I haven't gotten check yet, but

Just check all the ads in the newspapers. [2008-11-21]
Most stores have special coupons for early birds on Friday morning. Around here, stores open around 4 a.m. and last year we got there at 3 and stood in line in the cold just waiting to get in. Good luck. Don so unless you are first in line at those places you are usually out of luck. I know last year, people were in line at Best Buy at 2 a.m. waiting for it to open at 5.

Haven't done it for years . . . sm [2008-11-20]
but this year my 14-year-old daughter and her friend and mother are all going to try it again with me. I am looking forward to it, because I think it will be a lot of fun for me and my daughter! We don't go out too seriously, though, just for fun!!! I used to like to bag the bargains when the kids were little, but nowadays the bargains never match my list!!!

haven't been there [2008-11-20]
but just wanted to wish you well. It sounds like you are making the right decision. My husband's father is an alcoholic and from what I have heard (we have talked about it a lot) it is not pleasant for kids. You are making the right decision for them. My MIL did not do the same for her kids but my husband still wishes she had. His father is still an alcoholic and now we face the difficult decision with his influence on our children. We make the tough decisions that we feel are best for our kids. It's our job as parents and we know it is the right thing to do, despite what others within the family may say, namely the alcoholic FIL and MIL who still stands by his side and takes the abuse. Good luck. It will all work out in time.

I haven't actually figured it up...sm [2008-11-18]
But I would say about $100-$150 a week on food. There are 3 of us in the family. Me, my son, and my husband.

Check eBay. I am a doll collector and restorer on the side sm [2008-11-17]
I am also into reborning, though I have yet to have any to ebay. I tend to do very personalized custom dolls. I also sew doll clothing, but I chose not to do that this year because I have not had the right kind of time. Save my email address because I will start to have some doll clothing next year when I am no longer on hiatus. I had to take the time off because I am landscape painting this fall, now I feel badly I can't help you!

Did you check eBay? [2008-11-16]
That's the first place I check when I'm looking for something like that. I also just did a quick search on Amazon and they have American Girl things, too.

Now there's a word I haven't heard in ages....... sm [2008-11-15]
scrapple! Used to love it fried up for breakfast with eggs and biscuits.

I haven't yet, but I am already browsing [2008-11-12]
I find the cutest stuff in there for my nieces who love to primp... Fairly reasonable I think as well. Easier to do a little at a time as well...

I haven't, but need to. [2008-11-12]
I only have the one child, also, but a daughter, so I know the feeling of wanting to get that perfect gift for your one and only. She is four and wants everything, so I guess that makes it a little easier, since I can buy anything and it will be something that she wanted. Your son is going to be SO excited! What a good mommy you are.

No when I originally wrote the check [2008-11-08]
The check was a voided check to Wal-Mart and the Loan company, CNH Capital, knew that and cashed it anyway. I thought it was illegalfor someonecash a check that did not belong to them.

Check Your Email. [2008-11-08]
//

I wrote a $10 check to Wal-Mart and turned in to a $40 mistake so far. [2008-11-05]
Here is what happened. When you write a check at this Wal-Mart here, they have you sign something and give the check back. I stuck it back in my purse. They are supposed to void. I was cleaning at my purse that day and paying bills at the same time. I wrote a $250 to pay a loan. I really don A week later, i was looking at my acct online. I notice that that $10 I had written to Wal-Mart went through twice. I called the bank and asked why. They said, oh, it looks like Wal-Mart double dipped. so I was refunded the money. I don Anyway, I became concerned about why that 250 check didn They said $10 was credit to my acct. I did not connect the 2 at the time. I thought, 10, I don The man told me he would look into it incase there was a mistake. He called back the day later and said that was a $10 originally written to Wal-Mart and we cashed it. So I called the bank and told them. They then had me go to wal-mart because they said I owed them $10 back. I go to wal-mart and they say no it is the Telecheck, company they use for this service andthey thanked me for trying to clear it up and said Telecheck will be contacting me. So I get a letter in the mail saying I owe $40 plus I am not allowed to write checks anywhere that uses their service until I pay that $40 back. Whatscares me is that that check said VOID on it and that other bunch wasstill able to cash it and get their money, which I think was dishonest of them...also my bank let it go through.Now what if I were to loosea bunch of those type checks and someone cashes itAGAIN. Man I would be out a lot.Do you think any of this is right? TIA.

Well I haven't done it peacefully though (sm) [2008-11-03]
We have gone to several marriage counsellors and I have tried everything under the sun to make him understand.

That's what I was afraid of. I haven't heard of anything either. sm [2008-11-02]
Unfortunately, I decided not to call the parent as I kept thinking about our earlier conversation when I called her about her child slapping my son. She had every excuse in the book why she could not come get her child. I was insistent this child was going home because of her behavior and ended up giving in and saying she could stay based on all the excuses her mom gave me. If I was called and told my child had slapped someone at a vistor's house or anywhere for that matter, it wouldn't take me more than 5 minutes to get there and get my child. I'll just have to chalk this up to like mother, like child.

No I haven't finished it yet, but I will ...sm [2008-10-26]
post my thoughts when I do.

We put in a wood stove - I haven't used natural gas [2008-10-21]
xx

I haven't made this yet, but I got it from Allrecipes.com. I like sweet potatoes anyway so will g [2008-10-21]
6 sweet potatoes 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 pinch ground cinnamon 1 pinch ground ginger 1 pinch ground nutmeg 1 pinch ground cloves Add to Recipe Box My folders: Add to Shopping List Add a Personal Note DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter one 9x13 inch baking dish. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes; cook until tender but still firm. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl to cool. Peel and quarter. In a sauce pan, combine pineapple, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer in baking dish. Pour sauce over potatoes and bake for 45 minutes.

I haven't said you were not tolerant or that you are wrong (sm) [2008-10-16]
I am saying that as a Christian, part of our job is to show others the true meaning of your religion and to hopefully encourage others to investigate and decide to become a Christian, not to just point our finger at others. I think you are exactly right that there is a lot of evil in the world.

Right, and I haven't said we are licensed to continue living in it (sm) [2008-10-16]
But guess what? I need to lose some weight! Do you think if people on the street start pointing at me and telling me to get myself under control that I am going to do it? No! If God wants me to change something, he will convict me in my own heart and let me know it. I don't need YOU to tell me, nor does anyone else. Can you not see that?

Check your email - sent you some info [2008-10-13]
x

Check your area for reclaimed grocery stores. [2008-10-11]
That's where you can get perfectly good groceries that regular stores have returned for various reasons. Expiration date may be soon, or packaging is out of date because a promotion is over, or maybe the product was discontinued. I saw a segment on the news, and people save around 40% to 50% on their food bills.

Check-writing doesn't bother me [2008-10-11]
so much as the little old ladies with their frail eyesight and arthritic hands, bless their hearts, digging in theircoin purses for the exact change. It

Check-writing doesn't bother me [2008-10-11]
so much as the little old ladies with their frail eyesight and arthritic hands, bless their hearts, digging in theircoin purses for the exact change. It

You could check Craigslist [2008-10-05]
I suppose. You'd choose your local area. You could even make a post that you are interested in buying AG products. You'd be able to set up a special private e-mail address rather than giving somebody your actual e-mail, yet it still comes to your e-mail box. I don't get how it works, but it wasn't hard to use.

Says he was promised a job but I haven't [2008-09-30]
seen or heard from anyone calling here for him about a job. The least he could do is maybe wash a dish or two during this time but oh no. That's asking way too much.

moving out of state [2008-11-21]
Check your divorce laws in your states. Many states will not let you or your (ex) spouse move out of state without permission of the other. Some even have a mileage radius. I think it's to keep both parents close to the kids and not having one parent run far away so the other can't ever see the kids again. My kids were 5 and 1 when I was in the process of getting divorced, and I moved out of state before I realized this. Fortunately my ex realized and understood the need for me and the kids to be close to my family for support, so it was written in the papers that it was okay for me to move out of state and he signed it.

Ok curious here. What is the gas...sm [2008-11-21]
price in your town? Here it is in the $1.70s range. I havena week but that is what I am seeing now. What about you? By the way, I am in South Mississippi.

Here's my problem....sm [2008-11-21]
My dad is irresponsible and is in financial debt and doom. There is no way he can make the money to pay the bills he has accumulated. He has borrowed money he shouldnt have. Well the situation is... He has been knowing if he didn He refused to pay it. Every time he would get acheck he wouldn Well he kept not paying it for 2 months. Well yesterday they turned them out. It is freezing here. It is going to be in the 20s tonight. He said I don Well he was told and told to pay it and wouldn So now what does he do? As soon as he gets off work he comes to my house cause he don I can So I can He also said he had no money for food because he had to use it all for diesal for his dump truck. So I offered him food too. He also rumages through my cabinets for snacks. I feel like I am the parent and he is the child. My husband drives a big truck and he has been gone. When I tell him what is going on he gets aggravated because he is sitting at our house and all. He said he is a grown man and needs to step up and take care of himself but he is my dad and I can My husband will be home either late tonight or first thing in the morning and this is not going to go over too well with him. I am at a loss.

So you do regular maintenance on the computer..sm [2008-11-21]
Such as check for Windows updates, deleting your cookies and browsing history, scanning for errors, and defragmenting? If you need help with any of this let me know. I can give you instructions on it. I have Windows XP so that is the version I know about. I don't know about other versions. These things really make a difference.

Christmas Club...sm [2008-11-20]
I have three grown kids (includes 1 in-law) and I have money taken out of my paycheck through the year and whatever the amount is when I get the check, I divide that by 3 and that is how much I spend on the kids. It I put back through the year from my OT and get my husband something nice and then I just pick up a few inexpensive things along the way for a couple of other people I like to give a little something to. I don't think anybody really cares how much I spend on them, but I do try my best to be equal in what I spend on the kids, even at their ages now!

According to DH, our budget is $1,000 [2008-11-20]
But more likely I We have 3 kids. We usually get them 1 big gift to share and then round it out with smaller gifts. This year, they It The breakdown of the other $350: Parents $150, Grandma $25, Gift Exchange $60, Siblings (from my kids $20, Niece/nephew: $40, Teacher Gifts $30, Student Gifts: $15. The remaining $30 will go to Toys for Tots! Each of my kids like to pick out a $10 gift to put in. I have 3 siblings and 1 that My brother that Of course, my 2 unmarried siblings also buy small gifts for my children, so we always get them a little something from them -- usually lottery tickets or a gas card for Sheetz. $10 used to fill We do our exchange party on Christmas Eve. It keeps the kids entertained and gives them a little preview of what I have to say I enjoy Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day. It Teacher gifts kill me. It I usually go for a coffee mug with a Christmas scene or teacher saying on it and fill it with candy. Of course, DH thinks I do all this for Christmas for $1000, but why tell him and spoil it? We do a Christmas Club for $1000 every year and I just buy the other stuff here and there. We already got our Christmas gifts for ourselves -- a 46-inch LCD TV for DHand a Dooney Bourke purse with matching wallet for me. Now you all got me excited again about shopping next week. I I always wait until the day before Thanksgiving to do that so I know I won For those of you below who posted that you don Let me just say that I don I sometimes snag a deal or 2, but I learned a long time ago not to wait until Black Friday to get the most sought after items. Best to get them in Sept or Oct.

I have done it twice and never again. Last [2008-11-20]
year we were up at 3 a.m. and then ended up standing in line for almost 2 hours to check out, THEN I had to start work at 8 a.m. My daughter loves it, so she is going with my aunts this year.

My husband is oblivious to our finances [2008-11-20]
Sometimes that It sounds like maybe your husband is too proud to tell his family that he can I I would suggest talking to the leader of his family, the person who hosts the get-togethers, and let them know that you do the finances and you just don It doesn I would certainly let your husband know that you are going to say something beforehand, but he doesn I For birthdays, we take the time to call and wish that person a happy birthday. We don My brother lives about 2 hours away, so we don Unless his family is loaded, I'm sure they'll understand. As for the glasses, I just took my son for new glasses yesterday. The eye doctor said he needs a new prescription, but I asked if just the lenses could be replaced and the frames reused. He said absolutely. Our insurance covers new frames, lenses and the exam, but my son has a tendency to break things at the most inopportune time. We just bought him these glasses in June because he broke them and according to the insurance, it wasn Now that he is eligible for everything new, we asked for just the lenses. If he breaks his frames later in the year, we can just get new frames (covered by insurance) and pop the lenses in. The only problem there would be is they discontinue his frames because the new lenses probably wouldn So, something to consider here is, if your stepchild needs a new prescription and already has glasses, then I would check with your lawyer to see if you can just buy new lenses for the current frames. The frames are what normally cost the most anyway.

Too afraid of meat in restaurants now sm [2008-11-19]
Their meat may be old (sorry). If we do go, will only go to very busy place as even some bought at market are questionable. We have gift certificates which we appreciate as they are from busy places. Sometimes we have a UFO party. Unidentified freezer objects - if theycautious but things are rough right now for everyone, even the markets, restaurants, etc. I sure hope the turkeys are okay, even in good times webad ones - have to open them up and be sure. Martha likes to brine hers in salt water - not a bad idea these days to check them out before it's too late the day of or the day before. Fresh is best - wish we had our own farm as some do.

Your welcome! Don't forget to [2008-11-19]
check the theater website for coupons or a frequent visitor card. He probably wouldn't fill one out himself but you could fill it out and include it in with the gift card. Usually you can get free drinks, etc. and it will really stretch the gift card. We did a movie pack for my brother-in-law and sister-in-law last year. I found a plastic popcorn bucket at the $1 store and wal-mart had candy in the boxes (like at the movies) for a $1. Turned out to be a very cute gift if I do say so myself. We through the giftcard in there instead of buying a $3 card to go along with the giftcard.

I really appreciate this. [2008-11-18]
Notice I'm the only one who didn't post an answer? I have totally lost track & think I need to go back to the drawing board. I haven't done an actual tally in quite awhile (I think I'm afraid of what I'm going to find out). This can happen when you live alone. I live in a very small mountain community in southern California & things can be expensive up here at the regular markets. I do a Costco run about once a month & try to keep my sanity when I'm there. I make things ahead & freeze, that sort of thing. & I try not to be hungry when I go there. I make my own bread & yogurt, things I eat a lot of. I'm not a vegetarian but eat very little meat. Anyway, you all seem to be doing an incredible job, & this gives me something to aim for when I do get up the nerve to look at my spending habits. Wish me luck. Thanks!

I used to use coupons a lot [2008-11-18]
& had one of those little wallet things with tabs for organizing them. I haven't done that in years. Maybe I should get back to it. There are 2 markets up here, a vons name brands are very expensive in that store. But the produce is always a lot cheaper than at vons.

It's actually something like a second job to get the bill that low. [2008-11-18]
I spend a lot of time studying sales and clipping coupons (doubled and sometimes tripled in our area). And I use bonus cards and shop at places like Aldisauce I just use olive oil, salt and pepper, GOOD cheese, maybe a little bit of chopped ham or dried sausage as a flavoring. Add some sauteed spinach or escarole, a little salad from whatever veggies looked good at the market. Add some beans to the salad to boost the protein, and we're eating very fine! I also haven't bought canned soup in .... probably ever. I save up chicken carcasses or buy the backs to make stock. I also make veggie stock and buy beef soup bones and make my own beef broth. The home-made stocks make all the difference when cooking from scratch. I keep the grocery bills low by planning my shopping expeditions and cooking from scratch. It depends on how far you want to go with it. I love to cook. It's a creative outlet for me, so I find it relaxing. Someone else may not, in which case, buying convenience foods would lower their stress level and would be worth the extra expense.

Are anyone's children into the "Twighlight" craze? [2008-11-18]
The book series by Stephanie Meyers? It My 14 year old and her friends are absolutely crazy about the books and now that the movie is coming out itThe movie is out Friday and she already has presale tickets. I havenI have to say the movie lookslike it might be really good.

My daughter mentioned True Blood before [2008-11-18]
but I told her no way. She's only 14. I heard about the series, but I haven't had a chance to watch it. If I had a moment to read, I'd like to read the Twilight books myself, but I just can't seem to find a minute to do any reading. My daughter is going on Friday with her Twilight school group and then again on Saturday.

Did you check eBay? [2008-11-16]
That's the first place I check when I'm looking for something like that. I also just did a quick search on Amazon and they have American Girl things, too.

Always thirsty [2008-11-15]
I drink water all day long and still usually feel thirsty. I have very dry skin too. It just feels like the water evaporates right out or something. I'm sure there might be an underlying issue. (I haven't been to the doctor in several years but really can't afford it right now.) I have had abnormal thirst for a few years now. Anyone else have this problem?

Extended warranties are the biggest waste - sm, [2008-11-15]
of money, and the all time scam of the century. The couple times I was d*u*m*b enough to buy one they never, never paid for themselves. I never buy them now, haven't for years and have never had a problem with any of the products I bought that offered them. Believe me the companies that offer them (just about everyone) are laughing all the way to the bank....they take in way more then they ever have to pay out for repair work/replacments, etc.

What I 'used' to do [2008-11-14]
They had a store in my area where you could buy canned goods without labels by the case. That was nice. The store is no longer there. If there is astore that have off-brand names, buy there. For example,I bought 16 ounces of extra virgin olive oil from Italy for $4.99. There is also a store in my area that have name brands but they are close to expiration. I haven't been there yet, but you can buy Hamburger Helper at 4 for $5 every day. Buy store brands instead of national brands. When there is sale, buy more than one and use coupons whenever possible. Two other stores have sales where you can buy items 10 for $10. Examples of the items are Betty Crocker Specialty Potatoes, canned tomatoes, tuna, pasta, Pregoor Hunts spaghetti sauce, ketchup, etc.I stock up then. Canned and dehydrated items are good items to stock up on, as are canned meats (good for casseroles). Butter and cheese is a bit tough to store. They say you can freeze butter without much of a problem, and I tested cheese, but it crumbles when it thaws. If you have a farmer's market in your area, buy tomatoes and freeze them. They're good for casseroles and soups. Peppers and onions freeze okay for the same reason. I don't like frozen green beans, but they freeze well, as does corn. Root veggies keep well in a cool, dry place for a few months. A book I have said you can keep them for a few months if you put them in a box andcover withsawdust (I haven' t tried this). They supposedly also keep well in the ground itself if you cover with large bales of hay. If you live in a city, that could be a problem.

Thank you for posting... [2008-11-14]
I haventhe smart one can weigh heavily on you. I still feel guilty for not being as successful as other people expected me to be at this point in my life. At times I think everyday life would have been a little happier if I had been a little more average or if I had realized that the only person I have to make happy right now is myself :)

If I don't shampoo my hair every day...sm [2008-11-13]
It is so oily the next day it looks like I haven't washed it in a week. I have to wash it everyday. It would be nasty if I didn't. I wish I didn't but I do.

Gay Marriage Legalized in Connecticut [2008-11-13]
NEW HAVEN, Conn. � Same-sex couples began marrying in Connecticut on Wednesday after a judge cleared the way, a partial rebound for gay-rights activists still enraged over the vote last week that cost them the right to wed in California.Protests spread across the country over the loss in California, but in New Haven, bubbles and white balloons bounced in the chilly autumn air as well-wishers cheered the marriage of Peg Oliveira and Jennifer Vickery. They wed outside City Hall, next to a statue commemorating the Amistad slave ship's struggle for freedom, less than two hours after a judge made gay marriage a reality in Connecticut.

My Rottie did the same thing [2008-11-13]
He loves everybody. He will get up and see who is coming in, but if we tell him okay, he goes back and lays down. We had some repairs being done after a leaking roof. Painters and carpet installers in and out. Roofers on the house. All sorts of noise and men for a few days. The day after they finished the work, I was home by myself, andone of the carpet guys came back and knocked on the door. When I opened the doormy Rottie got between me and the screen door, growled a low serious growl, and his hair on his back came up. The guy wanted to come intocheck on the carpet job. I told himthe carpet was fine, I would call the store if there were any problems, and closed the door. A few weeks later the same guy raped a woman the day after he had been to her house installing carpet. Turns out he didn I trusted my dog Although I don't know what the guy was thinking that he could come in and hurt me without fighting off me and the dog, but you never know!

Slightly different perspective. [2008-11-13]
So maybe I shouldn't post about this since I have not exactly been in your shoes but I think possibly I can lend a help perspective. I lost my father to cancer when I was 19. My FIL is an alcoholic. No I didn't grow up in a divorced family or without a father through my childhood and no I haven't experienced my father being an alcoholic. What I feel I can tell you is there is such a thing as being too late to say the things you wanted to say, good or bad. If it does come to that, you will never let it go. He is still your father regardless of the choices he has made in his life. You only have 1 father. After seeing my FIL, I believe alcoholism is an illness. Sure people can fight it and get help if they wan, but it takes a very, very strong person to overcome it and it is a constant battle. From the sounds of your post it seems as though you have some things you need to get off of your chest. Whether that means sitting down and talking to him or putting the past in the past and moving on with any kind of relationship - I think only you can figure that out. Even a relationship that is only on holidays and important events is still a relationship. Who knows, maybe talking to your mom would help her as much as it might help you. It certainly can't be a short conversation, it needs to be thorough to get through the surface feelings and to the nitty gritty. Maybe, just maybe, your mom could shed some light for you on why she has been able to forget the past to a certain extent and move on. If nothing else, this might make you and your mom even closer and it sounds like no one else (professional or otherwise) would understand better than her. With my FIL, we do not stay when he is drunk or starts drinking. The entire family knows we pack up and leave, regardless of the situation. It hurts his feelings sometimes I can tell, but he knows the circumstances and we have small children that we will not subject to that. It was difficult at first but over the years it is just the way it is and no one says a word anymore and respects where we are coming from.

Been there done that [2008-11-13]
If you haven't already, read books about Adult Children of Alcoholics. My dad was a serious alcoholic who managed to hold down 2 full time jobs. He was either coming home drunk in the middle of the night and waking up everyone fighting with my mother, or when he would have a day off, he was an awesome fun Dad. He never drank at home or in front of us. So it was very confusing. Fast forward many years, at 63 he was diagnosed with cirrhosis and bleeding ulcers and had an emergency subtotal gastrectomy because he almost died. From there on, he stopped drinking because he had to, not because he wanted too. He died less than 3 years later. He lived with me for the last 2 years and I took care of him, and we became very close. It didn't erase all the bad stuff, but I was at peace when he died. I would try to make amends with your Dad now and let go of the past, because to put it bluntly you are a big girl now and you can't be angry about your childhood forever. It is not healthy.