Day One of The Learned Family Total Money Makeover.

Yesterday was the first official day of The Learned Family Total Money Makeover. (Wild applause here).  We are so excited about it.  Literally, we are just fired up.  Our Day One progress consisted of:

Depositing $5 into our savings account!

I know that doesn't sound like much (and admittedly, it isn't).  But it is actually VERY big deal.  We established a new savings account with the online bank ING Direct.  It's not sketchy, we did our research before we signed up.  It's a real bank that is FDIC approved and all that jazz that you hear on commercials about banks that I never paid attention to before yesterday.  The cool thing about this bank is that they offer good interest rates because they don't have very much overhead, since they have no actual branches.  They have wonderful customer service, and it's absolutely free.  There is no account minimum, either.  You can have unlimited accounts (we plan to eventually have a savings account for separate categories...more detail on this later) and even have a checking account.  For now, we are just going to keep this savings account, which we have nicknamed "1000 Emergency Fund."

The gist of what we're doing is this: Step One of the Total Money Makeover is "Save $1000 Fast."  It's your baby emergency fund.  Since you do not use credit anymore, you have to have some sort of security in case it rains (and, as Dave makes sure to tell you, it WILL).  He encourages people not to dwell too long on this step, just get it done.  Every extra bit of money that you can save should go straight to this account.  He also encourages people to keep it liquid, but also keep it safe and protect yourself from being too impulsive.  You will come back later and build up the emergency fund significantly, but for now, the goal is to move on and get to Baby Step Two: The Debt Snowball.  You can't do this until you have a backup plan, and that's what the $1000 is all about.

The thing is, you'd think that scrimping any extra money would be painstaking and awful.  But actually, it's not!  It's fun!  Once we have the end result firmly fixed in your mind, you want to do every little thing you can to get there.  Including eating leftovers at home instead of going to Taco Bell.  Including looking at the price per ounce at the grocery store and getting the best bargain, even when it means sacrificing your favorite brand of cereal for the store brand instead.  I could go on and on.  When you WANT to find ways to save money, you CAN.  Every dollar counts.

And the funny thing is, yesterday, I was really focusing on trusting God to help us get through this.  I want to get out of debt.  I want to have financial security.  I want to be able to retire (even though this is 40 or 50 years away from now) with dignity, and be a blessing to our family instead of a curse.  I want to be able to give generously and be a good and faithful steward.  And it is scary to begin this process.  But the goal is looming large in my mind, and we will make it.  God will provide.  And even yesterday, he did!  One of my clients at work had his business partner (who works out of Jacksonville, Florida) in the office, and I speak to this man on the phone almost daily, but have only met him in person a couple of times.  I was sharing with them that my husband and I are starting this process, and he reached in his pocket and pulled out $20 and told me to add it to our savings!  It is so cool to watch how God is taking care of us!

My primary stress has been coming from finances, for months now.  But now, I feel the burden lightening already, because Rob and I are on the same team, and we are working together to get to the end, even from Day One.

Soon I Will Be Domestic Superhero Named Wonder Wifey.

I have stumbled across this blog named simplemom.net.  Love at first sight.  I read like two words on this thing and am hooked forever.  I'm not even a mom yet and I have found it so useful.  This only happened like, 2 whole days ago, and I have already begun to do some of the things that the author, Tsh, discussed...and it has made a huge difference.  One really cool thing about her is that she is a huge Dave Ramsey person, and the further into Total Money Makeover I get, I am too.

One of the major things that I did right away (literally...that very day) was to start what Tsh calls a Home Management Notebook.  It has revolutionized my life.  It's basically a binder that consists of about 20 dividers, and each section is where you keep all information relative to that topic.  It sounds pretty simple, but it has been so cool to assemble it and really begin to see how much it's going to simplify my life.

For instance, my divider sections are: Emergency info, Daily Dockets (essentially an agenda for each day that consists of to-do list, basic schedule, what's for dinner, space to write down what exercise you got, miscellaneous notes, and other stuff), monthly calendars, menu planning, grocery shopping (keep my master list in this divider and also notes about what costs more at which store, etc.), cleaning checklists and chore charts, Home/Office Information (like account numbers and passwords and all that miscellaneous information it's just so easy to forget), a pocket for grocery coupons, a pocket for other coupons, budgeting and bills, diet and exercise (for food logs and exercise notes), home maintenance, project lists, wants and needs list, Family Mission Statement (more on this later), birthday and address lists, a pocket for recipes I collect, and articles to keep.  It is an evolving project...I'll probably add several more as I discover what I need, and maybe even condense or combine a couple that I don't use as often.  But this is a great place to start, and it has already been tremendously helpful to have all this information in one place.  Granted, it sits beside me all day, but that's the point: I don't risk forgetting anything, and everything has a place where I'm sure to be able to locate it later.

I know some of you probably think this is excessive, especially for someone who doesn't even have kids yet...but man, does it work for me.  And when I DO have kids, I will be a step ahead (at least as far as the organization of our home goes).  Well...hopefully.

Whoa.

I've caught the fever.

Craigslist fever, that is.

I really didn't like it very much before yesterday.  I know you can get good stuff on there, and I have even used it to find stuff before, but not until yesterday did I begin to enjoy it.  It was when I found a coffee table for $10, a free 32" tv (that needs a repair, but that's not a problem when your husband is a handy guy), a free dresser, and a free leather sofa (that someone beat us out on).

Not bad for a day's furniture accumulation.

The thing that I didn't like about Craigslist before was that I would see something, fall in love with it and get all emotionally invested in it, and then try to contact the person and get no response or find out that it wasn't available any longer.  Heartbreak time after time.  Now, those of you who know me pretty well won't be surprised about this.  I can understand that it sounds a little crazy.  But that's the kind of girl I am.  I can't invest in anything emotionally without getting attached to it, and then I'm attached for life.  So you can probably see where I might have problems with it.

After getting the free chest of drawers home and the coffee table that cost me $10, I am converted.  I'm learning the way to not get attached to things but be casually interested until I know I've got it in the bag.  It's been working out well for me.

Wonder what I'll find today!?  So excited.

Things Are Looking Up.

Well...my rosemary and lavender have sprouted!  They have been transplanted to another container where they can grow and flourish.  Well, hopefully.  If I can get the kittens to leave them alone.  The rest of the plants are doing well.  I really hope they keep on growing and don't die on me.  That might be more disappointing than if they had never sprouted to begin with.

My friend Wendy and her family are going to Disney World next week.  Her daughter Kelsey is a cheerleader and they have made it to the national round.  I am jealous.  I want to stow away in her suitcase.  I'd never fit, but I could try.  Disney World is my favorite place.  I have only ever been once, but that was enough for me to know that I wanted to move there and live in Cinderella Castle.  Or anywhere else, for that matter.  I still haven't given up hope that we will move to Orlando one day and I can go anytime I want.  I know almost everything there is to know about the parks, resorts, and restaurants.  I buy the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World every couple of years and read it cover to cover.  Like a novel.  This week that they are going is the best week of the whole year to go, because it has the lowest population and it's already decorated for Christmas and the temperatures are mild and wonderful.  Most people who go this time of year will go for one of the holidays...Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years.  The second week in December is perfect.  That's when we went 11 years ago.  Please, someone, take me back.  I beg you.

So Thanksgiving was good...I saw lots of family and did a fat lot of nothing.  I really meant to clean my apartment, but I just didn't have the energy.  I did take some pictures of my cousins' children, some of which I'm pretty happy with.  Those kids are so cute.  Between my four cousins and their spouses/significant others (one of which, Joseph, is not married to his longtime girlfriend Bridget and they don't have kids yet) there are 5 kids and 2 more on the way.  Lots of little ones.

Our tree is up and decorated.  I will post pictures.  It's our first Christmas tree!

I know this was a very random post, but I don't have any inspiring thoughts today.  Just many disjointed ones floating around my head.  Might as well get them out, huh?

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know I'm a little early...just by a day...but I wanted to go ahead and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.  Perhaps the most overlooked holiday these days, and it's sad.  It's a great day.

May this one bring smiles to your faces, hearts and tummies alike!

On Reading and Books.

I have not had much time to read lately. It might be more accurate to say that I haven't MADE much time for reading lately...lately, as in, the past year or so.

This is a very sad thing. As a kid (and those of you who knew me then can vouch) I was never without a book. Literally - NEVER. At the dinner table, at friends' houses, even in church if I could manage to get it past my mom's attention (which, rest assured, wasn't often).

Still, my first impulse when I want to know something about anything is to find a book. I love books. Not even because I love to read. I DO love to read, passionately. But the funny thing is, I love a book. I love the concept of pieces of paper with words written in a linear fashion and bound together. I love the smell and feel of paper. I love the sight of words on a page. I love words and language, period. I love the way they look on a bookshelf or in a stack on a table or strewn about beside the bed. I love that they contain information. It's always there...on every page. It doesn't go away or disappear just because that page isn't open at the moment. I have so many books at home...probably well over a thousand by now, most bought with my own money, even as a child. That is a lot of information! It makes me salivate intellectually, thinking of all the stuff there is to know that is already available to me, if I would take a moment and open the book and discover it.

Which brings me to what I was initially thinking about when I began this post. I never have (or make? whichever you want to say) time to read anymore. I can't remember the last time I actually finished a book. With the exception of books like Baby-Sitters' Club and Sweet Valley Twins, Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume, Roald Dahl and J.K. Rowling...you get the picture. Kids and fantasy books. I will never outgrow them. I started reading them before kindergarten and I will never stop. This is what I would write if I had the option. (And Grandmama, I know you're thinking it, if you're reading this right now...Yes. I have read them probably hundreds of times by now, and they only get better.)

I'm trying to get through Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover these days. It is actually much better than I ever expected it to be. Dave's style is informal and friendly but it certainly doesn't leave any room for misinterpretation about what he is trying to get across. He explains very clearly what the problems with money management are and gives hope for the future. I'm really enjoying it. The problem is...I'm about halfway done now and I'm losing steam. I need to finish this book. Not just because my money needs a major overhaul (and believe me, it DOES) but because I need a breakthrough in my reading life! I need to finish a book, one that I haven't already read 200 times and isn't targeted to a fifth grade audience! Why do I need this so badly, you might wonder? I think it's because reading is about not just this one hobby for me, but about all of my hobbies. I love to read, but I also need to read in order to develop my other interests. It's such a defining part of who I am that when I don't do it, I don't recognize myself.

I recommend the book, by the way. It's really great. I will probably be discussing some of the things I'm reading and learning in it at times here in the blog. Especially when I begin to see results.

I'll let you know how it goes.

My Herbs, Oh, My Herbs!

My herbs are growing!

Let me, before there is a major misunderstanding that might lead to some pretty serious legal implications, specify: these are herbs for cooking. And also cat grass. Parsley, basil, rosemary, sage, lavender, thyme, and chives. NO marijuana. Although when I was at Borders a few weeks ago looking for books to do some research on herb gardens, there were like 3 books on growing actual herbs in an entire shelf full of books about growing (and smoking, and cooking with) The Herb. I think the guys nearby searching for books on being a wine connoisseur (they were converting from beer, they said) thought that I was really interested in weed. I plopped myself down on the ground in front of the shelf and settled in for awhile.

I digress.

This may not seem like a big deal, that my herbs are growing. It's not that hard. But you must understand this: I do not have a green thumb. It might very well be the only thing I've ever tried to do that I haven't been reasonably naturally adept at. I have a black thumb. But I decided that I wanted to grow plants, and I wanted to start with herbs, since I love to cook and what tastes better than fresh herbs? Extra incentive to get them to grow. So I did my research. I dragged Rob to the nursery to buy some seeds. I squealed and ooh'ed and aah'ed over the selection of seeds. We came home with our purchases and I planted my little seeds and put them in plastic freezer bags to create a greenhouse-type environment for them (except for the lavender, which I put in the refrigerator, since it seeds best when cold). Most of the seeds take a minimum of 5 days to seed, but my basil and cat grass seeded within 3 days of when I planted them! So I have this cute little baby basil growing now, as well as my chives, thyme, and sage. The cat grass (which I grew for the kittens to eat, since cats have a natural urge to eat grass because it aids their digestion...this is a healthy and safe alternative to grass for indoor cats, and it will help them not eat my other plants) just SHOT up. It's like 5 inches tall and it's only been just over a week!

I squealed with delight again when I came home from work today and saw a little seedling of parsley having just pushed through the soil since I have been home for lunch today! It's a big deal for me, because parsley is a notoriously long seeder and can take up to 60 days!

Maybe I'm the herb whisperer.

My lavender and rosemary (the two I'm most looking forward to growing, since I adore the smells) are the only two not to sprout yet. Updates to come, and probably pictures, too, since I feel about these plants the way most people probably feel about their firstborn children.

Not really, but close.

The First is Always the Hardest

It is so daunting to begin something like a blog or journal. The first post or entry always feels like it has to do so much...and I feel like it sets the tone for the entire thing. Maybe not so much for a blog as for a journal (and as a lifelong journaler, I would know). Then again, there are very few things I love quite as much as opening a fresh journal and beginning to write on page one. I do love BUYING journals. But that's not quite the same thing. And a very different type of pleasure, one that I am working hard to overcome. There is so much possibility with things like this! What will I eventually be posting about? My kids? My first house? A new job? A graduation? Will I post in a different language, to offer proof that I actually learned one? Who knows. Hopefully all those things, eventually, will appear on the pages of this blog.

Or at least on the pages of a journal.

I don't want to kid myself. It is likely that I'll be one of those people who writes one blog entry and is so stoked about their blog. I'm going to write EVERY DAY. I'm going to be witty and glib. I'm going to have a loyal following of readers. Even if they are my grandmother, aunts and uncles, and maybe even (gasp) cousins too! I joke. I have no idea if anyone will ever even read this besides me. But one of my dearest wishes is to be a writer. And as this is not the proper time to pursue that particular dream, it seems like the best way to deal with it is to blog. I do write in my journal. But that is private. It is a very different thing to have written something that people actually read. I'm not going to lie...it's scary and vulnerable.

So we will see what happens. I'm going to write in this blog about the daily happenings in the Learned home and also about what this Learned woman (girl? chick? lady? Woman doesn't sound right) is learning. Trivial sometimes, deep others...we will play it by ear, but there will probably be a fair share of both.