Today

Whew! I am tired :) I have done a lot today, but it's the stuff that you can't actually SEE, so it looks like I haven't done anything. I have just joined the world of online banking. Just so I don't look totally lame, I access my bank account online and have for years, but I am doing the bill pay with my bank. I set up all of my bills with my Wachovia account and instead of going to 20 different web sites and logging on and off paying 1 bill at a time, I will just go to my bank's website and pay them all there. Crazy I tell you! :) :) :)



Jason suprised me today by going to church this morning for the men's meeting, they were having breakfast. :)



It's starting to be busy season around her with baseball and everything. It always starts out as fun and then gets soooooo tiring later on in the year
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yeah, that's as far as I got and then stopped for a week! I'll do whole other post for the weekend ;)

Jen

Does it ever really slow down?

I don't think so!! I haven't done too much today...I'm just sitting here trying to talk myself into going to the mall or something. Should I stay home and save money or go anyways? I don't know- there's something I really want and I'm just not sure......I guess we'll see. I do need to save money though just in case...you never know.

:)

Later- I think I have talked myself into going to the mall....I think....

Jen

Getting Caught Up

Well, by no means am I *ahead* yet but I think I'm almost caught up. The Holidays really stretched my pocketbook and I probably spent a lot more than I should have. Next year will be better. I should start saving now. My mom had an idea to get 20-50 dollars giftcards every time you get a paycheck (whether that be Walmart or AMEX or whatever). Then by the time Christmas rolls around I'll have a big chunk set aside for Christmas. I think I will do that- I really need to do something.

Today I'm going to get my finances in check. I have been so scared to look at them because of knowing there wasn't enough to cover everything. But I'm turning over a new leaf. Just because I don't look doesn't mean the bill isn't there, so I have to have some sort of reality check.

Speaking of checks, we got our taxes today!! Yeah!! Jason and I are splitting them this year which is really awesome. Also, Monday is my payday and it should be a good one, and although I'm probably not too much ahead, I AM going to be caught up (or almost caught up). My next paycheck will be just as good if not better than this one and it includes a bonus, wahooh! My goal is to pay off all my little bills this year...

My goal is to improve my credit in the next 2 years. I just want to pay everything on time and still have some left over to put in savings. I enrolled in a credit watch so I'm going to be checking my credit every month to see if the changes I am making will have a positive affect on the score.

So that's that. My next post will be about anything but money :)

Jen

Working at 3 am

Before I start my post I would like to thank everyone who read my previous post, your comments were taken to heart and I really appreciate you ladies! I love you!!

So, around 2:30 Jaylin wakes up and I get her a little drink for her sippy cup. I just threw her bottle away a couple days ago so it's still a transition for her. Actually, ever since getting that sippy cup she hasn't been waking up at night, except for tonight. After I put her back in her bed she just stands there and cries. Now, this is something I can handle- a crying child. Jason though, cannot handle it and he got her up and was trying to get her to lay down on him. She really wasn't having it, she just wanted to try to crawl over to me. (awwww) So I finally tell him that he needs to just put the covers over his head and let her cry it out. It was 3:00 so I just decided to start my work day. She only cried for 6 minutes- then she was out.

All this confirms that we REALLY need another bedroom. So I have to work work work to save for some kind of an addition to the house or who knows. Jason is in love with the land that we live on. I think I would like the house better if ***someone*** would start doing things like putting drywall in place of the wood panneling. Do you know how much I HATE wood panneling? Yeah- a lot!! Honestly, I would do it myself if I knew how. And doubly honestly- I don't think Jason knows how. He got a book and read it. We'll see now won't we. Of course, if he does it and it looks perfect I will be the first one in line with an apology ;)

Jen

:)

:)

Tuesday, January 15

Okay, it's writing in Hindi and I can't make it stop! Well, Christmas has come and gone. I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas. I LOVE the excitement in the air, looking at all the lights, teaching my children about the true meaning of the season. I HATE all the long lines at stores, traffic, greediness of my children caused by being overrun by commercials about every toy imaginable. But one year down and now life can get back to normal.

So my birthday is soon, January 22....I'll be 29. My very last year in my twenties. I hear life starts at 30 so we'll see! ;) Life has been just crazy these days. I've been trying to work and get ahead and the more I try, the more behind I am. That's how it is these days I guess. It's stressful. Now for me to just be honest....I have been in a struggle the past oh, lets see...years. Spiritually I'm in a desert and I want out. I am living my life day to day in what seems like a cloud and just getting by. So we have been going to Church lately and ever since then life is getting hectic again. I'm getting frustrated with my husband more it seems and he's getting more frustrated at me. I'm paying tithe and I'm having money problems. What in the world? I feel like I'm being attacked on all sides and I need a bit of relief! I'm trying to be OBEDIENT to what I should do. It's hard to have faith though and I'm really trying. With the tithe I prayed "Lord, if I'm not giving this with the right attitude, please change it. I want to be obedient and do what you say but I'm going to be honest here, it makes me nervous writing out this check. PLEASE help me." Did I pray it wrong? I don't think so, but maybe I did. Maybe I showed lack of faith by being nervous. I didn't pay it expecting a big return, really...I just didn't think I would get to this point...

So, that's what's going on in my mind. It's a battlefield. So now what? Keep doing what I'm doing? I just need some help here! And I'm not talking about money, I'm talking about everything else. Why is it that I'm having one of the best years in my marriage right now and then I try to get involved in Church again and do right and all this crap is coming back? I need to fight it and claim it. I must be doing something right or headed in the right direction though right?? Right? OHHHH, I'll stop rambling now!!Jen

Soooo, has it really been this long?

Almost 2 months since my last posw. WOW, I really didn't think it had been THAT long. I'm trying to remember what I haven't posted about...

Jason's grandma died and him, his sisters and mom had to fly to California. It was a pretty crazy time. I had just gotten my bonus and then ended up paying for everyone's plane ticket. Now, I don't mind helping out, but most of that was bill money. One of my SIL was going to pay me back, of course DH paid me back, and then there's the situation with my other MIL and SIL who is not at fault. Here's what happened: Right when the death happened, I took it upon myself to help out by pricing some plane tickets. They were on average 800+ dollars...EACH. There was no way that was going to happen. So they decided to drive. My MIL's dad was sending her 500 dollars to help out with the trip. But then we found out the funeral was going to be for a later date and Jason said I should check on priceline.com. I thought I would offer the ridiculous amount of 175 dollars for the round-trip ticket and it got ACCEPTED! Wahooh! With taxes and everything it would be 220. Not bad for a last minute round trip ticket. Well, to make a long story short, my MIL was supposed to give me the 500 dollars to pay for her ticket and my other SIL's ticket (who is flat broke), and even part of another ticket. They said they would pay me back. .......fast foreward to after CA. MIL was sending me a check. I knew MIL's dad gave her a lot more money because she was telling my SIL about it and was crying about it, so I know it wasn't 20 dollars, it had to be more. SO, I get my check in the mail (which was supposed to be 500) and it said 212 dollars. WHAT??? Almost 300 dollars short. That would have been fine except I'm late on some bills and needed to get caught up. NOW I didn't get to pay them and there are late fines etc...I was so frustrated. So now I try not to dwell on it because it would just make me angry. I seriously don't mind helping out. If I had the money and didn't need it then it would have been fine but that wasn't the case. Anyways, I get paid in a week and there should be a bonus that will make up the difference, so I know thinkgs will be fine. I guess I'm more upset about the whole trust issue here. She said she was sending 500 dollars and she sent 212. Well, enough about that....

Work is going good. I'm trying to hold out for another position and I'm being told that it could be soon so fingers crossed!!

Well, speaking about work, I need to get to it if I want to make some Christmas $$$$$.

Jen