Happy Holidays

The month of December just flew by in a flash! Mike was at work most days (and the company is even paying the employees :) He has also had quite a few days off, as he is attempting to use up his accumulated vacation time, as that will probably be lost when the company is sold next month. We will find out in mid-January if he will be laid off or retained by the new owners and, if kept on, if the pay will be the same or not. Interesting times should be ahead! I kept busy working, although the company I'm currently temping with has instituted a hiring freeze due to the economy. I had pretty much been promised a position that had been open (so I would have had benefits and more pay), but now that is all on hold. They have even put a freeze on building the new hospital that they had planned to open in 2010. The economy is impacting just about everyone, I think.

As we had already purchased some of our fixtures for the master bathroom remodel before we found out about Mike's employer's problems, and since we have to have the re-plumb of the house done in January (as "use it or loose it" situation on the approval to have it done free of charge due to the class action lawsuit), we are going ahead with the bathroom remodel. We are constantly on the lookout for good deals and ways to make it more cost effective. So far, we've had the new window installed, which lets in a great amount of light and really opens the room (making it seem larger). We also now can see the great view we have of the valley and mountains. However, we will need to invest in some blinds -- although the nearest house with a line of sight to our bathroom is a mile away -- I still feel pretty exposed, especially at night. My husband demo'd the old shower over the weekend, finding a lot of mold on the sub-floor (which we expected, since we felt that there had been a leak in that shower). We were surprised to find that the builders had not used any sort of cement backer board on the walls or the sub floor -- and the sub floor actually bends when you step on it. It's no wonder that the grout in the shower had cracked and was leaking! We have a contractor friend who has given us a good price to frame out both the new bathtub and shower, and to install the shower pan and waterproof the whole shower. Then, we can take over the tiling of the bathtub deck, shower, and bathroom floor. The vanity we bought on sale is currently sitting in our bedroom and the new toilet is in the garage. The bathtub has been ordered and we're just trying to find good deals on faucets, mirrors, and lighting. I've been diligent about paying for everything we have purchased as we go -- as I do not want any additional debt. I'm also trying to pay a bit more towards the one credit card that we carry a balance on (for the initial remodel of the house). We're down from $12,000 to around $7500 now -- so that feels good (but I'll feel a lot better when that balance is ZERO!)

The holidays were great, as my daughter Mysti and her new husband Nick came to spend several days with us. We ate much more than we should have and had a nice time catching up. It was sad to see them go, but Mysti is coming back out to see us in February, so that will be nice! Also, I had a nice (I guess) surprise when I went back into work this morning. Since only one doctor was working in the clinic, they apparently decided that they did not need any temp workers for most of the week -- so I was sent home until Friday. While I really have been enjoying the time off (and getting caught up on a lot of stuff that I've neglected due to working full time), I worry about not earning for the whole week (as I only get paid for the hours I actually work). I guess there is nothing I can do about it -- but I will use the time productively and get ahead in some freelance work that I do.

How Things Change!

If there is one thing certain in life, it's change. This month started out incredibly good -- but that changed quickly and dramatically. I guess I should provide some background first, so you understand more about my family and thus, more about these changes.

Mike is retired military. When we met, we were both earning nominal wages and had quite a bit of debt. In fact, a few years after we married, I was working for a radio station that was having financial problems and then went bankrupt. At that point, we went to a credit counseling company who, instead of telling us all would be well, let us know that we were too far gone for them to help us and that we should probably file for bankruptcy ourselves. Instead, we tightened our belts and I got a new job. At this point in our lives, my husband and I would make bi-weekly trips to the plasma center, spending 30-45 minutes hooked up to a machine that took our blood, spun out the plasma, and returned the red blood cells. For this, we would get $15 to $20 cash each time -- which was our grocery money. I still have scars on the interiors of both elbows that remind me of this hard time.

Things got better as my husband progressed up the ranks and as we paid off our debt. We now have great credit -- but still too much debt for my peace of mind. And now that my husband is working for a company in the private sector instead of the government, (and a start up company to boot), I've always worried about "what if."

Well, the "what if" happened this month. I was eating breakfast and watching the morning news one payday, when the anchor reported on a breaking news story. My Mike's company had an early morning meeting with some employees and informed them that no employees would be paid that day, as they had run out of money. I called Mike, who had not yet made it to work and had no idea what was going on. After almost a day of waiting for word, he called to let me know that the company was searching for more financing/investments -- at least enough to make payroll. The company had been having problems in the past, so we knew this was a possibility, but the cold reality of no pay was a shock. Mike did get his pay about a week late, but we figured it was just a matter of time before it happened again -- so he also started looking for another job. Unfortunately, the highly specialized job he did in the military (which happened to transition so well to his new private sector job) is not in high demand anywhere in the country -- so, it looked as if he would have to start out at an entry level if he changed jobs.

We decided to live as if Mike had already lost his job, only keeping in the checking account what he would receive if on unemployment and transferring the rest to savings and towards our credit card debt. We figured this way, should the worst happen, we would have a bit more in savings, less debt, and we already would have adjusted to the lower pay. I crunched the numbers and with his military retirement pay and disability pay, plus what I earn from my job and freelance work (as well as any unemployment he might receive), we should be able to pay all of the basic bills and not be in danger of loosing the house. Life would not be as entertaining and carefree as it had been -- but as a gal who looked for bargains even when we had extra money, I felt confident that we could live comfortably, if not luxuriously.

During this uncertain time, our cat, Biscuit became ill and what at first seemed like a bad case of constipation soon revealed itself to be a more serious intestinal problem. Seems like Biscuit had eaten a three-foot section of thread, which had tangled up his intestines and was threatening his life. We were faced with a choice of spending money on pet surgery that we should be saving because of my husband's job uncertainty, or putting Biscuit to sleep without trying to save his life. My adult daughter Cherron, who is currently living with us, urged us to at least try to save Biscuit and offered to pay for half of the surgery. So we went ahead. Unfortunately, our efforts were in vain. While Biscuit came through the surgery, his intestines were too badly damaged and repair efforts failed a few days later -- so he had to be euthanized at that time. I found it ironic that the vet charged us over $100 to put our pet out of his pain, after already collecting nearly $1000 for the previous vet visits and failed surgery attempts. Biscuit's passing was really hard on all of us. We really loved that cat and I miss him every day.

A few days later, Mike let me know that his company had declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. I was grateful that they at least let the employees know about it before hand. Of course, it happened the day before payday -- so we were uncertain about what that would mean financially. It seems as if it is not all bad news. The company will continue to operate and apparently got a cash infusion from a potential buyer to tide the company over until an official sell can take place at the end of January (after the court has entertained other offers). So, it appears as if (knock wood) his job is safe until then and his pay should continue until that time. Once the new owners take over, we have no idea what cost savings measures they might take and if my husband's job may be eliminated -- so we will continue living as if Mike is already unemployed and hope for the best.

I continue with my coupon clipping and my sweepstaking (if not as many mail in entries as before -- postage is expensive!) We were able to use most of the $1000 Best Buy gift certificate we won in conjunction with Black Friday sales to get Christmas taken care of. The house is now decorated for Christmas (almost all decorations purchased from Target at a 75-90% discount after the season ended last year). It looks beautiful and gives me a sense of peace and contentment, even after our difficult and stressful month. I can't wait to have my family around me (my daughter and her new husband will be joining us at Christmas this year). We'll face the New Year and its uncertainties with our chins up and our strength derived from the love we share.

Wonderful Month!

More good news in the sweepstakes department! I entered Mike (my husband) in a sweepstakes for a flat screen TV and -- he won! I couldn't believe that we won THREE flat screens in less than a month! Again, it's one of those experiences that only happen in sweepstaking! We've received the first flat screen that I won, and it is beautiful. Our problem was that we wanted it in the family room, where we spend most of our time -- and the entertainment center in there was a "assemble yourself" pressed wood type that we've had for years. Small and not so pretty -- no room for the flat screen TV. What we REALLY wanted was a solid wood entertainment center with a console, side piers, and bridge above, large enough to fit the alcove where our current entertainment center was dwarfed.

We looked online and at local stores and all of the entertainment centers that we liked were over $1500. Of course, we didn't have that type of money to spend just now, so we were thinking we would have to settle for a larger "assemble yourself" pressed wood type -- sigh. Then I looked on Craigslist and found a beautiful cherry entertainment center, just the right size, just up the street. It looked gorgeous in the pictures and was the right price ($500). We went to see it and it was obvious the owners took really good care of their belongings -- not a scratch on it! We brought it home, set it up, and now are watching high-def TV and marveling that we have such a beautiful and functional entertainment spot in our home! The color of the wood compliments the room color so beautifully! It's just a pleasure to look at (and of course to watch our new TV there). We got a shock when we went to buy the hookup cords for the TV -- but luckily the $1000 Best Buy certificate had come and we were able to use it to buy the things we needed (and we'll use it to buy the wall mount for the my DH's flat screen when it comes in a few weeks). We're planning on using the rest of that Best Buy gift card for Christmas presents instead of for a third flat screen. It just makes more sense financially.

We just got back from a trip to DC where my daughter Mysti was married. It was such a beautiful wedding and reception! Of course, I cried like a baby when she walked down the aisle. Most of the family came from all over the country and I was able to rent a vacation home for a decent price -- so we all stayed together (both sets of in-laws (and one of their poodles), my two brothers (one with wife and baby), my three unmarried children, and my nephew. My sister and her husband just moved to DC, so they visited often, as did my daughter who was getting married, her fiancé (now husband), and some of her bridesmaids when they got to town. It was like a family reunion every night! We did some sightseeing, but most of all I enjoyed helping my daughter get ready and doing some cooking for her, putting about a dozen meals into her freezer for them to enjoy when they get back from the honeymoon. Now I just have to help her find some great deals on some furniture -- as their living/dining room is totally bare!

Lady Luck Has Been Smiling On Me!

It's been an interesting month. I'm still getting use to working in the "real" world again and missing those days of editing in my jammies from home. However, we've seen a significant decrease in the credit card debt, which was the goal.

I've also managed to find some time for my sweepstaking on the weekends and I'm starting to see some results from that, which is nice after a rather long dry spell in that area. In the past few weeks, my daughter Kristina -- who just went away to college -- won her very own iPhone. This was welcome news, as the first week in college she was pushed into a swimming pool with her old cell phone in her pocket. The same day, she also won a $10 ITunes card -- so now she can buy some music to put on her fancy phone :)

A week or so later, I got an affidavit stating that I had won a 37" LCD HDTV -- something that has been on my "to win" list for the past year or so. I guess that "name it, claim it" mentality works -- because just today I received another affidavit and I won ANOTHER HDTV -- this time in the form of a $1000 Best Buy gift card! At the time, I was just heading to the post office with ten entries to another sweepstakes (a regional and quick closer) with 20 prizes of HDTV's -- LOL!

I think I need to start "naming and claiming" things like gift cards to home improvement stores or money for home improvement. The bathroom remodel is coming up quicker than I would like. I'm keeping my eye on the internet, hoping to find most of the fixtures and such on sale -- but a little help from some wins would be wonderful!

A Fun, Free Evening Out!

One of my hobbies (when I can find the time) is sweepstaking. I've been doing it for over ten years now and have won some nice things over that time, such as a Mazda Miata car, $20,000 in Home Depot certificates, several trips, and other nice prizes. Some of my best wins are not expensive things, but special things that a normal person could not buy -- such as the time I won a 50-pound custom made chocolate/almond candy bar with my name inscribed on the label! That was a ton of fun that lasted a long time -- the family got hammers and screwdrivers and used them to chisel the candy bar into chunks, which we stored in ziplocks and kept in the freezer for more than a year, eating it slowly over time. The label is still in my "memory" box, with some other nice mementos from wins.

Things have slowed WAY down in the wins department in the last several years, but occasionally something fun will come along. Tonight the family went to the local ballpark as I was drawn as one of 20 finalists in a key turn to win a Harley Davidson motorcycle. As part of that win, I was given four tickets to the baseball game and $40 in vouchers for food. It was the last night before my youngest daughter, Kristina, went off to college, so it was nice to be able to spend it doing something fun.

It turned out that all 20 finalists showed up and we drew slips of paper out of a bucket to determine our order of drawing keys and trying to start the motorcycle. We then all went inside the stadium and lined up -- and they brought the motorcycle in. I was # 3 in line. They had told us that some keys would not even fit into the ignition, while others would fit, but would not turn -- and only one would turn all the way and be able to turn on the headlight of the motorcycle, which would determine the winner.

I was between a middle-age guy who seemed very excited and a very old woman who was on oxygen, who did not seem to care at all that she was there. The guy next to me asked her if she planned to keep the motorcycle if she won and she said she did not want it, but that she had kids who probably would like it. I'm not sure why she even entered -- as she was so unenthusiastic.

We lined up and the first woman went. Her key went in, but did not turn. Then the guy in front of me went and he could not fit his key into the ignition. Then it was my turn. I tried to see if there was a key more scratched than the others (that is one pointer you often hear in key turns -- to make sure to take the scratched key). However, they all looked the same to me and I didn't want to stand there all day deciding, so I grabbed one and gave it a try. It went in smoothly -- but did not turn :(

The crowd gave a sympathetic groan when I shook my head and then they gave me a big hand (I later found out that I was on the jumbotron and the family said I looked good and "normal" -- so I guess that was a good thing.

I walked to the back of the line and then turned to watch the other contestants. The old woman was helped up the ramp (the motorcycle was on a trailer), put her key in the ignition, and the light on the motorcycle came on!! I couldn't believe it! She did not even smile when she was told she won! My daughter said that her son and daughter were sitting behind them in the stands and the son said, "I already have a Harley!" I just don't understand why they would even enter this contest if 1) she was not interested in winning and 2) her son already owned a bike. I'm sure it was rather disappointing to the Miller Beer and Harley Davidson people (the sponsors) who were also present, as this woman was obviously not in their target audience and did not even seem happy to have won.

I did feel lucky that I at least had a chance to try my key -- as the other 16 people never even got to give it a shot, and that had to be frustrating. I went back up into the stands and we ate lots of ballpark food and heckled the other team for a bit until it started to rain. Then we headed home. All in all, it was a fun night -- but I really would have liked to have won!

Maybe the next drawing I'm in (for the $2000 Visa card) will be luckier. That one also has great odds, with only 21 finalists and, on that one, I don't have to be present to win, so it will be less stressful for sure.

So TIRED!

I just finished my first week at my new job. I can't believe how tired I am and how behind I'm feeling. The job itself is not physically demanding, but I think the combination of "new job stress" and the fact that I'm still trying to keep the house clean and also keep up on the freelance writing and editing I do is all adding up.

I informed the company I edit for that I would be going back to work and that they should probably find someone else to handle things. The owner was sad to hear that, as we've worked together for nearly 7 years. She said she would start looking and I told her I would help out as much as I could until she found someone. I'm just hoping that she really starts looking, as I don't think I can do both a full time job, my writing (which I don't want to give up) AND the editing (plus all the household things that a mom needs to do).

I keep telling myself this is all for the greater good. Each paycheck will go directly to the credit card company to pay off that granite countertop :) Since this is a long-term temp assignment, I plan to keep working until the first of the year, and then take some time off to manage the remodel of the bathroom. That way, I can be on hand as the sub-contractors come in to do the work (as well as being there to do my own work when I can).

On other fronts, my oldest daughter is getting married in October and my youngest daughter is going off to college in two weeks! Excitement, stress, and of course, expense on every level!

Remodeling on a Budget

We purchased our first home about 18 months ago. It was on the brink of foreclosure and in desperate need of some attention and love. We continued living in our rental house for five months, with me spending just about every day at the new house (as I work from home), painting and staining, and my husband (Mike) joining me on the weekend, to demo and do some of the work that, quite frankly, intimidated me.

What a journey it has been -- and it's not over yet! We totally gutted the kitchen and the downstairs bathroom, changing the floor plan slightly for the kitchen (making the attached dining room into an unattached office and closing up a sliding glass door so that we could put a built-in banquette in that corner). We read a lot, watched a lot of HGTV, and took some classes at the local home improvement stores. Overall, we're proud of how things turned out and we're especially proud of the fact that we saved tens of thousands of dollars by doing so much of the labor ourselves.

I've always been a bargain shopper, so I was in my element as I hunted for materials and fixtures. I was able to buy a beautiful free-standing vanity with a hand painted glass sink online for nearly 75% off, as the online store was going out of business. I got all of the accessories for all rooms on clearance for 75-90% off, and then added a bit of creativity to some to make them into real works of art. We spent about $25,000 overall on all of the work we did, which included repainting the entire interior of the house, purchasing and staining new baseboards for most of the rooms downstairs, buying new light fixtures for most of the downstairs rooms, putting in two new windows, framing in and installing French doors in the new office, buying a new toilet and vanity for the powder room, totally revamping the kitchen (with new cabinets, tile backsplash, tile floor, built-in banquette, stainless steel appliances, and granite countertops), and then doing some neglected maintenance work that the old owner left for us (and of course did not disclose), such as the new waterheater that was needed, the roof patching that was needed in two locations, and the new plumbing manifold that had to be installed.

We had saved for nearly two years so that we could pay cash for most of the remodel. We did end up charging about $2000 at Home Depot (mostly for tools and things like molding, drywall, and lumber), but put it on an interest free for a year plan and then made sure to pay off the entire balance before that year was up. The one thing that we DID go over budget on was the granite countertops. Quite frankly, by the time we got to that stage, we had used up most of the savings and we did not have the cash for the granite counters we had always dreamed about. We discussed the other options, like the granite-look alike laminates or a solid surface counter. However, we really felt that if we put in a laminate counter, we would just replace it in a few years with granite -- and then we would be paying twice on the same project. So, we bit the bullet and charged the granite -- something I would not recommend to those in an "iffy" financial situation. It's taken us some time to pay down that credit card bill -- and I've probably paid more in interest than I saved on my beautiful bathroom vanity. However, everytime I walk into the kitchen, I do LOVE those countertops -- so for us, this was a good decision (although how I hate being back in debt for any reason!!)

For that reason, I opted to get a full time job so that we could pay off the credit card the rest of the way and start saving for the NEXT project -- which is the master bathroom. We will probably start that project in the next few months, as we've been approved as part of a class action claim and our house will be totally re-plumbed (a normally $10,000+ job -- at no cost to us!) We figured that would be a good time to tackle the master bathroom, as the plumbing and walls would be torn up anyway. We had a remodeling firm come and give us an estimate -- $20,000-$25,000 if we only replaced the fixtures (no changing of the floor plan) or $40,000-$50,000 if we moved any walls or fixtures!! I could hardly believe the quote! So, as nice as it would be to let someone else do all the work -- we plan to roll up our sleeves again. We figure we can make the changes we want (which will add about 10 square feet to the room), put in the materials we want, and keep the cost between $7000-$9000.

So, the search begins for bargain priced vanities, tubs, toilets, and tile! I'll share what I find and, if you have any great suggestions, please let me know! I welcome all the help I can get!

My First Blog!

Isn't it funny how we resist change? I remember when I used to have dial up internet access and I could not understand why anyone would want high speed/broadband connections! Dial up worked perfectly fine for me, so why should I change? Then I got high speed internet after a move and, after just a short time, I wondered how I could have lived with dial up for so long! The same thing happened with online banking. I couldn't imagine doing my banking online (for any scammer to see, I thought). Now that I have it, I can't imagine writing checks to pay my bills. When I do have to write a check, it just seems archaic!

I guess that is why I resisted having a blog for so long -- just one more change I would need to get comfortable with. Plus, isn't that something that only young people do?? Plus, did I really want my life out there for the world to see? Then I got a Facebook account and I began to see the beauty and fun in connecting with others, even if it is not "face to face." So, I figured that even this old(er) dog might be able to learn a few new tricks and I decided to give blogging a try.

The one thing that hasn't changed in my life for all of these years is that I am a creative bargain hunter. Yes, I'm a cheap chick (in a good way), and proud of it! Why pay retail if you don't have to?? So, I figured that could be the focus of my blog -- especially in this time of economic uncertainty for so many. This will be a place where I can tell you about my creative solutions to money matters and where you can share your own experiences!

Enjoy!