North Georgia Gal's Financial Awakening

I got a statement in the mail from my therapist office for 80. I called to find out what that was about. They said that when they filed the insurance they were told there was a 40 copay per visit. This came as a surprise to me. It used to be that there was no copay for mental health visits. After I called the insurance company I found out that as of October 1 there is now a copay for mental health visits. I wish I would have known that because I would have paid it at each visit. Now I have a bill that I will have to make payments on. And I might likely cancel my next appointment until I get the balance paid.

The eye doctor told me that my eyes haven't changed much. But they are now to the point that if we fix the far sightedness that the near sightedness would suffer. I will need to start wearing reading classes for up close things. But he said that there was such a slight change that I could go another year without changing my prescription. So in a year or so I will probably have to start wearing reading glasses. Getting old sucks.

DD still have the same prescription in both eyes so we only have to order 1 box of contacts. She also picked out frames for glasses. The frames were 90 and the lenses were 60. I didn't think that was too bad. She doesn't wear them enough to invest alot of money into them. I paid for the exams today and will pay for the contacts and glasses when I pick them up.

All the Christmas presents are starting to roll in. Some are coming to my office and some are going to my mom's house. When they all get here I will start wrapping them. It feels really good to know that I am done and that it was all paid for with cash.

Worked on my January budget again this morning. It is starting to look better.

DD and I have appointments to have our eyes checked today. I don't think mine have changed that much but I have to have the exam to get more contacts. DD thinks hers have changed a bit. I had to split the dr fee and the actual contacts between this payday and next payday. The dr fee is more than I had planned on. But at least I have the money for it and I can pay cash.

Yesterday would have been my parents 58th wedding anniversary. I wished my mom a happy anniversary but I am sure it was a sad day for her.

The first Christmas present arrived today. I have gotten shipping notices on all of them so they should start flowing in.

When I checked my checking account this morning it was in the negative. I thought the dr DD saw yesterday said that she wasn't going to charge us for the visit since they had to swab her nose twice. So I didn't enter it into my register and took $20 out at the ATM. What she meant was that they wouldn't charge us for the swab. Not sure how that helps us since insurance would likely pay for it. Fortunately nothing came through last night that incurred any fees. I will transfer some out of the rental checking account to get by until Friday.

I worked on my budget for January. As usual it starts out looking really good but then when I add everything it is really bad.

I called Food Lion today to inquire about my application. The manager said that they don't come to him until they go through corporate. So apparently they didn't think my application worthy enough to forward on. And there is no way to get online to resubmit now that my schedule has changed. Will have to work on that one.

I have had a boring day at work today. There is plenty for me to do just don't feel like doing any of it.

I finished up my shopping yesterday. Ordered everything online. The only thing I have left is the cash that I am giving to DS. Feels good to be done so early. Can't remember the last time I was done so early.

I used ebates to place most of my orders. Right now I have 30 in rebates coming to me. Awesome!

I have been looking over my budget numbers for November. It is not pretty. I went over budget in a few categories. I will have to try harder next month.

I am just about done! Yipee!! I am totally finished with DD. I have bought DS one thing and will give him the rest in cash. All I have left to buy for is my nieces two little girls. And the best part is it is all paid for with cash!

I tried to use my sears card for a purchase and found out that they have closed my account. So I am forced to pay cash for everything. This is better in the long run.

3 aquantices(?) have died since Friday. My mom's sister(who I had only met once), my bosses brother in law, and my best friends mother in law have all died. I am going to the visitation for my bf's mil. I am friends with her husband too so I feel I want to support him. He was super supportive when we were dealing with my dad.

My BF's mom, who went through treatment for breast cancer, found some nodes that were swollen. They did a biopsy and the cancer has returned. BF really has her hands full.

I haven't eaten out all week. I guess it is just when I am at work that I get weak. I have my allowance in my wallet and will be leaving the debit card at home except for when I have to get gas.

I went to pick up my thyroid prescription today. I must have been shorted some since it didn't make it to the first of the month. But when I got there after some investigation I realized that they had filled the wrong dosage of the medication. I had no refills on the right medication and the doctor's office was closed today. They gave me enough pills to get through until Monday. I am glad as I don't want to go without it.

I also filled up my gas tank. Since I have been off this week I haven't used hardly any gas. It was only $16 to fill up.

Well I haven't left the house today so it was going to be a great NSD. However, I asked DD to stop into Food Lion and buy another package of rolls. The final count for tomorrow keeps increasing. So I owe her the money for that. But other than that it is a NSD.

I had a check for $200 cleared my account last night. I was at a loss thinking what it was. I found out it was for my personal loan payment that isn't due until December. I apparently forgot to cancel it in my online bill pay. At least I had the money to cover it. But now I am short until the 14th when I had it scheduled. I will come up with it somewhere.

I made my first corn casserole. It is in the oven now. Smells really good. I hope it tastes good.

I hope all of my SA friends have a great Thanksgiving!

Today was a nsd. The only time I left the house once to go to my mom's so dd could clean her house. Just ate my dinner...a pot pie.

Finally entered all my charges from the weekend into my account. There weren't alot of them but I was procrastinating balancing the account. After spending so much at the grocery store(to clarify, I probably spent about $40 on Thanksgiving and the rest was just overages on normal grocery food.) I still have my allowance money so I will be fine. Plus I don't need anything.

We went to the grocery store today. I am glad that Thanksgiving only comes once a year. I spent $174. That is $74 more than I had budgeted. Fortunately I have the money in my account to cover it. I am responsible for the corn casserole this year. I will make it on Wednesday so it just needs to be heated up on Thursday. This is will be the first Thanksgiving since my dad died. It will be a sad day.

I set up a transfer out of my savings account so that I can do my shopping online this Monday, what is called Cyber Monday. I hope to find some good deals. I know what I am getting DD, just need to find some sale prices in order to get both of the items I want to get. I have no clue what to get DS. I will probably just give him money or something.

All that will be left will be the two young girls that are in the family. I get each of them a couple of things to open. I hope to be done by next Friday with all the shopping.

I couldn't fall asleep last night so I took a couple tylenol pm. I fell asleep alright. Then once I woke up at ten I moved to my recliner and fell asleep again. I slept right up until 5:30. I only saw one quarter of my beloved ga bulldogs. I recorded it so I can watch it later. I am waiting for the tn game to start shortly. Hopefully I will make it through it.

I didn't leave the house so of course I spent no money My mom called me and she was too pooped to carry in her groceries. I was going to go do that before the sleep attack happened. I called her and she said it is nothing perishable so it can wait.

DD is at her dad's this weekend. She sent me a picture of my ex's live in girlfriend's old car and said that it is now hers for when she turns 16. I am glad that burden is off my plate. But I hate that it was once the girlfriends car. Can you tell I don't like her at all?

I am also watching my dd's dog. She is a handful but she slept right along with me today. We have to padlock her in her crate because she gets it open somehow.

Today is my payday. This is the first payday that I get an "allowance". I get $40 for the two week period. And my debit card will be left at home.

Today is my last day of work for 9 whole days! I can't wait to be able to sleep in everyday. I am so not a morning person!

We saw the new Twilight movie last night. It was really good. I wish it didn't have to end, but the series is now over.


We won't be going to the grocery store until Monday since DD is going to her dad's this weekend. I am making a corn casserole for Thanksgiving and I have to get the supplies.

Think that is about it for now. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I have been spending alot of time cleaning up my Quicken accounts. One of the things it does is calculate your net worth. Right now my net worth is -33857. Most of this is due to a huge student loan bill. My ex husband and I stupidly took money out to live on while I went to a technical school. Of course who knew that we would get divorced and the debt is officially mine. The fact that I haven't paid it for 20 years also compounds the interest. I hope to be able to start paying this after the first of the year.

I bought my first christmas present today. I went into the shoe store to get shoe strings and to look at tennis shoes for me. The pair I have are over 2 years old. Considering that we found them in the street and they cost me nothing I think I have gotten more than my money out of them. But it is time for new ones. I found a pair that will do on sale for $39. While we were there, dd picked out a pair of cute rain boots. They were $24. I told her that I would get them for her but they are part of her Christmas and they have to go under the tree. So I have officially started my christmas shopping.

I really wanted to stop for breakfast this morning. I tried to rationalize it every way I could. But in the end I drove right past Burger King. I am fixing to go make my oatmeal.

DD and I went to the rec department last night and walked around the indoor walking track. We went around 7 times which equals a mile.

We stopped by the apple orchard on the way home and I got some red delicious apples. I thought they would be better than the ones I could buy at the grocery store, but sadly they weren't. They were about the same. Lesson learned.

Apparently I didn't cancel my weight watchers correctly because I was charged for it today. I went in and cancelled it right and emailed them requesting a refund. Hopefully they will do that.

You that have followed my blog know that this is huge! I stopped last night and got a quart of milk so that I can make oatmeal for breakfast this morning. And I brought a frozen meal for lunch.

The first day is always the hardest!

I just received a call from a collection agency for diagnostics from DD xrays. I just paid one of them off. But here is another one. $148. I set up payments of $50 per payday. I have spent $8884 on medical expenses this year. Will definately get to claim some of that on my taxes.

I also set up an allowance for me of $40 per payday. I am going to start leaving my debit card at home. I will get the cash for the groceries and gas on Friday's. I think this will help me with the eating out.

Since I posted my numbers for the month so far and by far the largest overage was eating out I though I would post the detail on it.



You can tell that most of it is 2 or 3 dollars at at time. Part of my problem is that I think 2 or 3 dollars won't matter. But clearly it does. I would love to have that money back.

I put in my request to take of the three days before Thanksgiving next week. We are off for Thanksgiving and the Friday afterward. So I only need to use 3 of my vacation days to have 9 days in a row off work! I can't wait.

Maggie suggested that I look at my budget for November since it is almost 1/3 over. So here is my budget so far for November.




I don't think it is accurate for the budgeted amount since it prorates it for the month. But I may have already paid all of it.

I know there are areas to work on...specifically the dining out category. That will get better as I started the new diet today. Will stop and get milk on my way home and start eating my oatmeal for breakfast again.

Yesterday was a NSD. Only left the house to go to my mom's for a little while. Then had to stop by my sisters to fix her computer. I sent DD up to do that. Somehow her screen had turned upside down. Don't know what that is even a setting, but it is.

Been watching football all day. The Falcons finally lost a game. Bummer. But they will probably make the playoffs with their record.

Today we had to get shampoo, soap, and hot choclate at the grocery store.

I weighed in this morning for myfitnesspal. I have lost 11 pounds since I was last on the site. I have one dr pepper left in the fridge and then I will be all in.

I realized today that while I have no problem telling DD that we don't have money when she asks for something I don't have the same discipline when it comes to me buying something. I need to get more disciplined with myself. Not only will my budget benefit but my health will too.

I have decided to not take the money from my mom and continue on Weight Watchers. Thanks for everyone's comments. They all gave me something to think about.

I am going to try to count calories with myfitnesspal. I just have to be more disciplined.

I got the paperwork to apply for free or reduced lunches. I don't qualify. If I didn't have to include the child support I get I would make it. Apparently I make too much to be considered low income but not enough to be able to take care of myself.

I also reapplied for the state insurance program for DD. I don't think I will get approved. Again...if I didn't have to include the child support I would be golden. It just burns me up that people cheat the system to get this stuff. I am just not the kind of person that can do that.

I told my mom that I cancelled my weight watchers because I couldn't afford it. I told her that I was upset that they are offering the same thing I had for $18 a month vs the $42 I was paying. She offered to pay the $65 for me to sign back up at the $18 per month rate. She is really supportive of me and really wants me to lose this extra weight. She would only have to pay for the initial payment because I could handle the $18 a month after that.

I am in a dilemma. I like being a member of weight watchers and feel a commoroderie(?) with the members there. I like the accountability of having to weigh in each week.

But I don't really want to take any more money from my mom. This was the first month I was able to give her any money. I could pay her back $20 a month for three months. Just not sure what to do.

What do you suggest?

DD informed me yesterday that she owed $12 as of Friday for her lunches. I never get any warning for this. I just sent $50 October 6. I can't believe that the school lunches cost $50 a month. Of course that includes breakfast. I guess it is pretty cheap when you think about it. It comes to $2.18 a day. It just seems like so much. Anyway, I dropped off a check for $30 that will hopefully get her through until payday next Friday.

I decided to cancel my weight watchers subscription. I decided I couldn't afford it anymore. Then when I went to the site to cancel it I found out that they are offering it for $18.95 a month. I was paying $42.95 a month. So for a total of $65 I can pay the sign up fee and three months. Then it becomes $18.95 a month. I might consider signing up for that. Right now my motivation is not where it should be so I am not doing anything right now.

I dropped off the vacuum this morning to be repaired(see previous post about puppy). It is in Blairsville, which is 25 miles in the exact opposite of the way I go to work. He called me at 2:30 and said that it was ready and he was only going to be there until 3:30 and he would be gone the rest of the week. So I frantically packed up and headed to Blairsville. So I had roughly 100 extra miles of driving today. So of course when I went to fill up for my regular Tuesday fill up it was $50. It is usually $35, $40 at the most.

So it was $23 to have the vacuum fixed and I am also charging my daughter $5 in gas money. I should charge her more but she vacuumed the whole house when I got the vacuum back.

The puppy that my DD got is an escape artist. We starting putting her in a crate when we aren't at home to help with the potty training. But each day when we got home she was out of the crate. On Friday of last week she got out and chewed the electrical cord on my mom's brand new Dyson vacuum cleaner. I was panicked at first. But I found a place in Blairsville that will replace the electrical cord. Problem solved. Hopefully it won't be too much and of course DD will be paying for it. We bought a padlock this weekend and use it to keep the puppy in the crate. Let's see her get out of that!

I transferred $75 from my savings account to get through to the next payday. i didn't think I would make it on 55 cents. I will have to transfer money out of the savings account for Christmas. That is why my short term goal was. Then I will start building up for the New York trip.

I had the oil changed yesterday and tire rotated. While there they brought me out the air filter and said it needed to be changed. total spent = 65. Still cheaper than a new engine!

When we went to the grocery store on Friday we spent $121...21 over the budget. So I have very little money to last me until the next payday.

Yesterday was a NSD. My dd went to taco bell...she offered to buy me something but I declined. I don't really care for taco bell. I came home and at a pot pie that was purchased at the grocery store.

I have to go to Ace hardware today and get some draino. the drain in my shower is slow and from past experience it only gets worse, which leaves standing water in the tub with leads to mold and mildew. Want to avoid that.

Other than that it should be a pretty lazy day. Just waiting for the football games to start.

Today is payday. Here is what I plan for the money:

Income:
salary 1462.
from son for rent - 100.00
From son for car pymt - 90.00
Child support - 340

Total Income: 1992.

Expenses:
personal loan from MIL - 100
car payment - 300
gas - 150
groceries - 100
cable/internet - 157
transfer to rental checking - 280
to mom - 175
cheer - 55
Health insurance for DD - 486
weight watchers 42
savings - 100

Total Expenses - 1945.00

beg balance - 4.10
plus income - 1992
less expenses - 1945.00

leaves %51.10 for the two weeks.

It felt really good to be able to give my mom some money. I hope I can keep it up.

Here are my budget results from October.



I hope this works. I have never posted anything on this blog.

I can see a few categories that need work, especially the dining. I came in under in a few categories, which helped offset the dining category. I made two mortgage payments thanks to my mom. Medical came in over budget for the month. The cell phone bill is so high because ex dh didn't pay his share for the month.

Analyzing where my money goes is very interesting. Little things add up quickly.

Well...today was a failure. I had to buy flea medication for the dog. She was covered with fleas and it really couldn't wait until next week. But that was all. I didn't eat out at all today. Should be good for the rest of the week.