Money Overhaul!

So you know how I posted the other week about planning and trying to have it all figured out?? Well, I still don't, BUT I am trying something new.

After the whole tire debacle the hubs and I decided that it was time to make some changes.  FINANCIAL CHANGES.....ugh....really?!!?

In January our church offered the Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey.  My first initial reaction was we don't have that much debt, we don't use credit cards, we are fine.  But the more I thought about it I realized, that while that might be true, there was something else we didn't have.  SAVINGS....we (like most families) live paycheck to paycheck. Yes we pay our bills on time....I'm a planner remember?!..and have money to buy the things that we need some extras, but does that really mean we have financial peace?

Even though the class had already started and we didn't sign-up; I started doing research online and watching YouTube videos of Dave Ramsey and realized that his methods all made sense to me and were "easy" to put into practice. 

SO....hubs and I sat down and started looking.....really looking at our finances.  Boy was that hard.  Every dollar we made had to be accounted for each month and be designated to a certain place. We budgeted everything out and decided to go for it!

Dave Ramsey uses an envelope system.  This means you use CASH to pay for anything that is not a standing monthly bill.  You make envelopes for all the areas that you would use money throughout the month and decide how much you are going to spend monthly in those areas.  You may use whatever cash is in the envelope but when its gone...its GONE and you have to wait until the next week/month until the money is added again.  So I made envelopes for our 7 designated areas.

           GROCERIES
           PRESENTS/GIFTS
           EATING OUT
           CAR NEEDS- this came so I will have money to replace a tire if needed :)
           ALLOWANCE- x2 (mine and hubs)
           EXTRAS

*I could have put one for GAS but we already only use a set amount per week for gas and its easier to pay at the pump than going inside (especially with 2 kids in tow)*

So this week when I got paid instead of depositing my whole paycheck I figured out how much cash I was going to need to fill my envelopes with our weekly budget.  I then had to figure out how many $20, $10 and $5 I would need so that each envelope got its set amount.  Whew, this was getting time consuming, but I was determined.

I went into the bank and handed the teller my deposit slip, the first thing she said to me was "You always come through the drive-through!"  I smiled and said I'm trying something new!  I was happy to think that I'm taking control of my money and not letting it control me.

Then I proceeded to the grocery store....now here it can become a bit tricky.  I had averaged out what I spent on groceries the past 2 months and went from there.  BUT this time I only had a set amount, I had to stick with my $70 allotment for the week.  I couldn't get $100 worth of groceries one week and $50 the next because I only had $70.  So my calculator in hand, I started out with my list.

I made it through Sharp Shopper and headed to Giant.  I had about $45 left and about half of my list was complete.  I was feeling pretty good.  I got to Giant and noticed that they had Stromboli BOGO FREE....whoohoo...I had Stromboli on my menu for Sunday.  I could buy 2 of those to eat for Sunday lunch and this way I wouldn't have to make one.  The cost was 6.71 for both and that was a good deal for a lunch for my family of 4!  I proceeded to find my chicken breasts on sale and some steak I wanted for Valentine Dinner marked down as well.  Alright, God was blessing me for being smart with my money!!

I went over to get some Chobani Yogurts for the hubs and put them in my cart...my list was almost done.  I added my coffee creamer and needed a few more items...BUT it was then I realized that I was over $45 on my calculator.  Now came the struggle, I needed green beans, hamburger buns, and kidney beans for my chili.  What to do?  What to do???  I decided that since the yogurt was 3.79 I would put it back and then put my steak back as well and it would all work out.  I mean, come-on....3.79 for 4 YOGURTS!!  My husband doesn't really NEED this yogurt does he??  OH and then comes, what am I going to make Saturday night for dinner if I don't get those steaks??  I wanted something special.

For a second fear crept in, could I do this??  But then I felt a gentle reminder that I CAN do this and that He will give me the strength to do it!  I'm not a quitter!!

I then realized if I put Jason's yogurts back that I really should put my coffee creamer back.  Yes, I may NEED coffee creamer, but Jason eats a yogurt EVERY morning for breakfast too.  They were the same price so I decided to keep them both....but now what do I put back???

Remember that Stromboli I was buying for convenience??  The one I thought was a great deal??  Well, I slowly pulled it out of my cart and realized that I had ham, cheese, and pepperoni at home.  I had a good recipe for pizza dough that I could make and while it may take a tad longer, at this time that was my best option.  I didn't NEED that Stromboli when I had all the ingredients to make it at home.  It was a heart change, I CAN do this WITH WHAT I HAD BEEN GIVEN.

I scooped my steak back up, got the rest of my items and headed for the checkout.  It may only be the first week, but you know what??  I came out with $1.72 extra for next week and a realization that this can work.

Will I eventually rob Peter to pay Paul??  Will the envelope system work out and let me put some money in savings and help pay off what little debt we do have?  I don't know, but for now what does it hurt?  The hubs and I are going in full force and being intentional with what we spend our money on and that's all I can really ask for!

Valentine's Day decor

Sorry I have not written lately, BUT I have been a tad busy.  I was recently asked to start teaching preschool again and I have been super busy getting my classroom ready.  I am now 3 days in and things are going great!  I have 10 kiddos in my class-which is really the perfect size.


I'm loving getting to know each child and learning about him or her.  They have such great little personalities already and I'm excited to be teaching them.  Ask me in 2 or 3 weeks if I still feel the same.  Never a dull moment working with kids that's for sure!




Last week I decorated my house for Valentine's Day.  You may think that sounds crazy, but I love to decorate and I have a good excuse.  Years ago my Grandma Nolt started giving me her old Valentines from when she was a kid. 

The Valentine with the little boy holding the flowers with the girl was one of my Great Aunt Anna Mary Martin's Valentines

Now, I don't know about you, but I don't have any of the Valentine's I received as a kid.  My grandma, on the other hand, has a ton.  She was raised in an era that you saved everything; so here it is 60+ years later and she still has them.









So about 15 years ago she started letting me pick a Valentine to keep.  I was able to pick whichever Valentine I wanted but I was only able to pick 1 per year.  I cherished these Valentines because they are so neat to look at and so vintage.




















I realized years later that some were even HER Aunt Anna Mary's Valentines so that made them even more special.  These Valentines range from about 60-90 years old!!









I have proudly been displaying them in my house for many years, adding the new one each year.  They make me think of her when I look at them and I am so glad that she has kept them.

Do you decorate for Valentine's Day??  Do you have any of your Valentine's from when you were a kid??

Trust me!

It's no secret that I'm a planner...I plan a monthly menu so I know what we're having for dinner each night, I plan my grocery list, I usually plan what I'm wearing the night before, and I plan my weekend plans ahead of time.  But most importantly I plan when I'm going to pay each bill so that it gets paid each month.  Sometimes this comes down to a science....you know what I'm talking about??  It's like this...if pay this bill now will I have enough for the rest of the week?  Can I pay a few bills ahead of time so that it doesn't seem so "tight" the rest of the month?  Some months are better than others but why oh why does it seem like we can never have any left over?  I do plan *see I'm a planner* to eat out once a week which our family gets pizza (sometimes wings,) which allots for about $20 a week, but for the most part this is all we eat out.

Money is always tight the week that rent is due and this week is no different.  I had it all planned out. My car registration and inspection were due by the end of the month.  I paid for the registration on Friday and I was getting it inspected today.  I was doing good...I had everything planned out for the rest of the month.  All the bills were paid but my phone bill which is due on the 31st.  Then we got some snow, now I had 2 two-hour delays which means I had to pay my friend  for watching my kiddos both mornings.  Ok Lord, you know I had this all planned out.  Why does it always happen the weeks that you don't have extra money; things unexpectedly pop up??

Okay so I go in to get my car inspected and Jason was pretty sure it wasn't going to need anything.  I was praying that was so.  I go in and hand them my coupon...see I PLANNED ahead and had a coupon!!  They inspect my jeep and tell me it failed because I need a new tire.... a TIRE!  WHAT?!?!??!?  Where the heck is THAT money going to come from?  For real?  Can you put the full-size spare on and pass it then?  NOPE....no such luck, that one failed too.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME LORD!?!?!

I'm faithful to you, I'm frugal with my money (sometimes the hubs says too much) I only use credit cards for emergencies, I AM A PLANNER!!!!!

But then He gently reminds me that He is the ultimate planner and that He's got this.  He knew that my tire wasn't going to pass inspection and He PLANNED it that way.  GASP....WHAT?!?!  Yes, He planned it that way.

Sometimes we go through the motions of this crazy busy life just doing what we have to do to get by and forget to stop and say Thank You to Him for all we have.  I think He uses these situations to show us that He is ultimately in control and that we're not.  I needed to take a step back today and say Lord, okay, I'm giving this to you.  I need to put my planning aside and TRUST that He has it all figured out.  I was so busy planning everything for myself that I forgot to see what HE has planned for me.  After all He does tell us in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Talk about a smack in the face....Hello!!! Could it be any more clear??  God doesn't want to harm me, not that I'm never going to get hurt, but He doesn't want that for me.  So here's to me giving my plans to God.  I'm still going to plan stuff, who am I kidding??  BUT I'm going to completely trust Him.  Thanks for the reminder Lord...I was getting a bit "off track"

Gettin my crafty on!

I decided that I need to be more crafty!  I love doing crafts, don't get me wrong, but I barely ever take the time to actually sit down and do them.  I've had stuff to make some things for Reagan's room for years....YEARS!! That's pretty pathetic...by the time I actually get around to finishing them it will be time to change her décor.  I have all these cute bedroom ideas pinned on Pinterest for her, but that's all the further I got. I mean For Pete's sake....how many kids' bedrooms really look like the ones on Pinterest??  I know my kids' rooms look more like a bio-hazard area or like a bomb went off than the picture perfect magazine room!  But I still want it to look nice even if it is for my own satisfaction.  So that being said, I made a wreath for Reagan's wall using burlap and fabric flowers.  I was really happy how it turned out and it was easy to make....once I actually sat down to do it. 


I had bought the things MONTHS ago to make this wreath and all in all it cost me less that $7 to make.  I bought a Styrofoam wreath form at Joanne's fabrics as well as 3 fat quarters of fabric.  If you don't know what fat quarters are they are about 1/4 yard of fabric that they sell for pretty cheap.  These are perfect for making fabric flowers and they were marked 50% off.....SCORE!!!!  I bought 3 coordinating colors and patterns of fabric.  I also needed burlap which I was able to buy at the Flower and Home Marketplace. I had to buy a yard and when I asked the guy if I could buy just a half yard (because I figured that was all that was needed) he said that since there was some writing/markings on the burlap he would give it to me half price since it was somewhat damaged!  So I got it for the price of 1/2 a yard which was like $1.99.  Now I was really happy...AND depending on what I use the leftover burlap for, it will add a touch of character to it!  I could have danced a happy jig right there in the aisle.  I hope I didn't sound too excited when I told him that I would take it. 

3 Fat Quarters

*Side note this is also the day I found the white sticks to stick in my flower pots outside for $1 a piece.  It was a great day!!*

Okay...back on topic....so I took the burlap and cut it into strips.  I did about an inch wide, but honestly I just cut and didn't measure at all.  Then I took my hot glue gun and glued one end of the burlap to the Styrofoam form.  I then started just wrapping the burlap around it.  I covered the white of the form, but there's no need to use more glue until the end of each strip because I wrapped it tight enough.  When I finished the strip I glued it on and then started with another piece until I had covered all around the wreath.  Simple, right?!?!?!  Then I took the fabric and cut that into strips.  Actually I cut a tiny slit in the fabric and then ripped it off....this frayed the fabric, but it adds to the look of the flowers.  For this I made the strips about 1/2 inch thick...here again no need to measure just cut!!  Okay....you still following??!?!?

Strips of burlap

Now comes the harder part....not hard, just harder that wrapping the burlap!  Tie a knot into the one end of the fabric and twist the fabric around to start making the flower.  Dab hot glue every so often to hold the flower in place.  This is something I found that comes easier the more you make.  And honestly they pretty much all look a little different and that's okay....there really is no right or wrong way to do this. If you want to make a bigger flower just add more fabric where the flower ends, until you get the size you want.  I made 10 flowers of different sizes. 3 of the green, 3 of the reddish/pink one and 4 of the pink.  Then I just glued them on the burlap where I wanted them.  You could use more or less flowers depending on what you want the wreath to look like.  That's what is so great about these wreaths...they can all look different depending on how you organize the flowers and how many you use.  I could have stopped at 3 and it still would have looked great!


Voila! That's it......there ya have it....now you're finished.....that wasn't so bad was it??  You can use any color burlap or ribbon to do this and any kind of fabric flowers....the possibilities are endless!!  Now make one, hang it up, stand back and enjoy your craftiness!!

Declutter!!

So....I was bit by the decluttering bug today!  It kind of came out of left field, but I'm glad it bit me.  See I like to have things organized...sometimes I refer to it as Anally Organized, however, with two kids and a hubs around I'm not as organized at home as I would like to be.  At work I'm super organized but at home its easier to get lazy and wait for "another day."  Well.....today was that day!!

Do you have a junk drawer??  Me too....we actually we have 2 possibly 3.  But lets talk about the 2 that are in my kitchen.  Why oh why does everything seem to accumulate there?  I even have a drawer organizer and it still was a disaster.  The kids use the pencils from this drawer for homework, the scissors are located in this drawer, extra envelopes, tape, paper clips, and pretty much all our desk supplies.  However, also found in this drawer were bobby pins, a tape measure, a socket, curtain rod finnials, pictures, junk mail and some bubbles.  Where does all this Crap come from??

Ahhhhhhhhh my clean drawer! 

I usually just shove stuff in this drawer when people are coming over.  It's in the corner of my kitchen and at the perfect spot to throw everything into...out of sight out of mind right?!??!  But when it gets to the point of having to shove papers down to close the drawer we have a problem.

This is how our lives can get if we don't stop to clean up our lives and decrapify all the junk. *Gasp* did I just say that??  Yes! We go through the motions day after day and barely stop to breathe sometimes.  We run from thing to thing and finally collapse into bed at night.  We've all got crap...I know that I would rather look past stuff than to get rid of it or face the junk.  Am I being a good friend?  Am I being a good wife and mother?  Am I being attentive to those around me?  Am I showing Christ to those around me? Or the other "stuff"...how am I going to pay all the bills this month? Why can't I just lose the weight?  Why does life have to be so hard??  And too much else to name.

When we give our lives to Christ he promises to share our burdens and take our load upon Him.  He promises to take all our junk and help to decrapify our lives.  He doesn't promise it will be easy but He does promise to be there along the way.  It might be hard to bring everything to the surface and it might cause pain, but it can also be so freeing to finally release all the Garbage we've been holding onto to Christ.

Starting out this new year is a good time to get rid of the clutter in your lives as well as the clutter in our homes.  I'm glad that I was able to clean out my drawers and organize them again.  In fact, I think its a great time to get rid of the junk I've been carrying around for way too long as well.

This girl!

Hope this finds ya'll staying warm...its a sunny gorgeous day outside. Too bad its only 18 degrees and supposed to feel like 7!!  I'm staying inside in my pajamas today...Course I'm sick with a stomach ache so that's easy to do!

Here are some views from around my house today.....enjoy!!  Never a dull moment here friends!

This girl came downstairs dressed to the nines!!  She loves her dress up clothes and dancing around my house!  She also has enough lotion on for everyone on this block to share!!  Gag!! When you're sick that is the worst smell ever!!  Course when Jason came home from the hardware store he said the same thing!! LOL....must not just be me!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 






She also loves Posing for pictures!!  5 minutes ago she was dancing, lost her balance in those shoes, and slammed into my Fireplace mantel behind her...knocking off half the stuff.  Should have named here Grace!!  Reagan, Go dance in your room!!
















Here's the hubs working on G's Pinewood Derby Car.
They are having father/son time in the basement!


 

How about you friends??  What are you up too on this blustery day??  I was able to do 2 loads of laundry, vacuum the entire house and pay some bills.  I have such exciting Saturdays!!!  We were going to have Life groups here tonight...but had to cancel since I'm sick....boo!!! Spring come quickly!!

Ask me One more Time!!

Soooooo we got Garrett these "I Survived" Books for Christmas...ever heard of them??  He came home from school talking about these books months ago and began asking me questions about Pearl Harbor!  What?!?! I have no idea how to answer these questions!!



Garrett  with his Collector's
Toolbox

So I began looking into these books and apparently they are historical fiction books for kids that are about boys that survived major events in history.   SUPER!  Since he was constantly talking about these books the Hubs and I decided to get him an "I Survived Collector's Toolbox."  It contained 10 books ranging in events from The San Francisco Earthquake in 1906 to the most current The 2011 Japanese Tsunami.  Let me tell you....I am learning more about these events than I ever thought.  At first Jason and I were unsure if we really wanted him learning about some of the tragedies that were happening in these books, but the more we looked at them we realized that they WERE history and did we really want to discourage him from reading books that were written for his age about these events??

OK.....I might have been sorry I asked!!  So this morning, Garrett is getting ready to get in the shower and he starts peppering me with questions about the Titanic!  Now I, like most of you have watched "Titanic" with Kate Winslet and Leonardo Dicaprio  (Okay, I might have watched it multiple times) but I'm not a history professor here: I don't know much about the Titanic!  I tried to answer his questions as best as I could, but I was floundering big time!  I told him that it hit an iceberg and that it sank!  Wow...score one for me...come on even he knew that much.  The ship was going too fast, it couldn't slow down...blah blah blah.  Whew....I dodged that bullet.

Of course though, when he came home from school, he had to read for 15 minutes.  Guess which book he continued reading??!!??  Here came the questions....I think I lost count how many times I told him to EAT at dinner because he kept asking questions.  For the Love.....seriously....what have we gotten ourselves into???  I even went as far as pulling up Youtube so he could watch videos about how the Titanic sank!  He was asking MORE questions the entire time we watched the 500 5 videos...just shut it and watch!! I really wish there was a movie about it that he could watch to learn more about it....but I am NOT going there....Jack might have been drawing Rose as "art";  he's only 8 for crying out loud.  So.....all that to say, if you know of any movies or videos appropriate for an 8 year old that would let him shut up about it learn more about the Titanic send them my way .

Looking forward to what questions I'm asked tomorrow about this book...or the other 8!! -8 he hasn't completed. I'm finished school a long time ago...why should I have to still learn about history?!?  Just kidding....I'm glad he is loving these books, but maybe next time I'll just stick to "Diary of a Wimpy Kid!"

Reading his book Today!