WFMW - budget

I keep my budget in a spreadsheet (in excel). I know a lot of people who use fancier ways of documenting their budgets (and uploading them with their taxes and all), but I don't do that. I do, however, have a tentative budget through the end of next year. Yep, 2011. Maybe longer, now that I think about it. :)

Why? because it is easy to keep up and I know there are things I want to try to project to. Like saving for a new car or house. Of course, I could use a software specifically for that, but I like having my spreadsheet. It works for me.

I put as much information for each month as possible. For example, all bills are recorded (house, car, gas, groceries, water, sanitation, DSL, cell, insurance, etc). So are very common miscellaneous things, like getting my hair done. Some people would think that I'm too specific in the areas I keep track of, but I really like knowing exactly where my money is going (or not going, ie, savings). I also check my balances every few days to make sure I'm on track each month.

I started out putting this in a steno pad. :) But I find that the spreadsheet works really well when I want to look forward and see how and where I might have some issues, like Christmas-time or winter electric bill budgeting.

Please go check out some fantastic Works For Me Wednesday ideas here!!!!

Peace.

WFMW - less meat

People who know me know that I have not eaten beef or pork for probably 15 years or so. There were reasons for this, but suffice to say, I don't care for either of them, and I don't eat them. This works for me.

When Lil M came into the picture, I made the decision to follow this same rule, principal for the both of us. It is what I want. So, what does this mean for her? Well, it means that she doesn't eat crap like bologna or hot dogs or meatloaf or hamburgers, unless they are made of Turkey. And she eats more beans. We eat a lot of beans. In a lot of different things. We just don't eat beef or pork.

For example, take spaghetti. Use your regular sauce and add one can of black beans to it. Yum.

Same thing with goulash (made with ground turkey). Add a can of beans. We use a lot of chicken, turkey and fish in our diet. Oh, and the same this with stir-fry... I add a can of red beans. It doesn't have to be all beans, or a ton of them to add the benefits. Sometimes we don't eat meat at all.

Last night I cooked a can of Lentil soup, put that on top of noodles. Then I added hot sauce and grated sharp cheddar cheese. Sort of a 3-way as it is known around here. :) Just a vegetarian 3-way. YUM.

I am having a little difficulty with daycare. They have given Lil M beef or pork in the past month. Yesterday, they gave her bologna. Thankfully, I found out that it is actually turkey bologna. Or, I would have been really mad. I just want them to abide by my dietary wishes. I've made my requirements/wishes known since day 1, so let's see if it continues. (it better not)

That's what works for me. Go check out the other great ideas.

Peace.

WFMW: Working Mamas

A fellow adoptive Mama (and online friend) is going back to work soon. She is wondering what kind of advice us working moms have for her... Which made me think about my own life and how Lil M and I have adjusted after TWO YEARS of being home together! :D ::big.huge.grin::

First, I can hardly believe it's been two years already! And I mean that. It has gone by with lightning speed!! Of course, when we first got home, I wasn't sure how anything would go, and I certainly couldn't imagine two years down the road! LOL.

So, here's my advice for any new Mom going back to work...

1. Let the guilt go. Really. I'm the queen of feeling guilty over every little thing. Gotta let that go. If you want to work, or need to work, it is OK. Look at the positive, they will learn all kinds of neat things, make friends and know that you are Mommy regardless. You aren't going to do yourself or your son or daughter any good feeling guilty all the time. It will show. So, take a deep breath and shake it off.

2. For any new parent, but especially adoptive parents, take the first entire year (yes, I said year) to focus on your child and your/their attachment. Go home and hold them. Carry them around. Wear them in a sling. Cherish them. This will alleviate any guilt you have, too, because if you are making an effort to really cherish the time you have together you will be able to let yourself do other things. And, it is OK to do other things sometime! Work being one of them.

3. Take at least 15 minutes each day for yourself. I'd say an hour, but let's be realistic. Go grab that cup of coffee. Savor it. Go sit on the porch. Savor it. Go listen to the birds or run or walk or do whatever it is that it important for you to unwind. Prayer is always good. Just sit. Allow yourself that few minutes to unwind.

4. Don't worry about every little thing... cleanliness is next to Godliness for sure, but if something doesn't get done, don't sweat it. The laundry can wait until the weekend. It will not kill you to not vacuum every single day. There will be toys. There will be messes. Who cares? The first year you will be focusing on your child, remember? And what is more important really? They are. :)

5. Ok, so the truth be told, it is hard for most of us not to feel guilty going back to work. That probably doesn't even depend on your child's age. But if you're like me, you might go crazy at home all day by yourself!! But it will get easier. Especially, if you are in a good work environment. So, if you're not... try to find somewhere that you can feel good about yourself, your family and your job. That really is important. I didn't have that when I went back to work, and I'm SO glad I have that now. It just makes my life so much better. And a happy Mama is a good Mama. Remember that. :)

6. Some additional thoughts that help me: I try to make dinners ahead, plan meals, stock up on things that I know I will eventually need so I don't have to run out to get something when I am feeling stressed or tired from working all day. Freeze milk. Have that extra pack of diapers on hand, or have some cloth ones, too. I used both, that way if I was ever low on packaged ones I could use them as backup. I also just liked cloth, but that's me. :) Oh, and when you take them to daycare/school - drop and run! Don't dawdle. Tell them you love them and will be back!! Ksses and hugs and LEAVE. Otherwise, it just makes it too hard for both of you. IMO.

7. You NEED a support system. If you don't have one, be on the lookout for one. :) One of my dearest friends is someone I met after I went back to work. Other moms in similar situations are invaluable!!! So is your family and friends. Do not be afraid to ask for help. (if you're like me, that's very hard, but you need to do it sometimes!!)

8. Trust your instincts. When you become a parent, I think that you second guess yourself a lot more than before... it's new... especially when you go back to work. Should I be at work? Should I be at home? Will they love me less? Is their daycare/school OK? What about their day provider? If you don't trust your daycare provider, that's not good. Find someone you trust. If it doesn't feel right, or something feels off... trust your instincts. This goes for food and sleeping and holding and everything else. We don't get a book on how to do all this... it is OK to trust yourself.

9. Get enough sleep. Now, I know this seems impossible sometimes. But get sleep when you can. It is extremely important to get enough rest. The first year of daycare/school is going to be tough because they bring home lots of germs. We were sick on and off the whole first year!! It sucked. But it would have been even worse if I hadn't taken the time to get some rest.

10. Love your children. That's what it comes down to really. Isn't that always the case? Regardless of how you became a parent...when or why... you're a parent now. So, if you really focus on love, the rest will come. :) Trust me, time flies...

Peace.

WFMW - cold coffee

I used to make fun of my Dad who left the coffee pot sit out all day and then poured himself a cup at 2pm and warmed it up. Eww. It grossed me out for some reason... yet, these days I always make a big pot of coffee and when it is done it let it cool down and put it in the fridge. That's the same thing, pretty much, right? Yet, it doesn't gross me out!!! HAHA. Perhaps it has something to do with putting it in the fridge?

Anyway, in the summertime, this makes it super easy for me to pour myself about 8oz of coffee in a glass, add milk and sweetner...and voila! Iced coffee! Oh, well, I guess I have to add ice, which I don't always do...

I also do this in the winter-time and then on mornings when I don't feel like making a new pot of coffee, I just warm some up. Am I turning into my dad? ;-) Go check out other Works For Me Wednesday ideas here!!

Peace.

WFMW - hodge podge

I've been looking forward to sharing in this week's Works For Me Wednesday... and now I can't think of what I wanted to share!! haha. So, here's a hodge-podge of thoughts for this week.

One thing I forgot to mention before, in the potty training area, that I do different that anyone I know, is that since Lil M wants to wear her big girl undies and doesn't want to wear anything that resembles a diaper (even pull-up), I put the pull-up or plastic pants OVER her underwear and pants at night. It looks funny, yes. But, it does help a bit when she has an accident. This way, Lil M feels like she's still a big girl with her normal routine, but the mess is a bit more contained.

Let's see... a frugal tip that I've been using lately and has worked quite well is the extra bar towels in the kitchen instead of using paper towels. I have 2 dogs, a cat and Lil M. So, there are quite a few messes... if they are too gross, then I use the paper towels, or use something I know I can throw away. But for almost everything, I can use these towels. I even put them in their own drawer in the kitchen, so they are accessible, but not out on the counter.

Another thing I do is I have a TON of cup lids in the kitchen from all my coffee mugs and plastic cups and such. I used to put them in a drawer. Now, I put them in their own basket, and put it on the counter. That way they are easily accessible. Then, when I have company I can just slip the basket in the cabinet and it is out of the way!! :)

Oh, and I used to use wash clothes in the kitchen for wiping things down and what not. Well, they would smell gross... when I used just regular dish soap on them and they'd get too wet and not dry fast enough... (yes, I'd wring them out). Anyway, instead of using dish soap on them to wipe the counters down, I use either the Vinegar/Water solution (spray bottle), or a commercial spray cleaner. I spray the counters with the spray, and wipe them off with the cloth. I use the type that doesn't have to be rinsed. That way, the cloth doesn't get gross, I'm using less water, and I'm still able to use the cloths, instead of buying commercial throw-away cleaning cloths. :) Hope I explained that right! haha

So, those are my ideas for this week. Go check out my other friends' ideas at We Are That Family!!



Peace.

WFMW - Potty Training

I've read posts and suggestions for how to handle over-night potty issues while potty training little ones. One person suggested layering the bed with a plastic sheet, then a cloth sheet, then plastic then cloth... then you could take one layer off at a time (even overnight) if you needed to. If it comes to that, I'll try that!!

But for me, what works for now is to put those plastic covered portable diaper pads under her sheet. (you know those that you got to lay your baby on when you go out)... I lay 2 of those in the spot where Lil M sleeps, under the sheet. If she moved around more, I'd put more under the sheet. Thankfully, she doesn't. :) Since I have a few of those pads, and they seem to work just as well as if i had bought some type of plastic sheet for the bed, that's what we use! :) And they're a bit cushy too...

Then, in the morning, I take the sheet off and wipe the plastic diaper pads off with Lysol and remake the bed.

We are not currently using pull-ups or diapers at night. I did put plastic pants on her last night... that helps a bit, too. :)

So, that's what works for me!! :) Go check out the other ideas at We are THAT Family!

Peace.

Buy what you Need, Need what you Buy

*note, this is likely a boring, long post…*

WFMW - Works for me Wednesday - check out others' ideas, too!!

I've been thinking about what it means to be frugal vs. thrifty lately. I've always considered myself thrifty. I rarely buy anything for full price, unless it is a store brand, like at the grocery. I also go to sales and thrift stores and discount stores. That, in my mind, makes me thrifty.

What is frugal? Well, it is a lifestyle. It is actually finding ways NOT to spend money. How's that for a concept? I mean, there are people who actually have "no spending" days. Some have no spending weeks and months... except for necessities. And I don't mean that new pair of pants you "want". How old are you pants, anyway?

So, I was thinking about food last night. How much does it really cost us to eat every day? How much per person? How much per meal? Have you ever thought of that? If, for example, for two of us, if it cost $1 per meal, for 3 meals a day for 30 days (each)...the total would be 30*3=90 *2 = $180. That's a budget of $180 a month.

Do I budget for that? Does that seem high or low? Some people have meals that cost $2 or $3 or even $10 a MEAL...

Seriously. Think of what you eat in a day.

1. Breakfast, if I eat pop tarts that were 1.99 for a box of 12 (6 packets) and I eat a whole packet a day that's $.33. This is thrifty, IMO. If you eat real, plain oatmeal that’s $1.50 for several cups and break that down per serving, you could get this down to $.15-.25, very easily.

2. Lunch, if I eat out that could be $5-6 average. So, I usually pack. If I get a frozen meal or soup on sale, I could pay $2. If I eat leftovers... of chicken and noodles, for example, the cost would be (chicken $2.50, noodles $1.00, veggie $.75 = 4.25 for the whole thing... this would make 4 servings for us, so that would be approx $1.06. Which would you rather spend $1.06 or $5?

3. Dinner, chicken and noodles, $1.06 or burritos... (wraps $1.99 for 10 wraps, beans $.75, salsa $2.99, cheese $1.99... base it on 2 servings total - wraps $.20 + $.75 + $.49*2 salsa (estimating 6 servings in container), cheese also estimating 6 servings in container $.33*2.

.20 + .75+1.00+.66 = 2.61 / 2 of us = 1.31 each

If you go out, you can spend $10, $20 or more for dinner. And that’s nice, but not an all-the-time thing for us.

So, we've got .33 + 1.06 + 1.31 for the day for one adult equals $2.70 for the day. Multiply that by 30 and you get $81 for the month. EACH. This doesn't include snacks. It doesn't include eating out. That's being frugal. Minimalistic. Lil M’s morning and lunch costs are taken care of at daycare, usually. But I do plan for her to have 2 meals a day at home. So, that’s an extra $1.50 a day, approx. $45 + $81 and you get $126. Without having gone through this exercise, I had already accounted for approx $125 a month in groceries for the two of us. But that includes snacks, cleaning supplies, and dog/cat food stuffs.

For us, this is realistic, it works. For others, maybe not. Being thrifty, I'd get frozen meals from the grocery and soups and such and have that for lunch. That's a good start. That will lower my grocery bill. Being frugal lowers it more. And we're eating healthier. I've done all of what I suggested above. These are actual examples of our meals.

Some meals I consider frugal and weekly for us are:

- Chicken and noodles or rice (which can be more frugal if you by a chicken on sale and cook it... i'm more thrifty here because i used canned chicken. i also use canned soup for this, that i get on sale.) This freezes well for lunches. Already figured this cost at approx $1.06 a serving. Could be even less.

- Beans and rice... beans, beans, beans... i buy dried beans. Soak them overnight and put them in the crockpot to cook all day. i don't always use meat. There are lots of ways to cook beans. add tomatoes, mushrooms, vegetables for soup... this is one of my favorites, because you can use these beans for tacos, burritos... freeze beans and rice meals... don't just stick to the beans your mother or grandmother made. Try all different kinds and see what you like. You can stock up on these when there is a sale, and they keep extremely well.

Beans are pretty frugal, especially dried. I’d say I can make 6 meals, or more, out of a bag of beans, and onion, spices, bouillon, and rice. Rice - $1.50 for a 2 lb bag, beans $1.50 for a small bag. And maybe $.50 for an onion and $.50 for extras. That’s $4.00 for 6 servings. That’s $.67-$.75 each serving!!! J If I add meat, it would bring it up to $.90-1.00 a serving.

- Eggs. I make omelets, egg sandwiches, fried rice... lots of uses for eggs. And they are cheap. They're also a good protein. I don't eat these as leftovers. Well, unless you count boiled eggs. Which I don't make often for some reason. But think about it. If eggs are $1.25 for a dozen and you eat 2 at a time, that’s $.21 a serving. Have that with some toast $.10-.30 and you’ve got a meal for $.50-$.75 per serving (without or with meat)

To me, being thrifty means being more simple with your meals. It doesn’t mean sacrifice taste. It just means don’t go buy the expensive meat or go out all the time. Learn to use a crock pot. Buy things on sale.

Being frugal means that you consider what you are actually eating, and try to find ways to minimalize that. Take the meat out. Make enough to take for lunches. Freeze your own meals. Yes, you can do that! J It also means DON’T buy things when you don’t NEED them. Yes, that sale is good. But if you don’t NEED the item, you’re still spending the money. Why? Sometimes shopping can give us a rush. Or make us feel better about something. Try not to use your money that way. Buy what you need and need what you buy.

Peace.

WFMW - Music, BE

Quick one for me today...

I've discovered, like many, Pandora radio. I listen to this at work, and don't have to take my iPod or CD's to listen to. It is commercial free, and I can customize it to what music I like!

Love it. :)

Go check out the other great ideas at wearethatfamily!!

Of course, when you get there you'll see that today is the "Backwords Edition". So, I'm appending a question for you all:

How have you cut back in these financial times? Or have you? I know I have, but I'm always looking for additional ideas!

Peace.

WFMW - Finances

I've been working on my finances lately. So, I thought I would share a couple of things that work for me.

1. Write it down - Either write your budget (yes, I used the budget word) on paper or in a spreadsheet. I use Excel. I have all my monthly expenses written down, and additional lines for things that come up. Don't forget to give yourself some fun money / slush money. Or you won't likely stick to whatever you've written down.

2. Be realistic - Debt doesn't happen overnight, so fixing whatever ails you won't either. This is saving money, paying off credit cards or other debts, getting out of living paycheck to paycheck, etc. Try to set a realistic goal of what you want to accomplish. If you want to save $40 a month, figure out where that $10 can come from each week. For me, I know if I want to save a certain amount, I pay myself first. It does actually work.

3. Stay on top of it - Check your bills / payments frequently. I check my accounts several times a week. Sometimes even daily. If you aren't the type to do this, write it ALL down. Find some way to make yourself be accountable to YOU.

4. Give yourself permission - You deserve the best. This doesn't necessarily mean whatever is right in front of your face at this moment. It means, in everything. So, give yourself permission to put yourself first. I have to do this with myself. Maybe others don't. But I do. I also give myself permission to splurge once in awhile.

5. Have checkpoints and new goals - If you know your end goal is years away, or even months, having an interim checking point helps to stay on track. So, for me, I have a big goal, but then smaller goals that make up that goal. For example, if I want to save a certain amount of money this year, I might check to see where I am monthly to make sure I'm on track. But, then I also have maybe a 5 year plan. Or want to put money in different types of investments. Pick one, do that for a year, then add another. Breaking things down into manageable chunks helps me be able to see the bigger picture that can be accomplished.

These things worked for me when going through the adoption, financing the adoption and buying my house, etc. Whenever I have a bigger goal in mind, I try to stick to these basic principles. Maybe simple, but it works for me!! :)

Now, go over to We are That Family and see what types of things work for others, day to day!!! :)

Peace.

WFMW

Works for Me Wednesdays...

Let's see, this is my first-ever post about what works for me in our household... thought I'd give it a go! :)

Something that helps me keep Lil M's daycare laundry caught up and ready for the next week is that I have 2 sets of the needed items. So, I wash her blanket/sheets, etc, each weekend, but I've already put her clean stuff in her bag and into the car so that it is ready to go Monday morning and I don't forget to send her with her naptime blankies!! Before I did this, I was always forgetting... 'cause I'm that lame! ;-) LOL

Check out http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/ for other great tips!!

Peace.