Good Riddance HSBC!

Good riddance HSBC! No more car loan! It's paid off! My title to my car is mine mine mine mine mine mine mine mine! 400 dollars to save now or invest. It's a wonderful thing!

Investing in myself.

I have been in a bit of a holding pattern the last 2 years focusing on things other than technology. I am an engineer and I really need to get back into the game by picking up some new skills. My new job consist of working with firewall in a way that I had never used. So I picked up this book from amazon tonight used for 29.00! Pretty good deal considering it retails for 59!

I have started to look into some online classes maybe even pick up a degree. At this point in my career I'm not sure if a degree will help me in my current job. Decisions, decisons.

Groceries and Life.

I always knew I spent a lot on groceries but it seems over the last few days I really feel like I'm spending so much. These are things that I really do need however. So I guess there is no way around it unless I buy in bulk. I do have a limited amount of space for storage so that isn't much of an option now. When I buy the house this year that will change! :)

So today I'm feeling pretty good looking over my budget, I'm doing really well. I feel like I'm budgeting but not really trying to at the same time. I have begun to realize over the last few years how much I was blowing on so many small things I really never needed, here is an example. I would buy multiple finance magazines and art magazines.Why? When I can read the same articles word for word online! This does not apply to art books though, I'm pretty much in love with those and only buy them used. My favorite prize is a Richard Avedon book that retailed for 70.00 I bought it for 25.00 used and the photographs are beautiful!. Btw I bought the book at Edward Mckay used books.

Coming off the weekend!

I actually did fairly good this weekend cash wise. I went the grocery store and picked up a few things. Total 34.93! :)

I will actually have to do my full grocery shopping this weekend though. I have thought about maybe getting a Costo account or something along those lines. It seems like Wal-mart is fairly inexpensive though.

The weekend is not over!

I'll have to post my totals Sunday night of what I spent this weekend. The kids and I went to my parents house. They did not have groceries so I bought groceries for the household. Wow. It never ends. I am proud of myself though. Saturday night I went out with friends and spent a total of 16 dollars at the bar. Which is actually pretty good for me. I told myself I had 20 to spend and that was it. :) 2 beers what a markup. Also I'm a bit mad that I got 20 dollars out of the Bank of America atm which charged me a whole 3 dollars. I'm disturbed about that one.

Bad day.

Ok, so my day started off pretty stressful running around getting things for daughter blah blah blah. Not so bad typical dad stuff. It took a nosedive once I got to the dentist. I had a chipped tooth and had made an appointment for it as well as to get my fangs cleaned. Well after getting my x-rays the dentist tells me that I need two root canals! He goes on to describe in the xrays where the problem areas are. I actually brush my teeth twice a day and floss also so this was pretty stunning to me. I get the teeth cleaned no prob, we set a date for the root canals the next available date was going to be in April however the nurse said they could get me in right now someone had canceled. I'll make this short. It sucked, it sucked real bad. I have never had a panic attack before but it felt like I was having one while my face was being pummeled. It gets worse, not thinking to check about my deductibles I was presented with a 90.00 bill. So not only is my face numb and I'm drooling I have to fork out over 90.00 dollars I had not budgeted for. So let's take a look at daddyfinance's losses today.


92.80 for Fangs
10.00 for pain meds
12.01 Groceries.
8.51 cents for McDonalds because I'm in so much pain right now I don't feel like cooking.

Total losses 123.32 cents

I am a bit wary in calling the dentist bill and meds a loss because I did needed the surgery. I am calling it a loss because I did not think ahead about the deductible as well as average cost of meds.

What do you think?

Here in my car.

I am about to pay off my car which I have had for awhile. I only have about 336 dollars left before I get the title. Part of me says to go out and get a new car something brighter, flashier than my almost 5 year old car. I believe I deserve to drive something "fancy" I have worked pretty hard for it. I have friends with much lower incomes driving much better cars than me, I can say I do get a little envious when I hear their much better sound system see the leather interior as well as feel the smooth acceleration in their cars while driving down the freeway. However then reality kicks in, I am about to start putting back over four hundred dollars a month now! No car payment! It's just a car sure I'd feel very cool in a new ride, but I feel much better putting that money away instead. Because inevitably that new ride will just become another old car.