miclason's Personal Finance Blog

...I went shopping...My cousin called me to let me know about some sales: Brown Hush Puppies shoes for me at $10 (for work) and a pair of leather sandals also at $10..., and, 2 pajamas for Ale (she's outgrown all her pajamas!)and a pair of pink pants (she has a bunch of size 4 clothes that barely fit and a bunch of size 8-10 clothes that don't fit yet!)...total for all these was $45...and, today, I went into a dept store that is having a clearance to look for the bed for Ale....and, they didn't have the kind of bed I want, but, they had toys at 50% off (no, I didn't buy any toys, I just looked at them and called my cousin to see if we can use any of what they have for our Xmas toy business...)but, to do so I went through the children's clothing section...and found some Xclamation jeans at $3.99 and a nice skirt at $2.99....I also spotted a nice picture frame with "graduation" embossed in it (50% off $9.98), which would be perfect for my niece (she graduates high school in a couple of months)...
so, now I feel very guilty....but, looking at the bright side...it went on the debit card! (no interest and no fees!)...so...now I have to find a way to earn enough money to replace what I spent: ~$57 in total...

As an exercise to keep me focused (or rather, to re-focus me), I worked on a "budget" for next year ...actually, not...I just took the total budget amount per month for variable expenses (from my expense tracking excel sheet)for this year, upped it by 4% and then multiplied by 12...then added up the fixed expenses per month (utilities, rent, nanny, savings account - all $20!)and multiplied that X 12, then added to the previous total...then took my net monthly salary + vacation + yearly bonus and compared the two: TADA!!...
there's about $325 difference per month...that is, my salary is BELOW the "budget" by $325/month...the good news?? Last time I did this, the difference was $400+....so, if I keep working at lowering the variable expenses/debt this year, AND to find ways to earn more ($20 challenge), I could reach "break even" point by June 2007! ....I would be finally be living "within my means"! LOL!...six months more and Jan 2008 would find me living BELOW my means! ....this is faaaaaaaar better than the black hole of debt in which I was last year!

Plus, this exercise helps me retake the tracking and other frugal exercises!

Praying for more translations to come my way in these last few months of 2006!

I hate it!...that 1.5 week out messed everything up!...I lost my habit of recording every expenditure (trying hard to get it back!) plus, I had so much backlogged work, I feel swamped!....AND, since I wasn't here to take care of payments, and the other admin hasn't processed any in so long, she processed them wrong, so we defaulted on ALL utility payments (which means you cannot pay at the bank, but have to go directly to the utility company) AND, that next moth I'll also have to go to the utility company because the invoices will include this month's amounts...so you have to go there to have a new invoice re-issued! (not to mention that I'll get chewed over the overdue fees!)......then there are the problems with the cars (the managers managed to lose 1 license plate - you cannot drive with just one here, you HAVE to have the 2!....and also to lose the car registration card for another car! ugh!)...one of our major trainings is coming up, too, and I'm in charge of logistics for that one...and we don't even have the final attendee list~

I guess I'm feeling overwhelmed!

I baked cookies with Ale yesterday...or, I should say I helped Ale bake cookies yesterday...she read the ingredient list and I had her measure them, and we spoke about 1/4 cups and 1/8 teaspoons and so on...she also read the recipe "instructions" once and then I was reading them to her step by step so she could follow it!...Obviously, I put the cookies in the oven and then took them out, but, for the most part, she made them!!...the result: yummy banana cookies (sans raisins: we don't keep any at the house!) which she proudly took to school today!

1. keep better track of my spending- The last two weeks were awful!...since I was “away” at the workshop for 1 full week, arriving home late and obviously not in the mood to track spending (see? That, according to Dr. Camilo Cruz, is a “cow”! aka an excuse or habit that keeps me from doing what I want to do!)…well, I have tracked as much as I could and, I’m overbudget again this month! …Ale’s sickness hasn’t helped and, to top it all off, I gave in to “temptation” and bought way too many books at the training center’s bookstore!...This goal has been included in the “contract” with myself that they made us draw up at the workshop!!

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. ...current situation is: $14.1K total: ~$8.2K (refinanced) loan, ~$2.8K car loan, ~$900 personal loan, $1.6K other personal loan… Phone bill is $600...a work in progress...another one that won’t get taken off the list!

5. Help Ale find a way to earn those $3 she's missing to open her account with HER OWN money..have to open the piggy bank again and count the $$ to take it to the bank!

Total for August
Challenge statistics:
to discount from challenge this month:
-$0.00

Earned in July: $835.00

net for January: $12.15
net for February: $318.40
net for March:$380.00
net for April: $222.00
net for May:$336.86
Net for June: $32.50
Net for July: $210.00
Net for August: $835
Total ytd for 2006 (net):$2,346.95

TARGET: $4,000

$1,653.15/ 4 months to go!

collected another $200 for services! yay!...this one goes with August!!

I hate mosquitoes! ...Ale apparently got bitten again and now she has dengue fever...she's at home, resting, getting about 1,001 medicines and gallons of electrolytes...

We are now in the middle of Phase II - training
We finished our Entrepreneurship Abilities Workshop and our Business Plan drafting seminar....now we will be paired with special counselors to draw up the business plan and get it ready to be presented to the jury....this will e theend of phase II, on Oct 2nd.... then they'll choose 24 finalists for Phase III and, from these they'll pick the 9 winners...wish me luck!....I like my idea and, from what I see, even if I didn't win, it wouldn't take that much money to set things in motion...getting it to the point where I could quit my job to dedicate myself full time to my business would be something else, though! ...still, it would make a good "side" source of income ....

ugh!...the event really messed up my record keeping...all I know is I'm waaaay oberbudget and I have this feeling that there are expenses missing (I have input what I could based on invoices and bills...but, I still feel like some things are missing...) --sigh!
I'm back on track as of today, but...

another $250 collected to be added to my $20 challenge for August....
pending $1,450....

that's my basic update!...
gotta go to bed and get some zzzzzzzzzzzzz
(it's 12:19 at night!)

'll catch up once the workshop is over!

I've missed YOU!...I've been MIA at the workshop...have had to do a lot of work...but, it's definetely worth it!...I love it!!...right now I'm doing my (self-imposed) homework, which is a very simple flyer for my translations...Tomorrow I have to gather up the courage to ask for permission to post it at bulletin boards in several places...

Oh, it finished printing!...gotta go!
(I still have to work on an email!)

I probably won't be on "full time" until Monday 28th or thereabouts!...(but, I'll lurk as much as I can! LOL!)

$120 more paid for services - delayed payment....to be added to my $20 challenge for August...

paid for services...
to be added to the $20-challenge
(August will be a good month!)...
I'll keep pressing to get all my money this month!

stupid me! procastinated all weekend and then forgot all about it...luckily, I rememberd while I was watching CSI (starts at 9:00pm my time!)...so, here I am, just finishing up and sending the translations to my office email...they are for the company, but, contrary to custom, they are paying for this ones! ($60, yay!)
This goes to the $20 challenge for August (since it's less than $75, it gets paid via petty cash!)

I just received a call from the US Embassy, asking me to come for testing (English proficiency and Spanish drafting) on Wednesday...
but...I'm in the workshop for the contest all week...and if I miss any of the workshop, I'm automatically out...
I told the lady from the US Embassy no...
Please, someone tell me this was the right thing to do!...
The position available at the Embassy is for an HR clerk (which would be ideal for me..or rather, for which I would be ideally suited), paying more than I'm currently earning, 4 blocks away from my house...many, many,many additional benefits....but, also, it's not like they were offering me a second interview or something like that...in fact, it would be the third time I go take the test (and, just my stupid luck, they keep them for 6 months and the last time I went there was 10 months ago!)...

The decision really has been made already, so I guess all I need is some reassurance....

she asked very casually: we couldn't make brownies at home, could we? (we have made cookies and cakes...I stay away from brownies because my niece and I are both chocoholics and migraine sufferers, not a particularly happy mix!)... I told Ale Yes, we could...and she said: Don't tell me you have a brownie recipe??...I could get one...
Oooohhh, can we bake some, so I can take them to school??...
this might actually prove more expensive than buying them at school, if we have to pay for my headache pills --plus, I imagine she won't limit herself to just one, and I'm not sure I like that...will have to leave strict instructions with the nanny... but, we'll give it a try....

LOL! she forgot her money today!...for about 2 seconds I considered loaning her the $0.30 from my money, but, then I decided that wouldn't be right. If she fortgets her money at home, she has to make do without...it won't kill her (she has a lunch box and enough food, anyway) and, next time, I bet she will remember! -- I already told her the $0.30 will go to her piggy bank this afternoon!

I asked the receptionist at work whether I could pay the Technokids fee for the whole year ($54 total) and, she told me that this year, eventhough they are going to have the sessions, this year the price has already been included in the monthly fees! YAY!!... another $54 saved!!

today was Ale's first day of school...I dropped her off half an hour early (LOL!, we weren't sure how long it was going to take to get to the school at that time!)...she was nervous, but seemed positive about the whole thing...
her cousin Clau "ironed" her hair flat yesterday night (Ale's hair is curly!) and helped her choose her First Day of School Clothes (they are allowed to wear "normal" clothes today and tomorrow, they have to wear their uniforms as of Monday)...I gave her $1 (since this week only has 2 school days, it seemed logical not to give her $2)...

Oh, and, I spoke to the lady with the transport service yesterday night, she likes to receive her money between the 1st and the 3rd of the month, so, I only have to pay for 15 days on Monday and, pay for Sept at the beginning of the month...Also, she found another little girl with the same route, so instead of $40, she'll charge me $30...that's a "savings" of $10 a month!!

I'll let you know what she thought of her first day!

************ UPDATE
she enjoyed it and, I met her Spanish teacher (they have a Spanish and an English teacher, I had met the English teacher when she went for testing)...she told me Ale is extraordinarily well adjusted, has already made friends (all the while we were talking, Ale was hugging her, so I guess they like each other already!)...the kids were asked to draw a picture of their family... Ale is just as tall as the rest of us in the picture, so I imagine that means her self-esteem is good...

On more mundane issues, she spent $0.70 on a brownie and an apple juice (good choice of beverage!)...so she's got $0.30 left for tomorrow! ...I'm happy, she didn't lose the money!!

this is so great! After 15+ years of working at places where vacation time was according to law --15 days -- well, I totally forgot that here I get 17 days per year...which means that I still have 11 days left to use -- an not 5, like I thought I did!...so, I can take 9 vacation days for the contest workshop instead of taking 5 and asking for 4 without pay!--equivalent to $106-- (I agonized about this, but, had already decided it was worth it, so, now I'm extra happy!)

woo-hoo!

I was just thinking the other day, we need more bookcases at home...and, I was thinking also about the bookcases we had when we were growing up...they were the coolest bookcases...

Dad brought home some pine wood boards and some concrete blocks, and just put 6 blocks on the floor (3 stacks of 2), spaced evenly, then a board, 6 more blocks, another board, then 6 more blocks, then the top board, then 3 blocks (as "toppers" to make the top board steady)...the real cool thing about this was:

1. you could change the whole look just by painting the blocks...(we never painted the boards, and they weren't varnished or tinted, either)
2. the tiers (?) had enough space even for the tallest books/magazines, like our Animal World collection...
3. You could put ornaments on that top board!
4. You could hide boxes underneath the first board...we used this one mostly for our LP's (gasp!) and stuff like that...

The one bad thing, though, is they tended to "walk" during earthquakes...although, come to think of it, if they had been "true" bookcases, they might have fallen on top of either of us!

Forgot to post this one!!

Total for July
Challenge statistics:
to discount from challenge this month:
-$0.00

Earned in July: $210.00

net for January: $12.15
net for February: $318.40
net for March:$380.00
net for April: $222.00
net for May:$336.86
Net for June: $32.50
Net for July: $210.00
Total ytd for 2006 (net):$1,511.85

TARGET: $4,000

$2,488.15/ 5 months to go!

This is an email that our Director sent to our VP regarding the set-up of a new Project Manager...

*************************************
V,

Just wanted to let you know that Maria and Bea have done an outstanding job in setting up everything for A. After only one day in his job he is already fully equipped with absolutely everything he needs, just pending his business cards (this depended on the assignment of a cell phone number and fixed line, which has now also been completed).

I think we are now managing the introduction process a lot more effectively (when I started it took me many weeks to be at the same stage), and that is in large part attributable to the good organization that Maria and Bea have shown.

Saludos,

J

I got paid $100 more for services yesterday (still pending $1,900...this covers 4 months and, should have been paid month by month, but wasn't...at the moment, I feel like I'm doing "salvage" on collecting this money)...since this was work I took in replacement of the English lessons, these $100 go to my August challenge! ...

Consequently, I've updated my excel file again!...what I did today was adjust the "target" amount to be spent per month to last month's amount (I was actually underbudget!...just barely, but, since I already managed to do it once, I don't see why I cannot do it again) so my new target is slightly lower than before (hardly worth mentioning), but, I feel it's a step in the right direction...hopefully, I will be able to be under or at budget again (even with rising gas prices!), and then I will lower the target for Sept-Dec accordingly...I will continue with this trend until I reach a truly "reasonable" point, which is when the amount of money going into "others", "events" and "enterntainment" are at acceptable levels!

I don't remember if I wrote about a "free" day pass my cousin got a couple of months ago to a popular new "resort" at the beach...we got very bad treatment...since we were supposed to take advantage of the day visit to meet with the manager because we had with us an investor interested in bringing tourists to ES and lodging them at this resort, we insisted on seeing the manager and, when told the person we had contacted was NOT a manager, we made a big fuss until they DID call the manager who, when informed of the situation said it didn't matter to him that we felt mistreated and deceived (regarding the meeting) because the hotel was booked solid for the rest of the year and he didn't need any new customers...well, about a week ago I received an email from a friend, who was just passing along another person's email telling about his bad experience there...I added our complaint and kept forwarding the message...guess what??...somebody forwarded it to the MInistry of Tourism, the Tourism Board and to another organiztion that seeks foreign investment in tourism...WOO-HOO!...they are opening an investigation on these matters!

in 2 days (on Thursday) Ale goes to her new school for the first time!...this is so exciting!!!...it will also be her first time getting an allowance!...I'll let you know how she does!

gas: 7.10 gallons @ $3.66

... and this is at one gas station that is consistently on the "lowest price" list published by the Center for Consumer Defense! OUCH!