Five weeks could mean a lot of things to a lot of people. To our family at the moment it means we have gone five weeks without using our credit card. For us that is an amazing accomplishment. It also means that we have had our new truck for five weeks. At the end of last week I wrote the check and sent it out to pay off our one credit card that had interest on it. It was a good feeling to be able to pay the balance off in full. It's been a three year struggle with it but now we are determined to not travel down that road again. Our biggest challenge will be navigating a credit card free household when we have a second child. But with some discipline I am sure we can do it. So far we have been able to get everything we need for day to day living using my paycheck. Even though my hours have been cut at work we are determined to use my paycheck for groceries and every day expenses. It's all about figuring out what we need as opposed to what we want and doing smart shopping. Looking for deals, coupons and price comparing. So far we have done pretty well with that. We have a stock of things and honestly our pantry looks like we are preparing for the end of the world. I have a ton of canned tomatoes I got during a sale, also a ton of spaghetti noodles. Ok well I guess that's not how you prepare for the end of the world, but for me that's how you have more then enough stuff to make spaghetti for a while. The only thing I need to buy for spaghetti is the meat because I now have enough of the other stuff to make like four or five batches, which we go through spaghetti at a decent rate.
We also have a stock of soda, toilet paper and dish soap. It's an odd combination of things to have a stock of but it's what was on sale and honestly you can never have too much toilet paper because you never know when you are on your last roll and the dish soap doesn't go bad and there have been times i have opened up a bottle and rinsed it out to get enough soap to do the dishes because I didn't have a new container. The goal is to make the stuff we have plenty of last as long as possible that way we aren't buying new every week or so. We also just need to keep our eyes out for good deals and good coupons on the things we use. We are not going to be extreme couponers who buy things that we don't necessarily use just because we can get it at a low cost or no cost. It's all about smart shopping.
So here is to smart shopping and another 5 weeks of not using the credit card.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Happy Birthday to my Love
So today my wonderful husband celebrates his 30th birthday. Unfortunately falling on a Tuesday limited what we could do to celebrate. Although the day was full of a lot of good things. First good thing was that the birthday cake I made turned out great. Usually, for some reason unknown to me, when I make round cakes they always fall apart when I take them out of the pan. This time I baked it and when I got the cakes out of the pan they came out easy and didn't fall apart and help up the whole day even after frosting it. Score one for me. I usually feel bad when the cake is falling apart before you can even cut into it. Glad it came out ok.
Second good thing of the day is we finally got the check we have been waiting for from the sale of Casey's old truck! This means that we get to pay off bills. Our credit card debt will decrease by a lot. Since the money didn't come in time to pay one bill by the end of the month we will only have one card paid off instead of two like we wanted. But the second card we were hoping to pay off is interest free so we don't mind having to wait another month to pay it off.
I wish I could have thrown Casey a birthday party or at least surprised him with an amazing present but got to do what you can. I was able to get the night off work so just being able to have dinner as a family was celebrating enough for us. Also having Alexis constantly telling him happy birthday put a smile on his face.
Here is to a great year for my wonderful husband. Happy Birthday.
Second good thing of the day is we finally got the check we have been waiting for from the sale of Casey's old truck! This means that we get to pay off bills. Our credit card debt will decrease by a lot. Since the money didn't come in time to pay one bill by the end of the month we will only have one card paid off instead of two like we wanted. But the second card we were hoping to pay off is interest free so we don't mind having to wait another month to pay it off.
I wish I could have thrown Casey a birthday party or at least surprised him with an amazing present but got to do what you can. I was able to get the night off work so just being able to have dinner as a family was celebrating enough for us. Also having Alexis constantly telling him happy birthday put a smile on his face.
Here is to a great year for my wonderful husband. Happy Birthday.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Times that try men's souls
We all go through tough times in our life and it's how we come out at the other end that is important. The road may be rough and full of bumps but if you come out at the other end with a good result the journey becomes less important.
We are constantly looking at the light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately the light we have been looking for seems to have stayed in the distance a little longer then we were actually wanting it to. In a previous blog I mentioned that we had bought a new truck and with the money from the sale of our old one we will be paying off some credit card debt. Well we were given a time frame in which we would expect the money. With the end of that time frame almost here Casey called to check on the status only to be told it will take up to two weeks longer now. GRRRRR, we kind of needed that money now. Waiting two more weeks isn't going to make us go broke up it does mean we have to wait until next month to pay off at least one credit card which we were hoping to get rid of this month. Thankfully the card in question is currently under an interest free promotion so having to wait one more month to pay it off won't add any more money to the card. We just hope that by the time it comes to pay the other card we want to pay off we will have the money we need for it. It's just one of those things that is out of our control and we are stuck in limbo until everything goes through. We had a feeling the time frame would be extended when we had to go back to the dealership and resign all of our paper work because they had to transfer our loan to a different bank. They had told us it wouldn't effect the amount of time it would take to get the money they owe us, but obviously it has. I guess there isn't much we can do about it but it's still a little frustrating when it comes to the budget.
On a different money note, we have made a major accomplishment when it comes to our credit cards. We have successfully not used any of our credit cards in three and a half weeks. We had made the decision when we purchased the new truck to remove the credit card from our wallets and only spend the money we have in our wallet and bank account. We have successful been able to do our grocery shopping and get everything we need for day to day life just using the money we have. My paycheck basically pays for our every day needs and then of course we are able to make our dollar go further with price comparing, sales and using coupons. We are hoping to only use credit cards in an emergency and only if we know we will be able to pay the balance in full.
I just hope with all this struggle and the sacrifices we have had to make, that it all be worth it in the end. Here is to getting out of credit card debt and being able to save money so we can do the things that we want.
We are constantly looking at the light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately the light we have been looking for seems to have stayed in the distance a little longer then we were actually wanting it to. In a previous blog I mentioned that we had bought a new truck and with the money from the sale of our old one we will be paying off some credit card debt. Well we were given a time frame in which we would expect the money. With the end of that time frame almost here Casey called to check on the status only to be told it will take up to two weeks longer now. GRRRRR, we kind of needed that money now. Waiting two more weeks isn't going to make us go broke up it does mean we have to wait until next month to pay off at least one credit card which we were hoping to get rid of this month. Thankfully the card in question is currently under an interest free promotion so having to wait one more month to pay it off won't add any more money to the card. We just hope that by the time it comes to pay the other card we want to pay off we will have the money we need for it. It's just one of those things that is out of our control and we are stuck in limbo until everything goes through. We had a feeling the time frame would be extended when we had to go back to the dealership and resign all of our paper work because they had to transfer our loan to a different bank. They had told us it wouldn't effect the amount of time it would take to get the money they owe us, but obviously it has. I guess there isn't much we can do about it but it's still a little frustrating when it comes to the budget.
On a different money note, we have made a major accomplishment when it comes to our credit cards. We have successfully not used any of our credit cards in three and a half weeks. We had made the decision when we purchased the new truck to remove the credit card from our wallets and only spend the money we have in our wallet and bank account. We have successful been able to do our grocery shopping and get everything we need for day to day life just using the money we have. My paycheck basically pays for our every day needs and then of course we are able to make our dollar go further with price comparing, sales and using coupons. We are hoping to only use credit cards in an emergency and only if we know we will be able to pay the balance in full.
I just hope with all this struggle and the sacrifices we have had to make, that it all be worth it in the end. Here is to getting out of credit card debt and being able to save money so we can do the things that we want.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Holiday Blues
Now that the holiday's are over I have time to finally update about our Christmas. It's kind of sad that the holidays are over. This was the first year that Alexis really got into the whole thing. Last year she loved seeing the tree but didn't completely understand the concept of Santa, but this year she knew Santa was going to bring her presents and started asking for things in October. Well actually she only had one request for Santa. She wanted an elephant to hang on the bottom of the tree. Elephants are her favorite animals so it didn't surprise me that she requested and elephant of some kind. Just happy that it was for a real one, although I am sure that one is coming.
Unfortunately she is still scared to sit on Santa's lap but hopefully another year and that will change and she will sit on his lap and tell him what she wants for Christmas. The biggest change this year was her excitement to leave Santa cookies and then wake up in the morning to notice that he ate them all. We were concerned about her waking up before us and diving right into the gifts before we got downstairs and went to church. This past Easter she woke up early and went downstairs and found all the eggs the Easter bunny hid and then came up stairs to declare she found them all. Thankfully she stayed in bed until I went and got her and we were able to get to church on time and everything.
Alexis, as usual got spoiled by everyone including Santa. She loves each of her gifts and has been having fun dividing her attention between all of her new toys. She got a Leap Pad from one set of grandparents and a lot of games to go with it. She ran through brand new batteries the first day because she couldn't stop playing it it. Time to invest in some rechargeable batteries. My best friend, whom we call Aunt, got her a camera. A nice kid proof one that won't break if she drops it. She has taken a lot of pictures with it. Her favorite thing is taking pictures of all of her new toys. She got a lot of puzzles for Christmas so every time she puts one together she insists on taking a picture of it. I love watching her enjoy all of her gifts.
Here are some pictures of the morning. Here is to all the wonderful Christmas memories made.
Unfortunately she is still scared to sit on Santa's lap but hopefully another year and that will change and she will sit on his lap and tell him what she wants for Christmas. The biggest change this year was her excitement to leave Santa cookies and then wake up in the morning to notice that he ate them all. We were concerned about her waking up before us and diving right into the gifts before we got downstairs and went to church. This past Easter she woke up early and went downstairs and found all the eggs the Easter bunny hid and then came up stairs to declare she found them all. Thankfully she stayed in bed until I went and got her and we were able to get to church on time and everything.
Alexis, as usual got spoiled by everyone including Santa. She loves each of her gifts and has been having fun dividing her attention between all of her new toys. She got a Leap Pad from one set of grandparents and a lot of games to go with it. She ran through brand new batteries the first day because she couldn't stop playing it it. Time to invest in some rechargeable batteries. My best friend, whom we call Aunt, got her a camera. A nice kid proof one that won't break if she drops it. She has taken a lot of pictures with it. Her favorite thing is taking pictures of all of her new toys. She got a lot of puzzles for Christmas so every time she puts one together she insists on taking a picture of it. I love watching her enjoy all of her gifts.
Here are some pictures of the morning. Here is to all the wonderful Christmas memories made.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Welcome to the New Year
Like every year I think people have high expectations at the start of a brand new year. This year I am definitely no exception. In my mind I have so many things I want to have accomplished by the end of 2013. I usually do not officially make resolutions at the beginning of the year, but I just have goals in the back of my mind that I want to accomplish. So here are some of my goals for 2013.
1. Keep the house in a clean state: Not that our house is always a total mess, it is also not always clean. Granted with a three year old it's hard to always keep the toys put away. I just want to try and constantly keep the carpet vacuumed, the bathrooms looking nice and the kitchen organized. I have even set up a schedule for myself on the calendar. One room every day and then once all the rooms are done then you are ready to start over again, that way when it comes time to do the major cleaning it's won't be such an all consuming kind of thing.
2. Save money: This one is probably on a lot of people's list of things to accomplish this year and really for every year for that matter. The end of 2012 brought a huge financial decision to this family. We made the decision to sell Casey's old truck and buy a brand new one. The nice thing about selling Casey's old truck is that we owned it free and clear and have been able to get more then 50% of what they offered us in cash. That money will be used to pay off some outstanding credit debt. We decided that paying off credit card debt was a financial hurdle that we haven't been able to over come. Yes, we will have two car payments but with two credit cards at zero balance we will actually be able to save money this way. We will also be looking to use more coupons. I am not looking to do anything extreme just find ways to save more every shopping trip. Thanks to CVS I have a feeling I will be able to accomplish this goal. If you live near a CVS I highly recommend you get their extra care card and start earning rewards.
3. Create a stronger family: Don't get me wrong we have a strong family but there are times when it feels like we spend more time individually then we do as a family. I know me having a part time job in the evenings and weekends really makes it difficult to have a lot of family time, but we just need to know how to utilize the time we do get to have together. Also part of creating a stronger family is that I hope we can add to the family. I believe we are at the stage where adding a second child would be fruitful. Alexis is a good age and I believe she would make a wonderful and very helpful older sister. Also with the financial goals we have we should be able to afford it. Although can anyone every truly afford a baby(maybe rich people). I cannot wait to really start making the Weaver family strong and wonderful. We already are but in every family there is always room to grow and I love watching my family grow.
So here is to a wonderful 2013 and all that it brings.
1. Keep the house in a clean state: Not that our house is always a total mess, it is also not always clean. Granted with a three year old it's hard to always keep the toys put away. I just want to try and constantly keep the carpet vacuumed, the bathrooms looking nice and the kitchen organized. I have even set up a schedule for myself on the calendar. One room every day and then once all the rooms are done then you are ready to start over again, that way when it comes time to do the major cleaning it's won't be such an all consuming kind of thing.
2. Save money: This one is probably on a lot of people's list of things to accomplish this year and really for every year for that matter. The end of 2012 brought a huge financial decision to this family. We made the decision to sell Casey's old truck and buy a brand new one. The nice thing about selling Casey's old truck is that we owned it free and clear and have been able to get more then 50% of what they offered us in cash. That money will be used to pay off some outstanding credit debt. We decided that paying off credit card debt was a financial hurdle that we haven't been able to over come. Yes, we will have two car payments but with two credit cards at zero balance we will actually be able to save money this way. We will also be looking to use more coupons. I am not looking to do anything extreme just find ways to save more every shopping trip. Thanks to CVS I have a feeling I will be able to accomplish this goal. If you live near a CVS I highly recommend you get their extra care card and start earning rewards.
3. Create a stronger family: Don't get me wrong we have a strong family but there are times when it feels like we spend more time individually then we do as a family. I know me having a part time job in the evenings and weekends really makes it difficult to have a lot of family time, but we just need to know how to utilize the time we do get to have together. Also part of creating a stronger family is that I hope we can add to the family. I believe we are at the stage where adding a second child would be fruitful. Alexis is a good age and I believe she would make a wonderful and very helpful older sister. Also with the financial goals we have we should be able to afford it. Although can anyone every truly afford a baby(maybe rich people). I cannot wait to really start making the Weaver family strong and wonderful. We already are but in every family there is always room to grow and I love watching my family grow.
So here is to a wonderful 2013 and all that it brings.
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