Giveaways this week!

This is a picture from Tiger Mountain in Seattle. Its so pretty! Heres the giveaways this week!

• MudBug Hoover Vacuum
• Eco-Office Prize Pack worth $400!
• Babes and Kids Ipod Shuffle
• The Island Life $25 Outback Steakhouse Giftcard
• Alternative Consumer Cordless Lawnmower and Sweeper

Focus Friday

Last Weeks Goals:

• Got new makeup this week, gotta clean out the old stuff--done!
  
• Move money back to account from smarty pig--done!
• Get financial review updated--should be up tomorrow!--did it, read it! :)
• Buy a bra--i just gotta do it.--ok still didnt haha, i am saving up my swagbucks!
  
• Renew Ohio license--need the paperwork for it, Jeannie, did you get anything in the mail yet??
• Look into California license renewal--I need 5 more CEUs...i just did one this week
  
• Fix up the scrapbook page from last week, here it is
• And I made this for Jeannie
  
  
• Coupons!-done
• Make a grocery list with meals!--chicken and broccoli foil bake mmm, spinach lasagna and pasta and asparagus!
  
  THIS WEEK!
  
• Clean out purse
• send out Ebay items
• clean out the filebox
• look to see when our car insurance needs paid again
• coupons
• watch office and Greys from this week
• go to the Olympia national park rain forest
  
• chacha 5 dollars
• scrapbook one page for me and one for jeannie
  

Whats for Dinner Wednesday-Lemon-Chicken Rigatoni with Broccoli

Whats for Dinner Wednesday

Thrifty and Chic mom does a topic every wednesday to plan your meals, I am going to participate.
Lemon-Chicken Rigatoni with Broccoli

Lemon-Chicken Rigatoni with Broccoli

INGREDIENTS

2	tablespoons butter or margarine
2	cloves garlic, finely chopped
2	cups uncooked rigatoni pasta (6 oz)
2	cups Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
2	cups Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen broccoli cuts
2	cups chopped deli rotisserie chicken (from 2- to 2 1/2-lb chicken)
1 1/2	teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/4	cup shredded Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1.	In 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic; cook about 1 minute, stirring occasionally, until softened.
2.	Stir in uncooked pasta and broth. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer 11 minutes. Stir well.
3.	Spread broccoli and chicken over pasta. Cover; cook 12 to 14 minutes longer or until pasta is tender.
4.	Stir in lemon peel. Top with cheese.

Home Depot Tool Rental Giveaway!

The guys over at One Project Closer are giving away a $200 Gift Card to Home Depot for Tool Rental. With all the projects Adam has lined up for our house, he could really use the 12″ Compound Miter Saw. One Project Closer is a great blog to follow! Great tips daily!!

Financial Review For April

2009 Personal Finance Goals
This first part I got the idea from Green Panda Treehouse check them out!

Debt:

• Pay off one of adams loans Adam is doing great with this!
  
• Emergency Fund $5000 (new goal 3/09)--thanks to our tax refund we made our goal!!!!

Spending:

• Eat out no more than once a week--we went over our restaurant "budget" AGAIN! Its so hard and its getting harder living downtown with no oven. One more month...
  


• Use coupons as much as possible--we haven't spent more than 60. March- $49
  March 24- $55 walgreens $5.99 rebate and rite aid $2.00 rebate--free deodorant and free body wash
  


• Watch our spending when we come home for good--well our gas bill from feb was really high, and we arent living there. We are already starting to think of ways to improve that, but wont know anything for sure til we get home
  


• Buy a washer and dryer for house on sale with coupons! new goal 2/09 going to start saving in the housefund for this...have not started researching yet because things will change--same as last month, we know we want a front loader!
  


• Furnish house with garage sale/thrift store items until we redo the room with no more than $1000 new goal 2/09 We will be buying a bed and start using garage sales/craigslist for furniture
  
  
• Sending our taxes away to get done by professionals ($250) but I couldnt do them on my own this year, too complicated! Lets hope we dont owe anything! it costed more than we thought ($390) but it was definitely worth it!
  
  
• Applying for the New Home Buyer Credit $7500 to repay in the next 2 years Got our tax refund!
  

Frugal:

• Try to get enough CFL lightbulbs to replace all of the lights when we move in..using coupons of course --no sales on these lately, still lookin!
  


• Keep entering giveaways for gift cards to home depot for our house won a $5 barnes and nobles card, thats about it! but still entering giveaways!
  


• Savings: Save up 6 months of emergency savings currently at: $5000! Gonna cut back on depositing money into here so we can save for a washer and dryer
  


• Save up a downpayment on a car brand new Hundia accent or Nissina versa(about $10,000) currently at: $10,000! want to save about $4000 more...


• Save some of every paycheck for Roth so I can max out next year($5000) new goal added 2/09 2008 is done! finally :) now for 2009 currently i have: 208.00
  
  
• Continuing Job searching and have something set up by early may hopefully(!) new goal 4/1
  

So Here we are in April! I cant believe it! Time in flying! We are only here for one more month, then i am not sure what is going to happen. That topic has caused us a lot of stress this month. March. So work is slow again this week, so no overtime. But I did pick up some the last 3 weeks so thats awesome. We also got our tax refund! That made a huge difference in our finances this time! Lets hope I can find a job ethier in Ohio or Alaska!! We finally get to go see our house next month too!

My Short Term Financial Goals by May
Heres what we got:
Last month= blue
This month= red

Our HouseFund: $6642.39--$16,318.17(We got our tax return! I put our $7500 credit in there)
My Checkings (high interest): $3907.50--$5631.45
My Checkings (no interest):$993.06--$1911.66
CD at huntington (EXPIRED) will deposit into checking or house--or car!:$5,935(I deposited this into my car savings
Bank of America: $0 --I HAVE FINALLY CLOSED THIS ACCOUNT :)
Roth: $9230.30--10,957.64
Credit Card debt: $280--will pay this on friday when i get paid
401k: $1325.90 :(--$1462.64
**NEW 401k--$1,838.61--$2,703.32

Ok so heres the goals until May 19(the end of this assignment):

• Start contributing to my Roth this year and max out by April:: 5000.00 for year 2008!! $208 for 2009
  


• Make 2 payments to Adams loans (on top of what he pays) : Currently -$7001.87 from Direct Loan Service and -$40,538.50 from First Resource Federal I put $200 and $145 from 2 of my paychecks and we have enough thank you rewards to get $250 again!
  


• Split paychecks every 2 weeks into Mortgage payment, Roth IRA, Checking Account, and Emergency Fund and now adding, a washer and dryer fund!
  


• Get $1750 for our apt in Seattle and bank at least $100 each month--I have just used this in with my paychecks


• Continue to pay off credit card each month doing well with this


• My meal plans have worked out pretty well. We go shopping once a week and have not spent over $100.
  March- $49
  March 24- $55
  I wanted to stay under $50 oh well haha. Oh and good news, i havent blown any fuses this month. Oh and i bought chicken to make those foil wraps jean!
  


• Continue to get the deals at walgreens for a garage sale this summer with my sister!---got free gum, shaving cream and some glade candles!
  
• I am still going to use as many coupons as possible. Still tryin!


• I am also going to try to get $50 or more in Chacha extra money (went up $$142.50--$11 this month!) I am actually chachaing right now...we are at
  
  
• I have done a bunch of surveys with pinecone research. Also got a $5 amazon card from Swagbucks. If you havent signed up you should! I also signed up for 4 gift cards worth over $100 for $4!
  

So theres the update! Any thoughts are helpful. I think this month was a good one, mostly because of our tax refund! Lets hope next month is a good one too!!

Goals Initiated this year

• Biweekly Payments plus Principal on house
• Sending our taxes away to get done by professionals
• Applying for the New Home Buyer Credit $7500 to repay in the next 2 years
  

Completed Goals

• Pay off scooter by February balance=done January 10
• Pay off Jeep done! 2/1/09
• $1000 in Emergency Fund done January 16
• Emergency Fund $5000 done March 27
• Save some of every paycheck for Roth so I can max out next year($5000) done March 27
• Start contributing to my Roth this year and max out by April done March 13

Focus Friday

My goals this week:

• Start reading a new book--read Skinny Bitch it was good now reading the secret life of bees
  
• Make a scrapbook page, or two :)--I did 3 but I am gonna redo the one so heres the other two:
• Keep looking for a bra--still didnt get one
  
• Keep looking for shoes---still cant find any...
  
• Call Citi to get the $250 student loan rebate--I gotta still call them...
  
• Do the IVH CEU this week--did it, got 4 hours! Done with my CEUs for ohio!
  
• Pick up OT if possible, if not chacha--not possible. I am up to $143.55 I also did a $12 mystery shop this week, it was fun!
  
• Buy Zaks gift--sent out to him!
  
  So heres this weeks goals!
  

• Got new makeup this week, gotta clean out the old stuff
  
• Move money back to account from smarty pig
• Get financial review updated--should be up tomorrow!
  
• Buy a bra--i just gotta do it.
  
• Renew Ohio license
• Look into California license renewal
• Fix up the scrapbook page from last week
• Coupons!
• Make a grocery list with meals!
  
  There has to be more but who knows...
  

Whats for Dinner Wednesday

Thrifty and Chic mom does a topic every wednesday to plan your meals, I am going to participate.
My favorite Tilapia recipe!

Easy Baked Tilapia

INGREDIENTS

• 4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning TM, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, or to taste
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen cauliflower with broccoli and red pepper(you can get any kind of veggies you like, it still tastes great!)
  

  DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees F). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Place the tilapia fillets in the bottom of the baking dish and dot with butter. Season with Old Bay seasoning and garlic salt. Top each one with a slice or two of lemon. Arrange the frozen mixed vegetables around the fish, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Cover the dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until vegetables are tender and fish flakes easily with a fork.