Gramma Ray's Blog

The hub left for Alaska today. Next time he is here, I will be on vacation for a week! Only 3 more weeks...during the vacation my kids, their spouses, the hub and I and a couple of others will enjoy a long weekend at a mountain getaway. We have planned a "Halloween Party" one night...it will be November, but a dress up party is always fun, and by choosing a Halloween theme, we can get everything on sale right after Halloween! Frugal is good!

Today was bosses day. I got the most beautiful roses and card from my staff. I was so touched by their thoughtfulness.

I realized today that I had a $100 gift card to Winco in my wallet. This was a card we got for the hubs aunt back in Feb. She used about $40, reloaded it back to $100 and gave it back to us because she doesn't shop at Winco normally. (?) I tucked it in my wallet and forgot about it until today. So, after work I stopped off and did some stock up shopping. Winco has some great prices- so I got quite a bit- and I still have $33 on the card for another shopping trip. (small house living means only stocking up what you will use in the next few weeks- otherwise things start spilling out into living space and, for now, the trunk of my car is the holding spot for Christmas gifts, so that space isn't an option- lol)

Friday night and all day Saturday, DD1 and I are attending a women's leadership course. A friend of mine is kicking off a new business and this is her first weekend course. We are helping her work the bugs out of the program. I have been to similar classes, DD1 has not- so we will be able to provide my friend two different perspectives. I am eager to help my friend and to go through the course.

The CEO at my job and I needed to go on a road trip yesterday- we spent 5 hours roundtrip in a car together. Things have been so busy and are changing so much at my job that I was concerned about my position and possible changes. So, I took the opportunity to ask...and was very pleased with the responses. I enjoyed the day immensely- and am re-energized. And best of all, the results from the road trip gave me a nice fat checkmark on a project Ive been working on!! On to the next project!

The little house if very quiet tonight. The hub is gone, DD3 is visiting a friend in ALaska, the pets are sleeping. Quiet is good.

Absolutely no news on our sweet little Z.

My son and grandson have been here visiting all weekend. What a wonderful treat that has been. And as an added bonus, my son sprayed the houses for pests- which will hopefully help keep those eight legged creatures away. (major arachnophobia here) We ate out a couple of times this weekend- once at Olive Garden and once at the mexi restaurant. We took advantage of OGs buy one meal, take a meal home deal- so we will enjoy a second round sometime in the next day or two.

It is such a beautiful day here. We have all the bedding washed and on the line, the hub is mowing, and he is smoking some ribs for dinner. It smells so good out there. Fall is my favorite season. I love the colors, the foods, a cup of hot tea, wearing layers, football, and enjoying a warm fire in the pit when its not raining. Today is exactly that kind of day.

The Packers won, so that always makes it a great Sunday!!

Tomorrow is a training day, so my job is closed to the public, but staff will work. Typically, Columbus Day is used for training. I have heard that tomorrow will be used more as a fun day since this has been a crazy busy, successful year. Whatever it turns out to be, we work fewer hours as we don't have to be there until 10am, so I get to sleep in!

On Tuesday I make a round trip over to the coast for work, not staying over night. Then on Wednesday, the hub leaves for Alaska. Then, it is back to the single routine for 3 weeks.

The hub and I met for lunch today. No special reason. He was running errands and I was ready to get out of the office for a while. We met at a local Mexican restaurant that serves lunch specials, is quick, friendly and the food is always good. We had a nice visit- we are still working on things- so an impulsive lunch now and then is probably a good thing. There are times when fixing what's been broken is easier said than done- especially when it involves a long distance relationship at least 50% of the time. But so far so good.

We will just have something simple and light for dinner tonight.

I need to buy the hubs airline ticket for his November trip home, but he is only 400 miles away from enough miles to fly free. So I am going to wait until the points for his trip back to Alaska hit his mileage account so that we can use points instead of cash. Once that is done, his flights for the rest of the year are booked. (I booked his December flight a few months ago when we had enough points because that trip is almost always double the cost of flights during other months.)

I still have a $270 credit in my mileage account from a trip we cancelled earlier this year. The credit expires in January, so I need to use it or lose it before then. I also have a credit for a $100 companion ticket and can use both at the same time. I am keeping an eye out for ideas - maybe I can book a flight for DD2 and I to go visit Z once he gets settled.

(Z's departure has again been postponed. Apparently DHS didn't realize that his state-appointed attorney has not yet approved for him to be taken from Oregon. I am assuming at this point, this is just a technicality, but it sure makes it tough for everyone concerned when the right hand doesn't communicate with the left.)

We have had a trip planned since earlier in the year to the mountain resort we like to go to. This trip (4 days) is for the adults (all of my kids and their spouses or guest). All of the grandbabies will be with other grandparents that weekend. I am getting very excited. I never have all the kids together for more than a meal and rarely where we can just enjoy big people fun. The house we rented is 8 bedrooms, and beautiful. I wish we could do this yearly- but am happy we can do it at least this year- it's been a complicated year for everyone and I know the 'down time' will be enjoyed and appreciated by all.

I am squeezing another day of line drying our clothes into the season. It is a beautiful sunny day today. It started out very chilly, but is warming up nicely- perfect weather for a laundry day.

I am also watching some football, although I opted not to buy the special football package this year, so I cant watch Green Bay- I am following that game online. (And Green Bay is winning!) Update- they won!

I took my left over split pea soup out of the freezer yesterday and enjoyed a bowl for lunch. The hub and grandson are gone hunting until tomorrow, so tonight I will make something chicken in the crockpot for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow.

Perspective hit home this weekend. A young couple I know welcomed their first born, a son, 3 weeks ago- he was born with serious issues and has been on a heart-lung bypass machine and underwent surgery last week- sadly, he passed away this weekend. My heartbreak over Z's leaving is suddenly coupled with gratitude that he is healthy and has a chance to live a full life, even though it wont be with us. No matter how bad our own situations seem, there is always someone dealing with much worse. Any way, if you have a few moments and can send prayers and healing thoughts to J&M, I know they could use them. Very, very heart breaking.

Today was payday for both the hub and I. We are on track to pay off my car loan balance, $8800, by next month. I know we should pay down the credit card instead, but I want to go for the smaller victory first- especially since the larger credit card will be paid off by April and the other, which is zero interest, will be paid by May.

The little house was very cold this morning. We are skirting it, which hopefully will help. I currently have one small space heater and the heating system, which runs off propane. But I only have a 15 gallon propane tank and I am not sure how long that will last. If I need to add another space heater or get a larger one, I will. A large, 90 gallon propane tank will cost $3-4 a gallon to fill and I have to fill it twice a year or I will get charged a "low usage" fee. I am not sure I am willing to make that big of a financial commitment. I don't mind being chilly, but when you can see your breath, it's too darn cold! One way or another this needs to be remedied before the hub leaves for Alaska on the 16th.

The hub left with our oldest grandson, 9, this morning to go "hunting" (which is really a trip to the woods to shoot guns at non-living things, sit around the fire and drink beer - regular for the hub and root beer for grandson.) They are due back on Monday- I was going to go join them, but learned a few days ago that this is Z's last weekend with us. DHS delivered this message to DD2 so I am assuming it is true this time...heartbreaking and true. I want to spend all the time I can with him. DD2 and I may take Z (2.5) and granddaughter (4) up to the camp for an afternoon - not sure yet.

I am ready for the weekend. I sure wish work weeks were 4 days instead of 5!!

I got my hair cut/colored today. It turned out really cute, which always makes spending the extra money 'more better'. I love when she turns the chair around and the result makes me smile. Ive been going to this lady for about 6 months and so far, Ive loved each cut/style.

It was wonderful to spend a weekend at home after being gone so much. I have caught up on all the laundry and got some deep cleaning done.

Small space living, when you are used to living in a much bigger home, is a constant challenge. It takes organization, planning and discipline on a regular basis. Even just a few days of not staying on top of things = clutter. I am still working on finding homes for everything.

It also presents unique challenges...like, what do I do with the Christmas presents I am picking up? There just aren't many storage spaces, and I DONT want the gifts getting ruined by not storing them correctly. Right now, they will hang out in the trunk of my car until I come up with a better spot where they wont be discovered or stumbled upon by an unknowing recipient. I thought I had claimed the extra space in a spare room down at the big house, but DD3 and the roommates have also started using the space for their extra possessions- and they haven't organized things well- so the room is currently full. However..a little time spent organizing, stacking and weeding out should help immensely. Perhaps once that is accomplished, I will have a hiding space for the gifts.

It has rained off and on all weekend- the washer and dryer are down at the big house- which is about a half acre away from the little house and the ground between is some grass, some dirt (which is mud after a few days of rain). I decided to go ahead and get a pair of rain boots to wear for this and other chores. The girls and I stopped at Costco yesterday and they were trying to talk me into a pair of Bogs, at $56. While they were comfy and warm, they were more than what I wanted to spend. I wanted to look online. I found a pair of rain shoes- rather than boots, which will be easier to get on and off and will suit the purpose. They are in pretty spring colors (off season) on clearance for $23. They are sloggers, rather than bogs, but for $30 less, they will be perfect for me. I have snow boots for anything colder or for longer periods outdoors.

I stopped by DD1s today (the city house) and filled 3 gallon jugs up with water. I also picked up my space heater. The little house has been chilly in the late evenings and early mornings, so the heater will be nice to take the chill off. She offered to list a few things on craigslist for me that I don't need- one is a really nice gas stove that was in the home when I moved in, but when I remodeled the kitchen, I took it out and its just been in the garage. I anticipate selling it for at least $2-300.

I have a small pork loin in the slow cooker today. It smells amazing. It was $5.27 and should last two-three meals. Unless, DD3 comes up...then, it may all be gone tonight.

This weekend has flown by. Another Sunday night wondering where all the time went- and mentally preparing for the busy week ahead.

I cooked the beef roast in the slow cooker today. I found a good looking recipe in my Fix It and Forget It Christmas cookbook that called for the roast, beef bullion, au jus, and Italian dressing. It smelled so wonderful all afternoon. DD3 walked up to the little house, smelled it cooking and instantly asked if she and the roommates could have some for dinner. (Isnt that the ultimate compliment?)

So, instead of having leftovers for a couple of days, I enjoyed dinner tonight and now it is all gone. My oh my was it delicious..and the gravy it made was fantastic. I think we have found a new favorite.

I started Christmas shopping today. I spent the day with DD1, DD2 and Z- and the girls suggested some great gifts for the grandbabies! I feel like I made a dent in the shopping for the little ones and have plenty of ideas to keep my eyes open for.

I stopped by the library and picked up a few books that were on reserve, one is the Complete Tightwad Gazette; another Money Secrets of the Amish. I am rereading the Tightwad Gazette, the other is one I have not read yet. Looking forward to reading both.

Z had a great time with us today. He was the center of attention and such a joy to us girls. He wanted a little stuffed pug puppy, so gramma bought it for him. $3.99. He carried it all day, hugging and kissing and playing.

Today was flu shot day at work. Each year we can get a free flu shot- which I do. It seems to work, I havent had the flu in years (knocking on wood). My arm is just a little sore for a day afterwards.

Today was the hubs payday. It was $101 more than usual. I need to let it sit in the checking account until all the rent money is received since Monday is when the two house payments hit the account. Once I receive rent, which is usually around the 5th, I will put the $101 towards the Visa.

The values on our homes keep rising. It wont be long until I can (hopefully) cancel the MPI on the city house, which will save about $80 per month. And hopefully, we are not witnessing another bubble waiting to burst.

I am so glad it is Friday and that I am not going anywhere this weekend. I really need to catch up at home. Our weather has NOT been conducive to hanging my laundry out on the line..so I need to figure out a new system for laundry and hanging indoors or using the dryer - which is a little less enjoyable for me- and will mean an extra trip down to the big house, or hanging around until the clothes dry. Which, normally, wouldnt be a concern except that between my house and the big house is about a half acre of mud during rainy times. May need to invest in some slicker type boots. Hmmm.

I have two crockpot meals planned this weekend, which will leave lots of leftovers. A pork roast and a beef roast which I will use for tacos, sandwiches, etc.

The hub comes back home Monday night- but he is going 'hunting' (which is really camping with the guys, drinking beer and BS-ing around a camp fire.) He will be gone next Thur-Sun or Mon. I will probably go up on Sat morning and spend a couple days- enjoy the new trailer, read, relax, etc.

Still no word on Z. sigh. At this point, no news is good news I suppose- because we can enjoy him for a little longer.

Two days ago:
I am back at the coast enjoying a cloudy, cool afternoon and a spectacular ocean view. Fabulous!

We finished working at the locations and decided to work from the condo this afternoon. There is just something special about working in your comfy clothes. I am very blessed to have a job that provides opportunities like this one.

Today:
We got busy with work and I didn't get to finish my post- so I am doing so tonight, back home in my little house. Having been gone for two and half days, the pets were needy tonight, and it is driving me crazy. In, out, in, out...feed them, the dog eats the cats food, in, out, in, pet me, water me, out, in...well, you get the picture. So I called it a night and am hanging out in my tiny bedroom while they sleep in the living room. Thankfully, they will be down for the night now.

We have had no word on Z- The hub will be home on Tuesday, and is really hoping to be here before Z leaves so he can spend time with him again. I think that is a safe bet since we haven't heard anything more yet...we just don't know.

Back to the busy pace/routine tomorrow.

The Packer's lost today. Darn it.

The split pea soup in the slow cooker turned out awesome.

The house is cleaned.

I still have to pack for the next few days at the coast.

Its been a fun, no-spend day.

It rained off and on all day, so the laundry was either dried in the dryer or hung inside.

My cat found a mole and decided it was a new 'friend'. My dog joined in and they 'played' for about 20 minutes. The mole was not a fan- and actually latched on at one point to each of them (my cats paw and my dogs poor nose!). The mole was definitely not a fan of his new friends or the game of hide n seek. In the end, all three went their separate ways.

This afternoon, I was browsing on Amazon and found several Christmas stories for my Kindle that were free. So I downloaded them. Free is good!

I am letting the soup cool and will freeze servings for when I get back from the coast later this week.

I love stay-at-home days like this when I can get lots done and just putz. Especially in my small space home- getting everything re-organized today makes life here so much more peaceful!!!

It is a chilly, rainy morning here. The type of morning that makes coffee taste oh so much better! So, I am savoring a few cups before jumping into the day.

I am looking around my little house and have much to do today since I head back to the coast tomorrow for two days. The last three weeks have been so busy and I have been gone so much that I haven't spent much time decluttering- which in a tiny living space is a constant issue. If I allow anything to pile up, it causes a domino effect quickly. It is time to declutter and get everything back in its place.

First on the list is making a nice hot batch of split pea soup. The soup will be dinner tonight and then I will freeze the rest until I am back on Wednesday. Split peas, carrots, celery, onion, ham, spices...yum!

I have laundry to finish up, primarily all of my work clothes- I will have to hang much of it indoors to dry since it is still raining today.

I have a good deal of housework to catch up on. I want to come home to a nice clean house on Wednesday, so my goal is to get it ship shape today.

The fun stuff today includes the Packers game (who are going to WIN!! ), reading, and catching up on the blogs here- and tonight enjoying a nice clean, reorganized space.

I should have no spend days until Thursday.

I had such a fun Saturday.

My big trip today was to the library. I checked out 7 new books and a new book on CD-(free!) then stopped by the store and got food for the next several days. ($32)

Then I came home- cleaned and did some laundry.

It was a cloudy, rainy day and my clothesline was not as effective as it normally is-so I had to default to the clothes dryer. I left some clothes for tomorrow, hoping for warmer, drier weather.

Tomorrow is a free day. I am a Green Bay Packers fan and the game is televised here, so I am a happy camper. I will watch the game, make some split pea soup in the slow cooker, finish laundry and get ready for the busy week ahead.

Update on Z

The latest news is that lil Z will be leaving us in 7-14 days. After so many missed deadlines...it sounds like the final steps will happen quickly. At least that is what we are hearing. Taking this news day to day until we know for certain, but my heart is heavy thinking it may be.

Ouch.

Forgetting to pay a $33 and incurring a $15 fee on top of it, sucks! I will call tomorrow and see if they will reverse it. I have a good history with them, so hopefully they will refund the fee.

I don't check my home email often enough and totally missed the electronic bill. So, I changed the email address on the account to my work email.

THis reminded me to go in an renew library books that were due today. At least I didn't incur fees there too. I noticed when I was on the site that one of the books I reserved is being shipped to my branch and will be ready on Saturday to pick up. Your money or your life. I remember reading that book and the Tightwad Gazzette years ago, which started me thinking about finances differently. I am looking forward to rereading it.

Tonight is my last night at the condo. I will certainly miss the big soaking tub with jets and the view. The bed is even amazingly comfy.

I have been a cheap date for my job this week. My one and only meal out was lunch today. $8 for a sandwich- I am not hungry tonight, so the only other expenses are for the pot pie and tv dinner I had here at the condo.

This week should have been a no-spender for me, but I have been doing some Christmas shopping online and have ordered a few gifts.

Today was absolutely gorgeous. Clears skies and warm, but not hot. My trainings have gone well- tomorrow I train all day and then head home. I will be home until Monday, and then we are coming back over for two days.

We put new carpet in the rooms that we had to replace in the country house. The cost was $1200. Since we are getting $725 per month that we weren't getting before, it will be paid back in under 2 months and the girls are happy. The only other expense we will have is fixing the wood stove, which the hub will do when he is home next.

I suppose it is time to start packing. Once I leave in the morning, I wont come back to the condo again before heading home and I don't want to forget anything.

Gorgeous...

I am back at the condo working this afternoon.

This morning I went to one of our locations and conducted training and took care of a few things. Now I am taking a quick lunch before diving into work. It is so relaxing to work away from the phone and normal interruptions- especially with this gorgeous ocean view.

Happy me.

I could easily retire somewhere on the coast with an ocean view. I never get tired of hearing the waves crash, or gazing out at the water, the waves, the sunsets- and I love the smell of ocean air. I grew up in Southern Cali not too far from the beach. I spent all my free time on the beaches.

But I digress from all things financial.

We don't have any extra expense type trips planned until our family trip in November- so for the next couple of months all extra money will be applied towards debt. The new 5th wheel took a chunk out of our debt repayment plan- but we will still have all debt paid off (except the houses and the 5th wheel) by the end of the first quarter 2014.

I am pleased with the growth in my 401k and the value of the homes. The value of both homes is rising nicely. Our plan right now is to put the city house on the market late Spring. The value has increased so that we are back in the black and stand to make a nice profit. But until we sell it, that is just a guesstimate. One of the wise things I did when I bought the house was to purchase within a very desirable school district and within walking distance of the high school (even though my kids were already out of school).

Hopefully, life will cooperate.

For today- I will enjoy the view and the fabulous afternoon breeze.

Ciao!

I worked in the office half day today and then headed to the coast. I arrived here to a very sunny, yet cool- breezy, afternoon. The view is simply spectacular- and this condo- omg. My bedroom and bath are SERIOUSLY as big as my entire house +. Granted, my house is only 390sq ft. But still..wow. My bedroom is ocean facing and has a balcony. So, I have the door open and will listen to the waves for the next three nights. I am, once again, in heaven.

Here is the view from my bedroom this afternoon:


Best of all, I am being paid to be here.

Tonight, I am sharing the condo with two co-workers. All of the rooms are nice with private baths. The room I am in is the 'master' - I guess be
cause I reserved a spot first. Tomorrow, I will have the place to myself for the remainder of my stay.

I opted to just get fruit, snap peas, and a healthy choice dinner tonight. We ate out so much this past weekend that I really wasn't in the mood to go anywhere tonight. I will turn in my receipts for the week and get reimbursed. We are allowed up to $50 per day.

Part of the drive, I listened to one of the books on CD that I checked out from the library. The other part, someone had left a Jack Johnson CD in the player. I have never listened to his music, but I enjoyed it very much. One of the songs was Banana pancakes..they all were nice and mellow.

My girls all texted me today to say how much fun they had this past weekend. I am so thankful we are so close. My kids and grandkids are my biggest blessings.

Since my job is reimbursing expenses, today was a no-spender. Did I mention the fantastic view?? So, so blessed.

This has been a busy whirlwind week!

I worked OT every day last week so that I could get off early on Friday to head to Portland with my daughters for our annual 'girls trip'. We had such a great time.

We left on Friday and got back early this evening. We shopped, had some wonderful meals, visited and relaxed. We even sneaked...or is it snuck? in a chick flick last night.

We hit the Saturday Market...which is always lots of fun. And when we came to the handcarved wooden spoons, we all felt the tug of loss that nana wasn't with us. But I am so thankful that she is in so many memories with my girls.

I have shared it before...but here is a picture of my mom at the Saturday Market one year after complaining she was cold. We warmed her up...and framed this shot for my dad for Christmas. He opened it, and about fell on the floor laughing. Good times.


I tracked all of my spending and stayed within my budget- We actually ate fairly inexpensively. Our meals all came in under $10 per person. Breakfast each morning was included in the cost of the hotel. It took two tanks of gas at about $60 per tank. Our hotel, which was a two bedroom condo, was $130 per night. I bought a kindle cover for my kindle. It is leather, normally $80 on sale for $9. What I like about it is that it folds into a stand- which I have never had!

I bought some new work clothes at the outlet stores. I got 3 tops, a sweater and 3 pair of pants all for $133. I really needed new work clothes.

Tomorrow I head to the coast for most of the week to do more training- which means expenses this week will be covered by my job. ie...inexpensive for me!

I sure enjoyed my time with the girls this weekend. They are so busy and getting them to myself for two days was a real treat. I value the times I get with them greatly.

I was able to get Christmas lists for several grandkids and kids. I even ordered a couple gifts on Amazon on the drive home!

The hub left for Alaska this morning. He will be gone for three weeks. During the next three weeks, my plan is to focus on our budget and goals.

Goal #1- tied to one of our biggest budget busters- is to eat out no more than one meal each week. My action steps are to create a meal plan each weekend for the upcoming week; and cook dinners and take lunches/snacks from home.

I am cooking some Hawaiian chicken in the slow cooker today and will make some rice to go with it. Enough for dinner today, lunch and dinner tomorrow. Any leftovers after that I will freeze for another time. I plan to make a lime chicken on Tuesday night, again enough for 2-3 meals.

I previously agreed to dinner and lunch out on Wednesday and Thursday respectively with friends. These will come out of my allowance.

Next weekend my daughters and I are going to Portland. I am very much looking forward to this time together and have funds in our vacation account to cover.

Outside of this, I plan to plug the holes in the budget and stick to the plan.

Today I am cooking, my laundry is on the line, the housework is getting done...all things that make life easier during the week.

Goal #2 is TRACK and stay within budget for all discretionary spending. Discretionary spending is the spending that comes out of the food and miscellaneous account. My action steps are to maintain a spreadsheet on this account just like I do with our monthly bills. If this is ineffective, then plan B is to use envelopes and cash for these line items.

A family friend, who is also a carpet installer, is coming over tomorrow to give us a bid on carpeting two rooms in the big house. Our budget is $500, installed- so I hope he can pull that off.. We are renting the big house to DD3 and two of her friends and are making inexpensive repairs for now. We will re-evaluate what to do long term next spring.

Update on Z:

Once again, a one month timeline has been set for Z to relocate to bio-gramma. All that is left is for Oregon to approve and then he will be flown to his new home by his case worker. However, we have had the timeline come and go so many times it is hard to know if this will be it.

He has spent 26 of his 31 months with us.

The hub and I are at the resort where my job is holding their annual planning session. We have a nice 1 bedroom condo with a gorgeous view from our balcony. A 'free' mini vacation (working vacation for me). We worked all day today and will work all day tomorrow..then, we are working just a couple hours on Friday and then have the rest of Friday to do as we want and get to stay here Friday night - All meals are included. Feeling mighty blessed with this perk.

I have been pondering ways to change my spending habits. Ways I can make an immediate impact are cutting back on lunches out, cutting out any drinks besides water, coffee and tea, and sticking to a list when I shop. I also tend to toss out more perishables than I should if I was more focused. So, these will be my initial concentrations- especially on the weeks I am home alone. I am going to rework my budget for food and entertainment and see if I cant do a better job.

I finished the book "Unbroken" on CD that I borrowed from the library. It was a very good story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have another book on CD to start when I get home and also reserved one at the library to have after I finish it. I love the library. These CDs make my commute each day more enjoyable. I actually look forward to the drive now.

I have found that looking on Amazon for books and then reserving them at the library is a great way to keep my book supply stocked. Although, nothing will take away the fun of browsing through the books when I am there.

I am feeling a little better today. I have been taking OTC meds for allergies and am actually asthma free today! That doesn't happen often- so I am going to stick with the allergy meds and see if it continues to help.

Last night, I decided to put all of our discretionary spending for the last two months on a spreadsheet. WOW.

The categories were food, eating out, gas and miscellaneous spending. If I was scoring us on each category we would get a B, F, B and D in those categories for how close we stuck to the budget. But I showed it to the hub, who actually is not too interested in how the finances are budgeted and I think he got it.

So, I am not sure what method we will use to keep us better on track, but the goal is to come in much closer to the budget in the future.

I know some of the spending was for the new trailer and stocking it. I know I was less focused on staying on track because of everything that was going on with the relationship issues. Its just time to hit the reset button and start again.

DD3 has another friend who needs a place to live, so we are going to carpet the third bedroom in the big house and she and her 2yo daughter are going to rent it. This will bring the rental income to $725mo for that house. It is still well under the payment of $1300 mo, but it is $725 more than we were getting and as part of the deal, the girls will feed and care for the hubs two outside dogs and pet sit for my dog and cat when we go on vacations or when I need to work away from home. The hubs wood business is on this property, as well as the little house we are living in, so it still makes sense to keep it.

We will be out of town this week with my job, then, next Sunday, the hub flies back to Alaska for the rest of the month. I am going to challenge myself to see how frugally I can live while he is gone. The 13-15th I am going to Portland with my girls, but aside from that, I should be able to keep expenses down to a minimum. Hmmm...I see a personal challenge headed my way.

Last week ended up not being a good one, financially, for us.

I caught a bad cold during our vacation and am still not feeling well. It must be impacting my inner ear, because I am dizzy quite a bit and just feel like I am in a fog. I have had a hard time focusing at work because of it, haven't felt like blogging, and have not stayed on top of finances like I normally do. I hate feeling like this- sortof like your watching your life remotely. weird.

We didn't food shop, which meant there wasn't much to choose from- and the hub didn't cook all week- so each night- dinner was a last minute decision, which meant lots of eating out.

Meals were definitely more costly than normal.

Then, there were several purchases that have hit the VISA account- that I have in sub-accounts that I need to transfer over. Birthday gifts, winter clothes for the hub, etc.

We definitely haven't stuck to the normal budget- I just haven't had the focus to police spending this past week.

My daughter recommended taking decongestant allergy meds- so I am doing that this weekend to see if the dizziness goes away. If not, I will have to go to the Dr.

On the upside, my son and his family are in town for the birthdays. His daughters 6th birthday party is today. All my kids will be there, so I will be a smiling momma. Last night was my other granddaughter's party (she turned 8). You know I don't feel well when the kids are all together and I am ready to leave after an hour.

We don't need to grocery shop for the week ahead. On Tuesday we leave for my job's planning retreat where all meals will be paid for. We are going to stay at a nice resort- it should be an interesting, fun week.

Today was library day. I took back all the books that I read while on vacation and checked out several new ones. I love leaving the library with a book bag full of reading options to enjoy. I am 2/3 of the way through with the book on CD that I am listening to "Unbroken". My drive to and from work each day is 30 mins each way, so having a book to makes the drive fly by. I found a new one to enjoy when this one is done- the new Danielle Steele book (Sins of the Mother?)

Anyway, free is always my favorite price for treats like this!

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) posted a blog "December in August". It mentions military families as the audience, but this is good basic information for anyone, especially with Christmas under 4 short months away. Anyway, it was nice to see something on their site besides regulation. Made for a fun diversion to my afternoon.

http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/december-in-august/

The hub ended up bbqing chicken for dinner last night. He mentioned hot dogs for dinner tonight, but I am really hoping he has a change of heart. Tomorrow is his birthday, so we will most likely go out tomorrow night.

Ack.

I *dislike* coming home and not having a dinner plan. We didn't go shopping yesterday after returning from our vacation- and I had used up most of the stuff in the fridge/freezer before we left. (and DD3 finished off the few things left while we were gone) The hub got hung up over at his friends fixing the power steering on my car and I got home to...not much.

Usually I have something made from the crockpot, or some soup in the freezer...but no such luck tonight. My choices, a hot dog or DD3 had made a frozen lasagna and offered to bring a plate over. Thank you to DD3- but ugh, it was not very good. :/

Lesson learned. Time to restock the freezer!

Tomorrow, I have a lunch meeting at work, so lunch is paid for.

We had a pack of chicken breasts left in the freezer from camping. I am going to toss that into the crockpot in the morning to cook up for some soup, lunches and to have some premade in the freezer for easy meal prep.

We are home from our week away and I am getting ready to head back to work tomorrow.

I love my morning coffee and am lucky that my job provides it free. I just need to pick up a container of creamer each week. I usually spend about $3 for the creamer. I drink two cups each morning for .60.

While I am at the store, I will also pick up some inexpensive lunch supplies. My goal is to keep lunch to $3 or less per day.

Dinners will be the hubs responsibility.

Sept 3-6 are work out of town days, spouses invited. Planning session time. So the hub and I will get to stay at a resort for a few days, all meals included. During the day I will work, while he plays. Then at nights, it will be team bonding for staff and spouses. Should be fun. The hub is staying 4 extra days to attend. Luckily, when we changed his airline ticket, there were no extra charges or fees.

The hubs birthday is on Thursday, his present was included in the new trailer and generator package. Sept 2 and 8 are birthdays for 2 granddaughters and DD2.

I have DD2s gift, just need gifts for 6 year old and 8 year old girls.

End of a wonderful week using our new trailer. This is our example of spending in one area (the new trailer that we plan to use long into retirement)...while shaving what we can in others (less expensive vacation destinations, weekly food budget coffee at work, etc).

This campground we are staying at tonight offers a special treat on Saturday nights. They set up a big campfire, provide free hot dogs and s'mores and lemonade or iced tea. The whole campground is invited.

We joined in and had such a nice time. There was a guest there who played his guitar and sang good campfire music. Then, he had another guest join in- her voice was so beautiful. She sang Patsy Cline's Crazy. People told stories and shared their adventures and we enjoyed the company, the fire and a free meal.

NICE.

It was just a sweet end to a wonderful week.

Greetings from the last night of vacation!

We have enjoyed a peaceful week along a river in our new 5th wheel. It has been sooo nice. We arrived at the campground on Monday afternoon. There is much to be said about arriving after the weekend as most of the sites were available! We picked out a really nice one, where the river rushes over the rocks and drowns out all other noise. The campground was $18 per night- or $90 for the 5 nights.

Here is a view from the campground:




On Wednesday night, a big thunderstorm passed over. The sky grew dark and the clouds boomed for hours. It rained most of the night. We sat outside under the awning until the wind started blowing the rain our way. Then, we came inside and enjoyed the show from the warmth of the trailer.

I checked out lots of books from the library and brought them with. Books on frugality, cookbooks, a couple of novels, a book on ancient ruins, travel books. 15 books in all. And I have enjoyed them immensely.

The hub fished, we sat outside next to the river for hours on end, went for walks and even enjoyed two of the daughters when they came for a visit. (The campground is just an hour from home)

Tonight, we came to a full hookup campsite *($32) (11 miles down the road) so that we could dump and clean the trailer before heading home in the morning.

We cooked all but two meals at camp. There is a cute, rustic restaurant within walking distance of the campground that makes good old fashioned burgers and homemade pie...we went there twice. A real treat!

It is always sad when vacation comes to an end. This is no exception- but it has been a very enjoyable week filled with new awesome memories!

For the last few days my sons kids (5 and 3) have been staying with me. DD3 has taken care of them during the day while I work, and I took over after work. It has been so much fun.

Before they got here, I considered buying some new toys for them to play with while here...but decided not to. I am so glad I did not.

We have an old hand-me-down wooden swing set with a slide, a wooden fort that the hub built, a smaller playhouse that my parents bought at a yard sale for $15 about 7 years ago, a few old Tonka trucks and two acres.

The kids found a frog, and set him up with a "pond" in an old bucket. Even used some oak leaves as lily pads.

They each got a bowl to fill with interesting rocks.

They each found a "special hideout" on the property. Not really hideouts at all, but somewhere that was theirs to claim. A stack of scrap wood and some bushes were all they needed.

They learned how to start the washing machine and pour in soap and then watch for the rinse cycle to add conditioner. Sitting on top of the washer while waiting for the washer to finish spinning was fun.

They each have a special blanket that they take everywhere. They washed and line dried their own blankets and were so proud of how nice they smelled and that THEY did it all by themselves. Hanging clothes and checking to see if they were dry was fun....and then there is always the hiding places in hanging sheets and towels.

We sat outside at night and stargazed. I learned they like to sit in my lap because I am the "soft and fluffy" gramma. (Out of the mouths of babes)

My dog and cat were very patient. My cat tends to not hang around when little ones are here, but surprisingly, he allowed himself to be carted around and petted numerous times. (Followed by a very "I cant believe I did that" cleaning- cats are so funny)

In the mornings, this is what I woke up to:


And when they went back to mom, they said they had the best time.

I remember spending time with my gramma when I was little. I hope they have fond memories of their time here when they are older. Im so blessed.

Today I am getting the house cleaned back up and getting ready for the week ahead. 5 days before vacation.

I finished listening to one of the books on CD that I checked out from the library. "Sail" by James Patterson. It was a good mystery. Having the books to listen to have totally transformed my driving time. I really enjoy it. I have two more to tide me over until the next library visit. A Danielle Steele book, and another James Patterson.

I have been in the small house (390 sq ft) just over 2 months now. I have weeded out all but the necessities in the house. Honestly, this is plenty of space to live. Living with a grown lab and a cat make it more of a challenge, but it works.

Small space living forces organization. Everything has to have a home- otherwise, it gets cluttered fast. It also forces me to really think about what I buy. There isn't room for new 'things' unless I get rid of something else first. I waste less food. The fridge is smaller, so I tend to buy what I need and then use it. Also, I plan my meals around my crock pot, electric skillet, rice cooker and microwave. Usually in that order.

Laundry- I have to carry it down to the other house where the washer is...so I try to keep dirty laundry to a minimum. Towels are reused, clothes are hung up after wearing them, sheets are washed on Sundays...I use the washer...everything gets hung on the line to dry.

Most of the mail gets tossed in the trash on the way back from the mailbox, so there is no stack to sort through later.

Water for consumption is a little trickier. I keep several gallon jugs that I fill each week at DD1s. I always keep a few empty jugs in the car incase I have an opportunity to refill.

All in all, it is simpler here. At least for now.

Today was the birthday party. DD1 hosted it at a local pizza parlor. Everyone had a good time, it was nice to visit with my girls and see the grandbabies. The birthday boy had fun and received several new Power Ranger toys, which I am sure he will enjoy.

I came home and got all the laundry done. I also finished the book "Gap Creek" which I checked out from the library last weekend. It was a good story. I really enjoyed it. It is so relaxing to just get lost in a good book.

When it cools down tonight, I plan to clean out my car.

I am two weeks away from a week long vacation. I cant wait. We are going to go pick up the new 5th wheel and go camping at our favorite place along the river. I have missed camping. At least camping as we call it.

Tonight I enjoyed some of the slow cooker ribs I made yesterday. There is still enough left for 2-3 more meals. I am going to put the rest into meals size portions for lunches.

This next week is a busy one after work:

Monday: Scheduled massage with therapist
Tuesday: medical procedure (third test to see whats up)
Wednesday: Sleepover with my sons two kiddos (5 and 3)
Thursday: free baseball game with box seat tickets and food
Friday: Sleepover with sons kiddos again

Hopefully, sometime this week I can catch a few of the Perseids (meteor shower). I love nature's freebies and have enjoyed watching the Perseids in past years. DD3 and I sat outside for a while after dark last night, but I think that was too early. Hopefully by Friday, we can see them.

Today was a very productive day.

I had a sleepover last night with DD1's two little ones so DD1 and SIL could go out for SILs birthday. The grandbabies were up by 6am and I needed to have them home by 9ish for soccer.

After I dropped them off, I went and got my grandsons birthday present. He turns 5 tomorrow and is about to start kindergarten, so I got a back pack- which came with a free lunch kit. I also got him a Power Rangers toy that he really wanted. I have a budget for birthdays with a set amount for each person, and his came in just under...I also bought 4 boxes of crayons (24) for .25 for each box. Those always come in handy for grandkid visits and stocking stuffers.

Then, I went to the dollar store for the wrapping. While there I bought a couple of birthday cards for friends. (August and September are very busy birthday months for me!!)

Then, I stopped by a local spa and bought a gift certificate for DD2s birthday next month. (again, within budget) THis is the daughter who has 2 of her own and Z, our little foster guy...she is also a single mom that works full time...so a massage is perfect for her!

Then, I went to the library and spent TWO HOURS browsing. I checked out two more books on CD and 5 books -1 short novel, a cookbook, a book about people of the stone age, a book on frugality, which DD3 is probably going to borrow and a non-fiction from an author I wanted to read. I just love the library. The books on CD are wonderful when you have a 25 minute commute. I look forward to the drive and the time flies. Sadly, our library system is on the chopping block if the budget doesn't pencil out. I got there before they opened and counted 30 people waiting for it to open. By the time I left the library it was once again (as every Saturday I am there) VERY busy.

Finally, I came home and tossed some boneless ribs and potatoes in the crockpot for dinner and did some housework. Now I am enjoying a late afternoon visit with DD3 who is home from Alaska. She wanted to watch Project Runway, so we are watching it together and enjoying critiquing.

Tomorrow is the birthday party for SIL and GS. It will also be laundry day.

All in all a great weekend so far.