Hand Crafting Update

After spending quite a bit of time yesterday locating the top of my dining room table I was able to make the hubs one of his gifts as he was out with the guys. Sorry no photos cause he reads my blog but I will post one after Christmas. SD and I watched girlie movies, made dinner and I did some sewing.

Today aside from picking up our tree and decorating it and the house and making cookies I plan on devoting all my sewing time to my brothers quilt top. My goal is to finish the top by Tuesday of this week at the latest. Then I will need to get fabric to back it (maybe a middle layer too) at some point, tack it down in several places (a nontraditional way of quilting it) and binding the edges. Then that gift will be done.

I started two knitting projects. These fingerless gloves for SS which I have now ripped out three times. I have made similar gloves with cables with no problems but these are just really stressing me out and I'm not certain why.

I am also making a scarf for my mom with extra yarn I bought for my wrap. I am using the same pattern but making it only three squares wide. I was knitting on that at lunch last Thursday and somehow screwed it up. I am going to try and fix without ripping it all the way out.

I ordered this yarn in the "Wicked Witch" colorway for SD's tabi socks on Friday. I hope it comes really quickly so I can knit those socks up.

With two and a half weeks until Christmas I better get my but in gear!

When Treats Become Habits

Thanks to Money Mate Kate for her comment on my post from yesterday. She directed me to this blog post from last summer at Get Rich Slowly and I felt inspired to post about it today.

This article reminded me of my Uncle. Every ten weeks he get's his haircut and then spends the afternoon in his local Barnes & Noble and buys ten new CD's for his disc changer in his car which he listens to for the next ten weeks. He also is an avid reader and will pick up some books as well. He's an electrical engineer and he and my aunt don't have debt so he is in the position to do this. He's just such a creature of habit.

It's true, I have let what was once an occasional treat become a habit. There were months where I visited Starbucks everyday (granted I worked at their corporate offie as a temp at the time). I do truly like their product but I have let a treat become the norm.

This week cutting back has not been that bad. We had the money to go through the drive through but just didn't. We have become really good at making our own coffee and bringing it with us too. Today makes five days without spending at Starbucks. Hoorah!

Other itmes the article states that became a habit for the author was eating out (check), buying books (check), DVD's (check) and games (not really a problem for me but the hubs likes to game).

Eating out is still a challenge and when we do eat out the hubs and I either order from the appetizer menu (portion sizes are more realistic) or go to places that have great happy hour deals.

I have a love affair with books and breaking the habit of buying was hard. I still buy some books cause I know I will read them again (Clive Cussler for example - I have reread all of his books at least once). I have been using my local library a lot lately and that has really helped my budget. I think I may try PaperBackSwap at some point but don't want the additional mailing expense (though minimal) right now.

DVD's the hubs and I still buy. Although we never buy DVD's of films we have not seen or would not watch time and time again. We recently picked up the new X Files film and it had an interesting feature. You can download a version to your iTunes. The hubs has an iTouch and is now able to watch X Files on it. He's just too excited.

As I said before I am not big in to gaming but the rest of my family is. We have a second generation Xbox and a Wii. The Wii was actually my idea and I have played some games on it I love. Can't wait to get a Wii fit board.

What are your treats that have turned in to habits?

Starbucks Will Not Get All My Money

Today is day four without having visited Starbucks. We are pretty broke until we get paid Friday so tomorrow will most definitely be day five. Since we bought a French press it's been a lot easier to make our own coffee every morning. We have an espresso maker but we really don't have that much time in the morning to utilize it. Our goal this month is to only go to Starbucks twice a week.

Handmade Christmas - Henrybella's

One of the gal's whose blogs I read just started her own bakery. As part of my handmade Christmas I have decided to also buy gifts from small business like hers. If you get a second check out her blog and here in the link that goes directly to her bakery site.

November Wrap Up & December Goals

November was a challenge with Christmas coming up, gifts to buy or make and tabs and emissions for my car. I took the hand crafted challenge and so far have purchased one ready made gift.

As far as income goes we maintained our employer income, had no other income and our assets fell by $414.44 due to the economy. Planned meals out this month were one and we went WAY over that. We spent more on coffee but it was a lower percentage of our fun money expense. The Landmark Forum will be placed on hold for now.

The real bummer was not being able to get the home equity loan not because we didn't qualify but because of the lower value of our condo. I updated our networth badge and compromised with the value as listed by Zillow. We also made the tough decision to temporarily stop our 401(k) contributions so we could have extra money per month to pay on our debt.

My no spend days goal for the month originally was 12. Then I changed it to 6 and had 4. I bought a few Christmas decorations with fun money but am trying really hard to decorate with what I have or find an inexpensive alternative. Been getting inspiration from this great site called JunkMarket. The stocking for my niece, flannel PJ's for my nephew and the flannel PJ bottom's for my SK's are the only handcrafted items I finished this month.

Groceries spent $451.06 which was a reduction over last month but still 12% over budget. I spent $394.77 on fun money which was an increase over last month and 3% over budget. Eating out $133.07, coffee $111.91, entertainment $42 and crafts $31.61. All increases over last month. My budget for gifts this month was $250 and I spent $174.57 $26.67 of which was non hand crafted.

Goal was minimum payments on the credit cards ($235) and loans ($705) as there was no extra money in the budget for more than that due to Christmas gifts, Thanksgiving and my dad's birthday.

Total debt balance fell to $37, 684.50 which is 66% of available credit. Credit card balances total $ 10,525.95 and loan balances total $27,158.55.

Goals for December

Complete all hand crafted and buy all store bought Christmas gifts by December 22nd.

• Flannel quilt & premade vegan dinner for brother
• Fingerless gloves for SS
• Tabi socks for SD
• Scarf for mom
• ??? for dad
• ??? for sister & bil (already bought them one thing)
• ??? for nephew (already made flannel PJ's)
• ??? for niece (already made Christmas stocking)
• XXX & XXX for the hubs (he reads this blog so I can't say here - sorry honey)

Have 6 no spend days
Walk 4 times
Work out 8 times
Maintian EI and not worry about OI for this month

Happy Thanksgiving

Cause I've Been Busy

Been darn busy at work so not much blogging going on cause when I'm home I am sleeping or crafting. Got the list below from here.

The things I have done are in BOLD! My comments and things I plan on doing are in ITALIC. Things I don’t plan on doing ever are just straight regular font!

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity I have given to charity, but not more than I could afford
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis have seen one up close and personal but not held
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child In 8th grade we adopted a child from another country and I spent some of my allowance on it
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (Hasn’t everyone???)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language I'm trying
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (never again - no one wants to hear that)
42. Seen Old Faithful Geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

Thank God for four day weekends!