Friday, February 22, 2013

Messed up

Okay, I messed up big time.  I was putting purchases in my checking account like I used my debit card.  Actually I had used my mastercard.  Duh no wonder I couldn't get it to balance.

Sunday Goals Update

Updated my goals from two Sunday's ago.  Making progress, slow but steady.

Financial Friday

This week was super unproductive.

02/16 - Won $30 at the casino (husband's money)

2/22 - Bid on some used stuff from work.  Really don't care if I get any of it but definitely have people who can use older computers, a file cabinet that was never used and my son-in-law wants to write a book on a typewriter, so I bid $2.00 on one.  Like I said I really don't care if I get any of it, nothing necessary but in total if I win everything it will be less than $20.

2/22 - Worked a 40 hour week, no overtime :(

2/22 - Got paid with 3 hours of overtime from the last two weeks :)

I am still waiting for my Mastercard bill before I make my payments.  I need to cover both minimum payments and then decide what to do with the extra.

Gave my son an advance on his tax return money.  He owes me $200.00.

Also today made my son go apply for a job.  He goes to college full time and is doing very well but he can still put in some time for a job and stop whining about having to watch his money.  He has a nice sum in savings but I won't let him have it, mean I know.  If he had access he would piss it away, doesn't really have the concept of eating at school for free (already paid for) versus going out for a pizza which would taste so much better.  If he wants to go out, he works.

Tonight will make a desert for a funeral tomorrow.  A good friend from church, her mother passed away this week, sad week.  Tomorrow will be hard.  I'm glad I can help.

Am looking at a possible new full time position.  I would continue working where I am for as long as I can keep it up.  The combination of the two would be most advantageous in keeping this bill paid off much quicker.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Spaghetti

Off to church to make spaghetti for 100 people.  Fundraiser tomorrow for the Haiti trip.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Financial Friday

My Friday blog posting is boring although probably the most exciting for me.  Financially this week was really good.

2/10 - Went to the city and went shopping (this was not good other than I used my debit card and really didn't spend over $200.00)
2/11 received withholding error from work $417.00 ($400.00 in checking)
2/12 - Extra payment $500.00 to American Express
2/12 - Won $11.00 at the casino (only gamble with husband's money)
2/12 - Received notice of payment due on Am Ex ($286.12 interest :(  Credit card payment is out of next check on the 22nd for both MC and Am Ex).
2/15 - Extra payment to Am Ex of $400.00 from withholding error.

Final customer on 4th book sold on E-bay has paid so will get that mailed tomorrow.  This weekend will be busy listing more items, a large volume.  Also I have decided that to really get going on this goal and get these two credit cards paid off I need a part-time job.  My dilemma is to figure out if I should get one now or wait until mid April.  My thinking is I will be gone 10 days in March and a week the first of the month in April.  I hate to take a job, even though they would know up front upon hiring, and then miss time.   I need to decide by Saturday a time line.

Does anyone out there know a good tickler to use for keeping track of balances on credit cards?

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Yarn Along and Reading

Still working on the same book, Minding Frankie.  Just not into reading as much as I am enjoying knitting.  Maybe it is a weather thing, maybe it is just a I like to knit thing.  Who knows.

I am trying to get my finances into check.  Love to spend money and even though I realized that I was spending more than I should I chose to do nothing about it and ended up having a balance much higher on my credit cards than I should  have.  In my efforts to not spend money I am knitting from my stash and pulling out older projects that are WIPs.  I wish I was monogamous with my knitting but I'm not.  There are always at least 4-5 projects going at a time.

The project that I have decided to try to complete is a Kaffe Fassett scarf I started a very long time ago, maybe 5 years even.  It is made out of Kid Silk Haze, is fun to knit with but with this pattern you use two different colors and there are many color changes.  I started this as a new knitter and did not weave in the ends as I went.  Now I am maybe 1/4th of the way done with the scarf and have a zillion ends.  There is a border on the scarf so am going to incorporate the loose ends into the border and secure them that way.


The colors are beautiful.

Can you see the haze of the yarn?



This is supposed to end up being 60 inches.  I obviously have a very long way to go.  See those loose ends.  I tucked a lot of them under the scarf.

Pattern:  Earth Stripe Wrap
Yarn:  Kid Silk Haze

No one does color better than Kaffe Fassett.

Check out Ginny every week for her Yarn Along.  Wonderful inspiration.  There are so many talented people every week that post their projects.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Sunday Goals

It is so easy to get distracted.  We went shopping today.  For us to go shopping based on where we are located, the bigger city is 2 hours away.  So when you go shopping, you plan and you shop.  Groceries are so much cheaper when we go to the bigger city and what is available makes you take advantage of the opportunity.  We were driving around going to Staples and a little Fiat 500 was sitting in the lot.  It was so cute, I got so excited we went and looked at it.  Of course it had to be in the perfect color, red; 2012, current; and only 5,000 miles.  You know how you get so excited you don't think logical.  Logical says you are not getting this car, emotion says "oh it is just so cute".   So after thinking, mulling, working numbers, trying to talk myself into it ....I finally talked myself out of it.  Maybe next summer but right now it is the credit cards and only the credit cards that cash is getting thrown at.  I hate when I lose focus.  My husband doesn't help with comments like "it is the perfect car for you".  Yes it may be the perfect car but the timing stinks.  So I'm over it, yeah.

This week has some very specific goals:
1. Decide what I am choosing as my Lent discipline.  I have never really given serious thought about giving something up for Lent as a means of building discipline. This year I will, but I want to decided to either do something or give something up that is going to make me work at it, not just doing something that has no meaning or challenge.
2. Finish the fingerless mitt for my sister-in-law.
3. Finish a knitted frog.  This is one of those projects that has been on my list forever.  I have two arms, the head and sewing it together.  It will take one night to finish it up.
4. I sold four books on E-Bay this week, they need to be mailed.
5. We stocked up on groceries, I need to put them away and reorganize our pantry, it has become a mess.
6. List all patterns on E-Bay.
7. List 3 books on E-Bay.
8. List 3 skeins of yarn on E-Bay.
9. Knit 25 rows on scarf (check on Wednesday, I'll post a picture).
10. Send in Menard's Rebate.

I am motivated to continue to make a little money from E-Bay but also continue to get rid of items.  It is nice to see a little more space where there used to be something I no longer had a need for.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Financial Friday

Overall a good week.  There was one time eating out this week so not an expensive week food wise.  I got paid this week which is always good.  Am going to put $100.00 on Mastercard and $400.00 on American Express.

My son unexpectedly received $625.00 reimbursement from overpayment last semester for college.  I pay for his college so he got $125.00 and I scheduled a $500.00 payment on my Mastercard which has his latest semester charged on it.    After I had it scheduled I received notice that my American Express was lowering my credit balance. WTH.  I know my balance is high but I always make more than minimum payment each month.  Well I got ticked, unscheduled my payment for the Mastercard and put it on the American Express.  It has now become the card I want to pay off first.  My big fear is they lowered it to within $200.00 of my credit limit.  Once interest posted for the next month I would be over my limit, they could charge an extra $35.00 over the limit fee.  Not happening.

For extra money I have four books listed on e-bay, three are definitely selling one is a maybe.

Also, for more good news my place of employment screwed up my withholding last year (actually they messed up everyones).  I am scheduled to get within the next two weeks approximately $400.00 reimbursement.  Straight onto the credit card it will go.

This weekend we are going to stay home for the whole weekend so hope to finish up ironing the shirts on my to do list and also list a bunch more items.   I hope by the time I go to Haiti to have sold about $500.00 worth of stuff.  I want another extra payment to the Am Ex.

It seems like it will take forever to get this paid off.  Ugh.

Balances:
American Express - $27,401.00
Mastercard - $9.000.00

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Yarn Along

Finally have finished some knitting.  Have one sock of a pair done that will be a Christmas gift probably for my niece instead of my sister-in-law.





I am also making some quick handwarmers for gifts.  Have one done, am about 1/3rd of the way on the 2nd one. These will be for my sister-in-law.  She is not a person who likes very bright  colors so the grey is perfect.  It is hard when you are a person who loves color to make something on the blander side.  My favorite colors are red and purple, hers would be brown and gray.



I was trying to find the link to the pattern but can't find it, it is very easy.  Knit in the round.  Cast on 55 stitches.  Knit 3, purl 2, repeat.  Complete 40 rows in this pattern.  Knit in pattern back and forth for 10 rows to make the hole for the thumb.  Rejoin and knit in the round for 10 rows.  Bind off.  Weave in ends.  Honestly I don't remember what yarn this is but I think it was probably from Hobby Lobby.  It was left over from making a pair of socks.  There will still be some left over which I think I will probably just start some left-over socks, whatever is left over will be knit together.  Should be interesting what I end up with, interesting or ugly, time will tell.

As far as reading I am still working on Minding Frankie.  It is a good book but I am having more fun knitting right now so it is not progressing very quickly..

I am joining Ginny at Small Things for her Yarn Along.  It is a great place to get ideas, I love to check out what others are making.



Sunday, February 3, 2013

Weekly Goals

I have finally, finally accomplished a few things on my goal list.  Listed a few things on 3-bay, finished knitting a couple items.  Now just need to keep the momentum going.  Added a couple things, deleted a couple things, it is a work in progress, very fluid.    Just need to keep going, there is never an end just a journey.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Debt Irritation

You know the dumb part of debt besides the fact that you are in debt, is the amount you pay for the privilege to be in debt.  Between my two credit cards I pay $13.81 per day (based on 30 days per month) to be in debt.  That works out to $20.72 per working day per month (based on 20 days per month).  I have to work two hours per working day just for the privilege of owing someone money.  When you figure it out like that, how foolish was I.

Keep in mind when I write I am only talking about my personal situation not making judgments on anyone else.  We all have our own story.

Right now I am irritated with myself and need to get my butt moving to get this paid off faster.

Financial Friday

This week was boring in financial news.  I did not list anything with e-bay to make extra money but did work a little overtime so that will help.

I bought three sodas this week for a grand total of $3.75.
1/29 $9.85 for food (supper)
1/30 $2.00 for food

I also put $40.00 into my envelope for the month of February for my spending money.
Balance is $46.15.  I really like following Dave Ramsey's program.  It makes sense and is easy to work.

For any extra payments this week I am putting $200.00 onto my Mastercard.

One good thing financially this week is I found out that where I work provides the Hepatitis B vaccine series and a tetanus shot for free.  I need both of them for my Haiti Trip.

One bad thing this week is I committed  to paying $1,000 to tile my laundry room.  I know I shouldn't have but I really want it done, it would be the only area on the first floor that we have not put down hardwood or tile.  It looks really bad.  This week I will give my husband $300.00 to apply to that balance.

At this point I either want to get going on E-bay sales or try to figure out a way to work a part-time job for some added income.    My head says it is easier to work a part-time job but I really still want to get rid of all this stuff I have.  This summer my daughter and I are also going to have a yard sale.  About 1/4 of the garage is full of stuff to get rid of.  It is overwhelming and wasteful.

I am so glad it is Friday, has been a long cold week.  Yesterday was -18 today should be in the 20s, a heat wave in comparison.