There are time when we all tend to overdwell on something and this is something of serious concern to me right now. I probably will surface from time to time so please bare with me when I occasionally purge about CAPITAL. This may come up from time to time and since my blog has not real direction I figure I may as well add this to the subject matter. It may come up more now because I am consumed with thinking of ways to save, budget, earn fix my thinking when it comes to money.
Financial Diary
2/8/2010
I have decided to keep a financial dairy or Journal. This decision is because I am always losing sight of my financial goals. This happens with many different aspects of life for me. I lose weight when I am keeping a food diary of what I eat and how I felt when I ate it etc. and gain the weight when I stop. I complete more sewing projects when I keep a Journal of the daily thought and happenings.Forget completely about my projects when I stop writing about what I am doing. So I am hoping that I can achieve my financial goals which are: 1) control over my money and how it is spent, 2) achieving a saving that I could live off of for at least 6 months if I lost my job and 3) higher credit score so I can get credit because someone in the wonderful capitalist world decided that it would favor those with a higher scores. So by keeping this journal I am hoping to stay on track.
First of all It is important for the reader of this journal to understand that the usage of the following words I, me, or my actually refers to my husband, and myself. Since we were joined together in marriage, I = we, me= us, my = ours. To keep thing simple in my Financial diary I will just use my, I or me. This will be easier for all concern and especially for me because I swear my brain takes breaks without notice so I get lost easily.
Of course this diary is being started because I find myself in the hole again. I hate it because this happens every January and February. March I get out of it because it always a 3 week pay month so March becomes my recovery month. What makes this maddening is that it has been happening for the last 3 years and every time I think I have beaten it I get smacked in the face with the overdrawn notice from the bank and no funds to cover the amount overdrawn. The way bank process items, you can have several debits hit your account at the same time and they will always process the largest amount first and then you get the overdraft fees on the smaller amounts. This is way a payment of over 600.00 will always process before the 5.00 cup of coffee so if you have enough to pay the 600.00 and are .25 short of the 5.00 so your cup of coffee just cost you 40.00 dollars. Some people say the govt needs to regulate the banks I say read the fine print it's all disclosed to you.
Sorry I went off topic that happens a lot so excuse me.
Right now what I am going to do is look through all that I owe and make a list of each item and how much it is and then make the necessary payments.
Next I will attempt to figure out where my math went wrong and until I have master that I will return to the old fashion way of getting money orders and mailing out the payments.
I will leave at least 10% of my paycheck in the account so that I can start the whole saving 6 month worth of living funds.
The for day to day living is a bit more challenging because determination to stick to the plan it vital. fund for gas to go into the car will be put on a pay as you go debit card, maybe a gift card or just set aside in an envelope , my pocket money will be put into my pocket and once it is gone on well, no trips to the bank to pull funds mainly because only savings will be there. I will just have to be broke until the designated time for new pocket money to be put in my pocket comes around.
Easier said than actually done. But it is so much better for me to look in my pocket and find 4.75 and know that I cannot afford that cup of coffee than it is to use my debit card and pay 40.00 for a cup of coffee.
I know there is a lot more to consider but this is my goal for right now well at until Feb 12.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
No going anywhere today.
Because of all the snow every where and the county is in a state of emergency we stayed home. I had tickets for In the Heights but the afternoon performance was cancelled. So we will have to catch it later while it is still in the city.
My little niece has changed the name of her line or I got it wrong to begin with. It is Unnaturally Cool. She has and image of a rose which grows naturally in an unnatural color which makes it cool. The rose is green with pink dots and the stem is red. So I am working on creating this image for use in her clothing line. I will create some fabric print and get it printed at spoon flower it can be used as lining in some jackets, purses, hats and other times it can be the actually fabric print.
Her designs are for the fall season so we have all summer to create these 10 looks. As soon as the weather breaks we will get a better scheduled done as we can work together each week until it all done. I have her doing some research in fashion magazine to see if we can determine what the trend colors will be in the fall of 2010
In the meantime I have taken the time to reorganize or restash my fabric. As you can see I will not be going anywhere for a while.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Just something else to be added to the list.
The list is not a list of projects that I am working on. The list is not a list of resolutions that I would make and never achieve. The list is trouble and more troubles.
Top of the list, My father in law is back in the hospital again. Same problem as before but not as serious at the first hospital stay. He was home for 3 days and just as Saturday was starting off to a relaxing day of running errand and making sure his dad was doing ok the phone rang. Todd took off to the hospital because this time the ambulance was called before Todd was called. To his relief the doctors told him it was not as bad as before but there is an active bleeder somewhere and they have to find it.
The endoscope did not show where the bleeder was but there was a big clot in the same place as before. The location of this clot was near the area where the stomach ends and the intestine start. I looked this up on the internet this area is call the pyloric canal. From what I read it could be cause by stomach cancer. My father in law did have stomach cancer but it was in full remission so maybe it came back but I would think the Doctors would be able to tell us that. I am going to mention it just the same.
Middle of the list, My husband’s new boss emailed him and asked him to come to the office during the day to have a meeting with him. Here is the thing; with everything that Todd is doing right now, going out of his way to meet with his boss was not going to be one of them. Someone in the office must have explained this to the new boss so the new boss made a special trip in to the office early so he could speak with Todd.
Todd explained that with his father declining health he has to be able to be close enough to get to him when he calls for his help. The dispatching job is 27 miles away it will take 40 minutes in good traffic to get to him. The bus driving job is 10 minutes away. The new boss just was not getting it. He offered Todd part time or just weekends but this was refused as well because it’s just too far away. Originally the office was located on the North Side of town but 2 years ago it was move to Sewickley and it has always been his fear that if something happen in the middle of the night while working that he would not get to his father in time.
Todd offered to train his replacement but on the 12th of February he would be done and gone.
So while my dear hubby was dealing with all of these things, life was not completely settled at my job in the scheduling room. One week a work associate was off sick the next week the other work associate was on vacation. So I did what I could to keep things running smoothly as I possibly could. Coming in early, being the last one to leave having lunch at my desk. This did not set well with my hubby and each time he complained I just told him “ I will get paid the overtime do not worry. “ Well I get paid on Friday and it should have 5.7 hours of OT on it. My wonderful employer gives us the capability to see our paystub before payday and my check was short! I had one day off to go for doctors appointments and they did not use my PTO. So my paycheck had a total of 77.7 hours for me instead of 85.7 hours.
I freak out because I just knew with all that my husband was dealing with the overtime would have been great. I also just knew he was going to blow a gasket when he found out that I did not receive the OT. My boss assured me that it will be the next paycheck but that does nothing for me right now.
What was Todd response when I explain what was going on with my paycheck? “ Just add that to the list. “ He said it so calmly that I had to ask what was he thinking. “ I just want to go home sit on the sofa and hold you in my arms until I fall asleep.”
So that is what we did and for right now forgetting about the list.
Top of the list, My father in law is back in the hospital again. Same problem as before but not as serious at the first hospital stay. He was home for 3 days and just as Saturday was starting off to a relaxing day of running errand and making sure his dad was doing ok the phone rang. Todd took off to the hospital because this time the ambulance was called before Todd was called. To his relief the doctors told him it was not as bad as before but there is an active bleeder somewhere and they have to find it.
The endoscope did not show where the bleeder was but there was a big clot in the same place as before. The location of this clot was near the area where the stomach ends and the intestine start. I looked this up on the internet this area is call the pyloric canal. From what I read it could be cause by stomach cancer. My father in law did have stomach cancer but it was in full remission so maybe it came back but I would think the Doctors would be able to tell us that. I am going to mention it just the same.
Middle of the list, My husband’s new boss emailed him and asked him to come to the office during the day to have a meeting with him. Here is the thing; with everything that Todd is doing right now, going out of his way to meet with his boss was not going to be one of them. Someone in the office must have explained this to the new boss so the new boss made a special trip in to the office early so he could speak with Todd.
Todd explained that with his father declining health he has to be able to be close enough to get to him when he calls for his help. The dispatching job is 27 miles away it will take 40 minutes in good traffic to get to him. The bus driving job is 10 minutes away. The new boss just was not getting it. He offered Todd part time or just weekends but this was refused as well because it’s just too far away. Originally the office was located on the North Side of town but 2 years ago it was move to Sewickley and it has always been his fear that if something happen in the middle of the night while working that he would not get to his father in time.
Todd offered to train his replacement but on the 12th of February he would be done and gone.
So while my dear hubby was dealing with all of these things, life was not completely settled at my job in the scheduling room. One week a work associate was off sick the next week the other work associate was on vacation. So I did what I could to keep things running smoothly as I possibly could. Coming in early, being the last one to leave having lunch at my desk. This did not set well with my hubby and each time he complained I just told him “ I will get paid the overtime do not worry. “ Well I get paid on Friday and it should have 5.7 hours of OT on it. My wonderful employer gives us the capability to see our paystub before payday and my check was short! I had one day off to go for doctors appointments and they did not use my PTO. So my paycheck had a total of 77.7 hours for me instead of 85.7 hours.
I freak out because I just knew with all that my husband was dealing with the overtime would have been great. I also just knew he was going to blow a gasket when he found out that I did not receive the OT. My boss assured me that it will be the next paycheck but that does nothing for me right now.
What was Todd response when I explain what was going on with my paycheck? “ Just add that to the list. “ He said it so calmly that I had to ask what was he thinking. “ I just want to go home sit on the sofa and hold you in my arms until I fall asleep.”
So that is what we did and for right now forgetting about the list.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Weight Lifted......
I was employed with Cole National and worked in the Optical Department. I started as a receptionist/front desk person and was about to become an optician in training
In time I was the front desk person, the person training patient in the insertion and removal of contacts. Maintain the stock of the eyeglass frames I even created a system use to keep track of what we have to display. It was a great idea because the district manager presented the idea at a corporate meeting as if it was his own. I did the ordering of the eyeglasses and processed all the paperwork. Prepared all the figures for the staff meeting to encourage staff to sell the add on.
At first I really liked this job. I worked like I was working for a parent who was going to give the family business to me one day. I truly enjoyed the interaction with the people and felt important. Since I live in the neighborhood many of my customers were also my friends and neighbors.
In time it became clear to me that I would never be considered for managed positions. I could run the department which was made clear to corporate because they let me run the department for 9 months before they actually put a manager in place. I was still expected to do everything that the manager would do. I was so upset and stress that one day I woke up thinking it was Sunday realized that it was Monday and actually passed out. My father came up to my room (I lived in the attic) to find out what happened. The next day I turn in my resignation letter. The weight was lifted off of me when I did that. I was excited to see what I would do next and ever so happy to leave it behind.
When I left they had to hire 2 full time people and 2 part time people to place. I was happy to be unemployed! 2 month later I left my family home and moved in with a girlfriend who needed some help with her children so I became a nanny to 2 little kids. A boy who had ADHD and his little sister and I love them dearly.
What is the reason for my retelling this? My husband just turned in his resignation letter. He works for a local direct drive service for 10 years. We have been married for 6 years and I know he never received a raise in pay during the years we were married. Actually he was told that no one was getting raises because the office was struggling to make a profit. Everyone in the office complained of not getting raises so that he does not dispute. His work schedule 11pm to 7am, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 7am to 3pm Saturday and 3pm to 11pm on Sunday. His father has been battling several illnesses during the time I have known him. Diabetes, Kidney disease, but he does not need dialysis yet, congestive heart failure, 2 open heart surgeries, double by-passes, prostate cancer, stomach cancer both in remission. And a host of other problems that come with just getting older and not following doctors instructions.
So when my husband would get off work he would drive a school bus and then go take his father to doctor’s appointments and then try to get some sleep before needing to go back out to drive the school bus to take the children home from school try to get some sleep before going to work that night. And do not forget that I being a needy wife wanted some attention. Friday used to be good night for us to go out be he would still be tired and usually by 8:00 we would be home. Him asleep on the sofa while the TV watched him and I was doing something so where in the apartment.
He said to me that when he turned in his resignation letter it felt like a weight was lifted off of him. He feels freer to be there for his father, he will keep the job with the school bus company. He just received a phone call from the motor coach division of the school bus company asking him to come in for some training classes to be a motor coach driver. This is something that he hoped to do as well and now he will be able to do this also.
He is more relaxed and happier. Feb12, 2010 is his last day of full time employment.
Then we move on into a new chapter of our life together.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
What is ......
What is the purpose of having an appointment only to be told that you do not have one when you arrive at the appointed time?
What is the purpose of receiving a confirmation of that appointment only to be told you do not have one when you arrive at the confirmed day and time?
Why does the front desk person then want to make what was their mistake my mistake?
What is the point have attempting to continue a conversation with someone who was employed only because she is the Doctors daughter?
Why ask why? I need a beer.
What is the purpose of receiving a confirmation of that appointment only to be told you do not have one when you arrive at the confirmed day and time?
Why does the front desk person then want to make what was their mistake my mistake?
What is the point have attempting to continue a conversation with someone who was employed only because she is the Doctors daughter?
Why ask why? I need a beer.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Sisters can be a pain.
Especially when they think that their time is to valuable to do something as simple as drop off her daughter to my house Saturday.
When we talked in detail about how his is going to work it was decided that T.B and I would work together on weekends. One weekend on a Saturday next weekend on a Sunday. On Saturday's my sister will drop her off around 1 in the afternoon and I would bring her home around 5. On Sunday I will pick her up around 3 in the afternoon and she would come and get her around 4 or 5.
Somehow after we decided this either she or her daughter's schedule suddenly was full. Saturday T.B. had to go to the beauty shop to get her hair braided. If I wanted I could pick her up around 3 and then bring her home after we were finished.
See I know my sister if I gave in to pickup and drops off at the very beginning then I would be doing it all the time. Sunday her family was going to visit their dad's grandmother. So two weeks went by with no work being done on her clothing line.
So I asked my sister to get the measurement of the children who are going to be her models since they live near her and I will get the measurements from her. I will use the measurement to draft some pattern on which the clothing can be customized according to my nieces designs.
My niece still has not decided who her models are going to be.
Just the other Saturday I decided that i would drive my husband to work. There was some running around my Auntie needed to do and then I would pick up TB and we can get some work done. I came to her house and my sister and her children were no where to be found. This is however all my fault because I did not call in advance to find out what was going on.
She started tell me about the possibility of a house she had found and that she would like some help packing up the stuff. She then explained how busy she had been recently and wondered if I could come over some Saturday. I told her Friday's would be better. She said that Friday were difficult because she had so much to get ready for the weekend but Saturday evening would be perfect. I told here I would come Friday after work around 7:00. She said that is a bad time for her. I told her I could only help on Friday's after work around 7:00.
When we talked in detail about how his is going to work it was decided that T.B and I would work together on weekends. One weekend on a Saturday next weekend on a Sunday. On Saturday's my sister will drop her off around 1 in the afternoon and I would bring her home around 5. On Sunday I will pick her up around 3 in the afternoon and she would come and get her around 4 or 5.
Somehow after we decided this either she or her daughter's schedule suddenly was full. Saturday T.B. had to go to the beauty shop to get her hair braided. If I wanted I could pick her up around 3 and then bring her home after we were finished.
See I know my sister if I gave in to pickup and drops off at the very beginning then I would be doing it all the time. Sunday her family was going to visit their dad's grandmother. So two weeks went by with no work being done on her clothing line.
So I asked my sister to get the measurement of the children who are going to be her models since they live near her and I will get the measurements from her. I will use the measurement to draft some pattern on which the clothing can be customized according to my nieces designs.
My niece still has not decided who her models are going to be.
Just the other Saturday I decided that i would drive my husband to work. There was some running around my Auntie needed to do and then I would pick up TB and we can get some work done. I came to her house and my sister and her children were no where to be found. This is however all my fault because I did not call in advance to find out what was going on.
She started tell me about the possibility of a house she had found and that she would like some help packing up the stuff. She then explained how busy she had been recently and wondered if I could come over some Saturday. I told her Friday's would be better. She said that Friday were difficult because she had so much to get ready for the weekend but Saturday evening would be perfect. I told here I would come Friday after work around 7:00. She said that is a bad time for her. I told her I could only help on Friday's after work around 7:00.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Updates
What was the cause?
That is the 10,000 dollar question. My FIL had 3 pints of blood removed from his stomach and they could not find a bleeder. Once he is released from the hospital he will be getting the capsule endoscopy which is basically a pill shaped camera that will send the photos to the doctor in hopes of finding the course of his bleeding.
While in the hospital they did to endoscopy but found nothing. Well the first endoscopy showed blood with lots of clots still in his belly. They thought one big clot was blocking the source of his bleeding but since it had clotted they did not want to move it for fear of starting the bleeding again. The next day they did a second endoscopy and there was no blood in his stomach and nothing that looked like the source of the bleeding. The next plan is to do the pill shaped camera.
The doctor explains that even after doing this procedure they may not find the source of his bleeding.
His breathing is labored because his body is retaining fluid. So they stopped the IV’s and are giving him lasix to get rid of the retained fluid. But he was able to eat today! Which he is really happy about. I don’t know if the food was good or if it was just good to have some food.
We still do not know what cause this and we may never find out. But if all continues to go well he should be home before Sunday.
~~~~~T.B Fashion Line.
Before the end of the friday I should be back in my sewing studio finishing some UFO before starting anything new. I will have to make a schedule so I have set day to work on my little desigers clothing line. This weekend we get started.
~~~~~~~I never got the house cleaner.
Tonight I clean everything myself bummer.
That is the 10,000 dollar question. My FIL had 3 pints of blood removed from his stomach and they could not find a bleeder. Once he is released from the hospital he will be getting the capsule endoscopy which is basically a pill shaped camera that will send the photos to the doctor in hopes of finding the course of his bleeding.
While in the hospital they did to endoscopy but found nothing. Well the first endoscopy showed blood with lots of clots still in his belly. They thought one big clot was blocking the source of his bleeding but since it had clotted they did not want to move it for fear of starting the bleeding again. The next day they did a second endoscopy and there was no blood in his stomach and nothing that looked like the source of the bleeding. The next plan is to do the pill shaped camera.
The doctor explains that even after doing this procedure they may not find the source of his bleeding.
His breathing is labored because his body is retaining fluid. So they stopped the IV’s and are giving him lasix to get rid of the retained fluid. But he was able to eat today! Which he is really happy about. I don’t know if the food was good or if it was just good to have some food.
We still do not know what cause this and we may never find out. But if all continues to go well he should be home before Sunday.
~~~~~T.B Fashion Line.
Before the end of the friday I should be back in my sewing studio finishing some UFO before starting anything new. I will have to make a schedule so I have set day to work on my little desigers clothing line. This weekend we get started.
~~~~~~~I never got the house cleaner.
Tonight I clean everything myself bummer.
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