Drowsiness, Groceries and Tax Refunds

• Is drowsiness one of the side effects of oral surgery? I'm not even taking anything and I've been unbelievably tired all week. I only allow myself some Ibuprofen before bed to make sure nothing makes me tired at work. I have only a dull ache in my jaw that gives me a headache every morning. Maybe the jaw ache is due to the 55 degree temperature in our house...who knows. If my Feb 15th PG & E bill isn't significantly lower, I'm turning that thermostat up to 65 for the rest of winter!

• On the money saving front for this week, we're trying to avoid going to the grocery store. We are eating everything at home we can find. It's actually sort of a fun game. Soon my cupboards and refrigerator will be as bare as my master bedroom! One wise move that is helping us is that we froze 3 containers of leftover enchiladas from my birthday party last week. Each container has 2 servings. Monday and Tuesday for lunch, Hegazelle had tuna salad. I ate enchiladas on Monday, and took the final slice of provolone for a grilled cheese sandwich on Tuesday. Today, we're both having enchiladas. For dinner Monday night, it was FREE FOOD!! We went to the FPU graduation and potluck. Last night for dinner we deep fried burritos. So thus far we're getting along fine skipping the week's grocery trip. Friday night we will certainly be ready to shop though.

• I'm the type of person who believes in taking just enough exemptions on your W4 so you don't owe the IRS money and they don't owe you money. However, for some reason this year I am really hoping for a tax refund. And I'm really hoping that the President's economic stimulus package gets underway quickly so that I could have another $600-$1200 by June. Yeah, I wouldn't cry about that at all.

January Goals Recap

Well, you know what they say, "You win some, you lose some." That certainly held true with our January Goals. Here again are the goals and also how they all panned out for January:

• Fund the EF back to $1000. Done. We actually got this out of the way right at the beginning of the month with some money left over from Christmas.
• Reduce our debt by $900. Here's where we fell short. After the holidays, our first January checks were on the lousy side. We paid off only $713 for the month of January, our lowest mark to date. Oh well, at least I got to enjoy watching the green piggy move below $8k.
• Save and give 1/5th of pledged amount for church building fund. I said we planned to donate $1000 by June- make that $1500. Hegazelle felt that it was the thing to do, pledging that additional $500. Anyhow, the goal we set for January was $185. We SMOKED right by it with $468!! Did I mention we sold some stuff on Craigslist? :-D
• Reevaluate home owner's insurance policy. Didn't get to do this one. I want to listen the FPU CD on insurance before I meet my agent, and at the moment they're not in my hands.
• Bonus Goal: Prepare a will. It's not complete yet, but I paid for it tonight. It should be complete within 24 hours.

So there you have it (as my father ALWAYS says.) Some goals we won big on, none that we lost were way far off. I have a lot of other desires that I am saving for at the moment, so things are pretty spread around.
Meanwhile, Hegazelle is digging around in the garage. My best guess is he's looking for things we haven't sold yet. I guess the $20 he made changing someone's air filter at 6:00 tonight isn't enough for one evening. I think I'll go help.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the local Financial Peace University class on their graduation this evening!
I look forward to celebrating with you tonight!

3 teeth less, and 3 big holes in my gums

Well, if the whole wisdom tooth removal was supposed to leave me bruised, in pain and bed ridden through the weekend, then I guess I would be what is known as a "trooper" as I have evaded such a fate. I felt them take one of my teeth out, that didn't feel pretty at all. Whatever was in that IV made me emotional right after surgery. I went home and took a nap from about noon until 2 or 2:30. Then that was it. I got dressed and went with Hegazelle to the bank, to Costco, to my office, to Taco Bell for a burrito, and then to a play with some friends. So yeah, I'm feeling better than expected. The post-op paper said they pain and swelling should peak at about 48 hours. That would be tomorrow morning, so I guess I'm not out of the woods yet. But I'm not in pain, so I didn't even get to try out my Vicodin. Rats. I'm glad I don't need it though, really.
So, basically this post is to tell you nothing other than that I am alive & well and this blog will go on!
And just to bring money into the story, my surgery cost $243.20. Insurance paid the rest. :-)

Some say we've lost it...they may be right

Well, we've gone over the edge with the Craigslist selling.

We sold all our bedroom furniture Saturday night.

Don't worry we still have our back-killing queen size mattress, so we're not exactly sleeping on the floor. We took the plunge because we know we need a king size bed and we're gonna need some money to buy the furniture anyway. Furthermore, I've fallen in love with a store I've never even been inside of. Ikea. I really believe I can buy everything there for under $1000. Yes, that includes a mattress. The MALM series looks most appealing to me, but of course I want to see it in the store before I decide.
What an experience. We posted the furniture after 5pm on Saturday night, and by 8:30 a family was loading it up in their van and truck. And they weren't even the first people to look at it. Crazy. So the adventure of saving the rest of the money for a trip to IKEA begins. I don't care, I've got to get something else to sleep on besides this dreadful mattress we have now.

It's the American Way

I meant to post this comic strip at Christmas time, but it slipped by me. But now is about the time everyone who financed their Christmas gifts will start getting their bills. It's a happier January with no Visa bills, right?!

I could just yelp for joy

Would you take a look at that green piggy??!? That just made my day, my weekend.

Super Gazelle Goes Super Frugal

Ok, so I've been eating grilled cheese sandwiches at work most days for about a month now. This morning I go to pack my bread and cheese only to discover my loaf of sourdough had mold. Ugh. So for the first time in over two weeks I bought lunch. Less than a dollar at Taco Bell, but still, I was on a roll with not eating out on the weekdays.
Also today I turned the heat up to 60 degrees in the house. Most other evenings we've managed to keep it around 57 or 58, but I'm wondering when I'll get tired of wearing my coat and scarf around the house.
Do I sound pitiful or what?! Ha!
Can't wait for payday tomorrow...

Super Gazelle's Perspective and Selling Success

I'm back and with new perspective. Unfortunately, I cannot elaborate on all facets of my personal finances since many readers know me personally. But, suffice it to say Hegazelle and I have had a reality check of sorts, and now more than ever we know that this car has GOT to be PAID OFF FAST!! You just really never know what life is going to send your way, but I do know that I don't want it sending things my way when I have debt. Debt to me is like most hairy situations- if I can get out of it, I'll never get into it again.
As you can see from the little green piggy-o-meter up there, we've got about $8K to go on the car. In an average month we've been paying about $1,000 on it. At that rate, it's going to take 8 months. We say huh-uh. So we've got to step things up a notch to make this happen sooner. Now I know I have a way to go to beat MG in cutbacks, but some gazelles just can't be beat. :-) Usually we budget $100 per week for food. That includes groceries and dining out. Obviously the dining out was a weekend luxury that was eating the majority of that money. Last week, we still ate out, but carefully. Our groceries and dining out did not exceed $60- breakfast, lunch & dinner for 7 days. If we can squeeze it that tight every week (and with a few tips from MG we should be able to,) that's an extra $160 per month that can be used for debt reduction. I hope we can do it.
On the Craigslist front, we made $215 last week. Yesterday we sold our toaster oven for $20. Everyone at work is joking that nothing is safe. Anyway, if you're wondering why the car debt didn't decrease by $215, that's because it went towards our church remodel pledge. Also, the gig I mentioned before that Hegazelle was scheduled for on Jan 13th? It didn't pan out, and Hegazelle is only a little sorry about it. If you know him, ask him about it- he may tell you what it was. ;-)
That's about it for now. New perspectives and selling success. It's bittersweet. But today we are more determined than ever to outrun the cheetahs. Oh for that sweet day of rest...

I'm tired

You know the whole gazelle/cheetah metaphor from Proverbs 6?
Well, I think sometimes the cheetah eats the gazelle no matter how hard the gazelle tries to get away. I think sometimes gazelles get tired of running.
Today, I'm worn out.
Don't worry, I'm off to go eat a gazelle energy bar.

Update on Craigslist Earnings

My phone has been ringing off the hook all week. Everyone at work has been laughing at me because every time my phone rings I answer and say the same thing.
The guy who posted in the "wanted" section never showed up to get the bed. Said he didn't wanna come in the rain. So after a few days we decided to post it for sale on Craigslist. All week people have called and emailed about the bed, but none actually showed up. I'd tell them to call me after work at 5pm for directions. None did, some called and said they weren't coming due to rain. Today was much of the same, except one guy called at 5 sharp, came at 5:30 took one look and passed me the cash! Meanwhile, Hegazelle was meeting up with someone in front of Best Buy to sell them his tennis racket.
Tonight's total: $90.
This weekend was rather profitable as well. Friday Hegazelle sold his paintball chest protector and gloves for $25. Then he got up on Saturday morning and helped that guy move his mattress for $30. While he was gone, I decided I should put my last cell phone up for sale. I met some kid at his apartments that afternoon where he swapped me $20 for my old cell phone.
The Weekend's Total: $75.
So, here we are at Thursday with an extra $165. Not bad. I guess the headache of that constantly ringing phone was worth it after all.
And yes, there are some interesting posts on Craigslist sometimes. As was brought up in the comments of my last post, people want/need weird stuff sometimes. And sometimes the people themselves are just weird. So you gotta sift through the things that aren't a "fit" for you, and find the stuff that works. We started as sellers- getting rid of our junk. Then when we thought we had no more to sell, that's when we turned to the "wanted" and "gigs" sections.
I'll share a couple posts that we had a good laugh at:

WANTED...INJURED BABY CROW
Hi,

My grandmother raised 2 crows from the palm tree in her yard. They fell out as babies and she nursed them to life and kept them as long as they wanted to stay. I would like to follow in her footsteps. If you find an injured baby crow please call:

----

NEED HOUSEBOY- NEAT, CLEAN & TRUSTWORTHY
Older home, need someone to help keep house up daily and care for pets. Projects need to be done to buff up the house. Already have housekeeper/yard man/painter, but need someone who can be in house and be safe guard while I work long hours (mainly 12 hour nights). Must share bedroom with older man. Already have two roommates who work long hours-pay rent-can't really help when I need them. They're straight/I'm gay. You must have your own spending money. I can offer a nice place to live near the Tower, while your're in school/working part time/just need a place to chill while you pull it together. Let's talk.

HA! The compensation? Zero dollars. Just a place to live with God knows who (or what.)
Fun stuff.

Nevermind that last post! + A new resource

Uh, nevermind my last post. I just did some research and found that the assessed value that the county has for my home is about 50K less than what my home is currently valued at. I think I'll keep my mouth shut and keep payin' what I'm payin'!

I've come across a resource that some of you readers might find useful. If you're interested in a new budgeting tool, check out PearBudget. Of course if you're a GRS reader, you've probably already checked it out. I looked thru it today, and it looks like an easy program. Let me know if it works out for you.

Can I do this? A property tax question

There was an article in this Sunday's edition of Parade magazine titled "Feel Secure About Your Money" by Lynn Brenner. This article was something of a nothingburger to me. It had one absolutely ridiculous section about preparing for emergencies in these "uncertain economic times." The article doesn't say a WORD about saving any money, it just advises that you open a home equity line of credit in case your financial world goes sour. Just what I want when I get into a bad way financially- more debt. This woman must be one of those broke finance professors that Dave talks about.
On the other hand, she did write something that I'd never heard of. She writes:
If you bought your house in 2005 or 2006 in an area where values have since plummeted, petition your county tax board to reduce your property taxes. If you can show that the house is assessed at more than it's current value, you may trim your tax bill.

Does anyone out there know anything about this? I pay almost $2000 yearly in property taxes, so if there's a way to cut the bill I wanna know about it. If any one has ever done this, or can shed light on this subject in any way, I would really be interested in hearing about it.

There's money laying around and I'm picking it up

I know I've said it before, but I really dig Craigslist. This week, in an effort to round up some cash, Hegazelle and I have been scouring the ads. Last time I wrote about Craislist we were selling stuff. And yes, we have stuff for sale on there currently. But it's amazing what other money is out there just waiting to be had. I'll share with you some of what we found.
Under "For Sale," there's a sub-category titled "Wanted." Hegazelle looks thru this section often. This week he found a lady who was looking for any of the Cranium games. It so happens that we have one in the closet that we never play, yet somehow escaped being sold at our 2 yard sales last year. He emailed her and offered her the game for $10- she said she'd take it.
Another great place to look for money is under the category "Gigs." The subcategory "Labor" held an easy $30 for us. A guy is moving his king sized Tempur pedic mattress into a Uhaul tomorrow morning at nine and needs another set of hands. 5-10 minutes to help this guy= $30 for us.
Another guy posted in the wanted section that he will pay someone $80 for a full size bed. I have one. I emailed the guy and told him he could have the bed along with the memory foam topper and the Target comforter and sheets that are on it for $80. Since it's pouring rain tonight, he wants to come get it tomorrow.
As for the stuff we're selling right now, Hegazelle has all of his paintball gear for sale. He has this intense desire to obtain a PS2, so he's selling his paintball stuff in order to buy it. While he hasn't yet sold his gun, he met up with a guy on his way home from work today and picked up $25 for his gloves and chest protector.
So we've got $25 bucks in hand, and $120 on the way. Not bad for people who thought they had nothing left to sell!
There's actually another gig that Hegazelle is scheduled for on January 13 for $25, but he won't let me tell about it until then. I can't wait... oh the stories we will have to tell about how we got outta debt!

January Goals

On New Year's Day me and Hegazelle had a meeting of the minds. A huddle. Regroup. Whatever, you call it, I'm feeling good about it.
Instead of setting broad goals for the new year (which you usually carry in the back of your mind anyway,) we decided to set monthly financial goals. We sat down with a notebook and pen and wrote down what we want to accomplish in January. We always talk about money and goals, but there's something different about writing it down on paper and planning to meet those goals by the end of the month. Here's what we came up with:

• Fund the EF back to $1000. Somehow when I last replenished the EF, I got a little antsy and jumped back into the debt reduction too soon. $105 puts us where we're supposed to be.
• Reduce our debt by $900. Obviously debt reduction is the foremost goal these days. I can't wait for that last payment.
• Save and give 1/5th of pledged amount for church building fund. Our church building is undergoing quite the renovation. We plan to donate $1,000 by June. Currently we've contributed $75, so our "balance due" is $925. 1/5th of that is $185 for the month of January. Very doable.
• Reevaluate home owner's insurance policy. In June we will have owned our house for 4 years, and not once have I reevaluated our policy. I plan to listen again to the FPU cd about insurance to refresh my memory, then schedule a meeting with our insurance agent.
• Bonus Goal: Hegazelle and I didn't discuss this one, but we both know it needs to get done- prepare a will. Dave Ramsey fans get a discount this month at US Legal Forms- $15 for a state specific will. I have no excuse not to.
  

These goals are very attainable, and some may possibly be surpassed. I'll let you know at the beginning of February how we fared.

Bargain Kitty

In 2007 I made a new friend. She was quite skittish and wouldn't come near me- only talk from afar. Then one day I fed her some canned tuna, and the rest is history.
So now the kitty resides on my patio. If Hegazelle was not allergic to cats, she would be in the house. She's really quite cute. Then I realized she could affect my budget. What envelope does cat food come from? How much does cat food cost?! Since she's just a drifter, I bought cat food at the Dollar Tree. A couple of pounds of cat food cost me a dollar. Then they started carrying 1lb. boxes for the same price. I switched to the cheapo Target cat food.
One night I noticed that we had left our cover for our grill on the ground on the patio. The kitty was cold and turned it into a bed. So, my heart strings pulled again, and I gave the kitty a red rug and two blankets.
At Christmas time it was getting very cold out, and the cat would curl up so tight on those blankets trying to keep warm. I really wanted to buy a little kitty bed for her, but couldn't bring myself to spend the $10+ that it would cost. After all, she's just a stray, right? We bought a box of firewood for Christmas, and after we'd burned it all, the idea came to me. I cut the top off, cut out a piece of the front and took it out back. I put the cat's blankets inside and voila! A cat bed was made. It was great to watch her check it out...tapping out the blankets with her paws. Then, the neighborhood bully, a big, fat hairy gray cat, came to check out the bed. Fat Cat walked slowly around the bed meowing long warnings to my kitty. My stray was crouched down behind Fat Cat and was being VERY still. Then all at once she pounced Fat Cat- jumped right on his back and dug in the claws! (We caught them fighting the other night and our cat must have lost because there was more white fur on the lawn than gray.) I ran out the door from where I was watching and ran the Fat Cat off before he tore into my kitty. When I came back to the patio, I was sorta proud to see some gray fur blowing away with the wind.
Our kitty loves her bargain bed. She is in it constantly- much more than when she just had blankets on the ground. I took some pictures of her enjoying her nap today. I enjoy watching her!

Maui enjoying her "bargain bed"

Maui's Spread