This past week I de-cluttered my home, re-painted my bedroom (my niece had it painted purple, and had added some graffitti!) in a very light sky-blue...it looks cleaner, lighter, and even larger!!...I also identified 34 books that might be put up for sale...and DD identified a lot of toys that SHE wants to sell...also threw away some toys that were just too broken to even consider giving away or selling ... I also took the time to put my accounts in order and, this is where/when the panick set in...I'm barely making payments NOW, and, come February, my parent's money from the sale of the farm will be gone... we are talking about $750/month!! AND, the debt will NOT be gone by then...I desperately need some additional STABLE income (don't get me wrong, I'll take occasional income, too, such as translations, selling toys and school supplies with my cousin, etc, but, I definetely need something stable, too!!) If the apartment ever sells, that will be a great help, but, still, what I'd get wouldn't even cut the debt in half...I'm really, really worried now!! - and, trying to generate ideas as fast as I can, which I guess is good...now, if only I would go a step further and implemented those ideas!! ((sigh))

I am still waiting for the apartment to sell....and for my income-tax return...SO, in view of that, I have decided NOT to wait until Sept to take out a loan from the co-op, but re-finance the one I have right now (which I only have one more installment to pay, on June 15th, for $27), and ask for a new loan ($500)...with this, I will be able to bring 3 accts up to date (and, the total minimum payment on all 3 would be left at $250!)...barring any other "unexpected" expenses (car repairs, illness, etc), I should be able to bring other 2 accts up to date, and to start making payments on yet another again...not the best financial situation, but slightly better than being late with ALL...total minimum payment for those 2 would be about $200...I'm slowly getting to the point where I will be able to make ALL miminum payments each month...not the best, but certainly better...(yes, this has become my mantra! even the smallest step forward is progress!!)...Once the apartment sells...well, that will be another story...depending on how much is left (after paying for small repairs to the apt and for the Real Estate broker's fee, and other such things, including a loan from my ex!), then I will 1st bring EVERYTHING up to date and then, see what can be paid off with what is left over and will just CLOSE the accounts!! never, ever, ever again will I be in such a financial hole! I have promised myself this!!...I have made "happy numbers" as my cousin calls it (meaning you are optimistic and use the best possible scenario) and I could be free of debt as soon as end of 2007...Of course, "unhappy numbers" carry those debts well over 2009....so, to give myself hope, I will continue to think happy numbers and aim for 2007!!
I know I have probably posted about this before, probably even using the same numbers and same sing-song, so forgive me, but I hope this time is for real!

By the way: someone posted a message to me reminding me of airline safety: Put on your oxygen mask on first, else you won't be able to help others...I just want to say THANK YOU...it was an epiphany!!...you made me see 400% more clearly!! THANKS!!...I'm following your advice! Instead of using that $$ for my sis, I'll use it for myself, to improve my financial situation...if she needs help down the road, I will be in better position to supply it...in the eantime, since I'm doing the grocery shopping, I'm tightening our belts (I spent ~$40 this week - her money, it was supposed to be her turn to shop- instead of the ~$75 that she had budgeted!!...true, our pantry is not as stocked as we are used to, but it isn't empty by any standards!...we have what wee need, no surplus!!)

Wish me luck!

Monday- $40 / nanny
Tuesday -
Wednesday-
Thursday-
Friday -
Saturday-
Sunday -

This is a local manufacturer of clothes...they have great things for kids, 100% cotton, durable....mostly t-shirts and knit shorts/pants and pajamas....and they have Disney, Mattel and Sanrio licenses (yay!!) www.stjacks.com/ninos.htm ...twice a year, they have a 50% off sale...of course, the new lines don't get put on sale, only the "old ones" (so, I cannot get the beautiful My Melody things right now, but I will in December....and, right now I can buy anything with The Incredibles!!!) I love it that they have this sale in mid-May, because I always get DD a set of skorts/t-shirt and a pajama, which I then save for her birthday in the end of June...This stuff generally goes for around $14 for a pajama and up to $20 for a set....so I can get both things for about $17 -$20....the other sale is near November, so I buy things for Xmas ....
I will also see if they have a pajama set for me...I haven't bought myself pajamas in 4 years!! I'll update this entry later with what I buy and how much it cost!

****
woo-hoo! I bought a Princess & Pauper night-gown for $6.75, a Violet (Incredibles) glittery t-shirt for $4.00, but, the best was an Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) set of t-shirt and pants for $3.88!!!
I didn't buy anything for myself, though...but, I will try to do it next week (lowest priced one was $7.00 and the most expensive one was $9.58....the ones I want are atound $7.50...)

I'm so happy with myself!!...yesterday night, I checked for any leftovers to take to work today, and what I found wasn't really appetizing...but I was too tired to cook, so I decided I'd make a sandwich in the morning (I HATE day-old sandwiches...they really aren't as "fluffy")...and, today, I really wasn't in the mood for a sandwich, so I thought: oh, I'll just BUY food...but then, I rememberd, I had already bought food once this week....so, I reconsidered and decided to bring that last piece of fried chicken and a bit of rice...I added the last piece of Monterrey Jack cheese to make it more appealing...I am craving fresh things lately, so I will buy an apple or something as dessert... I feel good!

She asked yesterday why I hadn't included a tin of Nesquick for her milk (she likes plain milk, but loves it with Nesquick, either chocolate or strawberry)...so I said I hadn't been able to find it at the store...which is not true, I just forgot I had promised to buy a small one...so I went to the supermarket downstairs today and actually looked for it!...it took me a while to find it, they keep it in the lowest shelf (I'm guessing this is not one of their fastest-moving products here, being a "commercial" district...most people shop for small things, mostly for lunch...) ...Anyway, I found it, and brought my tin to the cashier and, after I paid for it, she gave me another one!! (I had bought a strawberry one, and she gave me a chocolate one! yipeee!!...) so, I saved $1.08 and DD has 2 tins instead of one!!
If it weren't for the stupid car breaking down (again!), this would have been a great week for savings!! ((sigh))

Money is going to be tight next month, too...Sis has to be operated on, and it has to be done this week....it's minor, to be done at the Dr's office, but, still, it will cost $800....and her insurance only covers 70% of it...and she has to pay in full first, and then process a reimbursement, so we need to get the money and then wait about 3 weeks to get it back...she's asked her company for a loan, they would get the insurance money in 3 weeks, and she would pay the rest out of her salary in installments...but they still haven't said anything, so we are trying to work on alternate solutions...

Monday - $5.00 /gas
Tuesday - $40 / nanny
Wednesday - $100/ cc debt (somebody kick me!!!)
Thursday- $1.00 /lunch
Friday- $2.00 / lunch
Saturday- $5.99 / present for my best friend's son (b-day)
Sunday- $2.39/ goodies at CREA

Monday- $43 - groceries at the supermarket
Tuesday- $12 - veggies, fruits, chicken and dog food at the market
Wednesday - $0.63/ soda + newspaper for lunch
Thursday- $1.70 / sodas (for our "movie night")
Friday- $120.00 / spare parts for car!! OUCH!
Saturday- $2.00/ invited my cousin for breakfast
Sunday- $3.00 / chips and soda to go with our home-made hot-dogs lunch

Monday- $40/ Nanny
Tuesday - $5/ gas
Wednesday - $6.00/ security
Thursday - $60/ preschool
Friday- $8.00/swimcap
Saturday- $28/ spare part for car
Sunday- $1.50/ goodies at CREA

Monday - supermarket (excluding fruits and vegetables) - $49.26
Tuesday - veggies, fruits, cereal + soy sauce and special veggies for chao mein - $23.50
Wednesday- $0.55 lunch
Thursday- $10 cell phone card
Friday - $5.00 gas
Saturday - $15 swim lessons for DD
Sunday - $3.00 goodies at CREA

went home at noon on Wednesday and just watched movies with DD...
Thursday: went to the beach - $12 ($4 were for sunblock!!)
Friday: stayed home, a friend of my sister's came to visit and she brought her 5 year old DD with her, so Ale had someone to play with!, made torrejas for CREA - $3.00
Saturday - went to the beach again - $5
Sunday - went to CREA - $1 / went to M's house and made pizza - $2.00
Total spent for the week: $23

Monday - supermarket $53.24
Tuesday - $40.00 nanny's pay
Wednesday - $2.15 -lunch
Thursday - $1.15 - lunch
Friday - $0.25 - soda for lunch
Saturday - $5.00 - various (went downtown, bought 1 electric toothbrush for me, 1 electric toothbrush for DD, 2 sodas, 1 pair of sunglasses, paid for parking)
Sunday - $5.00 - lunch and goodies at CREA ( we had to arrive at 10:30 and left at 7:15pm...)

Monday - supermarket - $71.92
Tuesday - lunch - $2.35
Wednesday - Ale's psychologis - $60
Thursday - Ale's preschool - $60
Friday - gas for Mom's ambulance ride to the hospital - $15
Saturday - lunch - $4.94
Sunday - lunch - $6.94

So, my cousin took a sample of our tamales to a Hotel on Friday...they said to call on Sunday to find out whether they'll want to buy from us or not...but they were in meetings all morning on Saturday, and today, when she called, we were asked to call tomorrow, as they are having inventory...I hate waiting!
I hope this deal comes through, though, as it would mean at least 2 orders per week (for ~200 each!, ~$64 for each of us per month....still not a fortune, but considerably more than what we are getting right now...)

Monday - gas $10
Tuesday - food for DD's lunch box - $5.49
Wednesday - cell phone card - $5
Thursday - lunch -$ 2.14
Friday - will have to buy lunch again! ~$2.00
Saturday - $45 at the department store ($25 shoes for DD and $20 in contact lens solutions for myself!)
Sunday - $0.30 cupcake at CREA

the new income tax forms are here...time to start looking for my envelope where I store all the receipts for the year (at the beginning of each year, I take a manila envelope and label it with the year in big bold letters "2005" Then, whenever I make a purchase/payment that qualifies as a "deductible" I just put it in the envelope (saves me the time to go digging for stuff later!)...
I was looking at the taxable income table and, just with what I make agains what has been retained, I would have to pay $2.73...that is good, because, once I apply the deductibles...it won't be a lot, but I might have some money coming my way!! (plus, honest, as long as I don't have to pay, I really don't mind if I get a refund or not!!)....one year I had to pay $46...

a friend of my niece's was selling caps at $20 each...we found them downtown at $7 each...my niece saw an opportunity...we managed to get 5 hats for $6 each, and, she sold them to her friend at $13 each, so he can still make a profit (she didn't tell him we got them downtown, she told them they had been sent to her as a gift from someone in the US and that she didn't quite like them....she bought 2 for herself, so she told him she only kept those 2...)My niece let my cousin and I keep the profit and, was content with saving on her hats and, with the promise that we can take her downtown any time she wants (where she can get a lot more value from her money, and still astonish her friends!...a lot of what's sold there is trash, but, you get the occasional treasure, and she has a great eye for fashion!)
So, my cousin and I both got $17.50 that we didn't anticipate!! woo-hoo!...It'll go to one of my credit cards (there's one where minimum payment is $50....)
I have also managed to reduce my cell phone usage to the point where I can make a $5 card last 2 weeks!...that means $10 a month, when before I was using $35-$39!!! the $25 "saved" will also go to this cc, so I now have $42 out of the $50!!!...I feel rich!!
Of course, there's always something to burst your bubble!...I just got a call from a cc company...(not the one with the $42...ANOTHER one!...) ((sigh))
Let's make a few phone calls and see who'll want tamales for this weekend! - hope I get a lot more orders than last week!!

I have to decide which bills to pay (I can't pay them all, unless I either win the lottery or find oil in my backyard- no, wait, I'm renting, so that wouldn't solve anything!)...
so, now I have to decide which bills to pay and which to leave pending...which ones will cause the less harm....I hate living like this!! (I know, I know, I brought it on myself!)...but, it's still tough!

((sigh))...If only I could make this thing with selling tamales outside the church work...if my numbers are right (and something tells me I AM), that could mean $80- $110 more per month...decidedly worth the effort...I just need to think and pray on this and I know God will send me the right answer....I know the idea is good...but, I need a better plan to execute it...maybe try a different church...maybe a different hour... definetely a colorful banner for advertising...think, think, think, as Winnie the Pooh used to say!

we have orders for 116 tamales for tomorrow, and had the 36 for breakfast yesterday, plus an order for 30 for the weekend already...68 more and we will make our goal for the week!...hmmm...where to find enough people to order 68 tamales??

It's only Wednesday, and I already spent $2.96....I went to make a payment yesterday, and bought the paper to read while having lunch (nasty habit, I know, but I hate eating alone, and reading helps!)....well, if I manage to buy only my Salvacolas the rest of the week, I can keep it at $3.71 for the entire week (lunches only)...

well, we only made $11.50 each this month (January), but, we have the following things figured out:
1. our net profit per tamal is $0.08 (divided by 2 = $0.04 for each of us)
2. to pay for DD's psychologist, I need about $40-$50 per month
3. We need to sell 1,000/ month to make $40
4. We need to sell 250/week to reach the 1,000/month
5. 250/week is DOABLE (we sold 208 this last weekend!)
6. tamales sell really well at the flea market, but you have to be there very early (7:00am at the latest) as most of your customers will not be there to buy, but to sell (they arrive at 4:30, so they are hungry by 6:30 or so!)
7. chicken and corn tamales are the most popular with this segment of the population, the "offfice" people are pretty even between chicken and chipilin, with less going for the corn variety

So, all in all, it hasn't been a bad month! I need to call up 5 new people (that's my goal for this week) to tell them about the tamales...I can contact 2 people in purchasing and 2 at the Help Desk...who'll be my 5th victim??

I also have to figure out what else to do to get some more money coming in!!! I was already struggling before and, the tamales seem to be working only to keep things at the level they were before!!

well, the tamales are selling...that is good news...the profit is not great, but, with rising volumes, we have a chance of earning some money....at least enough to pay for DD's psychologist in my case...
we are also selling other type of food on weekends, with larger profit margins, so I'll keep my fingers crossed...that might actually be the way to start chipping away at the cc debt...got yet another call today...ugh!

What I really need is to sell the apartment...but, the real estate guy....hmmmm...we need to keep calling and pushing him...

I have put all these things in God's hands, I know He will do what's in my best interest...even if I can't see it right now!

Instead of $5 for "munchies" at the rehab center on weekends, I'll bring only $3 ($1.50 for DD and $1.50 for me)...I'm also going to try to use only $4 for lunches at work ($4/week) instead of $5/week...this will still give me the flexibility to go to the mall once a week if I need to run errands/make payments....all "excess" (if I bring my lunch every day, then there should be $2.75 left, if I manage to spend only those $3 at the rehab, that's an additional $2/week) will go to a special jar...If I manage, that is $19/month, enough to pay for 2 therapy sessions for DD...(almost, they are $10/each)
If she spends less than the $1.50 I've allocated for her, she can keep the rest ....If I can spend less than the $1.50 on myself, then I'll put that in the same special jar...
those are very big IF's, though....so wish me luck!

today, I'm eating at the shopping mall 4 blocks from my office...I need to go make some payments (which unfortunately can't be done directly through my bank, so I have to physically go there)...it is ok, as I have set a goal of bringing lunch from home 3 x week, to allow for running errands at least 2x a week...I try to do several errands on one day, so that I don't have to go out every day, also saves on gas money...the good thing about that shopping mall is that I can do almost everything there....my goal for days when I'm eating out is to spend no more than $2....
Also, I have cut down my sodas from 2/day to 1/day (good for the diet, also!), and, whenever possible, I buy Salvacolas at $0.25, instead of Coke or Pepsi at $0.45- $0.40 ...You'd think that my options are limited with $2 at the mall, but, not really, there are always "special offers"...$1.99 burger/fires/free-refill soda from Biggest....$1.75 big pizza slice and 16oz soda from Pizza Hutt...$1.50 regular pizza slice and 8oz soda from Dominos...$1.99 baked potato (ham and cheese) and soda from Papaland...and others....just a matter of seeing what I'm really in a mood for....or what I have time for (the baked potato takes 6 minutes before I get my order)...What I don't use for lunch I "pass" to the next day...at the end of the week, I put that in a coin jar...at the end of the month, I will see how much I have and probably use it to pay for a bill...