Preparing for next Christmas

[Silly Songs]

Permanent vacation, you mention in an earlier post that your 16 year old has a car of some sort ? How did she afford it ?

[permanentvacation]

Her father gave her his girlfriend's old truck. He has her on his insurance policy and pays her insurance and gasoline. When she starts getting paychecks from the job she just started, she will have to pay for her gasoline. If it needs repairs, which it hasn't yet, but what he does with my - well our- older daughter is he tries to fix whatever needs to be fixed. He's a marine (boat) mechanic and in the past built his own racing car, so he can fix cars. If he can't fix it, he'll get his friend who owns a repair shop and is a boat customer of his to fix it in exchange for boat work.

He still pays for our older daughter's insurance and she's almost 21. But she's still in college full time and works part time. So I assume as long as our younger daughter goes to college, he'll keep paying her insurance.

As for my older daughter's truck, years ago, when he gave her her truck, he bartered boat work in exchange for the truck from his friend I mentioned above.

Both trucks are older, obviously used, and not in the best shape, but are okay first vehicles.

[permanentvacation]

I just went to Aldi's to see if I could return carts for quarters. Nope. Everyone puts their carts away and gets their quarters back.

But I did talk to the manager and they actually are currently short staffed and are looking for new employees. I told him that I only want to work on the weekends because I do daycare during the week. He said that should be fine, but he's not the hiring manager, she'd be the one to review my application and make the decision. So I took an application and am going to take it back in about an hour when I go back out.

[Laurel]

I just went to Aldi's to see if I could return carts for quarters. Nope. Everyone puts their carts away and gets their quarters back.

But I did talk to the manager and they actually are currently short staffed and are looking for new employees. I told him that I only want to work on the weekends because I do daycare during the week. He said that should be fine, but he's not the hiring manager, she'd be the one to review my application and make the decision. So I took an application and am going to take it back in about an hour when I go back out.

Well a job would be even better!

[Josiegirl]

Good luck!!! Hope it works out for you!!

[permanentvacation]

Yeah, I thought a job would be better than a couple of quarters too!

Thank you. I hope I get the job. I just turned my application in. I'm going to go up there tomorrow and try to talk to the hiring manager to let her know I turned my application and resume in and am very interested in working there.

[Crazy8]

I just went to Aldi's to see if I could return carts for quarters. Nope. Everyone puts their carts away and gets their quarters back.

But I did talk to the manager and they actually are currently short staffed and are looking for new employees. I told him that I only want to work on the weekends because I do daycare during the week. He said that should be fine, but he's not the hiring manager, she'd be the one to review my application and make the decision. So I took an application and am going to take it back in about an hour when I go back out.

I was going to ask you about getting a 2nd job. I believe your daughter is a little older so you don't need to be home in the evenings right?? When I was starting my daycare and only had my first 1-2 kids I worked nights and weekends in retail AND I had 3 young kids (well, worked there thru 2nd and 3rd pregnancies). It really sounds like you need to bring in more money, and I know getting more dck's is hard (here too!) so maybe a 2nd job is necessary for a while.

Total Money Makeover is based on the steps in Financial Peace so I am sure you know the process - sooo wish I could take the course but I am doing as best I can just from the book. I have gotten very creative with my food budget and have been throwing so much more at debt - money that I never used to think I had!!!

[permanentvacation]

I've been looking for a weekend job for a few weeks now. But everyone tells me that they have their seasonal help right now and are not hiring at the moment. I think by mid-January, I'll have better luck. That's why when Aldi's said they actually need employees now, I was thrilled! I got an application, brought it home, and within an hour took it and my resume back to them. The hiring manager isn't in today, though. I'm hoping to talk with her tomorrow.

My daughter is old enough to take care of herself and the house while I'm at work, but she does get scared/nervous and unable to sleep by around 11pm or so. So I can't work a late night or overnight shift.

I'm trying to get a weekend job between 6am-10pm. I also think (well hope) I will get more daycare kids by mid to the end of January since many people wait until after the new year to start a new job.

I tried to get a night job for after my daycare hours, but it didn't work. I usually have daycare kids until 6 -6:30, and no one will let me start an evening job at 7pm. So I have to stick with looking for just a weekend job out of the house.

I told myself that if I don't get a couple of more kids by the end of January, I will have to look for a full-time job out of the house. But if I have only 2 daycare kids, I will make what I make going out to work full-time, so I am holding out for a while for another daycare child. Plus, if I go out to work full-time, then my income will be capped at whatever that salary is, most likely about $8-10/hour for a max of grossing $400/wk. Whereas, my daycare has a potential of anywhere from $120/wk - $960/week plus the food program reimbursement. If I get 3 kids, I would make more than I would if I go out to work.

I thought, by quickly reading through The Total Money Makeover in the store, that it seemed a lot like Financial Peace. I think it just broke the steps down into more details.

I think I've done very well at lowering my expenses. Now, I need to raise my income. Then I will be able to work on paying off debt and saving.