In My Heart On Thursday

Making Money

Back in high school I wrote out a plan whereby the world could stop using money.  If I remember right, we would all go on a honest bartering system and we would all be happy.  Sounds nice, doesn't it?  Never feeling like you're lacking or deprived as long as someone else will trade you.  I'm thinking that idea won't soon be winning the Nobel Prize for Economics.

My life seems to be constantly tied up with the stress of money.  My brain is taxed to the hilt on payday as I divide a decent amount among an overwhelming number of bills and responsibilities.  My inner self struggles daily against the temptation of shopping.  The weight of unwise credit card debt keeps us aware of our bad choices.  My husband endures a lackluster job that allows us to leave adequately well.  And we wonder how our parents raised families on considerably less.

So what are we doing?  For awhile we've been half-doing Dave Ramsey's financial program.  It worked really well in the beginning and now we've just drawn it out too long.  We do have an emergency savings but need a shot in the arm to continue getting where we need to be.  I know he always says, "Beans and rice, rice and beans" but it seems like it would take eating our food storage every night for awhile before that would get us too far ahead.

We talked recently about moving into a small cheap apartment as a way to build up extra money each month. Truthfully, that's what we've done for our whole marriage.  The place we're living now is the first place we've really loved and for the perks that come with it, we'd be sacrificing more than just shelter to move out now.  

And we've talked about getting part-time jobs.  Indeed, I started applying for seasonal jobs this afternoon.  I'm not 100% sold on the idea, but it seems like a better solution than asking my already hard-working husband to be gone from his kids even longer every day.  If I think about it long, I do start getting excited about contributing again, especially imagining my check's chunk of money disappearing our debt directly.

We will keep on keeping on, but I'm curious...

when in similar situations, what do you do?

Want more A-Z?

No Time For Lazy

Well, I'm back from an amazing vacation in New Mexico and have three days before I leave town again.  The "L" word for today is definitely "LISTS."  I have lists of bills to pay and lists of groceries to buy.  Lists of clothes to wash and lists of clothes to pack.  Lists of things to do with the kids.  Lists of foods to leave for my family to eat while I'm away and lists of foods to buy when I get where I'm going so fast food doesn't break the bank.  Here's a brief overview of the things I'm planning on squeezing into the next 72 hours...

Book a hotel room in Denver

Buy black or gray pants-SCRAPPED

Call and yell at Frontier Airlines for once again not emailing my flight confirmation

Find a baby-sitter for Thursday and Friday

Take the books back to the library before they're overdue

Pre-school during naptime including a Columbus Day activity for today

Change the calendar from September to October

Buy two new blue Books of Mormon for a new reading challenge

Buy a new journal because it always makes me feel happy when I do that

Do October's budget

Pay October's bills

Get cash from the bank for all the other things

Find slow-cooker and soup recipes since winter apparently dropped by while I was away

Costco run for milk, eggs, and bread

Grocery store so my family doesn't have to eat ramen all weekend

Wash, dry, fold, and put away the laundry

Pack to go away again

Fit in a play date-SCRAPPED

Mail a book for paperbackswap.com

Research lodges for my family Christmas reunion

Clean out the car before the milk and french fries start smelling

Plan Family Home Evening because my 4-year-old just let me know he knows that's supposed to happen today

Clean the house before my baby's development specialist comes in the morning

And, oh yeah, squeeze a bath in before nobody wants to live with me...

Only half the alphabet?

Heading to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta for fun time with my family.

  Be back on the 12th to finish L-Z!

In My Heart On Thursday

"Curiosity is not a preparation."

-Elder Boyd K. Packer, The Holy Temple