Working the Plan

I have so many ideas in my head, it is sometimes so hard to get all these ideas down, and not make all these posts so jumbled! :)
So far we are 1 week into our new budget, and I am sad to say... things ARE NOT going as well as I had hoped for.  Last weekend we got photos of our boys, and that wasn't really in the budget, also my sister is having a baby shower. So not really working quite how I dreamed, but we are getting there.

In the land of house hunting.  I feel like we are stuck.  It's like in those dreams where you are trying to run, to reach something and the closer you think you are, the further it really is.There are very few that meet our requirements, and if we can find them they are too expensive, or they go faster then we can offer! :)

However, i'm still trying to keep to our budget.  I have been enjoying the world of PINTREST and have found a few ideas I want to share!
http://www.parents.com/blogs/thrifty-frugal-mom/2012/10/15/must-read/menu-plan-what-our-family-of-4-eats-on-200mo/

These are some awesome tips.  I will be trying them over the next week! I hope they will help.

I have started doing 2 different things to help as well.
1.  I love to read.  I don't normally have alot of time, so I love to listen to books on tape (CD). So a few weeks ago, I went to the library.  We have a whole county of them, and if the one by my house doesn't have it, they will transfer it. So far I listed to "A Christmas Carol" in 3 days!  I have 4 more to pick up today, and many of them are money books, so hopefully ill have more money tips! :)
2.  When we firsted moved in with my inlaws using cloth diapers was a pain, so I bought a bunch of disposables, and called it good. However, it is amazing how quickly the cost adds up, so Im back to my cloth.  I will be trying to be better, but if i can just cut down at least 2-3 days a week will help!


Next week I will have some ideas for Holiday savings! :)

Books!

I am currently finishing up my LAST class, (3 credit) to get my BS degree, and I have been going to college for the last 8 YEARS so with that, I have not had alot of time to just read what I want.  I have been trying to add a new book at least every few months, to read something for me, that does not mean that I ever really finish them, but I love it.
I started this book at least 6 months ago.  I read a few pages, and even up to a chapter or two, then put it down.  I read the millionaire next door in a few weeks and loved it, so i'm really trying to read for me.  I then picked it up prob about a month or so ago, again to try to read it, I carried it around in my purse too and from school, work etc.  However over the past week im GLUED!! I dont let myself read it too much, i can get Lost in a book and never do anything else.  and thats NOT good.  But I am 2/3 of the way throught it, and will prob finish it by the end of the weekend.

THE HAPPINESS PROJECT!!
This book is ME! I love reading what Gretchen has written about her self, it sounds so much like me sometimes.

It has me looking at important parts of my life.  I just read her chapter about 'Money" no shock, however when i was at the Library last week, I picked up another book with the title "How to Buy Happiness"  I am loving how they use money to build onto happiness, but not in a way that destroys their life.  :)
OK back to book #1 ;) lol.   She is taking many tips as to how to make those around you happy.  She writes about how even though she hasn't really seen a huge differance in her persionaly happiness she knows that those around her have been affected in a good way.

She is different from me when it comes to a religion, however, I love having the mindset as I read and think and learn about myself and how I want to be for my family, and what I can learn that will bless others.

DRUM ROLL!!!!!!!!!

YEAH!!! Yesterday was Payday Friday! Yes i'm sad like that!! I am SO SO SO excited to transfer the extra money over $2,000.   Sad to say it is not as much as I had hoped.  But my handsome hubby transferred just over $500 into our savings!
Since this is the first paycheck we are doing this, and we are still paying some final bills from moving.  Hopefully from here on out the amount will get higher and higher!!

I do have to admit, that after saving this money, we purchased a few pre Christmas presents, and I got the boys new clothes to get their photos taken in.  It was more then I would usually spend on one outfit each, we even got socks lol ;) but it was well worth the investment.  the photos turned out AMAZING.

I took my mother-in-law to see a house in the city north of us, it was beautiful... however an older home, so not exactly what we are looking for, but I am CONSTANTLY looking for "OUR HOUSE"  I'm really hoping that it will pop up soon! :)

Baby steps

They feel like so tiny tiny steps. My baby Ewan is just about to walk, or stereotypically he is 14 months. And has NO desire to walk. He can crawl when he wants, but over all he is really content.

Welcome to society! We are all, me included, totally ok with being content. Going to work day after day, paying bills and just staying where it is comfortable. 

So how long will this last? 

 

Dave Ramsey says you have to be "sick and tired if being sick and tired" at that point you can start on your financial freedom. But what happens if you are content??? What do we need to do to motivate ourselves? 

I have posted before about our breaking point. Enough was enough, but we got the new credit card paid off, now we have the car paid off, and our house is sold. Now what?

-house hunting: yes!! However we are picky so nothing that meets our standards....

So now what?

We have our new budget all Google doc ready! We get paid on Friday, we will have a little to transfer to savings.... But then what?

I'm trying to get fired up, but this time it is annoying and difficult. 

I have decided to become EVEN MORE accountable for our money.
I have decided to make a list.  Starting Friday, I will list EVERYTHING!! Ive got a fancy little piece of college ruled paper waiting to NOT be written on! :) lol