some things about myself-
1. I met my husband on a blind date when I was 17.
2. We have been married 36 and a half years.
3. We have been foster parents at different times over the years, and had at least 54 kids in and out of our home.
4. We have adopted five kids from the foster care system. (three boys and two girls). Only our first was a baby. He was one. The others were 4, 8, 7, and 10.
5. I have worked in the education field since I was 24, the majority with special needs children or adults.
6. I live in the same town where I've lived since I was one. DH and I lived an hour away for 12 years. Other than that, I've always been here.
7. My dad lives in the same house that I grew up in, from the age of one on.
8. I love dogs. We used to raise wienie dogs. We have a 14 year old doxie named Olivia after a character on the Waltons tv show.
9. We have four grandbabies, two boys and two girls, and have another one due in April. A boy.
10. I am starting to panic about debt and retirement, and am grateful for SavingAdvice!

thanks to everyone for the condolences about the baby. And Snafu, thank you for the meal ideas! DH does cook, much better than me, lol. but I'm going to try some of your ideas.
Will hopefully post some more today on the sidebar.
Shampooing carpets today.

To those who asked if we got the $100 deposit back from the hotel, yes we did. I guess my statement was misleading. I mentioned it because it was an irritation to me. As if you are faulted for paying cash.
I worked two days this week subbing. Today I went to the store to stock up on sales. There were some good ones. Altogether, I saved over $17 today on coupons. Most of those items were already on sale, so double winning there!
I keep track of coupon savings and send it right off to our Barclay savings account.
Our middle son who lives 22 hours away and his wife lost their first baby to miscarriage today.
I'm not sure how to post on the sidebar thing as far as debts owed and savings and all of that. Can somebody clue me in?

Our weekend trip to Iowa was fun. It was great to see the grandbabies. But it was a failure as far the money allocated. I need to remember that trips always end up costing more than what was planned for. At least usually.
I took enough cash, but at the hotel, when I wanted to pay cash for the night, they wanted an additional $100 for possible damage. I didn't have debit card with me, and was not going to use a credit card if possible. so I gave them the $100, and we hung around the hotel mostly. The kids swam and then went back again late to swim, and then woke up to swim. Whoo. So instead of spending $150 for everything, it was more like $250.
I worked Monday and Tuesday as a sub at my local school. Today I had my class that they want you to take before having a knee replacement. I got a few things at Price Chopper that were on sale and used a few coupons.
The big sale there starts tomorrow. I will be staying around home tomorrow so on Friday I plan to go back to P.C, and stock up and use a bunch of coupons.
It is dawning on me that my knee replacements, both current one and the upcoming one won't last forever. They say maybe 15 to 20 years, if you "treat them right". It is scary to think of being 15 years out from here and having them wear out.
I have only recently begun to contemplate what DH and I are going to do for health insurance after his retirement. Am I correct in remembering from somewhere that if you were born after 1959 your age to being receiving medicare is not 65, but 70? Can somebody tell me if that's correct?

Whoo Hoo! it was a no spend day. Neither DH or I spent any money, other than his spending money he had. I didn't even buy a Coke from the vending machine at work. I was going to, but only had a bunch of nickels with me. So two victories, no money spent and no Coke consumed.
Coke is definitely my weakness.
I worked at my home district school today. The schedule that I thought would be tough, and run my knee down turned out to not be that bad at all. I enjoyed her schedule, and am on for her again tomorrow and Monday, as well.
Another victory is.....I called the hotel in Iowa back and used our Farm Bureau membership to get ten dollars knocked off the bill. We've been Farm Bureau members for years but we've never utilized any of the benefits.

I worked yesterday at the district further from home. No spending other than DH getting gas, and me picking up my vitamins and stuff that the surgeon called in for use after my surgery feb. 7. Just vitamin C and iron pills. That way I will have that done.
I came home from work with my knee being really painful. The doctor says it is mostly bone on bone, so walking on it for long periods is tough. I made the decision last night to not go into my sub job today at the far-district school. I am on the schedule tomorrow and Friday for my in-home district, and its a tough schedule. The lady I am subbing for there pretty much stays on a run all day. So doing things around home today and planning to rest my knee.
Our two oldest grandbabies, who are 6 and 4, moved with their dad, our ex son-in-law to Iowa in October. These are kids who have lived with us parts of their lives and that we have always had total access to day in and day out. So for them to move three and a half hours away is an adjustment for this MeMe! We have seen them twice since then, by meeting halfway. But this weekend on Saturday morning we are going to go to Iowa to see them, and stay in a hotel so they can swim and all of that!
Hotel will be approx. $100, with the pool and the full breakfast included. DH and I plan to get breakfast somewhere Saturday morning as we get on our way. We have take snacks for the kids for the evening in the hotel. Ive never visited Iowa, so that will be new, plus I get to see my monkeys. After this weekend not sure when I will see them again, due to upcoming surgery and being house-bound, so this weekend is pretty special.
I plan on keeping spending to under $150, including the night at the hotel.
Will see if I can succeed at that.

DH off for MLK day, and schools are out, so no work for me. I may go later in the day to check on my dad. He is 82, and though he is in fairly good health for his age, I still like to keep an eye on him. He lives alone and has a big house and yard to take care of. My brother lives down the road.
Tomorrow I am on the schedule for one of my two school districts to substitute. I have been on a long-term (5 weeks) assignment in preschool there. This particular district is 45 minutes from my home, but halfway I park and ride with a friend who works there, so that saves on gas. They pay sub paras very well there. I've had three longer term assignments in that district already this year, which has been a real blessing to our finances. When I first considered subbing there in spring of 2016, DH wasn't for the idea. He kept saying it was too far and that I wouldn't make any money. I've proven him wrong on that, lol. The rest of the week I am supposed to be on the schedule for my local home-town elementary.
I am having knee replacement surgery in early February, so I'm trying to work as much as possible in January so that my Feb. 10 paycheck will be substantial. Of course that means that in March I will have no paycheck . But I need to have my knee done.
My goal for 2017 is to save 20 percent of our paychecks. I had been doing ten percent in 2016, but it is time to up the game.

I am totally new to blogging, though I've been reading here for years. I am 55, and DH is 57, soon to be 58. He has worked for 33 years for the same place, as a county employee. It has been a good job, as far as stability, time off, retirement, and health insurance being offered.
I, on the other hand, have been somewhat of a job gypsy, though always in the field of education, other than for the first four years of our marriage (36 years) when I worked for a newspaper.
I am a special education paraeducator, and am currently a substitute for two different districts. In my working years I have worked at many, many, many different schools. I have worked full time in the past at various schools, but for now the substitute thing works best for us. I actually make more money than I would working full time. I have not put any money away for retirement for myself, but DH has KPERS, and another added fund for retirement.
We sold our house last summer and are currently renting, with plans to move to my dad's house and farm in the next few years. I am excited to be here, and am always looking for tips and motivation on saving!