Oh wait, is that just me?  Well, anyway.  I HAVE to get my shopping done early this year.  We are traveling to Australia for Christmas and I have to PACK all of the gifts.  And still have room to bring them back, plus others.  It’s going to be interesting.

So, first of all…saving MONEY. My family and my husband’s family all decided a few years ago to draw names for the adults.  With my family, for example, it’s me, my husband, my sister and her husband, one of my Aunts, one of my cousins, and my parents.  These are the people I would usually buy for before we did the name drawing, with the exception of my cousin, but she wanted to participate in the draw names, so she’s in!

We all agreed on a dollar amount.  We chose $50.  This way everyone can get one good gift, opposed to a bunch of little things worth ten bucks that you don’t really want anyway.

We use Elfster.  You enter all who are participating and you can also exclude certain people, like husband’s/wives from getting each other, which is cool.  Then, it randomly generates your pick and emails it to you, secretly.  We always keep it a secret who we have.  Though, I always know who my hubby has since I do all the shopping.   It’s also got a place where you can put your wish list for your Santa to see what you want.

We only do Elfster for the adults since everyone wants to buy for all the kids.  So, we save money with our niece and nephews in Australia by buying things here and taking (or mailing) it to Australia.  Good stuff is way cheap here in comparison.  I’m talking WAY less.  Plus, I can get summer stuff on sale, since they are going into summer in a few months.

For our boys, I just keep reminding myself that it’s not HOW MUCH we spend.  Our youngest, doesn’t even know about Christmas, for starters.  And our oldest is happy with even a few things.  If it’s something he can pretend play with, he will be busy for hours.  Honestly, he would probably just be happy with candy, since he rarely gets any.  I just have to remember this and not get caught up in the Christmas buying frenzy.  Luckily, my husband’s family is further along the less is more end of the spectrum than my family.  I’m really looking forward to that this year, actually.

Now, for saving SPACE! Since we have to pack all (or at least most) of our gifts for the kids this year, we have to think SMALL.

So, I’ve been trolling Amazon looking for ideas for small, packable gifts that will still make an impact and be fun for our older son, who is four.  Our youngest (currently 13 months) won’t really care since he still won’t really know what’s going on and will really only want what his brother has anyway.  That’s how he rolls.

Here are some of what I’ve come up with so far:

• LED head lamp – like for camping.  He would LOVE this.
• Wikki stix – are these fun?
• stomp rocket
• Wishing Chair Again by Enid Blyton – I’ve been looking forever for the over sized version of this and finally got one off ebay for a steal!  So siked.  He asks me all the time if I’ve found it yet.  He loves the first one, Adventures of the Wishing Chair.
• Brain Quest -  these are great for planes too
• My Very Own Name book – we already got him this too as he wanted one after seeing the one we got our youngest for his birthday
• Gift voucher for something like a jumping castle place (you know those places that have about 10 jumpy houses).  We have one near our house and he’s always asking to go after going to a birthday party there.
• I want to crochet both my boys stockings before we go, but I am unsure if I can manage it.  I don’t know how to crochet, but my Mom is going to try to teach me this week.

Hmmm, I actually thought I had more ideas than this.  And frankly, I have no clue about what to get our youngest, who will be 15 months by then.

Any ideas ??

You can find more tips of all sorts at Works for Me Wednesday.

Related posts:

1. Spending Less and Earning Extra

With both of my son’s birthdays, my nephews birthday, Father’s Day (in Australia) and eight baby gifts to buy, I am definitely not spending less these days.

We have also been rehabbing our mudroom from a utility room to more of a proper mud room/entry area, since this is how we usually enter our house.   Not sure why we never thought of it before.  Will post photos when we are done.

Also have my sister-in-law and her friend coming this weekend from Australia, so have been buying extra food and beer.

So, also not much time to post the items I have to sell on Craiglist either.  Will do all of this in a couple of weeks after the birthday parties are done and the guests have left.

However, I’m having a great time reading about all of you who did a fabulous job during Musing of a Midlife Mom’s Spend Less Month and are doing great during High Class, Low Income’s No Spend Month, and earning more during Money Funk’s September’s Earn More Challenge.

Both the posts and comments from the participants have all sorts of great ideas.  All of which I will have to re-read in a couple of weeks in order to starting making up for lost time…er, money, over the past couple of months!

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There are no coupons for example!  That’s right, no coupons for grocery shopping.  This, I think, my send some people around here into cardiac arrest.

But, they do advertise sales frequently and do things like mark down fresh items substantially right before closing on certain nights.  I wish we had something like that.  I would make a routine of it and stock up my freezer on marked down bread or whatever.

This site here has more of what some people do in Australia to save money.  I found it very interesting with some good links for things like watching movies for free (still don’t see how it’s legal, but whatever), and the Australia version of Freecycle and another site called Freagle where you can also get things for free.

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1. Saving Money At Christmas

To get that money back, you submit a claim form and the qualifying receipts to your company and they will either mail you a check or put the money into a designated account.

That money comes out of my husband’s paycheck each month, and put into our FSA account and invariably I forget all about it.  It’s like a forced savings account!

If I don’t see it, it doesn’t exist….which is why having savings deducted from the front end, before it gets to us, like a 401k or having money directed into a savings account, can be so great.

So, I knew that we had some money that I could claim from our FSA account.  And, after my husband’s ladder fall, I have PLENTY of claims to submit in order to get the money.

A few weeks ago, I received and email reminding me that we had money to claim back.   I didn’t realize that we had $650 waiting for us to claim!  Woo hoo!  Super excited.  That’s about what we’ve paid out so far after my husbands fall too.

Then, I started thinking that this would be a great way to save for Christmas!

You could just treat it like a Christmas Club!  Just leave the money in your FSA account until you are ready to shop and then submit all your claims.

Granted, you aren’t earning any interest on it, but the money is taken out pre-tax, lowering your taxable income.  So, if you company offers an FSA plan and aren’t taking advantage of it, you are already missing out on some great savings.   The best part is that you just can’t access the money anytime like an ATM, you have to submit the claim forms and wait, thus making it harder to spend.

What are some ways you save for Christmas/birthday spending?

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1. Saving Money At Christmas

The cake turned out great though!  I was so happy with it.  It was blue and white in the shape of a #1.  So sweet!

I still have my oldest son’s party to get through in a month.  It will be the first party where we invite friends from his pre-school.  It will be complete chaos I’m sure.  And, we are having it at home.  Not sure if that is a wise choice, but I don’t want to change the date if it rains or transport the cake that I plan to make, so we will just hope for the best.

Not sure where everyone is going to eat cake, but I will deal with that later.  Maybe I can borrow a picnic table or something.

We are going to a cabin in a couple of weeks for a friend’s daughter’s 7th birthday.  My friend gave her the choice of gifts or doing something.  She chose doing something without a 2nd thought.  So, they rented a cabin that has 3 bedrooms and sent out an open invitation to others to ether stay in one of the 2 extra bedrooms, get their own cabin or tent camp, or just visit for the day, since it’s a National Park.

I think this is a SUCH a great idea and am definitely going to start doing this as my boys get older.  I love the idea of teaching them to recognize that experiences with friends and family are more valuable that stuff and that there is often a trade off.

We are having a ‘no presents’ party anyway for the friends.   Big D will get enough from family to warrant anything else from others.   That’s a hard one for me though since he loves giving gifts.  I sort of feel like I’m depriving his friends of giving him something if they want to, but I would really love it if they just made him a card we could keep in his scrapbook.  Maybe I will mention that on the invitation in a cute poem or something.

Is there something special or a tradition that you do for birthdays with your kids?

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I think it’s because I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want. What I want, lifestyle-wise for our family.  And what that means for our finances/budget and our current home and income.

In June and July we had no real savings after our spending spree on a new camera and swingset/fort.  Both of which we love and have not a single ounce of buyer’s remorse.  But, then Murphy came knocking and my husband fell from a ladder, so we’ve  also had the bills rolling in from that.   And, I went to get a simple oil change and was told I needed four new tires.  Great.  Oh well, we’ve not done anything to that car in ages, so it was due.

Always happens though.  You spend money on something you want, then something comes up where you have to spend money on something you don’t want to spend money on!

So, it’s back on the saving wagon for the rest of the year.  I’m already making lists for Christmas and on the lookout.  We will be gone most of December to Australia and will have to pack all of the gifts, so that will definitely test my strategic packing skills.

Our Home

On a very positive note, our mortgage just fell below $120,ooo with our July payment.  Seeing that made me really excited about paying it off.

So, we’ve decided to do two things starting in August.  One is to prepay our mortgage.  We are adding enough to pay it off in 15 years.  We may be able to add more in the future, depending on how this goes.

I often get a bee in my bonnet about looking for a new house that has a bit more room for us, though we really have enough room, I just want a 2nd bathroom.  Anyway, I LOVE our neighborhood and don’t want to leave it.  It’s a very liberal and arty neighborhood and the community is just unbelievable.  But, it’s become very popular since we moved here and the prices of homes has skyrocketed.  We could not afford our own house if we were looking right now.

So, I’ve decided to stop worrying over it.  Pay down the mortgage, enjoy the house and neighborhood and the yard I love working on.  If, in 5 years or so, the market turns around and we can make a mint off this house and move to one that needs some work and have no mortgage, then we will think about that then.

But, for now, I’ve found this great site, Young House Love, that has inspired me, once again, to dig around for my creative side and work on my house once again. I’ve going to hang some prints and photos that have been sitting around, repaint our living room and work on some blank canvas I have sitting in the basement.   Along with sell some things (cloth diapers anyone?) to make a little extra to buy some new things.

Our Rental Income

I’ve written before about how we rent our upstairs.  The same renter has lived there since before we even bough the house.

He has started doing a few things that are pushing my boundaries (after 5 years, it’s bound to happen),  so I am planning on giving it another year to see how things go and then decide if I want to keep going with it (LOVE that rental income) or start thinking about something else.  We can either renovate up there, increase the rent and get another renter.  Or, we can take over the space for ourselves.

So, I’ve created another savings account that I will be putting all of our rental income in.  This way, we can see how our savings does without that income.  We are planning on using it, not for our regular savings, but to take care of some repairs and updates that are desperately needed on the house (hello new back windows!).

So, that is our new plan.  I don’t know about you, but I have never been able to stick to the same plan for an entire year.   Too many things change during that time.

Have any of your financial goals changed or become more focused at the midway point for 2009?

Related posts:

1. Spending Less and Earning Extra

I was just talking to my husband about this the other night.  We have an acquaintance that has been out of work for a few months.  I was saying that this person will more than likely remain out of work until something in his field comes available.  He would probably go into debt before he just went out and got a ‘job’ to bring in some money.  Luckily his wife has recently started working, otherwise they would have no money coming in.

We also have several other friends, all with University educations, who are looking for work.  Any work.  They are posting on Facebook, asking friends for part-time gigs.  They are waiting tables.  They are doing manual labor.  They are getting part-time retail jobs.

The point is, they are getting out there and are getting paid.  Cash money.  They know they won’t be doing it forever, they just need to get through this period and put food on the table, until something better comes along.

Both my husband and I have worked all sorts of what might be considered menial jobs for someone with a University education.  But, when you are in a situation where you need money coming in, you do what it takes.

Well, some people do.  And some don’t.  Some people have a little too much pride about their education or qualifications or what people would think if they were seen doing something they consider ‘less than’ what they are capable of.

Everybody knows the economy is bad.  Personally, if I were in a hiring position (and I have been in at least four of my previous positions) I would be more impressed with a candidate that was doing something while they were looking for work.  Whether it was night work waiting tables to bring in money or volunteer work to expand their resume or do something they enjoy, anything is better than just sitting around trolling monster.com for the perfect job.  You can only do that for so long before you have to start making things happen for yourself.

If there is anything people should walk away with from this economy is that your job doesn’t define you.  If it does, well, maybe you should get a hobby or something.

What about you?  Do you know people who have been “looking for work” for ages but seem unwilling to really do what it takes? Or do you know more of the type who will get out there no matter what to put money in the bank?

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There is one sale that is put on twice a year where I live that I usually always go to.  In fact, I normally consign at least the minimum so I can get into the consignor pre-sale, which is the night before the public sale.  The public sale is far too nuts for me to bother with and since there are 5 pre-sale times beforehand, all of the best stuff for the best prices is long gone.

This year, when I was dropping off the items I am consigning, I saw a sign stating they were desperate for worker volunteers and that in return for one shift, I could shop a day earlier, at the worker pre-sale.

So, both my friend and I signed up.  So, Thursday night we shopped at the worker pre-sale and last night we worked the pre-sale for consignors.  The public sale starts today, Lord help them.

It was exhausting.  We shopped from 7pm to 11pm on Thursday night (and worked 5-11pm on Friday night).  There is an enormous amount of things to go through at this sale!  I didn’t even look at everything.  Not even hardly!  I skipped over all the TONS of baby things, ride on toys, dvds and didn’t look at the adult clothes either.

For Big D I bought ($60),

• 4 sets of pajamas (3 of which look brand new, Gap and Carters)
• 6 pants (3 are Gymboree)
• 5 shirts (4 are OshKosh)
• rain boots
• running shoes
• and an REI fleece pullover

For Little C, I bought ($14),

• 2 sets of pajamas
• 6 pants

Little C didn’t really need anything.  But, I looked a bit and kept finding things, so I just stopped myself!

I also bought a puzzle game, two bike helmets and a telescope for the boy’s swingset fort, which was on Big D’s birthday wish list, all for $17.

So, I got everything for $97, which I thought that was pretty good.

I was disappointed in the books and games this time though.  They normally have a much better selection.   My friend and I were talking about this and we are wondering if the February sale is simply better for that sort of thing since it’s right after Christmas and people are getting rid of more stuff to make way for the new stuff they got over Christmas.

I also noticed that some of the clothes prices seemed to be higher than they have been in years passed.  Some items I passed over because I knew I could get it on sale, new, for a similar (or better!) price.

It definitely pays to know your prices when you go to consignment sales.  I have decided that I am going to make a chart of what I paid this time at the consignment sale and what I can get on sale at the stores I normally buy from (Target, Children’s Place, Gymboree Outlet).

I will probably try to work the sale again in February to compare, but this time I want to work when the consignors drop off their items so I can get a better look of what is coming in.  I saw a lot of items last night when I was checking people out that I would have loved, for great bargains.

Volunteering to work is definitely time consuming, so I will give it one more chance to see if I think it’s worth it.  As my boys get older there seems to be less and less to look for, toy wise (since we seem to have everything already!) and if I can get clothes on sale for similar prices and we now have a great used book store nearby….well, it’s a lot of work to shop that sale.

I did check out one family of people (2 sisters and their mother) whose total came up to $604!  Good grief.  They had 96 items of clothing, toys, movies, shoes, etc.  Crazy.  It all would have cost much more full price, but you have to ask yourself at these sales…do I really need or want all this stuff cluttering up my house?  Have my kids asked for this?  Do I really need 10 movies simply because they are only $1 each?  My answer would be “no”, which is why I only bought one game.

What about you?  Do you go to consignment sales for your kids?  Have you ever consigned or worked a sale to shop early?  Do you find better deals compared to on sale items at stores?

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Saturday night we had a family BBQ to finish off the day of hard work.  We had burgers, corn and veggies cooked on the grill, pasta salad, and fruit salad (watermelon, strawberries and blueberries).

It was a great BBQ and after we finished the swingset on Sunday, Big D played on it for nearly the rest of the day.  He just loves it and we couldn’t be happier with it.  It’s the perfect size for our yard and not too over the top.  Totally worth the money.  We know that the boys will have loads of fun with it for years.

I didn’t do a lot of posting last week, but I did do some reading.  I’ve been in my head a lot lately, for various reasons that I will try to post about.  But, I’ve also been trying to focus on different things.  Simpler things.  It’s hard for me since I’m a dreamer.  Always have been.

Anyway, here are some of the articles I enjoyed reading last week.

Man vs Debt wrote about “Should Retirement Really Be the End Goal for Gen Y?” over at Virology -  I am hardly Gen Y, but I think this sort of thinking is hitting home with a lot more people these days, including myself.

Free Pursuits did a guest post on Location Independent titled Jump Start Your Life of Location Independence With a Sabbatical – I love this idea.  In fact, I have a great friend, who works on Wall Street as a very highly paid executive recruiter.  I was extremely impressed when a few years ago, she was able to negotiate a 6-month sabbatical to go and teach kids English in Thailand.  I figure if someone on Wall Street can do it, then nearly anyone can.

On a side note, Australians and Kiwis, who work at a company for 10 years, earn what is called Long Service Leave.  This is an extra amount of of PAID sabbatical, usually 2-3 months long.  Unreal.  We are getting so ripped off in this county.   My Mom got a crappy camera after 10 years and something equally laughable after 20.

GuyNamedDave, who is also the creator of the 100 Things Challenge, did a great review of the movie, Up.  We took our son to see it a few weeks ago and just loved it.  Unfortunately, our son got scared at the very end (overstimulated is more like it), so I had to take him out and missed the last 15 minutes or so (hubby filled me in).  But, the the crux of the story definitely hit a chord with me and as a result I’ve been relishing in the more “boring” aspects of life and enjoying the little things.

After all, it’s the little things that often make the biggest difference.

On a lighter note, Making this Home tells us how to make your own marshmallows!  I have never even thought of doing this!  Now I totally want to do it for our next BBQ.   I mean, not super healthy, but at least you know what’s going into it and they are ingredients that can be pronounced, which is a big plus in my book.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend too, also full of little things, making big memories.

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I took my car in yesterday for an oil change and tire balance since every time I was getting over 60 mph my car would vibrate so bad it felt like it was going to fall apart.

Well, they told me they couldn’t do the tire balance because my two back tires were bald and my right front one was splitting.

Oops.

So, I had to get four new tires and also a new CV boot and something else as one of my wheels was leaking some fluid of some sort.

I am clueless about cars and always take my car to the same place because they are very honest and trustworthy and I don’t feel like I’m being ripped off because I’m a woman.

Anyway, $942 later….my car runs like a dream.  Oh well, it’s paid for and $942 is a hell of a lot cheaper than a new car.  Plus, we have an ample emergency fund, so I never stress over things like this.

It still sucks though.  I hate spending money on stuff like that, even though it’s necessary.  $1000 gone.

So, after the whole car thing, that took pretty much all day after juggling between getting to and from the car place (which is across town) I was feeling a little deflated yesterday.

Then, my tenant told me he was on the search for a healthy oatmeal cookie recipe that he wanted to bake.  Huh?  The man has lived in that apartment for over 10 years and has he ever even used the stove?  He remembers using it once, but can’t remember for what.  Hysterical.

So, I found this oatmeal cookie recipe that has no refined sugar (yay!) and made them last night for a little cookie therapy.  YUM. I am giving my tenant some today for him to test to see if he likes them and wants to use that recipe.  Note about the recipe:  The instructions say to put the batter in the fridge for 20 minutes and this really helps to make it easier to work with.  I added extra flour before doing this and mine turned out a bit dry as a result.  Next time I will put it in the fridge first before seeing if it needs extra flour.  But, all in all, very nice cookies with a lovely flavor.

Thinking I will take the boys on a stroll to work off those cookies now.

Photo and recipe from Whole Grain Gourmet.

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