Going for Not Broke

This year has been tough on our pocketbook. My dad had major surgery , and because he was hospitalized three hours away, we spent a lot of money on fuel, fast food and motel rooms. Thankfully, he's finally home, and we're hopeful his health with continue to improve. Also, I got speeding ticket. I fully admit speeding, and I make no excuses, so I have no one to blame but myself, but that was still $150 we didn't really have. Plus, my daughter had hearing tests that are going to cost us a couple hundred (thankfully, though, her hearing is fine), our roof is leaking, and my husband has to have some costly dental work done. We've put a lot of things on our credit cards to accommodate, so, so far this year, we've made anti-progress. Here's hoping the rest of the year goes better.

This has been a challenging year for my family. My dad had a precancerous tumor on his pancreas and is recovering slowly from the surgery to remove it. He's had a couple of setbacks, one that lasted three weeks, but we're all hopeful he'll be back on track soon. Partly because of that, I want to host a family get-together. Mom and Dad will have their 45th anniversary this October so that seems like a perfect time to hold it. I think I have a lead on a FREE place big enough to accommodate my siblings, their kids and my parents. As for the rest -- the food, decorations and activities -- I'll have to plan according to what's on sale and when. Immediately after that, I'll be planning a baby shower for my kid sis. I hope to get the same venue for both parties. Again, though, I want to keep an eye out for deals for decorations. There is only so much I can do about the food in advance, but I figured I'd start setting aside money for both feasts now.