Life ups and downs and all arounds

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2006
Life ups and downs and all arounds
4
Mon, 03-16-2009 - 12:51pm

Sorry I have not been around much. Life has been busy. Mostly in good ways but still busy.

We have some expenses that have come up. Marley our nine and a half year old lab needs to have some surgery to remove a growth under her right front leg. It is benign but still scary since it has grown so fast and is wrapped around her nerves. It’s not even a moment’s hesitation that we would do this for her – she is our “baby” (literally since we have no kids!). It will whack us with $700 bill up front but I am hopeful that we can get a good chunk of that back through our Pet Insurance that we have.

Better news is that I have been accepted on a part-time basis (no giving up my day job!) to Harvard’s Graduate School of Education to their Mind Brain and Learning Program. I am thrilled and will be starting in September. The great news is that my company picks up 90% of the bill but there is still the other 10% - about $500 a semester that I have to pay.

The upside to all of these expenses, and before we even knew about these things - is that without any suggestion of it from me, DH has picked up 2 part-time jobs. He works 1-2 nights a week now at the local pub near our house (the same pub he was a bartender at 10 years ago when we met!) and then he got some freelancer work as a production technician for an events planning company . This is an occasional gig but one that will pay about $250-$500 for each 10-hour day he picks up. Even if he picks up 4 of these gigs between now and the end of the year it will help.

I told him that he can only work these jobs until he starts to feel it is too much. He gets up at 3:00 AM and works 4 AM- noon for his day job so he is already perpetually tired. The thing is right now he seems really jazzed about doing it, so who am I to stop him!

We have been doing OK with everyday finances, a little added to credit here and there but all of the 2nd job checks will be going to the cc debt.

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the start of spring. It was so gorgeous here this weekend.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-17-2003
Mon, 03-16-2009 - 1:38pm
Congratulations on your admission to grad school.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-14-2008
Mon, 03-16-2009 - 2:42pm

Oh wow, so much going on. I hope the paw surgery goes well for your baby!

Holy crap! Harvard anything is cool, good luck with it!

My bf will probably start his 2nd job in about a month. He helps the locals in farm season. He now has a full time job though so I hope he isn't too tired. I am going to help with meals a lot more when this starts and I am not going to golf this year so I can just help out more everywhere. I already work 40-65 hours a week and I have my kids so taking on another job is not really feasible for me right now. I do sell avon.

Everyone is so busy!!



iVillage Member
Registered: 08-04-2008
Mon, 03-16-2009 - 2:49pm

Sounds like some great opportunities for both of you!




iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2006
Mon, 03-16-2009 - 2:59pm
The amount I added onto the ccs was fully my fault I had a moment of weakness over a pair of summer sandals and the need to get my car cleaned out. My bad all the way!