Living Life as a Busy Wife

Wealthy Wednesdays - How much is your life worth?

noreply@blogger.com (A Busy Wife) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 03:15:00 +0000

Wealthy Wednesdays – How much is your life worth?

Everyone knows that insurance is a necessary evil. But how do you really know if your over insured or under-insured. You need life insurance, home insurance, car insurance, jewelry insurance, medical insurance and the list goes on. When we purchased our co-op we were told that the co-op insurance covers the four walls, everything else is our responsibility. We contacted family friends, our real estate attorney and of course our insurance agent to come up with a number we were comfortable with as far as a figure that we rebuild our entire unit God forbid something happens. It is very hard to put a number on memories so considering a lot of our things were new we tallied all our receipts and added a couple of bucks and we went on our way. Everyone who knows me knows I’m in constant search of ways to better organize my life and I came across Quicken's website. (As far as finances go, I’m a financial analyst (depending on the day of the week) and an Accountant for the rest of the days so I built myself a really detailed worksheet in Excel to manage my finances. I’ll share a demo worksheet that I sent to all of my friends and family in a later post.) Quicken has a product called Quicken Home Inventory Manager. You can actually take pictures of an item, load it into the software, scan your receipts and applicable warranties and even list a beneficiary for the item. The software compares your insurance coverage to actual replacement costs and tells you if you are under-insured. I mean who thinks of these things? You can also back up your information onto Quicken Online Backup which allows you to be anywhere and still have the ability to retrieve your information online. The software is only $29.95 and considering it can save you thousands of dollars in the event of a claim this would be a FANTASTIC investment. There’s one drawback. You have to have Windows software. My heart sank when I read this. I’m in a monogamous relationship with Apple. Well…I was actually just thinking about getting a Netbook since I’m going back to school this semester for another degree *shudders* Nonetheless for those of you who do have Windows I would definitely suggest taking a closer look into this product and seeing if it was something that works for you.

**Disclaimer – Quicken did not reach out to me in order to endorse this product. I just really think it’s cool.

A Mid-Summer Night's Clean

noreply@blogger.com (A Busy Wife) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:00:00 +0000

I did a huge spring cleaning this year when I moved all my winter clothes to the storage bins and took all the summer clothes out. I cleaned, reorganized the closets, organized the food containers and for the average bear that would be enough. Somehow for me it wasn't... so this weekend I was inspired to do it all over again. But first I had to get organized! I put on my thinking cap and created a huge Excel spreadsheet broken down by room and then in the order I was going to clean. I think it makes the most sense to clean from ceiling to floor..I can show you better than I can tell you. Read more after the jump for a quick example.

Master Bedroom
Dust Crown Molding
Wipe walls
Clean Mirrors
Clean Windows
Wash and Iron Curtains
Vacuum Floor

I did this for every room and I got started on Friday night after work and I didn't finish until Sunday night. I took some much needed breaks and I had the best sleep of 2010 on Saturday night but when I was done I was so pleased with myself. Did I mention my spreadsheet had check boxes? It was so self-gratifying to check the boxes as I went alone. (I find pleasure in the simple things in life) I was putting off looking through papers and cleaning out our file cabinet ::insert REALLY scary music here:: Nonetheless it's done and I won't have to organize papers or closets for a really long time. By the way...Eat, Pray, Love is REALLY good.

Wealthy Wednesdays: Want vs. Need

noreply@blogger.com (A Busy Wife) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 01:56:00 +0000

With the state of the current economy many of us have experienced some sort of reduction in income. Whether it is a layoff, cutback of hours, no raise or bonus this year, I think everyone is feeling the pain. It's times like these that call for the natural resourcefulness of a woman. There are so many ways in which we can cut back.
First, take an honest look at your finances. I know it seems obvious but sometimes we "have an idea of how much money we're spending on take out" but do you really know? It can add up very quickly. I had a friend that did a quick financial checkup one month and her family spent $600 on eating out and yet she was still buying groceries. WOW! She quickly got a meal plan together and was able to eliminate a lot of that expense by simply asking herself is it a need or a want? Now I too have a major weakness for eating out. It's like I can't resist it so I really have to watch my finances and ask myself; want or need? In the winter time I do my pedicures myself but in the summer time I've always believed in getting a regular mani/pedi. This summer I had to ask myself that very important question again; want or need? I've really had to skip more than I would have liked. So my solution/compromise is I've been wearing clear polish on my fingernails so I can touch them up myself and I've been stretching my pedicures as far as possible and I haven't gotten any of my normal extras. Whereas in the past I would have gotten a french manicure (extra 5 bucks for a manicure + 5 more for the pedicure) now I get a neutral "office friendly" solid color. Summer has about 13 weeks, that works out to 130 bucks in savings. I would rather spend that on the new comfy office chair my husband has been wanting for over a year. Which by the way I bought after I originally wrote this post for $49.99 at Office Max, so I'm ahead about $80 at this point. Sounds good to me! What are some of your usual "wants" that you've had to give up this year?

Eat, Pray, Love

noreply@blogger.com (A Busy Wife) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:03:00 +0000

I’m not a huge movie buff, but every now and again the husband and I like to catch a great movie. We’re actually pretty fair, I go see the movies he likes, he goes to see the movies I like, and certain movies we’re both interested in so everyone’s happy. However, every now and again depending on the movie I rather see it by myself. For Sex and the City 2 I headed out first thing on a Saturday morning and I had a couple rows to myself. It was great! I think I’m going to do the same for Eat, Pray, Love. I have an Apple TV so I see movie previews a lot of times before they are airing regularly on TV. That said, when I saw Eat, Pray, Love I had to mark my calendar. This movie looks great. From what I can tell Julia Roberts’ character has constantly been trapped in relationships and she heads out on a quest to find herself. I think I will enjoy all the food scenes in Italy (I’m such a foodie) and I hope she finds true love. I have a thing about movies that are adapted after a book. I really like to read the book first. I have a friend who read the book and she absolutely loved it and can’t wait to see the movie. I’m going out today to buy a copy, but I won’t review the book until the movie comes out then I’ll do them at the same time. Can’t wait…how about you?

Wealthy Wednesdays

noreply@blogger.com (A Busy Wife) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:44:00 +0000

I decided to use Wednesdays to write about building wealth. I was an Economics major in undergrad and I work in finance now so I love sharing little tid bits with my family and friends about saving and more importantly managing money. So in true busy wife fashion…let’s jump right in shall we? Does your job offer a flexible spending plan? If so, and you’re not taking advantage of it you’re missing out on free money. Flex Spending gives you the opportunity to take PRE-TAX earnings and use them for qualified expenses. You can use the money for prescriptions, co-pays, daycare, adoptions costs, over-the-counter medications and the list goes on. (Important to note: the gov’t may be changing the allowance for over the counter medication next year 2011). For a hypochondriac like me Flex Spending is the best thing since creation. I have a cardiologist, primary care physician, chiropractor, optometrist, dermatologist…you name it…I got it. I have a $40 co-pay everytime I got to see one of these doctors and that can add up very quickly over the course of a year. I reviewed my online bank statement at the end of 2009 and estimated how much I spent in health care costs and I rounded down and put that amount towards my Flex Spending Account for 2010. It’s important to get an accurate idea of what you will spend as Flex Spending has “use it or lose it” rule. Any monies not used at the end of the year are forfeited. I get six new sets of contacts twice a year so it’s important for me to have these monies available. Every plan is different; some come with debit cards that you can give right to the pharmacist or your doctors’ office. Other plans require you to pay and then submit your receipts so it is important to contact your Benefits Administrator to get the details about your plan. Want a rough estimate of what your new paycheck will look like after you take out Flex Spending? Head over to www.paycheckcity.com and view their salary calculator, you can put in special deductions and see what your final paycheck will look like. Hope this helps. Come back next Wednesday for another tip.

A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes....

noreply@blogger.com (A Busy Wife) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:50:00 +0000

I think I had one of the best childhoods. I was surrounded by family who loved me and I lived next door to my cousin who was 6 months my junior. JACKPOT! We had our good times where we did everything together, we dressed alike, styled our hair alike, and our not so good times like when we used to fight over Barbies, bikes, and which Disney movie to watch. One of her favorites was The Little Mermaid but her ultimate fav was Cinderella. I think we watched this movie every single day of our lives for about 3 years straight. I'm not joking. Now, I would have never admitted this back then because it may have resulted in watching twice a day but I think Cinderella was my favorite too. I mean it's a classic fairytale. You're a maid for your mean stepmom, you sing to birds, get a fairy godmom and poof a prince. What else could a girl want right? A lot of people blame womens' fantasies on fairytales. I totally disagree. I think its a combination of things, primarily our genetic makeup. Women are soft, loving, caring beings. Whoaaaa sistah soulja now don't get me wrong. I'm not by any means saying we can't do what men can do and in most cases better than they can (sorry hunny). I'm just saying we're different. I bring up this topic because of a comment by one of my twitter followers. @The_Future_Wife made a remark about a big wedding vs. a solid marriage. If I had to choose I would rather a solid marriage stuffed full of love, kindness, compassion, sincerity, and the list goes on. Again, there's nothing wrong with a big wedding shoot I had one (thanks mom, thanks dad) and it was themed around a fairytale of all things, but anyone will tell you I planned that thing in the blink of an eye. We were engaged for two years, we really started planning after about a year, and once we had booked a place my sister gave me a word of advice. She said don't talk about "the wedding" in every conversation because "the wedding" will come and "the wedding" will go and then what will the last year of your relatonship have been centered around? A wedding? She was absolutely right so I made it my business to keep the wedding on the back burner and the relationship right up front. In my planning I also made it a point to focus on the marriage ceremony rather than the reception. We had a lot of elements that were special to us and that gave me chills and I will always remember. I had a lot of fun at my reception but my ceremony mattered the most to me. So much so that I had two (one right after the other). I always joke with my husband that I should have two rings since he married me twice. My whole point is to all you unmarried women; it's just a day...really. It rained on my wedding day, my pastor had to cancel due to a family emergency about 3 hours before the ceremony, a couple elements didn't play out the way I wanted them to but you know what? We still got married that day. So to the little girl in all of us keep beliving in your fairytale but don't lose sight of reality. That glass coach could really be a pumpkin ; )

PLEASE EXCUSE THE MESS!

noreply@blogger.com (A Busy Wife) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:28:00 +0000

I was so excited to get started I just did it! I'm still working on updating the look of the site. Please bear with me and I promise I'll be back soon looking better than ever!

In the beginning...

noreply@blogger.com (A Busy Wife) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 19:36:00 +0000

Well where do I start? I'll jump right in and I'm sure we'll get to know each other better along the way. Let’s start with my most recent vacation. I love vacations. I went to Baltimore for my one year wedding anniversary. Considering how close I live to Baltimore it was kind of weird that I’d never been. I was most concerned with eating lots of crab. In less than two days I ate a bunch of crab legs, about 6 whole crabs, and crab cakes. Read more after the jump.

By the time I left I swore I’d never eat crab again because I was so sick of it, but every time I think about the trip I taste the crab and I want to go back. The trip was VERY last minute so I wasn’t able to display my type A personality to it’s fullest potential. Usually I’d come equipped with a spreadsheet, addresses, phone numbers, a restaurant plan, etc to ensure we maximize the potential of the trip but thanks to one of my favorite shows Man v. Food on the Travel Channel (the show's website) I knew exactly where to eat. We went to a lil’ place (I think it was downtown) called Obryckis. This place is for anyone that is interested in a crab cracking feast! I thought when I saw Adam (Man v. Food guy) there they just put on a good show, but this place is no holds barred. Once you’re seated they ask if you plan on eating whole crab, if so they layer your table with heavy duty paper. About 15 minutes later I had 6 medium crabs poured on the table and I was handed a bib and a mallet - time to get to work. As I pounded away I thought to myself “man this will surely be a waste if this food sucks” but the second the meat touched my tongue it was pure heaven. In all seriousness my mouth is watering right now. The crab had been smothering in some special seasoning and it was so juicy and tender. Between my crab meal, my husbands meal, some crab legs, and some drinks we spent less than $50 bucks. As I licked the seasoning off my finger (j/k…kind of) the waiter asked if we were celebrating something special, then he congratulated us. It was a nice touch to a very low key 1^st anniversary dinner….although now I’m thinking about it this was the 2^nd dinner but I don’t remember the name of the first place so never mind that. We checked out the Inner Harbor and the The Fudgery near the Inner Harbor. The young lady behind the counter was so friendly and personable we told her manager she deserved a raise!! All in all it was a great trip and I can’t wait to go back as I hear great things about the aquarium..wonder if we’ll see any crabs.