Pennies for your thoughts part 64

[cinderellawkids]

Ive been paying bills as far back as I can remember but never a vacation even for a weekend. My boys didnt get to go on their universal summer fieldtrip with summer camp the last 2 years and Im not sending them with the group this year, which Is why Im taking them, because when you have kids there is always gonna be bills, but for now everything I pay and is in my normal monthly budget is paid, including what should be paid on the 1st, thats paid and I dont even have my pay check yet

[Jewelz]

I feel like I am always catching up.. I am horrible with money. I want to attack my bills but I always put it behind and say oh another day I will deal with them... then it usually bites me in the behind.

[anvilhead]

gosh reminds me, some of my favorite school age memories with renee was taking off work and helping chaperone field trips etc!! all the other kids told her i was a "cool mom"! she didn't believe it for a minute!!! and hurray hurray for YMCA summer camp cuz they kept the kids way busy with a huge variety of stimulating activities, and she'd come home with tales o' plenty! also where she met her bestest friend to this day, miss lilla jean!

cind are the boys in any extra curricular sports?

jewelz, want me to send ya a copy of my monthly bills spreadsheet??? you KNEW i had one right? actually just updated it...i was starting to freak out and THEN looked at the calendar...hello, i get paid TOMORROW!!!! geez.....

[cinderellawkids]

Jewelz, budgeting takes practice and for me its essential to pay standard bills, immediately when paid so I have no other chances to spend and get tighter or worse off than I am.

Anvil, no they arent in extracurricular sports. Mainly cause I dont have the energy and work schedule conflicts with getting them there and us eating ect. The 2 oldest 10 and 7 are in an after school program through the Police AThletic league. The oldest does weight lifting there doing the program hours. I send them to the same place for their summer program and in addition to busy activities thereon site at the rec center (soccor, softball, baseball ect and coming this summer swimming) then one day a week they have a field trip, skating, bowling, small water park, movies ect. I budget for them to do all but the theme park at the end of the summer, last year the kids actually told me going to Universal with me would be more fun than the group so I had promised by the end of last year, unfortunately it didnt happen, which is why Im sticking with it this year, hopefully mid May.

After school also, my oldest is in Future educaters club and hopes to be in Math and Science clubs next year.

I have been unable in the past to Chaperone field trips but am finally able to next Thursday when the go to ST AUgustine and tour the oldest Fort, Oldest City ect with my oldest and then trying to go to the Firestation field trip with the middle one in a few weeks. Im really looking forward to it and my boys are so happy Im going

[kj0975]

Thats great for you Cindi but I was speaking of MY bills and what I HAVE to pay. Nothing towards you at all. I think thats great if you can do that with the kids. I personally cant thats all. I just got a bill for 10,000 for my dads funeral that is due by 5/12/2008 so you can see why I CANT afford much. wasnt towards you at all it was all about ME!!!!

Is this the longest day EVER? Also why at the last minute does the boss call to do errands? ARGH

[anvilhead]

said with ALL the respect for the deceased, but i always wondered, having had to pay for my mom's funeral, casket, burial plot, head stone, etc....what exactly would they do if you didn't pay on time? repo the casket???? recycle the gravestone???? i will always be soooo thankful to Fr Kevin at St Bernadette's for guiding us to the People's Memorial Association before mom died, which geatly helped defray costs......when Renee's daddy died i was able to refer his family to them as well.....even helped em pick out the nice wooden box his ashes rest in, that has traveled with renee to LA and back, hung out for a while over at his mom's and is now sitting next to the tv at her apt!!!!

i swear, kids can sure seem like expensive little units, but what's more important??? i lived in the subaru wagon, i swear, between transpo to and from school, and soccer practice or b-ball practice or dance classes, then games and recitals, and various evening activities at the school, parent commitment hours, student community service hours, pta, fund raisers.........i dunno, i look at my girlie girl today and know that every single moment was worth it....even if i did yell GO RENEE to the wrong kid at practice....even if i pricked my finger countless times trying to sew damn sequins on her tutu, or as score keeper hit the buzzer at the wrong time and brought the game to a complete halt.....or totally forgot to how to cook anything but hamburger helper, or inadvertently washed the whites more than once with her red soccer socks mixed in.....or was called Mrs Cable for YEARS after brian and i split....

[Jewelz]

Anvil, send it to me please... it will be something to give me an idea to work with.

[anvilhead]

ok jewelz, i'm mocking one up for you right now....and it's on it's way!

[Japic05]

just a second back in the ofc - I wonder why every report I touch is the most complicated thing ever??????? Oh well - refused to let it ruin my cheery attitude!

still having a good day - going to tan and then clean my NEW house and work on more stuff for the BIG Sale this saturday - yippee - the progress is showing - I can't wait til I'm taking pictures of the big demolition!! That will be fun - picture if you will - Rafaella with a sledgehammer!!!! whatcha out AH - better not tick me off that day - ha ha ha!!

gotta run - my cellulite is calling - "tan me please!!!!!"

until tomorrow!

[cinderellawkids]

Kim, Im sorry for all youve been through I wasnt saying that about anyone or towards anyone, I was saying for me why I was taking a few hundrend for my children instead of the credit card lawsuit filed against me, Im sorry for any misunderstanding and again very sorry about you loss

[kj0975]

Anvil sounds like your were/are very involved in Renees growing up which I think is great. If I ever have kids I think I would like them to be in alot of activities I think it helps them develop social skills and how to do team work. I learned alot from all those things.

I dont really know what they would do if I didnt pay for the funeral. I guess since its tied into my SSN they would report it on my credit report then if anything happens to me I guess I wouldnt get a funeral who knows really I dont want to find out though. The whole thing is confusing and of course why would the lawyer call me back. Well I guess I'm outta here for the day supposed to leave 30 min ago but others didnt want that to happen!!!

[cinderellawkids]

Anvil, I sure wish I had the energy and finances to do all the sports things, unfortunately at this time with locations and commutes and different age groups I cannot. For me, today, its all I have to do homework with them each night and read the required books with them. We get home around 6, and even when dinners already ready ect Im working with them, alternately till 8 most nights were swallowing food and alternating 3 showers and baths ect. The sports things here are across town, wed have to eat early 2 or 3 nights a week and I dont know where homework would get practiced. So Ive decided that since they are still struggling school wise to take the evenings for academic things with them.

Im almost scared at what the next few years are going to bring in the name of organizing it all. Reminds me gotta make a sticky to pick up soda for school carnival, for Gar and cups for Dar's class on the way home today. I love my sticky notes.

[cinderellawkids]

Have a good evening everyone

[anvilhead]

kim they'd probably withhold that whopping SS Death Benefit, which is a staggering $255, if the spouse or children qualify.........god wouldn't wanna be throwing cash like that around....no wonder Social Security is going broke! wooo

[kj0975]

Yep With money like that surely my family would be able to live comfortably. Well home now scott is cranky so its gonna be a greeeaaaat night!! Just took kitty for a walk hes doing really good on the leash except when its time to come inside. He spreads his legs right out and puts out the claws he forgets that I can just pick him up silly kitty. Later I might just put him out on the leash and see how he does. I really gotta stop watching animal planet!!!!

[anvilhead]

ah i bet he settles down in a bit....scott, not the kitty..... tell us again WHY you are leash training your CAT??? actually my rather overbearing and overly helpful assistant only takes his kitty outside on the leash.....it's gotta be something to watch kim..........my cats didn't even like to wear collars!

so cute, bucky was in the lake a bunch yesterday so when we were drying him off and brushing him down hank took his collars off........this morning when i grabbed bucky's chock chain, he immediately sat down and lifted his snout and was very "happy" once his collar was back on! we're leaving the one with the little red reflector OFF for now cuz it makes this annoying thunk thunk thunk every time he moves, runs, jumps, scratches etc.........it's a bit harder now to tell where he IS when he's outside, but he usually clues us in with barking........

[kj0975]

UMMM did u compare me to the ASSistant? LOL My neighbors do look at me funny oh well. Just something I thought would be fun LOL note to self walking kitty on leash is only fun for kitty. I would laugh at me too if I drove by and saw my wack job neighbor walking their cat. LOL Damn animal planet. Scotts even into it he takes him on the night time walks. WAY too much time on our hands. I am training him on a leash cause hes easily spooked and last time he got out he got scared and didnt come outta hiding for 2 days. So slowly breaking him into the outside so hes not such a scaredy cat.

[anvilhead]

oh stop it!!! scaredy cat........:rof you're killing me!!!! yeah we started watching Dog Whisperer and other DOG things and next thing ya know, we got a dog! and there i am, schlepping that beast every stinking day.........a dang year later and bucky STILL will not reliably come when called!!!! sigh....

wait, hold up, SCOTT is walking a CAT? man honey, what's your secret???????????

[Impurrfect]

KJ - I admire you that you can get your cat to walk on a leash. I tried it with my cats years ago and the one was such a contortionist, he could get out of the collar no matter HOW tight it was. I swear, cats's backbones must be made of rubber bands the way they move!

I remember when mom died, we were making the initial arrangements for the funeral and the funeral director said "that will be $6000 to get started...do you want to pay by check or credit card?" WTF!!!! My mom had been dead less than 24 hours and they want money immediately?!??! Luckily, her best friend (my other-mother, Kay) and the pastor of the church mom worked at were there and Kay wrote a check and Jeff (the pastor) said if she didn't have it, the church would cover it. We had an insurance check coming, but it takes longer than a few hours!! That's a lot of stress to dump on someone who's heart is breaking with grief.

Okay, I'm going to work and I'm going to TRY to be a little less irritable. I'm hoping all the other servers will just go home and leave me alone!

[liesagain]

wow I missed alot today

Kj, so sorry about the loss of your dad and now the finances on top of that. do that best you can what else can you do.............hugs

Anvil, like you I did it all even when I was single, football, baseball, cheerleading room mom at school, reading group once a week in the pre K class
up all freaking night working on projects, customes and all that...........
AND I can honestly say when it comes to my son....WHY did I bother? he not only DOESNT even remember but could care less!!!
My daughter, she remembers and I think she apprecieates it but even she got to a point in like 7th grade where she said.............hey mom NO MORE coming to school to eat lunch with me, NO PLEASE PLEASE dont chaparone the field trip!!!!
People think you should stay home and be all involved when they are young..............I say hell no you are needed MUCH more when they are teens and start getting there butts into stuff you need to be watching closer...............but thats just me I wish sometimes I put more effort into the later years rather than the younger ones----plus what a kick in the teeth when I ran like a nut trying to be the "scoccer" mom school PTA mom and years later when I was doing something for my stepsons class to have my son say YOU NEVER DID all that when I was little.................LIKE hell kid I was room mom reader mom PTA football team mom MORE for you than anyone!!!! YIKES KIDS!

so Cinder..............homework and family time takes tops I think because you know what MY son does remember that I use to read to him every night, and he does remember the "wake up wake up sleepy head" song I would screech in the mornings...............but not a flicker of the other stuff

Jewelz, I suck with money now too. I havent had to worry about money in so long I forget what a budget is.....now with the business shut down and AH in treatment only my income which isnt horrible I dont make enought to even cover the bills..............its starting to catch up to me expecially since I'm also paying for my daughters expenses at college..........( she has 100% tuition but heck thats only a very small fraction of the actual cost CAN you believe that the tuition was basically the same as the freaking MEAL plan they require them to have the first year? thats crazy to me)
My mom keeps asking me.......what are you gonna do? how are you going to pay the bills..............My answer The best I can period.
Pay the lights first, the daughters school then car so I can work and do the best I can as I can with the rest.
Will I end up having to move? maybe but ya know what theres not much I can do about it..........right now except do the best I can.
so one day at a time on problem at a time one bill at a time...........

[Jewelz]

Hey Anvil, Just wanted to know if you were able to send the budget sheet to me? I am having problems with my work emails and not getting some of them.

Still no stimulas check... not that I desperately need it but it would be nice.

[anvilhead]

jewelz...your email addy is giving me trouble......maybe pm me w