I found out last week that I am “self-employed.” My employer labeled me as a contract laborer and I got a different form instead of a W2. I tried to file this using Turbotax, like I do every year. Because I am self-employed, I was not able to use Turbotax, unless I wanted to upgrade and pay $14.95. Last night, I decided to use the upgraded version and Turbotax would take the fee at the end of the process.
As I delved further into this process, I wanted to write off my miles, because, as you guess, my employer did not reimburse me for my mileage either. As I was filling out Turbotax, it would not let me imput my miles, I had to call for assistance. I got so fed up, that Hubs and I made an appointment with H&R Block for tomorrow (this afternoon).
Boy, are we glad we did.
We brought all of our documents and talked with a really nice lady who asked us lots of questions to make sure we got all sorts of stuff written off, like Al’s school and books for school. My office supplies for my job, etc.
Because I was self-employed, my taxes were not taken out. Come to find out, when you are employed by a company, the company matches the taxes that are taken out of your paycheck. So if you are self-employed, you owe 7.65% of what you made PLUS the other 7.65% of what your employer would have paid. Ouch. My employer did not tell me that…
Due to my situation being so complicated, it cost us $368 to talk to this lady. I know, very expensive. But here’s the kicker: I didn’t have to pay any taxes. We got a refund. How much you may ask? $1450.
$1450!!!! Plus the 10% of each paycheck for 2009 I’ve been saving in an account in order to pay back my taxes.
Now we’ve got some money for a down payment on a house!
The morale of this story is, don’t do your taxes yourself. Go to H&R Block.
I have been neglecting my blog. I have no excuse, other than I just didn’t want to have to go through my receipts and add totals anymore. Yes, I am still saving LOADS of money using coupons, but no, I will no longer be telling you about it. It was for my benefit anyway. But if there is a great sale going on, I will definitely share that info with you.
I will be keeping this blog for things that most people blog about. Since you last heard from me, I have read the classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll in honor of the new movie coming out that I am looking forward to seeing!
This book was short, an easy read, and fun. When it ended, I was left confused because the way I have heard the story ended with much more information. Come to find out, Lewis Carroll had written a sequel, Through the Looking Glassand I believe that is where the remainder of the story lies.
Now I am reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
It’s a bit tough to read because it is told by Huck, who uses deep south jargon and accent. The adventurs are getting exciting though!
I have only seen two movies since my last post: Avatar and Avatar. The first time I was left amazed, just as everyone is. The second time I realized how OK it actually was. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciated it as much as the next guy, but I believe I got caught up in a lot of hype. Come on, the lead actor, Sam Worthington: not that impressive.
Alex was hiding a secret from me about going somewhere for New Years Eve. But, like with all secrets, Alex could not hold it in. He told me about two weeks ago we were going on a romantic getaway to Hot Springs for New Years! We booked a suite on Hotwire.com for $60-something a night for two nights. It turns out to be Baymont Suites and, BONUS, the suites have hot tubs in the rooms!
Pulling off of I-30 onto Random Creepy highway was a trip. Right on the corner there is a rock shop. Many tables are on display with rocks the size of cantaloupes. Across the street there is a Furniture, Bait and Pawn shop. After a 15 minute curvy drive we entered the ghetto. I believe Alex’s words were, “Are we in Mexico? Not the good part?” It was a bit trashy, literally. Trash lined the road and most of the stores were dilapidated. 15 minutes later on the curvy road, we emerged from Creepytown into Laketown. Our hotel was inconveniently at the most southern end of Hot Springs. No big deal; we ere out of the ghetto and it was places right on the lake. We checked in with smiles on our faces and the attendent hands us our room cards and receipt and stated, “Room 220.” I noticed on the receipt it read, “2 Queen.” Hmm… Not a suite. Alex said, “How much is it for an upgrade to one of the jacuzzi rooms?” The man responded, “Oh those sell out fast. We’re booked.” Yeah… those 3 other cars in the parking lot got them before we did… We thought $60 was too low for a suite. Oh well.
We threw down our bags, put on our coats and went out on the town for New Years Eve. We drove north toward the Arlington, the famous hotel in Hot Springs. Al Capone used to come here to gamble and hide out from the coppers. Hot Springs has really gone downhill. Most of the shops are abandoned. It is really sad. We parked nearby in a parking garage. It had parking meters in front of each spot. We looked for the sign that read, “Parking meters enforced 9-5,” but did not see it. Nor did we see the one that read, “Parking enforced 24 hours.” Hmm… There was one other car in the garage. Creepy. He did not pay the meter, or he stayed out too long because the light was blinking. Then we noticed he had a day-pass on his rearview mirror issued by this parking garage. We walked around looking for an attendant. None to be found. Weird. And creepy. So we put in 3 quarters, being the good citizens we are, and left.
It was night, so, of course, all of the neat shops are closed. We walked inside of the Arlington and see all of the over-60 crowd dressed in their evening wear, waiting on their black tie New Years Eve party to start. Unfortunately, we didn’t bring $150 or Al’s tux. So we went back outside and walked among the old bathhouses. Very cool! Just like the old bath houses in Sicily, only indoors. We walked around the park next to the Arlington and played in the hot springs and looked at Christmas lights. The water in the springs was 143 degrees, naturally! It just comes out of the mountain that hot.
I get earaches when it is really cold outside and that night I got one big time. It pretty much ruined the evening. We went back to the parking garage, with one hour remaining on our meter, and started the truck. Only 6:30. We saw signs advertising great Christmas light displays. We drove all throughout the stupid town looking, got lost, got found, and never found the lights. I had lost my appetite due to the earache, and we had nothing else to do before midnight, so we decided to go to a movie. We found the mall and drove around each entrance, looking for the movie theater. Hmm… No entrance for the theater. There has to be one, because we saw the sign. Across the street, we found it: “Mall Movie Theater.” Yes, that was the name. Not in the mall at all. 5 movies. We decided to see Sherlock Holmes at 6:45. We stood in the line that was out the door. These people, let me tell you. I did not realize I was a city snob until I noticed my lip was curling and I was sneering at these people in their camo and “suthern aksints.” Everyone in line was talking to each other, even though they didn’t know each other. Alex and I kept looking at each other, hoping no one would talk to us. Then this: a lady walked out and offered the mob in line a free ticket. She just gave it away, for no profit. We live in a different world. I was ashamed of my sneering.
15 minutes later, we had moved forward ten feet. We found out that tickets were being purchased at the concession stand, where people were also buying their popcorn. We had missed the previews, our favorite part, so we decided to see Avatar at 7pm. 10 minutes later and 3 people forward, we saw that Avatar was only shown in 3D and there was a $2.50 surcharge on top of each $8 ticket. At this point, we were sick of waiting, missed Avatar’s previews as well, and decided to try again tomorrow afternoon, when it would be half the price.
My appetite had resurfaced at this point and we chose Osaka Japanese Steakhouse. Japanese is my favorite style. We walk in and there are twenty people standing in the waiting area. Alex asks, “How much is the wait for two people?” She responds, “50 minutes to one hour for Hibachi, or I can seat you now for dining.” Um, hello, dining! We’ve seen the show before. There were only 3 other full tables. All those people wanted to wait an hour for the Hibachi show. Turns out, the menu is not the same. There wasn’t a single stir-fry option. Alex got day-old sticky sushi and I got a fried pounded chicken breast, served on lettuce leaves. Our waitress was horrible. She was impatient and asked Alex to stack the plates himself before handing them to her. Actually she didn’t ask. She just pointed, huffed, and pointed again. After the $22 bill for chicken and sushi, I gave this place 2 stars. I’m sure the Hibachi would have been good. I guess that’s why they were waiting: they knew.
The next morning we got up early and set out for the town. We stopped by Walmart and picked me up a beanie hat to combat the cold. We parked at another parking meter and went into the Arlington’s Starbucks and got some coffee. Alex got a normal up of coffee. I got a normal cup of hot chocolate. The bill? $7.38. Bad, Starbucks, bad. 1 star.
Walking through the town was a bit disappointing. Most shops were closed because it was New Years Day. Romancing the Stone was open, but we’ve got that in Dallas. We finally found an Antique store that was open. We walked in and an orange sun conure squawked at us. We tooled around and found a headboard and footboard made in the 1700s for $3000. As Alex inspected the furniture, he whispered, “This is fake!” He informed me plywood had not been invented in the 1700s and most definitely wouldn’t be the back panel of the headboard. Hmm… We continued on and found a couch from the same time period with wheels on the legs. Wheels. $4500 for a fake old couch. We decided to leave. Walking along the sidewalks was also interesting. Lots of joggers, saying, “Hi,” as they passed by. A man walking his dog asked us how our New Years Eve was. In Dallas, if you are walking and someone walking a dog is approaching, it is socially acceptable to squat down, pet and talk to the dog, but it is not acceptable to talk to the human. In Hot Springs, all social rules are out the window. It felt great.
We drove through the National Park and up to the lookout tower. Boo, closed on New Years Day. We walked back to the remaining open bath house. Closed.
We ate lunch at Bella Arti, an Italian Ristorante. I ordered Chicken and Vodka Cream sauce. Delicioso. Next we went back to the “Mall Move Theater” and saw Sherlock Holmes. It was blurry throughout and I fell asleep halfway through, but overall it was great! No, really. Don’t take that I fell asleep as a bad review. It was New Years Day. I stayed up late! Robert Downey Jr was great, as expected. Jude Law showed that he can play a variety of roles. Rachel McAdams… a little disappointing. She did an OK job, I just thought they should have cast someone more exotic for her role. A Catherine Zeta-Jones type. Lots of action and mystey. Very good. 4 stars. We wanted to see Avatar right after, but Alex snobbed out and said he wasn’t going to pay that much for a blurry 3D movie.
We went back to the hotel to regroup and that’s when it happened. I spent the rest of the evening revisiting my Vodka cream chicken. That kind of ruined the rest of the day. I fell asleep early and Alex watched TV. Sorry Alex.
The next morning, we decided we’d had it with Hot SPrings and got the heck outta there. Even with all of our mishaps, it was the best New Years Eve we’ve ever had. If you’re with the one you love, every day is a vacation. Cheesy, sorry. Happy New Year every one. I hope you get to spend it with your loved ones.
Wow, sorry I have been neglecting my blog! I’ve been in and out of town like a fugitive.
Here’s a quick update:
November’s grocery total was $190.44. That’s about $47.61 per week. Right on par!
I saved $69.06 during the month of November by using coupons only when things I bought were on sale.
That Bounce dryer bar I bought in September is still going strong! That’s a whole four months of laundry that I have not used a single dryer sheet and my clothes are coming out Spring Air fresh!
The Disney movie UP is incredible. I laughed, I cried, it moved me, Bob. Rent it, better yet, BUY IT! 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I finished “The Red Tent” by Anita Diamant. It was an entertaining story about Jacob and Esau, and then Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. The disappointing thing about the book it is just ends. There is no closure/justice. Not that it’s a sad or happy ending, just an ending. 3out of 5 stars.

On the cruise, I read “The Shack” by William Paul Young. Now this is a book! It is about a man who’s daughter is kidnapped and murdered by a serial killer. Rough, I know. But the beauty of the story is how he overcomes his sorrow, finds his faith in God, and rebuilds his unity with his family. Let me tell ya, this is a must read. It changed my perception of God and how I pray to him, along with what he is able to do. 5 out of 5 stars.

For the first week of December, my groceries were bought on November 30, which is included in the November totals. The second week, we went on vacation. The third week, Alex bought bread, eggs, and milk at Albertson’s for $3.83. We lived off of leftover frozen chicken and pork and sandwiches. I couldn’t go shopping, I needed recovery time from my vacation! The third week was Christmas week. I thought it was dumb to go to the grocery store for two days of groceries since we were traveling out of town. So… more sandwiches, chicken, and pork. Now we’re in the fourth week. Alex and I are going on a romantic getaway tomorrow morning. So… no groceries this week. Just (you guessed it) sandwiches, chicken and pork.
December grocery total: $3.83
No coupons used.
That comes out to about 95 cents per week on groceries in December.
HOW YA LIKE THEM APPLES?
Well, wait, that Sunday we got home after Christmas, we ordered CHinese take out from our favorite Chinese food place, SKillman Wok, conveniently located one block away. You get a whole to-go box full of chicken friend rice for $5.99. I’m talking the box is laid open, they pile and smash both sides down as full as they can, then quickly shut it and when you open it, magic. I ate on that rice for 3 days, lunches and dinners. So technically, we spent $9.82. And I’m ok with that.
With a Borders gift card Uncle Mike gave us (thanks Uncle Mike!) I bought a $7 feeds your family book. It has some great tips to stretch your dollar and how to plan meals so that all ingredients are used, instead of throwing away half of that can of tomato paste… I will begin to incorporate some of those yummy meals in my meal plan in the new year.
I also graduated, finally, from the University of Texas at Dallas. Now I sign my name with an M.S. How pretentious is that? Well, at least I earned the right to do so.
Hope you all had a Merry Christmas, yes, I said the “C” word, and have a Happy New Year!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I have no menu this week. I did not go grocery shopping. We’re leaving in the morning for Thanksgiving so I’ll be back Sunday with more groceries and more yummy food!
Chicken in Cream Sauce, serves 4, cost for me to make: $5.47

4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced (9.99 for 40 oz)
1 T butter
1 small onion, chopped (.72)
4 boneless chicken breasts (7.99 for 3 lbs frozen)
1 lb celeriac, chopped (could not find! use rutabaga instead)
1 bay leaf
1 c dry white wine
2/3 c creme fraiche or whipping cream (1.79 for 16 oz)
salt and pepper
Melt butter in pan, add onion and cook, stirring occassionally, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add chicken and celeriac and cook, stirring occassionally and turning chicken once or twice, 5 minutes.
Add bacon, bay leaf, wine, and enough water to cover.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes until chicken is tender.
Remove the chicken, bacon and vegetables with a slotted spoon, transfer to a warm plate and keep warm.
Boil cooking liquid to thicken slightly.
Discard bay leaf, stir in cream fraiche, return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 3 to 4 minutes.
Return chicken, bacon and vegetables to pan, season with salt and pepper and heat gently to warm through.
Serve hot with buttery green beans and mashed potatoes.
Creamy Bacon Tortellini, serves 2, cost for me to make: $4.99

9 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini (3.49)
6 bacon slices (used bacon from above)
1/3 c shredded parmesan
1/4 c whipping cream
1 T minced garlic
1 t dried parsley
1/8 t pepper
In large saucepan, boil tortellini as package directs.
Drain and remove from pan.
Cook bacon in same pan, reserving 1 1/2 T drippings in pan.
Return tortellini, crumbled bacon and remaining ingredients to pan.
Toss gently. Serve with garlic bread.
Baked Chicken Fingers, serves 4, cost for me to make: $5.65

10 soft wheat crackers (2.99 for box)
1 t oregano
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t olive oil
2 chicken breasts (used from 3 lb bag)
Preheat oven to 400.
Place crackers in sandwich bag and crush into a fine power.
Add spices to sandwich bag.
Pour olive oil into a shallow baking dish.
Cut chicken into fingers.
Shake each chicken piece in the crumb mixture until well-coated.
Place in baking dish.
Bake 10-15 minutes until no longer pink inside. Serve with ketchup and honey mustard sauce.
Kung Pao Pork, serves 2, cost for me to make: $5.77

1/4 lb. lean pork, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 T. Kikkoman soy sauce, divided
2 T. ea. Real Lemon lemon juice from concentrate and sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. extra light olive oil
1 small red bell pepper, chunked (1.99)
1/2 small onion, chunked (.79)
1/4 c. unsalted roasted peanuts (2.99)
Combine pork and 2 tablespoons soy sauce; refrigerate 30 minutes. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, lemon juice from concentrate, sugar, cornstarch, crushed pepper and 1/4 cup water. In wok or large skillet, stir-fry pork and garlic in hot oil 3 minutes, or until brown. Add bell pepper and onion; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture; cook and stir until slightly thickened. Add peanuts. Refrigerate leftovers. Serve with fried rice
and
Benihana Onion Soup, serves 4, cost for me to make: $3.58

5 cups water
6 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp salt
1 white onion (.79)
1/2 carrot (.99 for ![]()
1/2 celery stalk (1.79 for bunch)
1 cup veggie oil
milk
flour
thinly sliced mushrooms (2.09 for ![]()
sliced green onions (.89 for bunch)
Combine the water, bouillon cubes and salt in crock pot and turn on high.
Cut the white onion in half and coarsely chop the half onion, half carrot, and half celery stalk.
Add to the crock pot. Put the lid on and let it cook for 4-5 hours; 2 hours on high and 2 hours on low.
Add the oil to a small skillet or sauce pan and very thinly slice the other half of the white onion, separating the pieces.
Dip in the milk and then toss in the flour until coated.
Fry a handful at a time in the oil till golden brown, then drain on a paper towel.
Strain the veggies out of the broth.
Put around 1 cup of soup into a bowl, and add sliced mushrooms and green onions, and toss in a few fried onions.
Grilled Italian Club Sandwiches, serves 2, cost for me to make: $13.35 wow, no wonder they cost so much in cafes!

1 head lettuce (1.29)
1 tomato (.44)
1 small pkg pepperoni (2.50)
9-10 oz sliced turkey (4.39)
1 pkg sliced cheddar cheese
1 pkg sliced provolone cheese (2.59)
parmesan
Italian dressing
sliced sandwich bread (2.14)
butter
salt and pepper
Build each sandwich with turkey, pepperoni and cheese slices.
Spread butter on each side of sandwich and cook in a hot skillet until browned on both sides.
Open and add tomato, lettuce, dressing or sub oil/vinegar, salt and pepper.
Chalupas, serves 4, cost for me to make: $4.08

1 lb ground beef
1.25 oz taco seasoning
2/3 c salsa (1.69)
1/4 c jalepeno juice (2.39)
1/4 c canola oil
4 to 6 four tortillas
Shredded mexican cheese blend
Shredded lettuce
Brown beef in large skillet
Add taco seasoning, salsa and juice
Add water if too dry
Reduce heat and simmer 10 min
In another large skillet heat oil
Fry tortillas until crispy
Cover with meat mixture on individual platter
Spread cheese atop
Broil 6″ from heat 2 min
Top with lettuce
Serve with Mexican rice.
And for dessert:
Frosty Pumpkin Pie, serves 6, cost for me to make: $4.98

9 inch graham cracker crust (2.19)
1 pt. vanilla ice cream (2.50 for 1.5 qt)
1 c. canned 100 % pumpkin (.99)
1 c. sugar
slightly less than 1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. whipped topping (not lite), divided (1.00)
Soften ice cream slightly. Spread in the pie crust, and freeze until ice cream is solid again. In a large bowl, mix pumpkin, sugar, spices, and salt. Fold 1 cup of whipped topping into the pumpkin mixture. Pour over the ice cream in the pie shell. Freeze several hours. Remove from freezer 15-30 minutes before serving. Top pie with the other cup of whipped topping before serving.
Albertson’s total before: $31.61
Total saved with coupons and sales: $10.58
Total spent: $21.03
Kroger total before: $88.88
Total saved with coupons and sales: $30.04
Total spent: $58.84
Grocery total: $79.87
Total saved: $40.62, not so good
Free items:

I bought the 40oz of bacon for 9.99 and got english muffins, sausage, eggs, and a fruit cup for free.
Carl Buddig lunchmeat was buy one get one free.













, serves 4, cost for me to make: $3.22
Serves 4, cost for me to make: $1.12
serves 2, cost for me to make: free! I had all ingredients
serves 4, cost for me to make: $2.73





