miclason's Personal Finance Blog

I still have about $200 unallocated in the bank... hmmmm... I donīt want to touch it just yet (it would go to a cc) because I know that thereīs unpaid medical expenses from last October (the insurance company hasnīt sent me the invoice yet, but I know it is about $175) Once I know exactly how much I owe the insurance company, Iīll pay the rest to the cc.

You didnīt think Iīd forget your special day this year, did you?? ... Happy birthday from sunny El Salvador!

Totally unplanned...actually, we didnīt even know our dog was pregnant until she started giving birth!


So we will have unbudgeted vet expenses, but...just look at them, who could feel bad about it? My niece is keeping one (yay! Ale wanted to keep one, but that would have meant more vet expenses, if niece keeps her, then sheīs responsible for the expenses!)...The black and white one goes to close friends, and the third one is still "not allocated"...we have about 4 people that want to adopt her, we have to sit down and decide who gets her! They were born on 27 nov, so we still have time to decide!

Somethingīs wrong with me! We are playing Secret Santa and were asked to make a wish list of 3-5 options, up to $20, to share with the group... so far, the only thing I can think is a couple of books... one is exactly $20, and the other ones are a bit higher, so they are out.. but I really canīt think of anything I really need or want at the moment...LOL! Never thought Iīd have THIS problem!...hm.. maybe a small lamp for my night table, so I can read at night?...

Well, as of tomorrow, gas stations in El Salvador will no longer accept credit or debit cards. They claim that their profit margin is to slim and that credit card companies and bank fees reduce it even further.

I have been purchasing gas with my debit card, so the adjustment wonīt be that much, but...

Oh, and regular gas is now $4.49/gallon.... premium is $4.64... Took $47 to fill my gas tank...YIKES! Back in December, when I made my budget for this year, I could fill it with $30, so I budgeted $45, to account for climbing prices, etc... guess I have to start budgeting $50! ... wow, everything is on the rise, except for my salary, of course...but thatīs a whole other entry!

it is about 2 hours from here (unless you get lost, of course! duh!...me and my horrible sense of direction!)...but we had a great time anyway!... entrance fee was $1 each for Ale and myself, $3 for our friend, as she is not a Salvadoran. We did buy lunch... $18 (for 3 people)... and gas was probably about $15. We also bought some water and snacks for the road. About $45 in total for 3 people to visit the ruins and have lunch..not bad, if you ask me! Oh, and my friend paid for the lunch and the entrance fees, so I paid only for the gas, water and snacks.

Ale is starting to study the Mayas at school, so it was the perfect time to go!

Hereīs a couple of pictures!

Please report if you can!

I just received a call, and they already let my bosses know.

Well,there's an opening in purchasing that I applied for in December. I had the interview today. I think it went well. I got the interviewers to laugh! Also, the interview was part Spanish part English, so they got to see I'm equally fluent in both! I think at least I'm a strong candidate, I also have the advantage of being "in" house already. We'll see how it goes.

... you know the recurrent job offer that I keep getting, to relocate?? the one that I always entrust to God (so He blocks it if its a bad move for me, but so he allows everything to go smoothly if it is the best for me??) ... it came up... AGAIN!...slightly different, because I wouldn't be working with my friend, but with someone I don't know yet... although my friend still works in that same city, so...I just talked to the guy that would be my boss (if God so allows it)... he seems nice. We will meet this evening to chat over coffee and so I can give him my resume (yes, I could have sent it electronically, but I guess the guy wants to actually have a conversation with me before his meeting on WEd where he would put my name (or not) among the candidates... I mean, what if he were to place my name on the list, then met me and didn't like me?? right???...sorry, I'm rambling... I'm just freaking out...but I shouldn't. right? All other times, this has somehow failed through Divine Intervention (I got a good job offer where I had to either accept or reject the job on the spot, whereas I still had 2 more interviews at this place, they called someone else, they fired half the people at the Ministry, etc)... so I'm pretty sure if it's not convenient, it won't happen, but still...

sis just called, she says my niece is in great pain and she's taking her to the hospital... she thinks it might be her appendix. Please pray for my niece. On top of everything, my sis has no money and her medical insurance, through her office, won't cover my niece because she's already over 21, so she does not qualify. Also, because niece works as a "service provider" and not as an employee with the event companies she works with, she herself has no insurance and is not eligible for the social security hospitals (there is 1 company she works for that gives them temporary insurance while they are working long-term events, but wouldn't you know it? She finished her last contract last week!) Please, please, please, pray for her... national hospitals in third world countries are NOT nice!

We take a picture in front of the tree every year! See how much Ale has grown! And in this picture, there's no doubt she's MY daughter, LOL! People always remark that she looks a lot like me, but generally when I look at her, I see the resemblance to her father, rather than mine... but not in this pic! (itīs my new favorite! LOL!)

As always, hereīs a collage for your birthday!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glNjsOHiBYs

Merry Christmas fellow SAers... from sunny yet "cold" El Salvador.... brrrrrrrr.... I know, I know, Iīm a wuss! Itīs only 68°F (or 20°C) but THIS IS THE TROPICS!!! I own 3 long-sleeved shirts (cotton, of course) and 1 sweater (cotton, of course)... so now my feet are freezing and I canīt breathe! My letter to Santa reads something like this:

Dear Santa,
Kindly disregard any and all previous requests, all I REALLY, REALLY want is a new nose... and no, I don{t want rinoplasty (Sp?) Iīll settle for one that actually breathes!!

thanks bunches!

MI

hope you at least had a laugh and I wish you all the best not just today, or tomorrow, or this month, but always!!!

A picture of blue skies for you! I took this one at DDīs school, they have a couple of palm trees in their garden!

No, I did not go crazy... We needed the following presents:
1. for Aleīs best friend from school (birthday)
2. for Aleīs best friend since Kindergarten! (Xmas)
3. to play Secret Santa at the dance school
4. for another friendīs birthday
5. for nannyīs grand-daughter

I got invited to a Toy Show at the hotel which the people at my office prefer when they come to the country...and I could use the points they gave me for their stays to buy at the Show! yay!...

I bought:
1. a really nice lunchbox, black and pink, with a fancy kitten wearing a crown on the front. (very "tween-esque"!)
2. a set of those little skateboards that seem to be all the rage among tween boys.
3. another lunchbox (I bought 2 identical ones)
4. I bought one of those balls that you can sit and bounce on
5. A doll with an extra set of clothes and a pair of matching plastic sandals for the owner of the doll!

And I also bought Ale a special 4-in-1 handcraft kit.

All these cost $42... not bad in itself... AND I had enough points for a $25 certificate...so I only paid $17!!! Iīm happy!!!

Iīll use Aleīs camera to snap a picture of the loot tomorrow!
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Ale already packed one of the lunchboxes, but itīs identical to the one in the picture, anyway!

Hereīs Ale as a droplet:






and here as a Torogoz (blue-headed mot mot)




The show was truly spectacular! It was really fun!

went to order my multifocals (gulp)... they'll cost $123... great price, I think!... and I like the style... I should get them in 8-10 days...exciting!

She wanted the littlest pet shop around the world set...12 LPS!!...it costs $49.90...ouchie! BUT, I got a $25 certificate from the Hiltonīs celebrity club (for making reservations)...and the day I went to get it it was on sale, so I ended up spending only $18 and cents...yay!
Thatīs about it, because this year she wanted to participate in 2 dances (jazz and ballet- they give you a good discount if you sign up for more than one class) and wanted to be in both dances at the Xmas pageant if possible, so I told her we could, as long as we made the additional dress part of her present. She agreed. The good thing is she gets 2 new leotards out of it (the school makes it a point to make the dresses in such a way that they can be worn as a leotard and separate pieces)... this time sheīll get a blue and yellow one,long sleeved, and a light blue one, short sleeved (sheīll be a torogoz and a drop of water...the theme is A Green Story)

Iīm having my multifocal glasses done! There is foundation here where you can buy glasses really cheap (they get the frames as donations, and with the money from paying customers they can provide free glasses to people who canīt afford them). They will be coming to the office on Wednesday, and Iīve already made my appointment! (THAT explains why Iīve seen some people with several sets of glasses...they actually match them to their clothes!)

she just found out everyone else in the region got a raise back in June... she consistently outperforms everyone in the region...she is the only one that not only attains but surpasses her sales goals each quarter... SOOOOO...why didnīt SHE get a raise?? Her supervisor (and supposedly, her friend) didnīt turn in her evaluation!

Among all the things that Iīm thankful for, this group holds a very special place! Thanks for all the encouragement, the help and the support you always provide!

I hope you have a happy thanksgiving with your families!

I just saw a commercial on TV... It{s the day after payday and youīre already out of money? All your money goes towardds paying debt?... then send a txt message with the word DEBT to number XXXX and get a mini-course on how to manage your money... (yep, subscribe to the service and youīll get 2 messages per day... I couldnīt see how much each text message costs, but I know how these things work: you get charged for every message they send you.. typically, itīs between $0.5 and $1.5 per message!).... tsk, tsk, tsk...

I was cooking and sis came to chat a while and suddenly, CRACK! the overhead cabinet just came crashing down on us!

We still have good reflexes! Next thing we knew, we were holding it up to keep it from crashing to the floor (we propped it up with a piece of furniture where we keep the potatoes and onions and some other stuff) BUT, we couldnīt bring it down because one of the corners was still attached to the wall (and wouldnīt you know it, it was too high up for any of us to reach it, even standing on a chair!)... we sent Ale to get the guard (we live in a gated community) He came carrying a shotgun! (gulp!)...he unscrewed the cabinet and helped us put it down!...

Poor Ale! She was so scared! (and poor sis, she was commenting that her shoulder hurt BEFORE the accident!)

But just think, if sis and I hadnīt been chatting, the thing would have fallen on top of me, and I wouldnīt have been able to hold it just by myself!

someone shared this one on FB today, I couldnīt help myself and had to share with you!

For those of you who know pupusas, try not to faint at the fact that these are mozarella pupusas, you gotta work with what you have! LOL! (and, after all, I substitute mozarella with quesillo for my lasagnas!)

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pupusas-de-queso

I finally got my sister to agree that we could not go on as we were... my nephew left on Sunday (she got him a room someplace nearby...I don't care, just as long as he stays out of the house)
We will look for separate houses, as she wants her son to move in with her again (naturally?) ...

anyway... I know it's probably the opposite for my sis, but I'm sleeping much better!

oh, and could you believe it, I ran into my nephew on my way to work yesterday, and he was all sweet and said: "ah, it's hard to be out of the house"... he had been "out of the house" for about 21 hours by then, so...eh, NO, I don't buy it, kiddo!

WHAT?!! Say again??
Yep, the price of a carton (30 eggs) went from $2.40 (medium eggs) to $3.25, large eggs went from $2.50 to $3.60

just.... AAAAAAARGH! This only mirrors increases in all other food stuffs, too, there goes my grocery budgeting!

Ale had to bake some brownies she promised a friend whose birthday is tomorrow. I baked some cinammon bars for a bake sale for someone at work that underwent surgery. Both look yummy. Letīs hope they tasste as good as they look!

This is the first time Iīve made something for a bake sale at work, mostly, because it seems I never have the time, or the ingredients! This time, I had both, so I figured Iīd do it, even though I didnīt sign up to do it. I baked those bars as snacks for a presentation a while back, and they were a huge hit.

wish us both luck!

It sounds silly, but, after 11 years, 10 of them without cable, and with local channels being 02, 04, 06, 08, 10, 12, 19, 21, 33 and 35...well, the "0" stopped working!!!! And while, yes, I can get up to change the channels, at some point during these 11 years, Ale punched in the Power button, so you can not turn the TV on manually.

The TV works fine, so I figured getting a new remote was far cheaper than buying a new TV... we tried one of those universal remotes, but, maybe the TV is too old or something, but that one didnīt work, so I looked up the original one on line and bought it yesterday...

Of course, this means I do have to start thinking about buying a new TV... so that I may save for it and pay for it in cash...

WARNING: RANT AHEAD
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First, let me start by telling you that we in ES donīt get gas supplied through our homes the way some of you do in other countries, but rather SOME of us (mostly middle class) buy gas cilinders to cook on gas stoves. Why? Because it is a LOT less expensive than an electric stove...or, perhaps I should say WAS... The gas here is heavily subsidized, as are water and electricity, and one of the first things the new government wanted to do was "make sure that the subsidy goes to those that really need it"....ok, nothing wrong with that... You might remeber that a while back I was complaining about my water and electricity bill... now itīs the gas. This, though, is a lot trickier... because you can either have the cilinder brought to your home or you can go buy it...so... how are they going to know you really "need it" (a.k.a: that youīre poor)?...so, their decision has been to eliminate the subsidy completely...the gas cilinder I buy currently costs $5.10.... this same cilinder will cost me $13.10 in the near future!...
Honestly, everyoneīs joking about this right now (what else can we do? Cry about it?)..."we should go on that raw food diet"..."I want a turbo-kitchen"..."letīs go solar!"...etc... Now, it may not seem like much, and, in reality, in my house it might mean less junk food and sodas or animal protein, or other things like that...but...what does it mean to the family that makes $500 a month pre-tax? Or, even worse, to those living on minimimum salary at $200 per month pre-tax??
The truly poorer of the poor donīt even use gas, as $5.10 is already out of their reach, they use wood stoves...for the truly rich, the difference is nothing... so...guess who gets affected the most??

Ah, and in case we were thinking of switching from meat to beans, because of all the rain, the NEXT crop of beans will be low, so some distributors have decided to recoup those losses beforehand by raising the price of beans from $0.60 to $0.90 per Lb...now, what about the people that were barely making it on beans, corn tortillas and an occasional egg??

sorry, rant over!