August Goals

1. Extra payment to Mastercard.
2. Deposit into savings.
3. Extra $20 set aside for Christmas fund.
4. Weight loss (2-3 pounds).
5. Continue Revelations Bible study.
6. Read Book of Proverbs.
7. Finish one uncompleted project.

End of Month Grocery Update

I'm posting this today because I'm 99.999999% positive I won't be going to the grocery store before my next cycle starts tomorrow. After spending $70.76 at the beginning of the cycle, I had $44.24 left.

7/22 $ 3.02 Wal-Mart
7/24 $17.01 Krogers
7/29 $ 2.50 Krogers
7/29 $ 1.93 Wal-Mart

That gave me a subtotal of $24.46 interim spending, for a grand total of $95.22! Now I'm pretty pleased with that, but my kids, of course, think there is absolutely nothing to eat in this house, despite the fact that there is plenty of food. It's time to get them involved in meal planning, I do believe!

Now, my question is, do I carry over that extra $29.78 or snowflake it to debt? Right now I'm going to hold onto it. I can think of several things in the next 2-3 days where that extra money would come in handy, so we'll see how it goes this weekend. Between groceries tomorrow, a cat vet trip today, a trip to the Creation Museum Saturday with a group from church, and jeans for DD on sale at Meijer, I may need this cushion. I have budgeted for all this, but I'll feel better if I have that little leeway. Hopefully I won't touch it, but it's there "just in case." And if I haven't used it by Sunday night, I'll snowflake it.

Prayer Requests

It seems I have been quite a few prayer requests in the past few days, so I'm writing them down to keep organized and not forget them. Maybe memory should be a request too? haha

1. My friend's mom had a passing-out episode yesterday. The mom is 82 years old, has Alzheimer's, and we're not sure why exactly this happened. Thankfully aides were with her at the time, so she didn't suffer any injury, but as of last night, she wasn't speaking. She was eating and much more alert than earlier in the day, but my friend obviously is concerned. Pray for wisdom for my friend and her siblings (some family drama involved there) and the care staff and comfort for her mom.

2. Our church has a huge vote on Sunday regarding a call to our interim pastor to become the permanent pastor. When it was announced 10 days ago, there was a standing ovation, so I hope the vote won't be contentuous, but you never know. Pray for wisdom and God's will to be done in our church.

3. I've been stressed about finances and work lately. I can't seem to focus to get even my minimum work done, much less get in anything extra to try to make up some ground on debt. Plus with the cost of the transmission work, I've just become very discouraged. I know it will all get paid eventually; I just want it paid NOW. Pray for concentration at work and trust in God for the rest.

4. DD had her blood work done the other day for her iron deficiency and fatigue. Everything came back normal except her ferritin (iron storage), which is still too low. She goes through phases where she will take her iron prescription regularly and then starts to balk and not take it for several days. Some days I wish she were a cat so I could just pill her and get it over with! But she's a very strong-willed girl, and this has to be her decision. Pray for correction of her sleep pattern (it's really bothering her) and conviction to take her iron prescription as she is supposed to.

5. Neighborhood safety. I'm still concerned about the incident last Friday night. Is it awful to pray that the guy who lives there gets arrested again soon and goes back to prison? I know the police are watching him. I'm also concerned for the 2 young children in the home and the unborn baby who will soon be joining them. Pray for protection of children, our home and neighborhood and God's will to be done in this situation.

6. Saturday we are going to the Creation Museum with a group from our Sunday School class, and we're looking forward to it. Pray that I don't sleep through the alarm that will be set for 5 AM and that we get to the church on time to leave.

7. Friends of ours from church have custody of some of their grandchildren due to their daughter's inability to care properly for them. Pray for strength and wisdom for the grandparents and comfort and security for the grandchildren. Also for the daughter to find the help she needs to get her life back on track.

Tackle a Pile Tuesday

I'm trying to work on my basement this month. So far I have the workbench organized and the washer and dryer cleaned off. This afternoon I'm going to tackle the shelves. I have several different shelving units down there, and they could all use some help. It shouldn't take long, and hopefully I can throw a load in the washer, do the shelves and be done before the clothes need to go in the dryer. Once that's done, all that needs to be accomplished is organizing the gardening supplies and sweeping the floor. Unfortunately the floor might have to wait a while. I have a damp basement, and we've had quite a bit of rain lately, so there are puddles here and there, making it hard to sweep effectively. But I'll be happy if everything else is done.

Time Flies

It was 8 years ago this past weekend that we moved into this house. The twins were looking forward to starting 1st grade and only having a 5-minute walk to school instead of an hour bus ride. We were happy to start this new chapter of our lives being closer to family and my job, our church and our support system. Eight years later, it's still just the three of us, only the twins are now looking forward to their freshman year in high school. We have adopted 2 more cats and said goodbye to one dear furbaby and to my mom. We've done some remodeling and redecorating but still have a long way to go. I've changed jobs, and we have changed churches, one of the best decisions I ever made! The kids have participated in soccer, basketball and swimming, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts, and we've traveled all around Ohio and out of state. We're looking foward to more travel and fun adventures.

Many of these things have not gone "according to plan." I never planned to change churches, but that was a good change. I didn't really plan to still be in town at this point. And I had hoped that I wouldn't still be alone. But I am and we are, and we're still taking it one step at a time. It seems like just yesterday that we moved, yet it feels like we have been here forever. I guess time flies, whether you are having fun or not!

Rare Saturday Post

I feel a need to get this "out" and am not sure where else to put it! Last night was scary. Well, actually early this morning. About 4 AM I awoke to the next-door neighbors having a bunch of guys over in their back yard. Obviously I wasn't too happy, but they haven't had any loud parties or even any loud music at all this year, unlike years past. I had chalked it up to the fact that they now have 2 kids in the house and another on the way and maybe, just maybe, were growing up a bit. I should mention, this is the drug dealer and his girlfriend. He spent 6 months in prison a couple years ago, and I know for a fact he is back on the drug task force radar. I should also mention all our bedrooms are on the side of the house that face their yard.

Anyhow, I was starting to fall back asleep about 4:30 when the voices got louder and the guys started to fight. Then one guy starts shouting "** (name removed to protect us!) you shot at me!" over and over. The other guys are trying to calm him down, but he keeps cussing and yelling. I didn't hear a gunshot (and I know the different between gunshots and firecrackers), but I'm getting a little nervous. Then this guy continues to yell and is going down the street out front and screaming about how ** shot at him. Then I hear it - a gunshot that sounds like it's in between our houses. I roll out of bed and call 911. By the time they arrive, things are quieter, but I'm shaking. DD is still awake (having sleep problems this summer), so she also is hearing all this.

I don't know if anyone was arrested or what happened. It quieted down after that, and I finally got back to sleep by about 5:30. This truly was a nice neighborhood before they moved in. I cannot believe that I have my children living next door to this. I want to move but can't afford it. Even if I could find somewhere else I could afford in a better neighborhood, I can't afford to get this house fixed up to sell! And no one can guarantee who the neighbors would be there. I hate this. I hate thinking that I might have to teach my kids how to hit the floor if they hear gunshots. I hate the idea that a stray bullet could penetrate my house. Isn't there enough to worry about without this?

All I can pray for is that God's will be done and that He give us His protection. That and cry.

Planning Ahead for Graduation 2010

Know any high school seniors who will be graduating in 2010? Now is a perfect time to start planning graduation gifts. Many stores are running sales on not only back-to-school supplies but also items they hope families will buy for their incoming college freshmen. Kids (and adults!) starting college will need backpacks and supplies whether they are going to community college or going away to school. Students going away will also need sheets, towels, luggage and other houseware-type things for their dorm room, and now is a great time to pick up items that will be greatly appreciated next spring. And as you find deals on laundry supplies, think about picking up that, too, to add to your graduation gifts; a student away from home and responsible for their own laundry for the first time will definitely appreciate it! We plan our purchases ahead for Christmas and birthdays - why not graduations? :-) Don't forget to head on over to http://www.lifeasmom.com/ for more Frugal Friday ideas!

Deal-Making Pet Peeve

I know it seems like I've been complaining a lot lately - sorry about that. It's been one of those cycles of life where I feel like I'm down in a valley and am unable to see when things will start to get better anytime soon. I'll get there eventually, I'm sure, but right now.....well, anyhoo....

I read a lot of "deal" blogs, the type that specializes in how to get things free or nearly free with the use of sales and coupons. Overall these blogs have saved me a ton of money, and every so often, I can get in on a deal that actually "makes" me money! (For example, if something is on sale for $1, you have a $1 coupon and then the store offers a rebate or catalina for $1 - you've effectively "made" $1 in purchasing that item.) But there is one thing that has been bugging me.

Greed. It bothers me that I have to get to the store on Sunday afternoon to get in on a good deal, because if I wait until Monday or Tuesday, the item is likely to be sold out. I read so many blogs that tell you to buy 10 items of something to maximize your savings, or highlight shopping trips where a person has spent $64 but saved $450 by buying items in bulk and bragging about clearing the shelves (and yes, I read a post about this yesterday and saw the pictures!). It bothers me to see bloggers encourage a hording mentality by suggesting deals in which you need to purchase 10 or 12 units of the same item or tell you that to "win" at the drugstore/grocery game, you need to buy things you will never use. It bothers me to see bloggers highlight shoppers who brag about clearing the shelves of sale items. Gee, thanks for leaving something for the rest of us, especially for folks who NEED that particular item, sale or not! Yes, I stock up on some things, but I rarely buy more than 2 or 3 of any particular item (Hershey chocolate bars excluded! haha). And I try to stick to things that we need or I know we (or a friend) will use in the next few months, not just purchase something to get in on the savings.

Maybe it's the economy making people feel like they have to do this, I don't know. Maybe it's just me. I know people will always take advantage of sales and deals. I just don't think bloggers need to encourage it.

July Groceries

I'm finding that posting my grocery totals here is really helping me stay on track. So far this second half of the month, I have spent:
$20.39 - Wal-Mart (7/16) - including cat food and liter
$42.45 - Krogers (7/16)
$ 7.92 - Krogers (7/19)

This gives me a total of $70.76, well under my $117 budget so far. I will be stopping today to get a few things, but I'm pleased to have over $45 left for the next week-and-a-half. I'm also trying to pay cash, and boy, that makes you stop and think, too! It was almost painful to pull out the cash that first trip at Krogers, but that's okay. Anything that helps me stay in this budget will be worth it!

Tuesday's Blessings

1. The van broke down before we left, not on the road.
2. Friends, whose opinions I value and trust.
3. The ability to borrow a vehicle from the kids' grandpa to go ahead with our trip.
4. Friends with season passes, who were able to get us into The Beach waterpark for free.
5. Friends we enjoy spending time with.
6. The opportunity to spend 3 days at Kings Island with half that time spent enjoying Christian concerts, praising and worshipping.
7. Our interim pastor becoming our permanent senior pastor!
8. Books on loan from friends.
9. A vet who waves his office call fee when my cats needs shots or other interventions and only charges for supplies.
10. DD cleaning the living room again without being asked!
11. A flexible work schedule.

Answered Prayer!

Our church has been going through a transition since our senior pastor left in March. Thankfully we have stayed strong and remarkably united. I think God has been working in us, healing us and giving us a sense of optimism and peace that can only come from Him these last few months. God has given us an amazing interim pastor, a man of wisdom and enthusiasm, and we have also been blessed with 3 very strong, dedicated assistant pastors, all of whom have worked diligently and with love to guide, direct and inspire our congregation.

Yesterday during the service, a member of the local church governing board (LBA) got up to read an announcement. You can't begin to imagine the joy when we heard they had made an offer to hire the interim pastor as our permanent senior minister! There was a standing ovation, and I truly believe the pastor and his wife were very moved and touched. There will be an official vote in 2 weeks, but in all honesty, we've thought of his as "ours" since he first came! He has a reputation for taking strong churches and growing them and making them greater than they ever imagined, and we are so excited for the possibilities for our own church.

I've had my dreams of a few different ministries I would like to be a part of if they were to become available, and I'm sure many people have ideas for things for our church to do and be. Me, I'd love to see Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and an older adult singles group start. I'd like to see our website be more relevant, too. Our Sunday School class has been talking about being more active and have more of an impact on our community, and that can present a lot of different opportunities, too. (My children and I volunteer at the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen, but that's only twice a year, and it doesn't seem like enough.) My imagination is just running full speed right now!

Anyhow, it is truly God's hand that has brought us this amazing pastor and his wife, and He has truly answered our prayers. We are also abundantly thankful that He answered so quickly! To have a new pastor in 4 months, one who is respected and loved and proven capable to guide us in the years ahead is almost unthinkable! God is good.... ALL THE TIME!

Sometimes I Just Don't Understand

Not sometimes, a lot of the time! I love my brother, I really do. I just don't understand some of his choices.

My oldest brother (age 57) just filed for bankrupcy last week. He is single, owns his own home and works for a local factory. He had a 3-month period of layoff this past winter but otherwise has had fairly steady employment and paychecks. He hasn't shared much of his financial problems, but I know he was one of those homeowners with the adjustable rate mortgages who didn't understand just how adjustable those rates would be, and apparently his monthly payment increased dramatically. He did tell me that when he went to see the attorney to see about saving his house, the attorney told him that he had so much debt, at his current income he would never be able to pay it all in his lifetime. I just don't understand. He has always had to have the latest and most up to date Mac computers and digital cameras, but how can he have so much debt? He has no dependents, other than a few furbabies. I believe his vehicles are paid for. What happened to get him to this point? Why was he willing to make payments to other creditors and risk losing his house by not paying his mortgage? Last year he was late paying his yearly real estate taxes; I don't know about this year. And several years ago, he lost his driver's license for 6 months (but still drove anyhow) because he didn't pay his car insurance. I just don't understand his priorities.

My aunt was like that. When she passed, she was weeks away from filing bankrupcy, and her creditors got pennies on the dollar because she owed more than her only asset - her house - was worth. I can't imagine owing credit card companies more than my house is worth! It just boggles the mind. When we went through things, getting ready for the estate auction, she had 5 TVs, several VCR players, rooms full of books, and a basement full of dry goods. It took my mom several years just to use up the toilet paper that was stored! Yet she had tens of thousands of dollars of debt. My neighbor across the road, her house has been posted for sheriff's sale at the end of the month. She works for the post office and has 2 sons who she only has during the summer and does not pay child support. But because of where I sit all day, I can see when the water company or the electric company comes to shut off her utilities for nonpayment, which has happened several times. How can your mortgage payment and basic utilities not be a top priority? How can you not know what you are signing regarding loan payments or fail to pay uiltities for your home? I just don't get it.

I'll be the first to admit, I have a lot more debt than I would like, and my latest setback with the van and the transmission is very discouraging, but I will make sure that my kids have a home and utilities, and I'll do what I need to do to pay my obligations. And I'm truly trying not to judge others, but sometimes I have to shake my head because I just don't understand.

Lessons from Kings Island

We spent 3 days the end of last week at Kings Island attending Spirit Song, a Christian music festival. We had a great time, but I'm not sure I'd do 3 straight days there again. We were pooped!

Amusement parks tend to suck money right out of your pocket if you aren't very careful. From the moment you purchase tickets until you walk out the gate on your way to the car to go home, there are opportunities to spend more than you want. Here are some tips for stretching your dollars.

1. When I ordered our tickets, I made sure to order early enough to get the Early Bird pricing. It was $69.99 for a 3-day ticket. When my friend went to order single-day tickets for her kids to go with us (one went on Thursday, the other Saturday), she ended up paying over $100 for two 1-day tickets. If she had planned ahead, she could have saved more than $30 by purchasing one 2-day ticket. (I don't remember what the 2-day ticket price was, but it was cheaper than the 3-day ticket.) Spend a few minutes online researching your ticket options. Kings Island website offers a 1-day ticket for $32.99 if you order online, quite a savings over the $48.99 gate price! See if there is a festival happening the same time you want to visit the park. Even if you don't see the concerts or participate in festival activities, the ticket price may be a bargain compared to regular prices. As you can see from above, our 3-day ticket at $69.99 would have only paid for two 1-day tickets with the online special and only 1 gate-priced ticket. Also check with your employer, credit union or AAA to see if they offer ticket deals. Some stores in the local area also offer discounted tickets, so don't forget to check there, too.

2. Parking. This one irks me to pieces. Parking at Kings Island (KI) was $10 a day. That's an extra $10 on top of the ticket price, and they don't even offer shuttles to the main gate any more! Umphf! I've never understood why parking wasn't included in the ticket, but there's not much I can do about it. We did pay the extra $5 for premium parking one day, and if I'm going to be paying that much, I figure we might as well get as close as possible. Premium parking at KI allows you to park in the closest lot. It's especially nice when you have kids who are tired and grumpy at the end of a long day.

3. Food. We took a cooler full of food each day, hoping to eat our main meal at the car or the picnic tablets and then just have a light snack between concerts. That would have worked for me, but not for growing, hungry teens! We ended up having full meals between concerts, which was okay, but I hadn't budgeted for it. We did, however, share some meals because the portions were huge, so keep that in mind as an option.

4. Drinks. I'm not sure about other states, but in Ohio in the summer, any place that serves food has to serve free ice water, and boy, did we take advantage of it. DS gets migraines if he gets dehydrated, and our friends' daughter who came with us one day passes out if she doesn't get enough water. Not what I want to deal with in the middle of an amusement park! It was quite easy to ask for a cup of ice water, and I think I bought 2 drinks the whole time we were there - both Diet Cokes for me! Gotta have the caffeine. ;-) If you think you will be buying drinks, consider purchasing a souvenir cup. Usually these are higher priced at the initial purchase, but have a low-cost refill using the cup. If you are there long enough, it could save you money.

5. Souvenirs. Whenever we go somewhere new, we get a magnet for our refrigerator, and that is usually the only thing Mom buys. I expect my kids to use their allowances if they want something additional. Since we've been to KI many times, we already have a magnet, so we didn't even enter the shops. I had told the kids if they wanted a T-shirt from one of the groups, I would buy that. DS got a poster instead, and the shirt DD wanted was only available online. So I will get that ordered for her by this weekend. DS also decided he wanted a shirt after he got the poster. I told him I would do that, but it would be a Christmas gift, and he seemed fine with that.

6. Pictures. As soon as you walk through the gates of KI (or anywhere in that area), you are directed to "stand over here" to get your picture taken. A simple "no thank you" while you are walking is all it takes. I can't tell you how many times I said "no thank you" those 3 days!

7. Extreme rides. KI has 3 rides that cost extra, above and beyond your ticket price - the Slingshot, which is a huge ball attached to bungee cords that spring you up and around; Xtreme Skyflyer, a ride that simulates parasailing; and Thunder Alley, a go-cart ride. When we first got there Thursday morning, about 1/2 hour after they opened, the boys wanted to go on a ride, so DD and I sat and watched the Skyflyer. Price: $5 per person. Slingshot was also $5. By late afternoon, the prices had risen - Skyflyer to $15 a person and Slingshot to $25! If you are interested in doing one of these, check it out early in the day; you might find a huge price savings.

Well, that's all I can think of. We had a great time, and depending on the groups coming back, we may do it again in a year or two. Next time, we'll see if we can't cut back on that food budget even more!

Grocery Challenge - July Part 2

I know that the grocery part of my budget is where I have a huge leak of money, so last month and this, I have been making a concerted effort to keep this line item under $250 for our little family of three. I was afraid with our vacation and taking extra food with us that I would have problems keeping with $125 for the first half of the month, and while I went over that target, it really wasn't by much. Here is what I spent:

6/30 - Krogers $63.05
7/1 - Meijers $37.72
7/1 - Wal-Mart $ 1.50
7/1 - Aldi $20.14
7/7 - Krogers $ 9.91

For a grand total of $132.32, leaving me with $117.78 for the rest of July. My goal is to have that $17.78 left in reserved for end-of-the-month milk runs, so we'll see what I can do with $100. I haven't made out my lists yet; I still feel like I'm in catch-up mode from being gone 5 days, but hopefully I will have that done today as I'd like to hit the stores on the other side of town while I'm waiting for the kids to be done with youth group tonight. Anyhow, I'm pleased with how things are going so far. Hopefully I can say the same at the end of the month!

Tackle a Pile Tuesday

Decisions, decisions.... :-) We have so many piles here since we just got home Sunday night. I've made a dent in the laundry pile, so I think I will tackle the biggest pile - the mail and newspapers. It shouldn't take long to go through the mail; I've already checked it to pull out anything that looks urgent, but the newspapers are another story. I'm the type that needs to read all the paper, just in case, so it will take me several hours to even just skim through the local daily paper and the larger Sunday papers. I should also tackle the receipts pile from our trip, get them organized and recorded. That one I'm not looking foward to! But it needs to be done, so better sooner rather than later. Once those 2 chores get done, we should be caught up. That will be nice!

'Round the World and Home Again

We have been very busy since we left on our mini-vacation last Wednesday! Three days at Kings Island and an afternoon at The Beach were the obvious highlights. Entering into worship with 7000+ other believers in the middle of a loud, hot, WET amusement park for 3 days was indescribable. We had rain Friday and Saturday. The shows went on but were delayed Friday night due to lightning within 1/4-mile of the park. It had started to rain while Kutless was playing, and as the closed their portion of the show with "Strong Tower," as they sang the chorus, "You are my strong tower..." just at the end of those words, CRASH! BANG! BOOM! That must have been the lightning strike 1/4-mile away! It gave us chills, not because of the pouring rain, but because of God's perfect timing! It was just as though He wanted to emphasize that phrase.

Anyhow, two of the days we had friends with us: Thursday, the teen son of the friends we were staying with came, and on Saturday, the daughter came. It was fun having them come along, and they really enjoyed the concerts, too. It was also funny that we ran into some good friends Thursday at the concerts - they were just a few rows away, so we ended up sitting with them. Friday we crossed paths with a girl I used to work with from here in town, and Saturday, while we never introduced ourselves, we ended up getting kicked out of the concert area because we were talking for so long to the people who sat beside us. They have a son a year older than my twins and also twin daughters age 10. They knew Jeremy Camp before he became well-known in the Christian music community, and it was interesting to talk music, twins and the challenges of raising faithfilled-teens in this present time. Sunday I took DD and her friend back to the local paint-your-own-pottery (Mad Potter, if you are ever in the Cincinnati area!) to finish up their projects that they had started Wednesday night, and then we headed over to The Beach. I was tired and didn't feel like getting wet, so I sat and red while everyone else went on the water rides. And no, that's not a typo. While I READ for 2-1/2 hours, I also turned RED on my legs! They don't look quite so bad this morning, but last night, whew! they were lobester-red.

So now it's back to the every-day. Laundry, dishes, mowing, trying to work a little extra. It will be a busy day or two to get caught up. The cats have finally decided to grace us with their presence; last night one of them didn't come out of hiding for several hours and even then was quite strong in expressing his opinion on our leaving him for 4 nights!

Update on the transmission: I called Friday from Cincinnati and told them to go ahead and replace the transmission with a new one with the 3-year warranty. I talked to people I trust, and they all advised me to do the same thing. I need to call today and see if the dealership offers financing. Otherwise my soon-to-be-paid-off credit card will be put back into use. This also means that I will not be getting a clunker for the kids to learn to drive in. They will just have to make due with the van, and I'm sure they will do fine. Eventually. ;-)

A Little Time Off

Well, we're supposed to head to Cincinnati this afternoon for a little time away. Unfortunately the "check engine soon" light came on last night, and I will be taking the van to the dealership today to have it looked into. I'm praying that it will be a simple fix, something not very expensive. DD especially was upset that our plans were being altered, but this is how life works. Usually my ex-father-in-law lends me his spare vehicle, but he was not offering to let me take it out of town when I called yesterday to borrow it for today. I told the kids if worse comes to worse, we'll rent a car, but I hope it doesn't come to that. We're going to Kings Island for the Spirit Song festival - a 3-day Christian music festival. I already have the tickets, and we've planned on this trip for a couple months now; otherwise, we would simply go another weekend. So, if you don't see posts until Monday, you'll know we made it! Otherwise, I see a post on teaching teens to handle disappointment in my future.

Tuesday's Blessings

1. Fun with friends on July 4
2. Freedom
3. DD cleaning the living room without being asked
4. Keeping under my grocery budget!
5. Getting into the fair with a friend for a quick look at crafts

Financial Benefits of Video Games???

I'm having a hard time getting DS interested in financial matters. Oh, he's interested in money, namely how much can he make and what can he buy for himself, but not shopping for sales or saving up past his next purchase. So while DD has her budget made out for each allowance and asks me for coupons and weighs her purchases carefully, DS doesn't look much past what he plans to buy next.

We've known for a long time that there are stores that will buy used video games. Gamestop is who we have here. DS would go sell his games and take the cash unless there was a new game coming out that he wanted to reserve; then he would take store credit, which is 10% more than taking cash. I have tried to encourage store credit because in the world of video games, one store's price is not much different from another. Even Wal-Mart is only a few cents different (ie, $29.97 vs $29.99). But he liked the idea of cash in his pocket, and I figured it was a way for him to learn, even though he wasn't necessarily learning as I would like! haha

Anyhow, about a month ago, DS told me he had more games to sell, so we stopped by Gamestop. He found several used games to buy and decided to take store credit. The sales fellow told him that because he was trading in 3 games, they had a promotion where he got an extra $10. Then, because he was taking store credit, he got the extra 10%. Then, if he wanted, he could buy an 18-month rewards-type membership for $15. This card would give him another 10% on his trade-ins, and because of his transaction already, the card would be a net cost of only $6. It also comes with a gaming magazine, so DS said okay. THEN, he told DS that if he brings in the cases for the games, he'll get an extra 50-cents per game.

When we walked out of the store that day, DS had paid $6 total for the membership and 3 used games. In the 4 weeks since then, we have been back several times, and DS has traded in enough that he has purchased 2 new games and many used games, all on store credit, and still has over $14 in store credit left! It was as if all of a sudden, the blinders went off, and cha-ching! He saw savings adding up.

Way back, when DS got his first little Gameboy, I knew he would start to learn about saving for games, because I wasn't going to buy him a game every time he wanted one! I didn't realize video games would introduce him to the power of maximizing your savings and rolling over rewards and store credit. Another life skill earned!

Dealing with Poison Ivy

I am allergic to poison ivy. Highly allergic. When I was in Girl Scouts, we had a campfire once that had poison ivy in it. Poison ivy can spread through smoke. We were girls. There was a lot of smoke! This girl had poison ivy on her eyelids and inside her nose. You'd a thunk I would have learned back then, but I still am not 100% sure of what poison ivy looks like. *sigh* I had thought that most of it was gone from my yard, but I discovered a few weeks ago that it's not. Since then I have had 2 courses of steroids trying to get rid of this, and while it's better, it's still here.

On the bright side, I have discovered several frugal ways to minimize the discomfort and itching of dealing with this nasty rash. First, whenever you think you might have been exposed to poison ivy, oak or sumac, wash thoroughly using Fels Naphtha soap. I can find this yellow bar soap at about $1.20 at my local store, and the bar lasts forever. It seems to dry up the poison ivy oil much better than other soaps.

Second, if you discover too late that you've been exposed and the rash has already erupted, use either CalaGel or IvaRest, both around $5 or less at your local Wal-Mart. I use IvaRest when I'm going to be at home because it has calamine lotion in it and therefore is tinted a bit. I use CalaGel, a clear substance, when I'll be out and about. Use sparingly as a little bit goes a long way. The first time I used CalaGel, I squirted out a dime-sized blob, and it covered both arms and my neck with some left over!

Third, if you can't take Benadryl for itching during the day because it makes you sleepy, use over-the-counter Pepcid AC twice a day ($4 for a generic bottle at Wal-Mart). The Urgent Care doc told me about this and said it is what they use in the emergency room for itching when a patient can't take Benadryl. It works, although it was nice to use Benadryl as an excuse for a mid-afternoon nap!

Keeping fingernails trimmed short and washing your hands frequently will also help stem the spread of the rash. Don't share towels and change your bedding frequently also. The poison ivy oil will transfer to the linens and then to the next person who touches them.

Thankfully I have a daughter who is not allergic to the oils. Guess who will be doing our weeding from now on? Don't forget to stop over at http://www.lifeasmom.com/ for more Frugal Friday ideas!

June Goals Review

How did June go? Let's see:

1. Pay extra on Mastercard. Done!
2. Deposit into savings. Done!
3. Put aside $20 extra for Christmas. Done!
4. Finish "In Case of Emergency" folder.
5. Continue with Revelations Bible study.
6. Finish one unfinished project. Done! - framed a lot of cross-stitch projects
7. Purchase tickets for vacation activity before early bird discount expires. Done!
8. Finish two books. Finished Thai Dye 6/20/09

Yearly Goals Check-Up

1. Pay off van. done 2/09
2. Emergency fund to $1000. in progress
3. Pay off Mastercard. no
4. Pay off Visa. almost but not quite
5. Complete 1 unfinished project each month. Five projects completed
6. Complete Revelation Bible study. in progress
7. Inexpensive vacation. Tickets purchased, arrangements made to stay with friends; just need to purchase food to bring with us.
8. Complete 6 cross-stitch projects. Four projects completed