I have been bitten by the Swap Curse

[BernardandMissBianca]

DH is going to put the spare on tomorrow so I can take DS to the dentist and go to Michael's. It should hold up until our bonus check comes. I swear every time we get a little bit of money something happens. It's like the universe wants us to be in debt forever! I had planned to pay off the Sears card.

 

[aroyer]

I swear every time we get a little bit of money something happens.

Tell me about it!!! We have just got over the trauma of DH's job and he just got into the job that he absolutely loves. It is a small firm and his boss came to him on Monday and said that he had taken on too much and was needing to cut back. He values DH and has been incredibly pleased with his work and is treating DH like a partner not an employee. A huge welcome change from the HORRIBLE old job. However, his boss was cutting his own salary so DH volunteered to also take a pay cut... . Yep, so we are now seriously short... We have options so we aren't in huge trouble, but there goes the scrap money.

 

[MazdaUK]

If its any comfort oil bills are shocking over hre - we've even had people robbed with violence (so i dread to think what it will be like in the winter). Its rural areas and big places that are off-grid that use it. Have you ever thought about changing to biomass heating (that's a technical term for wood ) New biomass boilers/heaters can use pellets (they look like rabbit food ) and work on a timer so you don't have to shovel it in, and they just put the store where the oil tank was. Better for the planet, lower carbon, no problem if you spill it

We've just heard our dentist is selling his practice to a US firm so everyone who satys will go private. Our own practitioner (a very nice lady and the best dentist I've ever had!) wants to stay doing NHS (which still costs, just not as much) has to try and find her own surgery now I hope she manages it! I dread changing - I had a terrible dentist who kept saying fillings needed replacing, and digging them out, so of course each time the filling got bigger and tooth got thinner So I don't eat toffee any more just in case.

 

[party of 3]

ah sorry ashley. maybe it's just a temporary thing until things start picking up. and at least he's happy and not be treated awful. but i know it just stinks.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

Tell me about it!!! We have just got over the trauma of DH's job and he just got into the job that he absolutely loves. It is a small firm and his boss came to him on Monday and said that he had taken on too much and was needing to cut back. He values DH and has been incredibly pleased with his work and is treating DH like a partner not an employee. A huge welcome change from the HORRIBLE old job. However, his boss was cutting his own salary so DH volunteered to also take a pay cut... . Yep, so we are now seriously short... We have options so we aren't in huge trouble, but there goes the scrap money.

Oh Ashley, that's rough. I know that some income is better than no income but that is seriously cold comfort while you are eyeing that new cuttlebug embossing folder or wondering if you can make these tennis shoes last another six months if you put some crazy glue on the sole.

I'm going to guess that a few swaps that require shopping your stash will be a big hit next year. I can take those on, I think next year will be less stressful than this year.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

I swear every time we get a little bit of money something happens.

For us it's everytime we get something finished or space cleared out. I had just finished cleaning the wrap around porch. It had lots of old kid toys and dog beds and just junk piling up. We took everything useable to the Salvation Army, tossed what wasn't and I washed our house. It looked great. That is now where all the subfloor is piled up. I need to go take a photo.

We also put the fish in the pond and got rid of the 60 gallon tank & stand that was in our entry way. Got rid of the boxes of season clothes that were stored there. Thought to myself - I have room for the big tree this Christmas. This where the tall dresser of military toys, 3-drawer rolling cart of playdough and the computer from downstairs is now housed. The other wall space that was open in the computer room has the TV and the kitchen/family room have the rest of the dressers. We now look like the pack rats we are. I hid it pretty well before.

Even so, these are easy issues in the bigger scheme. Once the mold is removed, that can just sit until we have the money. Not everyone has a finished basement. We will be fine without one.

We and everyone else will not be fine if we can't heat our homes or drive our cars. I want to put a wood burning stove in our fireplace. Less warmth waste that way. But a cord of wood isn't going to be cheap either this year. Not sure what the pricing of the wood/corn pellets are compared to wood compared to propane. Have some figuring to do. Need to call the propane company about locking a price this year.

 

[nicurn]

right there with ya on the swap curse thing. my car died (dead as a doornail) right after getting off the garden state parkway... had to call AAA, had the state trouper, tow truck, whole 9 yards... had to get new alternator/battery. yesterday we had to deal with termites... they aren't in the house, but we have a big colony right by the wall... sigh. good thing I already had my halloween $ stamps from ac moore cause I'm not allowed to shop EVER again apparently. maggie

 

[aroyer]

ah sorry ashley. maybe it's just a temporary thing until things start picking up. and at least he's happy and not be treated awful. but i know it just stinks.

Oh Ashley, that's rough. I know that some income is better than no income but that is seriously cold comfort while you are eyeing that new cuttlebug embossing folder or wondering if you can make these tennis shoes last another six months if you put some crazy glue on the sole.

I'm going to guess that a few swaps that require shopping your stash will be a big hit next year. I can take those on, I think next year will be less stressful than this year.

We are hoping that it will be 3-4 months max. His boss thinks that will be all that it takes. We are lucky that DH's family has a restaurant that he can pick up shifts on the weekends. I have offered to get a job, but he insists that he doesn't want me to. With the trips to the restaurant added to the salary we should be pretty close to where we are now but it would be hard for me to out shopping for scrap stuff while DH works 6-7 days a week. Thanks for the hugs!

 

[TPCShauna]

I'm so sorry all y'all are going through this awful stuff. At least most of my issues have been personal health. I will get better (eventually) but things are still going OK in terms of finances. Hopping on the BAN wagon for scrap shopping has made a huge change in our budget. I really didn't realize how much money I spent on swap stuff until I see it in our bank account. We are literally planning our WDW trip with the extra and I'm still scrapping just fine. I just had to get out of the habit of cruising around to buy the new stuff.

I honestly don't think about the issues of having gas heat and I refuse to cook on anything other than a gas stove as I'm a total foodie and fancy cook and I need that fine gauge temperature control. I guess I just didn't realize everyone didn't have gas through the utility company. I grew up in Dallas/Fort Worth and now live in Sacramento and the infrastructure is just a way of life. DH keeps wanting to move to Chicago and I'm starting to wonder if this is an issue there. I'm thinking I just need to keep to the warm states so I don't have to deal with it.

Even with that, our gas/electric bill has gone up a ton! We've been lucky this summer that it hasn't been too terribly hot so we can turn the air off by 8:00ish every night. That has kept our bill to a pretty manageable $180 a month or so but when it gets hot and the air stays on, we are up around $250 and our house is SMALL! The last couple of winters have been colder as well and our monthly bills November through February have been around $235.