Penny Pinching Mom

Debating

My writing is bringing in more and more money. I couldn’t be happier about that. Another thing I couldn’t be happier about is the prospect of being able to quit my regular job. But I’m straining my brain trying to figure out whether or not that’s going to be feasible yet.

I am planning on sitting down and doing some extensive number crunching. I hope to be able to do that today. I doubt that I will be able to justify quitting my job yet, but I’m hoping that I will be able to cut down on my hours. The powers that be there are usually pretty cool about things like that, so I’m not really worried about them saying no. I just want to know that we will be able to make it with me writing more and “J.O.B.-ing” less.

School will be letting out soon, and it would be great not to have to worry about a babysitter so much. That has been a big source of stress for me lately. On the rare occasions that I need a sitter now that Pumpkin is in school, it has been extremely hit-or-miss. My usual sitter has been canceling on me a lot, causing me to miss work. If I was working at home most of the time, I wouldn’t have to worry about that.

I know I haven’t been blogging as much as usual lately, but I will definitely be back with news on this. If I am able to quit my job or cut down on hours, I will be more than ready to go tell it on the mountain.

Outdoor Furniture

Today Hubby mowed for the first time this year. We don’t get a lot of sun in our yard until later in the Spring, so the grass is just now getting high enough to worry about. As I was picking up my lawn ornaments, I realized that my yard needs some serious help.

There is some junk out there that needs to be hauled off for sure. But once that’s gone, the yard is going to look pretty empty. Some outdoor furniture would be a functional addition. I would love to have some teak outdoor furniture. It would be a great accent to the natural scenery we enjoy.

Teak furniture is not cheap, and probably won’t be in the budget for this year. But maybe next year.

Software for Cheap

I have been using WordPerfect every since I bought my computer, simply because that’s what came with it. Up until recently it posed no problems, because it has the capability to save documents in Word format if the need arises. But I just found out that it has some limitations.

I had a writing job that involved adding on to a document that was authored in Word. I had no trouble converting it to WordPerfect format and editing it. But when I converted it back over to Word, I ended up with a blank document. Not good.

So I decided that it was time to look into buying MS Word. I didn’t really want to invest much in it, because as I’ve said a new computer may be in my future. And with new computers come bundled software, and it seems like a waste to pay for a program that I’m going to have the newest version of on my new computer, right? Considering all of that, I started searching for a way to get what I needed legitimately without paying full price.

After searching Google, Froogle, and eBay, I found an OEM copy of MS Word 2000 for $29.95. Not bad, considering that the latest version of Word alone runs about $150. Never mind the whole Office suite. So as we speak, it is on its way to my mailbox.

In case you’re wondering, I ordered from EverythingOutlet.com. They have some great deals there on software. But it’s always a good idea to shop around online, and it’s very easy to do with Froogle.

A Laptop?

I’ve been having more computer problems. My machine is getting a little long in the tooth as computers go, so I can’t say it’s completely unexpected. But I would like to get a little more use out of it.

I have considered getting a computer memory upgrade, and haven’t ruled it out yet. But Hubby keeps saying that if he can save up enough money this summer, he’s going to get me a new laptop. That would rock! Not only would I love to have one, but it really would be a good investment.

I’m not terribly knowledgeable about laptops, because I have never owned one. But I think I could get it all figured out. Portability would be awesome, especially on those summer days when I need to get some work done but want to go camping. Or when Pumpkin wants to play outside. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed.

Getting My Act Together

I have become notorious for not keeping up with how much money is in my checking account. I haven’t overdrawn, but I’ve come dangerously close a couple of times. I just can’t seem to remember to write stuff down.

At least I’ve been remembering to check my online banking religiously. That’s the one thing that is keeping me on top of my finances. But I’m going to have to get it in gear and keep up with things on my own. You should see me panic when I go online, only to see that my bank’s website is down temporarily. I’m sure it would be quite amusing from someone else’s point of view.

Back when I first got a debit card, I would keep all of my receipts in my checkbook so I could deduct them later. I got out of that habit when I quit carrying my purse everywhere, but I need to try to start doing that again. Or better yet, writing them down on the spot.

Maybe now that my disorganization is out in the open for all the world to see, I can motivate myself to fix it.

Under a Rock

Even though I haven’t been posting to this blog much lately, I’ve been extremely preoccupied with finances lately. I’ve been trying to get more steady streams of income going online. I’ve been crunching numbers to see how we stand on the bills. And my hours at work have increased somewhat, so all that doesn’t leave much time for anything else.

I just found out about the results of Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter’s paternity test. It’s not old news by any means, but the sad part is that I didn’t even know that it was taking place. I’ve gotta get my head out of these numbers for a while- I think that if I do, I’ll come back in a much better state of mind. Then I can start posting here more. So if you don’t hear from me for a day or two, don’t worry.

An Eye-Opener

How do you think you’re doing compared to other people or families regarding your income and budget? You’ve probably been exposed to poverty line figures, and wondered how on earth anyone can live on that much money. I know I have. But there’s a calculator you can use to find a more realistic measure of how much a person or family needs to survive.

The Economic Policy Institute’s basic family budget calculator takes family size and geographical location into consideration, and tells you how much your family needs to meet their basic needs. I was surprised to find out that nearly one-third of North Carolina residents were living below that benchmark. And the figures are for 2004, so that number could be even higher by now, given soaring gas prices and their after effects.

If you feel like you’re all alone in having to keep a close eye on your budget, don’t. You’ve got plenty of company.

A Few Extra Dollars a Month

I got a pleasant surprise today. First, a little background: Hubby traded his truck last month. The one he got was a year older than the one he traded in, but has lower miles, is larger and nicer, and is in much better shape. His payments are about thirty dollars more per month, but the financing term is a year shorter than on his previous one.

So, I figured that our insurance would go up a little. We had just paid it up until July or August when he traded, so I thought we would get a bill for the difference. Well, I checked the mail today, and to my surprise found a check from the insurance company for a refund of $38. The insurance is actually going to be cheaper. Yay!!!!

So what are we going to do with all that extra money? I guess it will help offset the difference in the monthly payment. Then again, since we already had that figured into the budget, maybe we could save up for an Orlando vacation rental for next summer. We’ll just have to see how everything else pans out.

Writing Links, As Promised

I didn’t forget about posting those freelance writing links. Really. I just got busy. Here they are:

• Deborah Ng’s Freelance Writing Jobs Blog- Freelance writing job listings, articles, and news.
• Craigslist- If you’re looking for local stuff, this is a great place to search. You can also hit the pages for major metro areas, do a search for jobs where you can telecommute, and find stuff you can do from home. Oh yeah, and there’s lots more than just writing jobs there.
• Online Writing Jobs- Lots of jobs here.

Those are the resources that I’ve found most helpful. Happy hunting!

Finally Earning a Few Pennies from Home

For some time I’ve been on a quest to find a way to make money from home. I have been doing some various things online for a while now, but none of them has brought in enough money for me to be able to stay home full-time. I hope that will change soon.

I got a couple of what I hope will be ongoing freelance writing jobs. I worked on one over the weekend, and the other will start next week. I would love to be able to write full-time. I remember when I was about six or seven years old saying that I wanted to be a writer when I grew up, and I still wouldn’t mind being a writer when I grow up.

I’ve been thinking about setting up a website to showcase some of my work once I get into the groove of writing professionally. But that will be further on down the road. Right now things are simple- I don’t have to worry about things like accounts receivable conversion on a daily basis. And if the day comes that I do, I’ll probably buy software that will automate most of it.

I have some links to share for anyone who is interested in freelance writing jobs. I’ll post them as soon as I can find them.