To date, no money spent, so it is pretty successful here.

I did have to lend my daughter $1.78 during a shopping trip. The sole purpose of this was for my girls to purchase birthday party gifts for their friends. Each one had $10 in cash and gift cards to girlie stores (Justice and Claire's). I think it was a great exercise for them to figure out how much (or little) they can get with their money. It was also interesting to listen to them barter with one another - in the end, the younger sister will trade a $20 bill for a $20 Claire's giftcard (when she gets money) so she can use it toward having her ears pierced again. The oldest one will be happy with cash.

The boys are starting T-Ball today and the youngest needed a mitt - he was quite happy to spend his allowance on a stylish one (featuring Toy Story 3 characters) at Kohl's which was 50% off. All in all, I am surprised by how much pride and happiness they take in making these first purchases.

Yesterday was quite the busy day filled with activities: funeral, tennis lessons, birthday party, dance lessons, end of year soccer get together. Today is much quieter. I'm falling behind on laundry and need to come up with food contributions for the Father's Day cookout at my brother's.

I started tracking NSDs on Saturday so after today I will be up to 5 in a row (which is virtually unheard of around here), but good for us to conserve the capital!

AND, I have taken steps to get some money back on some previous purchases/items:
$20 rebate on Boy Scout camp for son (paperwork to den treasurer)
$17 mailed in rebate to Ace for weed killer
$3 rebate on a Brainquest Workbook for 3rd grader

$40 coming in

Also checked in on my state income tax refund of $712. Should be here within the next month according to the statement.
Also I am counting on the tenant to pay the $1,000 on 6/25 as she promised. Otherwise I will have to plan to get her out and others in.

In my quest for a meaningful existence, I haven't completely stuck my head in the sand pertaining to finances. The importance of money and the realities of finances are two different monkeys.

I received my firsts bill from the hospital following my trip to the emergency room and the subsequent D&C.
Total for the visit was $13,000 of which my insurance paid $10,500 - leaving me with a $2,500 balance (the 10,500 took into account the remaining $2K in our HDHP-HSA). I called the insurance company to see if they could go over the bill with me - hadn't received the EOB. Apparently the insurance company needs a letter from the Dr stating they sent me to the ER and that would drop my portion from $2,500 down to about $500 (the ER portion would be covered).

I got a call from the Dr's office that the letter is ready and they will fax it. It is a relief that the bill will be reduced by 80%, but even if it hadn't I had already found out that the hospital takes payments of $25 a month for the life of the bill or offers a 10% discount if paid in full.

I am glad that I called the insurance company and found out about this.

I also am facing the reality that it is probably best to give the present tenant 30 days notice, paint the place and re-rent to another tenant. I will also need to work the budget for no rental property income coming for the next, say, three-month period.

The joys of finances.

Friday: 1.01 miles on the treadmill at the Y - 17 minutes

Sunday: 2.25 miles on the treadmill at the Y - 35 minutes

DH swam with several of the kids today - I drove another to a last minute playdate.

There is something to be said about finally getting one's act (or butt) in gear. I slept better on Friday after the trot on the treadmill. I figure if this turns into a sustainable routine with measurable results (like pounds off and inches gone) I might purchase a pair of Sketchers Shape-Ups. Just a thought, I know they run about $100 which is what I spent on BTS shoes for all of the kids combined.

Our house was painted yesterday and today. I have the father who isn't good with emotions of any sort - and rather deals with love in shades of green (money). He felt very bad about the miscarriage and said he was shocked to see how bad I looked after my stint at the hospital - SO he decided to cover the full cost of having my house painted. He used the painter he's had for 18 years (who works on his apartment buildings) so he was able to get a good deal. Anyhow, it turned out quite nice - I should admit that I didn't know how NICE the house could look with a lighter paint shade for the upper level - and the trim work is a darked shade. I called my father to say "thank you" and to tell him it turned out wonderful. He said "You're welcome. It was the least I could do." I'm making some progress here dealing with past hurts and bitter resentment. I'm understanding that this is the language he speaks because he learned it from his parents - and if I look back at the stories about my great grandparents, I even understand how and why they were the way the were (funny redundant sentence to read).

Anyhow, No Spender today!

I have spent 75% of the past month rather grief-stricken, holed up laying on my bed watching TV (nothing good, might I add - lots of junky TV and Judge Judy). I've learned to trust good friends to take my younger boys while I've been "recovering". I will admit to lots of crying and bantering with God, but nothing can change the way things have turned out.

But I can change my attitude. It has been one week since I made up my mind to "be better and do better".

Today I suggested a family outing to the Y - the place I never go, the place DH works out several mornings a month, the place I drop the kids off for some classes. While we pay monthly, this is a "free" and simple place to go. The boys swam with Dad, while the girls worked out. I am considering myself a girl - I walked 1.01 mile in 17 minutes - sad, but it is a start.

I realize this is a great way to do things and be active as a family. I told the kids I'd take them to Open Swim on Monday afternoon. I am not thrilled to be in a swimsuit (haven't been in one since last summer at the ocean). While my weight is OK, low 130s - I am FAR FROM FIT. I was quite honest with my girls about not feeling too wonderful about how I look in my suit. The old me never would have done that - discuss my insecurities. My one daughter is quite loyal and declared I ALWAYS look good (rather in a gushy way) while my older daughter who is a pragmatist suggested I get a suit with a skirt. Got to love it - and in having better discussions, my oldest daughter actually read me some of her text messages while I was driving her to her friend's house. It was almost like she was sharing her diary.

This is the one life I've got. I will get in the pool, fat thighs and all! Need to conquer comparing myself to others.

Our cash is minimal the next two weeks - it is a crunch of sorts which I feel we should be able to navigate without moving money from the savings account (gotten into that bad habit of revolving money). I was also inspired by Save More/Spend Less "fast". We have given every dollar a job and have a zero based budget for the next two weeks.

We do have a list of things that need to be purchased, but those items should cost no more than $30. I have been diligent about coupons and sale ads, so I'm confident I can stay within the grocery budget, etc.

The numbers look like this:
Groceries/Household: $175
Gas: $75
Misc/Enterainment: $50

I've brainstormed with the kids to come up with affordable/fun alternatives for activities (I should add that we do have calendar of lessons/activities paid for last month, so we do leave the house for organized activities). Anyhow here is what we've come up with:

* Visit to Arboretum (free with parents' membership)
* Practice tennis (great for the kids taking lessons)
* Go to library for books, DVDs, and wii games (YES, ours offers wii games)
* Movie rentals for $2.30 at Family Video
* Bake cookies
* Scrapbook
* 1,000 piece puzzle
* Board games/Zigity is our present favorite

In an effort to love the family and friends we have, this past week we:

* Wrote letters and drew pictures and mailed to my 90 year old grandmother in California.
* Taken $15 from the entertainment budget and made a contribution to the fund set up for my daughter's classmate whose mother passed away this week
* Hosted my mother over to see "Tammy and the Bachlor" her favorite movie from 1958 - found at the library and enjoyed by my girls
* I put a love letter (really a notecard with hearts scrawled on it) in DH's lunch
* DH and I walked the dog by ourselves - "alone time" - he usually has kids on bikes and scooters, etc.

I am also inspired to finally clear out the junk and donate to our parish's Rummage Sale with proceeds to go to supporting the youth group for a pilgrimage to Spain next year. My junk might be someone else's treasure.

I am back. I was previously known as Momcents or Mrs. Last month I had a miscarriage at 16 weeks (despite positive results in bloodwork and ultrasound). It has been a rough patch for my children who were filled with great joy and anticipation over the newest sibling. In an effort to deal with my grief, I deleted the most recent posts dealing with my concerns over finances and our expanding family size. Then I moved to a place where I was upset that I spent so much time blogging over finances (not really a lot, it just seemed like over the span of time that my previous blog existed) and before I knew it my entire blog was deleted and gone.

I received some wonderful support of fellow bloggers here who were concerned about me and I've missed the camaraderie of the SA place. I'v popped in and I see that wonderful bloggers are helping out relatives and people are supporting bloggers who have lost loved ones. Thus, I am back.

This sad event has showed me how much I am loved and supported by my family and church friends. We have received prayers and comfort for our child that we had for such a brief time. I am reminded that life is fragile and nothing is for certain, an sentiment echoed in many blogs recently.

I vow that this won't be a place where I lament or complain or worry about money. Rather this is a place where I am going to focus on loving the life that I am living. I am no longer worried about the past or what people think or say. I am not worried about the future. I am saving for retirement and college to the best of our abilities. I am not going to pine away for another child which may or may not come.

My goal is to be the best wife and mother I can be. I hope that I can maintain a home that is peaceful and tranquil. I hope I can teach my children that there is more to life than money. I hope to use this as a place to chronicle my successes and organize my thoughts.

Join me as I attempt to truly Love the Life I Live.

In an effort to minimize concern on the part of his pregnant wife (me), DH has failed to share that the transmission in his car (a fine 1997 Ford Windstar Northwoods minivan which we have owned for ten years) is slipping. He shared this with me this AM when I am apparently appearing "better" - he assures me it is "just when the car is cold" and the problem shouldn't persist much more given warm weather is around the corner.

We put a new transmission in this vehicle about six years ago and DH debates whether or not that one was actually needed. Regardless, it has prolonged our use these past six years.

With that said, DH then said to me the dreaded words: replacement vehicle. And that we should probably have "a plan". He is totally correct that we should have a plan. Denial is not a place that I want to be.

Unfortunately I was feeling a bit zealous about tackling debt and took half our $10K savings and put it on the debt so we could be debt free (with careful choices) by the end of the year. So our savings is now at $5K. And DH mentioned that there is some scrutiny going on at his place of employment regarding the discrepancies between his "island's" financial reports and those of the "mainland's" numbers. This might mean nothing, of course, but then again there is always the chance that he'd be let go.

Not a fun thing to think about when friends of ours are presently dealing with this and the negotiations for the husband's severence/compensation is dragging on between their lawyer and the company's legal department and they have NO money coming in. and NO savings (and he made over $200K).

So now I am back to wondering what to do about the needed car and the unlikelihood of unemployment. Money schizophrenia, here I come.