We Almost....

We almost got another dog yesterday. A pure bread female Great Pyrenees named Siah. She is 9 months old. She was living with a quadorpalegic (sp?) that she outgrew. Someone else adopted her.

I saw her ad on Craigslist on Thursday afternoon....and just had a "feeling". I am kind of sad that it did not work out, however....we are really not ready for another dog.

So we wait again. I'm not in a hurry.....it was only her I was interested in.

Awwww....

The Economy Sucks...Good Thing I'm Cheap

I was reading an article recently about the economy. I've been very tuned into this issue because my family is feeling the crunch big time recently. We've been pinching pennies as much as possible to make up for spending close to $600/mo. on gasoline, $550-$600/mo. on food, $350/mo. on heating our house and many others. The article I was reading was posted last week on msn.com. It was basically talking about how each "class" is downsizing their spending. People that normally shop at Nordstroms and Dillards are shopping at Kohls and TJ Maxx. People who normally shop at Kohls and TJ Maxx are shopping at Wal-Mart. People that normally shop at Wal-Mart are shopping at Dollar General stores. It said you will be seeing more Lexus' and Mercedes parked in Wal-Mart or Target parking lots. I'm seeing it.

I grew up in a very financially tight home. I'm use to pinching pennies. I've had a few stints of financial freedom in my life.....which was nice, but most of my life I've been just making ends meet. I'm not complaning about that either. It made me who I am....CHEAP! Wait, I prefer FRUGAL.....that sounds better. I'm not cheap as in....I rip off people on tips....or I buy lower quality items because I don't want to spend the cash on good quality.

The definition of FRUGAL is: economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful: a frugal manager. <---this is me.

I have the ability to find "deals" on things that we need. I find it more fulfilling to get a GREAT top at the DAV Thrift Store for $3.00 than to get the same top at the mall for $65. It's been a LONG time since I've been willing to spend $65 on a top. Don't get me wrong- I like the mall too.....but I head directly to the clearance rack for my buys.

I believe the economy is in a downswing....I see the evidence every day.....but I hope that the people of the U.S. will buck up and answer the call to be more frugal and wiser with their money so we can get through this recession.

Spring?

I think Spring is on it's way......but I could be wrong. This week we are supposed to have weather that is nice- 62 Tuesday and 66 Wednesday! I hope that does not change. Sunday, we took Sumo and Lizzy to Loose Park for a nice long walk. As you can see, Lizzy has on short sleeves. This is one of the 1st times in a long time we could be outside without a coat!

I'm looking forward to the trees growing green leaves and the flowers blooming. I'm NOT looking forward to being miserable with spring allergies...BUT it'll be worth it. I'll just dope myself up as usual. I'm also looking forward to turning off the heater and not using the air for a few months. I'm hoping we can last until July....we'll see. It can get pretty hot in June sometimes. Even if we only make it April & May w/o using heat or air that'll make me happy. Just bring on the warm weather!!!

Jewel got her Drivers License!

I'm a very proud mom today!

A change of heart

Jeff and I decided to buy our house about a month ago. It's in need of a lot of repairs...but we figured that we love the house and the location so much that it would be worth it. Well I've had a change of heart...and so has Jeff. Considering the current state of the economy- I don't think it would be wize to buy a home that needs so many repairs. We would never get back what we put into it. So- we started thinking about buying a smaller home. Something with 3 bedrooms...2 baths...and a full basement. We can finish the basement ourselves- and even ad a fence to the backyard for Sumo if we found a house that did not have one already. This weekend we drove around neighborhoods looking at different homes. I am pretty happy anywhere in Prairie Village.

I'd LOVE to move into a house that does not need any repairs! I love where we live right now, except for the fact that there are many, many things that need attention. Leaks, crumbling front porch, extensive landscaping, plumbing issues, water problems.... there are many things I could ad to the list. I'm sad when I think about moving again...and I really think that if our house was in better shape there would be no question about wether we wanted to buy it...of course we would! Jeff and I need to make a wise decision about what house we buy. I think we are on the right track now.