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Archive for June, 2011

Planning a TP Stockpile...

June 29th, 2011 at 06:16 pm

Staples has an INSTORE monthly special starting today and going thorough July 30th.

Charmin Basic (1PLY) 16 double rolls approx 584.5 sq for $4.99.

Staples has a 15% off one item internet pdf coupon out that can be used through July 2nd. The coupons says limit 1 coupon per customer per day.

My plan is to stop daily (either on the way home or on the way to work) and pick up one pack and use one coupon.

5 Packs at $4.24 each.

We are getting LOW on TP in our house....and we can't use Cottonelle or White Cloud, we get rashes. So Charmin is a sure bet and I am 95% sure this price is better than I normally get on my cheap TP choices (Angel Soft or Scotts Extra Soft).

I would love to know IF this is a GREAT deal or just a chance to get our Prefered brand at a reasonable price...But I don't see having time to stop at both Wal-Mart and Staples before I need to pick my son up at daycare. So I plan to buy 1 pack today, pick up my son, head to the Wal-Mart by my house and update my pricebook TP numbers, and depending on the cost average I will either: Purchase 1 pack at $4.24, or be stopping at Staples EVERY day for the next 5 days, or I will possibly be buying even more at the $4.99 price.

So now the question is will I be spending $4.24
$21.20, or more?

The reason I said I was 95% sure this is a deal is I took my pricebook out of my purse. ARGGGG
But lately everytime I turn around the base price of stuff is raising. My pricebook is based on the Normal lowest shelf price.

I list the brand, sq foot and roll count/size along with cost. Then factor sq foot cost for each.

I do it this way so I know if I have a coupon on one brand if it will reduce the sq foot cost to lower than lowest brand size cost even before I head to the store. Also having the sq listed helps if I see an sale price at CVS or somewhere and they do not have the SQ listed, more than likely I have it already in my pricebook.

New Glasses --- Trying to get a record of a electronic transaction

June 28th, 2011 at 03:10 pm

I got my new glasses, I do really really like the anti-glare coating that they say helps with eye fatigue.

Not sure if it really helps with eye fatigue but there is no white glare on my lenses when I take a photo. I actually think my eyes are tired, but the prescription is correct, I flip flopped between new glasses and old glasses....I LOVE not having a scratch right in front of my eye. I think my eyes are tired because I am used to my glasses fading into the background and I am not used to these new plastic frames, so I keep catching myself focusing on the frame outline.

I am wearing the least flattering pair, Yeah I know why would I wear the least flattering pair.

I look best in smaller glasses and this pair is the largest (I think it is a medium size). But this pair has the narrow-est sides, hinged sides and a solid color.

The pair I look the best in #3, and when I bought them figured they would look the best on me...But they have thick sides, atleast thicker than I am used too. I am used to just moving my eyes to see to the side, not used to having to move my head because of having glasses sides blocking my paripherial view.

The second pair: I like the smaller sides, the sides are a bit bigger than pair one, but half the size of #3. The shape of the lens is not bad, but the color is black and red. I am used to wearing thin metal glasses. So I have to work up to wearing the Louder red and black glasses.

I am really impressed with the glasses, I am probubly going to order a pair of prescription sun glasses from the company. I am going to try on pair number two (black and red) when I get home and picture them with sunglass lenses in them. I think that pair would be really cute as sun glassses.

****
So I found out that I can get repayed for the cost of my passport. I have a receipt for the processing fee $25. I do not have a receipt for the actual cost of the passport.

When I applied for my passport, I only got a receipt for my transaction fee because that one was the one cashed by the receiving entity. I should have used a Credit Card, because then I would have atleast gotten a Credit Card processing receipt. (But at that time I applied we did not have information that they would repay use the fee).

I emailed the passport people, they do not issue receipts...I paid by check.

My check was electronically processed, I emailed the bank and asked for a receipt of some kind for the transaction, I wrote a check for a receipt BUT the check was electronically processed, so no voided check. Well the bank sent me back a form to complete and every option was basically for invalid electronic charges....The charge was not invalid I just want proof of the transaction.

I want the $140 refund , BUT I will not get my bank statement for a month (the transaction cleared the 20th and the end date of the statement is the 17th) and do not really want to submit my monthly bank statement to my employer.

I am not sure what to do at this point, I think I will have to go into the bank with the form letter they sent out and see if I can get anywhere.

Put in for Time off!!

June 20th, 2011 at 07:39 pm

I requested August 5th through the 19th off. 15 days of Vacation used....If I overlap a weekend (take a Friday and then a Monday) I have to count Saturday and Sunday for days off.

Since I have been working flood duty at least 2 days each week, I desided this was the safest route to guarentee that I got those two weeks off.

I emailed the person who was putting the Flood Duty Shift together, stating I had put in Vacation time for the 5th through the 19th and then I have Drill the 22nd through the 26th. I am hoping I will not have flood duty the 20th and 21st BUT because I did not include those days in my vacation request....There is a chance.

I will have to figure out Daycare for the 22nd through the 25th. The 26th I believe I am going to be allowed to come in late, It is the first day of School and School starts at 8:35am but I am suppose to be at work at 7am. I want to be able to be there until my son walks into the doors, like I did last year, since I will miss doing that next year.

On the 26th My son will go to afterschool care, so I have 4 days of Daycare to figure out and to pay the pro-rate fee for Afterschool care for August, then that is my last of after school daycare costs.

In 2012 when I get back, my son will be old enough to be able to walk home and be home alone until I get done with work....I plan on either getting him a cell phone or reinstalling the land line phone or BOTH. If I do both I am still saving $100 a month.

Now the thing is to figure out what I want to do during this time....I want to take a vacation. I am not sure I can convince my BF to go anywhere with us. When we were first dating he talked about loving to take road trips etc. But he is much like me and hates to spend money, so lately whenever I bring up a vacation he hims and haws...Basically saying he wants to save money First.

I am thinking the first weekend I would like to go the ValleyFair. If BF goes with then I will rent a hotel room. IF BF does not come with, then I will ask EX-H if we can crash at his apartment. My EX-H is currently on Flood Duty, so there is a very good chance the Apartment would be empty anyway.

August 14th is my son's Birthday it falls on a Sunday....So hopefully I can plan a cool party. I will have to see, I am thinking maybe I will rent a hotel room at a hotel that has a waterpark or pool. I would like to get pizza (Little Ceaser's is the best price). So maybe I will have to see if BF or EX-Husband can run to pickup the pizza while I watch the party.

Here hoping I can come up with some FUN Low Cost Vacation Ideas.....I also need to remember not to be so cheap. I have been saving for the future and not living in the present. I need to start enjoying the present so that I am not just wishing time would pass so I can start enjoying my hard work.

It is time to enjoy life a little more, I think I am going to start by, the next non-rainy weekend we have I am going to take my son to raging rivers....Wish I was not going to look like a beached whale in my swim suit but oh well.

Cheap Fun "Memory" Idea

June 15th, 2011 at 05:48 pm

I bought stamps online...Yes there is a $1 fee for doing so, but it guarentees me a better variety.

I am buying the smallest pack of stamps I can. Normally a 4 pack. I bought 4 different 4 packs, one has 2 designs. I bought one 5 pack with 5 different designs and one 10 pack with 10 designs. All were forever stamps except the one 5 pack which was named sunday funnies.

I also bought two letter writing kits, they came with paper, envelopes and one came with a book on letter writing and the other came with directions on writing with invisible ink. They were both Disney. I bought these for my son, hoping they would help make writing FUN.

I am going to take the Disney Stamps out. They each came with 8 stamps which were 39 and 41 cents, so no longer current. I plan to use them to mail postcards back to my son. Yes they both are above the cost of a postcard stamp, but I figure he would like the stamps on postcards and by them being more than the current postcard rate, I insure that if I buy postcard stamp I do not have to figure out where to get the add on stamps if postage costs go up.

I also plan to go to the post offices around town and see if they have different stamps at the counter than is online.

I want to mail each letter back to my son with a different stamp (that a boy would like). Then once I get home maybe we can create a stamp album from my letters. I am going somewhere that does not have free postage.

I went online and they have a stamp called Owney the postal Dog scheduled to be released July 27th. That is really cute, BUT the awesome news is they have a Pixar 5 different designs set coming out Aug 19th. Both are forever stamps. I plan on buying a TON of the Pixar ones. I figure as I go through my deployment if I run out of different stamp varieties if I have to double up the Pixar ones would be his favorite.

My son wants a letter or postcard Everyday. I will try to write as often as I can, so I will need to be on the look out for interesting stamps. As I look for Boy type stamps, I plan to use the 44 cent stamps first then if the rate changes I will have the collection of forever stamps to fall back on.

When I was younger I was dating a guy and he went away for training and he said Letters were awesome it was the highlight of the day. So I wrote him daily and if I did not have enough to say for a letter I mailed a card. He got mail EVERY day. One of the instructors told him "hope you realize you have a keeper". Well I hope to do nearly the same. I want to mail my little boy a letter atleast once a week. I figure that is 50+ stamps minimum.

So far I have 21 different designs...Owney the postal dog and the pixar will be 27. They also have adopt a shelter animal ones I want to get which has 10 designs so that is 37 designs.

They have a 50 flags of the USA set out. I wonder if I should order those then I for sure have different ones. I will think of it...I think this is going to be fun for both my son and for me.

Getting it done = spending money, but getting deals

June 15th, 2011 at 03:15 pm

I am working on getting my to do list done.

The day before yesterday I ordered new glasses. I was going to just order new lenses for my glasses so I could save money on the frames since the frames I have have clip on sunglasses and they are $225.

Well as part of my Total Medical Exam this weekend we were seen by a eye doctor. The military will order us one decent pair of regualar glasses, one pair that is ugly AKA the Birth Control Glasses, and the inserts for our gas mask.

The eye doctor gave me a copy of my prescription with PD so I could get the lenses in my glasses replaced (scratched during Annual Training) by my normal doctor with out having to sit through an exam.

After much thought, I took that prescription and went to zennioptical.com and ordered three pair of glasses with the extra cost anti-glare coating and the total cost was half of what I normally pay for just one pair of glasses IF I go with their budget package.

The cost to replace the lenses in my glasses would be about $80 because I always get sucked into the these special lens material is thinner, and this coating will help with scratching and glare sales talk. I have learned the reason I do not like my decent military normal glasses is they do not polish the edges and at my doctors office that is an extra $10. So it gets spendy, at least when I am sitting in front of a computer I can think of what I really need without the polite BUT hard sell.

I figure if I do not like the glasses I bought, it is NO big deal, I will wear them on my deployment then when I get home go back to my doctor. BUT I think I will be happy, my cousin has used them and she was extremely happy with them. I bought three pairs and after shipping they cost $13.55, $16.55, and $19.55.

I even saw on their website a pair I almost bought a year ago....I might go back for them next year they would cost $35 if I only bought one pair of glasses. The shipping in a flat rate. At my doctors office I think the frame only price of those same glasses was $175.00 which is a huge markup.

****

I also ordered my kindle. They were having a 20% sale on the covers for fathers day along with free two day shipping. I was going to order the cover but then I thought maybe I do not really need it so that saved me $40 and the free two day shipping means I will get it tomorrow, just in time to start sorting my books and download a few free games, right before I report for another couple flood duty overnight shifts.

****
I Got my Passport.....Okay I got my photo for my passport taken yesterday and turned in my application and paid my fee. So my March Goal is MET!!!!!

I was really thinking of not getting one but at drill we were given the high pressure sales pitch. Seems the passport makes it easier to travel even if your are traveling as a group of military Soldiers.

BUT the point of the sales pitch when I said OKAY was when they said there was a chance we would get a 4 day pass on the way to our final destination and we possibly have a chance of having a Greece mini-vacation. So I got my passport!

I saved $10 on my passport because I went to our work photograph studio and had them take my photo. My son was not impressed with my photo because the lens of one of my glasses produced a glare. LOL, he is so funny.

***

I then went shopping, I returned two items and then I bought medicine. Dayquil, NiteQuil, Pain Releaver, Alergy Meds etc. I either had a coupon for my name brand product, or I bought generic. I do not want to go to sick call for every little ache and pain so I am making myself a portable medicine bag. I am slowly adding to my kit as I think of products I want.

I need to find a bag that will hold full size shampoo and conditioner bottles, etc. I want one bag for shower items and then I will have my med bag for hanging in my locker.

****
Today is payday, so I need to balance my checkbook and see where to move money around to.

Trying to pack

June 13th, 2011 at 03:23 pm

Well at drill this weekend we were told to start packing. At the end of our drill in August all tuff boxes should be packed and ready for loading. At the start of orders in Sept all bags should be packed and everything should be loaded except our 72 hour bags.

We all have a black tuff box (with keys and four spots for locks) it is large and has wheels. These will go in a conex, and they will go down to mob station but basically headed right over to customs and then shipped to our final deployment location.

So anything we want secured and do not mind not seeing until we get to our deployment location goes in there.

So far in my TUFF box I have:
1. Items I want to de-ex.
Deployments are the only time I get to de-ex, because I have to buy my own uniforms. (With the need to buy the dress blues I have the green class a's right now...I would like to de-ex as much of my worn out stuff as possible so I can use my clothing allowance to buy my blues). ACU uniforms just do not last as long as the BDU's did and so the clothing allowance just does not cover all my uniform replacement costs.

2.I packed bedding: sheets, pillow, blankets.
Once I get to my final location I will like a NICE as comfortable as possible bed. Until I get to the final location I will sleep in my sleeping bag so I have less baggage.

3.I also packed a bunch of tolietries.
There is a huge PX where we are going BUT....I have this huge box to send stuff, so I figure why buy it if I have it at home already (used coupons for free or super cheap). I am packing what I have at home up to about a 9 month supply in the tuff box. 1 month supply will also go in my regular luggage. I might have to buy some things over there, but for the most part I should be set.

4. I packed a second pair of running shoes.
I figured with daily workouts my shoes are going to start to wear out alot faster than normal, and I don't want to deal with trying to ship to a APO if the PX does not carry what I want in Shoes.
(good price, plus willing to ship to a APO in the style I want).

5. I packed three towels.
I do not want to have to carry a ton of heavy bags, so I will most likely reuse towels until I get to the final destination, so I don't have to pack as many in my duffle bags.

I am not planning on taking a Xbox, or PS2/3 or Wii: so I have a bit more room in my box than those that are packing those type of things.


I have this big box, and just feel like I should be packing more into it. Oh well I guess being low maintenace has its rewards.

Treat others as you want to be treated....

June 7th, 2011 at 07:23 am

That is the mantra that is going through my mind today. I get to work and everyone is in an tizzy about something.

It is such a low issue on chain of importance. I got told about it when I got to work at 10pm, there were two notes about it up in the conference room and I got an EXTREMELY snarky comment about it in my email from a co-worker.

If this was such a high pressing issue, why did they just not ask the back up to do it, since I was out of town for 3 weeks? Well because the backup is LAZY. I have been out of the office for 3 weeks, and prior to that the job had to sit in the que because the program was having server issues or maintance or something. Got to LOVE online programs. I came back to work BUT I have not gotten to this no big deal assignment, because I was told another was higher prority.

The sad thing is this TO DO item could have been combined into 1 job BUT instead the two people turned it into 14 different MINI jobs which I have to page back and forth between to complete (took 15 minutes total to do).

I wonder what is going to happen once I am gone and the back up is the main go to guy and he has not had any on hand experience because instead of getting practice (like when I am out of town) he just does not do it.

I am really tired of Mr. L's Snarky emails, he needs to learn email manners. For example I forwarded him an email and say I did not see him in the distro (it was his group of people and it got sent to me instead of him) but wanted to make sure he was not left out of the loop, and he email back and said he already got it basically threaten me with bodily harm IF I ever emailed him any those reports again.

There are many things I love about my job, but the things I dislike are starting to build. I think when I get home from my deployment I am going to look into a lateral transfer. I am tired of the people at the same level as me treating everyone like crude because they are way over due for a mental health day, and I am tired of the people above me doing nothing and then blaming the lower person.

In my email account along with Mr. L's snarky email was a email from my super. The super was emailed by my level co-worker Mrs. C about stuff that he needed to do because it was his group of people. Well Super forwards the email to me and tells me to do it.

I know you are probubly wondering how this is money related....I would love to have a 9-5 Mon-Fri Civilian job. I am so stressed right now my shoulders muscles are killing me. I wish I could just give up, but I hang in it for the money.

I will start looking for a job change when I get back. If I don't find a lateral job opertunity with another unit, then maybe I will need to start working on the following things so I can make a change.

Sell House
Buy/Build Cheaper House
Find Different Full time Job
Switch to part-time at current job
Enroll in Medical (20% copay instead of zero)
Enroll in Dental (extra $30 per month)
Review Spending

Question on Property Taxes and credit reports

June 3rd, 2011 at 07:56 pm

I have a question....

Do Property Taxes show up on credit reports?

Back Story...
I will be deploying SEP/OCT time frame. My city sends out their property taxes no later than Dec 26th of the year. The property taxes that are paid prior to certain date are given a 5% discount (I believe Febuary). I like to pay my property taxes early to get the discount.


BUT This YEAR:
I am not sure I am going to remember to pay it, I am not sure if my BF will be able to tell it is the property taxes in the mail and thus email me a copy of the bill or if it will just be forgotten until I get home or something jogs my mind about it.

I looked online and my city charges a 3% fee on 1 March, an additional 3% fee on 1 May, an additional 3% fee 1 July then and additional 3% fee on Oct 15. Starting 1 Jan of the following year they change to a simple 12% interest rate and IF it goes unpaid until Oct 15 then it is charged an additional 6% fee on the past due bill.

Truthfully getting 3 or 4 three percent fees is not that big of deal money wise IF for some reason I totally space off this, but I wonder if I am late with the property bill will it show up on my credit report. I have a 800+ credit report and do not want to bring it down BUT I also do not want to stress myself out worrying about everything that COULD go wrong.

I checked to see IF they offer an autopay and they do not. The only way to pay the bill without sending a check is to use their telephone system. Sending a check is not a problem it is the not receiving the bill I worry about. They only mail out one bill and do not offer email. Also if I am as busy as I think I will be around that time even if I got an email I might not be able to deal with it.

Sooooo Do late property tax payments show up on your credit report, then secondly IF you could not autopay a bill what would you do to make sure you paid a bill you were afraid you might forget about or were afraid of not getting the bill for?

Thanks for your help.

I have an idea.

June 3rd, 2011 at 04:33 pm

I have $10 Kohl's cash. I was trying to think of something I NEEDED.

Well then something popped into my mind. My cousin is getting married next weekend, and her bridal shower is next week.

I will not be attending the wedding because I had drill BUT I will be able to attend the bridal shower.

The bride and groom are registered at Target, Menard's and KOHL's.

So the mission is to look over their Kohl's registery and see what I can find that is not too much over $10 but still nice. No matter what I buy I saved $10 so I will be able to get a nice gift for cheaper since I can not think of anything I NEED from Kohl's at this time.