OK I was looking at September expenses and thanks to a credit when I came off the budget billing for the utilities September will be an almost easier month to get through. The bad part is that the difference is going to have to be used to pay other bills.
The good news is that my light bill was only $125 this month, and I only have to pay $36. The bad news is that the check for my car insurance never made it this month so next month I have to pay an additional fee of $15 for the reinstate. It's a good thing that I realized that since it's required by law to have insurance and last I heard a $500 fine went with it.
The financial aid for ABA is officially gone, the therapy costs me $55 a week for an hour session. That's taking a toll on my budget. A four week month = $220, a five week month = $275 which is taking a toll on my other needs for the house and the child. That's a lot to spend but it's worth it, it's sad that I cannot afford more.
Theresa has informed me that she does not need ice cream money but she does need snack money for school. Apparently she doesn't want to take her own snack, she likes getting it at school. I may just buy her a thermos and get her fruit cups and chips to take with her depending on her mood. She likes getting to eat breakfast at the school.
I managed to work out my schedule so that I will work while she's at school and during the week after she's in bed. The weekends provided it's not raining are for cleaning the yards. I am attempting to cut back to normal hours without going broke.
I have a book to finish, so now I am going to go work on it some more since it's too hot outside. In fact coming in from the heat gave me chills. So now it's time to hydrate before going back out. I need to cut more grass but the gas ran out. There is a riding more for sale for $125. I'm not sure it will fit into my budget, I'm going to see if I can manage to get it to though.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Extra Expenses of the School Year
Yes, Summer ends in less than a week. Actually Summer Vacation ends, I'm so far South I only know two seasons. Summer and Winter.
I have most of the school supplies. I'm missing one of the writing tablets that the kid needs to make it through the school year. School lunches to buy, or pack. No idea which one is cheaper, but I know which one is less of a headache.
I'm redoing my budget, still and yet again to include the school year. My shoes are over a year old, the short kid she needs new shoes. The pair I bought her to wander around during the summer, they don't have laces. Not very effective for meeting a shoe tying goal. She has another pair but they have leather laces and come untied at will, theirs not yours.
There are a couple things off the supply list that have not been bought yet.
The biggest problem I am having at the moment is with paydays being late. This led to a drastic decision. I am no longer writing for anyone else without Escrow, and I will not be working weekends. If I can not do it in a five day 40 hour maximum work week it does not get done.
I have most of the school supplies. I'm missing one of the writing tablets that the kid needs to make it through the school year. School lunches to buy, or pack. No idea which one is cheaper, but I know which one is less of a headache.
I'm redoing my budget, still and yet again to include the school year. My shoes are over a year old, the short kid she needs new shoes. The pair I bought her to wander around during the summer, they don't have laces. Not very effective for meeting a shoe tying goal. She has another pair but they have leather laces and come untied at will, theirs not yours.
There are a couple things off the supply list that have not been bought yet.
The biggest problem I am having at the moment is with paydays being late. This led to a drastic decision. I am no longer writing for anyone else without Escrow, and I will not be working weekends. If I can not do it in a five day 40 hour maximum work week it does not get done.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Savings Account in Sight
OK it's a bit difficult but I can see my savings account coming into sight once again. I only need $50 to reopen the account. I'm checking to see what the monthly expenses are now and just how much I would need to keep in it to cover the bills for two and three months at a time without having to worry if I was working enough. There are some items that would have to be stocked up on first. The goal is to reopen savings while making much needed repairs to be able to take a few days off a week for various household projects.
A new front door is in the works yet again. This time it'll be the one I actually want it to be. I think that I can make the one here work a little bit longer until I can come up with the money for the new one. I have to go out and price the new one and the delivery of it, and that is a must since the only thing here is a car.
There is the small matter of the loan on the car and the fact that the clutch on the truck is not functioning properly at the moment. That is added worry right now. The good news is that the weekend was pleasant enough to open the windows and leave the air off. That's going to be a big help at keeping the light bill down below an overage amount this year.
The cheapest gas in town (according to the site I check before going to buy gas) is currently $3.71 a gallon. The cheapest that I will come in contact with without going out of the way is $3.73 a gallon. The highest gas is $3.89 a gallon. Summer is not looking promising for me to get shorty to therapy five days a week. I don't know how I did it with $4 a gallon gas last year.
Well, I'll worry about gas prices later. I need to go make yet another spreadsheet and hope I don't mess up anything in this one.
A new front door is in the works yet again. This time it'll be the one I actually want it to be. I think that I can make the one here work a little bit longer until I can come up with the money for the new one. I have to go out and price the new one and the delivery of it, and that is a must since the only thing here is a car.
There is the small matter of the loan on the car and the fact that the clutch on the truck is not functioning properly at the moment. That is added worry right now. The good news is that the weekend was pleasant enough to open the windows and leave the air off. That's going to be a big help at keeping the light bill down below an overage amount this year.
The cheapest gas in town (according to the site I check before going to buy gas) is currently $3.71 a gallon. The cheapest that I will come in contact with without going out of the way is $3.73 a gallon. The highest gas is $3.89 a gallon. Summer is not looking promising for me to get shorty to therapy five days a week. I don't know how I did it with $4 a gallon gas last year.
Well, I'll worry about gas prices later. I need to go make yet another spreadsheet and hope I don't mess up anything in this one.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Milestones
OK I received a small milestone payment for my project today that I am trying to leave instead of transferring to paypal for use until I absolutely need it. If I leave it at Elance then the balance will build and I can use it to purchase something that I need. What do I need?
I need either a capacity for the control panel on the well or the box thingy itself. I am not sure which one. I also need a down payment or rather the full amount to cover an automobile to replace my Rodeo since I can no longer drive it. That is creating a bit of a problem.
I'm looking forward to the settle up month for the light bill so far. I have a credit of $400 so far which means that I could have more money in my pocket one month this summer than I otherwise would have. I am also looking at the fact that my next tax return should not be reduced as much as this one was. I am thinking that my divorce fees can be taken out of this project as long as I put up a small amount toward it each month.
I am thinking that I'll start my transfers once a month, or I could simply transfer this small payment now and use it to reopen my savings account. I'm thinking because it will cover my phone bill next month and Internet. As a matter a fact I am thinking I will go ahead and transfer money from checking to savings for it.
OK I'm going now.
I need either a capacity for the control panel on the well or the box thingy itself. I am not sure which one. I also need a down payment or rather the full amount to cover an automobile to replace my Rodeo since I can no longer drive it. That is creating a bit of a problem.
I'm looking forward to the settle up month for the light bill so far. I have a credit of $400 so far which means that I could have more money in my pocket one month this summer than I otherwise would have. I am also looking at the fact that my next tax return should not be reduced as much as this one was. I am thinking that my divorce fees can be taken out of this project as long as I put up a small amount toward it each month.
I am thinking that I'll start my transfers once a month, or I could simply transfer this small payment now and use it to reopen my savings account. I'm thinking because it will cover my phone bill next month and Internet. As a matter a fact I am thinking I will go ahead and transfer money from checking to savings for it.
OK I'm going now.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Heat, Water and Groceries
I have heat, actually I have two tower space heaters in my living room to keep us warm as a family. The breakers were replaced on the unit and now it is in need of new duct work. My mommy is making that my Christmas present instead of the cash to spend as I pleased that she originally planned. I would still be hunting a tank for my well but I do have clean, running water even if I have to go turn it on every hour or so. I have vegetables in my cabinet, that's food. Now to get a gallon of milk before the kid has a fit. Never knew that to be an emergency then I had the little blonde kid.
Now to figure out my Internet for the rest of the month. I may leave it off for a couple of weeks. I haven't decided yet. This is going to be an interesting month. That and one bill that costs $20 is all there is left to pay. I have to buy washing soda next month to make another batch of laundry detergent. It's easier with the Ivory soap since I switched us to that because of it's lack of perfumes.
I have to print out those lined writing pages for the little one tomorrow while she's in school. I get to start looking at well tanks and pricing them all over again. I also get to look at the instructions to put one in. I think given recent events I'll look for window units that have heating on them as well to put in the house.
Well, I have figures to go over. My divorce would be on the back burner for the moment as a few more details are ironed out so I don't need the filing fees just yet.
Now to figure out my Internet for the rest of the month. I may leave it off for a couple of weeks. I haven't decided yet. This is going to be an interesting month. That and one bill that costs $20 is all there is left to pay. I have to buy washing soda next month to make another batch of laundry detergent. It's easier with the Ivory soap since I switched us to that because of it's lack of perfumes.
I have to print out those lined writing pages for the little one tomorrow while she's in school. I get to start looking at well tanks and pricing them all over again. I also get to look at the instructions to put one in. I think given recent events I'll look for window units that have heating on them as well to put in the house.
Well, I have figures to go over. My divorce would be on the back burner for the moment as a few more details are ironed out so I don't need the filing fees just yet.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Heat Must Have Heat
OK the tantrums of the central unit led to turning the heat off in the middle of an usually cold winter. I'm sure we've had colder but I don't remember when. We would be dressing warmer. I must have jogging pants, they're warmer. Little bit needs more stockings, I have to layer her. She's small and likes to strip, the more clothes I have on her the warmer she will be. The half dozen comforters on her bed along with her little blanket sleepers seem to keep her nice and toasty at night. The only upside to not having the heat on is the lowering of the light bill is sure to follow.
Now to price space heaters and research the new safety features. Not that I would dare leave one on while I was sleeping or laying down for that matter out of fear of falling asleep. There are cats here, cats are curious and well they don't understand not to tip things over. I have also decided that there are too many televisions in this house. My living room has two, one for watching and one for the kiddo to play her video games on (the picture only cooperates for the games) and one in my bedroom. There are two more unplugged sitting in the floor of the spare room, one of those used to be in the little ones room so that she could have a show from her favorite DVD's at bedtime to put her to sleep.
That is just one of several bedtime rituals used to break a previous ritual that then had to be broken. Strangely it was one of the easiest to break. Now I need to go plan tomorrow's attempts at work and research space heaters. I also need to take some measurements. I may be in need of room dividers to keep the heat contained to specific areas that we are actually using.
Now to price space heaters and research the new safety features. Not that I would dare leave one on while I was sleeping or laying down for that matter out of fear of falling asleep. There are cats here, cats are curious and well they don't understand not to tip things over. I have also decided that there are too many televisions in this house. My living room has two, one for watching and one for the kiddo to play her video games on (the picture only cooperates for the games) and one in my bedroom. There are two more unplugged sitting in the floor of the spare room, one of those used to be in the little ones room so that she could have a show from her favorite DVD's at bedtime to put her to sleep.
That is just one of several bedtime rituals used to break a previous ritual that then had to be broken. Strangely it was one of the easiest to break. Now I need to go plan tomorrow's attempts at work and research space heaters. I also need to take some measurements. I may be in need of room dividers to keep the heat contained to specific areas that we are actually using.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Slow, slow, slow
That's how work is going but slow is better than none. I took the time to label some envelopes for various needs and wants. I don't know why but seeing a bank balance increase does nothing for me. Cash, cash does something for me. It's like math, it's just numbers to me but money I can see it I can feel it and I can spend it. I do much better figuring out how much money I need than I do with even the most basic math problem. The things I do to earn in my spare time (whatever that is), usually when I can't think to write is not being spent until it absolutely has to be.
There were envelopes for Auto Repairs, Household repairs, Vacation (like I'll ever take one), therapy supplies (yes we go through a lot of them and little one enjoys it), school supplies (uniforms are mandatory), clothes for me (desperate need), renovations, storage supplies, emergency expenses, the youngest two children's birthdays, Christmas 2012, and New Car. When the car envelope gets enough a new savings account dedicated to it, insurance and maintenance will be opened. That is the only way to keep up with it and not spend it since it has to be a rather large amount it is safer not to keep it in the house.
I need to make an investment in a fire proof lock box. I have a fire proof box but the lock is broken, not much good in the event of a fire. I know I can put off the purchase of anything major besides the new car since my homeowners insurance is non-existent at the moment. Now to figure out how much goes in each one. I get to make lists now. Each envelope gets its own list.
My well will get its own envelope too. I fear it needs an electrician or a miracle one. I'm hoping it's not in need of an electrician, they cost a lot. I'm just far enough out that even a typical visit is a bit high just for them to pull in my driveway.
There were envelopes for Auto Repairs, Household repairs, Vacation (like I'll ever take one), therapy supplies (yes we go through a lot of them and little one enjoys it), school supplies (uniforms are mandatory), clothes for me (desperate need), renovations, storage supplies, emergency expenses, the youngest two children's birthdays, Christmas 2012, and New Car. When the car envelope gets enough a new savings account dedicated to it, insurance and maintenance will be opened. That is the only way to keep up with it and not spend it since it has to be a rather large amount it is safer not to keep it in the house.
I need to make an investment in a fire proof lock box. I have a fire proof box but the lock is broken, not much good in the event of a fire. I know I can put off the purchase of anything major besides the new car since my homeowners insurance is non-existent at the moment. Now to figure out how much goes in each one. I get to make lists now. Each envelope gets its own list.
My well will get its own envelope too. I fear it needs an electrician or a miracle one. I'm hoping it's not in need of an electrician, they cost a lot. I'm just far enough out that even a typical visit is a bit high just for them to pull in my driveway.
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