Lump Sum Payment

Well, the lump sum payment for my next six month has hit my bank account. Wow, it looks like a lot of money and the trick is to not spend it all before the six months is up. So I have two plans.

First, I am going to move half of the lump sum payment over to another account, in another bank that I will leave until I truly need it. My goal is to not dip into this account until month five.

Second, I am going to give us the amount I will be getting on unemployment as our living expenses. This is $200 a paycheck less than what we were coming home with previouly but I think we can do it. This will give me an additional few weeks of pay and will ensure when we go on unemployment that we can survive on it. Thus giving us financial peace of mind until March 2010.

I don't know if it will work, but I'm hoping we will be able to make this plan work and will simplify, simplify, simplify...

The American Financial Diet

Well, there you have it. We were on the American financial diet for last 5 months and now we are spending again. It's like the Atkins, Zone or Somers diets where we deprive ourselves of that which makes us happy and then we go full boat the other way. So the economy is starting it's slow and treacherous turn around. It's like the Titanic that continues to move at a slow pace because of the weight of the boat. Our economy is turning at a slow pace because of the weight of our unemployment. But turning it is, we sacrificed for five or six months and that is all we can stand. Tax refunds are coming in and we are spending them. All that we put off purchasing for ourselves, we are now spending to get what we want.

I wonder, do we have the sustenance to get back on the savings diet? Do we have the courage to turn this vessel with wise purchases and not get ourselves back into the same credit mess? Do we have the ability to purchase American products so we can keep Americans employed?

Only time will tell. I pray we have the ability to be thoughtful purchasers, good stewards of the money given to us and givers of hope. Let's get on the financial diet together again and beef up the savings for a rainy day.

Staying in Shape

Since the layoff, I've found that I can easily lay on the couch day in and day out with no regard to time. It's gluttonous how one can easily fall into this pattern. So a group was formed. It's our running group for a few of us who are job hunting. We join together at Lake Harriett and do a lap, maybe two. We commisserate on jobs lost, we encourage for interviewing, we give pointers for resumes, we talk politics and kids and we get moving. These are the best parts of my week, it's free, it's socializing with others and it's keeping us moving in the right direction.

Running is the easiest sport to pick up and it's the most inexpensive. Certainly anyone can make it expensive with the gadgets you can purchase to go along with running. However, you truly need running shoes ($50, bought on sale) and a street, that is all you need. We are blessed in Minnesota to have multiple lakes in the area to run around which gives us a great path and wonderful scenery to admire.

Staying in shape will help you remain confident in yourself and help you project that confidence in your interviewing. The best part is the cost is minimal to start and you will actually save money on medical bills in the future by getting into shape. On a budget or not, this is a great way to exercise. Try it and let us know how it goes for you!

Thoughts from Rick Warren

I read this post by Pastor Rick Warren and thought it was relevent for anyone trying to get out of debt. Enjoy!

Store Brand vs. Name Brand

This seems to be the big debate these days. Do I buy the store brand or the name brand? Is the cost savings worth the risk of bad tasting foods? Well, I'm here to tell you that store brand on almost everything is worth the savings. Currently, in my pantry and refrigerator, 75% of the products are store brand. Certainly things like rice, vegetable broths and beans are easy to put in the store brand category. However, there are many items that most don't even think of store brand for that are quite tasty. We purchase store brand soy milk, sparkling water, frozen vegetables. All taste great. My shocker was when I bought store brand Chex and Krispies for some reason I thought they wouldn't taste right. For a 50% savings on cereal, we have great tasting store brand products.

Now, there were a few things we didn't like. Cola wasn't the same as Coke or Pepsi and the Taco seasoning packets didn't have any flavor. So we have had a couple of not so great experiences with this but in the grand scheme of things, they are minimal. The one thing I would say is don't save on the spices. We get our spices from a local place Pensey's Spices and they are phenomenal. I only buy the small 3.2 oz size so we always have fresh spices and it makes a big difference in the taste of our foods.

My challenge to you is to try one store brand item a week and soon your grocery bill will be reduced by 20 - 30%. Even if you have a crazy allergen free diet like ours! Let me know how it goes...

God Bless.

An Afternoon of Free Fun

This weekend my husband suggested a museum. Not being a museum kind of girl, I thought only if it's free. Amazingly enough the Minnesota Institute of Art is free thanks to the friends of MIA. So this afternoon we spent strolling through the Art Institute and I was pleasantly surprised with my enjoyment of the afternoon.

It was a time to stroll, think and view beauty. The Institute was filled with families, couples and art students. As we strolled through the exhibit room I observed quite a variety of folks. In one room, we encountered a mom and two kids. The two young boys were re drawing a photo while mom was able to view the art. In another room a family was sitting and viewing a photo. The kids were asking mom and dad questions about the photos. In yet another room, a baby was crawling on the floor while mom was looking at art. The museum attracts all walks of life with it's free afternoon of fun.

We will be going back. It's only 5 miles from the house, free admission and free parking. What more could you want. I imagine me blogging from there in the near future. The windows, wood flooring and atmosphere just increase one's creativity. Check out your museums...you may be surprised on the free fun you can have in your city too!

How to save money without sacrifice

I write on another site helium.com. One of the titles they had was How to save money without sacrifice and I thought you might enjoy this posting also. Here is the link to the site

http://www.helium.com/items/1352465-dairy-free-gluten-free-coupons-restaurant-eating-frugal-lifestyle-layoffs

You may have to copy and paste it into your browser to see the post. Hope you enjoy.