I am still plugging along going back and forth between my place and grandmas. It isn't too bad. If there is no traffic, I can make it home in an hour and 15 minutes.

I am putting in extra days, so my next check will be nice. I also officially signed a 6 month lease at my current apartment. I got a credit for staying a year, and my rent for June is only going to be $225.00. I bought a laptop with what I saved on rent. I was in desperate need of a new laptop. My old one is 5 years old and makes weird noises, has no battery and is super slow. I was willing to spend up to $530 including taxes on a new one. After a lot of research and returning one that would not get out of a restart loop, I got one that now works well for $380 including taxes. It is sooo much faster. It should really help with productivity. I took the remaining $150 I had budgeted and put it in savings.

By the end of August, my only remaining debt will be student loans. I have cash flowed all scheduled car maintenance and the laptop. There should be no further major expenses for quite some time. After August, I am going to start saving to go to Europe. My son is getting stationed in Germany. I plan on visiting while he is there. I hope to go in 2020, as my BFF and her family are going then to visit her stepson who will be an hour away from mine. However, at this point my son does not know how long he will be stationed there.

My son sent me a Fitbit for Mother's Day. Weren't there a few of you on a FB group for this? I would love to join if someone would share the info. Thanks in advance.

I need to get moving. I am going to try and relieve my aunt around noon, and I have some cleaning to do here first. Enjoy your Sunday!

I got a couple of great deals this week. I don't normally bother with Groupon, but I had 30% off for TMobile Tuesday. I bought a deal for a local chiropractor (with excellent reviews) for $35 after the deal. I also went through Swagbucks for an additional 10% savings. This deal includes full xrays and three adjustments.

A local vision place also had a deal for $69 for an exam and a $200 credit toward glasses. I found a code for 20% off that and again got another 10% off through Swagbucks.

I know these are great deals. It's also justified spending. I have the money, and it is for my overall health. However, I always feel guilty spending money on myself.

On another note, so far so good caring for grandma. It is a little tough being gone from home so much though. I feel like I am constantly on the go, especially since I am subbing when I am home. This is the case today. I also have the grandkids for a few hours this evening. I am heading back down to the Detroit area tomorrow instead of Sunday to go to a comedy night tomorrow night (Cancer fundraiser) with friends. Even though it will be busy, it should be a fun weekend. I hope you all have a great weekend as well.

I picked up my car Wednesday and spent the afternoon hanging out with friends. I drove home yesterday morning, and it was a beautiful day. Around 3 PM, all hell broke loose. One of my aunts called and said my grandma went ballistic when the nurse showed up. She was tired of everyone coming to her house and living this way. She threw my two aunts who were there things out the door and told them to get out and locked the door (Not sure at what point the nurse left, I think she was outside with them). Apparently she wanted to know when I would be there and is calm about that. My aunt asked if I would stay five days a week.

Short version is I am going to try this. I really want my grandma to die peacefully at home. She is with it enough that I know she would be devastated and more miserable in a nursing home. It was decided to take her off all medications (She does not want to take them) other than the one that calms her down which we can put in her food.

Hopefully, with less changes she will be a little more calm. I don't know the outcome of last night yet.

While I was on the phone, calls kept coming in and I said to my aunt that was strange and I should see what was going on. I excused myself and hung up. Come to find out my son's apartment building was on fire!

Turns out it affected two apartments at the opposite end of his building (don't know the cause). They came to my house and had pizza while waiting for the okay to go back. Everything turned out fine.

No matter how things are at grandma's at the moment, I am not going back until Sunday. I have commitments today and tomorrow. I have shops and my tire replacement is scheduled.

Well, it is time to get to some work done here. Hopefully today will be a little less crazy.

My car had a serious issue with suspension. A friend of a friend who is a reliable mechanic looked at it and gave me a great deal. He is replacing both of my control arms and my air filter for $510. I need to replace the worn down front tire (the bad arm caused the wear) and get an alignment once that is completed, so I plan to spend about $700 when all is said and done. It's never fun to spend money on repairs, but I am relieved it's taken care of, and I had enough money saved.

Although I gave my notice on my apartment (was due today) before I drove to grandma's this past Saturday, I have decided to do a 6 month lease. There is just so much going on, and I cannot fathom having to pack everything up and store it in less than two months. Six months gives me breathing room. I will likely still share something with my cousin long-term, but I was just not happy with thinking about couch surfing all summer. I will rescind my notice (which I was told I could do through May 24th) on Thursday. I will continue thinning out and selling/donating what I can over the summer. My youngest will be home for two weeks in late August to get the rest of his stuff.

On the positive side, my family is giving me a $50 gas card every month to assist with the back and forth travel. Also, now that I will be comfortable with the car, I can do more mystery shopping (I was staying as close to home as possible). I won't save as much as I would have with no rent/utilities, but I should still be able to save a significant amount of money with being gone half time (less on electricity and groceries/household goods) and the income from taking care of grandma.

I had breakfast with my cousin on Saturday before driving home. She is going to look at apartments/condos this week while she is off work. I am leaning on toward sharing something with her, but I want to see what we can find in our price range. We both agree we need three bedrooms, at least 1 and a half baths, and we prefer a private entrance and washer/dryer hookup. We hope to do this for $1300 or less.

I figured out approximately what I would save by living with her, and it would be significant. I would be ready to replace my car in a year if needed rather than two if I stayed on my own. I could also put more away in my ROTH. I based this without staying with grandma. If that continues for a significant period of time, I will do even better.

On another note, I stayed three days with grandma last week and it went well. She is VERY repetitive, but lucid for the most part. I am home for the week for pre-scheduled dental work and to feed my son's cats while they are on vacation. I head back down to grandma's on Saturday through Wednesday morning.

I hope you all had a nice Easter. Mine was quiet because I came home rather than staying the Detroit area to celebrate with family or friends. I needed the day to think and plan ahead.

I am on the fence about renewing my lease. I would love feedback. Starting this week, I am going to be caring for my grandmother half the week. She lives 80 miles from me. My family said I was more than welcome to stay there on my days off as well. For now, I am going to stay there on my days off one week, and go home the next week on my days off.

Anyhow, my lease is up May 31st. Grandma's heart is failing. The doctor said he has no crystal ball but estimated around 6 months.

I have to decide on my apartment by April 15th. My options were a year lease or month-to-month, but since my youngest is in the military I can sign a 6 month lease. Month-to-Month is $906 per month and the 6 month lease is $755 per month. I would also only pay $200 for June as a promotion. If I stay, obviously the 6 month is the way to go.

Please also keep in mind I am not in a position to replace my car if something happens to it.

Pros for keeping the lease:

-I live within walking distance of the mall, library, post office and park. I am on the border of two counties so my access to bussing is excellent as well. If I have car trouble, I can get around.

-My oldest son lives in the same complex, which means my grandkids are totally accessible anytime I want to see them.

Cons:

-I would be paying for an apartment and utilities I would only use about a third of the month.

-Other than my son, everyone else is closer to where my grandma lives (20 miles or less).

Pros for staying at grandmas full time:

-No rent, utilities or groceries. My family insists on the groceries. What I do buy would be covered with mystery shopping.

-Friends and family are nearby.

-I can store my stuff in her basement or garage.


Cons:

-I am not sure I want to live in that area after she is gone. I am not fully against it either.


-I would have access to rides, but if my car came to the point it could not be fixed, I would be dependent on others. The bussing system there is not what it is here.

-It would probably cost me more to rent there if I got an apartment there after grandma passes. My cousin and I have discussed moving in together, but I don't feel I should count on it.

-My son and daughter-in-law have no one in the area up where I am now but me to help out.

-This could last one month, 6 months, 2 years, no one really knows. The house would be put up for sale as soon as she passes.

I am very tired of moving around. However, I give up the lease, I know I could save a ton of money if I base this on the expectation I would likely have this situation for around 6 months. I cannot make up my mind at this point. I welcome any and all feedback.

*Note on the car. I am having it looked at when I am down there in April. It has a noise, but I expect it is a control arm ($400 and that is saved up). I trust the person who is going to look at it which I why I am going to take it in on his schedule. I had it thoroughly checked out and put money into it before I left Florida last year. It really should not have any other major upcoming issues.

I can also sub, mystery shop and edit in both areas so I am not location dependent as far as my other work goes.

I have been around reading, but I have not posted in a little while. My life is in limbo again. I mentioned previously my grandma was not doing well, and my family mentioned me caring for her. That never came to fruition. However, she had a heart attack last week, so I was asked again.

Trust me, I want to care for my grandmother. However, my family can be very wishy washy. I spent two days making general plans and cancelling subbing dates in April. I wanted a few weeks to meet subbing, mystery shopping and dental obligations, so I said I could start after April 6th. My grandma is in rehab for minimum of two weeks anyhow. Now they are talking three days a week. It is 75 miles each way for me, and my car is a 2010. I would prefer the whole week every other week if I am not doing it full time. My uncle said he would get back to me next week. The pay would be more than fair, but I don't dare budget a dime of it until it actually happens. I am also NOT giving up my apartment at this point.

I spent last week staying with my mom while my dad went to Florida. That was frustrating because my mother does not do anything to care for herself anymore. She has the capability for the most part. She constantly falls in the house. However, she will not do any form of exercise and refuses physical therapy. I was so mentally and physically (I deep cleaned the house) exhausted when I got home Sunday. I slept through the night the last two nights which is very rare for me.

Financially, it was good. I had use of my dad's car. I subbed half days and did $250 dollars worth of mystery shops in those 9 days. My dad covered all groceries and gas. He also handed me a $100.

On a positive note, my daughter is coming in from NC for the weekend to visit my grandma in rehab. I will ride down to the Detroit area with my oldest son who is my neighbor. I can't wait to see my daughter and meet her husband (After a short courtship, they got married in September).

My youngest son did very well in basic training and is now in tech school in Mississippi. He is flourishing in the Air Force and really enjoying it. He also broke up with his controlling girlfriend which was a huge relief for everyone!

I will post another update with a new budget once the plans are concrete.

I know many of you are members of Swagbucks. There is a current deal for 1000 (equivalent to $10) Swagbucks if you purchase the Glade Plug-ins Car Starter Kit and 2 refills at Walmart. I looked up the pricing. The kit is $4.98 and the refills are $2.98 each. There is also a coupon available on Swagbucks for $1.50 off the kit. This makes it a moneymaker! Don't forget you also get 10 SB for redeeming the coupon.

If you are not a member of Swagbucks and would like to join, my referral is: http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/michgirl1970

You can find the deal at: http://www.swagbucks.com/shop/in-store/23594

For maximum value, do a walk-in at Walmart for kicks via the Shopkick app (I think it is currently 15 kicks) and scan the receipt for points via Receipt Hog.

I went to my friend's memorial last Saturday. It was strange. There was a table with photos, but no one got up to speak publicly. It was more or less like a class reunion. I did not feel any closure. As a matter of fact, there is an investigation into the death based on how the body was found.

I am heading back to the Detroit area later this coming week. I am leaving Wednesday afternoon and returning on Sunday. My BFF and I have the same birthday, hence the reason for returning so soon. We are celebrating Saturday night (Bday is next Sunday) via a party at her house. I took a grocery store shop on Saturday and will see what I can provide for the party via that shop.

My bus ticket totaled $24.50. I will take the local bus to the Greyhound station (less than a block to catch that bus), which will be an additional $2.50 round trip. My BFF is picking me up and returning me to the Greyhound station. I will give her $10 for the gas. The trip will cost $37 round trip (200 miles total).

I lined up subbing while I am down there. Those schools pay $10 more a day than they do in this area, which is a plus. My dad always lets me use his car. I help them with errands/cleaning in return, so no cost there. The town where I will sub is next to my grandma's town, so I will visit her after school on Thursday or Friday.

Today, I am taking the free Walmart bus finally. I have $20 set aside for a gift for BFF. Otherwise, my only spending will be the butter I forgot the other day when I went grocery shopping. I will also finally use up my $10 off $10 or more at Staples. There is a fairly large shopping center connected to WM, so I can keep busy the full two hours until the bus returns.

On a side note, I also got my first letter from my son from basic training. He is doing well and was designated a leadership role.

I need to moving now that I have finished my coffee. I want to do a little editing and cleaning before I catch the bus at 11:30 AM. I hope you all have a good weekend!

My first crush and one of my dearest friends passed away unexpectedly yesterday. No cause is known yet. He just turned 48. I am devastated. Life is precious. Between the news from Thrift and this news, I am realizing this more now than ever.

I am trying to have a more positive outlook and nearly titled this "Can't catch a break" but decided to look at the bright side. My car has an issue and I believe it will need a new control arm (replaced one in the spring and was told the other should be done within the year). Well, it is now more critical. I wish it would have waited another month till I caught up. However, with my new outlook I decided to let it sit (although I will go out and run it) other than one trip tomorrow to pick up something I have to sign for at a particular post office not on the bus line (luckily it is only five miles).

I have two schools I can walk to for subbing. Also, I got contacted yesterday from someone I regularly did virtual assistant work for in the past. He wants me to work for him again. He was always kind and generous. I am happy to do this. We are working out the numbers, but this will be a HUGE help!

Snowflakes came up and I gave them more thought. I have the following to redeem:

-I have a coupon for free eggs at Meijer (will wait another week)

-I have a $10 off $10 or more coupon for Staples

-$10 Walmart gift card (from Cross Media Panel redemption)

I was going to ride the free Walmart bus today to the local WM and use the WM gift card and Staples coupon (same center) but it is extremely cold, and the bus comes two and a half hours after drop off. I really don't want to walk between all the stores to kill time. I am opting to take the bus to another WM and grabbed a Goodwill shop next door. The bus ride is $4 round trip (I will use the change jar for this). However, the WM is a half hour away, so it is a good deal and that bus runs every half hour. It picks up a 100 feet from me too!

I am going to try and go car free until late this month. I have so much close by and great busing, so it should not be a huge issue other than limiting where I can substitute. However, the two close by schools have given me a lot of work lately, and I can probably tell them the situation and get in there as often as I want.

I decided one of my personal goals for January is to put more effort into Swagbucks. I have a friend who made $107.70 last month. This was not with any purchases or surveys! She lets the videos run overnight and said it helps immensely.

I said in the past that I wondered if I could eat on mystery shopping alone (if I lived alone). My son leaves for the service next week. I am going to try this challenge to a point in January. However, I am also spending January catching back up financially, so I cannot afford a lot of output as far as restaurants go. Therefore, I am going to try to spend no more than $15 per week (I know groceries go a lot further than restaurants) out of pocket and fill the remainder with Kroger shops. If it goes well, I will try it without any cash out of pocket in February.

I will be able to set better goals after January. I have a local voluntary (any agreement would be legally binding) resolution center working on getting me payment from tutoring. At this point, I am still owed $544.77.

I will have lower pay from subbing in January because of the Christmas break. However, I did some renegotiation with editing, and my income will increase with them in January. I also got my yearly raise (20 cents per edit). I also figured mystery shopping on the low end for January. Many companies renegotiate contracts and don't have as much work in January. However, the availability of work usually increases quite a bit by February.

My family still waivers back and forth on what to do about my grandma, so I am not counting on any income from that at all right now. My son and I are heading to visit this afternoon or tomorrow morning for two days, so he can visit before leaving for the service. Hopefully, I will get an update on that.


So for January, I will still squeak by but come February be able to save regularly and set better goals for the year.

Still no payment from tutoring. He sent an email saying the money would be in my account this past Monday. It was not. He sent another yesterday saying he meant this coming Monday. By then my November payment is due. I have not received any payments since November 20th and that was for a September payment that was over two weeks late. I will let you know if it shows up on Monday. If it does not, I am proceeding with legal action. The first half of October payment was due November 18th and the second half was due December 3rd.

I got my check from editing and had a much welcomed $100 holiday bonus. I am going to pick up my nephew a pair of pajamas for Christmas. I always get him a gift but was not going to spend on anyone but the grandkids this year (that total was $18 after Amazon credit).

That being said, my parents and my sons, daughter in law and grandkids (and possibly my brother and nephew) are celebrating at my house on the 23rd. My dad offered to order pizza. However, I said I would really like to make food for them. I have been picking up items with Kroger mystery shops, so it really does not cost me anything.

There are also negotiations for me to go start taking care of my grandma to help relieve my aunts (weekends) after the first of the year. They will pay me. It is not like I am looking to make money off my grandma. However, my car is 7 years old. The money will be put away for a car fund. I am only going to accept what is absolutely necessary. They realize they would have to pay a service a lot more. I am happy I will get to spend time with my grandma. However, she is not doing well so it is hard. Nonetheless, I would do anything for her.

I will get out this weekend to go to the movies. It will be fully reimbursed, and I will get paid $5 because it is a mystery shop. I keep a rolling mystery shopping kitty so this is not part of my regular budget. I will go see Wonder if it is still out. Otherwise, I guess I will have to see what else is playing.

I desperately need to update my sidebar. Once all upcoming income is finalized, I will do that.

Have a good weekend and stay safe out in the weather and with all the crowds!

I am no longer working the tutoring job. I had to write several emails to get my last half of September payment and received it 17 days late. My first half of October payment was due 14 days ago. The last half is due tomorrow. The owner has quit answering emails. I am sending one more request today letting him know I expect both payments on Monday. If he doesn't comply, I am pursuing payment via a family member who is a lawyer.

This company has been in business for 2005. I checked it out before taking the job. Right before I quit, two of the three managers quit. From what I have figured out, the owner eventually has been paying, but apparently when he feels like it and he will not communicate in the meantime. The two payments total just under $500. After this, I am still owed just over $300 for what I worked in November (that payment is due Dec. 18th).

I am so depressed. I should be in decent financial position by now and I am not. Between this payment issue and starting subbing two months late (I blogged about that fiasco), I am barely treading water. I was so looking forward to the holidays with my family and friends for the first time in years, and now it is just a depressing thought. I spent $18 (after Amazon credit) on gifts for my grandkids. I will not be buying anything else.

I took my dad up on his loan to pay for the necessary items to get my teaching license here in MI. I hope to do the first aid while I am off from subbing over Christmas vacation.

Going forward I will be fine. I am going to do more editing and mystery shopping as well. It is a matter of getting caught up and being able to save some money.

It sucks because there were so many events friends wanted me to attend with them this season and I can't. I was supposed to go to Frankenmuth with my BFF's family this weekend. I was invited to two Christmas parties. The parties are near my parents (100 miles each way) and I can't justify the extra gas. I am only driving where I need to because I have limited savings should I need any car repairs.

Thanks for letting me vent once again! Despite my frustration, I am grateful for the roof over my head and the ability to pay the bills even if I can't save right now!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. For the first time in a long time it is more than two or three of us. I am going to my oldest son's who is literally two parking lots away! My parents are coming up as well. Missing out on most of my family/friends for the holidays played a large role in moving back to Mi.

I am not planning on buying anything, but I may go to the mall just to see how chaotic it is tomorrow. I only have to deal with half the battle since I can walk to it.

Since my son and daughter-in-law are going shopping after dinner, we are eating fairly early. They are shopping tonight for a few hours while I watch the kids. Therefore, I better get moving and start peeling my potatoes!

Have a great day all!

I took it upon myself to call the school district regarding the subbing. I could kick myself for not doing it sooner. I was able to straighten things out. I was a little worried this would cause waves with the staffing company, but it worked out okay. The woman at the staffing company who was supposed to take care of everything was only emailing the district. For nearly two months, she was emailing someone who had left apparently. I am now on the last step. I paid for my subbing certificate (which I could not do until the fingerprints were approved). As long as nothing happens with that, I will be all set. I hope to start subbing after this coming week.

I was getting worried about being paid for tutoring. I have direct deposit. The introductory email stated direct deposits were the 18th and mailed checks were on the 15th. I was told it could take one pay period before I got direct deposit. I had nothing through the 19th. I was going to email the manager after the mail ran yesterday, but the money showed up in my account finally.

I put in my notice for the part time work I do for the editing company. I had to more or less. It overlaps with tutoring. It is a long story, but it also wasn't a matter of doing the work and then I ws done. It requires a lot of follow up which was the big issue. I only work that part of the job 12 days a month officially, so I wasn't losing a lot of money. In the end, I will make up the lost money with extra work through tutoring and shopping. The tutoring is so much easier because I don't do any prep work. I do the calls and fill out my time on a spreadsheet then I am done.

On a personal note, please send out your thoughts/prayers for my grandma. She just turned 90 and had a heart attack a few days later. It affected her mentally. She was lucid and in great shape for her age. My mom said she has now completely changed and will likely go to a nursing home. I guess she is too combative for the family to take care of her. This blows my mind as she has lived on her own in a bi-level home up until now. It is sad, and I feel horrible saying/thinking this, but if there is no hope of her bouncing back, I hope she doesn't linger. She would not want that. She told me this more than once. She said if she ever "lost her mind" (her words) or could not take care of herself, she would not want to go on.

I am still going through the subbing fiasco. Fingerprints supposedly never made it to school district. I had them resent three times. The company working on my behalf...well they aren't much help. The girl is not proactive and only makes inquiries when I ask. Whether I should or not, I am calling the district myself on Friday if there is no progress. It probably is not all that appropriate because I technically work for the subbing company. However, I don't know what else to do at this point.

In the meantime, I have been doubling my mystery shopping (Jokeabee's post inspired me as well). My car is working fine, but I also know it is 7 years old. I cannot afford to replace it right now if anything happened. I also was holding off on doing much shopping because I was anticipating subbing sooner than later. I am treading water but not saving anything. So, I took on a great deal of more shops the last two weeks and for the rest of the month. I need to jump start my savings. I am also going to take my dad up on his offer to go ahead and borrow the money for my certification. With the extra work, I can pay him back fairly quickly. I get my first tutoring check at the end of next week which will also help.

I am not giving up on the subbing, but I also am not holding my breath that it is going to get resolved in a timely manner. Despite all the issues, I am grateful I have multiple streams of income to help me get by until I have a more permanent solution.

Hope all is well. It's been nearly a month since a post which is unusual.

I have to make a confession even though it is only loosely financially related. I have let myself go physically since the move. This is especially shameful because I have a fitness center, indoor pool, park and mall at my disposal. I have been in somewhat of a depression due to finances. I hate that the subbing situation is such a mess. There are also some challenges with editing. There are also personal issues with the family which alone wouldn't be derailing, but they are adding to the overall stress and depression.

I will get paid for tutoring next month which will be a huge help. My weight and blood pressure lately gave me a wake up call. Over the last week, I have done the following to change my situation (and will continue):

I am committed to eating only between 6 AM and 6 PM (I was successful with this in Florida).

I am exercising a minimum of 15 minutes per day (I plan to increase this each week).

I hate the idea of calorie counting. I give up after awhile. I am trying to limit myself to 7 items of food/drink a day. Water is a freebie of course (Generally, my only other drink is my morning cup of coffee). Obviously, there is some moderation in this. I am not going to eat seven slices of cake and consider it a success.

On the job front, if the subbing isn't straightened out by Oct 6th, I am showing up at their offices (about 80 miles away) on my way up north with my dad. We are going to my grandmother's grave north of Muskegon for the day. It would have been her 90th birthday. A "simple" paperwork snafu has made the subbing situation somewhat of a nightmare for me. Phone calls and emails have been unsuccessful so far. If at that point it doesn't get fixed, my dad said he would loan me the money to expedite finishing up the steps to getting certified to teach full-time in Michigan (about $500). This would open up a lot more options for me.

I saw on the news this morning that one of the local dentists was doing free cleanings and dental work today only. I ran down there since it was less than two miles away. I got my teeth cleaned. They were doing almost any kind of dental work too. One girl was getting all her wisdom teeth removed free.

I also found out through them the local community college does major dental work regularly for $65.00. I need a deep cleaning so I will be looking into this asap!

My teeth feel better and my pocketbook is "happy" too!

I hope you all don't mind a vent. I need to vent because my hands are tied otherwise. As you all know, I started the subbing process here in MI months ago (did the online modules while I was still in FL). I went to the orientation on August 9th and was told my stuff would be to the districts and I would have a log in within 2 or 3 days. The short background is that here in MI a staffing company controls 90 percent of the districts and that is who you work for. Your prints are sent to one district and they forward them to the rest of the districts on the list that you choose to sub for.

I heard nothing. I followed up and was told to be patient. I waited another week and called again. I was told it's up to the districts. On Sept. 1st I was told the same. I told the woman I understood but something must be wrong. I asked the normal turnaround time and told her what was said at the orientation. She finally agreed to call the district my prints were sent to. She said she would email me by the end of the day either way. I got nothing.

I have also been calling the security company for over a week and the number keeps saying all circuits are busy. I had enough and finally drove to the security office this morning. Apparently they have issues with their phone line. Anyhow, come to find out, the state police forwarded my info to the district under my maiden name, so of course they had no one on file to attach them to. The correct info is being sent over today.

This could have all been avoided if the staffing company had followed up with the district weeks ago when I asked. I am so upset with them, but I also know since they control all the work I had better keep my mouth shut.

I am still afraid I am going to be chasing this because I am told the TCN/Fingerprint number will change. I am not optimistic this will work out and they will know how to properly attach this to the proper paperwork.

My son went through a similar situation last month with his pharmacy tech license. If one person had made a simple call, a lot of trouble could have been avoided.

Anyhow, I will let you know if this is finally straightened out for good this week. I gave up an opportunity to make a little more doing more admin work with my admin job because I thought I would be subbing. It's a big deal to me because it is a foot in the door to furthering myself in the world of education in MI. It also will add around 700-800 a month to my income. They also offer health insurance (it isn't great but at least it is offered).


In lieu of the hurricanes, illnesses, etc. I know my situation is minor. My thoughts are with all those going through much bigger issues.

I added another job to my repertoire. So far, they are moving slow on subbing. I am playing a waiting game. I found a tutoring job on Craiglist. The job is legit. I will be subbing South Korean students five evenings a week for 3 hours. It was on my local Craigslist because they are based out of Michigan (but tutors are all over).

Here is the link (and they need help asap) for those who have teaching experience and/or a bachelor's who might be interested. I figured Laura (Frugal Texan) in particular may want to check it out:

https://lansing.craigslist.org/edu/d/english-tutor/6282352916.html

@Laura there is a little flexibility with the hours so it may be worth it even if those shifts listed won't work (they may let you do two hours instead of three)

I contacted them Monday. I got trained today and start tomorrow!

My youngest is frustrated and has pretty much decided not to attend MSU this semester. I am extremely upset on one hand and fully supportive on the other. We have been working all summer on in-state tuition and are getting the run around. It isn't even about the length of time we have lived here. It is about me not having permanent employment in Michigan. They say subbing is not permanent and working from home for my other job isn't considered employed in Michigan either. What upsets me is they knew this all along and only in recent weeks has it become a big issue. I really don't understand where I work is an issue if I live here full-time!

To shorten this long saga, my son says he is seriously considering signing up for the Air Force and letting them pay for school (He had talked about ROTC but never full time) I fear he is going in for the wrong reasons. However, he is an adult, and all I can offer is my opinion. I told him I would like to see him go ahead and just work this semester and go to the community college next semester (We are one month short of in-state tuition with them, hence the suggestion for the semester off). I said at that point he can decide whether he really wants to go the military route or re-enroll with MSU for next year. With AP credits and a semester at community college he would not be behind. He said he would consider my suggestion.

All of this has had me do some serious soul searching. I am going to get my teaching license in MI. Unfortunately, my NH and FL licenses have expired. I won't need to go back to school. However, I do need to take two state tests and get certified in first aid and CPR. I will spend this school year doing all of that while I sub. Depending on cash flow, I may even have it all done in one semester. I figure between the study guides, tests and certification, it will be around $500.

My ultimate goal is to work as an educational/site coordinator (basically advising at the community college level). If I can't land a position in that capacity, I will return to the classroom full time. I have seen openings in both fields, so I know going through the licensing process is worth it.

I love my editing job, but it is too unpredictable to carry on long-term. Due to the logistics of it, I rarely get a full day off. This was another big reason for my decision. Obviously, I will be sticking with it for now.

I made yet another trip to the Detroit area this weekend. I went to pick up the Chinese college student who my son was going to room with before he decided to commute. He is such a nice young man! I enjoyed the ride with him. I took him on a few errands on the way back too. He was hungry so we went to Wendy's. It was interesting explaining the menu to him. We also went to the TMobile store so he could get a sim card and to Target for supplies. I got him to the dorm at 10pm last night.

I left on Friday morning because I was off from editing. I managed to pick up a few mystery shops with no out-of-pocket expenses and made $60. A friend went with me because she had a few errands, so it was fun. I had a $10 Starbucks card so we used that for free coffee.

I am happy to say the only money I spent was $3 for my dad's newspapers. I have been doing quite a bit of laundry at my parent's house this summer, so I refused his money when he tried to pay me for them.

Now that things are settled as far as celebrations and trips, I am not going back down until October. My grandma is turning 90!

I came home last night and went through my mail. I was elated to see a check from my apartment management company. I knew I was getting a referral check because of my older son moving in. I expected $25 or $50. The check is for $300! It came at the perfect time. August is so tight with child support ending last month and subbing not beginning until next month. It is all going to bills with one exception. I am going to buy a pizza for my son's family. After all, I would not have had this money if it weren't for them.

I spent money on gas, groceries, a duplicate key and two drinks at the mall in the past 11 days. My total spending was $57.79.

I don't anticipate any money being spent in the next several days. I am taking my grandson to the movies tomorrow for an early bday present. It is a mystery shop and includes snacks, so it is free in the end!

I have his party on Saturday, but I bought his gift a couple of weeks ago. I also have a mystery shop for groceries on Sunday.

I think I previously mentioned my son is going to commute to school after all. He got a car today. He put money down and got a three year loan. His payment is $105 a month. I am sure he will pay it off sooner. It is a low mileage 2006 VW Jetta. It is in great shape. The dealer checked it out thoroughly, and we also had a mechanic check it out.

He also got a new job (he starts later this month). He is going to work at CVS right across from campus. He will have a permit for the garage, so he won't have any costs for parking on campus. He will ride his bike around, as his classes are pretty far from where he will be parking.

I went to my substitute teaching orientation this morning. I am all set and just waiting on log in info. I should start working regularly after Labor Day. I can't wait to build back up my savings!

Last Saturday I did the Red Robin mystery shop with my three year old granddaughter and oldest son. It did cost me $5.00 out of pocket, but that was the tip.

I had to go back to the Detroit area to pick my youngest son up from his trip to NH. I went down Monday morning and returned Wednesday afternoon.

I spent $55 this trip (rounded up). I don't feel too guilty because it included gas and my grandson's birthday present. The rest was eating out. I used a lot of gas running around. I spent Monday with a friend and ran errands. Tuesday I visited my cousin and my grandma.

When I got back Wednesday, I needed a few groceries. I spent $21 at Target.

I did manage to make money while I was gone. I did three mystery shops (one in the Detroit area and two on the way home) for a total of $67.00.

I also got freebies. I got a pizza that I was able to redeem from last week' TMobile Tuesday. I also got a beach towel for this week's freebie.

I don't plan on spending anything this weekend other than $12 at Kroger. That will be covered, as it is mystery shop.

Total spending-$81.00

It is a beautiful day today. I already went to the credit union to deposit my paycheck. I have to work, but it is a fairly easy day. I will definitely take a walk and maybe pick up the grandkids and take them to the park. The only issue with that is they never want to leave!

I got off real cheap on the trip down to the Detroit area. My friends insisted on buying my dinner when we went out. I bought a coffee and a cheap lunch while I was there. I also picked up two Meijer shops for $25 each, so I made money that I wasn't counting on.

Since then, I spent another $8.61 at Meijer for coffee creamer and a collander.

Spending breakdown for the week:

$8.61-Meijer
$2.65-Wendy's
$3.71-Biggby Coffee (Ouch!)

Total=$14.97

I am doing a shop for Red Robin shortly with my older son. I may go a little out of pocket for that. If so, I will put it in my next update.

Yesterday, I got my two tires. The total was $219.75, but I found an unused $50 Visa gift card! So, my out-of-pocket was $169.75.

Today we went to the zoo. I only paid for myself. Grand total of $1! I got a free granola bar and popsicle too! I also spent $3.25 on laundry so my grand total is $4.25.

Tomorrow and Thursday should be no-spend days. By Friday, I will need to get a few groceries. I am hoping my only spending between now and my short trip to the Detroit area on Monday afternoon are the groceries and one load of laundry.

I made a decision to stop saving for the laptop with Amazon funds. I was hovering between 100 and 125 the last few months. I never got past that because legitimate purchases would come up (printer ink, grad gifts). My laptop is fine at the moment. My oldest son said he has a cheap spare if I have an issue.

Once I start subbing, I can save to purchase one. I figure I should be able to replace it no later than Black Friday. It also will not limit me to Amazon.

I spent $113.38 Thursday on Amazon which nearly wiped out the funds. However, I purchased a lot of needs. It felt good not to spend actual cash. I got a new pair of sneakers. Mine are over a year old, and I wear them almost every day. I also got a bra. I ordered a Prime Pantry box (I had free shipping) as well. I got enough household goods to last the remainder of the summer. I bought a handful of food items including a cake mix for my son's birthday cake.

I was going to hold off until Prime Day. However, a few of the pantry items and the sneakers were low on stock. I doubt there would have been deals on what I bought anyhow other than free pantry shipping, which I had anyhow.

All of this will help my bottom line a great deal. I usually have $75 per week to spend (gas, groceries, household goods, laundry, fun money). I am going to cut that back to $60 for two months. My gas spending in nearly nil these days. Between mystery shops and Aldi, grocery spending is low as well. I am washing the small stuff in the mini washer. Laundry is $3.25 per load. I am trying to keep it down to two loads a week (for both me and my son).

Friday's spending-$34.43

This was for gas, a birthday card, fixings for taco salad (This was to feed older son's family upon arrival) and dryer sheets. My son was supposed to pick the dryer sheets up (which is why they weren't part of the pantry order), but he never did.


Saturday's Spending -$6.07

I bought milk, juice and shredded cheese. My brain apparently was not working well enough on Friday.

Sunday Spending $0

Unfortunately, today will be major spending. However, it will come out of the Emergency Fund. I have a flat tire. I was due to replace the two back tires in the fall anyhow. I am hoping it will be $250 or less. The roads are terrible in MI. It isn't worth bothering putting on top of the line tires. I was just offered another side project at work, so I should be able to replace this money later next month.

I should have joined the official Uber Frugal Month Challenge, but I did not. I don't believe I have purchased much this month other than groceries. I am going to unofficially join in and keep track the rest of the month. Beyond groceries the only spending I have planned is the following:

-Cake, ice cream and card for my youngest son's birthday next week. Total cost should be no more than $20.

-I am going to the zoo next week. Meijer is sponsoring zoo days for a $1 per person. I will take the grandkids on Tuesday. My oldest son and his wife will be unpacking, so my youngest son will go with me. That means $4 for tickets and whatever parking costs. I will not buy any food, so I am sure the total will be less than $10.

-I am taking my youngest son to the Detroit airport on the 17th. He is going to New Hampshire to visit friends and his half brother for a week. I am off for two days, so I will stay at my parents and visit local friends. My son is paying for the gas, but I am going to allow myself $20 spending money because it is quite likely I will eat out at some point. There is a small chance this trip will not cost me anything if I can find a restaurant mystery shop.

I will do a little spending via mystery shopping this month, but I don't count that as it is fully reimbursed.

I am off today save a couple of leftover edits and two phone shops. It is hot, so I am going to relax and do a bit of housework.

Tomorrow I am going to walk the mall in the morning. Hopefully, I will see you there Merilee!

Other than that, I am trying not to stress over my son and his family on the road. They leave tomorrow morning and will be here by noon on Sunday if all goes as planned. I am super excited!