Time is just a-marchin' right along, isn't it?
I was surprised to hear that Black Friday is less than three weeks away! Talk about a sobering thought for those of us who thought we had more time!
I'm not hosting Thanksgiving and we're not travelling out of state for Mid-america Irish Dance Championships, so that makes things a bit less frenzied. I will have my inlaws that weekend, and I will be having a party for oldest daughter, but those are all small in comparison to what I've done in the past on Thanksgiving weekend.
Money-wise, nothing major is going on. I realized that I won't be out of debt by the end of the year, but by this Friday I will have buried the high school tuition balance, and I'll scale back on the parochial school tuition to pay it off by May when it is supposed to be paid in full. I plan on putting the 401(k) contributions to 20% in January, for the time being that he remains in corporate America.
I've given up worrying about what other people think and have been more vocal about our plans, namely DH returning to school to pursue a diaconite. I was surprised that my mother was supportive, and my best friend was like "If anyone is up to the challenge to live on next to nothing, it is you." That is probably a gross exaggeration, but it sounded like a compliment was wrapped up in there somewhere. I am looking for part-time employment (more actively) and the grants and scholarships for the kids will probably increase a lot as well.
This year we have a $20 limit of each grandparent and my brother, and we're requesting family gifts (we suggested a zoo membership to my parents, and to my inlaws we asked for gift cards to a movie and dinner out). We've given my brother a list of DVDs we'd like. I've got a spend $50, get $25 off coupon for Dominicks which I'll use for my ham at Christmas. I'm looking at sale ads regularly and got my younger daughter some Smashbox make-up from Ulta's for $22. Both girls have winter birthdays (one right after Thanksgiving, and one right before Christmas). So I'm juggling the money balls well.
Hope everyone is enjoying the Fall!
Wow, November already!
November 4th, 2012 at 06:25 pm
November 4th, 2012 at 10:15 pm 1352067336
I'm glad your mom/friends are being supportive, even if in their own way.
November 4th, 2012 at 11:36 pm 1352072183
Jerry