Category Archives: Finances

Love and Gratitude

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This post is about how much I love (LOVE!!) my husband. I would say something really poignant about how our love “withstands the fire and trials of life” to go with the above picture, but then you would hear me laughing across the expanse of the internet. Not that it isn’t true…

Eric and I are certainly not the only people holding on for dear life during this economical death wave the news is calling a recession. You know, the one which is supposedly over? Yesterday I saw a man driving down our street in a white van with our city’s logo plastered on the side. He parked across the street to slip a red notice over the neighbor’s door handle. I’m assuming that means we are not the only ones struggling to pay our water bill (among others). I paid mine online yesterday morning, otherwise that might have been our door he tagged. It was probably just a scary threat… “YOU’LL NEVER HAVE RUNNING WATER AGAIN if you don’t pay the $18.53 that is 30 DAYS delinquent.” That pretty much sums up the attitude my city has towards its residents.

Despite the drama of bill collectors and the tears we’ve shed over not being able to eat at the Chinese Buffet anymore, our money “problems” have only united us. A lot of couples end up fighting, but some how we’ve managed to learn how to laugh at our situation. We also share a perspective in that we recognize that we have led privileged lives, and the luxuries we’ve been forced to give up have never been a reality for many.

Most of the credit goes to Eric. He is the calm one.  In the five years that I have known him, he’s lost his temper maybe one time and even then it paled in comparison to my past explosions. He’s also very level headed and always has the perfect words to immediately extinguish any panic or frustration on my part. God created hot springs, sunsets, soft breezes, and crackling fires… and then he created Eric.

On top of that, he adores our baby, and everyone knows that while a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, the way to a woman’s heart is through her children. When he comes home for lunch, Micah lights up and can’t take his eyes off of him, and neither can I. He swoops Micah up to play airplane and the little guy can’t stop grinning from ear to ear. In a few years, they’ll be inseparable; there’s no doubt in my mind.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I want to take time to really consider how the Lord has blessed me and sincerely thank Him for everything. By far, one of the biggest gifts in my life is Eric. Not only is he the love of my life, but God has used him to mold me and teach me over the years. He has helped me to become more disciplined and more patient. Through our marriage, God has blessed us with an adorable son, who steals my heart every morning when he greets me with smiles and squeals of delight. I have found a life-long friend in my husband; a person who I can count on and love for the long haul. Even though we are broke (for now), we have the Lord, our health and our family, and that carries much more value than all the money in the bank.

Baking Things

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I’ve never been much of a baker or a cook, but lately I’ve come to the realization that there is a whole lot more food in my pantry than what meets the eye… I just have to make it!

From fried rice to giant ginger cookies (shown in the photo above), there of tons of things I can make from scratch and save a lot of money in the process. It just requires a little extra creativity and a little searching (through my cookbooks) to find what I can make from the various basic ingredients I already have.

Another Season

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In my last post I mentioned that Micah had no teeth yet. I spoke too soon! Saturday afternoon, I noticed that my fussy little boy had a “split” gum – and in that little opening was a tiny tooth coming through! This morning he was in much better spirits; the hardest part is over. Today I could feel the sharp little point with my finger. Pretty soon it will be big enough for me to take a photo. I can’t believe it’s happening already! People always tell you how fast children grow, but you never realize how true this is until they sprout right before your eyes.

The temperature around here is dropping fast. I pulled out Micah’s snowsuit and we wore it to church this morning. I discovered that he loves it, and it is a surefire way to get him to doze off. He is so snuggly in that thing! We went to a harvest party last night and our little guy didn’t end up going to bed until 10pm or so. As a result he was very tired today, and ended up passing out for over three hours this afternoon. For a little boy who usually sleeps 30-40 minutes at a time, this was shocking! I didn’t know what to do with myself during that time. I ended up reading an entire magazine while waiting for him to wake up. My house was already clean so basically I had nothing to do but lounge and wait for him to wake up. I guess I can’t complain about that!

Our family is going through some big changes right now. We are hoping to move 30-45 minutes north of where we are currently, but the housing market may prevent that. I want to live closer to our parents now that we have a son. He needs to be close to his grandparents! We have also been hit pretty hard by the recession. The increased cost of living combined with me working only part time from home has made things financially tricky. Moving would mean lower expenses, as well, so I’m hoping that works out. But, I know that God has everything under control and he might have something better in mind for us, so I’m keeping an open mind. In the meantime, having our house listed means it has to be spotless 24/7. This is perfect for me – it will force me to make keeping my house clean a habit, something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. I’m tired of cleaning in spurts and then letting things get messy again. I have found that it’s much easier to maintain a spotless house than a “ruffled” one.

I am really looking forward to November. Not only is Thanksgiving in November (my favorite holiday), but my birthday is in November as well. It’s not the same as it was when I was a kid, but it’s a fun excuse to get together with my family, eat my favorite dinner and indulge in birthday cake.

Amazing Eggs

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The average cost of a dozen eggs this year is about $2.89. I can make four huge omelets (three eggs each) with a carton of eggs, meaning each one costs me about 80 cents if you account for a little shredded cheese and seasonings. That’s cheap!

In addition to the fact that they inexpensive, eggs are also nutrient dense. There are about 6.5 grams of protein in each egg. They also contain most vitamins, except for vitamin C.

Visit the Egg Nutrition Center for more egg facts.

Because eggs are so cheap and healthy, they have become a staple in our budget-conscious household. I have been looking for ways to incorporate eggs into our meals as an alternative to meat, which can really increase your grocery bill all by itself. The American Egg Board has some great recipe ideas on their website.

Occasionally to save money, I attempt to empty out my freezer, fridge and pantry rather than head to the store. This week I noticed I had bought another carton of eggs even though I already had some, so we’ve been eating a lot of eggs lately.

For lunch we enjoyed cheesy omelets. Mine was loaded up with ketchup because I love the combination of egg, ketchup and cheese. Odd? Maybe. But I love it! Breakfast for lunch is fun and yummy. Try it!

For dinner, I made egg salad. Because neither of us are fans of the yolk, I made the salad without the yolks and served it on light rye. I think it turned out great, though its color was not the usual yellow. The only thing I don’t like about egg salad is the smell of hard boiled egg.

What are some of your favorite egg recipes?

Creativity Pays

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Before I had my son, I planned on returning to work. Two weeks into motherhood, with my baby in my arms and tears in my eyes, I resolved to stay home despite the fact it didn’t make much sense, financially speaking. Even though so many able women manage to work outside the home and still care for their children, I could not ignore the desires that the Lord had planted in my heart at nineteen. God’s plans are not subject to our present circumstances, I’ve learned, and somehow I’m still at home six weeks later. I’m still in my home six weeks later. We’re still eating six weeks later. Praise the Lord, we still have gas in the car six weeks later.

I’m confident the Lord will provide for our needs, but I do not think that entails sitting on my couch and waiting for cash to float out of the sky. God has given me certain skills and abilities for a reason, just as he has given all of us different talents and strengths. God blessed the Proverbs 31 woman for her hard work and dedication to caring for her family. I look to her example while staying at home with my son.

She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.

One of my projects is making afghans and other items to sell in my store on http://www.etsy.com/. I use many different mediums, but crochet is my niche. I love the way I feel after I finish an afghan or bag -it breaks up my routine and I feel productive. When you have a newborn, life is a 3-hour track on repeat and it seems like nothing gets done!

Etsy is a marketplace for all things handmade: the conglomeration of items available on Etsy is mesmerizing. If I wasn’t trying to make money, I’d be shopping!

How can you take your skills to the marketplace?

Mattress Rejuvenation

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Eric and I sleep on a very old bed. It was my bed before we got married, and it was my parents’ bed before that. In its heyday, it was a pretty luxurious mattress, but 15+ years of sweet dreams have taken their toll. The bed sags in the middle like a hammock, leaving my husband very sore in the morning. Towards the end of my pregnancy, he took to sleeping on the floor on a piece of memory foam. He didn’t fit in our queen size bed very well anyway, considering I was taking up so much space with my large pregnant belly and 52 pillows. Then he got accustomed to the floor in the other room during the first few weeks after Micah was born. I started to miss him a lot. We really wanted a new mattress, but they are much too expensive for us right now.
Last night my dad and Eric went to Menards and picked up a 3/4″ 4×8′ piece of particle board for $10 and brought it back home. They trimmed it and stuck it in between the mattress and box spring. It’s like a brand new bed! Last night I got my hubby back! I sleep so much better when he’s there next to me – he keeps the bed warm and I like the sound of him breathing. As I was falling asleep, I thanked God for my two men: my big man on my left and my little man on my right. I am so blessed. This morning I felt great, too. The bed was much more supportive. I can’t believe what a difference that board made.

Becoming a Prisoner of Hope

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Micah is two weeks old today. It’s hard to believe I’ve had him that long already! Time is going by so fast. I love staying home with him – he certainly keeps me busy.

I feel like God has really been revealing some things about myself to me through parenting Micah. I laugh when Micah gets so flustered while I’m getting ready to feed him. He gets so worked up because he’s hungry, and is oblivious to the fact that he’s about to eat. I laughed about this and yet I realized that I act the same way towards the Lord sometimes.

He is aware of my needs and he promises to provide for me – and yet in the midst of hunger (whether it be spiritual, financial, etc.), I find myself oblivious to the fact he is my provider and is undoubtledly moving things into place to do just that. Like my newborn son, I cry out as though I’m helpless and hopeless, as though he has forgotten about me or may be unaware of my needs, and become distraught in my worry and discomfort.

He must chuckle the way I do as I bring Micah close to eat, knowing that he is as good as fed. When Micah matures, he will recognize my actions and see that he will be eating in a matter of moments, and so he will be much more calm. He will not scream with his eyes tightly shut, but approach me with his eyes wide open, in full expectation of what he knows I will give him.

That is the attitude I need to strive for. I need to be a “prisoner of hope.” I should approach the throne, not with anxiety, but with the peace that comes with full confidence that the Lord will provide what I need, when I need it. I would never deny Micah his food, why do I ever doubt my heavenly Father?