Busy busy bee.

Making tortillas this morning. Did my budget for food according to Jo's budget files on 4on4@yahoogroups.com. She's a very frugal lady.

According to what I want to spend a month on food I should be spending about 2.30/meal for the three of us. (Of course, DD's portions are 1/4 the size of DH's. Maybe less).

There is $52/category/month to spent on food. Meat, grains, fruits and vegs, milk and the like and misc food. I think I can work within those categories. BUt I have to start tracking how much is spent in each category. I also haven't yet made my menus up. BAD. I'm the one who talked about them the most and i haven't done it.

Too busy to write anything. Also too tired. Too annoyed. Too sick. I hate having a cold. And it's not bad enough, I still have to go to work. Which is good since I don't get paid sick days, as far as I know. :P

Gonna go study and do bed time stuff.

Just got back from my cousin's where I was visiting my aunt who was in town, her son who is almost 4 and on the autistc spectrum disorder scale (they don't know how severe yet), my cousin's roomates and my mom was there and DD and I. PHEW!!

IT was nice to see everyone.

We have $40 for the rest of the week. Well Thursday DH gets paid. It's always hard at the end/start of the month. Rent is due. We would have been ahead but we had to get the car battery and then we got all those clothes. We should have all that paid back mid-month.

We were supposed to be able to get some 2x4's for our sattellite to go back up. I don't know when that is going to happen. I should have just got cable back on and left it at that for the rest of the month.

We made some carrot cake muffins this morning. Then I washed 3 big bags of carrots up (finally they've been here for a month). Yummy garden carrots. So much better than store bought and I know there was nothing used on them becuase I grew them myself!!

We are all sick here. So I think i'll go make some tea. I wish I had some ginger and lemon that would help things go quicker. I read tumeric is good but I don't think I could drink that!! PEW!!

I should go study tho while she sleeps. Hopefully I'm writing later this week/early next week. Phew. Have to go find something for supper too. ANy suggestions??

There was no crying on teh second night and she didn't even ask for it last night when we went to bed. She did wake up crying for it in the middle of the night.

So it's gone. T hank goodness. I could just throw a party.

DD did wake up with a cought this morning and I suspect her throat is sore like mine.

DD still has a sucky/soother/pacifer. She has a horibble rash around her mouth from it. Last night she ate some orange and it hurt her. So we decided to take it away.

She screamed in pain for a half hour before crashing out. IT was like watching a drug withdrawl on a TV show. Eventually she fell into a fitful sleep. Waking up often enough to cry "SUCKY!" I was trying my damndest not to laugh. IT was so dramatic.

She got up with me at 5 and her dad eventually got her back to sleep around 7:30 I would have to guess.

It was -7 lastnight. Winter coat, hat, mitts, scraped the car window on Oct 1. It's 3 C now.

Having lunch. Spagehtti again. Third time. I will freeze the rest for future rushed days.

Tomorrow at least. We have $16 not counting the rent money still sitting around.

Watching Opera. Enterprising women who made millions.

DD drank some a little bit of bubble solution then threw up on the carpet. She seems okay now.

Todays' work was fun. Our freight didn't get into until 8:30ish and then they stuck too many skids on the truck and everything was squished. Bleach and fabric softener, and grapes and cherry tomatoes to mention a few. SOme sugar as well. That was all in the flats of soup.

I just laughed because there was nothing I could do. I tried to pull a skid. Those those are heavy. I'm not very strong at all. 5'2" and 110 lbs. Tanis can move them somehow she's not bigger than me but she's been working longer so she must have some arm strenght. I've gained loads since I started working again.

We haven't eaten yet it's nearly 7:30. DD and I were playing and I lost track of time. I'm rather hungry.

Spent $120 today. Bought a winter jacket for DH (65), shoes (25!!! he was wearing 10 year old sandals), two pairs of pants (15 each). I didn't need pants but they were so comfy. I have buyer's remorse but I"ll be okay. IT was stuff we needed and it was cheap. CLosing out sale. The guy was so funny in there.

I have to make two phone calls tomorrow morning. One to the government to find out why the hell they havne't cashed my damned check and one for a freind to give her a reference.

DD had one time out this evening. She wasn't listening so we sat on her bed and she screamed for a while.

Supper fis 8nearly ready. IL have to go dou siome mpre house work since i have done NOTHING today (except study)

Good night.

Mel

Spent over half an hour sitting beside DD on the potty. She never went. She's holding it!!! Needed to vent that.

We have $50 until Friday. But hopefully won't spend any money between then and now. The end of the month is always worse. We were $100 ahead but then we had to replace the car battery. But we didn't have to borrow from savings for that so we could be worse.

Two loads of laundry done today.

There's a whole saga with my test but I"m beyond exhausted to dicuss that one. But now it's time for b ed.

It's indian summer. It's 22 out today. We had three days this summer taht where this warm. :P

DD and I played outside for an hour until she wanted me to carry her and kick the ball around. NOT going to happen.

Had my interview/information session for the Keys to Young Parenting 15 week session. Starting next week. DH and I wont' see each other Wed. but DD will be in a daycare situation and I will get out and learn some new parenting skills hopefully. It sounds like fun. they provide everything - transportation, childcare, snacks and fun little gifts. So, that will be marvelous for us.

I hope DD does okay in childcare. I guess it's more me I need to be worried about. THey will come get me if she's too worked up.

Nothing much. Worked today it wasn't too bad. But I changed my attitude to being grateful about my job and being happy about being there.

DD is being a whiner. DH keeps giving into her. I rarely give in to anything she demands unreasonably so she never tries that crap with me. He knows this but he just can't take it.

Didn't get much done outside 2 loads of laundry. Had a 1.5 hour sleep which was nice. I needed that. Looking forward to 3 extra hours of sleep tomorrow.

It's time for bed now.

We still have to go shopping tomorrow. DD and I need new toothbrushes and paste. And yogurt, DD loves yougurt.

But I found out if I make sure my razor's dried out and not left in the tub/shower then it can last a hell of a lot longer than if I leave it in the tub.

Okay I'm done rambling for tonight
Night night all.

There is not enough time to do everything. Working 30 hours a week may kill me yet. We'll see what happens after we get Christmas shopping done. OFC, DH wants the satellite back up this month and a stereo asap. :P

We were getting ahead but then the car battery died so we had to replace that so we are done to little money at the end of the month.

I have 6 hours of work tomorrow. And then a million things I want to do around the house to catch up from when MIL was here. I did nothing but entertain her it seems. So I'm behind on laundry and general chores and everything. ARGH!!

And I'm behind on schoolwork. THe GODDAMN school still has not sent my test here so I can do that so I have to call them on Monday. I also have to call the landlord because I am down to one burner on my stove that works properly and one that runs on high and two that don't work at all. which makes it hard to cook a meal for 3 people.

Jammy and snack time now. And I have to write a list out of things that need to be done tomorrow, Sunday (day off!!) and Monday phone calls.

At some point I may pass out for a few hours and then tomorrow it'll start again.

Asrai

She's coming. Tomorrow. I also write my first exam tomorrow and will set up for my second one. I have to get money to pay for that.

Bought some groceries today spent $7. Most of it was for MIL's visit as we have to feed her for two days.

Other good news I don't work tomorrow. I so need a day off. My back is giving out. LOL

Had a decent visit last night with my friend. SIL called too and gave me some alternate ideas for dealing with DD"s whining and refusal to get dressed. DH is talking to her now he has tonight off.

Everytime the Saving Advisor comes out I have two posts on there. Not sure if it's good or not.

I worked today. Was supposed to be 4 hours but turned out to be 6, and Friday is the same way so I'm back up to 30 hours for this week again. A nd probably next week as well will turn out like that and the week after I'm scheduled for 30.

One of my friend's from high school is supposedly coming through town. S he's suppsoed to call me sometime ... I think. :P Looks like we'll have to catch the bus to pick her up. If I can get DD into clothing. :P

All bills are covered I have to pay the water bill. forgot about that.

My budget payment for natural gas went down 1.70 a month. Wohoo. It's not much but every dollar counts most days.

Well DD isn't saying that yet. But, pretty much every question is answered with "no!"

She's two today. Whee ... let the arguing begin.

She wants to do everything herself.

I'm trying to get her on her potty. She won't sit on it if she doesn't have a treat so we moved it to our bathroom and when I go she goes. So I'll be going a lot more. LOL

Hopefully this will help work. She's ready she knows when she has to pee she just refuses. We'll see what happens in a few weeks.

I ran over/into my ankle at work with a wheeler (the wheeled carts we use to put the grocery stock on). It was full and didn't stop when I planned. My bloody foot still hurts. I wanna swear.

DH called in sick :P I hate when he does this. He gets whiney when I make him go. I wish he would read Dave Ramsey.

I was reading my book on intution (Finding Your Purpose by Carol Adrianne) and since DH had closed by book (I know I"m bitching again) I just flipped to a page. But then the page talked about making mandala's to get your creative energy going and telling the universe what you want so I'm going to make one maybe tomorrow, or sometime.

Dh's mother is coming on Wednesday. He phoned to see if she had dates to come yet and his dad says "well she left today." Gee, thanks for calling. Not that this is unusual. :P Just annoying.

She is at her friend's house and then is going to dh's sister and then coming back here and then driving to the airport to fly home. (they have money!).

She's only staying two days as far was we know. Wondering what she's going to buy DD for her birthday. They never ask us they just buy us something and don't care if we like it? I'm not sure there.

The kid has too much stuff. :P

I was supposed to write my first psych exam today. But it hasn't come from the college where i"m taking the course from to the college where I'm taking the test.

The reason I'm taking my course by distance is a) DH can do his course at the other college and can't at the local one. and b) because I need to be able to do the course in my own time.

I'm attempting to use the wax I bought last summer. It's going badly again. I don't get it. I need more strips too.

Facing (apparently known as zoning at wal-mart) means we pull the first few (at least 2) items of each product to the front of the shelf. This also means stacking items that are stackable ie soup cans, cereal boxes.

It makes the store look neat and nidy. Save On is not an cheapy store like Wal-mart. It's rather high priced so I don't shop there often. I know my sale prices and stock up when things come on. (2 for 1 sugar today!! Wohoo!). Anyway, it's a little more expensive than most places because the store is neater and people are available for customer service.

Our meat is better than any other store. The regular ground beef is just as good as lean from any other place. It's more expensive tho, so I wait for a sale and stock up there too.

If the shelves at your store always look full then the store gets faced. If they always look half empty then it is not faced.

Mom and I went to the garden again. We got two boxes of carrots (the majority of a row) and dug a box of potatoes. We have another row of carrots yet in there and several more hills of potoates.

It's 7 now and we haven't eaten we're just gonna have some leftover/frozen stuff. Somasos and i'm making spaghetti and garlic english muffins.

Anyway we got more than we paid for the garden. Loads more. We are trying ot give stuff away. Mom knows some people from her work that need/want stuff. One girl goes to the food bank, so I'm happy be helping her.

Food stuff is partially ready now so I'm going to munch it.

My joints hurt. Just the right side of my body since I use my right hand 75% of the time when I'm facing (which I do twice a week at least).

My right ankle is giving me grief constantly. Stiff and sore.

I've had some kind of arthiritis for years. The doc I saw when I was 16/17 told me it was growing pains. :P I'm still having pain. Espcially when it's cold.

Bought 4kg of chicken drumsticks for $15 today at work. NOt a bad deal. Should last us a while. I need to get another box of chicken breasts too, that costs $28 at superstore.

Got 2 for 1 cake mixes. Since the birthday party is this weekend. Sounds like Friday now since DH is home and my mom's boyfriend is leaving sunday afternoon.

And then I'll have my new wagon!! LOL. MY? It's for DD. Bad bad girl.

Think I'll go take some ibruprofen. ANyone know what the expiry date on a bottle of that means? Should I throw it out? I hate to, we use about 5 pills a year which is why I have an old bottle. It's only two months old or soemthing.

We got a new trike put it together works wonderful.

I'm taking time out of sleep to have a bath and do some religious stuff (pagan type stuff being it is a new moon).

Nothing much today. Didn't spend any money. Made a little. DH is back at work.

My back has a spot that goes numb. It gets all tinggly like it's asleep. I doubt that's good. I'll have to mention it to the doctor when I next visit him (in a few months from now). I have no hope that it'll stop.

We got the trike put together by the store. Well they screwed up on the cables which have no broke. DH told me he didn't have the receipt. I called my dad after supper (free evening and weekend calling y'know) and he says he gave it to DH. DH is at work so I'll find out things tomorrow.

On another note. GO CANADA. Iginila vs Kippersoff. Any hockeyfans out there? We're Alberteans now and DH was always a Calgary fan so we watched the whole Stanley cup bit. Not that it'll happen t his year since no one plans on playing. Bunch of whiners!!

Wel dad came and we went to Toys R Us. We got a tricycle. Of sorts. IT has this big stroller handle on the back so a parent can push/steer the child. DD loves it. So do I, since she'll use it more than the stroller we currently have.

The only problem we don't have a lot of room for it. She's also getting a wagon next week. Oh well, we have many modes of transporation now. Her stroller went into the car for now and the other stroller is at my mom's.

I'm too tired just wanted to post about the pressies who knows when I'll be back.

I was doing our budget this morning. Actual for the month and estimated for future months. And were are spending no more than 30% on a given area except debt repayment where all the extra goes for now until we are out of debt and back in school. I was so excited to see this. Of course, if my hours get cut down the percentages change but we should be able to manage everything.

We are also saving for Christmas a few dollers a week but it should pay for everything including postage. I'm excited.

It's 7:30 AM here. I'm up. I usually get up at 5 for work. So I got to sleep in this morning. Yesterday I really slept in. In fact, I beleive I over slept and then was groggy tired all day and nothing got done.

Think after I type this I am going to do my aerobic workout tape. And then grab a bite to eat. DD won't be up until 8:30 or 9. I think I'll get her up at 8:30, that way she'll really nap again.

IT was actually warm yesterday. 22 C. Then it rained for a few minutes. THis big black cloud came and hovered over us, not enough to cover the sun tho and then it rained.

Spent a lot of money yesterday. On groceries and my clothes rack and DD's birthday present (she's up already!!!)

Today we have to go to Save on (where I work). Sugar is on 2 for one. Wohoo!! (Limit 2 free). So we'll buy four (4 kg) sugars for the price of 2 and not have to buy sugar for a long long time. It's better tahn when it was on for $2.99/4kg.

My dad and his gf are coming tomorrow. It's dd's birthday next Sunday, but my DH is not off next weekend so I figured we could do one this weekend.

And then next weekend DD and I will be having dinner with my mom, her boyfriend, his daughter, my cousin and her two roomates (They all occupy the same half of a duplex talk about crowded!!).

We got her a computer game for ages 2+. I think she'll like it she would like to play ont eh computer there is just nothing for her to do on it.

Freecycle started a new modsquad for the prarie region of Canada. That should be good. I have 3 new mods (I decided on three becuase then I don't have to deal with teaching people the ins and outs of yahoogroups when we have a few hundred memebers). It's become more work then the group was to start with. That's okay because in the long run it'll be good. I don't have a lot of time right now to devote to the group. Think I'll go and repost the chair we have to give away.

I can now hang clothes again.

Mid-June my (prolly 30 or 40) year old clothes dryer fell apart. Not a surprise we've been using it daily for the last 2 years. It sat in a shed at my dad's acreage for several years before that (prolly about 10).

So today I spent half my spending money on a new clothes dryer. I'm very excited. It's outside becuase it's actually 18 degrees C out. (Two days ago we had snow in this province not this city thankfully). The breeze is blowing and my clothes are drying.

Also since it's so warm out I'm taking advantage and washing the blankets. I try to do it once every 6 months or so.

Since DH stopped smoking in our bedroom now is prime time. I should wash the pillows shortly as well.

I forgot about writing here for the last week.

Dh has the week off and has been playing his game on the 'puter most of the time. :P I've been working and then when I get home I clean and do homework and the computer has not been a big priority.

Spent this morning checking on prices on cell phones. We were thinking about switching from a phone line to cells but it isn't any cheaper and probably would cost us more.

Listening to Dave Ramsey. Of course.

Worked 30 hours this week plus monday was a stat day and i get paid at least 3 hours for that, not sure how many exactly I'll find out next Friday.

We are actually getting ahead for once. We have enough to pay our bills, spending money and then some. Of course the extras will go toward debt. We are also saving $5/week for Christmas (I think I might up that next month) and then we are going to start saving in advance for my birth control (I get the 3 month shot which is $50 although on Friday I'll find out if DH's health insurance covers it).

I'll write more later. Can't beleive I've been forgetting to write here. It's because I"m not getting the daily saving money challenge, not that it's jeffery's fault or anything.

Got up at 7:30 this morning. Which is late late for me who gets up at 5 to get to work at 6 AM.

I turned the computer on to find it out it is 0 C. Whee. Someone from the southern hemisphere was talking about spring and summer heat. :P

I worked out 'cause my back hurts from facing yesterday. Hate facing. I kinda like working by myself tho.

DD got up just before 9 and I'm making oatmeal for us now. I think DH went back to bed. :P

Told him I got up at 7:30 and he's like "ouch". LOL. I slept in!!

Making ginger beef from saving dinner tonight. I think the discussion boards need a recipe folder for frugal recipes. Well, the ginger beef isn't really frugal. Steak is bloody expensive. Except that my dad gave us this pack, he had a bunch of excess meat in his freezer and gave it to us. Some of it was rather old but still fine wrapped in butcher paper.

ttyl

At work I was stocking campbell's cream of chicken soup and on the back of the can I saw a recipe that looked good. So I went to the website to find the recipe since I can make my own cream of whatever soup.

And just chicken and cream of chicken soup there are 106 recipes. Wow who knew that you could make some many varities with 2 ingredients (of course there are other things added. wow!).

And on second thought the recipe doesn't sound that good. LOL .. but I have some new ideas.

I'm entertaining DD by throwing a stuffed dog at the roof and then catching it. For some reaosn this excites her. She's always loved to watch things get thrown and caught.

The library called yesterday my copy of Saving Dinner is now at my house. I am not sure what to start with it all sounds so good. I wish it had gotten here before we went shopping on Friday.

I think I'll have to buy this book eventually. I can't possibly type out all of the good recipes in a 3 or even 6 week period.

I finally have a day off Tomorrow. Yay and i get paid for not being there. Love stat days. I also got next Saturday off as I'm hoping my dad and his gf will come visit that weekend. I should phone and invite them I guess. Shish.

Dh is having a bath and I guess I'll go get some dishes done and some cleaning done. Tomorow I bake. I bought a bunch of apples for .69/lb so I want to make a pie.