I know how it feels to be back on track - it feels good! It's definitely a mental thing. In Jan. I had blood work done and my cholesterol numbers were too high! Rather than give up and go on meds, I decided to get serious with diet/exercise. Fast forward to July I've lost 30 lbs. and my weight is back in the normal range BUT my cholesterol only went down a couple points Still glad I lost the extra pounds and I'm determined not to go back to my old ways. Keep up the good work!
To answer your Southwest question - I rebooked one leg of a flight to get the lower fare so had a credit coming that I could use 1 year from the date the original air fare was booked. When I went in to book another trip, on the payment screen it gives you the option to use the fare credit - I had to enter the flight confirmation ID from the original flight. Then I just had to pay the difference - it was very easy!
Yes - it feels really good... I know it's only really been a couple of weeks, but it makes a difference - especially on my mind.
That is awesome that you've lost 30lbs!
Such a bummer that your cholesterol isn't cooperating though... Just know that you are doing good things for your body anyways, and hopefully your cholesterol falls into place properly.
Congratulations to you for moving in the right direction!!! I am super proud of you!
Ahhh... That is good to know. So, if I choose to get a voucher refund, I'll need to take another trip?
Hmmmm... LOL
Sounds like you had a good day yesterday
How exciting that you may have found a China hutch.
Thank you so much
I did... How are you doing today?? I hope you are doing OK.
Yes - I did, but when we got there, it was gone... I was so disappointed.
Sending you extra hugs today my friend.
Hope you found a hutch D - can't wait to see! I have been poking around a little for a small cupboard kind of like your coffee hutch - its hard to find something small.
Yay for Disney updates next week! Can't wait to hear.
Mexican food; I can find something to eat fairly healthy, but those darn chips and salsa they serve beforehand. Gets me every time. Love, love, love Chipotle. I get the same thing every, single time.
I've been peeking in on your auction - as usual the bags are amazing. I will own a D original one day!
Is Allison's Paris trip coming up soon?
Stay strong and have a good week ahead! Hugs and prayers always.
Yes - I am still looking for a different cupboard type thing to go there, the one I have isn't working out very well. I've since had to move the coffee pot back to the counter top. However, my mugs are still in that little cupboard - so that is working out really well, not having them in the regular cupboards... and having my travel mugs in the shoe organizer has been the BEST thing ever! They are always together, they are never falling out when I open my cupboard doors (not that I have those either, LOL) and they are orgazined so nicely.
I hope you are able to find something that works well for your space.
Well, I have time today - so I think I am going to do my Disney update today.
I know - right? Those darn chips!!! UGH!!!! I know this, yet I still dig in, I know that once I have one, it's all over for me.
Thank you!
Yes - Allison's trip to Paris is coming soon... I don't want to give out specifics here, but yes - it's soon.
Thanks Carol - sending you hugs and prayers too!
Sounds like a nice day. You're doing so great with your lifting!
Mexican is my absolute favorite, too!
I've been having some pretty good days lately - it feels good to be back on track again.
I know!!!! I just love it! I love other foods too (Um ~ all of them), but mmmmm... Mexican is the best!
Lillian, just wanted to say how sorry I am about your pets. I know this has been a hard year for you. Hugs, my friend.
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So yesterday... I drank coffee all morning. LOL It was just one of those days.
Josh had something going on until noon yesterday... When he came home, we hooked up the trailer and headed into the metro... This China hutch had been on Craigslist for well over a week - and I had been watching it... It was the exact size and exact look I wanted. It started at $48 and had dropped down to $24... So even at it's first price, it was well within my budget... (cabinet shown in the center of pic with the curvy front)
Even though it was on Craigslist - it was in a store... So I contacted the store yesterday morning and it was still available. We drove an hour +, with the trailer, and by the time we got there, it was gone. I was soooooooo sad. I had several opportunities to buy it over the last week or so, and I never did. I am really kicking myself over that one. I just keep telling myself that there will be another one, in my price range... and I don't have to have it immediately - I have time. But it was still a bummer. Oh well.
So, we took the long way home... Stopping at Goodwills and other thrift stores on the way... Trying to console ourselves... and justify the fact that we were hauling around an empty trailer.
But no luck... All we found were 2 Tervis mugs at Goodwill for $1 each... They aren't the greatest - but at least one is Disney.
And the replacement lids alone are like $4??? So, they were a good deal.
I tried to console Josh a little bit, by offering to strap the Tervis' down on to the trailer... He didn't see my humor.
Home we went - we had to drop V off at work... While we were in town, we went out for dinner... It was delicious... Just a little cafe in town, but they do good food.
Then we sat around all night, and were lazy. It's rare that I get a lazy night when I don't have a HUGE list of things that need to be done... So, there was no guilt at all last night. It was kind of nice, but also kind of odd.
Today will be much the same as last night... Seriously debating on digging out those chalk paints I got from JoAnn's a few weeks ago, and seeing if I am any good at that?
LOL
A couple of photos from Allison over the last few days...
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Disney budget update
I am not sure if you guys get into the whole Disney budgeting "thing", but I do. I hate planning for it - but I love it when it comes together. Typically, when we stay at WDW, I just bring a whole stack of GCs + $40 cash ($20 for in the airport on the way there and $20 for on the way home)... But staying at SoG... I need to do things a little differently.
We all know there are different categories when planning a trip... There's airfare, which is always a huge unknown... Tickets... Food (many people don't think to budget for food and it's a biggie)... Resort... Plus all the little things that really add up... Tax... Tips... Town car... Souvenirs... Baggage... Some people have
stroller rentals... So, I thought I would share my budget with you all - there are so many variables that happen with trip planning, but I am at a point now where I have numbers dialed in on all of it - mostly.
Resort (10 days) - $766 - due to the way I booked and the promtions, I've had to put down a pretty big percentage of deposits, so my balance is $507, due at check in... This is usually the very last thing I save for.
Airfare r/t MSP to MCO - $750 - My original budget was $600, but it just wasn't coming down... So, I re-evaluated and bumped it up to $800. I've booked and paid for it already, but I am still checking back - several times per day - for refunds.
Tickets - 4 day parkhopper salute ticket for V - $198 - Remember, I have an AP this year, so the only ticket I need to purchase for this trip is V's parkhopper.
Food - $1200 - as all of us know - this is one of the biggest variables... A person can spend a
LOT or just a lot. LOL No matter how you do it - food still costs so much. Within my food budget, I also figure tax and tip where necessary. There are some days where we have 2 sit down meals, and some days where we have all counter service meals, and days were we have a mix... My total DISNEY food budget for this trip is $1200. I know that seems like a lot - and it is, but like I said, we like our Disney meals... and this is a celebration trip for V. But, due to our first trip in 2003, and not bringing enough $$ with for food... I learned my lesson, and I always bring enough for food, and then some, just in case. $1200 includes all of my buffers. LOL
Town Car - r/t MCO to SoG $150 - This is regular price, including tips both directions. In the past, I've been able to find discounts for the service I prefer to use, but if they are to be found - it won't be until closer to our trip.
Then we have a few extras thrown in...
MNSSHP, because that's an extra on TOP of the extra I've already allowed for V to choose - she is paying for that one on her own. She has been working hard and saving hard for this and we will be ordering those tickets this week.
MNSSHP - $200 - This is V's responsibility to pay for - Not much to say about this... LOL It is what it is. It allows us an extra admission into MK though - and over a 10 day trip, only having a 4 day parkhopper for V, this helps a lot.
Then, as V's graduation trip extra... She has also chosen Universal... This is a HUGE expense, and not one I look forward to paying for... Just this portion of the trip alone costs us about $500 for ONE day... Is it worth $500? Probably not, but it is fun and it's what V wanted to do as her extra. Within this - I have to budget separately, because, for some reason, Universal doesn't accept Disney GCs...
LIke Allison - we will be spending one day here, and we will be doing this one with Santos.
Universal tickets - $310 - This includes park to park admission for 3 days... It's their "military salute ticket variation" 3 park to park days for the price of 1... even though we only go for 1 - I buy the 3 days just in case, since it's the same price. However, since I already used one for myself this year - there may/may not be some sort of rule that I can only get it once... If that's the case - I will just buy a regular 1 day park to park ticket for the same price. Make sense?
Cash food - $475 - now this might be strange for some of you... but since we are staying at SoG and they don't take Disney GCs either... I need cash for the airport, plus cash for our morning Starbucks & any snacks/food/restaurants we choose to purchase while we are at SoG... Plus, I need cash for our our food & souvenirs at Universal. So, this is a lot more cash than I usually take (BTW, it's not really in the form of cash - LOL - but it's the equivalent).
Souviniers - $ unknown - So, this is the final, final thing I pay for... It's usually determined by "what's left" at the end of our trip... I usually have a couple of items in mind when I go, and I try to bring with enough for those. This trip - I'd like to replace my Splash Mountain coffee mug... I'd also like to purchase my 2016 Alex and Ani bracelet... And maybe a sweatshirt/t-shirt or something... So, I'd really like to have about $200 with for that stuff, at least. But, like I said - I don't save for that until everything else is paid for.
Any of my Disney GCs, I purchase at Target - I know the 5% savings off of that purchase isn't huge, especially since the only thing I'll really be using the Disney GCs for on this trip is Disney food and souvenirs... but over the course of the trip, the 5% still allows me an approximate additional $75 in GCs for my $$... And sometimes, that equals my only souvenir $$, so I will take it.
If you add it all up... The grand total for this trip is $3849... That is EVERYTHING though - except for souvenirs... I honestly don't know how I'd pull it off if we didn't have the benefit of staying at SoG... That $79/night room rate really helps us out a lot. It makes the planning a little more difficult, as far as trying to figure out how much I need to bring for cash & Disney GCs... Plus the added cost of a town car... but in the end, it's worth it... Deluxe accommodations for the cost of less than Value... I can do that.
So there you have it...
What do I have paid for? And what do I have left to save for? Let's just say that I am well on my way...
And what isn't paid for already, has a plan of attack for saving... This trip is right on track for being paid in full before we ever leave. I am very proud to say that I've never incurred any credit card debt from any of our trips, thus far... I always find a way to pay cash for them before we leave.
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So... I hope you all enjoyed that little budgeting how-to... LOL
And I hope you have a fabulous remainder to your weekend!
D~