Friday, September 30, 2011

WEEK 4

Thursday was week 4 of the Dave Ramsey class at our local church. All I can say is wowzers. It was inspiring.

The discussion centered on getting rid of debt and the plan was so simple, every one should be able to do it. Most that take the class are debt free within 12-18 months with those that have student loans being debt free in about 3 years.

I have been typing notes on my laptop and forwarding them to the sons of the family. I hope they are reading them. I'll just keep sending them in hopes they are able to help them to help others.

It's been a short week because the GRAND son was here for a few days. The world stops when he is here and we enjoy every minute we can with him.

The GRAND daughter started walking this week, how is that possible? Easy, she is almost one so it is time. Here she is from a picture last July.

No, you do not have permission to copy it, sorry.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Thursday, September 22, 2011

DAVE RAMSEY CLASS

This week will be the third week for the Dave Ramsey class for The Hubbie and I. It is very interesting and we are learning much in spite of our advanced age, cough, choke.

Dave is promoting the recovering of our great Country. He says it will be done one family at a time. These are the five steps he uses.

Learn to live on a written plan. Make a budget.
Live on less than you make. Act your wage.
Get out of debt. Don't remain a slave to lenders.
Save and invest money. Be prepared!
Give. Tithe, then bless others. We don't own it, we manage it.

It sounds pretty simple, doesn't it?

Oh, we learned that a person that has a tendency to be tight with money is a Nerd or that is what Dave calls them for the purpose of the class. The one that is more on the party mode is a free spirit. I'm the latter. Now it all makes sense, doesn't it? Giggle.

I'm also the one still awake at 3:13 AM. We ate supper at the local Waffle House. We both had a coupon for a free waffle. The Hubbie drank water. I ordered decaf coffee, our bill was $1.51. I'm pretty sure that the little blonde waitress gave me the regular coffee and not the decaf. Never trust a blonde with black roots and a coffee pot. Live and learn.

Good night or should I say Morning? This is crazy!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

WORDEE

I saw a sign on the Internet, yes, this is copied.

MONEY CAN'T BUY HAPPINESS

BUT

IT CAN BUY ICE CREAM!!!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

TARGET FIND

Several months ago, I posted a way to save money at Target. It was to shop the endcaps, the shelving on the ends of certain aisles. The product is marked down very low, ready for fast sale.

I found another way to save money at Target. It is to look in each department for other markdowns. There should be a sign showing the marked down prices to be 30, 50, even 75% off the original price. The signs were very large and easy to find at a glance. I found this nice shower curtain that had been ordered online but returned to the store.

Originally it was for sale for $31.99 but since it was an online item and was not carried in the store, the store is forced to reduce it. The buying price, meaning what I paid, $8.06.

No way would I pay $31.99 for a shower curtain but, yes, way, would I pay and did, $8.06. I could cut it in half long ways and make two nice window curtains.
OR use it for a shower curtain, what a bright idea!

Monday, September 19, 2011

BLANK AS THAT WALL

Last night I laid in bed posting this blog in my head, woke up this morning and I was blank as a wall! I'm brilliant at writing at night, in my own mind anyway. Why do I not remember what I was planning?

Maybe I need to pull out the old tape recorder and push the record button. I keep a notepad and a pen near but I really don't turn on the light to hand write for this blog, it's night afterall.

Am I the only one that does this? Am I GOOFY?

Friday, September 16, 2011

OH MAN, WHAT NOW?

A friend sent an email. I responded. Today a respond from him asking if what 'they' were saying about Sarah Palin and Glen Rice was true?

I googled it.

It's out there.

The Hubbie thinks it is the reason she has not jumped into the presidential race. Well, at least if it is, she has a few brains in her head.

You google it. I don't want to post a link.

She may go back to Alaska and her 15 mins ++ will be over.....

Thursday, September 15, 2011

MOTORCYCLE

Took a pic of this on vacation this past summer and posted it on Facebook for a friend, Mary. I hope she likes it.

I think motorcycles are great fun but am against owning one, ever. For others, it's up to them. For me and mine, no, ever. That's narrow mindness, isn't it?, you ask. Yep, you betcha, aint-a-gonna-change my mind on it, either. Why?

My baby brother, Jimmy, was killed on one and he was just 23. He was doing everything right and was hit by another motorcycle traveling at over 80 mph in a 30 mph residential zone. Yes, the other rider was killed too, hit the pavement with his head and busted open like a ripe watermelon. My brother was hit just behind the rider seat, thrown into the air and was dead before he hit the ground, insides crushed.

There are many in my life that would be alive today if only they had NOT been on a bike.

Life is too short as it is, riding a bike is like playing Russian roulette with no empty chambers in the gun. It's just a matter of time before you are hurt or killed, just a matter of time.

My opinion, my blog.

The End.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

WORDEE WEDNESDAY

I really really want to post a picture of my grocery shopping today because it was fantastic! Spent 25.14 but saved 61.45, doing the happy dance, for sure!

However since it is Wednesday, I should post something wordee. Here it is:

Talk less, KISS MORE. Eat less, MOVE MORE. Spend less, SAVE MORE.
AND, DON'T FORGET TO STOP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS or at least observe them. ;)

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

SAVING MONEY

As semi-retired folk, we are constantly looking for ways to save money. Now that The Hubbie is unemployed, the pressure is growing.

We are taking the Dave Ramsey Financial class at our church. After the first class, I left feeling a bit embarassed because of our retirement situation. Dave mentioned a few times 'retire with dignity'. Well, it's too late for that for us. After being in ministry for 30 years and zero pension, giving to the church tithe, over and beyond was not the problem, nor has/is giving to others. The problem is that we didn't give to ourselves.

When The Hubbie finally was able to start a small 401K, it was small, slow, then crashed, along with the stock market, three, yes, three different times before it was rolled over into a more secure situation. Yeah, bummer.

How do you make up for all that lost time, lost revenue? How? I sent an email to the DR website asking advice for our situation. The reply was along the line, yes you do need to find a way to make extra income and buy the book, suggesting three of DR's books. I was gracious and thanked the emailer realizing we are going to have to figure this out for ourselves.

We are hoping to find out during the next several weeks of this class. I will be blogging about the class and our progress.

So, the money saving hint for today is pay yourself weekly, even if it's a small amount to start. Life happens, too quickly, for just about every one looking backwards at their own.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

RESPECT TO RESPONSIBILITY

I'm up too late, thinking. Yes, when I say something about thinking The Hubbie says, oh no, not again. He thinks he's funny. Sometimes he is.

Time is going by and I'm watching several situations around us. It has to do with older people, yes, older than us. A couple of the situations are older couples in their eighties. Other situations are widowed ladies, alone.

Their lives have been spent taking care of others, children, friends, other family members now they are the ones that need care. Yes, they are still functioning physically but struggling with aging. All of these people live in towns where they have no other family. There is no one to take them to the doctor, monitor their driving, keep up with their physical needs.

All of our lives, we are taught to respect our parents. They gave us life, sacrificed for us, fed us, clothed us, protected us and did the best they could, hoping that we would have a better life than they did. Rarely in the USA can someone say that their lives were worse than their parents growing up. Some, yes, but it's not the norm. Even if you thought you were poor you can look at their lives and see they did without much more than you did/are.

One elderly lady's children send her money to help monthly. Another has a son that flys to see to her regularly. He lives several states away. Other ladies have faithful husbands watching over them.

So the question that is bothering me is: When does that respect change to responsibility?

It's something to think about sooner rather than later.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

STORE BRANDS

I remember when 'generic' store brands became popular, many years ago. At the start, it was said that these brands were inferior, made from lower grade veggies, etc. Supposedly, the only way these foods and products were cheaper was because it saved in printing the labels and advertising. Who knows?

Individual stores do not have their own ketchup factories or peach orchards, do they? No, they buy from the mass producers, aka, the brand names and resell in plain labeled containers. True, some things like green beans may have ends of beans, etc., but the taste is about the same.

Fast forward 40 + years and the same things are being said but one fact still remains, generic and store brands save the customer money.

A good example is butter. When The Hubbie and I were at the Big WM, I pointed out to him that the store brand can be much cheaper over the national brand even with a coupon for the national brand. Why? Because the butter in the white box was over $2.00 less than the butter in the yellow box.

Oh well, it's okay with me becuase the light goes off when the fridge is closed so it doesn't really matter what color the box is.

My wallet greener? Now, that's a good color!

Monday, September 5, 2011

LABOR LABOR DAY

Today is Labor Day.

When the kids were at home, we would labor on Labor Day, yes, work. We worked as a family to accomplish something around the house, usually.

Dad's ideaology was: It's Labor Day, we labor.

Today, Dixie is not so much laboring as staying in out of the rain. The tropical storm has been here all day with a hard, steady, refreshing, much needed rain.

Tomorrow is another work day, a true day of labor, for many that are blessed to have a job. So, celebrate if you have a job and keeping looking if you don't. Even though in this economy a job is next to impossible to find.

Today I heard something on tha radio, yes about Obama. The host said that the best thing he could do for this economy, the one thing that would make the stock market skyrocket, do you know what it is?

Do what LBJ did years ago, remember?

Accordingly, I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.

Nuff said.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

WHAT HAPPENED TO FRIDAY?

Honestly, where does time go? It's Saturday morning and I missed posting on Friday. I no longer work or do I go out much. One would think time would crawl by but no, it goes by faster for some reason. Oh well, here is a good thought: When was the last time you did something for the first time?