Saturday early morning

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-22-1999
Saturday early morning
11
Sat, 04-29-2006 - 12:22am

This is just NOT a good week.

Yesterday I found out my uncle has a serious illness, and although his prognosois looks good, it will be up to me to see him thru the doctor visits, surgery, etc.....There's no other family to do this except me. This is going to be tough summer in so many ways already, and then this came up. We don't have a doctor visit until June. I have already let work know I have this coming up thru the summer. We'll see what happens. This will be tough. I am worried that he doen't understand what the doctor is telling him. I don't want to have to make his decsions for him on this.

I got paid today,and I had a big list of things I thought I needed to buy, each item about $20.....I only bought 3 things off the list....the rest can wait. I have a daytrip tomorrow, so I have taken $100 cash to spend, and that will be THE LIMIT. I have to pay THE RENT out of this paycheck! I always feel broke faster out of this "pay the rent" paycheck.

Gas? I filled up yesterday. I didn't have to buy a full tank of gas since it was about half full....but it cost enough like I would have paid for a full tank! I was talking to a friend today who said she was spending $100 a month to just go to work. She was making plans to conserve not only gas, but all her money as best she could by using coupons, trading with friends on things they need, and I am stopping by with some items on Sunday to give her that I have decided to get rid of from my house purging project. (somehow this is not really a CLEANING project anymore....) If she can't use the items, she'll be trading them with other friends. She recently moved to a new town, and she had decorative items from the old house she sent to another friend out of state because she was decorating her kitchen similarly to the way my friend had done her old kitchen. (Apple theme) By saving on other stuff in her life, she can then AFFORD TO GO TO WORK!!!! That's awful!

I am trying to make gas a new line item on the budget just to stay aware of it. I really feel like this is going to be an item if not THE #2 item that could sabotage my efforts to pay down the debt. (The #1 item would be my own foolishness!)

I just trying to stay away from my credit card...a continuing effort....besides the car repair bill, in the last few weeks I have charged an overnight trip....but that has been it. I just DO NOT want to use the credit card. I really don't. Now it upsets me. I just want to see those numbers go down.

The housecleaning project kicked into serious gear 2 nights ago. I'll be focusing on it again Sunday afternoon. It's turning into more than just an effort to clean, purge,and reorganize.....It is sort of emotional, and aggrivating, and a walk down memory lane.....and I just DON'T want to spend and bring new stuff into the house (but that may happen tomorrow)..It's just that I see how much STUFF there is in this apartment, and I am drowning in it.......and how much of it am I still paying off???? Was any of it really a bargain?.................well, I'll muse on this project later...........

I keep saying this is going to be a dramatic summer in so many ways....it's begun already!

Going to go to bed and thing about a lot of things.............Littlesbigs

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-26-2006
Sat, 04-29-2006 - 8:18am
I am sending you a hug as you seem to be overwhelmed by your situation. Would you be able to do the house clearing in smaller amounts, it might make it easier for you to not get so emotional. It is tough sorting through and throwing out the past, but once the items are gone they don't seem to hold anything over us anymore.
Be kind to yourself, you are a wonderful person.
Love
Anne :o)
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Sat, 04-29-2006 - 12:49pm
Hi, Littlebigs and Ladies. Well, after having a sick DH all week ($180+ for the one antibiotic!), I now have to clean. The house has too much "stuff". So, what are the strategies? Do you keep tax returns 5 or 7 yrs? What about boxes that things came in (computers, TV's, vacuum cleaners, etc) that are in the garage? College books and old job manuals? I wont even begin on clothes. DH is waiting for when he loses weight. Should I have a garage sale or just send it to Salvation Army? Some of the stuff is outdated, but works, like retro TV's, out-of-style clothes that dont fit, face towels, etc. Do you get rid of stuff you havent worn in two years? Sometimes, I just want to rent a huge bulldozer and be done with it. Whiz.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-26-2006
Sun, 04-30-2006 - 10:36am
Hi Whiz,
I thought out-of-date styles were called vintage clothes. I have never ever sold anything, instead I have given it all to charity or just away to someone who needed it. It just seems so much easier. Do garage sales do really well or are they just hard work. We have carboot sales, is it the same thing?
Love
Anne :O)
Avatar for 2locachicas
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-2003
Sun, 04-30-2006 - 12:00pm

Whiz-

Except for my really nice children's stuff(I love gymboree & nordstrom rack!) I either "hand it down" or I give it to goodwill. I do itemize for tax purposes so I have receipts for all of my goodwill trips and take standard deductions. It is a lot less hassle and we end up about the same as if we had had a garage sale when it comes to tax time.

Loca

Avatar for 2locachicas
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-2003
Sun, 04-30-2006 - 12:06pm

Little bigs-

So sorry about your uncle. That is really hard. He must be glad that someone is able to see him through all of this. But remember, just because you are the one that is physically able to take him doesn't mean the rest of the family can't help you out with gas and food expenses for all the trips and what not. I seem to remember a while back that your family all chipped in for another family emergency...this too counts as an emergency. Don't add the worry of paying for extra gas & food to the main concern of your uncle if you don't have to. Plus, there is generally parking costs at hospitals(when I had surgery in march it was $9 a day if you got it validated!!).

This too shall pass!! I always tell my friend that we are both due for something really good to happen to us(our moms' both died in the past 6 months, I have had brain surgery, she lost a baby...) I will add you to our list of something good is due:-)

Loca

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Sun, 04-30-2006 - 12:51pm
Hi, Loca and Anne---Good to hear from you both. Yeah, it seems like garage sales are a hassle--sorting, tagging, setting stuff up on tables, etc, getting up at 5AM. I'd just rather give it to Salvation Army or Goodwill. Vintage clothes, eh? DH's stuff is way beyond retro fashion. On a positive note, I did clean bathroom drawers and cupboards. I have enough lipstick for the next century! Sigh. Whiz.
Avatar for endomagazine
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2004
Sun, 04-30-2006 - 6:54pm

Hello,


Regarding decluttering, I follow Flylady's method. You can find it here: http://www.flylady.net/pages/FLYingLessons_Declutter.asp

Sincerely,
Lindsey Schocke

Geeks on Tap: Mission Accomplished

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Sun, 04-30-2006 - 8:18pm
Hi, Lindsey---I am always amazed at where you find these neat websites. Have you ever thought about being a professional organizer (seriously!)? The FlyLady site is fun--especially the part about the timer, so I dont get too burned out on doing it. Do you have a website (or book) on anything professional organizers have written on how to do an office space? DH quit his home-based business awhile back, but there is this mountain of receipts, cancelled checks, ledgers, accounting stuff. Goals? Heather, Loca, Littlebigs, please share your ideas also. l) Hire the housekeeping ladies every 3 months or so. Yes, I have $$ earmarked for this, in the drawer. I checked with their boss, and they DO have teams that do organizing. 2)Start with one section, i.e., closet. The garage is DH on one side, mine on the other. For the couches and old TV's, am not sure what to do with these. Dumpster rental? Appreciate your website places, Lindsey, as I have been doing a little each month. Regards, Whiz.
Avatar for endomagazine
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2004
Sun, 04-30-2006 - 9:43pm

Hello Whiz,


The reason I have all of this neat information / websites is because I'm very disorganized at home and *need* those Flylady routines in order to get the basics done. For instance, we are out of clean plates because I've slacked on doing the dishes. If I don't do a load of laundry tonight, I won't have any clean undergarments for work tomorrow.


Flylady sends out information like this and I just search through my emails from her to find it. I've spent 3 years decluttering the house and have 10 more boxes in the garage I haven't looked at in months. My DH was grumping on Friday because I couldn't find his favorite shirt. It turns out it was in the bottom of the laundry hamper and hadn't been washed since the last time he wore it.


Sometimes I feel like tossing all of his clothes into a bin and pulling out only his favorite clothes, so that he wouldn't get grumpy when he can't find something. He has been losing weight steadily for the last couple of years, so finding clothes in his closet that fit him just right is a challenge in the morning, since he doesn't like

Sincerely,
Lindsey Schocke

Geeks on Tap: Mission Accomplished

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Sun, 04-30-2006 - 11:28pm
Hi, Lindsey---I was bowled over when you said you've been doing this decluttering project for 3 yrs+. You, disorganized? Nah, you are just being modest.:) Since this accumulation is over 15+ years, I figure I am going to give it one year. The last time I used a dumpster, DH got mad because I "threw away" his rusty golf clubs, and shirts that were stained from his business. There is a "path" in the middle of the garage for walking, and that is it. Have decided to save $$$ by looking at "The Container Store" website for ideas on storage. Thanks again for the flylady website. Looking at your bio---How long did it take to learn caligraphy? Did you take a class? Does it require special tools? Did it improve your handwriting? Whiz.

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