My English Castle's Personal Finance Blog

I frankly haven't had much time for diligent coupon use lately. If we HAVE groceries, it's a triumph. But I managed to pull it together today and did very well, mostly because of the double coupons. The checker rang everything up, then looked at me when he announced the total, and asked, "Can that be right?" More than half the stuff I bought was free--soup, crackers, snacks, yogurt, etc. I love it when it works and I can actually get to it.

No other money news to report--just trying to get through the week and catch up over the weekend. I've been working on decluttering, and I'll need to do some ebay listing pretty darn soon.

Before DH and DD came along, I was a regular at my local health club. I worked fewer hours, weighed less, and had much more energy. Middle age, longer work hours, and the increasing demands of the family (and lots of laziness) have made me reluctant to join another one, though boy do I need it. Money was also a reason to hesitate.
But last Saturday we took a look at the fancy schmancy club by our house and fell in love. They have a great pool for DD, lots of machines that I can use, free trainer sessions, lots of classes, a beautiful locker room, and reduced rates on massages. We took out a one-month trial membership. DD and DH have been swimming a couple times already, and today after teaching I went to a session with the trainer. She was upbeat, fun, and spotted my "issues" immediately. The key question is, Will we go enough to justify it?

On principle, I'd prefer the Y, but this is less than half a mile from the house. The Y is miles and miles away.
I'm giving it a month, and then we'll re-evaluate. But for now, I love it.

Just read an interesting comment from Bill Simon of Walmart in Al Lewis's Sunday WSJ column.

"You need not go further than one of our stores on midnight at the end of the month," Mr. Simon said.
"It's real interesting to watch. About 11 p.m., customers start to come in and shop, fill their grocery basket with basic items, baby formula, milk, bread, eggs, and continue to shop and mill about the store until midnight, when...government electronic benefits cards get activated and then the checkout starts.
"The only reason somebody gets out in the middle of the night and buys baby formula is that they need it," Mr. Simon said. "We are open 24 hours.... If you are there at midnight, you are there for a reason."

Another brief but telling reminder that though we're eagerly awaiting my first paycheck of the school year, we're not in this situation.

DH did comment on the rather lean checkbook balance this morning. But our cupboards (literal and metaphorical) are full. For this we are truly grateful.

Here's the link to the article:
http://tellittoal.newswires-americas.com/

Or perhaps I should call this entry "Kidz Fadz and Cash"? DD has now officially hounded me into buying a package of Silly Bandz. But I made her spend "her own money" on the other two packetz. Our local card store is selling these for $3.99 and the clerk tellz me she can't keep them stocked fast enough.

For those of you spared this over-priced wackiness, see
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/18/AR2010071802974.html


I guess I'm glad I only spent $3.99. Sigh.

Last night we went out for a little family birthday celebration. We ordered a shared appetizer and two drinks, plus food for DD.

The server brought the wrong wine (even the wrong color!) for my husband, and the appetizer never showed up. I told the server when he delivered the entrees about the appetizer's absence, and his remark was "I'll take it off your bill." No apology, no explanation, no offer to take the food back and get the appetizer. Later he came by and told us it was his fault, and he could get them to "bring it out quickly," but it was halfway through our entree!

He also forgot the bread, and was obviously a little undone by his mistakes. In a case like that, how much do you tip? Nothing? Ten percent? More?

Sometimes it's just not worth it to go out....

I had a parents' meeting at DD's school today--planned for 11 am. The teacher seemed a little surprised that only half the kids' parents could be there. I'm not surprised at all. But indeed to be there, I had to let my class out five minutes early, pay for parking in the university ramp, rather than park in my usual off-site free parking, and drive slightly more than the speed limit to be on time.

Other parents had to take more time off work, and the school has already had a day off in the less than three weeks school has been in session. They have two "late start" days, when they don't begin until 11 am, at the end of the month.

We're doing a small family dinner out tonight for my b-day. it's a quiet birthday, but that seems perfect right now.

Yep, this is the first full week of school for me--with four days of university teaching, plus my evening class tonight. The house, I'm sorry to say, does NOT run smoothly in my absence,-- and I'm still a little irritable about the babysitter situation. We won't see her for a while, but I fully intend on straightening things out with her.

So I'm busy: special events at DD's school, students wanting meetings, a presentation project, my promotion packet, and all the house stuff. It always takes DH a couple of months to switch from summer--when I do most of the housework, to fall--when I expect him to step up.

In light of all that, sometimes the best thing to do at the end of an unsatisfactory day is to take a bath and go to bed. Sounds like a plan!

Despite an otherwise pleasant weekend, I'm more than a little unhappy with our babysitter. She's in her late twenties and very smart, but has problems holding down jobs, mostly, I think, because she's so bossy.

I normally don't mind her bossiness, though we did have words several years ago when she decided to tell me how she didn't approve of how I loaded my dishwasher. Since then, well, she has her moods, but everything was fine until last night.

DH and I went out for my birthday, then to a club to hear some jazz. This is high living for us. Our usual Saturday night is something off the grill and a library rental DVD.

When we got home, the sitter announced that she'd decided to "clean out" the freezer. We'd bought some rotisserie chicken and veggies for her and DD for dinner, as well as cake. But she was looking for a popsicle in the freezer and decided that some of the things in there should be thrown away.

I always freeze chicken scraps, bones, vegetable parings etc for homemade soup stock. She emptied all those bags and threw that away. The frozen bananas for banana bread--also gone. That made me pretty mad, but today, I realized she'd also moved five or six packages of meat from the freezer to the fridge, and now it was all thawed and needed to be cooked immediately. So much for my peaceful Sunday. I've been braising beef, frying sausages, and making stock. If she appeared on my doorstep right now, I'm afraid I might stick her head in the stock. Has anyone run into this odd control freak behavior from a sitter before?

She's great with DD, but man alive, I've had it with her right now.

The carpet installers came yesterday and the carpenter came today to finish off our basement project. It's officially done! Done and paid for!

Next step is moving the treadmill in and next weekend, a trip to IKEA.

Hooray!

September is such a long month for us. My university paychecks don't start until October 1, I forgot to submit my project approval forms for my reading job, and we have a lot of expenses to start off the school year.

In other bad news, the university coffee shop has increased its prices due to wholesale price increases, but David Bach's latte factor aside, my daily coffee is a small price to pay for alertness and sanity.

I need to complete my flex spending reimbursement to free up some cash, but this first week of school has worn me out. I have 135 new names to learn and way too much early prep. Cash is trumped by sleep tonight.

Today DD and I went to the mall. That, in and of itself, is noteworthy. Except for the outlet mall, I haven't been to the large mall here for more than six months, I'm sure. There's a smaller one nearer our house, but this is the "big" mall.

To put it concisely, it was jammed. Macy's had a huge sale, but I waited several people deep at each register. Everyone did seem to be shopping the sale and using their newspaper coupons, but man, it was crowded. I'm pleased with my home purchases--a really nice mattress pad, nicer than the advertised ones, found in the clearance bin for under $13, and an adorable set of Tommy Hilfiger pink sheets for DD's room--printed with white scotties for under $18 with the coupon. We needed both items, and they were both good quality--all cotton and very pretty. DD also got some school clothes, but I find myself thinking that clothes for 8-year-olds look a bit too much like clothes for 17-year-olds. I bought conservative looking tops, but still, some of them look pretty trashy to me. I must be getting old.

We got more things done--yard work and my most wonderful husband volunteered to do the shower clean-up. It looks fabulous.

Now on to ribs, corn, and coleslaw! It's been a good good weekend.

We got an amazing number of things done today, from all our usual Saturday errands to lots of other errands.

While DH and DD picked up the tuned-up bike at the bike shop, I hit the hardware store, the post office, and the library. I bought a shower head with a spray shower for our master bath, in the hopes it'll help keep that shower clean. I used a $10 off coupon, and thus got my grass seed for patching the bare spots almost free. My ebay sales and the the Amazon trade-in went to the post office. The weekend's entertainment all came from the library DVD section--including a number of very good British crime series we've been watching.

Our biggest triumph was the carpet outlet. Home Depot has been giving me fits about laying the carpet, and we've had several disputes with them. I decided to can them and go to the local store--in business for 80 years. The salesman was so easy to deal with, and he scheduled the install for this week! I could've kissed him--he made it all so easy. Then on to the farmer's market for loads of veggies and Office Depot for a grade book. In the current insanity, the university no longer provides them. How they expect us to take roll electronically in a classroom without a computer is beyond my wits.

We also rented a cottage ALREADY! for next year's holiday in the UK. We've been scoping out this one for quite awhile, and they only had one week available for next summer--so we took it. I also got laundry done and started a pot of stock from last night's chicken bones. Is it the cool weather? Or did the planets just align to make everything super easy today!

Today I listed one of the textbooks I unearthed in the office, and lo and behold, Amazon offered me a couple bucks more than the going price for it.
It listed originally for $45, but a used copy was selling for $19, and Amazon offered me $22 postage paid.
They don't offer cash, but an Amazon gift card (almost as spendable as cash in our house). Has anyone else used this? It looks as if they're trying the system on textbooks. But I'm happy to send it to them (or their clearing house) immediately without the problem of listing it.
I'll let y'all know how it goes, and I'm adding the $22 to my ebay totals.

It's not really wealth, but I spent a lot of time this morning in my university office. It's a horrible office,cramped, dirty, and tiled, and I've been there 15 years. I share with another instructor, and we've got lots of stuff. If the janitorial staff clean it twice a year, we're doing well. The state budget cutbacks seem to have hit our cleaning staff hard.

But I got scrounging today and donated an extra (circa 1969) yellow steel desk to one of our teaching assistants who has no desk, making room for a surplus (again 1969) gray steel bookcase I scrounged from the janitor's surplus furniture haul. A co-worker donated an old typewriter table that will house our PC. She got a lamp left by a former office mate, and we got a free calendar from the bookstore. An hour with a roll of paper towels, some picture hangers, and some Windex could really help the place.

I cleaned out files, emptied three ring binders never picked up by students, and gave them to our office manager who was happy to have them. I'm no economist (actually I did an econ minor in college), but it seems as if there's enough stuff to go around here--we just need to reallocate it!

My university teaching started up again today, and they seem like they're a decent bunch.

It's still a month until I get paid, but thankfully our expenses are just groceries and coffee(salvation of all overworked instructors). I saved 15cents on my daily coffee by bringing in my own travel mug, but almost left it in both classrooms today. I'll need to review my 403b contributions and my flex spending account. I should probably file my flex spending reimbursement requests over the weekend too.

I sold some shoes of DD's today and an outfit on ebay, so will try to get them in the mail. More stuff out!

I'm looking forward to the weekend and getting all caught up.

Well, almost set. DD will be ready to go to school tomorrow, and her clothes and backpack are both ready.

DH has volunteered to do morning bus duty for the first three days of school. He has an odd, geeky, ongoing fascination with American school buses since that kind of school transportation just doesn't exist in his part of the UK. I'm doing the afternoon ride along for three days too.

My class went well last night; they appreciated and drank the Diet Coke, and I spent no money on snacks, only coffee.

Today's surprise was the final bill from the basement remodeler. As I was going over it, I realized he forgot to credit us for a $5000 check we wrote him in July. I've e-mailed him and will have him refigure the bill.

I've got a couple small projects planned over Labor day weekend, including degunking the shower in the master bath. Anyone have great suggestions for the best way to tackle that? Ugh.

I'll bet most of us have been there. I took DD to Target to return a couple things and pick up some coffee. About $100 later, I staggered back out into the sunshine with two bulging bags.

At least I remembered the coffee----

My Women and Lit class starts tonight. I'm bringing snacks for me and a big old bottle of Diet Coke someone left at my house to share with my students. We don't drink Diet Coke, and I'll bet they'll be happy to have it. Small price to pay for listening to me yammer on for 4 hours!

Nope, we're not ready for school, but I hope to have an entry that says "Set" this week and another that says "Go."

My evening class starts tomorrow night, and DD's school year begins on Wednesday. My day classes begin on Thursday, so it's sort of an easy start, followed by the long Labor Day weekend.

Wishing all of you getting ready for the school year success!

I've got tons of editing jobs left to do, the garden needs to be weeded, the kitchen cabinets need a sorting through and reorganizing, my syllabi need another check, and I've still got most of my mom's stuff to list and sell. Oh, and old gold jewelry to be sold and doctor's appointments etc. What I suspect I really need is a day without DD in the house to get caught up on things.

But it's hard to resist an 8-year-old who wants to create new hairstyles for hours on end and read books with guinea pigs as the main characters. A week from today she starts back to school, and as antsy as I'm feeling about getting things done, I'd rather hang out with her a little bit more.

We had a good day shopping for shoes, made some survey cash, listed a couple things on ebay, and went grocery shopping. But the best part was sitting in the cool sunshine and pulling out creeping charlie with the girl and pretending it was spaghetti.

My jobs can wait another few days......

I've sold the last of the discarded textbooks that I foraged (and blogged about). I'm happy they're gone, and my bank account is also happy.
But I've been at the P.O. so much, I suspect the postal workers think I have crushes on them.

And I've managed to freecycle everything from a load of kid's videos to a pinata. Someday I'll find the floor in my office. It's probably time for me to list some more of my mom's things--perhaps tomorrow morning.

I suspect it's the cooler weather, but I feel upbeat and energized about my world. Or maybe it was the holiday?

The Home Depot measuring team is coming out tomorrow to measure our basement for carpet. That and the closet system are the last steps before we move things back in there. Progress!

We're just back from an expensive but delightful two weeks in the UK. We've eaten a lot and spent a lot, but it was just wonderful.

We did have some small unexpected savings: at the most expensive guesthouse/hotel they had a problem with their hot water tank and were without hot water for 12 hours. Because of the inconvenience, they gave everyone there a free night's lodging. This was a bit undeserved for us since after I awoke to see the notice of the problem on the note under the door, I checked the hot water--and we all got up and had quickie showers before they ran out.

We did take a foldable cooler with us and had some snacks in it, but no one could really say we economized much. The London hotel had an "executive lounge" where we had drinks and snack, but the costs probably outweighed the savings. We spent a week near the in-laws, saw tons of friends, and just enjoyed ourselves--especially on the seaside and at the historical sites.

But all good things end, and I've taken on an extra class to help rebuild savings. I sold a book today and managed to get some things listed on ebay.
More of the same is scheduled for this week.

I love to travel; it's so wonderful. We're already planning the next trips,

Not very much spending, just haircuts for the whole family, including the dog, this week. I've sold another book on Amazon and have a watcher on the ebay auction of my mom's things.

I'm taking off for the weekend to meet up with some girlfriends, and then am hosting a party for another friend's birthday next week. I predict my plans of making most of the food will change, but right now, I'm planning a Greek-style tortellini salad and a chocolate raspberry cake. Yum!

I don't know about the rest of you, but money is about the last thing I want to think about during the summer.
I want to think about gardens, books, movies, peaches, relaxing, swimming, traveling, and a lot more pleasant things than the state of my 403b.

We're headed out on vacation soon, so listing more things on ebay seems difficult, and I have loads to do before we leave. So on that lazy note, I'm taking some time off from scrutinizing my budget carefully, and I'm just going into a holding pattern till school starts.

I've got courses to plan and promotion files to compile, so money will have to wait a bit.

We started watching "I Claudius" on library DVD. It's been years since I've seen it, and it's pretty enjoyable. The trials of ancient Rome make it seem even more idyllic around here.

I've been reading a fair amount of new fiction, most of it pretty lousy, but a great new biography of Jane Addams of Hull House. Now there was a woman who DID something with her money!

I'm not enjoying these "no paycheck" months. Although I intellectually know that we'll have to pull money from savings over the summer--especially with child care and vacations--it's always hard for me to have so much spending and only DH's paycheck. We usually live on his salary alone, but holidays and home remodeling come out of my saved salary.

But I sold another book yesterday and got the ebay sale posted, and I have bids on two of my new listings.

I've signed on to do some copy editing for a new textbook starting next week; I just wish it would start now. I'm such a sad case; I really like to work!

I'm a happy gal today because I sold some of my great aunt's dishes on ebay. Not for a lot, but it's a start.

And we had a very thrifty trip to Walgreens to begin
some school supply shopping. My favorite pens (I'm such a pen freak) are on sale, and we got about half the stuff DD needs for third grade for $6--and made a buck on the Colgate toothpaste with my coupon.

I also got a load of clothes on the line and am now inspired to list some more dishes.

Nothing succeeds like success, as my mom used to say.

DD is now officially 8-years-old, and we're thinking it's allowance time. I've read and pondered many things about kids and allowances, but mine was tied to chores. Should they be? How much? I have no idea.

I welcome any allowance guidance from those
who have been through the fire.

We had gallons of rain last night, almost 5" at our house, so much of the morning was devoted to righting plant pots, retying tomatoes, and picking up branches.

I finally got a few things listed on ebay yesterday, but my book selling continues strong. DH ordered a "print on demand" book that came late, and they sent him another free which sold immediately on Amazon as did a few other books. I've found I need to check my selling prices regularly to make sure I have the low price on them.

I've noticed conflicting economic signals lately--more and more storefronts in the local strip malls seem to be empty and a long-time sushi place has gone out. I honestly don't know how the smaller boutiques make it work. But I can't get a teen-age girl babysitter anywhere around here. Granted we live in an affluent suburb, so many of the girls don't need the spending money and spend their days at the local pool and mall. I've called the youth director at church, asked everyone we know--nothing.

I babysat most summers from ages 13-16 and did dog walking and everything else my mom could sign me up for. She has very adamant we had summer jobs.

Adding another $35 to my ebay challenge from the book sales.

I've been trying to think of lots of small ways to save money since it's been an expensive summer. Today I took DD to the mall where they had a special kids' event with the local nature center, science museum, and arts camp offering a visit with raptors, a slime-making sample, and a flag craft. It whiled away a couple hours and cost nothing since we brought our own snacks and ate them in the food court. Plus the nature center had free passes that will come in handy. We're members there, but they're great to give to friends who hike with us.

We had a visit from the electric company who installed a radio control sensor on our a/c. It will allow them to switch off our a/c occasionally and give us $50/year.

I hung out some laundry, and we're eating last night's leftovers at lunch with some more at dinner.

I sold another book for $7 and netted $120 Sunday night at my rich folks book club. I'd still like to list some ebay items in the next few days. Maybe this afternoon?

DD's birthday has been an expensive week--between the upcoming party and the various gifts etc. I'm just biding my time until we can get back on the ole budget bandwagon.
Tonight we took DD our for the traditional California Pizza Kitchen birthday meal. She got her dinner free, thanks to their birthday club, and we got a free "small craving" appetizer. I think the waitress thought we were crazy, but we took the appetizer home. We had a coupon for it, but really didn't want it. Looks like pita and hummus for me tomorrow for lunch.

My goal for the week is to photograph and list some of my mom's things that I retrieved from her house. Wish me luck!

To go with my last "foraging" post--I sold another of the discarded books on Amazon. I'll add that $30 to my total sales.

Reading Jeffrey's posts about foraging food has got me thinking about what natural foragers most of the folks on this list already are.

Here's my example:
Faculty at my university have a "free books" table in our department office. They're meant for department employees, not students. Many of them are slightly used textbooks, and sometimes they sit there for months. While ordering sample copies of textbooks and then selling them is clearly wrong, these are used texts and other books that folks just don't want anymore. So here's my foraging. I've been picking them up and listing them on Amazon and half.com. Is that bad? I pick up one or two--I never walk out with a huge stack. If they have no value on the reselling websites, I donate them to Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or wherever I'm dropping things off.