Sunday Doldrums

Why does Sunday sometimes seem like a wasted day.  Love Saturday, so much energy, so much to do.  Sunday seems to just be the day to get through before you start work again.  We go to church, eat lunch, knit, read, nap, be with our grandson.  I don't like to get too much going on Sunday just in case I can't get it finished in time for Monday.  Some re-evaluation may need to take place.  Maybe I'm just bored. 

Pantry Clean-out

Do you have a pantry?  They are wonderful.  So nice to go into your pantry when you need something for a meal, a snack, whatever.  Problem is if you don't cook that much, many times items in your pantry get beyond the expiration date.  For example the photo below.

This very sadly is all the food I threw away tonight.  Huge waste of money and I feel guilty when I know there are people all over the world that do not have enough food.  This is only because of poor planning on my part and laziness.  I'm sure this is not all but I was tired after going through all of this and it is the majority.  Many of the items were farther than a year beyond their best buy date.  Ugh.

In our preparation for moving, or if we don't end up moving, at least I have one more area in the house pretty much cleaned up.  Trying to decide what I want to clean tomorrow. 

Watered the garden tonight.  The drought continues.  Hopefully all this work is not in vain but I have a bad feeling that we will end up with not very much on the plants.  I haven't given up hope yet.  We are forecast for 90s all week with no rain.

Reality

The reality of my situation is I am in my mid 50's have credit card debt, have a home in two different states, have a husband who likes loves to spend money and buy stuff.  Obviously I do too otherwise I would not  have credit card debt.  Dumb choices.

We are currently living in an older home.  We are not older home people, we are not fixer-uppers.  Never have been.  We don't have the knowledge and I don't like the mess.  We have been looking at newer homes in the city we currently full-time reside in.  The home we have in another state is a newer home, although now over 13 years old, it hasn't been lived in very much since we haven't lived there for at least 10 years.

As we are looking at these homes, there is excitement.  I love a newer cleaner home.  Reality hit me this week that if we move we will do it ourselves rather than have a moving company and I am not moving all our crap, treasures, possessions, overwhelming amount of things, stuff.  Just the thought is overwhelming.  To that end today I have decided to take on the major task of getting rid of stuff I would not move into another home.  I have tackled the bathroom closet (should have taken a before picture, but here is an after picture).  It looks nice, it looks organized and these are things we will move, if we move.  I have a bigger box and 3 trash bags full of towels, blankets, sheet sets, etc.  All perfectly good and usable for someone else.

Top shelf, two pillows, two electric blankets, next shelf 5 bath sheets, next shelf bath towels, hand towels and wash cloths, next shelf 6 couch blankets, next shelf 2 queen sets, 2 twin sets, floor cat and cleaning supplies.  This is much more than we even need but is a reasonable amount to have.  The before picture would include every shelf looking like it is going to vomit all over the floor because there was so much crap stuffed in there.  I like this much better.  Yea, nothing like getting one out of control area back into a semblance of organized bliss.

A friend and I are having a yard sale the end of August.  If I can keep the motivation up I should have a good amount to get rid of.  The big question is where to store it until the sale.  Any money that is made will go directly to credit card debt.

This past week I joined Weight Watchers.  Our first meeting is Tuesday.  This has to be a total lifestyle change to work and I am ready.  Hoping for a feeling of increased wellbeing, more energy, better health.  Couple steps at a time.

Focus' are:
1. Credit Card payoff.
2. Weight loss.
3. Organization/purge.

Celebration

This weekend is Memorial Day.  I don't have anyone I know in my family or friends of family who has lost a loved one in a war.  There were many older folks in my home town that lost sons but they were older and when you are young you don't seem to pay attention.  We miss the stories of these wonderful people.

Yesterday we attended a friends wedding and it was such a beautiful day.  The weather was cooperative, the company was good - many people we knew, and the bride was beautiful.  Seriously she was picture perfect.  We need to spend more time celebrating both the big and little occasions in life.

I finished a baby blanket for a lady at work, had the baby 2 weeks ago, need to get over and visit.

The weather today temperature wise is wonderful, 60's and 70s.  The wind is horrid.

Typical

As usual I start something and don't carry through very well.  It has been a while since I have been blogging.  Today am feeling restless and discontented.  My beans froze Monday night so need to start by planting them again inside.  Maybe I just need to knit and create something. 

Going to Mom's for Easter.  Should be a good time, quiet.  Will go see my uncle who has Stage IV lung cancer and see if my cousins will visit for a bit.

Have almost completed my aunt's knitted socks.  Have maybe a couple of hours left so probably should complete them.  I am better at starting than completing as are most people.

Exhausted

In an effort to begin my minimizing of my life, the stuff, the crap, the clutter, the chatter, I decided to start with my personal e-mail. 

After watching an Amazing Packer game, it was time to tackle (pun intended)  a project.  So how long does it take to delete over 3,000 e-mails you ask.  Probably about 3.5 hours.  Cleaned up and deleted folders.  Moved some information into folders.  Unsubscribed from quite a few sites and as new e-mails come in I will continue to unsubscribe to them.  Too much unnecessary junk mail.

I always find it amazing after doing most of my Christmas shopping on line that I am then inundated with e-mails announcing sales, coupons, discounts, credit cards, etc.  Don't want them, not interested, just wanted to order a Christmas gift or two.  Marketing at its best.  I don't blame them because I'm sure it works otherwise they wouldn't do it.

My DH and I have been trying to not eat out.  This past week I stayed on track, he went to a conference.  Tonight he went to another so I will have leftovers tomorrow.  We continue to eat out of the pantry and freezers.  Goal is to get them empty by the summer.  Empty so they can be cleaned and turned off until needed which hopefully we will only use one not both of them.

From last week's goals I finished actually all 7 items I wanted to get done.  That is unusual for me.

This week I want to:
1. Finish ironing my husband's shirts (14 left)
2. Knit heel on Aunt's sock.
3. Cut out apron.
4. List Son #2's games on Amazon.
5. List Food magazines on Amazon.
6. Box up 1 box for yard sale.
7. Empty my car of work items.
8. Enter Coke Reward caps.

A Good but Sad Day

As background when I go to the casino my husband gives me $40.  When it is gone I pull out my knitting or book.  If I end up ahead at the end of the night I pay him back and the extra is mine.  Tonight I have an extra $90 to put in my envelope savings.  My mother also deposited money in one of my accounts for Christmas, so another $300 for savings. 

On a sadder note do you ever have to say goodbye to someone and it almost feels like a death.  A co-worker who has become a very dear friend is moving.  His wife moved about 6 months ago, he sold their house and now he is joining her.  There was absolutely nothing more than friendship but I am emotional about him leaving.  I will miss his calm gentle spirit.  I wish him all the happiness in the world.

More snow in the forecast, ugh.

Yarn Along

As a way to motivate myself to read and knit more I am going to start joining Ginny Sheller every Wednesday for knitting and reading.  My goal is to finish a book every 2 weeks but also try to complete at least one project a week.  As most knitters, quilters, crocheters, etc have many UFO's so do I.  What is crazy is many of them have less than 2 hours of work to complete the project.  What's up with that?

This week I am reading A Year on Ladybug Farm.  Bought it for $.50 at Goodwill.  For knitting I am making the ever popular ZickZack Scarf by Christy Kamm.  It is a fun knit, taking a bit longer than I expected but still fun and easy to do.  I am using Lang Mille Colori Baby yarn in colorway 06 and 16.  I almost wish I would have a little more contrast but it is working out for the most part how I wanted.

This next Christmas hopefully will be having a fully homemade Christmas.  The idea sounds probably better than the reality but hopefully if I get some things going now it an be reality.

12 HOUR DAYS

Does working 12 hours count as a doing something financially.  I'm beat but got a lot done which relieves stress.

Yesterday financially I returned some Christmas gifts that were spares in case what I ordered did not come in the mail.  The gifts I ordered arrived on Christmas Eve.  Cutting it close but was prepared for them not arriving in time.

SNOW, SNOW GO AWAY

We are getting inundated with snow again today, probably another 6 to 8 inches.  We had 16 inches on Christmas Day.  Our town is unprepared and we have snow everywhere.  This is a catch 22 for me as I love the snow, it is so pretty but I don't want to deal with it, go out in it, anything.  I guess that is why people move to Arizona, Florida, Texas, etc....although Texas is having their own trouble right now.  Lots of prayers going out for people to be safe.

Started working on eliminating one of my jobs today.  It holds possibility.  The control side of me wants to keep it because then I can run things how I want but it is unrealistic to keep going at the pace I am, besides the fact that I don't want to. 

Finished my book tonight, Florabama Ladies Auxiliary and Sewing Circle, it is not a new book but it was good.  Now I have to order the book for a book club that I belong to and get that read.  We are reading Birkebeiner.  It does look pretty good but then a pleasure book again.  Every two weeks I hope to read a book.  Love to read, good escapism.

I am going to post one thing I do daily to improve, or at least something that was done, financially.
** Took pictures of all receipts for Receipt Hog. **

Although it takes a while to accumulate points, and I know it is just a marketing tool for companies, it is a way to earn a little bit by recording the receipts on items you were going to buy anyway.  I have received $30 in the past and already have enough for another $5.00 payout.  It is best to wait until I have enough points for $30 again as the number of points per $5.00 that you need is not as great.

Weighed myself today.....it was ugly, but I now have a starting point. 40 pounds to go.