Sunday, September 20, 2009

A Relaxing Day/ Recycled Cycles







Does life get any less busy? I had my first breath of fresh air yesterday after passing my real estate exam!! We celebrated with a day at the park and a trip downtown. It was so much fun!!! We rented bicycles from Recycled Cycles downtown and had a blast riding near the fountain...not to mention getting a little wet. The bikes were SO affordable: $10/hr or $15/day. They only charged us $5 for the vintage kiddy bike. We loved the two seater, it was a 1950's green bike with glitter seats! You have to try it!!!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Are we addicted to spending?

Are We Addicted to Spending?
By Teresa Theriot, Founder of www.TheBudgetQueen.com

My aggravation with the American spending problem peaked this week with my mother. She came home with a pack of batteries from the drug store when she clearly had plenty of batteries in her back bedroom. When confronted, her excuse was that my son was sleeping in there. It was easier for her to drive to the store and spend money on something that she already owned than to wait an hour for my son to wake up. The sad thing is that although most people think the idea is plain crazy, many of us have done it before for one reason or another.

It really got me thinking about how completely unconscious people are with their money, and why so many people are struggling with their finances. What has happened to America? Have we become so completely spoiled that we are addicted to spending? I decided that I had to find the answers, in hopes that I could help people stop spending. Surprisingly, I found many of the answers within myself.

Waiting to buy a new house, I have been staying with my parents rent-free. Having that extra wiggle room in my budget has made me feel a little loose with my pocket book. Although I have a strict budget every week, I was running out of money much faster than I normally do. Last week I hit a fabulous clearance sale at JC Penny and spent my whole budget for the week in one day. I decided that something had to change, so I embarked on a no spending challenge.

On day one, I realized that I was just as bad as the rest of America. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I too had become a victim of convenience shopping. Although the things I bought were usually very cheap and I never went over budget, I too have become accustomed to buying things on an almost daily basis. How could I have let this happen?

So, I stopped spending on everything. I said no to lunch out with a friend, even when I had room in my budget, and opted to eat at her house. I turned down my favorite treat, CC’s coffee, and brought my own coffee to the coffee shop to study. I reluctantly turned down my son’s request for a book and told him to use his allowance. I almost caved for coffee filters but used paper towels instead. I made greeting cards on my computer, refused to grocery shop, and easily found ways to use what I already had to get what I needed. My creative juices were overflowing.

My thinking began to change back to what it once was. I felt free and in control of my budget. I started to use the things I already had in a much more conscious way and began to appreciate the things I own. I was happier and having fun making things that I normally couldn’t “find the time” to make.

It’s no wonder that people in poorer countries have less, yet are much happier. They appreciate the things they own. In order to be truly happy, we must be grateful for what we have. In order to be grateful we must make use of the things we own and stop buying more things that we don’t have time to appreciate. There is no other way to explain the sense of enlightenment that I feel than to challenge you to a spend-free week. So, give it a shot, even if it’s just for one day, and you will reap the benefits of what you learn.

Teresa Theriot is a stay at home mother of three children. She is an expert on saving money and founder of www.thebudgetqueen.com.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Getting Busier

Life is getting a little busier now that I've begun to move into my new position as a real estate agent. I have been in the office training as much as I possibly can, although with children, it's proving tougher than I ever thought. I can't wait to see a paycheck so that I can feel as if it is all worth my while. Still my family comes first and I plan to be at least a part time stay at home mom in order to feel complete. I hope that I don't have to resort to sending the baby to day care because I think I would hate that. Yet, I know that we all need to do what we have to do to survive this recession.

This week I was able to enjoy a fantastic sale at JC Penny. The 75% off racks were all $3.97 and under, so I was able to get clothes for the entire family for around $75 plus tax and saved $439! That was fantastic! Although after I spent the money on the sale, I don't really have any money for my drug store deals this week. It's driving me crazy! I am sitting here looking at all of the awesome deals that I am just going to have to pass up! But, the JC Penny sale was worth it. I will just have to wait for next week's deals. 

I also went over my grocery budget again this week!! Can you believe it? The Budget Queen is slacking. Actually, I have been buying groceries for 6 people instead of 5, so it has made a little difference in the amount I am spending. Next week I am going to let my mom buy the groceries so that I can catch up on my budget. 

It's looking like we will be in our new house in the next few weeks and everything will go back to normal, including my budget. This temporary arrangement at my parent's house is costing me a lot more than I ever expected. I don't have my stockpile or any of our stuff, so we are having to replace things that we need. Once I get into the new house, I don't think I want to buy anything for a month. I will probably make it my personal challenge!

Hope you all have a great week! Happy Labor Day! I would love to hear your stories too!!