Baby Addison

   Ian and I are the proud Uncle and Aunt of baby Addison Elaine Lowe. Ian's brother Jason and his wife Gretchen welcomed "Addie" into the world on February 24, 2012. Since that day (and even before, let's be honest), I have found it to be extremely difficult not to spoil this little girl with every extra penny in my pocket. I. Am. In. Love.

   So that we don't go broke while loving and spoiling her, I've been very savings savvy about my baby purchases. On a recent trip to Sam's Club, I picked up a pack of Pampers diapers - 92 count - for $22. Anyone who has ever bought diapers knows what a deal this is. I highly recommend buying diapers, wipes and formula in bulk from a warehouse shopping center like Sam's or Costco. They also have children's clothing, socks and shoes for super cheap. Name brand stuff!

   Yesterday, I had the pleasure of spending the day with Gretchen and baby Addison on a shopping trip. I only bought her a few things ::grin::  And they were on sale - 40% off of $12. How could I not buy these adorable onesies to show her love for Uncle Ian and Aunt Jen?

   When you're shopping for a new baby, it's so tempting to buy everything that is "cute". But be practical. I was really proud of mommy Gretchen, too! On her first shopping trip since the birth, she was definitely conservative with her spending. She used reason when selecting outfits Addison would need in the near future. She even put a few things back before check out!

   I've also heard shopping at thirft/consignment stores for new and used children's clothing is the way to go. Some consignment stores have items with the tags still on! Kids grow out of stuff so quickly, especially from 0-12 months, they hardly have time to ruin it. Consider the savings there.

Dishwasher Fights

   Many of my married friends and family will recognize a "dishwasher fight" as an explosive fight over something silly such as the way one partner loads the dishwasher. And how it is phenominally different than the way the other partner would like it to be loaded.

   This morning, as we were preparing coffee and thinking about lunch options before walking out the door, we discover the plate of leftover chicken from last night's dinner has been left in the microwave (our secret hiding place so the dog can't reach it on the counter) all night and is now garbage. Because this chicken would have been a good lunch option, and now one or both of us will need to buy lunch, I became upset about how wasteful it was to forget the chicken was in the microwave and let it go bad. This was the beginning of a dishwasher fight.

   Because he put it in the microwave, I reminded him that he should have been responsible to put it away before bed. Ian is not a fighter - he would much rather make a joke of things and carry on. So in his best and honest attempt to defuse the situation, he says, "It's okay. Chicken is only $1.99/lb," as he rakes it into the trash can. Fumes. Coming from my ears. I interpret this as, "I don't do the grocery shopping and don't know what we spend on groceries and throwing expensive food away is okay." I. Flipped. Out. And reminded him that "being this wasteful is absolutely not acceptible."
   Ian's counterattack was to remind me of how much fresh produce I buy and don't eat and it goes bad in the fridge or fruit bowl. And reminded me how equally wasteful that is. My defense is to throw my hands in the air and say, "Fine. Fine. You're always right!" While I let this very true fact sink in, I march to the fruit bowl and snatch an apple that has a few days left in its life expectancy, and begin cutting it up for lunch. **Confession: I bought a cantaloupe on my weekly grocery trip for the last 3 weeks, and every one of them went bad before I cut it open. So, I do buy a lot of produce that I would like to eat, but a lot of it goes to waste in the fridge before I get around to eating it. Damn. He got me.
   The savings lesson learned here, for me, is that I need to be more mindful of the amount of fresh produce I buy that two people cannot possibly eat in a week. One change effective immediately: Fruit of the week. Instead of buying oranges, apples, grapes and bananas, and letting at least half of them go bad, I will buy one or two fruits to eat that week, and then switch it up next week. This way, I won't get burnt out on one fruit, and I'm not spending half my grocery bill on produce that goes bad. Another alternative: Canned fruit. I like the "no sugar added" options, "in water". Canned and frozen veggies should make an appearance more often, too.

A New Barber In Town

   Last weekend, my husband needed a hair cut. He usually goes to the barber right down the street on his way to work in the morning. But on this occasion, he ubruptly declares "I'm just going to shave my head. It will be so much easier to take care of. I can just cut it at home." Errrrrrrrrk ::screeching breaks:: What? I don't think so. He's not shaving his head because getting a hair cut is inconvenient. He will regret this tomorrow for sure, is what I'm thinking. And I'm thinking, It takes you what, 20 minutes to get a hair cut and costs you $15?! When I get mine done, it's around $100 and takes 2 hours! What are you complaining about? Although he has to go much more oftern than I do. But still.

   So once I make it clear, completely shaving his head is not an option at this time, he asks me to cut his hair. Ladies and gentleman, this has never been done before. I agree to give it a try, on the condition that if I screw it up, he goes to the barber in the morning to fix it.

   We get started. I trim the top with scissors, and then buzz the bottom with his beard trimmer. With some coaching from him, I learn that to do the fade, I use the little comb and scissors to blend the two lengths of hair. Then he put on the edging trimmer and I finished it off with a clean line around his head and above his ears. Not too bad, right?!

   So then I'm thinking, we could do this at home and save money! It's only about $180 a year, but it's still some savings in our budget. We will be doing this at home now :)

Pick a Charity

   It seems like everywhere you go now, someone is asking you for a donation. For this or that charity, non-profit organization, 5K run, etc. Giving to every one that asks can drain your wallet fast. In one day, I had 3 solicitations - one for the March of Dimes at Publix, one for a charity that Arby's supports, and another one from a coworker selling tickets for his kid's school fundraiser. All of them, I'm sure, are worthy causes. But I simply cannot afford to support them all! So, I choose one.

   My non-profit of choice happens to be the ARC Marion, a center for developmentally disabled persons that offers services for toddlers all the way to adults. They have an early intervention program for young ones, all kinds of advocacy resources to help develop skills and characteristics, an adult day training program that teaches real world work skills, and they also have group homes with 24/7 care. I am currently a board member with ARC Marion and so that is where I focus my funds available for charities/non-profits.

   Another way to support local charities without draining your wallet is to look for fundraisers you can benefit from. If a group is holding a speghetti dinner for $5, and you love spaghetti and you would have to buy something for dinner anyway....go to the fundraiser. Two birds, one stone. If you eat at Sonny's a lot, and your friend's kid is selling tickets for a meal at Sonny's....buy the ticket that helps his cause - you would spend $8 or more there anyway. Tonight, I am attending a PACE Center for Girls fashion show fundraiser. There will be food and drinks, raffles, and donated dresses will be for sale too. I just so happen to need a dress for an upcoming wedding. Why not check out this fundraiser to find an inexpensive dress for myself and help an organization I support while I'm at it?!
   If you wish to give back, but you're limited as to how much you can give, it is okay to pick one to support consistantly and say no to the rest. If you can't affor to give money at all, but still want to be involved and contribute, volunteer! There are dozens of organizations in your town that need hands and hearts to get their word out, accomplish their goals and make progress with their cause. Give your time if you can't give money!

Vegas! 21 Things To Do Under $21

   If you're itching to get out to Vegas, but don't have thousands - or even hundreds - to blow while you're there, here are 21 things to do in and around Vegas for less than $21 each. Vegas is a cool city just to be in. The night life is great and you don't have to gamble your trip away. Do some other fun stuff!

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/travel/la-tr-vegas21-20120304-photos,0,2611113.photogallery

Left: Eiffel Tower in Vegas in the Paris Resort.

You Only Have One Pair of Eyes

    I had my annual eye exam today, which I must have every year before I can order new contacts. I have worn glasses since 4th grade, and contacts since high school. No big deal until I started paying for them myself in college! Sheesh. And I have an astigmatism, which makes my contacts "special order" and nice and pricey. My lenses will last me about 3 months (each pair). To find the right lenses for me, my optometrist starts with a trial pair. The manufacturer of my "special lenses" charges $100 for EACH CONTACT of this trial pair - $200. For the trial pair. Just to be clear. Then if I decide I like them, I get 3 more pairs for only $100. Makes perfect sense right? No. But that's the health care system for you. And my insurance only gives me back $100/year for eye expenses. Which is the cost of my exam = no help with contact purchase.

   So because they are so expensive, I try to stretch the life of each pair so they last me longer between orders. When the lenses start to get cloudy, I rub them with a little baking soda and contact solution. Cleans them right up and will not scratch the lenses. My optometrist told me this himself. **Note: Doctor's orders: Don't go too long with the same pair because the lenses are like a sponge and they obsorb proteins and other icky stuff that can cause problems over time. But I can stretch my 3 month pair, for 4-5 months. Getting me an extra 6-8 months in before ordering another year's supply.

   Like most contact users, I need a pair of glasses as a back up. My optometrist offers a deal for contact users - there is a small selection of eye glasses for under $60. Since I don't wear them very often, I took this deal. My glasses were $40 and I like them a lot. They are even considered fashionable.  

   Fun parts of the exam today: Free contact solution and a new contact case! I mentioned to my doctor that the cost of my lenses was an issue. He agreed that because my prescription had not changed very much, we could bypass the whole $200 trial pair thing and just order a year's supply. Which save me about $100. Thanks Doc! Also, he dialated my eyes. And because I wore my glasses today, I couldn't put on my sunglasses. So they gave me these temporary shades that slip between your face and your glasses to tint your glasses while your eyes are all haywire. Pretty cool huh?

"You have to take good care of your eyes. They're the only pair you get." - My Dad

Cha-Ching!

   Our tax return finally came in! When we met with our tax guy last month, we gave him our savings account number for direct deposit. That way, we would not even be tempted to leave any of it in the checking account : ) However, we are taking a few hundred bucks to visit Harry Potter for our anniversary weekend in April. We deserve it! Also.....I suppose I did agree before we started this venture, that Ian could pay for his annual hunting lease with part of our tax return. Which is a huge portion ::cough cough:: but the rest in staying put! I told our tax guy that and he suggested the hunting lease was still cheaper than marriage counseling, lol. And we do enjoy it.
  Tax return of $2,736 towards our savings goal of $10K in one year! (see savings ticker)

Mail Order Rx

   If you have health insurance and you're on monthly prescriptions, I highly recommend using a prescription mail order service through your insurance company. I have Blue Cross Blue Shield and their service is Prime Mail. Ask your insurance company about what they offer.

   My contraceptive choice is Nuva Ring. Ladies - it's great! It's worth the extra $$. But it is not offered in a generic and costs top dollar. Before my stupid insurance copays went up, I was paying $60 per refill at a drugstore = $720/year. When I found out about mail order services through my insurance company, I switched and began paying only $100 for a 3 month supply = $400/year. That's a $420 savings!! Just for one prescription.

   The bummer is now that my health insurance has gone up - premiums, copays, everything - I now pay $200 for a 3 month supply. But I did ask, and if I went back to filling it at a drug store each month, my Rx would be $100 per refill! That's $1,200 a year for birth control. I'm beginning to think it's more expensive to NOT have a baby :o/

   Anyway, with the new insurance fees and whatnot, I'm still saving $400 a year by using the mail ordering service. Can you imagine the savings if you're on more than one Rx?! Try it!