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I’m so so sad to share this news, but as you all know, after many years of waiting my husband and I were expecting twins. We now have two angel babies watching over us.

💗Ember Lynne 👼
💙Bridger John 👼

At 21 weeks I unexpectedly went into labor and was hospitalized. They were able to stop my labor and put me on 100% inverted bedrest. We did everything we could possibly do to keep our sweet babies safe in my tummy. After 11 days of hospitalization, constant...
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Here is my annual review on what my balances were since I started tracking:

MORTGAGE:
NOV 2016 = 86,735.14
NOV 2017 = 84,213.18
NOV 2018 = 81,699.54
NOV 2019 =

STUDENT LOAN
NOV 2016 = 17,764.25
NOV 2017 = 15,990.72
NOV 2018 = 14,157.47
NOV 2019 =

CC1
NOV 2016 = 13,928.46
NOV 2017 = 11,564.48
NOV 2018 = 9,759.51
NOV 2019 =

CC2
*** NOT TRACKED IN 2016
NOV 2017 = 8,315.19
NOV 2018 = 0 (Paid Off Balance Transfer back in August)


Goals...
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I ordered myself a new shower curtain liner from Amazon, using my gift card, so there was no cost. I bought a new liner a few weeks ago, but I bought a cheap one, forgetting why I couldn't buy a cheap one. Two weeks of fighting the curtain as it drifted in and stuck to my legs, and wiping water off the bathroom floor, made me realize I had to admit my mistake and correct the situation. I read lots of reviews and I hope I selected one that will stay put. The one I bought is...
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I have been thinking a lot about what I want to accomplish financially in 2019. I think 2019 will bring a lot of life changes, and our main goal overall is to put ourselves in a more comfortable living position.

Now that we aren't scrapping by, we want to save and pay off debt. We want to get ahead and improve our future.

Starting in March we will have to start paying our own health insurance which is going to add about $200 a month to our budget. Ew.

My goals do not fit...
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Ugh interest🙄. Received a new invoice for CC7 that included an interest payment of $80+ , I went ahead and paid it off. I hate when you pay a bill another comes with the interest.

Looked at my student loans, ugh and what I’ve found is that in order for the balance not to increase and kill me I need to pay an extra $200 a month on interest, this will stop the balance from increasing, breaking even until I pay off the last two CCs. Now that the other cards are paid off,...
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Day 3 of fasting. I was rather sluggish and light headed on waking, but that's to be expected at this stage. Day 3 is always the most difficult for me. I wasn't physically hungry but mentally wanting to eat and thinking of chucking it in. Drank a lot of water. My weight is down to 81.5 kilos but that is water loss.

Payday nzd289.15. I only had to take out $20 because I am paying my checking account back from misc and not putting any more into medical. So I only needed...
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I have never used the CC for christmas and I had to use today to buy a couple christmas presents as savings is so low due to medical bills...UUUGGGHHH I hate debt so I am hoping to pay it off real soon...not the way I want to start the new year off...

Here's hoping for a miracle that we get everything sorted and start the new year off fresh and debt free
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Grocery = $89.13 did a bit of shopping when we got home and then we did a big shop on the weekend. We got a little bit more stuff than usual since our fridge was really empty. I’m happy that vegetables are cheaper now that the weather is warming up. I particularly got a good deal on tomatoes; it was over a kilo for only $2. I know we can’t finish it all before it goes off so yesterday I made tomato chutney (for the first time), used up about half of the tomatoes.

Christmas...
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I made a happy oopsie. I totally forgot my job upped my vacation time to 60 hours this year. Which is quite a bit since I only work 15 hours a week.

Well I thought I was about out of vacation time so I double checked how much I had left and was pleasantly surprised to see I have 35 hours left. Since I have to use it by the end of the year and have no vacations planned I am just going to cash out 5 hours a week until the end of the year. That extra money will help me buy Christmas...
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I'm impatient for more income -- waiting for payment from mystery shops, the county clerk's office (for poll work) and for the Amazon gift cards I ordered. And I'm wishing that some of my eBay items would sell.

Instead, I got a letter telling me that my assessment fees will rise by 5% in January, which will be about $20 more.

So far, I have only $41 to add to next month's income.

Yesterday was a no-spend day. Today may be another, though soon I will need to buy dairy-aid...
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I got an email today that was a response to a blog post I made 7 years ago. I had totally forgotten I had started this blog 12 years ago, and had last posted 7 years ago.

The saddest thing is that I have not changed any of my personal savings/spending habits, but, of course, life has happened anyway and I'm facing even more dire circumstances than when I last posted.

My wife finally moved out to her own place in 2013. I never sold the house we raised our kids in. All three...
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Day 2 of fasting. I had forgotten how the minute you start everyone wants to give you food. Today I was offered corn chips with salsa and buttered toast. I am not hungry but wanted to accept out of habit.
I am still drinking tea because I am addicted again, but the foul taste is beginning to develop in my mouth so I will only want to drink water soon.

I received $60 from my Bonus Bonds but can't spend it because it's automatically reinvested.
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Have had 3 specialist appointments this week, the first 2 said they couldn't find anything..but today I saw a neurophysio therapist and I think they might be able to help me..so that is what we are focusing on right now...so hopefully it will help...they said it will take some time as they have to retrain my brain in several areas so here's hoping...but been an expensive week and its only tuesday...now need to figure out the rest of christmas and how to pay for it...spent so much...
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Hi, decided to start a new blog instead of forever updating the old one (Miss frugal chatterbox).

I am hoping to be much more active here, as long as peeps are happy to read about my frugal ramblings and my journey to paying down my mortgage little bit by little bit (boring I know, but I am motivated to have a big year next year).

I am having a no spend 2019, which I will list in my Info at a later stage.

I am coming up with my rules now, and I bought myself a charming...
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We went away for 2 weeks, total spend was $708.63.

Accommodation = $105.00 for 3 nights camping
Transportation = Fuel cost $303.10
Food = $300.53


October (portion) = $439.14
November (portion) = $269.49

It was a great holiday just relaxed and watched the sunset (a lot).

On our 3rd day there, as we were driving from the market, just a block from the in-laws house at this parking area by the lake there was a sign for sale next to this camper trailer. A guy and...
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I have today off, so thought I'd check in with my SA family.

We are still waiting on the hospital to send DH's records to the insurance company. I'll be bugging them about it again tomorrow.

We turned our heat on a few days ago when the temp went down to 8 degrees outside. Figured it was time.

Last Sunday DH and I had raked and bagged 9 bags of leaves in our front yard. I put them out for Thursday trash day - thinking we were in the free pickup zone. Found out that's...
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So, I wrote a little while ago that I took GS2 to a free screening of Smallfoot. GS1 was playing in a baseball game and could not go. I promised him I would take him when it came out in the theaters if he wanted to go.

Fast forward to Saturday night. My son and DIL went to a birthday party, and I had the boys. We decided we would all three go see Smallfoot, since GS2 was happy to see it again. Since it was an evening showing it was $30 for the three of us. I also spent...
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I have been reading some research on fasting. I used to fast regularly for spiritual reasons, and also found it beneficial for my health. The fact I also lost weight and saved money was jam for Sundays.

So I fasted today, and I'm not sure how long I will go. I'm thinking 10 days but will see how I feel. If I'm feeling ok I'll go longer.
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Does anybody know how I can delete my blog and start again from scratch? i've changed this blog a few times and i never stick at blogging, so I'd like to have a no spend year and start again from scratch instead of jst changing everything again

Thanks all
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I'm in a bad mood. Let me explain.

I know I shouldn't get so frustrated, but sometimes there are people at church who don't get it.

Every year our church does certain things like we put together Thanksgiving baskets for a local food pantry. And then for Christmas we do Christmas gifts for the food pantry to hand out. All good things. And we have generous members who help out.

Recently we have started helping out a local school. This fall with the approval of the board...
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