Adjusting Everything To Again Live Below Our Means Now That Our Means Are Lower Than Before
Okay- It seems every time I log in to post something I am doing catch up... So here is where we are now.
I luckily received my bonus this year which couldn't of come at a better time. We recently have been hit with a swarm of bills, doctor visit deductibles, ER deductibles that were from about a year ago and just now being billed to us, ultrasound deductibles, X-ray deductibles, my daughter's dental work, my dental work and I was even audited on my 2006 State Taxes and owe some for that too after I made a mathematical/human error and I am sure there were a few other items too that can be added to the list of non-routine bills.... So I am glad I was able to get a bonus, especially since so many people are even looking for work, I feel fortunate.
We had a garage sale last weekend and were able to get rid of some things that we don't use or need anymore and make some money too. I think it was a successful sale and worth giving up a Saturday morning for. We were not able to finish going through the house to get rid of things that we don't need or use anymore before the sale so as we go through, I think I may plan to have another sale in a couple of weeks again. Its amazing how much "crap" you can accumulate! I don't know if I have the "spring cleaning" bug or if I am just "nesting" because of pregnancy, but I am sick of looking at things that we never use and I just want it gone!
This pregnancy has gone smoothly so far (knock on wood). I am just over 7 months along now and it has seem to have flown by, and as I type this I know I am putting my foot in my mouth as I know its toward the end that pregnancy becomes uncomfortable and seems to take forever... But this time has not been like my first 2. First off, its literally all belly. I don't really look like I have gain anywhere else, which is nice compared to being pregnant with my daughter where I gained about 54 lbs. It literally looks like I stuffed a basketball in my shirt. And this time I didn't really have to deal with morning sickness other than literally a few days of feeling nauseous, where as I was sick all 3 trimesters with both my other children. And until this past Tuesday evening, my feet hadn't swelled at all. I am starting to get the preggo waddle though when I walk.
My doctor wants to induce me a few days before I am due. He said (and I have heard from others too) that labor goes very fast with your 3rd pregnancy compared to your first couple and he is concerned because we do not have a hospital in our town and it would take me at least 30+ minutes to get to the closest one, that if I go into labor I am going to end up delivering the baby on the side on the interstate in route to a hospital. I don't want that either so I am going to go with his suggestion, that way I am already at the hospital, have my doctor there, and can have the pain meds. I give props to women who deliver without meds but its just not for me. Plus this way I also will know when I am going to have the baby and it allows me to schedule and plan everything else around it like when I need to make sure I have supplies and things ready, when I am taking the kids to their grandparents' house and when I will begin my maternity leave at work, etc...
We traded my car in a couple of weeks ago. We got a van, yes, a van. Its a nice van and has a lot of features that will be very useful when I am keeping up with 3 kids, like the automatic sliding doors, and it has lots of space and storage and more seating. I know I will be in this van for a very long time and that's okay. I know this is what we need for our family. And for a van, its pretty cool. But at the same time, I feel like I have given up part of my youth getting it. Oh well... I guess that's part of growing up and having kids...
My daughter has had a little bit of a difficult time dealing with our move. We have been in this house for over a year as of this past December and she has had the hardest time adjusting to the move. Before we moved, my mother-in-law would watch the kids for us when we were at work. And I have a little brother-in-law who is only in 7th grade and a sister-in-law in 3rd grade, so our kids were always around other kids between their aunt and uncle and their friends. Plus, before we moved my daughter also went to a preschool a couple of days a week where she made friends with her classmates and we would do play dates with them too. When we moved, my MIL no longer could watch the kids and we took our daughter out of the preschool because its a hour each way to get there. At the sitter's house she goes to now, she is the oldest kid there and the next one close to her age is a boy who is about a year younger than her and "he doesn't like to play with girls..." despite the fact my daughter can be a big tom-boy at times and loves dinosaurs. We have been able to make a few new friends for her but play dates seem so far and few between due to schedule conflicts. I know she is lonely and I tell her not to worry because she will be starting kindergarten in August and then she will be making lots of new friends to play with, but it doesn't always help.
Then she was asking for a kitten to have all her own (we have one cat named "Bob" already who isn't quite a year old yet but he and my son seem to have this natural bond with one another and my son has staked claim that Bob is his kitty). So my husband and I told her that if she can prove she is responsible enough we would think about getting her a kitten. She started picking up more and even took over feeding and giving Bob water as well as helping my husband keep the litter box clean. So I found a kitten that needed a home and arranged to pick her up. My husband took my daughter to get her and I will never forget my daughter's face when she came home with her. She had the biggest smile!! So now we have 2 kitties, Bob and Daisey. And to my happy surprise, my daughter has not stopped tending to them. And she seems much happier now that she has her own little furry friend to play with and cuddle with and take care of.
I am already dreading summer. We are in AZ so summer comes earlier for us, last forever and it seems to get hotter for us too. Our highs this week are already in the mid & upper 80's... And I know they are going to keep going up too until we hit our 115 degree summers. I just hope that the temps stay where they are now for a long, LONG time before they go up anymore.
I decided I am going to take the kids to the zoo this weekend while the weather is still decent. I have a feeling its going to be packed but I don't really care as this is the time of year that the animals seem to be out and about more and we can see them playing in their habitats better. My friends and their kids may be going too which would be awesome if they do since we can finally hangout and the kids can play together. And between zoo memberships & free admission passes, train ride passes, bringing picnic lunches and drinks with us and carpooling in my van (another reason I don't mind having the van), the whole day is practically free other than the gas to get there and back and we get to spend some quality time together outdoors getting exercise and learning about different animals - you can't go wrong with that!
With my goals of my "financial freedom journey" things have been on again off again. As mentioned before, we were hit with a lot of non-routine bills which have caused huge strains on us financially and have ate away at pretty much all but a few dollars in our savings (which is why I am truly thankful I got a bonus this year). Looking back at how we got here I have to say this economy stinks. Things changed for us about the time the economy went bad, which made things worse for us than it would of if the economy didn't change and only our lifestyle changes took place.... Before we had kids, we had a nice apartment (our rent was more than what we pay on our mortgage now), we made less income but we still had plenty to go out and have fun, take trips, and I could buy clothes whenever I wanted some new stuff. Now I avoid grabbing a couple items from the dollar menu for lunch because its money that could go toward other groceries or gas to get work. Then I went on bed rest while pregnant with our daughter and my husband started working his 2 jobs both full time to make up for the loss of my income. Things got tight but it didn't seem as tight as things are now. I eventually was able to go back to work and things started to get easier and my husband got promoted to manager and I found even higher paying job and things got much easier. We were able to afford car payments on nice cars and live in a nice neighborhood and still go out and do fun things while being able to stash money into savings. But around the time the economy started to tank in 2007 things went south as they closed down the store my husband worked for and he started commuting to another store where he worked such odd hours and we never saw him other than the few hours he was home sleeping between jobs/shifts. But the pay being as high as it was no longer became worth it as we became more like room mates than a couple as we didn't see much of each other and he was going to work himself into a hospital from the long hours and stress. So he quit the high paying job he had to commute to and went full time at the other job. I was so proud of him, despite honestly being nervous about the cut in our income (we were bringing home over 1/3 less a month when he quit). But then we were hit with a few surprise bills and found out how the credit crunch would effect us trying to get our bills and lifestyle in line with our new income. No one wanted to work with us... We couldn't refinance our vehicles for lower monthly payments and couldn't sell them either because of equity. We had some big surprise bills thrown at us and were forced to put them on credit cards that no longer had their low introduction rates and instead jumped in APR because of the market and our savings was being chipped away quickly to cover basics like groceries and the electric bill.... Its a couple of years later and its been a battle since to get things aligned so we are again living below our means.
We had cut our grocery budget to $300 a month total (that includes pet supplies, cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc..) and learned how to really do coupon-ing and matching coupons with sales while still eating healthy foods. If we want treats like cookies, we make them from scratch instead of forking out $4 a box, plus its something we can do together as a family instead of spending money to go out and do something. We have learned to make due with what we have instead of going out to buy more, which includes reattaching buttons or bows on to clothes, and creating home made Halloween costumes and taking advantage of checking out books and dvds for free at the library. We don't have expensive cable packages but only have the absolute basic cable that comes as part of our HOA, we renegotiated our auto and home owner's insurances for lower rates, got cheaper, less fancier phone package, and we don't really go out anymore. If we go somewhere, its to the park or the library or the zoo, where there is no admission costs, otherwise we find things to do together around the house. And we have picked up odd jobs here and there to help earn some extra income too.
I have been reading articles about how to save and everything seems to be the same old same old advise crap advise- stop buying lattes, eat out less, etc... We already don't do those things and are scrambling. The worse one though is "live below your means"! DUH!! But where is the advise on what to do when your "means" has drastically changed? Where is the advise on what to do to get everything in your life below your new "means"? And what to do to keep up until everything is realigned to being below your "means" again? They say have a savings, an emergency fund, but for the average person that may only act as a cushion for a few months at the most and then what? If anyone has some answers for me please share as I feel crushed by everything right now....
But trying to be optimistic- these next couple of months should hopefully make things easier. We will finally have enough paid down on my husband's car (which is one of the biggest financial strains we have!) and we can sell it. We are able to pay off the list of non-routine bills using my bonus and still be able to put some into savings and start building that back up and we have gotten our credit card debt to almost half of what it was. Here lately it seems we were being buried alive with everything and there was no hope in sight anywhere. We have been getting our bills paid but barely doing so and questioning how we were going to pay the bill when it comes next month. I am sick of pastas and rice all the time and would love to splurge on some shrimp and scallops and artichokes right now but I know I will have to wait. But as long as I stay positive and keep working hard and pick up extra work here and there as I can, we will get these things paid off and eventually never have to worry about them again.... I decided I am going to splurge and buy a lotto ticket though - I know I won't win (but I will cross my fingers anyways!) ....
I luckily received my bonus this year which couldn't of come at a better time. We recently have been hit with a swarm of bills, doctor visit deductibles, ER deductibles that were from about a year ago and just now being billed to us, ultrasound deductibles, X-ray deductibles, my daughter's dental work, my dental work and I was even audited on my 2006 State Taxes and owe some for that too after I made a mathematical/human error and I am sure there were a few other items too that can be added to the list of non-routine bills.... So I am glad I was able to get a bonus, especially since so many people are even looking for work, I feel fortunate.
We had a garage sale last weekend and were able to get rid of some things that we don't use or need anymore and make some money too. I think it was a successful sale and worth giving up a Saturday morning for. We were not able to finish going through the house to get rid of things that we don't need or use anymore before the sale so as we go through, I think I may plan to have another sale in a couple of weeks again. Its amazing how much "crap" you can accumulate! I don't know if I have the "spring cleaning" bug or if I am just "nesting" because of pregnancy, but I am sick of looking at things that we never use and I just want it gone!
This pregnancy has gone smoothly so far (knock on wood). I am just over 7 months along now and it has seem to have flown by, and as I type this I know I am putting my foot in my mouth as I know its toward the end that pregnancy becomes uncomfortable and seems to take forever... But this time has not been like my first 2. First off, its literally all belly. I don't really look like I have gain anywhere else, which is nice compared to being pregnant with my daughter where I gained about 54 lbs. It literally looks like I stuffed a basketball in my shirt. And this time I didn't really have to deal with morning sickness other than literally a few days of feeling nauseous, where as I was sick all 3 trimesters with both my other children. And until this past Tuesday evening, my feet hadn't swelled at all. I am starting to get the preggo waddle though when I walk.
My doctor wants to induce me a few days before I am due. He said (and I have heard from others too) that labor goes very fast with your 3rd pregnancy compared to your first couple and he is concerned because we do not have a hospital in our town and it would take me at least 30+ minutes to get to the closest one, that if I go into labor I am going to end up delivering the baby on the side on the interstate in route to a hospital. I don't want that either so I am going to go with his suggestion, that way I am already at the hospital, have my doctor there, and can have the pain meds. I give props to women who deliver without meds but its just not for me. Plus this way I also will know when I am going to have the baby and it allows me to schedule and plan everything else around it like when I need to make sure I have supplies and things ready, when I am taking the kids to their grandparents' house and when I will begin my maternity leave at work, etc...
We traded my car in a couple of weeks ago. We got a van, yes, a van. Its a nice van and has a lot of features that will be very useful when I am keeping up with 3 kids, like the automatic sliding doors, and it has lots of space and storage and more seating. I know I will be in this van for a very long time and that's okay. I know this is what we need for our family. And for a van, its pretty cool. But at the same time, I feel like I have given up part of my youth getting it. Oh well... I guess that's part of growing up and having kids...
My daughter has had a little bit of a difficult time dealing with our move. We have been in this house for over a year as of this past December and she has had the hardest time adjusting to the move. Before we moved, my mother-in-law would watch the kids for us when we were at work. And I have a little brother-in-law who is only in 7th grade and a sister-in-law in 3rd grade, so our kids were always around other kids between their aunt and uncle and their friends. Plus, before we moved my daughter also went to a preschool a couple of days a week where she made friends with her classmates and we would do play dates with them too. When we moved, my MIL no longer could watch the kids and we took our daughter out of the preschool because its a hour each way to get there. At the sitter's house she goes to now, she is the oldest kid there and the next one close to her age is a boy who is about a year younger than her and "he doesn't like to play with girls..." despite the fact my daughter can be a big tom-boy at times and loves dinosaurs. We have been able to make a few new friends for her but play dates seem so far and few between due to schedule conflicts. I know she is lonely and I tell her not to worry because she will be starting kindergarten in August and then she will be making lots of new friends to play with, but it doesn't always help.
Then she was asking for a kitten to have all her own (we have one cat named "Bob" already who isn't quite a year old yet but he and my son seem to have this natural bond with one another and my son has staked claim that Bob is his kitty). So my husband and I told her that if she can prove she is responsible enough we would think about getting her a kitten. She started picking up more and even took over feeding and giving Bob water as well as helping my husband keep the litter box clean. So I found a kitten that needed a home and arranged to pick her up. My husband took my daughter to get her and I will never forget my daughter's face when she came home with her. She had the biggest smile!! So now we have 2 kitties, Bob and Daisey. And to my happy surprise, my daughter has not stopped tending to them. And she seems much happier now that she has her own little furry friend to play with and cuddle with and take care of.
I am already dreading summer. We are in AZ so summer comes earlier for us, last forever and it seems to get hotter for us too. Our highs this week are already in the mid & upper 80's... And I know they are going to keep going up too until we hit our 115 degree summers. I just hope that the temps stay where they are now for a long, LONG time before they go up anymore.
I decided I am going to take the kids to the zoo this weekend while the weather is still decent. I have a feeling its going to be packed but I don't really care as this is the time of year that the animals seem to be out and about more and we can see them playing in their habitats better. My friends and their kids may be going too which would be awesome if they do since we can finally hangout and the kids can play together. And between zoo memberships & free admission passes, train ride passes, bringing picnic lunches and drinks with us and carpooling in my van (another reason I don't mind having the van), the whole day is practically free other than the gas to get there and back and we get to spend some quality time together outdoors getting exercise and learning about different animals - you can't go wrong with that!
With my goals of my "financial freedom journey" things have been on again off again. As mentioned before, we were hit with a lot of non-routine bills which have caused huge strains on us financially and have ate away at pretty much all but a few dollars in our savings (which is why I am truly thankful I got a bonus this year). Looking back at how we got here I have to say this economy stinks. Things changed for us about the time the economy went bad, which made things worse for us than it would of if the economy didn't change and only our lifestyle changes took place.... Before we had kids, we had a nice apartment (our rent was more than what we pay on our mortgage now), we made less income but we still had plenty to go out and have fun, take trips, and I could buy clothes whenever I wanted some new stuff. Now I avoid grabbing a couple items from the dollar menu for lunch because its money that could go toward other groceries or gas to get work. Then I went on bed rest while pregnant with our daughter and my husband started working his 2 jobs both full time to make up for the loss of my income. Things got tight but it didn't seem as tight as things are now. I eventually was able to go back to work and things started to get easier and my husband got promoted to manager and I found even higher paying job and things got much easier. We were able to afford car payments on nice cars and live in a nice neighborhood and still go out and do fun things while being able to stash money into savings. But around the time the economy started to tank in 2007 things went south as they closed down the store my husband worked for and he started commuting to another store where he worked such odd hours and we never saw him other than the few hours he was home sleeping between jobs/shifts. But the pay being as high as it was no longer became worth it as we became more like room mates than a couple as we didn't see much of each other and he was going to work himself into a hospital from the long hours and stress. So he quit the high paying job he had to commute to and went full time at the other job. I was so proud of him, despite honestly being nervous about the cut in our income (we were bringing home over 1/3 less a month when he quit). But then we were hit with a few surprise bills and found out how the credit crunch would effect us trying to get our bills and lifestyle in line with our new income. No one wanted to work with us... We couldn't refinance our vehicles for lower monthly payments and couldn't sell them either because of equity. We had some big surprise bills thrown at us and were forced to put them on credit cards that no longer had their low introduction rates and instead jumped in APR because of the market and our savings was being chipped away quickly to cover basics like groceries and the electric bill.... Its a couple of years later and its been a battle since to get things aligned so we are again living below our means.
We had cut our grocery budget to $300 a month total (that includes pet supplies, cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc..) and learned how to really do coupon-ing and matching coupons with sales while still eating healthy foods. If we want treats like cookies, we make them from scratch instead of forking out $4 a box, plus its something we can do together as a family instead of spending money to go out and do something. We have learned to make due with what we have instead of going out to buy more, which includes reattaching buttons or bows on to clothes, and creating home made Halloween costumes and taking advantage of checking out books and dvds for free at the library. We don't have expensive cable packages but only have the absolute basic cable that comes as part of our HOA, we renegotiated our auto and home owner's insurances for lower rates, got cheaper, less fancier phone package, and we don't really go out anymore. If we go somewhere, its to the park or the library or the zoo, where there is no admission costs, otherwise we find things to do together around the house. And we have picked up odd jobs here and there to help earn some extra income too.
I have been reading articles about how to save and everything seems to be the same old same old advise crap advise- stop buying lattes, eat out less, etc... We already don't do those things and are scrambling. The worse one though is "live below your means"! DUH!! But where is the advise on what to do when your "means" has drastically changed? Where is the advise on what to do to get everything in your life below your new "means"? And what to do to keep up until everything is realigned to being below your "means" again? They say have a savings, an emergency fund, but for the average person that may only act as a cushion for a few months at the most and then what? If anyone has some answers for me please share as I feel crushed by everything right now....
But trying to be optimistic- these next couple of months should hopefully make things easier. We will finally have enough paid down on my husband's car (which is one of the biggest financial strains we have!) and we can sell it. We are able to pay off the list of non-routine bills using my bonus and still be able to put some into savings and start building that back up and we have gotten our credit card debt to almost half of what it was. Here lately it seems we were being buried alive with everything and there was no hope in sight anywhere. We have been getting our bills paid but barely doing so and questioning how we were going to pay the bill when it comes next month. I am sick of pastas and rice all the time and would love to splurge on some shrimp and scallops and artichokes right now but I know I will have to wait. But as long as I stay positive and keep working hard and pick up extra work here and there as I can, we will get these things paid off and eventually never have to worry about them again.... I decided I am going to splurge and buy a lotto ticket though - I know I won't win (but I will cross my fingers anyways!) ....
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