Pause to Remember

Like many others in the US today I will be enjoying a day off work spent with my family. But I want to ask you to take a moment of your time and remember the price that was paid for your freedom.

Emotional Decision? Not This Time!

I think I made a smart decision.

Looking back, it seems like it was an obviously smart decision – on paper at least. But it was so hard to say no at the time.

Last Thursday night, a gentleman came by our house (Chip knew he was coming but had forgotten to tell me) to do some water testing and try to sell up a water filter system. He went through the chemistry of what he was selling. He tested our water and told us horror stories about the water we were consuming through ingestion as well as inhalation and absorption through our skin. It was enough to make you cringe.

And I’m not saying the guy was lying. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t. I know that if he was not lying, it gives me the heebie-jeebies to think that we live in the middle of the toxic mess that he was claiming we do. It’s enough to make you fear for what type of environment you are raising your children in.

And you know, now that I think about it, I’m not sure if his sales pitch was full of truth or fear. Maybe both.

I didn’t get to listen to the entire sales pitch because you know, there are children to bathe and put to bed and they were not interested in hearing this guy tell us about all of the chlorine we have living in the top three feet of each of the rooms in our house.

So I left the sales presentation and did mommy-type stuff. After the kids were in bed, Chip came upstairs and wanted me to sign the paperwork to finance this system. He had already signed his part. Luckily (I think), this was a joint venture because I wasn’t willing to sign it.

I tell myself it was a number of reasons that I didn’t sign it, but I’m not really sure what the real reason is.

First of all, I know us. I know that we have bought a timeshare after hearing a convincing sales pitch. I know we previously bought a vacation club package that we never used (and got out of) after hearing a convincing sales pitch. I know we have spent a lot of money in the past because we’re obviously gullible. Part of me doesn’t want to buy anything else in those conditions – even if it legitimate – because I am tired of realizing that I have been taken advantage of.

Secondly, I don’t like buying out of fear. Maybe I have every reason to be afraid for myself and my family (although I certainly hope not). Maybe this guy was not trying to use fear as a motivation to make us sign those papers. But I don’t like having that suggestion in the back of my mind that maybe I bought out of fear. Out of a “the sky is falling” mentality.

Thirdly, and what it the reasoning that I gave at the time, it was yet another bill to add to the mix when we don’t have it. You see, the system was $6000 paid over 72 months, which really came up to just over $8500 after what must have been an astronomical interest rate. The sales guy claimed that it would save us the money that we would be putting into it ($119/month) in electric and water bills (no time to go into the “hows” of it here) as well as in cleaning products. But I had no proof. Maybe it would. Maybe it wouldn’t. But in the end, without proof, I wasn’t willing to sign up for another bill. I told Chip that when we are out of debt we can re-examine when we can pay in cash and not pay 140% of the actual cost of the system due to interest rates.

But you know what was hard? Telling Chip “no.”

You see, I have a problem telling him no. I don’t know why. I feel like I am dictating to him what he can and cannot have when he wants something. I feel like I am treating him like a child. I feel like I am making decisions for him. I don’t like feeling like this (for the record, he says he doesn’t feel this way at all – it’s all obviously in my head).

Looking back, I think it was the right decision. But it was an emotionally tough decision to make all because I don’t like telling my husband “no.”

But somewhere inside, I'm proud of myself for telling him no. Because I believe it was the right thing although it wasn't the easy thing.

Have you ever felt this way? How did you cope with it?

Things My 21-Year Old Self Didn't Know

Ten years ago at this time, I was wrapping up my last term in college. At this point I had no job although I had interviewed for many. I would be getting one soon, but at this time, the pressure was still on.

I had worked part time during school but had only ever held down a full time job in my life during two different summers that I had internships. They paid, but only slightly above minimum wage. The experience was the key payment here.

I was finally a "real" adult. I was 21 years old and about to go into the real world. I knew it would be hard, but I was ready...or so I thought.

Over the last 10 years I have learned a lot about finances...mostly through the school of hard knocks although over the last 1-1/2 years, I've been trying to actually educate myself more. Here are a list of the things I would tell myself if I could travel back in time 10 years:

1. Just because you can handle a little money does not mean you can handle a lot. Logic would tell you that if you can handle a little you can handle a lot. Even the Bible teaches us that (remember that parable?). However, I was GREAT at handling tiny bills with my tiny paychecks. Once I was getting bigger paychecks, I thought I was rich. I had no idea. Lottery winners prove this again and again, but even on smaller checks than the lottery offers, money can be tempting to just spend if you haven't learned better. With more money comes more responsibility.
2. Just because you don't like to shop at the mall, does not mean you don't like to shop. You can still easily blow money without going shopping all of the time. Most of the money we have blown in the past has been wrapped up in eating out, vacations, decor for the home, and upgrading/repairing our home. I'm not a mall rat, but I still know how to blow through some cash. Fast.
3. You REALLY need to talk more about money in your marriage. From the beginning. I know...it's not sexy. It's not fun. It is CRITICAL though. I will not go into how many fights, tensions, and anxieties have resulted in our marriage because we just didn't talk about money. Spending. Saving. Plans. Habits. None of it. Trust me...talk about it and save yourself the heartache. Compromises are ALWAYS better than fights.
4. Stuff is really just stuff. It's amazing how much stuff I wanted once I had a paycheck. Stuff I didn't need. Newer stuff. Nicer stuff. Different stuff. Just stuff. Now I'm trying to get rid of some of that same stuff because it just clutters my life. I would have saved myself a lot of money and hassle by not buying it in the first place. If it doesn't serve a direct purpose and fulfill a real NEED in your life, don't buy it.
5. Believe it or not, smart spending/saving practices will one day be more impressive than a new ______. Although some people will always be caught up in material things, those are not the people I want to impress. I now know that. I would rather be labeled as frugal than as materialistic.
6. Don't buy something based on the monthly payment. Buy it based on the cost. This was a huge practice for long time. We have an extra $200/month, why not buy it? Forget that at $200/month it would take 7 years and thousands in interest...I could afford the monthly bill, so why not, right? Wrong. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
7. Make sure you love your job. I know money is enticing, but if you have loads of money but are unhappy, that money will not make you happier. It will just give you the ability to buy more stuff...which will not make you happier. You must love what you do every. single. day or you will be miserable no matter how many zeros are on your paycheck.
8. Children truly will enjoy the box more than the expensive toy that came in it. Children are truly easy to please until you teach them otherwise. They have fun with cardboard boxes and an imagination. They love flying a $1 kite. They love playing at a public park. They love running around playing in the yard with their friends. They love books that you can get from the library for free. They love playing the in hose on a hot summer day. A $1.00 bottle of bubbles can provide hours of entertainment. Some of my best childhood memories didn't cost a nickel. You don't have to buy their love or their fun.
9. You still have a lot to learn. I think most of us are cocky at this age. We haven't grown out of that aggressiveness that we needed to get through adolescence. We feel that we have come this far and now life is just to be enjoyed. Wrong. I have learned more in the last 10 years that I ever thought possible. About my career. About my life. About my husband. About other people. About myself. There is a world out there full of possibilities that your brain has not yet wrapped itself around. Be aware that changes are coming and you have giant opportunities to learn ahead of you. Embrace them rather than resisting.

One thing I did do right:

1. Save for retirement from Day 1. Or at least as soon as your employer allows you to get into the retirement plan. At my one-year work anniversary, I signed up for our company's 401k. I was 22 years old and although I didn't see the effects immediately I was told it was the smart thing to do. Boy am I glad I listened. I have just over $100,000 already waiting across a couple different accounts...and I'm still contributing. Those will continue to grow as time goes on. Do you think I would have saved that on my own in this time? Obviously not...our savings account has $3000 in it current and some of that is earmarked for other uses.

So, the time is drawing near that some will be graduating college soon. Some will be graduating high school soon and embarking on a bigger life. Hopefully my lessons will be able to help someone else grasp the bigger picture more easily.

I can't wait to see what the next 10 years teach me.

What about you? What lessons have you learned in the last 10 years that you'd love to pass along?

Photo credit: marygober

WFMW - Photographing Your Kids for Safety

Go ahead and call me a bad mom, but I typically do not have photos of my children on my person. That's right...not even in my purse. In fact, I only have my purse with me approximately 50% of the time. If you were to ask me for a photo of my child, I would probably have to go home, pull the memory card out of our camera, open it on the computer and either email it to you or print it out. I just don't carry them with me.

So when I saw this idea for how to have a photo of your children handy, I thought it was brilliant, so not we do it too.

Whenever you are in a public place and have a fear of losing sight of your children (you know, park on a busy day, festival, fair, theme park, busy street, tourist venue, whatever), use your cell phone to take a photo of your children BEFORE you get to the venue. This way, in the event your child gets lost, you have not only a recent photo of them, but even the exact outfit they were wearing when they disappeared.

Now I know this is not a pleasant thought to consider, but it is reality and as a parent, is something we must think about.

So use this tip to always have a handy current photo of your child on hand in case you ever need it.

And afterwards, you have a cute wallpaper for your phone on a day-to-day basis.

To provide peace of mind, this works for me. Visit We Are THAT Family to see what works for others!

Photo credit: sans5

8 Great Quotes About Money

It's amazing the wise things that come out of the mouths of such a variety of people!

The safe way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket. ~Frank Hubbard

It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach. ~Franklin Delano Roosevelt

The only reason a great many American families don't own an elephant is that they have never been offered an elephant for a dollar down and easy weekly payments. ~Mad Magazine

"Your money, or your life." We know what to do when a burglar makes this demand of us, but not when God does. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it. ~Bob Hope

Money is neither my god nor my devil. It is a form of energy that tends to make us more of who we already are, whether it's greedy or loving. ~Dan Millman

Never spend your money before you have earned it. ~Thomas Jefferson

Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don't have for something they don't need. ~Will Rogers

Find something in life that you love doing. If you make a lot of money, that's a bonus, and if you don't, you still won't hate going to work. ~Jeff Foxworthy

Great Side Income for College Students

Photo credit: mmagallan

"Broke College Student" isn't just a cliche...it's usually fact. Sometimes it is due to lack of income. Sometimes it is due to overspending. Always there is need for more money though (either to pay rent or to buy another pizza). Here are some gigs that can get you a little more jingle in your pocket while training for your career.

1. Tutoring - That's right. It's obvious but such a great option it cannot go by without mentioning it. You can either get paid by the school to do it through them or you can advertise personally and set your own rates (be cautious though and don't find yourself alone with someone you don't know).
2. Musician - That's right...there are plenty of restaurants and such looking for talented musicians. Just make sure these late nights don't get in the way of your studies so you can one day make more than what that night-time gig will bring in. Nighttime not your thing? I got paid $100/week over 10 years ago to play the organ for a church. It required me to be there 2 hours on Sunday morning and 2 hours on Wednesday night. Yep...$25 an hour to be somewhere I would have been anyway. WIN! You can also get gigs doing weddings and parties as well.
3. Jailbreaking an iPhone - completely legal and if you know how, you can really make a lot of money at this. If you don't know how to do it, you know there are plenty of tutorials online!
4. Babysitting - Sure a lot of people consider it a school-girl job, but as a parent, I know it can be quite lucrative. Parents are certain to pay a college student more than a high schooler and you can probably get some work done after the kids are in bed! You can extend this into petsitting and housesitting as well!
5. Graphic design - If this is your specialty, whip up some website graphics or banners and market them. Something that might take you a short while to create could pay your rent for the month.
6. Turn your hobby into income - If you love to dance, play piano, play tennis, or any number of other things, you can likely make money teaching other people (or their children) how to do the same. And since you aren't a professional, if you can do it independently, you can reach out to clients by charging less than pros.
7. Become a mystery shopper - I have done this a few times and it is actually kinda' fun. You get to do a task to check out a business and get fully reimbursed for the entire thing, and usually get a little extra in addition. This way you could not only make money, but get a free meal or two also! Win-win.
8. Car Washing/Detailing - Great for getting some fresh air and using up some daytime hours that you aren't in class. You could really get this to take off during the spring while everyone is fighting pollen on their cars. If you have an eye for detail you can really make good money this way.
9. DJing - If you have an iPod full of great music and access to a decent sound system, you could use those two items to really thicken your wallet. Look for parties, weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvah's, birthdays, or even picnics and such for businesses. The good news? You just set up, take any requests you can, and tear down. Otherwise you get to sit and enjoy the music.

Best of luck and remember, don't get too caught up in making side money that you forget why you're paying to be at school in the first place!

Confessions of THIS Working Mom

Photo credit: ks

There is often found some animosity between moms who stay at home with their children full time and others who work outside of the home. Each seems to think the other attacks them...and some actually do. Regardless of which side of the fence you (or your wife) sit on today, know that these confessions are my heartfelt feelings. They are not personal. They may not even be truth. But they are how I feel at this moment in my life.

1. I always wanted a career. Growing up I probably wanted a career more than children. I excelled academically and felt this was my obvious path.
2. I entered a male-dominated field because engineering is something that I'm good at. It makes sense to me. If I had to choose a career over again, I would choose this one again a hundred times over.
3. I realized how much I wanted to have a child when I suspected I was pregnant and miscarrying due to some major trauma in my life. I was heartbroken over the loss of this possible child and knew then that I wanted to be a mom.
4. Becoming a mom has changed my entire perspective on my life. It gave me new purpose. It gave me new focus. It gave me new goals.
5. I am the breadwinner of our family. It is due to the fact that I chose a field that allows financial growth when promotions arise. Being pretty good at what I do, I have received promotions and that has allowed a growing paycheck.
6. I care only about my career at this point in my life because it provides a livelihood for my family.
7. I THINK I would love to stay at home with the children. I would love to interact with them more frequently on a daily basis. I dream of things I would do with them and ways I would teach them about the world we live in.
8. I also know that I might not be that great of a stay at home mom. There are plenty of times that I feel I lose my patience too easily, and I would hate to impart that on my children so frequently.
9. I wish I could give it a try just to see. And I could work on my patience and grow with my children.
10. I probably will never get that wish.
11. I hate thinking of all of the class trips I won't be able to chaperone.
12. I hate all of the bake sales I will miss working because I'll be at work.
13. I hate thinking of the before school and after school hours my children will have to endure because I have a career.
14. I hate feeling like I am letting my children down because they will not truly have a "summer break" from school like I did.
15. I think I would volunteer more often if I stayed at home with my children. It seems like I would be able to do more in the evenings or even once they were both in school that would benefit the greater good. Now my evenings are spent making sure I spend time with them so I am not completely absent from their lives.
16. I get frustrated when I read about stay at home moms who complain that they have too much housework in addition to their mom duties. I feel like I have to also fill the role of mom in addition to the same amount of housework WHILE juggling a career.
17. Then I feel guilty knowing that I haven't walked a mile in their shoes.
18. But then I feel that way again when I read it from another.
19. I get jealous that my son wants to spend more time with his dad because he's the fun one. I agree...he is the fun one. But I still get jealous.
20. I love when I come home to two children who light up when I walk in the door. They often run over to hug me and say "Mom!" It also breaks my heart that they have had reason to miss me.

So. There it is laid on the table for all to see.

Like I said...it is not to offend. It is simply how I feel. And I just felt like I needed to release it today.

Thanks for listening.

Is there anything you need to get off of your chest?

10 Bloggers I Would Like to Meet

I have a HUGE list of blogs I read. Seriously...it's crazy. Thank goodness for a reader service or I would be clicking all day long. I love all of the blogs I subscribe to, but there are some bloggers that I truly would love to meet in person one day. This is a list of those people. It started as a list of 8 for my "Monday 8s" theme, but I just couldn't trim it down any further, so you'll just have to accept this Monday 10 in its place.

1. Angie Smith from Bring the Rain: This lady is amazing. Such faith. Such inspiration. So real. So honest. So awesome. I'm sure you are already subscribed. If not, do it now.


2. Joy from When Does Daddy Get Home: Joy has become a personal bloggy friend of mine. I would love to actually meet her in person one day. =)


3. Jon Acuff from Stuff Christians Like: Jon cracks me up on a regular basis and really moves me at least once a week (on serious Wednesdays). He has a real gift for inspiring through humor as well as through thought-provoking posts.


4. J Money from Budgest Are Sexy: J has some great insight into the world of personal finance and now with Love Drop fully underway, he has impressed me even more!


5. Ninja from Punch Debt in the Face: Ninja is so honest and open on his blog it feels like I already know him even though I have no idea what he looks like. He blogs life as he lives it and draws great little stick figures.


6. Jamie from Jamie the Very Worst Missionary: I love that she is so anti-what I grew up believing a missionary was "supposed" to look/sound/act like. And she is being used by God to do awesome work. And she blogs about it honestly and openly without mincing words. And she moves people, including me. Brilliant.


7. Dan from Single Dad Laughing: I have just recently been introduced to Dan's blog and am moved by each and every post. This man has a gift. He's a bit long-winded, but never while reading has he lost my interest.


8. Abraham and Molly Piper from 22 Words and Molly Piper respectively: Okay, I'm cheating on this one, but since they are husband and wife, I thought it might be allowed. Abraham posts the most crazy and amazing things on his post. And often, some really moving ones too. Molly has a gift for sharing the trials and joys of motherhood while showing off their adorable children. Yep...I'm cheating and using them both on this one.


9. Shaun Groves: Shaun is an awesome musician, amazing writer, outspoken advocate for Compassion International and seems to be a pretty cool husband and dad as well. I think he'd be really interesting to spend some time with.


10. Courtney from Women Living Well: Courtney's writing snagged me up and wouldn't let me go from the first post I read of hers. I really don't remember how I came across her blog, but I know I've been hooked ever since.

There are tons of others that I would love to meet, but these would make my day.

What about you? Who would you just be thrilled to meet in person?

Time for Spring Cleaning - Your Finances

So many of us are familiar with the idea of spring rolling around and picking up the feather duster (really? does anyone really own one of those?) and getting those nooks and crannies taken care of. You may do the windows or flip the mattress, or just other minor details that are not part of the regular cleaning schedule. What about other areas of your life? Let's look at a few ways you can spring clean your finances.

1. Re-evaluate your budget. This is something that needs to be done from time to time anyway, so why not sit down with your spouse and seriously plow through it. Talk about what is working and what is not. See if there are any changes you can make from the last time it was modified. Make sure you are massaging it to work for you the best possible way.


2. Check out your insurance policies. Can you drop your full coverage (we just did!)? Have you lost weight and might benefit from letting your life insurance carrier know this? Do you need to add life insurance now that you've added a new baby to the family?


3. Revisit your beneficiaries. Make sure all of your insurance policies, 401k, etc have the correct beneficiary info on them in the event your unexpected demise (isn't that a happy thought?)


4. Do you need those subscriptions? Are you using Netflix? Do you find yourself always returning those Featured Movies because you forgot to decline it? Do you actually read that magazine? Can you downgrade from a daily paper to Sundays only? Take a look at all of those things you get charged for monthly without a thought.


5. Can you close any accounts? A lot of people only accounts with online banks that offer $25 FREE UPON SIGNUP and never use that account. Take the money out and close the account. You aren't using it and it's just something else cluttering up your life even when you give it no thought.


6. Re-evaluate your financial goals. Will you pay off your debt sooner than expected? Make sure there is a plan to make that happen. Are you now debt-free and need to start saving? Make that change NOW.


7. Clean out your personal finance records. I'm not saying trash everything, but make sure everything you are keeping is all relevant and stored together in some order that someone other than just you can decipher. Keep tax documents. Throw out ATM receipts. Shred any documents that are going to be trashed.


8. Automate OR Unautomate your bills. What?! I know...sounds crazy. For those of you who are always paying your bills late, set up automatic bill payment with your bank. Of course, you'll have to make sure the money is in there when the bill is due, but you won't ever pay it late again. I would be shocked if your bank does not offer this. For those of you who cannot keep track of your money because it is automated, unautomate it and return to writing and mailing checks, or just manually paying bills online. This sounds crazy I know, but different strokes for different folks, you know. Make sure your system is working for you. Also--automate some money into your savings and/or retirement accounts while you are at it. You'll get to where you don't even miss it and your older self with thank you!


9. Start your Christmas/birthday fund. I know it is hard to think about it now, but if you start saving for those special events now, you'll find that you are not stressed about where the money will come from when the big day arrives.


10. Run one of your credit reports. I do this every 4 months so that annually I have check all three reports throughout the year for free as I'm entitled to. I discuss that more here if you want/need details.


11. Close open accounts. Do you have store credit card accounts that are empty and need to be closed? I know, you'll reduce your available credit but you'll also reduce your chances of having your identity stolen. Since I wouldn't recommend closing them all down at once if you are concerned about your FICO score, go ahead and close all of the small ones now. The others can be closed as you pay them off if you desire.


12. Shop for better service. Whether it be for your technology package, your garbage, your cell phone or your lawn service, call around and see if your provider still has the best price for the service. Do the same with your banking service.


13. Check out your investments. Look at your IRA or 401k and make sure you are invested where you need to be. If you still need to throw some money into your IRA to claim it for 2010 taxes you have until April 15th, so make sure that happens.


14. Evaluate your tax withholdings. By now you've probably done your taxes (if not, just do this step as soon as they are done) and you know how your withholdings compared to what you owed. Make any adjustments needed to make sure you don't owe next year or don't get as huge of a refund (unless that's just your thing).


15. Look for things to sell. Look! This one cleans up your house and your finances! Find things around your house that are glorified paperweights. If you use your treadmill as a clothes hanger, put it up on Craigslist. If you have baby gear and no more babies, take them to consignment. If you have clothes that you just cannot or will not wear, take them to consignment or even donate them (get a donation receipt if you can). If you have a baseball card collection sitting in the spare bedroom in boxes and it hasn't seen the sunlight in 15 years, put that sucker up on ebay. This will free up some physical space in your house as well as give you some cash to apply toward your financial goals.

So take advantage of the warmer weather and breathe some fresh air into your finances!

Do you have any other suggestions?

Newton's First Law of Personal Finance

I have decided why so many of us have such a hard time living a financially healthy lifestyle.

We are terrified of change.

No, not that jingly stuff that your kids beg from you to throw into a fountain (do your kids do this? Ours do and I LOVE this innocence!).

I mean that most of us, by nature, resist change. Seriously…even Sir Isaac Newton knew this. In his first law of motion, often referred to as the Law of Inertia, (see, this is the geek in me coming out to play), he stated that An object that is in motion will not change its velocity unless an unbalanced force acts upon it. (not a direct quote, mind you, but an application of the law).

So we happily plug away in whatever direction we set out on because change is so hard.

It takes guts to look at your financial situation honestly. To face the truth of how much you make and how much you spend as well as how much you owe, and weigh out the imbalance of it all…it’s often humbling, embarrassing, and depressing. And none of us are really big on feeling that way. It’s easier to ignore it and play along. At least for now it is.

It takes gumption to go against the norm, and if you plan on living a financially healthy lifestyle (you know, below your means and with a plan for your money to work for you now and in the future), you WILL have to go against the norm. You will not be able to keep up with the Joneses. You will not be able to compare your newest tech toy with your neighbor. You will not get to discuss the latest movie in the theaters with your coworkers. You will have to explain to your children why they simply cannot have a particular toy. It doesn’t really feel good at first. You will feel different…and that is unsettling for most of us.

It takes courage to change your ways. Not only will you have to stop being like others, but you will have to stop being like the person you have previously been. Not only can you not buy the newest toy, but you might have to sell some of the previous models just so you can have some cash to pay down your bills. You will have to stop enjoying nice sit-down lunches with coworkers in exchange for a bagged lunch brought from home full of leftovers of the home-cooked dinner from a previous night (that’s right…you’ll be cooking at home too).

But you know what? You can do it. You see, Newton did not say that it would be impossible to change directions. It just takes an unbalanced force to change the direction. That force could be a blog post you read, it could be a neighbor’s repossessed vehicle, or it could be something more personal, like a job loss or a large unexpected medical bill. If you’re lucky, it will not take something that drastic to turn you around.

I have some really good news for you:

That Law of Inertia…it works both ways. The turning around is the frightening part. It is scary. It hurts. It depresses. But once you accept it, the freedom is yours to be had. The power you gain by sending in more than minimum payments and watching those balances shrink is amazing. Once you are headed down the road to financial independence, once you experience the freedom of paying off that credit card, once you feel the release of actually OWNING your car, it will take a lot to turn you back around again.

So if you haven’t done it yet, make that turn onto the road of financial freedom. That is the direction that you will want to be traveling so that your speed and momentum can grow and you can live independently. You will then be able to truly thrive.

Photo credit: blackcat79

WFMW - Promoting Your Giveaways and Linkies

Sorry I'm a bit late to the game today. Crazy day, I tell you!

I have a few Go-To locations for linkies and listing to promote my giveaways. I just wanted to take a brief moment to share those with you. Maybe you're new to giveaways and don't know how to promote or maybe you just are looking to expand. OR maybe you have a linky and want more people to list their giveaways in it! Either way...check out these locations to see all of the many, many places around the internet to promote your giveaways!

Savings Lifestyle Linky List (Formerly MommySnacks)

Cuckoo for Coupon Deals Giveaway Linky List

Blog Giveaway Directory Squidoo Post of Giveaway Linkies

My Four Monkeys (underneath each week's Monday linky)

Audrey's Giveaways List

So whether you are trying to advertise your giveaway or looking for somewhere to promote your linky, visit these sites and take full advantage!

Promoting my giveaways through (most of) the linkies list above really works for me! Go visit We Are THAT Family to see what works for everyone else!

We Just Saved $500/Month! Ask Me How...

Okay, so this is not exactly a "tip" type of post, as I know not all of you find yourself in a similar situation or with a similar "out."

But we have saved $500/month that we were possibly going to have to spend in the future and I wanted to share my excitement with you about how.

A bit of a backstory, if you will:

We were a bit naive about school districts when we bought our home in Savannah. We didn't realize that if we had bought just 2 miles away, which is in a different county, that our education options would be much, much better. As it is, we live where we do and we can't exactly sell a house right now.

So we had a plan of action. To avoid Patrick having to attend the elementary school we are currently zoned for (which is awful by all accounts), we looked into some of the open enrollment and charter programs within the public school system. We narrowed it down to two that were relatively close and available for him to attend.

Plan A: Get into the closest Montessori program (there are two but one is really far away). This requires applying and then waiting for a lottery to be held to see if his name was drawn.

Plan B: Put his name in for an open enrollment school that is also part of the public school system.

Plan Ideal: Ideally we could get into both schools A & B and have a choice regarding which we wanted him to attend.

Plan C: Private school. Which we do not want to have to pay for, but are willing to in order to keep him away from his zoned school.

So we proceeded with the action plan. We did the open house at the Montessori school and then submitted our application. And started waiting.

We called the open enrollment school. Unfortunately...they are no longer open enrollment. Boo, hiss SERIOUSLY.

So Plan B fell through (and therefore Plan Ideal). We were solely dependant on Plan A to avoid private school tuition.

Well, Monday night the lottery was held.

HE GOT IN!

Hip Hip Hooray! So excited and relieved! That's one huge weight off our shoulders! His education will be awesome and free!

Have you ever had to face anything like this? How did it turn out for you? Are you pleased with your options for education for your children?

Photo credit: saltoricco

8 Things We Will Do With Our Tax Refund

Yep...we're expecting a refund this year. Like always. I know people will argue that getting a refund is like loaning money to the government interest free. And they are right. But I still like my refund. And frankly, the last few years have each been so different from the last, I'm afraid to make adjustments to try to balance it up so we're closer to the actual amount we owe for the year. So for now, I'll take the refund. This year it is for just over $4300.

This is what we're doing with it.

1. Replenishing the Emergency Fund. Our e-fund was knocked down from $1500 to $500 during a few rough months of having to pay for things with seriously reduced income. That's what the fund is for, but now it is time to restock it. -$1000
2. Getting the dog groomed. The dog is a shih-tzu and needs to be groomed. We are not capable. She needs trimming, shampooing, special skin treatment stuff, and nails clipped. This total package costs about $70 and hasn't been done since like November. -$70
3. Getting the wife groomed. Okay...not really groomed, but I needed a haircut and this was be my chance. -$30 (with tip) Is it just me or is it depressing that the dog requires more care than I do?
4. Paying for the tax filing. We use TurboTax Deluxe and this year it cost $103 because we had to file in three states (while Chip was working last year he had to fill in at a store in South Carolina for a little while causing us to pay SC state taxes). -$103
5. Date night. Chip and I have agreed that we are going on a real date when the entire refund gets in. The works...full night out, dinner, dessert maybe, paying for a sitter, the whole deal. It's been over a year since we've done this and we need it desperately. estimated -$150 (counting sitter)
6. Horde in the Emergency Fund. Chip is still not in the Army yet (he has to go back to MEPS), so we are still without income on one side of the equation. I really just want to sock the remainder away until we KNOW we can move it to the credit card balance.
7. Buy canvas photos. Back in October 2010 we had some beautiful pictures taken by a professional photographer who happens to be a neighbor and friend as well. She did a fantastic job. There were a few prints that I wanted to buy and at least 2 (maybe 3) that I wanted to have turned into framed canvas prints. But just when I was about to order, Chip lost his job. The order was put on hold. Our photographer friend did a WONDERFUL thing and gave us some of my favorites in 8 x 10 and smaller for us to enjoy. It brought me to tears. But I still want to order those canvas prints from her. After we're all clear on the Chip has a job deal, I want to order these and have them framed. Estimated damaged -$600
8. Pay off Debt! When Chip is getting an income again and we feel comfortable enough to do it, we will pay off debt with the remaining money. If we do not have to use any of it out of the temporarily fat emergency fund, this will leave $2337 to send to the credit card. I wish the whole $4300 could go, but this is what is more realistic.

I know...many of these are unnecessary and the money is best spent sending it all to debt. But we've been doing a pretty good job of paying off that beast, and we'd just like to splurge on a bit of it.

What do you think of our spending? Are you getting a refund? If so, what will you do with it?

A Financial Victory! Celebrating a Net Worth Milestone.

If you've followed this blog long at all, you will know that our household has done some stupid things with money. I mean some really, really stupid things. We've been scammed. We're in far too much debt, and now we're paying for it.

But there is one area where we've actually been smart. And today I want to announce that those smart decisions made early on are worth celebrating today!

Stay with me for a moment here while I give you some backstory....

I graduated college and entered the workforce at the age of 21. I was young and stupid. It's okay...most of us are at that time in our lives. One of the wisest things I did though was to start investing in the company-sponsored 401k as soon as I was allowed by company policy. They had an outstanding matching policy and I fully took advantage of (I invested the full 8% that they matched dollar for dollar).

When we moved to Savannah and I changed jobs, we rolled our retirement savings into IRAs (Roth and Traditional) and I started a 401k here at my new employer. They have a match that is not as good as my previous employer, but is still free money that I wanted to take advantage of. They match 50 cents on the dollar up to 10%. I continued the 8% investment that I was accustomed to. Yeah...I was missing out on some free money, but that is the decision I made and it worked well for a while.

I am now 31 years old and still a long way from retirement, so that means that although now I've cut my contributions back to 1% (to avoid the stop/restart investment paperwork but to maximize what I could send to debt repayment), I have always invested aggressively, knowing that the market would fluctuate. I would lose money. I would gain money. I'm still young enough, though, to ride it out, so I do.

One year, I lost a LOT of money (was that 2008, I think?). Last year...gained it all back. It's still growing today.

So what does all of this mean today?

Well, because we have become wiser and started knocking out our debt aggressively and because those investments are still growing and providing passive income for (not much) later in life...


As of this week, our net worth topped $100,000!

$101,008.53 to be exact.

YIPPEE!!!

What does this include?

This includes the following assets: home, cars, retirement accounts, and cash.
It also includes the following debts: mortgage, timeshare, and 3 credit cards (one with $0 balance).

We have no car loans. We have no personal loans. We have no student loans. We have no medical debts. Those have all been paid off.

In the last 16 months, we have paid off $19,254.20 in debt and our net worth has increased by $39,287.85.

Did you notice that our net worth increased by more than $20K more than our debt repayment? That's our retirement funds working FOR us, people!

So if you haven't started saving for retirement yet, just because you're young...don't think it will not make a difference. It will make ALL the difference.

We're living proof!

Have you ever calculated your net worth? Were you happy or upset by what you found?


Photo credit: RambergMediaImages

Before You Forward That Email....

I know. You think it is worth passing along. It stirred something within you. It featured some political leader, celebrity, moving story about someone I've never heard of, some life altering information, or some prediction about the future of our country.

It is packed with stories that would rouse me--that would make me want to act or share.

I understand. It touched you and it might do the same for me.

But before you forward that email story along though, please verify it on Snopes. I thought everyone knew about Snopes, so this would seem to be an obvious type of post. But based on the number of silly forwards I still receive, people either do not know about it or just simply do not use it enough. Snopes exists to stifle the urban legends that have gone viral thanks to the world getting smaller via technology.

Maybe it was a shockingly unbelievable story. Maybe it is a quote or action by a lawmaker. I don't care what it is. Verify it on Snopes before you pass it along. Not verifying it is the equivalent to gossiping. Stop it.

Everyone in your contact list will thank you for not passing along rubbish. And if you want to take the extra step, reply to all on the email you received and let them all know that it was verified to be untrue via snopes and include the link.

Using Snopes works for me. See what works for others by heading over to We Are THAT Family.

Photo credit: OmirOnia

Prolonging the Life of Your Towels

We have towels that were given to us as wedding gifts 10 years ago. They are still in fantastic condition. In fact, so many are in such great condition, that some of them on the bottom of the pile have never been used! I do not know if we will ever have to buy new towels as this rate!

So how do we make our towels last so long? Here are a few tips:

1. Wash every 5-7 uses. That's right...we use towels for about a week and hang them up to dry. The less laundering, the longer the life.
2. Hang to dry completely. If you do not wash after each use, make sure you hang the towels in a way to allow them to dry completely. If they are still wet a few hours later, you need to find another way or place to hang them or they are just going to reek soon. Make sure the entire towel is exposed to air for drying purposes. If you can hang near sunlight, this will help.
3. Wash on the warmest setting allowed by the colors of the towels. I know...this goes against the conservation teachings, but the more germs and stains you get out of your towels, the longer they will last. Promise.
4. Do NOT use fabric softener. I've covered this before on this blog, but I will say it again. Do NOT use fabric softener on your towels. This includes liquid softener for the wash, dryer sheets, or those terrible, terrible dryer bars that one particular company promotes (terrible because fabric softener damages some clothes and this is a semi-permanent fixture to your dryer). The chemicals that make your towels soft also make them non-absorbent. Ever tried to use a towel that will not soak up water? It will not remove water from your wet body either. That's a sign that they have been washed and/or dried with fabric softener. There is no way to fix this...you just have to toss them.
5. Get the funk out. Also preached on this blog before, there are times when your towels just get this smell. It permeates the towel and no amount of regular washing will remove it. But you do not have to throw in the towel (I'm so punny) or buy some special cleaning products. Here's how to get rid of it: white vinegar. Wash your towels with vinegar rather than detergent in one load and dry as usual. Smell gone. And no...your towels will not smell like vinegar when they dry.
6. Hang out to dry. This is one that we do not do because we have no where to hang up clothes, but line drying instead of machine drying will save your towels (and some electricity as well!).

So that's it. Use these steps and I promise that your towels will last longer too!

Photo credit: heltje

Wordless Wednesday - By the Lake

Wordless Wednesday...

Gaining Control - The Sixth Step - REALLY Having Control

So, I've walked you through how to change your financial future in a brief summary kind of way. But you will never make this work without this piece of advice.

You must change your mindset.

Seriously...if you work hard and get completely out of debt but never change your mindset about how to use you money (rather than letting it use you) and never decide what you want your money to do for you, you will end up right back where you are.

If you need help getting started, I highly suggest Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. So many people will tell you about this book that it almost seems cliche, but from experience I can tell you that it changed my outlook on our money and our financial future. He is such a motivator, which is why so many sing his praises.

Amazingly, this struggle through debt repayment will likely make the change for you. The harder it is to do, the more of an impact it will make. Windfalls make debt repayment easier and much more manageable, but they do not help you learn HOW to manage your money. Trust me. We know from experience.

Personal TRUE story:

In 2006 we were deep in debt. We had about $40K in student loans, $15K in a timeshare, and about $20K in credit card debt as well as $20K in car debt. We received an inheritance and paid off everything but the timeshare (don't remember the (il)logic behind that one, but it was what we decided) and put approximately $15K in a money market account for savings. We were (almost) debt free and could have managed to pay off that other $15K either with that savings or within the year. But we didn't. We hadn't changed anything about our habits.

In 2007 we moved to Savannah. From that time to October 2009 we managed to rack up another $45K in consumer debt. The sad news is, I can hardly tell you what we spent that on. Some furniture for the new house I know, but no more than $5000. About $5000 for storm doors and such. And $6000 for a new transmission and catalytic converter for my son. But otherwise...no clue. That's ridiculous that we had that much debt and no idea where it came from.

We didn't learn anything from that windfall, so we ended up right back up where we were. And now we're walking the long, tough road. I promise you though, because of the struggle and the work it takes, I promise this time, it will stick.

So make sure this is a lifestyle change for you. Not that you can never enjoy nice things again. Not that you can never afford extras again. You will be able to, but you will (hopefully) be much more mindful about your spending thanks to the school of hard knocks.

Now, tighten those boot straps and join us on this road. We're proof that it works (right at $19K paid off in one year...and that was with some major bumps in the road). We'll be here to encourage you. We'll be here taking those steps with you.

I promise...you can do it. And you will be a better person, steward of your money, and parent because of it. And who wouldn't want that?

Gaining Control - The Fifth Step to Owning Your Money - More Cuts

After slamming you with lots of information last week in this series, I took a break to post some other items. Now that you have mentally wrapped your mind around what your finances really look like, have put together a budget, have brainstormed some income ideas and have made some cuts, let's move on....

So you've made the basic cuts now. You're feeling better about cruising along. But you'd still like more wiggle room AND you'd still like more to send to your creditors. Because you know, the more you send them, the shorter time that you'll have to make these sacrifices.

There are more extreme measures you can take. Here are just a few suggestions:

• Cancel your tv subscription altogether. Between movie boxes (free or $1), Hulu (free), and Netflix (just $10) you can spend $11 to get a lot of quality entertainment for only a fraction of what you're currently paying. And although it will be strange to have the silence initially, you might just learn that you have more fun without it (game night, go outside, play with toys, read a book, talk, etc).
• Learn some new tricks for common items. (google this, there are hundreds of blog posts and articles about it online).
• Sell the car that you have a payment on and downgrade to a used, reliable car. If your vehicle is already paid for but gets really poor mileage, think about making the change for that reason.
• Do minor repairs on your cars at home. Change the oil, tune up, hoses, etc. You can do it! I'll bet if you google it, you'll find some instructions (possibly a video) specific to your car!
• Cut your hair at home. Do your nails at home.
• Give up your pets. They are expensive little creatures.
• Give up your vices (smoking, alcohol, etc cost a LOT of money).
• Downsize your home. Of course it is difficult in most places to sell a home right now, but if you are confident that yours will sell in your area or that you can find a renter, downsize your home so that you can buy or rent something more affordable. And the smaller it is, the less utilities, etc it will cost.

Some of these just really not be for you. But you'd be surprised what you can become accustomed to if you give it a try.

Photo credit: lusi

Get More Out of Your Consumables

I know...my husband thinks I am crazy sometimes. I am too practical for my own good sometimes, so frugality has not always been about the money or about the "best use of our resources" but just because it made sense. Why in the world wouldn't I try to get the most out of what I have already bought?

Here are how I make a few consumable items stretch:

1. Soap: We have never thrown away a bar of soap. When it gets to small to use, we stick it to the next bar and use it up. Sometimes it take a few tries of wetting both bars and pressing them together, but why would I throw away a perfectly good piece of soap just because it is not the right shape for bathing myself?
2. Liquids in Bottles: These always get store upside down once they are no longer squeeze friendly. Even my liquid foundation, which is in a pump bottle, gets stored upside down when there is too little for the pump to grab. Now I just open the top and apply with my fingers from what has oozed down to the "bottom" of my upside down bottle. Think shampoo, laundry detergent, bubble bath, ketchup, etc.
3. Toothpaste: Of course this is obvious to most people, but I go back over and over and over the tube after I have gotten some out to move it to the end where I will need it next. I know some people who will even cut it open to use the last of it. Sure I can get free toothpaste with coupons, but why wouldn't I make that tube last as long as possible?
4. Using Recommended Amounts: Did you know that even with the longest hair that you typically do not need to use more than a quarter-size amount of shampoo. Super suds is not an indication of clean...it's an indication of too much shampoo. And toothpaste? The size of a pea will get you clean and is what is recommended by the ADA. By reducing the amount I use to this amount, I can really stretch the amount in the container!
5. Flat soda: This is one that Chip cannot stomach. Frankly, I don't LIKE the taste of flat soda, but it seems silly to pour it out once it has reached that point. So I drink it. We avoid this by seldom buying soda these days.
6. Clothes: Yep...we don't wash every single item after we've worn it. Yes...socks and underwear get washed by the daily use (except the warm fuzzy house socks I like to put on when I get home on cold evenings and take off before bed). Unless the clothes got noticeably dirty or soiled, I will often hang them back up and wear them again. It saves on laundry detergent, water to do more laundry, the life of the clothes, and electricity to do more loads of laundry. Think here my work parts or church clothes. Or pjs.
7. Towels: We wash towels once a week. My mother would hate this, as we grew up washing towels after each use. But I just don't see the point. If they are hung up to dry, they do not seem to need washing (eg - do not get smelly) until about one week out. So that's when I wash them. We save serious water, electricity, and detergent by not washing towels daily.

And that is just a short list of ways we get the most out of our household items.

What could you add to this list? I'd love to hear more ideas!

Photo credit: emospada