Monday, March 2, 2009

New Direction

This blog was originally intended to keep family and friends updated on our daily happenings. It also allowed me a place to let my feelings out in word form. I have such an easier time writing it than saying it but, in the current financial situation our family is in, I have decided to start following more coupon saving blogs, learning new ways to save for my own home and hopefully pass the savings on to those who are interested.

In the next few weeks, this blog will be undergoing a make-over to get a streamlined process for how I want to post, what I want to post etc.

It is very exciting to me that I just started using coupons a little over a month ago and went to 2 different stores tonight and only spent $13.29 and got the following.

6 cans of Chunky Soup
1 box of Apple Jacks
1 3 pack of Dentyne gum
1 single pack of Dentyne gum
2 packs of Mentos gum
1 Kashi frozen meal
2 Bumblebee Tuna kits
1 Card
1 Gift for my nephew
1 package mailer
1 Cremora coffee creamer

I know a month ago I would have spent $1.98 a can for the soup alone which would have been around $12.00 therefore all the rest is almost a freeby. I can surely get used to grocery shopping like this.

That is the reason I think I am taking this blog in new directions so, I can pass on the savings to others!

More to come....

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Busy...Busy...Busy

Things have been very busy in our home lately and I have not had much time to write anything down. My brother came to visit with his girlfriend and their two children last week, we had a great time and my brother proposed to her on Valentine's Day. It was so nice and sweet and I am happy he did it while he was "home". He is my baby brother and it meant a lot to me that I was there when he decided to do it. I enjoyed spending time with my nephews as well. I am looking forward to a trip this spring with my love to go visit my brother in Maryland.

I have done a lot of soul searching in the last couple of weeks hence the need for a break from the blogging world. I will resume once things get back on track and I have a direction of where our life is taking us. We have a few things up our sleeves but, not sure what will work out as of just yet....More to come!!!

Friday, January 30, 2009

Friday

Well it's Friday and I have decided to take the day off from work. It's so nice because my love is out of work and Brandon is home from school. So much got done around the house today that I can actually relax this weekend. YAH! Nothing has changed with the employment situation but, I have applied for other positions within the company. Hopefully something will come through before the end of June, if not I will take it one day at a time.

So I have spent a lot of time lately looking at ways to reduce expenses around our home and today was a good day!! We combined car insurance, cell phones and are saving $130 a month by doing this! So exciting to be able to save some money, looking to get rid of some of the debt we have by applying those funds towards the outstanding bills. I have also been cutting coupons like crazy and am going to start doing that again. When I had Brandon, I did this often because I had no other choice, lately I am looking to save some money and am beginning that journey again. Wish me luck, it is time consuming but, the effort will be worth it in the end.

Take Care -
Tammy

Thursday, January 22, 2009

On a happy note!

Isn't he just the cutest thing you have seen? This is my nephew Tyler in Maryland trying to eat a piece of toast with a fork. So cute, can't wait to see him In February!


Sunday, January 18, 2009

Relaxing Sunday???

So, after the week I have had with it's ups and downs, I thought today would be the perfect day to relax. My love and I went on a date last night to the local casino to try our luck and stop for some dinner. :) Yes - We had hot dogs sitting watching the people walk through, so out of the ordinary but, oh so perfect for our story.

Waiting for the Keno numbers to come in....





Laughing as he takes a photo of me with my dinner....
Had to get a photo of this historical event in our lives... :)



So, after our evening of gambling and hot dogs. We came home to enjoy the warmth from the freezing tundra outside. I woke up this morning and had coffee and toast with my love before he left for work.


Not long after I decided to stay up (6:30am) and read some emails and enjoy the quiet while Brandon was still sleeping. While typing away and enjoying this:





I get a phone call and had to leave the house in a hurry to go to my sister......Upon my arrival this is what I discovered:





Apparently it snowed last night and this is where her car landed on her way to work. I went down the road and turned around to be on the same side as her to keep her company. Luckily she was ok but, I couldn't help but take a few photos with my cell phone while waiting for the police and tow trucks.
























And this was supposed to be relaxing? Somehow I didn't plan on this but, when you live in Central New York, snow is always here and this sometimes happens...


Hope everyone has a great week. I know I can certainly use a better one than last.





Thursday, January 15, 2009

Mixed Emotions

How does one go to work at a company you have put your heart and soul into and sit there knowing your position has been eliminated? Our life was just beginning together, we had so many plans this year. I am just hoping that something will come along before my last day, if not I guess I will be sitting home tending to the garden while collecting unemployment...not my idea of fun. Well the gardening will be but, sitting home doing nothing......

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Never would have imagined

I didn't think I would be writing such sad words today. Yesterday was a day I thought would never come, I have seen coworkers come and go but, never in a million years would I think I am the person going. To back up a little our company did a massive layoff in October and I wasn't impacted, I saw many friends walk out the door to another job or not one at all. It was a difficult time and I just felt so sad for those people. Now, I am the one with all the well wishers and others are feeling sad for me. I couldn't even begin to understand what they were going through in October but, I can certainly understand it now. I have so many decisions to make:

Do I take the severance package in June? Will this be enough to hold me over for a little while?
Do I look for another opportunity within this company? After all I have 13 years vested.
Do I look for an opportunity with another company? Starting over is such a scary thought..


The questions above are so simple yet so complicated. What does one do? I don't know where to begin. I do know I need to find the inner strength to get through this, after all it could be worse right?


Tammy