October Frugalistas

[Soror]

I'm going to go ahead and get us going for the month.

Dh and I should have done Oct's budget yesterday but we did not. 

I'm taking a school break this week and it doesn't look like I'll be working much for VIPKID so hopefully, I can tackle that. 

I'm waiting for the bank to open to see our balance to see our final numbers for the month and how much we can transfer to savings.

As mentioned dh gets an extra check this month and has some OT pay coming already. It looks like my VIPKID pay will be $1130ish (still waiting for all the incentives to go through). I still need to sell some things but I hate selling stuff.

I have a few little jobs aroudn the house I'd like to do and am trying to use the leftover remnants of my hoarded bd money to finance it on a shoestring.

This week with VIPKID I only have 4 classes scheduled so far! (Down from 25-30) Maybe I'll get a few more before the week is over but I bet it will still be pretty low with the holiday all week I imagine there won't be as many last minute trials. Next week looks better so far with 8 classes scheduled, not a ton but those are all Master Classes nearly all with students I've taught before. I did submit my Demo for Level 2, I think usually they are pretty fast at approving or denying it but I'm not sure with the holiday. I also completed 2 more certifications yesterday. I might really add on to my hours at the end of the month if I can get them to fill with the beginning being slow. But we'll see, I'm doing what I can, thankfully we are not counting on this but we'd sure like to have it for savings.

Last month we went over on groceries- $646 (budget of $600) and gas was horrible

I wish I would have kept to the grocery budget but we did pretty good really, we stocked up a ton. I think this month I'll aim for $550- I've got to stop stocking up on meat, especially chicken- I have a TON.

[Baseball mom]

Soror - at least with the stocking up you will be prepared this winter.  I am hearing it is going to be a bad winter and I am hoping to get stocked up.

[mommyoffive]

23 minutes ago, Baseball mom said:

Soror - at least with the stocking up you will be prepared this winter.  I am hearing it is going to be a bad winter and I am hoping to get stocked up.

 

Where did you hear that?  Meaning really cold or lots of snow?  

 

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather-outlook/2019-winter-forecast

 

Edited October 1, 2018 by mommyoffive

[HomeAgain]

16 minutes ago, Baseball mom said:

Soror - at least with the stocking up you will be prepared this winter.  I am hearing it is going to be a bad winter and I am hoping to get stocked up.

My neighbor was talking about the same thing!  He mentioned something about the amount of nuts the trees have produced being an indicator.  He's lived here for 30+ years, so I'm inclined to give his hunch a bit of weight.

[BarbecueMom]

Cold weather, bah... it's October and I had to turn my A/C back on because it's going to be in the upper 80's and low 90's all week.  But I froze my butt off at soccer practice Saturday morning!  Tis the season to wear fifteen layers and strip them off all day like Where's Waldo.

@soror, I am impressed with your grocery budget!  $750 seems to be really difficult for us.  I made it this month, but started with a somewhat stocked pantry and ended up with... well, ketchup and popcorn.   So far this month, I've spent about $16.  I had a $2 off a $15 store coupon that I needed to use by today, at the store where we get the "odds and ends" that I can't find at Costco or Aldi.

Anyone else have a menu planned out for this week?  I could use some inspiration for the upcoming weeks. Some of my family members (raises hand) are getting tired of Taco Tuesday, so I'm trying to switch things up and use up the few things we still had on hand.  Breakfasts are usually oatmeal or Cheerios (with milk and fruit), or chocolate milk for those whose stomachs are still sleeping.  Lunch is leftovers or a sandwich, plus raw veggies (cukes/tomatoes/carrots) and fruit.  Usually we'll cook an actual hot breakfast and/or lunch on the weekend.

This week:

Monday - Cajun Chicken Pasta, Cornbread, Green Beans
Tuesday - Chicken Fingers, Macaroni and Cheese, and Peas (easy meal for DH to make, I'm going grocery shopping)
Wednesday - Cheeseburger Salad (from Budget Bytes), Cornbread (leftover)
Thursday - Spicy Black Bean Nachos (Budget Bytes again!), Salad
Friday - Junk Food Night (frozen pizza, tater tots, taquitos)
Saturday - Yellow Rice Chicken Skillet (yet again BB, shocker), Curried Carrots
Sunday brunch - Southwest Scrambled Egg Skillet and GF Churro Bites
Sunday dinner - Ham and Butternut Squash Penne, Veggies TBD

I have an unopened pint of heavy cream in the fridge for some reason (no clue what I bought that for), and I was gifted some cream cheese, so I will also be making another Instant Pot cheesecake this weekend.

Ack, posted before I was ready!

 

Edited October 1, 2018 by BarbecueMom

[HomeAgain]

Our menu this week, @BarbecueMom:

Sun - Baked penne, salad, fresh bread.  Orange cheesecake for dessert.
Mon - now, leftover night. ? We didn't eat nearly what I thought we would last night.
Tues - Taco Tuesday w/ground beef, black beans, sweet potato rounds, fresh pico. 
Weds - Pork loin, green beans, roasted butternut squash
Thurs - Pasta alla Genovese (which is really leftover night.  Shhhhhh! ? )  It's fresh pasta with basil, green beans, and potatoes, which sounds weird but really works in a crazy sort of way. Peach cobbler for dessert, thanks to a coupon for $1 off per pound of peaches.


Total spend for the week: $165.  I shopped the loss leaders hard and scavenged the dented cans/ clearance section.  Lunches are more of the same, and breakfast is a variety of oatmeal, egg sandwiches, and occasional cooked breakfast.  Tomorrow is baked french toast thanks to the most of a loaf of bread from last night.  I'll make a blueberry compote to go on top (frozen after the sales this summer), and cook up half a chub of sausage cut into rounds.  The other half will go toward Friday morning's biscuits and gravy before we go grocery shopping again.
I found a recipe for crockpot apple cider that I'm going to have to try with the apples that are getting a bit mealy here.  I could make another apple pie, but we won't eat it this week.  That cheesecake will last us most of the week, and the cobbler the rest of the way.

[Kidlit]

I’m jumping back in again this month.  Dh and I are determined to get our finances in order.  So far we have spent $139.81 of $600 for the month of October for groceries and $43.84 of $150 for household items (everything we don’t eat, wear as clothing, or use for school).  I have a hunch that these numbers will be on the slim side for our family of six, but we’ll see.  We haven’t really tracked our spending down to the penny in years, so I’m holding myself accountable here. Other than that, we’ve also spent from the school and miscellaneous budgets.  

This is a crazy busy week, so if I can just manage to hold down the fort without resorting to the drive through more than once, I’ll feel successful. ?

[Kidlit]

2 hours ago, BarbecueMom said:

Cold weather, bah... it's October and I had to turn my A/C back on because it's going to be in the upper 80's and low 90's all week.  But I froze my butt off at soccer practice Saturday morning!  Tis the season to wear fifteen layers and strip them off all day like Where's Waldo.

@soror, I am impressed with your grocery budget!  $750 seems to be really difficult for us.  I made it this month, but started with a somewhat stocked pantry and ended up with... well, ketchup and popcorn.   So far this month, I've spent about $16.  I had a $2 off a $15 store coupon that I needed to use by today, at the store where we get the "odds and ends" that I can't find at Costco or Aldi.

Anyone else have a menu planned out for this week?  I could use some inspiration for the upcoming weeks. Some of my family members (raises hand) are getting tired of Taco Tuesday, so I'm trying to switch things up and use up the few things we still had on hand.  Breakfasts are usually oatmeal or Cheerios (with milk and fruit), or chocolate milk for those whose stomachs are still sleeping.  Lunch is leftovers or a sandwich, plus raw veggies (cukes/tomatoes/carrots) and fruit.  Usually we'll cook an actual hot breakfast and/or lunch on the weekend.

This week:

Monday - Cajun Chicken Pasta, Cornbread, Green Beans
Tuesday - Chicken Fingers, Macaroni and Cheese, and Peas (easy meal for DH to make, I'm going grocery shopping)
Wednesday - Cheeseburger Salad (from Budget Bytes), Cornbread (leftover)
Thursday - Spicy Black Bean Nachos (Budget Bytes again!), Salad
Friday - Junk Food Night (frozen pizza, tater tots, taquitos)
Saturday - Yellow Rice Chicken Skillet (yet again BB, shocker), Curried Carrots
Sunday brunch - Southwest Scrambled Egg Skillet and GF Churro Bites
Sunday dinner - Ham and Butternut Squash Penne, Veggies TBD

I have an unopened pint of heavy cream in the fridge for some reason (no clue what I bought that for), and I was gifted some cream cheese, so I will also be making another Instant Pot cheesecake this weekend.

Ack, posted before I was ready!

 

Budget Bytes fan here, too!

[HomeAgain]

@heartlikealion, can you switch to a cash system?  That really helped dh get on a realistic budget when we started this years ago and we still go back to it as needed.  Our groceries right now are cash.  I'm also the type to 'skim the cream'.  Dh's budget is variable within a small range, so I budget for the minimum and automatically put anything over that into savings (or before, debt).

I'm not even buying candy yet. LOL  I know exactly what will happen to it here. ?  When I do buy it, I'm going to stick it in a deep, lower cabinet.  With half the house over 6ft tall, the best hiding places are the ones they don't stoop down to see.

[JustEm]

October is going to have to be a super frugal month. We are putting an offer on a house tomorrow and I'm nervous as all hell. The house is perfect for our needs, the price is great, but the taxes kinda suck compared to what I'm used to. The house is in Maryland, which has higher taxes than Delaware.

Anyway, I'm incredibly nervous and anxious so I likely won't spend a dime unnecessarily until after we close on the house, assuming we get an accepted offer.

[BarbecueMom]

13 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

October is going to have to be a super frugal month. We are putting an offer on a house tomorrow and I'm nervous as all hell. The house is perfect for our needs, the price is great, but the taxes kinda suck compared to what I'm used to. The house is in Maryland, which has higher taxes than Delaware.

Anyway, I'm incredibly nervous and anxious so I likely won't spend a dime unnecessarily until after we close on the house, assuming we get an accepted offer.

I was actually getting back on here to ask if there was any house search news.  Fingers crossed for an accepted offer (and then the uneventful inspection, and the smooth closing...)!

[mommyoffive]

13 hours ago, hjffkj said:

October is going to have to be a super frugal month. We are putting an offer on a house tomorrow and I'm nervous as all hell. The house is perfect for our needs, the price is great, but the taxes kinda suck compared to what I'm used to. The house is in Maryland, which has higher taxes than Delaware.

Anyway, I'm incredibly nervous and anxious so I likely won't spend a dime unnecessarily until after we close on the house, assuming we get an accepted offer.

 

Good luck.  Fingers crossed.   

[Soror]

21 hours ago, BarbecueMom said:

Cold weather, bah... it's October and I had to turn my A/C back on because it's going to be in the upper 80's and low 90's all week.  But I froze my butt off at soccer practice Saturday morning!  Tis the season to wear fifteen layers and strip them off all day like Where's Waldo.

@soror, I am impressed with your grocery budget!  $750 seems to be really difficult for us.  I made it this month, but started with a somewhat stocked pantry and ended up with... well, ketchup and popcorn.   So far this month, I've spent about $16.  I had a $2 off a $15 store coupon that I needed to use by today, at the store where we get the "odds and ends" that I can't find at Costco or Aldi.

Anyone else have a menu planned out for this week?  I could use some inspiration for the upcoming weeks. Some of my family members (raises hand) are getting tired of Taco Tuesday, so I'm trying to switch things up and use up the few things we still had on hand.  Breakfasts are usually oatmeal or Cheerios (with milk and fruit), or chocolate milk for those whose stomachs are still sleeping.  Lunch is leftovers or a sandwich, plus raw veggies (cukes/tomatoes/carrots) and fruit.  Usually we'll cook an actual hot breakfast and/or lunch on the weekend.

This week:

Monday - Cajun Chicken Pasta, Cornbread, Green Beans
Tuesday - Chicken Fingers, Macaroni and Cheese, and Peas (easy meal for DH to make, I'm going grocery shopping)
Wednesday - Cheeseburger Salad (from Budget Bytes), Cornbread (leftover)
Thursday - Spicy Black Bean Nachos (Budget Bytes again!), Salad
Friday - Junk Food Night (frozen pizza, tater tots, taquitos)
Saturday - Yellow Rice Chicken Skillet (yet again BB, shocker), Curried Carrots
Sunday brunch - Southwest Scrambled Egg Skillet and GF Churro Bites
Sunday dinner - Ham and Butternut Squash Penne, Veggies TBD

I have an unopened pint of heavy cream in the fridge for some reason (no clue what I bought that for), and I was gifted some cream cheese, so I will also be making another Instant Pot cheesecake this weekend.

Ack, posted before I was ready!

 

3

Gah, I did not make a menu this week, that generally means back-up basic menu- Mon- pasta of some sort; Tues- tacos/mexican; Wed- leftovers; Thurs- roast/stew; Fri- pizza; Sat- Chili; Sun- Chicken. Like you mine are getting tired of taco tuesday. Last night we did spaghetti but it was pretty sparse b/c I ddidn't realize we've made it through my pasta stash. I don't know about tonight. I'm thinking something with beans? Maybe a taco soup? I have some leftover taco seasoned hamburger meat so that would work. Fri and Sat the girls and I are camping so I'll probably buy the boys frozen pizza and make ahead some chili maybe??? I run my menus from Thurs- Wed because of when I grocery shop so I've not thought that far ahead. 

20 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

Our menu this week, @BarbecueMom:

Sun - Baked penne, salad, fresh bread.  Orange cheesecake for dessert.
Mon - now, leftover night. ? We didn't eat nearly what I thought we would last night.
Tues - Taco Tuesday w/ground beef, black beans, sweet potato rounds, fresh pico. 
Weds - Pork loin, green beans, roasted butternut squash
Thurs - Pasta alla Genovese (which is really leftover night.  Shhhhhh! ? )  It's fresh pasta with basil, green beans, and potatoes, which sounds weird but really works in a crazy sort of way. Peach cobbler for dessert, thanks to a coupon for $1 off per pound of peaches.


Total spend for the week: $165.  I shopped the loss leaders hard and scavenged the dented cans/ clearance section.  Lunches are more of the same, and breakfast is a variety of oatmeal, egg sandwiches, and occasional cooked breakfast.  Tomorrow is baked french toast thanks to the most of a loaf of bread from last night.  I'll make a blueberry compote to go on top (frozen after the sales this summer), and cook up half a chub of sausage cut into rounds.  The other half will go toward Friday morning's biscuits and gravy before we go grocery shopping again.
I found a recipe for crockpot apple cider that I'm going to have to try with the apples that are getting a bit mealy here.  I could make another apple pie, but we won't eat it this week.  That cheesecake will last us most of the week, and the cobbler the rest of the way.

1

Apple cider sounds yummy, care to share? 

18 hours ago, hopeistheword said:

I’m jumping back in again this month.  Dh and I are determined to get our finances in order.  So far we have spent $139.81 of $600 for the month of October for groceries and $43.84 of $150 for household items (everything we don’t eat, wear as clothing, or use for school).  I have a hunch that these numbers will be on the slim side for our family of six, but we’ll see.  We haven’t really tracked our spending down to the penny in years, so I’m holding myself accountable here. Other than that, we’ve also spent from the school and miscellaneous budgets.  

This is a crazy busy week, so if I can just manage to hold down the fort without resorting to the drive through more than once, I’ll feel successful. ?

 

Hello, one day at a time!

18 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

I'm kinda frustrated. No matter how disciplined I am, I cannot control dh so some of my work is undermined. We agreed that each family member gets $25 eating out money/month. He ate out several times last month and spent basically the family's eating out funds. When I confronted him about it he said he needs to up his funds

The school realized our roof is damaged and they are repairing it. We hope that will help with our utility bill. I might have mentioned this in another thread. Well they did work one day, didn't come for a few days, and are back now. They are also repairing our fence and trimming limbs in the yard. I'm very happy about that. We don't pay for any of it. 

2

I'm sorry about dh, I do agree with you a cash system seems to be the best bet. You guys are deciding these budget numbers together right? Does he agree with you on your saving goals? It seems that is likely the root of it. That has been the case with dh and I before, we had to come together on our goals first. Approaching it like that got us much farther, we sat down and individually listed our financial and life goals and then we shared them. We then discussed and prioritized, there was some give and take on both sides. 

14 hours ago, hjffkj said:

October is going to have to be a super frugal month. We are putting an offer on a house tomorrow and I'm nervous as all hell. The house is perfect for our needs, the price is great, but the taxes kinda suck compared to what I'm used to. The house is in Maryland, which has higher taxes than Delaware.

Anyway, I'm incredibly nervous and anxious so I likely won't spend a dime unnecessarily until after we close on the house, assuming we get an accepted offer.

 

Eekkk! Good luck!

____________________

I did not pass my first demo for the Level 2. Lots and lots of praise but a couple of things to work on. Fingers crossed I'm studying and practicing more today and will be doing another video tomorrow. I have to be on my A-game b/c if I fail it again I can't try again for 30 days and I really want to add the level b/c it is just so many more students. This week is still looking very sparse for teaching BUT I did get another class for this week. 

I spent my allowance this month on a pretty new quilt I found on zulily for $20. My current one is comfy but looking a little worn. I also spent 3.50 on a picture for dd3's room as I found a perfect one on markdown. 

We spent $15 on a soap class- it was fun and I swear I have enough homemade soap for a year.

Big catastrophe last night- long story short dh had to guy buy a gas can to fill up my van- $15 for a little bitty can.

Looks like the kids have TKD testing this month, on the bright side ds is getting so close to black. I'll get him done in time to start dd3. 

No time to even think yesterday, really wanting to get some food planning done. I need to work through using some of my stash and not buy so much this month. Unless it's beef- I don't have much beef stocked b/c it is not on sale as much.

[JustEm]

Thanks all.  I am still impatiently waiting for my realtor to email me the documents to review and the comps for the house we are going to put an offer on so we can pick a price to offer.  I'm also waiting for our loan officer to send of a spreadsheet of what the payments and such will look like under different scenarios. Why don't these people realize I'm going insane waiting

[JustEm]

well it appears the offer will be made tomorrow, if at all.  I'm so discouraged right now and I imagine dh and I will either not say anything to the other person tonight or we will talk and I'll really hurt his feelings with my honestly.  It is a good thing I have 2 more hours to collect my thoughts and calm down.  Either way, I hate dealing with finances.

At least I didn't spend any money today!

[mommyoffive]

13 hours ago, hjffkj said:

well it appears the offer will be made tomorrow, if at all.  I'm so discouraged right now and I imagine dh and I will either not say anything to the other person tonight or we will talk and I'll really hurt his feelings with my honestly.  It is a good thing I have 2 more hours to collect my thoughts and calm down.  Either way, I hate dealing with finances.

At least I didn't spend any money today!

 

Sending some calm vibes your way.  

[JustEm]

3 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Sending some calm vibes your way.  

 

Thanks.  He chose the not talk about it route.  He didn't voluntarily talk to me until 5 minutes before he needed to go to work this afternoon.  

Anyway,  our grocery bill was on $89 this week.  I had no idea we were so well stocked with stuff in the freezer.  It was a nice surprise.

[Soror]

 

17 hours ago, hjffkj said:

well it appears the offer will be made tomorrow, if at all.  I'm so discouraged right now and I imagine dh and I will either not say anything to the other person tonight or we will talk and I'll really hurt his feelings with my honestly.  It is a good thing I have 2 more hours to collect my thoughts and calm down.  Either way, I hate dealing with finances.

At least I didn't spend any money today!

3

3

I'm sorry it has not gone the way you hoped.

4 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

I don't know if dh and I will ever see eye to eye on spending. Honestly. We do have some loose goals, but nothing concrete. Like, there's this "maybe we should send dd to K4 next year" but that's up in the air. We spoke about money from his night classes going toward that, but realistically his money will probably go toward a new computer or simply toward bills. He held off longer than last time, but he really wants a new one (not urgent, but priority to him as he does gaming on it). I realized I can't use our flex spending card on most of our medical bills because the date of service was before the new plan started. Dd needs some dental work done that at least the card can go toward. He said he maxed out our dental insurance on his dental work for the year already. 

He insists that he has to have money to eat out for work/social reasons. Well it went from $25/mo. plan (that's about once a week to eat in the school cafeteria. I think the meals cost $6). But he's been eating off campus for various things, too. He might work at another campus or go out of town for something else and eat then. He's not like me, I usually know how to keep costs lower. Dd and I ate Chinese food yesterday per her request after her dental visit (got a second opinion. I think we'll have the work done there, in house. No hospital involved). We split a lunch plate and still had leftovers when we got home. It cost less than $7 and I had packed a cooler bag with drinks for us before we left the house. One week recently dh worked at a museum event. The event ended at noon and he had planned to drive home and eat here. Well some other people affiliated with the event invited him out to eat. I guess he felt like he should go so he did. But I said maybe he should have anticipated eating out the day of the event and thus not ate in the cafeteria the day before. Of course no one is a mind reader so I can't really be mad I guess but I just feel like he's not pro active. There's no law that he has to eat in the school cafeteria once a week. I told him he's placing expectations on himself probably because other people do it... but guess what, most of them commute. Of course it makes sense for them to eat in the cafeteria. His house is two doors down from his work. I've offered to keep packing lunches but he's been either coming home, eating out or snubbing my food. I feel like I can't win. So in his mind he should get like $75/mo. to eat out (give or take) and the kids and I should get less (not that we even use up all ours most of the time). But who needs to spend $75/mo on eating out alone? I think that's excessive. I never spent that kind of money when I was working FT. 

11

11

I agree with you, I don't think he should need that much at all BUT plenty of people spend lots more (probably most). I think its fine if one can afford it, that's the question. I'm guessing you guys don't agree about what you can afford, no headway there until you come to some sort of compromise on this

____________________________

Spent my bday money on some paint for the bathroom.

Got some groceries. Proud to say I didn't buy any meat, although I almost couldn't resist the Boston Butt's on sale. I did stock up on some dry goods, yep, I did ? 

My pay finalized- $1101 for this month w/ $30 from August (there is an option to have it just held until you make $80). It is supposed to go through by the 15th.

I redid my Level 2 demo, cross your fingers lady. I should have retried it before submitting it b/c although I worked on some things it was not without mistakes. I just so want it done, I so hope that it was good enough to pass. I hate recording lessons.

Expenses this week are camping.

I've been a little looser with money and need to dial it back.

Edited October 3, 2018 by soror

[Soror]

3 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

Well when we met with a financial advisor she was trying to help us cut expenses so we could save up/pay off debt. We're having trouble maintaining funds in the new categories (yearly expenses, for example. That's supposed to be a folder for things like car tags). And he is planning on enrolling in a post grad program soon. He just paid for his transcripts. Last time I checked it's all online so at least he won't have to drive. We're currently making payments on his student loan, our medical bills, and our new living room set. I've offset some of my spending with swagbucks. I have another Sam's Club gift card pending. I just bought a couple things on Amazon that I paid mostly with swagbucks earnings (special scissors which was a splurge. They are to help with crafting and I think I'll use them to make ds' Halloween costume among other things and a new pair of shoes for dd. She just outgrew her tennis shoes. We saw the same shoes in Payless on clearance but not in her size. I found them in her size on Amazon for the same clearance price). 

And happy belated birthday! 

I can understand that, I guess he doesn't think paying off the debt is that big a deal? That's hard. At a minimum, even, if he doesn't want to pay off the debt and pay the minimums you have to be able to fund your yearly expenses. I'd have a hard time stomaching more student loans in that case. You know what I find happens here is that sometimes we feel like we should be able to afford things because we see others living a certain lifestyle but we can only afford what we can afford, the numbers don't lie. That's another aspect that brought us together- looking at the numbers, numbers are impersonal, there is either money there or not. So many couples have issues with money, you are certainly not alone in that, prayers that you guys can figure out a way to come together.

I was scratching my head with the bday wishes then realized I mentioned bday money, mine was actually in June, I've been hoarding it deciding what I wanted to spend it on.

[JustEm]

heartlikealion, it is so difficult when spouses are on different pages about finances, especially if money is tight or there is debt that needs to be eliminated. I hope you guys figure something out that works for both of you.

 

[Ravin]

5 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

I don't know if dh and I will ever see eye to eye on spending. Honestly. We do have some loose goals, but nothing concrete. Like, there's this "maybe we should send dd to K4 next year" but that's up in the air. We spoke about money from his night classes going toward that, but realistically his money will probably go toward a new computer or simply toward bills. He held off longer than last time, but he really wants a new one (not urgent, but priority to him as he does gaming on it). I realized I can't use our flex spending card on most of our medical bills because the date of service was before the new plan started. Dd needs some dental work done that at least the card can go toward. He said he maxed out our dental insurance on his dental work for the year already. 

He insists that he has to have money to eat out for work/social reasons. Well it went from $25/mo. plan (that's about once a week to eat in the school cafeteria. I think the meals cost $6). But he's been eating off campus for various things, too. He might work at another campus or go out of town for something else and eat then. He's not like me, I usually know how to keep costs lower. Dd and I ate Chinese food yesterday per her request after her dental visit (got a second opinion. I think we'll have the work done there, in house. No hospital involved). We split a lunch plate and still had leftovers when we got home. It cost less than $7 and I had packed a cooler bag with drinks for us before we left the house. One week recently dh worked at a museum event. The event ended at noon and he had planned to drive home and eat here. Well some other people affiliated with the event invited him out to eat. I guess he felt like he should go so he did. But I said maybe he should have anticipated eating out the day of the event and thus not ate in the cafeteria the day before. Of course no one is a mind reader so I can't really be mad I guess but I just feel like he's not pro active. There's no law that he has to eat in the school cafeteria once a week. I told him he's placing expectations on himself probably because other people do it... but guess what, most of them commute. Of course it makes sense for them to eat in the cafeteria. His house is two doors down from his work. I've offered to keep packing lunches but he's been either coming home, eating out or snubbing my food. I feel like I can't win. So in his mind he should get like $75/mo. to eat out (give or take) and the kids and I should get less (not that we even use up all ours most of the time). But who needs to spend $75/mo on eating out alone? I think that's excessive. I never spent that kind of money when I was working FT. 

I set myself a budget, and if I go over, I tighten my belt the next week. I keep under for a few weeks if I plan a splurge. 

[Ravin]

I'm finding staying in the budget really, really hard. We have DD's birthday party, Halloween, Homecoming...it's crazy. And November will be almost as bad, December probably worse. At least we aren't travelling for the holidays!

That said, we did get one of the outstanding credit cards that's sitting on 0% introductory interest completely paid off (actually paid off, not just shuffled to another card), and my credit score jumped 30 points according to NerdWallet, so yay for that! 

 

[HomeAgain]

5 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

I don't know if dh and I will ever see eye to eye on spending. Honestly. We do have some loose goals, but nothing concrete. Like, there's this "maybe we should send dd to K4 next year" but that's up in the air. We spoke about money from his night classes going toward that, but realistically his money will probably go toward a new computer or simply toward bills. He held off longer than last time, but he really wants a new one (not urgent, but priority to him as he does gaming on it). I realized I can't use our flex spending card on most of our medical bills because the date of service was before the new plan started. Dd needs some dental work done that at least the card can go toward. He said he maxed out our dental insurance on his dental work for the year already. 

 

I'm sorry, heart.  DH and I really got on the same page when we started having weekly budget meetings (forget loose goals, we were just working on surviving within the budget!) and talking after every day's transactions.  It was easier for him to see my small goal spreadsheets (yay!  We paid $XXXX off the car note this year and are down to $15.42 going to interest instead of the $112 at the same time last year!) and keep motivated than it was when it all seemed abstract.


In our news, house buying sucks. ?  It's not done the usual way here and having septic and a well complicates things (or not, if our landlord/seller would just get the inspections scheduled since state law and our contract says it's his responsibility).  Landlord isn't doing the things on time, which is going to end up costing us money in the long run.  Right now we're scheduled to close on the house before we are to pay rent to him, but his lack of urgency may mean we pay rent and close a week later.  Or more.  If so, it will not amuse me. 
Dh stayed home from work last night after working wayyyyy too much this week.  The difference between sick pay and his usual rate was $26 total for the night.  Given all his overtime, neither of us are blinking an eye at the loss of that $26.  He needed the rest. 

DS is moving books in violin.  Maybe I mentioned that?  Ah, well, his teacher picked a very, very reasonably priced series.  Since it wasn't an immediate need I ordered it and the theory book on Amazon and chose the "eh, whenever" shipping.  They'll still get here before he needs them, but because it counts as 2 different orders shipped I get two $1 digital product credits.
 

[Ravin]

We are pretty frugal about birthdays. This is DD's 15th, and I talked her down from wanting a formal quincenera. It's just a party at the park with pizza. Food, cake, a few decorations, some crafting items for an activity/party favor, and the remada reservation...oh, and I still need to see if the volleyball pit is available. I may "forget" and they can play if it's open, or not if it isn't. Last time I reserved a volleyball pit, they played for about 15 minutes out of the 2 hours. This will probably be the last party I go to this much trouble for for DD until her 18th.

With DS unfortunately I seem to have jumped on the school party bandwagon. I may try and break that train this year, and get him to just invite a friend for a sleepover or something.

[BarbecueMom]

6 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

I don't know if dh and I will ever see eye to eye on spending. Honestly. We do have some loose goals, but nothing concrete. Like, there's this "maybe we should send dd to K4 next year" but that's up in the air. We spoke about money from his night classes going toward that, but realistically his money will probably go toward a new computer or simply toward bills. He held off longer than last time, but he really wants a new one (not urgent, but priority to him as he does gaming on it). I realized I can't use our flex spending card on most of our medical bills because the date of service was before the new plan started. Dd needs some dental work done that at least the card can go toward. He said he maxed out our dental insurance on his dental work for the year already. 

He insists that he has to have money to eat out for work/social reasons. Well it went from $25/mo. plan (that's about once a week to eat in the school cafeteria. I think the meals cost $6). But he's been eating off campus for various things, too. He might work at another campus or go out of town for something else and eat then. He's not like me, I usually know how to keep costs lower. Dd and I ate Chinese food yesterday per her request after her dental visit (got a second opinion. I think we'll have the work done there, in house. No hospital involved). We split a lunch plate and still had leftovers when we got home. It cost less than $7 and I had packed a cooler bag with drinks for us before we left the house. One week recently dh worked at a museum event. The event ended at noon and he had planned to drive home and eat here. Well some other people affiliated with the event invited him out to eat. I guess he felt like he should go so he did. But I said maybe he should have anticipated eating out the day of the event and thus not ate in the cafeteria the day before. Of course no one is a mind reader so I can't really be mad I guess but I just feel like he's not pro active. There's no law that he has to eat in the school cafeteria once a week. I told him he's placing expectations on himself probably because other people do it... but guess what, most of them commute. Of course it makes sense for them to eat in the cafeteria. His house is two doors down from his work. I've offered to keep packing lunches but he's been either coming home, eating out or snubbing my food. I feel like I can't win. So in his mind he should get like $75/mo. to eat out (give or take) and the kids and I should get less (not that we even use up all ours most of the time). But who needs to spend $75/mo on eating out alone? I think that's excessive. I never spent that kind of money when I was working FT. 

I know there's so much more backstory and other angles to all of this, but it is really, really hard to get the ball rolling on budgeting and finances unless there's total buy-in from both spouses, or at least having a spouse who isn't resistant.  I wouldn't say mine is interested in personal finance and frugality, but he recognizes my interest and lets me roll with it.  In return, I have to respect the things that he puts a priority on in regards to spending.  For example, it's almost hunting season.  Last night, I asked him, "How much do you anticipate on spending on hunting gear this year?  Remember the tags, clothing, new boots for DS10, etc. etc.?"  It made him aware that this hobby is not free (even if we don't have to buy red meat for 8-9 months, hopefully), but let him figure out what that dollar amount is.  

He gave me an estimate.  I quietly added 20% to it and put it under "anticipated expenses" for this month. ?

The thing is, if he goes over that amount, he knows we have to dial it back somewhere else and is willing to do that.  It's a dance.  And it's really hard to dance with someone who isn't willing to move their darn legs and make it look like dancing.

3 hours ago, hjffkj said:

 

Thanks.  He chose the not talk about it route.  He didn't voluntarily talk to me until 5 minutes before he needed to go to work this afternoon.  

Anyway,  our grocery bill was on $89 this week.  I had no idea we were so well stocked with stuff in the freezer.  It was a nice surprise.

Sorry things are not going well on the house-search front.  Not taking out the discouragement on the grocery budget is awesome, though!  I can be more of an "angrily tossing bbq potato chips in the cart" kind of person.

1 hour ago, HomeAgain said:

DS is moving books in violin.  Maybe I mentioned that?  Ah, well, his teacher picked a very, very reasonably priced series.  Since it wasn't an immediate need I ordered it and the theory book on Amazon and chose the "eh, whenever" shipping.  They'll still get here before he needs them, but because it counts as 2 different orders shipped I get two $1 digital product credits.
 

Oh, I should check and see if either of my kids are going to need new music books soon (one with violin, the other with piano).  Thanks for the reminder!

***********************

Finished my grocery shopping for the week - $128.44.  Not bad for as empty as it was in the kitchen, and I even missed the sales on ground beef and chicken because I couldn't get to the store until last night.  A local store was offering a free bag of shredded cheese with any purchase today, so I grabbed some hamburger buns in case the gluten-eaters want one with dinner tonight (Cheeseburger Salad).   The cheese went in the freezer to use on a spaghetti squash next week.  This store also offers free cookies from the bakery for kids, which was a nice reward for exceptional behavior while waiting an hour in a doctor's office.

I got my $10 Target gift card for buying birthday/Christmas gifts.  They are also offering $5 coupons if you get a flu shot at the pharmacy there.  If DH and I both get ours there instead of the doctor's office, hopefully I can use all of those to buy a new set of clippers for the boys' hair (not sure what the restrictions are on the coupons).  Our old one broke a while ago, and we were using coupons for Sport Clips, but it's still awfully expensive.

Halloween is sneaking up on me too.  Last year I gave the kids $x/each for costumes, and told them to keep the change.  They reused old costumes and pocketed the money! Frugal win for them.  This year I'm going to see if we can all work together to keep the cost down instead of me randomly blowing $3x on... I don't even remember what they bought with it.

[mommyoffive]

20 hours ago, soror said:

 

I'm sorry it has not gone the way you hoped.

I agree with you, I don't think he should need that much at all BUT plenty of people spend lots more (probably most). I think its fine if one can afford it, that's the question. I'm guessing you guys don't agree about what you can afford, no headway there until you come to some sort of compromise on this

____________________________

Spent my bday money on some paint for the bathroom.

Got some groceries. Proud to say I didn't buy any meat, although I almost couldn't resist the Boston Butt's on sale. I did stock up on some dry goods, yep, I did ? 

My pay finalized- $1101 for this month w/ $30 from August (there is an option to have it just held until you make $80). It is supposed to go through by the 15th.

I redid my Level 2 demo, cross your fingers lady. I should have retried it before submitting it b/c although I worked on some things it was not without mistakes. I just so want it done, I so hope that it was good enough to pass. I hate recording lessons.

Expenses this week are camping.

I've been a little looser with money and need to dial it back.

 

I hope you passed the level 2. 

[Soror]

14 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

I hope you passed the level 2. 

Aww thanks, still waiting, the longer the wait the more I think, dang I should have taken the time to redo it to make it the best I could. UGH, it is what it is, hopefully I get a merciful reviewer.

I painted the master bedroom bathroom last night, it looks sooooo good. The $12 mirror from Goodwill is going to look so good in there.

This morning I'm painting the bay window. 

I'm obviously in one of these update the house moods, yet trying to keep spending to a minimum. With all the busyness of the past year things weren't always kept up as well as I'd like and it is driving me crazy and now I'm seeing all these other things. Must try to focus on the basics, cleaning and reorganizing goes a long way. My bday money is gone now so anything else I spend will be out of the general budget and I really don't need to do that, we need to save, sigh!

[mommyoffive]

We decided to do the other dance studio.  But only one class each.  But still it is over 1k for everything.  

Spent $40 on a parking pass for violin lessons.  Used to be free but the college wants $.   Got away with parking far away last year, but this year it will be harder. 

Spent another $36 on dance shoes for the youngest.  She didn't need new ballet.  But I hard learned that these other kinds are better.  I am sure it doesn't matter much for a 3 year old, but I got them any how. 

The others will get new taps next week. 

 

I still need to go to the grocery store for things I didn't tell dh to get. 

[mommyoffive]

Anyone with kids going to San Diego this month.  They have deals for kids to go free to San Diego Zoo and Sea world. 

https://www.sandiego.org/promotions/kids-free.aspx

[regentrude]

22 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

But who needs to spend $75/mo on eating out alone? I think that's excessive. I never spent that kind of money when I was working FT. ...

 We're currently making payments on his student loan, our medical bills, and our new living room set.

Honestly, I find eating in the cafeteria once a week more reasonable than buying living room furniture on credit.

Common meals with colleagues are important for bonding and networking - even if one could go home for lunch.

Edited October 4, 2018 by regentrude

[JustEm]

Today my dad and I went an adventure to 2 different restaurant supply stores and a bread store.  Holy moly did we get some good deals.  the bread store in particular was impressive.  They has english muffins mark to 38 cents a pack that weren't expired, bags of bagels for 79 cents, and Arnold's bread for $1.  We loaded up and froze most of it.  We have bread for over a month and spent $22.  I also found dh's energy drinks for 20 cents less a can, which adds up quickly. So I picked up a case for him, which will last at least 2 months since he only has one on his extra long days.

Please, keep dh in your thoughts and prayers.  He is supposed to be asking for a raise today.  If they are unable to provide him with one then he's decided that he can no longer stay at that job and we'll plan for him to work the rest of the year while scrambling to come up with a new plan for our family.

[HomeAgain]

2 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

Today my dad and I went an adventure to 2 different restaurant supply stores and a bread store.  Holy moly did we get some good deals.  the bread store in particular was impressive.  They has english muffins mark to 38 cents a pack that weren't expired, bags of bagels for 79 cents, and Arnold's bread for $1.  We loaded up and froze most of it.  We have bread for over a month and spent $22.  I also found dh's energy drinks for 20 cents less a can, which adds up quickly. So I picked up a case for him, which will last at least 2 months since he only has one on his extra long days.

Please, keep dh in your thoughts and prayers.  He is supposed to be asking for a raise today.  If they are unable to provide him with one then he's decided that he can no longer stay at that job and we'll plan for him to work the rest of the year while scrambling to come up with a new plan for our family.

I used to love our bread store. Fantastic prices, and I didn't worry much if I was picking up items for that day/week.  I grew up going to a similar one and my mom would fill two of their little carts and bring home enough bread & snacks for our lunches for the month.  We don't have one near us here.  I kinda miss it.  Our grocery store has a clearance rack where the day before's items are marked down from the bakery but other than an occasional sourdough boule I don't buy much from it.  Course, my family doesn't eat much bread to begin with, so maybe that has something to do with it. LOL

I'll definitely be keeping your dh in my thoughts.  That's a rough situation to be in mentally and I hope all the best for you.

[Kidlit]

So far this week I’ve managed to keep the spending at a minimum (for me ?).  We spent $20 on my eldest dd’s tennis lesson. (She’s in ps and will be trying out for the tennis team next week ??.  I have no idea what the cost associated with being on the team will be, should she make it. I’m a little concerned about that, honestly.)  We spent $15 on my other dd’s horseback riding lesson.  We ended up eating out this evening because we had an appointment out of town (therapy which costs us money but for which we used money from a medical savings acct). We have a screw in the tire of my van which we have to get fixed this evening, but if we can get it to Walmart before their automotive department closes we should be able to get it fixed under the warranty. 

I also stopped by the grocery store yesterday morning after taking my eldest dd to school to buy myself some antacid. That was a little over $7 out of the grocery budget.   I had terrible indigestion for a couple of days this week which had me concerned about my health because it was so unusual for me.  Dh has work travel the first few days this week, and after he got home, my heartburn got quickly (and mysteriously) better.  I finally concluded it was anxiety!  Whew.  

Dh and I are on the same page about our finances now more than we have ever been, which is nice.  I think it’s mostly been me—I’ve been pretty clueless and lackadaisical about finances up until now.  

I have a question for my fellow frugalistas: do you all use a budgeting app? We’ve tried to use YNAB in the past but didn’t stick with it.  We’ve downloaded the free Everdollar app but aren’t sure we love it. 

[Kidlit]

52 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

Today my dad and I went an adventure to 2 different restaurant supply stores and a bread store.  Holy moly did we get some good deals.  the bread store in particular was impressive.  They has english muffins mark to 38 cents a pack that weren't expired, bags of bagels for 79 cents, and Arnold's bread for $1.  We loaded up and froze most of it.  We have bread for over a month and spent $22.  I also found dh's energy drinks for 20 cents less a can, which adds up quickly. So I picked up a case for him, which will last at least 2 months since he only has one on his extra long days.

Please, keep dh in your thoughts and prayers.  He is supposed to be asking for a raise today.  If they are unable to provide him with one then he's decided that he can no longer stay at that job and we'll plan for him to work the rest of the year while scrambling to come up with a new plan for our family.

Praying for your dh’s work situation, @hjffkj . 

[Soror]

1 hour ago, hjffkj said:

Today my dad and I went an adventure to 2 different restaurant supply stores and a bread store.  Holy moly did we get some good deals.  the bread store in particular was impressive.  They has english muffins mark to 38 cents a pack that weren't expired, bags of bagels for 79 cents, and Arnold's bread for $1.  We loaded up and froze most of it.  We have bread for over a month and spent $22.  I also found dh's energy drinks for 20 cents less a can, which adds up quickly. So I picked up a case for him, which will last at least 2 months since he only has one on his extra long days.

Please, keep dh in your thoughts and prayers.  He is supposed to be asking for a raise today.  If they are unable to provide him with one then he's decided that he can no longer stay at that job and we'll plan for him to work the rest of the year while scrambling to come up with a new plan for our family.

6

Praying for your dh! I used to hit the bread store here all the time, the best deals would be the stuff marked for animal food (crazy I know) $5 for a HUGE barrel and most was still just fine. BUT they aint got nothing gf. 

1 hour ago, hopeistheword said:

So far this week I’ve managed to keep the spending at a minimum (for me ?).  We spent $20 on my eldest dd’s tennis lesson. (She’s in ps and will be trying out for the tennis team next week ??.  I have no idea what the cost associated with being on the team will be, should she make it. I’m a little concerned about that, honestly.)  We spent $15 on my other dd’s horseback riding lesson.  We ended up eating out this evening because we had an appointment out of town (therapy which costs us money but for which we used money from a medical savings acct). We have a screw in the tire of my van which we have to get fixed this evening, but if we can get it to Walmart before their automotive department closes we should be able to get it fixed under the warranty. 

I also stopped by the grocery store yesterday morning after taking my eldest dd to school to buy myself some antacid. That was a little over $7 out of the grocery budget.   I had terrible indigestion for a couple of days this week which had me concerned about my health because it was so unusual for me.  Dh has work travel the first few days this week, and after he got home, my heartburn got quickly (and mysteriously) better.  I finally concluded it was anxiety!  Whew.  

Dh and I are on the same page about our finances now more than we have ever been, which is nice.  I think it’s mostly been me—I’ve been pretty clueless and lackadaisical about finances up until now.  

I have a question for my fellow frugalistas: do you all use a budgeting app? We’ve tried to use YNAB in the past but didn’t stick with it.  We’ve downloaded the free Everdollar app but aren’t sure we love it. 

1

We use Mint and like it well enough. I used to do spreadsheets but dh hated that, we've tried a couple of other things over the years but come back to Mint as we are already used to it and it's free.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And I passed my demo, Level 2 here I come!!!!

[HomeAgain]

1 hour ago, hopeistheword said:

 

I have a question for my fellow frugalistas: do you all use a budgeting app? We’ve tried to use YNAB in the past but didn’t stick with it.  We’ve downloaded the free Everdollar app but aren’t sure we love it. 

We're using EveryDollar.  It took some time to get used to it.  Before, I had a spreadsheet set up for the 1st and 15th, two separate columns dictating what the budget was, and then a second page to track individual spending in each category. I dislike that I can't set Everydollar to anything but monthly, but I have to admit that it is easier now to set up now that dh's pay is on a biweekly schedule rather than the much tighter 1st/15th.  It helps that we can now keep a buffer in the checking account to deal with the flux when more comes out in one pay period than the other.
I still keep my spreadsheet.  I like it.  And dh maintains one that is a 2 year outlook that he changes to reflect actual numbers each month.  They're similar, but each of our personal methods drive the other one nuts (I'm a color/visual person.  He does charts).  Everydollar is a good compromise when we track together.

[JustEm]

I have tried multiple budgeting apps and haven't really liked any of them.  so, i stick to using a notebook.

[JustEm]

dh's talk with his boss didn't quite happen.  He started the conversation and then almost immediately got interrupted by multiple phone calls. So, he set up a time with his boss tomorrow to talk. Now i have to figure something out to do to distract me for another day.

[mommyoffive]

13 hours ago, soror said:

Praying for your dh! I used to hit the bread store here all the time, the best deals would be the stuff marked for animal food (crazy I know) $5 for a HUGE barrel and most was still just fine. BUT they aint got nothing gf. 

We use Mint and like it well enough. I used to do spreadsheets but dh hated that, we've tried a couple of other things over the years but come back to Mint as we are already used to it and it's free.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And I passed my demo, Level 2 here I come!!!!

 

Great news!!!  I hope things pick up now. 

[Soror]

Had 2 yearly charges pop up that I didn't realize were due. 

Feeling like we're doing horrible on spending and it is only the 5th. REally I didn't go over my budget too bad but I feel guilty b/c I've not been spending much. My b-day money that I had spent came out of the checking b/c my bday cash had been given to the kids for various things over the last few months. 

I need to look at the budget and focus!

On the plus side, that focuses me on making do with what I've got for now and postpone any further house freshening up until Christmas. I'll focus on cleaning and organizing, that makes a big difference on its own. 

Edited October 5, 2018 by soror

[Soror]

Just now, mommyoffive said:

 

Great news!!!  I hope things pick up now. 

Thank you!

[mommyoffive]

10 hours ago, hjffkj said:

dh's talk with his boss didn't quite happen.  He started the conversation and then almost immediately got interrupted by multiple phone calls. So, he set up a time with his boss tomorrow to talk. Now i have to figure something out to do to distract me for another day.

 

Ugh I hate when that happens.  Waiting is the worst part.  Sending some good luck your way. 

[JustEm]

As I wait impatiently, I decided to calculate how much I'm making pet sitting this month with what I already have booked.  Total I should be making just under $700 this month with only 4 pet sitting gigs booked.  All are the same weekend so it'll be a crazy few days but nice to not have to spread it out throughout the whole month.

Today I'm meeting up with someone to buy their double stroller. It is a City Mini, so over $400 new.  I'll be spending $145.  I've gone ten years without a double stroller and haven't felt like I needed it but I'm really over wearing kids.  And since we're going to Universal I decided I needed to at least borrow one from someone.  But since I also walk to the park daily with 2 REALLY slow kids I might as well buy one.  This will also help with getting in more exercise while having the kids with me

[mommyoffive]

3 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

As I wait impatiently, I decided to calculate how much I'm making pet sitting this month with what I already have booked.  Total I should be making just under $700 this month with only 4 pet sitting gigs booked.  All are the same weekend so it'll be a crazy few days but nice to not have to spread it out throughout the whole month.

Today I'm meeting up with someone to buy their double stroller. It is a City Mini, so over $400 new.  I'll be spending $145.  I've gone ten years without a double stroller and haven't felt like I needed it but I'm really over wearing kids.  And since we're going to Universal I decided I needed to at least borrow one from someone.  But since I also walk to the park daily with 2 REALLY slow kids I might as well buy one.  This will also help with getting in more exercise while having the kids with me

 

Hey I am glad you brought up your trip. I saw something on tv last night and thought of you, then totally forgot about this morning. 

buy a 2-Park 2-Day Park to Park Ticket and get 2 Days Free!

https://www.undercovertourist.com/orlando/universal-2-park-4-day-universal-park-to-park-promo-ticket/

[JustEm]

12 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Hey I am glad you brought up your trip. I saw something on tv last night and thought of you, then totally forgot about this morning. 

buy a 2-Park 2-Day Park to Park Ticket and get 2 Days Free!

https://www.undercovertourist.com/orlando/universal-2-park-4-day-universal-park-to-park-promo-ticket/

 

Thank you.  It tooks like it is $60 more from what we purchased which was 2 days with the 3rd free.  Hmmm.

[JustEm]

So, dh didn't get the raise.  So I suppose it is time to work on our resumes and figure out what is next for our family.  Excuse me while I curse for a minute, shit!!  Ok, got that out of my system.

[mommyoffive]

10 hours ago, hjffkj said:

So, dh didn't get the raise.  So I suppose it is time to work on our resumes and figure out what is next for our family.  Excuse me while I curse for a minute, shit!!  Ok, got that out of my system.

 

OH man.  I am sorry.  Glad you got it out your system so fast.  

When was the last time he got a raise there? 

Can they give him something else?  More vacation.  free classes for the family.  anything? 

Are there other places around you that he can work?  He teaches martial arts right? 

Is he happy there?  Is he under paid compared to the average around? 

I hope this doesn't affect you buying a house at all. 

[JustEm]

15 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

OH man.  I am sorry.  Glad you got it out your system so fast.  

When was the last time he got a raise there? 

Can they give him something else?  More vacation.  free classes for the family.  anything? 

Are there other places around you that he can work?  He teaches martial arts right? 

Is he happy there?  Is he under paid compared to the average around? 

I hope this doesn't affect you buying a house at all. 

 

He got a raise at the beginning of the year, but that one was long over due and simply not enough. That didn't become entirely apparent until we talked to our lender about a specific house which is very modestly priced, and the mortgage including taxes & insurance would have been an entire paycheck.  His boss just bought a second home a few months ago and we can't comfortably afford a modestly price home, so it is apparent that his job is no longer supporting our family well enough.

We already get free classes and while he could likely get more vacation from them it simply isn't enough anymore.  

If he were to stay in martial arts we would open up our own school, which we are looking into currently.

He is happy there for the most part, although he is overworked, and is currently quite bitter about the current circumstances.  He is paid a bit above average for the industry. 

It has affected the buying a house.  We can't buy a house until we know what we are going to do. And we haven't figure that out because dh and I are in disagreement about how his talk with his boss went.  I thought we were on the same page that if he didn't get the raise he'd leave.  But the boss dangled a carrot well enough to keep dh thinking there is still a chance for a raise.  The reality is that he's been dangling carrots for ten years and I'm fed up.  If I find a job dh will be forced to quit.  I don't want to make that decision on my own but I will if he can't come around to the idea that he has outgrown that place.

[mommyoffive]

25 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

 

He got a raise at the beginning of the year, but that one was long over due and simply not enough. That didn't become entirely apparent until we talked to our lender about a specific house which is very modestly priced, and the mortgage including taxes & insurance would have been an entire paycheck.  His boss just bought a second home a few months ago and we can't comfortably afford a modestly price home, so it is apparent that his job is no longer supporting our family well enough.

We already get free classes and while he could likely get more vacation from them it simply isn't enough anymore.  

If he were to stay in martial arts we would open up our own school, which we are looking into currently.

He is happy there for the most part, although he is overworked, and is currently quite bitter about the current circumstances.  He is paid a bit above average for the industry. 

It has affected the buying a house.  We can't buy a house until we know what we are going to do. And we haven't figure that out because dh and I are in disagreement about how his talk with his boss went.  I thought we were on the same page that if he didn't get the raise he'd leave.  But the boss dangled a carrot well enough to keep dh thinking there is still a chance for a raise.  The reality is that he's been dangling carrots for ten years and I'm fed up.  If I find a job dh will be forced to quit.  I don't want to make that decision on my own but I will if he can't come around to the idea that he has outgrown that place.

 

If he got a raise at the start of the year, I wouldn't expect one again the same year.  Once a year if things are going well for the company.   If his boss owns the school his compensation isn't going to be the same as your dh's.  And to know that he is paid above for the industry, I wouldn't expect lots more. 

If his income isn't enough for your family and you need or want more for this house.  He could get a second job, go to another kind of job, you could be the bread winner, you could work more on your pet sitting and selling.  Or not buy the home.  It sounded that your old home was comfortable for your income. 

If you are going to open your own school I wouldn't make that leap when his job is your main income.  

Dangling carrots suck.  I get why people do it, but still.  

I hope you figure out what is best for your family. 

 

 

Dh saved a bunch of $ last night fixing the dishwasher.  It is so awesome that lots of stuff he can fix on his own. 

[JustEm]

43 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

If he got a raise at the start of the year, I wouldn't expect one again the same year.  Once a year if things are going well for the company.   If his boss owns the school his compensation isn't going to be the same as your dh's.  And to know that he is paid above for the industry, I wouldn't expect lots more. 

If his income isn't enough for your family and you need or want more for this house.  He could get a second job, go to another kind of job, you could be the bread winner, you could work more on your pet sitting and selling.  Or not buy the home.  It sounded that your old home was comfortable for your income. 

If you are going to open your own school I wouldn't make that leap when his job is your main income.  

Dangling carrots suck.  I get why people do it, but still.  

I hope you figure out what is best for your family. 

 

 

Dh saved a bunch of $ last night fixing the dishwasher.  It is so awesome that lots of stuff he can fix on his own. 

 

The problem with the once a year thing is that it hasn't been once a year. The last raise was the first in years and frankly i think it was another carrot because they knew he was halfway out the door. It was just enough to keep him satisfied for a bit, clearly not long enough. 

He is paid above industry average not above it entirely, meaning there are plenty in his same position making more than average and room for him to grow if they allow it.

Out old home was comfortable for our income but it was in a bad neighborhood so we had to get out. The fact that we can't purchase a house in a safe neighborhood is the deciding factor that he can't stay there. So one of us will find work else where. I hate all of this so much.