To where, you might ask? Oh, just to another web page, that's all!
The great thing about this move is as follows:
1. No boxes 2. No packing 3. No husband
SAY WHAT?!
Yes, you read that correctly. NO HUSBAND.
Well, he will be there 'cuz I'm gonna talk about him. And post a picture of him once and a while, just to remind you that he exists. But he won't be a contributor to the blog. ...unless I beg him...
The man has a bazillion million trillion things going on in life. Updating a blog is not on the top of his list. Not even close.
Besides, a girl needs her space!
So to answer your burning questions:
1. Yes, I will still be blogging. 2. No, you will never get rid of me. 3. Yes, still talking about life, baby, money, etc. 4. No, not on blogspot.
In celebration of this change, I changed my name. Well, my blog name.
New Name:
(drum-roll please)
Sitting Pretty
Yeah, that's right. Sitting Pretty. Don't try to figure it out - just go read.
ps: if you are using firefox, stop now...and forever. for whatever silly reason, my new blog is still getting used to it's new local and firefox is messing everything up. darn you firefox!
do yourself a favor - download google chrome. you can thank me later. ...well at least until I get the kinks worked out on firefox...
I was clipping coupons, doing my normal thing, and then realized that most of the coupons expire at the end of December and our sweet Nolan is due early December.
Let me break this down for you... Nolan will be here SOONER than my discount on detergent expires.
OH MY GOSH!!!
Our normal grocery run will no longer be normal. We will be buying Honey Bunches of Oats and deodorant with an infant in the cart. Is anybody else freaking out?
The nursery is almost done. His clothes are all put away. We've got the gear and the bathroom stuff and the safety stuff. We are prepared.
...or so I thought.
I just had this moment of panic where I realized that I've never been grocery shopping with a kid, never-mind my kid! What if he cries in the store? What if he needs to nurse? What if he needs a diaper change? What if I need to potty??
What if I forgot my purse in the car??!!! Do I leave him in the cart at the check-out counter and ask the person in line behind me to watch him, NOT steal him? Do I take him out of the cart, to the car to get my purse and then back in to pay? Do we just give up and go home without groceries?
Do I go to the store in the middle of the day to avoid crowds? Or do I go at night to ask the crowd to reach that jar of apple sauce for me?
What if he doesn't like to grocery shop? What if people want to touch him and breath all over him? What if they don't?
Really?! He will be here sooner than my coupons expire???
Didn't we just make this kid? Didn't we just get married and buy this house? Didn't we just get engaged? ...didn't we JUST meet in elementary school???
Oh my gosh - Nolan is going to attend school sooner than we think. He will go to school, meet his future wife, ruin his clothes on the playground and get all A's. And then he will be in junior high, hitting puberty. And then high school, and girls, and love and lessons and sports. Then college and marriage and a family of his own.
All the while, I will be measuring the next chapter in life by the expiration dates on my coupons.
10 weeks. Nolan will be here in 10 weeks. Sooner than my coupons expire.
What is it about cloth diapering that is so overwhelming and confusing? Isn't it supposed to be the easier, more simple way of living? You know, going green and saving the planet and mother earth nature stuff...easy right? NOPE!
There are so many different diapering options out there these days and yes, they do make saving the earth a little easier and stylish but how in the world do you get started?
What's the right diaper for you? Why are there so many types of cloth diapers? What do all of those code words mean? Is this some kind of secret club for hippies? Do we REALLY have to pay for a diapering service?
If you're considering CD (cloth diapers), you've probably asked those same questions...and many more. Don't worry supermom, we're with you!
We did our research, narrowed down our options and then took the plunge. We picked out the diapering system that we thought would work best for our home, our lifestyles and our budget. Then, out of the clear blue sky (that we're trying to save with these dang diapers), we started reading poor reviews and hearing awful things about the CD that we just registered for.
Back to square one we go...
And so we thought, "Hey. This stinks. Literally. Let's face it - every diaper is going to have its share of fans and we are only going to learn the ins and outs by spending the money and just trying it out for ourselves. Maybe we should include our blog readers in this adventure. You know, to save them the misery of making the same mistakes. Nah! Let's watch them squirm like we had to..."
Okay, that last part was a lie. Please, don't squirm (unless you are changing a totally gross, icky diaper...then go ahead, squirm away). As we begin our official journey to becoming CD super-parents, we thought we would include you in the ups, the downs, the dos and don'ts. Are you ready for this?
First of all - we need you to understand a few things about our diapering journey:
We drive an SUV and a scooter Jason is all about technology Katey is all about that homemade hippie stuff We both like to be barefoot Katey shaves her underarms Jason showers twice a day Katey showers twice a week (to save water...?) We run our sprinklers 3 times a day because we are obsessed about green grass We love our earth because God calls us to We tried growing our own veggies and grew mushrooms instead We dream about living in the country, surrounded by gardens We think that CD is one small way to be a little greener CD is cheaper than disposables and we like saving money
See? We are a totally unqualified mish-mash of a mess that really has no idea what going green truly means in relation to how we attempt to live healthy lives. Can you relate? Perfect.
Let's start with the basics:
Disposable diapering is BAD. Glad we cleared that up. Really, form your own opinions. We don't want to shove our ideas on you. But since this is OUR blog, we do want to share...
1 diaper stays in a land-field for 300-500 years
Let's do some math... 1 kid + 10 diapers/day x 30 days = 300 diapers each month 12 months in a year x 300 diapers/each month = 3,600 diapers/year 3,600 diapers x 3 years (average potty training age) = 10,800 diapers for ONE kid 10,800 diapers x 300 years (in land-field) = WOAH!
Catch our drift?
So let's talk about the CD lingo that has your brain turning to mush: We're going to make this reeeaaaaal simple. You only need to know TWO things to get started...
Fitted Diaper: All-in-one cloth diaper. These diapers do not require diaper covers. They go on just like a disposable, but are cloth.
Pre-Fold: Thick burp cloth used as diaper. (These are VERY budget friendly)
What is probably overwhelming you the most is all of those brands. We agree, there are too many. But this is a consumerism world folks and as much as you hate having so many confusing options, we know that deep down, you love being able to pick from a plethora of cutesy printed and colorful cloth diapers...who cares if they work, they're cute! Wrong!
This is the part where we encourage you to use your search engine. Research like your little life depends on it. Read about different brands - what they do and most importantly, what they DON'T do. Don' get distracted by all of the cute colors and fun patterns. Remember, these are diapers, not prom dresses! You are one of few people who will ever see them...unless your one of those weirdo parents who are super proud of cloth diapering and take every opportunity to strip your baby down to his birthday suit, just to show off your "saving the earth one diaper at a time" pride. We beg you - don't be THAT parent.
Decide if you want to pay for diapering services (boo! Save your money!) or plan to wash the stinkers yourself OR even better, start kissing up to your in-laws who live just a few blocks away and have volunteered to help with anything you need...muawahaha!! (Hi mom!)
No, really...time not only flies, it evaporates. Although we met in elementary school many, many years ago (okay, not THAT many years ago), it is hard to believe that we've been able to cram so many wonderful memories into such a short amount of time. Some of our favorite memories take us back to familiar sights and smells throughout California where we have been road-tripping fools.
From the get-go, our road trips have been pretty spontaneous. They started as Jason's romantic approach to wooing me (which totally worked) and quickly became our favorite way to spend time together, bond and see life beyond our small town. We have been blessed with opportunities to visit Texas, Washington and Alaska. We even ventured out to the East Coast last Fall for our honeymoon when we visited Cape Cod, MA.
We celebrated every milestone of our relationship with a trip out of town - sometimes with less than $100 to spend in one weekend. We've slept in our car at truck stops, made ridiculously good (and illegal) time getting places, have seen parts of this world that we never imagined to exist and most enjoyably, we have seen parts of each other that we never imagined to exist. There are many layers to our hearts, souls and personalities and when we get into a car, gas up for a big trip and settle into our seats with snacks, something magical happens...we fall in love all over again. Deeper and harder, with more passion and insight, we fall in love.
These little adventures led up to our marriage, the purchase of our home and now, the biggest adventure of our lives - our son, who may or may not have been conceived on a road trip. ;)
To celebrate all that we have accomplished, and all that is in our future, we have decided to take yet another road trip. But this time it's different. This time, we will be taking our VERY LAST road trip as a couple. Sure, when Nolan comes, we can leave him with the grandparents for a weekend when we get an itch to travel, but our minds and hearts will still be back home, with our son, which is exactly how it should be. But for now, it is just us (with a little baggage in the front) and because this is our last little hoorah before Nolan arrives, we made sure to plan this one out - you know, make it romantic and junk.
So here's the plan...yes, we expect you to be super jealous and no, you can't come with us...
We like to keep things simple and with a baby on the way and budget in mind, who wouldn't? After weeks of research, I Katey, found a quaint little cottage in Cambria, California where we will spend two nights and nearly three full days. Although we enjoy staying in hotels, we wanted something a little more personal and private where we could spread out and explore. Can you believe that we found the PERFECT little place for LESS than what a hotel costs? And trust us, this is no dingy cottage...
2 bedrooms, 1 bath with a full kitchen for our homemade meals. Located one mile from the beach and one mile from restaurants and shopping, we will have every option at our fingertips. The interior of the cottage is lovely - simple and inviting - but it is the backyard that has captured our hearts. There is a very large garden, including raised beds with veggies galore! We have been invited to partake in the harvest and with the Farmer's Market just a few blocks away, we will be able to feast on Cambria's finest without breaking the bank...and of course, this encourages a romantic night in with a home-cooked meal. Raised above the garden is (are you ready for this???) a human nest. C'mon, that is just way too cool! The nest is perfect for an afternoon nap, reading, watching the sun set and sleeping under the stars. Under the nest, and my FAVORITE part, is an outdoor claw-foot tub with hot and cold water, candles and bubble bath.
Now, if you can find a hotel for only $100/night that offers all of the above, you win...but I think we will hold the tittle of "world's best bargain shoppers who totally scored a sweet place" until we can be proven differently. Good luck.
This cottage magnifies the beauty of Cambria, and it would be silly of us to leave our camera at home...this got us thinking...ever the penny pinchers that we are, we would like to take maternity pictures but feel as though it is a frivilous expense (no offense photographers). With Katey on restricted rest, our income just dwindled down to shillings and this trip alone is going to be a bit of a splurge so we've decided that we are handy enough with our fancy camera, and we have decent enough editing skills, that we are going to try our hand at catching the beauty of pregnancy on camera. We take lots of pictures all the time, but have never done a photoshoot, so wish us luck. If we take thousands, we should end up with at least ten decent pictures, right??
Oh boy, we just can't wait! We will be hitting the road next Friday and of course, we will update you with stories and pictures when we return home. But, for those of you nosy readers (don't worry - I'm totally a nosy blog reader!) here is a sneak peak at the exact spot where I will be sipping a non-alcoholic fru-fru drink under the stars with pruny fingers, a belly full of baby and a husband to love until the day we die...
(not 100% about baby, but 100% about money...and babies cost money)
"You make what?!?"
It's true. We aren't millionaires. Not even close.
Who knows why, but there have been several friends, family members and blog readers who have taken interest in our finances lately. I, Katey, have been contacted by strangers, even, asking how a young couple like us is able to manage a home and growing family on a shoestring budget. I'm flattered that people recognize our hard work to stay financially secure in such a shaky economy, but I'm not sure that many of them (or you) realize how small and how tight that shoestring of a budget really is.
Sure, we would always like to make more. Who wouldn't? But the point, for us at least, is to appreciate what we do make and to use our resources wisely. Well, as wisely as a 23 and 25 year old can manage...c'mon, we love road trips!
Because so many have asked, and because we are glad to share if it helps others, we thought it would be fun to share our saving secrets with the world...or at least our readers.
But first, the shocking number that makes everybody ask... "You make what?!?"
Under $30,000
Yes. That's it.
The simple math is this: 2 people + 1 full-time income + whatever money Katey makes doing whatever it is that she does = under $30,000.
We aren't suffering. In fact, life is really good and we would love to share with you the simple steps that we have taken to be able to confidently celebrate and enjoy what we make.
Steps to Stretch $$$ Without (totally) Losing on Luxury:
Probably the most important thing to do first is to recognize what luxury means to you. If a home the size of the White House, a garage full of cars like Jay Leno's and a night life as ritzy as the Hollywood stars is your idea of luxury, then this post is going to make you VERY uncomfortable. Basically, evaluate what is need and want in your life and decide which of those wants should stick around and which ones should hit the road.
For us, we consider luxury to be this: We own a 3 bed/2 bath home. We NEVER go hungry. We have transportation. We have more clothing than we need. We have loving friends and family. We have a VERY spoiled dog. And we have a baby on the way.
So go ahead - take an inventory of what you consider to be luxury.
Now the steps...
1. Budget, budget, budget! For us, the most important thing is to make sure that we are not spending more each month than we are bringing in, causing debt to pile up. Jason is the "man with a plan" and he does a fabulous job at keeping us accountable to our budget.
Quick Tip: Don't start planning your budget with how much you can spend each month. Instead, budget for how much you want to SAVE each month. Pay yourself (rather, your bank account) first, then factor in a mortgage or rent, cost of living, transportation, animals, children, etc. Also, when making your budget, don't forget about vacations and gifts - birthday parties, bridal showers and other fun happenings seem to sneak up on people and you want to make sure that you've budgeted for such occasions.
2. Just Say No Decide right now, between you and your spouse, who is the tough one. Make sure that the "tough one" is prepared to refuse to buy that really, really cute purse that you sooooo "need" or the baby bedding that would be sooooo perfect but costs soooo much. For us, Jason is the tough one. It's the only way that we can celebrate and enjoy our income. If it were up to Katey, we would move to Disneyland, never work again and buy everything we ever wanted.
Quick Tip: Ladies - when it doubt, cry it out. If hubby says no, don't fight him. Trust his judgment, give thanks for being blessed with such a wise husband and then, when you have a moment to yourself....go ahead and weep. There are many purses and shoes out there that I have shed tears over but I promise you this - crying over a purse is a whole lot easier than crying over your home going into foreclosure. Husbands - have grace. We need it.
3. Used Is The New New Remember when pink was the new black? Well, used is the new new. We are yard-sale and consignment junkies! We've owned our home for one year now and still do not have bar stools but that is because we haven't found them used. There is NOTHING in our home that is brand new and we get compliments all the time on our furniture and decor. (Of course, we scored on some new stuff for our kitchen when we got married...but those were gifts).
Quick Tip: You will save 50-90% if you take your time and search for used items instead of buying new. Try Craislist, Ebay and other online resources. You can also find great deals at yard sales, second-hand stores, consignment stores and thrift stores.
For many years, we both had single moms and although they both re-married, they continued to live as though they only had one itty bitty income. Shopping at The Dollar Tree, yard sales and thrift shops is old hat for us but we do understand that it may be a stretch for those who are accustom to finer living. Our advice to you - start small. Soon enough, you will learn to enjoy hunting for a good bargain and who knows - maybe you will be teaching us a thing or two about shopping.
4. Sales Racks When it comes to clothing, keep it simple. If it isn't on clearance, don't bother trying it on. If you try it on, you will fall in love with it and convince yourself that it's worth the purchase. Sure, it might be a super cute dress for only $25 but how many other super cute dresses do you have in your closet that you've actually worn in the last month??? Exactly. If it's not on sale, it's not available. End of story.
Quick Tip: Decide now on a fair amount to spend on each clothing item. For example, Katey refuses to spend more than $15 on a casual dress. She never buys a shirt that is more than $8-10 and pants don't go home with her unless they are under $25. This includes sales tax.
Another helpful hint... if you buy five articles of clothing, DO NOT take off the tags until you remove five articles of clothing from your closet. Give those items away - bless someone in need or donate them to a thrift store. You never know - you just might be browsing the clothing section at the good will and find an adorable top for $.25 that came from the trendy closet of a gal who sticks to the "what comes in, must go out" rule. 5 in, 5 out. Simple.
Plus, your husband will complain less about you buying clothes if your closet isn't already busting at the seams.
5. Buy in Bulk Not everybody has a Costco card. We are blessed to be Costco members through Jason's work. If you do have a Costco membership, buy as much as you can in bulk. Obviously, some things will spoil before you can eat it all but items like dog food, toilet paper and laundry detergent are great examples of buying in bulk and saving money. YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY A MEMBERSHIP TO BUY IN BULK. It's a shame that so many people think they have to put in to get out. You don't. There are plenty of stores where you can buy in bulk. In fact, Katey prefers Winco over Costco because she can buy cereal, beans, pasta and baking items in bulk and doesn't have to pay for the packaging.
Quick Tip: Shopping at stores where you bag your own groceries keeps the cost down. The fewer employees that a store has to pay, the lower the cost of most items. Plus, you get a mini-workout when you bag your own goods and haul them to your own car. Also, shop for your items on the bottom shelves. The pricey stuff is places eye level. Buying off-brand items also helps to keep your cost down. And, like our mother's have been saying for years...don't go to the grocery store hungry. You will buy way more than you need. We would like to add to this rule by saying: Don't go to the grocery store pregnant. Fellas, your woman will eat you out of income so if you want to afford that child, do the grocery shopping alone for 9 months. Also, need we say it? Coupons!!
6. Sharing is Caring Check this out - Jason's co-worker was moving out of her home at the same time we were moving into our home. She knew that we loved her big dinning room table (seats 14) and she blessed us by GIVING it to us because it was not going to fit in her new home. In addition, she gave us two large cabinets from Ikea that she no longer wanted. A few months later, one of Katey's friends mentioned that she needed a big cabinet and Katey mentioned that she was looking for a hutch to use on the patio as a potting area. Katey traded one of her big Ikea cabinets for the hutch that her friend no longer needed. How about them apples? The point here is that sharing is caring...when someone blesses you, pay it forward. Also, trading home goods with friends is fun. Katey often trades her homemade soap for fresh veggies from friend's gardens. Everybody wins :)
Quick Tip: There are several sites online where new and expecting parents can trade items with other parents. Use your search engine to find such sites...trust us, you will save a world of money! Besides, why hold onto that changing table if your toddler can potty on his own? Trade it in for a toddler bed, or a front-facing car seat.
7. Stingy is Sexy Here us out... When we got married, Katey thought she was going to die of embarrassment every time it we got to the check out line and Jason started chucking items out of the basket because spending $2 on Kleenex was "way too much", or would ask the clerk if he could get a discount because the packaging had a small hole in it. What was once super mortifying for Katey to be apart of has now become SUPER SEXY. For every item that Jason chucks, Katey now sees dollar signs that add up to a new pair of shoes, new purse or something for the baby. Let us be the first to tell you - we would not be buying a car right now if it weren't for Jason's stingy ways. $10 here and there adds up fast!
Quick Tip: Fellas - stick to this. Be the man you claim to be and get stingy! It might not cause your wife to swoon right away but as soon as she starts to see her clothing budget increase, you will see your efforts paying off. Remember, the stingier (within reason), the sexier!
8. Invest Who invests their money anymore? It seems like it has become the American dream to spend but the reality is that unless you invest, you'll be a financial mess. (Yes, we rhymed on purpose). We aren't encouraging you to throw caution to the wind and put all your eggs in one basket of stock....in fact, please don't. We do encourage you however to contact an agent in your area who can assess your finances and help you to make wise decisions in your investments. Here at the Rallis home, we are big fans of mutual funds/bonds. Interest adds up fast folks...don't underestimate the power of investing.
Quick Tip: Whatever you invest needs to become invisible money to you. In other words, unless you are in the midst of a major emergency, are retiring or are paying for a kid's college tuition...DON'T TOUCH YOUR INVESTMENTS. It only adds up if you leave it alone. We've been married less than a year and have over $6,000 in our mutual funds. Trust us...it's like magic. One minute you have it, the next you don't.
9. Bring Back Game Nights We're a social couple so hosting game nights is a breeze for us. We love getting together with friends and probably what excites us even more is opening our fridge to those friends. Think about it - you're not paying for entertainment and you are sharing a meal with your buddies, who are all saving money by hanging at your place instead of going out on the town. We love our game nights but we won't lie - we like to eat out. This is probably one of our biggest areas needing improvement. We've started by planting a veggies garden and creating menus that inspire us to cook. We've cut back from eating out about 5 times a week (gasp!) to about three and we'd like to get it down to once a week...two if there's a special occasion.
Quick Tip: Pick one night a week when everyone knows that the party is at your house. You will look forward to that night all week, and so will your friends. Encourage your pals to bring table games, movies, games for your Wii or whatever to increase variety. If you and your gal pals are big readers, hold book club meetings once a week. Even better, make it a weekly potluck with games, books, movies, whatever. Everybody brings a new dish each week and not only are you entertaining on the cheap, but you are also eating on the cheap too....and it is likely that there will be leftovers!
10. Don't Be An Idiot Seriously. Just don't. Tempting as it may be, credit cards are not the answer to your needs, wants or impulsive moments. In fact, we are pretty sure that Satan himself invented negative credit. Sure, a couple credit cards per family is okay as long as you are making payments on time but PLEASE, we beg you...don't be an idiot. Nobody needs a 200 gallon fish tank in their living room THAT BAD.
Quick Tip: Our rule of thumb with credit cards is this: If you don't have the cash, don't swipe your card. The idea is that we use our cards only to build good credit so when we fill up the car with gas, we swipe our card and then head to the bank to deposit cash (or wherever you go to pay your credit card bill). If we only have $15 in cash available, then we only swipe $15 worth of gas on our card.
And so...
There are hundreds of additional things that we do daily to save money and stretch our income, but we thought these ten tips might help get you going in a healthy direction. PLEASE note that we are not experts by any means. We have been married less than a year and are still figuring out how to share money, especially on such a tight income...so by no means are we even close to being good at this money stuff. We have however found what works for us and we work very hard to stick to the rules, expanding on fun ways to enjoy life on the cheap.
We know that money can be overwhelming and we know that financial freedom can seem like such a distant dream at times but we want to share with you the things we are able to celebrate today and hopefully this will encourage your journey to a healthier financial life.
At the ages of 23 and 25... We have ZERO credit card debt. We own our home and one car. We are buying a used (new to us) car this week. We have a baby on the way and we can actually afford the kid! We have money in our savings account, money in mutual funds (investments) and money in the baby bank. Out of a possible 850, Jason's credit score is 820.
This is not to brag, but to encourage. If we can do it, so can you.
It may not seem like it, but we still have plenty of luxuries...
We eat out A LOT. We love to go bowling (cheaper on Sunday nights) and we love going to see movies (cheaper to see them in the afternoon and take your own snacks). We greatly enjoy watching our favorite shows and movies at home (don't pay for cable...we have three channels on our TV and pay $10/month for Netflix which gives us a lot of viewing options). We even take road trips just about every month (make it a goal for gas to be your biggest expense...stay with friends, eat cheap, enjoy the scenery).
We hope that as you prepare for your little one to arrive - or whatever big goal you are looking forward to - that you will be able to find freedom from debt in the process, and pad your bank account along the way.
Next time someone asks you about your income and budget, smile with pride when they freak out and scream...
We were both raised in sales-rack homes by mommas who sniffed out the bargains and still managed to keep our wardrobes in style. It's only natural that we follow their lead and do our own investigative shopping.
It's so easy to become overwhelmed by the cutest little outfits and the must-have style of the moment but truth be told, baby is going to outgrow that top before you can get home and stuff him/her into it. Of course, you can't leave your little one naked but why spend top dollar when we have the secret to stylish clothing at a stylish price?!
First thing is first...
New or expecting parent, meet Sales Rack. Sales Rack, meet parent. If the two of you are strangers, it is time to become the best of buds.
DO NOT look at or touch anything that is full-price. Before entering a store, put on your thrifty blinders and prepare to shuffle through sales racks. The headache is worth it when you can afford your car payment.
Second...
Coupons. Don't wait for them to arrive in your Sunday newspaper. While checking out at stores, ask for coupons. There are also plenty of websites that make coupons available and easy to print. We will provide links to these sites once we feel that we've compiled a trustworthy list but in the meantime, play on Google....you will be pleasantly surprised by the coupons you are able to snag online.
Third...
Here are a few special store secrets to give you a jump-start on saving:
Old Navy marks down their items mid-week. Most do so on Wednesdays but check with your local retailer and then make it a date - once a month, or more often if needed, swing by Old Navy. If you wait until the weekend, you will miss the deals and have elbow room only, as all other parents are out shopping...with screaming toddlers, no less.
Old Navy and Gap both have a mark-down method. First markdown seems like a killer deal and for $3.99 per shirt, you are going to be inspired to buy clothing for the whole neighborhood of children. Guess what - it gets better. You might thinks that $3.99 for a little guy's polo is a solid deal, but that is just the FIRST or TWO markdowns. The second markdown ALWAYS ends with a 7 so if you find a kicking pair of kiddo's shoes for $5.97, snag them! Remember, when the clearance or sale price ends in any number other than 7, cool your jets and wait it out...good things will come!
Lastly...
No cash? No purchase!! We are celebrating the new-found freedom of being debt-free. It wasn't easy but trust us when we tell you, it is sooooo worth it! 5 bucks here and there add up on your card...FAST! Before leaving home to hit the sales, decide on your budget and when you think you've named a fair amount, CUT IT DOWN then take the plastic out of your wallet so that you're not tempted to charge. Take cash and cash only. You will thank us later.
There you have it - a few shopping secrets. We will continue to expand on money saving tips. Until then, bank it!
Katey, here. Let's face it - I'm not the most organized. Far from it in fact.
I have the best intentions about organizing my clutter but action seldom follows. At the request of hubby dearest, I recently began to gut our walk-in-closet. I got rid of lots of clothes, tried to organize my clothing and I even did some laundry...some. I still have piles of clothing scattered about the room but what did get hung up is organized by color and season...pretty snazzy, right?
One of my biggest fears about parenting is having a mess. I HATE messes, am overwhelmed by them and ultimately, this is how our home gets cluttered and instead of pushing up my sleeves and getting organized, I scoop myself another bowl of ice cream and slump into the couch, totally stressed about the insanity....and yes, secretly hoping my hero of a husband will just do it for me.
With a few great affordable finds, and loads of hand-me-downs piled on the nursery floor, I am already seeing a project grow into a problem. It has taken me three weeks to decide how to organize baby's clothing in his two dressers and closet. Do you organize by size? By season? By style? Where's the book on that??
I've decided to put socks and undies in one drawer, organized in size from left to right. Then onesies in the next drawer, sized left to right. Then sleepers, then tops, then pants, and so on.
In the closet, Jason is going to build a unit for "next season" and "next size up" clothing. We will also have a shoe shelf in the closet for little man. I plan to hang the fancy stuff - polo tops, button-downs, schanzzy slacks, jackets, sweaters, etc. But again, how do I keep the hanging stuff organized??
While shopping the sales racks at a kiddo's clothing store tonight, I had the most brilliant idea. (if I do say so myself) Plastic do-dads that have sizes on them, separating the clothes. The light bulb went on and once home, I searched the web for the do-dads. $30 for 5 do-dads???
No way. Next idea...
Why not DIY the do-dads?? I can make them to match the nursery! So this is my next afternoon project.
Here is an example of my DIY divide and conquer project...
