this wasn't in the plan

Learning to Give

2010-12-21T22:01:00.000-07:00

My six year old is learning the joy of giving, while my three-year old is mastering re-gifting.
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One of my favorite ideas gleaned from the internet is that of homemade sibling gifts (from Design Mom). Each year her kids make their brothers and sisters gifts. They make things such as decorated T-shirts, decoupaged sketchbooks, headbands, and jumpropes. Things that are totally practical and useful, but at the same time require some thought and effort and love on the part of the maker.

I started this tradition two Christmases ago when my boys were actually too young to understand it (they were 18 months and 4 at the time), but I had fun with it! I bought some fabric paint and had them decorate shirts for each other.

This year my older son gets it. He knows his younger brother loves books and the character Diego, so he's writing and illustrating a book about Diego for the gift. Every time we work on it, he tells me he can't wait to see the look on his little brother's face when he opens it, that he just knows he's going to love it. I'm so excited that he's learning how rewarding giving can be.

My younger son, on the other hand, wants to wrap up a game that he says he doesn't like anymore to give to his brother. Coincidentally, it's the same game that he gave me for my birthday, and one I gave him for his birthday last year. Clearly he's got the re-gifting concept down. He's still young, he'll grasp the giving concept soon enough.

How Do You Do Simple?

2010-12-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

So many people seem to be striving to enjoy a simple holiday season, but what exactly does that mean?
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Simple seems to be all the rage now. Don't get me wrong, that's not at all a bad thing. It just seems like all over the internet people are striving to live a more simple lifestyle in an effort to increase their happiness. Again, a fabulous thing to do, but what if happiness doesn't necessarily mean simplicity to you?

Nope, I've got that all wrong. If your definition of simple isn't bringing happiness, it's probably time to change your definition. Case in point - for many people a simple Christmas may mean less gift buying and less presents because they already have too much. And there's nothing wrong with that. But, what I've learned this year is that that does not work for me. I love buying my children gifts. So long as they aren't asking for one big thing, I want to maximize my spending power and get as much as my budget will allow. I can always get rid of the old stuff or pack it up for a rainy day. Does that mean I think the people who go for a few gifts are horrible? Heck, no. But for me, and for this year (because it may be different next year), that's just not how I roll.

In year's past, I've often felt pressure to do so many different things around Christmastime. This year, in an effort to make it a "simple" Christmas, I did the things I wanted to and left out the things I didn't. And that, to me, is the perfect simple Christmas.

It May Be Time For Plan B

2010-12-17T12:30:00.001-07:00

An ordering snafu may force us to go to Christmas Plan B
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My husband and I decided to make a Christmas gift for our boys - a fort kit with pvc pipe, connectors, and sheets to drape over their structures. This proved to be a bit cheaper than sets that are made for this purpose (and will hopefully be sturdier. We ordered the special 4-way connectors last week and they made it here on Monday. Last night we pulled them out of their packaging only to find out that they are the wrong size. They say that they are the right size, but they aren't. Now the fact that they were so much cheaper at this site versus others is starting to make sense.

Now, we're hoping for a little Christmas miracle - that the new ones I ordered last night come on time! Otherwise, we may be forced to go with Plan B, and frankly, I have no idea what Plan B is.

Last Minute Christmas Card

2010-12-16T19:14:00.001-07:00

Did you know you can send a picture in the mail with a postcard stamp? Because you totally can.
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Christmas cards can become a rather large expense especially if you wait until the last minute. This year and last year, in an effort to cut costs a bit, I sent out postcards instead of the traditional card in an envelope. Last year, I printed something out on my computer at home, this year I just had 4x6 prints made up and will be sticking a stamp straight on the backs of those.

There are a couple of different ways to do this. You could just send the picture as is, or manipulate it a bit to make it more card-like. I used a photo-editing software called GIMP (a free-ware version of Photoshop) and popped my picture into a ready-made template that I found here. You could also make a sign with your greeting and have the people in your picture hold it. Voila! Photo of the family and a greeting card in one. Picnik is a free web-based photo editing software that is very user friendly and could help you manipulate your photo as well.

If you decide you still want to include a Christmas letter, put the print in the envelope, you still may a bit printing 4x6 prints versus larger traditional Christmas cards!

The Quest For the Perfect Gift

2010-12-15T19:21:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I have a hard time giving something that the recipient truly wants as opposed to something I just think is cool.
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Shopping for my preschool-aged nieces has proved to be a bit difficult. Not because I have no idea how to shop for girls (I do only have boys, after all), but because I feel the need to create something cutesy and girly while I have the chance! In previous years, that's what I've done, but I feel like the girls are older now and would rather just have a fun new toy or book! Though it's something I totally know, I'm realizing all over again that it's important to give something the recipient will love even if it's not something that's fun to give.

Years ago, my dad gave my mom a gym bag for Christmas. I never once saw my mom use that bag, but my dad used it all the time! I don't know the back-story behind it, whether it was really bought for her and he just ended up liking it more, or if he intended it to be his all along, but I thought it was super funny. It's a story I always think about when I'm having trouble with a gift. Is this item just going to be another gym bag? Will I love giving it more the the recipient will love getting it?

A New Addition to the Christmas Budget

2010-12-14T08:35:00.001-07:00

This year's Christmas spending plan isn't just about the gifts.
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It seems in past years, expenses such as Christmas cards and special church clothes for the kids just creep up on me and cause me to go over budget for Christmas. This year, in an effort to combat that, I made sure to leave a generous chunk of money open for miscellaneous Christmas related purchases.

This includes not only extra baking supplies and decorations, but also fun things like Christmas DVDs, books, and a toy nativity set. I decided that I wanted to spend more money on fun Christmas related things that can be brought out and enjoyed year after year and less on gifts for the kids that will probably be put to the side after a month or so.

The Late-Night Scramble

2010-12-13T07:24:00.002-07:00

Staying on top of things is a great way to save money, not staying on top of things, is, well what I am right now.
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I am currently frantically trying to finish my Christmas card order, so it can get shipped, so I can mail them out. And I'm trying to put together another photo-themed gift. And I don't want to pay shipping twice, and I want to go to sleep tonight.

Something's gotta give and I fear it will be the not wanting to pay double shipping. I'll finish the card order tonight and get that shipped and then I'll my project later and pay shipping again for that. I'm somewhat kicking myself for not being more on top of things, but that's kind of the story of my life. What I don't procrastinate, I just don't decide to do until the last minute (kind of like the photo project), or I just don't entirely think things through. In this case I was initially just going to pick it up at the store (thus avoiding shipping all together!), but that meant I couldn't use my gift card.

Or, perhaps I just think that the calendar is playing a cruel trick on me (really, Christmas is less than two weeks away?). Yup, that's got to be it.

Revamping My Winter Wardrobe

2010-12-10T07:28:00.002-07:00

I used to think I had a pretty good grip on when it was time to buy new clothes, now I'm not so sure.
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With the change in seasons comes a change in wardrobe. It's time to pull out the pants and sweaters and pack away everything else. It may also be time to buy new things too, and this year I'm struggling with knowing if I really do need new clothes or not.

Thanks to broken zippers and holes larger than I cared to patch up, my pants supply quickly dwindled to two. It was easy to figure out that that was not enough pairs of pants for me and that I needed more. I have a good number of long-sleeved tops, but frankly I'm tired of them. I feel like I've been wearing them for too many years in a row. I have many things that I would get rid of but then I would be left with just a small handful of shirts. If I really cleared out all the clothing items that I don't so much like anymore, I would need new things. I guess I have a hard time getting rid of something perfectly useful simply because I don't like it anymore.

Something I Don't Have Anymore

2010-12-09T07:42:00.001-07:00

Sometimes it's helpful to examine how you're doing something and rearrange things if necessary.
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I used to love all of my ING accounts. And, while I do still love ING, I've closed a majority of my accounts and I'm just left with three - a checking account, a generic savings account, and a Christmas savings account. I liked being able to see that we had x amount saved for a vacation or y amount saved for car repairs. We still are saving, and have several savings goals, but I decided I don't need a separate account in ING to keep track of it for me.

I began using You Need A Budget (YNAB) almost a year ago. Their blog was my inspiration for closing my extra accounts. If I use their software correctly, it just isn't necessary, and actually makes things more difficult! Before starting YNAB, we used Quicken, and seeing what we had saved for different things just wasn't all that easy. With YNAB, I can still very easily see what I have saved for various things. My husband laughed at me when he noticed I was closing accounts left and right. He never really understood why I opened them all in the first place. My response? It worked for me at one time, and now, not so much.

Note: I just really like ING and YNAB and this post is in no way sponsored by either company.

The Book Fair Year Two

2010-12-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

My son is in first grade, so this year was his second elementary school bookfair. My husband took him this time. He told me afterwards that the bookfair was a horrible when it came to kids spending money. He said he saw so many kids that felt the need to spend every penny they had, and thus they were adding random posters and pencils and erasers to their book purchases (one must hope there was actually a book purchase involved). I'm guessing that money came straight from the parents and didn't belong to the child.

I like to look at the book fair as a great money learning experience. I tell my son I'll purchase one book for him and one for his classroom. If he wants something else, the money comes from his wallet. Once it comes time to choose what he wants, he seems to do so pretty carefully. Funny how spending your own money and not someone else's will do that to you!

A Deal You Just Can't Miss

2010-12-07T09:42:00.001-07:00

I always have such a hard time balancing between just buying something and holding out for a better deal. What about you?
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'Tis the season for deals that must not be missed. For doorbuster savings and prices that are the lowest of the season. I went to Walmart at midnight on Thanksgiving night because (a) I'd rather stay up late than get up early, (b) I'm clearly a sucker for $4 pajamas and (c) it's way fun to watch people go crazy for things they clearly can't live without. Though I didn't realize that last reason until I was really there. Sometimes I wondered if people really knew what they were buying, or if they were just filling there cart with said item because there were a bunch of them on a rack and other people were grabbing them too.

Just the other day, I found something at Amazon, that I thought would make a fun stocking stuffer for my three-year-old, though I hesitated because, well, it probably wouldn't have actually fit into his stocking! Later, in the afternoon, I went back to purchase it. The price had gone up, so I decided it wasn't that great after all. These blink-and-you-miss them deals tend to drive me crazy because I can't help but wonder if something better is on the way, and obviously I can't make up my mind fast enough.

One Good and One Bad

2010-10-19T14:52:00.000-06:00

It never fails that as soon as I've made a fabulous money decision, I nearly immediately make an incredibly stupid one.

A few months ago, I switched our homeowners' insurance (yay - good choice!), yet didn't immediately cancel the old insurance (boo - bad choice!). I naively thought that once the new insurance company billed our mortgage company (we have an escrow account), it would set in motion a series of events that would ultimately end in the old insurance company realizing we were no longer their customers. But when I received a bill from the new insurance company (I did give them the necessary information to bill the mortgage company, I'm not sure why they didn't), I went ahead and told the mortgage company about our new homeowners' insurance and cancelled the old policy. We eventually received a check in the mail for the difference due to us (the policy was cancelled before the year was up), but it wasn't as large as it would have been if I would have just cancelled right away.

Next time I won't get so excited about the money success and instead try and focus on thwarting the inevitable money fiasco that's probably just around the corner.

When the bill is wrong, do you even notice?

2010-10-14T14:23:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I received a call from the collections department of one of our local hospitals in regards to a bill that I actually paid several weeks ago. It was a call that I half expected, given how things had previously gone with this bill.

When I first received it, I knew it wasn't correct. They were billing me for forty dollars more than they should have. I called and sure enough, the billing rep can see that I did indeed pay $40 upfront when I took my son to the nutritionist. She said she'd go ahead and make that correction and I'd get a revised bill in the mail.

I didn't get a new bill in the mail, instead I got the old, incorrect bill a month later. So, I call again, tell the billing rep that I already paid $40 of it, and I go ahead and make a payment over the phone. But that payment never gets processed. A few weeks later, I call again to make a payment. This time at least, the billing rep tells me that my balance is the correct amount! A few days later, I receive a receipt in the mail and all is well.

Except that is not, because as is evidenced from my previous experiences, the right hand of this company has clearly not yet met the left hand. I told the collections lady that I paid it several weeks ago and had a receipt to prove it. She did a bit of typing on the computer, and sure enough, I did pay it! I have a strange feeling this is not over.

On a similar note, last week's mail brought with it a lab bill. Suspicious simply because we have $0 copays for all lab tests. I can't make any sense of the bill, so I call the lab. The girl I talked to pretty much had no idea other than it looked like the insurance company had paid, but then taken back the payment. I call the insurance company. The man I talked to did a lot of digging and found some paperwork that wasn't filed correctly, which apparently resulted in them taking back the payment. He said he'd correct it.

So that's two bills in a fairly short amount of time that were incorrect. I wonder how many past bills have also been incorrect, yet still blindly paid by me. None, I hope.

What errors have you noticed on your bills?

My Favorite Savings Account

2010-10-04T22:40:00.000-06:00

Contrary to what you've seen on this blog recently (i.e. nothing), money has been on my mind an awful lot lately. Namely, that big holiday that is quickly coming near. One of the savings accounts that hasn't been touched at all this year (despite the car buying and the medical bill paying) is the Christmas savings account. Well, I take that back, but the only reason it's been touched is so it can grow. Each month a set amount transfers out of our main checking accounts into that account. So easy.

In previous years I've come up shor t when it came to saving for Christmas. I never quite socked away enough. It's never been really a big deal, we still don't even come close to going into debt to pay for it, but it's annoying. Last year, I took a really good look at everything I spent on Christmas related expenses (and by everything, I mean even the extra groceries and stamps for the Christmas cards) and upped that monthly amount that gets transferred into the Christmas savings account. So, I have high hopes that this year will be different!

I know how much I have to spend on Christmas from here on out. But past experience tells me that I need a detailed plan to make it work, and often that's the part that I'm not so good at.

Have you started planning your Christmas shopping lists yet?

Fixing the Vaccuum

2010-09-28T20:40:00.000-06:00

Our vacuum cleaner broke about a month ago. We've still been able to use it, it just isn't nearly as efficient as it was before it broke. Yesterday, I threw in the towel and decided it needed to be fixed or replaced ASAP. We knew how much the needed part would be, but I sought out some alternatives. It was my husband who ended up heading to eBay and finding our exact vacuum cleaner. The auction ended that night and if we won it at a good enough price (even including shipping), it would be less than half of the price of the needed part. I just had to figure out how much we were willing to bid for it.

As I'm sure you all know, eBay can be crazy dangerous when it comes to getting you to spending more than you really want to. I knew what I wanted to spend, but realized that if it ended up going for just a little bit more than that, I wouldn't be happy. I needed to figure out just how much we really could afford to spend (and, of course, make sure that amount wasn't more the price it would take to just take ours to a repair shop or purchase a new one). Luckily, it's the end of the month and I knew just how much extra money there was in the budget. We also had a pretty good idea of how much it would cost to repair it. With a few minutes remaining on the auction, I entered in our maximum bid and we won! Now we'll have an extra on hand for the part that we need now and for anything else that should break in the future.

Avocado Blessings

2010-09-24T17:41:00.000-06:00

My youngest son has a very limited diet. We've eliminated all the common allergens, plus a few others, in an effort to figure out what's triggering his eosinophilic esophagitis. Finding foods that he can eat and wants to eat has been tricky. One food he's fallen in love with is avocados. I don't traditionally feed my babies avocado because they tend to be a bit on the pricey side and if I'm going to buy one, I don't want to share it! But back in April or May, when I decided to test out avocado with him, they were on sale for three for a dollar. And you know what? Every week since then, they've been three for a dollar at our local Smith's. There is not some obscene overage of avocados in town either. I've visited other Smith stores in the area and none of them have ever had them at that price. From what I can tell, it has simply been a summer-long unadvertised special at my local store.

I'm truly grateful to have a food that is healthy, doesn't seem to give him trouble, helps him gain weight, and doesn't cost too much (unlike some of the other foods I feed him!). Focusing on smaller blessings like this helps me realize that things are going pretty well after all.

Farewell to the ZMP

2010-09-09T22:05:00.000-06:00

Remember the TV show Saved By The Bell? Remember Zack's cell phone? Though my current cell phone isn't that archaic, it's still very old and I'm looking forward to having a phone that doesn't require me to put the antenna up for the best reception.

My Zack Morris Phone (ZMP) was given to me by my sister-in-law when my original cell phone took a ride in the washing machine. A year later and a half later I got my free upgrade phone, but a year after that I lost it and activated the ZMP so I wouldn't have to purchase a new phone.

I've always been pretty adamant that I my cell phone really only needs to be able to make and receive phone calls. But I'll admit that I changed my tune when I walked into the store and learned what phones worked with my plan and would cost me little or nothing out of pocket. A camera? Hey, that'd be nice! Ability to browse the web? Sounds fun! GPS navigation? Sure, why not? Suddenly, I feel like I need a whole lot more that just the ability to make phone calls.

And to think that four years ago I functioned just fine without any cell phone at all.

photo by DigitalAlan

On Not Getting Angry

2010-09-07T16:36:00.000-06:00

This weekend, my family enjoyed a nice little end of summer getaway. On our first day there, we stopped at a produce stand to pick up some things. When the man gave me my total, I was a little surprised, but for some reason it seemed okay in my head and I didn't say anything. After we got in the car I figured out that we were probably overcharged by a few dollars. We could have perhaps gone back, but we didn't. Normally something like this would make me really upset and perhaps ruin my day, but I decided to just blow it off and enjoy my vacation. I didn't want it to be remembered as 'the trip where I got really mad at the produce stand guy'.

Instead it will be remembered as 'the trip where I got really mad that I forgot my son's shoes and we had to go buy some' because the same nonchalant attitude from the produce stand did not carry over to the next day.

Clearly I am capable of blowing things off in some situations, but not in others. And there appears to be little rhyme or reason to it all.

Decorating on a Budget... of zero

2010-08-26T22:32:00.000-06:00

Decorating on a budget seems to be a popular topic in magazines and on morning shows. But that budget is usually a few hundred dollars as opposed to a few thousand.

I'm at a point again when I'm ready to spruce up my home a bit - but I don't have a super large budget to work with. Here are three of my favorite ways to decorate without spending much

Re-arrange. Switching up the furniture can bring a whole new look to a room - and you'll only be using furniture that you already have!

Put up Pictures. I love collage picture frames because I can change out the pictures and get a whole new look. When I start to get antsy for a new look in my home, replacing the frames on the wall (or even moving them to a different spot) is usually my go-to solution

Create Something. I never realize how many random craft supplies I have until I set out to create something. Like this elephant collage that will now live in the baby's room. The idea came from here about a year ago and after entering a craft challenge at ChristyNelson.net, I used the craft challenge materials (some fabric, patterned paper, hardware bits, and beads) along with things I already had to finally cross that off my to-do list.

In case you didn't click through the above link and figure it out on your own, this whole craft challenge is a contest, and if you click through to Christy's site to vote for my project, I'd very much appreciate it!

How do you redecorate on a super small budget?

What He Thinks

2010-08-24T22:27:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I forget that my oldest son listens to what my husband and I say and understands it (or at least he thinks he does). Since very frequent (and sometimes large) medical bills became our reality, my husband and I have been joking about having no money. I first realized that my son was taking this literally when I took him to buy some new school clothes. He wondered how we could buy him new clothes if we had no money! I explained to him that we did have money for clothes for him, plus I had a gift card to use. Other times, when my husband and I talk about buying things, he's offered up his money. We try to explain to him that we have plenty of money for all our needs, just maybe not enough for some of our wants. And mostly I try to watch what I say around him!

It all makes me realize what a complicated statement "having enough money" really is. I'm not exactly certain what it means to my son. To me, it's usually about priorities. Right now our financial priority is beefing up our savings. I just have to help my son understand that that doesn't mean he will miss out on things and that we certainly don't need to borrow money from him!

Attack of the Chicken-Eating Monster

2010-08-19T19:40:00.001-06:00

Over the weekend, we got two new chickens to add to our coop. Tonight we found that one of those chickens had died. My six-year-old, who is clearly too practical for his own good, said that at least it wasn't one of the chickens that was already laying so we still won't have to buy eggs. My three-year-old suggested that perhaps a monster got in and "made the chicken get died".

We're sad to loose our "easter egger" but such is life.

The Price of Pencils

2010-08-17T22:30:00.000-06:00

His lunch is packed, the supplies are purchased, and he has his first day of school outfit ready to go. Tomorrow is my son's first day as a first-grader. The nation seems to be a buzz in all things back to school. You'll be happy to know that even my local spa and billiard store is currently having a back-to-school sale. I've seen reports stating that the average family spends around $600 per kid to get their children ready for school. Seriously? I spent perhaps 10% of that amount, but I just have a young one to prep. I suppose a new computer here and there could up that average, but that still seems like an awful lot to pay for some kleenex and pencils (if you can find the pencils, that is, just like last year, pencils were the hardest thing for me to find).

Sure the school supply list is extensive and for some reason graphing calculators are just as expensive as they were fifteen years ago, but I think the real cost comes when people feel the need to revamp their kids' wardrobes just in time for back to school. I think it's fun to have a few new items for the occasion, but if last year's shoes still fit, why buy new? If it's not going to cool down for several more weeks, why stock up on jeans now? In all honesty, I don't really even think I've seen many fabulous clothing sales in recent weeks.

What are your thoughts on back-to-school shopping? How close did you come to that $600 number?

But the Good News Is

2010-08-02T15:50:00.000-06:00

Remember the old commercials for Geico (maybe?) where someone tells some sob story about how horrible something is but then ends it with "but the good news is I just saved hundreds of dollars by switching to Geico" (or am I just making this up?). I used to think those commercials were silly, as if saving money on insurance could really brighten someone's day.

Oh, but let me tell you, it can. I didn't switch to Geico, but we did just recently switch both our auto and homeowner's policies and will be saving some money. It totally made my day. I guess when it seems like every news you're getting is less than stellar, it doesn't take a whole lot.

Switching insurance carriers can be a really simple way to save money. Just because your company was the cheapest when you started with them, does not mean they will always be the best bet for you. It can be very much worth it to take a few minutes to do a few online quotes.

Has your day been recently brightened by some wonderful news? Did you save by switching insurance companies?

The Camera Is Broken

2010-07-25T21:56:00.000-06:00

It's always frustrating when things break, even more so when you spend a lot of money on said item and it breaks not too terribly long after you spend that money.

Our Canon Digital SLR camera is not yet two years old, but it appears to have bit the dust. We were getting the mysterious "99 Error", but every fix we found and tried didn't seem to work. Now it won't even turn on.

It seems like our only choice is to send it in to be serviced. I'm so frustrated by the fact that the camera didn't even last two years that I'm not even sure I want the camera anymore. We certainly can't afford another DSLR, so fixing this one seems the most economical (maybe). We will probably up getting an inexpensive small camera and maybe fixing this one later down the road when I am not as angry.

I realize I'm treating this as if a camera is a need. It certainly doesn't fall into the food, shelter, clothing, or transportation category, but I think I'd consider a basic camera a need. Pictures help us remember the wonderful (and sometimes not so wonderful) times we enjoy as a family. And even though we've been camera-less for not quite a week, so many memories have been missed and will not have photographic evidence to support them. There are so many things that seem to need a picture in order to capture the essence of what's really happening.

When to Buy

2010-07-23T17:43:00.000-06:00

'Tis the season for twenty-five cent crayons and five cent glue stick. Even if you aren't preparing to send someone back to school, this is the time to stock up on everyday basics since everything from pencils to socks will be priced right. But how do you know when is the time to buy?

From now through the end of next month there's no doubt that there will be rock-bottom prices on school supplies, but I always find it so hard to know when is the time to stock up! I wish I would have paid better attention last year so I would know this year what sorts of prices to expect. When it comes down to it though, does it really matter if I buy a bunch of crayons when they are 50 cents instead of 25 cents?

Don't forget that school supplies such as crayons and notebooks and pens make fun stocking stuffers or party favors - another good reason to stock up!

Do you have any tips for back-to-school shopping?
photo by .robbie