Suburban Wife's Daily Dollar Diary

Day 74: Park with Plastic?

2007-11-15T23:22:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned this before, but I almost never carry cash. On the rare occasion that I do have cash on my person something always comes up that I need to spend the cash and then I'm once again in the same position of not having cash.

Today I didn't have cash. And the one thing a person in a city really needs cash for is parking. And I did a lot of parking today. You can see where I'm going with this, right?

Actually, as The Son and I dashed out the door to pick up The Daughter and her classmates before dashing off to get The Son to practice, he remember to ask if I had cash. No, I'd forgotten to raid the quarter dish on the dresser. So I unlocked the door and ran back into the house to grab a handful of quarters.

We picked up the girls and one of The Son's teammates who also needed a ride, dropped the girls at a friend's house (their practice started later in the day and they'd get a ride from another mom), and then dashed to practice. I fed the machine my quarters and for the sum of $2.00 got a receipt that granted me two hour's worth of parking in space #55.

Two hours later, The Son's team was done but The Daughter's team had another hour to go so I went back to the machine and fed it another 4 quarters. In return for my $1.00, I was granted another hour's worth of parking in space #55.

The Daughter's practice was supposed to be over at 6:15 but naturally didn't let out until 6:30. I hustled the kids (just my two at this point, everyone else had a ride home) out to the car and made a bee-line for home. Of course, a bee-line in this metropolis at 6:30pm is not a very fast bee-line. There was still tons of rush-hour traffic slowing things down.

We made it home by 7:10. I dashed into the house for a quick bathroom visit, then flew back out grabbing my purse and blowing a kiss to The Husband and pleading with him to look up the address of my destination on-line and call me on my cell phone to give me directions. My destination was a large local bookstore where author John Elder Robison was giving a reading from his book, "Look Me In The Eye." The reading was scheduled to start at 7:30. Yeah, right, like there was any way I was going to make it on time.

The Husband took his sweet time but finally called just as I was approaching downtown. His directions were off but I found the store without too much trouble only to realize that -- oh, yeah, hello, just where had I thought I'd park and just how did I think I was going to pay for it? This is downtown! People everywhere going out to dinner, hitting the clubs, hitting the bars, doing whatever people do downtown in the evening -- I really have no clue as I'm just a suburban wife and mother with no life of my own anymore ;-).

I had two dimes in my pocket and I might have been able to dig another few pennies or other small change out of my purse.

I drove around scoping out the lots -- $5.00 per night here, $8.00 after 4pm there, 1-hour meters along the streets; I don't even know who much they cost because there wasn't any empty spot for blocks. I drove around in a 3-block circle and on my second pass by the store I'd just about given up hope of getting myself out of this stupid, unpreparedness mess when I noticed a little Visa logo on the parking lot sign. What? Am I dreaming? Can it be true? Will my plastic save my skin and I'll get to go to the reading after all? It was way too good to be true. But it was. I parked, hunted down the kiosk, and after two false starts, figured out how to charge $5.00 to my credit card for unlimited parking between 4pm tonight and 6am tomorrow. Risking an asthma attack, I dashed for the bookstore and made it to the reading just as Mr. Robison was being introduced.

So, Parking -- $8.00, was the sum total of my expenses today and I learned a valuable lesson. Never loose faith in the power of plastic ;-)

In Defense of New Cars

2007-11-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

The good bloggers of the M-Network have been talking about cars this week and invited other bloggers to join them in the discussion.

I've owned three new cars and let me tell you, I love new cars. Unapologetically love them.

Growing up, used resuscitated cars were the standard. My first car was an old beat-up Toyota Celica that my brother had driven before me and someone else had beat up before him. When it died, we bought a cute little used Honda Civic CVC that was eventually passed down to my mom when her Dodge Omni died. At that point I bought a used Toyota truck that had sustained hail damage. I loved that truck and eventually gave it to my youngest sister when she went off to college. She killed it on a road trip by not heeding an idiot light. The only used car I owned that didn't last long was a little used Datsun that I bought for my younger sister. One night it was hit and totalled as it sat parked in front of the house.

I bought my first new car, a bare-bones, nothing-extra Toyota Corolla, when I was 19. Actually I leased it and, when the lease was up, I bought it. It was an '84 and when I drove it off the lot it had less than 100 miles on it. I bought it because I was the only one in the family gainfully employed enough to qualify for financing and able afford the $100 monthly payment. I went for the lease instead of a loan because that was the only way to get the payments low enough that I could afford them. In hindsight, I know that in the long run I paid a lot more than the purchase price of the car but live and learn.

By 1995, that Corolla had seen me through three jobs, trade school, two years of college, marriage, and two children.

On July 4, 1995, we bought a brand new Subaru Legacy wagon -- a bare-bones, nothing-extra family wagon. We paid cash and drove it off the lot. It had less than 200 miles on it and I'm pretty sure I put a good 60 of them on myself in the course of my test drives. At this point, I took over the new Subaru and The Husband drove the Corolla.

He drove the Corolla for another four years. It finally gave up the ghost with 170,000+ miles on it. I'm sure it would have lasted longer had it not been for the brutal paper route I drove after The Daughter was born and the four years of gear-grinding abuse it took from The Husband (he had been driving nothing but automatics for umpteen years). When the Corolla died, I was 31 years old.

The Husband replaced the Toyota with a used car -- a really dumb, unresearched impulse buy that he ended up sinking a lot of money into over the next three years. We finally gave up on that car and, in 2002, bought a used Toyota SUV.

At this point The Husband and I switched cars again -- I got the new used SUV to drive and he drove the Subaru.

Just this summer we decided it was time to finally replace the Subaru. It was 12 years old and had over 220,000 miles on it. It was still running pretty well but it had a few slow leaks that we knew were going to need attention before too long. The final straw was that it was a manual transmission and my Fibromyalgia made it virtually impossible for me to drive it when necessary.

Before the Corolla and then the Legacy, The Husband had never owned a car that had managed to top 100k without needing extensive mechanical work. Now he was hooked. In the spirit of "don't mess with sucess," just this July we bought a brand new -- you guessed it, bare-bones, nothing-extra -- Subaru Impreza wagon. It had approximately 200 miles on it when we drove it off the lot. This time I knew more about buying a car. We went through Costco's car-buying program and got a good deal on it (dealer invoice, we retained the $1,500 rebate which was applied to the loan, and a 2-year loan at 1.9% -- we could have paid cash but took the low financing instead).

And that's were we stand today. One brand new Subaru and one reliable but aging used Toyota.

And so you see, I've got nothing against used cars. But I love new cars.

Yup, that's right, I love new cars. And not for the new car smell -- which I happen to hate. And not for any kind of "cool" factor or status symbol. I love new cars because I can account for every mile put on them. I know that they been serviced regularly and carefully maintained. I know they've never been red-lined or otherwise abused. I know that they haven't been smoked in. I know they haven't been puked in, and if they were, it was my own kids' puke. I know every meal that's been eaten in them, every trip they've taken, every repair they've had. I love taking a car from "cradle to grave."

I love new cars because I know what I'll be driving for next 12 to 15 years.

Other articles written this week about cars include:

Moolanomy writes about new v. used, insurance, maintenance, and hidden expenses in My Cars and My Life
The Dough Roller tells us about a new website in Service Beacon: A Free Online Tool to Track Your Car's Maintenance Schedule and History
Gather Little by Little pokes fun at people like me in 5 Reasons You Should Buy a New Car
Cash Money Life argues for trading v. selling your old car in Save Time and Money by Trading in Your Car
Budget of destiny asks New or Old what kind of car do YOU buy?

So, what was the last car you bought? Was it new or used? Why'd you buy it? How long do you expect it to last?

Day 73: No Spend Day!

2007-11-14T22:53:00.000-07:00

Yipee! Today was a triple-good-day.

First, quite unexpectedly, it was a no spend day.

Normally I would have spent, at the very least, about $3.50 at Wendy's buying The Son a bite to eat between his cello lesson and orchestra rehearsal. But he's still fighting this cold so after the cello lesson we packed it in and just headed for home. Tonight was his first absence from rehearsals so I don't feel too bad about him missing it.

The Son, relieved to be heading straight home, was sorely disappointed when he realized that this meant missing out on this weekly Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger and Vanilla Frosty ritual. But I stayed tough and said "no rehearsal, no Wendy's." Then, in true motherly fashion, I proceeded to tell him how lucky he has it. "Just think," I said, "instead of buying you Wendy's each week, I could pack a brown bag dinner for you to eat in the car." That gave him pause. Then I promised to fix a box of Annie's Penne pasta w/Alfredo sauce and everything was good again. ;-)

In addition to the expected Wendy's expense, I had planned to call The Daughter's school and buy a few more grocery cards (I buy them from the school, the school gets 8% of the price, I use them just like cash to buy groceries) but I forgot to make the call. More money not spent.

And I'd planned to run a few errands during The Son's rehearsals: 1) to Marshalls to return the "swish" pants purchased for the nephew; 2) return the frames bought at Target; and 3) pick up a bottle of hardwood cleaner if the floor store was still open. None of that happened, of course, because the rehearsal was skipped. More money not spent today.

The second part of the triple-good-day happened when The Daughter returned home from her day's activities bearing the roll of Sally Foster wrapping paper that had been missing from my order last month. It was a $7.00 roll of wrapping paper in a rather elegant non-holiday-specific pattern that I'd really wanted.

And the third, and possibly most exciting, event in my triple-good-day was the copy of my latest credit card statement. It was the lowest it's been in a very long time. Years, I'd guess. I can't remember the last time it was under $1,000. This month it was under $700! The Husband was impressed and I was proud.

In case you haven't been following my story from the very beginning or in case I only think I've explained this but really haven't, I make almost every single purchase on a credit card. That's simply the way we work our monthly expenses. I purchase everything needed for the house and the kids on one credit card, all of our groceries and dining expenses on a different card, and all of our Costco and Costco gas purchases on a third card. Every month The Husband pays the bills in full. For the few things that can't be charged, I write a check. I almost without exception, I don't handle cash. So this month the household expenses including clothes, gifts, Netflix, HBA, home improvement materials, instrument rental, books, non-Costco gas, etc. -- less some returns -- totalled less than $700.

I can't tell you how psyched I am!

Day 72: Oysters, Hoodies, and Pain Reliever

2007-11-13T23:28:00.000-07:00

Walgreens -- $6.45
Does anyone else have a 13-yo who can't swallow pills? In all honesty, I couldn't either at that age. I can't even remember when I learned to swallow pills but I think I may have even been in my 20's. Anyway, The Son can't swallow pills and he's still sick and feeling lousy. Typically I'm not one to medicate myself or my children but I like to keep basic meds on-hand just in case. We were all out of Junior-strength pain reliever so I made a quick stop and picked up a new bottle of Motrin ($5.99).

Safeway -- $51.67
The price of gas is inching up. The Tank's tank was pretty low and we have miles to go tomorrow. Plus the fact that despite the chill, tomorrow's supposed to be chillier so I stopped for a quick (well, not-so-quick) fill up. I pumped 17.23 gallons @ 2.999/gallon. The odometer now reads 116,665.

Vitamin Cottage -- $35.82
We were all out of a few staples but didn't feel up to making a serious list or doing any type of meal planning so I went armed with a very small list of essentials and kept an eye open for sales. I don't know how long there's been such a shortage of sale tags on the shelves.

organic olive oil -- $8.15
Rudi's bread -- $4.09
Amy's frozen cheese snacks -- $3.25
Alta Dena cheddar cheese -- $5.19
organic string cheese -- $4.25
gallon of Horizon organic 2% milk -- $4.95
3 tins of smoked oysters -- $1.69/ea (saved $1.98/ea.)

That's a great price on the smoked oysters. The sale lasts through mid-December. I'm going to have to remember to pick up a few tins for Santa -- I'm pretty sure he'll want to put a few in The Son's stocking this year ;-)

Cello Teacher -- $105.00
Check for 4 upcoming lessons. Tomorrow we'll look at our calendars to see which weeks will be missed due to the upcoming holidays. This check might very well take us to the end of the year.

The Daughter's School -- $90.00
The Daughter approached me last night with an order form for sports team paraphernalia. I took it to be a good sign that she was embarrassed and hesitant to show it to me. It means she's taking my budget-keeping seriously and had a clear sense of the gravity of her request.

She wanted to know if The Husband and I would purchase any or all of the available team-related gear being made available. The most expensive ($60) is a hoodie sweatshirt in the team/school colors customized with her last name and jersey number. Next was a pair of breakaway track pants ($20) in the team colors. And finally a long-sleeved t-shirt ($10) with the team mascot/name on the sleeve and school logo on the chest.

The Daughter said she'd be more than willing to count the items as her Christmas gifts this year.

I showed the list to The Husband and he didn't bat an eye; just said fine, cut a check from the joint household account. He's so amazingly easy-going. Actually, he just loves being able to provide these extras when they are important to the recipient. The Daughter's having a great time attending school (she was homeschooled for her first 8 grades) and he loves being able to provide the experience. She's having a great time participating in the school sports and he loves that he can facilitate that.

The school's athletic director didn't get his stuff together early enough last year to make these things available to the kids. The Daughter's a Sophomore and will keep the same jersey and jersey number this year and the next two so whatever we buy her now will still be applicable all the way through her senior year. And lastly, the school doesn't have letters and therefore letter jackets so this gear is in lieu of a letterman's jacket.

Maintenance Monday: Getting all Steamed Up

2007-11-12T22:54:00.000-07:00

I am of the "quality, not quantity" philosophy. But quality will only get you so far; proper maintenance of your possessions is a very important component to getting the most value out of the quality products you buy. I'm starting a new weekly "column" of sorts where I'll share a maintance tip that I employ to help keep my house and my possession in tip-top shape.

~~ o O o ~ ~

Having remodeled two bathrooms in the past year, proper bathroom maintenance is a high priority around here. I sure don't want to put out that kind of cash again for a very long time! At least not for bathrooms ;-)

The most important maintenance consideration for bathrooms is to avoid any situation which will allow, or even worse encourage, the growth of mold and mildew. And an important weapon in the fight against mold and mildew is your average, everyday mild-mannered bathroom fan.

My contractor kept telling me that bathroom venting fans cannot pull moisture out of a room. I politely smiled and nodded and went about my business leaving him to install the new fans.

The truth is he was absolutely correct -- bathroom fans cannot and will not pull moisture (steam) out of a bathroom. But they can do something even better -- they can keep the steam from even forming.

The right time to turn on your bathroom fan is before you get in the shower. The fan keeps the temperature in the room cool so steam doesn't form. I'm sure you're familiar with what a steamy bathroom is like -- moisture on every single surface: the walls, the mirror, the ceiling. The warmth and moisture content of steam is like steroids to mold and mildew. Don't feed the monster! Use your bathroom fan!

Day 71: No Spend Day!

2007-11-12T22:43:00.000-07:00

The Son is still sick and The Husband was able to pick up The Daughter from practice so I stayed home all day and didn't spend a penny! Of course, I'll make up for it tomorrow ;-)

Reaching Out to my Readers for Advice

2007-11-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

I got such great feedback on my basketball shoe dilemma that I'm turning to my readers with another puzzle.

The Son takes weekly cello lessons. His teacher is a young man who recently completed his graduate degree in music performance. He's terrific -- not just in general as a music teacher but also in that he's a perfect fit for my quirky-might-have-Asperger's son. The teacher never takes offense at The Son's lack of communication or eye-contact and doesn't lose patience with him when it's obvious that not much energy went into practicing that week. In addition, on the odd occasion when the next student is late or absent, the teacher has extended The Son's 45-minute lesson to an hour without asking for additional pay.

Each 45-minute lesson costs $26.25 and we don't pay for weeks during which The Son does not have a lesson. So, my question is this: how much and in what form should we give the teacher as a Christmas/appreciation gift/bonus?

-- opinions of tutors or private-lesson teachers are particularly appreciated but all feedback and opinions are welcome --

Why I Don't Require My Children to Tithe or Make Offerings

2007-11-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

Based on what I've read in articles and books about children and allowance, encouraging and/or requiring one's child to set aside a portion of their allowance for charity or tithing is a common practice. I make no judgement on this practice. I respect each parent's right to choose how to teach their children how to handle money. However, I have chosen not to adopt the practice and I'm going to share with you the reasoning behind my decision.

The church we attend is my choice and weekly attendance is my decision. The children attend a Christian church because I am a Christian. We attend church on a weekly basis because I say so. My children go with me because I say that their attendance is not optional.

My children see me write a weekly check to my church. They've also seen me write additional checks -- sometimes to support specific purposes and sometimes just because I have some extra funds. They've seen me donate my time and energy to the church. They've accompanied me to weddings, baptisms, and funerals. They participate in events, eat at pot-lucks, attend religious instruction, and go on Easter Egg hunts. But at this point, they are members because I am a member.

I feel that when my children are grown they need to be given the freedom to follow their own paths and engage in their own seeking. If they find comfort in the same teachings that I do, so be it. If they find fulfillment elsewhere, so be that too. They may choose a completely different faith -- my paternal grandfather was Jewish. They may choose, as two of my own siblings did, to not have no religious affiliation at all. They will make those decisions, as adults, in freedom. And once they've chosen their path, in freedom, they will support and participate on a social and economic level of their choosing. As adults.

May the Peace be with you also.

Product Review: SmartWool Socks

2007-11-11T22:20:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: This is NOT a paid-per-post blog entry. I am NOT a paid-per-post blogger. This product opinion, and all opinions expressed on this blog, is most certainly biased (based on my own experiences) but is not influenced by the manufacturer or supplier of the product nor is it purchased by any third party.

Whether it's due to the fact that I'm a Leo or just simply the way I am, I tend to be a very loyal person. But my loyalty is neither easily won nor blindly maintained. I'm not a girly-girl and I'm not a brand-hound so bling and labels have no intrinsic value. My criteria has to do with a product's practicality, value, durability, quality, ingenuity, and maintenance requirements.

For my first Product Review post, I'm sharing one of our favorite clothing products: SmartWool socks. I love SmartWool socks and the only family member not fully outfitted in SmartWool is The Husband.

SmartWool offers a huge variety of styles with sock heights ranging from knee-highs to footies and sock cushioning ranging from super thin to extra heavy cushy.

My preferred style is the mini crew with medium cushioning. I like the short length as it allows me to wear wool socks 8 or 9 months out of the year without the added warmth on my calves. Also, I like my socks to have a fairly substantial inner cushion because I spend a great deal of time walking around shoeless on our wooden floors at home. The medium cushion and gentle compression of the socks help ease the chronic foot and leg pain I experience as a symptom of Fibromyalgia. SmartWool's medium cushion socks provide just enough cushioning without adding unpleasant or annoying bulk in my everyday shoes.

The Son prefers SmartWool's hiking socks. These are crew-length socks with medium cushioning. In the early years of buying SmartWools, before I figured out the differences in the styles of socks, we purchased several pair of Light Hiking socks, not to be confused with Hiking socks. The Hiking socks that The Son prefers have cushioning loops all the way up the calf whereas the Light Hikers have cushioning in the footbed only and standard ribknit uppers.

Like me, The Son wears his SmartWool socks nearly year-round. The wool absorbs moisture and allows for very natural, healthy breathing of the skin.

The Daughter, odd ball that she is, prefers an ultra lightweight footie style. They provide just the perfect balance of warmth and breathability for her without adding any bulk -- these socks are as thin as any ultra-lightweight cotton footie she owns. The Daughter has a much shorter SmartWool wearing season than do her brother and I but she does really value her few pair during the winter months.

SmartWools socks are extremely well-made and durable. Although we've had to pass down many pair over the years because they've been out-grown, we have yet to retire a pair for being worn out. This is a significant acheivement in longevity if you consider that I've had some of these pair for at least 6 or 7 years and they get daily wear on our floors. The Son and I both have a few pair that are getting thin but none that have completely giving up the ghost.

Another great advantage to these socks is their low maintenance. Wool, unlike cotton, doesn't need to be washed after each wear. I can usually get three days out of each of my pair of socks. I encourage The Son to change his every other day as he's a stinky teenaged boy who frequently plays hard in his socks.

Washing is easy -- I let the dirty socks collect in a special laundry basket and wash many pair at once. I put them in the machine and wash on the gentle/handwash cycle in cold water with a cold water rinse using wool soap from the local yarn shop. SmartWool says the socks can be machine dried (see more below) but I prefer to hang dry. They dry very easily overnight on a great little plastic drip-dry multi-clip hanger I found a few years ago.

Make no mistake, SmartWool socks aren't cheap -- typically $12.95 - $15.95. But in my experience, they're worth every penny -- especially since I never buy them full-priced (more on that in just a minute). Several years ago I let an REI employee talk me into trying REI's cheaper SmartWool wannabe socks. I'm a huge fan of REI and their house-brand products but that one pair of REI socks was the first and last pair I ever bought. The REI socks are denser and less flexible. They are simply wool socks; they provide none of the "walking on a cloud" experience I get with the SmartWool socks.

My two favorite sources for SmartWools are REI and Sierra Trading Post* (affiliate link). I have found a few pair at Marshalls or T.J. Maxx (I can't remember which) a year or two ago but haven't see them since. Thanks to the excellent sales I've found over the years, I've gradually been able to go from having a few pair worn on extra cold or snowy days to having a full wardrobe of socks for both The Son and I.

Sizing Tip: The SmartWool sizing guide assumes that the socks will be dried in a clothes dryer. If you use a dryer, go by the sizing chart. If you hang dry, buy one size smaller.

According to the sizing chart, my size 10's would require a size Large. But I prefer to hang dry my socks so I adjust my sizing accordingly and usually buy size Medium. But this sizing/shrinking issue gives me a little extra wiggle room when I'm bargain hunting -- if size Large is the only size available or had a better selection of colors, just a single trip through the dryer shrinks the socks down to the right size. And this shrinking process does not felt or otherwise affect the feel of the socks.

Washing Tip: I picked this tip up several years ago from a very helpful REI employee. The best way to wash your SmartWool socks (and arguably all of your socks) is to wash them inside out. This allows the skin and oils to be released into the water and washed away instead of being trapped inside the socks and locked deep into the inner cushiony loops.

image credits: REI and Elizabeth

Day 70: Sushi & Ankle Braces

2007-11-11T21:47:00.000-07:00

The Son is nursing a pretty bad cold so I left him at home today -- this gave The Daughter and I a few hours together without the pressures of rushing to an activity or decompressing from school. A nice break for us.

Church -- $20.00
Weekly offering.

Handyman -- $70.00
He worked several hours yesterday installing the rebar and finishing the frame for the retaining wall. The plan is for him and his son to come out next weekend to do the pour. I paid him today at church because I had to leave before he was done yesterday.

Wild Oats -- $13.55
Lunch with The Daughter: sushi tray and Odwalla juice for me; slice of pizza and Izzie soda for her.

Kroger -- $20.75
Stopped in hoping to pick up both of my prescriptions -- I tried earlier this week but both had expired so they had to contact the doctors to get them renewed. The clerk informed me that, despite three attempts by the pharmacy, my internist never responded to renew my Clarinex prescription. So I picked up my synthroid ($10 co-pay) and an ankle brace that The Daughter found and felt she needed in anticipation of basketball practice starting tomorrow.

Day 69: New Shoes & Spaghetti

2007-11-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

The Son was feeling under the weather today so it took a minor bribe to get him to come along on a shoe shopping/sister-pickup trip without a big fuss.

Just so you don't get the wrong idea on how I relate to my children, it wasn't a bribe at all. He wanted to stop by the bookstore and a Starbucks while we were out (both are right across the street from Wild Oats -- a stop I needed to make anyway). As he was paying for both the book and the treat with his own gift certificates, it was an arrangement that was mutually beneficial.

Famous Footwear -- $72.61
Yup, got The Son those basketball shoes we discussed. Men's size 11 black Nike Air Team T.R.U.S.T. beasts! The shoes were $64.99; I checked on-line and couldn't find any similar shoes for a lower price. The shoes came with white laces that were just a bit short to be completely practical and The Son didn't particularly like their bright white-ness so we paid an additional $2.49 for 54" black laces. I'll save the white laces and the box -- they might help garner a higher resale price once The Son is done with them.

When I took The Daughter to the same store this spring for her basketball shoes she tried the Nikes first but didn't like the fit. She ended up with a nice pair of Converse. Today we tried the Converse shoes first but The Son said they were not comfortable. He found the Nikes to be very comfortable. The Converse were less expensive but fit is paramount.

Wild Oats -- $15.22
3 lbs. Coleman 95% lean ground beef -- $4.00/lb. I used approximately 1 pound in tonight's spaghetti dinner and froze the rest in two separate packages for future use.

Day 68 -- Ugh x 3: Shopping Futility

2007-11-09T21:47:00.000-07:00

Day Three in what seems like an unending string of "ugh" shopping days. I seem to take one step forward and then one step back and I'm definitely not following my own shopping advice.

Marshalls -- ($32.41)
The Husband and I had an errand to run up north so we took the opportunity to stop by Marshalls to return The Son's basketball shorts and track pants.

Target -- ($21.61)
After dropping The Husband off at his office, I proceeded to Target to return the picture frame I'd purchased.

Target -- $126.02
Last Sunday the Target sale flyer listed picture frames as being on sale so I wanted to make sure I returned my frame and looked for alternate frames by the end of the week. The sale was extremely disappointing but I was determined to find just one frame for an 8x10 of the kids together.

I ended up buying two frames. The first was a large frame with a double white mat that fits an 8x10 photo ($17.89). But it turns out I only have one 8x10 with a black background -- a really cute close-up photo of the kids lying down looking straight up at the camera. Though this photo is adorable, it would not have been my first priority for framing. I'm still undecided as to whether or not to keep the frame.

The second frame is one of those really cool "floating" frames -- the photos are sandwiched between two panes of glass so it looks like the photo is floating ($29.99). But in this case there are two separate layers of double glass so you can float a photo collage on two different levels so some photos float above and others behind each other. It's a great concept and look but I think it would be more effective with group photos of various sizes and various backgrounds and subjects. Ugh!! This frame was not on sale and will definitely go back.

I hereby resolve to take my envelope of photos with me on any and all future photo frame shopping trips!

But wait the Ugh factor just gets bigger. On my way to check-out, I passed the kids' clothing department and, because I just can't leave well enough alone, I detoured to see what they might have in the way of "swish" pants for my nephew. Wouldn't you know it, I not only found swish pants with functioning drawstrings (a must for this skinny mini), but they're lined with soft jersey knit fabric ($9.99). And I found a stray black hooded windbreaker on the sale rack ($3.74) that will coordinate perfectly with the black "swish" pants. Naturally, I bought them both but now I have to return the "swish" track pants I bought for him at Marshalls. Yes, the very same Marshalls I'd made two returns to just mere hours earlier; the very same Marshalls that's way, way north of where we live. Can we say UGH!?

The final two Target purchases were a very handsome Timex Expedition watch ($44.99) with an analog face and a small digital display. The Son desperately needs a new watch for Christmas. This summer he pointed out that he can barely close the band of his several-years-old kids-sized Timex watch around his expanding wrist. He didn't want a new watch for his birthday but chose to wait until Christmas.

The new watch is beautiful (I hope he likes it) but the band is a leather and buckle affair and I'd bet dollars to donuts that he will only accept a watch with the same sporty webbing and velcro styled band that he's used to wearing. So I also picked up a replacement band ($9.99). It has the added benefit of featuring a little medical symbol on the band and includes a wallet card for medical notes. As The Son is allergic to penicillin and has asthma, I thought the special watchband and wallet card would be a great idea.

Cash -- $2.00
Two hours' worth of parking on campus where The Son attended basketball practice.

I did manage to take my own shopping advice once today -- after leaving Target I stopped in at a local camera store to research sub-compact digital cameras which is what we intend to get The Daughter for Christmas. I looked at the various models available, handled them all, and talked to the clerk but I left the store will nothing but info -- no purchases. Whew, at least I did one thing right today.

Reader Opinions, Please

2007-11-08T22:25:00.000-07:00

If you're a regular reader, you'll know that The Son is playing basketball on a middle-school team this season. I'm really torn about whether or not to outfit him with a pair of basketball shoes. Here are the pros and cons that I've identified -- I'd love any input you have to offer.

Pros -- Get the Shoes

Last year during The Daughter's first basketball season we decided to forgo the BB shoes and stick with her runners; she suffered two serious ankle sprains that had her on crutches for a combined 4 weeks.
Buying basketball shoes wouldn't break the bank.
The season is pretty short so we could potentially sell them and recover a portion of the cost.

Cons -- Stick with The Runners

He's growing so fast he's sure to only get one season out of them.
They won't be cheap (I think I paid about $50 for The Daughter's at Famous Footwear this spring).
Maybe he won't twist an ankle or have any trouble playing out the season in runners.

First hand or educated opinions are particularly appreciated but all input is welcome. Thanks!

Day 67

2007-11-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

Today was a bit of a continuation of yesterday's "ugh" activities but with a bit more of a happy ending.

This morning I had The Son try on the basketball shorts, warm-up pants, and, for the second time, the Columbia jacket. The shorts and warm-ups were promptly rejected. Oh, fudge. The Son swears that the size Large warm-ups will work; he likes them and doesn't want a smaller, better-fitting pair. The shorts -- well, why they were rejected is anyone's guess. He simply didn't like them.

The jacket got it's second nod so I'm feeling comfident about that one.

As The Son had another game tonight and a full day tomorrow, I pulled a bribe out of my bag of mother's tricks and managed to finagle a trip to T.J. Maxx out of him. The bribe: a slice of pizza and soda at Costco.

This was not a random bribe -- I had to return the fruit leathers that The Daughter rejected from last night's Costco trip and the Costco closest to the house is just a few blocks from a T.J. Maxx. For a mom who's completely oblivious, I be awfully clever at times. ;-)

It's annoying that I'll have to make a trip to Marshall's to return the shorts and the pants but I knew it was a good possiblity when I did it. We'll be up there again next Wednesday -- I just have to remember to get it done. I'll put the bag in The Tank tomorrow and make a note on the calendar to help me remember.

So today's expenses were:

Costco -- ($9.59)
Returned box of Stretch Island fruit leathers.

Costco -- $2.75
Slize of pie and a soda for The Son.

T.J. Maxx -- $23.97
We found 3 pair of black basketball shorts on the racks. The Son did his best to talk me into buying all three and returning the ones he didn't want. Yeah, right! He may be as tall as I am but I'm by far the bigger b*tch; needless to say, he tried on all three pair in the dressing room and we purchased only one pair. Men's size M Nike shorts: $12.99 ($25.00 retail).

We also picked up two packages of Ghirardelli chocolates (Creamy Caramel and Dark Decadence) that together will be used as one of our exchange gifts at our family holiday party. Two packages @ 4.99/ea.

I've always wondered about food products at places like Ross, T.J. Maxx, and Marshalls. How old are they? Are they last season's candies? Old and expired? Well, apparently not -- the expiration dates on the boxes I bought are 06/03/08 and 05/31/09. I imagine that the lucky winner of these boxes won't even get close to letting the chocolate reach it's expiration date.

Admission Fee -- $2.00
I forgot to make a withdrawl from The First Bank of Daddy today so I had to write a check for this $2 admission fee tonight. The Son made his first 2-point basket tonight and his first foul -- he sure was proud of himself.

edit: forgot this one

eBay Seller -- $8.50
We scored a paperback copy of an out-of-print Donald E. Westlake* Dortmunder* book for The Son for Christmas. The Son is a huge Westlake fan and we've been trying, albeit half-heartedly, to find him a copy of this particular book since this summer. This price includes the book and shipping.

*affiliate links

Making a List and Checking it Twice

2007-11-08T00:34:00.000-07:00

Like a lot of people, I've got Christmas on my mind. Well, to be honest, I've got Christmas shopping on my mind because otherwise I have to think about all the prep work (read: housework) I need to get done before the holidays and given how I feel about housework I'd much rather think about shopping ;-)

Actually, it's not just Christmas shopping on my brain these days but gift shopping in general. Between the husband and I, we have no less than 8 family birthdays between late October and early January. Add to that Christmas for our family of four, The Husband's four children and five grandchildren, his sister and her family, and my three siblings each with a family plus my parents, and you end up with a whole lotta shopping to do.

The only way to survive this concentration of gift-giving occasions with any semblence of sanity intact, a bruised but not busted budget, and no hurt feelings is to create lists and start shopping early.

Here are my tips for staying organized, prioritizing, and maximizing one's budget.

Make a List.
Even if you're a world-class list-loser like I am, making a list can help you see things in better perspective and help you collect your thoughts. Of course, it's better in the long run if you can keep track of your list throughout the gift-purchasing process so it can be updated and revised as you shop. Your list should include all pertinent data such as sizes, colors, brands, titles, model numbers, etc. Be sure to keep your list current to help avoid duplication and other errors which can end up costing you a great deal of time and energy required to return unnecessary gifts.

Don't Over-buy.
This is a trap that I'm guilty of falling into over and over again. Don't buy something unless it has a specifically intended recipient. Don't buy two options with the intention of narrowing it down to one and returning the other later. Don't buy something you think is the right thing but can't remember for sure. If you're not positive, make a phone call (after all, that's why cell phones were invented, right?). Or ask the clerk to put it on hold.

Ask!
Personally, I think the surprise factor is a bit over-rated. Don't get me wrong, I love surprising my loved ones and I love being surprised. But the surprise factor is not the end-all, be-all element of gift-giving.

Don't be afraid to ask parents what's on their children's wish-lists or, in the case of older children, ask them directly what they want. I know that my children, at ages 15 and 13, would much rather receive gifts they want but are less than surprising than surprises that they don't want or need -- and not for selfish reasons. They realize that gifts come at the expense of hard-earned cash and they feel guilty when they receive something that doesn't fit or won't be used.

Buy it on paper first.
Once you've got your list, do some virtual shopping before hitting the stores. If you're in the market for electronics, check out the reviews at CNet. If you don't have a subscription to Consumer Reports, schedule a trip to the library and use their copies for more product research (and don't forget your list when you go). Then do a Google Products search to research pricing. And keep an eye on the Sunday paper inserts. I like to check eBay for pricing info as well. Once you're sure of what you're going to buy and have a good idea of a fair and reasonable price, that's when it's time to lay down some cash.

The Earlier The Better
There are many advantages to starting your shopping early -- and by shopping, I mean the whole process of creating your list and completing your research, not the actual act of purchasing items.

First, the sooner you know what you're going to buy, the more time you can afford to spend waiting for a great price to come along. Second, and I love this one, if you're the first one to ask what the kids want, then you get first pick at the wish list. Those who come late in the game get stuck with the difficult-to-find or more expensive items ;-) Third, I know that some people thrive on the thrill (read: stress) of last-minute shopping but for the sane among us, the peace and satisfaction that comes from having your shopping done early is immeasurable. That plus the fact that you can sit back and blow holier-than-thou raspberries at those around you scrambling for last-minute gifts -- priceless.

Avoid Last Minute Shopping
Last-minute shopping is real budget-buster for me for several different reasons.

Most of The Husband's family lives near us or will be in town for the holidays so their gifts don't require shipping. My family, on the other hand, is spread across the country. Normal shipping costs already add to the costs of gifts; expedited shipping will break the budget for sure.

For me, last minute shopping also translates into unncessary impulse purchases. I get caught up in the shopping frenzy or start worrying about whether I have enough or the right things. Or a sale will catch my eye. A bargain on an unnecessary purchase is NOT a bargain, it's wasted money.

Learn from your mistakes and past experiences.
As the 72-yo love of my life likes to say, "The second thing to go is the memory." The kids race each other to be the straight man and ask, "what's the first thing?" The answer, naturally, is, "I can't remember." :-) Seriously, though, between the strokes a few years ago and some aging-related memory loss, my memory -- or more accurately, my lack of memory -- is notorious.

I don't know about you, but I get tired of learning the same lessons year after year. As you shop, make another list -- this one will detail the lessons you learn and the mistakes you resolve to not repeat. I've got lists of the steps I need to take in order to prepare my house for our annual family Christmas party and notes on what food was popular and what wasn't eaten. I try to be disciplined about taking notes throughout the year as gift ideas pop up or to jot down bits of information I hear about where to get a good deal or where the customer service stinks.

Do you have a tip? Share it in the comments.

Day 67

2007-11-07T23:20:00.000-07:00

Wendy's -- $3.52
Two hamburgers and a vanilla frosty for The Son after his lesson before heading off for orchestra rehearsal.

Costco -- $19.32
Ugh. This is the kind of trip I just hate! I've been wanting to get up to the north Costco because I'd been told that they carry a larger selection of organic items and that they had the Nature's Path organic toaster pastries that the kids like for breakfast. I also wanted to see if they had the Fruitabu fruit "flats" (which The Daughter likes) or "twirls" (which The Son likes). They didn't have either.

It gets worse -- while wandering around looking for the toaster pastries, I found the cases of Horizon vanilla milk but no chocolate milk. Were they out? NO. They've replaced that product with a different brand. WTF?! The Horizon chocolate milk was the whole reason for renewing our membership this year [see this post]. I'm so very ticked!

I did find a 15-package case of Annie's Mac & Cheese for $8.99 -- that makes the price $0.60/box! Looking back at my notes the very best price I've gotten on those lately is $1.25 less 10%. If I remember correctly Vitamin Cottage had them on sale for $0.99 this summer. Today's $0.60 per box is a great price but, as The Daughter said, it will take her 6 months to eat it all.

The other item I picked up was a box of assorted flavors of Stretch Island fruit leathers. Never mind the fact that Stretch Island and Fruitabu are made by the same company -- as soon as The Daughter laid eyes on the box she announced in no uncertain terms that she doesn't like that brand, she only likes Fruitabu. Kids!

Costco Gas -- $45.74
The Tank was thirsty. I pumped 15.888 gallons @ $2.879/gal. My odometer reads 116,396.

Vitamin Cottage -- $2.59
While The Son did his cello thing, I ran out for an Odwalla Strawberry C Monster to tide me over until I could get home for some dinner.

Marshall's -- $118.80
Another Ugh! How did I manage to spend so much and in less than an hour?!

Okay, I was there to find another pair of basketball shorts for The Son because 1) the red ones I bought look less than terrific with his just-issued red jersey uniform and 2) I expected his uniform to include a jersey and shorts because, after all, that's what the high school uniform consists of but it turns out that the middle-schoolers are only provided with a jersey. He needs two pair of shorts if he's going to be playing two games and having at least one practice each week. I found a pair of reversible Addias shorts in black/gray that I'm hopeful will look okay with the jersey and that The Son will acquiesce to wear. Cost: $13.00 (retail -- $35.00)

I also needed to see if I could find a smaller pair of warm-up pants. The Daughter convinced me to get him a size Large during our earlier shopping trip but they're simply too big in the waist; no matter how much I cinch the drawstring, they fall off the boy. As I've learned over the years, too big isn't an issue -- he's sure to grow into them. But, in the meantime, he needs a pair of warm-up pants that he doesn't have to continuously hold up with one hand and that don't threaten to fall off and take his shorts with them whenever he needs two free hands. I found a pair of black Nike pants that I hope will fit and meet with The Son's approval. Cost: $16.99 (retail -- $40.00)

While looking through the menswear department, I found a nice Columbia fleece jacket that I thought The Son might approve of. His favorite spring/fall-weight jacket is now officially too small. But he's very partial to it and is reluctant to select a replacement. He has a new Columbia winter-weight jacket that we picked up from Burlington just before I started blogging but it's meant for cold days and is too heavy and bulky for merely crisp days. I made The Son try the new Columbia on before allowing him into the car after rehearsal -- if it had met with an immediate veto I was prepared to take it back immediately. It passed the first round of approvals. We'll let it sit around for a week or so without removing the tags to see if it's still a "go" or if it becomes a "no". Cost: $34.99 (retail -- $65.00)

As long as I was shopping, I did some planned birthday present hunting for my youngest nephew and godson. He's a skinny, petite little pistol and what he really wants are "swish" pants -- windbreaker athletic pants that make that "swish" noise when you walk. I found just the thing and in the right size too. Cost: $12.99 (retail @ $20.00)

As I was shopping I called my sister to confirm the little guy's size and see what else might be on his wish-list. It turns out that he's suddenly outgrown all of his undies and maybe his Auntie, shopper extraordinare that she is, could find some new ones. He'd expressed interest in boxers like the ones his older brother wears but upon trying them doesn't like all that extra fabric, etc. So his mom and I agreed that maybe he'd like boxer briefs. Sure enough, I found two packages in that usually-elusive littlest-boy size so I snapped them up at $5.99/package (retail -- $15.00/ea).

My final purchase was a nice hoodie sweatshirt branded with the local college football team's logo across the chest. This purchase was a bit of a might-have-to-be-returned risk, which I hate taking, but that's just the way it goes sometimes. I did call The Husband and ask his opinion but he was less than helpful. The intended recipient is The Husband's third son who is special needs and has a birthday later this month. The questions are 1) is it the right size and 2) does he need a hoodie? I tried calling The Husband's daughter because she'll know what size her brother wears and will have an educated guess as to whether or not a sweatshirt will be an appreciated gift but I couldn't get her on the phone. I'll try again tomorrow. Cost: $19.99 (retail @ $38.00).

Overall I'm extremely pleased with the items I found and the prices I paid but it sure is depressing to see how quickly it all adds up.

Day 66 (part 2)

2007-11-06T22:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry, forgot to include this expense in the previous post:

My Mom -- $25.00
Family. They can really complicate money matters, can't they?

Last Saturday, The Daughter and I stopped in at Target and picked up the new Pink CD as a birthday gift for my sister. I don't always buy my siblings birthday gifts; in fact, more often than not I just call and say hello on their birthdays (or, to be honest, I call and say happy belated birthday sometime during the 3 or 4 weeks around their birthdays). But every few years a gift idea presents itself somewhere in the vicinity of a sibling's special day and I surprise the heck out of them with an actual gift. [Not to look like a lousy sister or first-rate cheapskate here, this is general family policy among my family and one that we're all completely happy with.] This year a gift idea just happened to present itself a few days before this sister's birthday. So we bought the CD.

As luck would have it, the very next day my mom calls and asks if I have plans to give this sister a b-day gift. "Yes", I proudly report, "we bought her a CD." "Oh", says my mom. Uh oh. "Oh" isn't usually good coming from my mom. "Why, what's up?" I ask. Turns out that she and the other sister have agreed to go in on a series of dog training lessons and do I want in? Ugh. Suddenly things are complicated. Two reasons; no maybe three.

My mom is beyond broke and I know that she will fund this whole venture by herself if none of us will go in with her even though I know she can't even afford to think of buying this gift, much less actually doing so.
Of course I want to go in on the gift -- it's a nice present that my sister would really appreciate.
My sister really, really needs this gift as she and her family have recently adopted a puppy with the energy of a Tazmanian Devil and the size of a small horse.

So now I have a dilemma -- do I return the CD? Leave my sister and mom to fund the classes alone? Get both? And if I get both, what about the budget?

Well, you can see from the entry that I cut a check to my mom for $25 -- my 1/3 share of the total expense. But what you don't know is what I decided to do with the CD! Can you guess?

I took the matter to The Daughter. She was, naturally, disappointed. She really wants to give her auntie the CD; she knows she'll love it. First she decides that she'll buy the CD herself and send it to her aunt. I point out that her gift budget is gone. Then she says she has most of the good songs from it, she could just burn them. But she really doesn't want to because she knows it's illegal and unethical. As a mom trying to raise responsible citizens, how else can I react to that but with pride? Well, we could give it to her for Christmas -- except, as The Daughter points out, we usually only send family gifts, not individual gifts, and we're all pretty sure that this particular uncle won't have much interest in a Pink CD.

Well, we finally decided to give her the classes and the CD. That's pretty much what you get from me -- there might be 4 or 5 years of nothing but belated birthday phone calls and then, wham, one year I hit you with a cute greeting card, a gift certificate for dog training, and a new CD. Keep 'em guessing, that's my philosophy!

What would you have done? Any why?

Day 66

2007-11-06T22:12:00.000-07:00

Kroger -- $67.35

1.24 lbs. Coleman ground round -- $7.43
Applegate sliced turkey -- $4.99
Hillshire Farms ham -- $3.99
Hillshire Farms turkey -- $3.99
Dole Orange/Peach/Mango juice -- $3.34 (saved $0.35)
Dole Kiwi Strawberry juice -- $3.33 (saved $0.36)
Breyer's Oreo Cookie ice cream -- $2.50 (saved $3.19)
Nature's Path toaster pastry -- $3.00 (saved $0.49)
Nature's Path toaster pastry -- $3.00 (saved $0.49)
1.23 lbs. mixed nuts -- $3.68
bag of mini bagels -- $3.00 (saved $0.49)
Mariani dried mango slices -- $2.59
green onions -- $0.69
tomatoes -- $3.99
carrots -- $0.74
cucumber -- $0.99
zucchini -- $0.78
2 boxes Playtex tampons -- $5.99/ea. (saved $1.50/ea.)
Kroger cotton balls -- $1.19
bag credit ($0.15)

According to the reciept, I saved $8.37 with my preferred shopper card which is equivalent to 11% off the total.

Cash -- $4.00
Admission fee to The Son's first basketball game.

Day 65

2007-11-05T23:29:00.000-07:00

A rare occasion -- a "no spend" day! Of course, other than taking a walk with The Son, I didn't leave the house -- not even to pick up The Daughter from school because she stayed home sick today.

Tomorrow's going to make up for it though -- it's slated to be a crazy, busy day. It shouldn't end up being an expensive day though. Just a regular, run-of-the-mill day in the life of a suburban mom with an expense here and an expense there. All in a day's work ;-)

When is a Deal not a Deal?

2007-11-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

I've been making daily posts for just over two months but I've only been outlining detailed grocery pricing since October 18th.

After posting about yesterday's Wild Oats stock-up shopping trip, I took a quick look through some of my other more recent grocery posts. I wasn't surprised but was definitely a bit chagrined to find that even though I stuck to sale items yesterday and received an additional 10% off, I paid more for several items than I would have paid at my preferred grocery stores -- Kroger's and Vitamin Cottage.

I've decided to devote a page of my new pocket notebook to tracking grocery prices on our most commonly purchased items. Following is the data I've collected from a quick look back at the last two month's worth of receipts. I'll update during my next few grocery trips and fill in the blanks.

* indicates a store sale price but does not include the one-time 10% discount.

How do these prices compare to what you pay? Have you noticed big price differences between your local stores?

Day 64

2007-11-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

It appears that the stomach flu might be going around our house so I didn't get around to visiting both Wild Oats and Whole Foods -- just Wild Oats because it's on the way home from church. Once I was home I couldn't bring myself to leave the house again. I'd been planning on getting some meat and some of the Whole Foods house-brand pasta.

Church -- $15.00
Weekly Offering

Wild Oats -- $160.17

box of Ecover -- $5.29
2 cans of tuna -- $2.59/ea.
2 dozen Nest Fresh eggs -- $2.50/ea.
2 bags of Ricola throat drops -- $1.99/ea.
bag of Ricola cough drops -- $1.99
2 bags Pirate's Booty -- $1.99/ea.
Fruitabu fruit flats -- $3.49
Amy's Ziti bowl -- $3.99/ea.
2 cans organic pumpkin -- $2.29/ea.
twin pack Oscillococcinum -- $15.99
2 bags Barbara's cheese puffs -- $2.29/ea
white organic basmati rice -- $3.59
brown organic basmati rice -- $3.99
8 Pria energy bars -- $.89/ea.
Rudi's organic Mountain Oat bread -- $3.99
Rudi's organic Country White bread -- $3.99
4 envelopes Emergen-C -- $0.49/ea.
2 envelopes Emergen-C -- $0.39/ea.
2 boxes Kashi Cinnamon Harvest cereal -- $3.69/ea.
2 boxes Amy's pizza snacks -- $3.29/ea.
6 pounds Horizon organic butter -- $3.50/ea.
6 boxes organic spaghetti -- $1.99/ea.
6 packages Wild Oats tortillas -- $1.29/ea.
Annie's microwave Mac & Cheese 6-pk -- $4.29
O'coco's cookies -- $4.59
2 cans Bearitos refried pinto beans -- $1.69/ea.
4 boxes Annie's Shells & Cheddar -- $1.25/ea.
10% customer appreciation credit -- ($17.46)
bag credit -- ($0.20)

I'm pretty pleased with myself for sticking only to items that I knew we'd consume soon and, with the exception of the Pirate's Booty and cheese puffs, stayed away from fatty, salty snack foods. And other than the O'Coco's cookie-things, I stayed away from sugar. Both of my kids eat fairly healthily by choice (The Daughter is better than The Son but I'm hopeful) -- I do my best to control what comes into the house and then give them the freedom to choose what to eat and when. I'm very happy with the butter I've stockpiled at the price -- it can be frozen for up to 4 months but with the Holidays coming, there's no way it will sit there that long.

Introducing the Cast of Players

2007-11-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

I realized this morning that I haven't provided a much background info about myself or the other characters mentioned here frequently. I've posted a few small tidbits about me so far but nothing comprehensive. So, how about we get a little more personal? ;-)

The Husband
He's 72 years old. He's survived cancer twice. Now the first cancer is back. At this point the cancer is considered incurable and inoperable but the treatment he's currently receiving has slowed the growth rate of the cancer.

I am The Husband's second wife. He has four children with his first wife and has five grandchildren.

The Husband still works 7 days a week. He has a master's degree and had started working toward his PhD but never got a chance to finish. Now he's on his second career. He's always joked that if he were to retire, he'd become a hacker ;-) The truth is he works because he loves it all that retirement means to him is working for himself without the responsiblity of stockholders.

The Husband is the main bread-winner of the family. He makes a very modest annual salary as the president of his corporation. In addition, he receives his monthly social security benefit, a small pension from his first career, and a very small disability check from the government for injuries received during service.

Me
I'm 43. I'm a stay-at-home mom. I'm also a entrepreneur -- I used to be an eBay PowerSeller with annual sales of over $30,000 in my second year of business. When eBay took stores out of search results and then hiked fees by over 300%, I left. I now maintain stores on Wagglepop and eCrater but business is dead. In addition, I work full time from home for my husband's company and make a small but contributing salary. And I've been homeschooling for 10 years.

I was a poor student -- undiagnosed learning challenges. I have an Administrative Assistant certificate and paid my way through night school for a few years but don't have a college degree.

Three years ago I suffered a series of TIAs (small strokes). Recovery was difficult and slow. My cognitive abilities have recovered about 90-95%. I have sleep apnea, asthma, Fibromyalgia, and extensive food allergies. Oh, and half a thyroid and that half needs to come out soon.

The Daughter
She's a 15 year-old with a driver's permit and an attitude -- in other words, she's pretty normal.

The Daughter was homeschooled through 8th grade but decided that she wanted to attend high school and I gave in. Now she's a Sophomore in a small private school. She's a hard worker and a good student and very well liked.

At this point in life, she resents all of my parenting decisions. She has assured me that I am by far the strictest among all of her friends' parents.

Her wish list for her upcoming 16th birthday consists of: a car, a nose piercing, and a push-up bra. She's getting a camcorder. I hope that some day she will forgive me and know that all of my decisions came from love.

Despite our differences at this stage, our relationship is filled with a great deal of humor, love, and, I believe, mutual respect.

The Son
Normal isn't a word usually associated with The Son -- and that's just fine with him. He's bright and has a sharp wit; he's funny and adorable and as sweet as any 13-yo there ever was. At present, we're in the process of exploring whether or not he has Asperger's or whether he's simply quirky. It really doesn't matter to me; I just want what's best for him and I don't want to handicap his future -- he has a lot of offer the world.

The Son is still homeschooled and most likely will be homeschooled through high school. He does participate in a program for homeschoolers though our local school district. The children were both initially enrolled in the program three years ago when I was sick and it has served us well so The Son continues. The best part of the program is that he has access to a fabulous Spanish teacher and a full science lab.

other minor characters include:

The Tank
My 21st century version of a trusty steed; my big suburban-mama SAV (Suburban Assault Vehicle). It seats eight passengers with 3-point safety harnesses (shoulder-lap seat belts) with all but one of those seats also having a head rest. The Tank was purchased used in 2002 and has all sorts of fancy extras that we never would have paid for if we'd purchased the car new. I love it.

The grandchildren
The Husband's five grandchildren from his first four children.

The nieces and nephews
I have four nephews and two nieces -- the children of my three siblings.

Day 63

2007-11-03T22:17:00.000-06:00

Concessions -- $4.25

hot dog
soda
2 bottles water

Wild Oats -- $42.38

2 lbs Horizon organic butter -- $3.50/ea
1 gallon Horizon organic 2% milk -- $5.29
Fruitabu organic fruit flats -- $3.49
2 Amy's cheese & bean burritos -- $2.29/ea
2 Dr Okter's Brownie mix -- $2.00/ea
2 Dr Okter's oatmeal muffin mix -- $2.00/ea
FiberSmart capsules -- $16.00
10% discount (4.54)
bag credits (0.10)

Chipotle -- $4.21
Dinner for The Daughter on the way home from Regionals. Her team came in third so they will not be going to State. Too bad. But it was a great ride and they played their hearts out.

Target -- $22.14

Thank You card for school/team mate who provided a ride for The Daughter to practices and games
Happy Birthday card for my sister's upcoming 41st ;-)
new Pink CD for sister

Kroger -- $4.61 [purchased by The Husband]

Kroger Butter Pecan ice cream -- $2.00
Breyer's Strawberry ice cream -- $2.50

Wild Oats / Whole Foods Customer Appreciation Sale

2007-11-03T22:09:00.000-06:00

Wild Oats & Whole Foods shoppers! Wild Oats and Whole Foods are offering a 10% discount off all purchases made this weekend (Nov 3 & 4).

I stopped in quickly tonight to pick up just a few items and was thrilled when the cashier told me about the extra savings. I plan to go back tomorrow with a shopping list in-hand to take full advantage of the extra sale (extra, because a lot of their items on on sale right now -- butter, for example -- and then you save an extra 10% off your final total).

October Budget Overview

2007-11-03T11:45:00.000-06:00

It's been busy around here so my monthly overview/wrap-up took longer than I'd hoped. I wanted to make sure my numbers were as accurate as possible so I took the time to reconcile my YNAB budget with my three credit card accounts, Paypal, and my checking account before posting this overview.

This was my first whole month of using the YNAB software so I don't have any numbers to compare this data to. But I think it will prove an interesting and helpful baseline for the future. Included in my numbers are ALL of my expenses and whatever The Husband told me about or gave me copies of invoices/receipts for. I'm still working on introducing the YNAB budgeting software to The Husband; he's been very open to it but these things take time. What is not included in these numbers, then, are his everyday expenses like dry cleaning, groceries he buys (minimal), his prescriptions, gasoline in his car, car maintenance (which I know he did this month) and his lunches. I'd guess that his monthly undocumented expenses are in the $200-300 range.

So, are you ready for this? It's positively scary! I/We spent a total of $6,484.90 last month.

Here's the breakdown:

Auto Expenses -- $2,325.46

Insurance (Impreza, 6-mos.) -- $503.31
Gas -- $270.22
Loan -- $904.15
Maintenance, Repairs, Tires -- $647.78

Charity -- $87.32

Offerings -- $75.00
Miscellaneous -- $12.32

Food -- $783.03

Groceries -- $712.33
Eating Out -- $70.70

Gifts -- $90.42

Immediate family -- $37.86
my family -- $44.06
other -- $8.50

Household -- $169.36

Computer Software -- $39.95
Consumables -- $56.49
Durables -- $21.16
other -- $20.81
Postage, shipping, supplies -- $30.50

Housing -- $1,814.58

Improvements -- $174.48
Mortgage -- $1,640.10

The Son -- $37.88

Allowance -- $6.00
Clothing -- $31.88

Kids -- $338.43

Books & Materials -- $6.71
Equipment & Rentals -- $35.00
Lessons & Activity Fees -- $255.00
Other -- $41.72

The Daughter -- $255.13

Allowance -- $24.00
Clothing -- $101.47
Cosmetics -- $71.16
School Lunches -- $28.50

Medical/Health -- $96.14

Co-pays -- $25.00
Prescriptions -- $15.59
Vitamins/Supplements -- $71.04

Personal -- $224.16

Books & Music -- $54.41
my Clothing -- $86.12
Other -- $58.09
Toiletries -- $25.54

Recreation -- $52.28

Entertainment -- $52.28

Utilities -- $225.22

Gas & Electricity -- $96.58
Phone -- $128.64

I wonder how this compares to other families in our area. How do these numbers compare to your?