$500 Video

It's probably safe to say that Get Rich Slowly is my favorite finance blog. The author, J.D. Roth, is intelligent, vulnerable and experienced - three things I appreciate about his writing. J.D. encourages a community on his blog, featuring many guest bloggers and a host of staff writers so the wisdom and experiences shared are well rounded. If you haven't read his blog I encourage you to check it out.

Weeks ago J.D. announced a contest he was hosting - a video contest where people could submit a video giving a financial tip or a financial success story. You were allowed to enter one video per category.
At first it was an intimidating thought, but then I decided to go for it - what did I have to loose?!
I realized if Paul entered too our odds of winning would be even higher, so I encouraged him to submit two videos as well, which he did.

There were a lot of great submissions in both categories, though most people entered the "Tip" category and not the "Success Story" category. J.D. announced the winners last week and I was thrilled tickled pink overjoyed speechless that I won the $500 prize for Success Stories!

Here is my video submission:




*I intentionally went for odd pictures of us for the slide show and now it's a tad bit embarrassing that thousands of people have seen them!

I debated putting the money in the $20 Bill Challenge but don't think I will. I am suddenly overwhelmed with what to do with an extra $500 and will probably sit on it for a few months before spending it. Some ideas running through my head are a weekend vacation for the four of us or put it towards a new lens for my camera (Yes, I am looking to buy a lens that costs more than $500... but only when I have all the cash to pay for it!)

How would you spend $500 if it happened to fall in your lap?
I find it so much easier to dream about it when it's not a reality!

The $20 Bill Challenge

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Money Talk

Our church is doing a financial course on Wednesday nights and the man that led it this past week used this expression "Mile by mile is a trial, Inch by inch is a cinch." Meeting goals doesn't happen in one giant leap - it really is an inch by inch thing, sometimes two inches forward one inch backwards!

At the beginning of the year Paul and I sat down and made out a list of our financial goals for this year - if everything had gone according to plan we should have comfortably been able to meet our goals. But of course stuff happened. Doesn't stuff always happen?

We decided to buy a house. And then put in a wood floor. And then our car needed something fixed on it. And our idea of comfortably meeting our goals slowly fizzled away.

We are determined to meet the goals we set out for this year, they're just now requiring a bit more effort and sacrifice. Our grocery budget is now set in stone - while before I would make excuses as to why it was ok to spend $25 - $50 more each month (stock piling on diapers, having a special meal, having lots of company over, etc.) I now have cash only. And when it runs out, it's out. Right now we have $24 to buy food with for the rest of the month - which with the food I already have in the pantry and freezer it will be enough to make adequate and nutritious meals with for the next 8 days, albeit rather plain meals.

There are other areas in which we are sacrificing to meet our goals; we have unfurnished rooms, unpainted walls and second hand clothing. Paul's nice phone broke and he is currently using a cheap $20 flip phone someone gave him.

The other day I went to the mall to pick up a bathing suit for myself - they are currently 50% - 75% off regular price - and I found the coolest bedding ever for the boys room. It was $50 for each set down from $200 per set- and they had two sets! It was exactly what I had been envisioning for their room - but not only do they not need it right now (Wes is still in a crib and Judah doesn't sleep with any blankets at all, let alone a bulky comforter with a matching pillow!) but we had just reviewed our goals and it was forefront in my mind that we were trying to save every dollar to make our goals work. This bedding was a want that wouldn't be used for years down the road, but it was still hard to pass it up!! It was what I'd dreamed of for their room and not buying it was a sacrifice to our greater dream - that of meeting our financial goals for '09.

Having concrete financial goals for both short term and long term is so important for good financial communication in a marriage. Paul and I both know what it is we want at the end of this year, at the end of 5 years and at the end of 10 years with our money and knowing where it is that we want our money to go and what we want it to do helps us base our (financial) actions off of that and prioritize our purchases.

Yard Sale Finds - boy stuff

A few yard sale things I picked up this weekend for the boys:


I just love these shoes and was so excited to find them for .25 cents. I brought them home and tried stuffing Judah's feet in them, but sadly they don't fit. They're a size 7.5 and he is in size 9, so I knew they likely wouldn't fit but it was still disappointing that they don't. I'm holding on to them until Wesley's feet grow into them =)


This set of plastic coins were .25.


I love wooden toys and was excited to find these wooden camels (above) and the wooden fruit (below) for the boys. The camels are attached to each other by a chain with a donkey leading them - so cute! They were .50 cents.
The fruit was $2 is beautifully detailed - it came on a nice wooden serving dish and is suppose to be used for display but I am packing it away for a Christmas gift for the boys for them to use for play.


Click for more thrifty treasures

Money Saving Tips

Looking for unique ways to save money this holiday season? Take your kids shopping with you.
If you don't have kids under the age of two then borrow mine. Just before nap time. *smirk* I guarantee you'll stick to your pre-made list and not endlessly wander the aisles and needlessly pick up "stuff."

It works.

I promise.

Want another money saving tip? Of course you do.
Try not activating your debit card next time they send you a new one. Not having any access to it will keep you from spending money. I know this because I have been too lazy to activate my card. I got it back in JUNE people, and I have yet to activate it and carry it with me.

All of my money-spending outings must be pre-thought out - either having gotten the cash to carry with me or borrowing Paul's card.

Several times I have thought to myself "I think I'll take the boys to the mall today and just wander around to kill time."
And then I remember - I don't have money. So even though I hadn't been planning on spending money at the mall, I won't go without money. I probably would have ended up spending money. Thus (does anyone really use that word any more?!) not having a debit card saved me money.

Ashwin’s blog extravaganza

Ashwin is giving away $2,500!! Sounds unbelievable, eh? And even if it is believable there are over 300 people entered in the contest, and the contest is still open for another 15 days! All you need is a paypal account and to write the following blurb on your blog - oh, you also need to leave a comment on Ashwin's blog!

Over at Ashwin’s blog, you will find one crazy blog owner!! You can win $2500!! To enter just copy this text and paste it in your blog!! But hurry, this competition will not last long! So get posting!