The end of 2012 is fast approaching, and the year did not go as planned. This is something that I hope to correct in 2013. There are some repairs to do still to make this place as comfortable as possible as I search for a rental that fits into my budget. Renting makes more sense for a number of reasons, let me explain.
The taxes and repairs are paid by someone else, this frees up money for me to save for other things. It can help my long since degraded credit, yes I had a life once, then life happened and ruined my credit with it. A move will give me a fresh start, and as an added perk I will have more privacy in a way.
The savings goals are small still. Tax time is drawing near, and some of the return provided it is visible to the eye will be used for much needed repairs. Moving requires a suitable environment for my autistic child, cat and dog to be accommodated safetly. There is the need for two bedrooms, and a fenced in yard. I cannot get the help I need to put up a fence and I am unable to perform the task alone. I have some fencing that can be put up, but it is not enough to fence in the area that I want fenced off. It is ironic because it was just a few years ago that I had the fence taken down because the way it broke up the yard made me miserable. (Someone put it up for me, but they did not put it where I requested they put it.)
The biggest obstacle while I'm saving is to ensure that the kiddo does not suffer as a result of my efforts. My change jar is still pennies only, quarters are saved for the kid's ice cream, $2.50 a week. She doesn't eat snack, so I don't send her money to buy it and throw it away. So that's $2.50 a week I don't send with her, yes I know the amount is small.
Her new vitamin D prescription is $5 a month. That's a lot cheaper than buying it in the container sizes I can afford and having to buy it multiple times each month. My light bill is considerably lower than it was thanks to finally going back to what I believe than allowing interrence to cloud my thinking and judgement.
I have been doing some budgeting figures, currently my phone bill is $33 a month for my cell phone to allow 1500 minutes of talk time, 1500 texts and limited access to the Internet. The other phone for my child's father is on pay per minute to lower the bill from the previous $22 a month for 400 minutes. There is a device from Straight Talk for $99 that allows you to lower the phone bill to $15 plus tax a month for a home phone. I've considered majic jack, the problem with that is that the power could go out since even though you do not need an Internet connection anymore the device does require power which means in a power outage you cannot make a call. Straight Talk's device has a back up battery in the event of power outage, and has a GPS feature that works close to a window for 911 calls.
The change in phone service would allow me to simply put money on the cell phones once every three months using them for emergencies only. The number that would be associated with the Straight Talk device that works with regular phones will go with me should I find the miracle that is somewhere affordable and safe for the kiddo and pets to move during the coming year.
The phone bill is the only thing I can feasibly lower at the moment, unless my car insurance by some miracle gets paid for the full six months in advance. Well, that's about it my mind is tired and my head hurts.
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