not_hathor (
not_hathor) wrote2018-05-01 01:59 pm
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Dare I say it? I think Spring is FINALLY Here!!!
I am SO tired of being cold. I am also SO tired of living frugally. Every damn month since JANUARY we've had multiple major expenses: In January, Husband's back window, and MEGA electric bill; February - Daughter was stranded in Texas most of the month due to BFZ going to the emergency room with what everyone feared to be heart problems; it turned out to be pneumonia, except it also affected the pericardial sac which DID involve his heart.... aside from the emotional stress, there was the cost of transferring Daughter's return ticket to the next weekend; the FEBRUARY MEGA electric bill, Husband's car needed some additional repairs, MY car seriously needed a full tune up (all the bits and pieces were the originals from 2004, including the serpentine belt)..... Which meant that when the furnace oil tank ran dry the last week of February we had no $$$ to spare to get more.
March and April were not fun. At least towards the middle of March Mother Nature gave us two weeks of thaw, during which the blocked piped issue finally resolved itself -- or rather, the City did some street drain work that solved the blockage problem (Ha! it wasn't US!!!), so Husband was finally able to remove the washing machine hose from out of the sump pump pit and reattach it to the outflow pipe. Things were still COLD at the beginning of the month, and at the end of the month; Jethro had to have his yearly check up and shots ($180), and TA DA! having to scrape $450 to send to Uncle Sam before April 15th.
April: Along with the Tax payment and the Due in April electric bill (still high, but not horrendous), Adric's front left wheel bearing went bad. Fortunately, I still had $290 on my Goodyear card, and enough in my Cash Stash to make up the difference. Two days later, Husband's rear brakes gave up the ghost -- he didn't go into detail but I think he got an extension on the Firestone card....
On the plus side of trying to live frugally, because I couldn't justify buying new books, I made a serious dent in my "To Read" pile: 'Femme Fatale', and 'Spider Dance' (Carole Nelson Doulglas's last two Irene Adler novels), 'The Hanged Man' (PN Elrod) which I'd started years ago and misplaced, 'Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen' ( Lois McMasters Bujoid) - 'ReAwakened' (Colleen Houk), a good many of Mercedes Lackey's 'Elemental Mages' books (borrowed from Elder Sister, and looking for a copy of "A Study in Sable' at the Used Book Store); reread several of the 'Bacanno!' light novels and Charlene Harris's 'Midnight, Texas' books. I even read a couple of those Dan Brown books that Husband's been pushing at me.
On the down side, living frugal doesn't necessarily mean eating healthily -- I'm pretty sure I've gained back the weight I lost last year (hot chocolate and flavored coffee to keep warm, and mac & cheese is cheaper than lean beef and fresh veggies (and I'm starting to get tired of Chicken, too). My A1C is going to be bad, I just know it; likewise my Blood pressure (Doctor appointment next week). Stupid Mail Order medications -- supposed to be cheaper --- cheaper for WHO????
At least May has started out decently, other than getting tapped for Jury Duty this week -- I have to call tonight to find out if I have to report tomorrow; and of course the STATE continues to mess with us....
Edited to Add:
I realize that I got pretty whiny, and that some of my peeps have had it worse and for a longer period of time, and I apologize if any of you feel like my complaining makes light of your situation(s). I'm sorry. I just needed to vent a bit, because its been one thing after another this year...
March and April were not fun. At least towards the middle of March Mother Nature gave us two weeks of thaw, during which the blocked piped issue finally resolved itself -- or rather, the City did some street drain work that solved the blockage problem (Ha! it wasn't US!!!), so Husband was finally able to remove the washing machine hose from out of the sump pump pit and reattach it to the outflow pipe. Things were still COLD at the beginning of the month, and at the end of the month; Jethro had to have his yearly check up and shots ($180), and TA DA! having to scrape $450 to send to Uncle Sam before April 15th.
April: Along with the Tax payment and the Due in April electric bill (still high, but not horrendous), Adric's front left wheel bearing went bad. Fortunately, I still had $290 on my Goodyear card, and enough in my Cash Stash to make up the difference. Two days later, Husband's rear brakes gave up the ghost -- he didn't go into detail but I think he got an extension on the Firestone card....
On the plus side of trying to live frugally, because I couldn't justify buying new books, I made a serious dent in my "To Read" pile: 'Femme Fatale', and 'Spider Dance' (Carole Nelson Doulglas's last two Irene Adler novels), 'The Hanged Man' (PN Elrod) which I'd started years ago and misplaced, 'Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen' ( Lois McMasters Bujoid) - 'ReAwakened' (Colleen Houk), a good many of Mercedes Lackey's 'Elemental Mages' books (borrowed from Elder Sister, and looking for a copy of "A Study in Sable' at the Used Book Store); reread several of the 'Bacanno!' light novels and Charlene Harris's 'Midnight, Texas' books. I even read a couple of those Dan Brown books that Husband's been pushing at me.
On the down side, living frugal doesn't necessarily mean eating healthily -- I'm pretty sure I've gained back the weight I lost last year (hot chocolate and flavored coffee to keep warm, and mac & cheese is cheaper than lean beef and fresh veggies (and I'm starting to get tired of Chicken, too). My A1C is going to be bad, I just know it; likewise my Blood pressure (Doctor appointment next week). Stupid Mail Order medications -- supposed to be cheaper --- cheaper for WHO????
At least May has started out decently, other than getting tapped for Jury Duty this week -- I have to call tonight to find out if I have to report tomorrow; and of course the STATE continues to mess with us....
Edited to Add:
I realize that I got pretty whiny, and that some of my peeps have had it worse and for a longer period of time, and I apologize if any of you feel like my complaining makes light of your situation(s). I'm sorry. I just needed to vent a bit, because its been one thing after another this year...