Winter Gear New Vs. Second Hand

Well, as much as I hate to admit it, we've already had to dig out the winter gear.

As usual, we're taking stock of what we've got, and what has to be bought.

My daughter was in need of winter boots, she rec'd a great pair from a friend last year, but she needed a new pair this year, although the others I believe will still be awesome as a second pair. We went to a second hand shop recently and bought her some absolutely new condition fabulous winter boots, complete with requisite disney princesses for $3.99. She LOVES them. She also picked out the pinkest pair of snowpants I have every laid eyes on (And of course loves those too) for another $3.99. She can wear her brothers hand me down snow pants, but hey for $4 she can have pink ones. :)
My son did not need winter boots last year (they still fit from the previous year!). This year, he does. This is where the debate starts. Do I spend hours (maybe days!) searching for a pair of second hand BOYS winter boots? Anybody with a son can tell you, it's a rare pair of boots that can withstand a winter with a boy.
So do we buy a pair only to stall having to eventually buy a pair of new ones.. or do we just go and buy the new ones while the stock is still plentiful. He is a very active boy and wears his shoes and boots to threads (or treads I guess). In his case, I believe it's worth the $25 to shell out for new boots because he will get our moneys worth. However, I am going to take a quick look in the online classifieds just in case there is a super deal to be found first. I think we'll still get a pair of second handers so that he has a second pair.
And for some reason, we need to keep buying mittens! Those have to be even more devious than socks, we can always seem to fine one, but not the other. Baskets devoted to each kid, color coding, labelling, etc... and we still seem to have that problem.
For the most part, we have started buying our kids shoes new as I have problems with my feet and understand how important fit and support is, but every so often, we'll find a great pair of barely used shoes that are in near perfect condition, and we'll buy those.
Every little thing helps. Winter jackets, and snow pants are so expensive to buy new there are wonderful deals to be found second hand.

It's bundle up time!

Stickers, stickers!

I just have to share one of the cheapest and easiest things I've ever done for my kids (and my borrowed after school kids)

I have established a very simple sticker chart system. Just little pieces of colored paper, I write the names of the kids on their own piece and every time they follow the rules correctly, or I catch them being extra good, they get a sticker. I find this is so much more positive and effective than negative attention. So far, a full month into school, the kids are all still going strong with this. The after school kids get a chance to show their moms and dads all the stickers, and I've been told they really love to take them home and show them off. My own two love them as well and we display them on our family bulletin board.

I've seen lots of "reward" charts and such for sale. I'm sure they have their place, but I find this is so simple and cheap! I wouldn't be so quick to want to give away a chart that cost me money to buy.. After one full month of use, I've barely made a dent in the paper supply, and I am about 1/2 way through the stickers (which is a great thing, more stickers used means better behaviour!) I bought a very simple "treasure" box to store the stickers in, and make for more fun choosing them.

My total cost for this:
Treasure box - $1.29
Stickers - approx $3.00
Paper - $1.29 for 100 sheets

So, less than $6 invested!

:)

Another great birthday party on the cheap

Well,

It's the day after my beautiful princess's 4th birthday party. We had a nice low key celebration at our home. I scored Barbie decorations, napkins, plates, cups, etc for $0.48 a package! Our gift to her was homemade, a huge barbie doll house (remade from my original one I had as a little girl) and we bought a small gift for her from her big brother.

A simple buffet, and a home made Barbie cake (dress was the cake, baked in a stainless steel bowl for what seemed like forever!) We used an old Barbie that I deconstructed and decorated to be a Princess Barbie. My baby girl and I side by side in the kitchen, her on a chair, rocking out to the radio and icing her dream cake, it was a priceless few moments. Parting favors were books, all chosen with each receiving child in mind.

The house was full of best friends and family. The total cost of the party comes in at around $150 or less.

It was a great day.

It's that good

I have in my possession, almost 19 pounds of pure gold.
That's right, pure gold. Beautiful golden butternut squash.

It all went down like an illicit deal. My friend "B" whispered to me, "Hey, I'm going to the farm tomorrow, I'll get ya some squash". Me.. "hmm, really, that's the good stuff!". "Yeah, it's going for a super price. ""Cool, I haven't seen it that low before..." "Ok, I'll deliver it tomorrow evening."
I slid the cash to her hand, and she passed over the goods. She bought out the farm for me, actually. I peeked in the bag and saw squash like I've only seen on display at a farm. No piddly little 2 pounders in this lot, no sir. These are big, fat, golden, just picked beauties. They don't fall to the bottom of a stale lot of skinny stringy squash. Not these ones. They boast their heftiness, they shout, look at me. Their vibe is less "please buy me" it's more "hmm, I don't know, maaaybe... what do you want me for".

Well, my hubby just happens to make a butternut squash recipe that rocks. He makes HUGE batches and freezes enough to give away and to keep us going until the next Fall. We have used it for special occasions, for rushed "let's order takeout, oh wait there is soup in the freezer" nights, and even as part of a normal menu plan. But the fun part is when we use it for payment, actually the soup is part of the deal to get the squash :) I've "bought" a pair of winter boots for my daughter with it, and bribed our little nephew to eat when he was sick. We've also given it away as a comfort to friends who needed a little something sweet and special to brighten their day.

This squash cost us roughly $0.26 a lb.

It's that good.

Air Conditioning

Well, it's now officially Fall. Outside it is a chilly 15 degrees, with blustery winds and a dark overcast day all around. So now may seem like an odd time to write about air conditioners.

However, since I did not write this summer, I feel compelled to write about it now!

This year, I am very happy to report, we never even turned on the a/c in the house once. Not even to see if it still works. This has been one of the hottest, driest summers in recent memory. Sure there were days when we were uncomfortable. But we did it. Last summer we turned it on just once to check to make sure it still worked (it did). But last summer wasn't as hard because it rained like 8 weeks out of 10 or something like that. This summer we had heat waves, hot sticky days for 3 or 4 days at a time.

All it took really was some planning and determination. Here's how we did it:

1. FANS! First of all, we have enough fans in the house for every person to grab their own and reposition it around the house as needed. The kids have cool glow in the dark fans for their rooms. All the bedrooms have ceiling fans, as well as the kitchen. When sleeping with a fan on either side, and one overhead, it's not that bad!
2. Curtains. We pulled our heavy dark curtains across during the day.
3. Windows. Opening the windows at any time when it's cooler outside than in, then shutting them when the opposite arrives.
4. Basement! When all else failed to provide enough relief, we slept in the basement. The kids loved it! On one of the hottest days this summer, our living room upstairs was 34 degrees at 8:30 in the evening. Our basement was 21 degrees.

We have some great friends who did the same this year,so it really helped to have that support. Most people look at you like you have two heads, and occasionally I will have somebody rudely remark on how difficult it must be for the kids, how cruel we are to them. Let me just say... is it really cruel to provide them with some knowledge that our world is not a comfy 21 degrees all the time? That it's cool to care about the environment,especially when it's not convenient; even if you feel like you (and a handful of other friends) are the only ones who care? I structured my days so that we did something fun outside before the heat got too bad, then we would come in and hang out and play in the always cool basement. I don't think that's very cruel at all.

One of my biggest pet peeves are people that try to poke at your "good deeds" like when you choose not to use a/c. I used it occasionally in the car.. I have 2 kids and a big panting dog. We made several long trips in the car, with lots of traffic jams, so yes, I am going to use A/C. It's just funny how many people would point that out to me like it was a sin. Meanwhile, they are at work, in their overly airconditioned offices and their a/c's are humming that mind numbing ugly groan. I think it just makes people feel better about themselves. I am not trying to make people feel bad about their own choices, like using a/c all summer. I just want respect about my choice. It's not like I point out that they are using theirs, I would just mention that I haven't used mine, and that was only occasionally, because I didn't want to deal with the 'oh that must be soo hard on the kids' speech. If you feel justified in your reasons to use or not use air conditioning, then that is your personal choice. I applaud anybody who tries to make good choices for the environment, but I don't outwardly try to make others feel bad about their choice to use it... it's simply a matter of "being the change you want to see in the world".

In any event, in terms of Money not Spent... I am really not sure how much we save on our electricity bill. My guess would be around $250-$300 for the summer. I don't know because it's been at least 3 years since we've run it for more than a day or two, and in the 8 summers we have spent in this house, we've never run it full time, all summer.

Here's to the beginning of Fall. Time to crank up the furnace.. just kidding ;)

I'm back

Hello world... do you remember me?

It's been so very long since I posted, I took the whole summer off and then some!

I've been busy busy busy. First of all, I spent the summer dedicated wholly to my family. Every day was designed for the kids. We did so much this year, and I am so thankful for the great weather! Then with the start of school, came the start of a brand new adventure for me, a real paying job!!! It's been so long since anybody gave me money for work that I was practically doing hand stands (while somehow managing to be reserved in front of the giver). I am now the proud owner of a whole stack of $20 bills! I'm collecting them. Of course, over half of them are spoken for, I need to pay our family budget back. With all my capital expenses, and all, isn't that always the way? But I've finally passed the "break even" point and am earning an income! Woo hoo!!!

I can't believe the number of people, who say to me "it so nice for you to have your own money" I'll tell ya now, if it worked that way, for my husband and I to have our "own money" I would be sorely hurting and on the street! From paycheck number one we have considered our money to be "ours". The bitter truth for me is that I will never be worth as much money working 3 jobs as he is working 1. Nobody will ever pay me that much. But that's okay... Luckily for me, in our family, we don't assign a monetary value to each other. I may not have been drawing much of an income since leaving the outside world of work 6 years ago to have my son, (heck, who am I kidding, I didn't draw much income then either!) but I have saved us child care costs. It hasn't been a sacrifice in the least. Yeah, maybe we eat tomato soup and grilled cheese more than we'd care to admit, but we're happy.

In any event, I am now "working" again. Happily self-employed. I care for 3 children after school plus my own 2. Of course 3 of those kids are in kindergarten, so it's only 2-3 days a week that I have 5 children. I meet the kids at the bus stop, they come to my house for a snack, and we do homework. On the light homework days, we have an extra "lesson" where I reach into my old hat and pull out my tricks from tutoring days gone by. We speak French during this time, as they are in a French Immersion school. I love my work. I love that I still get to be home during the days (which also means quality 1-1 time with my daughter on her days off) and most importantly, I am there at the end of the day to meet my kids. Being home during the day means I can afford the time to cook from scratch, which means no last minute fast food... I get most of the housework done during that time which means more quality time in the evenings for everybody. I love this work so much I can't see myself doing anything else, which I think is the true measure of success.

It's good to be back, and I hope to be a daily writer again.

$130

Today is the big day, my little man is six. Six years of him being with us. Somedays it feels like he has always been with me, and other days it feels like he is brand new.

I've talked about it a lot lately, but life does not wait. It charges ahead whether you are ready or not, so I have (reluctantly and with many tears) decided to charge headlong into the next stage. I hate to see the baby years end, those are sweet and cherished memories. I have the indescribable good fortune to know that should my husband and I decide to add to our family, the odds are good that we would be able to, it is not a done deal. That said, for now, we are moving in to "kid" territory and out of "baby" land. This is the age of riding bikes, long lazy summers, and flying kites. Popsicles and scraped knees. School and homework. Reading, playing, dreaming.

As I wrote last week, we were aiming for a $100 birthday party. I am sorry to say that I did not accomplish that. However, I did it for $130. I am pretty happy with that total! We had a tremendous time, loads of laughter and squealing. The children went home with loot bags full of junk food that I do not allow in my home. My son had great delight in telling the cashier at the grocery store that he was going to be allowed to drink Kool Aid because we never drink it, we always use it for making play dough. I can tell you my heart absolutely swelled with pride when he told her that! He is learning what is good for his body and is happy, truly happy to have treats. He has not been "spoiled" and he can appreciate a treat for what it is. This evening, to celebrate his "real" birthday, we are going for burgers and ice cream. Tomorrow we will go back to healthy food.

$100 Birthday Party?

My little boy is turning six on Monday. Six already? Gosh.

After 6 years of birthday parties that have cost into the hundreds of dollars, we have decided this year we are going to really scale back. It's funny, we've felt this pressure to make the party big and great and creative, even with trying to keep the cost down, we've still tried to make it a huge family and friend event.

This year, our budget is much tighter (think 5 years on one income!) and I was getting nervous about a $350 price tag, and it doesn't help that a lot of other parties my son has been attending are held at indoor playgrounds, or other such places. We are going back to basics, we have always held the party at home, but this year, instead of a buffet of loads of different foods (inc. baked brie!) we are going for what my son requested... this year his "Can I have hotdogs, chips and kool-aid Mommy?" This year, an absolute YES. I think before it was more about celebrating with the whole family and friends. This year, the focus is on my son. It's his party.

I am setting a $100 goal for this party. I don't know if I can do it, but I am really hoping to! We're going to have totally kid friendly food, a home made cake, and simple party favors (without resorting to dollar store toys full of potentially deadly chemicals and that will be thrown away in 2 hours), I am going to borrow an idea from a very creative friend to use ziplock bags with scrapbook paper folded over and stapled to the top to create a custom loot bag. Would you believe in the past I have spent up to $12 a child on take home loot alone? Not this year. It will be stickers, and edible treats.

I will update this and post my total. Wish me luck!

Gotta love the free!

I am so happy to write about a great gift one of my best friends gave me yesterday. I big bag of clothes for my daughter. I have been so fortunate, up until the size she is now, I had to buy very little for her in terms of clothing. I have been gifted so much for her.

Right now, with money tight, and both kids in the midst of a growth spurt, my friend's timing couldn't be better, precisely the right size and season, with a bit in a bigger size (and appropriate for the season when she should reach that size).

I'm a sucker for yardsales and second hand stores, I love the unpredictable nature of them, the thrill of finding things you love for little money. I don't enjoy shopping in big box stores, although I occasionally have to for the budget's sake. Getting a big bag of clothes for free is like winning a lottery for me! Each item I pull out is better than the last, everything is a mystery and it is so much fun!

My daughter is still going through all the clothes oohing, and ahhing, over everything... and feeling very special indeed that somebody loves her enough to gift her a whole bag of clothes. She couldn't care less if the "Barbie" shirt cost me $30 or nothing... I cherish that, I don't know how long I can keep her from caring about labels and price tags, but I will keep trying!

Thank you my friend, for a timely gift that is deeply and truly appreciated :)

discouraged...

Sigh.

Well it's another payday! That's the good news. The bad news is that's been weeks since I've been able to stay on budget. In theory and on paper, the budget rocks, it leaves me with plenty of cash to cover groceries and all the other essentials needed to raise a family... and a little left over for a cherished latte or two. But lately it seems that there is ALWAYS an exception. Birthday gifts to buy, unexpected visitors and invitations... uncontrollable things that pop up that are much more important than money... I need to find a way to build more savings into my budget. But that takes all the fun out of coming in "under budget". So when I am able to keep $40 to set aside to save up for something, or a special treat... it really needs to be going in to a fund for "unexpected times". Next month, my monthly " child care allowance" that comes from the government will be cut in half because my eldest is turning 6, and that is the cut off age.

I know what I need to do, but with the summer here and all the fun that comes with it (not to mention birthdays and vacations) I need to sock away more in my little jar. Which is great, but there goes the "extra" cash. I am not complaining, I will always be happy that I chose to stay home, and will forever be grateful for this opportunity. I'm just getting discouraged, things just keep getting tighter, and my ability to save seems to be lacking.

I do tend to bounce back well though... so in a few days I'm sure I'll have some fresh ideas, and creative solutions, and new resolve.

Been awhile...

I know it's been awhile since I have updated my blog, and I apologize. I have had a great deal on my mind, and it's been a struggle to be able to write about saving money when it happens so infrequently these days.

I have two great examples of "Money Not Spent" Both are related to eating supper. The first time was on Sunday after a long day of church and sunshine and working outside. I had nothing prepared for dinner and was exhausted. I desperately wanted to call for pizza. Instead, I mustered up the energy to make some rice, and a peanutty stir fry with chick peas. I was quite proud of my 10 min creation, and my hungry crew happily chowed down. Then again yesterday, an unexpected trip into town at 4:30, the time when I normally start cooking supper, forced me to delay supper by over an hour. My first reaction was to turn to takeout, but instead, I packed some bananas and that tied everybody over until my husband (bless him!) made grilled cheese sandwiches. I was going out about 20 mins after we got home, and had to get dressed up and ready.

Total saved (if we had of turned to take out both times) was over $40! I don't have a problem with eating out, or take out, but in my opinion it should be saved for times when you will really appreciate it, not just out of convenience.

Nothing to do with money...

Oh my.

Life is like the ocean. It comes and goes in waves. Waves of happiness, waves of sorrow, waves of good fortune, and waves of circumstance. Right now we are on a wave of trepidation in my circle of friends and family.

I have several friends at this very moment in time... good friends who are all praying for a miracle or resolution to their problems. The problems are all large scale and not petty in the least. These are the kinds of prayers that bring you to your knees, not the quick "under your breath - I'll-catch-up-with-you-next-time-okay-God?" kind. Yesterday I found myself collapsed in tears and on my knees begging God to bring miracles, to bring hope to a beautiful friend who has recurring breast cancer and not getting very good news lately. To bring healing to a little girl in the hospital with a terrible infection that has threatened her life. I prayed for one of the most wonderful couples that I know to receive a positive on their test results today. This couple deserves to have their biggest wish granted, and I find it so terribly ironic that at the same time they wish for a positive, somewhere at the same moment, another couple will be devastated at the same news... I prayed that God will bring answers to another friend with symptoms that are yet undiagnosed, and a future for her that is free from past hurts.

I prayed for myself, to be guided in what to do to help. I find it so frustrating that this is beyond control. All of these things are out of my control, or the person who is experiencing it's control.. The only one in control here is God. Sure we can help or hinder things, but when you are already doing all you can (as the individual with the problem) it's time to let "Jesus take the wheel".

All of the things I listed can be turned around, it is possible. There is hope for each and every one that I am praying for.

Another thing that I am praying for is for comfort for my family, as we lost a great man last weekend. He was an older man, a grandfather and great grandfather. He lived a long, productive, and happy life. He was looking forward, near the end, to his rest. But I pray for the ones left behind that grieve him.

Out of all this, I am reminded that I have it good. I am healthy, I have healthy children, I have a husband that I consider to be my soul-mate, I have family that love me, and a whole lot of friends.

Right now, we have a few moments of sunshine. We need to live in this very moment... as the old saying goes "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that is why it's called the present." Corny? Maybe, but I like it.

It's Pay Day!

Well, here it is Pay Day Friday!

I am very very pleased to report that I have between $40 - $50 leftover this week. I have not yet counted my change.

I take that money and put in a jar marked "save", and use it to buy something that I normally wouldn't buy (like a treat) or save up to buy something I really want. This keeps me feeling very motivated to not spend money, I know that everything else has been taken care of, and it's a very nice reward. This week though, I am going to use it to buy the kids new shoes. One of our local shoe stores (in the nearby city) is having their buy one get one half price sale. Our daughter really needs shoes, and our son always seems to need new shoes! I buy almost everything else for them second hand, but shoes are very important at this age especially while their feet are still growing, and they certainly get our money's worth from use! If there is any cash leftover, we will put it back in the "save" jar.

Happy Friday to you, and I hope you have a great weekend.

Tooth Fairy

Well, it is certainly a big day in our household! My son lost his first tooth yesterday. It was very exciting. With the excitement came the anxious waiting for the Tooth Fairy.

I think the Tooth Fairy was apprehensive and a bit worried as well. The rate of inflation for money left has gone up astronomically. When I was a child, she left $0.25, last night she left $2.00. I don't think the apprehension came from the actual amount of money, but whether or not it would bring the same excitement to my son as it did me (and my husband).

She upped the ante a bit by leaving a sappy note complete with stickers, glittery things and even lost a couple of feathers in the process. She fashioned a nice envelope made from velum paper with butterfly and flower closures. It all made a very nice package for the lowly Toonie.

The reaction was (other than the grumpiness of being woken up, it is a school day afterall) "I thought the Tooth Fairy would bring me enough money to buy a computer!" Sigh. We try so hard to make the kids nonmaterialistic. But there is no accounting for dreams of what Santa, or the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy can bring - the kids know that our family has limited money and resources, but those other characters are magic for goodness sakes! They can bring anything if the kid dreams big enough and wishes hard enough! And keeping with our beliefs, Santa, the Easter Bunny and now even the Tooth Fairy respect our wishes and keep things very simple. Much to the disappointment of our children.

I am very happy to report though, after some cuddling and re-reading the note together, my not-so-little boy was very pleased that everybody is indeed very proud of him, and that he is getting very big. To watch that proud and at the same time shy smile creep onto his face is so special... to see him reacting to praise with a sweet reflection is so rewarding. He weighed himself to see if he's gained any weight since last night (he hasn't) and ate a really big breakfast to try to get even bigger and stronger (like Daddy).

In the end, I am banking that the special notes, and quiet cuddles will last much longer than any other gifts. And for the sake of this blog, it only cost the Tooth Fairy $2.00 ;)

Reveling in a great deal!

In honor of Earth Day... I am going to write about how happy I am to be breathing in some fresh air.. windows are open. Coincidentally, I am also on a cleaning spree. My very favorite cleaning products, which are non toxic, earth friendly, and smell divine, are currently on sale at our local discount store. Instead of the standard citrus, or "morning breeze" artificial scent, my home right now smells like lavender, mint, cucumber, and ylang ylang (which smells soo good!).

These products are truly wonderful, they also clean really well. Cleaning has never been my favorite thing to do, but I could clean all day with these... really! However, other than the fact they can be hard to find, they are also really expensive. Therefore, I do not often buy them. However, right now, they are on for $2.88 a bottle. I got one of each yesterday, and will go back to stock up (I learned the hard way about stocking up before trying the product).

I love a great deal like this. If you live locally and are interested in which products they are, send me a comment.

Happy Earth Day, I hope you think of even one thing you can do differently, obviously for me, it was to buy products that are good for the earth, come in 100% recycled plastic bottles, made in North America, never tested on animals and very people friendly as well.

Sunshine, friends, and fun

Today is another one of those gorgeous Spring days, where you feel guilty being inside.

I am going to have a day where I spend nothing (other than usual living costs for those who are critical, yes I will use electricity at some point lol)

This morning, I met yet another friend for a visit to the park, we packed up snacks, and had a fabulous time. Then my kids came home and wanted to stay outside to play. Can't say I blame them. One of our highlights from the trip home from the park was the county guys are flushing out the fire hydrants... the kids thought that was great, although Mommy thinks it's a waste of water.. although it does go back into the system mostly I guess.

We'll eat simply (just the way the kids like it). At some point today we will probably watch some tv. We'll work together on our project... and hope to finish before Daddy comes home this weekend.

I guess from all these latest posts what I'm trying my best to convey is that we need to (society as a whole) learn to stop and enjoy all that we already have. We have friends, hang out with them without going out! Have coffee at home, or make a pot of tea. Take the kids to the park or in the backyard instead of some pricey amusement. Make your house comfortable and what you want it to be and enjoy it. Watch a favorite movie that we already own with the kids instead of rushing out to find another way to entertain them. Play together. It's all so simple, but we all feel the need to fill in the time another way. Shopping, eating out all the time instead of keeping it for a treat, going out for $7 coffee. It needs to stop. We're bleeding money and hurting the earth.

Another almost free day.

Wow.

Yesterday was a great day! The only downside was my hubby is still away.

We started the day at a little park that is almost beside our house, I met one of my friends and my kids and the little girls that she babysits hit it off very well. After the park, we came home for lunch, and dined outside! Then we headed downtown to the library, for my daughter's $1 per week library class. During that time, I chatted with other Mommies, while my son played on the computer, and picked out books. After library, we made a quick stop for a few supplies ($13 total) for our project. We came home and worked diligently (although we would have preferred to go play outside) on our project, and then had a very simple supper. After the kids were in bed, one of my best friend's came over, I made tea (rather than have her stop for Timmies) and we chatted for a couple of hours.

The total cost of the day was $13 as the library is already paid. Since the $13 falls into my budget, I'm not sure I need to count it.

Who says the rich live better?? Not me! There is no amount of money that could buy this kind of happiness. No dollar amount can be placed on watching your kids play in the sunshine, or embracing a book. A long chat with a dear friend who you've known for 10 years, cannot be bought. It is the simplest of things that make us truly happy.

Home Alone

Well, we're back! It was a wonderful trip on many levels. Of particular relevance is the fact that we were able to keep the costs way down! Due to circumstances with my husband's work, his company paid for our trip in terms of gas, and mileage! To top it off, I was able to get away for a few days with him, and stay at the hotel with him (totally legit) at no cost. We went out to dinner with 1/2 the cost being reimbursed by the company. Sure it felt weird to ask for separate cheques after almost 9 years of marriage, but hey, we weren't complaining! We were staying at a hotel about a 20 min drive from where my husband's parents live. He does not stay with them for the work trips as during rush hour the commute can take up to an hour each way! But we did pop back in to see the kids one evening as I am not used to spending much time away from them. All in all, it was awesome. I got to have the kids close by, but spend some time alone with my hubby, I ate meals that did not contain chicken nuggets (real or soy) or any form of cheesy pasta, my hubby still had to work, but he got to spend time with us. During the day, I was left to myself, there was a cluster of big box stores about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. I would get up and have breakfast with my husband (free continental!) and then after he left for work, I would get ready for the day and walk to the stores. Then I would bum around in the "cluster" for a couple of hours. I was so very disappointed at the "car culture" in that city. Just walking from one store to another was exhausting after a couple of hours! Around noon I would find something for lunch and head back to the hotel to be completely and utterly useless and loved it. I am happy to say that after 2 full mornings of shopping, I kept the total spent to under $50. And pretty much all of that was cool little gifts for the kids, like a mini volcano that uses baking soda and vinegar... and a thing called a piddle pad (really!) that goes in the carseat "just in case" as our daughter has just finished potty training... just a week or so ago, rather than embarrass her with a diaper for the car, we were all reassured with that waterproof pad! So I am proud to say I did very well!

Now though, my husband has returned to work again, and will be away for about a week or so, we're not sure. I am working on a little project in our home, and set a budget of $100 for myself... and I'm 99% sure I'll come in right under that. It should make a huge difference in our house, but I am not telling what it is just yet as he may read this and I want it to be a surprise for him. It's how I like to cope when he goes away. I pick a project and race to get it done before he gets home. Last time it was a simple rearrangement of the living room, and then the next week was a huge deep spring cleaning... This time it's... whoops ... you'll have to wait to find out ;)

a long car trip

Well, we're about to embark on a very long car trip once again. This time, we have a nice comfortable car to bring with us. We are bringing our dog with us too.

I find that a car trip can either be very expensive, or rather cheap. For instance, on our last trip, the drive to Quebec was very expensive, we had loads of unnecessary snacks, and frivolous items, but we were all in very sad moods and I was fine with doing whatever was necessary to help perk the kids up. We did not take our dog, (we were going to a funeral, and staying at a hotel) so we had to pay for boarding. The trip home though, that was very cheap, because we took a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter and that was a our meal for the way home.

Obviously we want to try to be somewhere in the middle. There are a few small indulgences we only allow the kids to have when we go on trips. It makes the car trips special for them, and I know they will remember them always because of the little things. For instance, I do NOT allow the kids to have sugary cereals at home, they are quite content with their little wheat squares, and they know to not even ask. But on trips.. that's a different story! I buy one box of the grossest, most sugar laden cereal out there (this time it's chocolate Lucky Charms) and measure it out into snack size bags. The kids absolutely love it, and feel like they're being spoiled.. all for about $4.00.

My hubby and I also buy cola for long car trips, the caffeine and sugar fix can really pull you through some long boring stretches! But we never buy it for around the house.

For entertainment, we do have a portable dvd player. We use it around the house as well so it has proven to be a great investment. Yesterday I bought them a new video from our local discount store, for about $3.50. Usually I make up little kits with new coloring books, and crayons, but this time I've decided we have enough crayons and such so we'll be printing off coloring and activity pages from their favorite tv show website (perfectly legal.. don't worry!) and assembling a little binder each.

I am hoping for a great trip, and am happy that it hasn't cost much at all. The gas is actually being taken care of for us this time, and we're staying with family the whole time...

Bon voyage a nous!

A day downtown.

I am getting ready this morning to go out for a very inexpensive day. I am going to walk downtown (about a 35 min walk each way) so I will save gas, and get exercise to boot! Once downtown I am going to take the kids to the library (free!) then out for pizza. We can get one 2 slice pizza deal for $3.00 with comes with a pop. I get one piece and the kids split the other one, the pieces are very big. After the pizza, we are going to the park (free again!)

My day is going to be full of fun, sunshine, and it will cost me $3.00, perhaps $6.00 if the kids prove to be extra hungry.

Happy Friday!

Another day before PayDay

Ah.

It's a beautiful day here, sun is shining and I'm getting ready to put a load of laundry out on the line (another way to save money!). I've been spring cleaning like mad. I'm very proud to say that I have not given in and bought outrageously expensive storage, bins and the like. I think that is one of the biggest mistakes we make while organizing, to buy storage before we even know for sure what it is we need to store. How many times have we had the wrong size tote when we needed it? Maybe the kids have a toy collection that could be put in a basket or box, and we go out and buy something to get it home and discover that you can't put the lid on it when it houses said collection? Or maybe it's so large that the kids are tempted to put other toys with it while cleaning up, defeating the purpose of organizing it in the first place. And who knows, maybe once the cleaning and purging are done, you will find you don't need more storage afterall... whether the storage "solutions" are too big, too small, or just plain not needed, they cost a lot of money to buy, and then you have to find space to put the containers!

I am not done with the playroom yet. It's March break and it's impossible to purge that room with both kids at home with me. I put things into piles, and have four little hands sneaking the items back out of the piles. Even enlisting their help doesn't work as they get so distracted that it ends up being an even bigger mess! I'm not getting rid of all that much actually. I am going to put a lot of it in storage, to bring out in 6 months or so, starting a rotation of sorts. I've always intended to do that, but have never gotten it quite right. Either I've put away the toys so long that they are no longer age appropriate, or I never get them put away before the kids take everything back out.

So here's to making it another week, pay day tomorrow and Spring Cleaning!

A treat

I've made it to the day before payday with $30. I have started taking out money on a weekly basis as I find that easier to manage. I have had a very long couple of weeks. My husband was complaining on the phone last night about having to eat out for 3 meals a day. I'm having trouble feeling bad for him.. I want to feel bad for him, but I don't. I've been cooking and cleaning up meals for all these days, and am craving a meal out. The kids too have been really wanting it. On Tuesday evening, I had almost given in to the temptation, and did not and am genuinely thankful.

That said, today is such a beautiful day, we are going to walk over to our neighborhood McDonalds, I am going to have my free coffee, and maybe a little burger, the kids will get their long sought after "happy" meals. It will be fun, it will be a treat, and I will walk away knowing that I made it to the end of the week and have the money to do it with.

Then for supper we will have a nice nutritionally balanced meal, and I will be grateful for the little break in the monotony.

Dinner time.

Just taking a moment to write about how I defeated my urge to run out to McDonalds for supper. I've been doing a great deal of Spring Cleaning, and have the kids here, and my husband is away on a business trip. With the dog thrown into the mix, and her fondness for rolling in the mud (and most likely a little of her own mess) it has been a challenging couple of days.

While I was out on a shopping trip this morning, I just had this craving for McDonalds. It doesn't help that they are giving out "free" coffee. I thought about just going through the drive thru for the coffee, but with the two kids in the back seat, I knew that would be disaster. On the way home, I purposely put my debit card and cash in the trunk of the car, forcing me to come home for lunch!

Then this afternoon, I am exhausted, truly exhausted. I've been cleaning, and organizing, and taking care of the children, and playing, and cooking, and cleaning up after the dog. I thought to myself... one quick trip to McDonald's won't hurt... it won't be as much money without buying for 2 adults. BUT I remembered the nice groceries I had bought, and threw together a quick and nutritious casserole in 20 mins. Much faster than getting the kids out the door, into the car, and through the drive thru, and much much cheaper! As a big bonus, the kids ate double helpings, and my son begged to take it for lunch tomorrow. Considering they would only eat maybe a 1/4 of their "happy meal" it would have truly been a waste, financially and nutritionally!

I hope I can remember that the next time a fast food joint calls my name.

Change

It's Spring Cleaning Time!

I don't relish the thought of cleaning, or more aptly, I hate de-cluttering. I don't mind the actual cleaning part, it's finding homes for all the toys, papers, books, assorted things that pile up around the house that I loathe. And buying more storage is not the answer as it just becomes another surface for putting stuff on top of!

This can be either a very expensive time, as you buy all the new storage gear, cleaning products and gadgets, or you can remember you actually already own a broom, a mop and bucket, and some cleaning cloths. Maybe you need to get a container of cleaning solution (or you could make your own!) and perhaps some paper towels for the really gross jobs. I've splurged and picked up some disinfecting wipes for cleaning boot bottoms and the like.

Resist the urge to pick up more totes, shelving, etc. Get rid of the extra things instead, or put them in some kind of real storage (remember good old fashioned cardboard boxes?) label them and stack 'em someplace. Try to use what you already have.

Now the fun part, whilst in the middle of all the cleaning, try rearranging furniture, pictures, etc. Since you're already moving the couch to clean under and behind it (you ARE moving it right?? ) why not try putting it in a different spot. If you have similar size windows in your home, and neutral colors throughout, try trading curtains with another room. Have kids? Why not hang up some of their artwork (or update it) These are all things you can do to spruce up your home, give you some of the change you crave, without giving you more "things" to clutter up your home, and the best part, redecorating without spending a dime.

I find Spring is a wonderful time to declutter your mind, body and soul at the same time...

Let the Sunshine In.

Made it to payday with $7 leftover!

Wow. I didn't think I could do it this week. It's been a long two weeks that is for sure. I got all messed up with my money when Hubby mistakenly took my "spend" money instead of my "save" money from my jars on my dresser, to help pay for our new bedroom furniture. I can see how... I guess it's not very clear. Sometimes what is clear in my head doesn't translate well to real life.

In any event, I was shortchanged by about $70 dollars. And I also took out less money to begin with. It's been very tough.

But I did it this week. I have $7 leftover in my "spend" jar. I could move it into my "save" jar, but I will rummage through bags and the car and hope to find another $1.00 and then I will have enough "extra" cash to buy my daughter a spot in the local library program for the Spring. $8.00 for 8 weeks, I think I can handle that!

Cheers to Payday!

Clarification on home parties

I would like to clarify my position on Home Parties, in case I offended anybody or made them feel like I don't appreciate being invited. It is the opposite, I really like going to the parties, and enjoy being part of the group. I also think the person hosting the party is very smart as they get some outrageously good deals on things they really want!

My only point I was trying to make is I can't believe how strong the urge to spend is when you go. It's that group mentality, and it's overwhelming. The last party on Friday night was a great case in point. I did not want to buy a purse, and had told the lady hosting the party so, that I couldn't afford it, and even with me going in to it with full intention of not buying anything, and I found myself floundering around going "oh my gosh I sooo need to buy one of these!!" Hmm... what colors should I get? And I was shocked with myself!!!

So here's my suggestion, if you go to one of those parties, and are certain before hand that you don't want to spend anything, or have a set limit in mind (say $20), post yourself a reminder of what you are saving for in your wallet (or in my case my pocket) or "call a friend" to ground yourself. There is nothing better than walking away from a great evening with a few items you REALLY want or need, feeling like you got a good deal. And nothing worse than buyer's remorse for buying something you don't even want in the first place, and are stuck with and have put yourself in a worse financial situation for that privilege!

Home Parties

Ahh Home Parties.

You know the one, you have a friend who invites you to their home for a sales presentation, but you get free food and usually wine or coffee. You most likely know at least a few other people there and feel pretty good about getting out for the night.

I've been to a few, and admittedly, I've bought something at every one I've gone to. Sometimes out of feeling obligated, and also because I genuinely believed I would use the items I bought. I've gotten yummy spices (which I used about 1/8 of the items I've bought), cookware, make up and lots of creams and lotions.

I am not blaming my friends here, it's a fun time and I always enjoy getting out with the girls.

Last night I was invited to a party for something I had no intention of buying, a purse. First of all, I am a stick my debit card in my back pocket kind of girl. When I do have to carry a bag for the kids, I have very little in it for myself. I know ladies who couldn't live without their bags, and this particular purse was really REALLY cute, and you could interchange different covers on the outside so it was actually very practical as well. But for myself, I don't carry a purse when I don't have to. If I am lucky enough to get out on a date with my hubby, I ask him to throw a lipstick in his sports jacket pocket and sometimes my ID (although I haven't been asked for ID in YEARS for good reason) and that's about it.

That said, I actually declined the invitation because I honestly cannot afford the purse and my friend generously said, please just come and have fun, don't worry about not buying anything! Okay, so I went. I was completely honest with her, and myself. But oh boy, did I feel the pull! I was looking over the samples, and I was actually debating with myself if I could justify it! Justify over $100 for a purse that I would never use! That I didn't want! But that was so darn cute, and I was in a room full of ladies buying them and felt this *almost* uncontrollable urge to buy one! The purses were cute, practical and functional... And actually a very very good deal and I would say that if anybody was really into purses, and could afford it, it would be great! But I was shocked with myself, me! Who blogs about not spending money. Me, who declined the invitation in the first place, Me, who went into the party going "you don't need this, you don't need this... do not buy one" . And I was honestly considering it, the pull was so strong.

I cannot believe who successful these parties are. And I have always bought something before when I was offered "small " items that I could pick up at reasonable prices and feel like I'd gotten something of value to me (and admittedly most often didn't need or want or use).

I would be too ashamed to show my face on here if I did buy one, and I am very happy to report that I did not buy one. I left the party as I went in, purse-less.

What would you do with $1,000,000?

If I had a million dollars...

I would buy a cure for cancer. My grandmother had it and has recovered, and I have a special friend who has had it too and recovered. Now I have a beautiful, brave and kind friend who is dealing with recurrent breast cancer. On the surface, there is a sheen of positive energy, but below the surface there is fear and discouragement. And not necessarily from her... maybe it's from my own feelings. I am discouraged at what she is going through, and the thought of what could happen.

She is exactly the kind of person anybody would want for a best friend, she is quick with a smile, a laugh... kind to a fault, and extremely generous. She is a terrific mother to her 3 young children, and from the smile on her husband's face, a gorgeous and wonderful wife.

My own problems and day to day struggles are so pale in comparison. Maybe what we can take away from this is to not harp on our own problems. Yeah, so I'm pissed about my car having to go back to the mechanic... and that I'm broke once again... but I'm healthy... my children are healthy and my husband is healthy. We anticipate forever together. What if we had to face a future of not being certain of that? How would it be possible to be able to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward? But she does... and she does it well.

God bless you "B" and I promise we are all fighting together. Every cell in my own body is right there with you...

Money Pits

Oh how I loathe Money Pits. We all know them, and most of us own one. Whether it's a house, or a car...

We recently sold one of our old cars. We had two cars with similar mileage, similar age and we may have sold the "wrong" car. Both were old, both were running great. We put both cars up for sale and decided whichever sold first, sold.

Exactly one week after selling the car, the car we kept had the "check engine" light come on. My husband took the car into a mechanic, and $400 later, we got the car back. The car came home yesterday, and today as my husband was driving into work, the $%&*#@ light came back on. I cannot express well enough my loathing and gritting my teeth feeling here.

Once things start going wrong like that, it really adds up. The car was just in this week! And while you can think - well it was just checked out, so it must just be a sensor... that is a dangerous game to play. It's not a good idea to ignore the check engine light, as tempting as it can be.

While hubby is convinced it's fine, and it's running just fine thank you very much, I am now nervous with it. My husband has to go on a work trip soon, about a 6 hour drive away. He will be gone for many days and driving back and forth on weekends. So now that we cannot trust the "old car" he will take the "new car" leaving me (and the kids) home with the "old car". And that makes me so nervous. It's still winter here, and the thought of being left with an old car that is on the verge of breaking down at any moment makes me want to scream. To top it off, the road side assistance is on the "new car" and somebody thought it was a good idea to not buy me a spousal card for CAA.. "I'll always be there to bail you out". Uh huh, not if you're 6 hours away! I'm definitely not blaming my husband here, don't get me wrong. The one and only time my old car ever broke down on me, he was able to come bail me out very quickly. We make decisions that sometimes are not the best. I just feel frustrated at the prospect of (a) not driving at all due to nervousness and (b) driving and breaking down somewhere with the two kids in the car in the middle of winter. It's a short term thing, and for the most part the worst case scenario is that hubby breaks down on the way to or from work, and I come and pick him up or CAA does it for him. And I do have friends that I could call to help me, or a taxi.. But that does leave the car on the side of the road to deal with.

Once you reach a point where you don't trust your car, it's not funny. Driving becomes a task that makes you hold your breath. You throw money at it because you can't afford to buy a new car and take on yet another monthly payment. And we're at least a few years away from being able to make another car payment. But at what point are you throwing good money after bad? And what can you do about it? What if the next car appointment is more money than the blue book value of the car? What then? Will we need to become a one car household??? If spring would just hurry up at least my husband would be able to bicycle in to work (God Bless him, he bikes 30 kms one way to work!) and my fears of breaking down would be alleviated greatly because at least then I can wait (maybe not 6 hours) but I will be in a much better situation to walk or wait for help. Before you judge us for having 2 vehicles, it must be clear that my husband works 30 kms away, and I have two young children who need to be taxied to doctor appointments, classes, grocery shopping, etc... If we have to go to one car, I will need to get everybody up very early, drive Daddy to work, come home and get everybody out to school, then go back at the end of the day. Which I guess may end up being the solution, but it adds 60 kms a day to our travels, meaning much more gas, and wear and tear on the new car.

Ah money pits, have I mentioned how much I hate them?

Decorating on a dime...okay so a LOT of dimes..

I am very excited that tomorrow after work, my husband will be picking up my new bedroom art. It's been months now since we started this bedroom "redo" which I'm not sure is an apt name for it as we haven't touched it in 8 years since we moved in, other than to whitewash over a hideous peach paint job.

In any event, we have been looking for a very long time for the right item to put above the bed. We need something big, or a grouping of pictures. It's the one room in the house that I am not looking to cover with my kids' artwork. I love them more than life itself but their stuff and artwork covers 98% of the surfaces in our home.

In this one room we want a decidedly adult feel. Classy, serene, but cheerful. Working on a very limited budget, we have taken our time to get things "just right". We splurged on the bedding, got new furniture, and have cleaned out everything that does not belong in there. The room is finally coming together!

I have been frustrated in my search for the right "something" to put over the bed. I need something with a splash of color, something cheerful but not childish. And today I found it! I was surfing Kijiji, and lo and behold there was a grouping of canvas paintings of ... (drumroll please) Gerbera Daisies! My all time favorite flower! The group of 4 paintings is brand new, price tag, shrink wrap the works. The lady who is selling them had bought them for her baby's nursery and she ended up having a boy. She paid $90 and is selling them for $50...

Sticking to my budget, I only have $40 cash on me. I e-mailed her and offered to pay her $40 tomorrow, or $50 on payday (Friday) she accepted the $40 tomorrow! AWESOME! I did not give her a sob story, or tell her I could not afford it, but was just honest with her, I offered to pay the full amount, but she is in a hurry to sell, lucky me! I know it was just $10 but it's the principle of the matter for me, I only have $40 to spend until Friday, then I should only spend $40.... not $50.

It was difficult for me though, because I REALLY want those paintings, the picture alone cheers me.. and I was afraid of losing out, and honestly they are worth the $50 to me. But I feel great about just sticking to it, and being honest.

Enjoying the simple things

This is going to be a deep one... just a warning :-)

This morning I was cleaning my kitchen, and my two children (aged 3 and 5) were outside playing in the fresh snow with their doggy... I heard peels of laughter that I haven't heard in a long time. I looked out to see the kids laughing and the dog hurtling herself along full speed ahead, tongue out, looking as happy as I have ever seen her. I was content to have a few moments of peace from the kids and dog (knowing of course they were happy and safe) to put my kitchen back in order.

It hit me hard, the feeling of gratitude for having healthy happy children, a home to raise them in, the ability to feed them well (which was the cause of the kitchen mess) and the knowledge that we are secure enough in this lifestyle to not worry about foreclosure on our home, that we can always buy groceries. Also to be able to afford to live in a safe area, that our kids can play outside without fear( we do use common sense, our backyard is fully fenced and they were with the dog, plus I can see them and hear them) that the air is clean. To be able to e-mail my husband and say "our kids are happily playing outside with the dog, while I am cleaning up" and knowing he would smile on the other end...

All this is what is important, having a home (no matter how modest) to call your own, having a family that is taken care of, providing our children with security.

How money ties into this is that yes, it does cost money to live like this, but I didn't spend anything extra today (above utilities, mortgage, and food), I didn't have to buy them something to make them happy, they were not decked out in the latest greatest clothes, just warm ones. They were able to come in and have a cup of hot chocolate, some lunch and are now ready to watch a movie (an old VHS one at that), all of these things are just us enjoying what we already have.

was it worth it?

Hmm.

I have been feeling a little bad about not saving up enough money by "money not spent" and buying my new bedroom furniture by "cheating" by selling something instead.

However, I woke up this morning in a bedroom that was neat, clean and looks awesome even though it is not finished. I took a shower and opened up the wardrobe after and could see everything I own for clothes before me, and enjoyed picking out what I wanted to wear instead of searching through the overstuffed drawers, crowded shared closet and piles of clean laundry on top of surfaces in the bedroom.

So, yep it was worth the detour, it was "cheating" but it wasn't really because it wasn't "borrowed" money, it was just redirected.

I am sure we are back on track now, and am feeling good about it again.

No spending today!

I am not spending money today... I am not not not.

We walked to church today, and saved the gas! It helps that it's plus 5 degrees and gorgeous sunshine out there.

I am spending the afternoon reorganizing our bedroom (and folding laundry), so we can move the new furniture in there and get that much closer to finishing it. At least now it will have all the furniture and be functional again, we just need to paint it and get curtains now... and perhaps wallpaper one wall if I can talk Hubby into it... I want to put something really unusual and cool (haven't picked it out yet) and only want to do the one wall and then paint the others out in a complimentary color... but he won't get on board that train yet...

I was tempted to spend money on grabbing a coffee, or maybe even lunch (hey it's only $3 for pizza and a pop) but then $3 x 4 = $12. That means I would have to break a $20, and doing that makes the other $8 disappear somehow.

All my coins and paper money is safely tucked away today.

Fast Track to Ikea

Just came home from Ikea. We bought our new bedroom furniture (two new wardrobe/dresser combos) and it was a fast track. I had been doing so good about saving in my jar, and then we got so far off track that it was impossible to save anything. About a year ago we took one of our dressers out of our room and gave it to our son, and now we are giving that one to our nephew, and giving our son our current dresser. So for a year we have been trying to stuff all our clothes (and purging clothes!) into one dresser and a small closet. We have already invested so much money into our bedroom decorating (after almost 8 years, it was never touched other than a white coat of paint) that I am so anxious to be done with it and enjoy having a nice room.

So we sold one of our cars last week, and decided to take the money that was still needed from that money instead of building up the jar.

I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, I am extremely happy to be so much closer to finishing our room, and I really like the new furniture. But I am disappointed that I didn't save for it properly. However, I have a never ending "wish list" that I need to save up for, so I am sure there will be that triumphant moment soon. Just this week alone I saved $40 in groceries. While in the store it may not seem like much, but at home in a little glass jar it is a lot more than just cash, it's a tangible reminder of why I am working so hard to save money!

Back on Track

Hello All.

It's been a long 3 weeks, and I hope somebody out there will read me again.

I have fallen so far off the wagon, there is no way to catch up, and nothing left to do but start fresh.

The first 2 weeks were responding to crisis, a relative of ours died. Time stood still and we made an out of province trip. As you can imagine, the costs associated with that were high, but in no way would we ever reconsider it. It's just money... money comes, money goes, but your family is always there... until they're not and there is no amount of money that could ever touch that pain.

The third week, I went off track to keep my sanity. I had three sick children here, one of them borrowed from a friend for the week. I made more trips to the local grocery store than I can count. And once again, I would not reconsider it for a second. When I can bring some small comfort to a child who has been throwing up, I will do whatever I can.

This week, however, will be different. We're starting fresh. And getting back at it!

Bring it on!

More important than money

Some things in life are worth deviating from your budget for.

We are traveling to another province today to be with a family member who is terminally ill. We are going to visit him and most importantly to show support for our family members who will survive.

It will cost us, we'll be off budget... but it's worth it.

Hug your loved ones tight today.

Groceries for $91?

I am so happy with my grocery shopping for this week. I managed to buy groceries for my family for this week for $91.00. Considering I budget myself for $140 I am so pleased with saving almost $50!

Last night also afforded me another opportunity to save money. I went out for coffee with a friend, and was seduced by all sorts of wonderful sounding coffee drinks and sweets... but I got a plain ol' coffee, decaf at that!

New Week

Well! Happy Friday everybody!

We made it through another week, and have money to spare! So exciting. I have money to put in my little jar! Look out Ikea - I'll get there soon.

I will visit the bank this morning, and take out even more money! I've decided for myself I will take out money weekly instead of by paycheck. This will make it easier for me to make it to my deadline and less overwhelming to know I just need to make it to Friday instead of the next Friday. It's all in my head, but it works for me.

I'm interested to know how others work their budgets, do you go weekly, biweekly, or just go with Debit and try not to think about it?

McDonalds Called me, but I didn't answer

Oh and one genuine "Money Not Spent" moment from today.

I had to get up earlier, and the kids too, to take my husband to the dealership near his work so he could pick up his car. We left the house at 7:30. We got up around 7:00. We did not eat breakfast. I grabbed a few granola bars (that are kept solely for car trips and school lunches) and headed out the door. McDonald's called me on the road then... as we drove by it whispered "sausage mcmuffin, $1.49..." I ignored it. The $1.49 would turn into well over $10 by the time we all got something. Probably close to $20 with coffees, and juice.. and of course the kids would want something that's not on the "cheap" menu. I find that drive thru in particular has a way of cost creeping...

On the way home, with both kids whining and hungry and thirsty... we passed by it again, this time stopping in the very same parking lot to do a little shopping at another store (for a birthday present) and this time even the kids noticed the calling too. The store we went to for the present just happens to have a water cooler. Not only is it free, but the kids like to use it. I don't feel bad about getting the 'free' water when I'm spending money at the store.

Then we came home. The End.

Car is here

Well, the new car is here. And we adore it.

There is something extra special about knowing we can afford it now. To have taken the time and energy to work out a budget that works for us. I like the feeling of seeing exactly where the money goes when I don't buy something.

Tomorrow is payday. I took out less money than I've allowed for myself this week, and I have approximately $50 left over. My husband also has a bit of money left over. We made one unexpected purchase on debit of about $50 so we will take that out of our leftover money. It was definitely a necessity, it was a new door lock - the doorknob came off in my hand one day this week, so needed to replace it! Even with a "guard dog".

The 'extra' money is going into a jar, and we will use that to buy our 'we really really want it but don't really need it' things, and the first thing on the list is a couple of new dressers to match our bedroom decor. I cannot wait for the day I can walk into Ikea, with cash in hand and pay for something I've saved up for. It will take me back to being a little girl and walking into to K-mart and buying a Barbie I wanted and saved for, taking the cash out of my rainbow brite wallet and handing it over, and receiving a coveted prize back.

Feeling good and optimistic about money today... I think it's important to track my emotional feelings here... as a reminder when I have days like last week at Zellers when I spent more than I intended to...and how awful that felt compared to ending the 2 weeks on my budget with cash leftover...

In any event, this week we were able to cover one "emergency repair" one unexpected birthday present (our son got invited to a birthday party for this evening, and we got the invitation on Monday), 2 weeks worth of groceries, AND one 'overspent at Zellers' trip. This is real life and we made it through just fine!! We can do this!

Shopping shopping shopping

Argh. On this very exciting day, the day I am going to bring my new car home, I am a bit sad.

I am sad because in the near and far future, there are a series of shopping trips coming up. Don't get me wrong, I love to shop, I love to spend a little time away from my responsibilities, maybe pick up something new and pretty, and love love love spending the time with my girlfriends. What I don't love is the worry beforehand and figuring and refiguring how much I can and should spend, and where it's going to come from. How can I find "extra" money when I'm already having to cut back so much, and all the "extra" I do manage to save, I already have a place for it to go...?

I know that some of you that I will be going with are reading this blog (bless your hearts!) and I am hoping for understanding, that I don't come across on the trips as being not fun to shop with... I want to be part of it all, and enjoy the time together... but I can't buy much. I will find a little "extra" from somewhere... And I'm hoping to find a kindred spirit or two for the trips.

On the upside, I know that the restraint will pay off (pardon the pun!) in the long run, and I will be able to sleep better knowing where all my little pennies are.

Another Successful Grocery Trip

My weekly grocery budget is $140.

I did some careful planning, and then some re-planning, and some major resisting at the store yesterday. I spent $93 on groceries. I came home and showed the receipt to my husband like a kid showing off a new bicycle. I did not get all the groceries for the week as there are 2 ingredients I decided can wait until Friday (payday) since they are for Fridays supper. However, technically it's still the same as I went shopping on Saturday instead of Sunday. Of course it takes into account that we already have things in the house, and in the freezer... but it's still money saved as I am spending LESS by using what we have. We're not just surviving on Kraft Dinner for the week either. There will be a steak stir fry, a grilled cheese & sweet potato fries night, chicken pot pie, etc, great lunches, and for breakfast nice cereals and smoothies. All that AND a bag of chips ;-)

I know it can't always be this way, some weeks are heavier then others, with dog food, laundry soap, etc, that really eat away at the budget. But this is the first time I've done a whole week for less than $100. And it was exciting. It may sound boring, but when you have your eye on some new dressers and curtains for your bedroom and are about to bring on a car payment, well then saving $47 on a shopping trip is pretty darned exciting after all!

Hooray!!!

Another Proud moment

I was in our local discount store this morning, looking for knee highs (they had them on sale for $1.88 for 2 pk) I tried them and liked them and went back for more. I braced myself hard for this trip (again with both kids).

First I checked out the knee highs, and they had none left.

I should have walked out.

But I didn't because this store is known to have some unbelievable deals at times. Something caught my eye. These great organizers, for the kids rooms. Absolutely something I could use, would use and a fantastic deal at $18.88 each. I stopped in my tracks, these even included the baskets to go with. I hesitated.. I looked... I dreamt.... I picked it up. I PUT IT DOWN and walked out of the store empty handed.

That doesn't necessarily mean I won't buy one. I will think about it. I will buy my groceries for the next week first. If, next pay day (or even the day before) I still have $20 cash left over, I may get one. It may sound insignificant, but this is a big breakthrough for me. Not long ago I would have bought it without a second thought, and maybe one for each kid.

Feeling like this is a bigger struggle than I imagined. Feeling ashamed that I have a bigger problem then I thought, but feeling hopeful that I can overcome this impulsive shopping.

We did it!!!

We bought the car! So exciting! Still a little bit of nervousness as it has to be brought in within 10 days.

Feeling some worry about making sure we keep it affordable for us. The gas mileage is a little higher than my current car, so I will need to get off my butt more often and walk when I can again...

But we are very happy, we have the right car for us for this time in our life.

So disappointed

Argh.

I went to Zellers this morning with 2 kids (mistake #1). I went all emotional (#2) because I had just signed my baby up for kindergarten. I was also hungry (#3). Hungry and emotional, and fresh from the bank. I went in for just a couple of things, and came home with $47 worth of things.

In the car afterwards, I itemized every single item... and for the most part, all the purchases are warranted. Milk, okay! Cookies - hmm - $1.49 ok... KD at $0.99, good deal!, Treats for our puppy's obedience training - necessary so okay! A box of treats for her 1st birthday... okay...

$5.99 for a gadget to help get said puppy's hair off the couch - WORTH it...

BUT $47.... so disappointing. Although I can look at most of the things as being either useful or at least worth the money, I feel disappointed that I made a trip into the store for $20 worth of items turn into a $47 trip. And now I will have to make those items part of my weekly budget, which means other things will need to wait.

We are *this close* to buying our car, it could even be today... so we really have to get all those pennies reigned in nice and safe. New mantra - if I don't need it before going in to the store, I don't need it when I come out!

A BIG Decision soon.

Buying a New Car... one of those every 10 years things. A huge deal. A big decision.

When we first starting thinking of cars to buy, we had maybe 3 in mind.. a quick search and we got to 7 or 8 pretty quickly, and then narrowed it back down to 3.

Then, my father calls me and says did you hear about the ____ car? It's totally in your price range! WHAT? That's awesome, so I look it up, hubby test drives it, and gives a great review. While online looking up reviews on that car, I stumble upon the Holy Grail of crossover cars, a car that feels like a car, but acts like a minivan.. 5 seats with plenty of cargo, AND TWO MORE SEATS in the cargo area, transforming it from a 5 seater to a 7 seater!!!! Add to that, it has more luxury and features than any other car we're looking at. So I start pricing it just for fun, and oh my - it's in our price range... I'm doing my happy dance.. I'm clapping.. I'm furiously e-mailing my husband... and his reply - "yeah but it's not very good on gas".... oops... instant buzz kill.

So this is a major decision. The car is going to *crossing fingers* last us for 10 years. We have 2 growing kids, and a big dog. Do I want a little more comfort and the possibility to bring extra people with us (which happens quite often really) especially now that the kids are getting older and having friends over? Do I want a little more cargo room? Do I want the style that comes with this - YOU BET I DO. But will I regret the decision with every stop to the gas station? Will I wish that I had made a more sensible decision? Will my conscience bother me every time I turn the key? I've always thought about how a family of four was justification for a minivan, and the crossover is nowhere near the same in fuel efficiency... the crossover is 8.0 litres per 100 kms, the 2nd car in the running is 7.1 litres and the first car is 6.1 litres per 100 kms. A minivan is 9.8 litres per 100 kms.

I guess it will take a little time to think this through. I welcome your comments (but please be nice!)

Groceries

Ah. Just got back from grocery shopping with my daughter. Once upon a time, shopping was not something I would come home from and go "ah". It was either a harried event, a lonely trip through the store hoping I would happen upon something the kids would eat, or a disappointing trek with the kids in tow. Disappointing because I would try to get them interested in different foods and keep them engaged with all the old counting, I Spy, and other games. It usually worked for a few minutes, and ended with me pushing onward without losing my patience. Or sometimes I would lose my patience and feel awful afterwards. Added to this was that for about a year, I've been struggling with having my kids not eat their suppers. Not for lack of trying on my husband and my part. We've tried many different tactics. Coincidentally, we also went *mostly* vegetarian last January. We never bought meat and only ate it while out, and even then tended to choose vegetarian when we could. But the kids LOVE meat. Every opportunity they got, they would savor it, while I thought of the different beans and lentils, etc, that I would try to get them to eat. So this added to the stress of the groceries, the kids did not want to eat what I bought. And the bill was starting to go through the roof, left mostly unchecked as we tried in vain to find things that the kids would want to eat.

So we have made two very big changes. The biggest change is that we've added meat back on the menu, I still have the strong feelings against factory farming, and will be shopping as much as I can for local, organic and humanely raised and culled meat.

The second change is that we started "color coded dinners" so on Sunday afternoons, before shopping, we make a "plan" and choose a color for each different day, then we think of foods that are that color to correspond. For example, Pink day was Salmon, with beets, and wild rice, followed by strawberries. Obviously some foods fall into a couple of different colors, and that can really work.

In any event, the kids have sat down every night for 7 days, and ate almost a full plate, sometimes even asking for seconds. The stress level is way down, I know what I'm making from one day to the next, and the kids have helped to pick out what they would like. The color thing has caught on in a major way, every morning they ask "what color is today?" Bottom line, they like what they are eating, it's healthy (taking in so many different colors which translates to more vitamins etc) and another huge bonus is that my grocery bill is going down! It has also eliminated last minute trips to the store for a $5 item that cost $18 by the time I leave the store, and the take out. Win win win.

Bon Appetit!

Manicure

I received a few gift certificates to the local spa for my birthday. Ever since then I have been contemplating what to get done, like a little kid in a candy store - adding and subtracting their change to figure out the best value, and the most enticing items.

I just received a coupon in the mail for a free manicure with pedicure purchase. That's like a $30 value - is it weird to be so excited? Oh and if you're counting - that's another $30 not spent.

Car Seats

I'm on a roll today! Here is another example

We had been considering purchasing a new car seat for our daughter. Not that there is anything wrong with her current seat, it's great. It's just that with the bigger car in the near future, we wanted to go "all out" and maximize the space we'll get. So we're getting a new hard top carrier to replace our current fabric one (which is worth it, the fabric one is easily broken in to, and gets mucky and needs to be taken inside when we stop for the night, a real pain in the middle of winter when it's iced over), in the future we *may* buy a utility trailer, and we were also thinking of buying a new seat for our girl because her brother will move into a regular booster seat, and we could really make a lot of space in the back, potentially being able to bring along a friend for either child, and occasionally I sit between the kids in the back when we have somebody else to come along in our car (another ungraceful and uneasy feat at the moment).

I was pricing them online, to replace her seat with a smaller, sleeker one, is at least $200. Um no thanks. I think we'll just get another $20 booster seat. That way it can go in my husband's car full time, and we can put my son's seat in there as well (it will be okay for our daughter) giving us both cars with seats for both kids, and then when we bring along a friend, we can use the 2nd booster seat (The vast majority of kids in our group are now over 40 lbs. ) Our daughter is about one year from using the booster herself.. and then we'll have loads of space in the car. Win-Win and another $180 or so saved :-)

Lite Brite

Okay - first "real" money not spent moment to write about!

This Christmas, in an effort to not spoil the kids and not buy too much "stuff" the gifts we bought them were well thought out and sought for their creativity and staying power.

Or so I thought. I bought my 5 -1/2 year old son a Lite Brite. Oh the memories I had of mine from when I was a kid! And my son loves anything that glows in the dark, flashlights and the like, as well as drawing pictures. So, when he picked out the Lite Brite for another child (a rouse to see what he would like for himself) I was delighted! My son loves to play with his Lite Brite, especially at bedtime.

However, last night I noticed (not for the first time) that it came with only a few sheets of the special paper with patterns on it. That was something that escaped me when I bought it. He has already used a few of the sheets and I am sure the day is coming soon when he needs new ones. It's just not the same to use a pattern over and over again, the white light shines through the holes, and you don't get that satisfying "punch" through the paper. Sigh.

So I looked up refill sheets online, and they retail for approximately $4.00 for 15 sheets. At first glance it looks like a simple $4.00 = happy kid equation... but then I realized, he'll use on average 20 sheets a month, so one package a month would be frustrating for him, PLUS $4.00 x 12 = $48, $48 dollars a year, plus shipping or gas money to get to the store... that is horrible considering the toy sells for $25. So, if he keeps this toy a few years and uses it often, as is the wish when you purchase a toy, it could add up to over $200.00 Hmm... frustrating!!! So I am on the hunt for ideas to make our own, I don't remember what I did as a child, I'm certain my parents would not have bought me refill sets.

Can anybody else help me out?

New Car

My husband and I have decided that very soon we will be getting a brand new car. Very soon. The time has come, the 4 door sedan will no longer suffice for long trips with two growing kids and a very big dog. The last trip we made would have been comedic if not for the fact that everybody, kids, dog, me and my husband weren't all so very uncomfortable. But we made quite the sight at the service centres, like a clown car almost. My hubby has gotten very good at packing our car, it's akin to a jigsaw puzzle, but this last trip, with feet that had fallen asleep, everybody absolutely covered in dog hair, short tempers and even shorter patience... we decided that maybe we need to get that new car sooner than later, or stop taking long trips. Since we intend to go to New Brunswick for Easter, stopping the trips is not an option for us.

It may seem strange for a person who is contemplating buying a brand new $20,000 car to be writing about saving money. But it's even more important now. We have chosen a life of one income, and need to make it work. The only way to do that without falling massively in debt, is to budget and plan and show a little discipline. We haven't been too bad really... but we need to reign it all in, and overhaul it all. We want to live comfortably (who doesn't?) but if you really really look at the spending, there are a great deal of things that we all spend money on that in 6 months from now we will have forgotten about. Take food for instance, groceries are definitely an essential - but the take out gotten because we forget to pack a lunch for after swimming class, while essential at the time (those of you who have ever dealt with a tired and hungry child understand!) is not an essential, it is just poor planning.

One of the things I struggle with is assumptions. People either assume we are poor, or rich. Poor because I constantly say "we can't afford that" "it's not worth the money", or "no thanks". They assume we are rich because my husband has a great job, and I don't make any money at my jobs. The truth is that we have just enough money to live a dream. I get to be a stay at home mother, which is a real dream come true. I have a modest but nice home, two decent cars (but small) food on the table, give to charity, and enough left over to live well. But I don't have money to spend continuously, buy all the newest toys (for all ages), or vacation anyplace other than with family. The purpose of the blog is not to garner sympathy as I live the life I love, and have chosen. It's only to help me focus (and you too if you're trying) on what is important, what is worth spending on, and what kinds of things we hope to achieve by not spending. For instance for me, a new car is very important, and a $20,000 car is worth it, a $30,000 is not. By not spending the extra $10,000 we put an extra $150 or so in our pocket each month. That helps create a bigger cushion for extras (oh to finish our bedroom/kitchen/insert any other room in my house here)

So in conclusion today, this is about striking balance, keeping this life affordable and within reach. Not sending us into massive debt, or me into a panic about finding a job right away. My husband once said to me "think about what you want to be working for when you return to work, is it for vacations, retirement, 'extras', or is it to be paying off debt we acquired from the dollar store and Walmart?" Hmm.

Take care of your pennies...

My Grandfather had this old saying, "If you take care of your pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves".

I believe this to be true, and at this particular time in my life, it's my new motto. Any financial adviser will tell you the same, it's the every day little things that add up. It's the coffee at the drive thru, the pack of gum at the grocery store...

So this is my spot to brag about the money I have not spent, as I find that the most difficult thing to track. It's easy to see where the money goes when you try, but "savings" and "not spent" to me are two different things. "Savings" are a conscientious spot where you dedicate funds. "Not Spent" is the willpower you show to NOT buy that chocolate bar, or get the kids a toy at the thrift shop...

Please follow me on this adventure.

First day - New Year

Well here we are in the new year. I have to start a new blog because it's no longer Christmas and I want to keep writing.

My idea for this blog is to track the money I don't spend. I know everybody is in the saving mode these days, but this is purely to have a place to brag about the money I didn't spend, from the toonie burning a hole in my pocket, to the extra $10,000 I am not going to spend on the new car we need.

Follow me...