Tax Returns Finished!

I got my tax returns completed yesterday, both federal and state, and I'm getting a nice chunk of money back. After I pay off some bills and the real estate taxes and fund a baby emergency fund, there will be some left over to apply to debt. If I go by the debt snowball, I will pay off the van and more than half the Mastercard and then will have the Mastercard paid in full in 4 months, leaving only Visa left. But part of me really wants to pay off the Mastercard (it would be tight but I could do it), and then the van would be paid off in 4 months, again, with only Visa left to slay.

Major pro of paying the van first? That immediately frees up $200 (payment plus extra on the principle) a month. The breathing room that would afford in the budget would be very, very nice. Major pro of paying of the Mastercard? Getting rid of a larger-interest debt (12% vs 5%). I think I am going to have to pay off the van first. The timeline isn't a big difference, and it will only be a few dollars in interest difference, too. That breathing room will be a huge benefit, even if it is just psychological as I plan to snowball that $200 into the Mastercard payment. My only regret is that I had actually hoped to be able to pay them both off with this refund and have the Visa retired by the end of the year. Now I think my debt retirement plan will be delayed until February 2010, unless I am able to get a part-time job or a better paying primary job. But there is an end in sight, and that's a good thing!

Frugality and Copyright

"Hey, Mom. If you can make a copy of a recipe from a library book, then why can't I copy a song from a library CD onto my MP3 player?" Oh from the mouths of babes.....

I love our library. The books, the movies, the magazines, the CDs, the activities. Rarely do they not have what we are looking for. Lately I have been checking out cookbooks on freezer cooking and once-a-month cooking to help decrease our reliance on ordering pizza and fast food. One book I loved so much, I bought it, which I rarely do with cookbooks. But most others I find just one or two recipes that I think we will like. I also like to check out craft books and magazines and often find things in those books that I will make. The same with cross-stitch books. The ideas from the craft books I can generally get completed before the book is due back, but not with cross-stitch. If it's a larger design or my schedule gets crazy, it may take more than the 2 months (1 month checkout plus one renewal) to complete.

I know that in the crafting world - cross-stitch, quilting, etc. - copyright is a very big issue. There have been many arguments over what constitutes a copyright violation. Some people think if you haven't actually purchased the chart and paid money so that the designer makes a profit, you should not stitch the design. Some people think that as long as you do not put into circulation an additional copy of the charted design, you're okay. And then some people think that what you do with a design and how you got it is your own business and do what you think is right.

So where am I going with this? What does all this have to do with copyright? My question lately has been, how does this affect a library copy? Many frugality and personal finance experts and bloggers advocate using your library to its full extent. Get out those cookbooks and craft books and use them to your heart's delight. Check out a few CDs and listen away. I do this too. But if you read the fine print in the front of the book, or the CD case, it says not to make any - ANY - copy without permission. Hmmm. I asked the librarian about this, and their position is, if you are only wanting a couple of recipes, it's okay to copy them from the book for your own personal use. A working copy, if you please, such as is usually granted with cross-stitch designs. That I can understand. Many recipes from magazines are printed online on websites, and that's basically fair game. And for the record, I have tried to contact a few publishing companies with this question, but no one has replied back. As far as the music, I make my kids purchase the downloads they want after listening to the library CD. I've explained that as the library CD is to be used as a trial run, and then they will only have to buy the songs they really like, and the kids understand that.

I want to be frugal and save money wherever possible, but not at the extent of someone else's livelihood. That would be stealing. So use those libraries whenever possible. Just be careful about what you decide to copy. Someone else is depending on you to make the right decision.

Tuesday's Blessings

From the past 7 days:

1. The note in the mail from a dear friend recognizing my struggles and loving me anyhow.
2. Less time spent in front of the TV.
3. Again, an overwhelming sense of peace the last few days.
4. A sense of appreciation for being able to work at home and feeling led to pursue more options in that path before out-of-the-home work.
5. Opportunities to encourage fellow MTs.

Sometimes Catalogs Can Save You Money

When you are trying to stick to a budget and are struggling to spend less than you earn, catalogs can be a huge temptation. You can find all sorts of things that you didn't know you needed until you saw them in the catalog, and that's not good. But sometimes they can save you money. You just have to think outside the box - the mail box, that is!

I get a catalog from a discount Christian book seller, and I see dozens of books that I would love to read in there. And it's discount, so the prices are generally pretty good. Years ago, I would think nothing of spending $50 or more each order 3-4 times a year, and I would be pretty proud of myself for the money I "saved." Now, 7-10 years later, as I go through my annual purging of the house, many of those books I either haven't read or read only once and out they go to the library book sale or Goodwill. What a waste of money! Today I still get the catalog, and I still mark the books I like, but there is one big difference. Instead of sending off an order to the bookseller, I send off an order to the library. Our library has an online catalog of its own, and you can put on hold all the books and movies and CDs you want, and they will call you when it is available. I have read more books this way than just by ordering them and putting them on the shelf. I am also able to see if it is a book I would read more than once (most often not). I have bought a couple books after getting them out of the library - Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover, for one - and I have put several on my Christmas list, but more often that not, reading the book once is fine for me.

I also get several craft catalogs. While I wouldn't copy a design bit for bit, they do sometimes give me ideas on how to do something similar with materials I already have at home. Those cute felt ornaments? I can do something similar with the felt and buttons I already have. That planter made from toddler boots and jeans? I can look for those items at yard sales and Goodwill and make my own. (I wouldn't advocate taking ideas from catalogs and selling the items at craft shows, etc., passing them off as your own. That would be a copyright violation and is illegal.) Fun crafts at minimal expense.

Another benefit of using the book catalog that comes in the mail is that it gives me ideas of books to take out from the library that I never would have known about otherwise. Joel Rosenberg? I took out Epicenter long before our Sunday School teacher mentioned it. Scream Free Parenting? Saw it in the catalog. And I knew which "Left Behind" series installment was coming out in time to put it on reserve at the library and not have to wait 2-3 months for my turn.

Obviously, catalogs that come in the mail can be a huge temptation, sucking money out of you and replacing it with envy, but used in the right way, they can also save you money!

Yard Sale vs Goodwill

I'm still in a purging mood. We have just have too much stuff, and I would rather not have things around that we don't use or love. This past weekend, we took 2 large trash bags and a grocery bag of things to Goodwill, and I already have another bag started. I could have saved it for a yard sale this summer, but I've had mixed results with yard sales. We had one several years ago and made over $300 between the three of us. This past summer we had one and didn't even make enough to pay for the cost of the newspaper ad. That was frustrating. It stresses me out to keep the bags and piles of things in the dining room for months until the sale, and then we didn't even sell 1/10 of what we had out. So this year, kid clothes are going to friends and everything else is going either on Freecycle or to Goodwill, as it has in years past. But you know what the neat thing is? I have noticed that when I am consistently giving things away, I notice God's provision for us in action. When I save things to sell, I am more likely to struggle in providing for my family. I have decided that yard sales aren't for us. A few big items I will advertise on the free classifieds, but everything else will be given away. It's a neat feeling to know that we can be part of God's provision for someone else and that we can rest knowing He will provide for us too.

The *Benefits* of a Low Workload

Work has been slow, very, very slow, this week. So in an attempt to look at the bright side, here are some benefits to not having much work.





1. Dishes and laundry are very caught up.


2. I have plenty of time to play fetch with our cat, Joey. Yes, he loves to play fetch!


3. Five freezer meals frozen.


4. Time to job hunt in peace and quiet.



5. Opportunities to encourage other MTs from our company and share Scripture.



6. Opportunities to see God answer prayer through others.



7. To-do piles growing smaller.



8. The ability to use my prayer to be JOYFULLY and WILLINGLY submissive and obedient to the Holy Spirit.


9. Getting to the grocery stores early in the morning, when clearance bins are full and there are fewer in line at the checkout.

10. Getting more ideas for blogging posts!

11. Witnessing God provide.

Shopping at Home Success Story

Yesterday the twins turned 14. While they were at school, I was wrapping their gifts and mentally adding prices to make sure that things were fairly even. While I don't get to the penny, I do like to make sure that I have spent the same amount on each child within a few dollars. (I really don't think they would notice unless it was a major discrepancy, but I do.) Lo and behold, I was about $10 off for DD. It would have been easy just to stop at Walgreens for candy (which she loves), but it just didn't seem right. I knew I had some items tucked away for Easter baskets already, so I pulled out my gift box to see what was there. Most of it was little stuff, Bonne Bell Lipsmakers, that type of thing, but there was also a box of Skittles, a mystery book and a Nancy Drew computer game. The mystery book had been half price at the Scholastic Books outlet sale, and I got the computer game at Odd Lots - total price paid: $10. I wrapped the book and game together and put the Skittles in a bag with a bath carry-all in which I already had some gum and candy. I was very relieved not to have to worry about guilt or running somewhere and spending even $10 (survival mode) and am glad yet again that I have a gift box and was able to shop at home! She was thrilled, and so was I.

Happy Birthday Babies

Fourteen years ago, I woke up this morning knowing I would be a mom by the end of the day. Pregnant with twins, I was officially one day before my due date and the doctor wanted me to deliver when he was on call, not one of his partners. We arrived at the hospital at 8:00 am for induction and at 7:24 and 7:28 pm DS and DD were born. He was 7 pounds 4 ounces; she was 5 pounds 4 ounces, and my OB pronounced them the healthiest twins he had ever delivered in 30+ years. This statement has become more precious over the years as I know and hear about more people who have twins and have some sort of complication or prematurity or lasting health problems. (In fact, I personally have met only 1 other woman who came even close to her due date and delivered healthy twins; the rest - at least 12-15 families - have had some sort of problem.) Our only concern was that DD, being so little, may have issues with lung development; however, it quickly became evident that she had a very strong, healthy and loud set of lungs! Maybe sometime I'll write about the pregnancy and how I felt closer to God during those 9 months than I had ever before; I need to before my memory gets any more fuzzy! Anyhow, happy birthday kids! I love you!

Tuesday's Blessings

A week of blessings:



1. Potluck at church that is as memorable for the company as the food.

2. Several days in a row at home without having to drive anywhere.

3. The 2 days of "warmer" weather (if you can call 22 degrees warm!) so I could get the tag on my license plate so I can drive legally for another year!

4. Still having a job (even though I'm not happy with it) when so many others don't.

5. The Lindor chocolates from my brother and the candles from my children for my birthday.

6. The brief time of snow flakes falling on my birthday. I consider it a little birthday gift from God!

7. The quiet coming from the living room as DD chose to read the afternoon away instead of watching TV on her days off of school.

Book Pile

In this season of nesting, I am starting to make a dent in the pile of books by my bed that I want to read. I've been really bad about getting books out of the library and not reading them in time, and I've also been really bad about reading the books the kids have read and asked me to read, too. So here is the list, in order of library return date :-) , that I hope to get through in the next few weeks:

1. 23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese (half-way through this already, and it is incredible)
2. The Last Jihad by Joel Rosenberg
3. Epicenter by Joel Rosenberg (nonfiction on end times and the Middle East situation)
4. Paid in Blood by Mel Odom
5. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Book of Revelation (borrowed from a friend this past summer)
6. Hive by Mark Walden (DS's book and he requested I read it)

I am also reading the latest Artemus Fowl book, also given to me by DS, and it's in the car for me to read when I am waiting for the kids after school. DD also wants me to read "Peak," which she just finished and will give it to me after she takes the literary comprehension test on it at school later this week.

I also have 2 more books on hold at the library ready to be picked up. I suppose I best get reading!

Saturday Baking

Ever since I started baking for Christmas about 4 weeks ago, it seems we haven't gone more than 2 or 3 days without baking something. Cookies, breads, cake.....I feel like I just get the mixer bowls and cookies sheets washed and put away, and then I turn around and get them out again! Several weeks ago it was lemon bread, last week gingerbread cookies, cinnamon bread and a cake for the church potluck. Today it is

Weather Days Off School

My kids are in middle school, and while we have had many 2-hour delays for weather this season, we haven't had any days off. Until today. Today was supposed to already be a day off for elementary and middle school for parent-teacher conferences, but high school was still in session. With the temperature a lovely 17 BELOW ZERO here in central Ohio, school was actually cancelled last night, which my kids thought was quite ironic - their first snow day and it's already a scheduled day off! What they don't know is, they now get Tuesday off for rescheduled conferences, making this an official 5-day weekend. The weather was bad enough yesterday that I didn't send them (wind chill -11 for the bus stop; level 1 snow advisory for the county), so this gives us a nice, long stretch to hunker down and stay warm. It's supposed to be warmer tomorrow, and I may take DD to a nearby town for part of her birthday present - a pottery place where you pick out a piece, paint it and they fire it - and hopefully can get the little sticker on my license plate without it cracking and disintegrating, and Sunday, of course, we'll head to church and Grandpa's, but otherwise, we'll be home for the duration. My kids will be absolutely thrilled!

401(k)

It's a mistake to open 401(k) statements in this economy, unless you are specifically looking for something to be depressed about. So why do I do it? I don't know. Usually I wait until I'm already in a bad mood - no use spoiling a good one - but despite knowing better, I opened both statements that came today (my rollover and the one from my current employer). Some good news in that I have about $2000 more than I thought I did, but still, I've lost over $7000 in 2008, or approximately 1/3 of my retirement funds. It's a good thing I'm not planning on retiring soon and another reason to get out of debt quickly. I have several steps yet on the Dave Ramsey plan before maxing out my retirement funding, but I will hopefully be there in 2 to 2-1/2 years. Until then, maybe I should just check these statements once a year and, like a former financial planner used to tell me, just toss them in the corner and ignore them!

Nesting

Maybe it's the cold, maybe it's the lack of funds to "go do something," maybe both and more, but I've been having the strong urge to stay home when we normally would be out and about. The feeling kind of kicked in back in September when I made the decision to drive the kids to and from school and not have them ride the bus, but it has gotten very strong since Christmas. I've been wanting to clean and purge and bake and play board games with the kids and cross-stitch and read and all sorts of things! Not that I don't like doing most of that anyhow, but lately I really, really want to. I don't recall having that nesting urge towards the end of pregnancy that many women talk about, so maybe this is just a delayed reaction. haha Anyhow, it's been fun, and I hope it continues. It's not only good for the wallet, but it's good for the family. Last night my son found the chocolate molds that we had and 2 packages of old (I mean, old!) Wilton candy disks, so we melted those down and made some chocolate and pink leaves, Christmas ornaments, candy canes and so on. Both kids were able to work side by side at the counter and not fight (we're at the "he touched me!" stage - ugh!), which was a joy in itself. I'm still working on purging the kitchen and have 3 cabinets to go, although I'm rethinking those glass pie pans that are in the Goodwill pile. Even the laundry is caught up! In a couple of months I will get the urge to get out and "go somewhere" like I do every spring, but for now, I hope to stay quite content just nesting here at home.

Tuesday's Blessings

When in a valley, it can be hard to look up. That's where I have felt that last few days. So I thought it would be beneficial to make a small list of a few of my blessings that I have noticed recently:

1. Sunday afternoon's light snowfall, the kind where the flakes come down slow and just seem to float.
2. The friend at church who helped change the wiper blades on my van.
3. The abundance of work the past 2 days.
4. Fred and Joey (the cats) both sleeping on my bed last night and not fighting.
5. The neighbors being relatively quiet the last 6 months, and my ability to sleep through the music on the rare occasions it is loud at night.
6. The multiple blogs that I read that match up coupons with sale prices for Kroger and Meijer to help save money.
7. The peace that I have felt yesterday and today when I ponder what might be next for me in my upcoming job search.
8. My daughter's friend who insists on hugging her even though DD "doesn't like hugs."

I'm sure there are many, many more, but these are the ones that come to my mind as I sit here. Sure makes it easier to look up when you remember the love coming down.

Survival Mode

In light of Friday's news from work, it hasn't been the most upbeat weekend, but the kids have been wonderful in trying to cheer me up and encourage me. Both have suggested things we can do to cut costs and things to sell. I'm not quite at that point yet, but those options are never far from my mind, benefit loss or not. Anyhow, I feel like we are going into survival mode. I have long thought about doing a no-spend month, and I think that time is not only here but will be longer than a month! Gone are the days of running to Krogers because we are out of one item, or buying something even on sale just because I want it (ie, the candles I got Thursday at Hallmark - if I'd known what I knew on Friday, I would have saved $12). Anyhow, I am basically not going to make any drastic changes for the next few weeks job-wise. I wasn't going to be taking vacation until late May, so this won't affect those plans for several months. I have looked at several MT job sites, and only found 3 or 4 that offer the benefits and hours that I need. I have also looked at the local hospital/medical centers web sites, and those are options, too, although I really desire to continue working at home. There are several part-time jobs on the local sites, so those are actually more appealing to me right now in that I could hopefully continue with my current job and pick up the part-time and get my foot in the door should I decide to completely leave. I am also desperately trying to let God lead in this. I vary between wanting to take charge and do something NOW versus going to bed and hiding under the covers for the next, oh 10 years or so. My life is so not where I thought I would be at this point, and its discouraging. Anyhow, stay tuned for more on survival mode. I'm sure I'll be writing more about it in the future.

Prayer for Wisdom/Guidance

We got an email this morning from the bosses at work. Due to the economic situation, they are eliminating paid time off - holidays, vacations, sick days - effective immediately. For me, that means 7 holidays and 3 weeks vacation down the drain. Gone. Probably never to return. I don't know how many single mothers especially can afford to cover not only holidays but an occasional vacation/sick day unpaid. I know I can't, at least not on my own. The question now is, do I immediately start to look for another job? Wait a month or two and see what happens? I have had concerns about this employer for several months with the decrease in workload and have been afraid something would happen, but I never thought it would be this. I hate changing jobs. Hate it - hate it -hate it. Especially in my field, where you don't have face-to-face interviews and things like that. You have to make a decision based on telephone calls and internet message boards, which are notoriously one-sided to the bad.

So, right now, I need wisdom and guidance. Please pray that I will listen to what the Heavenly Father has in store for me. Is this the kick I needed to change jobs? Do I just need to be patient? Right know I don't know. I do know that I need to let God lead on this; I'm just afraid I will talk so much, I won't hear him. I am grateful that I still have a job, I just don't know what to do with it.

Deal of the Day

I stopped by Hallmark last night on my way through the local mall and couldn't believe my eyes. They had several Christmas scents of Yankee Candle candles marked to 75%! Oh. My. Gosh! At the time I only saw the medium jar, which normally retails for $21.99 and at 75% off would be $5.49. You can't go into Wal-Mart or Meijer and get a candle of that size for that price. I walked away last night but had to go in this morning. I intended to get 2 of the medium candles (Christmas Eve scent) but while looking more thoroughly, I saw 1 large jar candle on the bottom shelf! That was a $24.99 candle that I snatched up for $6.24. I also called my BF in Cincinnati and got her a medium Home for the Holidays jar and picked up a penguin ornament and name candle for my niece for Christmas 2009, also at 75% off. So I walked out of Hallmark with $85 worth of stuff for $21.20 (not including tax). Not a bad deal!

Use It Up Night

Last night was Use It Up at our house. I haven't purposely done this before in one night, but it just fell into place yesterday. Use It Up night refers to using up all those little bits and pieces in the refrigerator and freezer that normally no one will eat, that half piece of this, 1/4 cup of that. Some families do this on a regular basis, but I try to only cook what I know we will eat and only enough leftovers of things I know will get eaten. (Some things the kids love the first time around but won't touch if it's heated up a second night.) We had a little bit of taco filling left, not enough for a full taco for my son (his idea of a taco is the 10-inch tortilla size!) but plenty for a taco salad for me. He got the last hamburger, the last orange and the last cheese garlic bread slice. DD got the last cup of corn that was in the refrigerator and the last banana. (She had snacked at the teen coffeehouse at the library before dinner.) It was nice to get a few things used up and dishes cleared out of the refrigerator, fruit off the counter and single items out of the freezer. Maybe we should try and schedule a Use It Up every week or every other week.

Christmas 2009

Christmas 2009? Already? Yes! No time like the present to start preparing for an event that you pretty much know is going to occur every year, whether you are ready for it or not.

I've already started my Christmas Club account at $10 a week, so I will get a deposit in my bank account for $500 the end of October. That's pretty much my budget every year, and every year when I go over my budget, it seems like it should be more than enough, but it isn't. So this past Christmas, I wrote down everything I spent money on that was not in the original Christmas budget: Stamps, Operation Shoebox, tickets for the annual Breakfast with the Puppets at church, the Wesleyan Woman ornament exchange, donating to my Sunday School class when they adopt a family or two, a love gift for the pastors, container for cookie exchange and items for the kids' Christmas stockings. Each one is not much, but adding up, it was nearly $200! No wonder I had more month than money last month! Wow - $200. That was a shocker.

But this year I will be better prepared. Even if I only set aside $10 a month, that will help immensely. I already have the ornament for the 2009 ornament exchange. I can be looking for stocking stuffers all year round. I can make my kids' 2009 tree ornaments this summer instead of buying them in November. I can work the Drugstore game to stock up on items for the adopt-a-family project throughout the year instead of donating money or going out to purchase items. And I can look for containers for the cookie exchange at yard sales.

But as I do that throughout this year, I also want to be able to remember the reason I'm doing this is to celebrate Christ's birthday and honor Him at the same time. The key for me will be remembering to do that, to not just consider these activities as something else checked off the to-do list but as an opportunity to celebrate Christ coming to earth in human form, to be the Savior we so desperately need.

January Challenges/Goals

Okay. *big sigh* This is going to be a tight month financially. We have all 3 birthdays this month plus I need my license plate tags and my driver's license renewed. The kids have doctor appointments, and I really need to get mine scheduled too. Unfortunately, while work has been slow the last few months, it has really tapered off over the holidays. Thankfully so far God has provided, and I have only missed my personal quota on 1 day, but being a 10-day pay period, it will be tight under the best of circumstances.

Here is my plan:
$60 food each pay period
$50 Bureau of Motor Vehicles
$150 birthdays (2 kids) - from child support
$40 copays (2 kids) - from child support
$30 gas

So I guess that is goal #1 - to stick to above plan. The $60 food per pay will be truly God's hand if I can stick to that. The rest of my January goals:
2. Extra on van payment.
3. No credit card use.
4. Finish small cross-stitch unfinished object (UFO).
5. Finish one craft UFO.
6. Make homemade bread. (This activity has been requested by DS for months.)
7. Have tax returns finished and sent by 1/31/09.
8. Continue to rely on God's provision.

Grocery Challenge Update

Well, I blew this in the first day or so. I cannot believe how much we spend in food. I probably spent $150 between groceries and fast food the last 10 days of December. Ugh! We did better in avoiding fast food until the last few days, so will need to get back to staying away from that again. January will be another tight month with birthdays and all, and I am determined not to use the credit cards, though I am not sure how that will happen, but that's for another post.

New Year's Tradition

Happy New Year! It's time to change the calendars and try to remember to write 2009 instead of 2008. It's also time for the New Year's purge! For many years now around New Year's Day, I have been in the mood to organize and purge my home of things we no longer use or want. It started out that I would just go through my closet and craft supplies; now it's spread to the entire house. In fact, yesterday DD voluntarily cleaned, organized and purged her room, and it looks absolutely wonderful! So today, and this may be overly ambitious :-), my goal is to do my room and the dining room, get the Christmas decorations put away, the tree down and out to the curb, and oh yes, I promised DS we would make peanut butter blossom cookies today, too! I'll post later on about my progress.

6:50 pm I have my room done, the Christmas decorations all put away, the tree out to the curb, the ornaments packed away and the living room swept. Might possibly get the dining room done or the cookies, but too tired for both! ;-) There's always tomorrow.....

8:15 pm The last 2 sheets of cookies are in the oven, and part of the dining room is at least picked up. The rest of the cleaning and purging will be on the schedule for tomorrow. Can I hope for the kitchen and bathroom this weekend????