I have decided to join this blog forum to see how I can save $ and spend quality time with my young family. I look forward to reading from other participants as well. You can join too!
Nov 21 (my youngest is 7mo old today!)
Camp was supposed to start Nov 15, but I never got an email like I thought I would. So I grabbed a couple of minutes today and looked "boot camp" on mommysavers.com and found some postings. We are supposed to create a holiday budget with an example spreadsheet the author created. I keep our household budget on an excel program and I created a projected budget for completing house projects, but I never thought about creating the same system for holiday expenses. Perhaps this is because I don't have a regular list of expenses. We have a fake tree, we don't buy a lot of gifts for ourselves or the kids (the oldest is 2 years old) and I don't buy extra decorations until after the holidays when they are clearanced at 75%. Sometimes the best deals come around the holiday, like Glen Ivy Day Spa gift cards, $75 for $100. So I tend to stock up for the year (as presents for the holidays or special occasions like birthdays and mother's day). We only buy presents for our close family and a few friends. This year I am also making presents like flannel pajama bottoms, jam, jewelry, and decorative ornaments. So I am hoping to make the holidays more affordable and special by making my own crafts (although finding the time with 2 kids might be the real holiday challenge for me). However, since I signed up for the holiday boot camp, I will attempt to create a spreadsheet anyway.
Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Date Night for Parents
I like to post ideas I find from different people or websites. Below are list of ideas I've read about or seen on moomysaves.com at http://moremileage.uniroyaltires.com/e-books/family-fun-for-less/creative-date-nights-for-parents/.
When you add the expense of hiring a babysitter to the cost of going out for a meal or catching a movie, date nights can be especially expensive for parents. However, there still are budget-friendly ways to spend time with your spouse without giving up date nights altogether. Here are a few:
Picnic
On a nice evening, spending time outdoors can be particularly romantic. Pick a quiet park, a beach or a nature reserve. Bring a bottle of good, but inexpensive wine or champagne along with some nice meats, cheeses and breads. Even if you buy the gourmet or upscale varieties, you won’t spend as much as a night out at a restaurant. Sam’s Club®, Trader Joe’s® and most supermarket deli cases have more exotic cheeses and meats, so there’s no need to go to high-end stores to find them.
Coffee Shop
If you’ve given up your designer coffee habit to better manage your budget, splurging on coffee once in a while can feel like a luxury. Combine your java with something yummy from the pastry / dessert menu and you’ve got a hot date that doesn’t cost much. Bookstores that also sell coffee are great spots for this type of date. Even if you each decide to buy a book, you’ve typically spent less than you would have on dinner and drinks at a restaurant. Plus, you have something to take home with you!
Game Night
If you enjoy hanging out with other couples, consider organizing a game night. The couple that hosts the party is in charge of selecting the games and hiring a babysitter. Potlucks work great because they take the pressure off the hosts, financially and otherwise. Select a babysitter (or two) that is comfortable with the number of kids. Make sure the sitter is well prepared with activities and games for them. Have all the parents contribute to paying her and she’ll make a great wage. It’s a win-win for everyone!
Wine Tastings
Take a tour of a nearby vineyard or brewery and enjoy some free samples when the tour wraps up. Visit OfficialWinery.com for a directory of tasting events and locations near you. If you’re not close to any wineries, organize your very own tasting event with friends. Instruct guests to spend no more than $10 on an interesting bottle of wine and pair it with some cheese. Conduct a blind taste test and have everyone vote on their favorite variety.
At-Home
If kids are in the mix, it’s sometimes hard to find a babysitter. No worries! You can create a romantic (yet frugal) date at home. The trick is to feed the kids and put them to bed early so you can enjoy time alone. Set your dining room table as if you were heading to a fancy restaurant: tablecloths, cloth napkins, mood music, candlelight – the works. Crab legs or lobster tail are especially good on special nights like this because they’re easy to prepare and cost just a fraction of the restaurant price when purchased at the supermarket. You’ll feel like you’re living large without spending a lot of cash.
Some other ideas I've read about:
1. Wine and cheese tasting at home or on a picnic or with friends
2. Puzzle night
3. Go to Gameworks or Dave n Busters for a game night. You could do dinner there too.
4. Window shopping at a nice outdoor mall where you can stroll and talk.
5. Drive to the beach or mountains for a sunset. Bring some goodies with you like sparkling cider to add to the moment.
6. Hang out at a place like Downtown Disney where there's music, restaraunts, and many shops to stroll in. Fireworks at night.
7. Minor league baseball game can be cheaper than a movie depending on how much you spend on food. (Go to Costco for hot dogs before the game to minimize food spending).
8. Hangout at Border or Barnes n Nobles to check out some new books and enjoy some coffee.
When you add the expense of hiring a babysitter to the cost of going out for a meal or catching a movie, date nights can be especially expensive for parents. However, there still are budget-friendly ways to spend time with your spouse without giving up date nights altogether. Here are a few:
Picnic
On a nice evening, spending time outdoors can be particularly romantic. Pick a quiet park, a beach or a nature reserve. Bring a bottle of good, but inexpensive wine or champagne along with some nice meats, cheeses and breads. Even if you buy the gourmet or upscale varieties, you won’t spend as much as a night out at a restaurant. Sam’s Club®, Trader Joe’s® and most supermarket deli cases have more exotic cheeses and meats, so there’s no need to go to high-end stores to find them.
Coffee Shop
If you’ve given up your designer coffee habit to better manage your budget, splurging on coffee once in a while can feel like a luxury. Combine your java with something yummy from the pastry / dessert menu and you’ve got a hot date that doesn’t cost much. Bookstores that also sell coffee are great spots for this type of date. Even if you each decide to buy a book, you’ve typically spent less than you would have on dinner and drinks at a restaurant. Plus, you have something to take home with you!
Game Night
If you enjoy hanging out with other couples, consider organizing a game night. The couple that hosts the party is in charge of selecting the games and hiring a babysitter. Potlucks work great because they take the pressure off the hosts, financially and otherwise. Select a babysitter (or two) that is comfortable with the number of kids. Make sure the sitter is well prepared with activities and games for them. Have all the parents contribute to paying her and she’ll make a great wage. It’s a win-win for everyone!
Wine Tastings
Take a tour of a nearby vineyard or brewery and enjoy some free samples when the tour wraps up. Visit OfficialWinery.com for a directory of tasting events and locations near you. If you’re not close to any wineries, organize your very own tasting event with friends. Instruct guests to spend no more than $10 on an interesting bottle of wine and pair it with some cheese. Conduct a blind taste test and have everyone vote on their favorite variety.
At-Home
If kids are in the mix, it’s sometimes hard to find a babysitter. No worries! You can create a romantic (yet frugal) date at home. The trick is to feed the kids and put them to bed early so you can enjoy time alone. Set your dining room table as if you were heading to a fancy restaurant: tablecloths, cloth napkins, mood music, candlelight – the works. Crab legs or lobster tail are especially good on special nights like this because they’re easy to prepare and cost just a fraction of the restaurant price when purchased at the supermarket. You’ll feel like you’re living large without spending a lot of cash.
Some other ideas I've read about:
1. Wine and cheese tasting at home or on a picnic or with friends
2. Puzzle night
3. Go to Gameworks or Dave n Busters for a game night. You could do dinner there too.
4. Window shopping at a nice outdoor mall where you can stroll and talk.
5. Drive to the beach or mountains for a sunset. Bring some goodies with you like sparkling cider to add to the moment.
6. Hang out at a place like Downtown Disney where there's music, restaraunts, and many shops to stroll in. Fireworks at night.
7. Minor league baseball game can be cheaper than a movie depending on how much you spend on food. (Go to Costco for hot dogs before the game to minimize food spending).
8. Hangout at Border or Barnes n Nobles to check out some new books and enjoy some coffee.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Finding The Silver Lining | Parade.com
Finding The Silver Lining | Parade.com
Author Mitch Albom with Pastor Henry Covington in Detroit.
Editor's Note: Find out how you can help faith groups make repairs at a Hole in the Roof Foundation.
Rain falls on the church roof. It pours through a gaping hole and splashes onto the pews. Against the plop, plop, plop of gathering water, a pastor urges nearly 100 weary men to believe in the future. They wear old jackets or sweatshirts. They line up for chili and cornbread. They sleep on the floor, atop vinyl mattresses.
“Enjoy the meal,” the pastor tells them as they line up. “There’s a place for you here. See that man for a blanket…”
I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN THIS STORY SINCE I READ IT. TODAY, GMA DID A SPECIAL FOLLOW UP AND THE CHURCH GOT A NEW ROOF FROM THE COMMUNITY. READ ON FOR MORE INFO
Just as the first major winter storm bears down on Detroit, acts of faith -- and author Mitch Albom's newest best seller, Have a Little Faith -- have added up to put a new roof on a crumbling downtown church that serves and shelters the homeless.
The $85,000 repair is set to be unveiled today, snow or no snow. The plan is for a joyful ceremonial removal of a great blue tarp placed where there was once a huge hole that left the church so cold people routinely prayed with their coats on. The funds came from "A Hole in the Roof Foundation" established by Albom to support churches that serve cities' poorest people can't use government money for capital repairs.
Albom, who has devoted the proceeds of earlier books such as Tuesdays with Morrie, to fund programs in the recession-shattered city, launched Have a Little Faith, a little book describing the commitment to good works of two clergyman. One was his childhood rabbi, the late Albert Lewis. The other was Henry Covington, spiritual leader of Pilgrim Church and a ministry to the homeless. A portion of the funds from book launch events went to kick off the foundation.
Detroit author Mitch Albom's newest book,
CAPTION
By Santa Fabio, for USA TODAY
Albom says people nationwide responded with donations from $7 -- enough to buy a roof shingle through a Twitter campaign called "Shinglebells" -- to $10,000 from a church in California.
Ten days ago, we had 100 volunteers, including the homeless people who sleep at the church, out here forming a big human line when the trucks pulled up with the supplies.
We unloaded the shingles and nails and handed the supplies up to the ladder to the professionals on the roof. Then, on the count of three, they pulled off the tarps.
Today, on the count of three, they'll do it again. They'll also unveil a plaque inside the church, replastered and repainted where the biggest hole once let rain fall in. It lists about 400 names.
The ceremony will include the church choir, singer Anita Baker and the Detroit mayor all there to celebrate the faith of strangers in a city church. Albom says there's still money coming into the Hole in the Roof fund and soon they'll pick a new church to repair.
This is my hometown, Detroit, in a devastated economy, in a crumbling church, on a cold, hard floor at the bottom of the world.
And still, there is hope.
If there is any advantage to living at the epicenter of the economic crisis, where our main industry—the auto business—has imploded, where abandoned houses seem to dot every corner, where the unemployment rate is a staggering 25%, it is this: You get to see what man is made of.
What I have seen is that man is made of tough stuff. Man can rise to the occasion. One such man is the pastor of this church. His name is Henry Covington. Thirty years ago, he was in prison. He’d been a drug dealer, a drug abuser, a thief, and an armed robber. He had every excuse to see the world as hopeless.
But on a night when he truly hit bottom, hiding behind trash cans, certain he would be murdered by angry drug dealers, he promised his life to God if he lived to the morning.
He lived.
He kept his promise.
These days, Pastor Covington, 52, runs the I Am My Brother’s Keeper Ministries in downtown Detroit. His huge brick building was once—more than a century ago—the largest Presbyterian church in the upper Midwest. Now, like much of Detroit, it’s been overgrown with poverty, and there are broken windows and a hole in the sanctuary roof through which the rainwater collects in buckets. Several times, this ministry has been close to folding. Local drug lords even offered the pastor money to let them use the church for their dealings.
But Henry Covington was done with that life.
Instead, he dug in. He found a way. Today, he conducts services through the cold, through the snow, even under a giant plastic tent when the gas company shuts the heat off due to unpaid bills. He takes little salary and lives with his family in a tiny, nearby home.
And yet, he says, “I’m where I’m supposed to be.”
What he means is that he is where he can make a difference. In that way, Covington is typical of many people in this economy who find new meaning in their lives despite losing jobs, homes, or status: They find it by giving to others and reconnecting with their faith.
In Detroit, we call it fighting back.
A few years ago, I spent a night at a local homeless shelter to write about the experience. As I stood in line for food, a man tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was who he thought I was. I told him yes.
“So,” he said, nodding sympathetically, “what happened to you?”
I never forgot that. I realized hard times can hit anyone. Now, all around our country, it is being proven true. With the mortgage crisis and the recession, even rural states like Wyoming and Montana have seen jumps in their unemployed and homeless populations. In Detroit, nearly half of the homeless are families, and more than half of those are on the streets for the first time.
Author Mitch Albom with Pastor Henry Covington in Detroit.
Editor's Note: Find out how you can help faith groups make repairs at a Hole in the Roof Foundation.
Rain falls on the church roof. It pours through a gaping hole and splashes onto the pews. Against the plop, plop, plop of gathering water, a pastor urges nearly 100 weary men to believe in the future. They wear old jackets or sweatshirts. They line up for chili and cornbread. They sleep on the floor, atop vinyl mattresses.
“Enjoy the meal,” the pastor tells them as they line up. “There’s a place for you here. See that man for a blanket…”
I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN THIS STORY SINCE I READ IT. TODAY, GMA DID A SPECIAL FOLLOW UP AND THE CHURCH GOT A NEW ROOF FROM THE COMMUNITY. READ ON FOR MORE INFO
Just as the first major winter storm bears down on Detroit, acts of faith -- and author Mitch Albom's newest best seller, Have a Little Faith -- have added up to put a new roof on a crumbling downtown church that serves and shelters the homeless.
The $85,000 repair is set to be unveiled today, snow or no snow. The plan is for a joyful ceremonial removal of a great blue tarp placed where there was once a huge hole that left the church so cold people routinely prayed with their coats on. The funds came from "A Hole in the Roof Foundation" established by Albom to support churches that serve cities' poorest people can't use government money for capital repairs.
Albom, who has devoted the proceeds of earlier books such as Tuesdays with Morrie, to fund programs in the recession-shattered city, launched Have a Little Faith, a little book describing the commitment to good works of two clergyman. One was his childhood rabbi, the late Albert Lewis. The other was Henry Covington, spiritual leader of Pilgrim Church and a ministry to the homeless. A portion of the funds from book launch events went to kick off the foundation.
Detroit author Mitch Albom's newest book,
CAPTION
By Santa Fabio, for USA TODAY
Albom says people nationwide responded with donations from $7 -- enough to buy a roof shingle through a Twitter campaign called "Shinglebells" -- to $10,000 from a church in California.
Ten days ago, we had 100 volunteers, including the homeless people who sleep at the church, out here forming a big human line when the trucks pulled up with the supplies.
We unloaded the shingles and nails and handed the supplies up to the ladder to the professionals on the roof. Then, on the count of three, they pulled off the tarps.
Today, on the count of three, they'll do it again. They'll also unveil a plaque inside the church, replastered and repainted where the biggest hole once let rain fall in. It lists about 400 names.
The ceremony will include the church choir, singer Anita Baker and the Detroit mayor all there to celebrate the faith of strangers in a city church. Albom says there's still money coming into the Hole in the Roof fund and soon they'll pick a new church to repair.
This is my hometown, Detroit, in a devastated economy, in a crumbling church, on a cold, hard floor at the bottom of the world.
And still, there is hope.
If there is any advantage to living at the epicenter of the economic crisis, where our main industry—the auto business—has imploded, where abandoned houses seem to dot every corner, where the unemployment rate is a staggering 25%, it is this: You get to see what man is made of.
What I have seen is that man is made of tough stuff. Man can rise to the occasion. One such man is the pastor of this church. His name is Henry Covington. Thirty years ago, he was in prison. He’d been a drug dealer, a drug abuser, a thief, and an armed robber. He had every excuse to see the world as hopeless.
But on a night when he truly hit bottom, hiding behind trash cans, certain he would be murdered by angry drug dealers, he promised his life to God if he lived to the morning.
He lived.
He kept his promise.
These days, Pastor Covington, 52, runs the I Am My Brother’s Keeper Ministries in downtown Detroit. His huge brick building was once—more than a century ago—the largest Presbyterian church in the upper Midwest. Now, like much of Detroit, it’s been overgrown with poverty, and there are broken windows and a hole in the sanctuary roof through which the rainwater collects in buckets. Several times, this ministry has been close to folding. Local drug lords even offered the pastor money to let them use the church for their dealings.
But Henry Covington was done with that life.
Instead, he dug in. He found a way. Today, he conducts services through the cold, through the snow, even under a giant plastic tent when the gas company shuts the heat off due to unpaid bills. He takes little salary and lives with his family in a tiny, nearby home.
And yet, he says, “I’m where I’m supposed to be.”
What he means is that he is where he can make a difference. In that way, Covington is typical of many people in this economy who find new meaning in their lives despite losing jobs, homes, or status: They find it by giving to others and reconnecting with their faith.
In Detroit, we call it fighting back.
A few years ago, I spent a night at a local homeless shelter to write about the experience. As I stood in line for food, a man tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was who he thought I was. I told him yes.
“So,” he said, nodding sympathetically, “what happened to you?”
I never forgot that. I realized hard times can hit anyone. Now, all around our country, it is being proven true. With the mortgage crisis and the recession, even rural states like Wyoming and Montana have seen jumps in their unemployed and homeless populations. In Detroit, nearly half of the homeless are families, and more than half of those are on the streets for the first time.
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