washed and hung up to dry.
Still need to put away and
get everyone's clothes
out and ready for tomorrow.
I'm seriously thinking about
finding a couple bars to
hang up in the basement
for clothes. The last place
we had, had a huge bar in the
laundry room to hang clothes
and I thought that was a wonderful
idea. I could take clothes
out of the dryer and hang right
up.
Dewaine & Kendra came over today.
Dewaine got the gate up and another
partial fence panel up. Still have
one more fence panel to put up
by the house. We went with a 4 foot
gate but still left the fence on the
sides of the gate 6 foot.
Tony changed again yet another
shifter cable in our red Trans Am.
This one seems to be working.
We finally, after about 3 months,
were able to get that sucker off
the trailer.
We took down a fence panel and
pushed the Charger out of the
driveway and into the backyard
where I've been wanting to store
it. Plus eventually I'm hoping
to have all the cars behind the
fence for added security.
Oh yeah Kendra, you asked what the
truck driver neighbor has done lately
so here's one for today.
I could write a soap opera about
that man, lol!
Kendra and Dewaine had just left
so we were still outside picking
up the carport area and getting
things cleaned up. Our neighbor lady
right behind our driveway came home
so we chatted for a few in the roadway.
It was killing truck driver neighbor
to see us talking so he walked over
to gab and bitch about life like
usual. Neighbor lady goes in so
truck driver neighbor decides
to gab and hang out at our place
with his kids for a few outside.
We were still tidying up and moving
the truck and trailer around.
We were saying something about
finding our kids (they were out
playing in the neighborhood) because
it was almost supper time. So he
finally leaves and we finished tidying
up the carport and I was taking down
the rest of my laundry on the line
before coming in for supper.
It couldn't have been 10 minutes
later when
I turned around and saw all three of
truck driver's kids in our house!!
I'm thinking what the hell.
That's when his one little girl
yells out our back door and says
her dad said it was ok to come
back over!! So here's his three
kids inside our home and without
our knowledge at first while we are getting
stuff finished in our backyard.
And to think we just told truck driver
neighbor we was going to be getting
ready for supper. Takes a lot of
balls!! I told them they had to go home!
Ya know what really drives us nuts
with truck driver neighbor is he has
a 2 year old boy that will go out
into the street. He does not
know how to look for cars.
Lost track of how many times, when
they were here today, he went out in the street
and cars had to stop because of him!
And the dad will just stand there
and yell for him to get out of the street
instead of going after him.
Me, I would have him on a leash!!
6:50Pm
Just had supper. We had a bag
of Tyson BBQ honey chicken.
Now need to bring the rest
of my laundry in then start
working on lunches for everyone
for tomorrow.
Then will be everyone's bath time.
Notice I said bath instead of shower.
My kids went from white to black
in one afternoon.
Tomorrow I have to run to the insurance
place to make a payment.
Then call the mortgage lender
about my bill, then get the rest
of my bills sent out.
(then be depressed for the next month)
And I don't know if me and mom
will be going to the store or
not. If I get anything it better
be a damn good sale or something
matched with coupons to make it
cheap! For the next month
I would like to eat from the pantry
and freezers and only get items
needed or things that are really
cheap that I can't pass up in the
grocery store.
Look aunt Janet, your hinges are
being put to good use and just
in time! YEAH, couldn't have
timed that any better huh.
8:50PM
Still running around like a chicken
with it's head cut off.
Got all the laundry took down
and brought into the house.
Got it all sorted out into piles
according to who it belongs to.
Got the last load hung up to
dry overnight on the line.
I think I did about 4-5 loads
today total.
Mom and Don stopped by to check out
our fence and gate. They liked it.
Then Kendra calls. She says she saw
an ad of Freecycle for 29 packages
of Depends type undergarments. She
was telling me she was on her way
to pick them all up for me.
WOWZER these are about $9 and up a
package! I know everyone is probably
wondering what I need all these for?
I use them as bedtime pants for kids in
case they have any accidents at night.
I will also give some to my step-dad.
He had prostate cancer and has problems
every now and then.
9:00PM
Well got 2 kids clean as a whistle.
Got everyone's clothes/outfit laid out
for the rest of this work/school
week. This makes my mornings
go by much smoother. I also
got 3 lunches packed and
ready to go for tomorrow.
So I am finally getting
a little sit down time. WHEW!
But I feel as though we got
a lot accomplished today.
I kept forgetting it was Monday,
I thought it was Sunday.
Here's 4 outfits for each
kid for the rest of the week
laid out and ready to go.
No running around trying
to find things first thing
in the morning. Breakfasts
are in the freezer ready
to be microwaved and lunches
are packed ready to go.
I like to plan ahead when I
can!
10:00PM
You'd think I'd be getting ready
for bed right about now. HA!
I'm up making out a grocery list
for Meijer. Brain is hurting
at moment trying to match coupons,
sales and all these Catalina
coupons!
So far I have figured out
$70.09 worth of groceries
for $29.59.
Wish it was lower!
But it's a savings of $40.05
which is more than 50% off.
BUT I should get a $5.00 off
my next shopping trip with
this grocery list I have.
So maybe I should see it as
everything for $24.59.
This is what I have on my list.
1.5# grapes
3# bag of carrots
1 head of lettuce
2 pkgs Ballpark Franks Hot Dogs
3- 6 pks of Danimals yogurt
1 Uncle Ben's Instant Rice
9 Select Harvest Instant Soups
4 cans Campbells Pasta
2 Lysol Pourable cleaners
10 pkgs Kraft cheese slices
4- 12 packs mini Oreos
2 gallons milk
KROGER
8 two liter bottles Pepsi
$4.04
7 packages shredded Kroger cheese
$7.00
------------------
Total for this weeks groceries
Meijer $29.59
Kroger $11.04
TOTAL $40.63
_____________________________
11:00PM
Just sat down to figure out
the rest of my bills.
Should have had them out around
the first of the month but am
running behind. Nothing should be
behind except for a few doctor bills
by paying them now instead.
I always watch the due dates
and any grace periods.
I DO NOT set up automatic
withdrawals out of our checking
to pay utilities and such
every month.
And another thing I DO NOT do
is go on the budget for electric
or gas. To me they even out
throughout the year with their
highs and lows.
I can still run my insurance pymt
up to their office tomorrow instead
of sending it and make it by the
hair of my chinny chin chin on that
bill!
This month's bills will be a bitch
but I will bite my tongue like usual
and pay them all and have a clean
slate next month without nothing
lingering over our heads!
BILLS COME FIRST! That is my saying!
You don't run out to yard sales
and do extra shopping, buy car parts
for hobby cars, etc, before knowing
where you stand with your bills.
I DO NOT try to make partial
payments on things! That only
gets you into debt deeper.
For example. If you pay $50 on
a $100 bill due this month then
next month that $100 bill now
rises to $150. See where I am
going with this.
My regular monthly bills can
run $1200 to $1500 depending
if I get an extra bill that month
for let's say water or the newspaper
which I pay every 2 or 3 months.
So this month's average in bills
should have been around $1300.
BUT with extra doctor bills
and an escrow shortage and a larger
than normal (and don't know why)
electric bill, it is now, drum roll...
over $2600 for this month alone!!!
So if friends and family don't see
me smiling and being a happy camper
at the moment that is the reason.
We will make it and get through this.
I have been going 5-6 years or more
without having to run to mom to
borrow money from mom!! I am finally
proud of ourselves to have figured
out how to do it on our own.
You do have to make sacrifices in your
life. You CANNOT keep up with the
Jones, you can only keep up with
the money YOU make.
Who doesn't want
to live the lifestyle of the rich
and famous and drive nice cars
and have brand name clothes?
If you cannot afford it don't buy
it and bury yourself deeper in debt.
It's not the place I want to be!!
I have enough stress and worries
to worry about that!
I have lived that lifestyle and
it wasn't by choice! I had an ex
husband who thought his paycheck
was his and his alone to buy
whatever he wanted with it.
That was when he had a paycheck.
He wasn't the type that like
to keep a job.
Money flew out the door like it was
nothing. I, alone couldn't afford
to pay the bills by myself.
I was making partial payments
on things to get by from one
month to the next. I didn't have
a bank card/atm card. There was
no debit cards back then. And my
ex would literally sleep with the
checkbook in his pocket so I couldn't
see it!! I have had electric, gas
and water shut off thanks to him.
I remember having the gas shut off
and boiling water to give the kids
baths with. I remember plugging
in electric heaters because of
no heat. I didn't know how
to do the coupon thing back then
but I could still stretch
$50 to $100 to buy groceries
for a month! Didn't eat the
greatest but our bellies were full.
One day I took out the trash
and found where he threw out
any and all the bills like they
were nothing. He'd sign up
for credit cards and buy things
then never pay the bill. If we
moved he didn't want to put in
a forwarding address and wanted
a new phone number so the bill
collectors couldn't find him.
He was also good at writing
bad checks! To the point he was
banned from having an account
with over 200 banks. How do I know
this? When I left him I set up
my own bank account and that warning
came across the computer screen
at the bank. But I had a very
nice and understanding bank
and they listened to my story
and allowed me to get my own
account. I still don't know
how I did it to this day!
And that's probably one of the
reasons I am still with them.
I could go on and on about this
but I won't. I'm sure you've heard
enough.
THIS IS NOT THE LIFESTYLE
I WANT TO LIVE!
I left him
after 10 years and don't even
know how I survived that long!!
I saw the light at the end of
the tunnel and that changed my
life to what it is now.
It's not easy and it does not
happen over night!
Earlier I wrote about talking
to our neighbor lady. And I shit
you not she also made a comment
about all this money she thought
we had. I get this comment from
sooooo many neighbors and just shake
my head. I told her I was the thriftiest
person in the neighborhood and I was
so tight with money I squeaked.
I don't think she believed me by her
reaction I got. So I pointed out
my garden saying it was much cheaper
to grow your own foods. Then I showed
her my clothes line with clothes
hanging out to dry. I said you don't
see anyone else hanging out their clothes.
Then I showed her my water barrels where
we conserved water by using the rain
off the roof. Lastly I showed her
the yard. I said see those trees I planted,
those cost me $1.50 each. See that mulch
I just laid, that cost me $1.00 a bag.
See all those cars? We don't owe a dime
on any of them. I told her I deal with all of
Tony's tinker toys of cars because
it gives him something to do, a hobby.
It's a heck of a lot better than
him sitting in a bar somewhere.
I said now that basketball thing
was a splurge. But ya know, all the
kids in the neighborhood love to come
here and play in our yard. Even
though they get on my nerves at times
I prefer they play here where I can
watch over them, then them getting
into trouble elsewhere.
And then the truck driver neighbor
showed up and killed my moment
of bragging about how much people
can save and what they can
do to have a better neighborhood
with little money.
It's now 11:15pm and yes I am tired.
When I am tired my mind races
and I can become a jabber jaw
and think too much. Oh well
that's what the blog is for.
To put down my thoughts and ideas
no matter how tired or what time
of day.
I'm going to bed.
And that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
