Sorry, I've been gone so long! We've had a really busy week. I'm right in the middle of finals. (Did I tell you I'm back in school after ten years trying to finish my degree in Elementary Education, I didn't? I should have, because it's a lot of work with two kids!!!) and last night we bought a new car! We down graded, but I am totally OK with that!! I'm in a point in my life where material things are not as important to me as they once were. I had a big SUV, with Navigational system and heated everything, and DVD system, you know all the bells and whistles. With all the bells and whistles came an enormous car payment, a car payment that we once could afford before my husband's salary was literally cut in half. Sometimes I feel like we are the only family having to make sacrifices. I have friends and acquaintances buying new houses and cars, and they go out to eat with their families every night, and their kids are in 101 activities after school (gymnastics, soccer, ballet, gymboree). I am never not happy for my friends and acquaintances that get to do these things, I just mostly wish that I could do them too!! I want to tell you also that my husband took the pay cut so that other co worker's jobs would not be eliminated. We have lived this way for little over a year, actually it's funny and God works in mysterious ways, but we found out about the salary cut the day after we found out I was pregnant with baby H. I think he wanted us to learn a lesson. ( Ill show you someday pictures of A.'s room before the bad economy, and then poor little H.'s room after the economy, lol, the thing is she'll never know the difference, and she has always had a warm, safe, clean place to sleep and really what more could a baby want? besides pottery barn fleece sheets? he he)
For the most part I have learned I can live with out biweekly pedicures!! AND ( A big And) Target and sometimes Walmart ( OMG, I can't believe I'm admitting that) has some really cute clothes for kids. My children could care less if they are wearing Lelli Kelly shoes or Kate Mack bathing suits. It's me you loves those things!!! My husband always jokes that I have a champagne taste on a beer budget, and that about sums it up completely. I would love to hear about some other people going through a similar situation and the creative ways you saved money too. ( Not that I am happy at all you are going through this situation, just know you are in good company, ha!)
So here is one creative way that we are teaching our daughter about saving money. She is only 4 but she totally gets it, and for that I am so proud of her, and us!!
Meet Miss. Piggy
She is my daughter's piggy bank. A. gets money for doing simple tasks such as:
Unloading the dishwasher (putting the silverware away, good sorting activity)
Helping with the laundry, switching clothes over and putting away her own laundry and folding towels.
Picking up her toys
Entertaining her sister while I mop or sweep- Unloading the dishwasher
Using her manners
Having a kind heart and doing a good deed without prompting
I'm so proud of my baby BIG girl!!!
She is saving for an American Girl Doll . And we have told her that we will match what ever she saves. Yes, she is a little young for an American Girl doll, but when we visit Atlanta, she is always getting invited to the Americal Girl Bistro and she always as to borrow a doll. She wants this Kit doll with all her heart, and talks about it constantly. And who am I to tell her she is too young for something she is dreaming of? We are thinking it will take her at least until her birthday in February to save for it and you better believe I will take her to Atlanta where we will have dinner and I'll take 101 pictures of her pulling out her piggy bank to buy her own doll!!! I'm so looking forward to that moment!!
Every week we pull her money out of her piggy bank and count it.
So far she has $17.30!!!!!!
When we were counting it this morning, we found some other gems too! Chucky Cheese tokens and see that little tree coin? Neither of us had seen it before.
I swear an angel is living amongst us!!!
I'll keep you posted on our Piggy Bank totals. Now go ahead and tell me your fun money saving ideas!!
**I am going to do family introductions next week when I have a fall break from school!! I promise they are coming! And you'll finally get to formally meet my cutie pies!! All three of them!
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