in an effort to make people go to the supermarket everyday, a local chain is having 2X1 days...yesterday was shampoo and conditioner (I had just bought a bottle of shampoo on sale last week, and I have a HUGE bottle of conditioner that I bought at a flea market, so I didn't need any)...today it's insecticides (sp?), so I bought "plaquitas" (plug ins to keep mosquitos away) and some roach/mosquito spray...(rainy season is here....there WILL be plenty of mosquitos and, Ale has already had dengue...we cannot afford for her to get bitten again!)... I'm proud of myself, I ONLY bought the insecticides and nothing more!! and, yesterday, I went with my cousin, but I didn't buy anything!

Woo-hoo! I called the police this morning and they said the reports for 28/april had been sent in late on Saturday...so, I went during my lunch hour (took 34 minutes!) to submit the documents...I have my invoice proving that I have paid for my license plates and registration card...so, now I can drive and, in 3 days, I can check on line to see if the license plates are ready!

Car-related expense - $9/taxies

License plates and registration card: $99.44 (although, technically, this is part of the price of the car,and was already budgeted as such, so I will not count it as "additional")

This would be me, except: the car is NOT a convertible, it's green, not red and, I'm not a blonde! ha,ha,ha,ha!

So, my first drive will be to the gast station ((gasp)) to fill up the tank ((faint)), so that I can start seeing how much I really will be spending!

Now I'm free of the inconvenience of rides (and back into the inconveniences of having a car, like: finding a parking space- eek! this car is way more difficult to handle then my old one...I have to get used to the new size!)

Just checked the status on line:

El estado de su declaración número 111020358644 presentada el 08/03/2006 es:

ABONO ENVIADO : La devolucion ha sido enviada al banco para que sea depositada a la cuenta solicitada en la declaracion, el banco esta pendiente de confirmarnos si se efectuo el deposito, puede pasar a verificar su deposito

I then checked my bank account, but the money hasn't "landed" yet...but, it should be deposited today!!! wooo-hoo! ...this goes to my $20 challenge! ($282.55)

I found some chinese spring rolls that are almost like the ones my mom used to make (my sis' favorite dish!)...so I bought them for her as a Mother's day present...they were $4.50, but she loved them, so it was worth it!

As I mentioned the other day, I'm going to have to be more careful with money from now on...so, I thought I's list down any car-related expenses, so I can keep track...

My first entry is going to be: $12 for transfering the car to my name...

Tomorrow, I need to have copies of the keys cut, too...don't know how much that is going to cost (I think it's $5, but not 100% sure)

This will also help me keep track of preventive maintenance needs...

1. New bed for Ale... Pending, not urgent yet

2. New bike for Ale...Has dropped even lower in priority

3. new(er) car strike off the list!

4. Ale's birthday party!! - She wants to have it at the Children's Museum...Events are suspended indefinetely at the Museum, as they are still trying to decide how they are going to revamp them...no info on prices or anything, so I have no way to make a comparison...

5. Renewal of my car registration card....Included with expenses for "new" car

The new status of my income tax return is:

El estado de su declaración número 111020358644 presentada el 08/03/2006 es:

PROCESO : La devolucion esta en proceso de autorizacion de fondos



It should be deposited in my account by next week! woo-hoo!! Aval Card, here I come!

Well...according to my (very) preliminary numbers, the difference in living expenses from April 06 to August 06 should be about $67....I can "make" that difference by twitching the payments...I hope....it will take longer to get out of debt, but...

Things are definetely looking better...My sister is in full recovery from the neurocysticercosis (sp?) and we are only pending the results from her last MRI (THAT deserves a separate entry!)...and, eventhough money is still my major source of worry, my situation is veeeery different than what it was last year...I got the cc issue under control, am not getting any creditor calls, and, despite the additional expenses from the new car loan, I think I can handle things so that I don't default on anything...I'm still overworked...still love my job...but, right now I don't feel like I hate my co-workers...none of them!...not even the annoying ones! LOL!...
((contented sigh)) I definetely don't hate my life (the way I did last year!)
Oh, and the "frugality" thing, while still a challenge, is not as hard anymore!

Thanks to all for your continued support!!

This month, I will receive the last $250 from the sale of the farm...so, as of June 1st, 2006, I will have to make do without...I have managed to bring the cc's down to where I THINK I'll be able to handle at least minimum payments every month...I'm going to have to be a lot more careful... what might throw me off-balance is the combination of new loan for the car (paying about $30 more now than for the previous one, which I finished paying last month, and the new gas prices/new car fuel consumption (previous prices/car meant $36 a month...that's soooo NOT going to be the new quota!...gas prices were just below $3 then...they are about $3.49 now...and this car has a bigger engine!- las one was an 800cc)...AND Ale's school expenses (luckily, to start in August, so I will have some time to adjust to the two first ones!)...a variation of $60/mont...

so...let's say the new car spends about 30% more gas, and factor in the new prices...I could be spending about $60 - $70 in gas + $30 additional for the loan + $60 additional for Ale's school....this is $150-$160 MORE a month...ouch! ...not counting car insurance....hmmmmm...

Oops!...can you spot the mistake?? $70-$36 = $34...so $34 + $30 + $60, total ADDITIONAL per month ~$124, not $150!...

I have to work this number into my current estimated budget....(well, the $60 additional for Ale's school were already factored into my "adjusted" budget for August '06...)

Back to the excel file!!

I dreamt that I had given my niece access to my bank account, and she had spent $1,500 that were for the car...she was very cool about it, like: don't worry, I have the money and I'll pay it back before the end of the month...I was so worried...
I think this one relates to her spending the balance in my cellphone...but, still....weird (and, no, I would never give ANYONE access to my account!)

I had to recharge $5 in my cellphone...I had already charged $5, but, my niece made a call to a landline that lasted 11 minutes! (we need to talk about that when she gets back!--she's out of town!)

1. keep better track of my spending- same situation!..I need DISCIPLINE!!

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! done!...believe it or not I have a job offer...NOT from the resumes...from this site!
3. FINALLY decide on a school for Alejandra, AND save money for her enrollment fee, uniforms and school supplies Already paid $100 to reserve Ale's space. Someone from the office has offered to help with $500 towards Ale's education...this takes care of enrollment, books and uniforms!
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. Higher than last month, as now I have the loan for the car!!...BUT! I asked for some "extra" money so part of that is going to go towards the cc's (much lower interest rate!)...real situation is: $7.8K (refinanced) loan, $3.1K car loan, $2.5K cc's

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

Total for April

Challenge statistics:
invested:
$20 gas for cousin
$15 for taxies/April
=======
$35.00

Earned in April: $257.00

net for January: $12.15
net for February: $318.40
net for March:$380.00
net for April: $222.00
Total ytd for 2006 (net):$932.55

I got paid my remaining $10 yesterday!

Woo-hoo!...one of my "children" (analysts) was recently promoted and left for another dept...today, he brought me 4 movie passes (his family owns a large cinema chain), as a Thank You for the support while he was in our dept...sniff!

The $170 appear credited to my account now...dated 15-Mar-06, too!!

Case closed! I'm happy now!!

This definetely has been a good day for finances!!!

(oh, and this is entry No 69 categorized as progress, vs 66 categorized as setbacks!!...the scale seems to be tipping in the right direction!!...)

This means: I almost have a car now!!! woo-hoo!!!...it feels sooooo great!!..No more rides!!!

...now, I need to work on my $20 challenge to be able to reach that $4,000 goal by 31-dec-06!!

Finished a $30-job. Got paid $20 already, missing $10.

These count towards my April challenge! yay!

I just logged onto the Ministry's website, the status of my return is now:

El estado de su declaración número 111020358644 presentada el 08/03/2006 es:

AUTORIZADA : La devolucion esta autorizada y en proceso de hacerse efectiva

Wooo-Hooo!!!..the money should be deposited by next week! (they only make deposits once a week!)....

::doing the happy dance::

So, as of Monday (24/apr), I'm contacting the bank at least once a day. Today, I got an email from the executive stating that, it has been more difficult than normal to find the payment because it was applied to a closed account (?? shouldn't that make it EASIER to find?)...anyway, I sent her a copy of the cheque - front and back, where it shows that my bank released the $$ to them! - to help her find the payment...Now, she made the awful mistake of including the words "I'll get in touch with you once this is resolved"...no,no, lady...I'LL be in touch with you UNTIL this is resolved!!...I'll be on her case until she decides it's better to find that payment than to put up with me!!

and, our IT guy (at home) wants to reformat it...he says we'll lose all our info!!!...our IT guy at the office says: huh??....((sigh))

***
solved! thank God for conference calls! ...we should be getting our computer back tonight!

((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!

they checked my co-signors and, said this goes to committee tomorrow and, if approved, the money would be deposited on Thursday! ....back to waiting! ((sigh))

well, I went and paid $100 to reserve the space. They gave me a list of the documentation they need, and told me to bring Ale by one of these mornings, so she can be with her would-be classmates and so they can evaluate her...At this, my sister almost had a heart attack: "she has to do a test??"...LOL! she thought they were going to sit Ale down to do a "formal" written test!...I already told Ale she gets to visit one morning at the new school and she's very excited about it!

Also, one of the directors offered to help with Ale's school (every year he and his wife try to help 2 kids with their education... unfortunately, one of the kids they were helping has gotten involved with gangs and is no longer studying, so they thought they might help me with Ale this year...the amount they set aside for this is ~$500 per kid...in Ale's case, that covers her enrollment fee, books and uniforms! yay!)

God is good and He's sending us help from many different sources!

...I cannot see it online, which means it hasn't been applied, yet! I made this payment on March 15th, discovered the problem on March 20th, went to the bank in person to fix it on March 20th...sent an email following up on April 6th, received a call from the bank on April 11th, and followed up with them again yesterday (April 24th)...I'm thinking about going in person again today...((sigh))

...they did not grant a new loan, they just re-financed the one I had...which effectively means I got $400...
Oh, well, I'm keeping the cheque...and applying for a loan with the company co-op!... I already have my two co-signors...I'm going to fill out the paperwork today... I had to move some money from my savings account with them to my contributions account (these cannot be touched unless you leave the co-op or leave the company), so that I have enough in my contributions account ($387) to request the amount of money that I need!...
...still moving in the right direction, I think!

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!!)

Wow!...I noticed this today as we went by the gas station in our neighborhood...AND, this is without the newest increase, because prices get changed on Fridays here!!...((faint))

Says they told her the application had been approved...she submitted it for $4,000 but she still doesn't know if the whole amount was approved!...

I'll keep you posted!!!