Paid it Down

I've Moved!!!!

2008-12-22T20:54:00.002-05:00

Please visit my new blog address here!

An apology

2008-12-19T18:51:00.002-05:00

I love my blogging friends, but unfortunately I have not had time to read or comment recently. Christmas is only 6 days away, and although I'm done gift shopping, I'm hosting Christmas Eve with two families that are dear to us....which means cookie baking, grocery shopping and house cleaning.

Plus I'm starting to get sick....

But I promise, after Christmas I will try and catch up with all of you! I will try to post now and again as well.

OPERATION - GIVE BACK

2008-12-16T16:14:00.003-05:00

Well, I gave myself until December 15th to be "done" with all my preparations for the holidays..and aside from stocking stuffers, I am done. The house is decorated, the outdoor lights are up, the presents are wrapped (I still need to get the out of town gifts out of my diningroom).

I had yet to feel the spirit of the holiday, that is until last evening. My daughter and I went to our church and helped wrap gifts for the adopted families of the community that need help this year. I was overwhelmed by the generosity of the people of our church, but also the large need in the community. We were wrapping for more than 800 families...(We have a large church). My heart broke when I read the situations that these families were in, and even though we were giving them something, I hardly thought it was enough. There were no ipods, cameras, or video games on the list of the children. They were replaced with socks, hats, mittens and food. Food. I always knew there were people struggling to make ends meet, but food...a basic necessity to be on a Christmas wish list was unbelievable to me. In a rich nation such as ours, people should not have a hard time getting food.

I have decided that what I want to do this year is not just remember these families in December, but I will start volunteering at least several times EVERY month in 2009. My own personal OPERATION GIVE BACK.

As I mentioned in a previous post we will be saving a significant amount of money on our refinance. I will put part of that extra money toward my goal for 2009 -- to GIVE BACK.

I have been so fortunate. And I'm a bit embarrassed that I have not truly recognized it sooner...

15 lbs and counting....

2008-12-12T19:59:00.003-05:00

A great weigh in this week and I'm down 15 lbs! Only 11 more to go....

Refinance? YES!

2008-12-12T19:48:00.002-05:00

We have a heloc and our mortgage as our only two debts left. We have about 24 years on our first mortgage and 10 years on our second mortgage. We just locked into a 4 7/8% FIXED rate 30 year mortgage. No points. We are combining both, and although it puts us back to 30 years (not a big deal because we are not retiring in this house) we are saving approximately $675.00 a mos. in mortgage payments. I could put the $675.00 toward the house payment anyway and pay off the house completely in 15 years....but it's nice to know that if I needed the extra cash, I would have it.

I have never gotten such a low rate before....and believe me, I wanted to take cash out to do some home projects. But I refrained. I did not want to go further into debt.

We will probably close on the refi in the middle of January, and I'm anxious for the savings...

The bonus? There will be no Christmas debt to pay off in January either...

And speaking of bonuses....there probably will be none for my husband...so I am so glad I paid off most of our debt last February when he received a good one!

If you need to refiinance because of a high interest rate...the time is now...the rates are LOW!

Christmas Shopping Update

2008-12-08T14:00:00.002-05:00

Oh my gosh....I am almost done! And it's only December 8th! I will finish up on Thursday....

The beauty of this? I stayed on budget...

I even picked up the shrimp and scallops for Christmas Eve....(frozen, of course).

I may actually make it this year.....

Thanks for all of your support!

How are all of you doing?

Cash jars...

2008-12-03T16:34:00.003-05:00

I haven't mentioned it in a while, but I'm still trying to operate on cash. I have jars, envelopes, and places in my wallet where I stash cash after I get paid. The interesting thing is that since I've been doing that, I've had a lot more money at the end of the month. I have added a couple of categories..i.e. my son's trombone lessons, etc.

I believe you really do spend less with cash. I'm not where I want to be yet, because occasionally I will use my checkbook for categories I didn't have enough cash for. But I'm getting better.

Have you tried cash yet?

The downside of ordering from Apple....

2008-12-03T09:43:00.002-05:00

Ah, I'm stuck at home today (well, actually working from home) because Apple requires a signature when they deliver your order. If you are not home, they bring it back to their holding store where I would have to pick it up, which for me is about 20 miles away. The tracking number said that it's guaranteed to be here by 10:30 a.m.....so here's hoping!

I actually like working from home, although I'm very limited on what I can accomplish. One downside is that I'm presently looking at a very messy, dirty home! I would rather start picking up and straightening out than coming up with December numbers for the accountant! :)

Yesterday I was able to pick up a couple of gifts from Five and Below...on the same lines as a dollar store, only everything in the store is $5.00 and below. I was able to pick up two Bionicles, a 007 Scene It game, and a Sims Pets computer game..all for $21.00 exactly. Not bad at all.

I also was able to pick up a couple of items from Bath and Body Works...they were having quite a sale too! I'm not sure if I will meet my own December 15th deadline, but I'm going to try....

How are you all doing with shopping?

It's almost December....

2008-11-30T13:30:00.002-05:00

and I'm about halfway done with my Christmas shopping....and no debt. I did not go shopping on Black Friday, but I did find a deal at Apple online for a gift I'm purchasing. (By the way, they engrave for free when you order directly through Apple.)

Thank you for all your encouragement for the scariest time of year for me, although I'm not out of the woods yet. I hope to be finished with everything by the 15th of December (wrapped and sent to out of towners, and wrapped and hidden for my family). Then, just maybe then, I'll be able to enjoy the season.

My goals for December are:

No shopping for gifts after the 15th.
Stick to budget.
Do not "second think" gifts purchased and go out and buy more.
Sunday's during December will be for COMPLETE rest...no shopping, cooking, cleaning, etc. (I'll have to rejuvenate sometime)
Give generously.

Happy belated Thanksgiving to all of you! Hope you had a wonderful holiday!

School tuition ruining your financial life?

2008-11-26T09:03:00.002-05:00

I'm writing on this subject because in the past week, I've spoken with a couple of friends that I hadn't seen in some time. Their children are going to expensive (about $40,000 a year) colleges and they are footing the bill for their children. We didn't start out talking about school tuition, but their life circumstances (one of them is selling their home and moving into a very small townhome, the other is looking for fulltime employment) the subject of money came up. When I asked why they decided to downsize/go to work, it became apparent that they are in debt with student loans for their children.

I know I will not be the one taking out student loans for my children. If they choose a college out of state and that is that expensive, they will have to come up with the money. We live in Virginia, where state schools are some of the best in the country. Why pay $40,000 a year, when you can pay $15,000 and get the same, if not better, education?

We are paying for our daughter's education out of pocket. My oldest is done, and we are paying for my second daughter's. We are fortunate that we are able to do this. If we were not, then they would have to work extra hard to come up with the cash. They are responsible to pay for books, spending money, cell phone and car insurance. And if they couldn't afford it, they would have to go to school locally, and get a job.

I don't understand why parents would put their financial stability on the line for their children's college education. It is not a requirement that parents pay for their children's education, it is a gift, only if it can be afforded.

I paid for 1/2 my colllege education (When it was $3,000 a year to go! :)) and my parents paid for 1/2. It took me two years to pay off my student loan when I graduated.

My younger two now know that they may very well be spending the first two years of their college education at a local community college. If they do well there, they have their pick of the state schools to transfer to. This would, in essence, save $100,000.00 in tuition costs, as I'm assuming by the time they go to school, tuition, room and board will cost about $25,000 a year.

Are they happy about it? Nope. But we are not willing to sacrifice our financial security because of it.

Do you have any stories of parents in hoc over college tuition?

This is the scariest time for me....

2008-11-19T16:18:00.002-05:00

right before Christmas....

This is when I throw all caution to the wind and spend like crazy because it's Christmas....this is when I spend way too much on things that just aren't needed....

I've tried to prepare for this, and the fact that Thanksgiving is late this year is a good thing...

but I struggle so much on buying this time of year...

I'll need all of your help in the next weeks.....

Any ideas???

Gratitude...

2008-11-19T09:48:00.004-05:00

Gratitude. More aware of what you have than what you don't. Recognizing the
treasure in the simple - a child's hug, fertile soil, a golden sunset. Relishing
in the comfort of the common -- a warm bed, a hot meal, a clean shirt. - Max
Lucado

As Thanksgiving approaches, I have become more and more aware of what I am so very thankful for. My health, my family...and my life. I believe if you have a grateful heart, you will be able to enjoy your life to it's fullest.

This year has been a good year for us, even with the economic crisis going on, we were able to pay off all of our consumer debt. (And it was a LARGE amount!) We will be going into 2009 with no credit card debt (as I'm paying for Christmas with CASH).

I'm grateful for all of you, who have helped me stay on track. Your comments have meant a lot to me, especially keeping me honest.

What are you grateful/thankful for this year?

Saving for an emergency fund ....

2008-11-15T10:31:00.004-05:00

will take some willpower. How will I start saving for an emergency fund with Christmas and school tuition looming?

One dollar at a time.

It's amazing that my weight loss plan is finally working...but at only one pound at a time. When I first started, and didn't see 5 lbs come off in the first week, I was discouraged. But as the weeks progressed, and now I'm down 12 lbs, I am feeling successful. It still is only coming off 1 pound at a time, but after some time, it is adding up.

And so our emergency account will add up, one dollar at a time. (As long as I don't "borrow" from it, anyway.) But it will take time, and time hopefully is still on our side....

It's amazing the correlation between weight loss and spending...both are emotional for me...if I can win the battle with one, I believe the other will follow.

I'm not on a timeframe with weight loss, but the sooner I lose it, the better I will feel. The sooner I get an emergency savings together, the more secure I will feel.

So, I will set up sidebars and hopefully I can see results sooner, rather than later...

Keep me honest everyone! It really does help!

I.O.U.S.A. (the 30 minute version for those who have not yet seen this!)

2008-11-13T17:07:00.003-05:00

Layoffs are happening...

2008-11-13T10:55:00.003-05:00

very close to home. I posted about this a bit prematurely the other day . ... apparently it wasn't known yet, and on the off chance that someone recognizes me in this blog, it would have been bad....

But today is the day my husband's firm is letting go of 10% of its attorneys and staff...

It is sobering to us because for the last 12 years it has been nothing but prosperity. The scary fact is that we could be next. His job didn't get cut this time, but with the economy the way it is, there is still a chance. We can't believe how unprepared for this we really are.

I'm a fan of Crown Financial Ministries, and found this link. Although it is Christian based, everyone could benefit from the financial advice given. Our problem is that all of our money is tied up in retirement accounts (and we all know how they are doing) and in the equity of our home. We have less than 1 mos. emergency savings. If this isn't a wakeup call, I don't know what is.

There are a few things we can do to prepare now:

1. Update resumes (including myself, as I would have to go full time)

2. CUT unnecessary expenses

3. SAVE cash quickly! (Christmas will be pared down)

4. Research health insurance plans to be prepared to purchase one while looking for work

5. SELL stuff NOW for a cash boost

I will not feel "safe" unless I have at least 8 mos of an emergency savings. So, that is our next goal. Although I would love to focus on paying off the HELOC, I will choose to save cash.

Any other suggestions? Anyone going through this now? What did you do? I would love to hear from you!

Charity begins at home....

2008-11-09T16:16:00.002-05:00

We just got back from PA to visit my mother-in-law and all extended family. My mother-in-law is 82 years old and still maintains (or tries to) her 46 year old home. We don't get to visit often, but when we do, we try to help out (both financially and physically) as much as possible. This weekend was no exception.

Since she is on a fixed income from social security, every expense is a significant one. So, I went to SAM's club with my sister-in-law to pick up a few things for my mother-in-law so that she wouldn't have to purchase these items at a grocery store..(.i.e. toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, toothpaste, etc. etc.)

By the time I was done, I had singlehandedly spent $349.00 worth of household necessities (including 100 stamps for her bills). Wow. It totally depleted my checking account until next pay day. But, I don't mind scrimping a bit this week, as I know this will help her out tremendously.

While we were there, my husband also spent another $65.00 to fix her bathroom sink.

I'll spend tomorrow morning straightening out our bills....

The diet is working...

2008-11-07T11:13:00.005-05:00

I'm down 10 lbs. and one pant size......it was a pleasure to spend money yesterday on new pants......

But, it's interesting....the size I bought is what I use to wear when I was 20 lbs lighter than I am now...so does that mean 8's are really 12's? and 10's are really 14's? and....12's are really 16's?

A gift for me....

2008-11-05T15:02:00.003-05:00

It's my birthday, and I can't think of a better gift than the election being OVER!

Yippee!!!!!

VOTE! and get your free coffee....

2008-11-04T09:34:00.001-05:00

The calm....before the storm?

2008-11-03T15:28:00.003-05:00

Well, things have settled down a bit, although I still don't have results from my daughter's testing, my Mom is still feeling under the weather, and my brother is still jobless. I'm hoping to hear good news soon....hopefully in all of these situations....

We just spent money on a new HD television, (my husband and my Christmas gift to each other). Our old TV was analog and the picture was shrinking. This was a rather pricey purchase, but we should have it for quite a while. It goes very nicely with the new Verizon Fios we just had installed. By bundling this package we will be saving over $50.00 a month. Tongue in cheek with the saving part....because it will take us several years to recoup the price we paid for the new television....

I can't help wondering, though, with all the turmoil around me that this just was another emotional spending expedition. I could have waited until after Christmas, and perhaps get it for less..but I was feeling very vulnerable. Still, we are paying for it with CASH, so there will be no new debt. (It just limits us on total Christmas $$$, sorry kids!)

The election is tomorrow, (halleluia!) and hopefully life in general can get back to normal. My birthday is Wednesday so I'm really looking forward to it for more reasons than I can name. (i.e. election over, soccer season over, baseball season over....etc.)

I haven't had an opportunity to read blogs, but I hope to over the next week or so...thank you all for your kind words, I so appreciate it!!!

Bad things happen in threes?

2008-10-28T19:32:00.002-04:00

Well, my daughter is sick again, with more symptoms...sharp pain in her stomach, etc. She will be getting a CT Scan tomorrow as well as more blood work.

My Mom called and told me she has been losing a lot of weight and they found bacteria in her stomach so they are giving her strong antibiotics that are making her sicker....They told her to give it a couple of days....

My brother lost his job yesterday. He's a single dad with one son in college and the other in 8th grade. He's by himself in PA (no family near by) and I really worry about him.

So, there you have it...all of this came at me in one day.

I hope tomorrow is better.

Catching your dollars with these frugal ideas...

2008-10-24T13:07:00.008-04:00

Because of the ever changing economy, it's always helpful to learn ways to live more frugally..I found the following frugal tips from this website .(Which I found on Elizabeth's blog Small Town Spending) I did not copy all of them, because some of them were just plain gross (i.e. don't flush the toilet until you've used it 2-3 times....YUCK!) Anyway, I've highlighted the ones that I will engage in and you may find them helpful as well.

Save Money Grocery Shopping.
Shop for produce at a local farm stand.
Never buy coffee, soda, or other drinks or snacks out. I could never say never on this one. I like Starbucks too much.
Always grocery shop with a list. Yes!
Take advantage of sales on items that you would normally buy. Yes!
Only shop once a month. This would be something to aspire to, but at this point....not practical.
Keep a price book and track prices by unit cost. This is probably a good one too, right now they are all in my head!
Stockpile staples when prices are low.
Buy generic items.
Use the Grocery Game.
Plan meals according to what is on sale that week.
Take advantage of rainchecks if the store doesn’t have a sale item that you need.
Take advantage of rebates at Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid…but only if you’ll use the item and will follow through on the rebate. I really need to figure this one out for CVS, does anyone have an easy way to start this?
Buy enough of a sale item to last 12 weeks. That’s about how long sales take to cycle.
Shop at discount marts: Grocery outlet, The Dollar Store, etc. I shop at Shoppers Food Warehouse and Bj's.
Bring your own bags to the grocery store. Many stores offer a small discount per bag.
Take advantage of stores that double coupons.
Watch out for deals on things that your friends need, and have them do the same for you.

Save Money on Cooking and Eating
Eat less meat. Absolutely!
Become a vegetarian. I almost could do this, but not there yet.
Eat leftovers. Yes!
Cook large amounts and freeze extra for busy nights. I despise freezer burn, and my memory fails me so I would surely forget the frozen food...
Scrape out food jars to use the last little bit.
Cook from scratch.
Never eat out. Um, what fun is that?
Eat from your stocked pantry.
Bring lunch from home (it’s worth it to invest in proper containers). Since I've been on a diet plan, this has been easy to do...
Eat less. The average American eats too much. Same with this...
Don’t use the vending machines at work.
Always have a meal plan. Always. This has worked beautifully!
Use the Once a Month Cooking system.
Keep soup starter jars in the freezer. A little leftover this, a little leftover that. Nothing is wasted. Get creative with leftovers. Concoct new recipes, so nothing is wasted.
Base most of your meals on rice or beans to cut down on meat consumption.
Look for events that entertain and feed you at the same time. Church socials, shopping at Sam’s (think about those free samples)…
Don’t drink soda. Drink water! Oh, if only I could!!!!
Make your own jello cups (or applesauce cups, or pudding cups) for lunches and snacks.
If your kids complain about generic cereal, put the generic in a name-brand box. They’ll never know the difference!
Use Angel Food Ministries if you have one in your area.
Rear your own chickens. I wonder what my neighbors would think about this one?
Join a freezer club. Get together with like-minded people to exchange meals for your freezers. It’s cheaper to prepare a lot of one meal and split it up, than to prepare a bunch of different meals.
Always take a snack and bottle of water wherever you go. You won’t be tempted to stop for expensive fast food or drinks. This is a great one!
Grow your own produce. No room? Try a square foot garden! Or use pots on the patio. Oh, how I really, really, really want to do this....
Freeze, can, or dehydrate your produce.
Cook with the crockpot to avoid using the oven, which warms up the house. Unless it's winter!
Use a convection oven to accomplish the same purpose.

Save Money on Cars and Gas
Run errands once a week and use the most efficient route.
Walk as much as you can.
Stay home as often as possible.
Keep tires filled to their proper pressure.
Don’t suddenly stop or accelerate.
Carpool.
Bum a ride with friends and chip in for gas.
Ride your bike.
Use a diesel car if you have one.
Coast when you see a red light ahead, instead of hitting the brakes.
Use public transportation.
Try to get by with one car if you have two.
If you have one car that you only drive a couple of times a week, consider getting rid of it and using cabs.
Drive your car until it’s old. This works really well when you buy a car that will run for 200,000 miles. I'm driving my Honda Pilot until the doors fall off....
Keep up on your car’s maintenance.
Turn your car off at lights.
Coast when you can.
Limit city driving.
Turn off the engine and coast to a stop. (Only do this if you know your car and know what you’re doing. It could be unsafe, depending on the car)
On a long trip, keep a steady foot.
Make it a challenge to see how far you can go on a tank of gas.
Use a discount card to buy gas. (Many grocery stores offer them, as well as Costco).
Fill up early in the morning when the air is cool, and the gas is dense. You’ll get more gas and less air. I've never heard of this before, but I do it natually...I get gas before work...
Fill up when your tank is half empty.
Shop around for insurance. The rates can vary a lot! Geico had the lowest rates for us!
Use gasbuddy.com to find the lowest price on gas.

Save Money on Utilities
Turn off every electrical item at the plug every night. Putting everything on power strips makes this easier. There is a central switch that you can install to do this too. I saw it on the TV series "Living with Ed".
Keep the lights off during the day.
Line dry clothes outside when it’s warm and sunny.
Line dry clothes by setting dryer racks over heater vents. Use your shower rod if you need even more room.
Let dishes air dry after running them through the dishwasher.
Cancel the cable. Lately this would not be such a bad idea!
Don’t use hot water in the summer.
Consider a family plan for cell phones.
Use CFL bulbs.
Turn down the thermostat (or turn it off). Use candles in the room to raise the temperature. A set of little tea candles goes a long way.
Don’t run the heater at night.
Open windows on summer nights to cool down the house.
Use a fan.
Get rid of your land line and use your cell phone.
Take short showers. There are some pleasures in life that you simply cannot give up...long hot showers are truly a pleasure for me...but I'll try!
Insulate your water pipes.
Install low flow showerheads and aerators on all faucets.
If you’re going to be in and out all day, park on the street, rather than using the electric garage door opener multiple times.
Turn off the PC if you won’t be using it for an hour or more.
Use nightlights that only come on when it’s dark.
Use nightlights in the bathroom, so if you have to use the bathroom at night, you don’t have to turn on the light.
Keep the freezer full. If you have to, put milk jugs filled with water in the freezer. It’s less expensive to keep a full freezer cold than an empty one.
Never leave the water running when rinsing dishes, brushing teeth, etc. Only use the water you need. I'm working on this one!
Have your young children shower with you, instead of giving them separate baths. Um, no.

Save Money on Medical Needs
Use a flexible spending account or cafeteria plan, so you can pay out-of-pocket medical expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Ask your doctor to prescribe generic medication.
Buy generic medication at Walmart or Target. They have a lot of different medications available for $4.

Saving Money on Clothing
Limit clothes shopping.
Shop at thrift stores.
Shop garage sales.
Sew, using discount fabric (easy to find at garage sales).
Change into play clothes after school to keep good clothes looking nice. Did my Mom write this one?
Re-use jewelry. If you lose a beautiful earring, put the one you have on a chain and wear it as a necklace.

Save Money Around the House
Use only half of a dishwasher tablet at a time.
Use rechargeable batteries for electronics and toys.
Store batteries in the refrigerator. They last longer.
Do repairs (paint touch ups, sewing, etc) one day a week. If you keep things in good working order, they last longer.
Accept hand-me-downs. You can donate them if you can’t use them.
Do home repairs yourself.
Reuse things. An example: Plastic grocery bags can be reused as lunch bags, shoe bags, or laundry bags on vacation.
Email for free samples. You can get some good stuff!
Wash and re-use Ziplock bags.
Make your own Christmas cards by making a collage from the fronts of Christmas cards you received the previous year.
See if your local dump or transfer station offers free firewood or garden mulch. Take advantage of it. I think ours does...I'll have to check it out...mulch can be expensive!
Use water from boiling eggs or pasta to water your plants.
If you’ve bought stuff that you haven’t used, see if you can return it.
If you rent, rent from a person, not a company. You’re more likely to have some of your utilities paid, especially if your place is a room inside a house or a basement apartment.
Move in with roommates. Hmmm....I have five roommates, and only one pays the rent....:)
If you and your family or friends have a lot of websites, consolidate them all into one hosting package and split the cost.
Use a kitchen rag instead of paper towels. I do! plus I use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins!

Save Money on Entertainment
Cancel magazine subscriptions.
Use the library for books, magazines, and movies. See if you can reserve them online and then just pick them up.
Read newspapers online.
Celebrate “no spend” weekends, where you don’t spend anything.
Prepare special dinners at home, rather than going out to celebrate.
Eat out only once a month.
Use hotel points and airline miles for vacation.
Split an entree with someone else when you go out for dinner.
Do free things for entertainment: Hiking, free city concerts, board games.
Only order from the dollar menu when eating out.
Go to the park and have a picnic.
Take advantage of “get in free” days at the museum, etc.
To find special festivals, get a free state tourism guide.
If you find that you go somewhere a lot (a zoo, amusement park), buy a season pass.
Entertain at home. Have friends over for dinner, or have a game night and just serve snacks.
Make your own “take out” style meals. Pizza is a good way to start. And if you do a recipe search for your favorite restaurant foods, there are some good knock offs out there!
Trade babysitting with friends who also need a sitter.

Save Money on Miscellaneous Things
Only get haircuts every 8-10 weeks, instead of every 6 weeks.
Cut your own hair. Now this would be scary. But I would love to be able to cut my husband and son's hair...
Do your own manicures. Done!
Shop for Christmas gifts year round to catch the good sales.
Compost…it’s good for the garden.
Sell something every week. My goal is to learn e-bay...I have enough Longaberger baskets to fund our next lake vacation!

Never spend change. Collect it and put it in a savings account. Never spend $5.00 bills! I have over $100.00 doing this!
Get rid of excess stuff. It costs less to store and maintain.
Sell it on eBay or Craigslist.
Or have a garage sale.
Or give it away on Freecycle.
Sell homemade items on Etsy.
Don’t watch TV. It cuts down on wants. And stress!
Get rid of the TV all together.
Enter blog giveaways. You never know what you might win. (I won $100 last month!)
If you get a raise, don’t increase your lifestyle. Save the extra or pay off debts!
If you’re a two income family, make sure the second income is more than the expenses associated with working.
Use a fee free credit card with rewards. Charge everything to get the rewards. But ONLY do this if you are diligent about paying it off every single month. If you pay interest, it isn’t worth it. This is one that I really can't participate in...too difficult for me to control my spending...not very frugal indeed.
Pay off debt as quickly as possible. Saves on interest.
Make sure you get get the best interest rate on your savings, CD’s, etc.
Invest your money. Make it grow. Anyone know where to do this these days?
Use a budget.
Use a spreadsheet to keep track of variable expenses.
Use cash. YES!!!
Change your mindset. Instead of thinking “what do I need to buy?”, think, “what do I have that I can use?” That’s how people got through the Great Depression.
Give stuff you don’t use to others.

This is actually a good list, and when put all together, I'm sure there will be some great savings! What are you going to try?

My new boycott....

2008-10-24T12:23:00.004-04:00

I don't know about you, but the news has been less than encouraging. The apparent rage (between parties) for the present election is palpable and causing undue stress...for me personally. I've never in my lifetime seen a country so divided...In my opinion, the corrupt media is no different than an antagonistic divorce attorney...but I digress...

I'm turning off the tv, throwing the paper in the recycle bin, and I will stop reading blog posts that touch on the current political election...just to save my sanity....

Last night, I took control of our family evening and put in a movie...a fun, mindless movie..."Christmas with the Kranks", and I intend to watch feel-good movies until we get some sort of normalcy to this country again...any suggestions??

Am I burying my head in the sand? You betcha! And it feels...GREAT!

This weekend...

2008-10-20T13:51:00.004-04:00

Aside from losing my guinea pig, I did have a relaxing weekend. I baked pumpkin pie, decluttered the house, and installed (well my husband did the actual installing) new light fixtures inside and outside. They look great! It was an inexpensive upgrade, but it made all the difference in the world to the look and feel of our home.

I also had a pot of hot apple cider and sticks of cinnamon brewing on the stovetop all weekend long, which made the house feel warm and cozy. I really do LOVE this season.

It's amazing how a simple thing like brewing cider would make on my mood. It felt relaxing. And that was a welcome relief from the all of the doom and gloom in the market.

I still have not had a NO SPEND day, I guess I haven't focused on it yet. Um, I have 10 days left?

Gracie...

2008-10-20T13:38:00.003-04:00

Gracie was our guinea pig for the last 6 years. She died on Saturday, from what I believe to have been an infection and cold that wouldn't go away. Every morning she would squeak at me for a fresh piece of lettuce or carrot. She would only respond to my voice when I called her...Even though she was my daughter's pet, I became very attached. We will definitely miss her.

What happens when you have extra money in your checkbook?

2008-10-16T13:19:00.003-04:00

Ha! Murphy comes for a visit! This time it is our water pressure valve...to the tune of $523.00. The bright side is that we didn't touch savings or use a credit card...but oh how I wish I didn't have to spend that much!

Refocus to SAVINGS

2008-10-16T11:20:00.005-04:00

I read an article the other day in the Kiplinger Magazine that Boston Gal posted about. It really scared me. A middle-aged couple, with no credit card debt, their house nearly paid off, and making a good living seemed like their finances were in great shape...until the husband lost his job. What were they missing? A substantial savings account (besides retirement) to get them through. Our situation is similar. (Of course with the exception of us having a HELOC and a mortgage that is no where near being paid off). We are cash poor. We do not have a substantial savings account that will get us through a job loss. So, I figured out how much we would need in an 8-month emergency fund...and it is a whopping $60,000. This doesn't include paying for our kid's college... it is just mortgage, utilities (no cable), food, gas, and medical insurance (a HUGE expense for a family of 6).

So, our new focus will be on building this savings...FAST!

Preparation is the key to financial serenity. When you have financial serenity, you know you will be okay no matter what the financial markets are doing. And peace of mind is worth preparing for!

P.S.Thanks goes to Jennifer at Finding Financial Peace for this idea too!

So, the HELOC debt repayment will be second, and the emergency account will be first.

Happy Fall....

2008-10-14T16:26:00.003-04:00

I was trying to get rid of something on my blog, and well, the whole thing changed. That's what I get for being in a hurry. Oh well. You have come to the right blog....

It's been CRAZY here, with a lot going on. Nothing earth shattering...just life. My son has taken over my laptop, and that's okay with me...for now. I've been starting to get my nesting instinct as the days are getting shorter, and darkness falls around 6:45 p.m. I'm wanting to cook feel good food like turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes....

This weekend we will decorate for the fall, pumpkins, wreaths, etc. I will light my candles, bake pumpkin pie, and enjoy the fall weather. I will NOT think about my retirement account, the upcoming election, or anything else that causes a wrinkle, and/or many more gray hairs.

Hope all is well with all of you!

Happy Fall!

October Goals...

2008-10-07T15:48:00.002-04:00

Even though it is already October 7, I feel compelled to set some goals for October.

1. Use Cash Only
2. 5 No Spend Days

3. 4 No Drive Days

4. SAVE $500.00 for Christmas expenses

AMEX Blue is....

2008-10-07T12:16:00.006-04:00

GONE! I've decided to take the advice of my good friend, Francois, and CUT IT UP! Because, really, why do I need it? Especially when I'm suppose to be operating on cash only? Grace had an interesting post about AMEX, which cemented the reasons why I didn't want to use credit again in the first place.

It's true that you can get sucked in based on "rewards", and if I were more disciplined, it might have worked in my favor. But, I truly believe that you spend less when you use cash.

So, thank you for keeping me on the straight and narrow, there will be no more credit cards....hello cash!

Fellow PF blogger is DEBT FREE!!

2008-10-05T09:39:00.004-04:00

If any of you are following Nate's blog, you will know that for the past 9 months he and his family have been working to get out of $25,000 of credit card debt. Nate worked very hard, working a full time job and a part time job to make this happen. His wife, worked just as hard at home raising their 4 beautiful children, and one more on the way! They are young, and have so much to look forward to!

I'm jealous that they "get it" at such young ages. I wish I did in my 20's. There are so many PF bloggers in their 20's. I salute you all!

If you have not read Nate's blog, and need a little bit of encouragement, visit and find out how they paid off so much debt in such a short time!

I'm impressed and I'm sure you will be too!!

Doing two things at once...can it be done?

2008-10-05T09:10:00.002-04:00

I'm not so sure. I've lately been focusing on my health...i.e. losing some weight. By focusing on that, I've somehow slipped on the finance end. I've been grocery shopping without a list, (buying healthful purchases, but not meals...) purchasing little things here and there, and (gasp!) using my AMEX blue for purchases because I have gotten sucked into the "you get cash back for using the card" theory.

I need to get back to the "magic jars". Use CASH only. I have enough in savings to cover the AMEX bill, but I'm still very uneasy (and rightfully so!) about having a balance NOW on it. I can also cover it with the 15th paychecks, which I am waiting for because I don't want to use the savings. However, I've seen this pattern before. Credit card use, for me, is very dangerous. Period.

So, can I both lose weight and lose debt? I hope so. Otherwise I'll be fat and wealthy or thin and broke. Good grief.

Americans are not the only ones feeling the credit crunch...

2008-09-30T12:35:00.001-04:00

These will be my priorities this November...

2008-09-29T17:09:00.002-04:00

Everything else just isn't important.

The heartaches of love....

2008-09-29T11:41:00.005-04:00

I spent this past weekend with my oldest daughter. She met a man (yes, when you are 25, it's a man) in June and they had been dating until.......Friday. He's decided that he "can't give her the time that she deserves" and "needs to end it....for now". What a crock of crap. Just be honest and say you don't want to date anymore. So, I went and stayed with her so she wouldn't have to be alone. She is student teaching about an hour from home. It's definitely more serious when you are out of college and dating....and I was not prepared (as a MOM) to feel just as bad as she did. When your child is in pain (no matter how old) so are you.

So now I've been thinking. I have THREE daughters...all of which will go through this, probably not once but many times. How am I going to fare through all of this???? Good grief.

As for my son? Ah, well, I have that all figured out. He will become a priest...that way I don't have to worry about another woman...(I'm kidding, of course....silly!)

Everything in moderation....

2008-09-28T19:34:00.002-04:00

Thank you everyone for your encouraging comments on my last post. I've checked e-mail through out the week and it felt great to hear from you. I didn't get a chance to read blogs, but hopefully I'll have some time tomorrow morning to read and comment.

moderation - a change for the better
easing, relief
alteration, change, modification - an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another; "the change was intended to increase sales"; "this storm is certainly a change for the worse"; "the neighborhood had undergone few modifications since his last visit years ago"
disembarrassment - something that extricates you from embarrassment
breath of fresh air - a welcome relief; "the new management was like a breath of fresh air"
(My favorite definition)

What I learned this week is to try to do everything in moderation. I've been concentrating on NOT checking my bank balance everyday, or my 401K balance (as this is slipping thanks to the folks on Wall Street and in DC). I've tried to set up my savings and spending on automatic to help me along.

I'm also making sure I'm eating in moderation as well. That has kept my mind off finances a bit and I have refocused my attention on my health. I've been feeling a bit sluggish and I'm hoping that dropping a couple of pounds will help me feel better.

I will continue to blog in moderation. I will say that when I blog, I'm clearer on my goals personal finance. Taking time away from the computer did allow me to do other things. So, moderation is certainly the key to a well-balanced lifestyle.

My September goals are shaping up...
I'm reading (and almost done) with the book "A Year Without "Made in China": One Family's True Life Adventure in the Global Economy " . A fast read and very interesting on how many things that we use in our homes that are "made in China".

I still only have 3 No Spend Days and 1 No Drive Day...and I only have two more days to complete.

I have not painted my daughter's old bedroom, and I doubt I will finish in the next two days...
but I believe it's been a good month.

I will post my October goals in the next couple of days. (So I will post more than once this week! oops!) But that's okay too. My choice.

Monday Posting Only....

2008-09-22T11:08:00.004-04:00

I've had a hard time turning on the computer, the tv, reading the newspaper, etc. lately. It is taking the living breath out of me to hear all the bad news about the market, politics, economy...etc.

So, I decided to stay away from the above areas (No computer, tv or newspapers). And it was a great break. I hung out with kids and played outside... But, I did miss reading blogs and posting myself. So, in order to preserve my sanity, but still be able to converse with my blogging friends, I've decided to only get on my laptop once a week. Mondays. I will post and read on Monday's only. So, I'm still here, but at a much reduced level...

Update: I've spent all weekend, so I'm still at 3/5 spending and 1/5 driving.....

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Suze's take on the financial situation...

2008-09-16T11:42:00.000-04:00

Big, Big, Big spend weekend....

2008-09-14T20:04:00.003-04:00

I was paid (not a large amount) on Friday, and cleared out the account by Sunday afternoon! :) But all good, and necessary. A month's worth of meat, groceries for two weeks, soccer snack, dinner out (yes, this was necessary :)), clothes shopping for my daughter (completed!) and both gas tanks full to the brim.

Whew. I should be okay for a couple of days...my husband gets paid tomorrow and fills up the checkbook again...for another two weeks, but thankfully our cupboards are full, as well as our car tanks so we should be good to go for a while.

Goals...

3/5 No spend days
1/5 No drive days

The Journey....

2008-09-12T18:54:00.004-04:00

If you have ever had a dog, or have a dog, this will surely make you smile. It will make you smile even if you've never had a dog! The author of this video owned all the dogs featured...a very poignant piece! Enjoy!

The streak is over....

2008-09-11T21:06:00.003-04:00

for now!

I had today off, so I took my son out for breakfast, had tea with a good friend, bought bread and milk, took daughter out for ice cream after soccer...total damage? Oh, about $24.00. Not too, too bad and I have about $10.00 left in the checkbook before I get paid tomorrow. My husband doesn't get paid until Monday, so I will try to have another NO SPEND day before then.

Being accountable to all of you is making this easier. THANK YOU! ;)

I'm feeling it....

2008-09-10T19:32:00.001-04:00

4 NO SPEND DAYS!!!!!

And not an easy feat, as I really wanted to stop and grab dinner before my son's baseball game...but instead I went home and grilled a bunch of hotdogs and wrapped them up, threw some drinks into a cooler and off we went...

Oh yeah, I'm feeling pretty darn smug.....

September Goals...

2008-09-09T17:26:00.002-04:00

I'm on my way...

3/5 No spend days

1/5 No drive days

It wasn't too bad to not spend today....although an extra hot caramel macchiato sounded really good! But I resisted!

I'm going for four tomorrow...wish me luck!

Skipping Christmas...

2008-09-08T11:55:00.004-04:00

School has started and we are already into the second week of September. December will be here before you know it and I've started my new Christmas traditions already.

Has anyone read the book Skipping Christmas, by John Grisham?

.John Grisham turns a satirical eye on the overblown ritual of the festive holiday season, and the result is Skipping Christmas, a modest but funny novel about the tyranny of December 25. Grisham's story revolves around a typical middle-aged American couple, Luther and Nora Krank. On the first Sunday after Thanksgiving they wave their daughter Blair off to Peru to work for the Peace Corps, and they suddenly realize that "for the first time in her young and sheltered life Blair would spend Christmas away from home." Luther Krank sees his daughter's Christmas absence as an opportunity. He estimates that "a year earlier, the Luther Krank family had spent $6,100 on Christmas," and have "precious little to show for it." So he makes an executive decision, telling his wife, friends, and neighbors that "we won't do Christmas." Instead, Luther books a 10-day Caribbean cruise. But things start to turn nasty when horrified neighbors get wind of the Krank's subversive scheme and besiege the couple with questions about their decision.
Grisham builds up a funny but increasingly terrifying picture of how this tight-knit community turns on the Kranks, who find themselves under increasing pressure to conform. As the tension mounts, readers may wonder whether they will manage to board their plane on Christmas day. Skipping Christmas is Grisham-lite, with none of the serious action or drama of his legal thrillers, but a funny poke at the craziness of Christmas.

When I first picked up the book several years ago it was the title that intrigued me. Every year, I become the "Christmas Fairy" and try to make one day out of the year nearly perfect for my entire family. It's huge pressure and many times (usually by the third week in December) I wish that I could just skip it. My mood goes sour and the bank account goes red. And it's not just about the money. It's trying to figure out what to buy, how much to spend, and hopefully come out not looking cheap or lame.

Our Christmas gift list has grown each and every year, mainly because two of my closest friends decided to swap presents (with entire families). We do not live near family, so in essence these two families have become our family. And, we always entertained our friends at our home, also adding the pressure of cooking and entertaining for dozens.

So I've decided to do some "skipping" of my own this year....Instead of buying gifts and cooking all the meals, I've asked my friends if we could just share a "potluck" meal together this year (no gifts). I've also asked my siblings if we could nix swapping money at Christmas. (My brother sends a check for my kids, I send for his). This alone would eliminate shopping for 12 gifts.

I'm hoping by doing this, I can bring back the true meaning of Christmas...and be able to instill peace on earth, good will toward man to others without grumbling bah humbug through the whole season.

Does anyone have any more ideas to bring the joy back into the season for a very tired mother of 4?

I.O.U.S.A., explained...

2008-09-07T17:38:00.011-04:00

Sorry for such an abrupt post..we got back from the movie and had to start dinner.

The "trailer" of the movie can be seen here. I found a critics review that I believe best explains what the movie is about.

Any documentary about the alarming level of our national debt faces a
major hurdle - making the dismal subject at least somewhat palatable.
"I.O.U.S.A." does about as good a job as any film could be expected to, thanks to the direction of Patrick Creadon, who made "Wordplay," the entertaining profile of crossword master Will Shortz. "I.O.U.S.A." recounts the Fiscal Wake-Up Tour conducted by U.S. Comptroller General David Walker and Concord Coalition Director Robert Bixby, who offer a Paul Revere-style warning about how deeply in hock we are ($8.7 trillion) and the unhappy results of letting this "fiscal cancer" continue to grow. How we got here isn't especially complicated - you can't keep spending more than you have - and the consequences are also simple: We're putting our kids in the poor house. Creadon gives us testimony and commentary, through interviews or newsreel footage, from a parade of America's financial wizards including former Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin, Congressman Ron Paul, Warren Buffett, ex-Fed chiefs Paul Volcker and Alan Greenspan, and many others. The film is aimed at viewers who don't have any particular financial expertise, and uses everything from animated charts and other visual aids to folksy metaphors ("a budget is like a diet") to get its urgent message across. There's also some very welcome comic relief (a "Saturday Night Live" skit with Steve Martin and Amy Poehler, a rant by Jim Cramer of TV's "Mad Money"). Though the Bush administration gets some whacks (particularly
for the 2002 dumping of Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill), the film tries to be nonpartisan - as Walker says, "The facts aren't Democratic or Republican. The facts aren't liberal or conservative." "I.O.U.S.A." is based on the book "Empire of Debt" by Addison Wiggin and William Bonner. Wiggin co-wrote the film and served as executive producer.

This movie was both a history and economics lesson. It did a good job not taking political sides (something I liked). But it also spoke to the non-economics major and explained how the economy worked. The scariest part of the movie for me was the foreign trade deficit and the realization that if we continued in the same path we are on, another country could "own" us in the very near future.

The 90 minutes went very fast...and at the end of the movie the words that came across the screen were quite sobering "in the time that it took you to watch this film, the U.S. added another $85 million to it's debt."

This movie is especially important for voting U.S. citizens. I know that I will be researching and scrutinizing both political platforms to find out how each will be handling this very serious problem .

If the movie is playing near you, I promise it will be worth the $7.75 price tag.

I.O.U.S.A.

2008-09-07T15:26:00.003-04:00

I saw this movie today.

My analysis? Everyone should see this movie. Period.

Hannah is here!

2008-09-06T15:54:00.004-04:00

and it's been raining all day. Right now we are getting the worst of the storm with strong winds and heavy rain. (I hope it doesn't flash flood!)

So, we've been hanging out watching TV, reading, eating (oops!) and NOT SPENDING OR DRIVING!!

How cool is that? Thanks for the help Hannah!

2/5 No spend days

1/5 No drive days

On a lighter note...

2008-09-05T17:02:00.005-04:00

We were able to take Ben for a swim before they closed the pool for the summer! Because he didn't pass the swim test, he had to remain in the baby pool! :-)'

The ups and downs of blogging....

2008-09-05T15:23:00.002-04:00

The ups are great...meeting new people, having conversations....

The downs? Being deleted from the "Blogs I visit" category....especially from blogs whom inspired me to write a blog in the first place...

I'm down today.

IMAGINE...the U.S. with NO political parties....

2008-09-05T09:16:00.004-04:00

what a different and perhaps even wonderful world it would be....

it certainly would put CNN,Fox News, MSNBC and any other "unbiased" news shows out of business...

I am a self-professed INDEPENDENT, which means to me, that I will look at all candidates on their positions, not their party, race or gender, and vote for one who fits closely to my values and needs as a citizen of the United States. In the past, I've voted for both democratic presidents and republican presidents.

IMAGINE, though, for a moment, what it would be like if we didn't have those parties.

IMAGINE what it would be like for a person to run for office on his/her beliefs, his/her values and what he/she actually believes would be in the best interest of the country, and not worry about what his/her "party" thinks they should say.

IMAGINE if, instead of hearing the pundits of the media spew misplaced and exaggerated facts, we actually were able to view resumes of candidates (name on top deleted so that you could not tell if they were black, white, hispanic, Christian, Jewish or any other religion, or if they were female or male). Their resumes would have to list their accomplishments thus far, a written essay (written solely by them) listing how they would handle the country's issues (ie. terrorism, health care, the economy, etc. etc.) and any references they could count on to validate their accomplishments. They would not need to post that their brother, sister, uncle, child, or other relation was in trouble with the law, is pregnant without being married, etc. etc.

Now this would certainly put the voter in a working position...They would actually have to read for themselves the resumes and essays and ascertain which "candidate" best fits their perspective on said subjects. And then vote accordingly.

AND, IMAGINE, if every vote did truly INDEED count....gone would be the electoral college voting system...and we would probably have a different history....

IMAGINE.....

For me, I am totally on the fence with the two candidates. Obama offered fresh ideas, McCain offered wisdom that comes with age and life experiences. Truth be told, I didn't have a lot of information on Joe Biden, but it appeared that he, too offered wisdom that comes with age and life experiences himself, and Sarah Palin offered fresh ideas and youth to the Republican ticket. My first reaction to Sarah Palin? Fresh, young, different. Someone who was living a very different "political" life than in Washington. Why did I like her? I don't know exactly, but she seemed real to me. A wife, mother of 5. I related.

But then came the mudslinging, and attacks on her daughter...which I personally would have been mortified by had it been my daughter. Children, and 17 qualifies as a child, should be off limits. I didn't understand why the media was being so vicious.

Do I think Obama and Biden were behind this? No, I really don't. Do I think this was a Democratic party issue? YES! And the Republicans do the very same thing!

If there were no parties, politicians could cross over party lines if need be for the issues they believed in.

What a concept.

But for now, we are a two party system, and a country divided. It's sad that it takes a tragedy (i.e. 9-11) to bring the country together. I hope we can figure a way to be united again, without experiencing another tragedy.

Smith Mountain Lake and what I learned about NO SPEND DAYS

2008-09-05T08:26:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was my first NO SPEND day since being at the lake.

When I was at the lake, our lake house was at least 17 miles from any shopping (with the exception of a small country store which was 5 miles away). At first, I had feelings of panic...what if I needed to go to the store for something...it would take me 25 minutes! So, on the first night there my husband and I went to the grocery store and spent globs of money on so much stuff "just in case" it was ridiculous. The kids thought it was great..they never saw so much candy, chips, ice cream, soft drinks...etc. We ended up having very few no spend days at the lake because several mornings I would drive to the country store to purchase the local newspaper and "look around".

It was the first time I thought about why it was "necessary" for me to go to the store? Did I really need to read the local paper? or even want to? Or was it because I had this "need" to purchase something?

Yesterday, I almost blew my no spend day with a slurpee from 7-eleven. I was on my way home from work...where I drank the office coffee (no Starbucks stop) and ate my home packed lunch w/drink (no vending machine purchases). Because the No Spend Day had been on my mind, I stopped myself from making that purchase (albeit small) and ended up having a tall glass of ice water when I got home.

Either I'm conditioned to spend or I'm addicted to spending. It will be a challenge for me to come up with 5 no spend days, but I hope to get to the point where I will have more no spends than spends because it appears that stops at the store are more a habit than a need.

1/5 No spend days

0/5 No drive days

Budget Remake

2008-09-04T11:50:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow I will spend some time at my diningroom table trying to take $400.00 out of my budget for the month. I'm sure it's there somewhere, I guess I will have to look hard. (By the way, the cleaning service stays. Period.) :)

I can't help but be annoyed about the whole situation, as my boss spends excess money on things not needed (lunches out with potential clients in excess of $500.00 is a common occurrence). Truth be told, I am his only employee, even though he has family on the payroll. I have not seen them in the office at all. My salary was not his problem, but it was the one item that was cut first.

On the brightside however, this may be the kick in the pants I needed to go out and look to see what else is out there. Thanks to a wise suggestion to look on Craigs List, I found several opportunities that I could look into, and which would allow me to work out of my home....

Of course, that leads to the next problem of not having an office space in my home...one more thing to budget for...

On a positive note, today WILL be a NO SPEND day.

Finally.

Blog Lovin :-)

2008-09-03T17:05:00.002-04:00

Canadian Saver graciously picked me as one of her "I heart your blog" favorites ! (Right back at ya CS!) I'm honored! As a recipient of this award I am asked to pass it on to 7 other bloggers that I heart.

Here are my favs: (7 just doesn't seem enough, but I chose those that have been with me for a long time!)

Political Joe - I LOVE my husband, so of course I would include him! I'm not much into politics, but he is and started a political blog (because I didn't want to hear about it anymore :))...warning to liberals...he is a mostly conservative republican!

Connecticut Mom - CT Mom was one of my first blogging friends (along with CS). We had a lot in common, and I'm jealous that she gets to meet "in person" all of her CT blogging friends!

Speaking of Simplicity - Sara and I met in a simplicity group. She is actually the reason I started blogging...she started her blog and I wanted to try it too! She helped me get started when I was trying to figure every thing out!

Jennifer at Finding Financial Peace - Jennifer was one of the first bloggers I discovered in the PF realm. I love reading about her financial journey to pay off all of her debt!

If I were Debt Free - I was surfing around blogs and came upon Nate's. I love his writing style and I love hearing about his family...he is working incredibly hard to pay off the last of his debt..and I admire his endurance to keep up with two jobs and his beautiful family!

Francois at Liberta - I found Francois through Nate's blog...he has been very supportive of me and I love reading about his life in South Africa!

Grace at Graceful Retirement - I love reading about Grace's life...she's warm and witty..definitely a good read!

That's 7, but I could do more....please check out my sidebar for all of the blogs I read and enjoy!

September Goals, revisited...

2008-09-03T16:33:00.003-04:00

Today I bought everything I anticipated I needed for the next couple of days because I wanted to have a couple of NO SPEND days...

Then I got to thinking...just because I have some NO SPEND days, doesn't mean I won't go over my budget. But then again, even if I just spend a little EVERY day, it would really add up.

I didn't think I would spend more than $20.00. But, the dog needed food, the guinea pig's cage needed to be cleaned out and we were out of bread so I ended up spending over $80.00. Since payday is 12 days away and we have only $200.00 in our checkbook, I'm hoping that I can have all 5 NO SPEND days this coming week! :) (The $200.00 that was missing in my paycheck because of my shortened hours is definitely noticable now.)

$200.00 will not go far as both cars need gas. So hopefully I'll have 4 NO DRIVE days too!

This will certainly be a challenge.

P.S. Thank you Giraffe Spender for showing me this neat "receipt" site!

September Goals

2008-09-02T16:54:00.003-04:00

My friend, Canadian Saver, does such an awesome job with her monthly goals of no spending and no driving, that I thought I would try to do it too. Of course, on a smaller scale, because there is no way I could meet her incredible feats.

So, here are my September goals:

1. 5 No Spend Days
2. 5 No Drive Days
3. Get daughter's old bedroom painted and straightened up (without spending a lot of money)
4. Get up and running with Quikbooks at work, AND be able to start looking for another part time bookkeeping job to make up for the 20 hours a month shortfall.
5. Read 1 book. (No small feat on this one!)
6. Go to see the movie I.O.U.S.A.
7. Stay on budget, and do not borrow from savings.

There. Some goals that I just may be able to keep. Wish me luck! ;)

Greensburg, Kansas

2008-09-01T09:00:00.003-04:00

As we know, Mother Nature can wreak havoc on our world..hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, etc. etc. As I contemplate what the people of the gulf coast are going through, fleeing once again from their homes, not sure what they are going to come home to, I offer a prayer of gratitude for my relatively uneventful life.
As I was surfing channels in between Gastov reports, I stumbled on the cable channel "Planet Green" and they were highlighting the town of Greensburg, Kansas. This town was completely demolished by a tornado over a year ago. They are now rebuilding their city but with a twist. They are trying to make the whole town "green" and sustainable. The series "Greensburg" follows the trials and tribulations of rebuilding an entire town. It's a large undertaking, but very interesting to follow. I am amazed to see their resilience and energy to rebuild this town.
If you get Planet Green on your cable lineup, check it out. There is a Greensburg marathon on all day today.

Governor Sarah Palin

2008-08-31T16:24:00.007-04:00

a surprising, overwhelmingly brilliant pick...she is nothing like the Washington political lineup (including her running mate).....the more I learn about her, the more I like her....

See her nomination and acceptance here.

How one family saves using cash...

2008-08-31T10:40:00.002-04:00

After I wrote the last post, I happened upon this video. I will be using CASH again the second half of September...for sure...

Cash Spending

2008-08-31T09:46:00.004-04:00

I've been trying to pay all of my variable expenses with cash for the past two months and for the most part it had been working. Unfortunately, if I am to "come clean", I often robbed Peter to pay Paul from the various categories. So, when I need to have about $400 in gift money, there is none in that category. Vacation overspending, car repair, bedroom re-do all took the "extra" money that had been in those categories. So, for September's bills, I will work mostly out of the checkbook. Not because it works better, but that it is a bit more convenient for me to "catch up".

If I follow my spending patterns over the past 5 years, it is almost inevitable that I fall apart in the months of August, Sept. and October, and then totally give up in Nov. and Dec. causing credit card damage. The onslaught of school expenses, left over vacation expenses, tax bills, and other large items causes the budget to fall apart. Usually by August I'm out of savings. It is an uphill battle until I completely collapse in January when it's time to rebuild.

Knowing this, I am facing the same bills and I'm struggling to remain credit card debt free. Unfortunately, I'm playing a lot of "catch up". I presently have two items on a credit card...my daughter's headboard/footboard $300.00 and car repair totalling $450.00. I have it scheduled to be paid in full by my Sept. 15th paycheck. And then there will be no outstanding bills.

It is imperative to me to stay on top of the coming months. I've even went so far as to declare to my children that Dad is "doing" Christmas this year (you should have heard their groans! :)). Hubby will make Christmas beautiful, but he won't overspend like I would. I want to reach January with savings in the bank, and have no credit card debt.

Financial Freedom Challenge

2008-08-27T20:43:00.003-04:00

I started this blog in January 2008 and it has gone through a metamorphosis (so to speak) and has continued to change and evolve. I started with $72,000 worth of non-mortgage debt, and thanks to a some good luck, and the support of my blogging friends, my husband and I have been able to pay nearly $36,000 of that debt. What is left is about $36000 of a home equity loan.

Blogging has had many benefits. Besides the feeling of accountability, one of the benefits which have meant so much to me is that I met so many wonderful people. I enjoyed being able to "talk" to people not only in the U.S. but all over the world! One blogging friend I met through Nate's blog is Francois. He is from South Africa, and has set up a very cool challenge. It is the Liberta Financial Freedom Challenge. To get started you must:

To go along with the Challenge, he is starting the Liberta Financial Freedom Support Network. In order to participate, you will need to:

Start a blog
Accept the challenge
Ask Liberta to link back
Make some friends
Blog about your progress
And get a badge (optional) See above.

I'm hoping by joining this challenge, I will stay on target to get through the rest of our debt. If nothing else, I will get to meet more wonderful blogging friends who share the same goals.

Thanks, Francois, I will enjoy the challenge...

P.S. A special note to Francois!!!

FRANCOIS!!!! Oh my gosh!!! CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RECENT ENGAGEMENT! Irene is absolutely beautiful!!! I'm very happy for you!!!!!

My hours were cut...

2008-08-26T21:11:00.004-04:00

Today my boss asked that I lower my working hours by 20 hours a month. It appears our small lawfirm is getting hit with the economic woes, and work has been significantly slower. This equates to about a $400.00 net decrease from my income. That is pretty significant.

What do I need to cut from my budget to make up for this loss? Where will I find an extra $400.00 from my already skyrocketing expenses?

I found this article on Frugal Living from Bankrate.com. It listed 5 big bills you can slash immediately...

5 areas to slash your bills

1.Energy and gas savings
2.Food and groceries
3.Banking and credit
4.Taxes
5.Car insurance

Well, without getting into specifics, most of these items I already do. i.e. drive slower to save gas, change lightbulbs, save energy, higher deductibles for car insurance, etc. etc.

I think that what we can do, and I've said it before, is to just save, save and then save some more. I've pretty much depleted my savings from various expenses that I incurred over the past months, so I will have to concentrate on rebuilding. But this hour cut will set me back. Something will have to go...OR, I look for another part time job to make up for it.

We'll see, but this doesn't seem to be the end. I think we are in for harder economic times ahead.

UGH!!!

2008-08-25T09:14:00.002-04:00

My house is a big mess!

I hate clutter. If the house has stuff all over it, I tend to feel very closed in. Then I go through the process of clearing out and I feel 100% better. But now I have made a HUGE mess in the upstairs and I can't seem to catch up.

We are in the process of painting my daughter's "new" room, but in the process have managed to spread out all of the junk all over the house....

And I do mean junk....I never realized what a packrat my daughter had become. Where did all of this stuff come from? And she packed it in drawers, under her bed, in her closet...ugh. I can't blame it all on her, as my oldest daughter left a bunch of stuff behind.

So not only are we painting, we are sorting, clearing and hopefully a lot of stuff will go out of the house and not back into her room or in storage.

On top of that, my oldest daughter came home for the weekend and ended up bringing three huge bins of stuff home that didn't fit in her townhome that she is renting with two other girls....I almost cried when I saw the "stuff" (read crap).

The only reason I'm able to write this post now is because I'm at work. I don't think I will come up for air at home until Labor Day! Hopefully I can catch up on all of my blog reading by then!

The good, the bad and the ugly...

2008-08-18T11:17:00.003-04:00

Well, it's actually good news, for now.

The air condition technician just came, fixed (or I should say "patched") and left. He was incredibly helpful, and offered some helpful advice. Our "builders grade" unit, which is both our air conditioning unit and heating unit is only 64,000 btus. Apparently, this is a very small system for our 3,000 sq. ft. home. (Figures..the builder was really cheap!) It is also 10 years old and still uses freon (not good for the environment). There were also some filters from our air purifier that were constricting the air flow and causing some problems. He mentioned that there probably is a tiny leak, and that filling the freon will only be a temporary fix but a good alternative to trying to locate the leak and fixing it which would cost around $700-800 or more depending on the leak.

He said that there are units out there that are 60% more efficient and cost about $7,000.00 with a life expectancy of 20 years. He said I would see immediate savings and the house would be cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. He was not a pushy salesman, just offering advice, and I appreciated it. I LOVED the idea of putting more efficient equipment in our home, and the fact I have until next summer to research, price, and save for a new unit.

Our house is cooling down nicely, and I'm hoping this "patch" will last until it gets cooler out...some time in Sept - Oct.

The visit and the freon cost $238.00 which was easily paid from my checking account. I feel as though I have dodged a bullet...for now.

Savings, revisited.

2008-08-18T09:19:00.003-04:00

Our home is crashing down before us....

As I anticipate what the air conditioner guy will say (once he gets here), we could be looking at a whole new air conditioning unit (we have central air). My friend just had to replace hers, and it cost about $5,000.00.

I use to have $5,000.00 in my savings account....until I "needed" things....I now have $2,700.00 in savings. That's not enough for a new air condition unit....

What have we been doing with our cash?

We've been putting $500.00 mos. into a 529 plan, and paying cash for my daughters tuition/room and board. And I suppose, spending money on things we just didn't need.

I was so hoping to have at least $10,000.00 in savings by now.

It's now time to get serious about savings. We will be celebrating 10 years in our home in September and I'm afraid along with that goes replacement of many appliances, etc. I can tell you that our cooktop is about to blow. Our refridgerator is slowly dying....and my washing machine is making strange sounds. Not to mention the furnace...or the roof...etc. etc.

Ah, home ownership. I read somewhere that you are suppose to put away 1% of the value of your home for home maintenance, so by the time you need to do some repairs, the money will be sitting there. I have not done that, and I'm afraid a storm is brewing ahead.

So, I will now calculate what is needed to fund a 1% home value fund, and regigger our budget accordingly. So much for the cash envelopes...there will be nothing in them....

Vacation is NOW over...

2008-08-16T20:09:00.002-04:00

because our air conditioner is broken...our relaxed smiles quickly turned to frowns as the house got a bit warmer...

We should have been prepared for this but our savings are now dwindling thanks to being a bit over budget from the lake...

We called for a technician, but being Saturday, they can't come out until Monday. (Good thing it's mild outside and not too hot!)

We are on pins and needles because when we went to open doors and windows, we found some rotted wood. (Needs to be replaced)..AND all three of our vehicles need inspections.

Welcome home, right? Geez.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS!

2008-08-16T09:49:00.002-04:00

I wasn't going to get on the computer while on vacation, but my daughter brought her laptop, and well, I couldn't resist! I did take CS's recommendation and bought a beautiful journal in which I journaled our adventures! It was great.

But I wanted to thank you all for coming to my blog and commenting. I felt like I brought friends to the lake with me!

We are back home now, and actually feeling refreshed. Glad to be home too. I will unpack and reorganize and help my daughter pack up again for her second year at JMU! Where did the summer go? My oldest daughter has already moved out...at least until December when she will start applying for teaching jobs..

I have a lot of blog catching up to do, but thank you so much for your kind words!

Talk to you real soon!!!

Lake Pictures!

2008-08-13T14:47:00.006-04:00

My daughter took her laptop with her and I'm sneaking on to post these pictures! We are having a wonderful time and the weather has been unbelievably beautiful! We are staying at a different part of the lake this year...near the state park area...it's very quiet on this end of the lake and the views are magnificent. A week is not long enough for sure....This is a picture taken from our dock....

We discovered an Eagle's Nest on the lake...magnificent! :)

My fishing men...they've only caught a very large stick so far...but bass are swimming all around the dock...smart fish!

This is why my children LOVE the lake...tubing on the lake is fun, fun, fun!!!

This is why I want to retire here...this view (blue ridge in the background) is what we see everyday here. LOVE IT!

Today we visited a local winery and ended up with nearly a case of delicious wine! There is really nothing not to like .... :)

We have 3 days left (:(Sad!) and we hope to go blueberry picking, antiquing and have much more water fun!

Budgeting??? What's that? I'm afraid I'll have to deal with that when we get home! Hope all is well with you!!!

Off to the lake...

2008-08-08T13:16:00.000-04:00

I'll be back in seven days! Talk to you soon!!

Only 2 more days....

2008-08-07T09:05:00.002-04:00

before we go on vacation...why does the Mom have to do all the work????

cleaning, laundry, shopping, packing, and everything else...etc. etc. etc. etc. . . . . . . . . . . .

I'll have to sleep through the first two days at the lake! :)

How much do you spend on groceries?

2008-08-06T15:25:00.004-04:00

I was feeling a bit defeated this week as the "cash" in my grocery money was nearly gone. What in the world am I doing wrong?...I felt bad until I stumbled on this post from Choosing Voluntary Simplicity.

I had budgeted approximately $200.00 a week for 4 adults and 2 children (albeit older children), and I was running short. But, according to the government guidelines, I should be spending $251.00 a week (and that is the low-cost budget plan). There is a "thrifty plan", but that is what I'm spending now (miserably, I might add).

So, I will continue to budget $200.00 a week, as both my older daughters are going back to school after we return from the lake, and I may be able to do it for a family of four.....

We'll see, but now I feel a bit better about it!

What does your family spend on groceries???

In a funk for what to have for dinner? Try this new site...

2008-08-04T19:19:00.002-04:00

I was searching the web for a weight watchers recipe that I made years ago and came upon this site. It had my chicken recipe that I was looking for and so much more! Check it out!

Today I have a case of the WANTS!

2008-08-04T17:46:00.006-04:00

I want a brand new kitchen...AND

a pool for the backyard.....

That's all......

There, now I feel better.

Only 6 more days until we go to the LAKE!!!!!

2008-08-03T12:46:00.003-04:00

We are busy putting together our "stuff" for our week at the lake! I am so looking forward to the change in scenery. We are staying at a beautiful home right on the lake and we are renting a boat to fish and play in...

Things I'll be bringing....

suntan lotion

towels

books to read...

What I won't be bringing...

my laptop....

I decided that I wanted to be "technologically" free for a week, but I'll keep my cell phone on in case of an emergency at home...(I'll have a dogsitter).

Any suggestions of anything else I should bring to the lake???

Round Two - Cash Only

2008-07-31T17:00:00.005-04:00

Funny thing about cash...banks don't know how to handle a large pay out...they give you strange stares when you ask to have your paycheck "cashed" as opposed to be deposited. Because I work part time, my paycheck isn't all that high, so I cash it out completely. (At least since I started using cash only). Both times, the teller at the bank looked suspicious of me...and why did I want it all in 20's?
Oh well.

I took out $1321.00 (bi-monthly) to handle the following categories:

Gas/Transportation
Food/Restaurant
Clothing/Gifts
*Personal/Household/children's expenses
Pets/Allowance/Misc.
*Cleaning/Supplies
*New additions

I've added several "jars" to separate my cash further. Actually, I still have the jars but I've switched to large envelopes that I can slide into a drawer. Hubby was a bit worried about keeping large sums of cash in clear jars. I've kept them out though, and they will hold the receipts.

Heeding how fast I blew through money the first time, I took my time to write out a menu for the month and a grocery list and to really think about what I wanted to spend. Since we were really low on everything, I mapped out the best way to stock up. First, I went to BJ's to buy meat for the next two weeks. Their meat is pretty good, and I managed to walk out of there with enough meat for 14 meals, two gallons of milk, and 3 lbs of pecorino romano cheese for $120.00. Since we have several meatless meals a week, this should last most of the month. I was happy.

Today I went to two grocery stores, one for produce, and the other because it is just so much cheaper than the rest. I've used up about 2/3 of my food budget for two weeks, but my cupboards are full. (I bought some food for the lake next week too, but I'm sure I'll need to supplement).

We needed dogfood and guinea pig supplies and were careful to price compare. We ended up saving almost $30.00 through a rebate and shopping at a discount store instead of the pet store. I'm not sure I would have done that had I not been watching my "cash".

I put $40.00 into my Pilot, and my husband put $40.00 into his hybrid. We will park my car for the next two days and use his. I think just watching this has saved us about $40.00 a month.

Next week should be easy to watch the cash, but I'll have to pay close attention to the second week when we'll be at the lake. (Lots of wineries in that area, I'll have to figure out which "jar" I can pull from to purchase some great wine!)

I'm actually really liking paying with cash. Aside from the receipt, I don't have to remember to write anything down....when it's gone, it's gone....it's visual....no surprises.

Any takers on using just cash????

Whew!...Payday is tomorrow...

2008-07-30T20:15:00.005-04:00

but I was very lucky this week...my daughters paid their cell phone bills (i.e. checks to me!) which gave me a bit more cash...$67.00 to be exact. My neighbor brought over a huge bowl of fruit salad thanking me for taking her mail in while she was away. That was wonderful since I didn't buy too much produce over the weekend. AND....my gas tank lasted with a little less than 1/2 a tank because I was VERY careful not to use the car for unnecessary trips! (There was a HUGE lesson in that one for me).

Since I didn't have any cash to spend on me or the kids, I discovered the library again and was able to take out a couple of movies and books. I think I may cancel Netflix....

Because I needed to be creative this week, I came up with a dinner that was "frugal" but delicious! Last night we had egg drop soup and grilled cheese sandwiches...everyone loved it! We are running low on a couple of must haves (i.e. milk, eggs, bread) so I'm definitely glad there will be more money for the jars tomorrow!

One of the lessons I've learned from these past two weeks has been to not spend all of the money the first week...otherwise it makes the second (and) some of the third week scary....

I did spend on my daughter's bed -- that came from savings, but I had anticipated that....

Bottomline, I LIKE (read not love) using cash. I'm sure I would have spent a couple hundred more dollars had I not used cash. So, I will continue with my jars.....and hopefully I won't get messed up with our upcoming vacation to the lake....I'd hate to run out of money there...

The Last Lecture

2008-07-28T22:36:00.004-04:00

For those of you who have never heard of Randy Pausch, please watch his last lecture here. He died on July 25th after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He wrote a book with the lessons taught in "The Last Lecture". Please borrow it from the library, or buy it. It will have you rethinking your priorities, as it certainly did mine.

Before he died, he spoke at the Carnegie Melon University graduation, and what stands out most in his speech to me was: "Do not strive for money or things as your passion. It's people and your relationships with people that you should be passionate about". You can find part of his graduation address here.

Thank you Randy, for helping me reprioritize...I'm saving this video in case I might get "lost" again.

P.S. A special thank you to CT Mom for introducing me to this lecture a couple months ago!

Found a way to spend......

2008-07-27T19:06:00.003-04:00

Blogging has been great for my finances because I feel I have to come "clean" with my spending with you...and by doing so, I'm being much more conscious of my spending.

DD1 is moving out next weekend to start her student teaching for a school about an hour away. She is renting a town home with two other girls, but there are only two bedrooms so she will only be able to bring a twin bed. She presently has a VERY used full (it's 17 years old and was cheap when I bought it!), and we will need to get rid of. We decided that she could take DD3's twin bed and we would buy DD3 a new bed since she will be moving into the much larger bedroom of DD1. (Are you following this? :0)

Anyway, because DD3 will be losing her bed in 7 days, we thought it might be a good idea to get her a new bed soon.....today in fact. (Not to worry...it did cost more than the $2.00 that was in my wallet, but we had specifically saved for this purchase so it is paid for). I had a $1000.00 budget for DD3's new room, but we decided to get her a high quality queen size bed (it was only $100.00 more for 30 square inches more room). What I failed to realize was how much more it would cost to outfit a queen vs. a full. But I diligently brought 16 20% off coupons for Bed, Bath & Beyond to purchase her pillows, mattress cover, comforter, blanket, pillow shams, bed skirt, etc. Needless to say we did go beyond the budget (and still didn't buy paint yet!) but we only went over by $250.00. I will be able to handle this amount with our next paycheck (I will pay back savings then.) Even though I didn't want to use savings to pay for this, we really didn't have much of a choice because we ran out of time with my DD1's move.....

So, even though I "borrowed" from savings..there was no debt....and I still have my $2.00!

Whew! I feel better now that I told you...:)

Thanks!

2008-07-26T11:06:00.002-04:00

Thank you all for cheering me on with the next 6 days....it doesn't help that my children invited their friends over for dinner last night...one friend slept over. I apparently approved of this (before I knew I had $27.00 for the next 6 days). That made 10 of us for dinner. I made homemade bread, pizza and calzones. Luckily, I had the cheese, sauce and pepporoni in the house. I did have to go out and get flour, yeast, milk, and butter. I was so careful for each purchase. I changed yeast brands because one was $1.00 less than the one I usually buy. I studied the prices of flour and the brands (and saved $2.00 in the process). I bought rootbeer and ice cream for floats....(should I have spent the $6.00??? They were absolutely delicious for the hot summer night it was, so .....)

As I sit here, I now have $2.00 left in my wallet. My freezer has a bunch of "mystery" meat in it. (I can't tell from the packaging what it is and I didn't label..:() So, I took out three packages of "whatever" and that is what we will be eating for the next three nights. I have bread, peanut butter and cheese for lunches. I have plenty of pasta, eggs, cereal and milk....so....my family will not starve.

This will be a very "relaxing" weekend as we do not have $$ for home maintenance projects that we could be doing...i.e. paint, mulch, gardening...

It's becoming clear how I got into so much debt in the past. I'm sure I've been in this position many months, but I always used my cc's to buy when it was convenient for me, and not when I had the money. It's hard learning new tricks as an "old dog", but I know this is what I should have been doing all along.

Things I would have "charged" this week if I were still using cc's.:

Mulch
Paint and supplies
Flowers and plants for the deck and front lawn
Extra food I didn't need
Restaurant meals
Trip to waterpark
Clothing (for me, because I felt like it)
and a trip to Target, because what is a weekend without a trip to Target???

Good grief.

So this is going to be a NO SPEND weekend by default.

Monopoly anybody?

Cash update...con't.

2008-07-25T09:30:00.005-04:00

Okay, so I have 6 days left before payday, and $67.00 in my wallet. The jars are empty. The refrigerator is empty. My husband's gas tank is on empty too. Um, oops. I do have $100.00 in my checkbook account (didn't want to use that). It didn't help that there were 18 days in between paychecks and I was unable to fully fund the jars. Still.....I went through $1000.00 in 12 days.

And, to make matters worse I received my gas card bill in the mail. I thought it would say $0. It said $291.00. What????? I was unaware that my gas card bill is a full month behind. These were for charges from June 15 - July 15. I started using cash on July 15. So in essence, I'll be paying nearly $800.00 for gasoline in the month of August, as this bill is due August 8.

I knew there would be a period of adjustment. And, to my credit, having cash has made me more conscientious of how I'm spending it. I drove less (as I see the tank gage go down), I spent less, just bought what I went to the store for...but still I misjudged the grocery budget and forgot expenses like haircuts.

So, I have $67.00. $40 will go in my husband's gas tank. I have $27.00 left for food. Luckily I do have some stuff in the cupboards and freezer. I will have to use the $27.00 for milk, flour and yeast (to make my own bread) and produce. Thursday is a LONG way away...

Wish me luck because I REFUSE to "borrow" from savings....

Save your fives?

2008-07-22T09:18:00.005-04:00

I was visiting Boston Gal's Open Wallet, and she referred to an article about a woman who saved $5 dollar bills and in 3 years accumulated over $12000. You can read about it here. What amazed me most is the discipline to do that. I've heard of saving change and dollar bills, but the concept of going one step further...

In order for this to work, she had to use cash, not credit. Hey, I'm doing that! So, maybe this might be another way for me to save some rainy day money. I think I can save $5's!

The lessons I've learned from Grandma's candy dish

2008-07-20T12:15:00.008-04:00

I had the privilege of living next to my grandparents when I was growing up. My grandfather is gone, and my grandmother is now in a nursing home. Since my parents still live next door, they are taking care of her home. They realize that she is not coming home again, and has asked all of the grandchildren if there are any things we may want.....

My cousin got the coveted "cookie jar", but I was lucky enough to get the candy dish. (Also coveted!) In fact, my daughter has already "called it" when it's time to pass it on again. It's actually a beautiful candy dish, but probably would not invoke the same value that my family has placed on it. Each time I look at it (and grab a few chocolate kisses!) I remember the simplicity of growing up and learning the simple pleasures in life from my frugal grandparents.

Some of the lessons I've learned include:

1. Buy quality and pay cash. My grandparents purchased classic solid maple furniture. It's still in the home today, and in great condition. I've taken the beautiful bookcase that was in their livingroom. It is over 60 years old and is still BEAUTIFUL. They paid cash for all of their furniture. They did not have a credit card 60 years ago. Which brings me to next lesson:

2. Take care of the quality furnishings you buy. My grandmother took very good care of all of the furniture she bought. It is all in beautiful condition. She also had a washing machine that lasted 30 years. Unfortunately, we won't be as lucky to get away with that. Manufacturers are not making appliances to last. But, you can still take care of what you buy, so that you can give it the best chance possible.

3. Borrow books from the libary. My grandparents home was never cluttered. They had a classic set of Dr. Seuss books for their grandchildren, but when my grandmother wanted to read a book, she walked down to our neighborhood library. She always had a book on the coffee table that she was reading, but never did I ever see a bunch of magazines and books cluttering up the house. Have you ever added up what you spend in books and magazines? I did, and I'm slightly sick over it.

4. Make dinner every night and make it special. Every once in a while I would get to eat at my grandparents house during the week. I LOVED it! Usually I chose a friday night because that's when my grandmother would make her homemade macaroni and cheese. She'd serve it with a wonderful tossed salad and her famous blackberry jello (which she made with red wine). The food itself was not especially gourmet, but it was the way she presented it and the way she set the table that made it special. She used her good china and a beautiful table cloth. She had sterling silver and beautiful cloth napkins with pewter napkin rings. The food tasted better on the beautiful dishes and silverware. She did this EVERY night. We now use cloth napkins and I cannot imagine going back to paper. I'm still searching for beautiful napkin rings....

5. Stash a special treat just in case for special occasions. I need to do this more often. When I'm invited at the last minute to someone's home, I rush to the store to pick up a bottle of wine, or something to bring. Or I'm caught short when someone pops in unexpected. I never seem to be prepared. I always remember my grandmother's hall closet had a box of chocolates on the top shelf. It was there if there was an unexpected guest coming over. She did not overstuff the hall closet. She kept it slightly empty so guests could hang up their coats, and she could easily find what she needed.

6. Always have a candy dish. Whenever we (the grandchildren) visited, we would always check the infamous candy dish. It sat on a side table next to my grandfather's chair, and if we wanted a piece of candy, we would usually get a "smooch" from my grandfather before we were allowed to take from it. When my kids were younger, they remember visiting and looking in the candy dish. (the very one above) Now I carry on the tradition of having one in our familyroom. I've filled it with my favorite treats, and the kids LOVE it. That gratifies me because in a way I'm passing down part of my childhood to them.

My grandparents lived in a small cape cod home, kept quality furnishings, didn't over clutter, cooked every night, and lived a wonderful life. As far as personal finance, my grandparents vacationed in retirement, spent half their time in Florida, and still saved enough money to support my grandmother in a 5 star nursing home which has taken the burden off of my parents. All on one salary. They did it through frugality and simple living.

I aspire to live the same way...

Cash is...working?

2008-07-18T09:39:00.003-04:00

Well, I've started using my magic jars...although I've started out with a deficit...I'm suppose to have $1300 spread out amongst the jars (for two weeks) and I was only able to start with $1000.00. This will be trial and error until I get it right...I've already had to use the checkbook for my son's little league sign-ups ($140.00) and a crushed tomato order from Pastene ($153.00) (This will last 6 months). Little expenses have been coming up that I didn't take into consideration when setting up the budget and cash jars...

I've started two new jars...Personal Care/Household expenses and children's expenses. The jars are working out nicely, however I had to figure out a way to have the cash when I was out..so I changed wallets. The wallet I'm using now has almost 6 dividers (a great way to separate out the cash). I'll post a picture soon!

I have 13 days left before next payday and I have only $100.00 left for groceries. (the menu is working like a charm!) I think I can manage as long as I don't eat out...

The entertainment jar is the jar that got "jipped" this time. It's been difficult when I want to take the kids for an ice cream, or a movie. The jar is empty. So.....this is the first feeling of deprivation I'm getting from the cash jars....Oh, I should have done this years ago!!

Hopefully I can get through the next two weeks on the cash I have....

Mamma Mia, con't

2008-07-14T22:05:00.001-04:00

We saw the musical last night and it was sooooooooooo good! As much as I loved being there with my daughter, I yearned to be there with a high school classmate....it brought back so many memories! What a clever musical to use Abba's hits and figure in a very funny story with it! BRAVO!!

FOUND IT! :)

2008-07-13T10:03:00.009-04:00

My Mamma Mia 45!

The phonograph, cdplayer and radio my husband bought me so I can play these "treasures"!

MAMMA MIA!

2008-07-12T18:48:00.004-04:00

My daughter and I are going to the National Theatre (in DC) to see the musical Mamma Mia! My daughter is the singer and music lover in our family. One of the things we love to do is go to musicals (when we can). We've seen Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray and Wicked. She finds it interesting that I already know most of the music to this one....(age helps me here!). I remember listening to ABBA as a kid, I think I still actually have a '45 with Mamma Mia on it! (For all you 20 somethings, and even 30 somethings, a 45 is a single version of a record....you know, the black disks that went round and round on a phonograph?) :)

To prep for the musical, I bought the soundtrack and am listening to it as I write this post...it's wonderful!

The movie is coming out, and I bet it will be good too! If you want the music though, I would go with the broadway version. This is definitely a keeper...my new workout music for sure...

What's more important than wealth?

2008-07-10T19:35:00.004-04:00

HEALTH!!!!

I've often taken that for granted. My family has been generally healthy, but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment. My oldest daughter has not been feeling well and will need to have several procedures done to find out what is wrong with her, or to rule out what's not wrong with her. She has not been able to eat very much, is losing weight, and is generally feeling bad.

Yesterday we were up all night with my son. He had sharp pains in his side, (which has happened before) and it's basically caused by lack of bowel movements...not enough fiber in his diet....I'll be monitoring his diet much more closely from now on...

My husband has not been feeling great either. Lack of energy, muscle pain, headaches. The doctor tested him for Lyme Disease, but the results came back negative. They believe he is having a reaction to coming off of his cholesterol medicine. He has to wait two months and be retested again. In the meantime, he is trying to lose some weight, eat right and exercise.

There is nothing more important than your health. Both my husband and I had gained excess weight and had stopped exercising. We became lazy. We both decided that it's time to do something about it. We are tired of feeling 80, when we are only 40 somethings....
So we are watching what we eat, exercising (starting off slow, but hopefully will pick up) and basically trying to feel better.

It's been a wake up call for me these past couple of weeks with the mysterious illnesses that are happening to my family, hopefully we can find out what is causing them, fix them and never take our health for granted again.

Magic jars...con't.

2008-07-10T19:29:00.003-04:00

As I'm preparing to use my jars, I actually did some shopping today and am not sure what categories they fall into...
For instance, I purchased misc. household items...shampoo, conditioner, deodorant...should these be put in misc? How about school supplies? Where do they go? Misc., again? If so, then I way UNDER budgeted. I really don't want to put them under groceries and food, so now I'll have to recalculate...
I'm assuming this will take some time to get it right. I'm anxious to fill up the jars and get started....4 more days!

July's Menu....DONE!

2008-07-08T13:57:00.006-04:00

I've just finished July's menu...okay, okay so it's July 8th....but still!

Here's what we already had:

I can't remember anything before the 4th so..

July 4th - Hamburgers, hotdogs, pasta salad, chips (not very healthy, but it was a holiday!)

July 5 - Spaghetti & Meatballs, tossed salad, fresh bread

July 6 - Roasted Chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, broccoli (had to have some green)

July 7 - Spiedies (an upstate NY specialty) (beef cubes and chicken cubes marinated in a wonderful spiced sauce, if you have a Wegman's near you, you can find the marinade in the meat section), white rice, tossed salad

Here's the new:

July 8 - Chicken Piccata, Angel Hair Pasta, Garden Salad

July 9 - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, broccoli/cauliflower mixed veggies

July 10 - Barbecued chicken, corn on the cob, fresh green beans

July 11 - Breakfast for dinner - potatoes and eggs, bacon, pancakes...

July 12 - Barbecued ribs, corn-on-cob, tossed salad

July 13 - Spaghetti & Meatballs, tossed salad

July 14 - Brats and Hotdogs, baked beans, tossed salad

July 15 - Grilled pork chops, egg noodles, peas and carrots

July 16 - Fajitas (beef and chicken), chips, rice and beans

July 17 - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Tortellini Soup

July 18 - Macaroni & Cheese, frozen veggies

July 19 - Barbecued Steak, baked potato, caesar salad

July 20 -Spaghetti & Meatballs, tossed salad

July 21 - One dish nacho bake, tossed salad

July 22 - Barbecued chicken, veggies, corn

July 23 - Hamburgers and Hotdogs, baked beans, chips

July 24 - Crockpot beef stew, potatoes, carrots, rolls

July 25 - Calzones, pizza, tossed salad

July 26 - Barbecued pork chops, tossed salad, white rice

July 27 - Spaghetti & Meatballs, tossed salad

July 28 - Enchiladas, salad wedges, tortilla chips

July 29 - Broccoli-Beef stir fry, rice veggies

July 30 - Spiedies, red potatoes, salad

July 31 - Chicken Parmesan, linguine, salad

So there you have it. I'll make out a list for each week, and shop (using cash....from my jars...). For those wondering, we are Italian...spaghetti is a MUST each week. :)

The "Magic" Jars are ready....

2008-07-07T17:35:00.003-04:00

My jars are ready to be filled on the 15th of July. My family made fun of me and rolled their eyes as they saw me prepare them. Well, so be it. I was always a "visual" person. Always needed to read along when someone spoke.. So, now that I see my jars, and as soon as I see the cash in each, I hope this will help me to not overspend. This will be a bit tricky as we will be taking vacation on August 9th. I will just bring "spending" money (from the entertainment jar!). And when it is gone....it's gone. Here goes.....

Staycation...

2008-07-07T16:51:00.002-04:00

Love the word...just read a post at Boston Gal's Financials, and she just spent a week at home.... a "staycation". If you get a chance, stop by and read what she did for that week...

I've actually taken this week off, although I will go into work one night this week to get some bills out...but I love the idea of taking advantage of what is in your own backyard.

We live in the DC area and there are TONS of things to do, both free and well, if you have some cash, you can do just about anything!

Today, I finally organized my pantry and refridgerator, played cards with the kids, did laundry (about 7 loads!), took my daughter to the orthodontist, and made a "hot" lunch for the kids.... Doesn't sound like much, but I felt like I got a lot accomplished.

Tomorrow, the house will get cleaned (I love Rosa!), and I will finish another drawn out project of clearing out the utility room in our basement. Doesn't sound like a vacation, right? Well, for me, getting long awaited projects done makes me feel as good as having a margarita on a white sandy beach...well, almost.

I also will take some time to take the kids for a hike, go to a water park (weather permitting), go to a free movie, and hopefully have some time to read. (That is a pure luxury for me).

We do have a vacation planned in August (THE LAKE!!), but it's not so bad to take time out at home too!

Stimulus Check....

2008-07-07T14:39:00.002-04:00

wow...I received one ...all $255.00 of it. I'm not going to complain, for sure, as I will put this into the checkbook and help out the economy..one way or another.

Actually, we have a grocery store in our area who is offering to add 10% to your stimulus check if you purchase a store gift card with it. If you receive $1200, you would get an extra 120.00. I think this is a GREAT idea. You could receive a grocery gift card for 1320.00. You are guaranteed to have food for the next couple of months. For families who are struggling, this is a great way to alleviate some of the pressure.

As for me, well, our couple of hundred dollars will go toward my daughter's eyeglasses, and whatever else comes up this month.

Cash only, please.

2008-07-02T18:30:00.016-04:00

I've spoken about this before (using cash), but it never really got off the ground. I'd do it for a while, then go back to my debit card and check book. (Better than credit cards, right?) Even so, I'm still finding a way to OVERSPEND in nearly every category.

Recently I started watching the show "Til Debt do Us Part", with Gail Vaz-Oxlade as the host. The show basically starts with a couple having major financial difficulties (usually loads of debt), and want her to come and help them figure out how to get out of debt. She takes away all debit and credit cards and makes them live on CASH ONLY. The cash only is for variable expenses (i.e., groceries, entertainment, misc.).

What I LOVE about the show is seeing her set up the glass jars, labeled with the category and how much should go in each for the month. Example: Labels on the jars are "Food" , "Entertainment", "Clothes/Gifts", "transportation" and "misc/other".

To figure this out for yourself (with your own budget), you can go to her "Interactive Budget" online and figure out how much should go in your jars.

Today I figured out how much should go in my jars, although I can't start until the 15th (when I get paid again). My categories are the same and I figured how much I could spend weekly and monthly.

Here are my categories:

Transportation - gasoline and maintenance $550.00 /month $126.92 /week

Food - groceries/eating out $800.00 /month $184.00 /week

Clothes/Gifts - clothes, gifts, Christmas $570 /month $131.54 /week

Entertainment - kids activities, entertainment $285.00 /month $65.77/week

Misc. - cleaning, allowance, pets, household $475.00/month $110.00/week

Once you spend the money in the jars, you put your receipts in the jar that you spent from. It's a way to keep track of what you are actually spending. I'm excited to start this. It's visual. Once the jars are empty, the spending must stop until the next time they get filled. Wow. What a concept...

Gail Vaz Oxlade has a blog and has some pretty interesting posts. Check it out!

July Goals

2008-07-01T19:18:00.003-04:00

Prepare a July dinner menu (AND STICK TO IT)
Stay within grocery budget of $800.00 but strive for $600 (This is high and includes any take-out, etc.)
Plan trips and don't use SUV on the weekends
Use cash and keep track
Mulch the front yard
Paint daughter's new room
Paint daughter's old room
Create a 100 things to do in 1001 days list (see Canadian Saver's post)
Relax with kids

Boston...

2008-07-01T09:17:00.002-04:00

we just got back from our trip to Boston...it was a whirlwind trip, we left Friday came back Monday. Both Friday and Monday were travel days, so we really just had two days to visit with family. We went for a wedding, and I wanted hubby to meet my relatives. (We've been married 13 years and he never met my Mom's side). Unfortunately, as most weddings go, we didn't get to visit as much as we would have liked and before we knew it, it was time to go.

Expenses were high this trip, between airfare, car rental, hotel stay, food and such. We didn't really budget for this trip, and our "emergency" savings are going to have to be used :(, but hopefully we can scrimp a bit in July to make up for the over expense.

Summers always leave us scrambling...(which is how we got into mega debt last year). Somehow we just don't plan ahead enough.

Dave Ramsey

2008-06-26T13:19:00.003-04:00

Interestingly enough, Dave Ramsey talked about the issues I wrote about on my last two posts...

You can hear his thoughts on the matter at:

http://www.daveramsey.com/tdrs/index.cfm/2008/6/25/Bass-fishing-and-butt-scratching

I wholeheartedly agree with his take on it, maybe you will too?

Last word on politics....

2008-06-25T17:08:00.004-04:00

I'm not that political, and my last post was not meant to be political (Although I did mention the policy of Obama, as this is the one who will affect me the most).

My response to the comments...

I hope EVERYONE votes, and knows the candidates and knows what they stand for.

As far as the social security cap:

Obviously those who make less than $102,000 would not care about a cap on social security, it does not affect them.

Who does it affect?

Obviously all those who make $102,000 and over, small business who have to keep paying 6.2% on their higher paid employees and of course the large corporations who will pay out, I imagine, a ton of money.

On a personal level, we would decrease our annual take home income about $4500.00. Not a huge amount, but an amount that we got use to having.

Now, some of you are not feeling sorry for me, saying you make over $102000, you should be doing fine...

Well, yes, we are doing fine, and if they take the cap off we will make adjustments and still be okay.

My problem comes into the fact that the government will now decide how to spend those dollars, because they will no longer be put into "my retirement" account, if I even have one at all.

I give LOTS of our cash away to various charitable organizations....but I enjoy being the one who chooses which charities I send MY money too.

Raising taxes will affect us all. Rest assured all will be affected on that one.

Just my thoughts. Done with politics....

Barack Obama's Economic Policy...

2008-06-23T19:29:00.003-04:00

will CRUSH us.

And here's why:

We are considered "rich". (We make over $50,000.00).
Social Security will no longer be capped. So we will now be supporting others who aren't putting anything into it.
Our income will be taxed an extra 5%.
All of his tax incentives don't include us...we make too much money. So, if he becomes president and they pass his economic policies, our take home income will decrease by nearly $10,000.00.

The Wall Street Journal’s Steve Moore has done the math on Obama’s tax plan. He
says it will add up to a 39.6 percent personal income tax, a 52.2 percent
combined income and payroll tax, a 28 percent capital-gains tax, a 39.6 percent
dividends tax, and a 55 percent estate tax.

We live in a very expensive part of the country. Our cost of living is high, and we have salaries that are commensurate with this area. We worked very hard to get to where we are today. We started with very low salaries and worked our way up. We are NOT the "large corporation" or "the very wealthy". So why are we going to get penalized???

Feeling the squeeze....

2008-06-23T12:08:00.003-04:00

Watching my husband pay the monthly bills, and the "new" stress on his face, makes me feel a bit guilty..but I know if he didn't become involved, he still would not know what it took to keep our house and family "humming". It's been a bit of a squeeze lately, however, as I had set up a very generous savings schedule. It included contributions to two 529 plans, a Roth 401K and our ING emergency savings account.

We are, however, feeling the cost of rising gas prices and food prices and needing to "borrow" from the savings we are putting away to pay for it. Our gasoline bill usually is $225.00 a month, and this month the bill came in at $371.00.

We just recently had to replace 4 tires on two cars, and replace a couple of small appliances.

We've had some extra expenses recently, and I'm afraid to say that I now have some clothing purchases on a Kohls card and an Ann Taylor card. Yikes! I wasn't going to do that! I hope to work a few extra hours to pay for these purchases...(some needs, others wants). We still have money in savings that can cover this, (and I'll use it before I pay a dime in interest), but it still is a bit unnerving.

We've doled out quite a bit in car maintenance, graduation gifts, birthday gifts, traveling and such, so it is no wonder that we didn't have the "cash" to purchase the clothing.

Even so, it is amazing how quickly our paychecks disappear. It seems to be going so much quicker today than say last year. It is time to buckle down, regigger our savings plan a bit, and be more prepared for what the future economy will bring.

How is everyone else doing this????

Home improvements....con't.

2008-06-20T10:02:00.003-04:00

I am going absolutely CRAZY with my cooktop. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. We know we have to replace it, but everytime we have that discussion, we say: If we are going to replace it, we might as well get new countertops....then a backsplash...then a new sink, then a new refridgerator to match.....ugh. Usually this extends all the way to a brand new kitchen with bump outs, etc.

Well, because we already decided that we will have to hold off on a new kitchen remodel, we will have to just get the cooktop. Unfortunately, it will have to be an "interim" one, because I want to eventually change out the whole kitchen island and put a full-size stove in the kitchen instead of on the island.

We still have not mulched, or prepared a garden. I'm so jealous of Canadian Saver's BEAUTIFUL garden that is already sprouting beautiful results. We have done nothing...outside or inside.

So, we will start this week-end. We'll start with weeding, but we cannot do the mulch, as it needs to be ordered and we need to have time to put it down. We are going to Boston next Friday, and we are working Mon-Thurs. so that won't happen.

We also are moving our youngest daughter into her sister's room since she is moving out in August. (She is going for student teaching, then wants to get a job permanently in that area).

We are getting my daughter a new bed (with all the fixins - mattress pad, pillows, sheets, comfortor) and a new frame with headboard and footboard. Plus we will need to paint the room.
I'll take some before and after pictures...but either way this will not be an inexpensive proposition....we are getting a full bed with pillow top and I believe these are in the 600-1000 range. And that doesn't include a headboard or footboard.

We will just have to figure out what we will pay for first...the cooktop or the bed?

Hmmmmm........

On a lighter note...

2008-06-19T20:53:00.003-04:00

This is Ginger. She is an adorable dog, and is very talented. She can lift one ear at a time...as she is demonstrating here! So funny!