October 11, 2017

Getting a Nanny 101

I have been a nanny for more than 10 years. I am currently between jobs. So now I am looking at the online nanny/childcare job websites. It can get a bit frustrating when I see an ad that just says, "we need a nanny". Uhm, can I get some details? I don't want life stories or specifics. I want a bit more information, please. 

If you want a nanny saying you want one is a good start but as a nanny who reads many many ads seeking nannies it needs to have a bit more information. Like how many kids, how old are they? Some nannies are better with different age levels. Like me, I like working with babies. Others only want to work with school aged kids for after school care. 

What is expected of the nanny, feeding, dressing, playing with, transporting to activities, and other requests. Do you expect the nanny to do any housekeeping? Laundry, dishes, grocery shopping? Let us know in your ad, please.

What part of town do you live? Just a general area is good. I want to know how far I would be expected to drive to work daily before I apply for a job. In my opinion NO job is worth driving way across town for, especially during rush hours. 

What do you expect to pay a nanny? I know I don't want to take less than I am worth. Please don't low ball it. Just because a nanny might not have a college degree doesn't mean they are worth less. Just remember this is a hard job! This is also your most precious child. You get what you pay for. I hate to sound elitist but if you can't afford in your home care with a qualified nanny you might need a preschool or daycare center. There are good ones around! 

A nanny also needs some paid vacation and sick leave time. At least I ask for it. I love kids and will love your kid/s but everyone needs a break sometime! What days of the week and what hours are expected? Are there extra times the nanny might be needed?

I know that is a lot of information to go into an ad and not all of it needs to, really, but all of this should be discussed in a phone interview, at least. I want to know your expectations and I want to voice mine, too.

I hope I don't sound too picky. It is just tough on those who need a nanny and those who are looking for a nanny job and anything to make it easier is always good, I think. 

Grocery Savings

If you live in a place where the grocery stores really compete with each other it can be a good idea to make a price book. 

It can be an old spiral notebook. Write down the product(s) you normally buy and sizes, too. Write down the prices at each store. Don't forget warehouse stores, if you use them. I would put down price per ounce or pound, too. Just so you can make sure it is a real comparison. 

Check the prices every so often to make sure they didn't go up or down or that there was a sale on that item on the day you priced it. 

This process helps when the grocery stores in your area have sales. In my region the leading grocery store is hands down the lowest prices already so it really doesn't do me any good. Most of the other grocery stores around here only put junk food and soda on sale, usually. I don't even check their circulars anymore. 

Menu planning is also a good way to save on groceries. Plan for the week and don't go to the grocery store without a list for the week. Some plan all three meals for the day. In my house, my boyfriend and I are on our own for breakfast and lunch, as he doesn't usually eat breakfast, works from home and sometimes doesn't even eat lunch. (How can he do that?) I take my lunch to work so I am on my own there, it is usually leftovers from the night before. I only plan our evening meals. I plan for the week but it isn't set in stone what we eat on what night. Now that I make a bit more money we always have at least one night a week of takeout. Sometimes we have a "forage" night where we each eat what we can find to eat. 

Menu planning helps to make sure your grocery list is complete with all you will need to make those meals each day. 

Cash Only Spending

One sure way to save is to only use cash when you shop. If you don't have your credit or debit cards with you and you run out of cash you can't spend anymore. 

Some use the Envelope System from the Dave Ramsey books. But I think that whole system is just another excuse to buy something else. 

Just use normal envelopes. Label for Food spending, Household needs, Gas, are a few of the options. Use what your family uses as labels. Some might want cash for movies and entertainment. Other families won't. Put the cash you budgeted for that category for the month and put it into the envelope. When you shop, use that cash and when it is gone, you don't spend on that category anymore for the month. 

It may feel embarrassing to have to return things at the checkout if you run out of money for it but that small bit of embarrassment is small compared to the amount of money you would save with the Envelope System. 

Frugal Meals

One sure way to save money is to prepare frugal meals. Cutting the grocery bill may be the easiest way to save money. 

I know how hard it is, though! I love food, good food, flavorful food, a good variety of food! I love my "fancy" food! But pasta is a good cheap food too. Depending on how it is served. I love Pesto but it can be expensive. Pasta with canned, diced tomatoes and beans with spices of your choice makes a good, easy, fast, cheap meal. 

Macaroni and cheese, homemade, from a simple, cheap recipe is inexpensive. Add some peas and tuna and it can be a full, filling meal. 

Try to cook extra and freeze the left overs. It is just my boyfriend and me eating and I learned to cook for 4 so there are always leftover. My freezer is usually full to busting with meals. Which is good for the nights I don't want to cook. Pulling something from the freezer is way cheaper than take out every night. 

My first post was going to be about frugality but since I am going with what is on my mind, mostly, at the time I am going to talk about parenting a "boomerang" kid. My daughter is 25 and is living with me, again. Hence the word, boomerang.
I do believe that parenting a young adult living in your home (again) is just almost as stressful and worry filled as parenting a toddler. It is even harder when said young adult had health issues. Add depression and anxiety to the mix and I am a huge ball of stress. I know this will pass but I am scared, angry, worried, guilt filled, sad...Ugh!

Hi, I'm Martha. I am overflowing with ideas. I hope this will be a good way for me to express my ideas and opinions. I hope you can enjoy them. Or that they at least give you some food for thought. I don't censor my thoughts, so beware, if you are sensitive...I am sorry.
I hope to be mostly positive because I am learning to have a positive outlook on things. Sometimes, though I can get kinda pessimistic but that is okay, we all have those days. Especially if you follow the news at all these days.
I plan on writing about frugality, childcare, the news and how it affects regular people, my spirituality, my love for my family, cooking and creativity. Many things that aren't, yet are, connected.  I want to write about things I have learned while my navigating this life. I want to write about the things I am still learning, too. Sometimes lessons have to be learned over and over again. Sometimes they have to be learned by the Universe smacking you upside the head with a 2 X 4.

9/20/2016

The Half Payment Method

If you have some fixed payment bills a good way to be able to afford them and possibly get ahead on them is the half payment method. 

Lots of people use this for mortgage payments but it can work for other, mostly loan payment. 

Take a bill, divide it in half and pay that half every 2 weeks. (that is if you get paid every two weeks.). I usually also pay a little bit more, even $5.00 extra can cut away on the debt. 

By paying this way you end up paying an extra payment every year. So instead of 12 payments a year I am paying 13 payments a year. I am ahead on paying it back. That is also saving me some interest. 

9/19/2016

Why You Are Overspending, How to NOT Overspend

Too many people over spend and wonder why. They don't keep track of what they spend, where and then are surprised when the money runs out.
One big way people overspend that can be stopped is to STOP overdrawing the bank accounts I don't  know about your bank but mine has overdraft "protections" that charges me $35 each time they use it. That can add up a lot. Some banks will forgive one a year. So if this is a rare on one time thing it can't hurt to ask if they could forgive it. It pays at least help to keep track of you much you have in your accounts.
Don't use credit. It is too easy to say you can pay for it later. then not only do you overspend you get deeper into debt. Not a pleasant feeling.
Only go to the store when you actually need something. Don't go to the store for fun or to occupy time. Evaluate your needs and wants. Needs are good, healthy, filling food, Shelter, Clothing and transportation. You don't need new clothes every week or even every month. People have that in their monthly budget but unless you are, or have a baby, you won't grow out of your clothes and need new ones.
Food is a need but you have to sometimes go for simple, inexpensive, filling foods. 

9/19/16

Very Little Common Sense

It is funny how some people can have lots of book/school smarts and NO real life knowledge. It seems like we have a lot of people with very little common sense. 

Or another problem is that some people think in a purely black and white way. No nuances. People get stuck in their thinking and aren't open to new ideas. They can be scary and it might change the status quo and change can be scary. 

9/15/16

Apps for Saving at the Grocery Store

Ibotta is the one I use most. It took me a while to figure it out but it has had the best payout for me. It is rebates for many kinds of stores. I use it only for groceries but I hate shopping so I have no need for the other rebates. You buy something on their list, verify the UPC, then take a picture of the receipt. You get a payout at a $20 minimum. They use Paypal, too. 

The rebate on many name brand items but also on Any Brand items, like bread or eggs. They also rebate on some produce. they usually change the list slightly every week or so. I recommend look at the app at the store during your trip. or right before when you make your list. They can expire with out notice. Also do the rebate as soon as you can before they might expire. 

There are also Savings, Star, Checkout 51, and Groupon rebates. But they are mostly brand name groceries and most of it is processed food that I don't buy. 

Berrycart is one that is mostly natural and organic foods. But brands I don't buy or they are processed food that I don't buy. 

Shopkicks is one that gives you "kicks" , or points, for going into certain stores on their list and also scanning the UPC on certain products. You can redeem them for gift cards. I don't shop enough to make it worth it to me but you may find it works for you. 

9/15/16

Earn from home II

Another way to earn from home might be a bit more involved. If you have office skills you can use them to earn. You might need a bit of training but it should be quick and easy. 

You can do transcription work. You would need to get some headphones and a foot pedal that works with transcription software. Some companies only want experienced transcribers but other companies, that pay less, will take a new transcriptionist. you can go to Amazon Turk and Fiverr.com to find beginner's jobs. It would be a good way to get experience. 

Proofreading, too. If you have a sharp eye for grammar and spelling you could market your proofreading skills. Amazon Turk and Fiverr.com also have proofreading jobs to pick up. A good way to start and get experience and good, hopefully, reviews for you work. Editing usually goes along with proofreading, too. 

Freelance writng is a good way to earn money at home. 

Task Rabbit, Amazon Turk, Fiverr are good sites. Task rabbit is more of a chore site. If you have extra time during the week days or weekend. 

9/14/16

Earning from Home I

One way to be able to have a cash buffer is to do "side gigs" , or earn at home. 

There are many ways to earn at home that pay anywhere from very little to a good living. 

Surveys are a good way to earn a little extra money, or gift cards. There are many survey sites to choose from the sites I like best are Swagbucks, Inboxdollars and Mypoints. Mypoints and Swagbucks are also rebate-type sites. If you buy things online though their links you get points, or swagbucks, you can redeem for gift cards or Paypal. 

Some sites give you points for doing surveys, playing games and sometimes doing tasks. 

Inboxdollars gives money but you can only cash out if you have $30 or more. Plus the they charge a fee, usually $3.00 to get you a check. I don't really like that but it is really free money so I won't complain too much. I have had my most success with Inboxdollars. 

The one thing that can be discouraging about doing surveys is that you won't qualify for them all. they are usually looking for a certain demographic. It can be slow going and get tedious. but if I can do it everyday I could have the possibility to earn $50-$125 extra a month. But my job entails lots of down time. I just have to focus and get over my tedium. 

9/14/2016

Creating a Cash Buffer

It is a good idea to have some extra easily (but not too easily) accessible cash for emergencies. 

True emergencies- car repair, home repair, health bills. 

The easiest way to do that is to save a small amount each month and don't touch it! Cut back where you can for a few months to do it. I find I can cut back, usually, on my groceries. If you are like me you have lots of food in your pantry and freezer. You just might have to get creative to use it all up. 

I find we eat out a lot! We can cut back on that and eat at home more. Using up the food in your pantry and freezer may get boring for awhile but if you have a cash cushion saved up you won't have to worry as much later if an emergency comes up. 

If you get a windfall or tax refund save that for emergencies. Most people want to treat themselves but it is more of a treat to not worry where the money is coming from in and emergency. 

It is also a good idea to add to that savings every month. Even if you have the usually recommended amount of $1000. You never know if the next emergency might cost more. Old fashioned, yes, but better safe than sorry. 

10/28/2015

Needs and Wants

What are needed and What are wants? 

We need a shelter, we need food, we need water. We need warmth in the winter and cool in the summer.

There are many wants that make all of the above nicer. But we all really just need the minimum of those things. 

I have a house, just the right size for us. It is larger than a lot of homes around the world. but it is also much smaller than many, too. Especially in the US. Americans want more room, though they, for the most part, have smaller families. The more room, though the more stuff people feel they need to fill up that space. 

What people "need" has changed slightly in the past few years. In the 1950s people started moving to the suburbs. People "needed" houses and cars because the lived far from the work. They needed lawn mowers and garden equipment to care for the suburban lawns. They needed lots of furniture and kitchen appliances. But in the 1950s peoples' houses were smaller so they didn't need as much stuff as people feel they need now. 

We have so much more technology nowadays and the media and marketers have done a good job convincing more Americans that they need this stuff. Not only that but since the gadgets are updated so often people need the latest model. 

It is sad that few people seem satisfied. 

8/24/2015

Cash Envelopes

I really want to do cash envelopes. I try but it doesn't seem to work too well. I always run out of cash and I always pull out my debit card and my budget goes out the window. Not to way to manage my money. I have to get disciplined with my money. I just got a new job with more money and a shorter drive. 

8/11/2015

Change your mindset.

This might be the hardest for me. I grew up with a poverty mindset. I always heard, "We can't afford it." when I would ask for things. My entire life I felt poor. Whether I was or not. Even when I was married and my ex-husband made more than $5000 a month. I felt like I was poor and couldn't manage money. I never learned how to deal with money. 

When I was a kid my mom kept my allowance from me. I never knew how to save or spend wisely. My mom would say we can't afford things but then she would spend on stuff for herself. Mixed messages, for sure. 

I just hope I didn't give the same message to my kids. 

7/30/15

Budgeting

I don't really budget. I do give myself set numbers for each category but I am not a stickler for it. But I do keep track of my spending. I write down what I make and what I spend. 

I have heard of doing a budget with last month's income. A good idea when you have variable income. It seems to be a challenge because you would need to have that amount of money already in the bank to use. the money from this month goes to pay for next month. that way you know exactly what you have to spend each month. One of these days I might actually have the money to do this. 

7/22/2015

Organize your pantry and freezer to save money.

It is a good thing to know what is in your freezer, fridge, and pantry so you don't buy too much. 

Every week I try to make a new list of what we have, and where. Mostly meals already made and in which freezer so I know what I need to get when meal planning and making my grocery list. 

Truthfully I haven't been very diligent with this this summer and I can see I am spending way too much on food.

I usually cook too much for just the two of us and we have lots of leftovers. Plus I can have some for my lunch at work the next day. I also package the leftovers before my boyfriend eats. that way he doesn't eat too much and feel icky but also so I have enough left for another meal. 

It is also good to clean out the freezer periodically. A dinner of leftovers. Everybody gets their choice and the freezer gets cleaned out to make more room for new meals. 

January 5, 2017

6/10/2015

Make instead of buy-Food.

There are so many processed foods in the grocery store that I see that can be made from scratch at home. 

I think people have the mistaken impression, from food manufacturers, that cooking and preparing food is hard and time consuming. It isn't.

Frozen waffles, pancakes, muffins. You can make a large batch of these and freeze them yourself. It is way healthier, too. You can put in what ingredients you want. 

Do food prep on days at home for dinner plans though the week. Chop onions and other veggies for meals and put them in portion control size containers in the fridge. We cup up our own whole carrots instead of buying the bags of "baby" carrots. We save at least $2.00 a bag with that. A bag a week and you save $ 104.00 a year. 

Buy dry beans and cook them in the crock-pot during the day or even over night. Put them into 2 cup containers and freeze them for future recipes. 

You can make hummus and pesto easily and almost as fast as you can open the pre-made package. Better tasting and better for you, too. 

The added bonus of preparing your own is that you can adjust the sugar, salt, fat and spices/flavorings for yourself. It is much cheaper to make your own. 

December 30, 2016

7/9/15

My Financial Journey

I grew up with parents who were raised during the Great Depression. I grew up knowing how to be frugal. My step-dad fixed things if they broke. But not so they were good as new. He did just enough so it would work again. Things looked very patched together. 

I love being a grown-up and being in a relationship with Mike! He fixes things but they are as good as new. Not half-assed and patched together.

The usual refrain from my parents when I was growing up and wanted something was, "We can't afford it". That seems to have given me a poverty mentality. I think it is good to have that up to a point. But even when I was very comfortable and secure in my financial life I always felt poor. 

Even though my mom said we couldn't afford things she always had something new. I guess we couldn't afford things because she spent so much on herself. Talk about mixed messages.

I never learned good money management skill. My allowance I got every week but Mom put into an envelope in her dresser drawer in her locked bedroom. I had to ask for  and justify any money I wanted out of my envelope. I never understood the idea of saving for myself.

Later when I started babysitting for money I wasn't very wise. but I didn't have much opportunity to spend the money. I babysat a lot during high school so I always had cash for stuff. But I didn't drive so I had no real place to spend it. but I still didn't have any money.

After I graduated high school I had a job at Taco Bell. Lots of hours and lots of money.
I moved out from my parent's house 3 days after I turned 18. I moved in with my sister. My rent was only $100.00 a month , My car was paid off I had my car insurance paid for I still spent most of my money.

Then I moved into my friend's apartment with her. I had a hard time learning grown-up money skills. I had a hard time doing ATM deposit. I got overdrawn and my boyfriend, later my husband, had to bail me out a few times. He kept a running tab for me. He had weird ideas about money, too. He kept up that tab for the next few years until we got married. I think I owed him a couple thousand dollars when we got married. But since we were married he let me off the hook of paying him back.

I worked after we got married until I had babies. My husband at the time earned a good living and combined with my retail pay I still had the "we are broke" mindset. That combined with the spending I learned from my mom was not really a healthy money relationship. When I started staying home with the kids I took over the paying of bills and budgeting. We were not very disciplined. We would get into debt, sell stock or dip into retirement to pay the credit cards off then charge them up again. At least 5 times. I am glad we were able to pay off the debt so easily. but I wish we had managed to control our spending.

After my divorce I was working the school cafeteria and getting child and spousal support. I got a bunch of stock and 1/2 of his retirement account. I was also going to school so I was getting student loans. I was really stupid.
I never even finished school and have about $10,000 in debt to show for it.
We sent Stephanie to a boarding school in AZ. Tuition was $6000 a month. I wish I had been able to tell my ex that I did NOT have  $3000 a month for it. It was well worth it but but I was in over $15,000 of CC debt because of it.

I called The Consumer Credit Counseling Center, CCCS. They were awesome and helped me get out of debt. They called my CC companies and got my interest rate to zero then worked out a payment plan of $258 a month for 5 years to pay off my cards. I worked 2 jobs, sometimes 58 hours a week to get it paid off. April 2014 I was paid off. No credit cards have been acquired. I still have about $15,000 in student loans but I am working on paying them off now.

I am now able to reign in my spending. Mostly. I still spend but I try to be wiser. I have had to learn to spend on what is important and try to not be frivolous.

I am now looking for another job so I can get more hours and a higher pay. If I get the job I think I want I will work fewer hours and get a higher pay.

Plus I am wanting to do more earning online. Maybe blogging. Ideally I can get to where I can only work from home and not have to work for someone else. That way Mike and I could possibly get an RV to travel around in and go where we want as long as we have WiFi. We can earn wherever we are. That would be awesome!