How Do You Do It? Money-Wise

I was running the numbers yesterday to see when Todd and I will be able to go down to a one income family.  I got so sad, because I dont see how it is possible for us to ever be a one income family.  I hate to think that we spend everything that we earn...even when we are debt free (but the house). 

By the end of March, we will owe mid $2,000 on our last credit card debt.  We have paid off nearly $900/month in revolving debt in the past year and a half which is a huge feat! However, even with that $900/month nearly freed up, we still have alot of things we want to do.

After our last debt is paid off, we will secure 1 year's worth of the bi-yearly & yearly bills ($5,000).  We will also save up an additional $6,000 to use as 3 month's living expenses.  Between the "bi-yearly" payments and 3 month's living expenses, we will have enough money to actually live off of if something were to happen for 6 months. 

Once that is taken care of, we want to:

1.) Start investing $500/month into a Roth IRA (this along with what we contribute at work with our employers would be 15% of our income)
2.) Save for our next vehicle (Goal: $12,000)
3.) Add a 1 1/2 car garage onto our house for hubby to use as his "workshop" and tear down the house next door. 

On top of all this, start a family.

So...my question is, how do you do it?
I know there are a few stay at home mom's out there that read the blog, and some with very limited income.

I understand that we dont NEED a $12,000 vehicle.  We most likely wont even "NEED" a vehicle for the next 5-10 years (hopefully)! But this is still looming in my mind, especially seeing as we drive so much.

And the house next door houses alot of hubby's tools and welding materials.  There is a hole in the roof and it is caving in.  Before long, the house will fall down around all of hubby's equipment.  We need to really consider getting it taken down, but we also need to find a home for some of our belongings and his equipment.  We are planning on going through and getting rid of alot of items, but we will still need to store some items.

Any suggestions and criticism is welcome.
I just dont see how all of this is possible on ONE income.

Todd's Birthday Surprise

Todd is going to be 40 next month (May 30^th), and I have been thinking of a once in a lifetime gift for him.  My step mom mentioned something with Todd racing a race car. I found out that there are a few tracks around our area, but you have to have your own car, and it is EXPENSIVE!

The next, I decided I wanted to do a scenic flight around our area.  I called several places, and found one that is perfect for us. To be honest, I think I am more excited about it than Todd will be when he finds out what we are doing on the 31^st of May.

The day after Todd’s birthday, I am taking the day off from work and we are going to go to lunch and then we will drive up to Cleveland to Burke Lakefront Airport.  This is a small airport close to the Cleveland Airport.  We will be flying over Cleveland and other areas for one hour with a personal pilot on a 4 person Cessna plane.  I was expecting it to be several hundred dollars for the two of us, but not so!

Todd is going to be flying the plane with the pilot, and the price is $62.95!  For me, because I will be a passenger (and official photo-taker!), I am riding for less than $30!  After all the regulatory fees and taxes, the cost is a few dollars less than $100!

HOW PERFECT IS THAT?!?

Not only will it be an experience of a lifetime, it is affordable!

We had been talking about going to Cancun or someplace tropical when we hit the big milestone of 30 and 40 years of age (as we both are this year,) but $100 is much more affordable.  We are going to lunch at his favorite place that gives a LOT of food for a LOW cost, Benihanah’s!  We will get the lunch boat for $9.75/person.  I just hope I don’t ralph it all up on the plane.

I’m so excited…can you tell?

Now, how am I going to keep this a secret for over a month without bursting at the seams?

We Are Going to Orlando!

I drove down to see my mom and her husband last night for the weekend.  I havent had time with my mom alone since my birthday in early February, so we are long overdue.

I was sitting in Doc's den as he was making reservations in late October to Orlando for a medical conference he has to attend every year.  I was a little snotty and said how jealous I am.  Doc asked if I want to go.  I said that of course I wanted to go, but we cant.  He said, "Well, you're going."  Within minutes, he booked us a hotel (at a really nice hotel in Orlando - Doc doesnt do Comfort Inn!) and had our flights booked.  For both Todd and I.  I am still in shock at what just happened.

I know that mom has wanted to go on vacation with us for a while now, but things never panned out (and Todd and I are so cheap, our idea of a vacation and theirs are two completely different things.)  Well, Orlando is alot more affordable when you dont pay for your airfare and hotel!  I told mom that I cannot let them pay for our vacation, and she said, "Buy us dinner."  We will do alot more than that, of course, but it just amazes me how generous they are.  Todd is in complete disbelief as well.  We have been talking about going to Disney for a couple years now.  We are finally going to go! 

Planning for Christmas

Saturday, Todd and I went to the winery where it all started for us back in 2006.  We started making wine because of the Grape and Granary in Akron, OH.

We went there for the ump-teenth time and had a nice wine tasting to decide what we will be making here at home for Christmas gifts.  We have decided on 4 different wines.  Each batch of wine makes 30 bottles, so we will have 120 bottles of wine to savor throughout the year and to give away as gifts.

I am so excited!
We didnt buy any of the kits, because there is a place closer to where we live that sells them for a bit less than the Grape and Granary.  It will be like buying 3 - get one free.  And let me tell you, I love free! Not only that, we are really trying to pay off the last credit card by July 1st (I moved it back one month because it will be nearly impossible to pay off $4,980 in the next two months AND go on two 4-day weekends away!)

We are also going to try our hand at making beer for the holidays.  Alot of people in our family are drinkers, so these are perfect gifts.  Not only are they perfect gifts, they are different, and they wont be very expensive for us to make because we have all the equipment. 

Am I the only one thinking about Christmas already? :-)

Chicks Week 6

It was 75 degrees here on Sunday.  This is the chickens enjoying the weather and the garden.  I love how they lay down in the leaves.

Funny Conversation

Todd called me on my way to work the other morning.  He calls me every morning if he is at work and I’m on my way to work because we don’t see each other in the morning.  He is usually out the door by 4:30 and he gives me a kiss goodbye, and that’s about it.   We were talking about how our diet has been going.  I told him that I am having a horrible time with my sweet tooth.

Todd then said, “When I get home, I am going to get my pliers and we will take care of it! No more sweet tooth!” 

Believe me, I wish it were that easy.

Chicks - Week 5

I still cant believe we've had the chicks for 5 weeks!  How time flies!

Nothing has changed other than they are getting SO BIG!  "Butch" likes to jump up on the side of the box and just hang out.  She doesnt mind when Lana gets excited and wants to sniff her.  They are drinking out of a new water bottle that doesnt drip with no problems at all!

My favorite for the week is Butch. Please dont tell the others. :-)  She loves to be held and to perch on my arm or my shoulder.  And she doesnt poop on me like Fluff did!  But Fluff is the prettiest.

Here are some pictures:

Applying for a New Job

I have been complaining lately about how much I do not want to go into work every morning.  I have a case of the “Is it Friday yet? Oh no, it’s Monday already!” I like most of the people where I work, but I could do without the 1 hour commute each way, the stress, and the job in general. 

I was looking on Craigslist for something, and I decided to look to see if there were any jobs in our area.  I found one for a Purchasing/Office Manager for a company that is in Youngstown, OH.  Youngstown is only 20 miles away from where we live, and a 30 minute commute. I applied.

I have been praying that if it was meant that I get this job, that I would get it.  We will see what God has in store for me.  It sounds like an interesting company.  It would be nice to get out of the industry that I’m in (computer supplies) and go with something else.  I love to learn and to think about learning a whole new industry is not only scary but exciting to me.  I crave something new.  Oh, and did I mention it would be a pay increase?

We will see if I get called in for an interview.  If not, I’m thankful I still have a job. It is all in God’s hands right now.  I am just along for the ride.

Healthier Lifestyle

Todd and I are on our way for the weight-loss competition.  I was looking at recipes online for healthy sweets (other than fruits.)  I have a hard time living without sweets, especially after dinner.  It is a real, true addiction.  I was thinking that it’d be best if I make items that will help with my sweet tooth but are also healthy.

I found a recipe that called for whole wheat graham crackers and natural peanut butter.  I don’t want to buy whole wheat graham crackers.  I don’t want to buy even organic peanut butter.  I want to stay away from the preservatives and make the food we eat with my own two hands.  I found several recipes for homemade peanut butter that I am looking forward to making.  Also, I found a great, easy recipe for whole wheat graham crackers.  The only problem with the recipe for graham crackers is that it called for butter.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to use any more store-bought butter.  To me, it is salty (I hate salt – I never use it in any of my recipes).  Not only that, it has preservatives.  So, I went on my way to trying to find recipes to make butter, and sure enough, it looks pretty darn easy!  I look forward to making butter myself.

I brought it up to a friend of mine from work about needing REAL milk (from a cow or goat) and how it is not legal to sell it here in Ohio.  I live very close to an Amish village as well as an Amish butcher.  In Pennsylvania, it IS legal to buy raw milk.   So, do I try to find an Amish farm that will sell me milk to drink as well as to make my own butter?

I was telling my friend, and he said, “There is a reason it is not legal in Ohio.  It is dangerous if it’s not pasteurized.”  He also copped a bit of an attitude and said, “So what, are you going to get a cow now?” I asked him where the hostility was coming from, and he said that I didn’t make sense to him.  I wanted eggs, so I bought chickens.  I want to make butter, so I now have to find raw milk.  He kept going on and on about how people in the 21^st century are living longer BECAUSE of the additives and preservatives.  I do not agree with that at all.  My belief is that people are living longer in the 21^st century due to modern medicine and that the foods we eat with the corn syrup and preservatives are killing us!  My friend, Mike, and I agreed to disagree on the topic.

Am I the only one that sees the benefits of making food from scratch?  We are by no means anywhere close to being organic or even healthy for that matter, but we are working toward it!  If I can create meals for Todd and I to live longer, taste better and make our waistlines go down, I don’t see a problem with it! 

New Website Up

I just listed the first post on the website that will be my money-savings, recipe, homesteading site.

If you want to check it out, the link is:
http://sparing-change.blogspot.com/