Weekly Roundup

Photo by JamiesRabbit

Earlier this week I wrote about the bon-bon day I had this week. This morning I read the following  posts that helped me understand my own need for time to myself:

Another Bon Bon Day

Why do you suppose I am so obsessed about homemakers taking care of themselves? I've written the following posts about this subject:

• August 2010 ~ Bon Bon Day
• September 2010 ~ Another Bon Bon Day
• March 2011 ~ Time to BE
• May 2011 ~ Taking Care of Yourself
• June 2011 ~ Parenting "Do as I Say, Not as I Do!"
• September 2011 ~ Proud to be a Quitter
• February 2012 ~ Putting Yourself First = a Better Wife

Am I obsessed because my mom died at the age of 50 and didn't ever have time/make the time to read a book?

YNAB: Followup

YNAB (You Need a Budget)

I have to admit, on Saturday I was ready to throw in the towel. The first couple of weeks that I used this software, I was so excited about it. I could see where our money was going and the changes that we needed to make to our budget.

Unfortunately, my perfectionism kicked in. On Saturday morning at 5AM I was ready to change everything back to the way it used to be. Thankfully I fell back asleep and had a conversation with my husband later in the morning (that went something like this...I'm changing everything back, no you're not, yes I am, no you're not, yes I am...we're mature that way LOL.)

I was frustrated because on paper I have a monthly budget, but my husband is paid every other week. They don't match and they never will.

Right now we are living paycheck to paycheck and I wanted everything to work perfectly in the software.


After reading the YNAB forum, I found a post about the "rules". If you scroll down to the username "Patzer" you'll see a great response about letting money sit. I have no problems letting money sit as long as the amount in the software matches the budget I have on paper. If it doesn't match, apparently I want to throw in the towel.

Perfectionism can rear it's head in many different and ugly ways!

The solution? I write down the average monthly amounts on paper and my husband fills in the budgeted amount on the software.

Here are the rules of YNAB (and my note to self:)

1. Give Every Dollar a Job
2. Save for a Rainy Day 
• Note to self: even if the amounts are not the perfect amount. Make a habit of putting SOMETHING in the category. Ie. $10 in gifts. No, it's not going to buy much of a gift, but it's the habit you create that will make a difference.
3. Roll With the Punches 
4. Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck

Even if you don't buy or use the software, if you follow the rules of YNAB, I imagine your financial situation will be better.

Weekly Grocery Shopping

The latest grocery tips:

• Convenience Food
• Reviewing Purchases
• Groceries and Shiny Sinks

This post has been linked to WeAreThatFamily.

Sunrises and Kiddos

Photo Credit

Had I known how quickly the sunrise was going to change, I would have taken a picture. The picture above doesn't even come close to how beautiful the sky was this morning.

I put my dog out on his leash, gasped at the beauty of the sky....poured myself a cup of coffee....took my dog off of his leash and the sky was back to normal.

Life changes that quickly.

Just yesterday {so it seems} I was working full time and running around chasing a 2 1/2 year old while nursing a baby...EXHAUSTED! Now that 2 1/2 year old is a 15 1/2 year old who drives a car.

Apparently there was yet another comment made about stay at home moms vs. working moms. I'll let you read what was said as I try not to get involved with anything political {thankfully some people enjoy that!} Here's what jumped out at me though...why do I waste my energy on things that just don't matter?

Getting angry doesn't do me any good because I'm not going to debate the issue with anyone. I am very thankful that someone corrected the woman who made the comment. My point is this: I get to choose how I spend most of my time and energy.

Time

Flylady wrote this yesterday:

All any of us need is the balance that comes from having effective habits that build into solid routines that keep our day running on a smooth and even keel. There is no such thing as perfect. We can never reach it, so why are we killing ourselves and our family in search of it!

Effective habits CREATE solid routines. Here are a few habits that have helped me:

• Habit: Remember that my value/self worth comes from God...He created me.
• Routine = ignore what others say

• Habit: Don't volunteer for ANYTHING until I have thought about it for a few days to see how it will impact my family. 
• Routine = look at the calendar, pray, keep a lot of margin in my day

• Habit: ALWAYS put myself first even if it's only for a few minutes {Bible time, exercising, time out by myself} 
• Routine = get up before my family, realize the importance of exercise and time walking along the creek.

• Habit: Always put my marriage before my kids.  
• Routine: when kids try to interrupt my conversation with my spouse ignore them until our conversation is done (still working on this one)

Of course I don't always make the right choices, but when I do my life is much better. Time is soooo precious!

Easter 2012 with my kiddos and Dad

When Flylady Doesn't Work:
I know some people say that Flylady doesn't work for them. I honestly can't understand this because her system has worked so well for me. I'm not saying it doesn't work for some, I just don't understand.

Step 1: Shine your sink Do NOTHING else until your sink is shined. Why? It doesn't matter. If you won't do this step, then you are not ready to change.

Here is the getting started page from her website: Getting Started

I'll be the first to admit that I do not do everything she does. For me Flylady has meant this...create routines and use your timer so you can get over your procrastination AKA perfectionism.

Here are a few more posts I wrote about homemaking.

Find more tips and tricks at WeAreTHATFamily.

YNAB: You Need a Budget Review

Photo Credit

Note: I have not received anything from YNAB for this review.

I am absolutely, positively in LOVE! All I want to do is spend money so I can enter the information into the computer program You Need A Budget (YNAB). I'm joking (well maybe not...)

Years ago I used the program Microsoft Money to record all of our spending (the budgeting part wasn't great in my opinion so I used excel for our budget.) When we decided to follow a Kinda/Sorta Dave Ramsey plan, we switched to a cash based system. It worked really really well.

In the beginning.

We used to have an entertainment envelope and when the money was gone it was gone. Same thing with groceries...needless to say I was really careful at the store. We had to be. We were at a point where we needed to be careful with every single purchase we made.

Over time my husband got a raise, we sold stuff, we paid off debts, we made quite a few changes. We didn't *need* to be careful with every single penny anymore. In fact, it was my husband's goal that we could relax a bit with our money (not go crazy mind you, but just relax...) I am so glad that we changed to a cash system for a while. Although we rarely had arguments about money, my husband and I needed the Dave Ramsey FPU class to get on the same page about finances.

YNAB Software 

The YNAB software has allowed us to go away from a cash based system, but still be in control over our money. The software uses a methodology that allows you to factor in your own personal situations. I frequently read the forums over at LivingLikeNooneElse. I have learned so much over at the website, but I don't feel like I fit in there since we do the kinda/sort plan. The YNAB forums have been very helpful and allow you to make your own personal finance decisions.

The software took me a long time to learn...it is a completely different way of looking at money than I was used to.

1. Your money is in one big ole bucket. The software doesn't care if you spend cash, savings or use a credit card.
2. First, you look in your budget to see if you have any money to spend in a category. If you don't have any money to spend in your grocery category, you have to move the money from some other category.
3. Your budget reflects the truth. Ie. If you spend money in a category that you didn't have anything budgeted then the category balance turns red (negative). If you use your credit card to buy something the balance shows up as a negative number in your account. That drives me crazy because we pay that off monthly, but it's reflecting the truth and that's what it's supposed to do.
4. One of the goals in YNAB is to pay your current months' bills with last months' income (pay May bills with income from April.) This makes so much sense to me. I wish I would have thought of it sooner!

Check out the features of YNAB at their website: You Need a Budget

A few tips:

• Take the live online classes that they offer. Don't start reading the forums first.
• This software might not be exactly what you need...in my case it's perfect. Get the 34 day trial first and see if it would help you (FYI - the software is cheaper to buy from their site than over at Amazon.)
• Check into the iPhone/Android apps if you have a smart phone. I have gotten in the habit of recording my spending while I'm still in the store then I sync up at home.

Find more tips at WorksForMeWednesday.

** This post contains an Amazon affiliate link. Thanks for choosing to support my blog. **

Dave Ramsey: The Kinda/Sorta Plan Worked!

Image Credit

The Dave Ramsey Kinda/Sort Plan:

Send every extra dollar we find in our budget to one of our student loans ~ without being in gazelle mode all the time. 

If you are unfamiliar with "gazelle mode" it basically means to do everything in your power to get rid of debt. For example: throw all money you receive as a gift toward the loan, get a second job, don't go on vacation, etc.

We started the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University Class on September 17, 2009. Our class met for 13 weeks ~ I was ready to go "gazelle" and totally stop spending ANY money, sell all that we had just to get out of debt, no vacations, etc.

Thankfully my husband is smarter than that. Our Dave Ramsey Kinda/Sort Plan includes vacations, concerts, healthy food, clothes, etc. We don't regret the student loan debt. I can't "hate" the student loan debt that we have...I would get them again in a heartbeat. I believe that my husband is supposed to be a physician assistant and I am supposed to be a homemaker. We had faith that we were following God's plan for our lives when we picked up and moved from Montana to Arizona so my husband could attend PA school (which is very very expensive!) The most important thing I've learned...

Faith first ~ Dave Ramsey's plan second

Which in my case means listening to my husband and respecting his wishes. This week we paid off a $25,000 student loan (took about two years.) I'm sure that we could have paid it off six months sooner if we would have gone "gazelle". I'm sooooo very glad that we didn't! Our kids will be gone before we know it (they are 15 and 13) ~ the memories we have from camping are priceless and well worth the extra time it took to pay off the loan.

Next up...using YNAB and changing my tune about using cash.

Frugal Recipe - Turkey Ala King

Originally published January 14, 2010...

wow have things changed around our house!

Turkey Ala King (my notes/changes for a kinda/sorta primal/paleo version):

• 1/2 c butter (gulp!!!) as I was eating some sliced Kerrygold butter my daughter said "Mom that's weird- it looks like you are eating a potato chip." Previously I thought fat was bad for you.
• 1 can mushrooms (or fresh mushrooms)
• some chopped onions if you like
• 1/2 c flour mix 1/4 c. arrowroot powder with a little cold milk
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1 1/2 c milk (I use reconstituted dry milk) Blech!!! I read how they make dry milk and no thanks!!! I use raw milk or more chicken broth and cream.
• 1 1/4 c chicken broth
• 2 c 4 cups cooked chicken or turkey  
• Peas (not sure how much!)
• noodles, biscuits, rice, mashed potatoes or toasted bread triangles

The new version looks like this:

• 1/2 cup butter
• mushrooms
• onions
• 1 1/2 c milk (or more broth and some heavy whipping cream)
• 1 1/4 c chicken broth
• 1/4 c arrowroot powder mixed with a little of the cold milk
• 4 cups cooked chicken or turkey
• peas
• rice or mashed potatoes

1. Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add mushrooms and onions.
3. Cook about 3 minutes or until onions are done.
4. Stir in arrowroot/milk combo, salt and pepper.
5. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly while adding milk and broth.
6. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute. Note: You might need to add more liquid if it's too thick.
7. Turn heat down to low and add chicken.
8. Heat until chicken is warm.
9. At this point I remove from heat and add in frozen peas. Let sit for a few minutes and it should be done.

This recipe serves my family of four, but doesn't provide leftovers.  You can freeze this and it turns out great as long as you heat it and mix it well.

I wouldn't claim that it's healthy, but it's definitely a family favorite!

Find other recipes at the Grocery Cart Challenge and Food Renegade.