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And so it continues

August 23rd, 2010 at 05:35 pm

I have been tweaking our budget. We need to stick to one better and eliminate our credit card debt. We pay a fourth of our income to credit cards every month and I want to eliminate that. We pay a bit more than the minimum but still I need to pay them off. We are trying to keep our bills down to our income but it is challenging. I have a new budget which should help. We are also going to try to save more every month so visiting kids doesn't run up our debt even more. We also have a mortgage and car payment. We pay a bit more on those every month too. I am getting worried about our 5 year old van. It has alot of miles and we still owe alot of money on it. The house is in an area where lots of houses are going up for sale so am a bit concerned there too. We want to move closer to the grown kids so it is less expensive to visit (and we can do it more) but not sure if the house would sell, if we could even find a job.
I wish I could come up with a way to make money to help with all this. I am a SAHM with no income. No idea how to make money here but with my semi reasonable amount of intelligence I should be able to.
Sigh

Resolutions

December 29th, 2008 at 05:52 pm

My resolutions,

1) To read my Bible more and set a better spiritual example for the kids.

2)To be more financially secure, including get out of credit card debt, not using credit cards, only paypal or debit cards, save for emergencies.

3) To lose the weight and develop better eating habits.

4) To traverse through at least 4 more belts in Karate.

Debt is a YOYO

May 9th, 2008 at 05:35 pm

Our debt is a Yoyo. We are trying to eliminate it but the trips East are adding to it. Still wouldn't give them up for anything. I love my kids and grandkids. Just reduced it quite a bit tho. We have two cards that we are carrying a balance on. We also have one we use online and pay off every month. The goal is to get it back to 1 that carries a balance and then drop it to zero and use it for trips only, paying it off when the bill comes.

New Years is Coming

December 29th, 2007 at 11:03 pm

For several reasons I have been very introspective lately. I have neglected this blog among other things. I need to get "on the stick" and do several things and I guess this is as good a time as any. So I guess I will redo my goals.
1) Eliminate credit card debt (already did this but built it back when DIL got hurt)
2) Choose a new stock for Sharebuilder
3) Lose weight (still and again)
4) Karate classes more consistently (due to ill spouse I havent been for a month and it bugs me)
5) Clear out the clutter and reduce our possessions to a reasonable amount (to make move south easier if God provides a job)
6) Get the kids outside more
7) Find a way of making money at home
8) Emergency fund (we need to redo it DIL cleared it out too)
9) Plan vacations (as in cash for them) to see family (Feb-adoption finalized, June-new one due, and Aug-son visiting from Iraq)
10)Pay off the doctors bills.


Another goal update!

August 4th, 2007 at 05:57 pm

I decided it was time to see what goals are still to go this year. I will do the same things I did last time, copy the last blog and delete what has been done to see where we still need to go.

4. Pay off the medical bills from January 2006 (that will take alot.) Right now we pay 50 a month on 4 bills. At this rate if I add what I was paying to the next payment I will accomplish this.

(Still have these, but am working steadily on them)

Concrete Health

2. Continue to only have one can of soda a week and several bottles of water a day

I am closer to this than I was so I'll keep going.

5. Lose weight, about 40 #

7. Walk somewhere every week increasing to 3 times a week.

I have done this sometimes and expect to do more now that we have a little one who needs the exercise.

Concrete Personal:

4. Lose weight (40 # or so)Figured it was worth repeating!!


7. Become more organized and efficient.

Concrete Parenting:

2. Help DS2 learn to share better and be polite.

4. Have a more organized plan with more variety in his school work

5. Instill a love for nature and God's creation in our children.

6. Teach them good nutrician habits and exercise.

7. Teach them good money management skills.

Concrete goals House:

1. Make all curtains for the house

3. Decorate walls upstairs

5. Make the yard and driveway less of a swamp.

6. Put up a backyard play set.

It is in the driveway, just need to move the rest of the sod.

7. Fence the backyard so the dog can run free. Probably not till next year but we are considering an electric fence.

Now for the wish list!!!

3. Make everything fresh or from scratch

4. Sew something for each person on my Christmas list. (In Progress)

5. Finish my thesis and last course and get my Masters of Divinity. (In Progress)

6. Go on a family missions trip. (Have to wait until youngest child is 6)

7. Keep the house neat and clean. (No Comment)

It's a girl

July 19th, 2007 at 01:41 pm

We had an awesome phone call yesterday. Our case worker called and we are going to be allowed to adopt a little girl almost 2 years old. We meet her on Tuesday and can hardly wait. This will be our second adoption and probably the last. I am soooo looking forward to this. I know it will be hard but so was the first one and for that matter the two biological kids as well. God is so good to allow this.

Decisions

May 17th, 2007 at 09:53 pm

We have hit a decision time or feel like we have. We want more kids. We are going to adopt them as we are a bit old for the other way. We have been on the list for over a year for a local special needs adoption. So far while our case study has been submitted several times we have not been given a child or children. Part of the problem there is we want a young child (our DS2 is almost 4 and we prefer he be the oldest or close to it. So we can
1) Continue to hold our breath every time our case study is submitted
2) Try foster care but then you have the heartbreak of having to return the child and sometimes you are returning them to a bad environment. And there is no guarentee you will ever get one that is adoptable.
3)Try an overseas adoption which is lots of money although we could get a discount on the international case study since we have one done for the US so that drops the price by a thousand. Which makes it "only" 12 to 15 thousand. We would have to borrow that much to do it but then we would be able to get one or two children that are young and the waiting would have an end probably by the end of the year or beginning of next year. Unfortunately we don't have enough equity in th ehouse to get that much by doing a second mortgage or it would already be done. Wish I had a rich friend I'd borrow it!
The other option is to stop now but we don't want to go that route.
I guess I am feeling more frustrated because this month is th eanniversary of when our case study was finished and while our names have been submitted a few times nothing has come of any of it.
I have a 4 bedroom house and I'd like to decorate a couple of them for kids!

Goal update

April 14th, 2007 at 02:52 pm

I am going to copy the goals blog and delete the ones I have done so I can tell where I am and what I still have to go.

1. EF is currently way way low. By the end of 2007 I plan to have it up to one month's take home.

3. Increase our Tithe by a percent in August as usual.

4. Pay off the medical bills from January 2006 (that will take alot.) Right now we pay 50 a month on 4 bills. At this rate if I add what I was paying to the next payment I will accomplish this.

Concrete Health

2. Continue to only have one can of soda a week and several bottles of water a day

5. Lose weight, about 40 #

7. Walk somewhere every week increasing to 3 times a week.

Concrete Personal:

4. Lose weight (40 # or so)Figured it was worth repeating!!

6. Read less fiction and more Theology books.

7. Become more organized and efficient.

Concrete Parenting:

1. Have more kids

2. Help DS2 learn to share better and be polite.

3. Continue playgroup and find other opportunities for him to practice the above skills

4. Have a more organized plan with more variety in his school work

5. Instill a love for nature and God's creation in our children.

6. Teach them good nutrician habits and exercise.

7. Teach them good money management skills.

Concrete goals House:

1. Make all curtains for the house

2. Paint the downstairs rooms

3. Decorate walls upstairs

4. Redo the roof on the garage and fix the doors

5. Make the yard and driveway less of a swamp.

6. Put up a backyard play set.

7. Fence the backyard so the dog can run free.

Now for the wish list!!!

3. Make everything fresh or from scratch

4. Sew something for each person on my Christmas list. (In Progress)

5. Finish my thesis and last course and get my Masters of Divinity. (In Progress)

6. Go on a family missions trip. (Have to wait until youngest child is 6)

7. Keep the house neat and clean. (No Comment)

Up to 15

April 14th, 2007 at 02:41 pm

With the raise we decided to raise our 401 K contribution to 15 % now instead of waiting the whole 6 months. That is as much as we plan on putting in there. The company matches the first 3% so there is really 18% going in. We will probably never retire but it will be there just in case we can afford to someday. If there is anything left when we die it will be divided evenly among all living grandchildren. One more goal met. I need to revisit the list and see where we need to work next.

Hurray!!

February 9th, 2007 at 02:10 pm

The IRS came through. We had cut down what they deduct because we knew we would get alot back and had better uses for it. We misjudged however and were due several thousand. Last fall we found out we owed the IRS a couple thousand due to a mistake several years ago. It balanced out quite nicely. We still got a bit back to add to the EF and they are paid in full. It means we didn't pay the medical bills but those are no interest and will get paid this year even if it is at a bit a month. I plan on incurring no more for a long time so that is acceptable to me. We added some to the vacation fund as well just in case because our DIL may need us to come down if she goes into the hospital for surgery.
So the EF is now almost halfway to the goal for the year and we won't have to touch it if we go east unexpectedly.

Part done

January 16th, 2007 at 02:18 am

Part of my no 2 financial goal is done. WE increased our 401K percentage by 2.5 % this year. One small step.....

carless

January 2nd, 2007 at 04:26 pm

We still have the 2005 van (and the payment) but we have gotton rid of the car. A former co worker was in big trouble transportation wise and I mentioned we were going to get rid of the car and would do it now if someone wanted to pay off the balance. She jumped at the chance and our car is now at her house. I have to finish the payments (she gave me the money for that) and transfer title so am retaining the insurance on it until that is done but the car is as far as we are concerned sold. That money (from what we were paying) is going to go straight into savings, some for vacation, some for EF, and some for paying off the house faster.

Goals

December 30th, 2006 at 02:28 pm

Now seems to be the time to write goals, both real concrete ones and wish ones.

Concrete Ones: Financial

1. EF is currently way way low. By the end of 2007 I plan to have it up to one month's take home.

2. Increase the 401K percentage by 2.5 percent in January and in July as we did this year.

3. Increase our Tithe by a percent in August as usual.

4. Pay off the medical bills from January 2006 (that will take alot.) Right now we pay 50 a month on 4 bills. At this rate if I add what I was paying to the next payment I will accomplish this.

5. Pay off the IRS bill we weren't expecting. (will come mostly from the tax return)

6. Save for the next trip east so it is paid for beforehand.

7. Continue college fund for DS2

Concrete Health

1. Find a source for non hormone induced dairy products, and a local source for eggs.

2. Continue to only have one can of soda a week and several bottles of water a day

3. Continue Vegie diet, increasing methods of food preparation to give variety to meals

4. Use more whole grains and healthy foods, less sugar

5. Lose weight, about 40 #

6. Radically limit our eating out unless on a road trip and even then pack food.

7. Walk somewhere every week increasing to 3 times a week.

Concrete Personal:

1. Start studying for ordination with Wesleyan church

2. Continue meeting with Pastor of church and improving understanding and insight

3. Be more open and friendlier with those I love as well as those I am developing a rapore with.

4. Lose weight (40 # or so)Figured it was worth repeating!!

5. Get the house unpacked and straightened out.

6. Read less fiction and more Theology books.

7. Become more organized and efficient.

Concrete Parenting:

1. Have more kids

2. Help DS2 learn to share better and be polite.

3. Continue playgroup and find other opportunities for him to practice the above skills

4. Have a more organized plan with more variety in his school work

5. Instill a love for nature and God's creation in our children.

6. Teach them good nutrician habits and exercise.

7. Teach them good money management skills.

Concrete goals House:

1. Make all curtains for the house

2. Paint the downstairs rooms

3. Decorate walls upstairs

4. Redo the roof on the garage and fix the doors

5. Make the yard and driveway less of a swamp.

6. Put up a backyard play set.

7. Fence the backyard so the dog can run free.

Now for the wish list!!!

1. Become more active in the church.

2. Get my Veggie Tales business off the ground and going on a supervisor level.

3. Make everything fresh or from scratch

4. Sew something for each person on my Christmas list.

5. Finish my thesis and last course and get my Masters of Divinity.

6. Go on a family missions trip.

7. Keep the house neat and clean.