Sandi's 2018 Miserly Minimal Expense Journal

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SandiSAHM
Posts: 2263
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Sandi's 2018 Miserly Minimal Expense Journal

Post by SandiSAHM »

The first entry here is partially my last entry from the January no-spend:

January: 7 out of 31 (there is no weeping icon - picture a weeping yellow face)

22.5%

DH points out that actual expenditures weren't that bad (define "that" bad, I asked - he couldn't), but the # of days expenditures were made was just awful. Which means, since we live in place with a 0 rating for walkability, driving. Almost every day.


Today there'll be an expense, the first of the storage unit monthly charges. Hopefully we won't have to use that service more than 5 months. That's sort of a pipe dream, as they're breaking ground on the next house next week (its a contingent thing, we have to sell this one, but one of their realtors is doing it and the whole thing is on a reduced commission, so we'll keep more of our equity).

This, too, is a lesson to me - when you marry a guy who has a farmer in his grandparental lineage, don't kid yourselves into believing a small (I mean small ) yard and container gardening are going to give him enough dirt experience, it just doesn't happen. That, and you don't get as many sun-ripened tomatoes as you need. We sure miss those.

Oh, don't get a small yard and then get a big dog. Boy she was a deceiving-looking puppy. I thought she'd hit 35-40 lbs. The she started on nutritious food...

This year's big challenge in the first half will likely be apartment rental - one that's reasonably priced, has a dog area, allows 60+ lb dogs and has a 3-month lease option that goes month to month (or starts month to month, whichever). I read on a blog that sometimes you can negotiate rent by paying multiple months up front and/or having excellent credit. We have that, and could pay up front... and we have a target apartment complex; it's nearly new and because of its location hasn't been able to get much occupancy. Waaay too big for their britches rent-wise for the area, but friends who lived there said they're so desperate for renters they're even allowing week to week!! That's a questionable practice but if it's still the case they should be willing to work with us. Other places are cheaper, but this one has a location that works well for us, allows the dog, has a huge dog run... Pray.

So, February: 0 for 1 0%
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: Sandi's 2018 Miserly Minimal Expense Journal

Post by Dgflorida »

following
SandiSAHM
Posts: 2263
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Sandi's 2018 Miserly Minimal Expense Journal

Post by SandiSAHM »

Well. The boy needs braces pronto.

He had his wisdom teeth out before they could grow roots because his upper arch is CROWDED and things were getting wonky. No sooner are they out (less than 2 wks) than everything starts to shift, and not in ways that are good.

This is exactly the problem DH had, at precisely the same age, only DH had to have 2 more teeth extracted beyond just his wisdom teeth because he just had more teeth than space. Oh how I hope the boy doesn't have to follow that path, I am phobic about 'teeth' things and I sure don't like the idea of pulling perfectly healthy teeth. Consultation with the orthodontist is next Tuesday.

Nice girl on the phone makes the appointment then tells me they like to let people know up front about payment options and starts rattling off a variety of things they'll do... Yeah, my brain wasn't ready for that. Whatever yields the highest overall discount, that's probably the route we'll go. I was hoping to avoid this $$$$ hit 'til the last quarter of the year - get the wisdom teeth out, give him time to fully heal - WHO KNEW teeth could move THAT FAST!?! The dentist... "this IS unusual..." Yes, thanks for that, I kinda figured that one out on my own. Nice guy; not his fault, LOL, it's aaaalll genetics.
SandiSAHM
Posts: 2263
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Sandi's 2018 Miserly Minimal Expense Journal

Post by SandiSAHM »

The kiddo gets hardware on his teeth next week. As expected the best option was cash, to get a discount. Fortunately they let us split it between what the insurance company will pay, some out of our FSA, and the rest via check.

Didn't go into 2018 thinking this would happen in the first quarter, I was looking out to the 4th. That's what I get for thinking ;)

So here we are, 6 days into February, and I'm 0 for 6. 0%. And the expenditures are way higher than had been anticipated. But that's okay, 'cause I'm staying home tomorrow!
Dgflorida
Posts: 4381
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: Sandi's 2018 Miserly Minimal Expense Journal

Post by Dgflorida »

Yeah, I wasn't planning on a new well first week of January. :( Not in the budget. No choice. :cry:
SandiSAHM
Posts: 2263
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Sandi's 2018 Miserly Minimal Expense Journal

Post by SandiSAHM »

Dgflorida wrote: Wed Feb 07, 2018 8:22 am Yeah, I wasn't planning on a new well first week of January. :( Not in the budget. No choice. :cry:
I'm just thankful we have the funding to pull it off without borrowing or having to delay treatment. His teeth were not going to get better on their own, they need immediate intervention; the sooner we move them the right way, the less time it'll take and the less of a potential hazard it is.

My kids are like their father - at 13 they each have/had all their adult teeth. I'm in my 50s and all but one of my molars are primary teeth. I kid that it's the fear of dental 'things' that keeps them in there ;) even as a child loose teeth were not welcome. My next door neighbor on an air base years ago was the only person I ever trusted to help the incisors and 'front' teeth come out, and that only when they were nearly hanging, LOL.

Which is probably why I stopped losing teeth - we were transferred to another base and lost that neighbor. Stay in!!
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