Turns out there are "restrictions" for the use of the cards....they told us: you can only use them on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays...that's the reason we went yesterday...otherwise, I would have waited until TODAY, which is 1/2 off ticket day!!...what they DIDN'T tell us was that they are only valid for some movies (those marked "promotion"...of course, neither Robots nor Son of Mask were "promotion" movies, and, having made DD all excited about it, I just couldn't turn back!...) ... I know I should have said something to the manager, but, honestly, I have no way of proving the guys didn't tell us over the phone, so I'll talk to J. instead, when he comes back from holidays (his family owns the movie theater chain, and he's always asking for feedback!...and I just know I can ask HIM for 2 free tickets for Disney's upcoming Hephelump movie and he'll give them to me to make up for the bad experience!)

So, that's $8.00 I spent yesterday! (movies, soda and a bag of popcorn and a bag of M&M's which I "smuggled" into the theater! - they cost me about $1.00 at the supermarket, whereas I would have paid almost $4 on them if bought at the movies!)

We'll see how the rest of the week goes!

Well, my sis got a friend to come over and fix our light switches and also our shower...he "charged" her two breakfasts: one for himself and one for his son, plus babysitting of the little boy while he was fixing things...A great bargain, I'd say! (the boy is a sweetie and well mannered!)...
The mechanic my cousin got me for my car only charged me $15, and now my car works (he said he still has to fix the carburator, so that the car is 100% well, but, in the meantime - he can't come until after Holy Week - it drives fine, only I have to let it run a while in the mornings) ....still, it is saving me a lot of gas!!...I still have 1/4 tank left!! the way it was woking before, I'd be running on empty by now! woo-hoo!!...he says the gas savings will be even better once he finishes with the car! ...I have to remember to fill my tank before Friday, as a $0.04/gallon increase has already been announced... At least, I think this increase will be offset by the car repairs!

I finished my income tax declaration and, according to me, the government owes me $274!!...I will submit it right after the holidays, so I should be getting my money in 2 months or so!...the $274 will go towards paying my Kismet (local dept store) acct...while it won't cover the whole amount I owe, it will make a significant difference...and this is one of the highest interest rate cards!!

Yet another advantage to the new cellphone company: they have alliances with a chain of movie theaters, so for each $10 in cards that you buy, afterwards, just by presenting the cards at the movie theather, you get a 2X1 offer (so I can take DD to the movies and only pay for my ticket!) and you can also redeem them for goodies (popcorn and soda!)...so, that'll be one thing, DD wants to go see Robots...instead of $10 that our trip to the movies usually costs, I can do it for about $5.00!
On Thursday, my cousin and I want to go to the beach...that'll cost about $20 ($10 each, including gas and food)...
Then, either on Friday or Saturday we (DD and I) will go to my best friend's house, to cook a pizza for the 4 of us (best friend + DS)...my cousin got me a crust directly from the factory, at $0.40. We have to add the sauce and the cheese!
And, basically, that will be it, as I only have Wednesday afternoon (movies) and then Thu (beach) , Fri (M's house)and the weekend (Saturday to rest and Sunday going to CREA, as usual!)

It will be an expensive week (around $30 more than our "usual" weeks, but, we get to do this sort of thing only about 3 or 4 times a year! - how sad is that?!)

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...)

first off, thanks to all for your kind messages.
We are adjusting.
As I wrote, money-wise Mom's passing means that the money she was getting will come to us (the deal was arranged in such a way that we do not have to receive inheritance or anything, so there won't be any delays in the payments she was receiving), so that will help in two ways: 1. the obvious, we'll be able to use it to pay debts and 2. we will not have to figure out what to do (how to get more money) to support Mom after Jan 2006, which is when the payments will stop.
I really have to thank God that Mom did not have to suffer financially again (Dad was already worried about the money issue, Mom lived in the "now" and it was from her that we got the "spend it while you have it" attitude...she had already lived through phases of not being able to buy everything she wanted, and it was very hard on her...)
I know this sounds hard, and I apologize if anyone feels offended...it was certainly not my intention. But, this is a new framework for me, and i feel that I need to state it...maybe to make it more "real"...
In 2-3 months I will finally be up-do-date with all my creditors (even without selling the apartment, which is still in the works), and I won't have to choose which bills to pay...in the remaining 9-10 months, I will be able to reduce my debt, so that, hopefully, by the time the payments stop, I will be able to handle debt reduction on my own...Life will be a lot easier, although I plan continue living just as if nothing had happened, the extra stress of choosing which bills to pay and of fielding creditor calls will be gone...

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...)

I hope they pay before 5:00pm today (they do it electronically), because, otherwise, I won't be able to go to the supermarket until tomorrow...I also won't be able to pay the nanny today (I pay her once a week, every Monday)...that would really mortify me, as I know she NEEDS the money...((sigh))
Will keep my fingers crossed!

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

well, we couldn't get one on loan...we checked with various churches and charities and, also with friends...my sister found one at $80....she's on her way to get it now...
I had to give her the last $60 for that, so now we don't even have enough for groceries this weekend...It'll have to wait until Monday (which is payday)...and I know Mom is going to give me grief over not bringing her anything this weekend (no juices, no sodas, no candy...) It is so hard, sometimes...this doesn't make things any easier when trying to explain to DD that WE have no money for sodas, and juices and candy....and then she sees me take money out of my pocket to pay for this stuff for Mom...I have told her many times, this is HER money...but, does DD really understand??
I hope so!

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!!

this last week I did not really have the time on Wed to call people to remind them about the tamales, so we only had orders for 36!!..plus what we sold on the weekend, about 80 for the whole week!...tough!
this week, though, my cousin is meeting with the chef at a hotel, to see if they would consider buying from us...I have a good contact at another hotel and will try that...

The weekend turned out to be a 'no spend' weekend, but only because I forgot to go to the bank on Saturday, so we had no money....only $3, which, of course, I had to use for gas!!...I don't know whether to be happy or unhappy about that!

we'll see what this week brings!

Talk about feeling rotten!...a while ago I was envying my best friend for her luck in having a higher-paying job, and having finished paying off her loan...well, turns out she's losing her job in 2 months (they couldn't secure any new donors for the ONG she works for, so they have to close!)...she's sending out resumes like crazy, trying to find something else....and, sending letters like crazy to try to find donors that might make a miracle happen and keep them open!...it's tough, though...been there, done that!...she's soooo stressed! (kind of like me a year ago!!)...my financial problems are far from over, but, sadly, I went past the point of desperation (where I would stay up all night because I couldn't meet minimum payments on the cards, etc) to the point of acceptance (I just CAN'T, so I juggle the payments and live with the fact that I'm ruining my credit!...and with the fact that it will take me 5 years to rebuild it!...what else can I do?? I already sell my mind when I do translations, I have traded my rest/family time so I may make a few extra dollars...unless they take blood for payment, I have nothing to offer!)...
Anyway...back to my friend. She's a single mom, just like me, except she lives with her mom and dad...until very recently (this week) she always thought if things got really bad, she would ask her parents for help while she found a job...but, turns out her dad has had problems lately and is broke!...so, her parents actually would need their support! (she has 3 sisters)....my friend has her son enrolled in one of the top 5 schools in the country (also one of the 3 most expensive ones!)...with the school year ending in June, she would have to switch him to another school if she can't find a high-paying job...it's difficult for her to even consider this, because a) she went there and b) he's on the shy side, and it took him almost 1.5 years to adapt and finally like the school!...Again, been there, done that!...I, too, went to one of those top 5 schools (different one!)...but, I accepted the fact that I cannot enroll DD there, so I just swallowed hard and went to look for what I would consider an "acceptable" one...
More and more people are falling into hard times...I hate it! Life is becoming dreary!

we are diversifying, we have added 'espumillas' (meringues) at $0.50 (leaving us a $0.15 profit!) and are trying to introduce shrimp cocktails...that is going to be more difficult, as they sell for $4...it is way easier for someone to part with 0.50 or with 1 dollar than with 4...but, if we make it...we make $1.50 on each cocktail!!! (at least, people now know we also sell cocktails...maybe next week!)

yesterday I had a call from the Real Estate broker...he says there's someone interested...let's hope interested enough to actually buy the apartment!!...

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!

The arrangement we made when we sold my parents' farm (before the bank could seize it!) was for monthly installments...the second year would bring less than the first...starting February....starting today....
I need a break!
I'm praying for my old apt to sell...only two things could bring an instant substantial change in my finances right now: the sale of the apt, or my Mother's death....so I'm praying for the apt to sell!!....
I also answered a job ad for a position that sounded really nice...but, who knows, they might pay the same as here...or even less!....

I couldn't meet my goal for lunch budget this week...I spent $4.31, not $4.....I guess $5 was a much more realistic budget...still, I'll keep trying, maybe I-ll manage next week!!

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)...

I can't believe it! my sister left a bundle (literally) of money she needed to pay for my niece's school ($480) in her purse, and it somehow fell out and the puppy got to it...we found the puppy in the garden, munching happily at the plastic cover my sister had used for the money....and found only 20 $20 bills...or $400...
I really doubt the puppy ate the money, because there should at least be tiny bits of paper, shouldn't there? ....anyway...we have to be more careful (after all, you really can't blame a puppy for behaving like a puppy...and we all know this puppy is addicted to paper!)...I'm sad for my sister, but, there's really nothing I can do about it...and, in any case, at first she thought she might have lost it at the mall, so finding $400 is better than $0, right??

((sigh)) as if we needed any more money problems!!

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!

right now I'm envious of my best friend....she just finished paying off her personal loan and will now have $400 "free" each month...(envious in a good way, I'm happy for her!)...She mentioned she tried to talk to one of the cc companies to start doing fixed monthly payments, and they gave her a lot of trouble, so I told her to just forget about it and just use those $400 to pay off that cc....she said she hadn't thought about it, but that she could close the account in 2 months if she did!...(lucky girl!)...I need to talk to her...she has worked with international ONG's the past 12 years and, only 1 year in the "private" sector...so she has not been affiliated to the National Pension Fund system....which means there's only 1 year worth of contributions in her retirement account!!...I will try to convince her to pay off the credit cards this year, and then use at least half of those $400/month to put towards retirement, if not in the AFP system, in some other way...She's smart, so I know she'll consider it...
I just have a bit more practice dealing with money situations...in the ONG's her salary was a lot higher, and no deductions were made to it!! - lucky girl!!

a couple of weeks ago we had a meeting, and my boss stressed the fact that we need to have more activities as a group...well, I'm sorry, I don't have the money to participate in their group activities...every friday they go out to lunch...to places that charge at least $5-$6 for a sandwich!!...this would mean that, to go to one Friday lunch I would have to sacrifice for a week and a half...hmmm, don't think so!...their other activities involve mainly drinking and dancing...not that I have anything against that, only that, if I'm going out, I have to pay for a cab for the nanny to go home, which is about $7.00 ....I generally give her $10...if she can haggle with the taxi driver (we don't have meters), then she gets a little extra...but, that means that just going out -even without drinks or "cover" for entry into any place- costs me $10...
They?...well, the expats, besides making almost 3x as much as I make in salaries, receive a per diem to cover food and, the company pays for their house, utilities, maid, car, gas....the locals? the eldest, I think, is about 27, only one of them is married, no children...besides him, all others still live with their parents, as is the custom here, so they don't pay rent or utilities, and only some are required to help with food expenses....so, basically, their salaries go to buy gas and car expenses, and, the rest is "free" for them to either invest (I hope! for their sake!) or spend as they wish...and they make almost 2x what I make....
With my salary, I have to pay for rent, childcare, utilities, debts (yep, that takes the most of it!), gas and car expenses...talk about living in different worlds!! ....one day, maybe, my boss will ask why I don't go to these things....although, of all of them, he might be the one to understand....if only because he's the only one that actually KNOWS my salary!!

well, this one was more encouraging...basically, if I pay $7 today, I'll be ok with them...to bring the account up to date would be $33...might as well be $300, I can't pinch $33 right now...but, $7.00 is doable...
The real estate guy showed up today and already took the documents he needs to put the house up for sale...says he'll be in touch (he'd better, or else I'll be in touch!!...)
sis is sick today, the Dr. says she's gotta stay home for 3 days...it's her lungs and throat...she asked me to go to the supermarket and buy her some lemons and honey...I wish I could say that I managed to go in and buy ONLY the lemons and honey...but I bought a can of dog food....((sigh))...good thing I had only brought a $5 bill ....

I hate these phone calls...basically, they always treat you like you are some kind of criminal that doesn't WANT to pay...I have been making partial payments, and I understand they haven't covered the minimum payments, but, it's the best I can do (other than just hand over my whole paycheck, which still wouldn't bring the accounts up-to-date!)....
I need to sell the apartment....the real estate broker was supposed to call me last week...he didn't, so I called him yesterday...he was out and still hasn't called me...this infuriates me!!...and, of course, tells me just how much enthusiam he will have trying to sell the apartment!!....and the woman that was so interested in the apartment and was submitting her papers for the loan still hasn't called, either...you'd think she'd have the decency to say: sorry, I didn't get the loan and can't buy the apartment from you (if that is the case!)...
Oh, well, not much I can do but pray and keep offering the apartment!

I know there isn't such a word, but, believe me, that's what Mom is "un-frugal" as can be....she's been in the Home for 8 days, and, not counting clothes and other stuff she needed to get into the place (we hadn't gone to get her stuff at the old house yet), just in snacks and candies and other treats (meals are included in the price she pays per month), I've already spent $29 (of her own money)...and this is that I bring stuff in limited quantities...I do not want to imagine how she spent when there was noone to put a stop to what she was doing (she loves buying in bulk...even perishables!!...you can't imagine how much food we threw away!!)....on potato chips, fruit juice, candies, tamales, crackers, sardines and deviled ham...now she wants pastries and other stuff...
I know it's her money, and that's why I buy these things which for me and my child are luxuries (and which I never bought in large amounts anyway, as they are not good for my daughter...or me!), but, still, it hurts me that she can be so oblivious to our living standards....she wants to live the high life like she did when she was young and the family was rolling in money....she doesn't care if that means we end up pennyless....(because, after her money is gone, guess who'll end up supporting her??...the way we did when she didn't have income for 2 years.....I have had people say to me: so? it's her problem, don't make it yours....and, believe me, if she were younger, I might go along with it...but, she's 80...she has no insurance, no savings, no nothing...only my sister and me....my half-siblings? they were my father's children, and we haven't heard from them since we sent them copies of the invoices for the funeral expenses - which they requested we send them)...