Having saved over $200 in savings and using a check from our home owner's insurance (who EVER gets $ BACK?) we are now the proud owners of a stainless steel dishwasher AND over-range microwave! The dishwasher is Energy Star efficient only using 6 gallons of water/wash. We plan on using it once/day and I'm excited that we're upgrading and that saving money paid off in a BIG way. I was doing tons of dishes twice/day and it made me rageful, I swear.

Life is good today!

Today, we stopped buying paper towels. As in, no more paper towels for a long while.

They are wasteful and while they're so darned convenient, when you have a kid like The Rockstar, it becomes a chore trying to get him to use just one! He winds them around his hand, over and over, which is just a waste. So, we're going to be using and washing a lot of cloths, but it has to be done. It's cost-friendlier and just easier in the long run for our family.

Church Today

Pastor Jeff did something really cool today in church. He had us reflect on 2007 and asked if we'd re-do anything from the last year. HELLO!! YES! Right here! Hand raised! He had us write confessions on a small paper and nail them to a cross. It represented the need to let that garbage go! Let it go!

I looked up the passage from church today and I love the Message bible. It's written clearly for those like me who don't take Bible-ese well. It says, "Forget about what's happened, don't keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it?"

I see it.
I feel it.
And, I love that God has a plan for my life that isn't created from my past troubles and emotions.

Today, after a long time, I felt what it feels like to surrender and start fresh.

School for The Princess

Yesterday, The Man and I went on a tour of a school for The Princess. It's a montessori school, which really surprised me because he's super-traditional as am I in these cases. If you've never been to a montessori school, it's worth just the visit.

She is going to attend this school next year! When I saw the kids, I realized they act like her, they look like her, and they learn like her. We're very excited, even though this means I'll probably have to go back to work.

We realize we're setting the foundation for her life, not just her schooling at this point, so we're comfortable with it. YEAH!!

Yesterday my friend and I were discussing finances. We agreed that the important thing to do when budgeting is to first pinpoint where your money goes.

I can comfortably (and shamefully) say there have been months when $1000 has vanished from our accounts on what I term "little things." Little Things add up, my friends. Be smart and figure out what your "Little Things" are.

My goal has been to find out where my money goes. My friend said it well, "YOU control your money, your money doesn't control YOU." Once I control it, I can then go forward with saving it and applying it where needed. It's interesting when you look at it as she stated, huh?

Tip for Today: Don't be afraid to search Freecycle or Craigslist for selling items. (Craigslist=sell, Freecycle=free stuff to donate or pick-up.) People want to help and want to help others. As long as you're cautious and use common sense in pick-up or communication (safety issues), these can be great websites! Craigslist is also a great resource for local garage sales.

Yahoo Finance had a great short article today on saving money. I think this recession has made people reconsider their spending habits. Often times in this country, we're told to spend more to keep our economy afloat, but it's time to realize that isn't cutting it in most homes these days.

In times of recession, it isn't always possible. I feel for people that cannot afford gas to get to work. Personally, I know families that are struggling in ways they never have before, and I continue to offer prayers to them. With my blog, I hope I can shed some light changing spending habits and learning to save for the future. Having friends in this situation has given me the desire to help those like them and others as well.

Today's Yahoo Finance Article
http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/104346/Eight-Ways-to-Cut-Back-Without-Sacrificing

Interesting Tidbit: Our library breaks down how much money we save when we use the library versus buying books. Since December, we've saved $521.08 just checking out books!

Job Update

I heard from an online college to work from home as a professor of early childhood education. But, it just didn't fit. They wanted me to work a lot more on weekends for some reason, and I can't let my family come second.

Something else will come up. I have full hopes.