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Archive for February, 2010

Some spending and other ideas...

February 14th, 2010 at 04:39 am

Well day started out heated with the wife. Ended up going out to breakfast cost of $12.00 at the local breakfast house for a good omlet and a steak. Stopped this evening and got some taco shells and made taco for dinner, had everything else. Also purchased a 6 pack of Hansens Natural Soda, still not good for me but better then Pepsi or Coke.

Still not talking to the wife but it will pass at some point, she just really irked me this morning. Maybe tomorrow, maybe not.

Thinking of setting up a fish tank again. I've got the costs all layed out and 95% of the planning done. I could cover it with money I made over the last few weeks selling items on Craigslist and Ebay but having a hard time to commiting to spending the money. It is a relaxing hobby for me and provides me with something to do, but still not sure I want to spend the money on it.

One thing I noticed is that I like to have cash and the feel of cash but spending it is such a hard thing to commit to when it is a larger sum of money. Until yesterday I had been caring around a couple grand and just he feel of it kept me from spending it. I put it into the bank and it is much easier to spend as it doesn't feel the same sitting in the bank.

Well its been one of those days and I'm getting really bored again.

Craig

All kinds of a Good Friday!

February 12th, 2010 at 06:53 pm

Couldn't ask for a much better day, lots of good news and things have gone through.

Woke up this morning to find the Federal Tax refund has been deposited into the bank. $3500 to savings, $3000 of which will go to probably my ING account as it atleast gets some interest. Paid off the remaining balances on my Dell Credit account $1348.51, CC#1 $306, CC#2 $349, CC#3 $325, also mailed the remaining $300 payment to my grandparents for the help when we were both layed off and hadn't got the first check in yet. That was a huge thing for me to get them paid off, and I got it done 3 months in advance. I also left about $500 in the checking as I needed to stock up on my vitamins and supplements (ordered from Puritans Pride and took advantage of there Buy 2 get 3 Free deal at puritan.com this is also the same brand as Vitamin World). Lastly I paid $113.98 to AAA as I like to keep it as I've used it several times and has more then paid for itself in the last 4 years.

I got paid right away from my Ebay sale last night and withdrew it to my Bank account this will go into saving along with the $1600 I deposited today from items sold over the last few weeks.

So next week I should have $5000 to transfer to my ING account at 1.27% interest.

Got the confirmation letter today from the Unemployment Office with a gauruntee of another 17 weeks of unemployment if i need it. Have a line on a new job but with all the snow and cold weather will probably be another month atleast before I can count on it.

With everyone paid up and paid off I went and redid the budget.

Bills and Spending

Rent: $745
Sprint: $127
Qwest: $ 70
Alliant Energy: $117
Sallie Mae: $ 81
Auto Savings: $ 25
Gas for Auto: $260
Food: $500
Misc: $ 50
Laundry Quarters$ 30
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Total: $2080

Monthly Income

Craig: $1652
Wife: $1004
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Total: $2656

Monthly Difference +$576

Note we don't have too much misc spending as we eat and prepare all of our meals at home, baby is breat fed, cloth diapers and if he wants food gets what we eat veggies, eggs, etc. We do most of our laundry here at the apartment but if we have alot of items I take them over to my mothers house and do them or she offers to do them for us, a perk when you gift them 6 month old front loading washer and dryers when we moved. This saves us some money and time but I do still have to atleast take and drop them off.

So barring any major vehicle problems we should be able to start putting even more money away.

My goal for the remainder of this month is to use less gas in the vehicles, put as much as I can into savings, more NSD as I don't really need anything I just go to browse when I get bored. Also I want to keep up with my blogging as it keeps me more in check.

Sorry for the long post everyone have a great weekend.

Ebay Item SOLD!

February 12th, 2010 at 01:30 am

Got one of my ebay items sold. $385 before fees and listing charges. I should net around $345 after fees and listing charges come out. Buyer paid instantly which was great. With item and shipping minus paypal $412.45 is being transfered to checking. $45 is for shipping as it is a large item and it is headed to Canada so that always costs extra but buyer is paying the charges.

Have a couple smaller items to sell yet they have multiple watchers just no bids yet or bids are still at $0.99

Got my extension....

February 10th, 2010 at 01:50 am

Well I got my Unemployment extension at least I'm pretty sure I did. Checked this mornign and I have funds in my UE account again. Not sure if it is from refiguring the rest of last year or the extension as the numbers do match up. I'll find out in the next week as to what my benefit amount is if it is the extension.

Craig

Had some fun and put some items on Ebay!

February 8th, 2010 at 11:12 pm

Well a neighbor buddy and I took a trip down to the casino today. Didn't win anything but didn't spend mroe then I intended so it was great fun. Haven't had any guys time out in some time 3-4 months so it was well deserved.

Cost for today:

Breakfast at the casino buffet -$9.36
Slot machine fun -$80.00
Gas money for driving +$10.00 (this cover gas down and back both!)

So all in all I padded the casino with $80.00 but it was fun. Some machines paid out well and some were more money hungry. Not something I would usually do but I needed a bit of fun and with all the snow had a hard time doing anything else.

Stopped at the mall on the way back and walked around for an hour or so, good exercise.

Listed 2 more items on ebay today, I have 2 more I want to list but being nice artwork not sure if I would get anything even close to what we paid out of them, they are a matched set and we paid $232 each piece. Had them on Craigslst several times but no interest locally and would really like them gone.

Small spending and other ramblings....

February 7th, 2010 at 02:05 pm

Well I think I'm coming down wiht a small cold. Been stuffed up for the last couple of days. Doubt it will turn to anything else just hate having to think about taking cold meds for my sinus'.

Spent a little bit yesterday as we had a birhtday party to attend for some friends of your. A huge shin dig. we didn't stay long as we brought the little one and he was ready to sleep after we got there, but with all the people wasn't going to happen there. Made a Non dairy dip that went over well seemed to disappear super fast. Toffutis Sour Supreme (sour cream replacement), Chiftons Corn Relish from the wine store, some left over black beans. Put it all into the large dish and stir together. Super easy and not to expensive. Also purchased a nice chocolate bar for each of the birthday ladies (was a mother and daughter born 2 days apart)

Cost of yesterday:

Tofutis Sour Supreme $2.59- $2.00 off coupon at the store $0.59 final cost

Vosges Chocolate bars x3 ( I bought one for myself should last all week or more) $6.59 ea $19.77

Chiftons Corn Relish $6.99

Total Spent was $27.35

Will need gas in both vehicles today. Atleast gas has come down to $2.48 or about $0.05 cheaper per gallon then last time I filled up.

I did pay all the house hold bills yesterday. Once the federal return comes in I will pay off the last couple of balances on the CCs.

On the Craiglist side of things I have someoen coming to look at my topper form my truck, I've been trying to sell it since last year but couldn't even get interest in it. Decided to list it one more time and found a guy that wants to come look at it this morning. Asking $100 but would take $20 just to have it gone from my garage and have the space back. I had been offering it for free last summer and no one wanted it.

My item on Ebay is at $305 wiht 4 days left to go the reserve is set at $425 but I may lower it so I can get the item sold but will wait a couple of days to do that.

Craig

Weekend updates and other news.

February 6th, 2010 at 02:50 pm

Well we got our State Refund ($933) in the bank, was deposisted last night. This is great as we were going to be short on money this week. Well, not really, I didn't want to have to touch the cash we have at home.

Last week I signed up for a Salsa class at a new dance company in town, only way to help them stay is to support our local arts. Cost was $60 for 8 weeks of class with a good instructor. In return the Dance Company gave me a $10 gift card to a local coffee shop, as a thank you for helping support there buisness. Just returned with a 20oz Psuedo Carmel Machiatto with soy and extra espresso. Not something I would buy but as I had the card it didn't cost me anything out of pocket. I still have $4.00 left to spend there.

Started listing items on craigslist, what ever doesn't sell within the week will go to Ebay just to get it sold.

I did sell off a bunch of my Ice fishing gear this week. $900 cash in my pocket - although less then I paid I got my enjoyment and the funds can be used more so then the gear. Listed a couple more items from fishing on Ebay and current price is at $202.50 with a reserve of $425. 7 bids and 8 watchers with 5 days to go.

Next week I should also receive our federal return and will pay off the remaining small balances on the credit cards only about $1500 or so remains between everything. Only debt we will have left is the wifes student loans of about 5k but hte interest is super low so not in a huge rush to pay them down that fast.

Also I really need to update my sidebar it is so out of date.

Don't you love it when.... (Rant)

February 6th, 2010 at 01:22 am

You put something on Craigslist forsale and get 5 respsonses in half an hour.

Person 1- E-mailed, I replied, She called, We discussed she would come by at 5 no show send e-mail at 5:30 and she replies she is running late. At 6:15 no respsonse as to her timing. 6:45 again try to contact her. 7 oclock go to the next person and they say they will be over in 45 minutes. Tell person one that item has sold, Person 1 gets all mad that I put off 2 hours of my plans to wait and went to the next person, seems to have forgotten that we discussed her coming at 5 and its my fualt. Also starts yelling at me in e-mail saying I upset her son and its not right that I went to the next person.

Some people, sorry had to rant.

Craig

New month and not so good news...

February 1st, 2010 at 11:33 pm

Well it's a new month, not sure where last month went but oh well. Got some good news, got the taxes done and it will allow us to be completely debt free other then the wifes student loan, and general living expenses. Plus it will give us a small amount of cash on hand. Now the bad is I got a text from my boss today saying he probably won't bring me back as he doesn't have alot of work and is bringing his over paid buddies to do the work for him. I put 2 years in to help him get started and to get him making some money. Never got a raise or any bonuses. Last year he hired a buddy of his for $1 less an hour then me. I do atleast 50% more work and better quality then his buddy but I guess that's what I get. I put in for an extension on my unemployment and hope it goes through. That will give me 4 months to find a decent paying job if one exists or atleast a full time and another part time job to make ends meet.

Atleast we will be debt free for the most part and I will have some cash on hand if needed. It has been nice to be home with the little one during his 1st year but I am going stir crazy from not working. My unemployment is considered temporary so I don't have to go look for a job but am now going to have to start by the looks of things. I ahve contacted my previous boss as I left of good terms and he said give him a few weeks to see what he can come up with work wise.

I've started to go through all my hobbies again to see what I do and don't need. Even if it is stuff I use I will probably start selling some of it as family comes first.

Craig