I am working from home today. Well, as you can tell, I'm actually SUPPOSED to be working from home. I worked for an hour and am now taking a 15 minute break. There are far less distractions here than in the office, so, hopefully, I'll be able to get lots accomplished today!

Dh is working late today. I will be picking my nephew up after school with my own 3 kids, and after he goes home, I will be taking the boys for haircuts. The weather is beautiful (haven't had rain in 4 days) and the kids will all be playing outside for most of the afternoon.

We're having roast chicken and potatoes for dinner...easy, easy, easy...pop it all in the oven in one big pan and let the yummy smells fill the house. I'm going to go out for lunch with my best friend and so I'd better go finish some work before I leave for that...

My boss is away for the next three days and everyone is doing a happy dance! She's very chatty and freaks out about little things...she means well, and is extremely kind but she is soooo dramatic. One of my coworkers told me yesterday that at least now we'll have 3 days to just get our work done.

We're taking one of our volunteers out for lunch today because it was her birthday last week. She mainly volunteers with my program and I don't know what I would do without her. She is such a huge help and definately deserves a surprise treat lunch! It will be fun to go.

We had leftovers for dinner last night. I actually sat down and planned a week's menu on the weekend, went shopping, and mainly stuck to my list. Of course, I had Dh with me and he adds stuff into the cart that I don't think we need, but as long as he eats it and the food doesn't go to waste, I don't really care. I've been so busy lately that I've been just scrounging meals up at 5:00 and I really can't stand the disorganization anymore!

Spring Break is over so it's back to school for the kids and back to work for me. It's too bad...we had such a busy and fun break and now I'm really looking forward to summer. I'll have 9 weeks off from the time the kids get out to when they go back. I can't wait!

The bills are all paid for March and I can't imagine that I'll need to buy anything else this month...aside from a birthday gift for my brother...so we're well ahead going into April. That's always nice!

Our 3 month emergency fund is almost back up to where it should be. I had to take some out when Dh purchased his new to us vehicle in January...once I receive my tax return, we'll be over in that account. My new kitchen countertops may actually happen this year!

I love spring break...the kids are home and I'm home. The one thing that I really appreciate about my new job is the flexibility. I'm contracted out to work 1000 hours between September and June. I can choose the hours and where I want to work (the office or from home). If my kids are sick, I stay home. Winter break, I stayed home. Spring break, I'm home...I don't know if I should chance giving this up!

Yesterday, my friend and I took my 3 kids along with two friends, and her 3 kids to Science World. It cost $51.00 for me and my kids to go for the day, so I renewed our 2 year membership ($205) and now we can go as much as we want for the next 2 years. We'll be ahead if we go more than another 3 times in the next two years. My kids love Science World and would go every week if I agreed. The only problem is that it's about an hour commute, so time can be a factor!

Oldest ds is at a sleepover, dd had a friend sleep over, and youngest ds is going to play at a friend's house this morning. I'm going to go grocery shopping and I told the girls I would take them to the mall today. My dd has a gift certificate from Christmas that she still hasn't used...she's 10 and fairly picky about what she spends her money on. Good habit to have.

I'm working a little bit from home this week, so I think I'll go do that for a bit before taking ds to his play date...

Seven no spend days so far this month for me! I would like to get to 15 for January. We do have a big spending day coming up next week. It's ds's 13 birthday and he has invited 9 friends to join him at the wave pool and for a sleepover! I think Saturday night is going to be one loooong night!

Work is going really well. I'm meeting all the goals that have been set by our Provincial Office and am over by a few...these are goals that need to be met by JUNE!!! My office manager and I had a meeting yesterday and she is thrilled because she so believes in celebrating all our successes...whenever one of us shines, the office shines. I am just relieved that the pressure is off me!

I'm going to go for a long snow walk today. I have a return to make at the
mall and may as well trot on over and get my walk in for the day. I hope it's not freezing outside!

We got a new office manager yesterday. She seems really nice and wants to work as a team. She sat with her through a 1.5 hour conference call, and then had a meeting with her. She told me that she's heard really good things about my work, isn't at all concerned about my programs, and I should just carry on as I have been. She said to come to her if I need help with anything and she'll be more than happy to assist me, but she's pleased with whatever I would like to do. WOW! My previous manager was a wonderful woman and a lot of fun, but she loved to micromanage everyone and everything and drove the whole office crazy coming up with ideas that were way out there and would whip us all into a frenzy trying to accomplish ridiculous things while actually getting our jobs done. We have a lot of volunteers in our office, and they disliked the old manager because they felt that she talked down to them. I feel some positive changes coming along!

Both Sunday and Monday were no spend days for us. On Sunday, Dh and I took the 2 youngest kids and one of their friends on a 5 km. hike. It was a beautiful day and I really needed some fresh air and a big stretch after all the Christmas goodies and lazing around. Yesterday the office administrator and I decided that we would go for a walk together on our lunch break and then eat at our desks instead of in the kitchen. Hopefully, we stick to it. I love to walk and definately have not been doing enough of it...reminds me that I should be bringing my runners to work today, because I'll be in heels this morning!

Well, since it's the start of a whole new year, it's also the start of Dh's new and improved paycheque. He got paid today and it was $200 more than last month. I think his second paycheque each month will work out to $100 more. We should find out in the next few weeks whether he'll be going full time, and that will really bump up the income...

With both of us working part time, we've become accustomed to living very frugally. This is interesting having some money that is truly just extra bounty!

I woke up feeling much better today. Dh is going to work a long day today and take tomorrow off and then, after the weekend, it's back to work for me too! I have enjoyed my time at home and wish I didn't have to go back to work. I do like my job, I just like being home more!

I'm taking the kids to the bank and the mall today. They all have Christmas money to burn, I have clothing to return (didn't fit) and I will buy them one treat each there...usually a shake or something. I have to go to the grocery store and buy a few dinner type items. We've been living off leftovers and appetizers for the past two weeks so it's going to be nice to eat real home cooking again. I refused to cook a real meal until the fridge was cleaned out of all the goodies.

So today will be the first day I've spent money in 2007!

I'm pondering all the changes we've made this year and wondering what 2007 will bring. We managed just fine on Dh's part time income, then I switched jobs and we adjusted to the lower income again. It's been worth it because we have so much more family time and so we definately reached our goal in that area.

In 2007 we will be buying a new to us vehicle for Dh, his job will most likely be going full time (35 hours a week as opposed to the 23 he is currently working) and I will continue having teacher's hours...I can't wait to have the whole summer off!

We did well financially. We continued contributions to our retirement plan, our investments went up quite a bit, we have more savings in the bank than we did at this time last year, and ended the year without debt.

I think it's going to be a great year...

I'll be heading off fairly soon to Walmart. As usual, I'm going to pick up cards, wrap and some Christmasy decoration type gifts for next year. Everything is half price, saves me money and time next year and I feel better prepared. I've been doing this for about 8 years. If there are good deals on children's toys then I'll stock up on birthday party gifts for my children's friends over the year as well.

We had a wonderful family-filled Christmas. We will tidy up the house a bit today, go grocery shopping and to the library. Ds (aged 12) is having a sleepover tonight, but the younger two will be in bed early. The rest of the week should be fairly relaxing, and I have next week off work as well, so I'll have lots of time to putter around the house and play with the kids!

Dh's bonus came through and then some. It was enough to cover about 2/3 of the new to us car that we'll be buying in January. We will pay the rest with money in our emergency fund.

Dd's orthodontic payments are finished in January, as are her gymnastic classes. Dh is getting a bump in pay, and may be going full time, so our monthly income will be going up by $600-$1600 a month, and it looks like we'll be earning an additional $500 on top of that starting in July...WAHOO!!!

My eyes are seeing dollar signs, and I really need to start making a plan for the money NOW so it's not frittered away.

I got a great (I think) deal on a Playstation 2 at Costco. $199 for the gaming system, 2 controllers, and 2 games NBA and ATV racing. I took it over to my neighbour's to hide it for me until Christmas and he told me that he paid 80 bucks for the ATV racing game when it came out. Everywhere else has the gaming system (includes 1 controller) on sale for $129, so I'm happy with the purchase. This is the super duper major gift for our 3 kids! I'll get the microphone/karaoke set that goes along with it for $60 and then there's a few little things that I've picked up through the year, but the kids are basically finished!

Now on to my Dh for whom I've bought one video and nothing else yet...

Dh has been working part time for about a year and a half. He left an extremely stressful, 2 hour commute, full time job in June 2005. He now works 23 hours a week and his office is 5 minutes from our house (he often comes home for lunch or just works from home). He recently started looking for full time work, and then yesterday his boss asked him how he would feel about adding on more hours. She would like to see his position go full time!

He is also getting a fairly large bonus. We would be very happy to see the full time position go through...and the bonus will come in handy in January when Dh will be replacing his dead vehicle. I am being optimistic and hopeful that everything pans out, but will not count any eggs before they're hatched!

My kids really want a PS2 for Christmas. They don't have any type of gaming system, and our oldest is almost 13. They play at their friends' houses and Dh and I have always thought this was a good plan...we don't believe in lots of screen time...but, as they get older, and the sleepovers become bigger and happen more often, we're thinking that a gaming system in the family room would be okay.

With all the new systems available right before Christmas, one would assume that PS2 would be easy to find. Everywhere I go seems to be sold out! Oh, well, 20 shopping days left. I really need to get a list going and get moving! I feel waaaay behind this year.

I went to Costco yesterday (with cash) and still spent too much! I bought a 10 dollar Christmas gift for ds aged 6, pickles, toilet paper, kitty litter, 40 juice boxes and 8 of the energy saving lightbulbs. I spent 80 bucks!!!

We are totally having a 'Cash Christmas' this year and I am nowhere near finished shopping. Costco was a madhouse, as was the mall on Saturday. I think this is going to be a huge year for retailers and I wonder how all these people are affording all this stuff...and why? The whole buying, buying, buying part of the season really bums me out. The first question out of so many people's mouths right now is,"Have you finished your Christmas shopping?". Yikes!

My ds (aged 12) and dd (aged 10) asked me last week if they could each forgo one of their Christmas presents to buy a gift for a family in a third world country. They want to get goats for families in Zimbabwe through Foster Parents Plan of Canada. I am a proud Momma!

We had a wonderful time on our holidays. Ten days of visiting friends, staying in hotels, camping and dining out...it was great! Now it's back to reality.

My new job starts next week. They've been very accomodating with me going part time until the middle of September, as I finish up my old job. My boss at my old job has also been understanding about my diminishing hours, and is happy to get me when she can. I feel less guilty about leaving her because I know I can finish up what I need to before I go. I'm very excited about starting the new position and meeting everyone there that I'll be working with. A lot of the people are volunteers, and that will be something new for me. I am really looking forward to the challenge of a new position. I am fully responsible for my own program, don't really have anyone working for me or anyone to answer to directly. I think I'm going to like this...I really hate beaurocracy and gossip!

We're starting to get the kids back into somewhat of a routine. School starts for them next Tuesday, so early bedtimes are a must in our house right now, as they're all three exhausted from an extremely busy and fun summer.

We're leaving on Friday for our 10 day driving vacation. I can't wait...I want to sit by the campfire, shop, visit friends, eat out in restaurants...all without feeling one tiny bit guilty!

We bought a new tent. It's a 7 person one and we found it on sale for $99.00. We are a family of 5, and I didn't want to squish into a borrowed one and ours is REALLY old and hard to put together. We set it up on Monday, and we have spent the last two nights sleeping in it in the front yard because the kids were so excited about it! Our neighbours must think we're crazy.

I start my new job September 5. My last day at my current job is September 16, so I think I'm going to have some crazy busy days coming up, but I don't mind because I know the light is at the end of the tunnel...

Yes, I did!!! You guys can't see me, but I'm doing a happy dance in our family room.

I went in for the second interview and they offered it to me immediately. I was stunned and am very excited!

Now to tell my manager (and close friend). This is going to be the hard part...

Yep, today's the day of the second interview (insert ominous music here)...I am looking forward to having it over with and dealing with their decision when it comes. When I was at work this week helping people make their plans for the upcoming year's events, I kept thinking that I may not be there when their parties are happening. Very wierd thought, as I'm used to seeing the event through from start to finish...things that make you go hmmmm.

Kashi, when is your interivew? I'm sending lots of hugs and good wishes to you. I hope you get your dream job!

My first interview went great. The managers conducting the interview were really nice, and the job sounds very interesting and something that would I would have the skills to do well, but would still find challenging. The hours are awesome, totally flexible and I would set my own schedule as I saw fit.

I got called for a second interview the next day and will be going for this on Wednesday. I was feeling guilty about leaving my current job, so I let the General Manager know what was happening. He seemed very surprised that I was considering leaving, told me he didn't want me to go but he certainly understood my position, and told me that a major promotion would be coming my way probably within the year if I could hold out that long. I don't really want the promotion (would entail many hours fixing a department that has been neglected for years--would be like walking into a time bomb and having to defuse it before it blows!), so that certainly didn't convince me in the ways he'd hoped!

We'll have to wait and see, but I'm leaning heavily towards taking the new position if it's offered to me!

I'm not sure why I was looking in the want ads because I love my current job. I've been there for 11 years. Anyways, I was reading through them and found an ad and thought how much fun that job would be. I updated my resume, wrote a cover letter and emailed it all in immediately before I really thought about it. This was on Monday. Yesterday I got a call from the company and today I have job interview at 10:00am!!! I am super nervous and my stomach is in knots. I realize that I have the upper hand here, as I do have a job that I enjoy. The position I'm applying for pays less than the one I currently hold, but it would mean no more evening or weekend work, so I would be home when my kids are. My youngest son starts grade one this year, so although my job has been great because Dh or I were always home with the kids, now that they're all in school during the day I'll miss out on time with them.

I'm rambling here...think it's nerves and trying to just figure out what I'm doing! I'll post how the interview went after I'm done. I wish it was already over with.

Well, we were on such a roll with our plan that we decided to keep going. We have now made an additional $79.47 through coupons and phone book deliveries. I opened a separate bank account to put the money in for the mortgage because we can pay a lump sum once a year, so we'll wait until the end of December and dump everything extra down that we've saved for the principal. Our mortgage is up for renewal in March and we can pay some more down then without being penalized.

The other 1/2 of the money is in a special hiding place to use for the vacation we're taking in 3 weeks.

Our goal is to make an additional $400 in August. Half of this will go to the mortgage account and the other half will go to something for the house...we just haven't figured out what yet. Dh asked me to sit down with him this weekend and help make a list of everything I would like to have done in the house and we will pick one thing and get started. I would LOVE to have new kitchen countertops, so that's where my vote will go. I have a feeling that Dh is going to lean towards having the hot tub fixed first. I'll post what we decide!

I just returned from the bottle depot and cashed in the cans we found on the road behind our house...$2.60!

Yay! Our journey to $1000 was completed in 22 days...with an additional $1.43--woohoo!

Watch out, August! Here we come!

We delivered more phone books yesterday and today I went into work 2 hours early and made some extra money there. We have made $671.00 in two weeks. Holy macaroni! Dd had a dentist appointment this afternoon, so I took her and Dh went out to deliver more books. I am sure we'll reach our $1000 goal...funny, but when Dh suggested it, I honestly wasn't sure if we'd be able to do it. Surprisingly, it hasn't really been all that difficult.

Yesterday we were delivering books in a very beautiful neighbourhood and Dh told the kids,"This is where the wealthy people live." Well, Ds (aged 12) piped up from the back seat,"Just because they live in big houses doesn't mean that they're rich, Dad. They could just owe lots to the bank and be in debt!" Whew! Out of the mouth of babes...

Our $1000 challenge is at almost $600!!! We've made that much in 13 days...just goes to show what we can do once we put our minds to it. I am VERY proud of Dh for his dedication to this 'plan'. He's really done the bulk of the work.

What I've noticed with all this is a huge awareness of money that he didn't really seem to have before. Tonight he wanted to go to Dairy Queen and get banana splits. There are 6 of us home today, so that would cost about $24.00. I suggested we go to the grocery store, pick up the items and make them at home, and he was all for it, and the kids and Dh came with me to get what they wanted. We spent 1/2 the amount and will have ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce left over!

We did lots of relaxing this weekend, went to a friend's house for a bbq last night, and went out for lunch to Boston Pizza, which we had a coupon for and Dh used some of his birthday money to make up the difference.

Can't wait to see what changes this week will bring!

Well, we're doing well on Dh's plan. We've done some more phone book delivering, I put in extra hours at work again this week, and we've recycled some pop cans and beer bottles. We have earned $425.18 in 8 days. Our goal is to reach $1000 in 30 days. I think we can make it. Dh is doing a lot of the work. He is extremely dedicated to this project!

Our plan is to put 1/2 down on the mortgage and the other 1/2 will be added to our holiday fund. We will be going to West Edmonton Mall and Drumheller (dinosaur area in Alberta) for about 10 days in August. I already have the holiday money saved, but it wouldn't hurt to have a little extra cushion. We are staying in a hotel in Edmonton and then will camp for the rest of the vacation. We've always just bitten the bullet and stayed in hotels on holidays, but we are committed to saving money and camping will certainly make a big difference.

The kids are going to do a budget with us for our holiday. This is being done to encourage money awareness and because I think it will really help them focus on the activities that they really want to do ie. Do you want to eat dinner in a restaurant or cook something ourselves and go to the waterslides? They need to learn that there is not an endless supply of money to do everything they want. They've already started discussing how much of their own money to take on vacation to spend. Dh and I have agreed to leave that up to them because they have been saving for this trip for awhile, and we haven't heard any outrageous sums being mentioned...yet!

Here's where we are with the $1000 plan:

$40.00 delivering phone books
$10.00 in found can money
$20.00 I made putting in extra time at work

...only $930.00 left to go...

to earn an extra $1000 this month. Yesterday (his day off) he delivered phone books and made 40 dollars, and then found a stash of pop and beer cans which he'll now take in for deposit to add to our fund. Today I worked 2 extra hours, and Saturday we're holding a garage sale.

This is going to be fun and I'm sooo glad that it was Dh who thought of it. Usually he doesn't pay any attention to the finances...when his cash envelope is used up he's done spending, and doesn't really give too much input on the rest of it! He doesn't have plans for the $1000, just wants to see if we can make the challenge.

I'll keep posting on our progress!

It's also our Wedding Anniversary...16 years! I met my Dh in high school and we've been together since I was 16. I can't imagine not having him in my life--I feel like he's always been here with me!

I transfered our three months emergency fund money into it's own account. I'd had it in our savings account, but I was starting to get confused because it always looked like we had so much money in there, when, in reality, it really isn't meant to be spent unless Dh or I lose our jobs.

I have enough in our regular savings to pay the $2000 down for ds's braces (to be paid in July) and the $2600 property tax payment that is due by July 4. We have enough left over that I feel comfortable if an emergency comes up, but not so much that I want to go spend, spend, spend. Although, I am thinking about getting new countertops in the kitchen...ours are 80's rose coloured and I'm really tired of them!

Our neighbour's cat moved into our house last year. Officially he's ours now. Two days ago we realized he has fleas!!! It's horrible...our six year old has bites everywhere. I spent $80.00 on flea spray for the house, flea collars for both cats, shampoo, and a medicine that goes on the back of their necks to prevent the fleas from coming back. I've been doing laundry endlessly, vacuuming like a mad woman, and then throwing out the vacuum bags. Dh is on holidays with his Dad and brothers, and I'm here dealing with work, kids, and FLEAS!


Actually, I think I feel better now after this rant...back to vacuuming...