On Cash Management

With all the bills, taxes, utilities, and a savings account to build up, effective cash management is really a must. Honey signed us up at mint.com so could have a visual map on our budget and our cash flow. We actually started last month but the results were not appealing, we figured we should wait until this month when we would already have dis-positioned our budget and expenses altogether. Good news is, April is almost over and we are still within our budget and that is really a job well done. Before mint, we would just go watch a movie every weekend that would cost us about $100 a month, buy fastfood if we feel it and end up spending $150 or so. Little things that are actually very affordable usually get us into spending more, and so we figured it was time we set a budget for certain spending categories because little expenses just add up. What's good with mint is you would know instantly where you are at with your budget and how you are doing wit it because it gives you a graphical data, and you would really want to see color green to yellow on that graph and avoid becoming red, and we really feel excited about it.

With a mortgage savings, an emergency savings fund, and our personal savings to build up, Mint isn't a bad idea at all. Not to mention student loans, car loans, and small credit card bills. Ohhhhh America!

Chiffon Cake

Baking this chiffon cake is getting into my routine. This is one of his orders that I have to comply in order to make his morning coffee complete.

I think I am becoming a pro at this. I need to buy more cake moulds to save time and energy!

The Mechanic

Yesterday we went to buy Honey his tools in compliance with the requirement of his new job. He's got it all set in one average-sized toolbox and now I can say that he looks legit for the job.

This picture was a caught-in-the-act thing while he was testing his head lamp. He also did a dress rehearsal last night trying to see if he looks good on his uniforms. He didn't like the pants they provided him because it was too baggy, so he bought himself new working pants. He is missing a safety shoes though, but he said his day-to-day shoes would do already.

I will post a whole body photo of him in his complete uniform soon...

Cosmopolitan Magazine

That's Fergie, to fast forward your mind from thinking...

I found this mag on the study table when I got home today. I love cosmo, I never missed an issue when I was younger, but I got nothing to do with this one on the table, and it could only be my husband.

I thought it was a new issue, so I texted him why we have this... He said its from the bathroom :) Okay... He folded a page for my reading that's why its here right in front of me now.

Got to enhance the reading skills back. Haha!

His Dream Photo

He didn't look too happy, did he? Let's make your dream come true honey by taking this first step, one, two, three... Strike a pose!!! Haha! My husband is just head over heels with Chloe Grace Moretz eversince she was only Hit-Girl in Kick Ass.... Ohhhhhh....

Are We Safe?

I came home today and noticed that the door towards the backyard was open, I went thru that door and found that the door to the garage was open too, which leads to the door to the kitchen and to the whole house! Fabulous! What a chain of uneventful events. Even though we are living in this very safe neighborhood as my housemates would say, certainly we are not bulletproof.It has been a long time since Sierra Lamar was reported missing, and I am one of the many who's wishing that she is some place safe. I have seen a lot of young girls, both single and married, who were gone and been reported missing in this TV show called Mysterious Disappearances, and not any one of them were found alive. Creepy. Seems to me that nowadays nobody is safe even at the confines of their own homes.I have seen advertisements on TV about home security systems and I am seriously thinking of getting one right now. I don't want to feel paranoid, especially at times when I am left here all by myself. It is just isn't normal.

There are six of us at home, but oftentimes I find myself being left alone. That is when I double check all the doors make sure they are secured and just be in my room, blinds closed, doors locked and triple locked. I don't believe in a "safe neighborhood" anymore, especially not these days. I don't know why my housemates are comfortable leaving the doors open and it is freaking me out. I don't have the voice at this house so I couldn't lecture them about securing the locks so I might as well just make a move and get the security alarm product from http://besthomesecurity.com. If we have it in the house, everybody will benefit from it, and that would really help me bring back my peace of mind. There is nothing wrong about precautionary measures, I am surely freaking out but if this means safety, I would spend on it.

We Will Win This!!!

The mega lotto is up to $640 million!!! I wish one of the 4 number combinations will make it!!! Its crazy!!!

Update: His First Day at Work

Honey was in training yesterday from 7 am to 2 pm, at 3 pm he went straight to his first job and was home by 8 pm. Yes, that was a very long day. I myself am complaining for the 9 hours spent at work, and though I really have a very okay unstressful job, I can't explain why I end up exhausted at the end of every workday, how much more with what Honey is doing right now? Unimaginable. At one point I also had to juggle with two jobs, but those werent swing shifts, though I ended up not having any day off at all. No good, therefore I quit the other job.

Honey provided me with an update about his day yesterday, particularly how surprised he was for the monthly health insurance contribution of $240! What?!!! Here comes the computation of course, $240 a month is like 9 times more than what he is paying right now at his old job, being $24 a month. Ridiculous isn't it? We pay our health insurance separately as it is cheaper that way, I pay about $80 for health, and $20 for the dental. Honey has got a good insurance rate at his first job actually, so now there is a reason for him to work enough hours at his first job so he could keep that affordable health insurance plan, aside from keeping the work history clean and consistent.

Honey said that he might be working 6 days a week now, and probably that would be a total 55 hours more or less, and he would keep a day to himself. I wonder what would happen to the surfing and the football, but I'm pretty sure he will manage to keep up! What about me???!!! Ohhhhh emmmn geeee!

First Day at Work

... I meant his first day at his second job. He was up today at 5:30 am to avoid the early morning rush to be at work at 7:00 am sharp. I guess he did it on time. I was surprised to see him put his uniform on, I was like, oh so you have your uniform already?! I sounded stupid. Of course!

This husband of mine won't share bits and pieces of the story, and his excuse, is because I didn't ask. I don't know if you'd call that attitude cool for a man though. I was surprised last night to know that he would start at his other job today. That's tough to figure out. I guess I'll practice more on throwing questions at him, I might be getting more from this guy.

Now I feel a little bit lonely. Honey is doing two jobs because we have a serious goal to accomplish. Two job means he'd be worked out, and less quality time together. I told him not to stress out, but he said he's got it. He will work 15 hours at his caregiving job, and hopefully do 40 hours at his new job, of course the latter pays better and we owe a lot to the government for his student loan to complete his education and get a license for this one.

We are seriously weighing our priorities now and we identified our income against expenses. I hope we could stick to our monthly budget on the following;

$30 for movies and dvd rental
$100 restaurant dining
$100 fastfood

The shopping will be eliminated in the regular course and we will just do one time shopping every end of season to save more. I don't think we have enough space for things too. This will put my room project in a delay, but its okay, we have to build our joint savings, our mortgage savings, and our personal savings altogether and we just have to do a little bit of sacrifice on our spendings.

Hopefully this new job that Honey is in right now will bring us to greener pastures. Well, lets see, as he said this is his stepping stone to a better career and a high paying job.

The Pepper Spray

I would take heed, and think twice, before any of you oldies come try hitting on me again. My husband bought me my self defense tool last week, and I am letting everybody know. Haha!

I wish I could really use this before it expires (not quite sure of its shelf life), because that could really be awesome! Before Honey gave me this, he explained that I could only use this after I give my first warning, if the first warning doesn't work, press the red button and spray! How exciting is that?