Since we are all about keeping it real on this blog, I will admit this last week has sucked. Big time. Getting back on track financially and doing what I can to make some extra money is getting very difficult. Thank you to the State of Iowa for “helping” in this endeavor. You have not made my life any easier this last week with cutting a few services as well as allowing the child support to drop down even though…
I had a discussion with a friend a few months ago and we came to a point that we had to agree to disagree. We were discussing what you should tell your kids about your finances. This can be a sticky area for most families. I would like to tell you how I handle finances with my kids and what I do with them. First of all, I will not lie to my kids about money. If I don’t have…
(From Christmas 2010 – My kids were so little!) Time to start thinking about Christmas! What that you say, Erica? Not ready for that Christmas thing! Me neither, but let’s get a positive attitude about it! We have three months and two weeks until Christmas! I also have two birthdays in that time so a little more creative planning is involved. I like to think ahead about these things and get the ball rolling. I have simplified Christmas to only…
With everything in life, when you are being hardcore about your spending and budget, something will challenge it. The challenge for my budget for at least 9-10 months out of the year is school. Something always comes up that is not planned on. With this week, Paige was going on a class retreat and need to help provide snacks. $6.00 for those snacks because homemade food is a no-no in this school district. I also bought a school shirt for…
Due to some unexpected expenses and trying to get caught up on some other bills that I was working on paying off, I am declaring a No Spend September. I am also extending an invitation to you all to join me! A No Spend Month can look a little different for everyone. Some people will choose to live off what they have in the pantry and some will allow a minimum budget for the grocery store. Some will have some…
Since I entered the Smart Phone world recently, I have had to learn a lot about this phone! I love its conveniences as well as its very, very helpful features. Some of those helpful features and conveniences come with some downfalls that end up costing you more money and time. They become very inconvenient! Then we get frustrated. The first thing to know about your cell phone is how to save your battery. I could not figure out why I…