When you want to go shopping, try this instead. . .

It's the day after Christmas, and my inbox is flooded with door buster deals from all my favorite stores: Target, Bath & Body Works, Barnes & Nobles. "Think of all the money I could save by purchasing now?" my spend happy fingers yell at me. 

But wait-- what do I really need? Haven't I just received some really special gifts from my husband and friends? Will I even want to put up Christmas lights next year? Do I really need all the $3.50 Christmas fragrances from Bath & Body works? No, no I don't. In an effort to de-clutter my life and live as simply as possible, going shopping right now just to get the deals is counter-productive.

So instead of going shopping, I have made an aggressive to-do list. It goes like this: 

1. Work ahead on homework for the upcoming semester. 

2. Finish all thank you notes for Baby T. (This is a bit ambitious, but at least I can finish the majority of the notes.) 

3. Drop off clothes I don't wear at Goodwill. 

4. Host a friend for coffee and cookies this afternoon.

5. Start the laundry. 

I know that by taking care of things I should be working on anyways will feel good and help me reach my short-term goals instead of just using my time and money on my materialistic urges. How do you fight off the urge to go shopping when the deals are hot? Do you think it's a good idea to go shopping on these sale days? 

All I want for Christmas is. . .

Rob and I enjoy exchanging gifts for Christmas. It's nothing overly lavish, but it's the one time a year when we can get some of those special things that we miss purchasing for ourselves during the year (like candles and DVD's-- see Five Things We Gave Up to Get Out of Debt.)

But this year, I asked for something a little different-- my own self-hosted blog. :) Rob agreed, and the blog fee will be the majority of my Christmas present. I can't wait! It's been a dream of mine for at least a year to have my own self-hosted blog.

What are the benefits of a self-hosted blog?
Mainly, it allows you to make money from your blog. I don't have dreams of becoming rich by writing my own blog, but I do think that I could monetize it by just adding some simple basic features that aren't available on blogger. I will also have rights to my own blog, so I will own the material I write and there is no chance of my blog suddenly getting erased.

I have some practical goals for my blog ambitions.

1. First, I need to pick a focus for the blog. I want my friends and family to weigh in on this:
 * I like writing about budgeting and living simply.
 * I predict I will also enjoy writing about raising kids on a budget.
 * I like writing about living intentionally.
All of these topics are interesting to me, and I feel passionate about each of them. However, I want to pick the topic that is going to be the best fit for me. I also need to pick something that I can continue writing about every week.

2. Next, I want to try to write one post a week.  I know that some weeks this might not be possible, but hopefully I will be able to take advantage of the slower days and get ahead of writing the blog posts.

3. I need to figure out how to add my blog to Pinterest. I'm sure you've seen the photos with blog tag lines on them on Pinterest. My goal is to figure out how to create these little links to also add my blog to Pinterest.

And that's what I'm getting for Christmas!  I can't wait. I don't have any grand expectations, but I love writing and I love sharing life through writing so why not try something new?

Friends, let me know what topic you think would be the best fit for my blog either by leaving a comment or by sending an email.

5 Things We Gave up To Get out of Debt

The title of this post really should be "5 Things We Are Giving Up to Get out of Debt" since we're not out of debt yet, but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. For the past two years, we have been throwing all our extra income at the student debt we have amassed. (I need to get permission with my husband before I share just how much debt we had, but let's just say that the amount could have bought us a house.)

Now, we are so close to being in the four digit debt amount that I can almost taste it, and I'm drooling. But, in the meantime, we are expecting our first child in about 6 weeks. In addition, we have one vehicle that may or may not make it through the winter. Finally, we have moved into a slightly bigger and more expensive apartment. Not to mention we're not exactly sure how to budget for diapers, baby stuff, and all the things that go with growing one's family by a person. Still, we are committed to saving on the luxuries that we formerly enjoyed in order to get out of debt faster. So, in no particular order, here are some things we have given up these past two years to help us achieve our goal of being debt-free in 2016:

1. Scented Candles-- Oh how I love Bath & Body Works scented candles (and just scented candles in general.) I light one of those bad boys up and all is right in the world, or at least in our little corner apartment of the world. But let's be honest, these are a luxury item. They aren't necessary for daily life; they have no return on investment; they had to go.

2. DVD's-- This is something Rob has given up since our Dave Ramsey lifestyle began two years ago. At first it was very difficult for him, and I know that some days it is still a challenge for him. However, he has been so gracious at giving up this small pleasure while we work on paying back Sallie Mae and her gang.

3. Beauty products-- I used to spend a decent amount on make-up, hair products, and hair cuts and colors. I have since gone down to getting my hair cut once every six months or so. I also use up all the shampoo / lotions / eye-liners / facial creams that I have. If I need to buy something, I buy it cheap at Target. No more Sephora beauty products for me. I even bought some eye-liner at the $1 store; I won't recommend it, but I still use it because that's life on a budget. When someone forgot their shampoo at our place, I used it up even though it probably wasn't  the type of shampoo my hair needed.

4. Books-- I used to buy more books because I was living overseas and usually the only way to read a book was to buy it for my kindle or purchase it when I was home for the summer. Reading books is a great stress reliever for me, and I love sharing books with my friends too. However, I have significantly cut back on buying books with the exception of a few devotional books and two pregnancy related books (one which the library did not have.) If I do decide I "need" a book, I buy it used on Amazon, usually at half the price of what it would be normally.

5. Concerts, plays, & shows. Rob and I went to a few concerts when we were dating. It was great fun, and it was during one of those concerts that I knew I was falling in love with Rob. Those concerts are distant memories now, and we have not been to a show or live music event since we started our debt-free journey. I feel slightly jealous when I see people enjoying a Cold Play or Avett Brothers concert, but when every dollar counts, paying anywhere from $30 to $60 for each ticket seems superfluous. I'm sure that we'll have a chance to enjoy live shows again, and we could always take advantage of FREE shows and concerts that are happening around town.

These are some small sacrifices we are making to get out of debt. What are some things you've given up (or thought about giving up) to help you achieve your financial goal?

Home Ownership vs Renting

A lot of our friends are in the house buying mode as of late, and it's safe to say that Rob and I are in the minority.  I'm a bit tired, however, of hearing how buying a house is a good investment for the future, and renting is just throwing money down the toilet. 

Our friends often share proudly how low their mortgage is per month and then ask us how much we pay per month for our apartment. Yeah, we get it. We're paying a lot in rent. You know what else we were paying a lot for? Interest on student loans, in excess of $200 a month! 

Don't get me wrong-- we want to own a home. I would love to have a yard or a garage. Rob dreams of the day he can have a dog. Home ownership is definitely a goal we have for the future. But just because we can't make it happen right now doesn't mean we are being irresponsible. We are going for financial freedom, not more financial bondage. To quote one of my hero's Dave Ramsey "Live like no one else so later you can live like no one else." We know we won't be in debt forever; but that doesn't mean we want to stretch it out as long as we can. 

I also believe that just because you are investing in something (like a home) doesn't always mean you get it back. A close friend of mine bought a house before the market crashed. Just four years later, he had to pay money to sell the house.  Sure, he invested in his home but that doesn't mean that he got anything back from it. Another family I know had to sell their home because they couldn't afford the roof damage caused by a storm.  

Furthermore, when you buy a house, there are a lot of hidden costs that you may not even think of. We would need to buy a washer and dryer, a lawn mower, possibly a fridge and other appliances. All things we don't need to worry about right now. In addition, you also pay a lot more on electricity, city fees, water, recycling, taxes, etc.  If something breaks or need repairs in your home, you're financially responsible to fix it. When you rent, you just report it and someone comes and fixes it at no cost to you. 

There is a time for home ownership, and I can't wait for that season. But for right now, we're in a season of renting (a predictable amount each month) and paying off our loans. Thanks Dave Ramsey! 

Socks or Symphony

Life is an endless tension between the mundane and the glamorous. 

It’s a Saturday evening, and the night sprawls before me like a blank canvas waiting to be painted. For simplicity’s sake, I have limited my choices to two possibilities: going to the Minnesota symphony with my friend at a discounted ticket price or going to the nearest retail store and buying socks. The romantic and adventurous side of me tells me that this is a no-brainer: “You will have an unforgetable night at the symphony with your dear friend” but the practical side of me shouts loudly from the soles of my feet: “Don’t forget about us and how uncomfortable it is when one toe sticks through.”  The Dave Ramsey voice inside my head also reminds me that “you need that symphony money for buying socks.” 

And so on this Saturday night, I chose a compromise of the two:  I convince a dear friend of mine to go sock shopping with me, and together we hit up the local retail store and do some sock shopping. It’s not exactly living it up on a Saturday night. It’s just living. It’s just doing life together. There’s nothing glamorous about buying socks. But life isn’t only composed of the glamorous. Most of the time, in fact, it’s just an accumulation of the ordinary and mundane.  

My friend and I talk, we browse, we compare sock prices and styles, and we limit our purchase to 3 pairs of socks each. This is life; this is the tension between living it up and just trying to make it through the month. We are constantly choosing between the two, and each circumstance may warrant a different choice. But on this evening, I am happy and content with my choice, and I have a hole-free pair of socks all picked out for church tomorrow. 

When you think you need groceries, try this instead. . .

On Thursday night, I was kind of  majorly in panic mode and feeling overwhelmed with all of life's responsibilities. Specifically, I was wondering what the heck I was going to take for lunch to work the next day. I was also missing a few ingredients for the meal I was planning to make that night. I started to jot down a few items on my grocery list and tried to muster up the energy to go to the store: I physically could not do it. I could not be bombarded with the choices and chaos that Cub Foods offers on a weekday night at 5:00.

So instead, I went back to the drawing board for dinner. "I can cook this meal instead and use up a couple of half cans of pasta sauce." I also extremely lowered my expectations for my lunch the next day: "I can just take this overbaked two-day old slice of pizza along with an apple and some cheese sticks for my lunch." And that is what I did. Did it taste great? No, it did not. Did I feel like a slob next to my colleagues who were talking about eating healthy and eating nut bars and four kinds of fruits and vegetables. Yes, yes I did. And I was okay with it. Why? Because I am a little bit in survival mode. And because sometimes a delicious and nutritious lunch will just have to wait until tomorrow.

This morning, I took my very complete list for groceries to the store and picked up everything we need for the entire week including healthy lunch options. More importantly, I didn't feel stressed out because I was mentally prepared, and Target is quite empty on a Saturday morning at 8:00. In addition, because I had not run to the store in a frenzy on Thursday night, I actually had enough money to get all the basics we need for the week. I figure that by putting off the panic run in the middle of the week, we have easily saved $15.

So, my advice to others is that when you think you NEED groceries, you probably can easily go another day or two. It might even help you use up some of those random half-used jars in the fridge.

How do you save money on groceries?

Child Care and Budgeting

This past week, we were having dinner at my dear friend's house (who is due one day before me) when she shared that she had already found child care for next April! What? Panic. Anxiety. "Why am I so slow?" I thought to myself.

So yesterday, my husband and I called at least 10 different in-home day care providers in our area to see if we could find care for our little T this coming April.  No luck.  Most providers are booked in the infant department. By law, each provider is only allowed to care for 2 infants (age 1 month to 2 years) at a time. You can imagine that there are many more moms and dads in Roseville looking for infant care than 30 providers can support. One provider also told us that even if we did find someone who had an opening, they were unlikely to hold it for that many months.  "I always tell people, call me when the baby's born" she advised. Yikes! That's cutting it kind of close, No?

So, right now we are just in limbo. I might call more places tonight, but I'm not sure if it's just wasting my time or not. Maybe we do need to wait until January. Many people end up taking their child to a day care center. We are not opposed to that, but it costs nearly twice as much as in-home day care. At that point, I'm not sure it's worth my salary.

So, these are some of the things we are mulling over. Since when did being an adult become so intense and responsibility-laden? I know that many of my friends have decided to stay home with their little ones; I am open to this too at least until little T is 8 months or so, and I need to do my student teaching. But I'm also a little worried that I might go batty staying home everyday.

Moms out there, what did you do for day care? Would you recommend staying home with your little one? At what point did you find child care?

Growing Pains: 1 Bedroom vs 2 Bedroom

This past week has been an absolute whirlwind. I have had two interviews, been rejected by one school and offered a position by another all in the span of 4 days.  On top of that, Rob and I have decided that it may be best to move into a 2 bedroom apartment. Currently we live in a spacious one bedroom apartment (880 square feet). It's really quite lovely.

However, in just six short months, we will have little T joining us here.  Like I mentioned in my last post; little T does not need his / her own bedroom especially the first few months. However, I'm selfishly hoping that my parents will be able to come stay with us for a week or so. Rob's parents will also hopefully come stay with us, and my dear sister has also mentioned that she'd like to come stay over. And all of this is going to be pretty uncomfortable in our 1 bedroom.

In addition, we are not sure how long it will take us to finish paying off student loans and then start saving up for a downpayment for a house. It could take less time (especially if we stay put and save on rent). But it could also rush us if we aren't quite ready by the time we are over occupancy limits in our one bedroom (when little T turns one year old.) At that point, we will need to move into a 2 bedroom and sign another year lease which we may be hesitant to do if we are almost ready to purchase a home.

So, you see the conundrum. Make the move now and save the hassle of worrying about it later or stay put and worry about it later when life may no doubt be a little more chaotic. To all the moms out there, what do you think? What was your experience sharing a room with your little one, and at what point, did you need your own space?

On Budgeting when Pregnant

Yep-- spoiler alert! We're pregnant. I say "we" because Rob holds just as much responsibility for this as I do. We definitely feel like we have been given a gift from God, and we are beyond thrilled!  In general, there have not been too many bumps along the road. We knew we wanted to have kids, and the time seemed right. So we went for it!

Pregnancy in the midst of student loans looks pretty interesting though.  Unlike some future momma's who spend a lot of dough on getting the newest and best and cutest of everything, we are trying to get only the basics and hopefully at reasonable prices too.

So far, I am receiving a hand-me down crib form my dear friend Sandy. Her kiddos are 4 and 6, and  she no longer needs it. We also need to purchase a car-seat (we'll buy this new), a high chair of some sort, a bassinet, and a changing pad to put on my dresser.  We might even splurge and get a changing table, but that's pretty much it!

No rocking chair or little nursery oasis for little T (that's what we call him/her). Little T will be sharing the bedroom with us, since we live in a one bedroom apartment. I don't really think he/she will remember anyways. I think babies only remember if they are loved, and ours definitely will be.

In addition to the big purchases, we are starting to figure out how much we might need to spend in diapers, doctor's visits, and baby bottles. Another major future cost will be child care. Most likely I will be heading back to work after the maternity leave (expect more on this topic in a future post) but we also have to crunch the numbers and do what makes the most sense for our family. It kind of makes my head spin to think of all the additional things we need to consider. But I am trying to just take it one thing at a time.

For maternity clothes, I have made a personal vow not to buy any maternity shirt that costs more than $10. I have purchased maybe 5 shirts so far-- 3 for summer and 2 for winter, and all of them under $10.  Another one of my dear friends is handing me down some of her maternity clothes including a pair of maternity pants. I also plan to wear lots of leggings and my loose fitting dresses in the winter.

Finally, another unexpected area where our costs have increased is our grocery bill. I am trying to eat a lot of fruits and nuts when I need a snack. In addition, now that it's summer, I need to make my own lunches (instead of just eating the school lunch at work.) This in addition to the frequent snacking has really tacked on some added costs to our weekly shopping bill.  Fifty dollars is no longer enough to purchase all the groceries we need for the week. And I'm okay with that. I'm okay if we need to spend a bit more on groceries if it means eating healthier and trying to cook at home more often.

To all the people out there on a budget, what advice do you have for us as we prepare for our little one?

Our very first photo shoot of little T. (This was taken at week 9; we are at 14 weeks now.)

How We Save Money Each Month

This post is directly related to my last post about being under-employed and under-paid. As a result of the limited funds, we have learned how to cut corners where we can. We are by no means experts at this, and there are still areas where we need to trim down, but for the most part, I think we are doing okay: I give us a B+.

1. No movies in the theaters. Let's be honest-- theater prices are insane! A couple could easily spend over $30 for 2-3 hours of entertainment. Compare this to the price of $9 a month for unlimited movies and TV shows on Netflix or a $2 new release from the nearest Redbox. When it comes to date nights at the theater, we use them sparingly. We have gone to the theater maybe 2 times in our nearly 2 years of marriage, and we are okay with it!

2. Cutting costs on special occasion cards. I love looking at the cards at Target; they are so shiny and witty. However, they are way over-priced for a piece of card-stock. When it comes to getting cards, I get them either at the dollar store where they sell slightly older cards 2 / $1, or I buy a package of generic cards and personalize the message myself.

3.  No fancy meats or cheeses. When it comes to buying groceries, I buy two types of protein: chicken and hot-dogs (and brats on special occasions.) Even though we both enjoy red meat, we know it is probably not the healthiest for us, and it hurts our wallets. As for cheeses, we buy Target brand Mozarella, Cheddar, and Parmesan (in a bag.) Fancy cheeses (though delicious) send our food budget over the edge. Let the upper class eat their red meats and fine gourmet cheeses. We'll stick to our steroid-pumped chicken and market pantry cheeses.

4. Saying "no" to Birthday dinners out. I know that we are going to sound incredibly stiff-necked on this one, but we have discovered that anytime our friends celebrate their birthday's by going out to some place swanky, we leave pinching our empty pocket books. We love our friends, and we love celebrating them, but going out to eat pricy restaurants that we would never chose on our own because of the over-priced "delicacies" has left us feeling bitter on more than one occasion.

5. Buying clothes at Goodwill. I am a huge fan of Goodwill. Just today, I went shopping for their 4th of july sale where all clothing items were %50 off, and I found some adorable shirts for $2.50 each. You can not beat these prices (even at Target), and I love that you get a nice variety of styles at Goodwill. Oh yeah, I also bought some adorable winter boots for $2.50. Hey, just because we're broke, doesn't mean I have to look like the queen of frump.

These are the areas where we have learned to cut back. We have some more goals in this department that include dumping our internet and cable bill and building up an emergency fund. But for now, we have figured out how to cut back and even have some fun while doing so.

What do you think of these money saving tips? How do you save money each month? We need all the tips we can get!

Why I Have 3 Jobs

My friends and family know that I am incredibly task-driven and often bite off more than I can chew. This has never been more true in my life than right now.

In August of 2013, I took a job at a small private  charter school working as a kindergarten paraprofessional. The job offer was timely and I needed the security of benefits and employment before Rob and said our "I do's" a few weeks later.

I have been at this full-time job for 2 years now and have learned a ton. I have also discovered that although I can work with younger students, it's not where my natural talents or passions find their home. I miss working with the slightly older, more independent students. Younger students have a lot of needs that they need to tell you about. Each minute of each day was filled with students' needs. After two years of this, I am pretty exhausted.

Furthermore, while the benefits were good, the pay was pretty low--$20,000 a year to be exact. I know that most people with a masters degree would never dream of taking a job for this salary. In fact, I could have this exact same job with only 2 years of post-secondary education; I have 7. So it's been a pretty humbling and tiring two years.

As a result, I have sought out opportunities that are more directly related to my career and can also help supplement my income. For awhile, I was trying to get into the admissions department at a university. To work toward this goal (and also compensate for my dismal salary), I started working in our apartment complex as a leasing agent every other week-end. This job involves a lot of customer service  and administrative skills. I was hoping that this experience would make me more marketable for admissions' jobs. Per hour at this office job, I make about what I made working at Caribou Coffee.

To help me get my fill of teaching and continue working toward my goal of teaching post-secondary students, I took an online teaching job with a non-profit company. When I started with this company, I was their first employee. I had hopes of helping develop the curriculum and teaching standards for this company. That dream was quickly shot down by another founder of the company who did not want to include curriculum in our teaching. I have been teaching now with this company for about 1 year, and I realize that it is a lot of work without really providing any promise of being more than what it is-- passive income for my employers while I am busting my butt every week for an addition $200-$300 a month.

I feel that my friends are often frustrated that I am constantly so busy with my multiple jobs. I understand their frustration, but I also know that they all make incomes that support them. It is easy to judge people and make assumptions; it's much more difficult to try and understand why people might be making the choices they are. Working three jobs, at about 50 hours a week, I am making about $25,000 a year before taxes. I am frustrated. I am tired. I am seeking opportunities to work smarter, not harder, but I am coming up with nothing.

And I know that even though I often feel alone in this frustration, I am not alone. I know that many people are in the same situation: underemployed with talents and gifts that lay dormant. What is your career story?