The first foray into frugality was Saturday night.
Renee was trying out a 'brownie in a mug ' recipe. Instead of dumping the cocoa powder in her mug, she dumped it into the sugar canister. After much colorful language ("I am such a dumbass!"), I told her to just leave it. Ted reminded her it beat her spilling sugar all over the floor. He's not wrong.
I came back to it and realized I could make brownies for all of us from that boo-boo and thus I made 'stupid brownies'.
Ted was thrilled.
Monday, August 19, 2019
Friday, August 16, 2019
Please Stand By...
Just going through some transitions...
Sending our only child to college
Dealing with a heart attack scare
Dealing with the healthcare paperwork of said scare
A few annoying health things for me
So not a lot of crafting going on because all energies are going there....
So please stand by. Move-in Day is August 23...
Sending our only child to college
Dealing with a heart attack scare
Dealing with the healthcare paperwork of said scare
A few annoying health things for me
So not a lot of crafting going on because all energies are going there....
So please stand by. Move-in Day is August 23...
Wednesday, August 07, 2019
Cash/Credit Goals
I continue to think about the financial /
lifestyle goals from The Prudent Homemaker.
(I was also thinking about when FAFSA would get my parent plus loan on
Renee’s account, but that finally happened and I am in good shape
mentally.) I know the first goals for 2
financial things and how to incrementally grow them. On the 7th of each month is the
best day to assess them – the biggest bills are paid and whatever is left in my
account is truly ours. So here we go.
Cash Goal $1000
saved up between all 3 savings accounts
Credit Goal $1000
reduction in the Discover card balance
Now the Discover card is a dicey topic. I want it gone, but it has the capacity to
handle a lot of emergencies if needed.
Renee’s implant will go on there; there’s nothing else that can be
done. So the Discover card balance will
not be listed until September 7, after the tooth is on there.
Here’s where things stand on Aug 7:
Cash Goal $824.16
– need 175.84 to meet goal.
Let’s see if I can find that between now and
September 7!
Monday, August 05, 2019
International Jane
I've mentioned International Jane when I talked about G-5 Poof. Here it is. My Poofs are in the corners.
Here's the back. The siggies don't line up with the blocks. My bad.
Close of an international siggie.
This Jane got around....
Sunday, August 04, 2019
D-7 Meeting Place
I've got a nice little system going. I have 4 different hand-pieced blocks going at once. I cut one step for each one and then take the little stack upstairs. I do a needle of a binding and then do all the handwork that I can. I then head downstairs and start the process again. It's maybe not the fastest way, but it's working for me.
After 4 or 5 of these repeats, D-7 Meeting Place was the first one to finish. Some of the others just have a LOT of pieces and so it's slow going.
The block color is green. The little ducks are just precious.
The goal is to hand piece this Jane. So far, so good, but I'm only 2 blocks in.
After 4 or 5 of these repeats, D-7 Meeting Place was the first one to finish. Some of the others just have a LOT of pieces and so it's slow going.
The block color is green. The little ducks are just precious.
The goal is to hand piece this Jane. So far, so good, but I'm only 2 blocks in.
Friday, August 02, 2019
Goals of a Different Sort
I love lists. I admit it.
And goals are part of list-making. After all, what are goals, except dreams with deadlines (at the most optimistic) or things that must get done for your mental health (more practical).
I read several different blogs, not always of the same viewpoint as me. That's OK; it helps me learn viewpoints and stretches my world view. It also can provide new avenues for me to reach my goals.
Sometimes I've had goals. I wanted to own a home and either be very content or married by the time I was 30. (Marriage was not a requirement - just a goal - and not one to compromise on. I've been married for 23 years. I got married when I was 25.) I wanted to get my MBA by the time I was 40; I turned 40 in my last term of school work, a goal that I shared with many, and many celebrated right with me!
And as I get ready to send my girl off to college, I am realizing I need some new goals. One goal I've had percolating for a while is to be out of debt by the time I am 60. I turn 49 next month.
OK, I thought, that's do-able. We refinanced the house a few years ago. (Always have your spouse meet you at the paper signing meeting with milkshakes. OMG what a wonderful treat! My love language is the little things and this is one of his top gestures!) Anyway, we had been here 10 years and I changed it from a 30 year to a 15 year, I knew I was close to the done-at-60 goal, and since the payment comes straight from my paycheck (mortgage through work's credit union), I make one extra payment per year. I did some recent math on my mortgage to find out I have 12 years to go. Not much adjusting to make this 11 years to finish on time. However, I consider this managed.
Next up are cars. Just finished paying off Ted's car. I ask for 12 months of no payments from the driver before they ask for a replacement car. I believe Ted will try to go all 4 years of Renee's college career before asking for another car. He wants an SUV next time, as it is getting harder to bend down into a car. Additionally, he and I love to roadtrip for vacation, so I am OK buying a nice vehicle for this purpose. Hopefully we can replace and pay off his next car before I am 60.
Then there are the 2 Sonics. Renee and I each have Chevy Sonics - hers is a 2013 and mine's a 2015. They were bought used. My car is to be done in 2 years and hers in 3, but I am making advanced micropayments on hers to make it finish when mine finishes. For me, I've learned that when a car is 10 years old, I need to turn it in because then it's good money after bad. So in 2025 I will get a new car, used no doubt, and probably another small Chevy, and have it paid for by the time I am 60. For Renee, the goal is for this to be the only car we buy her. She knows this and she knows she needs to replace her car a few years after she graduates. (If something happens, we are willing to evaluate that situation as it happens.)
That leaves credit cards. Well, that is always hard to handle. I always overpay each month. I try to get the other two to limit purchases but the struggle is real for all 3 of us. Renee has moved over many of her fun purchases to her own accounts so that has been a help. I keep reevaluating things and it will another thorough review once we adjust to life as empty-nesters. Another financing thing will also end in 4 years, so that helps as well.
But the big goal - OMG, the Big Goal - will be the Parents Plus loans for Renee's education. It's like buying Chevy Sonic every year for 4 years straight. Please note she is taking loans as well, so she is not getting a free ride from her parents. She also earned a scholarship for half her tuition and the other half of her tuition is a benefit from Ted's work, as her school and his employer are in the same university system. These loans have a 10 year period and when she is done with school, I will be 52, so that does not make my plan.
This is where I am racking my brain. I'm not deferring payment - let's get the show on the road. Ted's car payment is done, so I can afford her payment for now. But I want to just shorten the life of the loan. I think I might do micropayments every 2 weeks.
The way I micropayment is to take the monthly payment and divide it in half. Then round that up to the next $5 (no pennies. just no.) Make that payment every 2 weeks for 3 months. Each quarter, I add $5 to those biweeky payments. While it doesn't seem like much, I do make one whole extra payment per year, plus all those little $5 extra payments add up. I've been doing this with Renee's care and I am 6 months ahead on it. At this rate, I will be done with her car in 2 years. So I am a firm believer in micropayments!
OK, that's a lot of what I am doing. But yesterday I was on one of those blogs that is different from me and they pointed me to another blogger who, while the polar opposite of me, has some great money-saving, money-stretching ideas. She also acknowledges not everything works for everyone, but everything should be worth a try. Fair enough.
She blogs at theprudenthomemaker.com, and the most intriguing thing is the idea on feeding her large family for 40 cents a day on average. While I will never get that low, I wonder how low Ted and I can go.
And the challenge begins. She talks a lot about being mindful, and while I won't post every week, I will post every once in a while on this...
And goals are part of list-making. After all, what are goals, except dreams with deadlines (at the most optimistic) or things that must get done for your mental health (more practical).
I read several different blogs, not always of the same viewpoint as me. That's OK; it helps me learn viewpoints and stretches my world view. It also can provide new avenues for me to reach my goals.
Sometimes I've had goals. I wanted to own a home and either be very content or married by the time I was 30. (Marriage was not a requirement - just a goal - and not one to compromise on. I've been married for 23 years. I got married when I was 25.) I wanted to get my MBA by the time I was 40; I turned 40 in my last term of school work, a goal that I shared with many, and many celebrated right with me!
And as I get ready to send my girl off to college, I am realizing I need some new goals. One goal I've had percolating for a while is to be out of debt by the time I am 60. I turn 49 next month.
OK, I thought, that's do-able. We refinanced the house a few years ago. (Always have your spouse meet you at the paper signing meeting with milkshakes. OMG what a wonderful treat! My love language is the little things and this is one of his top gestures!) Anyway, we had been here 10 years and I changed it from a 30 year to a 15 year, I knew I was close to the done-at-60 goal, and since the payment comes straight from my paycheck (mortgage through work's credit union), I make one extra payment per year. I did some recent math on my mortgage to find out I have 12 years to go. Not much adjusting to make this 11 years to finish on time. However, I consider this managed.
Next up are cars. Just finished paying off Ted's car. I ask for 12 months of no payments from the driver before they ask for a replacement car. I believe Ted will try to go all 4 years of Renee's college career before asking for another car. He wants an SUV next time, as it is getting harder to bend down into a car. Additionally, he and I love to roadtrip for vacation, so I am OK buying a nice vehicle for this purpose. Hopefully we can replace and pay off his next car before I am 60.
Then there are the 2 Sonics. Renee and I each have Chevy Sonics - hers is a 2013 and mine's a 2015. They were bought used. My car is to be done in 2 years and hers in 3, but I am making advanced micropayments on hers to make it finish when mine finishes. For me, I've learned that when a car is 10 years old, I need to turn it in because then it's good money after bad. So in 2025 I will get a new car, used no doubt, and probably another small Chevy, and have it paid for by the time I am 60. For Renee, the goal is for this to be the only car we buy her. She knows this and she knows she needs to replace her car a few years after she graduates. (If something happens, we are willing to evaluate that situation as it happens.)
That leaves credit cards. Well, that is always hard to handle. I always overpay each month. I try to get the other two to limit purchases but the struggle is real for all 3 of us. Renee has moved over many of her fun purchases to her own accounts so that has been a help. I keep reevaluating things and it will another thorough review once we adjust to life as empty-nesters. Another financing thing will also end in 4 years, so that helps as well.
But the big goal - OMG, the Big Goal - will be the Parents Plus loans for Renee's education. It's like buying Chevy Sonic every year for 4 years straight. Please note she is taking loans as well, so she is not getting a free ride from her parents. She also earned a scholarship for half her tuition and the other half of her tuition is a benefit from Ted's work, as her school and his employer are in the same university system. These loans have a 10 year period and when she is done with school, I will be 52, so that does not make my plan.
This is where I am racking my brain. I'm not deferring payment - let's get the show on the road. Ted's car payment is done, so I can afford her payment for now. But I want to just shorten the life of the loan. I think I might do micropayments every 2 weeks.
The way I micropayment is to take the monthly payment and divide it in half. Then round that up to the next $5 (no pennies. just no.) Make that payment every 2 weeks for 3 months. Each quarter, I add $5 to those biweeky payments. While it doesn't seem like much, I do make one whole extra payment per year, plus all those little $5 extra payments add up. I've been doing this with Renee's care and I am 6 months ahead on it. At this rate, I will be done with her car in 2 years. So I am a firm believer in micropayments!
OK, that's a lot of what I am doing. But yesterday I was on one of those blogs that is different from me and they pointed me to another blogger who, while the polar opposite of me, has some great money-saving, money-stretching ideas. She also acknowledges not everything works for everyone, but everything should be worth a try. Fair enough.
She blogs at theprudenthomemaker.com, and the most intriguing thing is the idea on feeding her large family for 40 cents a day on average. While I will never get that low, I wonder how low Ted and I can go.
And the challenge begins. She talks a lot about being mindful, and while I won't post every week, I will post every once in a while on this...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)