Tag: money matters

Posted on

Memorial Day garage sales

Around this area, Memorial Day weekend is the biggest yard, garage, estate and what ever type of sale one could ever want, weekend. I try to get up at the crack of dawn and get whoever is going with me around to be on the streets and roads by 8:00 am. It’s fun to make a girls day out of it. I’ve found though, lately my two sons have been wanting to come along. The problem with them going, is that they get tired of looking and road cruising, and then we have to take them back home.

This weekend, my daughters and I are planing on going to the sales and do some other shopping and errands that need to be done. It should be nice if the weather holds. Even if it doesn’t, I know of a lot of barn sales that are going on also. There are at least three flea markets we can hit that are inside, but with the temperatures staying on the warm side, it’s doubtful many garage sales or even tented sales will shut down.

 

Posted on

Let Us Be Thankful for Our Troops

I have a lot to be thankful this year. I have an awesome family. Though we are not rich financially, we are rich we get by. We are all in fairly good health and indeed the list goes on.

I am however very thankful for the men and women who fight for our freedom in wars we never even should have been in. No debates on this day, I’m just very thankful for these brave people.

With that in mind, I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and remember all we have to be thankful for.

thanksgiving

Posted on

Checking out Reality in Miami

My daughter and her boyfriend as I have blogged about is looking for a home of their own instead of living with the boyfriend’s family. they decided to check out a real estate agency’s in the Miami area. LuisInglesias Real Estate Miami is one of the agency’s that they are looking into. When my daughter called, she sounded so well informed about the places they will be looking at, and I think to myself that I am seeing a side of my daughter that I have never seen before. She has been well informed and I know she is determined to find exactly the right place for the two of them to live.

When she called, she told me that she and her boyfriend were quite informed of the Real Estate Agency, which made me feel ever so much better, and it’s showing the business side of her, that I actually have not ever heard of seen before. My daughter is bound and determined to get a place and she trusts that the agency they have picked will help with that.

I can’t wait to see the photos of places that they are checking into. Also, if one trusts the professionals it helps a great deal in finding just the right place to call home at a price they can afford.

Posted on

Kids went to Camp Chateaugay and brought home some awesome summer camp pictures

First of all I had no idea what to expect with a summer camp for my two boys. I have two sons age eight and ten and they have never been to a summer camp before. But if you have two boys around that age you know that sometimes summer can seem very long as your nerves wear thin and your patience runs out. It’s not their fault it’s just, well they’re crazy boys and they need to get that energy out. So I bring you summer camp!

 

We looked around at a few camps online, checked out pictures, read reviews, talked to neighbors and checked on what kind of activities each one offered. We decided to go with Camp Chateaugay on one of the Adirondack Lakes in upstate New York after talking to the owners Hal and the assistant director Kirsten. They were both very nice, knowledgeable and had quite a bit of experience with both kids and camps.

 

Talking to the owners put my husband and I at ease and we took the kids up to the camp this past summer. They absolutely loved it and did not want to leave. They shared some of the awesome summer camp pictures that they had taken and it looked like they had an absolute blast. It was well worth the money spent in my opinion. I only wish I had found Camp Chateaugay a few years ago because if so it would have kept my sons busy with fun and kept me sane with some free time to get things around here done.

Posted on

Bathtub woes

Seems we are going to have to replace all the master bathroom’s pipes and get all new plumbing. I pretty much had a feeling that a simple repair job wasn’t in the cards this time. I admit that I was kind of keeping my fingers crossed, even though I knew we had been having problems with the pipes for some time now.

Looks like we’re also going to have to call in a professional to do the job also. My Al just got put on 12 hour shifts at the plant where he works and even had a shift change to nights, so between the hour and a half  it takes for him to drive to and from work, and also the long hours, he just won’t have the time to do the job himself.

Needless to say, my small nest egg and my “me” vacation money is going to go to the professional plumbing guy. I then can start all over saving up my silver change all over again. On the bright side of things, at least I have the funds to pay for this and the peace of mind and also a working bathroom is well worth it.

Posted on

Boys in the band

My two sons as I have mentioned before, have their own band. My oldest son A, started the band with his brother and two other guys, and A writes the music, plays lead (bass) and my youngest son plays the drums. He used to be on vocals, but the screaming kind of music they play wasn’t really great on his throat and I disliked it so much, that he stopped vocals and finally started playing his drums seriously.

The band has a show in a couple weeks and they are biting at the bit to finally once again go out in public and do more shows. They place they will be playing at, leaves a bit to be desired but it is a paying job and they are happy about that. Plus they are the headline band, so this is an added perk.

I’m debating about going. In truth, even though I am proud of them like no other mother, I don’t really care for the kind of music they play. It’s loud  is called Death Metal…which means in my book, lots of lyrics I can’t understand because of the screaming of said lyrics. The combo tavern/hangout of younger people, is a rather unsavory place. Still, it is money and advertisement for my guy’s band. This I take as a positive. From what I hear, it’s sold out show and the place will be totally packed. Chad, the father of the other two guys in the band, will go and video them on stage playing for me, as places like this is not my cup of tea.

 

Posted on

Wanting to be independent

Title is exactly what my dear friend Lindsay and I are going though with our daughters. They will be leaving very early in the morning. My daughter’s flight is at 6:00 am, but it’s a two hour drive to the airport. Lindsay’s daughter’s flight is about the same time and it takes her two hours to get to the airport if not a bit longer.

Our daughters want to be independent yet we get two or more calls a day. I cherish those calls as it means that she misses me and misses being home. But going so darn far away really messes me up. Almost every blogging pal or “real life” friends  know that I want my kids close. I don’t consider this being over protective. I think one day that we are going to have to depend on  family and close friends sticking together because we will need to .

I wish both of our young ladies a dream come true, a prosperous life to come and  also the knowledge they will always have a home to come home to.

Posted on

And the shopping crunch begins

With only four (actually less) days left to finish my shopping, as I look at my lists it seems rather hopeless. I wonder why I do this to myself. But I know it’s the procrastinating nature I have, yet I must say I do work well under pressure.

Each year, I make a vow that I am going to start my shopping at the beginning of the year and be all “together” by Christmas eve to enjoy the holiday. And each year, something comes up where the money is needed elsewhere. We don’t get my husband’s bonus pay until about a week before Christmas, which we depend on for gifts and the holiday trimmings. We’re fortunate to have this extra money.

As usual, this coming year I’m going to once again try and pick up the little gifts and also am planing on using my crafty ideas as gifts too. I would much rather have a gift someone made than one that is bought in a store, and it seems like as prices soar and money matters take a knocking, this is the way to go.

Posted on

Is it taste or just a coffee habit

My husband drinks coffee by the gallon. To me, this is caffeine to the extreme, and since all of a sudden it’s found he has high blood pressure, I decided to make some changes that I’ll admit, isn’t that honest, but I haven’t been asked about it, so I don’t need to volunteer the information just yet. Okay, pure and simple it’s not being totally honest because I care.

I bought an off brand that has only half the caffeine and put it in the canister his normal brand comes in, which was a blend loaded with extra caffeine. Mind you, this I figure is for his own good. At least in my way of thinking.

So far, so good. he’s not noticed and even said he had made an “exceptionally good pot of coffee” the morning after I did the switch. Next is the sugar intake. I’m sure I can find something as a look alike substitute. I’ve never seen or even heard of anyone who puts more sugar in a cup of coffee. It’s expensive and once again, worrisome to me. Of course if I’m asked, indeed I will tell him about the switch in the coffee. But if he likes it now and I’m saving a great deal of money, we’ll just keep it a secret for now.

 

Posted on

Shopping for porch furniture

Yesterday when I went to the stores for some things I needed, on a whim I went into the garden section to look at furniture for my porch. Everything is on sale! From chairs to the glider seats that I love so much. Even the porch swings are on sale, which I really love.

If I check on finances, and all is semi okay on that count, I’d love to have at least a couple new chairs and the porch swing. The kind of porch I have would be perfect for the swing.

Growing up, we always had a front porch swing and as I’m writing this little add to my blog, I’m even more convinced that I want the swing more than I do even the new chairs. Hopefully there is still one at the store I went to left tomorrow when I go into town again. On the flip side…I just may go get it later on today! I think the family would like it as much as I would.