Andrea's Frugal Home

Wow, it's been SIX months......

......since I have blogged!  A lot of things have happened in six months, so I'll try to remember some of them and not bore you with ALL of the little mudane details....LOL.

Well, first things first.  I had to let go of the finances and let my husband take control.  I was doing horribly with the spending and not leaving enough $ to pay the monthly bills.  Now I get an allowance of $20 per week and even with that, I am not good at holding onto it.  I usually end up "eating" my money away because I like eating out.  I made some lasagna this weekend though and have some things to take for lunch next week, so my goal is to only spend half of that and save the other half for paying off bills, investing, or whatever else we need to do.  It would be nice to have the $ to go to the renaissance festival or hang out at greenfield village as a mini-vacation.  So, anyway, that is my goal.  To only spend HALF of my allowance!!!!

Second, Ken (DH) got a job!  He has only been there for about 3 weeks and is not sure how he will be able to handle 12 credits at school plus a FT job in the fall, but we are taking the money while he is working.  Unfortunately, we ran up one of our credit cards recently, so all of that $ he has made this month will be going towards paying that off.  We also had to have our garage re-sided because one of our negihbors called the city on us.  It WAS an eyesore.  So, anyway, we had to use about 1/2 of our savings on that and are going to build that fund back up before we do anyting else.  Ken has been doing pretty good with the money (better than me), and hopefully we will actually see some progress soon.  We seemed to be doing better with the spending before Ken got this job.  Hmmm.  We'll have to see how everything goes.

Third, my mom and grandma aren't doing so well, so I've been feeling bad about that.  My mom has colon cancer and has to undergo chemo treatments again.  My grandma is now in a therapy nursing home and it breaks my heart to see her there.  She is doing pretty good for the most part though.  She does her exercises and everything they ask her to do (well, mostly).

We still owe my parents a LOT of money, and I don't know if my mom will live long enough to see us pay it all back.  Her health isn't all that great right now.  We have started sending them a certain amount automatically each month just as a show of good faith, but I know it's not enough.  We are really in a pickle, you might say.....it seemed like we were trying to live more frugally when Ken wasn't working.  He will probably resign when school starts because we have been eating our money away with carryout and eating out.  It seems like the busier we are, the more we spend. 

Anyway, all is not bad here....I finished 2 more classes over the summer and I don't have to go back to school until September 24th.  I am going to be in school until 2010, so I need to figure something out with our eating and food. 

Well, that's about all I can think of for now....I've missed blogging!  I will try to be more faithful because I could really use working on some goals.  Somehow blogging keeps me accountble.

Until next time,

Andrea

New Discoveries

I recently discovered some different theories on weight loss that came as a surprise to me because I had never really heard of them before.  Since implementing them 2-3 weeks ago, I have lost 4-5 pounds without really trying!  

I heard of a book called the Fat Flush Plan (borrowed it from the library) which is a book that basically says if you take care of your liver's health, you will be more apt to lose weight.  This is because your body won't be working so hard to get rid of toxins and so forth, and will be able to metabolize fat, carbs and proteins better.  The actual eating plan in the book is a little *too* restrictive for me, but I have incorporated some of their ideas. 

First, I gave up caffeine and switched to Teeccino, which is a coffee substitute made from chickory, carob, barley and other things.  You can find it on Amazon or Teecchino.com.  In fact I gave up colas and chocolate, too.  It was difficult at first because I got those terrible caffeine headaches.  Later I learned the reason for those headaches: coffee actually restricts the flow of blood to the brain, and when you stop drinking caffeine, the blood starts flowing back there again, therefore giving you a headache.  Teeccino actually has some really *good* qualities about it, so it is a healthy drink.  I won't say it tastes *exactly* like coffee, but it has a good flavor all on its own (OK, I doctor it up with flavored creamers) LOL

Second, I started doing things to help my liver function better like drinking "cranberry water".  This is where you take 1/4-1/3 of 100% cranberry juice and mix it with water.  I also started taking flaxseed supplements, a B-complex vitamin, and a multivitamin.  There are some other supplement suggestions in the Fat Flush Plan, but I can't afford them right now...

Anyway, I am very motivated by losing the weight!  I haven't gotten to these numbers in a VERY long time(5+ years)  so I am happy! 

That's my update....I  hope someone found it helpful!

Andrea

Back with a Vengeance!

I have not posted on here for so long because I felt so ashamed.....my spending habits had gotten WAY out of control.  I had been on a frugal kick for a while, and then boom.  My resolve went out the window.  Ken has now taken over the finances and has cut up all of my credit cards.  That is a good thing in my opinion.  Even the debit cards gave me the false sense that I had money.  EEK!

The good news is we have a few big checks coming to us for various reasons.  Our taxes, student loan refunds, and tuition reimbursements will enable us to pay off our new car!   That will give us some breathing room and allow us to snowball $400 on to other things each month AND stick wihtin our budget.  We won't be rich by any stretch, but we will be doing OK and at least living within our means.

One thing I have been doing to cut down costs is making my own Bisquick mix.  Their recipes are usually pretty easy to follow, but a box of Bisquick is very costly.  So, I make a recipe I found on the internet and use that in place of the Bisquick in various recipes.  For some reason, it just makes everything I make with it seem like a special treat.  I made blueberry muffins today!  They were VERY good!!!

I guess you could say I'm living life more "simply" again, and for that I am grateful.  There's nothing worse than going out and spending a gob of cash and not know how you're going to pay for it.  Lesson learned!!

Tonight is game night......Ken and I are going to play a few games of Phase 10 dice and then some Triominos.  I just feel blessed to have my home, a roof over my head, heat, food, food for my pets, etc.  It's amazing that we had to lose almost everything to make me come to my senses.  But, now we are working our way out of debt again......I am most thankful for that!

Well, that's a start on my update....I will write more soon....right now, I need to make a batch of laundry detergent!

Andrea

Holiday Fever

Well, it's just about time to start thinking about the holidays, isn't it?  Since we are living off of only one income, Christmas is going to be a little tricky this year.  Luckily, when I was in my early 20's, I was doing home parties selling lingerie (why, I'll never know...LOL).  Anyway, now I have a few pieces left from my sample collection (never worn) that I can give away as really nice gifts.  I have 6 nightgowns that I can give to my 4 nieces, sister and sister-in-law.  That just leaves the guys.  It has always been a challenge buying for them in the past, but then add in the fact that now we have very little income to buy with.  So, anyway, to make a long story short, I've been looking at some MYO gifts for the guys....things like shaving cream, after shave, etc.  I think they would even like some homemade beer which DH makes on occasion.  Just something small to let them know we are thinking of them.  It would be really nice in the future if our family were to adopt another family for Christmas and just buy a few gifts for them.  I think we all have enough "stuff" in our lives that doing something for someone less fortunate would be a good idea.  I'll have to mention that this year for next year and see how it goes over. 

I've been having troubles sleeping at night...I think it may have to do with some of the medication I am taking.  It's like when I wake up, I don't feel rested (even if I've been in the bed for 10-12 hours).  I don't know how people with chronic insomnia survive because it now affects everything I do!  I'm too tired to do this and that, and my eyes are always puffy and tired looking.  I have a consultation with a sleep specialist next week, so we'll see how that goes.  I don't know if I have sleep apnea or if it is just a combination of the medications I am taking.  Oh well, I should have an answer and a resolution SOON!

Well, I'd better skedattle and get my homework done....I'm a little behind in my class and need to get cracking!!!

See you next time....

Going out of my mind!!!

I am taking an accellerated 6-credit course in statistics....6 credits in 6 weeks!  Not only that, but the class is online so I don't have the luxury of having someone explain this stuff to me.  I'd say that 90% of it is in my attitude though.......if anyone even mentions the "S" word (statistics, that is), I burst into tears!  LOL  I need this class in order to take the other classes, so it's not like I can skip out on it.  I'm currently looking for a tutor in the area....I hope it doesn't cost too much!!

Other than going out of my mind with statistics class, things are going fairly well.  For some reason, today was one of those days where I just felt so "human" (as in "we all make mistakes" sort of human).  I don't know why, but I was just feeling all regretful over mistakes I have made in the past.  Somehow I get the illusion in my head that I am better than I really am...like at work......I have made some major mistakes lately and even though I do a good job, those mistakes seem to stand out like a sore thumb and overshadow all of the good things.  And I wonder why they are not promoting me!   Hmph!  I think one of the issues is that they have foisted so much work on me, that it's difficult to NOT make a mistake.  But then again, I could just be really flawed and not facing up to reality. 

So, the long and short of it.....everything seems to be spiraling out of control and I'm just flying along at warp speed by the seat of my size 22 pants!  My weight is out of control, finances, school, work, relationships.......and I have no one to blame but ME!

I have to get a grip and figure out what it a priority.....figure out what all of this really means.

Anyway, thank you if you've read this far......until next time.........

Wow! I can't believe....

I can't believe it's been over a month since I've updated my blog!  I have to admit, I have fallen off the wagon a few times with my spending.  It is just so difficult to stick within budget on one income that a part of me just gave up.  We don't even make enough for our monthly expenses, so how can we possibly live within budget?  I guess credit would be the answer, but it's not a good solution whatsoever!  Especially when I owe my parents so much money it is ridiculous!  Add to that the fact that I have been maxed out with school, and time has been limited.  So, what do I propose to do?  Well, I can't say that I've TOTALLY given up on the frugal lifestyle.  It's just that we seem to be in a situation where extreme frugality is causing so much pain.  It's not that I don't WANT to be frugal, but when you are barely scrimping by and it's STILL not enough, well, I don't know what the solution is.  I am going to take a good hard look at things again and see where the budget stands.  My husband will be getting a job next semester, and I'm hoping we can float by just being careful.  It is a bit discouraging, however...

I keep thinking about our future.  Once we get through school we will be in a better place financially, but that won't happen for another 6 years.  If I don't reign in the spending now, we will not have learned anything from our recent financial experiences and things will look even more grim later....I have to get a grip and get it together!

Until next time.....

Andrea

It's been a while...

It's been a while since I've written again.....school started back up and it's a 6 credit class in 6 weeks which is going to be challenging to say the least.  I am going to Baker Online for my bachelors in Human Resource Managment.  I really like it so far, but the thing is with online classes is that you have to be REALLY disciplined!  Assignments are due on the same days every week and you must participate in the school's message board 5 out of 7 days a week minimum.  Baker really wants you to participate every single day!  I try to stick to that rule as much as possible so I can get a better grade.  ;)

I don't know what's wrong with me lately, but I've been on a spending spree.  :(  I feel like a person who went on a diet and then binged.  So, I'm trying to rein myself in a little and knock off the spending.  I think I just went too long with out spending money that it felt a little like deprivation.  I will make sure not to go too long next time so I don't go off the deep end again!

Ken and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary yesterday which was nice!  We went to a little restaurant in Detroit and had great conversations and great food!  It is nice to reach this milestone, as I cannot imagine my life without Ken....

Well, I'm off to do some cleaning and studying.  Thanks for reading!!!

My day off...

I had the day scheduled off from work for a doc's appointment but it was cancelled.  So, what did I do with my day?  I SLEPT!  I woke up at 9 a.m., fell asleep at Noon, then woke up at 5 p.m.!!!  EEK!!!  I do have to say that I feel better for all of the rest I received today....it just seems like what my body really needed!

It wasn't a totally unproductive day, however.  I did a load of dishes and shucked some corn for freezing.  We were able to get 2 large bags of corn for only $1.89 at the farmer's market...YES!  I LOVE deals like that!  This will be our first time freezing vegetables...in fact this is the first year we have canned and frozen things.  It has been really nice!  Plus, I have the good feeling of knowing exactly what is in my food this winter!  Of course, we are getting the reputation of being Ma and Pa Kettle because of it, but I don't mind!!!

Things are going a little better at work, but I'm just taking things one day at a time.  I think working in an office of women has its particular challenges because our moods fluctuate sometimes and they aren't always in sync with each other.

Well, I'm off to snap some green beans!  We were able to get a huge bucket for $1 at the farmer's market....whohoo!!!  LOL

Andrea

Been away for a while....

I haven't been been writing in my blog for a few days because I caught a head cold from somewhere.  No telling where I caught it, but because I work at the airport, I am always susceptible (sp?) to things.  It is almost over, though, so I thought I would write for a while...I even gave it to my DH and he is already over his!  Not fair!  LOL

Ken's first week of school went very well!  He LOVES it!  That was the whole argument with my mom was all about....she wanted Ken to get a job instead of going to school.  Well, at first she said it would be OK for him to go to school, but then she changed her mind for some reason.  And since we owe them a lot of money, her opinion matters.  He does work part time doing computer jobs, but those are pretty sporatic.  Although, he can make in a few hours what he could make in a week or two working part time, so I don't know if getting a part time job would even be worth it.  Suffice it to say that we will be doing our best to snowball everything and get my parents paid back as soon as possible!!!

It has been a pretty laid back day so far....I haven't been feeling 100% and have been trying to take it easy.  I did run the vacuum earlier, but that just about did me in!  haha  I wish there was something entertaining to do, but when you're sick, I guess rest is the best possible answer.

A couple of days last week I had some major panic attacks....in fact, I thought I was having a heart attack the first time it happened!  I went to the doctor and had an EKG done and it isn't my heart.....is all because of some silliness going on at work that I won't bore you with, but let's just say that some people I work with are kind of jealous of me for going to school and the fact that I will finish before they will.  I have always been encouraging to these people, but they have now turned things around and made it a toxic envionment for me at work.  So, I am TRYING to ignore it for the time being and not let it get to me.  Gosh, if we could afford it, I would LOVE to stay at home.  But, since I am the major breadwinner and a source of insurance, I'd better stay put.  I just hate how these people have attempted to make me miserable.  Oh well, shame on me if I let them!

The sun is peeking out now, so I will take a short walk outside....I'm sure the fresh air will do me some good!!!

Andrea

Laid Back Labor Day

Today has been one of the most laid-back days on record!!!  Here it is after 1:30 and I'm still in my jammies!  Oh well, I'm just going to enjoy it and not try to over-analyze it.....

We had a fun time at the Renaissance Fair, although I was in pain by the end of the day.  My ankles were swollen by the time we got home and I found out I had been bitten by something.  Ugh!  Between my back, hips, legs and ankles, I had to take an Ibuprofin just to feel good enough to sleep.

Today our niece is coming over for dinner....she is going through a rough time right now and doesn't even have her basic clothing, food, and shelter needs being met.  Plus, she has a 5 month old baby named Dylan who needs her.  She doesn't have a sitter so she cannot go to work right now.  She has been a part of the poverty cycle for a while now, and since things are tight for us as well, it's going to be hard to help her out.  We are going to offer for her to stay with us, but who knows what she will do.  As much as I want to help, we are trying to save up for baby step #1 and move forward in our own financial freedom.  We'll see what happens when she comes over today....we can at least send her home with a little food.

Well, this typing is tiring me out, LOL, so I will get back to being LAZY! 

Andrea

Renaissance Festival Day Trip

Tomorrow is our big vacation day trip...we are going to go to the Renaissance Fair and spending the day with friends.  Trouble is, it is supposed to rain in the a.m....but that should create the makings of a good old muddy time!  I just won't wear my good walking shoes, but will wear an older pair in case it really IS muddy there!  Hopefully the crowds will be at a minimum because they aren't stupid enough to go there in the rain......we've been there before in the rain......and I think it really adds something "different" to the experience....LOL.

Yesterday evening, I went to my brother's house for his 50th birthday party.  I wish I had stayed late enough for him to open up all of his gifts, but when I left at 11 p.m., the party was just getting started.  I gave my brother a very expensive gift that didn't cost me a dime!  You see, I volunteered here in Detroit for some of the Super bowl festivities, and because I was a volunteer, they gave me an "Ambassador" jacket.  So, since we are about the same size, I decided to give it to him for his birthday because, frankly, it doesn't do much for me (not into sports) and I knew he would like it.  Sure enough he did!  The jackets were worth $200, so it wasn't a cheap gift at all!  In fact, he could probably sell it for that much on ebay.  But, hopefully, he will wear it and enjoy it....

Well, I guess I should really get to bed as tomorrow morning will come early.....I have been sleeping off and on a better part of the day because of the rainy weather and not feeling well.  Hopefully I will wake up on time tomorrow for the festivities at the Renaissance fair!

Andrea

On High Fructose Corn Syrup and other Ramblings

I have been reading about the dangers of eating High Fructose Corn Syrup for a while now, and yesterday (since I was home and had time on my hands), I decided to do some researching on the subject.  Well, everything that I read confirmed my suspicions!  It is soooo bad for you!  So, as a measure for my health (AND my weight--I'm 100 pounds overweight), we decided to get rid of everything in the house with HFCS in it!  From now on I will read the labels before I bring anything into the house to make sure it doesn't have it in it.  Now we can make homemade meals which will hopefully help our health AND Our wallet!

I got so much done yesterday, and even had time for soapmaking....I just bought the supplies yesterday and I had a BALL with it!  I also made some wine glass charms for my brother's 50th birthday coming up.  So, all in all yesterday was a good day.

I finally called my mom yesterday and we talked for a few minutes.  I could tell that she felt just as hurt as I did, but I didn't bring up the conflicting subject and neither did she.  I hope as time goes by that we will both heal from this and be able to have a better relationship. 

Well, it's time to pull more weeds....the weather is PERFECT for it.....feels like it is in the 70's.  Yeah!

Andrea

A Fresh, NEW Day!

The Sleepytime Tea worked wonders last night, and I am feeling relaxed and rested today.  I have a few days off from work, and I plan on getting lots done as well as having some fun! 

Today DH and I will be working outside on the grass and pulling weeds.  Not much fun, but it has to be done.  Then later, I am going to take my dog in for his overdue shots....again, not much fun, but definitely necessary.  Hopefully tomorrow we can plan a day out of the house for a little while as well as do housework.  I don't normally like to have a "working vacation," however, I am getting ready to go back to school and I need the house to be in order so I can keep up with it and manage it when school is in session.  On Friday, we are taking a day trip up to Holly, MI for the Renaissance Festival which should be LOADS of fun!  We always enjoy it there.  Since it will be our only "vacation" this year, I am going to make the most of it!  We are meeting up with some friends there, so that will make it even more special!

Well, I'd better get out there and pull some weeds!  Since it has been raining the last few days, it should make them easier to pull.  Today seems like the perfect day for it....a little sun, some fresh air with a breeze.....I'll put my headphones on and it will be done in NO time!

Andrea

Sipping Sleepytime Tea

I didn't sleep a wink last night, and I have a feeling I'm not going to sleep well again tonight because I have been just tossing and turning for the last hour.  I was going to take an Advil PM, however, it says not to take it if you have high blood pressure.  Since I am taking meds for high BP, I didn't think that would be a good idea to take one.  So, here I sit sipping a nice hot cup of Sleepytime tea.  Hopefully that will do the trick and I can get some rest!  I guess this whole thing with my parents is really starting to take its toll!

I have the rest of the week off from work which I am very much looking forward to......I plan on getting some things done around the house, and having some fun moments in there as well with DH.  One good thing about this incident with my parents, is that DH is more on board than ever to getting them paid back as quickly as possible.  Not that he wasn't eager to pay it back before, but now he is Gazelle intense like me.  It helps being on the same page....so, starting next month, we will begin the re-payment plan.

This tea is finally starting to kick in....I'll write more tomorrow............

Andrea

Saddened, but not Surprised

I don't even know where to begin this entry......a little background on my situation....my parents very graciously bailed us out a couple of months ago with our credit card bills as a loan to keep us from filing for bankruptcy.  The PROBLEM is that now every time we don't do everything according the THEIR plan, there are aggravations and confrontations. 

I know that Dave Ramsey has always said that borrowing from family makes the relationship take on that of a master/slave, but for SOME odd reason, I never thought it would happen to us.  Well, today the stuff hit the fan and now our relationship is very strained with my parents.

What we are going to do, I am not sure at this point, but I know we need to get them paid back ASAP!  I can't have this thing looming over my head like this.  We are going to look at loan options and hopefully can come up with something agreeable....I just HATE this!

Sorry, I'm not usually so negative, but it makes me angry that my parents have tried to bulldoze over us ever since they loaned us the money.  Well, I guess I learned a valuable lesson which I will never forget.

Andrea

False Economy!

Well, here's the story.....I usually go to an Aveda salon that costs $25 for a haircut and I usually tip $5 for a total of $30.  I USED to get my hair colored there too and spend over $100 plus tip, but I started coloring my own hair now and so all I really need is a nice haircut now.

Anyway, I thought I would try the Aveda Institute in Ann Arbor which is about 40 minutes away from here.  They use the same Aveda products, but you can get the Aveda students to cut your hair for only $15.  The problem with that is that I spent about $7 in gas there and back, $1.60 in parking, and an hour and a half sitting in the chair getting my hair cut.  So, long story short, it was a false economy, because I only saved $6 and it cost me three hours in time just to get a haircut!

So, next time I will just go to the regular Aveda salon and get my hair cut every 6 weeks.  At least it is only 5 minutes down the road and doesn't take nearly as much time!

Lesson learned!

Andrea

First Journal Entry

This is my first journal entry....where do I begin?  My husband and I are following the Dave Ramsey path to financial freedom and we are living a more frugal lifestyle.  We had gotten ourselves into a pretty good financial mess and have barely begun the program, but we are finding so many ways to live within or below our means which gives me reason to HOPE!

Last night we canned tomatoes for the first time....talk about a lot of WORK!  haha  But, it will be sooooo worth it when we can open up a fresh can of juicy, ripe Romas in the middle of winter!  We worked out a good deal with our neighbor next door....we shared the cost of the seeds for the garden and he did most of the tending to the garden since that is not yet our "thing".  Well, our job was to can the tomatoes and make things like fresh salsa, zucchini bread, etc. with the goods from the garden and share it with the neighbor.  It has worked out beautifully!  I love having a "shared" garden!  We are happy and our neighbor is just as happy because he is more of a gardener my husband is the cook.  I would recommend it to ANYONE!!!

Well, I will write more later on my frugal haircut which I am getting ready to go to.  If the experiment works, I will post more about it later...

Andrea