Plan More - Save More!

In an effort to keep up with our debt snowball, we cut back expenses in a few areas. We started with cutting back our food cash allowance by $50 for two weeks. This is a small change, but it's an additional $100/mo to put towards our debt snowball.

So, here comes the changes I need to make with meal planning. We eat lots of produce and lean meats. A few nights a week, though, we have homemade "fun" meals such as nachos or pizza. Anyways, costs can add up if you are always buying the convenient options!

Although we have managed to stay within our budget, I am convinced that we can cut a few more corners to save some money.

I planned our meals for next week using some new money saving pointers that I wanted to share:

• When cooking meals with meats, throw in more veggies, beans, or wheat pasta/rice and use less meat. Try only using half of a package and use those other healthy fillers. Save the other half of the package of meat for another meal. As we all know, meat is expensive and this really will cut back on the bill! You can still get your protein through the sources mentioned here.
• Speaking of beans and rice - buy in bulk! You know those bags that are about $1 a piece and you get four times as much as you would in the can for the same price? With a little pre-planning, you can cook the rice ahead and soak the beans overnight. Just make sure to use both within a few days. It's nice to have it in the fridge ready to go and speeds up dinner prep too!
• Scour your cabinets before planning your meals. I did that tonight and discovered I already had some great items and planned my meals around those. You bought it, you may as well use it before it goes bad!
• Plan your meals around seasonal produce as much as possible. I am still learning on this one, but have been trying it out. Tomatoes and avocados are very inexpensive right now and are very versatile.

Keep in mind that this will require meal planning. You want to cut corners, but you also want to keep your health at the forefront of your mind. There are ways. Eating healthy isn't as expensive as everyone says. A little bit goes a long ways with a little planning!

Mommy Guilt

Okay moms. You all know we have it.

This morning, I was lacing up my shoes to go for a run when my husband came down with our 14 month old who had just woken up.

"Crap." I thought to myself. I had hoped to run and be back before she even woke up just so that adorable smile didn't twist the knife before I left to take some time for me.

She was ecstatic to see me and she was (of course) absolutely adorable. I gave her a snuggle and thought for a minute that I should spend time with her and not go.

"No." My hubby said. "You go - she will be fine." (Have I mentioned how wonderful he is?)

So, I went for a run and it felt wonderful. I shook the mommy guilt the minute my shoes hit the pavement and I realized that she wouldn't miss me much for those 30 minutes because she was with daddy.

This is just one instance of mommy guilt. The whole concept is new to me, but I still struggle with it daily. Other moms tell me not to have it, but I wonder if they are trying to convince me or themselves.

All I can say is that we cannot be there all of the time and be everything to everyone. If we lose our identity and quit doing the things we love, we will eventually stumble into martyr-ville. I don't want to visit there - ever.

Will the mommy guilt ever go away completely? Probably not. But if we don't take the time for ourselves to re-charge, then we will suffer from guilt at getting short-tempered with the kids.

It's always something, isn't it?

Don't feel guilty about those times you want to take for yourself. You and your family will appreciate it.

Homeschooling

Over the course of the past few months, I have been learning about homeschooling and all it has to offer. I don't know everything, but what I found definitely interests me.

I used to think that a public school education was necessary for every child to gain social skills needed to function in society. I also thought that children would generally excel in a group environment of learning, but what I have learned has really opened my new mind to thoughts and ideas on the topic.

According to a few moms on the Simple Mom podcast, their homeschool activities take about three hours a day. The other hours of the day, the child spends exploring his or her natural interests in a highly creative and encouraging environment. Does your child love to play with legos and build things? What about music? Think about all of the options available in a home setting with time to explore that he or she would not have in the classroom.

As a parent, it is our job to encourage and support children in whatever they are interested in. I remember being told as a child that I would never be good at math because I was a girl. I think this type of discouragement is ultimately damaging. In a homeschool environment, a parent would (hopefully) never tell his or her child this.

I started thinking about family trips that could be a learning adventure. Exploring caves, camping, and searching for shells on the beach. It can all be integrated into the curriculum. I would have the opportunity to be a part of my daughter's education. I love the thought of more time with her and getting to see her develop as a person. There are so many amazing programs and virtual groups out there that encourage get-togethers, so homeschooled children would have social interaction with one another. Technology has allowed homeschooling to take on a life of its own.

I am reaching out to other parents for thoughts and advice on this topic. How do you think homeschooling could encourage your children? Do you see it as an advantage or disadvantage? Why?

I am just jumping into this vast pool of knowledge, and look forward to what I can learn along the way. My daughter is only 14 months old, but the more I learn now - the best choice I can make for our family later.

Kicking the Habit

The past few weeks have been a lot better. I am back to cooking more "clean" meals and having a little fun on the weekends with food. I have noticed a difference in my overall health and how I am feeling.

I am still struggling with the snacking at night. The key for me is not to have the temptation in the house, so I am working on that. Something with being bored while my husband is at work makes me want to reach for the snacks. Does anyone else struggle with this or have helpful advice?

How is everyone else doing?

House or Home?

As I sit here in our 1200 square foot house and type this blog, I ask myself the question "is this house or home?"

Growing up, my family moved frequently. We never settled down in one house and my nature, which craved stability, always found it frustrating. Moving was never an adventure to me; it was never exciting.

Fast forward several years and I am divorced, single, and and living in a small town. I want to buy a house, but to me this is a huge commitment and I don't want in over my head. I choose a small, quaint house with lovely hardwood floors that needs some work and is a the perfect size for me.

I am content here. I am happy. I am doing what I can on my own to fix things up and be proud of it. Then into my life walks my future husband who has a daughter. We date, move in together, have a child, and then get married.

So, here we are three years later in this 1200 square foot house with four of us looking for a little extra room. We have tossed around the idea of moving, but decided to stay put for the next few years. It's tight. It's cramped. There is so much we have to do here, but there are many reasons this feels like home to me.

This is the place where we are learning to be content with what we have. We have a very modest house payment, so we are making a financial decision that will allow us to get ahead in other areas of our lives. We are learning lessons from our mistakes and changing our future with our finances. The girls will share a room for a few years and will have the chance to deepen their already wonderful relationship.

I think, most importantly, this place is only full of memories that we have made. There are no memories from the past, but plenty of dreams for the future.

This place isn't just a house. It's home. It is often hard to see that we could move somewhere with more room, or a bigger yard, or something newer - but for the next few years, this home is where our hearts will be.

House of Marriage

Big news. I got married last week! As my (now) husband and I like to joke, we "locked down the babymama/babbydaddy."

Being almost five years out from my divorce, I never imagined I would be saying "I do" again. The road between then and now has been filled with doubts and fears but also as equally with love and hope. It's hard for me to explain in words; it just feels right.

I am a former marriage skeptic. Due to my past relationships and the example given to me as a child, I didn't have much faith in the union. To me, it seemed like something someone could escape at any time with any sort of mistake or could enter back into just with a simple "I'm sorry." It was a pretty house with no foundation that was about to crumble as soon as the wind blew the wrong direction.

What changed my point of view? There are many things that slowly built the foundation of our union over these past few years. Watching the kind of father he is to the girls and how he does the smallest things just to see me smile made me change my idea of marriage. Also, knowing that he does what he has to do for his family and is loyal is something to really admire. He is very trustworthy, hardworking, and talented. We have the same goal to become debt free and we have the same dreams for our future. It is an amazing connection.

So, since saying "I do" - have things changed between us? I would say most definitely. I felt a connection before, but now it feels deeper. It was something about vowing those words to each other that made me realize that this is for real. This is it. I love this man and I am going to spend the rest of my life with him.

We built the foundation and now we are building our house. We are building our future. It's an amazing feeling!