My English Castle's Personal Finance Blog

Conscious of the impending NYC and UK spending, I avoided the grocery store and perused some Easter leftovers' recipes. And I'm happy I did. I made a Martha Stewart recipe spinach salad which used spinach on hand, leftover Easter ham, hardboiled eggs, and radishes topped with a warm olive oil vinaigrette.
It was fabulous. DH--who loves spinach salad anyway-- swooned. To combat the healthiness of it all, DD and I also stirred up some Rice Krispie treats.

About six months ago I bought a room painting daily deal for $100. I called the guy today and am scheduling DD's room redecorating. She and I spend an hour looking at paint samples at Home Depot. It was lovely, and we also spent $7.99 on a hanging basket of violas. That was the total of today's outlay.

We've had yet another spate of egregious plagiarism
with my capstone projects. I've had to take the flamethrower to the instructors and students both.
Not only are they copying from the internet, they're copying from previous capstone projects. Idjits.

This is one of those weeks where there needs to be three of me. Our university is hosting a Swedish crime writer who I'd love to see. I also have tons of housework, a friend who needs help with her impending move, DD's spring break, and loads of class prep.

As much as I'd love to escape into Stockholm's gritty underworld, I suspect I should work, work, work, and play a bit with DD.


So today's short goals:
Update online classes and hold their virtual hands.
Write quiz and project for "real" class.
Go for a long walk with DD.
Call painter for her room
Transfer money to cover airline tickets

I have news on the London teaching, but will hold off until I know more tomorrow!

It's DD's spring break and she's spending it at the university with me. I feel more than a little guilty as most of her friends are in San Diego or Orlando or somewhere swell, and she gets to sit in on my boring classes.

So, since we were running late this morning I spent more than anticipated. It was $8.75 for parking, $1.35 for her cheeseburger, and another $23 on groceries on the way home.

I ordered theatre tickets for the four of us that are going to NYC--It was (gasp) $448 but it's Death of A Salesman with Philip Seymour Hoffman directed by Mike Nichols. It's a play I'm planning on teaching again next fall, and how often does a boring Midwesterner like me get a chance like that? And we have two jazz nights planned too. I better start scouring the sofa cushions.

Yesterday was a cheap-o day with a mere 50 cents going to machine coffee.

I'm beat, so will update more tomorrow when the hangover from too much teaching wears off.

Yesterday I spent $105 on groceries, $16 on Easter basket stuff, $65 at Target on Easter stuff, tights for DD, skirt for DD, cleaner, toothpaste etc. Then another $8 at CVS on hair stuff like root touch-up (I have no secrets at SA) and a deep conditioner. We talked about going out to eat, but I was meticulous with my coupons and didn't want to blow my savings so ate in.

This morning? Another $40 at church, but nothing else.
We had friends over, ate large quantities of the food purchased yesterday and just plain relaxed.

Target is dangerous for me. I know this. Stuff flings itself into that big red cart.

I'm currently anxious about my potential NYC spending. My girlfriends are posing the idea of several nights of $100+ tickets--and that's w/o food.

But I did manage to read two senior capstone reports tonight for some needed extra cash. Still--that NYC money....

Yesterday, a mere $5000 deposit on the new windows.
Today? After the recoil from yesterday's outflow (at least he let me put it on the credit card!)I spent $2 with tip on coffee and $22 at the pet food store.

What I spent through yesterday doesn't look so bad. I'm ducking and covering knowing what's to come.

Sunday: Church offering $41 (just mine, not DH's)

Monday: Vending machine coffee (ugh) at second job: 50 cents. Kumon: $100 for the month. Mortgage $600

Tuesday: Coffee again (is there a pattern here?)$2 w tip

So far, so good. But the arrival of the window man and my current ebay bids make me anxious.

Another chilly day here, but I'm close to being caught up with grading and feeling positive as I've accomplished a lot.

This weekend we decided on a window bid, booked a vacation rental when our British friends are here, booked a girls' long weekend in NYC, and (hallelujah!) got paid for my new glasses and all my capstone project reading.

We've decided not to go to Minnesota for Easter. It's a wise decision, I think. It's too much driving, and a late Easter dinner would screw us up all week, not getting home till midnight.
But it seems sad still to me. It's the first year without my mom, and if she were still alive, we'd go no matter what. It seems like this might signal less closeness with my brother, so we'll have to arrange another time to be with them. Maybe I'll send him a funny card or something.

I love April--such hope!

No, not a break down, just the realization this morning that my break is done. I wish I could say it was well balanced with fun and work, but frankly, there was way too much work. I finished up my grading this morning.

We did get some major items addressed. Although his final bid isn't it, we've decided on a window replacement company. Compared to the three other ones we spoke with, this company got top ratings on Angieslist, they were very detailed and professional, and they offer to mix and match windows from various manufacturers when possible. We walked out of their showroom on Saturday and said, "well, that settles that."

We also got the taxes done with a decent enough refund from both the state and the feds. My flex benefits claims have been filed, and the mountains of laundry are now down to small hillocks.

No pedicure yet, and no office cleaning either. I did indulge in a little fun spending at TJ Maxx on Friday including a new spring/summer bag and a couple of new tops. I did get on the treadmill and am ready to get on it again momentarily. And I did manage to see a couple of episodes of Luther on Netflix, though the last one was a bit too violent, even for my strong stomach.

So, with my online class busy with revisions, and the questions printed out for my evening class, I'm moving on to tomorrow's students and trying to scrounge up some more money for the windows.

As those of you who "do" Swagbucks probably know, they have a special March Madness promo, so I worked Swagbucks a little harder today. My last search yielded (wow) 57 Swagbucks. That meant I met my goal, got the bonus, and I did a happy little Swagjig.

That was very fun! And my day of grading and cleaning meant it was also a no-spend, eat up leftover day.
Spring has indeed sprung!

My carefully (not) balanced out plan for the week includes (in no particular order):

1. Walk every day
2. Complete all grading and post it to online gradebook
3. Clean office
4. Finish all laundry and ironing
5. Clean laundry room
6. Send five cards and letters
7. Get rid of 60 things through recycle, freecycle, gifts, donations. (That's 10 a day!)
8. Get three window bids and decide.
9. Call painter re house trim bid
10. Call interior painter re DD's room.
11. Pedicure and fun shopping!
12. Read three books for personal enjoyment
13. Taxes
14. Submit flex spending bills and deposit checks
15. Run away for one or two days to Chicago or Minneapolis or Dells.

To that end, I've started the laundry, graded all last night and this morning, gave old bulky computer monitor to Best Buy.
Lots to do!

DD got all excited yesterday when I said we were going window shopping. Little did she know we were shopping for windows!

Our 1960 house has windows in need of replacing. They're rotting, the hardware sinks right through, even with wood putty, and they leak a lot. We've spent eight years with 3M plastic, caulk, and trying to hold off buying windows, but I think we have to start now. Since the house trim has to be painted this year, it seem like we should buy windows in anticipation of that.

Saturday we went to three window showrooms, but I need to spend some internet and library time figuring out what's best. I have estimators coming out this week, but I anticipate a month or so before we make a decision.

Any one have experience with window replacement that can advise me?

I'm thinking about how to best spend my break. I need a balance between lots of fun, some school work, and some house work.

Today's oddness occurred during a class discussion before exams when a student (they're pretty much all juniors so about 21) asked what the word "spouse" meant. Does that seem really odd to you? Three or four more admitted they'd never known what the word meant. But I fed them doughnuts as an exam treat and just shook my head.

I also found myself shaking that head again when I saw the local fancy grocer had roasted brussel sprouts for $7.99/lb and the raw ones were 1.99/lb. I think for $6,I could turn on the oven and find some olive oil.

I welcome any oddball advice on how to spend my break---

It's spectacular here today. The combo platter of spring warmth and sunshine with impending spring break has helped me be one happy camper.

I've got minor but cheerful good news. I've finished writing my midterm exam to be given tomorrow; my online class is done for 10 days except for grading, I've hung the guest room bedding on the clothesline, and I wangled an optician appointment to use my flex spending a brilliant one day before the deadline.

I certainly need new glasses; my original no-line bifocals have lost their coating, and I suspect the prescription will have to be ramped up. But what style? Sunglasses too? All the funky gals at the university have largish dark-framed numbers, and I suspect that's where I'm headed too. It's so fun to have money I have to spend!

I sat and graded for hours today, finally got dressed about 1, graded some more, then went off to teach my night class. They're reading Elie Wiesel's Night, so we had a great discussion, but until my break, I think I'll be the most boring person on the planet.

My one triumph today? My DH's favorite instant coffee for a super bargain price at CVS with $10 extra bucks,

In fact, all my expenditures today were on coffee: DH's instant and my (ugh) machine coffee at school for a whooping 50 cents.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZz

It's sunny but cold-ish here, and I'm spending Friday further frittering. The house needs a couple of hours cleaning, I have stacks of grading and stacks of laundry, there's food to be made, class prep for next week and all sorts of odds and ends to be accomplished.

Today's hilarious event was DD's pioneer simulation. With the bargain lace-up boots, long skirt, checked shirt, bonnet and apron on she looks very funny. We packed up her lunch in a wicker basket and off she went on the bus. The bus driver was similarly overcome with laughter.

Weekend's monetary goals? Get some checks deposited, don't spend much, and hit double-coupon day. Taxes will have to wait for my break.

Yes, I can make it to spring break in eight days.
I wish my break held lots of fun like it did in the days when DH and I were dating and I flew to London for the week. These days if I can get lunch out with a girlfriend, it's a triumph.

I'd really like to go somewhere for break, but I'm halfheartedly committed to saving everything I can for new paint on the house trim, new windows, and new bathroom tile. But really, I'd rather go to London.

But there is good financial news. Our mortgage continues to shrink although I've stopped major prepayments when we worried about DH's job.

I resisted buying lace-up boots as suggested for DD's "Pioneer Days" simulation, but this afternoon while she was at dance class, I zipped over to Target. I figured they'd have nothing but sandals and spring shoes, and I was almost right. There, staring right up at me from the clearance rack was one pair of girl's lace-up boots reduced from $25 to (yeah) $7.28. In her size! It made my day--not too tough since the rest of the day was spent grading papers and prepping my online class.

Eight days, baby.

It was a bit of a flurried week, but Friday's snow was more than flurries, I guess.
DD had a friend over for a sleepover on Friday, and the three of us went to see "The Lorax." I'm continually amazed at the behavior of some children--which of course precipitated a lecture to DD on Saturday.

DD's friend is actually one of our favorites. She's a very nice little girl, and we like her whole family. The movie theater has a full restaurant attached. I've never been there before, but had a Groupon for it, so off we went. At full price, the three 3D tickets would have been $30. We ordered a pizza--then DD's friend asked if we were also having appetizers--and could she have a root beer float. One set of mozz sticks and two root beer floats later, my DD was struggling. She's not the world's biggest eater, but DD's friend cruised right through all the food, asking before the film started if we could also go for ice cream later.

Food at the theater with tip $42. Another $10 at the ice cream shop where friend wanted a waffle cone--then a big waffle cone dipped in chocolate, then asked if she could have anything she wanted. I reined it in a bit, but she did end with a double waffle cone topped with sprinkles. DD and I were about at our limits. Yet we had lots of fun. But has anyone else been faced with this?
I kept thinking about my mom's lectures to not ask parents for more things--and I always send cash with DD. But I think we're in the minority.

On Saturday I headed to the grocery store, graded papers, and then went out with some friends. Of the five of us, one friend (who insisted on paying for a favor we did her last fall) is in bankruptcy, another is in the middle of a short sale on their home, another is months behind on rent. Yikes! I felt strange and prosperous.

DH and I had a long discussion about how people deal with money stress. I'm a natural withdrawer. If things are tough, I tend to retreat, get quiet, and work through it. But the gloom of the economy--particularly among my academic and house-poor friends--makes many of them search for cheer with meals out, weekends away, and other "treats" that make things tougher in the longer-term.

Tonight--after a 10-week term off, my evening classes begin again. I can't say I'm excited, but the cash infusion looks satisfying.

But March hasn't really come in like a lamb either. Maybe more like slightly ornery animal--a muskrat?

It's been an odd day: I almost kept DD home from school with the runniest nose, but she has tomorrow off, and several big projects due today, so off she went.
We wrapped up her Pioneer A-Z last night, and then I spent a couple hours trying to untangle my online class.

Good grocery shopping yesterday, but spent (gulp) $60 on gas and another $50 on the dog groomer. It all had to be done, but still...

Today is payday--and that--along with March-- is happy news.

Well, not leaping yet. But soon, eh?
Any one have any great ideas on something to celebrate the leap day?

I had a boringly frugal day today. I'm too busy to eat at school, I parked for free, bought nothing except coffee, and feel a bit like a hamster on a wheel lately.

The evening was spent helping DD with her homework projects, raiding the pantry for a homemade Tex-Mex soup concoction of leftovers and dribs and drabs of other things. DH actually loved the soup with chicken, black beans, and other tasty tidbits. No wine or dessert though makes for a less happy meal.

It's two and a half weeks until my university spring break and I wish I could say I had exciting plans. But the break itself sounds glorious.

To use up our overflowing freezer and pantry stores, I'm just buying a minimum of fresh things for a while. I made a lasagna last night and we'll have plenty for lunches and tomorrow night. Our church is having another themed food drive: mac and cheese vs chili, and we love both, so will raid the pantry for both of them.

I wish I could report we haven't missed the wine or dessert that are gone for Lent, but last night I would have loved a glass of wine.

I still haven't done the taxes (sigh), but did spend some fun time teaching DD how to do laundry on Saturday. It's part of my overall goal to make her feel more a part of the work of the household--and to teach her valuable life skills. I wonder if my students would mind her grading their quizzes.....?

All the oil price rumbling sent me to book our summer flights to the UK. I tried a dozen ways to make it cheaper--through the Chase Rewards, using my American miles--all in different permutations. But I ended up booking on Virgin--which is cheaper with a child--and just got it done. It wasn't pretty, but I'm worried it will just get worse.


The rest of the day was devoted to grading, laundry, and all the other scintillating fun parts of my life.
Four days until February-itis lifts?

I seem to be slowly getting caught up on things. I have another hour of grading left today, but really enjoyed having the night off from cooking and having pancakes last night at the church dinner. We met a few people we didn't know, and enjoyed our quiet time there a lot.

Both DH and I have decided to knock out the wine and liquor for Lent. If I appear cranky, let that explain it. No sweets for us either. We both tend to reach for them for quick comfort. Instead I'd like longer-lasting comfort like exercise, sleep, and nurturing.
That's my plan.

Sigh. I have to admit I'm envious of our friends' real estate success. DH and our friend bought property in the UK at the same time, DH's in Surrey and our friend's in Oxford. We let out DH's for a couple years and then sold it, albeit at a nice profit. Our friends just told us that his property in Oxford which he bought for 69K pounds just sold for (ugh) 355k pounds.

All in all he put about 10L pounds into renovations, but I have to admit, it sort of makes me slightly queasy and very envious. I never lust after cars, only rarely after clothes or bags, but their present house, man oh man. And the lifestyle that profit enabled.

Must think of something else now.
All my blessings, all my gifts. But sigh.

The days my face-to-face classes run, I hardly get a chance to take a breath. I walk into the university at 9, and if I get a chance for a glass of water or a bathroom break before 2, I feel lucky.

Stepping out of the rush for a minute, I can see we need to do some mid-and long-term planning. Perhaps this weekend? Taxes still need doing, we need to set a budget for our summer trip and our house projects.

But tomorrow our weekend guests return, we have a school carnival, and I have a mountain of papers to grade. It also looks like there may be changes in the offing for DH's job situation. I feel boring and tired, but it's just the routine for a while.

Trying to evade other responsibilities, I ducked into Kohl's today to spend the $10 in Kohl's cash burning a hole in my handbag. Ok, I spent $50 more than that, but could hardly lift the bag full of tops for DD (in dire need), a lovely black sweater for DH, and some very nice things for me--badly needed pants, a cute jacket, two tops, a dress for DD, etc. All their clearance was 80% off. You know that feeling when you try on a sale item and go, "YES!"? That was it with the cute Chaps black jacket ringing up at a lofty $14.

I came home very happy.

DD and DH spent the evening weaving Swedish paper hearts for her Valentines, and I spent the evening grading. I need stupid TV on while I grade--and my new stupid TV choice is "The Voice." You don't have to pay much attention--so it's perfect to grade by. I'll refrain from my feelings on the coaches for now--but not much longer.

We successfully got through our day with a house of very loud 10-year-olds. I found that they divided into camps along the loudness lines, but my ears are starting to recover.

The web site I read said dipping and decorating cake pops would be messy--and they weren't just kidding. It took about 10 minutes to clear the hardened candy melts and various sprinkles off the table, but they were fun to make. The rock star bracelet kit was also fun--and we eventually got the hang of weaving Swedish paper hearts. Despite some party girl nerves, DD did fine.
The Wilton pan that makes a heart in the center of each cake slice worked like a charm. The center heart was a combination of whipped cream and seedless raspberry jam.

We even had a few hours between their departure and the arrival of our English guests. Thankfully time enough to have a decent dinner and watch one of my favorite movies, "Local Hero." It's dated now--but the Mark Knopfler music is so lovely as is the Scottish scenery.

Off to bed, but satisfied with the day.

Tomorrow is DD's party and the arrival of our English weekend guests. Thoughts and prayers welcome as each my try my patience.

Today was a whirlwind of house cleaning, guest room prep, shopping, and cooking. I'm making this heart cake for DD's party and the filling is supposed to be Cool Whip. I was raised by a whipped cream purist and am proud to be one myself, but was worried about the cream's stability. I looked up some internet blogs that advised adding gelatin, but unsure how well it worked. My experience tells me that 10-year-old girls will eat chocolate cake with whipped cream raspberry filling even if the cream flopped.

There's lots to do and still unsure of Sunday's menu as one of our guests is a very picky eater and the other a very eager eater.

My California trip is now officially off. I was near tears canceling the Culinary Institute reservation but should suck it up and get over it. And we've got subzero windchills. Bah.

Not horrible, just wearying. DD and I were having a conversation on Monday about how everything just seemed to go smoothly that day. Plenty of time to get to appointments, enough sleep, good food, great selections at the library. Simple satisfying pleasures. Today was payback, I guess.

No breakfast as I rushed to get my online class updated and get to my haircut appointment. My pregnant haircutter was in a tizzy about lots of things, and my hair looks like it. Then rushed home to finish the assignments for my class to do, but my PC crashed. I was late eating lunch and dropped the salad dressing on the floor. The dog started licking it up, I yelled at her to stop, and she peed on the floor.

I'd signed up to make a casserole for the after school inner city tutoring program, and I followed the recipe provided, but it was revolting. A horrible combination of hamburger, cream soup, corn chips (!), corn, cheese, and enchilada sauce. If that's what people think poor kids should eat, they should think some more. Plus they wanted it in a disposable pan, and I had none. So off I drove to Walgreens when I found my register rewards expired yesterday. There are about 1500 lines more of this to write, but I'll spare you.

Wishing for a calmer, more serene tomorrow. But yeah, I have three classes back to back then a departmental meeting which mean no food from 9-3. Yikes.

That title sounds worse than I am. It's just that this is about the fourth cold since Christmas. I'm tired of being sick. Nothing major--just yucky and drippy and all that.

Luckily my classes had a guest speaker today so I mostly sat and tried not to cough. half my students are ill as well. Because it's so cold, and because I feel so lousy, I paid for parking today. I intended to go home early, but students kept finding me.

So now off to bed with some Julian Barnes short stories.

The goal for the weekend was taxes. For me, it's a lonely endeavor full of muttering, papers being flung up, and high resolves for the future. But I sort of enjoy it.

But DH had nothing on the agenda on Saturday so I locked him in the basement and we decluttered. He can't quite understand why I won't do this all myself, but I despise cleaning--especially alone and thankless cleaning. It's so much easier with someone to help make decisions, tote stuff to the car, and help rearrange things. The back of my car is now jammed with stuff.

I applaud myself for my ruthlessness. I had many things in my hand that I pondered keeping, but I must admit, some of them had tags from the last attempted garage sale. That was two years ago, and they were still untouched in my basement. So out they went. After lunch today they're headed to the charity shop.

It's a busy upcoming week full of school obligations, meetings, conferences, parties, and guests on the weekend. I've got yet another cold, so am pacing myself.

Today's goals then are to eat sensibly, review the Love and Logic discussion, haul junk to the charity shop, pick up groceries for the after-school meal program at church, catch up with my online students, and write a quiz for Thursday. Chili made for tonight and Love and Logic class enjoyed already.

Pheww--taxes will have to wait.