January Frugalistas 2020

[mommyoffive]

I don't see this started.   Does anyone want to do this anymore? 

How is the month going? 

Do you have certain goals for the year?  

Did you recap how you did in 2019?

Edited January 5, 2020 by mommyoffive

[readinmom]

Glad to see this here...

I HAD to purchase some clothing items for myself, dd for return to school.  It's colder here than usual, and I'm a capri pants- flip flop/sandal wearing person.  I hope not to purchase anything else clothing wise until spring break/early summer.

[JustEm]

Dh starts his new job tomorrow but for the first month he's in training, which is paid but not at its full rate. So, we still have to get through a month of pay that doesn't cover  everything. Once he's at full pay in Feb, he'll still be making a bit less than he was but it should cover all the bills, things will just be very tight. Thankfully, it has been pretty easy to not spend money. Even the kids have started being more conscious of the spending of their own money. For example, instead of blowing it on candy and more toys right after Christmas, ds11 paid for his siblings and him to go ice skating. Ds7 and dd5 put their money together today to buy everyone donuts after Mass. Did we need donuts, nope. But they chose to share their money rather than just think of themselves, something I'll always encourage.

[JustEm]

Our main 2020 goal is to get back to earning as much as dh was at his previous job. We're not far from that and with the ability for dh to earn monthly bonuses it is highly likely we'll be able to without having to do anything extra. But a few months after the baby comes I'll likely expand my pet sitting or find part time work outside of the home.

[mommyoffive]

5 hours ago, hjffkj said:

Dh starts his new job tomorrow but for the first month he's in training, which is paid but not at its full rate. So, we still have to get through a month of pay that doesn't cover  everything. Once he's at full pay in Feb, he'll still be making a bit less than he was but it should cover all the bills, things will just be very tight. Thankfully, it has been pretty easy to not spend money. Even the kids have started being more conscious of the spending of their own money. For example, instead of blowing it on candy and more toys right after Christmas, ds11 paid for his siblings and him to go ice skating. Ds7 and dd5 put their money together today to buy everyone donuts after Mass. Did we need donuts, nope. But they chose to share their money rather than just think of themselves, something I'll always encourage.

 

Yay for your dh starting his new job.  

Wow, your kids are so responsible with money.  You guys must be doing a great job teaching and modeling for them.  Awesome!!!

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, happysmileylady said:

I am here for this.  We have been doing to hard core goal setting.  We want to put $12k into savings by the end of the year.  

$75 went in today lol.  Came from Christmas presents.  We received a check for the family, we split it between ourselves, the kids, and then savings.  Yay!

 

You guys are saving for a house right?   I think I remember that from another thread.   Keep saving, you can do it. 

[mommyoffive]

Some deals

Free photo from Walgreens

https://hip2save.com/tips/free-photo-prints-walgreens-photo-coupon-code/

 

Free giftcard from Target when you spend $50

https://hip2save.com/2020/01/05/free-15-target-gift-card-w-50-household-essentials-purchase-save-on-bounty-charmin-more/

[mommyoffive]

December was SPENDY.    It is Nutcracker season for our ballet kids (all of them).  That is spendy.  Gifts for the whole cast and crew.   Paying for Parking.  Eating out a lot.  Tickets.  Christmas.  Taxes that Escrow didn't cover because our taxes went up a lot.   We stayed in hotel for 10 nights.   We hosted a family Christmas party.  Special foods for Christmas eve and Christmas day.   After Christmas discount shopping.    I am going to save more for Christmas next year.  

Returned some gifts from Christmas that didn't work out.   Have a small amount to do still. 

Got some generous gifts that are going right into our bank accounts and the accounts for kids. 

Audition season started for summer intensives and my older 3 are doing it this year.   It costs around $150 each time once we pay for registrations, parking, gas, and tolls.   Hopefully it ends up being worthwhile. 

Have to pay for dance this week.  $$$.  I think we are putting the younger 3 in gymnastics too.  

Back to paychecks with 401k taken out.   It was nice to have the extra $$.   Waiting to hear when the bonus is going to get paid out.  It might be in spring when raises and the reg. bonuses are paid out too.  😞

Edited January 6, 2020 by mommyoffive

[SamanthaCarter]

Counted up appointments for January and I have three kids dentist, one kid optometrist, me dentist, and me doctor with labs. That’s easily $700 (probably more). DH says we have about $500 in HSA, so I cancelled my dentist (cosmetic issue anyway) and moved my doctors appointment to Feb. All these things are needed, but we need to spread them over more pay periods.

We have credit card balance from Christmas. 😕

[mommyoffive]

2 minutes ago, SamanthaCarter said:

Counted up appointments for January and I have three kids dentist, one kid optometrist, me dentist, and me doctor with labs. That’s easily $700 (probably more). DH says we have about $500 in HSA, so I cancelled my dentist (cosmetic issue anyway) and moved my doctors appointment to Feb. All these things are needed, but we need to spread them over more pay periods.

We have credit card balance from Christmas. 😕

 

We have a lot of upcoming medical/dental issues too.  😞     I wish that people didn't have to think about stuff like that when it comes to their health. 

[mommyoffive]

5 minutes ago, happysmileylady said:

Yes.  We want to close on *something* in the summer of 2021.  DH turns 50 this year, and if we get a 15yr mortgage, that means he will be 66 when it pays off, so paid for home in retirement.  That's very important to me.  

 

 

Smart plan.   Are you staying where you live now? 

[Shoeless]

We are doing a "No Eating Out" challenge for January. My goal is to not eat any meals or snacks out, period.  

I am also doing a less structured challenge of "Let's drive a whole lot less, m'kay?" I was changing some settings on my Gmail and saw that location tracking was turned on. Well, no wonder I am tired, frazzled, and eating take out. We are running around far more than I realized. 

So less driving means less spent in gas and fast food. 

I am hoping DH hears this week about a job he interviewed for. This process has taken forever. I swear it is the job interview that never ends. If he gets the job, he has the option of remote work, which means we can start looking into moving out of state.  The reasons that brought us to Texas no longer apply, so we are thinking deeply about where we want to go next.

Edited January 6, 2020 by MissLemon

[mommyoffive]

5 minutes ago, MissLemon said:

We are doing a "No Eating Out" challenge for January. My goal is to not eat any meals or snacks out, period.  

I am also doing a less structured challenge of "Let's drive a whole lot less, m'kay?" I was changing some settings on my Gmail and saw that location tracking was turned on. Well, no wonder I am tired, frazzled, and eating take out. We are running around far more than I realized. 

So less driving means less spent in gas and fast food. 

I am hoping DH hears this week about a job he interviewed for. This process has taken forever. I swear it is the job interview that never ends. If he gets the job, he has the option of remote work, which means we can start looking into moving out of state.  The reasons that brought us to Texas no longer apply, so we are thinking deeply about where we want to go next.

 

Sending good thoughts your way.  I hope your dh hears about the job this week.  Waiting is the worst.  How awesome to be able to move wherever you want.  

[mommyoffive]

13 minutes ago, happysmileylady said:

We would LOVE to even buy this house we are currently renting.  If the owner isn't interested in selling, we want to try to stay specifically in this neighborhood if we can.  I truthfully wouldn't really want to move more than 5 miles from where we are right now.  

 

I hope you get to buy the house you are renting.  To not have to pack and move, that would be amazing.  

[KungFuPanda]

College girl is breaking us.  Keeping her at school is like a buying a second house. We're limping into the finish, but this is her last semester.  We've been cooking a lot more.  My closest grocery store turned into an ethnic market.  Instead of going to another store, I've done a lot more fried rice, curries, and Mexican dishes. A lot of them are cheap and veggie and bean heavy, so it has satisfied my budged and my desire not to have to go the whole two miles to the next closest store.  😂

I may add another dance class to my teaching schedule this semester.  It would generate enough to pay a few bills, but I'm not positive I have another choreography in me right now.  I'm feeling creatively depleted at the moment and hoping for a sudden strike of inspiration.  I don't mind the extra physical effort of holding an additional class, but I hesitate to take on the mental load of taking on another group of personalities and needs to prepare for.  I'm going back and forth.

Edited January 6, 2020 by KungFuPanda

[Garga]

My dh and I have a date night every Wed at the local Chinese place. We order soup ($2.50 each) and had been ordering sodas for $1.50 each. So, about $10 including tip.  We realized last week that the hot tea is only 50 cents per person, so we’ll switch to that or water and save $2 each week.  My MIL got my dh and I a $25 gift card to the Chinese place, so all of our January dates will be pretty much free.  

I go to the movies with a friend every Tuesday night for $6.  We had started getting in the habit of getting a soft taco from Taco Bell on the way home for just under $3.  I’m going to stop getting the taco.

When I grocery shop every other week, I stop at Sonic for the cheapest burger on the menu and some mozza sticks and it comes in at under $6. I’m going to nix the mozza sticks and just get the burger, which is only $1.76. 

Not counting the gift card to the Chinese place, that adds up to about $25 saved a month right there. 

I don’t think I’ll need new shoes for at least a year and I’m pretty sure I won’t need clothes for a year as well.  DH lost some weight and had to buy a bunch of clothes, but this means he won’t need anything for a long time either, as all his stuff is new.  (Fingers crossed that it doesn’t all wear out at the same time a year from now.)

I just found a bunch of shampoo in the boys’ shower that they don’t use (they like to use the 3-in-1 body/face/hair wash.). I won’t need to buy shampoo for me for years now that I found all those bottles. (I haven’t cleaned that shower in years—DH takes care of that bathroom.)

There isn’t really wiggle room right now on the big stuff, but I can nickel and dime us down a bit each month!

Edited January 6, 2020 by Garga

[prairiewindmomma]

Medical bills. Ugh. 

[mommyoffive]

11 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

College girl is breaking us.  Keeping her at school is like a buying a second house. We're limping into the finish, but this is her last semester.  We've been cooking a lot more.  My closest grocery store turned into an ethnic market.  Instead of going to another store, I've done a lot more fried rice, curries, and Mexican dishes. A lot of them are cheap and veggie and bean heavy, so it has satisfied my budged and my desire not to have to go the whole two miles to the next closest store.  😂

I may add another dance class to my teaching schedule this semester.  It would generate enough to pay a few bills, but I'm not positive I have another choreography in me right now.  I'm feeling creatively depleted at the moment and hoping for a sudden strike of inspiration.  I don't mind the extra physical effort of holding an additional class, but I hesitate to take on the mental load of taking on another group of personalities and needs to prepare for.  I'm going back and forth.

 

One more semester, you can do it.  

[mommyoffive]

11 hours ago, Garga said:

My dh and I have a date night every Wed at the local Chinese place. We order soup ($2.50 each) and had been ordering sodas for $1.50 each. So, about $10 including tip.  We realized last week that the hot tea is only 50 cents per person, so we’ll switch to that or water and save $2 each week.  My MIL got my dh and I a $25 gift card to the Chinese place, so all of our January dates will be pretty much free.  

I go to the movies with a friend every Tuesday night for $6.  We had started getting in the habit of getting a soft taco from Taco Bell on the way home for just under $3.  I’m going to stop getting the taco.

When I grocery shop every other week, I stop at Sonic for the cheapest burger on the menu and some mozza sticks and it comes in at under $6. I’m going to nix the mozza sticks and just get the burger, which is only $1.76. 

Not counting the gift card to the Chinese place, that adds up to about $25 saved a month right there. 

I don’t think I’ll need new shoes for at least a year and I’m pretty sure I won’t need clothes for a year as well.  DH lost some weight and had to buy a bunch of clothes, but this means he won’t need anything for a long time either, as all his stuff is new.  (Fingers crossed that it doesn’t all wear out at the same time a year from now.)

I just found a bunch of shampoo in the boys’ shower that they don’t use (they like to use the 3-in-1 body/face/hair wash.). I won’t need to buy shampoo for me for years now that I found all those bottles. (I haven’t cleaned that shower in years—DH takes care of that bathroom.)

There isn’t really wiggle room right now on the big stuff, but I can nickel and dime us down a bit each month!

 

Little things add up.  Great way to save a bit of money and still enjoy yourself.  

[mommyoffive]

3 hours ago, happysmileylady said:

Wooo whoo!  DH got a raise.  He got the max that he could get which is good.  Unfortunately the max isn't all that great, IMO, but we will take it.  With the raise, we are able to add something to his benefits, and increase the retirement contributions by a smidge and still take a little bit more home each paycheck.  

 

Awesome!!  Congrats

[Shoeless]

On 1/5/2020 at 9:36 PM, mommyoffive said:

 

Sending good thoughts your way.  I hope your dh hears about the job this week.  Waiting is the worst.  How awesome to be able to move wherever you want.  

 

The waiting is killing me.   

[historically accurate]

2019 was not kind to us. We paid for a new furnace, new air conditioner, and a new (to us) car as well as super high medical bills. Ugh.

2020 is going to be all about digging out of the hole that we have ended up in. 

General: We were down in Florida for a few weeks visiting my mom. Other than Christmas presents (which of course cost more than I budgeted), she paid for everything, so we're starting January fairly well monetarily as groceries, gas, etc were all lower than normal.

I am keeping my VIPKid thing open, but so far I'm not getting many bookings overall, and with Chinese New Year happening soon and me blocking out some time while in Florida, I didn't get any this week. Bleah. I will spend CNY to update my video, get all of the certifications I can, and hopefully, when the kids are back in school there, I can hit the ground running. I am trying to figure out a different stream of income - I don't know what yet, as I'm not getting interviews from the few applications I've sent to some retail stores in the area.

I started gathering for our taxes. By my initial calculations we'll get a little more than enough in a refund to pay for DD's Tae Kwon Do for the year, so we've decided to set it aside for that. We consider it a medical expense as she has PTSD, and TKD helps immensely. Youngest wishes to start, and I'd love to let her (she quit gymnastics at the start of this school year and is currently in no sports/extracurriculars) - we'll see if we have enough for her once I have more tax info. 

Educational: This month I'm purchasing books for DH's and DD's college classes as well as tuition for younger two's co-op classes. Oldest is set to take a CLEP test this Friday; if she passes, she can cancel her Government class for a refund. DD has applied to all of her colleges (she's at our community college now); in March, she will visit one that is about 10 hours away, so we'll have to pay for traveling expenses. 

Medical: DH is getting a crown this month, and oldest is getting her wisdom teeth out. Yesterday, I paid all but the last $40 for braces for middle! Woo-hoo! Oldest has already been to immediate care with DH while I was still in Florida. We have 3 more doctor appointments this month, and I haven't even contacted any of the therapists that we are back in town yet. I have one doctor that is going off of the "in-network" special agreement in February, so I should start working on getting that extended (doctor is out of network, but they pay as in-network for 6 months). Fortunately, the FSA is renewed, so we'll be paying with that $. We took a little more out of DH's checks this year for a higher level of insurance, and our co-pays decreased by $5. 

Miscellaneous: I need to sit down and nail down our exact budget. It's been in flux for a few months with medical bills and the car accident, etc. For example, I don't know how much we actually pay for supplements, vitamins, and prescriptions. DD's doctor has been trying a variety of prescriptions/dosages over the last few months, and I've kind of lost track of which ones we'll have to keep paying for the foreseeable future. So getting a budget that works is this week's job. 

[mommyoffive]

3 hours ago, beckyjo said:

2019 was not kind to us. We paid for a new furnace, new air conditioner, and a new (to us) car as well as super high medical bills. Ugh.

2020 is going to be all about digging out of the hole that we have ended up in. 

General: We were down in Florida for a few weeks visiting my mom. Other than Christmas presents (which of course cost more than I budgeted), she paid for everything, so we're starting January fairly well monetarily as groceries, gas, etc were all lower than normal.

I am keeping my VIPKid thing open, but so far I'm not getting many bookings overall, and with Chinese New Year happening soon and me blocking out some time while in Florida, I didn't get any this week. Bleah. I will spend CNY to update my video, get all of the certifications I can, and hopefully, when the kids are back in school there, I can hit the ground running. I am trying to figure out a different stream of income - I don't know what yet, as I'm not getting interviews from the few applications I've sent to some retail stores in the area.

I started gathering for our taxes. By my initial calculations we'll get a little more than enough in a refund to pay for DD's Tae Kwon Do for the year, so we've decided to set it aside for that. We consider it a medical expense as she has PTSD, and TKD helps immensely. Youngest wishes to start, and I'd love to let her (she quit gymnastics at the start of this school year and is currently in no sports/extracurriculars) - we'll see if we have enough for her once I have more tax info. 

Educational: This month I'm purchasing books for DH's and DD's college classes as well as tuition for younger two's co-op classes. Oldest is set to take a CLEP test this Friday; if she passes, she can cancel her Government class for a refund. DD has applied to all of her colleges (she's at our community college now); in March, she will visit one that is about 10 hours away, so we'll have to pay for traveling expenses. 

Medical: DH is getting a crown this month, and oldest is getting her wisdom teeth out. Yesterday, I paid all but the last $40 for braces for middle! Woo-hoo! Oldest has already been to immediate care with DH while I was still in Florida. We have 3 more doctor appointments this month, and I haven't even contacted any of the therapists that we are back in town yet. I have one doctor that is going off of the "in-network" special agreement in February, so I should start working on getting that extended (doctor is out of network, but they pay as in-network for 6 months). Fortunately, the FSA is renewed, so we'll be paying with that $. We took a little more out of DH's checks this year for a higher level of insurance, and our co-pays decreased by $5. 

Miscellaneous: I need to sit down and nail down our exact budget. It's been in flux for a few months with medical bills and the car accident, etc. For example, I don't know how much we actually pay for supplements, vitamins, and prescriptions. DD's doctor has been trying a variety of prescriptions/dosages over the last few months, and I've kind of lost track of which ones we'll have to keep paying for the foreseeable future. So getting a budget that works is this week's job. 

 

Ugh sorry that 2019 was rough.   I hope 2020 is much better.  

It is nice that you got a little vacation in that was easy on the budget.  That always helps.

I was wondering how VIPkid was going for you.  Ugh.  I think you have a great plan.  Do all that you can and see. I hope it picks up a lot for you.  Do you think applying to the other English tutoring jobs might work better?  Do you need to work from home?   I have several friends that work at home scoring tests. 

I am starting to gather tax stuff too, but haven't done any calculations.  I don't know where to do that.  Taxes confuse me.  I don't know if we will be at what we were last year as our income has changed a lot. 

It sounds like you are doing great in each category and getting organized.  I think that is half the battle. 

Edited January 7, 2020 by mommyoffive

[mommyoffive]

Dh went grocery shopping.  Need to figure out how much he spent. 

Did a little more Christmas returning.  Need to do the rest.   Plus $20

Got gas $30

 

[SamanthaCarter]

Two things are setting us behind. One, due to poor planning and events beyond my control, we were out from 8:30 to 7:00 (one child til 9:00) yesterday. I had to buy dinner for three kids. I usually have ~75 minutes at home in there to get some dinner ready and eaten. Two, our RE tax assessment just came in at an 11.9% increase. That works out to an additional $25/mo. Not sure what to cut. 

Worse, I overdrafted our account today. 😭. 

Edited January 7, 2020 by SamanthaCarter

[prairiewindmomma]

Costco has their protein powders on sale this month...$15 off a bag.  I stock up every January and buy a year's supply....6 bags. I saved $90 by doing so today.  This is our 4th year doing this. 

Rachel--can you dispute the increase by showing comparables? It's a bit of a hassle, but may be worth it. 

[SamanthaCarter]

28 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Rachel--can you dispute the increase by showing comparables? It's a bit of a hassle, but may be worth it. 

Yes, I did it last year as I had a pretty clear cut case. This looks almost like they are trying to make up for the “cut” last year plus some? It was a hassle. 

Its still a little too early to gather data. 

Edited January 7, 2020 by SamanthaCarter

[mommyoffive]

5 hours ago, SamanthaCarter said:

Two things are setting us behind. One, due to poor planning and events beyond my control, we were out from 8:30 to 7:00 (one child til 9:00) yesterday. I had to buy dinner for three kids. I usually have ~75 minutes at home in there to get some dinner ready and eaten. Two, our RE tax assessment just came in at an 11.9% increase. That works out to an additional $25/mo. Not sure what to cut. 

Worse, I overdrafted our account today. 😭. 

 

Ugh that stinks.  Our assessments keep going up too.  Which is good in someways.   We were so underwater for a long time due to everyone walking away from their houses.   But these higher property taxes stinks.  

I am sorry. 

[Carrie12345]

I have giant 2020 financial goals that are kind of intimidating, but I need them to be that way. I have a real knack for getting super frugal (by my standards) and then justifying giant splurges (again, by my standards, lol.). I’m trying to use that knack on a bigger scale - paying off all debt and getting a great house/property.

It’s almost like I’m at that “last 10lbs” stage.  A lot of hard work has been done, a ton of progress has been made, and the goal is real close, but it’s definitely harder to shed and to find the will to push through at this point.

I feel like I’ve mostly done well this first week of the year, but I forgot that ds needed new snow boots, I should really get new windshield wipers on hand, and my pet food/litter delivery had bad (though needed) timing this month.  At least I don’t start to hemorrhage gas money until next week!

[mommyoffive]

32 minutes ago, Carrie12345 said:

I have giant 2020 financial goals that are kind of intimidating, but I need them to be that way. I have a real knack for getting super frugal (by my standards) and then justifying giant splurges (again, by my standards, lol.). I’m trying to use that knack on a bigger scale - paying off all debt and getting a great house/property.

It’s almost like I’m at that “last 10lbs” stage.  A lot of hard work has been done, a ton of progress has been made, and the goal is real close, but it’s definitely harder to shed and to find the will to push through at this point.

I feel like I’ve mostly done well this first week of the year, but I forgot that ds needed new snow boots, I should really get new windshield wipers on hand, and my pet food/litter delivery had bad (though needed) timing this month.  At least I don’t start to hemorrhage gas money until next week!

 

I feel you on the last 10lbs thing.  I was just saying this to dh this morning.  We have made so much progress in the last year, and the last 15.   But I am getting kind of tired of saving, I would love to just have that extra money and spend.  I am always thinking about doing something to save money or what not.  

I bought ds new snow boots this year and we got just a little around Halloween.  Haven't had that much snow.   I hope his feet don't grow for next year.  But I bet they will. 

Just got one of our investment statements and it has grown 32% this year.  Nuts.   It would be amazing if that could happen all the time. 

Charter school just payed some more for activities.  I had forgotten that we had more to spend for this certain category, so that was a really awesome surprise.  Only 4 months left of full monthly ballet tuition for the year.   🙂

Registered for another summer intensive audition. 

Daily driving to ballet is back so gas spending is nuts.  😞

 

[SamanthaCarter]

Based on new information, I don’t think I have a good argument on our tax assessment. The next door grossly undervalued house was corrected this year -that’s what I based my contest on last year. Two homes on our street sold last year, which gave the assessor some much-needed comps on a hard to value area. I should be happy that they think our property is worth this. It’s just we’re not in a position to handle increases in any of our expenses. 

On the bright side, dh just sent me a new job listing that looks very promising! He’s applying. I’m looking at a hybrid classical school scheduled to launch Sept 2020, that would allow me to work for more than tuition would cost. 

[mommyoffive]

4 minutes ago, SamanthaCarter said:

Based on new information, I don’t think I have a good argument on our tax assessment. The next door grossly undervalued house was corrected this year -that’s what I based my contest on last year. Two homes on our street sold last year, which gave the assessor some much-needed comps on a hard to value area. I should be happy that they think our property is worth this. It’s just we’re not in a position to handle increases in any of our expenses. 

On the bright side, dh just sent me a new job listing that looks very promising! He’s applying. I’m looking at a hybrid classical school scheduled to launch Sept 2020, that would allow me to work for more than tuition would cost. 

 

Sending your dh some good luck.   

Oh that hybrid school sounds like a great thing for your family.  I hope it is easy to get into. 

[Shoeless]

So, the job interview was a bust. Sort of.  I don't know.  This was for a new position within DH's current company.  He made it through multiple rounds of interviews and passed them all, but HR dragged their feet for so long that in the mean time, the company decided to reorganize the available positions and "move" them to a different division.  This other division is in a different state, 1800 miles away.  While I'd like living there, I'm not sure we can afford that move right now.  We had talked about moving out of here before DS11 started "high school" (kiddo is in 5th grade), but I thought that was more like an 18-24month away plan, not a "So maybe we're putting the house on the market in a month" type plan. 

I'm really annoyed, and the details I'm getting from DH are fuzzy.  He's breezily saying things like "It's just logistics", except that all those "logistics" will be left for me to sort out, because that's how the "logistics" of us buying this house went. Now DH is mad at me for not being excited about his "Maybe we're moving, maybe we're not" scenario and says I'm not being supportive of him.

I am digging really, really deep to find some patience and positivity.  I'm going to go rage-clean for awhile.   

On the plus side, I did not fall for the temptation to say "heck with it", and get take out tonight.  So this is day 8 that we've eaten at home. 

 

Edited January 9, 2020 by MissLemon

[mommyoffive]

OH that is hard.  I am sending some prayers that you get some answers quickly so you can move forward accordingly.  

[Shoeless]

Thank you, @mommyoffive.  It will all work out ok in the end. DH and I have very different ways of working through problems, so he's equally frustrated with me. But it will end up ok. 

Dinner was pretty good, too.  I'm glad I didn't get take out!

[mommyoffive]

9 hours ago, MissLemon said:

Thank you, @mommyoffive.  It will all work out ok in the end. DH and I have very different ways of working through problems, so he's equally frustrated with me. But it will end up ok. 

Dinner was pretty good, too.  I'm glad I didn't get take out!

 

I totally relate with that.  Dh and I are different on things like that too.  When he tells me he might get a transfer to this state or country, I freak and start planning.   He rides it out and would come up with a plan later.  

Good for you not getting take out.  

 

$35 filling up both cars.  

$60 getting vitamins, toilet paper, and some frozen fruit and veggies

[prairiewindmomma]

16 hours ago, MissLemon said:

So, the job interview was a bust. Sort of.  I don't know.  This was for a new position within DH's current company.  He made it through multiple rounds of interviews and passed them all, but HR dragged their feet for so long that in the mean time, the company decided to reorganize the available positions and "move" them to a different division.  This other division is in a different state, 1800 miles away.  While I'd like living there, I'm not sure we can afford that move right now.  We had talked about moving out of here before DS11 started "high school" (kiddo is in 5th grade), but I thought that was more like an 18-24month away plan, not a "So maybe we're putting the house on the market in a month" type plan. 

I'm really annoyed, and the details I'm getting from DH are fuzzy.  He's breezily saying things like "It's just logistics", except that all those "logistics" will be left for me to sort out, because that's how the "logistics" of us buying this house went. Now DH is mad at me for not being excited about his "Maybe we're moving, maybe we're not" scenario and says I'm not being supportive of him.

I am digging really, really deep to find some patience and positivity.  I'm going to go rage-clean for awhile.   

On the plus side, I did not fall for the temptation to say "heck with it", and get take out tonight.  So this is day 8 that we've eaten at home. 

 

This was us in 2015 and 2017. Hugs. It’s a hard place to be in.

We definitely took a lifestyle hit when we moved to a HCOL area with high taxes. It has largely been worth it because dh is happier at work and home more, but I think you are wise to pause and consider the trade offs. 

For all of the crazy that Texas is, it’s also incredibly inexpensive to live there and salaries are high in certain sectors compared to COL.

[Shoeless]

11 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

This was us in 2015 and 2017. Hugs. It’s a hard place to be in.

We definitely took a lifestyle hit when we moved to a HCOL area with high taxes. It has largely been worth it because dh is happier at work and home more, but I think you are wise to pause and consider the trade offs. 

For all of the crazy that Texas is, it’s also incredibly inexpensive to live there and salaries are high in certain sectors compared to COL.

Yes, it's a weird place to be, here in I-Have-No-Answers Land.  I feel really stressed out right now.  And DH keeps wanting to show me houses on zillow, and I do not want to look at houses at this point! It feels very cart-before-the-horse. We have to sell this house first and that will take about 5 or 6 months because we are rural.  The house across the street just sold; 157 days on market).  The house next door sold last year, almost 6 months exactly on the market.  Just...ugh.       

We got McDonald's before Chess Club today because we got there 25 minutes early and I needed something to pass the time. 

[prairiewindmomma]

We try to keep our house in a condition that we could list it on a month’s notice if need be. It is *work*. My advice would be to sit down with dh and determine what you would need to do in order to list your home. It is often a reality check. Of course it’s exciting to think of new opportunities—but everything comes at a cost—time, money, opportunities—and usually some mix of all three.

We had a car repair bill today too—more on the order of maintenance, thankfully. I am still worried one of our vehicles may not pass inspection next month. A new catalytic converter is $$$$ as this vehicle has two of them. Crossing that bridge when we get to it. 

[Carrie12345]

I went $62.75 over my budget this past week.  I can rationalize more than half of that, but it doesn’t change the math!  I know I won’t be able to make up for it this week, with a vet appointment scheduled and dd needing textbooks, so that’s at least $62.75 out of my debt payment this month.

[historically accurate]

21 minutes ago, myblessings4 said:

I have been following along, but too anxious and depressed to post.  Lol!  We are short this month, so I am cutting out most everything that I can.  It has helped that ds33 hasn't started classes yet (starts Monday) so he has kept DC at home most of the week.  That has kept down most of the "can we stop for a burger or a drink?" temptations.  We still stopped for something very inexpensive, since it is our weekly allowance we were spending out of.  But every little bit not spent helps.

The water pressure issue in our rental in Virginia seemed to have been fixed, and was a really reasonable charge.  But then the tenant said the toilet is running more than usual and the pressure is down again.  So the handyman is going to fix the toilet today and we're praying that's all it needs.  Really praying that the water pressure is normal and nothing else needs to be done.

Here's hoping your January looks up soon. It's so hard when the ends don't meet.

 

[mommyoffive]

11 hours ago, happysmileylady said:

And now, $571 came out of the savings to pay for a new clutch in DH's car.  *sigh*    We had $179 in the vehicle maintenance fund, the total cost of the repair was $750, so $571 is what had to come out of the savings.  

Plus, DH called in sick today.  Which, when he told me I was like "oh, thank goodness" because we are both sicker than dogs.  So, staying home today undid all the OT for this payperiod (since last week he was still off for the holiday)

In addition to that, the shop that the car was at was actually out by DH's work, which is about a 45 minute drive. And when they called for us to pick it up, I hadn't gotten the kids anything to eat yet, so we stopped to get McDs.  That came out of the grocery budget, which I have been trying to cut down, but haven't really been able to.  

 

Tomorrow, the kids and I are supposed to go to a free ice skating lesson.  Which, yay for frugal fun but....I feel like crap.  I don't think I am going to be feeling up to hanging out at an ice rink.

 

 

 

Ugh, I am sorry about the car and the OT.  I hope that you both feel better and there is more overtime next week. 

[mommyoffive]

8 hours ago, MissLemon said:

Yes, it's a weird place to be, here in I-Have-No-Answers Land.  I feel really stressed out right now.  And DH keeps wanting to show me houses on zillow, and I do not want to look at houses at this point! It feels very cart-before-the-horse. We have to sell this house first and that will take about 5 or 6 months because we are rural.  The house across the street just sold; 157 days on market).  The house next door sold last year, almost 6 months exactly on the market.  Just...ugh.       

We got McDonald's before Chess Club today because we got there 25 minutes early and I needed something to pass the time. 

 

I am sorry you are so stressed.   Does your dh have any info on how long until he knows what is going to happen. 

[mommyoffive]

8 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

We try to keep our house in a condition that we could list it on a month’s notice if need be. It is *work*. My advice would be to sit down with dh and determine what you would need to do in order to list your home. It is often a reality check. Of course it’s exciting to think of new opportunities—but everything comes at a cost—time, money, opportunities—and usually some mix of all three.

We had a car repair bill today too—more on the order of maintenance, thankfully. I am still worried one of our vehicles may not pass inspection next month. A new catalytic converter is $$$$ as this vehicle has two of them. Crossing that bridge when we get to it. 

 

That is amazing you can keep your house in listing condition.  Ours is now where near.   We think all the time of getting new carpet or whatever, but with 5 kids and dog they wouldn't look new very long at all.   I would love to move, but I don't think I could handle the stress. 

Our state doesn't do inspections on cars.   But our small town is having a rash of people stealing catalytic converters on cars.  

[mommyoffive]

3 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

I went $62.75 over my budget this past week.  I can rationalize more than half of that, but it doesn’t change the math!  I know I won’t be able to make up for it this week, with a vet appointment scheduled and dd needing textbooks, so that’s at least $62.75 out of my debt payment this month.

 

That stinks, I am sorry.  Hopefully you have some light weeks later.   I am beating myself up for going to Walgreens to use a $4 coupon.  Instead of buying things we need like food or vitamins, I bought Christmas clearance things and toys.  $23 later.   Can we afford it, yes.   But I feel  horrible about it.  Buying things we don't need.   I told myself before I went, don't even go.  You are going to buy junk I don't need.  And I am trying to declutter the house and I just bought more crap into it.   

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, myblessings4 said:

I have been following along, but too anxious and depressed to post.  Lol!  We are short this month, so I am cutting out most everything that I can.  It has helped that ds33 hasn't started classes yet (starts Monday) so he has kept DC at home most of the week.  That has kept down most of the "can we stop for a burger or a drink?" temptations.  We still stopped for something very inexpensive, since it is our weekly allowance we were spending out of.  But every little bit not spent helps.

The water pressure issue in our rental in Virginia seemed to have been fixed, and was a really reasonable charge.  But then the tenant said the toilet is running more than usual and the pressure is down again.  So the handyman is going to fix the toilet today and we're praying that's all it needs.  Really praying that the water pressure is normal and nothing else needs to be done.

 

I am sorry for a stressful month.  I hope that it looks up soon.  It is so hard to not just stop and get something when you are out.  I make sure that we pack lots of food so we are not tempted to do it.  But when everyone else is going to grab food, it is hard to always be the stick in the mud that says no, no, no.  

I hope your rental doesn't have any huge issues. 

[mommyoffive]

Anyone need girls shoes

New Balance shoes for $10

Use promo code NEWDRIP50 (50% off)

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[Carrie12345]

35 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

That stinks, I am sorry.  Hopefully you have some light weeks later.   I am beating myself up for going to Walgreens to use a $4 coupon.  Instead of buying things we need like food or vitamins, I bought Christmas clearance things and toys.  $23 later.   Can we afford it, yes.   But I feel  horrible about it.  Buying things we don't need.   I told myself before I went, don't even go.  You are going to buy junk I don't need.  And I am trying to declutter the house and I just bought more crap into it.   

Those are the types of temptations that get me!!!
I did manage to walk into a dollar store for 1 specific thing and nothing else this week, so yay. But here I am, wondering if I should go to the grocery store earlier than planned to use the coupons they sent me... (I’m really trying not to.)

[Shoeless]

8 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

 

I am sorry you are so stressed.   Does your dh have any info on how long until he knows what is going to happen. 

 

Unfortunately, no.  He's been talking with HR people and the manager of the team in NJ. So, at least there is conversation happening, rather than the silence he got before. He's told them the compensation he is expecting, and while it gave HR pause, it did not shut down the conversation, which is good.  I've done COL comparisons, and I know the number that HR needs to meet or beat to make this move feasible.        

He's feeling upbeat, so it was a good time to tell him "Oh by the way, my car needs a new clutch". 🙄

[prairiewindmomma]

I spent $40 on four frozen lasagnas. I can’t make lasagna for $10/each. (A frozen lasagna is normally $14-17 here, and ingredients for me to make one run $18-22ish.) We went through our freezer meal stash when we all had the flu for two weeks at Christmas, so I am starting to build that back up as sales allow. Getting fast food is $40 for our family (yay, teens!) so relying on fast food for when we are sick is not feasible.

I need to make some quiche for the freezer. I have the ingredients, just need the time.

I have $550/1300 remaining in my grocery budget. (Our budget is larger this month to get the protein powder for the year and to build the easy meal stash back up.) 

I gave up all coupons + promo deals several years ago for the same reason.... I was buying things I didn’t need for $1-3 during the same trip. Add to that the gas + time to hit multiple stores and it just isn’t worth it for my family dynamics.