I have some breathing space from the end- of-year church reports that I prepare so I'm baaaack. I've been working on my 2009 budget and saving plan, which will still need a little nudge with upcoming changes in my pay and in bills.

It's a fresh start and I'm still excited. The kid, however, has made his presence known on his Christmas break from college. Remember he totaled his car in Sep 08? Well, my spouse (his stepfather) let the kid borrow the Toyota a few times (my spouse's car) during the break and a funny thing happened while the kid was driving... One, he hit a curb in the fog (driving too fast, no doubt) and the car required a $332 strut and rim repair, plus a $50 alignment. Two, on New Year's Day (Happy New Year's to us!!), he backed my husband's car out of the garage with the car door open and crumpled the car door. (We were able to adjust the track on the garage door...the car door...not so much.) The cost of that was $270 for a salvage car door replacement and $45 for a body shop to replace it. My spouse is the one with the heart for children and family and all that, but I'm hoping he reconsiders allowing the kid to drive his car. There's nice... and then there's too nice. This is the very reason why I don't allow the kid to drive MY car.

Fortunately, we had the Freedom Account working for us, plus a cushion in the checking account which covered both expenses. I WAS ahead by $700, toward my cushion in both my Freedom Account and checking account and now I'm not. Thankfully, the kid's back at college now. (say it with me everyone--YAYYY!!!) We'll begin again.