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Various Updates

December 3rd, 2011 at 02:48 pm

Where to begin?

**The best and most awesome news is that my employer got some test results back and is officially cancer free (they got it and it hadn't spread at all). Woohoo!

**The update on both men I mentioned fighting for their lives in hospitals - not much change. The one family is probably going to have to decide when/if to pull the plug. The other guy is having a TON of reconstructive surgeries - so I wonder if he will even walk again. What are the odds of two people that you are so close to going through this at the same time? (My friend is going through this - I do not know either of these families personally). The whole thing is just so terrible.

**On a lighter note, Grandma sent us some family recipes. Phew! BUT one recipe was uber complicated and the other had nuts. So we decided to make the nut one for ourselves. (Realizing what a shame it is we seem to have no family recipes? I think this is mostly because my dad's sisters probably all his family recipes - my mom's family is kind of a mess. So mental note - get family recipes from the females. I have a great aunt who is still alive to -almost 100 - but I don't get the impression she spent a lot of time in the kitchen. Doesn't hurt to ask. She may have some family recipes, regardless. She is unusual in a family full of housewives - she is almost 100 and was always single woman working in the big city!).

I found an easy snickerdoodle recipe so will go with that - thanks for the suggestion. I also found German Chocolate Bar cookies - looks easy and delish. So we are ambitiously making all three this weekend. What the heck.

**Christmas shopping season has begun and two of dh's games up on Amazon sold. Rolleyes Amazon has been extraordinarily annoying with this "We will only let high volume sellers sell during the Holidays" thing. They keep back tracking but not telling anyone they are back tracking. Does that mean we can put up new sales listings??? Lord knows, but dh is actively looking for deals to sell. It's usually the easiest time of year to sell. As you see with these sales - both on the same day. So, if something good comes along, we will try.

**Cash balance is hovering about $29,750 for 12/31. How annoying is that? It's good, but I am frustrated that there is no way I Will hit $30k this year. I am just pinning my hopes on a higher than usual Christmas check from my boss - since my 10-year anniversary is this year! (I still need to come up with $400 for the mortgage, too - which I am more optimistic about). That said, this goal looks pretty in the bag for 2012. April 2012, at the least. So I may be a few months off from making this all 12/31, but I have slayed some major financial goals this year. Woohoo!

**I have had an extraordinary year of not spending any money on retail or anything like that. BUT, everyone was badgering me for my wish list and I went to Michael's to look at frames. Suddenly I am spending money left and right. I went from "Ugh - I hate this stupid wishlist thing" to endlessly adding to it. The problem is I usually just put more need-type items on the list throughout the year. BUT, with all these credit card rewards it has been nothing but free instant gratification. & then nothing on my wish list. So what have I learned from all this? The easiest way to not spend money is to simply stay out of the stores. It is amazing to me how weak my resolve is once I am in a store and looking online at all the stuff I Would suddenly like to have. & it's not as simple as I Can not control myself. I can easily leave the store and not buy anything. But the thing is you can't lust for things you never see. Suddenly I see all this stuff that I didn't even know I Wanted. Know what I mean?

I am also far removed from the de-clutter stage. There were years we were de-cluttering the house where the last thing I would ever buy was a knicknack of any sort. So I haven't de-cluttered in a LONG time and I start mindlessly buying stuff like that. So I have had to remind myself about that - how there is a reason I do not buy stuff like that. & if I want to, well, I have to make room for it somewhere (the best would be to toss something else). & if I don't want to toss the very few things I have decided to keep...

Lesson learned? The practical wish list works very well for me. & I am going to make an extra effort to stay out of any stores in 2012. & it is true - I spend far less money when I shop online, personally. There is something I need or want, I get it, and I don't look at anything else. That works amazingly well for me.

3 Responses to “Various Updates”

  1. Looking Forward Says:
    1322931238

    Great news for your boss!

    Good luck with all your cookie baking. Feel free to send some samples my way. Wink
    "Suddenly I see all this stuff that I didn't even know I Wanted. Know what I mean?" -- HaHa! Yeah, I do!


  2. rob62521 Says:
    1322950472

    Bet your house will smell wonderful with that baking going on! Yum!

  3. frugaltexan75 Says:
    1322972723

    I'm glad to hear the news about your boss!

    I totally hear you on the idea of not knowing you wanted or *needed* something til you see it in the store. That's why, other than Wal-mart, I rarely go into any store/mall just to "look" or "exercise." It is just way too easy to spend, spend, spend ...

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