Couponing...not for the faint of heart

So it's Thursday, I got the 5 newspapers on Monday and I'm still clipping coupons.  Are you kidding me?

I thought I'd do a paper a day that way I wasn't spending all my time on it.  Except that didn't happen and now I have three newspapers stacked in front of me.  In three days I get more newspapers and the cycle starts all over.  I haven't even checked the sales or organized my coupons, I've been doing nothing but clipping.

My goal today is to get the rest clipped and not touch these puppies until Saturday.  I better save money damnit.

Silver linings and unicorns farting rainbows

Like that huh?

I was going for sophisticated meets well me, mwuahahaha.

You see this photo?  This is about as far as I'm going on the whole moving/packing issue.  I'm sooo over it and would rather talk about something else.

Like the end of this whole ordeal.

Like the new house and how our life is now.

No this isn't a brag post, and if after reading this you still think so, walk away, I have no room for shallowness in my life. 

This is an OMG have we really come this far, are we really able to do this, am I dreaming kind, of post.

The first 6 years we were married our bank account was always negative; I forget how many thousands of dollars we paid in overdraft fees, but I do know it was enough to buy a fancy, new car (we did the math once).  Bo had a job at one point where his paychecks would bounce once a month consistently.  He'd get paid every two weeks and I was only working part time so we could never get anywhere.  Then we moved away so he could go to school, and again all I could find was part time work; this time our paychecks weren't bouncing, but it didn't matter.  Two years of constant red and we were stuck in limbo of trying to get our heads above water.  We even used the rest of the money from Bo's trust fund to help, but that only lasted so long. We moved back home and after a year I got a job that we both thought was going to save us financially.  I was an apartment manager, we had 0 bills and I got paid pretty well.   But no, that didn't help us because we were still negative and even more stupid with our money.  I lost my job and we were forced to move.  We'd have bills again, with no money in the account and two brand new cars to pay for.  MAJOR STUPID PURCHASE THAT ONE.  By pure dumb luck, and a guilty ex boss, we managed to get the house we're in now and I found a new job.  We had to sell Bo's truck because we couldn't afford the payments and the gas.  Then Bailey was born and I quit my job.  Then everything in the house broke down and we had to replace them.  We had bills out the ass because we had no money thanks to over draft fees, but had a really good paying job.  That's when the company Bo works for had a seminar for Dave Ramsey and his financial plan, and as they say, the money issues were history.

No, this isn't a review or advertisement of his products, it's the truth and something everyone should know about.

I'm not going to lie and say we have all the money we need and never worry about it anymore.  No, HELL NO.  But we have a plan and by following that plan we got out of the negative and began paying off our debt.  Within three years of doing this program, we paid off my car and consolidated everything else under one loan that we could afford payments on.  It hasn't been easy by any means, and there were  many moments where we wondered if this was even working when emergencies came up and we still had no money. We know now that we had no idea what to do with our money. We thought we knew, but we didn't.  We spent WAY too much on groceries and eating out, spur of the moment purchases, going to the movies, etc.  We said we had no money, we didn't have much but we had money, we just wasted it without making a plan for everything.  That's not how we are anymore, every penny is accounted for now.  And we've only been negative once or twice in almost 5 years, not because we didn't have the money but because his paycheck didn't go through until after a bill was paid.

And before someone says wait isn't Bo an IT manager, and don't they make a killing, let me explain something to you.  Yeah he makes good money, but the married men in his department bring home far more than he does.  How?  Because their wives work full time.  Yes, he makes more than some couples we know combined, but back in the day we didn't.  And going over our income then, when we were barely bringing home $30k a year, on a good year, for those first 6 years, we could have followed this program and paid things off or prevented our debt by being smarter with our money.

Anyway, if you had told me 6 or 7 or hell 10 years ago that we'd be where we are now, I would have laughed at you and said you were dreaming. That there's no way we'd be close to being out of debt and getting a house we loved.

But here we are.

So when I say OMG we just bought a new dining room table and a table for the breakfast nook/room, know that our first table was a $30 fold up card table, our second one was $100 from Walmart and had just enough room for 4 people with teeny tiny plates and cups, and our third table was given to us by a relative. 

Or OMG I can have that fridge that I had to change my panties after I first saw it and then fell over when I saw the price tag.  That we can get it on sale because that's the ONLY way we spend our money now.  That it's the first time EVER that we've made that huge of a purchase on something we want and aren't settling just because we have to.

It's the FIRST time ever, that we are able to make certain purchases that up until a year or so ago had only been a dream.  That's not to say we can get whatever we want and waste lots of money.  We have a budget even on this, and we will not and can not go over.  Don't think we're getting everything new, because we're not.  I WISH we had that kind of money.

Although the 7 shirts and 3 pairs of jeans I own will look like nothing in the new closets....

I kid I kid...well that is how many clothes I have.

I'm so proud of us and how far we've come.  It's true, I dream of living in a castle, with all the clothes I could ask for, an entire library at my disposal, and not spending a moment worrying about paying our bills or will we have enough money to buy food at the end of the week.  I think everyone dreams of that.  We're not buying a castle and we worry about paying our bills, but we are finally for the first time EVER able to go out on a limb and get something we want instead of dreaming about it or settling because we have to.

So I may kick and scream and moan and groan about this damn move A LOT, but I know how far we've come and I appreciate everything I've been through.  Without it, I wouldn't be where I am.

A huge bump in the road...no mountain yeah thats it.

I'm pretty bummed to announce that the whole bath product samples and such is being put on hold, again.  Sigh to third power.  Bo's surgery, plus dr's visits (both pre-op and post-op) comes to $3500+ out of our pocket.  Insurance covers zip, since we haven't met our deductable, although with his surgery and my $260 a month happy pills, it won't take us but a few more months to reach it.

Not only is the bath business being moved back, so is EVERYTHING we had planned to do with our tax money.  Because every dime went into paying for everything.  So no fixing the back patio/porch and adding an awning, no getting Bailey a twin bed and dresser, no paying off debt, no extra cash for our 10th anniversary.  Nope, all of it went to a ball snip and removal.

It was well worth it, he had to do it for our family and for his health, so I don't regret it at all.  It just sucks ass that it took everything we got back from taxes plus some from our savings, when all that was intended for things we've pushed back and back.

At this point not sure when anything is going to be back on track.  I'll let those of you who signed up for the samples know when I start back up.  Since I still need ingredients, its going to be a long long while.

It’s not Rocket Science

I watched Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution this weekend, I think its episode 3 or something, and I want to throw up.

People, who are in charge of the health and education of our children while in school, who dictate the things they are fed, think that French Fries are vegetables. Come on? Seriously? That’s like saying a slice of cheesecake covers your dairy requirements. Pardon me, but what the fuck are you people thinking?

What are you putting into our kid’s bodies just to save time? Is it worth it? Really? Is it ok to watch these kids get heavier and heavier, knowing what you are saying is ok to feed them is PART of the problem? Would you want to eat greasy pizza, or hamburger and fries everyday for lunch? I doubt it; I bet you have your salads and grilled chicken or something else just as healthy and tasty instead. BECAUSE YOU KNOW BETTER THAN TO EAT IT EVERY DAY.  So please stop giving it to our children.

As parents, it is our responsibility to teach our children about life and how to survive out in the world, yet little things like financing money and nutrition get over looked. We are a country in MASSIVE debt, and obese on top of it.  And who do people blame?  The Golden Arches and the school system, when in reality the parents are the most at fault.

Yes I said it. You can’t blame the school system and not the parents, since both are in charge of shaping kids into adults.

Neither Bo nor I were taught portions as children. I was always told to clear my plate and to this day I have issues when I can’t eat everything I’ve dished out. Do I make Bailey eat everything on his plate? No. Because this is where overeating begins. This is when portions need to be learned, as well as learning your body’s signals saying no more. Making you clear you plate is encouraging overeating. If you don’t want the food to go to waste, put it in the fridge, simple as that. Wasting is one thing, overeating is something else entirely folks.

If we don’t teach our kids these things, and then send them to school where more bad choices are given, they won’t know what to do. Our children will have weight issues for the entire lives, just like most of us parents already do, if we as a group don’t do something about this.

Have you ever looked at the ingredients for chicken nuggets? Do it and you’ll be surprised that chicken is way down the list on ingredients, the majority of what makes those things are chemicals. You can make you own, with nothing but ground chicken and bread crumbs, not only are they healthier but they taste better, AND YOU KNOW WHAT GOES INTO THEM. Pizza is not a healthy food just because it has all the food groups. Ice cream and/or cake is not an everyday dessert. Fruit should not come from a can or jar, they tend to be loaded with unnecessary sugar and preservatives. If you start them from the beginning eating healthy, they will always eat healthy.

No offense but I really don’t want to hear any “Well my kids only eat hot dogs and potato chips, it’s a nice thought but they refuse to eat anything else”. 1)who gave it to them in the first place and kept the house stocked with it? 2)who is in charge you or your kids? If you have these options in your home they will always choose it. If you give them healthy foods instead, they will eventually eat it once they realize you’re not giving in and they won’t get to eat anything else instead. What’s harder to deal with, the melt down/fit because they can’t have the hot dog or watching your child struggle with weight issues all their life knowing you started it and kept it going? They won’t starve; do you not notice the excitement and rush when dinner is announced? Even dr’s will tell you, they won’t starve they’ll eat when they get hungry enough. Get the kids involved in cooking; give them the responsibility of choosing what’s for dinner or a side sometimes and let them help you cook. If they only eat mac and cheese, add veggies to it! But make the mac and cheese yourself! It’s not hard and its real cheese verses some powder concoction. My son loves poptarts, I’m learning how to make them so it’s a)cheaper and b)better for him.  Start a change, its worth the effort.

I also don’t want to hear “I can’t afford to cook healthy”, $5 dinners says differently. Homemade salad costs less than prepackaged cut lettuce. Most fruit and veggies cost much less if you get them fresh and in season. You can always freeze them if you are afraid you won’t use it before it goes bad. My mother for instance, buys bell peppers when they go on sale, cuts up and freezes the ones she won’t use. They come out tasting just the same, and just as crunchy. Use coupons. Price grocery stores and find when sales are going on. It can be done, but it does take work.

Yes I am overweight, yes so is my husband, and no that doesn’t mean we don’t know jack about nutrition. I know you need lots of fresh fruit and veggies, you need dairy, you need protein, you need iron, etc.  I know you have to eat the right portion size, even if its a salad, portion size is KEY to maintaining or losing weight.  You have to keep track of what you eat throughout the day so you know when you went wrong and can do things to make up for it.  You should drink more water than anything else, ESPECIALLY pop/soda…a problem I have myself haha.  Plus you have to have movement, lots of movement!

My husband has lost 25 pounds in three months on Weight Watchers. His issues were: he wasn’t eating enough most days and over eating others, he skipped meals most of the time, and he’s a computer man so he wasn’t moving all that much. Now he’s doing pushups and stuff off and on throughout the day, he’s making sure he eats his meals, and drinking water. He hasn’t given up anything, and has lost 25 pounds!  Now me, I have metabolism issues, I also barely eat some days and over eat others, which does not help my already wonky metabolism, and I wasn’t moving enough. We’ve done the same things (minus the push-ups, chin-ups and such), I’ve gone down as far as 10 pounds, and right now I’m at 7 pounds down. Why? Your guess is as good as mine, I don’t get it either and neither does my dr. I eat fresh fruit and toast for breakfast, leftovers or salad from the night before for lunch and a low calorie dinner with a low calorie dessert. Nothing outrageous, nothing so crazy it’s hard to keep up with, its simple easy substitutes that taste better and are way better for your body. Part of my weight loss issues were my meds, they kept me sluggish and tired and that does not equal weight loss. Now that I have new meds, I’m moving all the time so HOPEFULLY that will help because I’m already eating better.

Parents, we need to give our children better choices. Look at it this way, not only will it be taking better care of our children but it will help us be healthier as well! Schools please help us by doing the same while they are in your care. Together we can make a difference, against each other nothing is going to change. And please stop blaming fast food, it’s not their fault parents get their kids that junk every meal. Stop going, simple as that.

Budgeting the nickels

For a while now we’ve been desperately trying to pay off debt and get a better handle on our money. Bo went to a financial seminar, followed the program and we’ve seen massive changes. Even though Bo makes enough money so I can stay home, we’re still very tight with our money, as if we don’t have much. Because if you know you have it you spend it, frivolously. We’re normally pretty good with our spending, if we can live without it we do, but if we really really want it then we save for it. But there are times where things break down and you have nothing saved and the only option you have is to charge it. That’s where we accumulated our debt, thankfully it was just poor planning instead of poor spending on our part.

These days, we sit down and figure out what things we’re going to be purchasing for the following month. We then see if we can afford it and if not, we post pone it, save, and get what we can. But most importantly, we plan for things to break, so that when they do we have money put back to help. Sometimes its $5, sometimes more, but every penny we can we put in savings to cover debt, fun money, and emergencies. And although at times it has been tough, it will be worth it once everything is paid off.

Our budget is tight, which means I’m all for coupons, sales and any good deal I can possibly find. We all know how much I love lists and organizing, and we all know that most of the time its hard for me to keep up with all that I come up with. But for this, I keep trying, I keep pushing forward and continue to perfect some sort of system that doesn’t include EVERYTHING known to man. I will find my way, or else!

Stay tuned for links to my favorite websites and other fun stuff I’ve found!