It's time to print the online coupons and go grocery shopping. Growing up, one of my chores was to clip the coupons from the Sunday newspaper. My parents would involve my sisters and I in planning the menu for the coming weeks dinners and such. It is a lot more efficient to plan ahead than to go to the store all willy nilly with no direction or plan. Cost a lot more to not have a plan, that's for sure!
For the last year or so I have scanned the Sunday paper here for realistic coupons. Realistic meaning, that I would actually use them, but out of all the coupons I would only find an average of two that I would actually use. The coupons in the newspaper have dwindled down to barely enough food products but have doubled in the crap you would never buy in the first place. If you are listening food manufacturers, we need MORE food coupons. Support the people that pay your bills and cut us a break would you?
I scout everywhere for deals. Chris actually takes the time at the grocery store to read the price per unit to make sure we are getting the best possible deal. In this tough economy you have to do anything to save money but also get your moneys worth. Which is a hard thing to do. Prices may have dropped on certain products but the quantity has also gone down. I have gone to many blogs and sites that deal directly with saving. Some work and others don't, it's time consuming to do so but when you are faced with a limited income, you have no other choice.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat.
We have begun our Christmas shopping. We will not be spending a lot but there are few things that the kids asked for that I think we can swing. Katie was given a Nintendo DSi for her birthday along with two games. Katie absolutely adores any Sims game. She has one for her Nintendo DSi and she plays it every chance she gets.
While Chris and I were browsing through the electronics department, we looked at all the games that are available for her system. They have Sims 3 for the DSi but I am not sure if it will be like the computer version or not. I know that Sims 3 is available for the Wii and I think I would rather get that for her and some other games for the DSi.
Both kids want games for Christmas and I am thinking about adding to their movie collection but I really want to get them that one big gift. Jeff's will most likely be something useful. Maybe some accessories for his Scooter and Katie is wanting in the worst way an American Girl Doll. Those things are expensive but I remember when my parents bought my little sister an original Cabbage Patch Doll. That was about $100.00 and the American Girl Doll is roughly the same price. If I could find it cheaper that would be a bonus. But I doubt it.
While Chris and I were browsing through the electronics department, we looked at all the games that are available for her system. They have Sims 3 for the DSi but I am not sure if it will be like the computer version or not. I know that Sims 3 is available for the Wii and I think I would rather get that for her and some other games for the DSi.
Both kids want games for Christmas and I am thinking about adding to their movie collection but I really want to get them that one big gift. Jeff's will most likely be something useful. Maybe some accessories for his Scooter and Katie is wanting in the worst way an American Girl Doll. Those things are expensive but I remember when my parents bought my little sister an original Cabbage Patch Doll. That was about $100.00 and the American Girl Doll is roughly the same price. If I could find it cheaper that would be a bonus. But I doubt it.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
I have had it....
This is day 4 of Britt avoiding her responsibilities and going back to her boyfriends because she is pissed at her dad . She won't answer her phone but she did text her grandfather on Saturday stating that she is still angry. Really? You want to see angry? Come see me.. I dare you!
She has nothing to be angry about. Well, not entirely true, if she has to be angry with anyone it should be her boyfriend, not her family. Meanwhile, everyone is letting her stew and "calm down."
WTF?! Let her calm down? How about not letting her act like a spoiled rotten child.
She may be 21 but she is far from those years maturity wise.
What about the fact the she may too also not have a job waiting for her to "calm down"?
How about the fact that she may not have the money to make her next car payment? The car that her grandparents co-signed for and have no means of making the payments for her. I guess that means that I will have to pick that up too?! If so, the car is fucking mine!
Here's the kicker. How about her having blown her chances at school. You are only allowed to miss three days in a semester. She has missed 8. I don't know what bullshit she fed her professors but I am sure that she may have reached her limit with them. She lies so much even she believes half the shit that comes out of her mouth .
She hasn't been to school since Tuesday. She hasn't been to work since Wednesday.
Maybe she should get herself a finance job to see what real responsibility is. Because so far, she has no clue. She will go on a spending spree and then when it comes time to pay her car insurance she is flat broke. She thinks if she acts all sorrowful and "promises" to do better next time is going to get her out of hot water with me, I hope she is ready to get real pissed, because I. AM. DONE.
When Chris kicked her boyfriend out of our home, we didn't fire him from his employment with me. We figured he would suck up his pride and go to the Salvation Army. Hell, we even told him to do just that. Sure he would probably hate it there (not my problem.. don't fucking care) but they do work with people to get their lives back on track. Something he definitely needs. Instead he chose the easy way out and went back home where there are NO JOBS! With no regards to his employment with me he upped and left. I did get a text later that evening stating he would no longer be working for me. How absolutely fucking nice of him. If it weren't for my own mother willing to help me out for the one day, I would be pulling almost 12 hours myself.
I am done. I don't care what the rest of the family does.
She has nothing to be angry about. Well, not entirely true, if she has to be angry with anyone it should be her boyfriend, not her family. Meanwhile, everyone is letting her stew and "calm down."
WTF?! Let her calm down? How about not letting her act like a spoiled rotten child.
She may be 21 but she is far from those years maturity wise.
What about the fact the she may too also not have a job waiting for her to "calm down"?
How about the fact that she may not have the money to make her next car payment? The car that her grandparents co-signed for and have no means of making the payments for her. I guess that means that I will have to pick that up too?! If so, the car is fucking mine!
Here's the kicker. How about her having blown her chances at school. You are only allowed to miss three days in a semester. She has missed 8. I don't know what bullshit she fed her professors but I am sure that she may have reached her limit with them. She lies so much even she believes half the shit that comes out of her mouth .
She hasn't been to school since Tuesday. She hasn't been to work since Wednesday.
Maybe she should get herself a finance job to see what real responsibility is. Because so far, she has no clue. She will go on a spending spree and then when it comes time to pay her car insurance she is flat broke. She thinks if she acts all sorrowful and "promises" to do better next time is going to get her out of hot water with me, I hope she is ready to get real pissed, because I. AM. DONE.
When Chris kicked her boyfriend out of our home, we didn't fire him from his employment with me. We figured he would suck up his pride and go to the Salvation Army. Hell, we even told him to do just that. Sure he would probably hate it there (not my problem.. don't fucking care) but they do work with people to get their lives back on track. Something he definitely needs. Instead he chose the easy way out and went back home where there are NO JOBS! With no regards to his employment with me he upped and left. I did get a text later that evening stating he would no longer be working for me. How absolutely fucking nice of him. If it weren't for my own mother willing to help me out for the one day, I would be pulling almost 12 hours myself.
I am done. I don't care what the rest of the family does.
Friday, November 5, 2010
My Honey Do List keeps getting bigger.
Not only are we in the middle of painting our house, but we are also doing some work on the inside as well. This house is very old and needs a lot of attention. We started out by painting all the rooms when we moved in. Chris had to replace the kitchen faucet because it was old, wobbly and wouldn't stop dripping. The most recent addition was a new water saver toilet. It had to be done. The old one was cracked and leaking. Also it was well over a six gallon tank. So yeah, out of date too.
I have created a list of things that should be done and in what order of priority they fall.
1. Install a new a/c unit in the living room. - It gets the heat from the setting sun and it is real hot at the end of the day. Not good for all our electronics. Maybe now that the weather will start to get cooler. We might put if off until after the first of the year. The prices should be cheaper too.
2. Install bathroom fans. - Not having any ventilation in the bathroom makes it uncomfortable walking in when someone has been occupying it for over 20 minutes (if you know what I mean).
3. Put down laminate flooring in the living room. When we first moved in they had carpeting which stank to high heaven because it was stained and mildewy. Turns out that the wall leaked when it would rain hard. Chris has already repaired and patched the wall so no more leaks but the floor is now just a concrete slab so yeah, definitely need to lay something down.
4. Install a garbage disposal. Although we scrape our plates, with all the animals we have it is just a temptation for one of them to try and get into the garbage.
5. Retro fit a dishwasher into a limited space kitchen. Chris would eventually love to redo the kitchen. I have no problem with that because as it stands now my kitchen is three rooms in one. Kitchen, dining room and my office. Would like to have boundaries.
You may think that all this will cost and arm and a leg, but with the Habitat for Humanity store right downtown, it won't even cost a fraction of what others would pay. They have everything you would need for any home project and all the proceeds go into building their next house. They have brand new appliances, doors, roofing material etc.. and also gently used items. All items are donated.
Chris has taken me there a few times. We have gotten new interior doors and a stand alone pantry. They also have complete room furniture. When I am ready to upgrade my dining room table we are going there. It is far better than any thrift store.
I have created a list of things that should be done and in what order of priority they fall.
1. Install a new a/c unit in the living room. - It gets the heat from the setting sun and it is real hot at the end of the day. Not good for all our electronics. Maybe now that the weather will start to get cooler. We might put if off until after the first of the year. The prices should be cheaper too.
2. Install bathroom fans. - Not having any ventilation in the bathroom makes it uncomfortable walking in when someone has been occupying it for over 20 minutes (if you know what I mean).
3. Put down laminate flooring in the living room. When we first moved in they had carpeting which stank to high heaven because it was stained and mildewy. Turns out that the wall leaked when it would rain hard. Chris has already repaired and patched the wall so no more leaks but the floor is now just a concrete slab so yeah, definitely need to lay something down.
4. Install a garbage disposal. Although we scrape our plates, with all the animals we have it is just a temptation for one of them to try and get into the garbage.
5. Retro fit a dishwasher into a limited space kitchen. Chris would eventually love to redo the kitchen. I have no problem with that because as it stands now my kitchen is three rooms in one. Kitchen, dining room and my office. Would like to have boundaries.
You may think that all this will cost and arm and a leg, but with the Habitat for Humanity store right downtown, it won't even cost a fraction of what others would pay. They have everything you would need for any home project and all the proceeds go into building their next house. They have brand new appliances, doors, roofing material etc.. and also gently used items. All items are donated.
Chris has taken me there a few times. We have gotten new interior doors and a stand alone pantry. They also have complete room furniture. When I am ready to upgrade my dining room table we are going there. It is far better than any thrift store.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
My life is drama free, for the moment anyway.
Chris had no choice but to kick Robbie out today.
It was a storm that has been brewing for several months now actually. It all stems from an incident that landed Robbie in court at the beginning of October. I won't go into the actual details but we know that he will have to serve at least one year of probation and his license will be suspended for a minimum of two years.
Chris had three rules to abide by while living under our roof.
1. No trouble with the law.
2. No stealing.
3. No hanky panky between him and Britt under our roof. For the record, Britt lives with Chris' parents. She would never abide by our rules.
Needless to say he broke two of those rules that we know of. When we found out about the court incident, Chris informed Robbie that he needed to find another place to stay. He had to be out before his next court date because we did not want to be burdened with keeping him while on probation. It is very difficult to get permission to move while on probation and it has to be approved by the courts. We did not want to take the chance of him not being able to move.
Allowing him to stay with us was only a temporary agreement in the first place, and it was to help him get back on his feet so that he could get out on his own. It has been seven months. We never intended for him to mooch off us forever. We did have him pay $100.00 a month to help with utilities and he was on food stamps so that helped with keeping him fed. Other than his car insurance and his cell phone bill he had no other responsibilities. We found out that his boss at his primary job had offered a room in her house for $300.00 a month but he kept insisting that he could find an efficiency apartment cheaper. Well he not only screwed himself out of a place to live but also out of a job because of the shenanigans that he and Britt pulled on Tuesday night.
Robbie was scheduled to work in the evening. He badgered Jeff to take his shift because apparently the 6-10p.m. shift is harder to fill than the 4-8p.m. shift. He claimed that he was not feeling well. Right after he got off the phone with their boss, he walked out the door and left. We had absolutely no idea that he and Britt went back to his home 2 hours away because "their friend was rushed to the hospital because of his diabetes". Chris and I both know that was bullshit. The icing on the cake was that he pulled a no call/no show for work on Wednesday. Jeff got a call from their boss asking if he could come in because of Robbie. Jeff would normally go in to help out but yesterday he and his girlfriend were at church. I got a call from their boss this morning letting me know that she had to fire Robbie and that the offer to move into her home was off the table. Y'see the boss and I are friends and I went to bat for Robbie to get the job in the first place and I feel like a heel for even doing that. It won't affect our friendship but I feel horrible anyway.
Robbie never came home until after midnight on Wednesday and left before I got up for work. He had a court date this morning. After receiving the call from my friend and me having to inform Chris that he lost his job and a place to stay, Chris made his decision and went out and bought all new door locks. When Britt and Robbie showed up at the house, Chris reminded him of the rules and that breaking not only one of them but two is official grounds for getting kicked out. Chris let Robbie know that he knows that he has been stealing and Robbie did not deny it. He acted like he didn't care at all.
Robbie did complain about having to go back to his family because he wouldn't have a place here, but Chris told him that the Salvation Army has a program for single men and yes, it would be like living in an institution but it would be the best thing for him because they would help him. He would have to swallow his pride and fly right but the program was there. He decided to move back to his family. So much for that. I have no clue what consequences he will face for leaving the county. I don't believe they will allow him to move his probation to his hometown but I am not sure.
Britt on the other hand is fuming mad at her dad. She won't speak to him and she had her grandma inform me that she will not need a ride to school tomorrow. She prefers to be far away as possible from her dad. I feel bad for Chris but he knew that Britt would be mad but he did what he felt was the right thing to do for our household.
It was a storm that has been brewing for several months now actually. It all stems from an incident that landed Robbie in court at the beginning of October. I won't go into the actual details but we know that he will have to serve at least one year of probation and his license will be suspended for a minimum of two years.
Chris had three rules to abide by while living under our roof.
1. No trouble with the law.
2. No stealing.
3. No hanky panky between him and Britt under our roof. For the record, Britt lives with Chris' parents. She would never abide by our rules.
Needless to say he broke two of those rules that we know of. When we found out about the court incident, Chris informed Robbie that he needed to find another place to stay. He had to be out before his next court date because we did not want to be burdened with keeping him while on probation. It is very difficult to get permission to move while on probation and it has to be approved by the courts. We did not want to take the chance of him not being able to move.
Allowing him to stay with us was only a temporary agreement in the first place, and it was to help him get back on his feet so that he could get out on his own. It has been seven months. We never intended for him to mooch off us forever. We did have him pay $100.00 a month to help with utilities and he was on food stamps so that helped with keeping him fed. Other than his car insurance and his cell phone bill he had no other responsibilities. We found out that his boss at his primary job had offered a room in her house for $300.00 a month but he kept insisting that he could find an efficiency apartment cheaper. Well he not only screwed himself out of a place to live but also out of a job because of the shenanigans that he and Britt pulled on Tuesday night.
Robbie was scheduled to work in the evening. He badgered Jeff to take his shift because apparently the 6-10p.m. shift is harder to fill than the 4-8p.m. shift. He claimed that he was not feeling well. Right after he got off the phone with their boss, he walked out the door and left. We had absolutely no idea that he and Britt went back to his home 2 hours away because "their friend was rushed to the hospital because of his diabetes". Chris and I both know that was bullshit. The icing on the cake was that he pulled a no call/no show for work on Wednesday. Jeff got a call from their boss asking if he could come in because of Robbie. Jeff would normally go in to help out but yesterday he and his girlfriend were at church. I got a call from their boss this morning letting me know that she had to fire Robbie and that the offer to move into her home was off the table. Y'see the boss and I are friends and I went to bat for Robbie to get the job in the first place and I feel like a heel for even doing that. It won't affect our friendship but I feel horrible anyway.
Robbie never came home until after midnight on Wednesday and left before I got up for work. He had a court date this morning. After receiving the call from my friend and me having to inform Chris that he lost his job and a place to stay, Chris made his decision and went out and bought all new door locks. When Britt and Robbie showed up at the house, Chris reminded him of the rules and that breaking not only one of them but two is official grounds for getting kicked out. Chris let Robbie know that he knows that he has been stealing and Robbie did not deny it. He acted like he didn't care at all.
Robbie did complain about having to go back to his family because he wouldn't have a place here, but Chris told him that the Salvation Army has a program for single men and yes, it would be like living in an institution but it would be the best thing for him because they would help him. He would have to swallow his pride and fly right but the program was there. He decided to move back to his family. So much for that. I have no clue what consequences he will face for leaving the county. I don't believe they will allow him to move his probation to his hometown but I am not sure.
Britt on the other hand is fuming mad at her dad. She won't speak to him and she had her grandma inform me that she will not need a ride to school tomorrow. She prefers to be far away as possible from her dad. I feel bad for Chris but he knew that Britt would be mad but he did what he felt was the right thing to do for our household.
Decorating for Christmas already?
I am used to seeing certain retail stores displaying Christmas decorations before Halloween was over but now business are getting into the act? On my way to work, I pass through a high end business district. They had garland going up around the lamp posts. Seriously?
The individual stores around the corner were in the middle of changing their display windows with Christmas themed decorations and I wanted to scream. Don't get me wrong I love Christmas time and all the festiveness it brings, but what reason do these people have to start so early? I hate having my favorite holiday bastardized and commercialized like this. People have to understand that shoving it down my throat so soon in the ball game is really petty and unnecessary. I will get into the spirit, I promise you, just not on the 4th of November!
The individual stores around the corner were in the middle of changing their display windows with Christmas themed decorations and I wanted to scream. Don't get me wrong I love Christmas time and all the festiveness it brings, but what reason do these people have to start so early? I hate having my favorite holiday bastardized and commercialized like this. People have to understand that shoving it down my throat so soon in the ball game is really petty and unnecessary. I will get into the spirit, I promise you, just not on the 4th of November!
The clock is ticking...
Chris' best friend, Phil, has been living with us since the end of August. He came over from Europe first to pave the way for his wife, Alana and their son, Drake. The goal was to secure a job and buy a vehicle. He is now looking for that family car. His wife and son will be arriving from Scotland on Tuesday. All three of them will then shack up with her best friend in North Port. Although I would have loved to have all three of them here with us, Phil didn't want to impose on us any longer, besides, Alana's best friend has a daughter that is eighteen months old and her own house. The living situation would be a lot better for them. All I would have to offer is the family room pull out sofa. Not the best environment for a baby.
They are hoping to find a house in Sarasota within the next six months. Phil has a great job bartending and Alana has a degree in Event Planning. At her last job, she was head of the Event Planning division at one of the high end hotels in London. She is hoping to start her own wedding and/or event planning business within the the next few years. Right now she is concentrating on her son, Drake, who will be turning one on Thanksgiving. She was the bread winner in London, now it is Phil's turn to bring in the dough. He constantly jokes about being fine with the Mr. Mom role but Alana is not playing that game.
Phil and Alana talk daily via the computer. Today he was teasing her about coming to work for me. She knows that I know that she would never clean for a living. She kids me all the time about doing the manual labor and women should be pampered and not to be coming home all sweaty. She really means it for herself but she understands my position. She is a little on the quirky side but for the most part we get along.
Phil did make a comment about her getting a degree from a massage therapy program online because she loves going to the spa and getting pampered all the time. He told her since she knows the ins and outs of the spa life that she would fit right in as the one giving the treatment and not receiving it. The look she gave him was priceless.
They are hoping to find a house in Sarasota within the next six months. Phil has a great job bartending and Alana has a degree in Event Planning. At her last job, she was head of the Event Planning division at one of the high end hotels in London. She is hoping to start her own wedding and/or event planning business within the the next few years. Right now she is concentrating on her son, Drake, who will be turning one on Thanksgiving. She was the bread winner in London, now it is Phil's turn to bring in the dough. He constantly jokes about being fine with the Mr. Mom role but Alana is not playing that game.
Phil and Alana talk daily via the computer. Today he was teasing her about coming to work for me. She knows that I know that she would never clean for a living. She kids me all the time about doing the manual labor and women should be pampered and not to be coming home all sweaty. She really means it for herself but she understands my position. She is a little on the quirky side but for the most part we get along.
Phil did make a comment about her getting a degree from a massage therapy program online because she loves going to the spa and getting pampered all the time. He told her since she knows the ins and outs of the spa life that she would fit right in as the one giving the treatment and not receiving it. The look she gave him was priceless.
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