Went over my mom's budget again since she got paid friday. She's in "OK" shape I would say. I did have to send her $150.00 towards the $325.00 property taxes. No choice here as there was a $40 late fee plus high interest rate if it was late. She would like to start putting money into a separate account for the property taxes, but she's just not at that point yet. She doesn't know that I already started an account and there is 50.09 (yay interest!) accumlated so far. No harm done for me at this point since I can always dump that money back into my main account if she manages to find the money before the next payment is due this summer. Well, after all is said and done, she has just over 20.00 to get by until 12/14. Gonna be tough with Christmas coming and her known spending habits. She did buy some groceries and gas up her car. She was conscious of staying below the $80.00 I had budgeted between the two expenses. Keeping my fingers crossed here! If she can make it, and also not run out of fuel to heat the house, then she can make a payment to the heating company for another delivery next check. We're just not sure when she will run out.

We went to Mystic Aquarium yesterday using some free passes I received this summer. I don't think I would pay full price to get in there, but well worth it for free! It just cost us the gas to get there plus $4.12 we spent at BK for lunch. My husband was like a little kid around the penguins!! I could have stared at the fish, especially the cichlid display, for hours. I'm a cichlid junkie and he has quite the soft spot for penguins. They are quite cute!



The aquarium gave me a good chance to try out my new camera. It takes GREAT videos! Pics are ok, but it's really tough to take pictures of fish in tanks. I've mastered it at home, but I think people would have looked at me funny if I had been laying on the floor to take pics. That's really the only way I've found it to work.

In other finacial news, we're really looking forward to the new year so we can "renegotiate" our allowances. Neither of us feels it's enough to do what we want to do. There will be more wiggle room next year since we'll be saving so much on our health insurance premiums.

Hmmmm.... I also got my boss to agree to pay me for my days I was unable to use this year! I also have to work on Dec. 22 and 29 (office closed the 24th and 31st) since I can't afford to lose Monday and Tuesday of my weeks. To make up for this, boss will pay me for hours worked (I'm salaried so this is extra) plus one day pay plus one extra day off next year. Not a bad deal since I'll only have to work maybe half a day. Sure beats coming in those Mondays. Too bad DH has to work on the 24th - until 6 pm.
And we have a party to be at 2 hours away! He'll never make it. I'll already be up in NH and he'll be commuting from there.

Enough from me for now!!