Geeks on a budget - 12/22, complete! Read reflections within....

[zweihund]

That's a SWEET exchange, Erica!! Love them!

PS: Thanks for letting me interject with the Trader Joe's plug. It is a great place!! OHHH...I just thought of another place I've seen the ginger chewies. Here in Columbus, we have "Homegoods", which is a sister store of TJ Maxx. In their gourmet food section, they have had the ginger chewies many times I've been there. So check out TJ Maxx and/or Homegoods, too!

LOVE Homegoods.

Awesome swap! LUV them. I'm heading to web site as soon as I sign off.

Are you going splurge for matching outfits for the cruise? They have some great deals on the web.

(I was tempted to get them this morning......)

I think the best I could get DH and DCF to do would be for us to all wear Disney shirts. Not-matching. And THAT would be a mean feat. I do think it is very sweet when families do this, and it looks great in photos, and I will probably change my mind when we do have children but......we're just not matching kind of people. Some can pull it off, we can't - we're lucky we can look halfway decent in our normal clothes!

Very cute shoes! Do they have those in kids sizes?

I don't see any on the website, but they DO go down to a Ladies' 4, which would be like a 5 in "real feet" - I wear a 6-6.5 normally, and a 5 is just barely small enough for my feet in croc-ville.

 

[HPHammer]

Still enjoying your pre-planning -- and I've been remiss. I really wanted to congratulate you on running the Minnie. I trained for and ran the L.A. Marathon in 2004. I always tell people now that I ran *two* marathons that day -- my first and my last.

Seriously, you must be so proud of yourself -- congrats!

 

[zweihund]

Still enjoying your pre-planning -- and I've been remiss. I really wanted to congratulate you on running the Minnie. I trained for and ran the L.A. Marathon in 2004. I always tell people now that I ran *two* marathons that day -- my first and my last.

Seriously, you must be so proud of yourself -- congrats!

I love it!
Thanks so much - now, I didn't even run HALF as far as you did (9.3 miles) but I must admit for the first four I was asking myself how I had ended up in that mess......once we turned the corner into MGM, I started having a blast! All the same, I was very happy to see the finish line and even happier to take a nap later.

Congrats on your "two" marathons!

 

[zweihund]

Ok, it's not MUCH progress but I think we should all celebrate the little things in life. I got my request back from Dreams Unlimited, guaranteeing a category 9 room at the price I expected, but demanding a deposit of SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS!

Well, poop. I only have 500 saved!

The only thing I can figure is that for some reason having a third adult on board means you have to plonk down more cashola. We only payed $500 for our 7-day deposit, but then again there will only be myself and DH. So, for the time being it seems that we are still "only mostly" official. I have until the 25th to come up with the rest of the ransom.

As an aside, we do actually have more than $500 in the bank.....it's just that it all has to go in its own little slots so that we can have nice things like a house, and a car, and food for ourselves and the dog. Technically I COULD pay the deposit right now. But then we'd be on Ramen for two weeks, and that's something that I swore in my last week of college that I would never subject myself to again.

Now, I don't get my next check from the second job for another week and a half but it will more than cover the remainder.....so I'm thinking DH and I can each sacrifice some of our bowling winnings (did I not tell you we are nerds?) from tomorrow's league payout and then we can at least secure the room. Now, how do I tell him that his beloved XBox 360 games will have to wait a week?

Not to mention my Baggallini!



In other news, the old black crocs are being shipped back as we speak to exchange for new pink and brown kushy sandals, and I finally broke down and ordered a Passporter for DCL.

That's all, folks! Back to ebay.....

 

[Tink rules]

Now Erica...

Not that I am the authority on this...

What's a little Ramen between friends??? OK... try putting some angel hair pasta in that Ramen... it makes it go further (this I learned from friends who used to feed all of us lunch up at the lake (including their 5 kids...) I've never had Oodles of Noodles without it!!! (it is affectionately called Goop in our family!!!)

Figure out your pro's and cons... see if you can make it until the payment comes through...

Split it 3 ways... since there are three of you going (I know... technically, you and DH are 2 of the 3...)

Can you do the deposit on your credit card and then especially if you pay your bills online, like every other good geek does... instantly pay off the credit card when the check clears???

& You're going to have to definately commit to doing something so geekish like that, or else you will just kill that geeks on a budget cause!!!

What are the benefits of doing it now? What's the On board credit you're getting? That should at least cover something you are trying to budget your way through... can you email or talk to the agent @ DU and see what they can do for you???

Good Luck!!!

 

[Database]

Dang!

I'm willing to put out a "Geeks on a Budget" donation jar at our receptionist counter! We have a standing joke in the office about putting out a donation jar... based on the numerous "tips accepted" jars people put out for just doing their job. (Don't get me wrong people... I waited tables to put myself through undergrad. In the old days we only received "tips" for table/counter serving. However when I see these jars... I find myself tossing in my extra change?)

I like Tink's idea about putting the deposit on a credit card and paying the card off with your savings and your next pay check from your moon lighting gig.

Hey maybe you can get it waived for all of the great promotion you do for them on this web site!

Good luck with what ever you decide!

 

[Tink rules]

Dang!

I'm willing to put out a "Geeks on a Budget" donation jar at our receptionist counter! We have a standing joke in the office about putting out a donation jar... based on the numerous "tips accepted" jars people put out for just doing their job. (Don't get me wrong people... I waited tables to put myself through undergrad. In the old days we only received "tips" for table/counter serving. However when I see these jars... I find myself tossing in my extra change?)

I like Tink's idea about putting the deposit on a credit card and paying the card off with your savings and your next pay check from your moon lighting gig.

Hey maybe you can get it waived for all of the great promotion you do for them on this web site!

Good luck with what ever you decide!

Just remember... when you put out the jar for the donations... don't put the words "Bahama Mama Fund" with cute palm trees all over it!!! (Put something catchy... like "College Fund" or something on it... Guilt.. you get more cash with that!!!)

 

[silversae]

I think the best I could get DH and DCF to do would be for us to all wear Disney shirts. Not-matching. And THAT would be a mean feat. I do think it is very sweet when families do this, and it looks great in photos, and I will probably change my mind when we do have children but......we're just not matching kind of people. Some can pull it off, we can't - we're lucky we can look halfway decent in our normal clothes!

I could go for matching polos...but an entire outfit? I'm Canadian not crackers! Who wants to run around matching your DH *grin*

As for the deposit, i can log in and pay the other 100 if you give me the log in info *grin* That's not an issue at all hun. Big plans in the works for July btw...needless to say there may be some birthday celebrations and some rowdy people running around disney *grin* Should be good times...enough to get me through till october....

 

[silversae]

I don't see any on the website, but they DO go down to a Ladies' 4, which would be like a 5 in "real feet" - I wear a 6-6.5 normally, and a 5 is just barely small enough for my feet in croc-ville.

Really? 'cause if i sit my big *** foot on the croc sizing thing it says i'm a 9 which is essentially what i wear normally. Man you have small feet lady.

 

[zweihund]

Dang!

I'm willing to put out a "Geeks on a Budget" donation jar at our receptionist counter! We have a standing joke in the office about putting out a donation jar... based on the numerous "tips accepted" jars people put out for just doing their job. (Don't get me wrong people... I waited tables to put myself through undergrad. In the old days we only received "tips" for table/counter serving. However when I see these jars... I find myself tossing in my extra change?)

I like Tink's idea about putting the deposit on a credit card and paying the card off with your savings and your next pay check from your moon lighting gig.

Hey maybe you can get it waived for all of the great promotion you do for them on this web site!

Good luck with what ever you decide!

Haha, thanks! We decided to just book next weekend, because the price they quoted is the same that they have been advertising for the last 2 months. I don't think it will change in a week.

I could go for matching polos...but an entire outfit? I'm Canadian not crackers! Who wants to run around matching your DH *grin*

As for the deposit, i can log in and pay the other 100 if you give me the log in info *grin* That's not an issue at all hun. Big plans in the works for July btw...needless to say there may be some birthday celebrations and some rowdy people running around disney *grin* Should be good times...enough to get me through till october....

Good times!

Really? 'cause if i sit my big *** foot on the croc sizing thing it says i'm a 9 which is essentially what i wear normally. Man you have small feet lady.

Yes I do, sasquatch.

 

[zweihund]

We got our bowling payouts last night......time to go shopping!

 

[zweihund]

So......is it me, or does DHL stink????

I ordered a 2006 Passporter (for the Costa Maya info for NEXT year's vacation, plus some ideas for cheapie stuff to do on THIS one) on ebay, and they shipped with DHL. According to the DHL site, it is in transit with an estimated delivery date of YESTERDAY.



With luck it will arrive before the holiday weekend. We'll see!

In other news, I am anxiously awaiting a call from "Jemma" at crocs.com so that I can finish my exchange over the phone. Also, I was outbid on a pair of red Tevas. I am not having much luck today!

Back to my online shopping.

 

[nenner1]

DHL does that to me ALL the TIME.

I guess that's what happens when your package goes temporarily missing inside their facility....

I guess I am biased, though.....I'm postal (in more ways than one) HAAAAA!

 

[zweihund]

DHL does that to me ALL the TIME.

I guess that's what happens when your package goes temporarily missing inside their facility....

I guess I am biased, though.....I'm postal (in more ways than one) HAAAAA!

Every time I see one of their little yellow vans, I hiss "I HATE you" at it. They are always at least two days later than their estimated delivery date with me. Once, when I lived in an apartment, they dropped something at the office but never left a note on my door. Turns out it was an unexpected Christmas gift! We got it three months later, when we went to the office to pick up something else. How sad is that?

And do you think my book is here yet? If you guessed "no" then you would be correct.

*sssssss* I hate you, DHL.

 

[zweihund]

DH and I had our first co-planning trip today - we went to the liquor store!

No, seriously.

So, we have tentative ideas for the booze. We will have:

• A bottle of pre-mixed pomegranate martini, cleverly disguised in a water bottle so that we don't look like such lushes....not that we're fooling anyone
• A smallish bottle of Absolut Vanilla to mix with the free soda for an adult version of Vanilla Coke!
• A small bottle of Irish Creme for nightcaps
• Wine, to bring to dinner!

And while I still have not received my Passporter (thank you, DHL, I still hate you *sssssss*), I DID finally get through to Crocs. My new sandals are making their way to my house and should arrive sometime late this week. And! I ordered my Baggallini during the Memorial Day ebags sale! So that should be here by the end of the week as well.

The good news is, I do not need to buy anything else for the cruise (except for booze). Being a Floridian, I have plenty of summer clothes, bathing suits, and sun-appropriate footwear. So now all I need to do is research all of the fun free stuff! Woohoo!

Disclaimer: I will still probably obsess about a new pair of Tevas, but this is entirely unrelated to the cruise and would be happening anyway. DH shook his head at me when I showed him a pair on ebay last night:

"Don't you already have a pair that looks like that?"
"Not in RED!"



And now back to your regular scheduled holiday.

 

[Mozart]

Should've ordered the passporter straight from the source. Ordered mine last Sunday media mail and got it on Friday.

Seriously, it's really good. Even reading the DIS alot didn't give me all the info in that book. I had nothing else to do Saturday, and ended up reading the whole book.

Sad, huh?

 

[nenner1]

Did you get it today?????



*ssssssssss* DHL

 

[chepic]

Erica....Cheryl again....no I am not on your trip however....do you feel like I am following you....

Anyway, I borrowed a passporter from the local library and am writing down all pertinent info and will add it to my growing cruise tip word document that I am creating from the disboards.

Also, Marshalls had the ginger chews in the food section of their store....I don't know if you have a Marshall's there, but it was a great find and I bought 5 cans!!!!

Just some money saving tips for you.

cheryl

 

[zweihund]

Should've ordered the passporter straight from the source. Ordered mine last Sunday media mail and got it on Friday.

Seriously, it's really good. Even reading the DIS alot didn't give me all the info in that book. I had nothing else to do Saturday, and ended up reading the whole book.

Sad, huh?

That's what I would have done!

Did you get it today?????



*ssssssssss* DHL

As it turns out, the chap I bought it from forgot to put it out in the container for pickup. I called DHL today and this is what they told me. So I sent him a message, and hope that he will reply

Erica....Cheryl again....no I am not on your trip however....do you feel like I am following you....

Anyway, I borrowed a passporter from the local library and am writing down all pertinent info and will add it to my growing cruise tip word document that I am creating from the disboards.

Also, Marshalls had the ginger chews in the food section of their store....I don't know if you have a Marshall's there, but it was a great find and I bought 5 cans!!!!

Just some money saving tips for you.

cheryl

Great ideas Cheryl! I'm more of a highlighting and page-folding kind of gal, or I would do the same thing. thanks!

 

[eyesing2]

Loved your last trip report and was excited to see you started another one! Will be taking the 4 day Oct 7th cruise right before you. Perhaps if we don't finish all our bottles of alcohol we could somehow leave them in the Cadillac Lounge for 'ya! Or maybe we can meet you in the parking lot between disembarkation and embarkation! Silly me-like we won't finish all our alcohol! Keep up the great pre-trippie!