Saving Money

So I don't usually get my bank statement and check it out or even balance my account.  I know how much I have and just roll with it.  Well today is a new day and I deceided to write down my personal monthly bills and when they come out of account.  Boy Oh Boy was I shocked.  Now remember this is my personal account NOT our household or Mr. C's account.  Which is a blessing because my way would drive Mr. C. crazy.  He knows to the penny how much is in his accounts.  He also is the one who does our household finances for each month.  That is how I like it and it works for us.  Yes every two weeks we sat down at the dining room table and discuss the bills as he writes the checks for them.  I don't write checks as I have everything come out of my account automatically each month.  So you see we have very different ideals in how to handle our bills. 
  Anyways I am paying on five small insurance premiums.  So I deceided I didn't need that many so I cancelled 2 of them today. Which will save me $26.80 a month or looking at it for a year that savings is $312.60!  I am going to cancel another one of the small insurance premiums that runs me $56.40 a month. That savings over a year will be $676.80.  Then I called T~Mobile and cancelled a phone line that wasn't in use as well as internet on a phone line that is hardly ever used.  Thus saving $40.00 a month.  I really wanted to cancel two of the phone lines but I couldn't unless I wanted to pay $200.00 termination fee.  So these few small savings is adding up to $123.20 a month! Over the course of the year that is a whopping $1478.40 a year!! This is just from looking at finding a few places I could cut corners.  Am I done with looking? No not at all!  I may cause a small war at our house but am fixing to cut down on our dish network bill as well! Am going to try to bring it down from $103.25 a month to around $90.00 or less. 
  Now back to the insurance topic I wasn't even sure what I was actually paying for I knew I needed to drop Trevor's accidental policy as he has a better policy now.  I knew I was paying for accidental policy for me that was small then I had a policy that was $30.00 a month, had no clue what that was for.  When I called she was telling me (because that was the one I wanted to cancel) it was accidental as well as sickness.  I had just went to the emergency room June 19th and that I would get a small check for that.  What? I couldn't believe it!  Okay so let me insert here I am totally ignorant on insurance policys and such.  So when I fax in the paper work from the ER room I will get a few dollars from that!  The insurance lady also told me she would send out papers for me to fill out on Trevor's policy and I might qualify for a small rebate on his policy.  Which says to me that if you take some time looking over bills or calling and talking to someone you might end up with some extra money in your pocket.  It sure made me a believer today. What are you waiting for go get some bills out and double check them and line your pockets with some of your own hard earned cash!
I hope I haven't bored you to tears today!  I am super excited about saving some money and it was painless!

Magnetic Make~up board

Do you ever see crafts on Pinterest and think I can do this? Well this is one of them crafts that I saw recently and went for it.  It turned out wonderful! I painted my frame a brown and used brown and aqua fabric.  I hung it up in our bathroom.   I so want to make some of these for gifts for my nieces. They will make excellent Christmas gifts.  Mr. C. even helped me with the project.  This is a project that YOU can do!! So what are you waiting for get a used or old picture frame, get to a hardware store have them cut you a piece of sheet metal the size you need, get some heavy magnets,  hot glue glun, fabric of your choice, spray paint of your choice.  I sprayed my frame 2 days before I started on project wanted it nice and dry.  Went to our local hardware store and had Greg cute me a piece to fit in my frame, got it for $2.00. went to walmart to get brown spray paint, and my fabric.  I already had hot glue gun and heavy duty magnets at the house.  If I hadn't wanted to match the bathroom I could have used some fabric I had on hand. I spent about $12.00 total on this project.  I still have almost a full can of brown spray paint and lots of fabric left. I had bought a yard of material and only used a 16 X 24 piece of fabric. I had found my frame at the flower shop in the back and asked Tammie if I could have it and of course she said yes.  I will go hunting at goodwill for some cheap frames soon!  This didn't take a long time to do at all. Am thinking I have less than 2 hours invested in this project.
Do you have a easy craft you want to share with me? I would love for you to share them with me?

Beautiful Tuesday

I called my step~mom this morning and was going to drop by her flower shop with a few goodies I had picked up for her.  She wasn't at work so I called and she was at the local convience store getting a drink (her favorite is Pepsi).  So I meet up with her and gave her gifts to her, which really surpised her.  I had bought her a pair of black bling flip flops, a hot pink manicure set and a pink Tshirt with a religious saying on it that I knew she would like.  So here's the funny part I was wearing the exact flip flops and wearing the same colored shirt but different saying on it...lol!! I made sure she knew I didn't get matching Tshirts which she wouldn't have minded. 

I had picked up Mr. C's gift for Father's Day this weekend.  I will have it at home when he gets in late Thursday night.  I bought him a lime green pail ( to use when he washes him truck) then I bought him tire cleaner, engine cleaner, window cleaner and towels and a mitt and car freshner and a few other odd and ends.  He will be mad at me for getting him something for Father's Day but he will get over it when I tell him its from Brody and Alisha and I. 

Tonight I have plans on going home and cleaning on the master bedroom.  It so needs it really bad.  I am wanting to redo our bedroom all the way from wall decor to bedding to accessories.  Do any of you have any good ideals?  I have been looking on ebay and such for something that catches my eye.


Guess I need to get off computer and get something accomplished.

Mr. C not well

Mr. C left for work this morning at 4:30 am and he was fine.  At 8am I get a call and he isn't doing too well.  It takes 3 hours for the trip back home from Elk City  I get him loaded up and we go to Southwest Medical Center and ran many test on him.  The Cat Scan came back and he has sludge in his gallbladder, kidney stones and a hernia behind his belly button. Wow we might not needed to know about kidney stones and hernia because he will worry about all that.  4 hours later we left and he was feeling much better. 

I have been working on label bags and friendship books.  They are fun and addicting to do!

Sent Mail

Today I made it to the post office and sent off alot of mail.  I sent 4 postcrossing postcards off, 2 packages of friendship books and label bags,  a swap for swap bot, and a book to a swap bot friend.  I bought  quite a bit of different stamps with the cents printed on them. I have gotten some old unused stamps that I am fixing to use on my outgoing mail.
I am going to get caught up with my pen pal letters this coming weekend. I think I have about 4 letters to get caught up on.  I need to finish up on getting friendship books and label bags sent off to new homes. Does anyone have tips on how to keep fb's and lb's organized?  I am slowly getting a few regular swappers and so I need to figure out how to sort them and not send them the same ones they have already signed.  I am sure I will get it all figured out at some point.

      

http://www.flickr.com/photos/56907490@N02/  These are images from ghostlysun 79's flickr photos. I so love these friendship books! I need to learn how to be more creative when I make them!! Her's is like minature art.

I am looking for a couple more pen pals..If you would like to become a pal let me know.
kraftykarenj@gmail.com

Have a wonderful day!!

I am a winner!

I entered in a simple contest over at Vanessas 52 weeks of mail blog and won a small deer notebook and 6 handmade notecards! How awesome is  that? I love her blog and have been reading it awhile, its about the fun mail she receives and sends.  She sends out a lot of cool pen pal envelopes and such.

Again I will say that I admire bloggers who keep to one special topic.  I am all over the place depending on what I feel like writing about for the day.  I did send out a batch of colorful mail today and even took a photo of it at the post office.  Can't upload STILL because of computer being down..I really just need to make the call and get it taken care of now!

I may go watch my friend Cherrie barrel race tonight over at Ardmore Oklahoma.  I think that would be fun and something that I normally would never do.  No plans for tomorrow and Sunday and Monday I will go to Elk City to see Mr. C! 
               
These are images I got off of photobucket...

Well I think I will close here.  I must get busy making a special candy bouquet!!