Moola!

I realize its been quite awhile since I’ve done a money related post. Probably since I quit the second job. In fact I don’t think I ever really updated about the whole windows thing and I should probably do a mid year update on my whole get out of debt resolution.

So basically in the end, by my spreadsheet calculations, (I’m obsessed with doing things in excel or in this case google docs) working the second job at the store I made $688.47. I spent at the store $210.41 so basically a net of $478.06. Which isn’t too bad, but really didn’t help too much towards paying anything off.

Similarly, we should be in a great position this summer because for 10 weeks Bear isn’t in daycare. His Aunt is watching him 2x a week and our good friend the other day that we’re both at work. While we pay them, we pay them significantly less than we would pay our daycare for those 10 weeks. We should be saving $1,682. HOWEVER June was a very bad month. We spent a lot so in the end that savings that could have gone towards debt actually went mostly towards buying things in June =/ So that really sucks  that we (well really me) sucks so much. Because by my extensive spreadsheet calculations we would have been completely out of credit card debt at the end of the August with that money (minus the windows and fridge which are on a 0% APR so I’m not considering debt). But now… my calculations say and I’m not sure how, but basically that I’ll still have everything paid off in September. Let’s see if that actually works out that way!

Everything paid off but the windows and the fridge that is. With the windows we had them installed the last week of May and wound up going through an independent contractor (which I found through the MERSC program). The windows themselves are Alside. They look quite nice. I’m definitely really happy with them I’m just super kicking myself because I never took before pictures so I have no photographic evidence (or memory) of the crappy windows that used to be there. All in all the windows we went with (we redid all of the house) cost 3K less than the Andersen windows we were considering in the beginning. We wound up going with one of the Citi promotional offers so we have 0% interest until I believe Fall of 2010. We do have to make minimum payments though. Same with the fridge we got. We wound up getting a fabulous deal on a super pricey fridge and don’t pay interest for a year (but w/minimum payments). So I’m not counting either of those in my debt column since they’re interest free and I’m really banking of my tax return/the H’s bonus to pay them both off. By my calculations I need a 6K tax return/bonus combo to pay off the remaining balance they will both have next Spring. And that seems totally feasible.

I’m still really on the fence with this whole go to work/stay home thing I posted about before. On one hand things here at work are craptastic (post forthcoming) but I’m not really one who sits still well, and financially its sort of crapchute which is a better option. I’m fairly positive in the very least I’m going to spend some time looking for a new job while on leave. But we’ll see, things are getting even weirder here (is that even possible?) so perhaps I might be able to swing some sort of raise/promotion probably depends on how much ass kissing and integrity & moral respect for myself I want to lose.

All in all, things are ok on the money front. We just need to not be ridiculous like we were last month (Highlights: The H’s fishing trip and golf tournament, my Chicago Trip, Ridiculous food spending, maternity clothes, new vacuum, $300 carpet cleaning, my new Coach purse…)

So I Quit on Thursday

So remember when I kept going back and forth about quitting? And then in my last post said I wasn’t? Well then I quit on Thursday. I had just dropped the H off at the airport and I was thinking to myself just how much I didn’t want to go in on Saturday since essentially I’d be picking up the H from the airport and going straight to work without much of a “Hey, how are you, how was your trip?” I hated the concept of that.

Plus it was Thursday and the schedule still wasn’t up for Sunday and I hated that too. So I just decided right then and there that I was going to quit. That’s it, I’ve had enough, goodbye. I started chatting with the bf (best friend not boyfriend as I confused a co-worker) online and through her reassurance that this was in fact a good decision confirmed that I’d do it. I was after all 23 weeks pregnant, with a family I wasn’t spending much time with, I tried the second job thing for 4 months while knowing I was pregnant, I could do it. I had to keep repeating to myself I think I can, I think I can.

After her great pep talk and the fact that she agreed to call the store and ask if my manager was there (because if she was I could call her cell and leave a vm no problem). I decided to do it. A script was written of what I would say (I am literally that ridiculous). It was confirmed she was at the store.

I walked over to my co-workers cube to tell her I was going to do it and she made a face. “Are you sure you’re not making a rash decision?” Well no, I might be, but I want to do it anyway. “I suppose you should end this charade anyway, every time you worked you always wanted to get out of it.” Ouch. Yes, probably true. Her “pep talk” deflated my enthusiasm so I needed a reassurance from the bf again.

So I went into a conference room with my post it note script and made the phone call. I got off the script at one point when it was obvious that I was trying to justify this to myself and said something along the lines of “I feel really bad, its just that i’m 23 weeks pregnant and I never see Bear anymore. And its the summer so I know you’ll find tons of people to replace me…” essentially I rambled. Then I had no idea how to close, so I basically said, “Well I mean, I guess I’ll see you at the store when I’m not pregnant, and yeah, I’ll talk to you later.”

Awkward.

Then I never got a call back or knowing my manager a text confirming my message was received,  I expected something along the lines of “I understand, it was great having you, good luck with the baby and all!” I did get a text from her but it was a mass text about a sale going on. I have to say I’m rather surprised I got no acknowledgment of it. I spent all of Saturday awaiting a “You were supposed to start at noon where are you?” phone call. But I never got one.

I didn’t have the sense of relief that I thought I would have from quitting. I even regretted it a little on Saturday (mostly because the H came home and went straight to sleep and it stormed so I couldn’t do anything outside), but then Sunday I was relieved not to have to go. It was nice to be able to just have breakfast not in a hurry and enjoy the day. Sigh. I’m fairly confident this was a good decision.

And now I can finally stop complaining about it!

Split Personality

I think I have a split personality when it comes to money. I behave and think in two completely contradictory ways depending on any given moment. Which is frustrating. I need to find a balance between being crazy concerned about it and not remotely considering it.

I do this with quitting my second job at the store all the time. I mean in a previous post I was 100% gungho, but then I didn’t because I decided that there were too many things that I wanted to buy and besides the scheduling issues it wasn’t that bad.

I (who love excel spreadsheets and make one for like every situation) made a spreadsheet with how much I’ve made working there YTD and how much I’ve spent there. Since Feb 20th I’ve made $591.42 and I’ve spent $267.60. Which is slightly ridiculous. I’m contemplating returning a few of the pieces I’ve recently bought (but really at 45% off, how could I??) And then on Sunday I was supposed to work, but I didn’t go in because it was practically 80 and sunny and I wanted to spend the day with my family. I was pretty set on quitting today because now that the weather has finally improved its going to be impossible having to work on weekends when I could be outside with Bear (especially considering working 8-6 during the work week leaves me with little sunshine). BUT THEN I went into spreadsheet mayhem for the last hour and decided I should really continue working for the extra cashflow.

In a comment (perhaps on twitter) a friend said in response to my debate about quitting that if I don’t need the money I should just quit. That’s the thing I don’t need it. No one is going to go hungry, bills will not go unpaid. Its just nice to have extra fluff money. But I think having the extra fluff money makes me think I should be spending it, and I always wind up spending way more than the fluff. That’s where the alternate persona jumps in yelling “You have expendable income, you need to buy this! Stop depriving yourself! Have fun! You only live once! Its just money! You’ll make more!” Clearly I shouldn’t listen to this persona, or to my super frugal friends who would have me drinking water and eating saltines versus spending any money.

So in essence. I’m still confused. Who knows what I’m doing. Quitting. Working. Spending money. Not spending money. It changes all the time.

Did I mention that we bought a pool?

Weeks 18-20 Part II

Because my last post was so specific to how I was feeling in that moment and not really those weeks of pregnancy I’m going to try and compile little tidbits throughout the weeks instead of trying to remember a few weeks at a time.

All of the sudden my Isabelly became front and center last week of April. I had been able to wear my “bigger” clothes this whole time without issue, which was nice to not have to buy any pregnancy clothes because all of my size 10 pants fit me. Then on Thursday I couldn’t zip up anymore so I had to invest in a bella band ($18 at Target!). Which is something I had totally wished I had gotten with Bear because it seems like a genius idea. So now I’m still wearing my regular pants just using the bella band to hide the fact that they’re zipped but not buttoned! Hopefully it will get me by for awhile and then summer will allow me to wear the cropped leggings I bought at the store (with 45% off) and dresses/skirts without having to invest in expensive maternity clothes. I got tons of stuff last weekend at the store with my 45% off, my manager convinced me that I could wear all of it (well most — I bought two post pregnancy pieces that I love) while pregnant though the H disagrees that I can.

Let’s discuss how maternity jeans cost like $70. Why would I pay so much money for something I can only wear for a few months??? And what I wear now wouldn’t fit me when I’m super pregnant anyways. Its like with weddings, a huge scam with jacked up prices because you have no other alternatives and its a special time.

My manager at the store also owns a consignment shop and she keeps telling me to come in and get some stuff there. I think I probably will when it comes time to buy maternity things. I definitely look pregnant which I like because I’m proud of my little Isabelly.

On Monday was my exciting 4 month visit to the Doctor and ultrasound! The ultrasound seemed to take forever (over 20 minutes) because they couldn’t get a good enough picture of her spine and she wouldn’t flip over, so I have to come back on the 17th and get another ultrasound. The technician also seemed to wait a ridiculously long time to tell us the gender which was so agonizing. I was so excited to hear (and see!) that its a little girl!

Here is a picture of my little girl from my sonogram on Monday.

I’ve been crazy nesting lately and wanting to decorate the nursery ASAP and I’ve got the H running around doing all of these summer projects for the house. There’s just so much I want to get done. I also feel like I’m capable of doing it myself which the H disagrees with (hence this post when I discuss wanting to take the cabinets down myself) so on Tuesday I came home from work early and mowed both the front and back lawn without stopping all by myself. My hands hurt for days, but the pride I felt that I did it was well worth it.

Also, I’m already thinking about baby #3 (I know, I know, chill) but I just want to have a BIG family and I like to PLAN so I’m thinking before my 30th (but not during my 30th — I want to get schwasted like I couldn’t on my 25th) getting pregnant. Then Bear, Isabelly, and ? would be all 3ish years a part. So like having another baby Jan 2014 or thereabouts. I know I’m a ridiculous human being.

Weeks 14-17

Today marks the start of my 18th week meaning only two weeks away till my ultrasound when I find out the gender and to being halfway through my pregnancy. Wow, time sure flies by fast. Like the last 3 weeks. I’m not sure if too much exciting pregnancy stuff has happened in the last three weeks other than me being super excited to find out the gender.

For the longest time I refused to take a stance on whether or not it’d be a girl or boy not wanting to be disappointed either way, but with everyone thinking its a girl its gotten me quite excited about that possibility! I keep thinking about how I want to decorate her nursery and all the things I want to get. (Let me tell you having a girl would not be good for the budget! Too many cute dresses!)

Also, I’m sort of showing. Kind of. I mean. I’ve gained somewhere between 7-10 lbs since I found out I’m pregnant which isn’t too bad. And I feel like its mostly in my chest and belly. So again for being pregnant not too bad. All of my “fat” clothes still fit me so I’m not having any problems in the pants department, but its fairly impossible to find any shirts that don’t show my belly. Which would be fine except I’m in that awkward “is she or isn’t she?” place so you can’t tell if my belly is showing cause I’m chunky or cause there’s a little baby hanging out in there. So it makes getting dressed for work quite frustrating. I should specify for work at the store. I could care less about what I look like at the museum.

Speaking of the second job, its still sucking working two jobs and being pregnant. I’m not too tired yet from standing all the time and luckily I’ve been pretty much the designated cashier when I work so its something I really enjoy and keeps my mind off my feet hurting unlike folding for 4 hours straight. However, despite the fact that I’ve REPEATEDLY told them to not schedule me during the week they have done so the last 5 weeks in a row. So tomorrow I get to work a lovely 14 hours. And I work an event at the museum that afternoon so I’ll already have been standing for a few hours before I continue my standing at the store. Great. Working 14 hours sucks. But I’m pretty sure it sucks more when you’re also 4.5 months pregnant about it.And I swear to god if they schedule me on Mother’s Day despite the fact that I requested it off weeks in advance I’d probably quit.

Also, note to future possibly pregnant self: round ligament pain sucks. Its a dull crampy feeling in your right lower abdomen that it doesn’t go away. And its starts getting uncomfortable sleeping already. Not too bad, except you frequently wake up because some part of your body has lost feeling and blood flow.