So, you're earning the extra money you wanted to earn, and you're saving money on your budgeted items like utilities and groceries. What are you doing with the extra money?
I recently got a raise and when I did, I opted into the 401k where I work, using the money from the raise as my part of the investment. It's not a lot, but over time it will add up, and my company is matching my contributions.
There are other ways to make the extra money you're pulling in work for you including putting it into a CD or high yield savings account, buying some of the land for sale Branson has to offer, investing in Forex or other options, investing in stocks...the list goes on. The main thing is to take at least a part of the extra money and use it to work for you so that later you can draw from it.
Minggu, 30 Maret 2008
Packing the last
When I move the last things out of this house, I'm also taking out the light bulbs. When I moved in, there were none in here and since then I've put in all compact fluorescent bulbs to save electricity. They aren't cheap, I can tell you, but they paid for themselves the first month after I put them in.
My electric bill dropped by a good 30% just using these bulbs. I had no idea just how much power regular incandescent bulbs could pull, and I am consistent in turning lights off in rooms that aren't in use.
My electric bill dropped by a good 30% just using these bulbs. I had no idea just how much power regular incandescent bulbs could pull, and I am consistent in turning lights off in rooms that aren't in use.
Sabtu, 22 Maret 2008
Lights!
I am hoping that when we move into this other house we're looking at, the bathroom lighting is brilliant. Right now, there's just a single ceiling fixture in the bathroom so fixing my hair or putting on make-up is a hit-or-miss proposition. What I'd like is lights on each side of the bathroom mirror as well as across the top so that there really aren't any shadows on my face or hair and light from a window doesn't cast it's own shadow.
Of course, I'll also want regular lighting in the bathroom so I can have a choice as to which I want to use for what purposes.
Of course, I'll also want regular lighting in the bathroom so I can have a choice as to which I want to use for what purposes.
Coffee club
I have recently joined a well-known coffee club and expect to get a nice coffee maker along with my first shipment of coffees. Of course, I'll have to keep an eye on my membership so that I get things done in a timely manner. I don't want to receive coffees I haven't actually chosen.
This holds true if you've joined a movie club, book club, or wine club. Make the minimum number of selections and make sure you get your order returned on time so you aren't sent what they select for you. Have the subscription costs deducted automatically so you won't be late with the payments. Keep the club membership for as long as you feel you need it and the minimum purchases are made, then discontinue it if everything hasn't turned out as you'd hoped.
Since I am a coffee drinker, I think I'll be a member for quite awhile!
This holds true if you've joined a movie club, book club, or wine club. Make the minimum number of selections and make sure you get your order returned on time so you aren't sent what they select for you. Have the subscription costs deducted automatically so you won't be late with the payments. Keep the club membership for as long as you feel you need it and the minimum purchases are made, then discontinue it if everything hasn't turned out as you'd hoped.
Since I am a coffee drinker, I think I'll be a member for quite awhile!
Rabu, 19 Maret 2008
Increased cost of living
Cost of living
With the cost of living increasing by way of gas prices, which ultimately affect everything else, it's tempting to use the extra money from a pay raise for one's own, immediate needs. But money spent is gone forever. I'd rather have the money working for me so that at some time in the future I can retire and not be one of the millions of retired persons having to choose between food and medicine.
Gas here is now around $3.10 a gallon locally, and I realize it's much higher in other places. Where I've been going to work lately, the gas is up to $3.18 a gallon for regular. Around here, Valero has the cheapest gas but I've used it and wound up with engine problems. So sometimes, cheap isn't the best way to go. But, remember that the cost of petroleum directly affects the cost of all other consumer goods. It may not cause an increase immediately, but it will eventually make the cost of your groceries and other items go up.
Invest in your own future
This is why, when I get a pay increase I apply it to something that will work for me instead of adding the increase to my regular budget. I use pay increases for things like 401k contributions, stock options, auction selling, or domains.
Adding to income in the here and now
I also find ways to increase my auction sales at eBay and TLPSH auction sites. These are easy to list auction sites that can yield a pretty big return for a very small investment. Online auctions allow you to work any time you want and from any location. I can post auctions from my laptop, regardless whether I'm home, waiting to clock in at work, or visiting my Mom. The primary consideration is making sure I have pictures of the items already uploaded to my laptop and quick descriptions saved in Notepad.
Shopping frugally
Bear in mind that every meal doesn't have to have meat. Meat is expensive, and too much of it is actually detrimental to your health. So, having meatless meals several times a week can help your budget and your health.
Shopping for house brands is good unless the product just simply doesn't do the job. I've found that house brands of bleach and detergents really don't work as well as the name brands. However, there are other cleaning products that work just fine whether they are plain label or house brands. For example, "scrubbing bubbles" from the .99 store works just as good as the national name brand of this type of product. The name brand is around $3 a can, so that's a good savings for a product you can actually use all around the house and not just in the bathroom.
Basics like rice, beans, flour, and other grain based foods are perfectly fine in plain label or house brands. Grain is grain, no matter who packages it.
I actually prefer the cheapest green beans on the shelf. They are odd cuts and an occasional stem, but they are tasty and appear more like the green beans I pick and cook myself! On the other hand, canned corn can be pretty bad if it's not picked and processed correctly, so your best bet is to get a name brand for corn. Most other veggies, though, are just fine in plain label or house brands.
With the cost of living increasing by way of gas prices, which ultimately affect everything else, it's tempting to use the extra money from a pay raise for one's own, immediate needs. But money spent is gone forever. I'd rather have the money working for me so that at some time in the future I can retire and not be one of the millions of retired persons having to choose between food and medicine.
Gas here is now around $3.10 a gallon locally, and I realize it's much higher in other places. Where I've been going to work lately, the gas is up to $3.18 a gallon for regular. Around here, Valero has the cheapest gas but I've used it and wound up with engine problems. So sometimes, cheap isn't the best way to go. But, remember that the cost of petroleum directly affects the cost of all other consumer goods. It may not cause an increase immediately, but it will eventually make the cost of your groceries and other items go up.
Invest in your own future
This is why, when I get a pay increase I apply it to something that will work for me instead of adding the increase to my regular budget. I use pay increases for things like 401k contributions, stock options, auction selling, or domains.
Adding to income in the here and now
I also find ways to increase my auction sales at eBay and TLPSH auction sites. These are easy to list auction sites that can yield a pretty big return for a very small investment. Online auctions allow you to work any time you want and from any location. I can post auctions from my laptop, regardless whether I'm home, waiting to clock in at work, or visiting my Mom. The primary consideration is making sure I have pictures of the items already uploaded to my laptop and quick descriptions saved in Notepad.
Shopping frugally
Bear in mind that every meal doesn't have to have meat. Meat is expensive, and too much of it is actually detrimental to your health. So, having meatless meals several times a week can help your budget and your health.
Shopping for house brands is good unless the product just simply doesn't do the job. I've found that house brands of bleach and detergents really don't work as well as the name brands. However, there are other cleaning products that work just fine whether they are plain label or house brands. For example, "scrubbing bubbles" from the .99 store works just as good as the national name brand of this type of product. The name brand is around $3 a can, so that's a good savings for a product you can actually use all around the house and not just in the bathroom.
Basics like rice, beans, flour, and other grain based foods are perfectly fine in plain label or house brands. Grain is grain, no matter who packages it.
I actually prefer the cheapest green beans on the shelf. They are odd cuts and an occasional stem, but they are tasty and appear more like the green beans I pick and cook myself! On the other hand, canned corn can be pretty bad if it's not picked and processed correctly, so your best bet is to get a name brand for corn. Most other veggies, though, are just fine in plain label or house brands.
Minggu, 16 Maret 2008
Remodeling
About 15 years ago, my husband and I remodeled a house that was probably about a hundred years old. It wasn't a classic home. Just an old farmhouse that had fallen into disrepair. That remodel job, crude as it was, taught me a lot about building, materials, and tools to use. I feel confident that I could do it again, if needed, and probably save tons of money on contractor work. Of course, I'd have to have the electric and plumbing done by professionals, but I could do much of the construction myself.
I actually built my own kitchen and bathroom cabinets in that old house. There hadn't been any, nor were there closets. The house wasn't constructed with them to begin with! Using a trusty festool circular saw, I was able to cut the lumber and create kitchen cabinet doors that looked like little barn doors. They suited the old house very well, and I did a green wash on the wood for an antique appearance, sanding the corners of the lumber to look like years of wear. I use simple hammered brass hardware to further give an old look to them. They are quite inexpensive but served the purpose perfectly.
Have you done any home projects lately?
I actually built my own kitchen and bathroom cabinets in that old house. There hadn't been any, nor were there closets. The house wasn't constructed with them to begin with! Using a trusty festool circular saw, I was able to cut the lumber and create kitchen cabinet doors that looked like little barn doors. They suited the old house very well, and I did a green wash on the wood for an antique appearance, sanding the corners of the lumber to look like years of wear. I use simple hammered brass hardware to further give an old look to them. They are quite inexpensive but served the purpose perfectly.
Have you done any home projects lately?
Things I want to look for
When I move, there will be some things I want to look for to go in my house. Things like new coffee makers (mine has seen better days), comforter sets, pillows, and throw rugs. I love new things and these things will help make my new dwelling a real home.
What I already have of them are worn and pretty well gone beyond their usefulness now. See, I don't buy new things until the old really are worn out. I'm not a person who shops seasonally for new things just because they are in fashion. I get what I really like to live with for a long time when I make new purchases.
What I already have of them are worn and pretty well gone beyond their usefulness now. See, I don't buy new things until the old really are worn out. I'm not a person who shops seasonally for new things just because they are in fashion. I get what I really like to live with for a long time when I make new purchases.
Minggu, 09 Maret 2008
Adjusting to Daylight Savings Time
It "feels" earlier than it is right now. I've got to keep a sharp eye on the time, so I can get my shower, get dressed, and go do what needs doing before I have to go to work. At least my laptop time changed automatically, so I just keep looking at that so I won't run late today.
I know it will be a couple of weeks before I adjust to the time change. It's always that way. Just when I get a sense of the hour of the day, the time changes again and I have to readjust and develop a new sense. Well, at least I'll have extra daylight hours to plant my herbs...at least on the days I don't have to work those hours!
I know it will be a couple of weeks before I adjust to the time change. It's always that way. Just when I get a sense of the hour of the day, the time changes again and I have to readjust and develop a new sense. Well, at least I'll have extra daylight hours to plant my herbs...at least on the days I don't have to work those hours!
Payments and banking
Since I have to be at my workplace at 4 to pick people up to take to the other city, I really need to get around early enough to run by and make my car payment. Yeah. I haven't had a chance to do that yet. I haven't even picked up my paycheck from work, and it was there on the 5th!
All this traveling to another city to work has certainly thrown a kink into my normal activities, you know. I barely have the time to do my laundry and get a shower. I was off work yesterday, but so exhausted I wound up napping off and on all day. I just couldn't get moving, not even enough to do a little housework.
My bank account is running low so I have got to see about cashing my check, if they have enough to do that at work, and making my car payment in cash.
All this traveling to another city to work has certainly thrown a kink into my normal activities, you know. I barely have the time to do my laundry and get a shower. I was off work yesterday, but so exhausted I wound up napping off and on all day. I just couldn't get moving, not even enough to do a little housework.
My bank account is running low so I have got to see about cashing my check, if they have enough to do that at work, and making my car payment in cash.
Working away again
I'll have to go to the other city to work again this afternoon. I'm not too crazy about doing that. It's extra wear and tear on my car and extra gas to buy. I was offered only $10 for all this driving, which isn't nearly enough to cover it. I've already figured that I used $15 in gas so far, and today will use more.
I may just log my miles, times, and the dates then see about taking it off my taxes next year. I think it would work out better financially to do that instead of accepting a pittance for driving and it not working out to be enough.
I wonder if all this driving and extra stress from working in another store would affect life insurance quotes, should I choose to get them? Does a life insurance company look at things like that?
I may just log my miles, times, and the dates then see about taking it off my taxes next year. I think it would work out better financially to do that instead of accepting a pittance for driving and it not working out to be enough.
I wonder if all this driving and extra stress from working in another store would affect life insurance quotes, should I choose to get them? Does a life insurance company look at things like that?
Sabtu, 08 Maret 2008
Fast shift
My shift was pretty long at work in the new store yesterday. They don't really have their own employees yet, which means borrowing managers and crew from surrounding stores for awhile. Even though I wound up working nearly 10 hours there, we were so busy that the time went by pretty quickly. It was probably a good thing that I couldn't see a clock from most locations in the store, though, or it might have really hit me how long I'd been on my feet.
At one point, my supervisor looked at her Patek Aquanaut watch, then looked at me and asked me if I was OK. I don't know if the hard work and long hours of the day were showing in my face or what, but she changed my duties so I wasn't working as hard!
At one point, my supervisor looked at her Patek Aquanaut watch, then looked at me and asked me if I was OK. I don't know if the hard work and long hours of the day were showing in my face or what, but she changed my duties so I wasn't working as hard!
Snowfall less than expected
Thankfully, the predicted snowfall mentioned in the previous post never did really hit the way it was thought it would. The highways were simply wet, even though it did snow and sleet. Driving wasn't bad at all and we only got about 4 inches of snow in the areas hit the heaviest where we traveled.
Probably the worst thing was the cold wind, which seemed to cut right through our clothing when we got out of the car. Once in the motel room, we were able to get comfortable, though, and the next morning the roads were OK when we headed to the work location.
Probably the worst thing was the cold wind, which seemed to cut right through our clothing when we got out of the car. Once in the motel room, we were able to get comfortable, though, and the next morning the roads were OK when we headed to the work location.
Rabu, 05 Maret 2008
Keeping the water flowing
It looks like we're going to be hit with another round of winter weather. There is currently a winter storm watch in effect for our area of Arkansas and it's predicted there could be 2 to 4 inches of snow.
Because I have to work in a store that's not in my usual city, that means a longer drive there and back, with passengers. So, I really hope none of the predicted snowfall materializes until long after we're all safely back home again! This also means I'll probably need to keep the water dripping a little to avoid broken water lines. At least something like that is easy to adjust with my Delta faucets. I can achieve just enough of a drip to keep some water flowing without running my water bill up too much.
I'm always mindful of how much water we use, how much electricity we use, and how much heating gas we use. Everything is going up in cost which means I have to be even tighter with my utilities.
Because I have to work in a store that's not in my usual city, that means a longer drive there and back, with passengers. So, I really hope none of the predicted snowfall materializes until long after we're all safely back home again! This also means I'll probably need to keep the water dripping a little to avoid broken water lines. At least something like that is easy to adjust with my Delta faucets. I can achieve just enough of a drip to keep some water flowing without running my water bill up too much.
I'm always mindful of how much water we use, how much electricity we use, and how much heating gas we use. Everything is going up in cost which means I have to be even tighter with my utilities.
Needs and wants
As I grow older, I find my needs and wants decreasing. In fact, many of them have disappeared. I need food and shelter, but I don't need fancy food or an extravagant dwelling place. Simple foods eaten in a humble home are sufficient for me.
Furnishings can be simple and functional, too. I have a wonderful leather sofa and a couple of comfortable occasional chairs. I don't need a Baldwin baby grand sitting in the corner. I can't play anyway!
I have a four-board farmhouse table and six ladder-back chairs to go with it. You can keep your Duncan Phyfe dining room furniture.
Simple, functional, easy to care for - that's my heart's desire. What's yours?
Furnishings can be simple and functional, too. I have a wonderful leather sofa and a couple of comfortable occasional chairs. I don't need a Baldwin baby grand sitting in the corner. I can't play anyway!
I have a four-board farmhouse table and six ladder-back chairs to go with it. You can keep your Duncan Phyfe dining room furniture.
Simple, functional, easy to care for - that's my heart's desire. What's yours?
Moving closer to Mom
I'm home again, after visiting my Mom for about a week. You know what? A week just isn't long enough! I really hate leaving her house, and maybe soon I can move closer to her and see her daily instead of every few months.
This is another one of the reasons I have for wanting to work from home more and work at McDonald's less. My dear Mom turned 86 yesterday, and I am greedily wanting all the time I can have with her while I still have a chance. If something happens...when something happens...to her, I don't know that I will be able to shake off the grief and regrets if I don't find a way to spend more time with her now.
This is another one of the reasons I have for wanting to work from home more and work at McDonald's less. My dear Mom turned 86 yesterday, and I am greedily wanting all the time I can have with her while I still have a chance. If something happens...when something happens...to her, I don't know that I will be able to shake off the grief and regrets if I don't find a way to spend more time with her now.
Sabtu, 01 Maret 2008
My car
I've been driving my car for over a year now. It's been OK so far, but I know it had nearly 100,000 miles on it when I got it so it probably won't keep going a lot longer. I'm going to be looking at cars again and will be trying to see if I can get in a Mustang this time. If I have to make car payments, they might as well be for the kind of car I really want!
I know going in that my car insurance for a Mustang will be higher than it is for my Mercury Sable. After all, it's a sports car and insurance companies automatically assume that I'll be dogging it around, putting me at risk for tickets and accidents. Now, I've got absolutely no tickets anywhere on my record. The only accident I've ever been involved in was the fault of a drunk driver who side-swiped me when he was trying to pass me on a two-lane road. Not my fault at all!
I guess I need to be checking around about insurance if I plan to actually get the car of my dreams.
I know going in that my car insurance for a Mustang will be higher than it is for my Mercury Sable. After all, it's a sports car and insurance companies automatically assume that I'll be dogging it around, putting me at risk for tickets and accidents. Now, I've got absolutely no tickets anywhere on my record. The only accident I've ever been involved in was the fault of a drunk driver who side-swiped me when he was trying to pass me on a two-lane road. Not my fault at all!
I guess I need to be checking around about insurance if I plan to actually get the car of my dreams.
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