This month was crazy. We had put together a very radical birthday package for Sister Bekah Howe. I say it was really radical because it was not expensive but hopefully fun. We put together a candy card using candy titles to write a letter to our favorite sister missionary. Unfortunately March was very busy and we did not get it out to her in the month of February her birthday month, so finally I remembered to take it to the post office 10 minutes before it was closing, I didn't want another day to pass by. Olivia and I jump in the car and we race off to try to make it. I had just gone through the light on 22nd and Kolb hit the gas and I heard the whirling sound of a police car. Yikes, I knew exactly what I had done, speeding.
So needless to say we did not make it to the post office. I was cited for not having my registration and received a ticket. I was clocked at going 11 miles over. Not ten, but eleven so the price of the ticket goes up by $40. Not very radical. My inexpensive present was climbing in cost. Since I hadn't gotten a ticket in many years I could sign up to take the defensive driving class. I put this off to the very last possible moment. So much so that I wasn't sure I could still take the class. I was suppose to sign up 7 days before the report date on my ticket and unfortunately I was calling the city because it was exactly 7 days if I counted the current date. I didn't want to pay for the class if it was going to be too late so I was on hold to talk to a city worker.
I was on hold for 45 minutes, no joke. It took so long I loaded up the car to go to my Friday kick boxing class and figured the music would be loud enough that having the phone on speaker wouldn't be distracting. Luckily the phone operator came on the line. I gave him my citation number and asked if it was too late to take the class. He then told me I was cited for not having my vehicle registration and all I had to do was take in a copy of my registration and the fee would be dismissed. I then asked about the speeding ticket, he said there was no speeding ticket. I told him but on my ticket it says that I was eleven over the speed limit. He told me that it does say that but that I wasn't cited for speeding. I asked him why not. He said I had a nice cop. Bless that wonderful cop! It was not in the radical budget. What a merciful cop.
Its a good thing, because my wonderful sisters surprised me with a birthday trip to Colorado!! I was sitting down to dinner on a Wednesday night. Lindsey was on the phone with me at dinner. She asked me if I believed in miracles. I said yes. She said say it out loud, say you believe in miracles. I laughed and said it out loud. She then asked me to check under my seat at the dinner table. I said ok, just to appease her not thinking much about it. To my shock there was something taped under the chair! I pull it off and read that it is a plane ticket for Thursday evening to fly to Colorado. A weekend getaway! It was unexpected and so much fun! We ate out, went to an awesome art exibet and musical presentation, a pine wood derby race, and the Denver temple. I love visiting my sisters I find that when I visit I get to see what awesome mothers they are. Hillary has great kids and she is a fantastic mom. I always leave wanting to copy something. March was a wonderful month!
Lessons learned in March:
1)Every unexpected win-fall goes to the goal! This month Benjamin got a small bonus, it is always fun to get more money, right! Sticking to our goal it did not even cross our mind to spend it on anything but our debt. Don't give in! Remember show your control so he can show you HIS control over everything.
2) Expect good things to happen! I was convinced the motorcycle cop was a "little devil leprechaun." I didn't think it would all work out. In fact I got very worked up about it, wailing and gnashing my teeth. It actually was quit pathetic how upset I got. "I don't have money for a ticket! This is not right! (Even though speeding is not right!) "Going radical never works out! I cried and yelled about it. So to hear the news that I didn't have to pay, to hear the news that I had a surprise trip planned, wow good things can happen!!!
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Going Radical! Second Month!
The second month proved to be harder. Unexpected expenses popped up which made sticking to the budget extremely difficult. I seriously debated whether I was going to purchase my Costco card again. I know the prices are cheaper there but that initial membership fee always gets me. During Christmas time, I used the bonus check they give you when you spend a certain amount, so membership fee was due, ugg $100 grocery money gone. It was a hard toss up whether to renew or not. I could buy yeast packets for $1.50 at Fry's or an entire package of yeast at Costco which contains well over 40 helpings of yeast for $4.99. The same applies to other baking products, and cleaning products. We faced another unexpected challenge with a $90 registration fine for missing registration for one of our vehicles, we had it but there was a mix-up with the county and it fell on our responsibility. My vacuum needed to be replaced. Benjamin had repaired that thing at least ten times, he brought it back to life on multiple occasions, she gave all she could but this momma needed something reliable for preschool. The carpet must be clean. So money had to go to buying a new one. I remember talking to my sister Lindsey saying I don't have money for this! She said, "Lesley do you really not have money for this? 10 years ago we both did not have two nickels to rub together is it like that or do you just not want to spend the money?" It was the latter, I didn't want to buy it not because I didn't have the money but because every dollar spent on something besides my debt brings me down. I only bought a cheap $50 vacuum that hopefully will last the year, fingers crossed arms folded. When every penny is labeled it is much harder when unexpected things come up and when you have very little wiggle room every penny is appreciated. Luckily nothing required us to dip into the emergency fund or use a credit card.
Lesson learned during February:
1) When you spend too much in one pay cycle it does not mean the next pay cycle needs to be over. Don't get into "its another drop in the bucket" mentality! We blew the budget mine as well buy the new couch, no my friend, my duct tape couch will not be replaced until the student loan is paid off!
2) I said previously how important it is for husband and wife to be on the same page, for the children to know your financial goals. Well I am extending the information to friends and extended family. The more people that know the better you will be able to stick to your goal. they will look out for you on good deals and not tempt you with enticing activities. When I ran my first (and last) marathon I told everyone that I knew that I was going to run it, it kept me accountable because I didn't want to be a drop quitter.
3) This month I really felt the Lord magnify our efforts in trying to keep in a budget, the gas for the cars seemed to last a little bit longer. The more you notice His hand in your life the more you will see how He is there guiding you.
Another month down, we can do this, I am praying for a miracle in April, please join me!
Lesson learned during February:
1) When you spend too much in one pay cycle it does not mean the next pay cycle needs to be over. Don't get into "its another drop in the bucket" mentality! We blew the budget mine as well buy the new couch, no my friend, my duct tape couch will not be replaced until the student loan is paid off!
2) I said previously how important it is for husband and wife to be on the same page, for the children to know your financial goals. Well I am extending the information to friends and extended family. The more people that know the better you will be able to stick to your goal. they will look out for you on good deals and not tempt you with enticing activities. When I ran my first (and last) marathon I told everyone that I knew that I was going to run it, it kept me accountable because I didn't want to be a drop quitter.
3) This month I really felt the Lord magnify our efforts in trying to keep in a budget, the gas for the cars seemed to last a little bit longer. The more you notice His hand in your life the more you will see how He is there guiding you.
Another month down, we can do this, I am praying for a miracle in April, please join me!
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Going Radical! First Month!
2014 is the year of the Radical! We are big Dave Ramsey fans, he is a financial adviser that specializes in helping motivate people to get out of debt. He has a 7 step path to financial freedom. The first step is establish an emergency fund of $1,000 dollars. Step two is snowball your debt. Start with the lowest debt no matter the interest rate pay if off then take the amount you were paying to that debt and apply it to the next debt "snowball" that amount until that sucker picks up steam and rolls all the way down hill to knock out you last debt. Going radical means that you are willing to sacrifice wants and sometimes needs (amazing how needs have a way of diminishing) to fulfill your greatest desire to get out of debt!
We have no credit card debt, no car loans, no Christmas or vacation debt. We do have land debt ( when we sold our land in Benson we had to sell it at a loss, we took out a loan from our 401K to pay the difference, ouch!) We have a student loan (Benjamin had been working full time in college but that last year he needed to not be distracted with juggling both full time jobs so we took a loan to pay for our living expenses while he finished up). Lastly the true beast our home equity loan ( this is what we used to pay the permit fees for said land, put in a well, dig trenches for said well, trenches for electrical lines, inspection fees, clearing of land for home site, architect fees, county fees, paying off a car etc) this little loan is the monkey nay the gorilla on our back.
Before 2014 I had been preparing the kids for a change in life style. Not that we have been extravagant in the past, but we did occasionally eat out, we always had big birthday parties and went on family trips a couple of times a year. This would all change.
Going radical means cash flowing everything. Every dollar has a name. I have three envelopes 1) grocery money 2) gas money 3) money left over after paying bills that is not going to be applied to the debt. Once these envelopes are empty, spending ceases till next paycheck. In the past I have done this but I have often cheated dipping into my checking account with my debit card. This will not happen in the year of the radical!
Well we have finished our first month and I have learned some valuable lessons, not in a particular order:
1) A couple must be united in this approach, when one is weak the other must be strong! When all you want to do is order pizza but the cash allotted for that is gone, one must say not in the budget lets make pancakes instead.
2) Its a family affair but kids lack the perspective that adults have gained over the years. This can be very challenging when they want something but it is not in the budget. Guilt can be very hard, one must constantly visualize the feeling of being debt free. And pray for strength!
3) Pay your tithing! Dave Ramsey is an Evangelical Christian he also believes in paying 10 percent of ones income. Before he learned sound budgeting he had learned the hard way how to control his budget. He and his wife had to file for bankruptcy even during that time he paid his tithing. Because tithing isn't about the money. God is God he does not need money. Heavenly Father wants to develop in us a willing/grateful heart (among other things) and paying tithing does this. When you allow yourself to be a giver He can than "open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on you."
4) Windows are WIDE open! In order to cash flow my daughters braces I needed a certain amount of preschool tuition to be paid in full (they get a discount by doing so) and it was! We were even able to pay off our land loan in January, five months early!
5) When you show self control, Heavenly Father shows you His control of the entire universe. He truly will bless your righteous desires. In the past we would have celebrated this big event with a specific cake from Costco, a chocolate bundt cake (http://www.howelesismore.blogspot.com/2009/01/never-say-never.html). I told the kids we paid off the land on Wednesday January 29 and they instantly said lets go buy a cake. But sticking to our envelops plan I knew the money still in the envelops was designated for something else. They were of course really let down but I was determined, but sad see #2. Benjamin goes to church with Dieter for a special youth night for the young men. At the end of the evening he comes home and says you are never going to believe what I got at church tonight he then shows me the exact bundt cake from Costco! Dieter said this is a true radical cake, free! Benjamin said the stake young men's president said we had an extra cake and thought your family would like it. Are your kidding me!!! Benjamin said to add to this tender mercy was the fact that the youth activity's theme was Heavenly Father knows each of us individually! Heavenly father knew we had a righteous goal of getting out of debt, he knew what we normally would have celebrated with and he new who had an extra one. See lesson #4!
Boom baby onto month number 2!
We have no credit card debt, no car loans, no Christmas or vacation debt. We do have land debt ( when we sold our land in Benson we had to sell it at a loss, we took out a loan from our 401K to pay the difference, ouch!) We have a student loan (Benjamin had been working full time in college but that last year he needed to not be distracted with juggling both full time jobs so we took a loan to pay for our living expenses while he finished up). Lastly the true beast our home equity loan ( this is what we used to pay the permit fees for said land, put in a well, dig trenches for said well, trenches for electrical lines, inspection fees, clearing of land for home site, architect fees, county fees, paying off a car etc) this little loan is the monkey nay the gorilla on our back.
Before 2014 I had been preparing the kids for a change in life style. Not that we have been extravagant in the past, but we did occasionally eat out, we always had big birthday parties and went on family trips a couple of times a year. This would all change.
Going radical means cash flowing everything. Every dollar has a name. I have three envelopes 1) grocery money 2) gas money 3) money left over after paying bills that is not going to be applied to the debt. Once these envelopes are empty, spending ceases till next paycheck. In the past I have done this but I have often cheated dipping into my checking account with my debit card. This will not happen in the year of the radical!
Well we have finished our first month and I have learned some valuable lessons, not in a particular order:
1) A couple must be united in this approach, when one is weak the other must be strong! When all you want to do is order pizza but the cash allotted for that is gone, one must say not in the budget lets make pancakes instead.
2) Its a family affair but kids lack the perspective that adults have gained over the years. This can be very challenging when they want something but it is not in the budget. Guilt can be very hard, one must constantly visualize the feeling of being debt free. And pray for strength!
3) Pay your tithing! Dave Ramsey is an Evangelical Christian he also believes in paying 10 percent of ones income. Before he learned sound budgeting he had learned the hard way how to control his budget. He and his wife had to file for bankruptcy even during that time he paid his tithing. Because tithing isn't about the money. God is God he does not need money. Heavenly Father wants to develop in us a willing/grateful heart (among other things) and paying tithing does this. When you allow yourself to be a giver He can than "open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on you."
4) Windows are WIDE open! In order to cash flow my daughters braces I needed a certain amount of preschool tuition to be paid in full (they get a discount by doing so) and it was! We were even able to pay off our land loan in January, five months early!
5) When you show self control, Heavenly Father shows you His control of the entire universe. He truly will bless your righteous desires. In the past we would have celebrated this big event with a specific cake from Costco, a chocolate bundt cake (http://www.howelesismore.blogspot.com/2009/01/never-say-never.html). I told the kids we paid off the land on Wednesday January 29 and they instantly said lets go buy a cake. But sticking to our envelops plan I knew the money still in the envelops was designated for something else. They were of course really let down but I was determined, but sad see #2. Benjamin goes to church with Dieter for a special youth night for the young men. At the end of the evening he comes home and says you are never going to believe what I got at church tonight he then shows me the exact bundt cake from Costco! Dieter said this is a true radical cake, free! Benjamin said the stake young men's president said we had an extra cake and thought your family would like it. Are your kidding me!!! Benjamin said to add to this tender mercy was the fact that the youth activity's theme was Heavenly Father knows each of us individually! Heavenly father knew we had a righteous goal of getting out of debt, he knew what we normally would have celebrated with and he new who had an extra one. See lesson #4!
Boom baby onto month number 2!
Benjamin turns 37!
Benjamin turned 37! All this man wanted for his birthday was pizza, homemade sugar cookies, and to watch the Cats play. Well, he got a lot more! The girls made him this awesome photo collage of the family, Parkin took a sharpie to a plastic baseball bat and decorated it for him, and Holman carved a key out of soap with his pocket knife. I bought him conversation hearts 3 bags I might add, we went to see the Saratov Approach with friends and we went out afterwards to one of his favorite restaurants, Claim Jumper. Our friends gave him a DQ card, what a lucky guy he is! I was super sad that the Cats lost, they really could have brought home the the perfect birthday for my hubs, he took the loss pretty well though :)
One of Benjamin's best qualities is his excitement for things, he loves his birthday, any celebration really. He does the countdown and gets everybody fired up. It is really endearing :) He knows how to play. I couldn't find him on Friday night I went to the front yard and there he was playing a game of soccer with our kids and some of the neighborhood kids. He is the fun Dad. At the park he helps organize the games that every kid wants to be in on. He is a good provider, he often gets awards for going above and beyond and being a team leader who is recognized for getting along with people who can be difficult. He actively tries his best at being Bishop, I am not gonna lie it can be challenging (at least for me and the kids) but he wouldn't change a thing in being able to see the power of the atonement in peoples lives. And dang he is good-looking, yep I think I will keep him around for another 37!
One of Benjamin's best qualities is his excitement for things, he loves his birthday, any celebration really. He does the countdown and gets everybody fired up. It is really endearing :) He knows how to play. I couldn't find him on Friday night I went to the front yard and there he was playing a game of soccer with our kids and some of the neighborhood kids. He is the fun Dad. At the park he helps organize the games that every kid wants to be in on. He is a good provider, he often gets awards for going above and beyond and being a team leader who is recognized for getting along with people who can be difficult. He actively tries his best at being Bishop, I am not gonna lie it can be challenging (at least for me and the kids) but he wouldn't change a thing in being able to see the power of the atonement in peoples lives. And dang he is good-looking, yep I think I will keep him around for another 37!
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Ear piercing time!
My baby girl is old enough to put holes in her head, specifically her ears! Olivia turned 11 so by our family tradition that means she can get her ears pierced. We made a day of it, we woke up early went out to breakfast with Bella and Nana. It was a great ladies breakfast complete with hot coco and little goodies. We made our way over to the mall to Claire's Boutique. Olivia chose the largest looking diamonds for her studs. Sounds like Olivia, right. She was apprehensive and even chose to hold the "Claire bear" don't worry she feels no shame. Of course after the first shot the next one was no big deal, way easier than a shot.
Olivia has started Junior High this year. She is a beautiful, talented and a very smart young woman. She is tall and I often forget that she is not older. She is kind, often reaching out to kids who have disabilities. She forgives freely. When someone is unkind to her she says its ok and gives them the benefit of the doubt.she has as close to a photographic memory that I have ever seen, she can read something once and can recall dates and info, thus lending herself to being an excellent student. To add to her maturity this year she got braces this week, now she is an official pre-teen :)
we love you Liv, sou make us laugh with your quick wit! She often has strangers laughing when they catch an unexpected political reference or pop culture comment. Liv you are our family's spice we are forever grateful for your amazing flavor! Love you for forever and a day!
Sunday, December 22, 2013
H-man turns 9!
Holman is our shy good looking man. He is kind and very smart and really funny when there is a familiar group. He changed schools this year which I was really worried about because he is so shy and resists change. But he prayed about it and I gave him the option of where to go. He felt impressed that he should change and he has done wonderfully. We through a party for him but it was very last minute and we asked Holman if he would like to have a party or would he like us to buy Super Mario Brothers wii game. He chose the party. He invited a friend from his old school (Kau), a friend form his new school (Katelyn), his cousin (Kate) and and his neighbor (Derek) to join us to go to the movies. We saw Frozen which luckily the boys enjoyed. The movie was very cute. Later we came back for pizza. The kids all had a great time. But to his great luck one of his friends bought the Mario game for him! So he felt like he had a win win!
Son I love you so much! I love your sincerity and your helpfulness. I love that you are such a great big brother often steering your younger siblings away from danger. You are such an amazing young man and can't wait to see what man you will grow into!
Adrianna's tea party
Adrianna turned 4! We celebrated by having a tea party with some of her preschool pals. The whole table was pinked out! We had little sandwiches and little cakes and cookies. It was real fun, complete with the birthday girl having a meltdown! We love this little lady. She is our youngest and I really worried about not having a younger sibling to be her buddy. I have learned that every family needs a youngest and she is ours. She is so independent, she loves people but also loves alone play (this is probably very true since her mother has three preschool classes a week). She is sweet and loves to be a cuddle kitten. Much like a cat she gives affection only when she wants to, so when it is displayed it is from the heart and willingly. We love you very much you are our angel, our strong willed, beautiful girl!
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