A house? Maybe? 1/29/2007

Well then...here I am. All in one piece.

I am amazed that I haven't written my PSJ in nearly three months...I should send myself to my room. (Hopefully the baby will be asleep and DH won't be - what are the odds of that happening??) I've missed this, actually. Writing has always been very therapuetic for me, and since I am a visual person it really helps me to see my goals and accomplishments down in print.

Where to begin? Well, the Ukrainians went home after Thanksgiving, and although I love them to death, one month of houseguests should be named as an official form of torture for women. Christmas came and went, and I was quite proud of the amount of money I DIDN'T spend! I learned a great deal this year about true gratitude, and how no matter how much you spend on some people they will never be satisified, so you just give them something you got as a freebie, smile and walk away. We had a good holiday overall.

January sucked frog's toes, let me tell you.

I began the month with my annual case of nasty bronchitis, which kept me home from work sick as a dog for two days (unheard of!). DH was in bed for an entire week last week with pneumonia. The baby came down with rotovirus Saturday and has vomited and/or pooped on everyone who has come within three feet of him in the last 24 hours. He's actually thrown up on his father six times (DH feels the need to keep track for some reason). Between the three of us we've been to the doctor eight times this month. That's $160 in copays....ugh.

We've shuffled our debt around so that now all but a few hundred dollars are at 0%. Those few hundred aren't even worth the BT fees. Our overall CC debt is $5000, which is down from $9900 in October 06 and down from $14,500 in March 06. Wow. I am very impressed with us!

It's been a good month in the deals as well.
Publix has been my bestest number one friend forever this month. I got 60 bottles of apple juice, 12 bottles of Welchs juice, 50 some odd six packs of Motts applesauce, and 60 pounds of Muellers pasta. Most of it was free or close to free.

Which leads me to our biggest deal for the month (possibly our lives....)

DH and I began looking at houses and feeling out mortgages this month. I have been dying for a house of my own since we got married and every credit card paid off has brought me closer and closer. We have been wishing and dreaming about this perfect gated community with sidewalks and streetlights and gorgeous homes with younger families like ours next to an outstanding elementary school. We talked about a four bedroom (we'd like to stay in this house a good long while), but knew that a three would be more realistic for our budget. We knew our price range, and a four bedroom in this particular community was...ahem...not gonna happen.

Then our realtor called.

"A three year old home in _______? FOUR bedrooms? Fenced back yard, security system, ________, __________, _________ (insert all the rest of Mary's house wish list here). And they want HOW MUCH for it?????"

The house has been on the market four months, and the seller is desperate to sell due to financial reasons. They have dropped the asking price $50,000, and took our offer below their asking price. We have ordered a home inspection (to make sure it isn't the HOUSE making them desperate) and a title search so that their financial issues become our gain, not our problem. I have compared lenders, offers, insurance rates, and filled out applications until I was sure my head would explode. I have figured and refigured our budget because I refuse to overextend myself, even for my dream. It is a house, after all, and there are thousands more out there just like it.

Wow. I can't believe I actually said that.