A Longing for a Simple Life

I took my son to the doctor last week as he has been having some problems with his impulsive behaviour. She had diagnosed him with ADHD in 2002. The last time he saw her was in 2004. We have tried going the non-medicated route for the last couple of years.

My job does not provide insurance and I have always paid the visit in full at the time of the visit. The doctor last week was questioning me as to why I have not applied for medicaid or chips and went on about this for several minutes. WTH?? I was really quite insulted and she was really rude about it. Why does it matter as long as the visit is paid? Maybe because when someone else is footing the bill they can do all sorts of tests etc?? Maybe it's time to find a new doctor!

Add 59.99 to my challenge. Auction item bought and paid for during the night. That brings the new total to $309.49. I'm thankful for being very blessed in all aspects of my life.

My last challenge total was not correct...it should have been 250.50. I just listed 12 items on eBay and am believing that I will make at minimum 500.00 to add to the challenge. I listed for 5 and 7 days....here's believing!

It's back to work I go tomorrow morning. I was totally stressed and have taken a two week vacation without pay. It was great! The only problem is that now I don't want to go back. I've enjoyed messing around in my house and doing my own thing. I even have some ideas to make money etc and think I can do it. I had asked for a raise before I took the time off and have been told that it will be discussed once I return. We will see what happens!

I was reading the forums last night and a poster had mentioned this. So I got to looking around the web and I saw this movie on Google last night for free. I'ts really interesting to think about the law of attraction. I've looked up several websites that have to do with the law of attraction and there is very interesting information out there. I think I'm going to try an experiment on this myself.....anyone interested in joining in???? We can do an experiment of our own and see what happens....what could it hurt?

I have switched over lightbulbs to the energy efficient kind, cost me a couple of bucks each, was not cheap to do this in the entire house, I turn off lights if not in use. I have no heater because I'm too cheap to pay a minimum gas charge of 50.00 per month, the only thing gas in this entire house is the heater, so I had the gas put on vacation over a year ago thinking that I rarely use a heater anyway. In this part of Texas we usually have very good weather in the winter, still warm enough to wear shorts.........not this year! I have frozen my you-know-what off! The weather is warming up now so is much better but next year will take the gas off vacation for a month or two.

Anyway......my electric bill is still $212.00 for the past month......there has to be something I'm missing. I do use the dryer quite a bit....can it use that much electricity??????
I will keep working on it though!

Back in the summer using the central AC my electric bill was $650.00 per month, I turned that thing off and bought window units for three rooms and instantly it went down to about 297.00.

Any thoughts?????

I spent 100.00 at the grocery on Saturday. For that money I got about 20 packages of meat (after I broke up the freezer packs into smaller portions) 6 yogurts, provolone cheese, parmesan cheese, 20 cans of tomato sauce, macaroni, egg noodles, cottage cheese, 1 pack of pop tarts. At the discount bread store I bought 4 loaves of wheat bread, 1 pack of hamburger buns, 4 packs of fried pies, five in each, 3 chocolate covered donuts, 10 sugared donuts, 4 ready made pizza crusts,and 3 bags of nachos chips. For spending 21.20 they gave me four items free as I was leaving. My goal for the month is only to buy milk, eggs and fresh veggies, hopefully not more than another 25.00 for the entire month.

I took the day off on Sunday, did not leave the house did not spend any money whatsoever, yeah!!!

I thought I was dreaming......I kept hearing sirens.....when I finally awoke because of the sound I ran to the kitchen window and could see many flashing lights, a street away behind my house, thinking they had passed by I went back to bed. In a few minutes the sound even louder and flashing lights coming through my bedroom window I got up and looked out the front door into the front yard and theres a guy lying handcuffed in my front yard being sprayed by the cops with my waterhose!! One of the police officers told me that everything was okay that they had tried to pull the guy over and he made a run for it. Apparently drunk driving he did not want to be stopped, guess he didnt want a ticket....imagine what he'll end up paying now in attorneys fees and fines. They came and towed his car at 5:30 this morning. He could have so easily killed someone. I bet there were six police cars at least....okay 12 was a bit exaggerated.....lol..but my whole living room was lit up by lights! I didn't know if maybe my house was on fire or what at first! Strange things have been happening to me since the beginning of the year!

I don't know if I'm just burnt out from working 80-90 hours a week or what is happening to me! For the past month I've felt a calling to quit my job as a area manager of convenience stores. I have no large savings to fall back on, I could probably make it a few months but would have to find ways to make at least $1200 a month for monthly bills and expenses. I'm tired of selling beer and ciggarettes to poor people and it has really been bothering me for awhile now. I feel I should be spending my time helping people, maybe volunteering etc, making some kind of difference instead of helping people kill themselves and waste away what little money they have.
I'm pretty simple, I wouldnt need much money personally for myself and my son to get by and I could cut the cable and cell phone bill down. I could watch every penny closely, I've given up soda in the last month and very rarely buy anything besides weekly groceries. I think I could do this and maybe I can make this some kind of challenge. It is scary to think there would be no steady paycheck of any sort though!

It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted, alot has happened in that time! I'm doing well as far as staying on budget, although I have nothing new to add to my $20 challenge right now. I did ask my paper lady for any coupons that she throws away, I offered to pay if she would like and she is willing to give me all coupons left out of unsold Sunday newspapers! Any savings I get from this I will add to my challenge.

One of my stores has been robbed twice in two weeks! The first time someone busted in the door with a large brick at three am and took 2 twelve packs of Budweiser.......can you believe that? That's all they took! The second time was night before last and they held my cashier at knife point and demanded the money in the register....pretty scary stuff! Now we are all on edge about being in this particular store alone but hopefully these scared feelings will pass. This is the first time since I've taken over these stores that we've been broken into or robbed.

Had a mini sale of sorts today and sold my older big screen tv and an older recliner so will add that 150.00 to the challenge which brings me to 205.50.

I've started my de-cluttering mission. So far I have the kitchen and my bedroom, living room and dining room done. I even had a mini garage sale, sold my big screen tv which has started turning on when it feels like it, what a pain and also sold an older black recliner that was just taking up space. All in all a good day!

For about three months there have been a group of people on 3 high traffic intersections in town. Just my luck when I go from store to store or even when I go home I have to cross all three lights. They have buckets, there's about 3-4 out at each intersection (one for each way at the lights). They have buckets that only say Money to feed and help women and children. I have given a few times but lately it just pisses me off. You give at one intersection and they are hitting you up at two others. Next time I'm going to ask what organization they are with and what this money is used for. I think I could make alot more money if I just get a big bucket and go car to car (they actually come to your car door). I guess this must be legal or they would have been stopped by now. I guess I shouldnt be annoyed but good grief, how many times do they expect you to give? If I gave a dollar every time I would be spending 10- 15 dollars a day!

I would like to be able to help someone less fortunate at least every week. I know I can give to charity etc but feel as though it would be so much better to be able to see how your dollars or even time would affect someone that really needs help. I will have to look into this more and try to see what I can do to acheive this.

Yesterday was a great day, did not spend a cent. Have my lunch packed today again and hoping for a no spend day again. Yesterday was pay day, I'm aiming not to even cash the check and put it directly into savings. The next two checks are already spent on bills but I should be able to save most of the last check of the month. I might have to keep a little for groceries but cannot think of anything else. Luckily my fuel is paid for by my company, unless I make a personal trip somewhere which happens rarely. When I go out of town to my mom's I make sure that I also have business to take care of in that town, it is where our corporate office is located and that way my gas is comped for that also! So unless tragedy strikes it looks as though this should be a great month for saving!

I had $240.00 left from last weeks check, will put that towards an emergency fund account. I have a checking and savings in the town that my mother lives in, (we co-own a small business there, we are going into our second year, so hopefully will show some profit this year!) I will put my money there for awhile.

I started off with 20.00 at the beginning of January. Added to that is my cashed in dollar coins that I save which was 40.00 and my rolled coins for another 45.50 bringing the total to $105.50.

Well, it never fails! Just when I think I might be able to save a little I'm hit with another expense. On the other hand it can always be worse as I could be so in debt that there would be no way to get the money! So I guess I will just say, thank the good Lord I will be able to pay this expense.
I went to the dentist today and and had a tooth pulled. This is the second jaw tooth in about 5 months. I must get a partial for the bottom teeth as I have no more teeth to chew with. This is due to gum disease from not having my teeth cleaned twice a year as everyone should. When I divorced about 6 years ago I lost all insurance and it was hard enough just to be able to pay the normal monthly bills, much less anything else. So I just thought as long as I brushed my teeth as I always have everything would be fine. I've always had very healthy teeth and no cavities until I was in my mid thirties. WRONG!!!! I also have about 7 small cavities to be filled and of course need a cleaning. This will cost around $2000.00! The work will begin on Jan 18th and I will need to at least pay half by the time the dentist makes the partial. So, I guess I have another expense to add to the mix!

I do most of my grocery shopping at super WM. I shop for the reduced meat and breads there and usually do quite well. I recieved two WM gift cards at Christmas totalling $45. I will use these on Saturday and make it my goal not to spend anything else for the entire week. I should have no problem as my freezer and pantry are pretty well stocked. I made beef fajitas and a large roast on Sunday and we still have food to use up. I am also trying not to let leftovers go bad but to use up. I have been freezing small leftover pieces of meats to use in some sort of stew eventually instead of just letting it go bad and wasting it. I've found that I can be such a wasteful person if I don't pay attention!

I have decided to work in my storage, bedroom. Its an extra room that I just have stuffed this and that in for over a year now. There are vintage clothing, shoes and purses and many miscellaneous items that I have not really given any thought to in quite awhile. I used to do some serious selling on eBay but when I went back to work at my present company, found that I just didnt have time anymore. That sure didnt stop me from buying though! I love all items vintage and find myself strangely attracted to anything old. I am very nostalgic and will especially buy anything from the 70's, clothing, kitchenware and toys. I also have spent years collecting 20's on up clothing and shoes and even some housewares. I have several old trunks from the late 1800's to the early 1900's. I have no need for this stuff and will see if I cannot get rid of some of it and put the money into the $20 challenge. My goal is to have some sort of sale at the end of February. That should give me plenty of time to sort tag and donate what I dont think will sell. I look forward to this challenge and to reclaiming my space!

Rent: 525.00
Elec: 200.00 (was 650.00 a month almost all summer until I shut down the central AC and installed window units in 2 bedrooms and the living area. It is sweltering hot on the South Texas border, no way to do without AC!)
Water 70.00
Phone 103.00
Auto Ins 180.00 (includes daughter and son's cars, both fairly new drivers and high risk.)
Cable: 105.

These bring the monthly expenses to $1183.00.
I work about 75 hours per week and bring home approx 635.00 a week for a total of $2540.00 per month.
I would like to save two checks per month and live on the other two but this would leave no money for groceries etc. I could sell a few things per month on eBay though and maybe raise food money, something to think on.

I am in the convenience store business in Tex. Today a new $1 per pack tax was implemented on ciggarettes. Do you think this will deter smokers? What is your opinion? I refuse to pay another dollar and on top of that you must pay another .08 cents tax on the $1 tax! I realize smoking is a waste of money and that it is bad for your health etc, but I think this move is ridiculous!

This is more a rant than anything. I have a son who is almost 16. (also have two other children son, 21 and daughter 20, who live away from home already.) First off, I would like to say that he is not a bad kid, he is kind, good hearted and very polite. Man is he lazy though, he also thinks money grows on trees! I did not bring him up this way. Money has always been pretty tight, I have never recieved child support for him and have always had to work to support him. I bought him a coat at Ross Dress for Less about a month ago, it was 14.99. A couple of weeks later I noticed the coat was torn so I said, I cannot believe that coat is already torn! You should be more careful! He says to me, "It only cost 14.99 anyway, what's the big deal?" It really irked me, maybe it it is just me......what does it matter how much it costs? He sure did not have 14.99 to buy it but expected for me to have it! Kids, I just cant seem to get into his head how hard money is to come by! He thinks it grows on trees! He does not recieve a lot of things and usually does not get any money to spend as he refuses to earn it. Nothing motivates him!

I just wanted to take a moment to count my blessings today. I'm an area manager for a chain of convenience store and have quite a few employees to keep up with. At one of my stores I have an employee who has had the hardest time the last three weeks or so. Her mother died unexpectedly about three weeks ago, her mother in law took her daughter out of state without permission and she had to go to Indiana to bring her back, her father and sister kicked her out of the house and left her to sleep in her truck, it has been pretty cold here and I worry about her and her daughter sleeping in their car. Her daughter is only three years old, poor little thing probably doesnt understand what is going on! She hasnt been working much because of her recent problems and I know she is worried about Christmas for her daughter. I've been very fortunate and have never had to sleep in my car or go without food etc.
My son and I went last night and bought a giant stocking at the Dollar Tree last night and filled it up with $30 worth of toys for the little girl, at least she will have something for Christmas. I think I will go and see if I can get a gift certificate for a nice Christmas dinner for the two of them somewhere. When you see someone in such an unfortunate situation it really makes you take a step back and count your own blessings. It really does put a damper on the holiday spirits, I wonder how many people don't have a place to stay or food to eat, it's just so sad!

I was telling my sister that I found hamburger helper on sale at HEB for only .50 a box. I bought eight boxes, two pasta sauce for .59, bisquick for .50 and a few other things. She says I will be one of those "people" that have things like canned goods stuffed under the bed, I think she thinks I am very eccentric! She goes to the grocery every day to buy things for dinner, rarely does she buy groceries for more than a couple of days at a time. She is always complaining that she spends upwards of $40 a day. I've tried to give her advice on grocery shopping on a weekly basis and how it cuts out those impulse purchases but will she listen? NO!
She thinks it is funny that I use coupons and am always looking for a good deal. Of course she is not single and making it on her own either and her husband has a very well paying job with security and great retirement benefits, all of which I don't have! (of course I dont have near the amount of debt that they carry either!)

Sometimes I wonder how I got to this point! As I sit looking around my house I have so much stuff! Stuff that I don't use, stuff that I don't even know why I bought in the first place. Lately I've been feeling as if all of this "stuff" owns me. I cannot feel comfortable in my own house because of the clutter. I was not brought up with alot of things. My parents, well, my mother was and is very frugal and never was our house cluttered and never did she buy something that was not absolutely necessary. Sometimes I wonder if that played a part in the way I am today. I always felt as though we did not have as much as the other kids. I longed for the designer clothing and all of the cool things that others had but my mother simply never bought into that. We got to choose 1 thing that we really wanted on our birthday or Christmas but never any other time. Was I deprived? Of course not, but I sure thought I was! When I was out on my own I simply bought everything I wanted to make up for all I thought I went without! So after 20+ years here I sit wishing I were back in the good old days when life was much more simple!
My first goal is to get rid of all these un-needed possessions, clear the clutter. I will go room by room until I am down to only the things that mean something or the things that I really need. This will be quite a challenge considering the size of my house and the amount of things to go through!