Ah cripes, I wished I was getting better. I've had a chronic hacking cough since October. The doctor says it's allergies and it should pass eventually. In the meantime I am on a nasal spray, an inhaler, antihistamines, two kinds of cough medicine, and cough drops for good measure. It alls seems like over kill to me but yet, I'm still coughing and hacking. It keeps me and Curtis up all night.
I began a new Bible study at my church. It's about the book of Daniel and how it relates to today. It's from the Beth Moore series. So far it seems like it's going to be cool. The second class is tomorrow. Not to keen on homework but so far it's easy enough and no math involved.
The other class Curtis and I started probably will involve math. We began the Financial Peace University class offered at the church. It's 13 weeks long. I was disappointed that it cost so much but I guess you have to give a little to get a little. The materials all seem like they will be helpful and hopefully we can get our finances on a better track so that we aren't always worried about money, "wiggle room" as Curtis calls it.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Mac & Cheese for an Army
I received some tasty looking recipes in my email from Rachel Ray, ok, not directly from her but from her magazine's website, and decided I was going to make Creamy Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon last night. After I was halfway through the process I looked to see how many servings it would make. 8-hmm, there's only 2 of us. Guess I know what I'm having for lunch for awhile. I think the sad part about all this is that I am notorious for making A LOT of something. I always forget to check to see how any servings a recipe makes so I end up making enough to feed an army. I had an incident like this with eggplant a couple years back...the dish started out as some kind of eggplant casserole and ended two weeks later as a Mexican-filling for burritos. I have know idea how my roommates and I made that transition.
I went grocery shopping yesterday at WinCo. For those of you who've never heard of such a place, it's a large warehouse-style grocery store with cheap prices. If you're from the Midwest, it's like Super Saver. Anyhow, I ventured out to WinCo for the first time to go some shopping. Since we are trying to get ourselves stuck to a budget, I made a list of what I needed and kept track of the prices as I shopped. I know that sounds dorky but I felt better knowing I had taken care to stay in budget even though I went over by $8, oops. I think I will continue doing that but I need to get a regular calculator because using my phone just got annoying. They don't accept credit cards, just to warn you. They do take everything else: cash, debit, state benefits, and I think checks, but don't hold me to it.
After all the food was put away at home I ventured back out. I was going to go to PetCo.... I don't usually go to that store (that is how I will refer to it from now on). I enjoy Petsmart so much more! Petsmart is always cheaper than that store, cleaner than that store, and friendlier than that store. So why did I go to that store? We have a flea issue at our house right now and I am trying to get it under control. I decided that I am bombing the apartment with a flea flogger and going to treat the cats with Advantage. I usually use Frontline, but Advantage is slightly cheaper (like five cents) and it comes in packs of 4 rather than 3, which is nice when you have 2 cats. I checked online for prices and also my Drs. Foster & Smith catalogue. I then called Petsmart and that store to see what their prices were and if they priced matched competitors. Both said they did. I figured, hey what a deal! I will be able to take care of this flea thing tonight! Oh no no no, silly me and my optimism. After driving to that store, picking out my two items, and then waiting in line for who knows how long, the manager came up to run a register. I went up and told her that I had called earlier and was told that they accepted competitor's prices. She proceeded to tell me rudely that she was the manager and had been there all day and had taken no such phone calls. Then she said the competitor had to be local and not some mail order magazine. I told her I spoke to a guy and if she was going to be like that, I didn't want the stuff and I walked out. I've given that store many chances but now I am pretty sure I am never going to step into one again. It's really disappointing not having the other choice of a pet store but that store kept letting me down the last few times I've went in there. That's enough, I'm done with it. I am not saying to boycott the place, you decide what you want. It's was an experience I had and because of my many disappointments in that store, I am not going back.
Wow, I think that is about enough for one week....
I went grocery shopping yesterday at WinCo. For those of you who've never heard of such a place, it's a large warehouse-style grocery store with cheap prices. If you're from the Midwest, it's like Super Saver. Anyhow, I ventured out to WinCo for the first time to go some shopping. Since we are trying to get ourselves stuck to a budget, I made a list of what I needed and kept track of the prices as I shopped. I know that sounds dorky but I felt better knowing I had taken care to stay in budget even though I went over by $8, oops. I think I will continue doing that but I need to get a regular calculator because using my phone just got annoying. They don't accept credit cards, just to warn you. They do take everything else: cash, debit, state benefits, and I think checks, but don't hold me to it.
After all the food was put away at home I ventured back out. I was going to go to PetCo.... I don't usually go to that store (that is how I will refer to it from now on). I enjoy Petsmart so much more! Petsmart is always cheaper than that store, cleaner than that store, and friendlier than that store. So why did I go to that store? We have a flea issue at our house right now and I am trying to get it under control. I decided that I am bombing the apartment with a flea flogger and going to treat the cats with Advantage. I usually use Frontline, but Advantage is slightly cheaper (like five cents) and it comes in packs of 4 rather than 3, which is nice when you have 2 cats. I checked online for prices and also my Drs. Foster & Smith catalogue. I then called Petsmart and that store to see what their prices were and if they priced matched competitors. Both said they did. I figured, hey what a deal! I will be able to take care of this flea thing tonight! Oh no no no, silly me and my optimism. After driving to that store, picking out my two items, and then waiting in line for who knows how long, the manager came up to run a register. I went up and told her that I had called earlier and was told that they accepted competitor's prices. She proceeded to tell me rudely that she was the manager and had been there all day and had taken no such phone calls. Then she said the competitor had to be local and not some mail order magazine. I told her I spoke to a guy and if she was going to be like that, I didn't want the stuff and I walked out. I've given that store many chances but now I am pretty sure I am never going to step into one again. It's really disappointing not having the other choice of a pet store but that store kept letting me down the last few times I've went in there. That's enough, I'm done with it. I am not saying to boycott the place, you decide what you want. It's was an experience I had and because of my many disappointments in that store, I am not going back.
Wow, I think that is about enough for one week....
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Finances
I'm taking a hard look at our finances. I don't feel in control of them and I want to know where the money goes. I've searched the internet for resources to help me budget. I don't think I've got it down; I just seem to make a lot of lists. Does anyone have any good suggestions on how to make a budget? I know how to list all my expenses versus my income but that doesn't tell me how to save. It just lets me know I have no money. At church they are offering a class from Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University." Curt and I are going to give it a try and see how we fare.
I want to be debt free. I need a better job, one closer to where we live. Curtis would like a better job too, of course, who doesn't?
I've been thinking and reading a lot about screen printing. Is this my new calling? Who knows but it sounds like fun. It's inexpensive but none the less, there are still start up costs to acquire supplies. It doesn't help that everything needs to be ordered online since there aren't any Dick Blicks close to where I live anymore. How I miss the days on campus and art supplies were always at my fingertips. I don't want to forget my sewing abilities either. I enjoy sewing a lot and wish I could go back to working at the costume shop at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It was fantastic there! All good things come to an end I guess.
I don't know what's coming next. Curtis mentioned a bed & breakfast idea yesterday. I thought it sounded interesting to try. I don't have the slightest idea how to establish one or the funds to build one. But it sounds good anyhow. I think it would be fun to run a small b&b with my husband but I heard tons of warnings about working with family. Hey, if we get the chance, I wouldn't mind giving it a try.
Going back to the debt thing, we want to get a house. I don't see how it could happen anytime soon but maybe after we go through those classes at church we will be more on our way? I don't know. I long for a house. I am done sharing walls with strangers that wrestle at 2 in the morning, throwing each other around, seems like they are going to bust through the ceiling and come falling down on us in our bed. I can't wait to have my very own washer and dryer that I don't have to share with people I don't know and don't have to feed quarters to. When I want to wash clothes at midnight I will wash clothes at midnight! I hoped that the next time we moved it was into a house and we could use movers! But our lease in up in July, and I don't know how we can get money like that together in time.
God has his plan and we will see what he has in store for us.
I want to be debt free. I need a better job, one closer to where we live. Curtis would like a better job too, of course, who doesn't?
I've been thinking and reading a lot about screen printing. Is this my new calling? Who knows but it sounds like fun. It's inexpensive but none the less, there are still start up costs to acquire supplies. It doesn't help that everything needs to be ordered online since there aren't any Dick Blicks close to where I live anymore. How I miss the days on campus and art supplies were always at my fingertips. I don't want to forget my sewing abilities either. I enjoy sewing a lot and wish I could go back to working at the costume shop at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It was fantastic there! All good things come to an end I guess.
I don't know what's coming next. Curtis mentioned a bed & breakfast idea yesterday. I thought it sounded interesting to try. I don't have the slightest idea how to establish one or the funds to build one. But it sounds good anyhow. I think it would be fun to run a small b&b with my husband but I heard tons of warnings about working with family. Hey, if we get the chance, I wouldn't mind giving it a try.
Going back to the debt thing, we want to get a house. I don't see how it could happen anytime soon but maybe after we go through those classes at church we will be more on our way? I don't know. I long for a house. I am done sharing walls with strangers that wrestle at 2 in the morning, throwing each other around, seems like they are going to bust through the ceiling and come falling down on us in our bed. I can't wait to have my very own washer and dryer that I don't have to share with people I don't know and don't have to feed quarters to. When I want to wash clothes at midnight I will wash clothes at midnight! I hoped that the next time we moved it was into a house and we could use movers! But our lease in up in July, and I don't know how we can get money like that together in time.
God has his plan and we will see what he has in store for us.
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