To Cecelia...

I woke up to the sound of the 9/11 bells. The actual day that my sister passed away was September 12, to me it will always be September 11th I am not sure why maybe it's because when I woke up September 12th she was already gone. As a laid in my bed dreading what the day would hold I heard the sound of rain against my window. The day my sister passed away as I sat with my nephew Frankie (7) he said "Sophia, can you pray for rain?" Why, I asked. "Well, my mommy is an angel now so she lives in the clouds and when it rains it's because she is dancing." What a beautiful thought. Still, since that day every time it rains it is a reminder that my sister is gone.

 As I got up that dreaded knot entered my stomach- I hate that knot. I forced back tears. "You can do this Sophia"- I told myself, "if you fall everyone does". I managed to get myself out and going, the knot still in my stomach but hey, at least I was functioning.

 I did really well until I got a call from Kiohud. Kiohud was due to be home on Friday. "You are not going to like what I have to say" Those are not the words you want to hear when you answer the phone. "A fire started Monday, by Monday night it was 400 acres, today it was a 3000, it is at 0% contained and they need me. This thing can get really big." The knot in my stomach tightened even more. The rest of my day I managed to get through, going through the motions.

 I laid in my bed grateful this day was over. It was a rough day. As I laid in my bed Cecelia came in happily and said " I have something for you!" She looked totally excited. She turned on the light and handed me a blueberry muffin, my sister's favorite. Next she handed me a letter, it was addressed: Dear Tia Phia (my 2nd mom). Now, I've only cried one other time in front of Cecelia (another long story) but I kind of lost it. I won't tell you what the whole letter said but this was a little part of it: "I'm glad I got stuck with you on this journey. Thank you for taking me in and calling me your own, your strength inspires me to be a better person." I hugged her and cried. I am positive this is the best compliment I have ever received in my life.

You see a year ago I got "stuck" with this hurt, angry teenager. She didn't trust me at all and it was really hard to get used to each other since we had opposite personalities. I was the first to say "I have no clue how to raise a teenager!!!" I begged her to give me a chance. I promised her that I would screw up, yell at her, punish her, but that I would love her with all of my heart. That she would be my daughter, and that together we would make her mom proud.

Today, Cecelia can walk into a room and the whole thing lights up with her smile, she is the happiest, smartest, most incredibly, awesome teenager I have ever met. In one year she has totally transformed and she has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I have ever know.

Cecelia, I just want you to know how incredibly proud of you I am. I know that
A: God has something HUGE in store for you. All that you've been able to overcome, with such an huge amount of grace is amazing to me- you are my inspiration!
B: I know every time your mom looks down on you she smiles. I know she is so proud of you!!! You have one of the BEST, most beautiful angels in heaven!!!

I Love you Cecelia, I am so proud to be able to call you my daughter. <3

A New Car- gulp...

At over 200,000 miles it no surprise that the life of our 99 Ford Expedition's life is coming to an end. We have actually been in the market for another car for awhile. I however despise car payments and have tried putting this off as long as humanly possible. Also, I always have had the mentality that if the repairs were less than a monthly payment I would keep it. Well, looks like the time has finally come for us to part. Here is what I am looking for- ready? A luxury crossover, with all of the upgrades, that seats 8, and is great on gas, oh- and did I mention I want my payment to be at about $200 per month! Here is what I found...

 The car that I have fallen in love with is the Buick Enclave, it seats 8, leather (a must with children), 25 miles to the gallon, and all of the extras you can imagine. Problem- this car new is 50k! That does NOT fit into my $200/month payment budget (payment even at 0% would be $850/month)! I am in the process of working on a solution. Here is goes:


1. Buy used!: Buying a car even 1 year old drops us around $15k! A few years is about $20k- I have found some amazing options by not limiting myself to a particular year.


2."Get a bigger box"- In the words of Bob Harrison, sometimes you need to look outside of your comfort level. Yes, I could drive down the street and buy a car but I might find an amazing deal in another city- or in the next state. We actually bought our current Expedition in Texas at a fraction of what we would have paid here. We paid a mechanic to go and check it out for us and had it shipped here for $500- we saved thousands of dollars.


3. Watch what is added on to your loan- ok, this I will probably have to write a whole blog on!!! Just know, that your sales person makes extra commission off of every add on- all of the insurances, etc...


4. Be willing to put money down. So, this $200 goal of mine might not be out of reach if I put some money down... You don't have to empty your savings account but put enough down to give yourself a comfortable payment.


5. Sell your current car yourself. At trade in my car is blue booked at $3000 at private sale my care is blue booked at $5500- so I make an extra $2500 just by selling it myself! Money that will go directly into the down payment fund.


6.Shop around for financing BEFORE you go to the dealership! When we bought Kiohud's car they said "Great news! We have you approved for a 4% rate!" I replied- " What is great news is that my credit union already approved me for a 3.5%!" They then of course tried to match or beat it- when banks start competing against each other YOU win!!!


That is all I have for now- if any of you have any tips for me- please let me know! My ac died in the Expedition the other day and I called Kiohud who is in Montana and said I was so frustrated I almost went down and bought a new car!!! He replied: Yay! You bought a new car?! It was this conversation that led to the realization that it was indeed time for me to take the plunge while we can still make a decent sale off of the Expedition. AC has been fixed, so we will take our time in finding our perfect, new car. Wish me luck!!! :)

25 Things You Probably Don't Know About Me

One of my favorite bloggers posted something like this and I got to wondering if I could possible come up with 25 things- well, here you go!

1. My middle name is Peralta,
2. It used to be Martinez.
3. I was a mariachi when I was younger. No, you will never see a picture.
4. I have more dresses than most people have clothes. No, you haven't seen them all.
5. My favorite designers are Kate Spade, Adrianna Pappel, and Eliza J.
6. I will be a millionaire by the time I'm 40.
7. Yes, I have a plan. :)
8. I'm allergic to almost everything! If I ever go down in front of you there is an
epi-pen in my purse.
9. My pet peeve is lazy people.
10. I almost always have a packet of fruit snacks in my purse.
11. My life is a musical- we sing to wake up, go to sleep, eat, go up the stairs, down
the stairs, clean- you get the picture...
12. I'm extremely girly, but I can still use a hammer.
13. My first car was a Toyota.
14. My greatest ideas come in my sleep- usually at 3 am.
15. I sleep with a pen and paper next to me- for that reason.
16. I like my house clean, but my car is almost always dirty.
17. My favorite color is royal blue, followed by plum.
18. I sew, and garden for relaxation- yes, I realize how boring this makes me.
19. Decisions I make are almost always Bible or financially based.
20. I cut every one's hair in my family- including the dogs- this saves us about
$1000/year!
21. I can remember the price of almost anything I have ever bought.
22. I don't remember most of anything else, including what I wore yesterday.
23. I have never had a drink of alcohol, smoked, or done anything questionable much less illegal.
24. I don't think enough people smile so I try to do my part  and smile at or compliment
everyone I meet.  This drives Kiohud nuts because I end up with admirer's...
25. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE polka dots!!!

This was surprisingly easy for me to do. I think this is in part because I am such a hermit and don't usually share much about myself with anyone... If anything, hopefully this amused you for a little part of your day! Feel free to comment and tell me something(s) I dont know about you!  :)

The Auto Refi

One of biggest complaints when leaving the auto lot is you got a good car, bad loan. Auto dealer finance departments know that you are too excited about that new car or the price to worry about the interest, or term of the loan. Before you know it you have a bad loan, with a huge payment and terrible rate! Good news, you can usually do something about that!


Auto Refinance
Auto refinance is simply a loan that pays off your auto loan. The loan has new terms and is usually done to either lower your payment, lower your interest, or both.  Refinancing your loan for a lower payment will generally extend your term, (more interest) but can make that car a lot more affordable. Lowering your interest will usually lower not only the amount of interest that you will pay over the life of the loan but lower your payment as well.

DetailsAn auto loan is usually one of the easiest loans you can qualify for, the application can be done over the phone and a qualification can be given as quickly as a few minuets.  Auto loan terms are commonly from 36 all the way to 72 months. The lowest amount any company will refinance is generally $7,500 and the most $75,000.

Will there be a fee?
There is generally no fee to refinance your auto IF you are using a reputable company. There may be small fees for example to transfer title but they should be very small in comparison to the amount of money you are saving.

Warnings!!!
The auto refinance is NOT for everyone! A refinance should never be an impulse buy. I recently walked into my bank and my personal banker went into this whole bit about how much money I could save without ever pulling my credit or knowing the specifics of my current auto loan. The truth is personal bankers and tellers are there to make money for the bank. Don't believe me? I used to hire them! With that said, never leave the bank with something you didn't go intentionally go in for. DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Also, only take out the amount you need to pay off your auto loan. Many bankers will try to get you to pay off other debt or give you spending money using the equity you have in your auto. This makes the amount of the loan bigger (more commission for them) but leaves you with a bigger auto loan which equates to more overall interest. I have seen to many people that should have cars paid off in real financial trouble or even lose their cars because of this.

My Views
While the auto refinance may be a great option for some, it is not for everyone. Remember to do your research before you make any financial decisions. Compare rates, terms, and fees to make sure you are getting the best deal out there. I am always an advocate for my local credit union which usually has not only the best rates but a real person I can yell at if I need to!
Good luck my friends! :)

Harp 2.0- Is it for you?

One of the many things we have been working on is refinancing our home. We bought this home at just about the worst time, and so our loan to value (amount of your loan vs. the amount the home is worth I will now call this LTV) went from being 80% to about 200%- yes, that is REALLY bad! Anyways, since we make enough to cover the loan that we initially took out our mortgage company is not willing to do any kind of modification. We applied for a modification since we could not do a conventional refinance and were immediately shut done because we are current on our payments and we can afford our home. Home modifications usually include lowering payment, interest, term, or balance, you do have to show some kind of hardship or that you can not afford your payment- we can provide neither. I set out in search of another way, mortgage rates are at a low and I would really like to take advantage of that. What did I find? The Harp 2.0- looks like this may be our answer so maybe this will help you!

What is the Harp 2.0?:
Harp  stand for Home Affordable Refinance Program and is a program set up by the government to help people that like us, have no equity in their homes, but would like to refinance.

Do you qualify?:
I found this criteria on HARP's site:
The mortgage must be owned or guaranteed by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae.
The mortgage must have been sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac on or before May 31, 2009.
The mortgage cannot have been refinanced under HARP previously unless it is a Fannie Mae loan that was refinanced under HARP from March-May, 2009.
The current loan-to-value (LTV) ratio must be greater than 80%.
The borrower must be current on the mortgage at the time of the refinance, with no late payment in the past six months and no more than one late payment in the past 12 months.

Our process so far:  
First, we had to see if our loan was FreddieMac or Fannie Mae. (links provided) It was, this is important because you can not refinance under this program unless you are one or the other. Next, we called out local federal credit union to apply, you can also contact your mortgage provider to see if they offer the Harp 2.0. Application was really quick over the phone and I was pre-approved in about 5 minutes. My loan officer gave me a list of document to fax in; taxes, w2's, pay stubs, home owner's insurance, and bank statements. I was relived to find out that ours could be done without my business income (always a headache), and because of our high credit score we did not need an appraisal. After, they verify that everything matches up in underwriting our loan will be approved. We are set to sign at the end of the month.

My thoughts:
While not as low as a modification that would be offered for hardships, this really is a great option. For us, our new loan is at the best rate available 3.5 and keeping our same term will reduce our payments $300/month! We also have the ability to keep at the normal payment and pay off about 5 years sooner or for a few hundred more pay off about 10 years sooner! The process has been extremely easy and while we still have quite a balance on our home, this does make me feel that there is an end in site! Most of all, I am pretty excited that we finally qualify for something!!!

So, this is what we have been though so far- I will keep you posted on how it turns out! Hopefully, this information can help you save some money as well! :)

Change is upon us!

I finally found time to blog!!!! Ok, ok, not at the hour I planned but we are still adjusting our new schedule. I've been away from blogging for so long it feels like I have way too much to catch up on- so I'll do my best to summarize!

Summer:
Despite the heat, summer is one of my favorite times of year. The whole family is home and so extra hands plus no commuting makes the work fly by and leaves us with lots of time to play! We got out of town a few times this summer but mostly took advantage of local places for fun, it was really a wonderful break with tons of family bonding!

Back to school:
For some one like myself that hates change- we sure have a lot this school year! To start- this year is the first time that ALL of my children will be in school!!!! Cecelia and Emily were both accepted to ASU Prep. Jacob will be at Faith North at the end of August and Hannah will start at the end of September when she turns 3. This has us on a pretty crazy schedule (keep in mind both schools are downtown about 25 mins away) Everyone goes in at the same time but Jacob and Hannah will get out at noon, Emily at 3:30 and Cecelia 4:10 or 5:45 when she has sports. (See why I love summer!? ) Thank God we have figured out a pretty good  carpool system so I may not have to commute as much as last year!

Financial Changes: Business changes, selling properties, changes in leases, and hopefully buying a much needed new car- we have lots we still would like to do this year!!! Once I find the best way to do them I can share it with you and hopefully save you some hard earned cash!

I think that is all for now my friends. I would like to ask you: Many of you have sent me requests for blogs on specific financial topics, please resend your ideas either by comment on the bottom or you can message me- I have no idea what I did but I some how deleted the folder I had them in!

I'll be back soon friends- this time I promise!!! :)

Vacation! You need it- and you can probably afford it! :)

Well, it's been about a month since the kids have been on summer break and at least that long since I have gotten a break to blog!!! What have we been up to at the Sanderson home? Well, trying to keep 4 kids entertained and from killing each other is no easy feat! I have employed Cecelia and Emily for the summer- in return they get a few outings a week and what  they are looking forward to the most- a summer trip! This has turned into a win-win for everyone. It keeps them from being bored, it helps me stay on top of the business and house, and we all get to go on field trips every week! :)


If you live here in Arizona, it is HOT! We all want to get out of town but I keep hearing the same thing- we can't afford a trip this year! If you actually can't afford that little break I can totally understand and we too have postponed a few family trips in order to "get ahead" but if you have a few dollars to spare here are a few tips for making that trip affordable!

Stay-cation!- We went camping about a month ago and it's amazing what a difference that 2 hours out of town makes! Temperature changes, change of scenery, and I have to say that camping- even though I am not an "out-doorsy" girl was the most inexpensive trip I have ever taken my family on! If you don't want to "rough" it just hit some cooler temps and get an inexpensive hotel.

Hotels, hotels, hotels- For any trip, your biggest expense will probably be your hotel- but it doesn't have to be! Sites like  hotels.com, priceline.com, hotwire.com (one of my favorites), expedia.com, and many many others have made staying at that hotel pretty inexpensive! Tips: 1. I had always heard to book well in advance, on our last trip I did the opposite and  waited to the last second and scored amazing deals! Our 2 star rooms ended up at about $30-$40 per night (unless you're on your honey moon, you probably wouldn't be in there much anyways)!  2. Make sure there are no extra fees!  When we stayed in San Fransico and San Diego we had to pay an addition $25/night in parking fees! We now call ahead of time and confirm that there will be no additional fees.

Food- Learn to love the complimentary breakfast! These usually consist of bagels, pastries, cereal, waffles, eggs, and juice, coffee, milk, etc. not all hotels offer this. When you have a family of 7, this saves you about $80/ day for the same food you would be getting at Denny's!  Pack food! Not only will this be better for your waistline, packing sandwiches and other to-go food and snack can save you $$ from eating out all of the time! So with breakfast and lunch out of the way- and a little healthier, you can afford to splurge a little on dinner!

Buy tickets online- for your favorite attractions, buying ahead can usually save you a good amount of cash. Extra tip: you can usually find coupons on ebay.com for some extra savings! Yes, eBay really does sell pretty much everything! Also, check your current memberships- you may be able to get free or discounted admissions with them. For example: Our science center membership allows us into museums and science centers in every state for free!

Don't forget to fuel up with your gas points rewards, which by the way now has us paying only $40 to fill up BOTH cars! (Kroger's upped their gasoline promotion to $2 per gallon, AWESOME)!


Hope this helps get you out of town and keeps you from going CRAZY with all of the kids at home! Have FUN! :)

Financially Savvy Children

The National Council on Economic Education conducted a recent survey with high school students. The results were significant. Two-thirds of those tested on basic money skills scored an “F.” Only 3 percent scored an “A.” To me this is a pretty sad fact. Our children are our future and we need them to be financially responsible.  Another recent study shows that 10% of all bankruptcies are filed by 18-25 year olds. So what can you do to teach your children about financial responsibility? Here are a few tips:

Start early!: Studies have shown that by age 13 children's spending habits are in place. That means we have to teach our children very early on about finances. Start as soon as possible, and get good habits in place.

Teach them the value of a dollar: Last blog I talked about allowance. Take your children to the store that way he sees what that money can actually get him. DON'T CHIP IN! As parents we generally want to give our children everything but in this case the value of learning that he can't have it all will go much further.

Give them goals: That big-expensive toy in the store every kid "oohhhs" at- make that the goal! You can buy that WHEN you save for it. For Emily, it was the $100 doll house at Costco. She saved and saved and she appreciated it much more when she was finally able to walk in and pay the cashier for her own Barbie Dream House! She had a sense of accomplishment, appreciated that house a lot more, and learned the value of working for what you want.

Teach them to budget allowance: Allowance budget should look like this: 10% tithe 10% saving 10% big "want" 70% to spend. Teaching your children to plan for the future will only help them in the long run. The 10% saving they can use when they are older to help buy a car or bigger purchase. They will appreciate it later- I promise!

Teach them to work for their money: Chores,  extra jobs, and even a small business like an old fashioned lemonade stand can help with this task. Emily (usually my example because she is ridiculously good with money) opened an art shop- there was a sign that said "pictures on the left $1, pictures in the right $2, no phony money, no checks!" When I asked she said- well, I work really hard on my art don't YOU think I deserve REAL money? She did deserve real money, and she learned the art of having her first real income earning business!

Teach your child to TITHE: Yes, I said it! Most of you may not believe in tithing but it really works! Test God with the 10% and the rest will go further. If you don't believe me- millionaires are usually the biggest givers out there and the tax benefits are bonus! The very first time I taught Emily on tithing and how God had always provided for our needs she emptied the contents of her piggy bank and took it in to Sunday school. (I had no idea she did this) Later that evening my mom asked her to clean the bathroom (a $2 job) and them gave Emily $20. I was pretty upset because I was trying to teach Emily that 1 bathroom equates to $2, so I went to talk to my mom about it. My mom said "Sophia, I don't know why but I was going to give Emily the $2 and I had to give her the $20. When I handed Emily the $20 Emily looked at me amazed and said- my mom was right it does work! She told me that you had taught her to tithe the day before!" Talk about conviction! I don't always know how but I swear  it works!

Lead by Example: It's no secret that your children will imitate most things you do and finances are no exception. Handle your finances in a way that is responsible and chances are your children's actions will follow.

My last bit of advice is not for everyone, actually a lot of people will probably disagree with me on this one. Let your children help you balance your family budget. Why am I such a believer in this system? Well, when I was little my mom had problems with her vision so I would help her budget her checkbook. To a kid $1000 looks like $100000 (I think they add a few zeros to everything!) but if they see you have $2000 in your bank account and then they see the $1000 mortgage, auto payments and everything else come out, they will see how fast money does go! This will also teach them that there is no "money tree" and that money that you use from that debit card, you have to put money in first! It's not a 'magic' card. I learned this lesson REALLY early on in life and have been money conscious ever since!

Hope this can help steer you into raising financially fabulous little humans! :)


 Proverbs 22:6   “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”.

Children and Money- How Should You Pay Allowance?

This is a question, I have heard over and over... Should you give your children a flat rate allowance or should they be paid based on the chores they do? Well, let's look at both sides of this debate:

Flat Rate Allowance:

Flat rate is a set amount of money given every week or month with nothing expected from the child in return. Why would you go for this method? Well, this is purely a way of teaching money management. Advocates for this method also argue that it teaches children to help and not have to expect anything in return.

The Chores Based Method:
The chores based allowance is either a set amount of money you give a week/month that is paid only if chores are done OR paying allowance only for specific tasks. Why would you chose this method? Well, supporters of this method will tell you that it teaches the relationship of working for what you earn. If you chose this method you should be clear about what chores are that way you do not raise a child that expects payment for EVERYTHING he/she does.

What method do we use?

In the Sanderson home we have a chores-based allowance system. Our children have their regular chores- keep their rooms and bathrooms clean, and kitchen clean-up. Those are done free- as I tell them because you live here and in this family everyone contributes, and because I am not your slave! However, we always have "extra chores" that can be done for payment. Toilet cleaning for example can be done for $2/toilet. When you have 3 in the house that can add up quickly! They can also always ask- is there anything else I can do for extra money? This method for us has eliminated the "I'll do it but how much do I get?" question that annoys me every time I hear it and also shows them them that initiative and hard work can pay off!


Stay tuned- In my next blog I will teach you how to teach your children the value of a dollar. :)

My Credit Card Payed Me HOW MUCH?!?!? The Joys of a good Rewards Card!

If I look into my credit card statement right now it says that I have accumulated (in the past 6 months or so) 65,315 points. If I go into redeem points it gives me the option to cash out at $653! That means that in a year my credit card PAYS ME about $1300!!! How did I get this to happen? It's easier than you think! Let me show you. In this blog I will teach you the joy of a good rewards credit card and how to make sure you are making your money work for you!

Find a good rewards card!- This is the part where I get you to LOVE credit cards! :) If used correctly your credit card will work for you. First, you have to find the right credit card. There are many rewards cards out there you just have to find the one that is best for YOU. Rewards vary from cash, gift cards, gas, airline miles, if you can dream it you can probably reap it! Shop around and consider your needs before diving into that "perfect card". Make sure everything checks out- no annual fee, hidden fees, etc.

Charge it!- Never thought you'd hear me say that huh? A reward's card will only reap rewards if used!  I charge pretty much EVERYTHING! Mortgage, bills that allow it, GAS (remember I'm already saving on gas click here to learn how. I am actually saving even more than the $1 buy using my credit card) groceries- you get it, if I can charge it I will.  Remember, I am not spending MORE money, I am charging the things I already buy anyway and get rewarded for it.

Charge Safe!- Remember- pay it off monthly so you don't get stuck paying interest, charge ONLY what you can pay off that month! I actually pay my card off at the end of every week to be safe.

Enjoy!- A big pay out like this should be celebrated! You can use it to help get yourself out of debt or get your finances ahead. I use it to pay for Christmas (when most credit card debt is incurred) or like this year, it will help fund our family vacation. Whatever you choose take pride in knowing your credit card is working for YOU! :)

Insanity

In high school at a size 2, 110 pounds I was the fattest person I knew- in my brain that is. I remember working out at least 5 days a week, eating next to nothing, and still looking in that dreaded mirror and thinking- ugh, I guess this will have to do.... I now look at pictures from that time (early college years) and wonder what in the world was I thinking?! I was almost skin and bones!

After Emily was born, I gained a ton of weight. Metabolism, bad choices, and sitting at a desk all day took a big toll on my body. It was a very unhappy time. I do have pictures- I will NOT show them to you... haha

After 3 children I have been at EVERY side of the weight spectrum. I have been under weight, way over weight, and everything in between. I am at a point in my life where I have (now a size 4/6, 130 pounds) become content with where I am. I would in an ideal world like to loose like 10 pounds and tone up but I am overall content.  I have always said that I don't want to be one of those moms that look like they can't lift their babies. I do want to me a mom that can keep up with my babies- and sometimes they are really fast!

I usually run as my workout, I enjoy it. Kiohud bought the Insanity dvds last week so I thought I'd give it a try with him. If I do them as they should be done Kiohud says I can eat anything I want and still maintain or loose weight... I should also get some of the toning I am looking for- amazing what changes occur after 3 kids... :( Anyways,  here is how this has gone so far:

Saturday- Sunday I could not walk! I had ran 5 days in a row prior to starting this and I think that was a mistake.

I mustered up some energy and gave it a second try on Sunday- this time it was abs so not quite as hard.

Monday I had a severe allergy day and gave myself the day off.

Tuesday: probably one of the hardest workout's I've ever done. To be honest this workout makes me feel pretty inadequate as a human since I can't do half of the moves! According to Kiohud as long as my heart is pumping and I am sweating nearly to death it will work and maybe eventually I might be able to keep up.

Wednesday: I woke up starving with a huge headache! Kiohud had asked me if I wanted to eat the night before but I wasn't hungry and I hate protein shakes. Apparently you should eat something after you work out because the increase in metabolism drops your blood sugar and you wake up grumpy! I recovered after some breakfast and Aspirin. No workout- I don't have any great excuse.

Today: I am all geared up and ready to work out. I have to admit I am starting to miss my runs. Today I made the decision that I will do Insanity with Kiohud on days that he is home and when he is working I can run.

So that is my new "fit plan" I don't have a "before pic" but in 60 days (that's how long this is supposed to take to make you AMAZING) if I by the grace of God end up with a 6 pack or something crazy like the way this advertises then trust me I'll post pics! :)

Fees, Fines, and Interest- What to look out for on Your Next Credit Card

In this blog I am going to show you what fees to avoid and how to find them.

So you have that offer in your hand- everything looks to be good but wait before you sign up for this "amazing deal of a card" turn the page over! Hidden in a lot of words usually on the back (sometimes on the next page) is what you REALLY need to know about this card. So here is what you are looking for...


Annual Fee: Annual fees can range from $20 to about $125 per year. Personally I would never take an annual fee card because there are too many cards out there without them! If you do take this card please be advised that this is an ANNUAL fee so it will be CHARGED to your card every year. This means that if you don't pay this right away you will also be charged interest on this amount.

Interest Rate: Depending on your credit score this will vary considerably. Sometimes the interest rate will be really high but do you want to know a secret? If you keep a zero balance on your card- IT DOESN'T MATTER how high the rate is!!!! If you don't have a balance to pay interest on- you don't pay interest! Now, if you plan on keeping a balance on this card (which I DO NOT recommend- click here for how to payoff those cards) then look for a card with the lowest interest rate. If this card is simply to earn rewards (next blog) or to help with your credit then it does not matter.

Late Fees: Late fees are usually $15-$39. I have seen some late fees as high as $70! You do not want to pay your card late! Credit card companies are not "generous companies" and will not usually be willing to waive these fees. Payments on credit cards are usually DUE BY NOON ON THE DUE DATE and it doesn't matter if your payment is post marked or payment was made online later that evening.  If you are late- you will pay this hefty fine. Do yourself a favor and set up automatic payments if you choose to keep a balance on your card.

The secret rate hike: Did you know that even if you make all of your payments on time your credit card company can raise your rate if you are late paying ANOTHER lender? This is a fact, actually about 40% of companies do this- so pay everyone on time!

The NO balance fee: Make sure that your card DOES NOT have this fee! Some cards will actually charge you about $2/month if you choose to keep a zero balance on your card! So watch out for these ones and keep searching for a better deal.

Cash advance fees: If you go to the bank and ask for cash off of your card- there is a fee. If you have to use your card- it's always better to swipe.

As you can see the world of credit cards is full of sharks and bandits! It's no wonder these companies have billions of dollars! Do yourself a favor- read your statements and keep those balances at zero you will save yourself a lot of money!

Which credit card is right for you???

Open the mailbox and you are usually bombarded with TONS of credit card offers! Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, CITI Bank, etc., etc. free points, low APR- it can all be a bit overwhelming! So which credit card SHOULD you choose? Well, that depends on only you, I will  try to help and outline them for you so that next time you choose a credit card you can make an informed decision. Now before I proceed I have to say- I am a FIRM believer in the ZERO balance. Credit cards are not bad if you do not keep a balance on them! Use your credit card(s) with care please, only put on it what you can pay off THAT MONTH. This will help your credit and also make you eligible to reap some great rewards (next blog). With that said- here we go!

Secured Credit Card: A secured credit card is- secured. That means that you have to put something (collateral) down to qualify for this card. This is usually cash but can also be an auto, boat, etc. This card is for you if you are a new credit user or are trying to reestablish your credit. Limits are usually about $250-$300 and fees may be involved. This can be a great way accumulate some credit history and show those companies how responsible you are.

Prepaid credit cards: I have to start off by saying you are being MISLEAD! This actually is not a credit card at all. What you put into the card you are able to use minus all of the fees that they charge you. Fees are usually to load, withdrawal from ATMS and a monthly fee. This card does not report to the credit bureaus since you are not making payments. This card is primarily for the convenience of utilizing a credit card but in my opinion, they're not worth all of the fees that come with them!

Balance transfer credit cards: A balance transfer card gives you a teaser rate usually ZERO percent interest for 6 months to a year on balances transferred over from your higher rate cards. This is a great way to get out of credit card debt  IF you can be be disciplined with it. Transfer the balances over and pay them off in the allotted time. WARNING- If you do not pay the balance in full within this period, the interest from the ENTIRE period usually gets added to your balance. Save yourself a headache and write the date BOLDLY in a visible place.

Rewards Cards: MY FAVORITE!!!!!!! Ok, so I will elaborate more on this on one of my next blogs but you can earn rewards just by swiping that card. Rewards cards come in all forms; cash back, general, travel, gas, retail, automobile manufacturer, airline- the list goes on pretty much forever. With these cards $1 usually equals 1 point, once points are accumulated you can shop away!

Home Equity: This type of card is secured to your home. Limits are usually very high and this will show as a 2nd (or 3rd) mortgage on your credit bureau. I would not suggest having this much money on a revolving debt UNLESS you have a great investment you are sure you will be able to pay off. I will admit I do have one of these and use it for large investments only- primarily real estate. Do not use this card to go on a shopping spree! With limits this high- you will get yourself in trouble for sure!

So these are your options- stay tuned for my next blogs, Fees, Fines, and Interest- What to look out for on Your Next Credit Card and My Credit Card Payed Me HOW MUCH?!?!? The Joys of a good Rewards Card!  :)

Grounded!

I know, I know I owe you guys the rest of my credit card series- I will get to it this week I PROMISE!

First, I thought I'd catch you up on where I have been for the last few weeks...

Remember that pile of receipts I had piled? As I watched the calender switch to April 1st I realized I better take care of that NOW. I am not usually such a procrastinator but this year was different business-wise and I have been totally mortified at what my taxes were going to look like. Also, after the "separating process" of my receipts I realized this was going to take a lot of work and honestly I didn't want to deal with it- but mostly it was me being a chicken.

So time to dive in- I decided before hand that the only way I was EVER going to accomplish this goal was to ground myself. It works for my kids- it should work for me- right? So, NO Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Blogging, reading, etc. Working- only the basics, housework minimal. If you've been playing Drawsomething against me- you were actually playing against Kiohud- and I have to add, I'm sorry some of those were TERRIBLE! Every free moment would be dedicated to completing this dreaded task. I did allow myself to take a run every night (in order to keep my sanity).

A lot of you have asked me and now I can tell you that Neatreceipts is AMAZING!!!!!! It saved my life! You scan the receipt in at any direction, it formats it, takes out the store name, date, amount paid, and sales tax, and inserts it into Quickbooks (or Quicken) for you. This eliminated half of my work. I did actually have to sit here and make sure the receipt went in correctly and that the amounts added up. It will sometimes read them wrong. (it was usually pretty accurate) I will add that if you have as many receipts as I did I would go for the bigger version (which I just found out excised) I will be purchasing that this year as it is supposed to compute at greater speeds. After all of the scanning I complied all of the rest of my data and created what I think is a pretty great Profit and Loss report.

I have an appointment with my accountant April 14th. If all goes well than I was able to pull this off with a day to spare! Pretty good considering I already had my paperwork ready in case I needed to file an extension. Hopefully my taxes go as well as my profit and loss and for now, I am officially un-grounded! :)

You CAN Pay off those credit cards!

If you read yesterday's blog than you learned about the horrors of credit card debt. So why does it take so long to pay a credit card? Credit cards work on a type of interest that is revolving- it is compound interest that works against you. Let me explain. Let's say you have a credit card that you owe $5,000 on, and on this credit card you have an annual rate that is 12%. Credit card minimum payments are usually 1% per month so if you only make that 1% payment,  in12 months you paid 12%. So guess what ..you didn't actually pay 1 cent on the balance. That is how credit card debt works, on some of these cards you can pay forever and never actually pay it down. Actually, if you have a rate that is over 12% and are only making the minimum payments your balance is actually going UP every month!

Well now that I've scared you straight let me show you how to make it stop!!!! I know, it's a tough economy and you may not have the money to just pay them off- if you do that's great- do it! If you don't (like most people) that's okay, here are a few ways to dig yourself out of this hole. Keep in mind this is going to take some dedication and most importantly will power to STOP USING THE CREDIT CARDS!

A: The Snowball (Borrowed from Joseph Sangl's I Was Broke Now I'm Not)
1. List all of your Debts by Balance
2. Pay the minimum on all of your cards EXCEPT the smallest one
3. Pay as mush as you can on the smallest debt until it's paid off.
4. When the smallest debt is paid, take the payment you were making and add it to the next smallest debt. Don't be tempted to use that extra cash and buy a new debt.
5. Continue until DEBT FREE!

B: The Patience Method-  For those of you with not much extra money.
Basically in this method you shred those cards! (Don't cancel them- That will actually lower your credit score) Pay as much as you can every penny helps until they are paid off. They will eventually get paid off IF you stop using them!

C. Use your debts to pay your debts!
Look around- do you even remember what you bought with those cards to rack up those balances? A bike you don't use, furniture you've probably outgrown. Sell what you no longer need and use it to pay down those balances. Despite what you have seen all around you- it's ok to downsize! Why live miserably with a ton of things you don't need? Learn to live within your means! I've learned that if I can't afford it I probably didn't need it to begin with!

D: A Penny saved is a penny earned! 'Piggy-Bank'
Designate somewhere to empty your pocket (or wallet) every night. Take all of the cash you have on you or loose change and throw it in. You will not believe how quickly this adds up! I actually use this to pay for Christmas (when credit cards are MOST used) this past Christmas I had $321 in change! That is probably a balance on one of those pesky cards!

E. Bonuses/Unexpected cash, etc.
I know, I know, it so much more fun to take a trip with that tax return or to splurge on something you don't need with that bonus. You probably get more unexpected money than you realize. Remember once you pay off those cards you'll have more free cash every month! So spur on and don't sell your hard work short on a weekend in Vegas.

You can also call your credit card companies and try to negotiate the balances. Keep in mind this will hurt your credit. They also may not be willing to do this if you are current on your account.

Bottom line here: the sooner you decide to be debt free the sooner you will be. Make a choice to stop using those cards, and to pay them off as soon as possible! Make a chart and have fun crossing them off one by one. Decide to stop giving your hard earned money away! Whatever method(s) you chose- stick to it! Your wallet will thank you! :)

Credit Cards- YES or NO?

Credit cards have a pretty bad reputation, and for good reason. The average American household owes $15,956 in credit card debt. The average rate on these credit cards is 12.78 percent (Source: Federal Reserve's G.19 report on consumer credit, released January 2012) What does that mean? That means that if you make the minimum payment on these cards it will take you- wait for it... 377 months to pay that off! That's right it will take you over 31 YEARS to pay that off! 31 years- that can't be cheap right?Nope- that equals $16,807 in interest alone!!! Now do you see why I call credit cards the devil?

Even with these figures (as scary as they sound) credit cards do have their upsides. Credit cards, can help you build credit, borrow money for free in some cases, and reap tons of rewards.

So now the real question- to credit card or not to credit card? Here is my answer. Credit card smart- I will show you how! If you use your credit cards correctly you can reap all of the benefits these cards have to offer without ever paying for them. THEY WILL ACTUALLY PAY YOU!

This will be a lot of information for one blog alone so I have decided to split it into several blogs. In the coming days I will teach you:

A: How to get out of credit card debt.
B: Which credit card is right for you
C. To earn money using your credit card

Get excited! :)

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8

The Love Dare Part 4

A continuation of the Love Dare!  I was way behind so instead of my normal 5 day update here are the last 10!

Day 16 Love Intercedes- begin praying today for your spouse's heart. Pray for three specific areas where you would desire God to work in your spouse's life and your marriage.

Dear Lord, I pray that you would bless my husband beyond measure. I pray that you would keep him safe always, and I pray that you would make him Finally start the Love Dare with me! Amen! :)


Day 17 Love promotes intimacy- Determine to guard your mate's secrets and to pray for them.

Well, if he has any secrets- the book says I can't tell you! Just so you know- he is fine with the fact that I "exploit" him on here because he proof reads the blog for me. 



Day 18 Love seeks to understand- Prepare a special dinner at home, just for the 2 of you.  Focus on getting to know your spouse better, perhaps in areas you've rarely talked about.

Did you read my "About Me" tab?! With so many people in my home this is pretty much impossible! So, Kiohud I owe you!!! I will take you out- I promise!


Day 19  Love is impossible- Look back over the dares from previous days. Were there some that seemed impossible to you?

Ummm.... Well only yesterday's dare!!! If you've ever been to my home, you know that really was impossible! 


Day 20 Love is Jesus Christ- Dare to take God at His word.  Dare to trust Jesus for your salvation.

Well, as long as I have been saved I have learned- it never hurts to say that sinner's prayer again! 


Day 21- Love is satisfied in God- Be intentional today about making time to read your Bible.

Do it! This is looking like a pretty easy week! 


Day 22- Love is faithful- Love is not a choice, it is a feeling. It is a initiated action, not a knee-jerk reaction. Chose today to be committed to love even if your spouse has lost most of their interest in receiving it. Say to them today " I love you. Period. I choose to love you even if you don't love me in return.".

Well, I have to tell you this is a really awkward talk to have when there are no problems! I did it anyways- I went into the mancave walked up to him and said " Kiohud, I love you even if you don't love me in return! " and walked out. He probably thought I was having a "girl" moment- do you get it now???


Day 23 Love always Protects- remove anything that is hindering your relationship, any addictions or influence that's stealing your affections and turning your heart away from your spouse.

Addictions? That would have to be either working or the Internet in general- we both have that! I really don't see these to "hinder" our relationship but I could probably stop sleeping with my iPad!!!! 


Day 24 Love vs. Lust, end it now. Identify every object of lust in your life and remove it. Single out every lie you've swallowed in pursuing and forbidden pleasure and reject it. Lust cannot be allowed to live in a back bedroom. It must be killed and destroyed- today- and replaced with the sure promises of God and a heart filled with his perfect love.

confession time... I have a stalker, not anyone I would lust after but nonetheless a stalker.  Stalker, ( that's what I call him since I don't remember his name) has given me a very creepy letter and randomly finds me- last time I saw him  he said oh, I've been hoping I would run into you since I got you a gift... CREEPY!!!! Kiohud knows about him but I had not told  about the gift comment because stalker looks to be not all there mentally and I don't want to hurt his feelings. So I had to tell him- and then beg him not hurt the guy or say anything mean to him. One of the hardest love dares yet!!


Day 25 Love forgives- Whatever you haven't forgiven in your mate, forgive it today. Let it go.

 In all honesty I don't think I am holding on to any grudges... But I will say this with all of you as my witnesses- Kiohud, if I ever bring up anything from the past remind me that I owe you this dare.


Some of you have asked me does the Love Dare work???  I have to tell you that it's sad to say in 10 years I have not spent this many days in a row focused on my marriage. For me at least, life gets in the way and it is easy to get comfortable. I came to the realization awhile back that you could have good or you could have great, you could have great or you can have incredible- you can always strive for better no matter what you do. That is what I want for my marriage- I wish to never be complacent but to always be the best wife that I can be (that is what Kiohud deserves). While this book does not hold all of the "keys" it does make me focus on being a better wife, so for me I have to say yes it works! :)

I'm Back!

Ok, so this week I have been the world's worst blogger! I have had an extremely busy week, if you are friends with me on Facebook you have seen the tons of pictures I have posted. In anticipation for the events I had going on this weekend I became totally unsocial and crammed my weeks worth of work into 4 days. Also, I have been waiting for my great-nephew to be born and praying that he would not arrive when I had all of these other events planned! (I am pretty sure he will be arriving today!)

Friday: I am a member of the Grace Walk Community Church  worship team. For all of you thinking "when did that happen- I didn't know she sang"  I actually started singing when I was about 5 years old! Born to a mariachi (this will probably be the first and last time you hear me speak of my father) I was introduced to music very early on. In life, there are not many things we are certain of- this but this is one thing that I know I was called to do. From very early on I had a love of music. Music is my outlet, my passion- I love to praise! My kids will tell you in our home we sing to and about everything! They have learned almost EVERYTHING in song form- luckily they love it as much as I do so it doesn't drive them nuts! Anyways, our team was invited to open for the post- Sun's game Faith and Family Night Concert at US Airways it was an amazing honor. This is one of the most talented group of people I have ever had the honor to serve with I am an constantly humbled to be part of such an amazing team!

Pre-Game Meeting



Right Before Performance

Saturday: To be totally honest- I was more excited about Saturday than I was Friday. With not much sleep from the day before, I woke up early and excited. Our church was holding our annual event for Arizona's foster children at Encanto Park.  This event was amazing! The children walked in to the park and were greeted by Grace Walk's happiest faces! (I was in charge of this team so I had to throw that in!) After signing in they were given a red wrist band that gave them access to unlimited rides all at no charge to their families. We had tons of food (provided by Macayos and Nathan's hot dogs), snow cones from Jacob's Well, a zip line, game bus, inflatables, water slide,  table games, rock wall, giant hamster balls, a petting zoo, face painting, live music, and they had access to all of the rides at Enchanted Island at Encanto Park. In attendance were, the Phoenix Sun's Gorilla, some of the ASU football players, GCU, Councilman Michael Nowakowski, Phoenix Fire and Police Departments, and the ARMY- I know there were so many other business and people involved but I can't remember everyone- I'm sorry! I wish I could show  you the looks on the faces of those children (for security reasons we could not take any pictures of the children) they had so much joy! As I walked around taking pictures I was so proud of all that my church had done, those kids had a wonderful day!

Ready for Duty with some of my greeters!

A Sea of red Grace Walk's Awesome Volunteers!

My "Sticker Patrol"

Families were blessed with clothing by
 Clothes for Keeps

One of many inflatables

I arrived home utterly exhausted! I still feel somewhat "fried" but it was worth it! That has been my weekend so far- today I am waiting for my great-nephew to arrive. I know my sister would have been on pins and needles waiting to see her first grandson! Hurry up Elias- the world is ready to meet you! :)


P.S. First give-away winner was Jessica Juice! Congrats Jessica- hope you enjoy your new Kate Spade IPhone Case!

IRAs Explained

There are a few types of ways to invest for your retirement- I will go through them in a few blogs to simplify it. Today I will be going over Individual IRAs.

Traditional IRA: This is most basic IRA, if you are younger than 70 1/2 you can contribute to this type of account. You can contribute the same amount as your taxable income up to $5000 per year, this amount increases to $6000 if you are over 50. Biggest advantage of this account is that your contributions are tax-deductible. This does not mean that you don't have to pay taxes on this simply that the tax is deferred until you make withdrawals. Early withdrawals from this type of account usually have a 10% penalty. You have the option to start withdrawing from this account at 59 1/2 but have to withdrawal at 70 1/2.


Roth IRA:  Unlike the traditional IRA the contributions to your Roth IRA are not tax deductible. Why is this a good thing? This is a good thing because this is the only taxes you will have to pay on this amount. You will not pay anything on your earning accumulated over the years!  This has a potential to save you a TON of money! This account also does not have an age requirement where you have to withdrawal from, so many people use this as a way to pass on money to their families. If you do however decide to withdrawal from this account and are younger than 59 1/2 than you will have to pay additional tax plus the 10% penalty (probably not worth it!)

I will note that on both of these accounts you have the flexibility to chose your own investments- stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc.

Self Directed IRA: This account is more of a non-traditional account. It has the same basic rules of the traditional IRA but it allows you to make more "sophisticated" investments such as mortgages, businesses, precious metals, or real estate.


What would I recommend? It all depends on personal preference. Personally, I have a Roth IRA- you pay the money up front but this can save you lots, and lots of money. Imagine your 20,000 grows into 100,000 which amount would you rather pay taxes on? After getting a lot of scary statements telling me that I was losing my retirement (as I am sure is the case for many of you) I switched to a guaranteed account with ING. This allows my account to grow and no matter what the market does I am guaranteed at least a 6% return of course this can be more if the market goes up.

Hope this helps! Remember- plan for your future today! :)

Don't Do This!!!

Okay, so some of you have heard of my horror that is my receipt drawer that I had to eventually turn into a cabinet... Well, with tax day around the corner today I faced my worst fear and separated my receipts. I must warn you this is not for the faint of heart I feel like there should be some kind of disclosure here like look at these pics at your own risk and please don't judge me based off of them!



Here is what my cabinet looked like this morning...

One of the biggest benefits to having a business is the ability to write many things off- a tax shelter if you will. The biggest downfall- you HAVE to be organized. I promised myself at the beginning of last year that I would not do this to myself, but here I am... :( I made that promise again today so hopefully I can be more organized this year. So my plan went like this:


I bought all of these containers to separate by month.

Next, Kiohud and I separated and separated- it took at least a few hours to do this.

I am one step closer to my goal everything is at least separated my month! Next step enter everything into QuickBooks- for this I need some serious help so I bought this.

It's a device called NeatReceipts. You hook it up to your computer- it scans every receipt, enters it into QuickBooks for you and then saves a digital copy- an accountant's dream. Does it work? I haven't got that far yet- but I'll let you know!!! If this doesn't work- you may not see me until April...  Wish me luck and pray for me please!!! :)

Spring Cleaning!

Today we did some spring cleaning- I hired some "free labor"...

And since we did such a great job cleaning- Kiohud made us dinner... :)

My World of Potty Training...

With Hannah starting preschool in the fall we figured we better get started on potty training. As a parent of 3 I can tell you that potty training is one of my least favorite of the parenting jobs. There are some people in this world that are gifted in the area of potty training I just don't happen to be one of them!
I have come to the conclusion though that at some point EVERYONE gets potty trained so I just don't stress about it. (Kiohud disagrees and says I've never seen some of his patients, apparently some never learn to make it to the toilet- but I think that's a whole different subject!)

Last week we started potty training Hannah. I figured we'd do the let her run around commando and bribe her with a piece of candy method. I honestly can't remember how we did it with Emily, but this method worked for Jacob. We had a few accidents but Hannah seems to be waaayyy easier than the other 2! I did allow both her and Jacob to get a piece every time she went and this seemed to be the charm. Every time Jacob has a sweet tooth (which is pretty often since we usually don't give them much candy) he will go and say "Hannah, I think you have to go potty now". The other day I asked him Jacob how come you get a piece of candy and Hannah is the one doing all the work- she's the one going potty." Jacob replied "Mom, I think I deserve a piece of candy too." took his piece and walked away. I thought that was pretty funny because he actually has helped in this process I just didn't think a 4 year old would figure that out!

Today was our first pull-up free day!!!!!!! I am so excited. We even went out and I asked her "Are you sure you don't want a pull-up?" She said she didn't so off we went. I packed extra clothes just in case but to my surprise she came home dry! I do have to mention that she does know how to work it and will sometimes request to sit on the potty even if she doesn't have to go just to get a candy out of it! So, it seems as if our diaper days have come to an end at least for the time being anyways.... :)

The Love Dare Part 3

This took a really long time! Kiohud has been gone working a lot these days but FINALLY here we go:

A continuation to The Love Dare Part 1 and The Love Dare Part 2, here is how days 11-15 went... :)




Day 11: Love Cherishes- What need does your spouse have that you could meet today? Can you run and errand? Help With housework? Chose a gesture that says I cherish you and do it with a smile. Well, I have to admit this took me almost all week to accomplish! I am running low on "good deeds here" (If any of you have suggestions by all means help me out! Anyways, what I finally did was Kiohud brought home his list for groceries for the fire station and I went out and bought everything for him. Again, no big deal I did go out of my way to go shopping but I love getting out so it didn't take much effort on my part. Kiohud HATES shopping so I thought this would make his life easier and save him some time.

Day 12: Love lets the other win- Demonstrate love by willingly choosing to give into an area of disagreement between you and your spouse. Tell them you are putting their preference first. Well, this day I have not yet been able to accomplish. Kiohud and I rarely disagree, if you read The Story of US you know that we fought way too much in our early years and pretty much got it out of our systems. Plus Kiohud is gone enough that we both have our personal space and miss each other when he is gone and are happy to see each other when he is home so we fight less. So I am saving this for one day when we do disagree over something...


Day 13: Love Fights Fair- Talk with your spouse about establishing healthy rules of engagement. Here is what we came up with:
1. "No touching of the hair or face."
2. No mention of divorce.
3. No arguing or putting each other down in front of anyone especially our children.
4. Respect each other's answers.
5. No yelling.

Day 14: Love Takes Delight- Purposely neglect an activity that you would normally do and spent time with your spouse. Just be together. After the kids go to bed I "catch up" on anything that needs to be done. One night I should have been putting laundry away instead I went downstairs and hung out with Kiohud in the man cave instead. I usually do this anyways but this time I went in a little earlier so that we could "hang out". I'm not sure if he appreciated this or not since he likes working in there undistracted, but I tried.

Day 15: Chose a way to show honor and respect to your spouse that is above your normal routine. Show your spouse that he is highly esteemed in your eyes. Ok, so this chapter actually hit me pretty hard. I was convicted as soon as they said focus on what your spouse is saying. I always listen but I don't always focus, I am usually working or typing away while I talk to anyone. What I am trying really hard to do is when Kiohud talks to me I stop typing and look at him so that he is my main focus not my work! You might think this is no big deal but I am ALWAYS on my computer, even if my "working hours" are over my laptop is open on the counter.


So this week was a little harder mostly because Kiohud was gone but also because on days where I am supposed to do something nice, I am running out of ideas! It is sad though when I realize how little we focus on our spouse. I probably would not have done many of these things if the book hadn't told me too! I really feel like all of this focus is strengthening our relationship. As for Kiohud's progress well, if he ever starts I will let you know. He did redeem himself on my birthday with a very awesome IPad ( my not so subtle hints helped) and an AMAZING dinner and my favorite spot The Melting Pot. Thank You Kiohud!


On a totally different note: Have you noticed all of the Amazon links on my site? Well, in case you haven't figured it out my new affiliate is Amazon! First giveaway will be held on March 17 via Random.org and will be for your choice of a Kate Spade IPhone 4 case (black and white Polka dots) valued at $48 or Urbanerars Medis Ear Buds valued at $50. I will try to post some pics soon! To be included in this drawing become a "Member" by clicking on the Join this Site tab on the top left. Thank you Amazon for helping make this possible! Good Luck my friends! :)

Never Pay Full Price For Gas!

With gas as expensive as it is I have found what I think is a very clever plan to save money on gas. I thought I'd share it with you and pass on the savings especially since the last news report I heard said gas would be over $4 by summer...

I am sure you all are aware of the grocery stores that offer .10 cents off  per gallon for every hundred points you accumulate (1 point = 1 dollar). So typically, you buy groceries for the week (or get a qualifying prescription at the pharmacy) and your reciept says you get .10 cents per gallon in savings, which is not bad - but it can be better! I will now refer to Fry's even though I know other stores offer these rewards but Fry's just happens to be a block away from me so it's the store I go to. Near the entrance, I know you've seen them, there are these kiosks with tons of gift cards but if you look closely it also says recieve 2x fuel points or even 4x fuel points if you purchase one of these overlooked cards!



These Kiosk have gift cards for pretty much EVERYWHERE!!! So what I started doing awhile back is buying gift cards for anywhere that I know I will be going. Dinner- they have it. (even fast food) Movies- Yes. They even offer cards for online stores like Itunes, Amazon or Ebay. If you can think of  it they probably have it, with the exception of the grocery store's competitor. Fry's doesn't have Walmart gift cards but they do have Target cards, so hit this place up before buying those electronics and household items. These work especially well if you are working on projects around the home since they have Home Depot cards as well (your husbands will rack those point up quick with this one). You are going to spend this money anyway so you might as well make your money work for you! I typically go in and buy all of the gift cards I need, and remember it is DOUBLE fuel points so your $100 now got you 200 points or .20 cents off each gallon of gas! So plan ahead, this is a really easy way to save a lot of money. On a side-note, I also use my rewards credit card to buy the gift cards and then reap double rewards- I'll blog on the beauty of a good rewards credit card another day.

This week I managed to rack up 1000 points- yes, that was $1 off! It was not hard to do, remember that is $500 in gift cards, and even less if you grocery shop there (which I do). So the day I went to get gas it was up to $3.79 so with $1 off we got down to $2.79.



Being the saver that I am I don't just fill up one car I actually wait until Kiohud has the day off so we can fill both vehicles at the same time. I drive a very un-fuel efficient Expedition ALL day and Kiohud drives a fuel efficient Avenger but drives 120 miles to get to work and back for 1 shift, so trust me we need all of the gas savings we can get! So we take both cars line them up and fill them both up at once, as long as you do not put the gas handle back in the keeper, you can keep fueling (this requires some team work). This week we filled up both cars for $94.28- probably not the number you want to see when paying for gas but this actually saved us almost $34 this week.  We fill up both cars weekly so that would equate to saving $136 per month or $1632 per year! We do pretty well with this system and get almost $1 off every time now. (and no it's not ghetto!..it's efficient). Keep in mind, some fuel stations have a limit of gallons purchased.



Hope this saves you some money- remember in the words of Benjamin Franklin "A penny saved is a penny earned" and these days the pennies are getting scarce :)

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The Do's and Don'ts of Interviews

So you finally landed that interview you have been waiting for- here are some tips on how to get that job!

Do's:

Do be on time!!!- There is nothing more unprofessional than arriving late to an interview. If possible drive there the day before and figure out exactly where you are headed. Try to arrive about 15 minutes early.

Do wear a suit- It is so important to have a suit that you feel great in- ladies this goes for you as well! A suit demands attention- and it will give you the confidence you need to get through the interview. Some tips on the suit- 1. Get it tailored. For a suit to look good it has to fit properly so spend the extra money to make it fit you perfect- you will not regret it! 2. Try it out- There is nothing worse than being uncomfortable in an outfit so wear it around- get acquainted with your suit. Wear it out to the store and you will notice how much attention and respect one suit can give! Go ahead, order some people around and see how they respond!

Do bring a resume- limit it to one page with only important information. No one reads more than 1 page! Truth be told, if it's 3 or 4 pages it will probably get thrown out before you even land the interview. And remember only pertinent information- no one is going to be impressed that you can use Internet Explorer or a calculator! (trust me I have seen this on way too many resumes..and trashed way too many resumes because of these special skills) Don't forget to bring multiple copies in case you are interviewed by a panel.

Do bring copies of any pertinent certifications- This will avoid the back and forth when you do land the job. File them neatly in a portfolio along with your resume.

Do research the company- know about the company, some of it's history. You want to know who you will be working for, you may be asked some general questions. Think of it as a pop quiz, you don't want one of these questions to spoil your chances.

Do be professional to EVERYONE- You never know who has input! I had an interview once where my secretary was out of the office so I seated the applicant myself, as he sat down he says "I am so nervous- who is going to interview me- are they mean?" I had to explain to him- "that would be me"-..needless to say, he did not land this job.

Do smile, stay calm, and make eye contact- I know this can be hard if you are nervous but you are there for a reason- they already liked you application!


Don'ts

Don't talk to much- it's okay to elaborate on your answers when asked but don't drag your answers out.

Don't lie- Everything will be referenced and that "little white lie" could cost you the job. Be honest and if there are any "blemishes" on your work history be honest about them.

Don't bad mouth your previous employer- even if they were totally awful! Do not give any negative comments and try to talk about everything with a positive attitude. No one wants to work with "the pessimist"!

Don't interrupt- listen to the question completely and then answer. Like I tell Emily- It is impossible to listen and talk at the same time!

Don't send the wrong signals- Remeber communication is primarily via body language. Don't fidget, know your nervous quirks and avoid them.

Don't Flirt with the interviewer!-Really..you need me to explain this?

Don't stress- You have what they are looking for they are just double checking. And if you don't get this job- God has something better in store for you!



Hope this helps- Good luck my friends! :)

Patience is a Virtue

If there is anything in my life that is always a work in progress it would have to be patience... As a workaholic, mother (of small children), firefighter wife, and aunt to a teenager- well, saying my life has to be flexible in a huge understatement. I have had to learn that life doesn't revolve around me- actually, I am usually running to keep up!

This was one of those weeks where I had to practice extra patience. A few of my extra stresses this week were that-

A: This week Kiohud was home about a day and a half and was at work the entire rest of the week. We love the extra pay and Kiohud doesn't always get offered overtime so when he does he usually jumps at the chance. This however adds a little more work to our schedules. Now, I am pretty independent as far as wives go and I can run this home pretty well but it is really nice to have help!

B: Also, this week my carpool buddy decided to go totally nuts! Honestly, I could write a whole blog on my carpool buddy but it wouldn't be very nice so I will just tell you she is bi-polar and we can leave it at that. This week she decided to go a little overboard and almost called the police because the school couldn't find her child- only problem she was right where she was supposed to be with Kiohud on her way home. Apparently my carpool buddy forgot to inform both me and the school that she was doing her own pick up that day and didn't need to carpool! So after that very awkward conversation I had to inform her that the carpool was no longer going to work for me. Sad thing is I really missed her picking up Emily half the week even if she is a little out there...

 This morning Jacob who never wets the bed woke up soaked. I asked him "Jacob did you pee in the bed?" He looks at me with his big brown eyes as serious as can be and replies "No mom, I was in a boat and I got all wet!" As I was changing him I realized that schedules will conflict, deadlines will be missed, kids will get sick, carpool people will go nuts, and life will happen (and it's always unpredictable). I have learned that I can either stress my self out when things come my way or learn to live around them and sometimes- I just have to laugh! :)