WFMW - school pics

I've started sort of a different tradition than I think other people have... I buy Lil M a new outfit for when she has her school (daycare) pics taken. Maybe it is because they take them so late, here it is March, but I am liking our new tradition and have a plan to keep it going once she's in real school. Most people I know buy their kids new clothes for the beginning of school. But isn't it sort of fun to have a new outfit (or even just shirt) for the picture day? It is the remembrance I'll have for that whole year, after all!! :)

Just my little what Works For Me Wednesday idea...

Lil M hasn't been feeling too well this week (fever night before last and then coughing and bloody nose last night from sneezing). It's also been a very busy week in the M-household... even T said she needs an "M" name and so does Skippy, LOL. So, she's Morrie and he's Mozart (well, or Merle, lol)... and NO I didn't even mention it to her, but it has been said before that we're the M family. ;-)

T had her ACT yesterday and we're both hoping she did better than her pre-ACT's...

Oh, and I got a promotion at work. :D That was good, but others were hurt in the process and I do not like that at all.

Please go here for other WFMW great ideas!


Peace.

WFMW - Toddler Chores

Cleaning the house as a single Mama can sometimes be a little tricky. ... with a 3 year old (tomorrow) in the house!! So, sometimes I try to pick times of the day that Lil M is asleep or eating or watching her show to get chores done.

Other times, I let her help. Things she can help Mommy with (which, of course, is all relative)!!

1. sweeping the kitchen floor with a broom,
2. putting folded clothes in her own room, or on mommy's bed, or in the kitchen for me,
3. putting her toys in her toy box (nightly),
4. putting her dish(es) in the sink when she is done eating. she can't quite open the refrigerator herself, yet, so she puts her leftover drink on the counter, too,
5. picks up the weekly newspaper from outside and puts it in the recycle bin,
6. helps mommy get the mail and brings it in,
7. helps mommy unload the dishwasher, by taking things (not knives) out of the dishwasher and hanging them to me to put away
8. helps mommy unload the groceries. she can carry up a light bag from downstairs to the kitchen, and then she takes the items out of the bags for me, and i put them away.

What a great little helper I have. :) This works for me!! Go check out other WFMW ideas!

Peace.

Basic Budget

I thought I'd write my thoughts about creating a basic budget. I know this might seem, well, really basic... but that's all it needs to be! Sometimes I think we make things much harder than they need to be!

I've got my budget complete, and it includes all of these, and then some.

1. House payment or rent
2. Car payment (even if you don't have one, i suggest starting to pay yourself)
3. Home upkeep bills - phone, cell phone, cable/satellite, water, sewage, heat, A/C, electric, internet...
4. Debt - credit cards,
5. Insurance (health and life and car and home...) the insurances that are a must are car and home/rent. the other two, well, i hope you have.
6. Groceries (start with what you know, then write down what you eat monthly for each member of the family for each week.)
7. Gas allowance and car miscellaneous (oil changes and the like)
8. Lunches
9. Pet food and such (dog food, cat food, cat litter...)
10. Vet bills, dry cleaning, etc.
11. Savings allowance
12. Fun allowance

Write it all down. Put a realistic/actual bill amount next to each item. Add them up. Do they add up to your monthly income? Are you over extended?

The next step is to figure out where/how you can cut back, if you are over extended, to be within your budget.

The step after that is to pay down your debt. Take one credit card and pay it off. Feel good. :) Do it again (if necessary).

Save an emergency fund.

Start paying yourself in advance... 401K, savings, IRA, CDs...

For me, I'm paying down debt. I've cut back, way back. I've never lived over my budget, or so I thought. But when you add the credit cards... you see it all adds up and you're likely over budget. Or why else would you use your credit cards every month? Right? You say you don't need it, but think about it. I don't like having to rely on them. The interest is obscene.

I put some of my savings into CD's this month. I use a Credit Union (which I HIGHLY recommend if you can get into one where you live)... because they always have higher CD rates than the normal banks.

By coming up with a plan to get things paid off, I can get my savings boosted back up here soon!! That feels really good :)

Peace.