Purple Flower's Finance Blog

Even though it is very hot/humid here--93 degrees--I do not want to turn on the A/C. I have a whole house fan which is on and I have the windows open with the mini-blinds closed.

I got a refund check in the mail for $3.69 for Land O Lakes Butter and I had another NSD. I will add the check to my savings.

I did some yard work earlier and now I'm going to see how much money I spent this week, since this is the first week I have actually tracked all of my expenses.

For the month of May, I spent $139 in gasoline for both of my vehicles. It is easier for me to track now that each time I buy gas it goes on the Discover Open Road CC so that I earn 5% cash back bonus, which of course, I pay in full each month.

Both of my vehicles, a Ford Escort SW and a Honda Civic, get 30+ mpg. While I don't think the expenses for May are unreasonable, I do realize that probably a few months to a year ago I spent under half of this amount. My M-F job commute is 8 miles one way and the Saturday job 2X/month is 14 miles one way.

I do know that since gas prices are approaching $4/gal. in my area, I have been extra frugal with my driving practices. I try to not make any unnecessary trips and run my errands on my commute to or from work. I also have decreased the speed at which I drive the vehicles. In addition, I follow the recommendations for oil changes and air filter replacement more closely.

Have a great weekend!

I'm been having problems every few months with my landline phone service. Usually the problem is something on the exterior of my house with the telephone wiring. The technicians supposedly fix it, then in a few weeks I have the same problem again. The issue is either I don't have a dial tone to make outgoing calls or I can't receive incoming calls. When I try to call in to my phone it connects and turns to a static sound. It doesn't even ring.

Anyway, the beginning of May, I had this exact same problem all over again. Verizon had sent out a service technician to determine if the problem was an external or internal problem. Well they ran a test on the line and it came up that there was a short somewhere. The box outside my house checked out fine, so the technician said he would have to set up an appointment so that I could be home to let him inside so he could check the wiring. Since I don't have an inside maintainence plan on my account (which is $5.99 extra/month), I would be charged $90/hour for them to determine/fix the problem. I did have a Saturday appointment set up for a few weeks ago, and the service technician never showed up. I called the repair center, and apparently someone made an error, since I was told that there are no technicians available in my area code for Saturday appts. Ugh!!

My problem is I didn't want to take off work on a weekday to get this resolved. I guess I really don't have a choice now.

Anyway since emails have gone unanswered, yesterday during lunch I called Verizon again to discuss some of these ongoing issues. When I received my latest bill, there was a charge for the service technician visit for the exterior of $61.50. Now when I scheduled this appt. the technician was fully aware that I would not be home to let him inside, should he need access to the interior wiring. Many times technicians have come out to do work at the outside box and I was never charged a penny. I explained this to the rep and she said, "well, they needed to come inside since they determined the problem was not something on the outside". Anyway, I demanded a refund of the $61.50. So the rep compromised and gave me a credit of $30.75.

She proceeded to tell me that the service technician closed out the repair order and the computer stated that the issue was resolved. WHAT???? If he determined that the problem was in the inside and there is no documentation that an appointment was made to gain access to the house, then I think it is safe to say that the problem with my lack of dial tone/inability to make incoming/outgoing calls is still existent. Within the last week, I decided to add the inside wire maintainence plan to my account, thinking it would pay for itself since this problem is recurring every few months. Since the phone company claims they were not aware I was still having a problem (even though they don't have record of repairing my line), I will not get credit for several weeks of no phone service. In addition, even though I now have this service plan and I report now that I have these same problems, it would not be covered under this plan because it is a pre-existing problem!!!! I asked how it could be pre-existing if the original repair order was closed and stated as resolved by the technician.

Well, needless to say I left the rep know that after Verizon comes out to repair the inside line, I will be shopping around for other phone service. She said, "well I can forward you to a supervisor because we certainly don't want to lose you as a customer". I declined and told her I have had too many issues with them and would most definitely be closing my account with Verizon. I'm just not happy with them and they aren't very accommodating/customer friendly.

So now I'm not sure what company I want to go with. I currently have internet with Verizon which is working perfectly. I was researching doing cable, phone, and internet, but those packages are fairly expensive. Does anyone have any ideas about Vonage for phone service??

I received 2 checks in the mail today totaling $9 from American Consumer Opinion Panel. I will add that to my savings account.

Have a great day everyone!

Despite the fact that my co-workers invited me to go to Walmart with them over lunch break, I declined the offer. I didn't want to end up buying a bunch of stuff I don't need. So, I managed to have another NSD!

Today, I got three checks in the mail. One was a mystery shopping reimbursement + shopper's fee for a breakfast assignment at a local restaurant-$10.89. Another was an A & H Plus Oxiclean Guarantee-$8.24, plus April Walgreen's Easy Saver-$4.99. I will add a total of $24.12 to my savings account.

Today, I had a NSD. I received a $5 gift certificate from Baker St Solutions Panel for doing an online survey. Now I have accumulated $15 of these Amazon gcs.

I've been thinking about purchasing a carpet shampooer...maybe from Amazon with the gcs. I was researching different brands and reading reviews a few days ago. It looks like the Bissell 9200 Proheat model would be a good one. Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on which brand would be best.

Have a great night everyone!

I went to Rite Aid today and got A & H Laundry Detergent 100 oz., which was B1G1F. The regular price is $5.99 each. Each bottle also had a $2 coupon on it. So I got 2 bottles for $3.99. I also purchased Samy i style hair styler for $4.49 which will be FAR.

After that, I did a Rita's Italian Ice mystery shop. Next week, I have a Texas Roadhouse mystery shop to complete.

I ran these errands after I ate lunch that I brought to work. Some days I can't stand to sit in the lunch room and listen to all the co-workers issues for a whole hour. It overwhelms me!!

Even though I am aware of my largest expenses each month, I need to be better at finding out where ALL of my money is going on a monthly basis. So starting with June, I'm going to record each time I spend money and what category (groceries, medical, entertainment, etc.) it goes into so that I can actually have a written budget instead of mentally trying to control my finances. This way I will be able to see where I could save even more money each month.

I've decided I need to change my spending habits for several reasons:

~rising gasoline/food prices
~non-reimbursed divorce attorney fees
ex-husband has not paid
~currently not getting child support
effective April 2008 (loss of over
$500/month)

Since I am now licensed in a state nearby (since the hourly rate is significantly higher than in the state where I reside), I am on the list at a medical temp agency should they have any Saturday openings. So I'm trying to increase my income to compensate for being 100% financially responsible for my children.

I'm really excited about tracking my income/expenses as it should be an eye-opener!!

Yesterday, my DD and I had the opportunity to spend the day together. My DS is camping with a friend this weekend. I really miss him, but it is nice to occasionally have some time with DD. Normally, I have more time to spend with DS due to the fact that DD has had a job now for about 10 mths.


So anyway, I went to do the Staples mystery shop. I bought a pack of pens for $6.19 of which I will be reimbursed $5, plus I get a shopper's fee of $17 for doing the mystery shop and entering the info online.

We went to Isaac's Deli for lunch, which is one of DD's favorite restaurants. I spent $21.53 including the tip. We were never at that location before. The atmosphere was nice, and we were there mid-afternoon so it was not busy.

Since DD is getting a different job(as a waitress in a local restaurant), we had to go clothes shopping for some white, button down shirts. At Boscov's, we bought 4 shirts and a pair of jeans. With the 30% off discount the total was $55.21. We also stopped at Kohl's and she got a swim suit and 3 shirts for $66.03 which included using a 15% off coupon.

Even though we spent some money, we had a nice day and bought items that she will need in the near future.

I got two refund checks in the mail from Rite Aid Single Check Rebates ($47.11) and Sambucol Black Elderberry Immune Support Tablets TMF offer ($8.99). I will add those to my savings account.

I also am scheduled to do a Staples mystery shop today and will run some errands in town while I am there in the area.

Have a great holiday weekend everyone!!

Yesterday, I received a $100 check which was refunded from the total professional license application fee of $375 that I applied for last month. I will add that to my savings account.

Also, I completed two online surveys today.

Have a great weekend everyone!

I received a $3 check today from Pinecone for a survey that I completed the middle of last week. Now I know firsthand just how efficient they are with their payments!!

I received my stimulus payment on Friday by direct deposit into my savings account for $1200. Yesterday, I received a check from Walgreen's March Easy Saver Rebate for $33.75 which will go to my checking account.

Earlier in the week, I received the professional license that I applied for last month. This will allow me to work in a larger city in a nearby state at a higher salary. Initially, I plan to just temp an extra Saturday or two a month for extra income. I already have a permanent Saturday job where I work every other Sat.


I got a letter from my attorney regarding the settlement of property with my ex-husband. Even though I have been divorced since July 2007, my attorney bifurcated the actual divorce decree from the financial aspect of the divorce. In April 2008, the Divorce Master sent my ex a recommendation on how she felt the property should be divided based on all the facts. It stated that I should receive the house and he is responsible for paying my attorneys fees/court costs. Since we were only physically living together for 1 1/2 years after we purchased the house, I have been paying on the mortgage for over 5 years with no input from him. Even when we were together, he didn't contribute that much to the mortgage due to his poor work ethics. Anyway, he had 20 days to appeal this recommendation. Now the time has expired, since he didn't take any further action. The letter from my attorney demands that he sign the deed and forward to him a certified check for $4700 in attorney fees. I seriously doubt that I will see that money. He currently is unemployed once again and has not paid any child support that he has been ordered to starting from the end of March 2008. I will just be satisfied with being able to refinance the mortgage to free up some extra money each month. The current mortgage rate is 8.5% on my loan, but I haven't been able to move forward with this since it was marital property.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

The balance on this CC I previously transferred from another CC with a 0% interest offer for 1 year. I have been switching this balance between cards for a few years to take advantage of the 0% offers, but the charges on the card were from living expenses that I accumulated while I was in college. The 0% offer expired on May 1. I am happy to have paid the balance of $5800. in full.

Now I will just use this Discover CC for automobile expenses (gas, maintainance, etc.) for the rewards and pay it off each month.

I have a Citibank CC that I use and pay in full each month for any other expenses. Since I get rewards for any purchases on this card, I use it for the balance of any purchases I make during the month. It is easier for me to track expenses this way.

I still have a Home Depot CC with a 0% offer on it until 1/09 that I used to purchase replacement windows. Other than that I do not have any other CC debt, and I will pay that in full before the offer expires as well.

I've completed and submitted all of the paperwork/notarized documents to get my professional license in a nearby state. My application just needs to get approved by the State Board, then they will issue me a license. It was a bit expensive ($555 total), but with the difference in the pay rates between the states, it should be well worth the investment.

I filled my tank with gas yesterday. A local convenience store (actually the only place in this town that sells gas) just re-opened after being closed for 3 months. The gas is a bit less expensive, $3.53/gal., as a promo price. Other places in nearby towns are selling it for $3.69/gal.

I received my Rite Aid Single Check Rebate check in the mail yesterday for $58.21. I deposited that in my checking account.

Tomorrow I will head to Rite Aid for my weekly FAR items, and also run some other errands.

Today my co-workers are taking me out to lunch for my birthday. I think I will choose Red Lobster. I could really indulge in those garlic cheddar biscuits!! I also put in a request for chocolate cake with peanut butter icing!! Yum!! It should be fun!

Happy Birthday to me!!!

This morning in the mail, I received a notice that my children will no longer be receiving benefits from social security under their father....effective immediately. Since he was collecting supplemental income through the government due to a disability, my children were eligible to receive a portion of that amount. He was working as well as receiving this income. He doesn't have a stable work history or high earning potential (due to his lack of education).

I received over $500/month over the last 3 years through SS for the children. I thought that was more than he would be ordered to pay in child support for the same time period.

I went to the domestic relations office today to do the intake paperwork for a conference with their father. So I will have to wait and see what happens in a few weeks.

I enjoy doing the monthly freebate deals at the local pharmacy stores in my area: Rite Aid, Walgreens, and CVS.

Below is a listing of the March freebies I received at each store, as well as the amount of coupons that I used for the purchases:

Rite Aid

Hershey Bliss Meltaways 2.99
Scotch Sealing Tape 1.75
Skin Appetit Moist. Cream 9.99
Bic Soleil Razor 4.00
Salon Selectives Mousse 3.49
Rite Aid Pantiliners .99
Diabetic Tussin Mucous Relief 6.99
Total Rebate 30.20
-Coupons used 2.00

Walgreens

Garnier Fructis Stylers 3.99
Garnier Nutrition Skin Renew 12.99
Colgate Total Advanced TPaste 2.99
Listerine Smart Rinse 3.79
Yes To Carrots Body Butter 9.99
Total Rebate 30.75
-Coupons used 4.00

CVS

2 Hersheys Pot of Gold Candy 9.98
Oral B Toothbrush 4.99
Maybelline Superstay Lipcolor 8.99
Bag of Jelly Beans .99
Total ExtraBuck Offer 24.95
-Coupons used 2.00

Also received a free coupon at CVS for CVS Brand 24ct. Aleve and a free $25 giftcard with a new/transferred prescription.

So, all in all I think I earned a few dollars on the rebate items (even considering I paid sales tax on some items), thanks to using coupons!!

Since I am an avid rebater and participate monthly in these programs, I accumulate quite a stockpile of items each month. I share my surplus with family and/or donate some of the items to local homeless shelters/charities.

Well, I have to see what great rebates are available for April. I need to go look at the Sunday sales flyers/coupon inserts!!

Currently, I work full-time in one office Monday-Friday. For about 4 yrs, I have also worked at least 2 Saturdays/month in a separate office. Well, the Saturday job may be ending in a few months. I am not aware of other offices in the surrounding areas that have Saturday hours. Even if there are, I'm not sure if they would have job openings.

For a few months, I have been thinking about whether it might be beneficial for me to get licensed in a nearby state. I live about 40 miles from a major metro area there. It will cost a bit of money upfront (for fees and such), so I wanted to be sure it would be a good decision financially. So a couple of weeks ago, I called a professional health care temp agency there to see what demand there is in my profession. He assured me that a high demand exists and there is a shortage of professionals in my field in that area.

Some of the fees included are: non-refundable application fee $375, jurisprudence exam fee $50, National Board Written exam score report $25, Regional Board clinical exam report $25, letter of good standing from current licensing state $15, official transcript for proof of field-related education $3, plus notary fees to get the documents notarized. The fee for licensure every 2 yrs is $185.

I thoroughly researched salaries in the nearby state for both permanent and temporary positions by using the internet and by speaking to individuals in the field. There is a potential for me to make $10/15 more per hour than I currently make at my Saturday job. Maybe eventually I could get a full-time job in that area as well.

I think if I have a dual license it would make me more marketable in the field. Plus I should be able to deduct the fees on my income taxes next year.

One of my projects for this weekend will be to complete all the paperwork so that I can take it next week to get the documents notarized and mailed out.

I received a $20 refund check from Stopzilla which I purchased recently online.

Also, I found Perdue Oven Stuffer Roasters for $0.79/lb. I bought two of them and froze one. I roasted the other and made a pot of chicken corn soup.

I received February's Single Check Rebate check in the mail from Rite Aid today for $36.93. Also I got a survey check from Your2Cents for $6.

I got a $25 Paypal deposit for a mystery shop I did in January for a restaurant. I just got reimbursed for the meal, no additional shoppers' fees for doing that mystery shop. Still it was well worth it!

I got a $3 check from ithink surveys in the mail today.

Also, I had a mystery shopping assignment to do at a local, casual restaurant last night. I have been a mystery shopper for years. I really enjoy doing it because it helps businesses by giving feedback on their employees, service, and quality of products. Of course the plus is that I receive either free products/services, and in some cases a shopper's fee for doing the assignment. A few years ago, I was an avid mystery shopper. I would schedule many different assignments within a certain few miles radius of one another because I wanted to be frugal with gas consumption. In the past, I would do as many as 8 assignments a day, but not every day. Since gas prices have risen and shoppers' fees have decreased a bit over the years, I do only mystery shops that are worth my time. It seems I don't have the time it takes either to actually do the physical shop, plus enter the details on the on-line reports.

Hello!

I have been a member of this site for almost a year, but have never set up a blog. I have posted on the forums for several months. I enjoy all the advice given at this site and am always open to suggestions regarding personal finance and frugality.

I currently have some credit card debt, a car loan, and student loans. Initially it was difficult for me to adjust my finances since being separated for years from my husband, and more recently being now divorced from him. He didn't contribute much to the household income due to health problems and other issues that prevented him from holding down a job consistently.

Since this life change I've now worked my way up to saving at least 25% of my income in various mutual funds, a Roth IRA, and savings accounts, on a regular basis each month.

So long for now, I will make another entry within a few days.