I Found It!

Ok, I found this set at a used furniture store.  I have an email in to get the dimensions of the pieces and am just hoping they deliver to my area....cross your fingers!

9 piece vintage Danish Modern set(table, 6 chairs(2 w/arms), sideboard and buffet w/hutch.
In good shape....the chair seats need reupholstering but I can do that myself.
$500

It's the best I can do not being in CA or KY.
I'd prefer an oval table but this ticks off most, if not all, my boxes!

Sluggy
 

$24K Savings Challenge.....April Update

Every year I keep a close eye on our monthly expenses and our monthly income.
Our income is mainly the salary my Hubs draws from his job.  We have money taken off each paycheck from the top to put into savings, before we even get our hands on it.  This money that's taken goes into various pots....life insurance, health insurance premiums, long term care insurance premiums, investments and retirement savings.  It's automatic so we are never tempted to NOT put it into savings.

Once the automatic savings amounts, plus taxes and medical/dental/vision premiums are taken out, it leaves what we get to "live on".  From this amount we budget for bills, both monthly and irregular bills(semi-annual, annual etc.) and our variable bills(like food, eating out, clothing  etc.)  Anything left over once our monthly expenses are paid, I put aside into a Savings Challenge. 

For 2014 I am continuing my Yearly Savings Challenge.  I am raising the Goal amount slightly to $24,000 this year, $4K more than my goal for last year.

On to the April report.....

I have posted my April End of Month $24K $AVING$ CHALLENGE Totals.
Check out the Savings Challenge page tab at the top of the blog for the specific numbers.

I have 2 goals each month.....
The 1st is to actually finish each month in the black and not the red.
The 2nd is to hit the targeted savings amount of $2,000.

I have to report that we finished up April with a smaller than needed amount.
The extra amount we ended the month of April with?.......$1,313.40.

Income
We had $1224.68 left over from our income after our monthly expenses were deducted.
 

Other monies received in April totaled $88.72.  This included interest made on accounts and a per diem from Hub's work.

This brought us to our gain of $1313.40.
Since we have no debt anymore, this goes into savings.

Outgo

As for the expenses this April, here are the good and the bad side of things....

HERE are the GOOD THINGS

 

*  The electric bill went down $62 from March's bill.

 

HERE are the BAD THINGS

*  We owed state taxes this year and paid them in April.

*  The c/c bill was $182 more than March's bill.
*  The water bill went up $2.
*  $770 MORE in cash withdrawals than in March.  A lot of this was for vacation spending.
*  We have a $76 Vet bill for the dog.
*  We had Prom related expenses of $200.
*  The food bill went up $125.94 from March's food spending.
 

 

The Food Budget costs for March are in another post, which is located HERE.

The 2014 GRAND TOTAL.....
With 4 months accounted for, our Savings Grand Total for 2014 is $6,070.60
$1,929.40 short at this point of the $8,000.00 I should have put aside after 4 months.
I've fallen approx. $700 further behind with April's total compared to March's total.
bleh.
 

 

Looking ahead for May......

*  I will continue to do this Savings Challenge and report in each month on how it is going.

*  The expenses from our road trip to Louisiana we put on the credit card will be paid off in May, which will raise our spending this month.

*  May is a 3rd paycheck month, so this pay will go toward paying off the trip expenses from April and I am hoping it covers it ALL.  This will go a long way to get us to our savings goal of $2K for May.

*  The electric bill should continue to go down as the weather warms and we turn off the heat in May.

*  There are no trips or events planned for May, so no expected extra spending....unless I break down and buy some furniture.

*  I am going to try to reign in the food budget for May and keep it at or below $300.
 

 

So how was your April financially?
  

Did you spend less than the income you had in March?
Did you stay within your budget or not?
Did you pay off any debts or put extra toward your mortgage principle or into savings in an emergency fund or a retirement account?

If you posted your financial progress on your own blog, leave a link in the comments so we can go check you out your progress too and celebrate with you!

Sluggy

Procuring Furniture on the Cheap

In an effort to keep costs down I've been looking on eBay for used furniture.
Craigslist locally has turned up nothing in my budget and in my style sense.

I have very specific ideas about what my dining room table set needs to look like and how much it needs to cost(not much).
And I don't want something "cookie cutter" I see in every furniture store.

I found this used set for $350, but it's in Southern CA and local pick-up only.

Gosh, I LOVE this!

By the time I pay someone to haul it to PA, I could have ordered something similar new from Italy!lol
Fat chance I'm going to find something as awesome as this around here.....

I found a few sets that would work but they seem to be in Illinois or someplace to far to rent a truck and go get it.  sigh.

I am tempted to buy these chairs, aren't they cool?!........

And then find a metal chromed leg birch or glass topped modernistic table to go with them and use it all for a dining room set.
It's a small room so many of the sets I see are just too massive and big.
I want something fun that will be able to go with us to the next house.

Oh decisions, decisions.

I may have to break down and go on an excursion to Ikea down Philly to window shop some furniture and kitchen cabinets.
Can you believe I have never set foot in an Ikea before?  8-0
I've got my eye on a leather loveseat there.....

I hear both good and bad things about Ikea furniture.  What's your opinion and/or experience with them?

What kind of furniture do you have in your dining room?


Sluggy
 

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Well THAT Was Easy, Let's Eat Leftovers!" Edition.......

 

 

I saw this apron on vacation in World Market.  That's a fun store to poke around in so why don't they have any of them here?
Oh right.....where I live isn't fun....lol

Here is what was planned last week--

Sunday--Burger on fresh rolls w/tomato, Potato Salad
Monday--Meatloaf, Green Beans(freezer), Rutabaga
Tuesday--Salmon(freezer), Carrots, Coleslaw(make my own)
Wednesday--Lasagna, Salad
Thursday--Fajitas
Friday--Pork Chop(freezer), Sauted Cabbage, leftover Potato Salad
Saturday--Leftovers

And here is what got cooked last week---

Sunday--Burger on fresh rolls w/tomato, Potato Salad
Monday--Meatloaf, Green Beans(freezer)
Tuesday--Lasagna, Salad
Wednesday--Leftovers
Thursday--Salmon(freezer), Rutabaga, Coleslaw(make my own)
Friday--Fajitas(chicken in freezer)
Saturday--Leftovers

Meals got moved around to different days and the Pork Chops didn't happen so that gets moved to this week.

 

As for the food spending update.....I spent a total of $89.54 on $145.28 reg. retail on groceries last week at Weis(PMITA)Markets.  Saved 38% over regular retail in all. This was my first food spending for May.  April's food spending topped out at $470.57 if you are interested.   8-(
 

 

Going into the new week, here are the leftovers we have......3 servings of lasagna(and I even made a SMALL pan this time!), some meatloaf and some fajita fixings.

 

Here is this week's meal plan----

Sunday--Leftovers
Monday--Bratwursts on rolls, baked beans, leftover potato salad
Tuesday--leftover Fajitas
Wednesday--Pork Chop(freezer), Sauted Cabbage, fried apples
Thursday--Leftover Lasagna, Green Beans
Friday--Tacos
Saturday--Leftovers or Fish

 

For snacks there are assorted baked goods(Danish, donuts, muffins, bagels)from #2 Son's job and fruit.

What I need to purchase for this menu?.......since most of it's leftover foods from last week, not much.
I've got some long in the tooth apples to use up so I'll make fried apples to go with the pork.
I need some fresh fruit so I'll probably pick up a watermelon and strawberries(my favorites since nobody else around here eats much fruit).
If we finish up ALL the leftovers by Saturday I have battered fish and frozen veggies I can pull out of the freezer instead.

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

 

Sluggy

What's New at Chez Sluggy?

Just some Random Stuff going on around here......

*  I just added up the credit card expensed from our road trip to Louisiana and I am not happy.
$2985.58 on the card.
Bleh.
Between that and having just finished our Net Worth Statement for MAY I am not a happy camper right now.  Retirement Funds were up only $4,500 from March(last month these were up $11,500) and the cash funds were down $2,100....plus now a big chunk of our liquid money is tied up in a Personal Loan to our daughter.
I am feeling rather poorer right now.

*  After almost 2 months of looking for a new part time job, #2 Son found one!
Guess where he is working?

If you guessed the new local bakery that opened up recently in  teeny tiny town, you are correct!

#2 Son had quit his demanding restaurant kitchen job back in February.  Not only was it a hostile work environment but he was working basically fulltime hours around his school and activities schedule and since he was a kid they were not paying him commensurate with his duties and work.
And he had college auditions coming up to prepare for so he gave his notice in late January.

I figured at this point in the year no one around here would hire him when they found out he'd be leaving to go away to college in August.
why spent the time and energy(not to mention the money!)to train someone who will leave in less than 4 months.

But someone DID hire him!
And he is loving the people and the work.  And it seems they are loving him since they have him working the doughnut filling station and the register and have put him on the schedule for weekend mornings(their busy times).

While he is enjoying a better work environment I am not enjoying that he bring bags, BAGS I SAY!, of pastries, doughnuts and bread home every day he works til closing time.
I guess the 50% off rack at Weis and the Bread Outlet will see a lot less(if not any)of my money any longer.

All I can say about the photo above is......Must Resist Eating This!......
8-)

And the restaurant where he was taken advantage of?
Here's what happened to it March 17th......

 

If you knew what went on in that kitchen, you'd never have wanted to eat there again......I'm just sayin'......

*  Wednesday night was a last for us.
The last High School Band/Chorus Concert we ever need to attend(outside of any for grandchildren, some day).
And I am OVERJOYED!
Not that I don't love going to see my kids perform.....but I am so sick and tired of the ignorant, uncivilized behavior of the audience members.
Ok, the fellow students and siblings of the kids performing I can understand--they are young and haven't learned you don't get up in the middle of a concert while a number is being performed to walk the aisles, you don't talk through the entire number and you don't play on your PHONE during it!

But what GETS ME are the PARENTS of these kids who do all this!!!  When their kid is not performing, they chat, bring coffees into the auditorium and slurp it, text on their phones and I have to listen to phone sounds and they get up during numbers and go back and forth to their seats.
Its. Maddening!!!

I thought for sure Hubs was going to get into a knife fight Wednesday when he turned around and yelled at the assholes sitting behind us.
Gawd, these people here are so ignorant....but I am sure it's in all parts of the country.

The teachers use to tell the audience(parents)not to leave after their student performs....this was common a few years ago, as a kid finished their bit, they and their parents and friends would leave and by the time the Jazz Band(which was always last to perform)went on, the only folks in the audience were family and friends of those performers.

I sure wish these asshole parents would go back to leaving after their kids were done.  At least the rest of us behaved audience members would get to ENJOY the last few numbers of the evening. 8-(

I got #2 Son's last high school band performances on film, albeit shaky film. lol

*  On the medical front.......

I received a package in the mail earlier this week with a small plastic piece, a prepaid padded envelope and instructions on how to remove the modem from my Bi-PAP machine from my current DME supplier.
Ok.....

The only problem is, they picked up the Bi-PAP April 10th, as I returned it to them since I have one already. And the modem was attached to aforementioned Bi-PAP that no longer lives here.
So what exactly do they want me to return?!? lolz

So I had to call them and tell them all this, at which point the CS agent made a "note" in my file.
A rep from the DME company called me back and said to just pitch the small plastic piece(it's a cover to plug up the hole in the Bi-PAP(that isn't here)and ignore the instructions.
Well yah......nothing here to return so darn right I'm ignoring the instructions.

Then I called the Dr. in Pittsburgh that is billing my son for 2 visits and tests he had done the end of December.
His work-sponsored insurance didn't kick in until Jan. 1st of this year so he had no medical insurance last December, as he was no longer on our family plan.

I called them to get some kind of "uninsured patient" discount on these bills since it has to be covered totally out of pocket and my son has limited funds and can't really afford this now.

Well the DICKHEADS at Premier Medical Associates PC out of Pittsburgh PA "don't do that" I was told twice before I hung up on them.
If you have financial hardship you have to apply to Medicaid and send them a copy of the determination that Medicaid sends you back on your case.
Hey, I don't want to get the government involved in this, I just want to help my kid pay his bill.

Oh, they will set up a payment plan for you....for the full amount.
I have always asked for and gotten a discount for paying cash when I had work done that wasn't covered by our insurance.

I ask, is it fair that folks with medical insurance get a discount(as the medical suppliers give the insurance companies a discounted rate for services, which it turn means the insured pay less)and those without coverage pay the full freight?!
I think not.

The woman on the phone was NOT helpful in the least and I told her, "I guess you people don't want to get paid, do you?", to which she had no reply.

I think I will send them $5 a month until it's paid off.  Better yet, maybe I'll send it in cash....$5 worth of pennies via Priority mail each month.
I know that will cost me far more than he owes but did I mention that Premier Medical Associates PC are DICKHEADS yet?!?

Oh you DO NOT want to get on a post-menopausal women's bad side.......

*  I spent a good part of the weekend reorganizing my fabric hoarded stash inventory. I pulled some things to donate since they don't seem to be "salesworthy" and started getting ALL of it listed or relisted on Etsy(except for the Fall/Winter fabrics). 
If you are in need of nice vintage fabrics for your sewing needs, be sure and stop by my store on Etsy "Slugmama's".  There is a link on the right sidebar.

And I STILL don't get this "favoriting" thing they have over on that site.
I really don't CARE if you "Like" one of my fabrics.
I just care if you BUY the blasted stuff! lolz
WTF?!.....shaking my head......

Not quite done but I do have 104 listings on Etsy up as of right now.

*  I have a wild hair up my ass about my kitchen lately.
I have always detested it.....hated the layout(so bad!).....hated the cabinets(cheap and so boring).....hated the tile backsplash color(so dated).
I got rid of the duck wallpaper(ewww!)years ago and painted the walls.  I am tired of those walls now too.  I also replaced the sink, countertops, even the cabinet hardware and the appliances over time.
The only thing we haven't replaced is the backsplash and the cabinets.

I can repaint the walls but that still doesn't fix the layout and the old fake oak cabinets.
I am thinking drastic measures need to be taken.

We are moving and selling this house in approx. 4 years.  We will NOT get top dollar with this kitchen.
So I am considering a major gut of the kitchen.
Remove Everything, change the layout and start from scratch.
Maybe keep the floor because that is tile(which we also had redone)and the only thing I like in this kitchen.
Redo and update the kitchen soon so I at least get a new kitchen for a few years before we move and sell this place seems like a good thing to do rather than wait 3 years and just redo it all to sell.

What do y'all think about this idea?
And if anyone has remodeled their kitchen, tell me how much it cost in the end please.
I am scared of getting started with this and getting carried away and spending way more than I feel comfortable with.  8-0


*  Now that the Band Concert and the Prom are over with for this year, we are down to 3 more Events and we can put High School in our rearview mirror forever!
We have the French National Honor Society in 2 weeks, Class/Awards Night early June and Graduation on June 13th(yes Friday the 13th LOL).
Then I get my "survived High School" parenting badge and we just have 1 more to get through College and our days of Active Parenting are DONE!
Woohoo!
And then it's on to the next phase of life here at Chez Sluggy.......

Sluggy