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From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 21, 2008 at 9:21 pm ET
The last time I went to Spokane I got the stomach flu. I am optimistic this time. Anything is better than the stomach flu. 2 more days of work and I will be free for a whole week. Yea!!! I've been eating bagels for breakfast and spaghetti and salad for lunch for 3 days now but surprisingly, I am not sick of it yet. That's good because I have 2 more days to go. I don't think I will have to throw out any perishable food. Oh, I had better freeze that milk. I forgot about that. Nope, just checked. ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 20, 2008 at 10:47 pm ET
I should have thought of this last year before my plants burned up in the May/June heat.I used the old tarp that was covering one of my water tanks. It's not pretty but it was free because I recycled something I was going to throw away. I was able to attach it to the green house and the fence which was very convenient since I didn't have to try to construct some sort of structure. Everything I build on my own gets blown away by the wind, and it's very windy out here. I added a piece of tarp on ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 19, 2008 at 9:21 pm ET
Where's my stimulus money? I used direct deposit to pay my taxes and according to the payment schedule, I should have received my money May 9th. I feel so un-loved by the government. I even got one of those letters that told me to expect something. I check my bank account every day but still nothing. I even checked the IRS website to track my payment but it said "no info available". I also noticed that although the site says my payment will arrive "no later than" May 9th, it also says "Please allow 2 weeks from the date shown ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 18, 2008 at 8:59 pm ET
Since I am going on vacation in a week, I need to plan my meals so that I finish off the food that will spoil. I don't know why I bought a whole head of lettuce last week. Now I'm going to have to eat salads every day. Salads are good for me so it's not really a bad thing. I just don't like taking them to work. I will this week though. I opened a jar of spaghetti sauce too so I guess it's going to be spaghetti and salads this week.What else do I have...Cheerios or bagels? If ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 17, 2008 at 9:55 pm ET
Well, they are new to me. I went to the thrift store again. I actually went there for something else and I found out that my favorite thrift store had disappeared. No relocation sign or anything. Maybe I just didn't see it. So, I went to my next favorite thrift store a block away. They didn't have what I was looking for but I decided to look through the clothes just in case. This thrift store is expensive to me, $4 for shirts. I only found a couple items that were half off. Unfortunately, the shorts were a little too ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 16, 2008 at 10:17 pm ET
It's not much of a harvest. So far only 3 pea pods and one zucchini but every edible item is a small victory for me. Sadly, only one pea plant survived. I should plant more. I started these fellas early in the green house and then moved them outside as soon as it got too hot for them inside. It is a lot of work to water them everyday. They will only need water until it starts to rain but that is still a month away. This next month is crucial. It is supposed to be 100 degrees next ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 14, 2008 at 9:48 pm ET
Or maybe not. Since my cell phone is my only phone I have been going over my allotted minutes lately. Extra minutes cost 40 cents! I either need to stop answering my phone or get more minutes. I don't want to be completely anti-social so I looked in to upgrading my phone plan with Verizon. Verizon just sent me a coupon for a free month of service if I signed up for another year long contract so I did. Now I am regretting it. My plan is 300 minutes and 3000 night and weekend minutes for $35. Nights start at ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 13, 2008 at 10:37 pm ET
The weatherman did not say it was going to rain today but I am glad he was wrong! I came home to wet streets and water in my tanks. I have a window-less office so I didn't even know it had rained. It's not a lot of water, only 60 gallons, but if it doesn't rain until mid-July then I think I can make it with the water I have. I might even be able to do laundry and water my little plants (they will be happy). There is a chance of rain tomorrow too but I don't want to ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 12, 2008 at 11:53 pm ET
Frugal (or cheap) things I did today:Brought leftovers for lunch.Brought my own drink in my own bottle.Washed a ziploc bag.Repaired my broken nail with super glue and tissue.Went for a walk.Took a super-quick shower.Cooked pasta for the next 4 lunches.Used recycled water for my plants.Got my news online instead of buying paper.That's about it for the daily stuff.The long term list would be...Rented out my house and moved in to an RV.Collected rainwater for showers, laundry and plants.Making accelerated mortgage payments to pay off my mortgage early.Do without cable or satellite.Use only a cell phone. (although I went over on ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 11, 2008 at 11:15 pm ET
I'm getting my lunch ready for another work week. I'm not looking forward to the week but it is better than being unemployed. Everyday that I go to work I am one day closer to succeeding with my retirement plan. Last week, when I was playing with my mortgage spreadsheet, I figured out that I could pay it off in a year and a half if I sold off my stocks, RV, sold most of my possessions and used my emergency fund. I would be broke but free from my mortgage. Then I could live off of the rental income. ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 10, 2008 at 8:20 pm ET
Yup, I lost my self-control. I went to the grocery store with a big long list and only bought 3/4 of the items but my bill was still $135. That's way above the $20-$30 that I could have spend on just necessities. I used the 'stocking up' excuse to rationalize my extra purchases. For example: I wanted cashews. They are very expensive in those tiny little cans so I bought the giant bucket for $10. I'll be eating cashews for quite a while. Soda was buy 2 cases get one free so of course I HAD to buy 3. I ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 9, 2008 at 9:06 pm ET
I made it to the end of the week without grocery shopping! That was my goal. Now I have to make sure I don't over-spend tomorrow. I need to stick to my list and menu. I think I will buy deli meat and have salads and sandwiches next week. I also need milk, soda, juice and iced tea. I am totally out of liquid except diet pepsi and water. Maybe I will just sleep in tomorrow and skip breakfast, then I won't have to eat my toast with water.I was helped along this week because someone in the office brought ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 8, 2008 at 10:35 pm ET
Since they announced the postage rate increase a few months ago, I have been planning to buy some Forever Stamps. I didn't get around to it and my mother reminded me last weekend that the rate change will happen May 12. I never seem to make it to a post office. I used to buy stamps at the grocery store but I haven't been shopping lately. I found one of those orange envelopes that the mail person leaves to order stamps but since I can't mail letters from my home I would have to go to the post office anyway ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 7, 2008 at 10:59 pm ET
The best way for me not to spend money is not to shop at all. Every time I go in to a store I see something that I "forgot" that I needed and I just have to get it. Commercials for stuff aren't too tempting so at least I can still watch TV. The only ones that get to me occasionally are the food ads. Pizza Hut's new pastas are very tempting but when I really think about it, I can make my own pasta and it tastes better for a lot less money.I went in to the Habitat store ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 6, 2008 at 10:57 pm ET
Another $1,200 extra principle payment for my mortgage! Only $64,800 to go until job freedom! That's the day when I no longer have to work to support my mortgage. I will be free to work less hours, change to a more enjoyable job regardless of pay, and pursue my passions! 4 years and 8 months left of my plan if I only contribute an extra $400 a month and move back in for all but one month a year. But any extra rent payments will knock months off the end of my payment plan. ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 5, 2008 at 10:55 pm ET
I would usually go to the grocery store now. I am bored with the food that I have and my usual staples are dwindling. The grocery store is also where I overspend every month and with prices going up, I can't keep doing that. I made a list of all of my wants and needs and then thought about the food that I have left. I want milk, juice and rootbeer. I have powdered milk, water and diet pepsi.I want hawaiian bread and bagels. I have a frozen loaf of wheat bread.I want some microwave dinners for the times I ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 4, 2008 at 8:39 pm ET
People who are 'with it' upgrade their electronics and I get the cast-offs. I have to admit...I still have a cassette tape walkman. I haven't listened to it in quite a while. I used to take it with me on plane trips. It started eating batteries too fast to be of any use so I stopped taking it. I remember one very short layover in San Francisco where I dashed off the plane to buy some very expensive AA's from the gift shop. Too much trouble. After that I took a book or magazine or just read one of the ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 3, 2008 at 7:43 pm ET
I emptied my second water tank today. Since I am trying to rely solely on rainwater I am carefully calculating how many gallons I have left. The monsoon season starts around the second week of July. I believe this year the monsoon will officially start on a certain day instead of waiting for 3 consecutive dew points of a certain number like they used to do. I am hoping it rains sooner than the second week of July but that is the date I am using for my water plan.I have 10 weeks to go but one of those weeks ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 2, 2008 at 10:16 pm ET
But I am a pushover. I called them to remind them that the rent was due and they jumped in their car and delivered the check to my work. I was so happy to get the check I didn't mention the $50 late charge. I know, I know. I am a bad landlord. I can't wait to get out of this business. I am thrilled to be able to put another month of my mortgage repayment plan in motion though. I deposited the check after work which will allow me to pay another $1200 extra mortgage payment. Even if my ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 1, 2008 at 10:44 pm ET
Once again the first of the month is here and I don't have a rent check from my renters. I shouldn't have to call and remind them every month. Maybe I should send a bill. The contract states that there is a $50 late charge. I need to enforce that. Of course, this is one of the things that I hate about being a landlord. I don't want to be their mother. I don't want to have to remind them. I don't want to be responsible for their actions if they do something bad. I don't want to clean up ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogApril 30, 2008 at 11:06 pm ET
I read an article today and now I can't find it again. I hate that. I found it at work and now that I am home it has disappeared. I don't know if it was on a blog or in the online newspaper. Anyway, this article was talking about how people are selling their things on Craig's List, ebay, and other sites to make money to pay for the ever increasing prices of food and gas. It said that Craig's List 'for sale' items were up 70%. The bad part was that there are so many things for sale that ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogApril 29, 2008 at 9:52 pm ET
It's getting hotter here in Arizona and that makes me tired. I had to turn on the AC this evening. Pretty soon I'll have to leave it on all day. I am not looking forward to those electric bills. Since I am paying for my rental house's utilities the bill will look outrageous but hopefully I charged enough extra rent to cover it. I didn't expect 8! people to move in to the house though. The spring and fall months should offset the summer bills. If not, this will be an expensive lesson and I definitely won't try it again ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogApril 28, 2008 at 10:59 pm ET
This article at All Financial Matters talks about the retailers who will add 10% to the Tax Stimulus Rebate check that many of us will get soon. It sounds interesting. An extra $60 or so for groceries would be very nice since that is my biggest expense besides gas. I wouldn't just blow the money either. I would still stay within my monthly food budget and add my rebate check dollar amount to some other category like RV repairs. That is one category that needs some funding. When I came home today I noticed that the glass panel on the ... ( more)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blogApril 27, 2008 at 10:47 pm ET
I think I would like that title better if it said "Free Money Weekend". It is the last weekend in April. Time to add up the monthly budget and see if there is anything left. I had quite a few unbudgeted expenses including a new water pump, 2 lunches with coworkers, new pants and a $20 trip to the dump. Adding it all up I am $83 ahead! I am sure this is a result of staying away from the grocery store. I was given some food by people who were going out of town so I made do with ... ( more)
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