((sigh)) I just called the Ministry and, they tell me there is no correction to the state of my donations (they appear still as if they haven't been declared by the foundation)...Since the number I called is supposed to be "taxpayer counseling", I asked what I should do...their advice? ...modify MY declaration to exclude the donations...this makes me angry...this is NOT a solution (it is, in the sense that then I'd get my money back, but, it isn't in the sense that I don't feel I should have to modify my declaration. My declaration is right, why should I modify it??).......AAAAAAAAAARRRRGH!

I sent a follow-up email yesterday to the foundation and, they said the correction (reporting my donations to them) had already been filed (yesterday), so I'll wait a couple of days and re-check the status of my return on line...if nothing has changed, I'm going to call the Ministry again...
At least, we're moving in the right direction with this! (hey, it's $282!!)

The CC company wanted a copy of the payment voucher- again...so I resent it. "they're taking care of it"...now I'm trying to decide whether I want to spend the energy pursuing their deleting some of the interest charged to my account due the money being "lost" for 2 payment periods! ....

Income tax refund - sent a message to the foundation. They have the letter and will send it in tomorrow, so, in THEORY, this should be settled by Thursday (yeah, right!!)

((sihg)) PATIENCE!

1. keep better track of my spending- I still having a hard time sticking to this one!

2. Send out at least 15 resumes in January(best time of the year to find a new job in ES!) and, at least one more per week for the rest of the year until I find a job that pays better! Interesting development in this area

3. FINALLY decide on a school for Alejandra, AND save money for her enrollment fee, uniforms and school supplies Went to see a school that had been recommended. Think it's a good fit for us!...reminds me of the first school I went to: small, few children, re-converted house conditioned to be used as a school...strict but loving owner/director...AND, the initial enrollment fee is $380, and the monthly fee is $110!!...(at the preschool I pay $200 and $70, so the differnce is not THAT much!--at least, it's not $1,000 and $200!!!)...I think this one's a go, so, now I can really do numbers and work on the rest! yay!! Have to take care of this before April ends, though, to ensure there's a space for Ale at the proper grade!

4. continue to lower my overall debt - I started Jan 05 with ~$17K (out of which ~$4K were for a loan and the rest -~$13K!-pure cc debt) and, am starting Jan 06 with $~11K (with ~$8K for a loan and ~$3K in cc debt)... expect to be able to end Dec '06 with ~$7K, which I expect to be purely for the loan... to come partly from the English classes/$20 challenge. Same as last month, all "additional" income going towards the "car account"...

5. Help Ale find a way to earn those $3 she's missing to open her account with HER OWN money...Pending...

Well, since I have saved most of my $20-challenge money towards the car (except the $20 for Jan!), I think I should set the price of the car as my goal, so, I'll say $4,000 by December 31st!

Woo-hoo! I got 3 more paid translations for April!! - that's $36 more for my April total!! (and it's only the 5th!)

Translated 3 pages for a friend, that'll be $36 to be added to April's $20 challenge...

Posting it so I don't forget to add it at the end of the month!

Total for March

Challenge statistics:
invested:
$20 gas for cousin
$48 for taxies/March
=======
$68.00

Earned in March: $448.00

net for January: $12.15
net for February: $318.40
net for March:$380
Total ytd for 2006 (net):$710.55

1 small translation- 1 page
need to add $12 for my March total...just noting it down so I don't forget!

...as soon as it is humanly possible..not only am I exhausted by Wednesday, but Ale is having trouble at school and I cannot really help her...I mean, I tried today, but, the poor kid was falling asleep on her notebook! (I arrived at 8:45 and, I had her practicing dictations and spelling until 9:15, which is a bit past her bedtime!)...plus, I feel like a drill sargent, Mom is not fun anymore!...she has a "graded dictation" on Wednesday...
And, I can't really expect the nanny to help..she's more than willing but, it's difficult for her... I had to explain the word "dictation" to her... after all, she only went as far as 1st grade herself...and at a public school, too!!...

Have spoken to H regarding the job he wants (to put all his 100+ presentation cards into Outlook contacts for him), says he'll pay me $10/hour...should I cry? If I translate my regular pay/regular hours,it's almost double!...
so, we'll see how long it takes...I'll probably get started tomorrow, as I don't have to teach a class!

they $157 for the last translations have already been deposited into my account (-$17 for taxes), so I have to add $140 to my challenge money for March!

We can scratch them off the list!...they don't offer work by the hour, only full time or part time...part time being from 2-9 on weekdays and 8-2 on Saturdays...not convenient!
And, although they didn't mention how much they paid full time teachers, they did say it was less than what I'm currently making...so, again, not convenient!
Oh, well, it was worth a try!

sent out 2 more resumes: 1 to Berlitz and one for another call center...figure these would be ideal "additional" jobs to supplement my income, either here or at the school if I get the job...Depending on what they pay...the current language school is paying me $5.75/hour...if any of these offer the same hours @ a better rate... I have nothing to lose, and a lot to gain! right??

Total for February

Challenge statistics:
invested: ~$6.00 initial (Jan)
~$2.55 (addtnl) gas/Jan
~$5.00(addtnl) gas/Feb
~$21.00 taxies/Feb
=======
$34.55

Earned in Feb: $344.40

net for January: $12.15
net for February: $318.40
Total ytd for 2006 (net):$330.55

*******************
This would be funny if it weren't so tragic: my earnings for the month at the school are greater than my bi-weekly pay at work!!

One for a teaching position, and one for a call center...now, the website for the call center was announcing $12/hour, but, I'm not sure if that is what they are charging to the companies that use the call center or if that is what they're paying the agents...I guess I'll have to wait until I hear from them!!...I was thinking, if they pay $6/hour, a full time would pay ~$960/month (slightly more than what I'm currently making)..but, if it were $12/hour, a full time would pay me 2x what I'm making!!....I don't want to get too hopeful, though!

*************
Just came back from Xerox, across the street. Needed to sign some invoices. I asked the cashier - with whom we have a good working relationship - whether they get requests for translations...she said it's not frequent, but sometimes people do ask. She promised to call me if she gets any requests for translations...so that's another "line" I'm throwing...

I sent out 2 resumes today (one just an "update" to a placement agency, another one in answer to an ad for an HR assistant)...I also saw one requesting English teachers...need to work on a cover letter for that one, but will be preparing it tomorrow (it has to be sent via snail mail to the newspaper!)...

I overheard a conversation the other day that REALLY bothered me...two people from my area were discussing the monthly bonus all employees get, and one of them said: but, people don't look at it as a bonus anymore, they consider it part of their salaries...
Now, people in my area do NOT talk idly, if this was mentioned, it's probably because the bonus is "in danger"...most probably, they want to change the way it is calculated, so that we only get it (or only get it IN FULL) if the whole company reaches its goals for a given month...hey, I think it's a neat idea...but, if this is done, it will probably go down for at least 6 months...and I cannot afford to lose any income! So...now I have extra motivation to keep looking!!

****
I also sent a reminder to all my contacts ref: translations!

Ok. I received a bank transfer for 1 of my translations (2 pages + recording), for $100.00
This goes towards my $20 challenge! yipeee!!

Challenge statistics:
invested: ~$6.00 initial
~$2.55 (addtnl) gas/Jan
~$4.00(addtnl) gas/up to feb 17
=======
$12.55
earned: $120.70

net for January: $12.15
net for February*: $96.00
Total ytd for 2006:$108.15

++ think might need to use the money for car instead of for cc debt payment! Still, if I have to, this is money that I won't be borrowing, so I'm counting it as progress!

Actually, it died last night, about 1 block away from home...managed to get it started again today and it is sitting in the garage...waiting for the mechanic to come, since I WAS going to take it to the workshop, but then it just refused to start again...I was putting water in the radiator every day...but yesterday there was a huge traffic jam and it overheated and then just boom, it stopped...so now I'm sitting here feeling sooo disappointed...and thinking that if the mechanic says it's expensive, it might be a better idea to just sell it for scrap and use that money, plus the translation money plus the translation and locution (is that a word) as a downpayment for a used car... It would mean going back to minimum payments on the cc's and that would mean that my ultimate goal of being debt free might be delayed for a looooong time, but...is it worth it?? I mean...I really cann't afford to NOT have a car...for instance, the timing from the time I leave my office until I get to the school is timed to get there by car...no way I'd get there on time if I have to work 4 blocks to the bus stop, wait for the bus and then walk 2 more blocks from the bus stop to the school....Even worse if I decide to not walk and have to switch buses...(buses here are not on a schedule)...then, on Saturdays, I leave the church at 10:00am, the precise time when Ale's swim lessons should be starting...by car, it's only 15 minutes...by bus, we would have to walk 3 blocks to the bus stop and wait...and, probably would have to change buses...we'll never make it on time...and then, she finishes at 12:00 and I'm supposed to be at the school at 12:45...by car it's doable, but, by bus...never

Not to mention that buses here are dangerous - think I have written about this before...

Paying for a taxi is out of the question, as it would be about $3 for the office-school ride (so $127week), $3 for the home-church and at least $6 for the church-swimm lessons and about $10 for the swimming- school and another $6 for the school-home! ...I'd be spending an awful amount of money on taxis!!

((sigh)) have already called work to say I'll be looking into fixing my car...will probably use the whole morning and go see car options as well...

I got a call from a friend of my sister's...he wanted some scripts translated into English and German (won't do the German, though, I really haven't got the skill to do it, and I feel it would be dishonest to even try!)...I will, however, do the Spanish to English one...and I also get to read both the English and German texts so he can incorporate it into the documentaries he's putting together...He says he has $150 for the whole package, so, what I get depends on how much he has to pay for the translation into German...

Once I get paid, this goes to my challenge money/CC debt

I just got a request for a translation...they send me part of the document, and still pending on the other pages, but, still, only with what I have right now I should get $100-$120....add the rest (say it's only half of what they've sent) and it should be AT LEAST $150-$200... woo-hoo!! AVAL CARD, HERE I COME!!

Oh, since this is extra, it would count towards my $20 challenge...but, I'll post a summary of the earnings for this at the end of the month!! (just this morning I was praying for some extra $$$ to pay debts!!)

Of course, now I have to stay late at the office to get started (our computer at home just died...we should get it back on Sunday...it'll cost $15 to repair it!! - we asked a friend...the technician we called first said it would cost $190!!!- could you believe that??)

I received my first payment yesterday!!...due the cut-off date for accounting, I only got paid for the first weekend, so I only received $20.70...oh, well, I paid it towards the cc with the highest interest rate! yay me!!...Did I mention my challenge earnings are going towards debt repayment??...AVAL Card SA de CV practically owns my salary!!...When the next payment comes in, I will divide it between AVAL and "Ale's school fund"...Need to find another way to make more $$$...but, at where will I get the time??

***************
Challenge statistics:
invested: ~$6.00 initial
~$2.55 (addtnl) gas/Jan
=======
$8.55
earned: $20.70

net for January: $12.15
Total ytd for 2006: $12.15

Ok. So I guess I'll start counting the English lessons as part of my challenge....so far, I've invested ~$6.00 (gas to go get my police records, fee to obtain said records, parking, 1 folder and 1 Coca Cola!) ....Will see how much I get at the end of the month!

Well, this being our first year doing this, we have had to pay the price of learning: we bought way too much stuff, and sold only about half of what we expected...the good news is: we have already recovered the investment...the bad news is: there is no profit yet, so right now it seems that those 2 weeks of getting up at 6am and going to bed at 1am were for nothing...More good news: we spoke to 3 companies about setting up a special exhibit there so their employees can buy stuff, and they have all agreed to it, and the employees are rather enthusiastic about it, so we expect to make a profit after all!- it will just take about one or two more weeks, and will probably not be as high as we had expected... So, I'll say it went well.... We'll know how much we made from this venture by the end of the month...

Oh, and, GREAT news, I just paid off my American Express card (yipee!) and programmed a payment to pay off another card on the 11th - I want to keep my checking account from going into the overdraft for as long as I can!...so, now I only have 2 more cc's (and one HUGE loan) to go....

wish me luck!

I hate waiting!!!...but, I called the bank exec this morning and she said there were still no news and that the results of the applications are posted once a day, in the mornings....so there'll be no news today....probably tomorrow...she said she'd call me when she has an answer....(in other words, she doesn't want me calling everyday...)

I have discovered that other cc companies ALSO increased the percentage on some of their credit cards...including my Amex!!...it went up by 5 percentage points - OUCH!...good thing I'm scheduled to be done with it by December and, even if it means making a few extra sacrifices, I WILL be rid of it by 31/dec/05!....same thing with my Banco Cuscatlan card (which, fortunately, hasn't raised it's interest rate!!)

I'm starting (teaching) English lessons today....$10/hour and it'll be 2 hours/week...so $20/week...tax free!....this will all go towards debt repayment!!...at least until January...then it'll go half/half into Ale's enrollment fee/debt...I still need to find ways to make more $$$$... or spend a lot less (not likely!....there's not much room to "cut" anymore...except for swimm lessons ($15/month) and we are trying to lower our electricity bill, other than that, it'd have to be the food bill and that's difficult with two growing children in the house!! -can't have THEM on rice and beans for too long!...and, the high gas prices have caused price increases in food (and, of course, even if the gas does go down, the prices at the supermarket will remain at their new levels! ugh!)

On the other hand, I have just seen a book I want to buy - it's a new release: J.J. Benitez' Caballo de Troya 7!!! - I have waited several years for his new book - as has my sister....and I think we will endulge in it!!...Caballo de Troya is GREAT!!...I highly recommend it, although, I know some people might find it offensive, and even heretic...but, you've got to remember it's FICTION... the short-short-short book review: the series deals with the "memoires" of a US military man that went on a secret mission: to travel back in time and follow Jesus and try to find out whether 1. there WAS an historic Jesus and 2. whether He really was of divine nature or not...He has been specifically chosen because he is a non-believer...and, guess what....he BECOMES a believer!...the mission gives several "leaps" in time (two or three, I cannot remember) and, it is soon discovered that time-travel is altering the cells of the time-travelers, making them age at an unnaturally fast rate...it becomes this man's personal mission to record everything he sees and to pass it on to the world- that's why he contacted the author, supposedly- because he's appalled that the evangelists are NOT recording as they go, but that they put their stories on paper until much later...the series of books are a really good read, intellectually challenging, spiritually enhancing - whether you agree or not with the author, it makes you either question or affirm your faith - if you're a Christian, that is....J.J. Benitez was once accused of saying that Jesus was an alien...I remember that interview...he said: NO, I didn't say Jesus was an alien, I said He was NOT OF THIS WORLD, which is an entirely different thing!!...

Anyway, back to $$$ matters, I might buy the book for us....I get a 15% discount on cash purchases at the bookstore that is promoting the book right now....I could list this expense under: spiritual care...or maybe just "mental care"...LOL!...

Speaking of staying healthy, I have decided that I'll bring tea from home for lunch instead of buying a soda, and will use the soda $$ to buy an apple and a banana (soda=$23, apple + banana = $0.25)....moneywise it's almost the same, but healthwise it's a great difference....

Well, gotta go for lunch now....I brought my paella, but need to get my tea and buy my fruit...I also need to walk up to the mall after lunch to pay the phone bill...cannot do it over the internet because last month we paid late, so the invoice does not match the outstanding amount...oh, joy!

PAID OUT bills!!....Sis and I have decided that this year we really, really won't give each other presents...I'll get my DD something and she'll get her DD something and that'll be it... What I'm going to give myself is PAID OUT cc bills...I'm going to make copies of the account statements and/or cancellation letters and make ornaments with them to hang on my Xmas tree!...that way, instead of feeling sad that I don't have presents, I can remember that I'm giving myself - and my daughter - a gift that is worth soooooo much more than anything we could buy!!
I have paid out 2 cc's already and, have made payment plans that will allow me to pay 1 more by December 15th and yet another one by January 30th...that'll still leave me plenty of debt to worry over the next 2 years or so (taking into account that my parent's farm money will run out on Dec, so payments will be lower and won't have such an impact...may even have to go back to min payments on the remaining cards)...
I have gone back to knitting for the $5,000 challenge and, tried to schedule a talk with my boss about my salary...he didn't answer, so I'll re-schedule (he was out of the office yesterday and has been in and out of meetings today)...I already know what I'm going to say and how I'm going to say it...because, honest, I don't only NEED a pay raise (raise, not adjustment!) but also WANT a pay raise, and, more importantly, I DESERVE a pay raise!! I'll let you know what happens!

The people from the ad for freelance teachers called!! I have an interview on Saturday at 8:50am!!!....I'll drop DD off early at church and then go to the interview...I hope that I can pick her up on time to go to the swimming lessons...
I KNOW I can get that extra job!!...and, the place is about 8 blocks from work, so if I'm going to be teaching from 6-7pm (hours I listed as available), I can leave work at 5:30pm and have plenty of time to get there! (I generally leave work at 6:00 or 7:00pm (my schedule is supposed to be 8:00 to 5:00, but in reality it's more like 8:30-whenever....so I could compensate by arriving at 8:00 sharp and perhaps taking 45 minutes for lunch instead of 1 hour!) woooo-hooo! ....wish me luck!

This weekend is flea market Sunday...I'll prepare sandwiches and hot-dogs again... I think I can find all the accessories for DD's baby car seat....don't know if I'll keep that money or if she'll ask to keep it, seeing it was her seat!...there are also a couple of boxes of stuff that belonged to my parents... We already went through it, some stuff was my sis', some mine, some was broken and we threw it away....and there are 3 boxes of things that we are willing to sell...that money will have to be split with my sister, though...
DD has 2 bags full of toys she wants to sell...
I have to prepare things on Saturday, so we can go early on Sunday.....

Well, I'm still looking into opportunities for extra income...today, I answered an ad in the paper offering positions for freelance English teachers...it said you could apply for M-F to teach from 6-7pm, so I did...the only thing is, it said Native English Speakers, but, I'm hoping they overlook that, given my level of English proficiency and, also, given that I DO have experience teaching English...will see what happens....

I have been working on several ideas to make additional money...I have offered my translation services to my friends (they know I work, so they know that delivery times won't be the same as if I were working on it full time!)...I am knitting baby boots to sell as part of the $20 challenge...

Aside from that, and for money to be put to "regular" use (aka paying debts!), I'm working with my cousin to sell toys and we have also brought all my parents stuff out of storage to see what we are going to keep and what can be sold...(also, some things were broken, so we had to throw them away!)

The bad thing is, my car is heating up -again!...Now, I've decided not to invest $0.01 more in that...(I just spent $350 in May!!)...I'll carry 3 gallons of water around to cool/refill the radiator and that is it!... A frien of my cousin's, who is a mechanic, said some time ago that he might be interested in buying it for his daughters...so they learn how to drive...well, if he buys it, I'll sell it!...

There is an option to buy a used car (more debt, I know! I'm not happy about it!) ...but, honestly, public transport here is NOT an option...way too dangerous!...especially since I often leave the office after dark...

Well, we'll see what happens!