Package delivery for Momma = bad math

Two packages came today. And they were both for me! I rarely get one, but two was a pleasant surprise.

The first one was on my doorstep after our trip to the library this morning. It’s a Palm Pilot and instructions I need to participate in a beverage study. Yeah, those studies you read about (4 out of 5 people have received two packages in one day during 2008), that’s gonna be me. I’m excited because I just signed up to do surveys (for money) and I’m already in this study. I could get up to $60 for tracking some habits for 2 weeks. And they sent me $10 (on a Visa gift card) upfront. Woohoo! Momma needs a new pair of…socks? What can you get for $10. How about underwear. I had to throw some away today. Victoriassecret.com here I come. Or, for $10, maybe just Walmart.

 Actually, I need the money, because the second package I received is stuff I ordered from Amazon.com. It’s all for work, but it’s still $90 out of my pocket, and so far I haven’t collected a cent for working this year. Too bad the numbers on these two packages don’t cancel each other out. I guess I’ll keep my fingers crossed I qualify for more paid surveys and studys.

Of course, getting two packages is all the excuse I need to ditch my previous plans to clean this afternoon.  Here’s some more math for you: more stuff = more mess + less time to clean the mess. It’s a word problem, which I liked in school, but seem to be having problems with now. Maybe it’s because I never learned new math. Or maybe it’s simply because I hate to clean, so I collect more stuff. Oh well, I don’t have time to ponder the equation too much today, I’ve got new toys to play with and post about over on my SWAHM Mom blog.

Tax time means…

I forgot to look over taxes all weekend. TCITH really needs to send them out tonight, so I am frantically looking over them. Do we really owe that little this year? I guess the extra kid could’ve made that much difference. I have a few small questions, but I don’t think the answers would change anything. I guess I’ll leave him a note to just send them. I mean, what’s the worse that could happen? The biggest mistake we could make probably wouldn’t make it into four figures. And I know we have all the documentation somewhere, so an audit shouldn’t be scary. Heck, I didn’t even have any business expenses to deduct last year. So, I guess we’ll be in the refund money soon. Of course, it will go straight into our retirement accounts. <Sigh> What a fun and exciting life we lead.

How (not) to build a budget

I worry about money. Not really our current money situation, since I’m lucky enough that my hubby is bringing home the bacon for now, but our future money situation. So many things can happen, some planned, some unplanned, that there are a myriad of ways I can see our financial situation going bad.

We were saving pretty well, but that’s been on a downhill slide this past year. In order to relieve some of my anxieties, as well as get ready to purchase a house after our next move, we are trying to put together a budget. But not just a made up numbers budget—I do those all the time and so does dear hubby. (His have more allotted for autos, eating out and electronics. While I applaud the eating out budget, mine tend to be heavy on clothes, crafts and my favorite infamous category “miscellaneous”.)

The problem is, we have only the vaguest idea of where our money goes. Generally, we could tell you, but I couldn’t quote our monthly grocery bill with any certainty. So, we are tracking our spending. Or are supposed to be anyway. I did really well for 3 weeks, writing down every purchase right away. But then there was a busy day of Christmas shopping and receipts got “filed” in my wallet. The pile outgrew my wallent, and now I have a large stack of receipts on my desk. So, now, not only do I have money worries, but I have guilt that I’m not keeping up with tracking my expenses. Is there anything in my life that can be guilt and worry free?