Had the explorer inspected today and in order for it to pass we needed 4 new tires on it. And then at the garage we needed new brakes and rotors on the front. Double oy. So $700 later here we are! Oh well it's better than spending $400 a month right?
We rented a Toyota Sienna for vacation last week and man was that a nice car and it of course made me want to go out and buy one especially when my car needed all that stuff to get inspected but I know now is not the time. Patience, some money down and a few months we'll get something new or at the very least new to us :)
It's just hard to imagine having a car payment again after all this time of not having one, it's been a very nice feeling to have that extra money every month!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Can you feed a family of 4 on $100 a week?
What an interesting article on MSN about one writers challenge to feed her family on $100 a week, http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/RaiseKids/CanAFamilyEatOn100AWeek.aspx?page=1
This woman clearly has never had the need or desire to shop "on sale" before. Just by the way she talks about coupons, oh those disgusting things! I mean really they are just for things that are too expensive or unhealthy anyways right? RIGHT? Wrong.
That must be why I can get anything from whole grain pasta to organic milk on sale for cheap or even free with coupons every week *insert eye roll here* LOL! The fruit and vegetables we buy are the ones that are on sale during that week. We have 2 grocery stores and a Super Wal-Mart to choose from so in that aspect we're lucky I guess. We also have a garden that's exploded and will hopefully provide us with a bounty of harvest soon!
You do need to sit down though every week and either plan it out for yourself or do something like the grocery game(www.thegrocerygame.com) where they do the work for you! Yes it takes a little bit of time to get a nice stockpile going and yes you might spend a little bit more each week to get that stockpile going but it's worth it.
While I was working on getting my stockpile set up I did our "needs" shopping at Aldi's and Wal-Mart which helped a lot. Now that we've doing the stockpiling for this long we were able to save up and purchase a half of an organic cow. This meat will last us a year easily and we're eating the best possible meat we can too.
I think this woman needs to shop with a hard core couponer/sale shopper and then maybe she'd be able to spend $100 a week on her family:)
This woman clearly has never had the need or desire to shop "on sale" before. Just by the way she talks about coupons, oh those disgusting things! I mean really they are just for things that are too expensive or unhealthy anyways right? RIGHT? Wrong.
That must be why I can get anything from whole grain pasta to organic milk on sale for cheap or even free with coupons every week *insert eye roll here* LOL! The fruit and vegetables we buy are the ones that are on sale during that week. We have 2 grocery stores and a Super Wal-Mart to choose from so in that aspect we're lucky I guess. We also have a garden that's exploded and will hopefully provide us with a bounty of harvest soon!
You do need to sit down though every week and either plan it out for yourself or do something like the grocery game(www.thegrocerygame.com) where they do the work for you! Yes it takes a little bit of time to get a nice stockpile going and yes you might spend a little bit more each week to get that stockpile going but it's worth it.
While I was working on getting my stockpile set up I did our "needs" shopping at Aldi's and Wal-Mart which helped a lot. Now that we've doing the stockpiling for this long we were able to save up and purchase a half of an organic cow. This meat will last us a year easily and we're eating the best possible meat we can too.
I think this woman needs to shop with a hard core couponer/sale shopper and then maybe she'd be able to spend $100 a week on her family:)
Why yes I am still alive!
I know, I know, I know. But seriously you know how life gets:) I have lots of stuff to write about, especially since the economy is doing so wonderfully right now:) I've got an interesting MSN article I'd loooovvveee to email them about and I think I just might! That is soon to follow!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Boy you could hear a pin drop!
Ahh yes the proverbial busy, busy, busy :)
Every year the time between Christmas and the little guys b-day at the beginning of February brings nothing but craziness! This year was no exception. And then the sickness began. Uggh did it ever! The little guy has been sick every week but one since his birthday. This week he had a doctors appointment where he had to get antibiotics, poor guy. He's finally feeling better and I'm trying to get him to eat some dirt to build his immune system up.
I kid, I kid;)
I do have lots to talk about though! The big guy and I are both driving debt free now! Woo-hoo!!! I paid off my car last week and what a feeling! We've tried to not saying anything to loud around it so that it doesn't think that it can die now :)
I also want to talk about our big, BIG plans for the garden this year as well the plans to get a half a cow.
We're also chipping away at the debt and it should be done and gone by May!
So that's where we are for now and I'll be sure to write more soon!
Every year the time between Christmas and the little guys b-day at the beginning of February brings nothing but craziness! This year was no exception. And then the sickness began. Uggh did it ever! The little guy has been sick every week but one since his birthday. This week he had a doctors appointment where he had to get antibiotics, poor guy. He's finally feeling better and I'm trying to get him to eat some dirt to build his immune system up.
I kid, I kid;)
I do have lots to talk about though! The big guy and I are both driving debt free now! Woo-hoo!!! I paid off my car last week and what a feeling! We've tried to not saying anything to loud around it so that it doesn't think that it can die now :)
I also want to talk about our big, BIG plans for the garden this year as well the plans to get a half a cow.
We're also chipping away at the debt and it should be done and gone by May!
So that's where we are for now and I'll be sure to write more soon!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Living paycheck to paycheck has a different meaning now
This time last year the big guy and I were virtually living paycheck to paycheck. I often would have a small panic attack when I would log into our online checking account because I was afraid of what I would see. There was more than one time too where I would send out something a day or so late hoping it wouldn't clear before the other things. Gosh it's giving me anxiety just thinking about it now!
But now, now we have no trouble paying our bills and knowing that there's more than enough money in our account to allow for an overage if one would happen. But I'm still in paycheck to paycheck mode, only now for a different reason.
We actually get paid every Friday because of the way that mine and the big guy's pays are done. This makes it really nice BUT I find myself constantly looking forward to Friday so I can see how much money we'll have to put towards paying something off next.
I'm finding myself sitting down at the computer constantly during the week to look at our account, running numbers, wondering what I should pay next. It's actually giving me a small amount of anxiety! Lol:)
I guess I'm just anxious to get this stuff gone but I feel like I'm actually losing time by constantly looking forward to payday. I know that once we get this stuff paid off that it won't be such an issue but for now, well I think it calls for a glass of wine before bed :)
But now, now we have no trouble paying our bills and knowing that there's more than enough money in our account to allow for an overage if one would happen. But I'm still in paycheck to paycheck mode, only now for a different reason.
We actually get paid every Friday because of the way that mine and the big guy's pays are done. This makes it really nice BUT I find myself constantly looking forward to Friday so I can see how much money we'll have to put towards paying something off next.
I'm finding myself sitting down at the computer constantly during the week to look at our account, running numbers, wondering what I should pay next. It's actually giving me a small amount of anxiety! Lol:)
I guess I'm just anxious to get this stuff gone but I feel like I'm actually losing time by constantly looking forward to payday. I know that once we get this stuff paid off that it won't be such an issue but for now, well I think it calls for a glass of wine before bed :)
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy, Happy New Year!
2007 was a whirlwind of year financially for the big guy and I. This time last year I was searching for something, anything that was going to bring in a few extra hundred dollars a month so that we could stop feeling so stretched every week. I was very lucky to get hired in February for the job I have now and that helped to put us on the right track.
But by far our most significant impact was when the big guy did the job craziness this past summer and ended up with a $10k raise. What a HUGE difference in our monthly net income. We've been slowly paying stuff off every month and we'll soon in the next 3 or 4 weeks be knocking something else off the list.
We're still on track to be able to pay off everything except the car loan and big credit card by the time our tax return comes. We still don't know if the big guy will get a bonus or not this year as it was just something that was talked about not written in stone. But even if he doesn't once that tax return comes the only debt we'll have left is our mortgage and the big guy's student loan. Aahhhhhh, what a relief that will be!
I also would really like to be more active blogging here. I'm not sure that anyone reads this but me but I want to change that:) I also have a TON of stuff that I'd like to get rid of on ebay and maybe we'll another yard sale this year as well. We've accumulated a lot of "stuff" in 8 years and I think it's time we part with some of it!
Here's to a happy, healthy and debt free 2008!
But by far our most significant impact was when the big guy did the job craziness this past summer and ended up with a $10k raise. What a HUGE difference in our monthly net income. We've been slowly paying stuff off every month and we'll soon in the next 3 or 4 weeks be knocking something else off the list.
We're still on track to be able to pay off everything except the car loan and big credit card by the time our tax return comes. We still don't know if the big guy will get a bonus or not this year as it was just something that was talked about not written in stone. But even if he doesn't once that tax return comes the only debt we'll have left is our mortgage and the big guy's student loan. Aahhhhhh, what a relief that will be!
I also would really like to be more active blogging here. I'm not sure that anyone reads this but me but I want to change that:) I also have a TON of stuff that I'd like to get rid of on ebay and maybe we'll another yard sale this year as well. We've accumulated a lot of "stuff" in 8 years and I think it's time we part with some of it!
Here's to a happy, healthy and debt free 2008!
Great minds think alike
I've been trying to make this post for 3 days now! Technical difficulties on behalf of blogger and myself have made it less than fun :)
Anyways, one of the ladies on my "baby board" started a PF blog and she's what gave me the idea to start one myself. Well she wrote a great post last week in regards to the "green eyed monster" http://runningoutofmoney.blogspot.com/2007/12/green-eyed-monster.html
The friend she speaks of in her post is eerily similar to friends that we have. No one can seem to understand how we can be happy not buying something new that costs a lot of money! We did pretty ok for Christmas gift wise for each other and considering we didn't put anything on credit cards we did GREAT!
My best friend has the hardest time in understanding how I can't want new things all the time. She recently had her 3rd child and because of that she and her husband felt compelled to purchase a brand new minivan. Now the vehicle she did have was a 2 year old mid-sized SUV that would have in reality fit the 3 kids just fine. But it was an opportunity to spend money so that's just what they did.
The SUV basically had 2 previous car loans rolled into it because this is the 4th car she's had in 5 years. Yeah. They think they got a deal on the minivan because it was under the sticker price and they paid off the other loan for them. Oh did I mention they took out a 6 year loan on it?! The chances of them keeping this car for 2 years let alone 6 years are less than me seeing snow outside my window in July.
The husband also has a brand new car that he doesn't even drive because he has a company provided car. They make approximately $40k more a year than the big guy and I do and yet they wonder why they have no money. Hmm, I wonder? The husband is also working a 2nd job because of the amount of bills they have every month.
Now I'll be the first to admit that when said best friend told me she was getting a brand new minivan there was a tiny twinge of jealousy that went through me. Once I heard about the 6 year loan though I wasn't so envious any longer.
They are the types of people who put a lot of value on what other people think of them by how they look. Since the minivan purchase at the end of November they've also purchased a platinum and diamond necklace for her, with 2 chains because the first one didn't fit, and a 42 in LCD TV. Both I'm sure on credit.
She tells me of their money woes and I've actually even gotten an ear full from him before regarding their $5k plus a month bills but yet neither feels they need to change their ways. They put a lot of effort into looking like they have money that they're going to end broker than broke in the end. I've tried to say something but it's all fallen on deaf ears.
When we're almost debt free come April and putting loads of money in our savings every month I'm going to think back to that twinge of jealousy moment I had in November and gladly push it aside knowing that the big guy and I can sleep easy at night not worrying about who we owe what.
Anyways, one of the ladies on my "baby board" started a PF blog and she's what gave me the idea to start one myself. Well she wrote a great post last week in regards to the "green eyed monster" http://runningoutofmoney.blogspot.com/2007/12/green-eyed-monster.html
The friend she speaks of in her post is eerily similar to friends that we have. No one can seem to understand how we can be happy not buying something new that costs a lot of money! We did pretty ok for Christmas gift wise for each other and considering we didn't put anything on credit cards we did GREAT!
My best friend has the hardest time in understanding how I can't want new things all the time. She recently had her 3rd child and because of that she and her husband felt compelled to purchase a brand new minivan. Now the vehicle she did have was a 2 year old mid-sized SUV that would have in reality fit the 3 kids just fine. But it was an opportunity to spend money so that's just what they did.
The SUV basically had 2 previous car loans rolled into it because this is the 4th car she's had in 5 years. Yeah. They think they got a deal on the minivan because it was under the sticker price and they paid off the other loan for them. Oh did I mention they took out a 6 year loan on it?! The chances of them keeping this car for 2 years let alone 6 years are less than me seeing snow outside my window in July.
The husband also has a brand new car that he doesn't even drive because he has a company provided car. They make approximately $40k more a year than the big guy and I do and yet they wonder why they have no money. Hmm, I wonder? The husband is also working a 2nd job because of the amount of bills they have every month.
Now I'll be the first to admit that when said best friend told me she was getting a brand new minivan there was a tiny twinge of jealousy that went through me. Once I heard about the 6 year loan though I wasn't so envious any longer.
They are the types of people who put a lot of value on what other people think of them by how they look. Since the minivan purchase at the end of November they've also purchased a platinum and diamond necklace for her, with 2 chains because the first one didn't fit, and a 42 in LCD TV. Both I'm sure on credit.
She tells me of their money woes and I've actually even gotten an ear full from him before regarding their $5k plus a month bills but yet neither feels they need to change their ways. They put a lot of effort into looking like they have money that they're going to end broker than broke in the end. I've tried to say something but it's all fallen on deaf ears.
When we're almost debt free come April and putting loads of money in our savings every month I'm going to think back to that twinge of jealousy moment I had in November and gladly push it aside knowing that the big guy and I can sleep easy at night not worrying about who we owe what.
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