Journey to Staying Home

Thanks! I appreciate the encouragement! I really...

2008-12-15T11:43:00.000-05:00

Thanks! I appreciate the encouragement! I really need it right now!

hang in there, it takes awhile to realize our drea...

2008-12-14T15:41:00.000-05:00

hang in there, it takes awhile to realize our dreams sometimes, but stick with it and you will see it through.

Yes we do! Thanks for stopping by!

2008-11-27T11:38:00.000-05:00

Yes we do! Thanks for stopping by!

We're so lucky to have great husbands.

2008-11-26T15:29:00.000-05:00

We're so lucky to have great husbands.

Thank you so much for sharing! I plan on working ...

2008-11-25T13:46:00.000-05:00

Thank you so much for sharing! I plan on working on this as I get free time during the Thanksgiving Break. Hopefully I will have at least one post done by Monday! We have the kids this weekend so we'll see how that goes!

Tara,Thanks! And your welcome for the mention! I...

2008-11-25T13:41:00.000-05:00

Tara,

Thanks! And your welcome for the mention! I love your website and have learned so much from it! I love helping other people out by directing them to people that I have learned from.

Elizabeth,

I know what you mean by CVS being expensive! It is if you are not doing the deals! You have to be careful and start off slow. Visit Tara that also commented. She is the owner of www.dealseekingmom.com and does a great job of explaining it and laying out the deals for you. I visit her every week before I do my CVSing! Good luck!

Great job, Jessica! Thanks for the mention. I real...

2008-11-25T12:41:00.000-05:00

Great job, Jessica! Thanks for the mention. I really appreciate it!

Tara

We started using Dave Ramsey's plan in earnest in ...

2008-11-25T09:08:00.000-05:00

We started using Dave Ramsey's plan in earnest in January. We haven't gotten disciplined enough to follow it perfectly (maybe we never will), but it's the best budget we've used so far.

Our mortgage & 2nd mortgage $1000
Electricity - $120-200
Water - $35-50 (I use cloth diapers)
Trash - $30
Auto insurance on one very old van - $45
Life insurance for both of us - $71
Health insurance - $450 (this is our rate beginning Jan 1, and it covers almost nothing unless we have a catastrophic event!)
Groceries - about $400, but we are sloppy about going out
Husband's Fund - $450 (this is where gas and oil changes come in - hubby gets a flat amount each month for lunches out, supplies for work, and gas. This amount was set when gas was a lot higher. Gas came way down so fast that we may reduce this by $100 or so)
Hubby's Cell phone - $103
Cable & Roadrunner - $62
HOA dues - $50

Some of these bills come periodically throughout the year, so we don't pay them every month.

I can't think of anything else. We have 3 credit cards we are trying to pay off. We've been doing the debt snowball and have paid off about $8000 so far. It's been slow going because of lots of car repairs on our very old van. Also, I am not as disciplined as I need to be on everyday spending and sometimes go over my $400. We haven't cut up our credit cards yet, because our car repairs this past year have been over $1000 several times. The van is not worth the repairs sometimes, but we can't afford another car without taking out a loan, so we figure it's cheaper to repair the one we have rather than buy someone else's problem.

We cash flow all medical visits. Our deductible is really high, so we almost never reach it. The insurance does cover well-baby and well-child checkups, but everything else we pay out of pocket. We don't have prescription drug coverage, so my husband pays for his prescriptions out of his money. His prescriptions probably run around $45 a month.

I don't know if that helps you, but I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

I need to check out how to shop at CVS and take ad...

2008-11-24T21:15:00.000-05:00

I need to check out how to shop at CVS and take advantage of the deals you get. In our area, CVS is quite expensive, even if you have one of their cards. I usually end up running to our local Wal-Mart free-standing grocery store or popping into a Wal-Greens. But, there is a CVS right at the edge of our area, on the main road that leads back to our neighborhood. So, I would do well to figure out how to shop well there.

Yes they would. Your welcome! Thanks for stoppin...

2008-11-24T19:45:00.000-05:00

Yes they would. Your welcome! Thanks for stopping by my site!

hehe, when there is good free stuff some would eve...

2008-11-24T17:51:00.000-05:00

hehe, when there is good free stuff some would even go there in the wee hours of the morning just to make sure they get in first. ;)

thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. :)

cheers

Thank you.

2008-11-20T00:11:00.000-05:00

Thank you.

I'm sorry you are having to go through that. Nobo...

2008-11-19T23:26:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry you are having to go through that. Nobody needs negativity on their blogs. I'm sure your family's decision for you to go back to work was a hard and personal one, and nobody else should be able to judge whether or not it was the right one for you. Good luck!

I was so excited reading through your post! You "g...

2008-11-17T16:24:00.000-05:00

I was so excited reading through your post! You "get" it!

Time management is actually one of the biggest problems that I face and God has so diligently been dealing with me in this area for a few weeks now. I've let go of a few things that took up time and wasn't God's perfect will for my life. Things have been a changin' ever since!

Thanks for the great post!

Amy has given you some very good advice. I like t...

2008-11-16T15:23:00.000-05:00

Amy has given you some very good advice.

I like that you already know to go outside and jump in the puddles and look at rainbows! Sometimes it's very difficult to leave the necessary chores to have fun with the kids... but you create lifelong memories by doing just that :)

Thanks for the chronicles of what you're going thr...

2008-11-16T14:45:00.000-05:00

Thanks for the chronicles of what you're going through and handling these tough times! Personally I'm praying (literally) that come 2009 slowly but surely change will happen for the better. We've all just go to be patient - it's a virtue after all :)

I need to keep close tabs on #2. A plan is great a...

2008-11-16T10:08:00.000-05:00

I need to keep close tabs on #2. A plan is great as long as you don't let is rule your life. Very true-

Mom found the best thing to do is take it one hour...

2008-11-16T01:10:00.000-05:00

Mom found the best thing to do is take it one hour at a time!! She some times makes a list and follows it!! Hope you figure it all out! Thanks for sharing!
Your FL furiends,

I'm in no place to give advice here, believe me. I...

2008-11-16T00:46:00.000-05:00

I'm in no place to give advice here, believe me. I can barely handle blogging and taking care of our daughter. I do know that if you search for blogs or websites on organization for housekeeping, you'll find some good info. Hope you get into a routine that works for you.

Having a plan always help. However, as you mentio...

2008-11-15T21:32:00.000-05:00

Having a plan always help. However, as you mentioned, do not let the plan run your day; just use is as a guide.

Get site.

what a great post. i struggle with keeping up my h...

2008-11-15T21:05:00.000-05:00

what a great post. i struggle with keeping up my house as well. with my weird work schedule, it can be hard. i definitely need to make more of a defined schedule here at home.

My husband worked opposite shifts than I did for a...

2008-11-15T20:48:00.000-05:00

My husband worked opposite shifts than I did for awhile. It IS hard, but you just have to get through it and like you said, it's only for a season.

Maybe later on, you can find something that coincides with his schedule better.

Jen

We had a schedule like that for awhile. We would ...

2008-11-15T20:11:00.000-05:00

We had a schedule like that for awhile. We would meet each other for lunch if at all possible. Also, it's fun to leave each other notes so that we had that personal contact. I would also put little notes in his wallet, his pocket, or in his lunch, just to let him know that I was thinking of him.

We also had a time, after the kids were born, that he would fly out on Monday and return on Thursday.

This is just a season of life and you will get through it, though it's hard getting used to. I just found things to occupy my time. I puttered around the house alot. I read, visited with friends, organized my closets and cupboards, talked to the dog, danced around the house like an idiot...whatever I felt like doing.

I can't imagine how military wives do it, with their husband being gone so long. I guess you just do it.

Great post, thank you. I'll have to check out her...

2008-11-15T20:02:00.000-05:00

Great post, thank you. I'll have to check out her site. You are right that a cleaning schedule has to be flexible, especially when the children come. When you get your binder done, would you consider posting your cleaning schedule and what sections you have in it? I always like looking at other peoples. My cleaning schedule is under "schedules" or something on my blog if you're interested.

I am still trying to figure out how to get all don...

2008-11-15T18:15:00.000-05:00

I am still trying to figure out how to get all done. LOL.... I thought I was done being mommy.... then one came home in August... he leaves in december, then another will be home in jan for about 5 months.... they may be adults... but they do take up time! LOL I am going crazy!