F is super bored, but I sort of think it's ok to be bored sometimes so that you can learn how to entertain yourself... she's decided to do an art project. I know a lot of families that do something extraordinary and fun and fantastic every weekend. But we don't have the money or the energy for that!

D and I had to take some time to request another look at our tuition assistance situation. We had to analyze our Dublin house and send that info to the Financial guy at school.

I had to clean the house. Yesterday was a snow day, and I had to buy groceries for the coming week.

It was all very frugal and low key.

Our weekends are not keeping up with the Joneses!

Actually, next weekend we have plans to go x-c skiing. And the following weekend we are going to CA for Spring Break. So that all seems pretty exciting! Sometimes you just need a boring weekend and some down time.

I did my weekly shop today, and I did quite well. We are well-stocked with the storms coming.

The Menu is:
- risotto with peas, sundried tomatoes and goat cheese
- cod pieces (they sell small pieces for a lot less) with aioli and broccoli
- shrimp sushi (already have shrimp in the freezer) with cucumber and avocado
- pasta with homemade red sauce with basil
- roasted chicken with lemon and cauliflower (one casserole dish - easy!)
- soup with garlic bread

F is at her friend's house, so I got a lot of sewing done. I fixed three pajama bottoms (cannot believe I was wearing them like that - so embarrassing!). One had a giant hole in the back, and the other two were so long I kept tripping on them.

Now I am fixing a little hole in a shirt and darning some socks. This is all hand-sewing. Need to fix a little hole in a pair of F's leggings, too, but they are still wet from the laundry.

Every time I was clothes, my mother reminds me that when she was little they had a wringer-washer. I think that I'm so frugal, I might be ok with that. Then she says, "And we hung our clothes on the line outside! Oh... wait, you do that, don't you?" Yes, Mom, I use the patented Solar Dryer (clothesline).

Didn't do that today, though. Everything is drying on hangers in the laundry room (we have a rod under a shelf that's on the long wall of the room) because it's so windy and awful outside. It's supposed to snow starting around 7 pm, and then it's supposed to snow all day tomorrow.

I am thinking now that I mention my mom's wringer-washer, I never told you about my mom, who is really funny, still very young and quick and walks every day, but is NOT frugal. I'll save that for another post...

F and D are watching the football match, and I am taking a break from cleaning. I need to brush our dog before I finish vacuuming! I want to wash the towels today because they need to dry outside, and tomorrow is supposed to be snowy (which means even under the portal they wouldn't dry).

We were supposed to go out to dinner last night with our friends, but F had a bad stomachache, so we went home instead. We talked about seeing them for lunch today instead, but they have lunch plans. So I guess that's money saved.

Instead, F is having a friend over. Two very sweet girls, and the house will be clean by then (just need to finish vacuuming and get the towels in, but I can't vacuum until the football is over). So I'll take the afternoon to relax a little.

I guess it's a frugal day by default.

I just paid off another $20 toward mortgage principal. It's not a lot, but every little bit helps, right?

We have 3 years (best scenario) until this is paid off entirely. Worst scenario is 5 years. I should be feeling really positive, but I am just antsy!

Just to remind myself:
- We have put $300k into this house
- All but $62,310 is paid off
- That is our only debt
- We are living on last month's income
- Our house is worth about $500k
- Three years ago F was 6 and starting private school; it seems like yesterday! So three years will go by quickly (that actually is sort of sad!)

Because we live on last month's income and because I have several sinking funds and because we have an account specifically for car replacement (in 3 years or so), it looks like we have a lot in the bank. But that money is all spoken for. It is not for paying down our mortgage.

What if we took that car money and just wiped out like a third of it, though? Then it would take 8 months to pay it back in. I guess this is my plan for the end of the mortgage.

We're putting together a recipe book for our school (something we've never done before which surprises me).

We've asked for healthy, easy recipes...

I looked through my recipes and these are some candidates:
pad thai
white chicken chili
chipotle chicken stew
lemon crumbed fish
chicken piccata
bad breath pasta
zucchini socca
tunis cake
pumpkin corn muffins
summer pasta with bacon (we use turkey bacon)

In the meantime, I am really wanting some new recipes, and I can't wait for the cookbook...

Here is what we'll be trying in the next few weeks:
Corn Bread with cheese and sundried tomatoes (having this tomorrow night with a salad)
http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-double-corn-bread-with-52538

Chicken with cauliflower and olives (not that frugal, but a one-dish meal)
http://elanaspantry.com/chicken-with-cauliflower-and-olives/

Baked chicken taquitos (these look so good!)
http://www.fromvalerieskitchen.com/2013/01/baked-chicken-taquitos/

Potato farls with carrot/coconut soup (haven't had potato farls since I lived in Ireland!)
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/6847/potato-farls.aspx

http://orangette.blogspot.com/2014/10/even-on-good-day.html

I had to have an endoscopy today, but the dr. said everything looks good! So that was great news! (And $442 but I have the money in a sinking fund called "Medical Unforeseen").

I'm having a little bit of discomfort though, so dinner isn't sounding that great tonight. It's baked potatoes and broccoli. Pretty mild.

And for dessert - pancakes (crepes here in the US) of course! It's Pancake Day! Shrove Tuesday!

I know there are some UK people on here, and people who have lived in the UK, that know this as Pancake Day. Are you having pancakes, too? Savory or sweet? (We do sugar and lemon).

Frugal Things from the Long Weekend:

1. We used a coupon at Baskin Robbins and got another to replace it.

2. I did 3 hours of continuing education online for free.

3. We all went out to eat on Friday, but D and F went to a local burger place (it's really awesome apparently, but I can't have the burger or the bun). I went with a friend (she took me out to lunch so it was free for me!

4. We spent nothing on entertainment. On Friday F and I hung out. On Saturday, we helped her with a school project (it's a video and was super fun to make except that I am the worst actress ever). On Saturday night F and I went down to Albuquerque with her friend (it was me, the mom and six girls) to see Cirque de Soleil. Completely mind-blowing! And the family covered all of the tickets. I drove three of the girls, and we had so much fun in the car (all six girls were amazing). Then the girls went out to dinner, and D and I went somewhere nearby (it was Valentine's Day after all - spent $40 on a very nice dinner) and then went back to the other restaurant and hung out with everyone. On Sunday we filmed the other half of the video for F's project (I still can't act; there's even a blooper roll at the end that is basically me losing it; F decided to include that). And today F went to the gym with me.

5. Had a very inexpensive grocery shopping week for us. Very happy because friends are coming into town on Friday, and either we'll eat out or host them.

Our menu plan this week:
- pasta with turkey balls
- baked potatoes with broccoli
- quesadillas with guacamole
- frittata with spinach and cheese
- chipotle chicken stew from the freezer with a salad
- sundried tomato and cheese cornbread with salad

After the shock of the possibility of less tuition assistance, I've had a good night's sleep, and I am confident that we can make this work. I always forget about our big cushion (which is that we save over 20% of what we make). I don't want to reduce savings, but it's a big safety net. And I think we can swing the tuition payments without reducing savings. D is going to do school photos again next year and that is side income, so the profit from that can go right into school savings.

I want to say one more thing on the subject, though: I volunteer up at school (this year I am Parent Association president, next year I will be past president, I've been room mother and I've served on the Building and Grounds Committee since day 1). Maybe they take that into consideration? I hope so!

So... there is no school today or Monday, and most of our friends are going skiing in Colorado (or in one case, Banff, Canada!) so F and I are hanging out. She is having lunch with D, and at the same time I will have lunch with D's coworker (I've known her since before D started working there; she so great and funny!). Oh - and here is a weird thing just to show you what a small town this is: D's office got a resume from... the son of F's school principal! Who I also know because we were at during winter break and he was very sweet, taking time to talk to F about soccer. I also met him last summer at this free music in the park thing. He's my favorite of the principal's three sons.

Anyway, F suggested making valentine's cupcakes today, so that's exactly what we're going to do! I'm pretty sure I have all the ingredients we need.

F needed googly eyes to finish her valentines for school... Michaels coupon 40% off, so total spent on valentines is $1.94 for googly eyes. She made them out of construction paper she already has. We got the idea from this website: http://www.theidearoom.net/2015/01/valentines-day-crafts.html

Michaels is right near Petsmart, and I had a coupon for $3 off good through the end of February, so I popped in to buy cat litter. Besides the $3 coupon, the cat litter (their own brand) was $2 off with my petperks card. So the $14 box of cat litter (I buy the 40 lb. box) was $9. And the receipt had another $3 coupon (good until 3/17) if I filled out a survey online. So I did that while F did her math homework. We'll use if for dogfood.

Now the valentines are done, and the kitchen is clean for the night, and F has done her reading and logged it.

Today was a very low anxiety day for F and I'm hoping that things are getting better. She and I relax A LOT now! I think it's good for both of us.

Also talked to our friends who used to live on the Central Coast and now live here (I lived in SLO in college). I told them we're going to visit my parents and then go up the coast and they said they'll be there at the same time (we're there for a week, but they're there almost all summer!). She said "You should stay with us! We're renting a house!" I think that would be awesome! Let's see what D says... (he's more of an introvert, and I LOVE being around people). It could also save money (sharing costs), and we all know I love that!

Lots to report today:

1. Our meal plan:
- lettuce wraps with rice (had this last night and for lunch today)
- soup with garlic bread (chicken with rice soup)
- lemon crumbed fish (F's favorite!)
- tostadas (refried beans, corn tortillas, lettuce, sour cream, salsa)
- chicken piccata with rice and asparagus (on sale for 88c/lb)
- grilled cheese with tomato soup

2. Unexpected Expense: F has been experiencing a lot of anxiety since the end of winter break. According to my friend who is a child sports psychologist, separation anxiety is not uncommon in 10 year olds. We have books and have been trying to help her, but it's been over a month, and I think it's time to consult an expert. I saw a really great psychologist years ago when I was trying to break up with my long-term boyfriend, and she agreed to see F for a couple of sessions (everyone thinks that's all it takes to get anxious kids the tools they need to manage their worries; I hope so, because we can't afford more than a few sessions!)

3. Free Entertainment: F is going to a birthday party this weekend. They are going to see Cirque de Soleil (wow! what a party!) at one of the casinos about 45 minutes away. It's about 6 girls, and the mom (a good friend of mine) asked if I could help drive (her husband was going to go and drive half the kids, but he and the son are going to a chess tournament). So I am using the husband's ticket; it should be pretty fun and the girls are all wonderful kids.

4. Plumbing Leak: We finally got the bill from our plumbing leak around New Year's Eve. We used (are you ready? this makes me feel sick): 3x as much water as usual. The bill is $110 (compared to our usual $65) for water, sewer, trash. I am going over to the water company tomorrow to apply for the once a year bill amnesty. I don't know how much of a credit we'll get, but it's worth a try. I have to bring a copy of our repair invoice.

I went to the doctor today to discuss acid reflux and other exciting digestive issues. The bad news is that I need to have an endoscopy (I thought she might require that). The good news is that she gave me a prescription for the omeprazole that I take for acid reflux; my dosage is doubled, but because it's prescription strength rather than over the counter, I get it through the pharmacy.

My insurance covers generic prescriptions 100%! A $0 copay! I was shocked when the pharmacist handed me the prescription and didn't ask for any money. This is something I've been taking over the counter and paying for every month. I have to take it every day, so I guess I'm happy I need a bigger dose.

In other health-related news, D is going to start allergy shots, and it looks like those are less expensive than we thought, too. We'll see, but that could be really good news for our budget.

1. I've been using YNAB for a month now, and it's awesome! It works the way I was already tracking our budget (month-ahead, tracking everything). That in itself was appealing. But it also allows me to track our accounts and make sure everything matches up. And I've been working very hard to make sure we don't have carry-over balances into next month, so we've spent less this month.

2. I bought a total of five jackets and returned four. The one I kept is great, and it was on sale. And it was the single most expensive clothing item I've ever bought. But totally worth it. It doesn't get extremely cold here (lowest is probably zero, and it's usually in the 30s in the winter). This jacket is perfect for our weather. It's the LL Bean 850 jacket (no hood - hoods make me crazy). I settled on black because it won't go out of style as quickly, and I plan on having this jacket for a thousand years.

3. I just heard about this meal planning program called Plan to Eat. I do pretty well on my own (and have for about 12 years!), and I don't need a program. But I'm curious, and there's a 30 day trial. Have any of you used it?

PS - it continues to snow here, and it's beautiful! Hope your weather is what you hoped for, too!

Yesterday we spent a lot of money on a cross country skiing day trip to Enchanted Forest in Red River, but it was planned. Here is a list of all the way we saved but still got a really great weekend break:

- F and I own our own gear (my skis and boots are about 20 years old but are still great!) so no rental fees for us. Only D rented, total price: $16
- the ski area is the biggest x-c ski area in our state (33 km of trails), but it's still a cool little family-owned business. For trail passes for three of us it was $45. That's a lot less than downhill! (We don't downhill, by the way).
- We did not stay overnight, so no hotel. And our neighbor popped in to let our dog out since it was a long day (no petsitter).
- We packed a lunch, so we didn't pay for lunch (and we didn't need to take out any ski time to go eat).
- Used half a tank of gas to get there and back which is pretty good, and gas prices are low right now. $8 in gas.
- We went with another family, and had so much fun!
- We all stopped for dinner at our favorite place in Española on the way home. The last time we ate out was three weeks ago since we knew we were going out after the ski trip.

And, here's a big one: everyone was so satisfied with the trip (and exhausted) that we just stayed home today and didn't feel the need to go out today. F mentioned ice cream, but then I got two apples at the store, so we're having an apple/blueberry crumble instead.

I did the meal planning, and spent $80 for the week's groceries (and that includes ingredients for a salad for the potluck lunch the Parent Association is making for teachers/staff on Tuesday.

Usually Monday is my "get a lot done" day. But because Monday wasn't a work day and we only have four days this week, it's been Totally Productive Tuesday.

It can't just be my work habits, though. Things I've been waiting on answers forever were finally resolved. I now have a clear list of tasks for the rest of the month. Even though it means a lot of work, I feel good that I have something to do!

Also I paid down some principal on our mortgage (we now owe $63,446). And according to the taxes, I'll be able to pay down a large chunk when we get our refund. So we'll be in the 50k's in a few months.

Tuition assistance forms are due on February 13th, so I need to get on that, too.

Yesterday, F and I had such a wonderful day... we played games, she worked on her diorama for school and then we went for a run. I am worried because I think when she does her first 5k she'll be a lot faster than I am - that in itself is a good thing, but I don't want her out there on her own, so I think D will need to run with her (she might even be faster than he is, though).

I bought Turbo Tax yesterday and started plugging things in (even though I can't finish our taxes because I haven't gotten all of our tax forms; I still know the amounts).

Now I'm slightly depressed because it appears we didn't withhold enough (Federal Withholding) from our paychecks. At least I think that's what's going on. I put in my W2 info and there was a big refund. Then I put in D's W2 info and we owed money. So I took out my W2 info, and it was a refund again. Then put it back in and we owed. Which says to me: we withheld enough if just one of us was earning, but since we earn very close to the same amount, we need to withhold about $30 more federal and about $12 more state per pay period.

I've adjusted my payroll for February (too lazy to do this for the last half of January). And now I make about $100 less a month. So... that's not good, right? I've also adjusted my monthly business distribution to give ourselves back the $100, but this feels like I'm not really facing the problem.

Next year is going to be more challenging since we will own our house in Dublin outright (although it seems like mortgage interest at this point is a very small deduction off the Dublin house rents received). Also D is making more, but I'm not sure his W2 will reflect that since he 6% of each paycheck will come out before taxes for the employee savings plan (it's matched).

I am definitely going to do a 2015 Trial on Turbo Tax, but I am wondering if I also need to finally have an accountant do our taxes.

Good and bad...

- Made asian meatballs with rice for dinner which is everyone's favorite. Yum, yum, yum! And frugal!

- Took our dog to the vet for annual wellness. She had her shots, too. Grand total: $90.87. But she is healthy, so I am thankful!

- Got an email from UNM Press. My royalties (which have dwindled since I wrote the book 9 years ago) are over the required amount, so they're putting $105.46 into my account. That will go to the mortgage!

- I got an email from the library that the book I wanted (This is Where I Leave You) is available. I just checked it out on my phone. I haven't seen the movie (I'm not a huge movie fan; something to do with sitting still).

- As I sit here typing away, F is practicing piano. She seems super frustrated and I can't help her because I can't play an instrument at all. She'll need to wait for D to come home. But I feel terrible that I can't help and that I never learned an instrument.

All sorts of things going on here...

- I had to take D's car today because of the snow (his has snow tires on it; mine is fine to get him to the office, but F's school is on top of a hill). Love those snow tires! His car is sort of fun to drive actually...

- F has been having a lot of anxiety lately. The school psychologist and her teacher were both very helpful. We've been trying things, and it's been helping, but when they recommended two books for us, I just got on Amazon and bought them. I didn't even look at the price. (It was $23.43 total). I don't have a book budget (we are library all the way), but I do have a budget for supplies for F. I think these books need to stay on the shelf; people who tend to have anxiety have it at times throughout their lives (I know first-hand!)

- I have been trying (unsuccessfully) to buy a winter coat. Here is the key thing: we have almost nowhere to shop here. There is Target and REI, but we don't have a Landsend or LL Bean. I want a good down coat that will last, and I'm sick of wearing a Target fleece through winter (it's really not warm enough). I think I mentioned before that my office is buying it since I need something warm for site visits. Well, I had to send back the one from Landsend (waaaaay too big). I bought one at REI and spent a fortune, but I did an experiment before removing the tags, and it wasn't warm enough. I just ordered a coat from LL Bean, so we'll see.

- It's 5:30. Almost time to leave for indoor soccer. I am bringing a book, but I often end up talking to the other moms (we've all known each other a long time by now and they're awesome!)

- But I really just want to sit on a folding chair in my sleeping bag and read my book! Actually I'd like to sit in bed at home and read my book.

- Grilled cheese and tomato soup tonight - we won't be home until 7:30! Late dinner - needs to be something easy!!

Stay warm everyone!

I finished my business taxes (1120S for an S-corporation) about ten seconds ago. Obviously had to post to tell you! (I'm very proud).

I met with an accountant yesterday to go over a few things I was having trouble with (conceptually) so that I could finish. He was recommended by a friend/colleague, and when I heard the accountant's name I was pleasantly surprised - it was someone I knew a long time ago. He used to be married to a friend of mine, and I've since lost touch with the friend (I see her around occasionally).

I called him to make an appointment and he remembered me, too (I always think people won't remember me but this is such a small town!). Anyway, I asked him if I could pay him to consult with me for an hour, but at the end of our appointment, he said I didn't need to pay, and to remember him if I have any more complicated accounting issues.

The return is done, and I've learned something (so I shouldn't have trouble next year). And I made a profit.

Have to go now - need to pick F up from school and it's snowing so I'm leaving a little extra time. We had hot chocolate last night, so I guess hot cider after school today. And I have to clean out the car because I'm driving on the school field trip tomorrow, and I want to take D's car (it has the snow tires); his car is, um, how do I say this nicely? Not very tidy inside.

I've been using YNAB for all of 7 days, but it's already helping me stay within budget.

I had to buy some supplies today (consumables)
- sale on bodywash and lotion at sprouts (it's their 25% off vitamin and body care extravaganza) - I made sure to check prices against amazon first
- and I also bought D's face sunscreen and some vitamin D3 on Amazon

But... I didn't go over this month's budget on supplies because I checked available budget first in YNAB. (I sound like an advertisement).

I also had to buy a dimmer switch for our new LED lights (also Amazon). I'll install it myself when it arrives. Dimmer switches are pretty easy to install. We put in 6 lights that are 4 w each (24 w total). They replace 210 w of lighting that we use all the time, so I'm pretty happy! This is well within "small appliances" which is where I put stuff like this in our budget. No plans to buy anything else so the rest will flow over into next month.

In a few minutes we're heading over to the indoor soccer place (it's just an old building on a college campus that is used for indoor soccer). I am crossing my fingers that they have the heaters going; last week they didn't and I was so cold! F was running around, and she wore a hat and gloves. I'm taking a blanket in the car just in case! The weather says 27 deg but feels like 15. I know that's warmer than it is where most of you are right now - so stay warm!!!

We did our quarterly net worth update and it was good news! Net worth increased by about $16,000 since September.

And... I resolved the plumbing saga today (after D fixed the problem himself on Saturday). The plumber was nice and took a little less than half off the bill. I didn't want to pay over $100... We ended up paying $124, but I figured for the extra $24 I would keep our good relationship, and have someone to call in an emergency!

I went to the chiropractor today, and turned out I didn't need to pay anything. I paid for a visit last year, and insurance covered all but $8.50, and they just wrote that off. They'll also submit to insurance, which is good, because our deductible is lower this year so this will help if we end up getting close to meeting it.

Right now... in bed with my laptop on my lap, and F is next to me reading one of her Christmas presents that just arrived from her UK cousins today: the Arsenal Football Club Annual 2015. She is memorizing everyone's birthdays!

I did really well on groceries this week. I had to check the receipts to make sure, but we were under $100 which is good for us.

This week's meal plan:
S - pasta with courgettes (and some goat cheese)
M - v. sweet salmon and green beans
T - mexican eggs with garlic bread
W - crockpot meal from the freezer with salad
T - chicken tikka in crockpot with rice
F - baked potato and broccoli
S - quesadillas and guacamole

Unfortunately I accidentally bought a bag of cat food we didn't need. I thought we were out, and didn't realize that we had a bag waiting. Oh well, it will get used eventually and it was on sale. Also had a deal from American Express (spend $25 at Petsmart, get $5 back). I looked, but there aren't any other deals I need right now.

Now I'll tell you about the unplanned purchase I made today. I've been thinking about it for a while because I'm so cold all the time and I spend a lot of time in unheated job trailers or on jobsites. I bought an on-sale down jacket from Lands End (I also used a coupon code for an extra 15% off). Actually, the office bought it for me because it's my new site visit jacket. Now hopefully I won't shiver noticeably at outdoor meetings. It probably won't come in time, but I have to meet at a job site on Tuesday that is basically a big dirt hole up in the mountains (brrrrrrrr).

In an effort to save money on the plumbing bill (they are coming back on Monday, and for now our water is shut off!), D is outside trying to find the shutoff for the irrigation line; he's digging out some cans down by the street (which I really don't think have anything to do with this), digging around the box to find another can (there doesn't seem to be one).

Here are some thoughts:
- Someone wasn't logical about where they put that shut off. We know there IS a shut off because we have the little metal stick thing with the prongs; it was propped up by the house. The irrigation was put in 16 years ago and never used.
- I probably used the prongy stick thing at some point, and I probably propped it up by the house. Why can't I remember ANYTHING? Argh!
- The ground is frozen. That is bad.
- We own a pick-axe. Isn't that cool? I can't remember why we own a pick-axe.
- We need to turn the water on at some point so I can take a shower and make lunch. Then we'll turn it back off right away so we don't create another frozen flood.
- F has a friend over, so we really do need to make lunch.
- I am going to be really good and not go out for lunch, although it's tempting. But it would only make this problem more expensive.
- According to the plumber the water company has a once a year leak amnesty. I have to call them on Monday.

I am sitting here at my computer because there is nothing I can do... Almost (luckily almost) nothing is open today, or else no one is answering the phone. I just talked to D and he's the only one in the office.

- We have a (BIG) leak in an irrigation box; I am pretty sure the loud bang we heard on new year's eve was the valve freezing off. We didn't know what it was, and it was outside and could have been coming from anywhere. I shut off the water to the house, but it doesn't seem to fix the leak, and the water is running down the driveway and freezing (which is how we realized what was going on). I called three plumbers, but only one answered (so glad they answered, AND had an appointment time for us, even though it's not until 3 pm)

- Tried to call the new accountant for one of my clients because I need to send them an invoice; they're not in today.

- Tried to call the insurance company that handles our umbrella policy because we haven't seen their invoice yet, and my records show that I'd already paid it last year at this time. They're not in either.

- Called Vanguard to exchange the mutual fund that my husband's IRA is in (this was transferred from another broker, and I've been bugging him for a year to move it since the fees are out of control!). I requested a call-back because the wait was so long, and finally got the call, but even though we're married and I know all of his passwords, etc. I can't make transactions for him.

- So I have to fill out an agent authorization for him to be able to act on my accounts, and he has to fill one out so I can act on his. I realized after filling it out that we'll need to take them to the bank for notarization.

- I tried to call Capital One 360 so I can find out if there is a minimum for my checking or if I can close that account and just use the savings, but the wait was more than 2 hours, and no call-back feature, so I just hung up.

I'm not complaining that places are closed - it IS still the holiday break. The problem is, I'm still on break, too, and on Monday I'll have to do actual paying work, so I was hoping that I could cross a few things off my list today.

Well, it turned out that even with an unexpected medical expense, 2014 was a good year.

- D got a raise in October, and then a promotion which came with another raise (effective 1/1/15)

- We spent 25% on wants, 53% on needs and 22% on savings (close to the 30/50/20 ideal)

- D had a lot of side work (photography) and with that extra money, we were able to get both IRAs up to the $5,500 limit

- Our food spending was less than last year!

- We paid off $4,013 in mortgage principal

- We made $1882 more than we spent

- We have a little over $10k in our car savings fund

- Everyone is happy and healthy, and that's what really matters!!

Happy New Year!!!

Today I bought;
- a toaster oven (it is a very good brand, and it's convection and is easy to clean; was in the scratch and dent section) which uses a third of the watts of our oven; I decided to go with one that does 6 slices of toast because that's the most we'd make for garlic bread - that way we'll barely need to use the oven!
- a bunch of LED light bulbs to replace the 35 watt halogens in our track lighting. Instead of 35 watts, each one is 4 watts.

I am weird about energy usage, and also I don't want to change those bulbs again! I shouldn't have to ever again!

Also today: began drafting my New Year's resolutions. One is to have an eye exam (it's been a few years), and I started calling around places to find out prices. One wasn't open, so I'll call them back tomorrow. They take the 15% vision discount that comes with my insurance (vision isn't covered for adults). So far the prices seem really high ($140-150 without the discount). Our Lenscrafters just lost their eye doctor, but I don't know if they'd be cheaper anyway. The one that wasn't open is stuck into the side of a Walmart; I'm not a big fan of Walmart, but I don't think they're affiliated.

If you've recently had an eye exam, what did you pay? It's probably covered in the UK, right? (I'm scared to even talk to D about it; every time something like that comes up he wants to move back immediately!).

We have $40 in small appliances/household furnishings, and I'm thinking of making a purchase...

Right now when we make a quesadilla or cheese on toast or make a burrito for lunch (these are all single items, not six burritos or something) I have to heat up the entire oven which is something like 2000 to 3000 watts per hour.

This probably happens once a day.

I am thinking of getting a small 600-1000 watt toaster oven for those small jobs.

What do you think?

I redid my wardrobe spreadsheet. Big disclaimer: everyone's wardrobe needs are different! I teach exercise classes three times a week, and my work clothes are casual (jeans). I only very rarely need to dress up.

So... here is the verdict;

- I have plenty of tshirts (long-sleeved, 3/4-sleeved, short-sleeved and tank tops) - too many in fact, and I don't wear many of them.
- I have three cropped jeans for summer; I think I could get rid of one of these
- I have a glut of cardigans I've knit myself; I am trying to knit other things besides sweaters (currently working on a pair of slipper socks, and F wants a new cardigan which I have yarn for)
- I have too many pairs of tights, but one extra is not a big deal; I can't think of the last time I wore these, but it's good to have a pair around; I may toss one pair (they're super old) but first I need to figure out which pair is the one that's awful (and I am pretty sure one pair is awful - like, you know, the crotch is 6" too low or something)

What I could use:
- a short-sleeved tunic to wear on "nice" work days (but so far haven't found anything I like)
- I don't have a nice skirt to wear to work on "nice" days - but then again, if I had the tunic, I probably wouldn't need the skirt
- I really could use a pair of nice work trousers; this gap in my wardrobe comes up a lot
- I need underwear! But I can never find any I like, so I have the materials to sew my own

So, here is the plan for 2015:
- one pair of nice trousers
- one nice short sleeved tunic
- sew that underwear!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you at SA! This community has been a source of comfort and advice and has helped me keep on track throughout the year! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

Lightbulbs: D is in the kitchen right now changing out the spots to LED. That is 8 watts/bulb instead of 45! Wow! Those bulbs are our Christmas gift to ourselves this year.

Gym: I am teaching weightlifting at noon today. In a way I'd like to just stay home, but actually it's good to get out of the house and exercise! I couldn't run yesterday because it was just too cold and the sidewalks were icy.

Mince Pies: How could I forget mince pies? I had some filling left over from last year in the freezer, and I'm making dough today. We need to leave a mince pie for Father Christmas! And D needs his mince pies. So tonight is traditional New Mexico tamales, salad and mince pies! Then out to see the farolitos with the rest of the city! We're going early so it's not too crowded!

Our menu this week:

Breakfasts and lunches - the usual, except Christmas morning.

Sunday - chicken, roasted cauliflower, rice (using the cauliflower up, and the chicken is from the freezer)
Monday - cod with broccoli and potatoes and aioli (need to use up the potatoes)
Tuesday - penne with butter and pecorino romano with stirfried courgettes
Wednesday - tamales (it's Christmas Eve!) and a salad
Thursday breakfast - sausage (it's in the freezer) and french toast souffle (this is made the night before and popped in the oven in the morning)
Thursday Christmas dinner - I am making cranberry sauce, potatoes dauphinoise (sounds fancier than it is!), turkey, gravy, tarte tatin; my friend is making a sweet potato dish, brussels sprouts with maple and a chocolate dessert.
Friday - Rachael Ray's turkey croquettes with leftover turkey! Going to try baking rather than frying.

It's pretty frugal (and luckily Christmas dinner is a shared effort!). Now we can afford some red wine and the adults can relax while the girls play!

Paid by the Gym!
$100 (includes payment for teaching and Christmas extra). We have now paid $4013 extra in 2014. We owe $64,600 (house is worth about $550k, so I am pretty happy!).

Pinecone Surveys, Etc.
Two in the past two days! So that's $6. I have 1206 Swagbucks, too. I think I have some money in Chase (business credit card) so I'll get cash for that, too. Will check tomorrow.

Possible Project
There are two "Letters of Interest" from the County - one is due January 5 and the other should be coming out soon. I have a good shot at either one. This is good timing since I have three projects that just finished up.

One Last Thing: Business Finances
I made a lot more than my goal this year, so I've delayed billing some of my invoices. If people pay promptly my business will start the year with $38,000 in the bank! That is about half of what I hope to make during the year, so I am so happy! I also have guaranteed billings for the remainder of projects. I think my total intake in 2015 (guaranteed) is $60k. So I just need a few projects to take care of 2015! Huge relief given how architecture has been in the past 5 years.