Numbers

There are certain number that make me stressed out! Primarily budgets, income vs. outflow. And let me tell you, we are in the red almost every month. This makes me very cranky, because last august, after the sale of our home, and purchase of this home, our ONLY debt was the house. sigh. Then there was this list of things we NEEDED, and the list of things we wanted, and the list of things that just couldn't wait. Here we are again up to our noses in ugly debt. Drowning in it. And I can't seem to get a grip on it. In the past, we've gotten bad, but I've always been able to figure it out, get us back on track, set up the budget. This time, I just get stressed out!

So I keep reading the blogs I love about budgeting, and read the schemes on making money on the internet, and keep checking the job ads for that perfect pay me millions to stay home and play with my kids job... and still can't make ends meet.

But those faces in the photo make me long to live simply, and rightly. I want to teach them the value of hard work, and budgets, and savings! I want them to live in a way that they understand how to save for something they need or want - instead of just getting it! The economy doesn't make it much better. My usual route of consolidating to one low interest credit card or refinancing my mortgage to include the debt seems to be stymied as well. It's time to figure it out. We are drowning, but somehow, we will get through this. We didn't get into debt overnight (although it feels that way) so I guess it will take at least twice as long to get out (maybe even 10 times as long). So it is here and now that I will say again, I want to live debt free. I want to live on a budget. I want to stop spending!

Step 1 I have read is to track spending and come up with a budget - I'll try to do that before I post again. And I'll also try to post the blog links that i'm reading now, as well as the websites I'm visiting.

Thanks for your support!

My many hats

Accountant Hat:
I am an accounting assistant for this year's conference. I am working with FilemakerPro. It is our database. We have in the past sent out invoices from it, but generally we send them out one person at a time. Well, having learned a little more about reporting this year, I included a grand total at the bottom of my invoices! Invoice 6000 has 3 attendees on it referenced with a school district PO#123456. The invoice itself lists one attendee's detail, with a subtotal at the bottom, I think included a sheet listing all the people included with that invoice. Well, I had one schools district who sent 10 attendees on 5 POs, and two without PO numbers. Their invoice says one invoice per PO. So I wrote up Invoice 6001 on PO 123457 with one attendee at $10, and invoice 6002 on PO 123458 with three attendees at $30, etc. I sent the 6 invoices, with their 5 POs and a list of all their attendees which included that PO number and Invoice number. Well, they sent back a check with their own PO numbers listed, but only paid for one attendee on each PO/invoice. When I called to clarify, she said it was because my invoices listed two amounts, and I didn't include a po number. sigh. They are not my only payee, yet so far, no one else has been confused with my system. Despite this set back I have managed to so far collect on 1/3 of my invoicees!

Photography, renaissance, mama hat:
In today's photo is Lily during the 2007 season playing with the wood blocks provided by the lovely panini's after parade. This will be her last year with this dress. Actually, it might not even make it - it just fits her now. So we are seeking out the next phase of her costume. We have to find some way to keep her in a hoop (as long as she'll allow it). She is my hoop baby after all!

Mama hat:
Since we first moved into our new home Vincente has periodically mentioned wanting the phone port in his room removed. I pulled the port itself, but kept the small white wire curled against itself in the hole in the baseboard. Vincente wasn't quite satisfied with it, and I kept forgetting to check with Seth to see if we needed it. The other night I discovered why he keeps bringing up the silly cord that sticks out of the wall. It is a "scary". (The kids don't usually have monsters that scare them, they have Scaries. Monsters we generally like! Well, as Lily puts it, we like the little monsters, not the big ones, because the little ones sleep with us, but the big ones don't always want to go to sleep.) Seth got to be the hero this time, and remembered to ask Vincente about it, and removed it! Now all is well in Vincetne's room!

Plans

Katie & Henry. Our pretty black lab mix dogs. Mother & (we think) father of our 7 cute puppies.

We were originally thinking we might keep one puppy, however, with money where it is, we are planning on sending off all 7 to new homes. We have two people coming Saturday to pick which ones will be theirs. Yippee. At four weeks old, the puppies are playful and starting to try out soft puppy food. I'm also working on beginning potty training. I'm hoping to get the porch rearranged soon so that the puppies have more space to play and also to get them some fun chew toys.

Husband & I spent quite a bit of time last night talking about plans. Daughter's birthday party plans, and money matters. I'm getting very excited to put on a Tea Party for my little girl. She's turning three and declares that anytime she or I wear a skirt or dress we're princesses. She loves butterflies, flowers, kitties, and puppies!

One of those days

Ever have one of those days where you just
want to go back to bed and start over?

I made the mistake of stepping onto the scale this morning out of curiosity. I haven't been on the scale for months, and I knew I had gained a little. It's just so horrible how much those numbers can change the flavour of the day. I try so hard to not let my size, my weight, affect me. I don't want my kids growing up taking on my skewed perspectives on myself. I want them to love themselves for themselves. So the scale is officially being banished from my home! We can weigh in at the doctor's annual visit.

After the lovely numbers this morning, I was faced with a day of more numbers. Accounting. Piles of numbers that just make less and less sense as I try to sort them out. It's the conference wrap up stuff. Numbers that have been taking way too much time to go through. Things that seem like they went so smoothly every other year for the usual accounting staff. grumble. I've tried so hard to keep things in order, only when requested of me, I feel like I have to start back at the beginning.

And then, to my joy, this is the evening I promised my husband I would get our budget in place. Great timing on my part. Although, right now I'm pretending that it isn't on the to do list. Internet diversions abound!

I have been reading several blogs all having to do with budgeting, money, and living simply. It is my goal. I'll post the links once I figure out how. I'm also seeking out alternative income sources. I can add adverts to this blog, and get paid every time you click on it. I am trying to take occasional survey's that are supposed to make me money. And finally, there is the sale of things in my home, as in, puppies, eggs, clothes, candles, arts stuffs.

About the puppies. Weighed one of them today - 4.5lbs. 7 cute little bundles of wiggles, tongues, and mini barks. Adorable all. It's going to be so hard to let them go. I'm really hoping to have them all spoken for in the next couple weeks, so that it's easier to give them up! They're almost 4 weeks old now.