Where I have been

Well, I've had sketchy Internet and it seems I do have some right now too at home but the weather it seems has been what is to blame for sketchy net, and the weather hasn't even been that bad so I don't understand but oh well. I do have Internet at work but my schedule is all wonky for the next two weeks and work is demanding lately.

Hopefully, I'll get my receipts together to post from my last posting until now very soon... of course now may turn into Monday or Tuesday but I'm going to try and get them all up. I hope I have everything I spent, its yikes worthy though... at least I'm tracking and I can see where I'm spending too much.

This week is going to be one of those weeks that I don't catch a break at all. Its a shame too because this weekend was just as busy and I don't seem to have the time to be frugal about getting quick things together sot hat I'm not spending arms and legs on convenience foods. I'll get there though I will.

Collection calls for other people

Really, as if I don't have enough of my own phone calls I get these too. Theresa Xxxx if you are out there reading this please update your phone number so they stop calling my cell phone, also for the other guy I forget his name but please do so.

I've had this number for years and years so I'm not really sure how my number go to be the number for these two people but it is annoying.

I've tried with both the collections that are calling me to stop the calls but they say this is the number we have on file and unless they tell us to stop calling we will continue to call. Really?!?! Is that productive? You aren't getting your message across to Theresa or the other guy who I forget your name... you won't get your money this way duh!

I think I'm going to start copying the numbers they call from down and find out how I can block the numbers.

Tomorrow maybe I'll research how I can find out who is calling and how to write a cease and desist letter and quote the FDCPA (Fair Debt Collections Practice Act) after I find the applicable laws of course, if there is such a thing that outlines this. If they then won't stop perhaps I have a case that will help pay for my own attorney for my own bankruptcy. Now how cool would that be?

Photo By: Casey Serin

Spending for 6/16/09

FINALLY, I had a no spend day woohoo!!!!

I got a 'free' lunch... it wasn't necessarily free as much as it was my boss and I sometimes take turns buying lunch and I treated last time so she treated this time. We are both on a budget crunch though so we decided to re-evaluate this and see about maybe taking turns bringing in lunch instead :) yay!!!

Spending for 6/15/09

Almost... Almost had a no spending day.

Spent $1.99 on celebratory ice cream. This was totally my fault too, my kiddo wanted ice cream after her game... I told her no that I didn't want to spend the money that I hadn't planned on. So she had her own money and asked if she bought herself it could we, I said okay. I should have resisted and let her have her ice cream but I didn't. Shame, shame...

Oh and can we just talk about $1.99 for a small ice cream cone (it had a dip flavor, cherry coating thing but still) what the heck? This is going to make me sound old but I remember when.... (oh never mind lol).

Hopefully, now that I had to post my shame in totally impulse spending I will resist next time. Plus that would be a great example for my daughter if I resisted.... this time that sweet, cool, sugary goodness it just called and called and I caved. Blah!

Spending for 6/14/09

I spent a total of $25 at the gas station on gas. That's it!

My car seems to be going through a lot of gas lately, so I'm going to fill up completely as soon as my missing paycheck arrives and watch the mileage and see if it is because I'm driving more than usual or if something needs to be checked out. I had a tune up a year ago so I don't think its that but one never knows.

Spending for 6/13/09

$1.35 on a pop, the water jug was out at work and we don't have another shipment until Monday. That kind of stunk but we don't have a sink in our office either. I had all sorts of those powders you add to water to deter myself from buying pop from the vending machine but those only work if I actually have water lol

Almost a no spend day hrmph... tomorrow won't be a no spend day either I have to get gas and a couple of things. Hopefully, I have one soon.

Spending for 6/12/09

Spending was $1.50 for a beverage at the hospital since my mom was rushed there via ambulance and then $13.00 for gas.

I almost had a no spend day until I got the call to meet her and the ambulance at the hospital.

All is well though she just over exerted herself cleaning out and moving her classroom it was our hottest day this year so far I think and her school has no air she wasn't breathing well. She is now home and recovering.

Spending for 6/11/09

I spent $65.65 at the grocery store. I bought mostly convenience food so my kiddo can make her lunches while I'm at work. I still have to get a few things but I had two lists and left the one at home.

I also spent $16.28 on various things one of them being terrible coffee from McDonald's blech... I though I'd save a bit and buy it there instead of someplace like Panera Bread since I was also out of coffee and creamer at home. Such a waste because I threw it out. I rarely buy coffee out but when I do I won't be buying the new McCafe anymore.

I need to find a way to save on the convenience foods. My kiddo is only allowed to use the microwave when I'm not home, she is highly unlikely to heat up left overs. Perhaps making homemade pizzas together then cooking them and cutting them up into individual portions she will be more likely to do that. She loves French Bread pizza they are expensive... I'm going to work on a way to figure out how to make this much cheaper. I'm not good at making breads anything that includes yeast comes out as a big FAIL for me. She may occasionally make herself a sandwich but she is tired of them after the school year. Hot dogs are something she can do in the microwave, chicken tenders, those taquitos she loves those.... then I am at a loss. She isn't a soup eater, which would be easy, she eats it when I make it and tell her she has to but if I'm not there she isn't likely to eat at all unless I give her options that she really likes a lot. Tween parenting isn't always fun ha!

Spending for 6/10/09

Of course this week has been bad so today was no different...

Spent $12.63 on lunch, now before you flog me... I work in an airport and I don't have much choice in how much things cost there. I had nothing to bring not even a can of soup. Shopping is a definite must tomorrow (as today started my weekend for this week).

Spent $7.35 on ice cream at DQ to celebrate my daughters first win in softball, she stole home plate after stealing 3rd at the same time. This was planned out for her first win though so I'm not sure I should count it but I will.

Total spent: $19.98

Medical crisis and bankruptcy

I am currently reading an article about 'Financial Medicine' over in the Personal Finances section at The Wall Street Journal

The article states that 6 out of 10 bankruptcies are filed due to medical reasons (illness). This is a big reason I am filing so there is some comfort in that I'm not alone. I also find it interesting that there is such a stigma attached to filing bankruptcy yet over half of the reason is inadequate health care or illness. Now I know some things medically can be prevented however things such as getting into a major car accident or having an inherited disease and other issues. I will try not to get into the political aspect of our health care system and the likes.

The article encourages you to check out your policies and plan from there. What is your lifetime maximum, did you even know you had a lifetime maximum? What would happen if you hit that maximum? What about yearly maximums?

What are your risk factors? Do you know what your plan covers should one of your risk factors (Cancer, diabetes....) come into play? What about medications? I know my plan only offers a slight discount on medications.

Often times I have to go without medication if there isn't a cheap alternative because the insurance just doesn't offer enough of a discount. For instance I once got a needed RX there was no alternative to it and the RX was about $115 every 30 days I needed to take this for a few months my discount plan offered $3 off. Other times I only pay a very small percentage so it all depends on what it is covering.

You could just need something as simple as physical therapy, something else I found out is very expensive. Physical therapy is usually prescribed 2-3 times a week for at least 4 weeks, what is your co-pay? Mine is $30 a visit plus 20% of various things such as the charge for equipment used, or the massage therapist etc... for me in the end I had to decide that physical therapy was just too much money in light of having to file because of these types of reasons to begin with. I do have flex spending but obviously not enough to cover PT with possibly needing surgery too (also have to pay 20% of that, you can imagine it could get costly quick).

Karen Pollitz, a research professor at Georgetown was quoted in the article saying "It's perilous to assume that we are protected just because we have a health-insurance card in our wallet." How insightful really! For me this one sentence is so powerful.

What are you doing to protect yourself?

Photo By: jwblinn

spending for 6/9/09

Spent $20 on gas at the gas station and about $3.50 (forgot to write it down and didn't get the receipt) on a pop and breakfast.

I swear this isn't how I normally spend every day but I didn't go grocery shopping last week due to being so busy I could barely have time to shower and sleep let alone go to the grocery store. This was all unexpected busy stuff so I couldn't plan ahead.

Next week will be a more accurate description of what I am spending but I wanted to start this now to be accountable. For instance it is already working some, I almost ordered pizza last night but knew I had to report here so I ate a sandwich and ramen noodles instead :)

Spending for 6/8/09

So it was 9:30 before I could sit down to even think about dinner last night. Last night was an unplanned Wendy's night so I spent $12.96 yesterday at Wendy's because I was also so tired I didn't care that we ordered the more expensive items.

I will be grocery shopping this week and need to find quick things for nights like this. I leave the house at 4:30 am and last night I wasn't home again until 9:30 pm.

Banking for me versus a cash system

I'm not good at this banking thing, I'm especially not so great at the balancing thing.

I tried to make things simple 3 accounts

Savings/Overdraft protection
Checking for bills
Checking for spending/necessities (grocery shopping, gas, some variable bills)

I didn't do so hot, but I got back on the horse and tried again, only I did it again.

With that said. I'm keeping 2 accounts the savings/overdraft protection account and one checking account. I'm getting rid of the debit cards (although for the bill paying account I will keep the number to pay over the phone if I need to, just not the card). The other account I'm getting rid of and I'm going to a cash/envelope system.

I'm also going to start tracking my spending here on the blog.

I'm not sure where I am going wrong. I tracked my spending before and I was surprised with how much money I was spending in places like the gas station buying 'extras' and the likes.

I know one thing is I don't have a set grocery budget, I'm not quite sure how to create one... I just buy some weeks only what we really need to get by and some weeks when sales are great and I actually have the cash I stock up on expensive items. I know this is one of my big budget busters so maybe if I just buckle down with a cash only system I can get this done and get on a good track.

I'm really trying not to get frustrated or down about this, in the past by now I'd have totally given up. I'm going to keep getting back on this PF horse and keep riding hoping I fall less and less as time goes by.

I'm also toying with getting rid of everything but the savings and getting money orders each week when I get paid for bills then putting those together to mail off payment.

Financial Security

Those two words financial and security have never been two things combined I thought were ever in my path. That was the past, today I do know they are but I need to do a lot of work.

I found with the stresses in life right now I'm not necessarily reverting to my old ways, however... I'm not exactly financially healthy right now either. I may not be rushing out to shop till I drop but I still made some costly mistakes. This is a learning curve though, I learned I need to watch more than just shopping, using extra gas to go somewhere (even somewhere free), and just plain ole not preparing for upcoming expenses (ie. kiddos softball expenses which I underestimated by a long shot).

So, with that said I'm making a very conscience effort to try and blog more often even through the time crunch and stress. This is what I need to make time for and no excuses. I am not going to be doing WWYD Wednesdays mostly because I don't want to put a specific day I have to post a specific something as I don't need to add to my work load at the moment, but also because I was having trouble coming up with more scenarios. So I decided that I am going to start writing ideas as they come to me and when I have a list of them, I'll start them back up again. Maybe when I have writers block about that I'll find a new 'segment' to replace it but I want that planned out too. Organization is what it is all about, really everything important in life. Organization is also something that I was never good at.

With organization in mind, I have two days off this week but they are not my normal days. I will take one of the days to organize at least one of my closets at home. This needs to be done, I need to find ways to organize things and the practice will be good. Also, I need to get ready for a garage sale and I can't even begin to go down to my storage cage in the basement until I organize. On the same front I'm organizing at work too, I'm cleaning up the tech library and organizing it to fit company needs and customer needs as well as creating a safer/healthier work environment.

Wish me luck and please cross your fingers I don't get lost somewhere in the abyss of a closet ha!