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So I've taken to marking any NSD on my calendar so I can track and pat myself on the back for not spending. It's another little challenge for me in addition to tracking purchases. Having the two separate accounts (one for bills, one for purchases) is working out nicely. I'm glad I did that! It's helping me be more accountable regarding my purchases for sure!

So far, all is well with breastfeeding. I'm a little anxious to see what occurs as I return to work in a few weeks,...
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DS gave me $40 yesterday to get the boys' hair cut. The actual cost with tip was $32.50. I applied the balance to lunch afterwards at one of their favorite places, a mom-and-pop frozen yogurt shop that also serves lunch. The lunch was $18 out of pocket, because, of course, we all got dessert.

Today I need to get to the gym, and I have a mystery shop to do -- free lunch.

I struck a deal with DS that he will stock the house with breakfast food and pay for hot lunches at...
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Just cashed out 27.65 in Ibotta bucks. I’ll be adding this to the credit card 💳

Though today is the last day in the week, I reviewed my finances anyway, up until today. Out side of extra on the CC, I paid out $745.11 this week.

* $370 HOA, this covers up to April
* $255 Sorority membership (sinking fund for this)
* $39 gas ⛽️
* $26.84 dining out, budget for this in my fun category but it bothers me that I spent this much. Mostly due to buying breakfast
*...
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I found nzd1.00 outside Pizza Hut. Alas, not enough to buy a pizza.
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I am still not back to normal after our trip to Seattle for DD's operation. It has been a week since we got back. I am still in pain, still have a massive amount of inflammation, am dragging like a person who never gets any sleep even though I am getting sleep, and am stuffy. I hate it when my RA flares up like this. I've made the decision to not go with DH and DD when they go for the surgery follow-up appointment. My body just cannot take these long car trips, although it...
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I've never been that active over here on the blogging part of the site although I'm very active on the forums. I'm going to attempt to change that. I like answering questions and helping people there but I'd also like a place to share more of my own (our own) journey.

Let me start by re-introducing myself here. I'm Steve. I'm 54, married for 26 years, one daughter age 23. I'm a family practice physician who spent 24 years in private practice. Starting in April 2016, I gradually...
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I was inspired by a recent story in The Economist (about the connection between rising education of women in undeveloped countries and falling global fertility) to more narrowly focus my future Kiva loans to women seeking money for their education.

I've made a few "seed" donations which, when repaid to me, I reloan out, so the money is continuously being repaid and then reloaned. But I get impatient waiting for the repayments! There are so many deserving young women on the Kiva...
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We normally have our tax return back by now, but we haven't even been able to file yet. We never received birth or death certificates in the mail for the twins. MO spent hours on the phone and at the SS office trying to get their info. He finally got the SSN for our daughter and then Turbo Tax rejected our return since they don't recognize her SSN since it's so new. UGH! So we are still trying to figure out how to file. Super frustrated especially when we have to keep explaining...
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I was so busy this week I haven't been able to get sales logged until Friday! A good week of sales with a large variety of items sold. Total sales for the week were $273.50!! Loving my little side biz!

Sale #1140 (JS) $12.00
Farberware Single Serve Coffee Maker (Joint with my FSIL) - We paid $5.33
Sold for $12.00
Profit = $6.67

Sale #1141 (CB) $12.00
Farberware Single Serve Coffee Maker (Joint with my FSIL) - We paid $5.33
Sold for $12.00
Profit = $6.67

Sale #1142 (JSM) $100.00
Tasty...
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My husband got a raise this year- yes! Not a huge raise, but we are super happy! The result is $98.90 per month net.

Now for the increases in expenses for 2019:
- 83.33 more to the IRAs which gets us to our limit
- 58.67 increase in F's tuition
- food cost increases - our old food budget is not cutting it anymore - probably need to add about $75 more a month to be safe but $50 more would be ok

So budget needs to change by about $192 and we have $98.90... need to find...
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I'll be taking the boys to get their haircuts later today, but DS will pay. I was planning to watch them all day, but DS' work appointment was cancelled.

It turns out Monday is a school holiday, so I'll have them all day. And for the rest of the week, I'll be with them all night and after school. I'll come home while they're in school to get things done, including making our supper.

I'm going to go through the fridge & freezer today and make some plans for dinners next...
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One month in I have paid a quarter of my credit card balance. By the end of this month, I plan to add an additional $350. I hope to add a little more than that if the budget allows. My goal is to pay this off by April 30th.

DH started a new job three weeks ago and so far he has worked overtime every day. Needless to say, it is a major boost to our income and has helped accelerate our debt pay-down.

We had to reduce our scope on our side business since DH started his...
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Went to the dentist for a chackup, nzd135.00. Unfortunately she discovered a cavity which means I am up for more expense, But it's worth it. I want to hang onto my teeth for as long as possible - so better cut out sugar.
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Just paid an extra $164 on CC9 and it feels great. This month I’m slated to have added an $800 extra to that card. Balance is now $4,824.67 with the payment made today. I’m really hoping to get below the $4,000 mark by the end of the month.

I’ll be completing my taxes this weekend, if I get anything I’ll add it to the snowball. At the rate I’m going I should be able to knock CC9 out by end of May. It’s not with in the first quarter buy hey five months paying off 6k isn’t bad.
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DH's current job has offered him more money and a more secure position to stay. He'll have to run the numbers tonight when he gets home from work. It isn't as much pay as what the other job is offering, but current job matches 5% in the 401K, not just 3%, has a Christmas cash bonus, a Christmas 401K bonus contribution, company stock, and the insurance is better. Plus he'd be home. This just got interesting.
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I've mentioned before that we are living on a military installation for the first time ever. One of the pros this time around was how much we would save on fuel for our vehicles with his commute being 4 minutes rather than 40 minutes. I'm trying to convince him to ride his bike to work, but so far a no go! He would rather buy a motorcycle if he was going to do that. Ha, ha,

We expect to save at least $200 a month. I'm still testing it. I'm purposely not budgeting $200 each...
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This morning I paid $5 for medical professional services not covered by insurance. Probably lab work. Last night I bought the boys dinner at McDonalds for $7. Variables are at 67%.

I talked a little with DS about the cost of feeding the boys next week, while he and DIL are vacationing in Mexico. He proposed working up a grocery list and buying supplies himself. I've been thinking about it, and I think it will work best if I just give him receipts at the end and get reimbursed....
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I have gone back to buying the nzd6.00 bag of produce from the All Saints co-op. When I was getting whatever I wanted from the supermarket I would buy more and eat more - like, I would get a bunch of bananas and eat them all the first day. If I limit what I buy I make it last the whole week.
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The past week or so has been more or less routine, save for my father's recovery, which is mostly forward-facing but which still poses some issues of concern.

I'm hoping to file my taxes tomorrow, provided the missing IRS form magically appears on their website.

Otherwise, it's business as usual, and I'm not really complaining about that.

This was a shorter-than-usual workweek for me because I worked from home yesterday due to snow/ice storm, and I get clobbered whenever...
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I was blogging on SA a while back, but unfortunately when I came back, my blog was gone. So I am here again. You can call me Rose. I was struggling before and have now hit the proverbial "rock bottom." I will get all of my numbers for my sidebar, which I am honestly so scared to look at. But, I am looking forward to the support of this group. I am facing a monstrous climb from where I am. Thanks for having me back.
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