Navigating life and finances
We will heed the warning and stop him! Clocked wind gusts of 70 miles per hour, pelting rain and dime-sized hail, no electricity for 10 hours, no internet for 16 hours, no heating pad for 10 hours, no running sump pump for 10 hours and worst of all, water in the basement! Murphy Mother Nature, we will heed your warning! [Read more…]
Because it all adds up!How little is too little? I was thinking about that the other day in regards to coupons. Several years ago I left a $0.25 cent coupon on the kitchen counter of a patient’s home. At the time I was working as a nurse doing in-home care for (what were classified as) highly skilled pediatric patients. Being in a person’s home for sometimes 40 hours a week, you can’t help but to become a little bit like family, especially more so as the years go by. Such was the case with this patient and his family. While I would never meddle in their personal business, simply by being in their home, it was easy to pick up on certain things. Money was tight for them, as it is for a lot of families caring for a loved one at home. As a caregiver, you quickly learned what the insurance covered and what they family purchased out of their own pocket. This $0.25 coupon was for an item the family regularly purchased…and they purchased a lot of it. [Read more…]
Another vet visit for our senior dog.
Today I brought our senior dog back to the vet yet again. Although he is eating on his own and walking much better, I could tell his ear was still bothering him. I was thankful for a reduced rate for the recheck visit (saving us $15) but even with that, the bill was still $132. The poor boy needed yet another antibiotic for his ear. The vet also prescribed eye ointment for a swollen gland, which we are hoping isn’t melanoma. Both our dogs are scheduled to go for their annual visit next month, at which time the vet will recheck the issues our sickly dog has been having. My husbands standard reply…it’s only money. [Read more…]
Feedback welcome!Ever since embarking on this journey to get debt free, personal finance blogs have become my all time favorite thing to read. From beginner blogs to the very established and well polished blogs, I never tire of reading them. To say that I follow a lot of blogs would be a gross understatement. While I don’t always necessarily agree 100% with what I read, there is usually something I can glean from each post. The key is in being open to learn from others! [Read more…]
“When are we going to start the snowball?” Yesterday my husband voiced his first words of frustration. We are now two and a half months into starting the Dave Ramsey plan and he is feeling antsy. No, he hasn’t changed his mind on wanting to do this. He is simply eager to start throwing those snowballs. He wants to go to battle! Our conversation got me to thinking. The war on debt really is a lot like going to battle. We’ve identified the enemy (our debt) and my husband is eager to take it down. I am too, but also want to feel fully prepared (or as best we can) to tackle this enormous giant. Over our years together, we’ve won a few small debt wars, but have never gone against one as big as the one we are currently facing. In order to be completely victorious (meaning ridding ourselves of ALL our debt!) there was some planning that had to be done. [Read more…]
Spreading out irregular expenses throughout the year.Today we had a load of wood delivered. Next week we will have yet another one delivered followed by yet two more in May/June. We heat our house (or least try to!) primarily with wood. It is far cheaper than using our propane furnace, plus we love the even heat from the wood stove. Once the heating season is over, we will have our chimney cleaned and inspected. Just a couple of weeks ago, we had our propane tanks topped off as we still qualified for an introductory rate. Why are we doing all these things now with Spring just around the corner? We are trying to rearrange our financial seasons! [Read more…]
First it was save $1,000, then $2,000, then $3,000…now? When it comes to Dave Ramsey’s plan to get out of debt, my husband and I are avid fans. We do not, however, agree with his recommended $1,000 baby emergency fund which is baby step one. My guess is that he set it at that amount since it is achievable. To tell someone to save $3,000 fast would no doubt leave them feeling that the plan is impossible and just not for them. But when is enough, enough? That is the struggle we are currently facing. [Read more…]
Oh such sweet relief to see that we don’t owe! These darned taxes have been weighing me down since the beginning of the year. First to gather all the information for our accountant and then waiting on the outcome. Admittedly, I stress over taxes every year. This year felt a little worse with having started a new business. I worried about the books, I worried about not paying enough, I worried about being hit with a huge tax bill, I worried about getting them finished on time, I worried about everything! [Read more…]
That is one question I am often asked. During what I now refer to as my “coupon days” I was often asked a very similar question. For the record, I still use coupons. With having moved to a remote area, my usage is just not as high as it was in the past. I was never one of those hoarders having utterly ridiculous supplies of toothpaste, cereal, etc. , but did keep enough items on hand to last my family 3-6 months. As much as I miss the saving, I wouldn’t trade where we live now. I just need to focus more on what I can do to earn a little extra.