This month is pretty simple ... don't spend money! There are a fewthings I need to buy for Christmas ... but nothing serious. I think I might buy Juliette some art supplies and possibly some dance clothes ... plus py off the bike at layaway. The rest of my family is uber lame when buying gifts ... so they all get giftcards. We aren't your typical "Oh, I'm so happy to see you!" type, it's more like an obligation. Gosh, that sounds horrible, but it's really how my grandmother makes me feel, so I don't put a lot of thought into her gift (I should add that my grandmother is my dad's stepmom who decided that when I got pregnant *and wasn't married, gasp!* that she didn't approve and won't speak to me.).

Also, I am going to be better here with tracking no spend days.

I'm very proud that I have mostly completed my 2008 goals, and will post them in the next week or so.

So 50 degrees might not sound cold to most of you ... but whew! Was that hard to wake up to this morning! This weekend was in the high 80's and then wham ... it's chilly. I had to bust out Julie's coat ... and I noticed I don't have one. Great. I don't know when I'm going to be able to afford that.

I'm heading over to kmart b/c they have their pants on sale. 2 for $7 for Julie. I'll get her two full outfits for a little less than I'd pay for second hand clothes at the consignment shop. The clothes there are great, Children's Place, GAP ... but I'm more worried about quantity at this point over quality. I have to make it to Christmas when her great grandmother will load her up with clothes. LOL. She might not speak to me, but she loves the kid. Whatever, I'm just happy for the clothes.

My daughter went peepee twice in the past two days ... on the floor. She runs to me to tell me she needs to go ... starts tugging at her diaper ... I take it off, put her on the potty ... and she promptly stands back up and pees on the floor. I don't know what to do about that! LOL. She likes to carry her potty around behind her bumm around the house. It's pretty hillarious. In two months, a week and two days, she'll be two. I'm not ready for this!!!

A preliminary Christmas for Julie:
1. Trunk for dress up clothes.
2. Dress up boas, sunglasses and shoes. I think I'm going to hold off on actual clothes until she's older. More beaded necklaces!
3. A good doll, there's a particular one I have in mind that I wanted to get her last year but waited too long ... I think it will be perfect this year as well.
4. A couple of puzzles.
5. A couple of books.

I think for her birthday I am going to get her a trike. I am not to sure b/c my mom wants to get her a ride on car that I don't think Julie is old enough for yet ... but my mother won't listen to reason on this one. I'm also considering a good wooden cradle for her doll.

I honestly can't think of anything else she needs ... I am going to get her sippy cups for her stocking ... and who knows, we might be ready for big girl panties at Christmas as well. I'm going to talk to the teacher tonight about the need for pullups ... Julie's all about taking off her diaper and throwing it in the trash if she has a chance.

This weekend flew by. I love it when that happens.

It was a good money making weekend. I brought home around $115 on both Saturday and Sunday. SWEET. It means that we're getting back into season "Come on down snowbirds!" I complain like most Floridians the amount of snowbirds that do infact come down ... but it's amazing how much our income depends on it.

$130 - day care
$15 - gas
$5 - McDonald's for dinner Saturday
$25 - Dad
$10 - phone bill
$27 - groceries at walmart

I have a couple of bucks left over, and I had to buy lunch at CB on Sunday. I don't count that as a spending day though ... since I HAVE to eat at work or risk not making it home without hitting up McDonald's or something.

This afternoon, I was going to put my check into savings, but I think I am going to cash it and head over to the consingment shop to pick up one or two pairs of pants for Julie ... possibly more. Tomorrow it will be in the 50's when we wake up in the morning ... the high will barely reach the 70's! Yeah fall is here!! This weekend it was digustingly hot ... I hate trying to plan for "winters" down here.

Goals for this week:
1. Plan Julie's outfits for the week .. including socks. No more hunting in the morning.
2. Box up some of her toys and take to the storage shed.
3. Make some more lunches for work ... the mac n cheese I had today ROCKED.
4. Make breakfast at home.
5. Keep track of money spent better.

That's enough for now ...

Another day of slight progress.

Sometimes I wonder how I am going to be able to do this ... but I guess every little bit counts.

I had a no spend day yesterday, it was either the second or the third this month ... I can't remember. Today I spent $3 on lunch. I didn't want to wake up this morning ... so I didn't get up to make lunch.

I need a haircut ... I guess I should have a haircut before the wedding ... I'll have to add that to the list.

This guy here at work wants to buy my car. I don't even know if that's a possiblity, since I owe so much on it. If he bought it for what I owed ... it'd be around $7,000. He'd be stupid to buy it for that ... do I tell him it'd be stupid? I even told him about the air conditioner leaking and all the problems I have with it ... and he's still interested.

I can't help but think it might actually work, but I don't want to get my hopes up. I HATE my car ....

I checked my bank account ... to see if I could pin point the exact problem in it.

Turns out, I deposited $690 in CASH and they put it in as a check deposit. They hold check deposits for THREE days. During that time ... a bunch of little purchases went through, but also my car insurance. The car insurance overdrew the account, causing about 10 checks to overdraw. AARRGGHH!!

Not only did my car insurance not get paid, but I literally just got screwed. They charge a $5 a business day fee ... and they won't close the account or fix their mistake. Nothing will happen for the next 27 days, when they will charge off the account .... 21 of those days they will charge me $5 overdraft fees.

I'm so aggitated. Mostly at them ... b/c if the rep had just deposited the money in cash and not check ... none of this would have happened ... at the woman who told me "Just depoist the money" ... and at myself for banking with such a crappy bank (and for overdrafting the account to begin with).

On a good note ... I had a no spend day yesterday! WOOT! Today I have to buy gas, I'm almost out of gas, and I'm trying to decide if getting a Western Union or a prepaid debit card would be the best decision.

Have a good day, it's payday!

Today was almost a no spend day, though yesterday truely was. I'm up to four now.

Today I had to buy breakfast b/c I overslept *this is getting to be to much*, but I spend 4.00 on breakfast. Today I was going to go cheap and buy a double cheeseburger at McD's for lunch .. but when I told my coworkers where I was going ... all of them asked for lunch. LOL. One lady bought my lunch so I got to eat like a pig for free!

This weekend is going to be nice. I'm going to go over on my gas budget more than likely, b/c my parents are going "camping" *they have an RV* and I have to drive out to the campsite before work on Sat and then after on Sunday so they can watch Julie. I guess Monday is a no school day, I miss vacation days.

After I drop Julie off, I'm going to vaccuum out my car. It needs it pretty badly, toddlers are a magnet for trash, dirt and bits of food! Saturday after I drop her off, I'm going to run to the consignment shop as well. The director of her new daycare actually works at the local consignment shop ... it'd be great if she gave me a deal

I also have a "date" for dinner with my ex. We were almost crazy enough to get married four years ago, but both decided we were too young. I'm pretty exicited, which seems silly. When we were dating he was in the airforce out in Utah, so we've never actually gone to dinner. I think he owes me. I'll probably pay though ... it's just the kind of girl I am.

I'm very exicited about this weekend ... I just wish the work week would fly by.

There are three months to Christmas ... meaning, three months and one week until Julie is TWO. ACK! Are you serious? I am not ready for this.

Goals for the week:
1. Put together her clothes for the consignment shop. Going Sat morning, with at least one boxful of stuff. 10am, will I be ready?
2. Buy bug spray, possibly another pair of shoes *Julie needs a back up for school* and that's it! I have lunch for this week already.
3. Excel spreadsheet for bills due and when.
4. Pay my dad some more towards the money I owe him.
5. Extra shift Thursday at Cracker Barrel. Need to pick up my check and request off for Kim's bridal shower.
6. Change a few things in budget folder, print new calendar ... other than that everything is done.
7. Pay for lot of things I bought for Julie online.

I should have a pretty good week of non spend days. I didn't spend anything over the weekend, so that's two for this week. Making my grand total for this "month" (half month really) up to three. Hey, you gotta start somewhere.

Amanda

Ok, so I wasn't sure it would ever happen, but yesterday was my first official no spend day since starting this lovely little challenge. WOOT! I'm pretty proud of myself, and hope to be able to hit nine more by the end of this month.

I didn't think hitting 10 would be that hard, until I realized how often I have to acutally spend money. It's rather annoying.

I went yesterday to drop my daughter off at daycare, and I was honestly so disgusted at the teacher that I didn't feel comfortable leaving her there. It was the worst feeling ... so I came to work and started looking at daycares.

I found one with ONE opening that I am in LOVE with. I checked it out yesterday, and it is pretty much exactly what I am looking for. They are going to help me with potty training, after her last center told me they don't start till at least two. I don't know why when she was peepeeing on the potty at home ... but whatever.

I am going today to put the $50 down to hold the spot, tomorrow we have a doctor's appointment ... thank goodness are insurance finally kicked in! That'll be nice, to get her caught up on her shots.

I think I am going to talk to the new daycare to see if she can start on Monday. I really don't think I can handle anymore "surprises" from her current daycare.

Amanda