Sandi's 2020 $ Challenge

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

Re: Sandi's 2020 $ Challenge

Post by SandiSAHM »

Well, bleaching wood was a DUD. Just... no. What a waste of time. Not to mention sweat - it's HOT in that garage (doors were open, fan was on, still - HOT).

SO. Onward, to grey paint. Which is fine; if anything the process is a bit less messy and smelly than staining.

I've also decided the top of the armoire, which I only use about half of for clothing, the rest is photo albums, a spare pillow and a couple of blankets, isn't designed for the way I use it. So... I'm looking for some kind of racking solution. It's pretty deep for standard 'shelving' so I might have to develop some custom cubby system (i.e., send the man to Lowe's for wood and break out the saw).

I start with a simple idea, and this is what happens. Couldn't just live with brown furniture, even though I've lived with it for 28 years. :roll:
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Sandi's 2020 $ Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

SandiSAHM wrote: Mon Sep 07, 2020 3:58 pm Well, bleaching wood was a DUD. Just... no. What a waste of time. Not to mention sweat - it's HOT in that garage (doors were open, fan was on, still - HOT).

SO. Onward, to grey paint. Which is fine; if anything the process is a bit less messy and smelly than staining.

I've also decided the top of the armoire, which I only use about half of for clothing, the rest is photo albums, a spare pillow and a couple of blankets, isn't designed for the way I use it. So... I'm looking for some kind of racking solution. It's pretty deep for standard 'shelving' so I might have to develop some custom cubby system (i.e., send the man to Lowe's for wood and break out the saw).

I start with a simple idea, and this is what happens. Couldn't just live with brown furniture, even though I've lived with it for 28 years. :roll:
You have lived with it for 28 years you are entitled to a change.
Janet Alliesmama
SandiSAHM
Posts: 2263
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Sandi's 2020 $ Challenge

Post by SandiSAHM »

Not a lot going on here; it got hot again (well...hot to me) so I've been hiding out indoors.

Paint colors (for the bedroom furniture and other things) have been chosen, but I have less than zero energy. I think it's because the humidity and warmth are so bad.

DH and offspring have reverted to the 'money grows on trees!' mindset so I'm going to have to nip that. I know they're bored - I am, too. But they have enough 'stuff' to NOT be bored, if they'd just engage rather than whining.

Thankfully the kids are 'back' (virtually) in high school and college so there's a little bit of push coming from someone(s) (teachers / professors) whose name isn't "Mom."

Work is... work. Same roller coaster ride as always.
SandiSAHM
Posts: 2263
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Sandi's 2020 $ Challenge

Post by SandiSAHM »

I have informed the people that they will NOT, for the term of Sept 20 to Oct 21, be spending much, if any, money. They have what they need to do what they need and want to do.

I want to see how low I can force the monthly expenditures to go, and the dates are the dates of the billing period for the card we use for routine expenses (cash back monthly).

Also have a table up for sale, cute retro thing, formica and chrome, VERY sixties, that a friend no longer wanted because the extensions didn't work, so DH fixed the extensions with some stuff he had in the garage - but she didn't want it back and told us to do whatever with it, so.... we're probably going to get about $ out of the thing - which will either go to some kids we're helping through school (not our own :lol: ) or to the friend with cancer. Every $ counts.
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Sandi's 2020 $ Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

SandiSAHM wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 7:31 pm I have informed the people that they will NOT, for the term of Sept 20 to Oct 21, be spending much, if any, money. They have what they need to do what they need and want to do.

I want to see how low I can force the monthly expenditures to go, and the dates are the dates of the billing period for the card we use for routine expenses (cash back monthly).

Also have a table up for sale, cute retro thing, formica and chrome, VERY sixties, that a friend no longer wanted because the extensions didn't work, so DH fixed the extensions with some stuff he had in the garage - but she didn't want it back and told us to do whatever with it, so.... we're probably going to get about $ out of the thing - which will either go to some kids we're helping through school (not our own :lol: ) or to the friend with cancer. Every $ counts.

Good luck with the family pulling together and not spending.

Wonderful of you to fix the table and then pass the money on to someone in need.
Janet Alliesmama
SandiSAHM
Posts: 2263
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Sandi's 2020 $ Challenge

Post by SandiSAHM »

alliesmama4 wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 7:41 pm Good luck with the family pulling together and not spending.

Wonderful of you to fix the table and then pass the money on to someone in need.
DH has, after prior speeches regarding the need to cut back, just handed me his credit card (we use those instead of debit cards or cash for the rewards $). He hasn't yet on this go, but I think it's because he wants to gas up all the vehicles first :lol:

You're going to make me blush :oops: Unless we're in some kind of $ crunch, which has happened before and could happen again, one never knows, "found" $ gets rerouted. What point is there to money if you can't do good with it? I had that one hit me again when I prayed about our sick, very solvent, friend requesting $ to get alternative treatments for what is, short of a miracle, a terminal disease. What good is having it if you don't DO good with it? I also have just a dread of seeing anything go into a landfill. If it has more life in it, it should be be restored and used. You can't throw things "away" - it's a small planet, there IS NO "away."

And the table is COOL!! If either of my kids were in the 'move out' stage I'd send it with them for their dinette. My parents had one a lot like it (same chrome edging, different formica, and no extensions as we were a small family) in the 60s when we live at Nellis AFB. Nostalgia!! I'd keep it and add some red padded 60s style chairs if I had any real use for it but, alas, I have no space that needs a table.

I was reading about your canned food storage and, it's funny... We were grocery shopping last Sunday and the feeling that we might want to stock up on some canned stuff hit me. It was weird because it has never happened before - I don't like canned stuff; it's probably because for whatever reason my Mom used a lot of it before Dad retired and we got into a house with a yard where they could grow food. Some veggies my kids have never had out of a can. I might see if DS can stomach Le Sueur peas, because he won't eat them (we're vegetarian and...) in the frozen or fresh form - a DS quote: "Peas are what green tastes like" :lol: so, canned may be the ticket - they're the only canned pea I like so I guess there's hope for a genetic inclination to tiny peas.

But canned food. Which pretty much has to be veggies / tomato products, and beans (which I prefer to cook from dry in a crock pot). I worry about it because I fear disuse. I mean if we get to mid next-year and no calamity has caused us to go through everything, what am I going to do with canned stuff? Give it away, I guess. Which isn't a bad use and may well be a good plan. Thanks for prompting me to think that all the way through :P Maybe I'll put a little more TVP in the pantry for protein; these people never get sick of soup (I get sick of it, but I can't have much anyway so may as well please them). Canned refried beans aren't a bad idea, either.

Gah. Now I have to make a list. I think they'll eat canned corn. :roll:
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