Thursday was another no spend day. I think that makes 4 this week. That's pretty exciting! I didn't go to Mom's house or the nursing home because I was just too flipping tired to do much at all.

I did make a delicious crustless broccoli quiche and between that and the soup I made Wednesday, I shouldn't need to buy any meals at work and there's no excuse to do the "I'm too tired to cook, let me just grab this on the way home" thing. I don't do that often but need to do it even less often. The quiche is also marvelous for a quick breakfast and it freezes, travels, and reheats very well.

I needed to do laundry yesterday but plumbers were working in the laundry room all day so I hand-washed two shirts, an apron, and some stockings and hung them to dry. I have clean pants so I'm good to go for today and tomorrow. Since Sunday is Easter and the store is closed, Mom and I are going to have dinner at her house. I'll take my laundry over there that morning and get it tended to. Yeah, I'm 52 and take my laundry to my mother's house but I go there several times a week and it was her idea years ago for me to do that. To wash and dry in my complex costs $1.25 a load. That doesn't sound like much but it really adds up so I'm thankful Mom doesn't mind me doing laundry at her place. I buy the detergent and usually wash, dry, and put away at least two loads of hers while I'm at it so it helps us both.

Today is pay day! Once I confirmed my pay was in my account, I paid the rent and water which came to $587.00, $21.32 to my Chase credit card bringing the balance to $100, and later today will pay $80 to Target. That's an account Mom and I both use and pay, though I generally use and pay more than she does. Once the $80 is paid, the balance will be $2,797.12. I really want that one gone but right now am doing well to make the minimum and a little more when I can so I suck it up and deal with it. I paid the electric bill of $54.87 Wednesday and paid my internet bill last week so after I make the Target payment this afternoon, I won't have any bills due until the end of the month. Wooohooo! I need to go to the bank on the way to work for cash to fund my grocery and gas envelopes.

After the funk I found myself in when the ex died, I didn't care about bills. I paid them but wasn't concerned if they were late and I indulged in a little too much retail therapy, eating out, and general irresponsibility. That put me behind and led to more stress, just deepening the funk. I'm so glad I'm back on track with logging income and expenses and using my envelope system. Doing those things doesn't give me more money but it ensures the bills are paid on time and the necessities are covered. I still run with just a small amount of money in my checking account but I have some money in savings, bill payments are timely, I have food to eat, and a job I love or least like a lot most of the time so I feel grateful! The stress level is decreased and that's a very, very good thing.

This site is so motivational and y'all just rock! It's difficult for me to read some of your blogs because I don't understand stocks, bonds, and having large sums of income or large sums of savings but each of you is inspirational, nonetheless, and I thank you.

Happy Friday!

Our shop week runs from Monday to Saturday and the shop needs to bring in $445 a week to pay rent, utilities, buy food, etc. Consistently it brings in more than that and has since shortly after opening. But this week is troubling. For the first time in almost two years it looks as though the shop won't meet that minimum for the week. We're short slightly less than $100 and although it isn't time to panic or even worry it's a little disturbing.

For the last two years the shop did very well between November and January but it doesn't look like that's the case for this year. Most of the December bills have been paid, we won't go hungry or heatless, we do have an emergency fund, but still...

It's wreaking a little havoc on my mind! At this rate, that $2000 surplus we had last month won't be duplicated in December. However, even though I didn't expect that duplication I did expect to 'crack the nut', as the man person calls it, this week and hoped for a nice surplus to start off the new year.

So, to you people who aren't coming to our shop (like they read this, ha!):

Pardon me, but you're stepping on my budget!

Rant over.

Not a lot and it won't stay but we're getting some beautiful flakes.

I have a one-woman-with-the-occasional-helping-pair-of-hands-from-a-friend house cleaning business on the side but it's a secondary sort of thing. You know, something I do when sought out but not something I actively pursue for the most part. I cleaned a house last week and received two calls today. One is for the standard 3/2 house that just needs some cleaning and a little TLC. If I get that one, I'll do it next week and that will be another $125 or so to add to the piggy bank. The other one is a different ball of wax of another color....

The homeowner is apparently a hoarder. Perhaps not one diagnosed with a disorder but she hoards nonetheless. She apparently has some medical issues that contribute to her situation and a family friend is trying to finance the project to clean up the place.

I'm not the most experienced with cleaning hoarder's homes but I've done it. I know it's a major job that is physically and emotionally draining but I also know houses like this one are simply dangerous...both to live in and to clean. I'm willing to take it on, though, and when I gave the caller a tentative price for the job, $3000 to $3500, she said that was in line with what the other person she'd called said. She won't have financing until January and will give me plenty of notice so I can clear my calendar for five to seven days but if I get the job I'll have a nice chunk of change when the smoke clears and the homeowner will have a clean house. It's a win win situation.