Money, Love, and Change

In addition to getting an e-mail today letting me know that my credit limit increased on one of my credit cards (I thought things like this weren’t supposed to happen anymore?), we got a check from our mortgage company today for $180.  Our escrow account  was a little too high (hence the check).  In addition, our payment amount is going to decrease by roughly $25 per month.

We already overpay slightly on our mortgage (we just round it up to the nearest $50, so we pay an extra $48 per month), and we intend to keep making the same payment, but it is still a pleasant surprise.

I’m very happy, because it is an additional $180 we can use to rebuild our emergency fund!  Dave Ramsey would be proud

My husband has been a casual woodburner crafter ever since we met.  He’s not a master artisan, but he has made some really great plaques and gifts for friends and family over the years.

I’ve mentioned in a previous post how craft stores can be great resources for gifts.  I was in our local craft store today with my 50% coupon and was looking for something for the in-laws for Christmas.  I found a cute picture frame that lends itself to woodburning (there is a picture of it here), and it came to $3 with my coupon.

I’ll try to post a picture of the frame when it is done.  Right now, we are just planning on keeping it simple and adding some “I love my grandpa and grandma” text or something of this sort.  However, we have carbon paper for tracing, and are open to suggestions!

Just to keep track of the Christmas budget, we are now officially left with a $227 balance!

I don’t know if it is the change in the weather, or if I just have bad luck, but last week was tough to get through!  I was just so tired, and managed to do the bare minimum to get by.  That’s not really like me…

It’s time to get back on track.  I’ve been doing some serious bargain hunting – I managed to find some great deals online at The Children’s Place, and got the kid a winter jacket and 5 shirts (I even splurged and got him a flannel for holiday pictures!) for $30 with shipping.  He outgrew almost everything from last year, and many of the second-hand shops in the area didn’t have anything for his size.

We’ve done a pretty good job tackling the potty training – we are down to a pull-up for nap time, and a nighttime diaper.  That’s some money saved!  Also, the kid will be 3 in January, so I’m pretty comfortable with the timetable that we are currently on.

I am still working a lot.  I am going to tutor as much as possible before the holidays to try to pay off some debt.  We’ll see how that works, since we are going on a trip to Arizona in November!

Other than that, I have learned how to knit.  I’m making a scarf for the kid right now.  I made him a “bunny” – it might pass for road kill, so I decided to take it down a notch to something more simple.

That’s all for now!  I promise to get back on the train this week.  Take it easy!

I should be back to a regular schedule in another couple of days.  I’m still working 35 hours a week, taking care of the kid during the day, and I’ve been feeling a little under the weather.  But I’m starting to feel a little better now, and am pretty sure that we can handle our latest financial setback without dipping into the emergency fund again.

I’m also feeling the need for a change in the layout of this blog, so please be patient if you see some weird experimental changes over the next week.  I hope everyone who is reading this is doing well.  Take it easy!

Everything seems to be in the crapper.  With election politics heating up (and not necessarily in a good way), an economic bailout that I am pretty sure no one has a real clue about, and the American dream becoming less achievable for many, things seem to be “not so great”.

Or is it?  I think that perhaps we’re really at a turning point — a sort of reality check where those that have not been realistic about what they cannot afford need to come to terms with the consequences.  While this is happening at a personal level, I am not really sure that it is happening on Wall Street and in the government.

I know that for us, things are a lot more tight financially because we are trying to rebuild our emergency fund quickly after some major truck repairs.  But we’re really coming together as a family, mostly because I am working evenings to generate additional income to rebuild our fund.  This is an added responsibility for my husband, since he has to come home from work and take over childcare duties.

Although initially it took some getting used to, I think that this is also a great opportunity for us to really evaluate what is important in life.  I think it has helped us develop a better appreciation for what the other person is doing, since now we are both working, and both taking care of the kid alone.

We’re also very thankful that we are frugal, and can currently handle our financial situation.  I don’t need to run out and make the big $$$, but can stay at home with the kid during the day.  At the same time, it has strengthened our resolve to get out of debt, and I am working harder to generate additional income streams.

How about you?  Are you keeping your head up in today’s economy?  Why or why not?

***Note:  Now that the election is over, the voteforchange.com site is no longer available, so I removed the links.***

Even though I voted in the primaries, I am always nervous about whether I am registered to vote or not.  I received an e-mail today from a friend, who sent me a link to the site (it is from the Obama campaign, but anyone can use it) called voteforchange.com.  It only took me about 90 seconds to confirm that I had registered to vote.  You can also use this site to register to vote absentee, as well as locate your polling location.

I really liked how quick and easy this site was to use, so I thought I would pass it along!

I was watching some Suze Orman episodes from the DVR last night.  As you may know from a previous post, my opinion on Ms. Orman is mixed.  However, I think that she is trying to make others more financially aware, and I still tend to pick up a thing or two while watching.

On the episode I watched last night, Suze gave out a code for her website to get free access to her Will and Trust kit.  I used it and was able to get in without any issues.  I have not looked at the content of the kit very much yet, so I will review that in another post.  I did want to share instructions for using the code, though!

1. Go to Suze Orman’s site, and click on the “Will and Trust” Link.  Once there, you can click on the link for “Gift Code”.  This link should take you directly to the gift code page.
2. Enter the gift code “People First” (without the quotation marks).
3. You should be taken to a screen that contains your activation code, which you can use immediately.

That’s all there is to it!  If you start to use it, I would love to hear any opinions you may have.  Enjoy!