This could go in many different folders I guess. Well I haven't worked in the last about 10 years with the exception of about 3 months one time.

I had 2 interviews set up for Wed and the first one was the one that I wanted. It's at a bank about 4 miles from home and I'd be able to take the kids to school in the morning. The second was for a secretary for the director of nursing at a huge clinic but it was about 40 minutes away without traffic. Morning and evening traffic would make it alot worse.

Anyways I went to the one for the bank and got it so just called the clinic and told them I already got a job and wouldn't be coming to the interview.

I start Monday. I am so excited for many reasons. First of all I owe about $4500 to Dell which is horrible because the interest rate with them is HUGE and I'll never get it paid off making minimum payments. My husband for years has given me a set amount of money for bills and everything and even spending money in there too. He is going to cut my monthly money about $750 which is fine because after my paychecks I'll still be getting several hundred dollars more a month than I am now. I am planning on paying off my Dell card first. (actually it's 2 of them one in my name with 1500 and hubbys name for 3000)

I also owe about 500 on my visa and then I will be debt free besides my house. We own a used car lot so I don't have car payments.

For you moms out there. What are some of the meals that you make that are good but on the quick and easy side? I'm needing to get some ideas of things to make for dinners for the family once I start on Monday.

Also I'm in the process right now of getting things caught up around the house. My husband or kids have NEVER helped out any around the house. BUT hubby told me that if I got everything done around the house that him and the kids would help keep it clean. He said he didn't expect me to work full time and still have to do all the work around the house which if you knew my husband you would realize how HUGE this is. LOL

Since I'm about a 5 minute drive from work I think that sometimes on my lunch hour I can run home and get some of the housework caught up. I'm excited about that too.

Any tips for me? Either on running a household and working or on paying off debt?

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!

I don't get why your husband is cutting the amount of money going toward bills? Wouldn't you get things paid off quicker if you added the money you are earning as extra? I just don't understand the "he gives me so much money" Aren't the bills both of yours?

Around here, the bills are both of ours and the money is both of ours, no matter who makes what.

You can do some make ahead meals and freeze them. Personally we eat alot of sandwich type things for supper. It is quick, easy and everyone actually eats it.

__________________
~Happiness is a large family~

I would look up some crockpot meals. They can be so helpful when your time is limited. Also cook big on the weekend so that you have planned leftovers for a few nights.

Congratulations on your new job!

I see how that sounds bad. Okay let me try to explain. We don't make a set amount of money a month since we are self employed. My husband and I sat down and figured out what it would take a month for us to pay all of our bills and groceries and still have money for us to enjoy life and my spending money. We came up with an amount and have been "paying ourselves" this monthly.

Now that I have a job I will be bringing home a seperate paycheck. We've decided that we would cut back our self pay from the business that we own $750. I will probably make around $1400 bring home a month so I will be have about $650 a month extra.

The rest of the money that our business makes we put into savings and CD's and into our business. If it were up to me we wouldn't have a savings. I'm a spender so it really works for us to be like this.

I am the one who ran up the Dell accounts. My husband doesn't even really know how much I owe on them. He does know that I have them though. I don't see a problem with our arrangement of money. Yes it's "OUR" money. But we have agreed to pay ourselves a certain amount a month.

Part of the reason I got the job is because there have been months where our business account gets really low where we think we are going to have to get into our savings or cd's. Him cutting out $750 a month from what he pays "US" that will help out. Plus I'm still several hundred a month ahead and can use that money to pay off my debt. I say "MY" because I am the one who ran it up and it had nothing to do with him.

Does any of that make any sense? Yes the money is still both of ours. The savings is mine and hubbys, the cd's are mine and hubbys. BUT I am the one who handles all of the bills and groceries and shopping of any kind at home. That's why I say "He pays me a certain amount a month" Not that it's really that. It's the same as if a family only makes a certain salary a month. Since we are self employeed we can make nothing in a month or we can make $20,000 or more in a month. It's up and down and we can't just spend it all every month or we wouldn't have for the months that we don't make any money.

Does that explain it anymore? I can see how it sounds bad.

That makes perfect sense now that I know about the business!!

Good luck at your new job! Hope you enjoy it.

__________________
~Happiness is a large family~

Thanks happymom. I know it sounds bad unless I get into detail and explain the situation. I've had alot of people think the way that you did at first. Honestly for all the years that I've been staying at home I have had around $600 a month extra figured into the amount that we pay ourselves a month for me to play with. I should have been paying off my debt there but as I've admitted I'm a spender.

Now I'm thinking since I'll have around $500 more on top of the $600 a month I already have to play with that I can pay off these cards.

We figure most people have a "SET" amount of money that they make a month that's why we sat down and figured out what we would pay ourselves each month.

Thanks for wishing me luck! I'm sure that I will love it!

I'd find some crock pot meals to make, and in the evenings you can prep the veggies and toss it all in the crockpot in the a.m. When you get home make a salad and there is dinner.

Sit down and plan the meals for a week or two, then plan a night to polish off leftovers. Or you can take them with you for lunch at work. You can also make a pot of soup, add sandwiches and there is dinner. Or make a casserole ahead of time.

As for keeping up with the house, make a list. Delegate, if your DH really means he is going to help! I try to run my dishwasher at night and empty it in the morning. I have a timer on my washer so I will set it so the first load of laundry is waiting to be dried when I wake up. So I toss it in on my way to the coffeepot. Then allow a few minutes to fold before leaving. Put it away on your lunch hour.

Good luck! Hope you like the new job! Congrats!

Thanks coffegirl. Those are some great tips. I'm sure I'll love my job. I hope so at least.

Good luck with the job, I am willing to bet you will find going back into the work force has a whole lot of plusses. I went back to work two years ago and I love it.

I would suggest making a list of meals your family enjoys. Then think of which one's can be made quickly, which one's could be made ahead, and which one's could be made while you go to work (such as the crockpot). Since part of your motivation to go back to work is to pay off some debt try to stay away from the convience foods. I see so many recipes for quick meals that call for ingredients that add up to so much it would be cheaper to eat out each day. Think budget.

Some meals my family likes are:
Salads with tons of toppings
spaghetti and sauce (we serve it seperate so kids can choose if they want sauce or not). -----The slowcooker makes great sauce too!
Burritos where everyone gets to pick their fillings
Home made pizza (toss bread ingredients in the bread machine and set for Dough) it will be done pretty quickly and you can add your own toppings.
We love pizza's made with pita bread too. A local grocery store sells large pitas which work great.
Soups can go together quickly. Chicken, Beef vegetable, lentil, and Corn Chowder are all tasty.
---one soup I like is really made from a bunch of cans (broth, garbanzos, tomatos I forget the rest but you get the idea).

Good luck! and Enjoy working, it will be great to get your own paycheck again.


Barb C