Change of Plans

Well, I was going to write about how much I like trash day, but I was in a fender-bender this morning - totally my fault - and I'm now quite behind in work and everything else. No one was hurt, and it was my very first at-fault accident, but still...... Hopefully my insurance rates won't increase too bad, but right now I get to find $110 to pay the fine before my next paycheck. I guess that's what an emergency fund is for! (So much for paying off half the Mastercard this month!)

In Case of Emergency

Last week http://www.biblemoneymatters.com/ had a series on preparing for life's emergencies: Having an emergency fund, what legal papers to keep where, insurance, etc. He's not the only one I've noticed doing this lately. I've known for a while that I really need to have something accessible should something happen to me, and as a single parent, there is no one right now in my life who would be able to get their hands on my insurance policies, will, lock box information, etc., should I be incapacitated or worse. It would not be fair to my children or to the person trying to take care of them if I left things like that, so I've decided it's time to do a few things.

First, I need to gather some information. I have a plastic folder, one of those with pockets and prongs. I am going to type out things like where my bank accounts are, contact information for family, friends and my employer, passwords for online banking, my attorney contact information, etc. They will be kept in a section on financial matters. This will also list any outstanding debts that I may have, and information on my health insurance and retirement accounts will be kept here.

Second, I am going to add a health information section. As I think about it, if something were to happen to me, I'm not sure there is anyone who even knows who my primary care physician is, much less any diagnoses I may have. This section will include my medical history, medications, allergies and family history.

Third, I am going to add a section for my children's medical history. If something were to happen to me, the person taking my children would need to know their history, their medications and allergies and the physicians they routinely see. I am also going to add their family medical history because again, if I am not here, the family medical history from my side of the family would be lost to them.

Fourth, there will be a small section outlining my wishes for the children. In my will, I have named someone other than their father as their guardian, for reasons that don't need to be explained here. My attorney has promised to fight for this as he knows the situation, but I want my position explained in writing should it be needed. Due to the fact that I will be keeping all this information in a place accessible to the kids, I am debating about whether or not to keep certain parts of this section on a flash drive only (which will be given as explained below). I'll have to think on that.

Finally, I am going to add a section for my final wishes. My health care directives are woefully out of date, and in case something happens before I can get those updated, at least someone will have in writing what I want. This will not only include health care but also funeral and burial arrangements. At some point, I would like to look into prepaid funeral arrangements, but that won't be for several years, at least. I know from experience what a relief it is not to have to worry about paying for a funeral when a loved one passes, and I feel it is the least I can do for my family. When that is taken care of, that information will be kept in this section and in the financial section.

When all this is gathered, I will put it in the front of my filing cabinet in a specially-marked folder. I will also copy all documents onto flash drives and give one to the person who has been named executor of my will and one to the person who I have named as guardian for the children. I will also tell my brothers and my children's grandfather where to locate this information should the need arise. (Grandpa would probably be the first one contacted in case of emergency as he lives the closest.) And importantly, I will keep this information up to date, reviewing it quarterly. After all, if I change banks or am diagnosed with a major illness, that information would need to be current.

It won't be pleasant, but it will give me some peace of mind to have this all in one place. Hopefully it will be a long time before anyone needs to use it!

Tuesday's Blessings

1. Listening to the new neighbor sing along to Christian radio
2. A friend calling just when I needed her
3. DD mood's changing from nasty to as sweet as can be in what seemed like an instant and staying in a wonderful mood ever since
4. The windows open and hanging plants on the porch
5. Balancing the checkbook and finding a $135 error in my favor!
6. My neighbor helping me get the lawn mower started for the first time this year
7. DD's friend accepting Christ at the teen event at our church 4/26/09
8. 14+ wonderful years with Fred

Fredericka Paisley Wagner 1992-2009

Simply The. Best. Cat. Ever. She passed over the Rainbow Bridge this morning at the age of approximately 17. We're not completely sure of her age; when she found me, she was between 2-3 years old, and that was 14-1/2 years ago. I was 6 months pregnant with the twins, and she was outside the local emergency room as I was heading to my car after work. She knew a soft heart when she saw one! I knew she was special as I was driving the 16 miles home - she stood on my pregnant belly with her front feet on my shoulders and licked my face nearly the entire way, as if she knew she was getting a home and was so grateful. I've never known a cat as affectionate as Fred, who kissed and licked our faces until I, at least, at raw patches! She spent many days laying on my right hip as I was laying on my left sideon couch-potato duty the last few weeks of pregnancy. When the twins were babies, she ran to them when they cried, trying to help, as the other cats scattered. She licked off their cradle cap and never, ever hurt them. She allowed them to pick her up and pull her fur as they learned how to properly pet and love a cat. She went on walks with us, going up to a mile at a time, always popping into the bushes just before we came to the house with the barky dogs, and then popping out again as we came back. She was the object of a children's talk at church one Sunday, making the point about how Jesus loves the lost and homeless, but we aren't lost or homeless in Him. She was an unofficial therapy cat, willingly visiting our elderly neighbor and allowing the residents at the nursing home where my mom was at to pet and fawn over her. On one visit, she and my mom both fell asleep in mom's bed! We've had other cats in the past and still have 2 cats here at home, but there will never be another cat like Freddy. Simply The. Best. Cat. Ever.

Regional Blogs = Savings at the Grocery Store

I've been a little bummed ever since Kroger's stopped carrying the 4-pack Cottonelle toilet tissue that I'd been able to get for free with coupons. So I was quite happy to see that Kroger's had Angel Soft toilet paper on sale this week for $1 and that there were 50-cent coupons floating around, making this free. But wait --- I wasn't going to go shopping until my next paycheck other than to pick up milk, so I hadn't even looked at the Kroger ad this week. So how did I notice this deal? What happened?

What happened was, I read a few blogs! I first noticed the deal mentioned on www.moneysavingmom.com, then on www.commonsensewithmoney. Then I checked the central Ohio blogs I follow, and they confirmed the deal was good in my area. This morning when I stopped at the store to get milk, I picked up 4 packs of the toilet paper, using two 50-cent coupons from the newspaper inserts and two 50-cent coupons printed off of www.angelsoft.com, making all 4 packs free!

While Moneysaving Mom and Common Sense with Money are my main go-to sites for every day deals, I have found several regional blogs to be invaluable. They save me time and a lot of money by matching up sales and coupons, and nearly every week I find a deal that I wouldn't have noticed otherwise. For example, I had stopped shopping much at Meijer because their prices are higher than Kroger and Wal-Mart, but since I found a blog that matches Meijer deals, I have been realizing some pretty good savings by shopping their sales.

If you live in central Ohio, please check out these blogs. They will help you stretch your dollars even further:

http://www.stretchingabuckblog.com/
http://bargainbriana.com/
http://www.dealseekingmom.com/

For other areas of the country, please check out http://www.becentsable.blogspot.com/2008/08/becentsables-original-grocery-gathering.html to find a blogger who specializes in deals and sales in your area.

Don't forget to head on over to www.lifeasmom.com for more Frugal Friday ideas!

Contentment in the Home - the Attitude Edition

I want -- to be able to walk in a store and buy an outfit without worrying about cost. I want -- to buy new furniture for the living room, good quality that will last and will look good. I want -- to remodel the house and fix it up NOW and not wait and do it slowly over 5 or 10 years. I want -- to hire a lawn service to take care of the yard for a year, feed it, aerate it, etc., to get it back in better shape. I want -- I want -- I want......

Attitude. Boy, that can make all the difference, can't it? How you look at your surroundings determines contentment with your life. If all you think about is what you DON'T have, you can forget about being content and happy. If all you think about is what other material things other people have, you'll never be happy with what you have. If all you think about is how "easy" it is for other people and how they apparently don't have the struggles you do, you'll never be motivated to improve things for your self. By the way, the above tends to boil down to jealousy, and the Bible definitely instructs us against this: see Galatians 5:19-21 and James 3:16, just for starters.

When I start feeling discontent, I try to purposely thank God for whatever it is I'm unhappy with: Thank you, Lord, for this couch that is ripped and torn and stained, for I have snuggled with my children on it, rested on it, and entertained friends on it. Thank you, Lord, for all these dirty dishes piled up on my counter, for that means that we have plenty to eat and fresh water to clean them with. Thank you, Lord, for the damp basement, for it is the foundation of my house, it keeps the litter boxes from the main floor and provides needed storage and laundry facilities. This activity doesn't necessarily make me love whatever I'm discontent with at the moment, but it does help me appreciate it more.

I also try to look at my discontent and see if God has not allowed those feelings for a reason. If I were not discontent with our previous church, I would not have stepped out in faith and found Dayspring. If I were not discontent with my financial situation, I would not be looking for ways to increase income and decrease expenditures and would not have started this blog or found the wealth of information available on other blogs, which has saved us quite a bit of money.

I also try to look for ways to turn my "I wants" into "I haves." For example, I want to walk into a store and be able to buy an outfit without worrying about the cost and spending too much. Normally I think "JC Penney" or "Kohls," but just a couple months ago, I walked into Salvation Army and was able to walk out with not 1, not 2 but 3 outfits and a dozen tops without worrying about the cost! Will I ever truly be able to buy something without thinking about cost implications? I doubt it. Even if by some Divine Intervention I come into an amazing amount of money, I will probably always shop sales and clip coupons. I would not be a good steward of God's financial gifts if I didn't.

By striving to be content with what we have, spending time in prayer and reading and studying the Bible and seeking wise counsel of Godly friends and pastors when appropriate, we become more in tune with the Holy Spirit speaking to us and directing us. When we strive to eliminate earthly distractions and truly desire to change our attitudes to those more Christ-like, then we are better equipped to be more joyful and willingly obedient to the call of the Holy Spirit. And in being obedient to the Holy Spirit, He will give us the discernment for which areas of discontent just need an attitude adjustment versus that which needs concrete action. It is something I am still working on and will more than likely be a lifelong process, but by taking care of my home and that which has already been entrusted to me, I hope to continue to lift my eyes to the Lord, from where my help comes. (Psalm 121)

Meatless Meals - Potato-Leek Soup

The topic today is Meatless Meals, and our favorite meatless meal is Potato-Leek soup. It is quick and easy to make, and is just as delicious cold as it is hot. Leeks can be expensive when not in season, so I usually buy extra when they are on sale and freeze for soup in the winter. They are also easy to grow in the garden alongside your onions.

Potato-Leek Soup

1/2 onion, sliced

3 leeks, sliced

2 T butter

5-6 potatoes (Russet or Idaho), pealed and cut into chunks

4 c chicken broth (I use bouillion)

8 oz sour cream

3 dashes of Morton's seasoned salt

Pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and leeks and cook until soft, stirring frequently. Add chicken broth and potatoes, seasoning and pepper; continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are soft and easily break apart, adding water as necessary. Remove from heat and mash potatoes to desired consistency. (We like ours with some lumps of potato left!) Stir in sour cream. Serve hot or cold. Enjoy!`

Meal Planning

I don't meal-plan in the usual sense of the phrase. Most of the time when you think "meal plan," you think of specific meals assigned to specific days. I don't do this; instead, I find it is easier to have a list of meals available to use. This includes freezer meals that just need to be heated up and also meals that I have all the ingredients available to complete but not yet assembled. In addition, I have a running list of meals that I am missing maybe 1 or 2 components, so that when these ingredients come on sale, I can pick them up and move that meal to my main list.

Right now on my list of available meals, I have the following:
*Roast beef
*Spaghetti pie (freezer meal)
*Chicken pot pie (freezer meal)
*Chicken-broccoli roll-ups (freezer meal, enough for 2-3 meals)
*Flavorful chicken
*Chicken cacciatore
*Frozen pizza
*Pork chops
*Tacos
*Grilled cheese and tomato soup
*Spaghetti
*Pigs in blankets
*Pancakes
*Beef teriyaki
*Sloppy joes

On my list of meals missing 1 or 2 components is beef stew; all I need are potatoes, and if I get a 5-pound bag of potatoes, I would also be able to make twice-baked potatoes and/or just plain baked potatoes, which I sometimes serve as part of a meatless meal. I also have several pounds of hamburger frozen and am looking for some new recipes to use this in.

I keep these lists in my family organizer, which is on my desk, and it is easy to look at the weekly calendar portion of the organizer and see the meals I have available listed on the same page. This helps me allow for variations in our schedule during the week and working in leftovers as available.

The above meals will easily last my family 3 weeks. By knowing what meals I have available and making sure they are used before falling into the freezer pit of no return, we will stay out of the fast food lane and hopefully accomplish some financial goals in the process.

So Far, So Good

I did my bimonthly shopping expedition this past weekend, and for the first time in ages, I stayed within my budget! And I even had DD with me! lol Before we left the house, I made a rough budget based on what I needed to get where: $20 Meijer, $30 Wal-Mart, $20 Aldi and $30 Krogers for a total of $100. In the end, I came in at $96, spending $17 at Meijer, $31 at Wal-Mart, $15 at Aldi and $33 at Krogers! A bit over at Wal-Mart and Krogers, but under at Meijer and Aldi. Add this to my earlier success at CVS, and it was a good week. Other than possibly a milk run early part of next week, I cannot really think of anything we will need, so I hope to stay out of stores until my next paycheck comes on April 30. Ten days without going into a store.....think I can do it? ;-)

Dead Man's Float in the Sea of Finances

The title says it all. That's exactly how I've been feeling the last few days. Uh, make that weeks. I don't even feel like I've been doing the doggy paddle, staying in place! No, I feel like I have been face down in the water, floating and unable to control where the water and the tides have been taking me. Face down, where all I see is the darkness and no light. I have been trying to keep my line counts high and therefore increase my pay, but it doesn't seem to be making a difference. And I am trying to look at the bright side -- I paid my car insurance in full without having to dip into savings. I have finally paid DD school fees for the year, and I should be able to pay the deposit for camp fees the beginning of May without dipping into savings too. I was also actually able to make a small deposit INTO savings with this paycheck, and when I posted my progress to update the charts along the side of this blog, it is encouraging to see 40% paid off.

But I just feel so disgusted at my progress in paying off the credit cards and depressed that my budget is so tight right now that I can hardly breathe. This is so far from the contentment that I'm trying to achieve, and I'm upset about that too! If I was still trying to make a van payment, I don't know what I would have done the last couple months. I had hoped that by now, the Mastercard would have been close to being paid off, and it's not. I had hoped for a full emergency fund, and it's not there. Yesterday I heard a strange noise in the kitchen, a short pop-and-hiss, and I was so worried that it was the refrigerator. I spent a lot of yesterday just praying that it was nothing major and checking the temperature off and on with a thermometer. So far, it's working fine, but I haven't found what caused the noise, and if the refrigerator decides to go, I don't have $500 to replace it right now.

Last night I was working on the checkbook, entering this paycheck and then writing out bills. I had initially allotted $200 to Mastercard but then discovered that would have left me with $114 for the rest of the month for food and cash and gas. Let's see, at decrease to $50 cash (which includes allowances and my CVS/Walgreens money - I usually take out $80) and $20 gas, that would leave a whopping $44 for groceries. Subtract $15 in milk and $10 in cat food and litter for 2 weeks, and that doesn't leave us with very much. So I reluctantly cut the Mastercard payment in half. I so very much want to see that balance not only decrease but be gone, but it's no good to make a large payment to Mastercard and then have to rely on Visa for food and necessities. *sigh*

In thinking about it last night and this morning, I've decided I need to do a couple things. First and foremost, pray. God will always provide what I need, and I must continue to learn to rely on His provision for us and have faith in that. Second, I need to increase my line counts even more. I get paid per-line, so the more I type, the more I earn. My goal is to get back to working the extra hour in place of a second job. Third, be a better steward of what I already have. I have a full pantry and freezer, and by taking advantage of that now, I can cut down on the grocery bill for this month. I also have a mini-goal that I would like to work towards: Cutting the Mastercard bill in half by this time next month. That would mean a payment of $494 instead of the assumed snowball of $264. This is in addition to paying $150 for camp deposits. If I can do this, then maybe, just maybe, I will feel like I'm accomplishing something and instead of floating wherever the tide takes me, I can take a stroke or two and kick and start going in the direction God wants me to.

Success at CVS!

I went to CVS yesterday and finally - finally! - had my deals work out as planned. I did 2 transactions:

First:
Soft Soap body wash 4.99
used $1 coupon - received 4.99 in ECBs
Dove Advanced Therapy shampoo 4.99
used $1.50 coupon
Dove Advanced Therapy conditioner 4.99
on sale at bogo - saved 4.99
used $1 coupon
2 Purex 50 oz laundry detergent @ 6.99 each
used bogo coupon to get both free!
2 Lindt truffle eggs, on clearance @ 50-cents each

Total spent 8.57, including tax

Second:
Soft Soap body wash 4.99
used $1 coupon
Dove Advanced Therapy conditioner 4.99
used $1 coupon
Dove Advanced Therapy shampoo 4.99
on sale at bogo - saved 4.99
used $1.50 coupon
Lindt truffle egg, on clearance at 50 cents

Total spent 1.78, including tax, using 4.99 ECBs from above and 50-cent ECBs on above receipt

RESULT: This gave me an out of pocket total of $10.35 with a savings of $38.55! Wow! I was so happy. Usually they are out of what I want even if I get there on Monday, so I was really pleased to grab these deals later in the week. If I can find more coupons for the Dove hair care, I may go back yet, and I may also try the Purex deal again. This has restored my enthusiasm for the drugstore game!

College Sporting Events

We do love our Ohio State Buckeyes! In my pre-child days, I had been fortunate enough to attend several football games, and the experience is something I will never forget. Unfortunately ticket prices are now a bit out of our price range with face value being something like $63 (and higher if you have to buy from a scalper), and while I'd love to take the kids to a game, I don't see it happening anytime soon. But that doesn't mean that we can't go see our beloved Buckeyes out on the field! Every year, the final spring scrimmage game is open to the public. You aren't seeing them play a Big-10 opponent, but you do get to see the players in action in Ohio Stadium. Cost - $5, which includes admission to the lacrosse game earlier in the morning.

Most college football programs have a similar scrimmage each spring . If you can't afford regular tickets to a regular season game or have concerns if your young children could sit through 2-3 hours of football, this would be a great opportunity to see your team in action. Check the website for your favorite team for details.

This year the Ohio State spring game is next Saturday, April 25 at 1 PM. If you want to see the lacrosse game, that starts at 11 AM. Again ticket price is $5 and includes both games. Hopefully we'll be there! And don't forget to check over at lifeasmom.com for more Frugal Friday posts!

Contentment in the Home - the Basement Edition

As you know by now, I live in an old house. It's in pretty decent shape....until you go to the basement. Yikes! I have a very damp basement, and it will take a good chunk of money to repair the walls and floor and make it dry, and I don't know when I'll be in a financial place to be able to do that. So what am I doing in the meantime? There are several things I've learned over the past few years that help me be content, albeit not overly happy, with my basement:

1. Keep clutter to a minimum. I have had a flooded basement several times from the sewer backing up, the worst being nearly a foot of water requiring replacement of the furnace. You know it's bad when the litter boxes are floating! At that time I had a lot of stuff on the floor of the basement, part laziness and part just having too much stuff. After that flood, because of the sewer contamination, nearly everything that had been on the floor or on lower storage shelving had to be pitched and the floor washed down with bleach. (Bless my friend's husband, who was laid off at the time and drove 2 hours to clean and bleach for me!) Since then, I've made a concerted effort to keep very little on the basement floor besides litter boxes. I've invested in 2 Rubbermade cabinets for storage, and there were built-in shelves already here. Every year, I start at the basement steps and go around the room and straighten things up, pitching trash and puttings away. I try to do this bit by bit throughout the year, but also take a whole Saturday morning and do a major clean. We have a laundry chute, and you never know what will have fallen down along with clothes! On this day I also do a thorough cleaning of the washer and dryer, tackling cobwebs and sweeping. The less I have in the basement, the less there is deal with, and I honestly think, as best an old, damp, block basement can, it looks better.

2. I replaced the old original windows with glass block. I did this within 6 months of moving into this house. The old windows were in such bad shape, that my at-the-time 6-year-old could have broken into the basement. Being a single mom, I was very concerned that it would be quite easy for someone to break into the house via the basement windows, so I was anxious to get these replaced. The new windows have vents in them for cross-ventilation of the basement, and they are much more energy efficient than the old single-pane windows that I am sure were original to the house. I chose a company from Columbus, and installation of 4 windows took about 3 hours, including cleanup. It was well worth the $425 spent.

3. Insulating. Over the past 2 years, I have used cans of expanding insulating foam to seal the seam in the basement where the house meets the concrete foundation. It doesn't look the best, but I plan on trying to improve the appearance this summer by scraping off the overflow. (That's good job on a hot summer day!) In any case, not only is the basement much warmer (as is the air coming up from the basement), but we have had a significant decrease in the number of creepy-crawlies in our home.

I can't really decorate the basement. It is not conducive to hanging anything other than shovels and things from hooks. There isn't a whole lot I can do to make it feel warm and homey, but I can make it at least tolerable to be down there doing laundry, and by keeping up with the organizing and clutter, I can live with it. This is one of those instances where I have no choice but to settle for imperfect, and if God can love an imperfect me, I can at least tolerate an imperfect basement in the home He has provided for us.

Yearly Goals Check-Up

The middle of April seems like a fair time to do a check-up on where I stand on my yearly goals. I'm not overly happy with my progress and need to come up with a way to motivate myself to greater action! Here's my update:

1. Pay off van. Done 2-09
2. Emergency fund to $1000. Was completed for all of 2-1/2 days before the van needed work! Currently working to refund this account.
3. Pay off Mastercard. Made large payment in February but slow progress due to refunding of EF and unexpected pet expenses last month.
4. Pay off Visa. This goal is a stretch under the best of circumstances; no real progress to date.
5. Complete 1 unfinished project each month. Have completed 2 so far, anticipating completing 2 this month.
6. Complete Revelation Bible study. In progress
7. Visit Washington, DC. Due to now having no paid vacation time, this has been changed to a simple vacation over a long weekend.
8. Complete 6 cross-stitch projects. Have completed 3 so far, still in progress.

So there we have it. I had hoped to have had the EF completely funded at this point and the Mastercard within 1 or 2 payments of being gone, but life happens, and that is what an EF is for, after all. Now, to figure out how to stay motivated..... ;-)

Tuesday's Blessings

1. Eating out after Sunday worship with friends
2. The Animal Planet showing "Sue Thomas, FBI," a definite family-friendly detective show.
3. Watching the wonderful Easter drama at church and spending time with friends afterwards.

A 10-Year Plan

When we moved into this house 7-1/2 years ago, I bought it with the idea that should I never remarry, this house would still be a decent size for me to take care of and maintain once the kids were grown and gone. Actually, I had 2 plans: Ideally, we would be back in the country or preparing to be back in the country by the time the kids were 11. (They were 6 when we moved to town.) If not, this house would not be too big for me to be here alone after they were off to college and their own adult lives. The kids are now 14, and we're still here. I know without a doubt why God has had us here so far, but I still desire to get back to the country.

I also know that I need to start preparing for life after the twins are at college and on their own. It may be 4-1/2 years yet, but by judging how fast the last 14 years have gone, it will be here all too soon! So where do I want to be in 10 years? What do I want my life to look like, and what do I need to do to get there?

Right now, this is my 10-year plan:
1. I want to follow God's plan for me, not my plan. If He wants me to continue to live here, in this house, then so be it. If He wants me in the country, then again, that's what I want. I need to start spending more time in His Word and in prayer and practicing joyful and willing obedience to the small things so that I can do the same for the big things.
2. Be completely debt-free. My mortgage will be paid off in a year and, if I am careful, the credit cards at the same time. Mini-goals (if you can call them mini!) to achieve this larger goal will be to increase my emergency savings, drive paid-for vehicles (paying for my next vehicle with cash), and being able to save for expected expenses, paying in cash. To achieve this, I need to find ways to either cut back further on my expenses and/or increase my income. Ideally I will do both.
3. Have a fund started (and hopefully completed!) to be able to buy an acre or two of land. I know from past experience that if you own land outright, it is much easier to get a construction loan. My plan, God-willing, would be to own land free and clear, take out the construction loan and build a small home, and then pay off the majority, if not all, of that loan when this current home sold. While ideally I would like 15-20 acres, realistically I will be happy with 1 or 2.
4. Take piano lessons. :-) I have always wanted piano lessons and actually actually play with one hand or the other; I just can't play both hands together! I have a piano and some instruction books, but I would love to have real lessons with a real teacher. This is assuming I don't sell the piano between now and then for debt repayment.
5. Travel. My dream is to visit Israel, to see the Holy Land. I also want to travel more around the US, both with the kids and without them when they are gone.
6. Volunteer more. I have always wanted to deliver Meals on Wheels, and hopefully when the kids are off to college, I will be able to do this and arrange my work schedule around this.
7. Continue to work on the house and yard. I would love for my house to be restored back closer to what it might have looked like back in the 1920s, but at the 10-year point I will be happy if the wood floors are refinished, the paneling is gone and the bathroom remodel has been finished. I also hope to have a patio out back and more landscaping done. A new fence would be nice, but probably not realistic in the 10-year plan.

I think the above is do-able. It will take focus and wise money management in the coming years and motivation to get past the day-to-day mindset that I feel I am overwhelmed with right now. But again, I truly want what God has planned for me. His 10-year plan will be much more important than mine!

Contentment in the Home - the Empty Spaces Edition

Twenty years ago, I couldn't imagine having empty space in my apartment. Not that I had huge amounts of stuff, but if there was an empty shelf on the bookcase, it wasn't long before it got filled with books. The closet was full, not stuffed, but no place for anything additional that I bought. The same with the shelves in the linen closet and kitchen cabinets. I was quite satisfied that I had enough in my home, and if it was a bit more than enough, that was okay too.

Fast forward to 2009, and I am on a mission to see more empty spaces in my home. With my small kitchen, I may not have a completely empty shelf in any of the cabinets, but by golly, there is empty space between items. It's not crammed with housewares I never use, and there are few food items in the pantry that are 6 months or older. (Yes, I do check expiration dates!) The bookcases are no longer crammed with books that won't get read; 1 shelf just has picture frames and another is only half full. And I'm constantly purging here and there as I get the time. My most recent project: Cleaning out the large microwave stand, putting the small appliances stored there in the pantry. By having them closer to the counters, I find I am using them more instead of them collecting dust for 4-5 months before their next appearance. Hopefully I can find a smaller stand for the microwave at a yard sale this summer and get rid of this big one, gaining a bit more room in the kitchen in the process. (This is also making me go through the cookbooks stored on the stand. Hopefully I'll find either some new recipes to try, some old favorites I forgot about or will be able to pass the book onto someone else to enjoy.)

My kids have even caught the "empty spaces" bug. Several years ago, DS went through his toys and got rid of probably 80% of his things for a yard sale, and he just sold the majority of his remaining toys last fall. DD has been evolving in her room too, going for a more "grown up" atmosphere more befitting a teenage girl. Gone are the Barbies and baby dolls; a few have been put away for her kids, but most went to Goodwill. Gone are the half-done craft projects that she knew she would never finish. Both kids have gotten rid of so much stuff, that they now have plenty of empty space in their rooms to walk, to have friends over and to consolidate so their rooms feel bigger and more tranquil. They've decided the stress of too much stuff and a constantly messy room (because they are too overwhelmed to know where to start picking up!) aren't worth it. As a consequence, DD is able to find her Bible and devotion book every night instead of them getting buried under who-knows-what. DS is able to spread out when a friend comes over and play his 3-hour-long games in his room, instead of having to shove other stuff aside. They are both much happier.

You see, I don't want my home so filled with stuff that there is no space for family, friends or the Holy Spirit. I don't want to be embarrassed at the condition of my home if someone drops by unexpectedly, and I don't want to be so consumed with a cleaning to-do list that I no longer hear or feel the nudging of the Spirit to do something else. With empty spaces, I feel like my home is large enough for us, that we're blessed to be able to have more house than we need. With empty spaces, I can see what is truly important to me and my family, what we need and what we love. Besides, after all, the space is not truly empty - it's just being filled by Someone much more important than "stuff."

Happy to Get the Gas Bill??? :-)

I was so happy to receive my gas bill this month. I am on the budget plan with my gas company, and every 6 months, they review your usage to make sure your budget plan is realistic. They review in April and even things up on the October bill so that you start out fresh going into the coming season. You don't want to be surprised with a huge bill in October after a low budget payment the previous 11 months. But for me, that's usually a fun bill, too, because it generally ends up being $20 or so, and it makes for a nice little break before heading into the high utility-usage months.

On review this month, they lowered my gas bill -- wooo hooo! It's not much, only by $7, but every little bit helps. I've specifically tried to weatherize the house this year, caulk, having the front door reset, weatherstripping, etc., and I've also tried to plug some major holes in the basement. I'm sure I wasn't completely successful, but there is a noticeable improvement down there in temperature. There is still more to do - I'd like to add more insulation to the attic and finish caulking around all the windows, but I can't really complain. My gas bill (which includes heat and hot water) is now $56 a month for a 3-person family in an 80+-year-old, 1250-square-foot house! Not bad at all.

Now if I could just get the kids back in the habit of watching their electric usage. That's the next utility bill to work on!

Tuesday's Blessings

1. Saw a cardinal early one morning
2. Funds available for paying car insurance without dipping into savings
3. DD using alarm and getting up on her own and being early to school
4. Kids having a good time at youth retreat
5. Received a photo of the kids great-grandpa in his WWI uniform from a cousin out of state. This photo was requested over 3 years ago!
6. DS doing well learning the spotlight for the upcoming church Easter production

Keeping Down Costs of Prescription Drugs

My son woke up with a 102-degree temperature a couple days ago along with a sore throat. After a quick visit to the local Urgent Care, it was confirmed - his first case of strep throat in 10+ years, and that meant an antibiotic. The insurance my kids are on requires me to pay 20% of the shelf cost instead of grouping copays into $10, $25, $50, etc. So I was very thankful the doctor did not prescribe one of the newer antibiotics that are so "popular" these days - you know, the kind that are at the upper tier of your prescription drug plan. DS got plain old amoxicillin, and we quickly drove down the street to Meijer's, where, thanks to their generic antibiotic drug plan, the prescription cost me nothing.

With 2 children, one with migraines and the other with asthma, I'm always looking for ways to decrease our monthly prescription costs without sacrificing health care. Here are some ways I do it:

1. Check out store-based prescription programs. Meijer offers 7 of the most frequently-used generic antibiotics and 5 of the most popular prenatal vitamins for free, regardless of insurance or ability to pay. I have gotten several antibiotic prescriptions filled there, and it is a relief to know I don't have to worry about the cost. I also take advantage of the $4 prescription plan at Krogers for my personal prescription. I pay $4 for a 30-day supply of my one routine medication and could choose a 90-day supply for $10. Similar programs can be found at Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Rite-Aid and CVS. Only CVS has an additional once-yearly participation fee.

2. Talk to your health care provider. I mentioned last month that I was afraid to talk to my son's neurologist about the cost of his medication, but once I did, we found a way to cut the cost nearly in half, and so far, my son's headache frequency is staying the same, if not improved. Many conditions can be treated with generic drugs without sacrificing quality of care, and again, in many cases, it is better to start with a well-established (and cheaper!) medication before proceeding to the newer classes of drugs. Of course, please meet with your health care provider to discuss the specifics of your situation. Even if he or she feels a generic is not in your best interests, there may be a different drug that will offer similar benefits for a lower cost.

3. If you don't have drug coverage or, like us, you have to pay a straight percentage, shop around. Prescription prices vary greatly from store to store, and by comparison shopping, you may find that you can save a significant amount of money.

4. Ask for drug samples. I know there is controversy over whether drug samples lead to rising prescription costs, but as long as they are there, I don't hesitate to take advantage of them. My doctor is great at giving me samples, and I have saved many hundreds of dollars by using them. I think a day is coming when they won't be available any more, but until then, I won't hesitate to accept them.

Are there any other ways I've overlooked to save on prescription drug costs? How do you save?

Contentment in the Home - the Clutter Edition

Clutter. Yuck! All the little piles here and there, all the not-so-little piles there and here. It drives me nuts, yet I sometimes feel powerless to get rid of it permanently. It stresses me out, makes me wish for more storage, more space, more organizational skills, more time, more everything, and it hinders me from hearing what the Holy Spirit wants more from me.

This is another area I'm trying to tackle room by room, bit by bit. That's why one of my yearly goals is to complete an unfinished craft/home improvement project each month - to get rid of the piles of supplies and half-finished projects in my bedroom. That's why I'm purging papers and possessions - if it's not there, I likely don't miss it, and I certainly don't miss the stress of seeing too much stuff! That's why I'm trying to keep up on daily household cleaning tasks that are so easy to let sit until "tomorrow."

I feel much better now that the usual pile of "to-do papers" has been taken care of and is now gone from the kitchen counter. I feel much better now that I have purged the 2-drawer filing cabinet and the pile of papers to be filed has been done and there is room to actually find things. I feel much better that we've taken several bags of unused items to Goodwill, where they are out of my way and can find new homes with someone who will actually use them. And I feel much better having pared down my cross-stitch stash to things that I will actually stitch and display, instead of keeping projects that I just like or are pretty.

It takes time to go through things, and depending on what it is, I have a few little tricks that I use to motivate me. One is to set a timer. When I go through my cross-stitch and craft stash, I could easily spend hours looking at everything. Setting a timer helps me get through it quicker. When I go through especially my kitchen cabinets, not only will I ask myself if I'ved used something in the last year, but have I used it since we moved? Certainly if I haven't used it in the 7 years we've been here, I won't be using it anytime soon! Another trick I use is to ask myself, if I were moving again, would this item be one of the first things I packed or one of the last and why? Sometimes I pack something first because I know I can live without it for a couple weeks, and sometimes I pack it first because I know I definitely won't use it for a while. If I definitely won't use it, perhaps it's time to give it up. If it's something I will pack last, is it because I use it a lot, almost every day? Or is it because I don't know what to do with it? If I don't know what to do with it, why do I still have it?

Don't get me wrong, I still have my piles, way too many of them! And I still have clutter around, things I will never use and/or don't need, but as the days and weeks go on, I hope to tackle these. One of my goals is to only have things that I love, need or use a lot in my home. But more importantly, hopefully by having less stuff and less stress connected to the stuff, I will be better able to listen to the Holy Spirit when He speaks to me about what He wants more from me and for me.

April Goals

Hopefully this month will be better than the last!

1. Extra payment to Mastercard.
2. $100 to savings.
3. Two chapers of my Revelations Bible study.
4. Complete one unfinished craft/home improvement project.
5. Sell game table.
6. Finalize date for vacation and reserve accommodations.
7. Bake cookies using the cookie book DS gave me for Christmas.
8. Set aside $20 for extra Christmas fund.