Holy Guacamole!

Word of advice, look at your pay stub!  Out of sheer curiosity, I pulled out my husband and my latest pay stubs tonight.  We are very close in pay scale, and I was expecting to see similar deductions in terms of taxes, social security, and medicare.  But I didn't!  We realized tonight, hubby hasn't adjusted his withholding since years before we were married (almost 7 years ago!) We married, had a kid, then had another, and never changed the status!?!  Granted, our tax returns are quite huge (nice) BUT, we really need the money in our budget NOW, not in a year.  When I looked at his total withholding for the current year (less than 2 months in...) his withholding was $1000!  Compared to mine, which was $250.  Ummmm....So glad I had a moment to look at the stubs tonight, and I am uber-curious (AKA excited to see his next paycheck with adequate withholding for a family of 5!)  Any tips or advice on how to choose what to claim, happily post away below!

They Can Calculate THAT??!

Wow, they have some amazing skills over at Northwestern Mutual!  They can calculate things I never dreamed of!  According to their survey, I should save enough money to be alive until age 90!  See what your age is here:  http://bit.ly/xcI76k They have other pretty awesome things to check out, like should you save or pay down debt,  What will it take to save for a college education, how much am I spending, ect.  Totally free to use, of course, but what a wealth of good info.  Check it out today! Any comments on the calculators go ahead and post below!

Coddling Kids

This was the headline on Fox News today and it  certainly grabbed my attention.  As a teacher, I have felt countless times what I interpreted as parents "coddling" kids.  Many of my peers feel the same.  Unmotivation is raging from where I stand, and often parents are enabling kids to "pass the buck" so to speak and not take responsibility for actions (of themselves and their children).  I see lots of 4th grade homework done in adult handwriting, have had parents in tears that they let down their children when truly the children were the ones who chose their actions! Parent conferences are centered around, what am I going to do about a problem, not what parents or students can or should do. How common the occurrence is, no one can truly answer.  And truly, we hope that most parents do not fall into this category.  However, I believe I myself am guilty of this with my own children at time ( I can be a total softee, I SOOO need to practice dropping the hammer) Tim Elmore, Author of Generation iY (i stands for I, ipods, ipads, ect. like an online world) appeared this morning on Fox and Friends News to share some tips on how to raise kids with the end goal of SURVIVING without their PARENTS (because some day we will not be on this planet for them, and we need them to THRIVE. 80% of college graduates are moving back home...will they be ready when that option does not exist???)  I found myself agreeing with most of the things he said and attempted to buy his book for my Nook after hearing his view.  It is not available at Barnes and Noble at this time, but online I found it could be bought in an ebook format for $8.99 here  http://www.savetheirfuturenow.com/book.html  I do plan on reading this book at some point, but am not buying until I hear some good reviews (perhaps I could review a copy on my blog and facebook for those interested).  But for now, the thing that stuck with me, was "Velvet-Covered Brick".  Tim says parents need to be a brick covered with velvet....soft and loving on the outside, their biggest cheerleader....but a brick on the inside meaning teaching them they are preparing for a life WITHOUT YOU to help them.  This means being tough, letting them fail (if they do on their own), not smoothing over every bad situation for them.  He also author a book called "Habitudes" my 15 year-old is reading in her small group at church, so he has a Christian viewpoint. Here is a link to a YouTube video of the speaking on the iY generation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ya1YKTzPvY8  Parents of the iY generation, let me know what you think about Tim Elmore, have you read his stuff, will you?

Priorities!

Sorry for the posting break, but I had a much needed break from reality with faraway family coming to stay for a bit!  The budget stayed close to intact too, thanks to eating at home (mostly) and picnicking (no idea if I spelled that right!) for food...visiting the beach, national parks, and playgrounds for entertainment...but truly, if I had maxed out the credit cards this week, it would have been worth it because time with family is my absolute priority one (but what a great bonus I didn't swipe the card once!!!)  But get ready for a posting frenzy....there is LOTS of financial activity going on here....stay tuned!

Barter Board

Stuff you don't need is quite annoying, you have to look at it, clean it, organize it, store it, or try to sell it and it just sucks the energy out of you!  Doesn't it feel great to just cut it loose!  I love dropping off a huge load of outgrown clothes to Goodwill, or selling something (especially quickly!) on Craigslist (last week, we sold a Kohler Pedastal Sink and faucet for $100 on CL, it sold in like a few hours!) But sometimes, it can be hard to just give away things that you worked so hard to pay for!  What about starting a barter board?  Put up a piece of tagboard in your work break room, and have people post things they want to barter for...or the price they will sell it for.  It is easy to connect with a lot of people at the workplace and think of all the unused stuff that could get a new home!  We have also tried a coupon drop at work, but it took alot of work to organize the coupons nicely...maybe just a bin of coupons in the breakroom for people to peruse (is that a word??) through.  This could work in mom's groups or among friends as well, maybe even a facebook app or a blog among friends?  Let me know what you all think of this idea!

My type of roses!

Awww, sigh, love is in the air and all that on Valentine's Day!  My husband has proven once again he knows how to make me tick...my roses were in pots and ready to put in the ground (when the weather gets a bit warmer!!) Don't get me wrong, it would be awesome to get some huge bouquet of roses, but for the price he would pay, to only enjoy it for a few days, would leave me feeling blue after the holiday!   Well done, to my husband Todd!

Turning Point

I just ate a big old piece of Humble Pie.  Remember a few weeks back when my daughter was "impressed" with me for giving a homeless man money? Something that may not come through about me on my blog is I do like to give to the less fortunate, and have a hard time passing by homeless men on the streets without giving them a dollar (and once, I gave a man in the grocery store a $10---he was buying fruit and no liquor and I just had to). It is something I remember doing even as a young teenager.  Even if I know they are going to go buy a beer with it, it doesn't really bother me because frankly, if I were sleeping on the streets I think I would need a beer to fall asleep.  My church does a lot of homeless outreach, and today was a big event day with free medical screenings, haircuts, massages, and job placement for homeless people.  Of course, I was thrilled to volunteer.  But it never is quite what I expect.  First of all, it was hard to tell the difference between many of the volunteers and guests.  The number of homeless women and children is staggering.  Of course, people of the street have a very different look from the large number of technically homeless who live in hotels or with relatives, ect. But secondly, I was stunned to be told by one of the organizations leaders I need to stop giving them money as they stand with a sign on the street.  I can buy them Mc.D's or a cool drink (non-alcoholic, of course) on a hot day; but giving them cash when such a large number (on the street) are addicted to drugs and alcohol just fuels they addictions enabling them to stay clouded and foggy (as opposed to clear-thinking, which could get them working or connected with families who only take them in if they are clean.  This is going to be very hard for me to do.  They are people, and I cannot, will not ignore them. Maybe I will start offering them a stick of sugarless gum or something?  I know this is not the normal norm of my blog, but it today was  such a good reminder for me  that is we live free of addictions with our families' love; we are incredibly rich and truly don't need anything more.

Super "Super Foods"

For years, I have read about so-called "Super Foods" that fight cancer, obesity, and improve your overall health.  Many of the foods on that list are things I actually LOVE, and if money were not an object, I would be thrilled to fill my family (and myself) with foods from the list because frankly they are DELICIOUS! According to the WebMD website

Top Superfoods Offering Super Health Protection

• Beans
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Oats
• Oranges
• Pumpkin
• Salmon
• Soy
• Spinach
• Tea (green or black)
• Tomatoes
• Turkey
• Walnuts
• Yogurt

Many of these foods, I can and do eat and feed my family often (beans, oranges, tomatoes, and yogurt) but others I LOVE but can't afford to put in my grocery cart every weekend (I was drooling over the salmon today at the store...but $23 for the package would have put my bill up to $160 total!) and OATS?! I had not realized they were so great.  I have a huge can of them, and they are cheap, time to recipe search on what to do with them so I can pump my kids full of their super-food powers (post any recipes with oats in the comments below if you have one!)

For YEARS, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries had been park of that second category.  My kids LOVE THEM (ewww, some bad diapers after overdosing) but I didn't love the price tag ($3 or more on a teeny little pack my kids would eat in less than 24 hours).  We tried the U Pick Blueberries at the blueberry patch (which we love, and will continue to do when they are in season)  but there was no inexpensive way to score the berries during most of the year.  Perhaps I am just a little stubborn.  I had read hundreds of times to try the frozen fruit route, but I imagined tasteless blobs of goo posing as fruit. Luckily, at times, I am an impulse shopper.  The 48 oz. bag of triple berries lingered before my eyes.  I considered the Fruit and Yogurt Parfait sold at McDonald's and thought, I could try the same idea at home. Rather than buying my children Go-Gurt (which they love!) I bought a tub of ordinary vanilla yogurt (super food too! See list!!!) to go with it and whipped the fruit and yogurt together for a bedtime snack.  Absolutely, a delicious, nutritious, and inexpensive treat! $2.99 per pound at Sam's Club for the triple berry 48 oz. bag. Also, Target has their's on sale for a bit more ($9.99 for a 48oz. bag) this week if you don't have a club membership.  So if you are like me, and never attempted the frozen berries...you are missing out for real! Try it!!!!

Cleaning for Less

Absolutely, few things feel better than a clean house!!! This week has been fast-paced, non-stop, and I have been trying to sneak in pockets of cleaning time.  My house suffers as the calendar fills up!  Multi-tasking is essential.  My favorites are folding laundry while catching up on DVR ed shows, dishes and countertops while chatting on the phone, and bathroom cleanup while my children bathe.  Could I use a cleaning lady? YES! Can I afford one?? NO!  Maybe someday, but for now, I try to maintain the budget as well as a clean house.  I have been experimenting with cleaning supplies on the cheap.  Most of these are also eco-friendly (which is a bonus, I don't have to stress as much about kids touching them).  For floors (I have Mohawk Laminate) I have been making a bucket of hot water and white vinegar (a disinfectant) and scrubbing with cheap shams from the Dollar Tree.  The shams can be washed for repeated use, and even clip onto a Swiffer (I was sick of buying those expensive pads).  As an all-purpose cleaner, an empty spray bottle (found at the Dollar Tree as well) with one tablespoon of Borax (Walmart, under $3 for a large box), 1/4 cup of white vinegar, hot water to fill and a dash of dishsoap at the end.  I use this to spray down my flattop stove, counter tops, appliances, table and chairs.  And the price is practically free!  Maybe $0.25 a spray bottle? Toilets are trickier, you can scrub with baking soda , but I am still stuck on my toxic Lysol and Lysol wipes.  If I find a better alternative, I will post it, but I think germ killing is of the essence here!  I have been reading through a book called, "Green Clean" including vinegar, citrus, and baking soda and trying many of the ideas.  You wouldn't believe all the things you can do with vinegar (and is is under $2 for a large jug!) Post any multi-tasks or cleaning on the cheap tips here! I am off to scrub the dinner dishes...

Free Seminars at the Jacksonville Public Library!

I know, I am a huge library junkie!  It is a frugalista's dream!  Free books, movies, cd, and ebooks!  But this month's newsletter has got me PSYCHED even more for my library....http://jpl.coj.net/lib/newsletters.html
Michelle Singletary (columnist "The Color of Money") will be attending a seminar (yes!!! this is more awesome to me than a music concert!!!!) and seminar topics will be perfect for my blog (raising a money-smart kid....uhhh, yes!) I don't know if any of my local readers have a desire to attend with me, but I am sure it would be more fun with a friend....maybe we can even find a two-for-one lunch coupon?) Marking my calendar for March 24th at Noon!

Stockpiles

With current coupon-mania (think, Extreme Couponing on TLC) stockpiles of food are in! The concept is smart, buy low, by combining the best possible scenarios with sales, manufacturer coupons, store coupons, rebates, ect. It is smart to never pay full price for items one regularly uses.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it) I don't have the space (nor desire) to stockpile to these proportions.  But I do enjoy having a two-month or so supply of many non-perishables.  My pantry is like a saving account, stocked with all the deals I have found.  Cereal, dressing, noodles, and many more pantry staples are used quickly in my house!
Stockpiling healthy and beauty goods is extremely common (and smart!!) too, for the same reasons.
But what I'd like to suggest to you is a spin-off of this concept. Do you stockpile cards, wrapping supplies, and gifts?  The credit for this idea comes from my childhood, and my memory of my mom bringing me to her hiding place, a desk in her bedroom, to choose cards and gifts for friends when I was invited to parties.  It was like a little store hidden away with all kinds of treasures that would make great gifts!  I have continued this tradition (my hiding spot is a cubby in my bedroom closet) stocked with gifts for children and adults (candles, lotions, jewelry for the adults...toys, coloring supplies, bubbles for the kids) When I see things that would make a great gift at a great  price, I buy multiples!  This keeps my gift budget to a level I am happy with because I can "afford" to get a gift for everyone!  I also do this with gift bags, wrapping paper, and bows so I can avoid last minute trips to the store for overpriced wrapping supplies!  Cards are best bought by the boxful (at a savings of $3 per card!!)
My current gift supply has a groupon coupon ($70 value, bought for $20) for husband's upcoming birthday, two art kits (50% after Christmas) for Valentine's Day alternatives for my little kids, 4 vases (found at Goodwill, used for a wedding for sweet 16, will put in a bouquet of flowers from the grocery store for a friend or teacher), lots of Yankee Candle Company candles (super markdowns on the website in January), even 4 beautiful Christmas ornaments for my co-workers next Christmas.  Buy now, even if you do not know who it will be for, because inevitably you will want to give a gift to someone soon!

Junk Mail is Not Always Junk!

Be careful what you throw away from your mailbox and delete from your inbox!  Mail can be full of goodies and freebies for potential customers!  My mailbox has been stuffed with free samples, valuable coupons from awesome companies!  And my email? Last week, Pampers Village sent out a code for a free Shutterfly photo mug ($10 value!) right in time for Valentine's Day. Many people set up a junk mail email to share with companies and keep their box from getting too crowded.  But I want the deals right to my inbox so I don't forget or miss them!  Today, I received this from Target (Apparently, I shop there too much!)

Hello everyone.

Late last week, our friends at Target put our two value packs of 
Kandoo Flushable Wipes on a Temporary Price Cut. 

This promotional pricing is in effect NOW and ends on 
Saturday, February 11, 2012.

We thought you would want to know so you could take advantage of 
the additional in-store savings. These prices make Pampers Kandoo 
the BEST deal among the flushable wipes offered at Target.

Here's the deal:
• The 150-count package – which comes with a free tub – is $1.00 off. 
Price per wipe is less than 3¢.

• The 400-count package has been reduced by 15%. 
At one local store, we found this box for under $10. Wow!

And because we've seen how much you love to win things from us, 
we have a few prizes here at the main lily pad to give away. 

SIMPLY FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO AT LEAST ONE FRIEND by Monday, 
February 6, and we will enter you into a random drawing for a 
Pampers Kandoo Flushable Wipes Gift pack. We have 35 of these packs 
to give away. (Don't worry, we can track who has forwarded this 
email. Technology is super.) Cut off time for our giveaway is
noon Pacific / 3:00 Eastern on Monday, February 6.

I do love the Kandoo Wipes, and combined with a coupon this would be even sweeter! If you have not visited their website before, you might be able to get a $1.00 off coupon www.pamperskandoo.com/Special-Offers

What great things have you found in your mail (or email) lately?