Internet Woes

I don't like computers. Networking, figuring IP addresses, all that stuff is purely annoying. I just want them to work. Since I am in a budget crisis due to rising food and gas costs, I did the responsible thing, researched internet companies and made the switch.
DSL came. I had no problems getting set up with the internet, but we could NOT get the wireless router set up with it. In frustration, I decided to stick with cable for internet. I turned in the remote and cable box, and explained that  I still wanted to keep internet. Well, that's an additional 10 a month, which means my bill will be nearly 75 or 80 with fees just for internet. AND they will charge me 40 to disconnect the cable. I decided to try setting up the dsl again. Same thing.
I have followed every tutorial I can find, but I can't get it to work with wireless.
I am so frustrated. They charge $200 to have someone come set it up, and even customer service has a charge. As a last ditch effort, my ex is going to come look at it. But I don't know what to do. Should I cancel the cable modem before the person comes to disconnect the tv (they said I would have to wait 7 days to disconnect everything, because they want to charge an extra week). Or stick with the cable modem which works, and just send all the ATT stuff back and deal with the bill for nothing. I don't know. I am so frustrated.
I know that somehow the DSL should work with wireless. But am I going to have to shell out 90 for the att router so I will be able to get their tech support?

Sigh.

Countdown to cheap?

I like having kids. I like the meaning they bring to life, and seeing the world through their fresh eyes (until they become jaded nine year olds, thanks to cable tv). All my adult life, I stressed how cheap and easy kids can be. Cloth diapers, breastfeeding, yards sales, etc. Having babies is cheap (I guess it helped that my ex was in the military which made for cheap births).
The past year has changed my opinion. First, Liam was born, which ended up costing $5000, because of the way the hospital bill was made up, out of pocket. Then the insurance for a baby-just in case. Then my fiance hates cloth diapers, and we can't afford for me to stay home, so we had to buy formula to supplement during the day. I abhor breast pumps. It's so boring to sit there.
Then Taryn had to have talent. So we shell out for voice lessons and cheerleading lessons, and wouldn't you know? She made the team. Another $380, and she doesn't even get to keep the uniforms.
On top of everything, I now have two teenagers and one near teenager. Do you know how many calories teenagers need in a day? They eat everything. And they are in public schools, so they need a somewhat large wardrobe. Taryn is the only brand-conscious one, but it hurts. I say no as much as possible. But I know how it feels to be the kid with the knockoff brand. It hurts, especially when you are a self-conscious teenager, and feel like everyone is judging (and they are. Really). Tierney has yet to find a job to help pay her expenses.
Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade my kids for any amount of cash. But once they lose the innocent cuteness, you are left with R&B smut singing (thanks 96.5), food-eating, young adults, who cost a lot and still try to sneak out of doing chores by disappearing into their bedrooms under a pile of clothing, dishes, and stuff. I understand what Bill Cosby was joking about The Cosby Show, now. I know now why people say they can't wait until they grow up.

Thank goodness I am too poor to pay for their college. But there is probably some hidden cost of college kids I don't yet know about.

Guess I will go stare at the not-really-innocent faces, while they beg to go "do something".

Help, Please!

I am collecting information for a story I am writing. I am hoping people will comment or email me with a list of 3 to 5 of their top values and priorities in life.

Having fun

I am enjoying my money free weekend. Well, I did scrounge up some money for cat food, and I am craving some Shiraz, but I will persevere!

Changes

Well, the Bulls are now done for the year, having lost to the evil, awful Miami Heat, and so it is time to get rid of cable. I decided I am going to go with DSL from AT&T for internet (only 20 a year for the first year). Of course, with taxes and fees it will be around 35 most likely, but it is still cheaper than mediacom. Right now, my mediacom bill is $72 for cable, and 55 for internet. Of course, internet is "only" 45, but they now charge 5 for the modem and 5 for a "line" use. Whatever. I will just go back and forth between the two every year, if that's what it takes.
Activation isn't until June 2nd, so I suppose I will keep cable until Karl gets the DSL set up. I just hope it works well with the wireless router we have. I don't want to have to buy another.

Since we have a wii, netflix is a great cheap buy. Sometimes it requires a little patience (it does take a movie two days to get here), but so many interesting shows and movies are instantly available.

I suppose it will be hard to fill long summer nights without the benefit of a baseball game, but I will survive.

Desperate for Cash?

I was searching for some quick ways to put some cash in my bank account. Since a few weeks before I had Liam, I stopped driving the cab on weekends, and the bite to my budget has been quite hard.

Wallet Pop had this article
25 (unusual) ways to Make Quick Money

To be honest, most of them weren't really that unusual. I thought about a parttime job, but I am so looking forward to summer, I just don't want one. I had already been thinking of a yard sale to get rid of some baby clutter. But since I woke before three today, it is unlikely I am going to have the energy to pull it off this morning. Maybe next week.
Another option was to offer to babysit. After Karl goes through training at his new job, he will be working Friday nights. I might be able to do Friday night babysitting for parents who want and can afford to get out. I figure I could charge $8 an hour. It wouldn't be steady, but even an extra 25 or 30 here and there would help. I could either do it here, or bring Liam with me to the people's house.

Another suggestion I had forgotten is selling plasma. Now, it is not my idea of a good time to go sit around for hours to make a few bucks. But...it's summer, and if I had Tierney to watch the baby, it might be worth looking into. 
.

Definitely a "money free" weekend.

I am overdrawn on my checking account. Somewhere in my head, I thought I had at least a couple hundred (and I was worried about that being too little). I forced myself to check, despite the queasiness in my stomach something akin to checking my grade on a college paper. And there it was. It isn't an enormous amount. I will have money to deposit from Karl next week. It's frustrating, though. I keep thinking of what I shouldn't have bought for the students this week And the tickets to the movies I shouldn't have got the kids last week. And so on. But, what's done is done, so now to make the best of it.

First, I am not going to drive out to get my milk this weekend. I emailed the guy. I am embarrassed, but seriously, raw milk is a luxury I can forgo until I have more money.
Second, I am going to scrounge up change wherever I can find it to put gas in the van.
Third, I am going to use the tips from a previous posting to have a "money free" weekend.

Here is what I want to do:  Plans

Am I Out of Touch?

I am watching HGTV (I think?), where they are showing first time homeowners what they can afford to buy. What I want to know is, are these people normal? Does everyone go into buying an "used" home with the expectation that they must upgrade immediately? What would happen if they lived with plastic counters for a few years before putting in the apparently necessary granite?
What would happen, if they left the original bathroom tiles intact.
I guess as long as they have the money, it doesn't matter, but...I don't get it. Why does everything have to be brand spankin' new? Or is it just because they know they are on TV and have to impress their friends?

Dunno. I'd love a formica topped, big wood cabinet kitchen from the 20's.

Things to do this weekend

I was trying to find something "meaningful" to do this weekend (because everything I do must be meaningful or lead me towards my "life's purpose" or some other high-falutin (?) nonsense, and came upon this site:

100 Things to do on a Money Free Weekend

Maybe I will find something new and interesting.

Baffled on Health Care Reform

Call me crazy, but wasn't the whole idea of health care reform to make it cheaper and easier to get health insurance?
I wanted to look for lower premiums for Liam. He doesn't qualify for shortterm care until he is two, and that can only be renewed for up to 36 months (I am unsure if you can get another plan from a different company after that), and without a parent he cannot go onto another plan. Luckily I got him on last year before all the changes took effect. But now, I am stuck with Aetna, and the 159 dollar premiums for a healthy kid are driving me crazy.
Taryn is in temporary for six month, because you have to be insured to be in cheerleading, and hopefully I will be able to renew it for awhile.
Work insurance is something like 300 for one kid or 650 for my whole family (but I don't think I can add them now that I have working there for so long). I only take home 1800 a month.

I am just so pissed off. How is it better if healthy kids can't get covered at an affordable rate?

Boo...Money woes.

A house I love love is on the market, and interest rates are really low. The problem? My credit score is low as well. In fact, just having my student loans hurts me, even though right now I qualify for income-based payment, where I wouldn't need to pay any back at my income.

So...no house for me for awhile.
Also, I was playing with the tax books, and when we get married, Karl and I will lose thousands of dollars. Right now I "pay" about 1400 in federal taxes, but I get several thousand in credits back. So I make out with about 5000. Karl gets about 3000 back. But when we get married, we lose all credits, and have to pay about 4000 a year in federal taxes. No wonder people become republicans. It is going to hurt. Personally, I would rather not get married, it just doesn't seem logical, but I doubt Karl will agree to that. He would rather lose the money and be married. Sigh.

I guess someone has to pay for all these things...and I do believe in programs such as food stamps and medicaid, because gosh, we would have had to line up at the soup kitchen while I finished college otherwise. I just wish...I don't know. I just want more money, lol.

The Garden

I had a vision. Rows of green goodness, that I would can into a colorful variety of nutrition to nourish my family throughout the winter. In reality-my dad only wants to give up a 20 by 10 portion of  his yard to the garden. And even more disheartening? I do not have a green thumb. I started my seeds. They sprouted green shoots, happily growing towards the window from the shelves and counter in my house. I dug and fertilized my garden. I attempted to harden the plants. It was a warm and WINDY day and I think it may have harmed then.
I waited a few days, and finally carefully placed the tiny budding plants in the soil of my backyard. And they died.
At the same time, Karl dug and prepared soil in a shady spot along our fence. He literally poured the seeds out in small areas. His garden is doing wonderfully.

Fair?

Interesting article

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/08/14/raising-a-family-on-one-income-part-one/

What to do with sour milk

I had about a 1/4 gallon of milk that was getting old, which led me to look up ways to use sour milk.
Although my milk wasn't quite sour, it was old enough that I didn't want to drink it straight.

Just use a search engine, and you will find several different ways to use sour milk (not super-spoiled milk).

I chose to make some cheese. First heat the milk to boiling, then start slowly adding vinegar. As soon as it starts to "curd up" turn the stove off and keep stirring. I then poured off the liquid and let the cheese drain in some cheesecloth (hung  on a large spoon over a pitcher). The recipe said to then flatten all the juices off with a heavy pan or book, but I choose to just salt it and eat it. The texture and flavor was something like tofu. It would be good herbed up in a salad I think, or used as meat in a stirfry. Liam and I ate it up.

Violet Sugar

Another blog suggested making violet sugar.

I plan to try it this weekend if I can find enough violets. My yard is quite tiny, but there are usually a lot at my dad's house where I grow my vegetable garden.

Garden update. Sad. I am not very good at gardening  yet. Part of the problem is I have to turn the ground with a shovel. I don't mind, but I can only do a bit at a time. My seedlings didn't prosper either. Next time, I will spend the extra bucks for the little peat pellets. That has always worked best for me. I was hoping to save money by using old egg cartons. The seeds grew fine, but they didn't transfer well. Maybe if I followed the rules for hardening it would help. I set them out on a such a windy day.
Perhaps I need to be more patient and stop rushing it. It's hard when I have to work during the week and need to get everything done on the weekend. But! I will keep trying. I can do this.

Jelly making, take 2 Violet Jelly

After the dandelion jelly/syrup incident, I decided I was not going to let a few flowers, lemon juice, sugar, and pectin beat me. So this weekend, I tried making violet jelly.

Here is the recipe I used:  violet jelly.
The only difference is, I used the juice of one lemon and powered off-brand pectin.
It turned out  more pink than the one pictured, but I used white violets as well as violet ones.

I think it tastes suspiciously like the dandelion syrup. Lemony and tangy. Maybe less lemon juice or a stronger infusion next time..

Dandelion Jelly Making!

I am not going to do the whole schpeel (how do you spell that?) because it is on my wanna-be homesteading blog, which I am trying not to link to anyone on facebook-sorry, but all I can say is it didn't gel! I ended up with five jars of sweet dandelion syrup!!

But! I did get the chance to practice canning with the boiling water method. That was fun!

I am humbled.

I just filed my e-filed my taxes. Usually I get the booklets and papers and happily do them myself. But I decided to e-file this year. After I completed my taxes myself, I went to the site, filled in the blanks and watched as the computer figured it up for me. The computer figured 1700 more to be returned to me than I had. I can't help but look back and wonder over all these years, was I doing them wrong? If the computer program is correct, I know I claimed too much income last year. What a bummer!

On the other hand, what a delight. This simple program was so quick and easy  and found me more money! Awesome!

Of course my delight at being able to do my own taxes has been reduced. Obviously, I was doing them wrong. I wonder what else I am figuring wrong. Can this translate to life itself? I hope not. I do tend to think I right most of the time. Doesn't everyone?

Buttermaking-just a little Sunday fun

You might remember how to do this from childhood, or maybe you have done it with your own children. This was my first attempt at butter-making and I have to say-it was fun!

Here are some pics of the process:

I added salt when I was done, and voila! I haven't tasted it yet, though. I suspect the work involved alone will make it seem quite tasty to me.

Lest you think this is too hard, or too much work, this website has a video of two little girls making their own.

http://raisinghomemakers.com/2011/making-butter-with-vivi-and-lia/

Yes, I have a learned a skill a five year old can do, and I am delighted. How Times have Changed, remarked Karl. At one point, he continued, all five year old girls would know this. 

The Future

I want to homeschool Liam. This isn't a secret. I just want one child of mine to know the joy of not living by bells, (so unnatural), to follow his own interests, and not have to conform to society at such a young age. Although most point fingers at the public school system, some of my daughter's old friends have gone to private, and say the pressure to conform is even greater.

How does this fit into Be Cheap and Be Classy? Well, a parent has to stay home to homeschool. I know there are people who do it in other ways, but to do the job I want to do, someone either has to be home, or Karl and I would have to work different shifts always.

By the time Liam is in school, Tierney and Caleb will have graduated high school. Even if they are in college, they should have parttime jobs which cover most of their personal expenses. I will most likely look to buy a house then, and will only need a three bedroom at that point. Braces and medical bills (fingers crossed) will be paid for. Karl's credit cards will be paid off. I will be halfway through paying off my student loans (almost). There is absolutely no way I can actually pay them off, but I plan to take advantage of income-based repayment, and a program which after ten years forgives remaining payments for public service workers.

So maybe it will be okay. Maybe not, after all Karl isn't sure about the whole thing. Somehow he thinks sending them to school helps them face the real world better. If being sent into a classroom with 25 other people your own age who call you names, or who you call names, is the real world, we have an even bigger problem. School isn't the real world, school isn't natural. I love education. I am a teacher, because I love education. But if I can, I will find a way for one of my children to know freedom.  And that involves handling finances correctly.

"Cash on the Barrel"

I look back to the early days of my marriage when we were so poor.  One of the smartest things I did was pay cash for purchases. I had to stay within my budget or face embarrassment at the checkout. If I took $10 dollars out for toothpaste and shampoo. I never spent more than that ten dollars. Then I learned the art of check floating, and the ease of debit cards, and my financial life was never quite the same.
I want to go back to the cash world. I want to live within designated means. I want to play a wee bit more by the rules. And mostly, I want to be satisfied with enough.

Saving money

If it isn't something you would usually buy or it doesn't replace something you would usually buy, it isn't savings.

That isn't to say we should never splurge for something we would not ordinarily get, because it is at a great price. Sometimes this is the icing on the cake, the fun of being part of this world. Things are neat. Filling the cupboards with a little extra brown sugar and chocolate chips, or putting a lovely cashmere sweater in your wardrobe adds a little sparkle to life. Going out to a movie spontaneously every now and then is important.

But don't buy extra cans of unhealthy ravioli you would normally say no to, just because you have a coupon. That isn't savings.

Oh D-D-Dear Dear!

I did another budget today. Usually when Karl complains about money, I assure him everything is fine and dandy, and oh by the way, he worries too much. But today I did a budget. Usually, I do a budget based on how low can we go, which doesn't make sense come to think about it.

Anyway, here is what we are looking at:
I bring home (after retirement, insurance taxes, etc) $1840 (yeah, I picked the wrong career field).
Karl is currently bringing home about $$1550. However, his could become lower due to the winter, and by next fall, it should drop about $730 or so, with an increase in medical bills.
Needless to say, if this drop does happen, we will be screwed. He would be making about 850-1000 take home, but over 300 of that would have to be paid out for medicine. That wouldn't include his doctor visits, or god forbid, hospitalization. Hopefully, he would still get some kind of help with insurance, but I don't count on anything.
Anyway, the budget.

Here is what I figured:
My expenses:
750  rent
220 utilities (on average)
240 gas (I drive 20+ miles one way to work)
130 cable
135 phones
55 hospital bills (this does not include the thousands I hope to pay off with income tax refund)
175 braces (a necessity for middle class america)
 80 Taryn's voice lessons
 77 Taryns tumbling/etc. classes
 50 clothes
 20 shoes
 25 crap for my classroom
 15 netflix
 80 babysitting (if I finish school this spring-karl works on the day I would have class)
500 food
160 Liam's health insurance (the older kids just can't get sick)
 75 savings
 50 Tierney's car insurance
100 misc.
----
2937 (remember I bring home about 1840) This includes NO recreational shopping, no ebay, no books, no eating out.

Karls:
150 paying off old credit cards
160 He pays all the car insurance, except Tierney's
125 necessities (this is a high estimate, probably)
100 gas
100 soda/misc.
-----
635
Karl also gives me about 600 a month.
This puts Karls expenses to 1235 a month. He is okay unless he loses his other income.

I am at 2937 -1830= 1107-600 (from Karl)=507   So I regularly fall 507 short, and that is IF I don't do extra shopping. No wonder I am so dependent on student loans.
I usually get about 300 in child support, but this doesn't always happen. Assuming it did, that would leave me with a deficit of 207.
This will obviously not work. I need a better plan. Of course, I am looking for better paying work, but in the meantime?
With my income tax refund, I plan to pay off as much of the hospital bills as possible. This would save at least 55 a month up to 250 if they are all put on timed payments.
I could cut out the cable. We would still need internet, and I would keep netflix (with the wii, it's great). This would save about 60.
I need to find cheaper insurance for Liam. If I could find something for 100, that would save 50.
After May, Taryn has to decide between voice and gymastics. Savings 70.

Save on energy. Turn off lights, control thermostat better, each person allowed only one LONG shower/bath a week (this might kill me). Others should be timed for 10 minutes or less.
I will hang my clothes to dry, and maybe the kids, eventually.  Savings 20.
Food. If I could shave 50 off the food budget, by making cheaper meals, that'd be great.
Total possible savings: $300
After May, I would not need extra babysitting for Liam, saving me 80 a month.

I would still fall short. I need a better paying job. I may also have to look for a kid or two to babysit this summer to play catch-up.
Selling on ebay?
Extra tutoring?
I would benefit from a car which uses less gas and/or a job closer to home.

Sigh.