Number Crunching 115

Quicken Cash Flow = $93.73

Well, I thought I liked doing weekly budget reviews better on payday weeks than the not-payday weeks, but I’m afraid I was wrong. Three bills have to wait until next pay check. Ugh, bank overdraft fees are still killing me. I seriously toy with the idea of sending all the bills to a credit card that I would pay off each time I get paid, other people make that work, I could get a credit card… WHACK! BAD KINDRA! You have never handled credit cards right!

And I have spent too much out of my pocket to save Acadiana Medieval Faire.

AMF Liabilities = 5386.32

• 2008 expense payments = 210.00
• 2008 fabric snafu = 129.55
• 2008 Educators’ Guide writing fee = 718.33
• 2007 Educators’ Guide writing fee = 1840.42
• 2006 Educators’ Guide writing fee = 1487.92
• 2006 loan = 1000.00

This is what the organization is supposed to pay me back or for, so the total doesn’t include loans or expenses other people paid me for and what I wrote off on taxes as a donation.

AMF Expenses paid back = 37.38
AMF Expenses wrote off on taxes (2 years) = 990.42

Last but not least, what I spent for me to own that I probably wouldn’t have without being in AMF. Note, I’m not upset with this category because I probably would have spent the money on something else. I doubt seriously it would have ended up in an investment. And I still own the items and can use them.

Hobby Reenacting Supplies (2 years) = 2275.47

AMF Grand Total = 8652.21

Actually, I was expecting a few categories to be higher than what they were. I was prepared to wait for as long as necessary to see a return on $5176.22 of the Liabilities. I filed taxes with my donations, I sucked up my personal spending but didn’t regret those purchases (only wish in hindsight that my timing had been different). So even though I’m being terribly calm and non-violent about the whole situation I’m dealing with now (my blood pressure and blood sugar are both happy that I’m not a Kindra-bomb on the verge of implosion), my feelings about the situation and my financial stake in it are as far from happy as my chances of starring in a major motion picture are. I’m still considering packing weapons to the meeting not to kill but pain. Pain infliction needs to happen even if the thought of having to do it feels me with no joy.

Trust me, a full account of this is actually being recorded and once I know where it going and have done the necessary paperwork, all five of my blog readers will be caught up too. And to whoever doesn’t like me blogging about this, tough. It’s a non-profit organization and the public has a right to ask for financial info. *Sigh

Good news: One bit of Dave Ramsey’s advice is to stick to house price ranges which allow a monthly payment that is no more than 25% of take-home pay. I finally calculated and my mortgage is 22%. Course, it is on a thirty-year instead of the better 15-year mortgage, but if I stick to the plan, I’ll pay it off early any way.

I have enough to cover gasoline for this two weeks and to pay for TurboTax to send off my taxes. Tax refund will come in handy, even though all I’m planning to do with it is stick half of it in gas savings and half in the STEF where I can’t touch it.

My first search for consignment shops was a bust. The online search gave me ten places to double-check on. Though I’m afraid the business is drying up at least for my area and I won’t be able to find one. I guess my next option will be Mom’s store because I don’t feel like Ebay-ing them.

I’m still carrying my debit cards but I took them out of the wallet I used to keep them in. I haven’t been anywhere lately where overspending would be an issue, but the few times at the gas station and I pulled out the wrong wallet automatically have made me stop and think. I’ve also been pretty good about packing my food to work this past week. Every little bit helps.

Financial Projects

• Measure weekly budget reviews with Joe’s Goals.
• Find a Baton Rouge consignment shop
• Finish setting up the Amazon sales.
• Pack food to work: breakfast, lunch, and snacks
• Do online surveys every night before going to bed.
• Print out taxes.
• Submit taxes electronically.
• Fill out the rebate calculator and see what that will be.
• Buy cat food

Read Free!
The BookWorm





There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/