Laptop & stuff

I bought myself a laptop last week - online through Dell. I checked today and it is listed as shipped two days ago - I don't know when I will receive it. I have such plans for my laptop. I want to be able to sit in the backyard in the sun and write. Write what I don't know yet. The next best seller? Who knows? I just want to write. I will also, no doubt, spend countless hours surfing the net and reading blogs of others who just want to write as well. I'll call it research.

I want so badly to be able to write something - something good I mean - something that I can make a living on would be fantastic. But I have read so much lately on how hard it is to get published and all that, that I have almost talked myself out of wanting to write - but not completely.

I am taking the summer off - I am not looking for work unless I can find a part-time work-from-home type job. I want to spend time with da kid as well as just have time off for myself. I would really like to get back into my painting too - but it requires the right mindset and usually when I am fretting about not having a job, well I am just not normally in that mindset.

We have had 8 viewings of our hous e- still no offers. We dropped the price 10K yesterady, let's hope that gets more people interested. We are going to make an offer on the house in Bowmanville - the 2nd one we saw I think and the only one to really fit the bill of what we are looking for. It is large enough and in our price range. It has alos been on the market for over 100 days - I hope that is just because it is waiting for us to buy it and not because it has anything major wrong with it.

I just really hope this buy and sell gets moving soon - it is really a pain to try to keep the house in perfect order all the time - I just want it over with and done - then I can relax and start packing again :D

Ways to save money this summer (while not working)

• Do a freezer & pantry inventory and use stuff up - we don't want to move it.
  - did an inventory have started to use stuff up.
  
• Double think things before buying - do we really need it now, or can we do without.
• No new clothing for K or I unless we lose a size down.
• Don't buy any books (other than Happy Potter 7 on order) use the library.
• Homemade inexpensive treats for J all summer.
  - started today, was cool enough to bake muffins and granola bars.
  
• Get J to drink more water than juice or koolaid this summer.
• Eat less - K and I both need to lose a few.
• Read more, stitch more, paint more - spend more time on hobbies while I have this time off.
  - problem with this is that I packed my stitching and painting supplies - will see how bored I get if I decide to unpack those boxes or not.
  
• Stretch shampoos and liquid soaps.
• Take advantage of splash pad at park.
• Keep air at 22 whenever possible.
  

Unemployed = Vacation

Ok so Tuesday was the last day of my contract - I am offically unemployed again.

I have pretty much decided that I am going to take the summer off - I am not going to look for work until late August. And I am going to enjoy my summer - instead of panicking about finding a job.

I have looked over the budget and the money still coming due to me and realize that with not having to pay daycare ($400/month) or summer camp ($1200+/summer) or travel expenses (#300+/month) - I can do this just fine.

I will however, do everything possible to be as frugal as I can because we also have the move happening sometime this summer (haven't sold the house nor bought a new one yet though).

I also have a few thousand left over in my income tax account from last year and will be thowing this on my VISA to almost pay it off.

I will be doing a pantry and freezer inventory in the next week or so - and do my best to use that stuff up so we don't have to move it. Hopefully that will cut my grocery bill a bit too.

Also, since I am not working, I am saving at least $2.15 per day (Tim Hortons cafe mocha) and often times $7+ for lunch.

Today I made pasta salad from stuff I had on hand - it was lunch and will also be my dinner.

The pasta primavera I made the other night was dinner for DH & I for two nights plus two lunches for me. Will definietly be making that again.

DS is thrilled that he will get to stay home this summer and not have to do camp - he loved camp last year (because he got to go swimmer twice a day) but that camp closed down - plus with us moving, he wants the summer to play with his friends on this street and if we move mid-summer, to meet new friends on the new street.

It works for me - summer camp last year cost me $1200+ and I had to pack his lunch and snacks each day - he will still need food while home of course, but I can give him inexpensive things like PB sandwiches, which we could not send to camp (or school for that matter) as every public place here is NUT free due to allergies.

While at work over the last month, I wasn't that busy and spent most of the time surfing the net thinking of all the things I had to do at home to get the house ready to sell - now that that is all done and I am home - I can't think of anything to do. LOL

I don't want to get into anything that will make too big of a mess because I still have to be able to clean the house quickly should I get a call for a showing at any time.

So far I have done a lot of sleeping, reading, and surfing the net - also planning on how I will keep things within budget this summer. I really wish I could find a part-time work from home writing assignment - but they are pretty non-existent.

Going to see a house tonight that we saw once already and like. The price was a little high but they have lowered it by 10K and it has been on the market a long time.

Dinner will be leftovers or scrounge your own.

$0 spent today - I guess that is frugal :)