For months now I've been doing battle with Microsoft Access. If you've never used it before, trust me, it's not like picking up Excel. I had Excel defeated in about 3 hours. Access is complex. I struggled with it for a while before successfully completing an attendance tracking database for work at the end of last year. That built up my confidence and I decided to tackle a bigger, more complicated project.
Ok, don't laugh at me. You all know how I am.
I decided to build a database to track items I buy regularly at different stores so I can compare the changes in price per unit over time. Seriously. How else am I going to know if I'm consistently getting a better deal on ketchup at Kroger vs Big Lots???
You're laughing at me. Stop it.
Anyway, I've been fighting this thing for months. Actually, I've been fighting one stupid error on the input form for two months now. It was making me nuts. I had everything else set up, it just wouldn't work.
Today I fixed it. I was trying some new searches on the problem and finally found an answer. It required learning some Visual Basic programming, but I made it work! Frankly, I'm glad it was a somewhat complicated fix that required me to learn something completely new. If it had been an "Access for Idiots" answer I probably would have deleted the entire thing in disgust with myself.
Now I can go input 4 months worth of purchases and throw out the pile of receipts. And maybe build some reports. And maybe create a switchboard, just for fun. Weee! I may not get any sleep at all tonight. We're having fun now!
(And people think Greg's the nerd in our family. Ha. I think not.)
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Oh yeah? Well I want to see the results!
You make me feel like a disorganized slob.
Me with all of those receipts in my purse.....and on the bar in the kitchen.....and in various nooks and crannies in my car......
You and Greg are so diligent about this stuff? I don't see how you do it. We have one place to shop around here and that is Wal-Hell. And we all know that there ain't no real bargains there.
Oh don't misunderstand, I'm quite the disorganized slob. All those receipts are stuffed in my purse and on the kitchen table. I'm just a nerd who likes to analyze stuff for fun.
I've found that the lack of shopping options is actually a good thing for me. Since moving away from County Line Road I spend much less on crap I don't need. I mostly shop either Kroger or Walmart, depending on what I need and which is less crowded. The big thing for me is planning ahead so I know what I NEED instead of randomly buying things. And then not randomly buying things anyway!
Yeah. We make a list each week. Then we see something new and we're like "OOOH! Let's get that!" Then it sits in the cabinet or freezer for a while.
We need organization desperately. Especially with the price of everything on the rise. I went through and cleaned out the kitchen and fridge last weekend. I'm trying to show him how much gets WASTED at our house.
Men can be so difficult - sorry doghouse, nothing personal.
Not taking it personal. And it's not just men.
My place is chaos. But I know where everything is.
Access is the devil's spawn.
Mmmkay, I soooo want to compare price lists with you. (Mine is not in a database, though, just a handy three-ring binder.) I don't shop regularly at Big Lots. Is there something you know that I don't?
Oh honey, I adore Big Lots! Just browse through the groceries sometime. I've bought cereal - good stuff, like Heart Smart - for $1.50. Just check expiration dates on the cheapest stuff, it's usually marked down because it only has a couple of months left on it. And you can find the most random items there! Ok, I think Big Lots deserves a post of its own. I'm going to have to work on that tonight.
And for the record, the only reason you don't have a database is because you aren't a big giant dork. Luckily, I married a big geek so at least I fit in at my own house!
And Supermom, I don't think Access is the devil's spawn so much as, perhaps, the DEVIL HIMSELF. I'd have abandoned this months ago if I wasn't so stubborn and hadn't taken my failure as a personal insult.
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