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Home > Archive: May, 2014

Archive for May, 2014

Still Having Short Paydays..

May 28th, 2014 at 07:33 am

Although not as bad as previous weeks we are still running short each payday. With the increased heat DH's work is busier, but still not back to full paychecks. Friday we were just about $100 short.

As long as my work is not dead slow and the boss sends us out early then my paychecks are predictable. It might be + or - an hour per week depending on what's going on and there's not much I can do to change that.

You might recall several months back my boss increased, then cut back on my Tuesday hours.
For a long, long time I only worked a half day on Tuesdays. Then he and I agreed to increase it to a full day because it was so much work for just him and the receptionist alone. That worked well for awhile until he decided he needed to save money and cut my hours back to where I had been.

Well I think that choice has really been biting him in the butt.. There have been several busy Tuesdays recently where there is a bunch of extra work.. But he hasn't yet asked me to stay all day. Rolleyes

I really enjoy getting home early on my half days, but I wouldn't pass up the extra hours if I could get them here and there.

Anyway...
I received my usual $15 check for the inventory tracking on Friday.
I applied it to my *Special Focus Debt*.

$1109 Starting Balance

$15 Payment

$1094 New Balance

Spendy Friday & Using the AmEx

May 25th, 2014 at 12:00 am

Yesterday afternoon I had an eye exam and ordered six pairs of contacts. $275.

I was well overdue for an exam - it had been two and a half years since my last one.
And my contacts are *supposed* to be disposed of monthly - but, I only ordered six pairs last time and they lasted me this long (30 months). I take extra care to clean them and treat them gently so they last me - I can't imagine throwing good lenses away every 30 days. Rolleyes

Unfortunately, the office doesn't take AmEx so I couldn't use the new card. Frown

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My co-worker needed to pay her PG&E (gas/electric) bill in person with a check. I offered to put it on my CC using online and she could pay me. My thinking was to get the $107 charge on my new AmEx. Unfortunately, they don't take AmEx either. Frown

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Late last night I made a major grocery run so I wouldn't have to go during the long weekend.
$252 that I did get on the AmEx. Smile

Scholarship Money

May 20th, 2014 at 06:18 am

Good news for us - had a letter today from DS's preschool that we will be receiving $1k in tuition assistance for next school year. Tuition is broken down into 10 monthly installments, so that is $100/month savings! Big Grin

We also received a check from DD's 4H club for $50 toward her week at 4H camp this summer.
The camp is a deal at $245 for six days/five nights of sleep-away camp with all meals and activities.
The $50 "scholarship" brings the cost to under $200. Smile

Charged $71 to the Propel AmEx today for a tank of gas. It was $3.95/gallon at Costco.


New Propel AmEx

May 18th, 2014 at 06:51 am

I applied for this card after getting tipped off about the $400 bonus from MonkeyMama via CCFree's blog.

It arrived today and I used it for chicken feed and a few groceries. I hope that DS's preschool and our health insurance takes AmEx because that would be a huge chunk toward the spending requirements.

My Number One Goal

May 17th, 2014 at 09:38 pm

Getting close to my birthday and I've been thinking more about how fast time goes by.

There are many things I think about doing, like:
Things I'd like to learn. Places I'd like to see. Time I'd like to volunteer. Hobbies I'd like to pursue.

Seems like the easiest way for me to do all that would be to achieve the highest goal on my wish list - wealth.

I daydream of being independently wealthy. I would never have to worry about where the money would come from and I could do whatever I wanted (within reason!) whenever I wanted. Big Grin

Okay, back to reality...

Recent Visit to the Goat Dairy & Fair Entries

May 16th, 2014 at 04:14 am

Mother's Day we ventured out to a local goat dairy. They do an "open farm" one weekend in May and again in June each year. I have posted about our previous trips - we always have a fun time.
And I get to buy some very excellent cheese at a reduced price! Smile

While there you can pet the kid goats, brush the big gals, climb a straw stack, milk a goat, try as many samples of yogurt, cheese and ice cream as you want and there is face painting and live music too. There isn't a charge to visit, but I spent $22 on three types of cheese and a yogurt tub.

(Tried twice to upload a picture, but the site is acting goofy, so??)


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This afternoon we turned in our entry forms for the local fair. It was $12 for all our entry fees.

I signed up for the table setting section again, a hanging basket I will plant soon and a creative small planting using a jam jar.

DD signed up to enter four canned items (two jams, a jelly & an apricot syrup) and she is going to enter mini cheesecakes and lemon bars in the junior baking category.

And this year DS is going to take in a piece of his "art". Not sure if it will be a painting or what yet. I just entered it as "preschool art".

Entering in the fair is fun!
All the fairs I have entered give free or reduced admission tickets to people who enter, so you could save money by entering. And there are usually many types of things you can enter from sewing to web design; cooking to gardening.

Do you enter anything in your fair?
If not, will you check into it this year?
Smile

Working on My Professional Self

May 14th, 2014 at 05:32 am

My paycheck bounced last week. No, I'm not kidding.
The boss deposited the amount plus the $12 fee my bank charged into our account the next day.
I am feeling much more comfortable and excited to move to a new job. Really getting the feeling that the boss just doesn't feel shame at all anymore; he bounces checks to everyone. Before there was one time paychecks were returned in the span of 10 or so years. Now twice in what, six months? Bad business.

My RVT license is due for renewal this month. It is currently $140 and renews every two years. I always pay for this myself; my boss has never offered to pay it or a portion. Whatever.. that way I don't feel like I owe him anything for my license, and I do write it off on our taxes.

Thursday I joined the local veterinary nurse and assistant association. It has been around for about two years I think. I have been meaning to join, but now is really a good time for me to reconnect professionally. I am excited because I already know several gals that are members. It will be fun to catch up with them and to network with new people. The other good thing is that each monthly gathering includes an hour of CE learning. The cost is $40/year.
I have RSVP'd for the next meeting which is next week. Smile

I also looked into requirements to become a certified veterinary practice manager. It is just another option that I could persue to advance myself.
Need to get some college credits in business and accounting, but that would be interesting and fun to me.

My pet sitting website is up and my business cards arrived Saturday. I already handed one out at work and plan to leave some at the nearby pet shops and feed store bulletin boards soon.

Ordered Business Cards

May 6th, 2014 at 03:08 pm

Over the past several days I have been looking at business cards for my pet sitting.
Sunday I created one online. I showed it to my coworker yesterday to get her thoughts - she liked it.
I spent just under $20 for 250 cards.



While I wait for the cards to come I will work on polishing the website I am putting together.
I paid $57 for two years of hosting using iPage. The domain was included and I am using their drag and drop templates to put the pages together.
I think it looks very crisp and clean so far. Smile

Special Focus

May 6th, 2014 at 03:02 pm

$1151 Starting Balance

$5 Payment
$15 Payment using inventory survey snowflake

$1121 Current Balance

So far the $15 check I deposited last week is still "there". I think I'll give it one more week before I transfer that to our savings.

Applied for the Job

May 5th, 2014 at 12:29 am

I created a resume and applied for the sales job yesterday...

I am SO conflicted..
My feelings alternate between excitement about the challenges, increased income, travel and changes with a new job. And anxiety about the unknown, the travel and leaving my current job where I am happy (despite my boss' poor business skills).

I am not typically a person who is confused by her feelings - and that is stressing me too!

At this point I am telling myself Fate will decide - if this is meant to "be" then I'll get the job and if I'm better off where I am then I won't.

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In the meantime, I am moving forward with increasing my pet sitting work. I am getting my insurance in place, designing some business cards and putting together a little website.

Working on this is exciting.. mostly exciting.. I'm a little nervous about this too. I'm worried I will spread myself too thin. But I keep reminding myself I don't have to take every job that is offered.. I'm going to have to say "No" sometimes.