Organized Stay At Home Moms

It’s Been A While!

H.B. — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 08:37:28 +0000

Well, it’s been a while since I had the time to come by and jot down some of my thoughts. As a matter of fact, it’s been 6 months! But, I am hoping to be back and able to post a lot more often!

Today, I want to talk about planning for the upcoming holidays. Being overseas, we always have to plan early–earlier than most, since we have a very limited selection available to us for whatever we are looking for. It’s the end of August, and we have quite a bit ready.

First, there’s Halloween. Start asking the kids now what they want to be. There’s no harm in getting a costume early. Just be sure that you get a size that they will fit in. If your child has almost outgrown their current size, get the next size up for the costume. We have 4 kids, and thus far have gotten one costume and planned the other 3. I also found the other 3 online and budgeted for them. Our local commissary has started putting out Halloween candy, so we will be buying a little at a time to stock up. We usually buy about $60 worth of candy and run out halfway through Trick Or Treating times. There are a lot of kids in our neighborhood, plus the local nationals come on base for it, as well, so there’s a lot of kiddos to hand it out to! If you plan on decorating, check your decorations and make sure you have what you need. If you don’t, then go ahead and make a list of what you need, along with an estimated price. Budget for a certain number of items for each pay period, and get those items as you make your way down the list.

Next is Thanksgiving. Start planning your meal and start buying nonperishables so that you don’t have a bunch to buy all at once. Spread the cost, and the time, out over the next few months. Big festive dinners can be expensive, especially if you invite people over. Take the time now to plan out your meal and decor to make sure that you have enough time and money set aside to get everything finished. If you are in the Marine Corps like my husband, you also have to plan for the ball in November. I’ve already gotten my dress, earrings, and nail polish. All that’s left is getting some pretty shoes and figuring out how to do my hair and makeup.

Finally, there is Christmas (or any other holiday your family celebrates. I will use Christmas in this post because it is what my family celebrates). Start getting ideas for presents. Beginning in September, if you haven’t already started, begin buying one present for each child, whether it’s $2 or $20, it will help out to spread the cost. Our kids each get 5 presents from us plus stocking stuffers (which are usually $1 or less). One of the 5 presents is the “big” present. By “big” I mean expensive. Usually around $40 or so. Everything else is just whatever they liked and asked for. We have all of our decor from last year, so we don’t need any new stuff. But, if you need or want some new decor, be sure to budget for it! And don’t forget to start planning your meals and guest list (if you are having a party, that is!). Our family always does something charitable for Christmas–that’s the point, right? To give? Last year we cooked dinner for all of the Military Police Officers working on our base, the year before we made gift baskets for the families whose babies were in the NICU. If you plan on doing a charitable thing, plan it out. Set out the dates and times you are available, and if your entire family is participating, figure out when EVERYONE is available. Or, if you just want to donate money, then figure out how much each person will donate. One other thing you can do is to get your Christmas cards ready. I ordered our family’s photo on cards this year, and already have the envelopes labeled and the cards ready to mail out when the time comes. This keeps me from stressing out at the last minute. I’ve also gotten 1/2 of our family letter done and ordered a few family portraits. I will be mailing all of that out around November to make it in time for Christmas.

In a nutshell, START PLANNING. If you plan it out, and be sure that your budget allows for what you would like to do, it will be less stressful for you during the holiday season. Really, who wants to be stressed instead of enjoying the holidays with those they love?

Building or Fixing Your Credit

H.B. — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:16:32 +0000

So, something my family has been dealing with lately is credit. We are working on paying off debt, raising our credit score, and putting money into savings. It seems hard, with so much debt and four children to provide for. But, it can be done, so long as we follow the budget that we’ve agreed on. So, while trying to better our credit score, and our savings, I have come across some information that could be very helpful for others.

First off is the credit score rating scale. This is VERY important to understand, so you know where your credit score falls. You can find out your credit score, for free, at www.creditkarma.com. You can also view your Vantage Score there. Here is the chart regarding credit scores:
EXCELLENT: 760-849
GREAT: 700-759
GOOD: 660-699
FAIR: 620-659
POOR: 580-619
VERY POOR: 500-579

It is also very important to review your credit report a few times throughout the year. It takes approximately 3 months for positive effects to hit your score. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com to receive your credit report for free from all 3 major credit reporting bureaus. If you check one every 4 months, you can keep up to date without having to pay for it. This will help you to see what debt you have.

If you have the money, pay off any debt that has gone into collections. If you don’t have the money, contact the collection agency requesting different options for payment. They will usually work with you so that they get their money. If you have any open accounts, be sure to make the minimum payment. Try to pay a little more than the minimum, though, because if you only pay the minimum, you can rack up thousands of dollars in interest! Any time you have extra, split it up between all of your accounts. Even if you pay off a card, keep it open, so that you can occassionaly use it and keep your credit good.

ALWAYS be sure to put some money into savings before putting additional extra towards debt, though. You will want to have some money in savings for emergencies. You can also use interest earned to help pay off your debt.

Tax Season

H.B. — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 13:47:35 +0000

Tax Season is very stressful for many families. It is extremely important to remember, throughout the year, to file away receipts for deductions on your taxes. This will save you a lot of time, energy, and stress for next year. It is important to be thorough on your taxes. If you can’t prove it, don’t list it.

Find out if you can use your deductions here:
Itemized Deductions: http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc500.html
Standard Deductions: http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc551.html

When you are preparing your taxes, be sure to have all of the pertinent information for dependants. Have their full names, dates of births, social security numbers, and if they are children, whether or not they lived with you. Remember, if someone else can claim any of your dependents, then they CANNOT be listed on your taxes.

If you have any questions you need answered, go to http://www.irs.gov.

BLENDED FAMILIES: If you are the NCP (noncustodial parent), the IRS now requires form 8332 to be filed with their office. You can do this each time you are to claim the children, or you can use one form, write the current year and any additional years. The CP (custodial parent) has to sign this form. If your CO (Court Order) is from 2008 and before, you can substitute this form with a copy of your CO. If the CO is from 2009 to the present, this form is required. If you are e-filing, you must also submit form 8453 with form 8332 when you mail it in. You can find these forms here:
Form 8332:http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8332.pdf
Form 8453: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8453.pdf

New Year, New Calendar!

H.B. — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:25:47 +0000

It’s almost the new year, which means it’s almost time to write the new family calendar. Now is the time to make sure you have a list of family and friends’ birthdays and anniversaries so that you will be able to send out cards and/or presents, or make a phone call. I keep a list of these events in my home management binder, as well as in my address book and planner. I also wrote them down on monthly calendars for the family.

When picking out the calendar, be sure to get one that has enough space for you and your family to write notes in the boxes. Don’t get a small calendar if you have a large family or an active family. I like the wall calendars, because they are big enough for everything. Or you can get one of those white board calendars that has the space for the calendar as well as a notes section. You just need to be sure to stay on top of the calendar–if it falls behind, you fall behind.

You can also color code the calendar. You can choose to color code for events or for people. We do it by color. Each of our kids has a color, and then DH and I each have a color. It’s easier for us, with 6 people in the family, than to color code by event (such as sports, school, doctor’s appts, etc). Color coding it makes it easier to see who has what going on–not to mention that it will help the kids to be able to find what’s on the calendar for them–they can just look for their color and not have to read the entire calendar to find out what’s going on.

For the kids, also be sure to get them a small pocket or academic calendar, so that they can write down homework, projects, and special events in their calendar. No time like the present to start them off with being organized!

The Dreaded Budget

H.B. — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 04:05:07 +0000

So, we all know that a very important part of running a household is a budget. But, do we all actually CREATE a budget? The fact is, the majority of us don’t. We figure that we can monitor our own spending. Let me tell you something: Since creating our family budget, we have actually had money leftover, which means no more overdrawing. The HARDEST part of a budget is following it. You have to WANT to follow it. It does take some time to get used to, but it will benefit your family!

Okay, so HOW do you create a budget? It’s really simple, I promise! Make a list–yes, it starts with a list. List each pay date (or estimated pay date) and the pay (or estimated pay) for that date. For our family, it’s easy. DH has a certain amount that he gets paid on each payday, which is twice a month. So, I’d list 1st and 15th as the dates, and the pay amount next to each. Next, time to list the bills/expenses. Write the name of the company (or the name of the expense-i.e. groceries, gas), the due date, the balance, the amount paid, and the remaining balance (yes, balance twice). Organize the “small” bills by the day they will be paid. For instance, for us, one of our bills is due by the 2nd of the month. Obviously we would pay that one on the 1st. For the “large” bills, I split them up into how many pay periods are in a month (2 for us), and pay that amount on each pay (so 1/2 in our case). This will allow us to pay large bills each month without taking a huge chunk out of our pay all at once. Then either handwrite or type up your budget, with the paydate and pay amount, followed by which bills, or portion of bills, you will pay that pay period.

Here is our family budget (no numbers included, but you get the idea!). Please forgive the poor format. The tabs from Word didn’t want to join in on the fun

Payday-1st of the month $xxxx
Groceries $xxx
Mediatti $xx
USAA $xxx
Harley $xxx
AU $xx
Gas $xx
Left $xxx

Payday-15th of the month $XXXX
Groceries $xxx
USAA $xxx
HARLEY $xxx
Gas $xx
Family Savings $xxx
Custody Savings $xxx
Left $xxx

See? Not all that hard. You just have to sit down and work on it. Get all spenders in the family involved (adults and teens). Be sure to keep room for activities and recurring expenses that are only paid a few times a year. I like to make a budget for a while year, and then tweak it as needed as the year goes on.

You also have to find ways to save. For instance, our family during the majority of the year consists of myself, my husband, our 3 year old son, our two year old daughter, and our now 9 month old daughter. We can provide the food, toiletries, diapers, wipes, formula, etc for around $350 for 2 weeks. When my “bonus” daughter is here, we can get it all for still under $400. Coupons and sales are your best friend. Another thing that helps is creating a menu for the week (or two weeks) and creating a shopping list based off of that. Having a shopping list will help to keep you on track and keep you from making those impulse buys (well, if you stick to it, that is! Otherwise, it’ll just be an annoying sheet of paper you are carrying around!).

“Everyday” Family Traditions

H.B. — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 03:37:09 +0000

One very important thing you can do for your family is to make traditions. They can be serious, or silly, it doesn’t matter–as long as it is something done as a FAMILY. There’s so much going on in everyone’s lives now-a-days, that there doesn’t seem to be enough time for family. A passing hello, or a question, and that’s about the extent of interaction in a lot of families. We are bound and determined to not let that happen to ours. The three children that I’ve had with my husband are 3 (J), 2 (A), and just under a year (D), so we are still working on building traditions. But we ARE building them, and that’s what counts. We, of course, also have my amazing “bonus” daughter, L, who we would like to include in the traditions, so we find things that would be fun for all of the kids. We build traditions not only for holidays, but also for every week and every month.

Tuesdays I take the kids to the library for storytime. Then we pick out a few books and DVDs to take home with us. The kids absolutely love it! I always plan ahead and check out the online site for the library so I can have the call numbers for the books we want, so there’s no searching to do. With three kids 3 and under, the longer it takes to find something, the less patient they become

Saturdays, my husband, J, and A also do Shorin Ryu karate together. My husband is one of the instructors, and the kids saw him teaching and wanted to join him. It is a great bonding time for my husband and the kids. And it’s something they can continue to do together for as long as they want, since they can transfer from the young child class, to the junior class, to the adult class. If there is some sort of sport, or activity, or hobby that a few people in your family enjoy, work that into your traditions!

Every week on Sundays, we have our FAMILY FUN DAY. And it’s not anything expensive, so it’s a good idea for everyone! Every Sunday just after lunch, we head over to the bowling alley. It’s only about $8 for me, my husband, J, and A to bowl a game, including shoe rentals. See, nothing expensive $32 a month for a GREAT time together as a family. J and A LOVE bowling. Sometimes (not always, but at least half the time), we head over to Baskin Robbins down the road and get some ice cream after we bowl. It’s another $10 or so. Another thing we did was go to the store and buy a few $5 games-Candy Land, Yatzee Jr., and Hungry Hungry Hippos. When L comes, she can pick some games, too, to add to our day. We play the games on Sunday nights just before bed, all cuddled up in our PJs.

Once a month, we go to the movie theater and catch a kid-friendly movie. Between the tickets and snacks/drinks, it can really add up, so it is definitely a once-a-month thing in our home. We look over the month’s calendar for our local theater and pick a day/time that will work for all of us. The kids really get hyped about that!

Another tradition that I plan on starting when my husband gets stationed back in the good ol’ USA (we are currently in Okinawa, Japan) is monthly pictures. Sounds crazy, right? But almost every studio has a one-pose package that is around $10 ($120 a year!). Sure, it’s only a few sheets, but that’s all we need for our personal collection. There’s a holiday in every month (except August) that we could do a themed picture for. Here’s my ideas:
-January-New Year’s: We could get all of those wonderul party hats, sunglasses, etc and wear them. Sure, we’d look silly going into the studio with all of that, but who cares? We’d have a good time, and a good memory!
-February-Valentine’s Day: Boys in red, girls in pink…lots of hearts on the kids. Maybe take some heart pillows in for the kids to hold, or get those heart headbands. Just something cute.
-March-St. Patrick’s Day: GREEN (obviously)! We could wear those antenea headbands with the shamrocks, or those big green hats, and some of those bead necklaces. Again, silly, but fun.
-April-Easter: Obviously for this we would wear our Easter dresses/suits. This one we MAY get in a normal package instead of the $10 package so that we can pass them along to family
-May-Mother’s Day: I would get a picture of just me and the kids. I’d get to pick the outfits. I’d probably pick a pretty pose instead of a silly one
-June-Father’s Day: My husband and the kids would get their portrait done. He’d pick the outfit and the pose. Who knows, it may end up being a karate-style picture!
-July-Fourth of July: Red, white, and blue!
-August-SILLY PICTURE: Since there’s no major holiday in August, we’d use this one to take pictures making silly faces in silly outfits.
-September-Memorial Day: We’d wear something to show our pride for the military. My husband is in the Marine Corps, so maybe him in his dress blues, and us all dolled up or in some patriotic clothes.
-October-Halloween: COSTUMES!!! haha. My husband is totally not into dressing up. But, he’s willing to. So I figure I had better take advantage of that now, before the kids get old enough to tease him. haha.
-November-Thanksgiving: Pajamas pictures! This year, we started a new tradition where we eat our Thanksgiving meal in our PJs. Now, personally, I don’t want to go into a studio in my PJs with my hair all a mess to get a picture done, BUT, I know it’d be super fun. Maybe I can mess my hair just before the pic
-December-Christmas: Christmas dresses and suits, maybe a few “presents” scattered around us. This would probably be in one of the larger packages, too, so we can share it with family.

Does your family have any special traditions that you do besides those for the holidays?

Halloween

H.B. — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:28:42 +0000

Halloween is a fun time of the year. Kids dressing up in costumes going around asking for candy–how many times a year does that happen However, it does take planning to make everything go smoothly. We bought our children’s costumes back at the beginning of September, but next year we will be buying them earlier, to ensure we can get exactly what the kids want without having to worry about it being out of stock. It’s best to start thinking of Halloween atleast a month before Halloween, but maybe try 2 or 3 months ahead of time. You can also stock up on candy for 2 or 3 months before Halloween, so that you don’t have to worry about buying all of it at once. The bags of candy can be quite pricey, especially around Halloween. I bought 6 bags and it was over $30 for them. And while it may not sound like a lot, the 6 bags will in no way be enough to “feed” the neighborhood kids (especially when they sneak 4 or 5 pieces at a time! ). Starting early will not only save you the stress, but it will also let you space out the money that you dish out!

If you plan on decorating for Halloween, start planning that the year before. Look for good sales after Halloween for decorations for next year. You can usually find really great deals just before Halloween, also. If you buy a little each year, you will have an awesomely decorated home in just a few years

If you are going to throw a Halloween party, start planning that in the summer. I’m going to start planning my Halloween party for next year beginning in January, because I’m big on making everything perfect for our family. Making custom invitiations can be really fun. You can find templates to print online, or if you are crafy you can make them yourself. You can buy party supplies throughout the year (balloons, plates, cups, napkins, etc) so that you don’t have to spend a lot all at once. Create a “menu” of food, snacks, and drinks, and get recipes. There are tons of great sites for these recipes. Some of the sites I like are:
www.bhg.com
www.realsimple.com
www.familyfun.go.com
www.marthastewart.com
www.halloweenkitchen.com
www.betterrecipes.com
www.allrecipes.com
www.parents.com
Just search for HALLOWEEN RECIPES

Planning for Christmas

H.B. — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:28:46 +0000

Yes, it’s still 3 months away, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t need to start planning now. If you wait, it’ll be a hectic season, as it usually is. So, here I will give some tips and a timeline on how to plan for Christmas so it’s not a stressful holiday season. I have actually been trying to make plans since after Easter. Christmas is a big deal for us, and I like to plan thoroughly. Checklists can really come in handy, especially in times like now! While others are putting off Christmas til the last minute, I am going to be able to enjoy having everything done long before Christmas.

Between now and October, there are a few things you need to do. First, is to make plans for your family. Where will you be having Christmas? If you are having it at your house, how many people will be there? Is there anything you need for overnight guests (sheets, towels, blankets, pillows, etc)? Make a calendar for the holidays, and mark gatherings, travel time, etc. It’s also time to update your holiday card list and start shopping for cards and wrapping supplies (wrapping paper, tissue paper, gift bags, bows, etc).

In November, sit down and figure out a budget and gift list for your family and friends. If you don’t know what to get people, atleast make a list of those you need to buy a gift for. It will help you keep track of who you have left to buy for. You also need to figure out what decorations and supplies you have, and what you will need. Start writing out your holiday cards, so that they are ready to go next month. It’s better to do them all early than to wait until the last minute. You can also start shopping more. It’s best to shop a little each month throughout the year, but now’s the time to really kick it up a notch. Also, a way to help you out some more, is to wrap gifts as you buy them. It means less hassle when it’s time to get things ready.

In December, you want to decorate. We do it the night after Thanksgiving, but you want to start no later than the 1st week of December. Finalize your dinner menu that week, too. Mail any cards and presents by the first week, as well, since there is usually a big rush that can slow down the post office. Make sure you shop for your groceries two or so weeks before Christmas, so you are sure to get what you need. While you’re shopping, get some batteries for kids’ toys (in case they don’t come with them). You don’t want to have to worry about your kids being sad that their toys won’t work! A week before Christmas, deep clean the house. Make sure that all your cameras and video cameras (or their batteries) are charged, and that you have some film or a clear memory card. In the last few days, finish wrapping all the presents, and start cooking.

Chosing A Preschool Or School.

H.B. — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:24:56 +0000

When you are chosing a preschool for your toddler, you need to take a few things into consideration.

First, you need to think about what your child and your family need. Are you looking for the preschool to teach the child or to act as childcare? Do you want half-day or full-day school? How many days a week will your child go? What is your budget? What kind of programs are you looking for?

Next, you need to visit the school to gather information. Check it out and see how your child likes it. Speak with the office to see what programs they have, the prices for the programs, and other specifics you want to know. For instance, some parents like to drop in and help with class or to observe class. Will this be allowed? Can you bring snacks into school? What is the schedule for the classroom? How will the teacher contact you about your child? Is there a school calendar?

Once all that is done, all that’s left is registering. Make sure that you have all the necessary information for registration. How much will be due? What will you need to bring (birth certificate, shot records, etc).

Now, if you are chosing a school for your big kid, you will need to consider public vs. private vs. homeschool, and in some areas there are multiple options for public and/or private schools. Once you make the decision of public vs. private (if this is your route), follow the same steps as chosing a preschool (gathering information, visiting the school, etc). If you are trying to decide public vs. private, you need to look at the curriculum for each school. Private schools tend to score higher on tests, but each school has a selection process and they require payments, where as public schools score “average” on tests, accept all students, and are free (with the exception of a few small fees that some schools require to provide supplies to the children).

If you want to homeschool your children, you need to be sure that you can provide the materials, curriculum, and time, to do so.

One great site I found for all things related to school is www.greatschools.org . They have a ton of resources. Also, for preschool lessons at home, check out www.preschoolrock.com .

Planners

H.B. — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:04:19 +0000

One way that I have been able to keep my life in order is with my day planner. I use the calendar to write down special events for the kids, such as doctor’s appointments, extracurricular activities, special family trips, date nights (babysitter time!), etc. My planner keeps track of everything to do with my kids.

I also use the address book to write down not only family and friends’ contact information, but also the contact information for schools, doctors, dentists, work, coach information, and the information for places where we can obtain family records, such as Vital Records, the Court, Department of State, and Social Security Administration (in the event we lose any, I don’t want to have to worry about finding the address again). This really comes in handy when I am not home and I need to call one of the kids’ doctors, or to call the pharmacy about a medication.

In the inside pocket, I also keep a photo of each family member (this is mainly so I can show off the kids and husband. haha. But they are also there in case one of them goes missing, like if one of the kids can find a way to get out of my sight, I could show their picture if I can’t find them). I also keep business cards in there until I can write the information down in the planner.

The planner also has room for me to write small to-do lists or shopping lists, which can come in handy when I’m out in town and don’t have my Home Management Binder. My planner serves as a smaller version of my binder.