Life Inside My Purse

I have been away too long!

2009-06-12T00:57:00.000-07:00

Wow, a lot has happened since I last posted. We have moved into our first real house, Yay! We have a dog (my kids' first). She's really cute and just over a year old. We've had her for a month and a half now. She was a Mother's Day present! Wow was I surprised. We got her from the Pet Orphans in Los Angeles, yes, a rescue dog! She's the sweetest dog ever.

We are loving our backyard. Hubby put up a basketball hoop/stand and the kids are digging it! We are going have a July 4th get together/barbecue.

Well I'll post later. Can't believe it's been so many months since my last post. Hope everyone is doing well!

I Think There's Just About Something for Everyone

2009-03-10T21:12:00.000-07:00

The following information is exactly how the new stimulus plan will impact everyone. I decided to reprint it here in case there are people who complain about the bill not helping "ordinary people". I think there is something in here for just about everyone.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

On February 17, President Barack Obama signed into law a $787 billion economic stimulus plan. That package includes many provisions that may directly benefit you:

Tax Breaks. Individuals earning $75,000 or less will receive a tax credit of $400 on payroll taxes paid in 2009 and 2010. Married couples are eligible for an $800 credit. The tax credit would phase out for single taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes (AIG) of $75,000 to $90,000 and married couples with AGI of $150,000 to $190,000. Retirees who receive Social Security benefits and individuals on disability would receive a one-time tax credit of $250.

Healthcare. The bill provides a subsidy to cover 65% of COBRA premiums for up to nine months. The subsidy is limited to workers who were laid off between September 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009.

Education. Parents of college students will be eligible to claim a tax credit of up to $2,500. Available in 2009 and 2010, the credit covers tuition, fees and course supplies such as textbooks. The credit phases out for individuals with AGI of $80,000 to $90,000 and married couples with AGI of $160,000 to $180,000.

New Housing. First-time homebuyers are eligible for an $8,000 tax credit, which does not have to be repaid unless you sell your home within three years. The credit is available for purchases between January 1, 2009, and before December 1, 2009. The credit phases out for individuals with AGI of $75,000 to $95,000 and married couples with AGI of $150,000 to $170,000.

Green Homes. New tax credits are now available for green home improvements on a principal residence starting January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010. The credit covers 30% of qualifying upgrade costs, or a maximum amount of $1,500. Qualifying modifications must meet a certain efficiency level to be eligible for the credit. For record keeping, experts advise that you retain all receipts.

New Cars. New car buyers can deduct the sales tax from their AIG on purchases of up to $49,500. The deduction is limited to car and truck purchases made on the date of the enactment of the bill through December 31, 2009. The credit phases out for individuals with AGI above $125,000 and married couples with AGI above $250,000.

Green Cars. From January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2010, there is a tax credit for plug-in hybrid vehicles. This credit — based on the capacity of the battery system — for electric hybrid cars and trucks starts at $2,500 and is capped at $7,500. Previous tax credits for electric vehicles would have been phased out after 250,000 total vehicles. The current stimulus package has increased that number to 200,000 vehicles per manufacturer.

Always consult your tax advisor for tax information and advise.

Wow a Whole Month Went By!

2009-03-02T22:48:00.000-08:00

Wow you would have thought I won a prize for not posting a whole month! Well, I didn't. I have been really busy. We are in escrow on a house and there is a lot to do as it is a fixer upper! Lowes and Home Depot have become our friends. I have to start back posting something... anything just to relax. I just finished watching tonight's episode of 24. It was a 2 hour event that I forgot was 2 hours. Where were we during hour 1?? Home Depot! Of course! Got back about 20 minutes before hour 2 (or what we thought was hour 1). It was really good tonight! Anyone else watch 24??

I have drawings, design plans, etc in my purse and a tape measure, go figure! Exciting times, none the less. I'm really looking forward to moving, but not packing everything up!

Hope everyone is doing great! Happy March!!

Finally, a Sale... Two Years in the Making!

2009-01-30T23:39:00.000-08:00

Don't ever give up on your writing! Over two years ago I wrote an article on, of course, being organized at the grocery store, lists, etc. Just yesterday, I got an email that said someone had bought my article for $25. I couldn't believe it!

It was on a site called CC (I don't know if I can mention it here) I hadn't been on that site since I had written my one and only article. That was the spur that got me to write another one today! I think I'll keep writing in response to requests (I figured that out today, too).

Anyone out there write for that particular company or another one like it? Are you making good money at it? Every little bit helps!

Grocery Lists Made Simple!

2009-01-16T22:17:00.000-08:00

I used to make the generic grocery list with no real plan in sight. I would go grocery shopping, and when it came time to make meals, I had nothing exciting to speak of. I would also end up overspending or having to go back to the grocery store to get items I had forgotten due to poor planning. After implementing the previous post's idea, it made dinners exciting again.

Well, with the new resources for meals and what I'm about to tell you has made my life a lot easier!

Several years ago, I found through my windows xp based computer program (I don't remember the exact program) a "grocery list" that was a template that you could change around. I remember seeing the template along with templates for receipts, insurance lists, awards, etc. I wish I could remember it, but I got a new laptop with Vista and I've yet to really find anything really useful here :(.

Anyway, I pulled the template up, took off items I don't usually buy and added items that I do. I actually sort of recreated the aisles in the grocery store on my list i.e. Paper Products column, Frozen Food column, etc. I listed it by item and not brand i.e. toilet paper, toothpaste, bacon, cheddar cheese, sliced cheese. You get the picture. I print two copies for the month (remember I shop once every two weeks) and start my planning about 5 days before my Friday shopping day.

After figuring out what I'm going to fix for dinners, I go through my list and check off exactly what I need to buy. Also, checking off breakfast items, (3 cereals, breakfast meat, eggs - whatever I needed for two weeks), lunch (lunch meat, chips, fruit, etc.) and snacks (yogurt, pudding cups, etc.) this makes my list complete and easy to follow. It may seem to take time, but believe me, it's worth it. Each time you work with it, you'll get faster. Remember to save your template for future printings.

No more lists from memory or going to the store without a list. It has literally changed my life as far as organization goes. Not to mention saving time too! Also, on the back of the list, I write out 14 dinner meals for the two weeks (2 Mexican dishes, 2 American, 2 Asian, 2 Seafood, 2 Italian, 2 Sandwich dishes). On Fridays, we have breakfast for dinner - yumm! I put the menu side of the list on the fridge so I know what I'm making that night.

I hope you can find the list (or make your own) and that it helps you as much as it has helped me.

Any questions?

Bored In The Kitchen?

2009-01-13T21:17:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in the post below that I plan out dinner meals two weeks at a time. This was a long time coming, let me tell you! Before I started doing that, I had about 7 meals that I cooked and rotated constantly! Nothing fancy - tacos, hot dogs, burgers, meat loaf, pork chops... you get the picture. Sounds good, right? But, over and over again? Wrong!

My brave and handsome husband suggested that I make NEW meals instead of having the same thing over and over again. Um, slightly insulted, slightly embarrassed. I decided to go on line and also really look at the cookbooks I had. Thank god for meals.com! Very impressed with the recipes. I know how to cook, but when you put together one part lazy, one part tired, one part stubborn and one part, well I don't know what else, but anyway it didn't turn out good.

I looked for meals and saved them on the meals.com website. I printed them out, punched holes in them and kept them in a three ring binder. The binder, 3 years later? It's not pretty, but it's mine! :)

I have dinners, desserts and snacks in the binder. I love the web! I also go to pillsbury.com (they have great ideas for Superbowl) and bettycrocker.com (they have printable coupons) for inspiration. If you guys are bored with your meals, try those websites, they're awesome! Not to mention the foodnetwork.com (gotta love Paula Deen!). They have easy recipes and reviews. Don't forget to sign up (it's free) so you can save any recipes you have in a "recipe box" on the sites.

Let me know what you think?

Next post I'll talk about how I conquered my grocery list fear!

Changing My Spending Habits

2009-01-07T22:53:00.000-08:00

For the new year, I've decided to actually stick to my grocery budget every month instead of going over by 80 or more dollars. Yeah, I clip coupons and make a list, but it never fails that I buy stuff that I probably don't need.

For example, I buy cookies for school lunches. I have decided to bake the cookies, not just for the house, but for school as well. I bought a box of ziplock quart size freezer bags to use for this purpose. I usually bake cookies for the house, but had slowed down a bit until recently. The other night I baked 4 1/2 dozen oatmeal peanut butter cookies and put a dozen and a half in one of the bags and labeled it "for school lunches". I put the other 1 dozen and a half in the cookie jar and the rest in another bag labeled "home cookies". When home cookies start running out, I will replace them with freezer bag home cookies. Tomorrow I plan on making snickerdoodles and doing the same thing. A few days after that, I will bake some other kind and rinse and repeat.

This way, I will always have an assortment of cookies not just for home, but for school too! I'll let you know how it's going. I figure I am saving $14 a month since I shop once every two weeks and buy about $7 worth of cookies each time.

I'm also keeping my receipts from the store and based on stuff I usually buy, I will go over my list and write down what I feel the prices will be. This way I will get an idea of how much I'm spending before I go to the store. I clip coupons and use the ones based on what I need for the two weeks. I plan out my dinners two weeks at a time and actually write out meals that I will cook. This way I get exactly what I'm supposed to get at the store. I just have to stick to the extras. I'll write more about this later...

Who's with me on the sticking-to-the-budget-thingy for 2009?

No Big New Year's Resolution for Me

2009-01-03T19:08:00.000-08:00

I've never been that great with New Year's Resolutions. I used to say things like I'll eat better, or I'll exercise more, but I decided to do things a little differently. I decided three months or so ago to start exercising so that when new years would come along, it would be a habit. Done!

Well, I have decided to keep my dresser cleaned off and my closet floor clean. I know, I know. Not a big deal, but my dresser got cleaned off once every 6 months and my side of the closet floor caused the doors to stop in their track when sliding. So, yesterday, I cleaned off my dresser and will keep it cleaned and I cleaned the closet floor of shoes and boxes. It's little things like that I can do. How about not taking things so personally, especially when my husband and I discuss things (that's code for all you married folks out there).

I asked my kids if they had anything they wanted to change or do for the coming year. Both said no. I wish my older son (19) would get a hair cut for New Years...

Do any of you make resolutions or anyone vow to make changes for 2009?

One Down and One To Go!

2009-01-02T00:22:00.000-08:00

Ok. Here's an update from my previous post about not watching DVD's that I got from past Christmases. I just finished my "24" DVD I got for this Christmas (2008) and I just realized that I was supposed to watch Hairspray from last Christmas (2007)... Oh well. I will do that this weekend... I think.

I know my husband will be glad that I'm done with Season 1 of 24. Staying up 'til 3:00 am watching (the suspense is amazing on that show) that DVD is amazing. Now I just need to stop blogging so late! :)

Have You Worn or Watched It Yet?

2008-12-29T19:59:00.000-08:00

I got a couple of DVD's for Christmas 2007 and I have only watched one of them. I got Devil Wears Prada that I watched sometime in the Spring and I still haven't watched the other DVD Hairspray!

What's wrong with me? My kids give me DVD's and I don't watch them. I shriek with delight once I open the presents - I am genuinely happy - but then I set them aside and sort of forget about them.

Well, I have made it my mission to watch Hairspray from Christmas 2007 before 2009 comes in! No ifs ands or butts about it!

BTW, what are some gifts you have gotten for past Christmases or other holidays that you have yet to wear or watch? 2008 doesn't count.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

2008-12-25T23:39:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas and our kids were very happy with their gifts. My sister and her husband gave me a jacket and a few sweaters and gave my kids and my husband new jackets and a few shirts. We also got two new puzzles as we used to do puzzles a long time ago, but they thought it would be nice to get back to that. I agree!

My kids gave me a DVD of one of my favorite movies, "Corinna, Corinna" and the first season of 24, which I had not seen and one of my favorite shows!

What did you guys receive for Christmas and/or what gift did you give someone that they loved?

Gifting on the Inexpensive (Cheap) :)

2008-12-22T21:17:00.000-08:00

I really had not planned on giving holiday gifts to anyone at work. I got a couple of gifts from friends at work. I feel obligated to give them something, so I figured I would bake some cookies (oatmeal w/craisins) and brownies (from box), enough for everyone to enjoy.

I hope tomorrow (Tuesday) there will be enough people there to enjoy them!

Are there any homemade gifts anyone out there has given to friends or co-workers? What are some of your ideas for NOT spending a lot, if any, money?

I Don't Have Room for an Insta-Bed

2008-12-19T23:24:00.000-08:00

Today was my office's holiday luncheon. It was two hours and it was packed with fun. We ate lunch which was lasagna (veggie and meat), garlic bread, two chicken dishes, two salads and pizza. It was really good. We played this white elephant game where we had to wrap something from home that we didn't want and bring that in. I got three little bottles of shampoo/conditioner/lotion set. I found a pair of white shoelaces that had never been opened, wrapped them and brought them in. I don't know who got those.

We also had Secret Santas and I got a $10.00 gift card to a grocery store. I gave out a $10.00 cash card to Jack-in-the-Box.

We played holiday charades and they raffled off four insta-beds (the kind that you blow up and it makes a mattress). I didn't want those so every time they called out a number, I was saying to myself "please don't call my number". Thankfully, I didn't win anything. At the end, though, we all got gift bags with candy, $25.00, a calculator with our company name on it and a scratch off.

I couldn't figure out the scratch off (hope I didn't win anything big) and I put the $25.00 in my purse.

Do any of you have B&M jobs and what did you do for a holiday party?

Short Cut (ish) for Cooking?

2008-12-17T22:32:00.000-08:00

I love to cook and bake. I made my older son's 19th birthday cake out of a Betty Crocker box mix. I can bake from scratch, but I really like taking short cuts. I guess I don't really consider it a short cut since I'm still taking the time to mix everything together and bake in the oven. A real shortcut would be to drive to Costco and get one of their cakes already made and decorated (I've done that too!).

Anyway, I've also used the cookie mixes from a bag, cake frosting, cake decorating tubes,and muffin mixes. I'm busy and the time savings are awesome! I really like the holiday cookies that come already cut out in shapes, so all you need to do is bake them. Every time I've made sugar cookies from scratch (real scratch), I can never roll them out good enough to cut them in shapes.

I want to know what are your favorite short cuts for cooking? I haven't made a biscuit from scratch in a year!

Do You Know People Like This?

2008-12-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

I don't understand people...especially business people. We have a realtor and a mortgage broker and both seem to be incommunicado (sp?). I don't understand people who say they are going to call and don't... for days and days. We're not serious about house hunting yet, but this little experiment is a cause for concern.

Do you know people who are supposed to be "on your team" not communicate with you? How does that make you feel? I would never reveal their names, but I still keep their cards in my purse... just in case they come to their senses.

Put a House on the List

2008-12-14T02:16:00.000-08:00

There's less than two weeks until Christmas and, once again, I can't believe it's almost here. We've decided, like we do every year, not to go crazy on gifts. We haven't even started shopping for Christmas and we haven't even bought Christmas cards to send out. I'll never forget one year, we didn't even send any cards out and people stopped short of asking us "what's wrong with you?" That was the last year we missed sending cards. We do have our tree up!

It's tough as the kids get older (19 and 15 - both birthdays in December) we don't really know what to get them. I've asked them to write out a little list, but I haven't seen one list from either of them. I told them not to just mention stuff they want and expect me to remember it like a short order cook or the waitress at Norm's. I did happen to make a little list that is, you guessed it, in my purse. It has stuff on it that I could remember and what I thought they would want. I just have to remember to actually purchase the stuff and not carry it around on a piece of paper the way it is now.

Each year my husband and I say not to get each other anything for Christmas. This year is no different. My husband bought one of those mini computers from Best Buy for himself to replace an old laptop that had been blinking out on him. He also bought some new clothes for work. He told me not to get anything for Christmas for him since he had bought these things a few months ago. Today, he mentioned that he wanted some renovation books for Christmas like the ones you see at Lowe's. I didn't say anything, but I wonder if I should drop him a little hint too? We're planning on buying a house next year and that's why I said I didn't want anything for Christmas. I wonder if I should add "house" to my list?

I'll Get Back to Ya

2008-12-12T21:59:00.001-08:00

We're having a Holiday luncheon next week during work hours to celebrate the holiday season. I put the invitation in my purse to remind me to pick up a gift for my "Secret Santa". The gift has got to be $10 or less. I'm not sure what I'm getting for him, but my Secret Santa loves food and I'm leaning toward a gift certificate to a fast food place. He would love it! He's single and he loves to eat. He's always eating fast food or something as equally nutritious for lunch.

I'm pretty happy with whatever anyone gives me. I've always said it's the thought that counts. One time my sister sent me some kitchen towels for my birthday. I love them and I still use them. I feel if anyone gives you a gift to celebrate something happening in your life, be grateful and say thank you... and mean it. I'm not talking about if someone gives you a paper clip or a piece of lint, I think you know there are boundaries! You never know what people's finances are like, so be thankful for the small gifts as well as the big ones. I'd be happy with another bottle of hand lotion from Bath & Body Works... that's what I got last year and I was really happy. I'm sure I'll be just as happy this year. I'll let you know what I get.

I Have the Ticket in My Purse

2008-12-10T22:32:00.000-08:00

I got a ticket today. I was so proud of myself for leaving early enough to get to work 10 minutes early... I know, I know. Well, I thought I would take a short cut and make a left turn through this neighborhood to bypass a light and a busy street. I can make a left turn, but only after 9:00 am. I knew it was 8:45 am when I turned. I thought about making a u-turn then make a right turn onto the street, but I looked down the street and didn't see any cops (like usual), so I made the left turn as planned. Just as I turned, I saw a cop on foot motioning me to pull over! OMG he had pulled someone else over and saw me and waved his hand for me to pull over. Busted!

I showed him my license and it took about 7 minutes for me to find my proof of insurance and registration card in the glove compartment. My husband usually drives this particular car, but I took it this morning and was lost in a sea of repair bills, food coupons and older registration paperwork until I finally found what I needed. The cop was patient, actually walking over to his car parked on another street, that I didn't see, to write up my ticket. He even let me call my husband to ask where he put the paperwork. He was also very nice when he handed me my ticket, told me my options (plead innocent- right- plead guilty and pay -probably- go to traffic school - maybe) and when he told me to "have a nice day." Funny, as I was listening to him, more cars drove by and I wondered how many of THEM had made that left turn before it was time.

I was 10 minutes late to work. I will never make another left hand turn before 9:00 am again! Shame, as I only live about 15 minutes from work. The cop said it would not be a ding on my insurance. We'll see. I have the ticket in my purse.

My Purse Will Do Just Fine

2008-12-09T23:01:00.000-08:00

I don't clean out my purse very often, but when I do, you wouldn't believe the interesting stuff that is in there. I just got my purse about 4 weeks ago on sale at a Shoe Pavillion that is going out of business. It's not a huge purse, but it holds my stuff nicely. I have a lot of little things in there.

For instance, we all went to San Diego about 3 weeks ago for my son's birthday. He loves the Chargers and we got tickets to a game as a surprise for him. We had a blast, even though they lost in (I'm not kidding!) the last two SECONDS of the game. We still had fun, especially since it was our first time going to a professional football game. I have my tickets from that game in my purse.

I also have tickets to the Wild Animal Park that we also went to on that weekend. We had a blast and I took a lot of pictures with my camera phone. Well, I can't really make out all the animals because the pictures are a little small. Oh, well. I still have the ticket in my purse, along with a ticket stub from the movie we also saw (Quantum of Solace... ummm Daniel Craig!).

I should put all that memorabilia in a scrapbook (don't own one) I guess, but if it's in my purse, I can look at it every time I go in there. Wow what nice memories! I think my purse will do just fine. :)