Money Challenges

So around Halloween I sat down with the boys and we made a Christmas list. I then priced out everything and I was determined to get everything below cost. So with coupons and deals and eBay I have been working on killing that list. So far I have not paid full price for anything.

For Ethan I said I have budgeted 20 dollars for ds games. I told Ethan I could go and get one game OR I could do eBay and so far I have gotten 2 games for 15 dollars, including shipping. Ethan knowing I have 5 dollars left to spend put a few games in my Amazon List. Trying to show him how to stretch a dollar. Although if Grandma doesn't get that ds, we are up a creek.

I am nearly done shopping. YEAH.

We set up Christmas this week. I am almost done with that tree skirt I started last year!

Cole finished another book. This is just busy work for him. I have all of these books I picked up for really cheap. And since he is the last we need to use up the books.

So after Christmas, hubby and I are going to challenge ourselves like no other. It will be a challenge that may break us, but if we come out the other end things will be much brighter. Now I'm home 6 days a week. Saving us a ton of gas, that gas money is now going towards gifts and such. But after Christmas, I have the next two months sketched out. We will be paying down our Mortgage. If we can make it to the end of Feb. We will be at the 124,000 mark. After Feb, if I can find 80 a week, we will be at 120,000 at the end of the year. Then make a plan from there. Our goal is to get our Mortgage down enough to drop Mortgage Insurance so we really can afford the payment. But of course the more we work on the house the better off we will be.

Our Emergency Fund is getting there. Next year we stop growing that and start working on Retirement. We are so lacking there. Our van will be paid off with our tax return and the rest put into savings to help us live for the rest of the year. 

We have spoken to the kids, explaining we are not only going to be tight, but super tight. Don't' ask for a thing. Money is tight, really tight.

Speaking of which I have found we get the Suze Orman show on cnbc or some money channel like that. Ethan and I watch it every Saturday. Last week it was like a light bulb turned on with him. Most of his allowance went right into savings, he made a new goal and he really wants to save. We also chatted and made a deal. He has been wanting a remote control car, OK wait first. So he has been waiting a remote control helicopter, I found one at goodwill for four dollars. I bought it and I used it to show him how cheap this type of stuff is. In the end we have come to the conclusion it's not even worth the four dollars we paid for it let alone the 40 it's going for in stores. So he has changed his mind and wants a remote control car. I wasn't liking anything at toys r us or such. I saw one at Costco I really liked. So we chatted, if he would to give me 20 would I cover the rest for Christmas...Someone is learning. So tonight under the tree is this big ole car, that he can't have until Christmas. But he is one very happy boy.

So after the first of the year we will set down this road and hope we can survive it. I will do updates later as we get started.