We were away for a week for Spring break - but we're back!

I got a ton of work done today, and I also made a trip to the bank to deposit the other half of our tax refund (state refund). Along with that, I deposited some snowflakes from selling some old technical books that I was considering tossing. I'm glad I didn't - I got $63 for them!

So I put 1128 toward the mortgage principal today; we've paid off $5104 this year.

Paying off the mortgage is crucial to paying for F's school (when she enters high school). We ended up getting $750 in tuition assistance this year (and it's really $1000 because we also don't have to pay the $250 finance charge since we're getting assistance; if you don't get assistance and pay monthly, it adds this charge - ugh).

The bad financial news is that I'm still getting bills for the endoscopy I had to have in January. I paid $422 at the time of service, and I thought that was it, but nooooooo... I've gotten two additional bills, one for $150 and another for $60. There is only $78 left in my "medical unforeseen" category. I need to beef that back up!

So... more good financial news: We did not spend much on our spring break trip. We stayed with my parents, so we just bought food.

I am hoping we can stay on budget when D's mother comes to visit from the UK in April. We have one dinner out planned, and one visit to the Tea House for a treat (I like the scones with lemon curd) and one potluck dinner with our friends at our house. D will probably also take his mum out to lunch one day. So that's pretty much our eating out budget for the month, but oh well! She's coming a long way.

We're trying to figure out some free entertainment, too. She'll want to go to the Plaza and probably buy something from the Indian jewelry sellers. She wants to go shopping for jeans, too. We can tag along since these won't be our purchases.

She can't really hike or walk too much (she uses a crutch), but she will go to F's soccer practices and Saturday game (they have a cart to take her to the fields) and her tennis lesson. And she'll go with me to pick F up from school. Not sure that's the best entertainment...

Any ideas?