut off the main water supply to the house. 1. There was nothing in the house that should have been drawing water. 2. My feet were wet!

After shutting off the main water supply the hissing finally stopped and I went and found towels to try and sop up as much of the water as possible. I then called our home warranty company but decided to wait until morning to make an appointment to avoid the $100 “emergency” fee to have them come out that night. I did call at 7am when they opened and they had someone onsite within an hour! Talk about service! And no major damage done except a hole in my wall where the guy had to cut in to get to the pipe. I’m a little worried about the floors in there since they are NOT supposed to get wet. Especially not the bottom of them. And of course that’s where the water is. :/ I guess only time will tell. They’ve survived one minor flood so far so here’s hoping! (I just realized I never told y’all about our first plumbing adventure! I’ll save that for another day.)

photoIsn’t it pretty? ;)

Have you had any home ownership adventures you’d like to share?

 

Monday Confession: I’m a Morning Person

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I’ve known this about myself for a while. Sometimes I play the game of “oh, boo, why do I have to get up so early?!” on a particularly early day. But the truth is, I love morning. Especially before and during sunrise.

Go ahead. Laugh. Gasp. Have me committed.

But I’m serious. I love being up super early and having some quiet time to myself before the “real” start of the day. Maybe I love it because I feel like it gives me a one up on everyone who slept until 7. Maybe I like it because most people are still asleep and no one bothers me. Whatever it is, I just love the quiet of the pre-sunrise hours when most are still asleep and the “real” day is still a couple hours away.

So what do I do during those early, early hours?

Recently, I’ve actually gotten really into going to a 6am spinning class at the gym. I know, sounds nuts right?! But I actually love it! I love having my workout over and done by 6:45am. I love going through the rest of my day that I busted my butt already that morning! I love feeling like I’ve gotten a jump on the day. But if I’m at home the first thing is usually coffee. There’s nothing like the smell of coffee early in the morning. Then I’ll sit up in the office and work on the computer. I do some of my best writing and planning during these wee morning hours. There’s just something calming about being up so early that even the sun isn’t quite awake yet.

Obviously I’m insane. ;)

But seriously, early mornings are so peaceful. Have you ever just sat quietly in a favorite place and watched the sun rise? You should try it sometime. For most of the day I’m a very “high energy” person (read: neurotic and just a little crazy). My brain seems to be going a million miles a minute all the time. But in those early morning hours I am more calm and relaxed than I am at any other time of the day. It also feels very secluded and private no matter where you are because you’re rarely with anyone else during such early hours. And for those of us who need a little alone time to recharge, before sunrise is perfect.

There you have it. My Monday confession. What’s your favorite time of day?

Extra Income and Savings: April Update and May Goals

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April Savings and Extra Income

Last month I posted an update about my saving goals but I thought I would start including extra income updates as well. I don’t have a whole lot of extra income at the moment but as it (hopefully) grows I’d like to keep track of it!

Extra Income from April: $20

Savings Goals
Minor Emergency Fund: $903.85
April Goal: $900
New (to me) Car: $25.17
Goal: pending

You may have noticed that my New (to Me) Car fund has drastically reduced from the $104.66 I was so excited about on Twitter recently. This is because I added $200 to this account and then used it as the funding for my Secured Credit Card. That’s right, people! I’m officially building my credit! The $300 in the “Collateral Account” will be returned once my credit card is upgraded to a regular unsecured credit card. I’m sure then I’ll write about what I want to do with my $300! :) I’ll probably just put it right back in to the New (to Me) Car Fund.

Goals for May

Extra Income Goal: $40

Last month I applied to Google AdSense and I’m hoping to hear a decision soon. I’d also like to take on a little more writing but finding those jobs is mostly luck so I’ll just have to hang in there. ;)

Savings Goals

Minor Emergency Fund: $1000
New (to Me) Car Fund: $50

I’d like to complete my goal of building my Minor Emergency Fund to $1000 this month. I think this is totally possible and then some. Then I get to decide what to start saving for next!

Have you been tracking your savings or extra income? How’s it going?

What’s in Your Budget?

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I’ve been pondering my budget categories lately. When I finally got back to budgeting I wanted to keep things simple to increase my chance of sticking to it. But since I’ve actually been doing really well keeping up with it, I find myself wanting to break things down further. I’ve only broken one general category into two more specific ones recently but I can definitely see things getting more complicated as my work salary and side income (hopefully) increase. Here’s what I have now.

Savings

Well, duh. We all knew this was going to be a category. Not much changing here. I have a set amount that goes directly from my paycheck into savings and then I put some extra in at the end of the pay period once I know whether I’ve been under-budget in any of my categories.

Gas

Another essential that I can’t get away from. I usually try to cut this one pretty close and only put in it what I’m going to need. But I’m thinking of increasing it by a little and then putting the excess in a car repair fund. You know, just in case a battery dies.

Personal Care (new!)

This is for things like make-up, haircuts, pedicures, etc. Previously, I just had a “Personal” category that encompassed anything that wasn’t food, gas, or savings.

Clothing/Accessories (new!)

This is another further breakdown from the former “Personal” category. I think the name is pretty self explanatory. ;)

Entertainment

I had this one in my previous “simple” budget but it ended up being kind of a catch-all. If something didn’t fit in another category I just threw it in this one. But what it’s meant for is dinner out with friends, trips to the zoo, etc. Hopefully since I broke down one of my other categories I can be more true to this one.

So that’s that.

So that’s that. My budget as it stands now. It should probably be noted that this is for “my” money only. Our joint account covers bills, groceries, and stuff for the house. That account doesn’t really have a “budget” since the only things that come out of it are the things listed above.

I still haven’t decided whether I want to split up my savings into individual accounts. I don’t have enough money for interest to be an issue with dividing it but I’m not sure if having more accounts will be more simple or more complicated. Currently I have the joint Emergency Fund, my savings account which I’ve deemed my “Minor Emergency Fund”, and I have an account at the bank I work for where I’m saving for a new (to me) car. I’m thinking of starting some accounts specifically for “fun” money, car repair, and some other things. I’ll be sure to let you know what I decide. ;)

What does your budget look like? How many categories do you have and do you keep really close track of what you’re spending?

What Would You Do with $50,000?

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On my way to work the other morning I was listening to the radio and heard a commercial for a $50,000 giveaway of some sort. The last pitch in the commercial was some to the effect of “What would you blow $50,000 on?!?!”

Um, what?!

Apparently it’s appealing to most people to “blow” 50 grand. But to this self-confessed compulsive saver and PF enthusiast, it made me a little sick. I immediately changed the channel and fumed the rest of the way to work. I guess it’s not appealing enough to advertise a $50,000 giveaway by putting the idea of debt repayment, emergency funds, or other practical uses in people’s minds. Why couldn’t the advertisement have said “Win $50,000 and pay off your debt.” Or if that’s too much, why say anything? But why encourage wasting the money? Isn’t the allure of $50,000 enough in itself?

Mostly on topic societal rant…

It really bothers me that so many people are allured by and even enamored with quick money. It bothers me even more that the very small percentage of people who do come into a windfall usually end up “blowing” it. I’m not saying that if I came into $50,000 I wouldn’t buy myself something nice. I certainly wouldn’t Scrooge it away and do nothing but count it every day. BUT I also wouldn’t blow it on temporary lifestyle inflation. In my humble opinion, people who come into this kind kind of money by accident experience sudden but temporary extreme lifestyle inflation…but then then can’t go back. Once they’ve had a taste of the lavish lifestyle they don’t want to go back to buying clothes on sale from Target.

Back to my point, what would YOU do with $50,000?

Me? I would buy a new car, pay off Manny’s car and depending on what was left I would probably split it between beefing up our emergency fund, starting a few other minor savings accounts (dog emergencies, car emergencies, travel etc.), and of course…I would do a little shopping. ;)

Now it’s your turn! Comment and let me know how you would use $50,000.

Week/Weekend Recap

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Since I haven’t posted since last Tuesday, I figured a little recap is in order before we move on. :)

I worked all week including Saturday. 

Ok, so I had Tuesday off, but for some reason working all day Saturday just makes the week seem way shorter even when I do have a day off during the week.

I tried to cut my grass but the damn lawn mower wouldn’t start.

Before Manny left he did a bunch of work on our lawn mower to make sure it was in tip top shape while he was gone. So when it finally warmed up and the grass started growing I got kind of excited to get out there and mow! So Thursday (or Friday, I can’t really remember) when I got home from work I put on my grass cuttin’ clothes and headed out to cut the grass…but the mower wouldn’t start! I pulled and pulled and pulled on that darn starter cord to no avail! Then Sunday when I talked to Manny he gave me a few extra pointers on how to start it and I got it started! Did you know that if you start in on concrete instead of in the grass it’s way easier!?! But then it rained so I still haven’t cut the grass. Oops.

I went out with friends twice this week.

Normally I’m kind of a hermit. After a full day at work of interacting and talking with people, I mostly want to just go home and hang out with my dogs. But, on Wednesday I went out to an impromptu dinner with some friends and then on Saturday night we went out to dinner and a bar for a going away party. It’s like I have a real social life. ;)

I found a workout buddy!

My friend and I talk all the time about how we both need to get to the gym more. So finally on Sunday we quit just talking about it and hit the gym! We had so much fun and got a good workout in! It’s so much easier to get up on Sunday morning and go to the gym when you know your friend will be mad if you bail.

I actually got some stuff done around the house!

I finally moved crap around in the garage so I can fit both cars in there again! I did some vacuuming and a few loads of laundry. I actually had bigger hopes for my household productivity on Sunday but then I took myself shopping instead. ;)

How was your week and weekend? Did you do anything fun?

How to Bargain Shop Like a Boss

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bargainshopmeme copy

1. Be patient.
Yes, there are times when you need something right away and you have no choice but to pay full price. But if you can, wait it out. Especially if it’s a store you go to frequently. I do this all the time at Target. I swing by the clothing and shoes section whenever I’m there and if I see something I like I keep my eye on it and wait for it to go on sale. For example, I saw the cutest dark red almond toe pumps there a few months ago but at the time I was unemployed and had nowhere to wear them, and they were still full price. Then a few weeks after I got my job I decided to take a peek to see if they were on sale. I figured if they were at least a little on sale I could justify it since I just got a job and have somewhere to wear them. As I rounded the corner to the shoe section I literally almost squealed when I saw the 50% off sign in front of those very shoes! I bought them. Immediately.

2. Browse frequently, purchase seldom.
I do some of my best bargain hunting at stores where I’m familiar with their selection. I find it very overwhelming to go into a store I’ve never been in (or haven’t been to in a while) and have to search and search and search for good deals. Also, if you browse places fairly frequently (I’m not talking everyday people, but maybe a couple times a month) you’ll be more likely to catch the merchandise you want when it goes on sale.

3. Be in the right mood.
Sometimes I just do not have the patience to dig through racks and racks of clearance items. I prefer to go bargain hunting when I have some time on my hands and feel relaxed. Otherwise it just stresses me out to dig though all of the crap to find a few gems. Sometimes on Friday or Saturday nights when I’m by myself I like to go get some coffee and then wander around my favorite stores for a while looking for great deals.

4. Set up a separate email account that you give out at stores to get coupons.
I actually haven’t done this quite yet but I’m going to very soon. You see, when I start getting inundated with too many “SALE!” emails, it gets overwhelming and crowded and I start unsubscribing to everything. It’s great for clearing out my inbox, but not so good for knowing what’s on sale! I missed a Buy 1, Get 1 on pants at one of my favorite stores recently because I had unsubscribed to their emails. And I could really use some new pants for work. :/ But if I had an email account just for those sale and coupon emails, I could browse through them at my leisure and not have to sift through them to find “actual” emails.

 

Do you have any awesome bargain hunting tips? Please share!

Spare Change? Save it!

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sparechange2

As you may have noticed, I’m more obsessed with saving money than ever before. I’ve written about it twice in the last few months and you can be sure there’s more to come! But today I’m here to talk about spare change. Most people hate spare change, treating it as a heavy jingle-y nuisance. It rattles around in your pocket all day only later to be put on a dresser or some other random surface, rarely to be seen or used again.

Not in this house!

A couple years ago, I started collecting the spare change out of my husband’s pockets after work each day and putting it in a piggy bank (yes, I was an adult with a piggy bank). I did this for only a few months until we moved. He doesn’t carry cash anymore at work and as a result doesn’t bring home much spare change. But I still collect bits and pieces whenever I find them. In the couch. Cleaning out an old purse. Cleaning out the car. I’ve since transferred the spare change to a mason jar and the other day finally had a whole jar full. I brought it to the bank…$43.02 in spare change! I put it straight into my “New (to Me) Car Fund”!

Ok, so it’s not going to buy me a new car…

But that’s $43.02 I didn’t have before! And since I’m making quite a bit less at this job (for now) than I was before, I’m looking for any creative ways to put a little extra money towards my goals and I’m a big believer that every little bit counts! The only problem now is that Manny is no longer coming home with spare change in his pockets! Where will it come from!? As always, I have a plan. :)

Use cash.

I very rarely use cash these days. My debit card is my best friend and it knows it. However, in an effort to continue with my newfound spare change obcession, I’ve decided to start using some cash again. I allot myself $45 every two weeks for extraneous food expenses. (Basically, all of my non-grocery store food expenses. )Previously, I was using my debit card for this but I’ve decided to withdraw $20 each Friday to use on food for the next week. That way, anything I have leftover at the end of the next week can go right in the jar and I’ll hopefully have that extra $5 as well.

You’re probably wondering why I like this method so much and why I’m going to so much trouble to save my spare change.

The answer is simple…it’s an easy way to save money that might otherwise be wasted. By using cash, my budget is more finite than ever. And by continuing to use my debit card, I may not bother to make the transfer to savings if there’s only a small amount left in the budget at the end of the pay period. It’s a good way to make sure I’m saving a little bit every day.

spare change

So really, I know it’s not going to buy me a new car…

…but it’s a nice addition. This is definitely not the only money I’m putting towards my savings goals, it’s just a little something extra that’s kind of fun to do. Fun + saving money = win!