Oops

Made a mistake. Overdrew my account by $17, but bounced two things and now owe the bank $68 in fees. Stupid mistakes. One thing was .05 short and I still owe the $34 fee.

I usually have my bank accounts balanced to the penny, but I forgot about a check I wrote two weeks ago, and I put .05 cents in my other account to make it even.

So much for yesterdays excitement.

-Becky

2011 Bills

I just paid the final utility from 2011. Yeah! I should also be able to pay all the bills for this month as well. Now to work on coming up with extra to pay off debt!

-Becky

Today's Meals

Breakfast:
*two scrambled eggs
*spinach
salsa
wheat wrap
water

Lunch:
*two slices wheat bread
*lentil burger
*romaine
*ketchup
water

Dinner:
*quinoa
*broccoli
*cauliflower
onions
sparkling cider

Snacks:
3 *carrots
water

This is where I am at nutrition wise:

Calories 909
Fat 16 g
Cholesterol 480 mg (over what I should have)
Sodium 1569 mg
Carbs 136 g
Fiber 27 g
Protein 39 g
Sugars 30 g

I am tracking my food, meals, and exercise at this website.

Today is so far a good day, but most days I have gone over the 1,600 calories I am supposed to have. It hasn't helped that we had a huge bag of chocolate in the house, so I gave it to my mom yesterday (but by then it was almost all gone.) Sugar and candy is a huge weakness of mine.

I also walked 30 min. on Mon. and 60 min. today. Will also walk tomorrow about an hour.

-Becky

*organic

Cut $1,000 from your spending this year

Some of you may already be doing this sort of stuff, so the savings will not be as much, some of you may think I am too extreme. But by doing all of these things I saved over $1,000. I have been doing these things since 2008, so those savings are for each year.


1) Make your own laundry soap. Cost about $20 for 20 gallons. Get the recipe I use here.
Savings about $160 a year (if you spend $15 a month on laundry soap.)[Bonus the homemade stuff is free of added scents that irritate my son's skin.)

2) Use cloth paper towels. Chances are you have plenty of cloth towels in your home that will work just as well as paper towels, if not better. Savings about $240 (if you spend $20 a month on paper towels.)

3) Use cloth napkins. Again chances are you have some nice washcloths or a set of cloth napkins already. These work better than paper napkins. Savings about $60 a year.

4) Use cloth tissues. Use some of the washcloths, towels, etc., you already have around the home. One of my cloth tissues works way better than about 5 paper tissues. Savings about $60 a year.

5) Use cloth menstrual pads or a Diva cup. Switching to cloth menstrual pads has been amazing for me, read about it here. In 2008 I bought a set, so in 2009 & 2010 I have no costs. Savings over three years, about $500. Buy from a great work site here.

6) Use cloth toilet paper. I just cut up old clothes, see here. Savings about $120 a year.

7) Line dry your clothes. Did you know it cost .30-.60 cents per load to dry clothes in the dryer. If you wash 4 loads a week, that is about $2.00 to dry your clothes. $2 x 52 weeks is $104. I actually do about 6 loads a week, so for me that would cost $156 a year. So I line dry my clothes from March-Nov. Saving about another $100 a year. [Bonus it works out my arms to hang the clothes.]

8) Clean with only baking soda and vinegar. Savings about $100 a year (or more.)

9) Use white vinegar as fabric softener. Savings about $20 a year.

10) If you need something, look around and see if already have something similar that will do the job before you buy something new. Savings can really add up.

11) Join Freecycle.org. This site was created to keep good items out of landfills. Join online for free and post things you need (and want to give away as well) before you go out and buy something new. I have gotten rugs, toys, clothes, and so much more. Savings can be very high. [Bonus you can give away stuff and declutter while not feeling guilty that it will be in landfill.]

Leave a comment with a great money saving tip you have. Thanks!

-Becky

Stuff I need and want to do in my home

Household repairs / maintenance / updates

Inside:
Furnace/ac unit repair (estimated at $1,200)

Living Room:
*fix holes and cracks in walls
*paint
replace floor
replace couch

My room:
remove paneling
sheetrock walls
put in closet
new floor
paint
*hang blind

Kitchen:
*replace utensil drawer
*fix towel drawer
*install under counter cd player
replace sink
paint

Bathroom:
fix shower head / bathtub diverter
*replace mirror
replace vanity
*paint
*replace towel bars, and toilet paper holder
*hang glass shelf
*remove bottom of closet to make extra shelf

Backroom:
install shelf above garbage can
remove homeschool closet & sheet rock where closet used to be
paint

Stairs:
*fix holes in wall
paint white part of stairs
*remove all carpets and nails
paint walls

Upstairs hallway:
*fix holes in walls
paint
remove carpet
put new floor down

Josh's room:
*fix holes in walls

Jason's room:
*fix holes in walls
*fix / replace door and door frame
*hang blind
*paint
*hang shelves for Lego creations
make a better closet solution

Outside:
*remove pile of tree limbs
replace cracked siding
install gutter covers
wash house
wash deck
stain deck
wash shed
stain shed
*finish tree fort
put up fence
*fix lawn mower


*plan to do in 2012

-Becky

2011 Debt

This is the debt I gained from 2011:

$750 Mastercard
$150 Kohl's charge
$127 dentist
$ 80 owe phone/internet/cable
$ 50 owe water bill

$1157 total debt

I also need:

$168 sewer bill due Jan 1st
$1200 taxes due Feb. 1st

I hate debt and being behind on bills, so I want to get this stuff paid and all caught up asap.

-Becky

HAPPY NEW YEAR!