Money Wise: More on the Credit Cards

Note: I originally wrote this and other posts about our finances on a personal blog but have decided to share them here. The original date the post was published is shown below.  

4/24/14

I'm not an expert on credit cards, but I have learned a few things in the past couple of years that I think are really important. First of all, how often do we hear the words "credit score"? Like every single day, right? Society seems to think that having a credit score is one of the single most important things an adult can have, or maybe even that it makes you an adult. Lets blow away the smoke shall we?

First of all, nobody needs a credit score. Ever.

You often see or hear commercials that say things like "low credit score? no credit score? no problem!" Its important to clarify here that a LOW credit score and NO credit score are NOT the same thing. Car dealers and pay day loan sharks and such want you to think they are, but they are not.

A credit score keeps track of your ability to borrow money. Thats it. So if you have a high credit score it means you are good at borrowing money. If you have a low credit score it means you bad at borrowing money (make late payments, default on loans, etc). If you have NO credit score, it means you don't borrow money. I have already established that borrowing money is not the way to go, so not having a credit score is actually a good thing! Really! It means that you pay for things with money you actually have.

But you are all thinking, wait! What if I want to buy a car?! What if I want to buy a house?! I need a credit score. No. You don't. Unless, you want to borrow money in order to buy that car or house (although houses are a little different and I will address that below). See, that's the problem most everyone in this country is facing. We are told we need to borrow money so that we can get a credit score so that we can borrow more money so we can buy things we can't afford. (No, we can't afford them. Remember, if we could afford them, we wouldn't need to borrow money in the first place).

So, what is the solution? Well, if you never get a credit card and never take out a loan you will never have a credit score. Which means you wont be able to buy a car you can't afford, so you will either have to save up until you can pay cash for that really nice dream car, or you will have to buy an old beater until you can get something better. As for a house, well it would still be best to save up and pay cash for a house too. But, if that isn't realistic (as it probably isn't for most people) you do have another option. Thanks to Dave Ramsey (of course) I now know how to get a mortgage without a credit score. It's called manual underwriting. It's what people used to do before credit scores became the norm. Yes, you still have to have a good down payment, a job, and proof that you have been in good standing with your bills (such as rent, electric, water, etc), but hopefully that would be the case anyway. My understanding is that not all lenders know how to do this anymore, so you may have to look around a bit, but now you don't have to go take out some loan just so you can get a loan...

Isn't it freeing knowing that you don't need a credit score? It sure is for me. 

New Books and Goals as a Collector

With a father who is an avid book collector, and a mother who is happy to get any amount of books out of the house (as they are always piling up) I always come back from New Mexico with lots of reading material.

My last visit was especially fun because my grandfather recently moved out of his home and to Arizona to live with my aunt and uncle, and decided to leave his Franklin library to my dad to be divided amongst the grandchildren. Since none of my brothers were very interested in the books, I pretty much got first pick on everything, and had quite a stack by the time I was finished sorting through the piles. I couldn't bring them all home this trip because our suitcases were getting too heavy (and Franklin editions tend to weigh quite a lot), but I brought as many as I could successfully pack.

Collected Poems by T.S. Eliot

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephan Crane

Main Street by Sinclair Lewis

History by Elsa Morante

I also had fun book hunting with my dad, which we always like to do when we get together. One of his favorite Albuquerque booksellers was closing his shop just before Christmas, so we made sure to go to his store as well as a few others. Beside the books I bought shopping that day, my mom also passed on a few of her books to me that she didn't want anymore but knew I was interested in.

The Professor and The Bronte Poems by Charlotte Bronte and her sisters

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Lois the Witch and Other Stories by Mrs. (Elizabeth) Gaskell

A Lost Lady by Willa Cather (gift from my mom)

Presenting Miss Jane Austen by May Lamberton Becker (gift from my mom)

Early Novels and Stories by Willa Cather

Little House in the Ozarks: Rediscovered Writings by Laura Ingalls Wilder (gift from my mom)

I have been collecting books for years now, but it has only been in the past couple that my collecting goals have changed. My dad, for example, loves pretty much any book with a beautiful leather cover and an old musty smell, no matter the content. While I appreciate the beauty in those books too, I feel that I really want a personal library that is "readable".  What I mean by that is that I don't want to have only rare books that are too fragile to read comfortably. While I do have a few rare and special books, most of my books are nice editions that I would still feel comfortable letting my kids read when they are able. I want to have a collection of stories that I love, even if that means passing up a beautifully bound edition of something else because it's not a story that I enjoy. Having this as my goal has made book collecting even more enjoyable for me lately, and its always exciting to come home with new books to put on my shelves.

Recommended Reading: Radical Homemakers

It took me a while to finish reading Radical Homemakers. I really enjoyed it, but it was a lot more dense than some of the others I have read recently. It was just packed full of information and gave me a lot to think about.

I will start off by saying that I did not agree with everything the author, Shannon Hayes, wrote, and I feel that she may have been too biased and not factual enough in some parts. This book was a bit more liberal-minded in discussing some issues than I tend to be, especially in it's vilification of big corporations, some ideas about healthcare, and some financial and retirement advice that I did not agree with. However, that being said, it did put into words a lot of what I have been thinking and feeling more and more lately.

I felt that the central idea was that people today seem to be working more and more trying to earn more and more money to pay for the more and more things that they buy, while at the same time families and communities are being damaged because relationships are not given the time and energy they need.

Radical Homemakers begins by addressing some of the issues we currently see in society such as overworking, overspending, disconnected families, and suffering communities. Many feel that if they are not busy, if they do not have a big house, a nice car, and expensive things, then they are not successful. The key, the author suggests, to correct these issues is to leave corporate America behind and focus on hearth and home.

Hayes then goes on to give the reader an in-depth history lesson on homemaking. She explains what the word homemaking really means, what it meant in feudal times, and how it has evolved since the industrial revolution. She talks about men's roles historically as co-homemakers, as well as the "housewife syndrome" that arose especially during the 1950's. She discusses the progression from families that all worked together within a household to grow their own food, make their own clothes, repair their belongings, cook and eat meals together, etc., to society now that buys everything, both spouses work 60 hours or more a week, children are over-scheduled and families rarely eat together.

"Radical" homemaking is more than just being a stay-at-home-mom (or dad), but involves incorporating certain ideas into your lifestyle such as (in the author's own words):

• nobody cares what you drive
• housing does not have to cost more than a single moderate income can afford
• health can be achieved without making monthly payments to an insurance company
• childcare is not a fixed cost
• education can be acquired and not bought, and
• retirement is possible, regardless of income

These "radical" ideas are then explained in greater detail with notes from interviews by the author done with 20 radical homemakers. They describe their decisions to leave behind (or never begin) a corporate career to allow more time with family. They have learned how to live with less money but have developed better relationships and greater skills. They talk about how they have learned to rely more on extended family and community to obtain the support (whether financial, material, emotional or other) they need. Many grow their own food, many only own one car, many homeschool their children.

This book gave me a lot to think about, and I enjoyed it. It made me think about some changes I could make in my own life and career as a homemaker and SAHM, such as reading more, developing new skills, planting a garden, and driving less. I would recommend this book, but with a word of caution to read it with an open mind, and with the understanding that many of the topics discussed as fact are really generalizations.  If you are looking for a lifestyle change, or want to learn more about homemaking, this is an interesting read. 

How To: Dye Your Clothes

I have had this sweater for a while now, and while I still love the cut and fit of it, it wasn't long before I grew tired of the color. It didn't really go with anything else in my closet (which consists of mostly black, white, gray and blue) and I found that I was never wearing it. Still, I wasn't quite ready to part with it either, so I decided I would try my hand at dyeing.

Dyeing this sweater was actually pretty easy, but before you go decide to change the color of everything you own, its important to keep a few things in mind. First, it does matter what your item is made of, and natural fibers will dye best. My sweater is 65% ramie/45% cotton, both natural fibers. Second, a patterned item may not (read: probably won't) turn out well because of all the different shades, so its probably best to stick to solid colors. And finally, no matter the color of dye you use, you are not going to get a super bright, super true-to-hue finished product, but it will still look nice.

Rather than give you a step-by-step how to, I will just post a few pics and recommend that you simply follow the instructions on the Rit color remover and dye, as I did (I know, that makes my post title deceiving...).

I "cooked" my sweater in the color remover for the whole 30 minutes that the instructions recommended and was pretty pleased with how well it took the color out.

After it was good and white, I prepared the dye in my washer (actually my mom's, I was at her house when I did this).  I wanted my sweater to be as dark and vibrant a blue (I used Rit Royal Blue) as possible, so I bought the liquid dye instead of the powder. One liquid bottle is about equivalent of two boxes of powder, but at a better price, so it seemed like the right choice and was easy to just pour right in. If you opt for liquid dye too, remember to shake the bottle before pouring it in the washer. I forgot, even though the instructions told me to, and I had a clump of dye that didn't want to come out of the bottle and then got all over my hands and dyed them blue. Learn from my mistakes.  

The dye did splatter around quite a bit inside the washer, but after I was all done dyeing and washing my sweater, I wiped it down with a wet rag and some bleach based cleaner and it came right off. 

Here is my sweater now:

This isn't really the best picture because I took it when the light was bad, but it shows the new color of the sweater pretty well. I'll admit that it's not as dark or bright of a blue as I hoped for, but you can only do so much with at-home dye, and I knew that when I started. Still, I am happy with it and have already worn it more in the past month than I probably did the whole two years I had it before when it was pink.

Have you ever dyed any of your clothes? How did it go?

Things that Made my Life Easier in 2014: A French Shopping List and a Capsule Wardrobe

I think overall, 2014 was a pretty good year. Phil graduated from school, got a good job, we moved into an apartment that we love, and Luke grew and grew. We feel really grateful and blessed to be in a good situation, even if everything isn't perfect (darn student loan debt).

Lately, I have been trying to find things to make our life more simple and enjoyable. I want to look back on these years and remember good times that we had, not just a busy or stressed-out life. So, I spent some time reflecting on things that I did in 2014 that made my life easier. I found that it had really been just simple, small changes that made a big difference. Here a few of them:

1. Creating a Capsule Wardrobe
2. Menu Planning
3. Using a Monthly Budget
4. Having a To-do List

Capsule Wardrobe:  First, of all, I had never heard this term until about September of this year, but apparently its "trending".  I have always loved clothes and fashion, but I have never had the money to buy everything I wanted so I have often felt frustrated with my closet, always thinking that if I could just buy a few more things I would be happier with my wardrobe (which of course I never was). In the spring of 2014, I stumbled upon the blog The Private Life of a Girl talking about the "French Wardrobe" which, according to her, means that the French don't have mountains and mountains of clothes, but rather a few basic pieces that they can wear often, and when they shop they only buy a few new pieces each season.  I really liked the idea of being more intentional about the things I buy rather than chasing a bunch of trends that I see on fashion bloggers. So, over the past year I have made a list of 5 things that I wanted for each new season and focused only on buying those pieces. I tried to make sure the pieces on my list were items that would mix well with pieces I already owned, as well as would be pieces that weren't too trendy so that I could use them for a long time, even as trends change.

This way of shopping has changed a lot for me. First, it has helped me avoid impulse buys.  I keep my shopping list on my phone, so whenever I was out browsing I could pull it up and remind myself of the pieces I really needed and wanted rather than getting distracted by some pretty thing that probably wouldn't have suited me in the long run anyway. Next, it made me appreciate the items I already had a lot more, and stop coveting what other people had. When you choose to buy less, and become more thoughtful about what you do buy, it changes your perspective. Instead of thinking, "if only I had more money to..." you choose to think (and therefore begin to feel), "I am choosing to limit my purchases and be content with what I have."

After making my seasonal lists over the course of the year, I discovered another great blog called un-fancy that focuses on keeping a "capsule wardrobe" for each season. Basically, a capsule wardrobe means that you choose to only have a certain number of items in your wardrobe for a certain number of months and you don't buy new clothes during that time. In the un-fancy blog, she has 37 items (shoes included!) that she wears for 3 months (spring, summer, fall, winter). I had already been trying to simplify my wardrobe so I really liked this approach and decided to give it a try.

I sorted through all of my things and got rid of anything that was old or that I didn't wear very much (I actually do this pretty frequently, so it wasn't a big ordeal). Then, I boxed up all the items that I didn't want to have in my fall wardrobe (mostly short sleeve shirts, shorts, capris and a few other items that I decided I didn't need currently hanging in my closet). I didn't quite get down to 37 pieces, but I was pretty close, and I wore only those items through October, November and December. Turns out, I didn't miss my other clothes at all and I enjoyed how having less items gave me the opportunity to be more creative. I found new ways to wear things that I had never tried before and I found that rather than feeling like I didn't have enough, I just really enjoyed my clothes and getting dressed each day.

At the beginning of January I pulled my boxes out, put away a few things from my Fall capsule and added some new things. Now I will only wear those things until the end of March. I will still continue to make my French shopping list, and buy the 5 new things I need for each season/capsule. This whole progression over the year has really helped me to be more content, which is something I not only want for myself, but want to teach our kids too. It seems silly that clothes and the way I buy and wear them would be a source of happiness, but they have been, and I can see how that change in perspective has influence other areas of my life as well. I'm looking forward to a new year of a simple, easy wardrobe.

Check back for more posts on things that made my life easier in 2014. 

Recommended Reading: The Happiness Project

I had been hearing a lot about The Happiness Project, online, from friends, from other bloggers, and I decided I would give it a read. I didn't really know anything about it when I got it from the library, but I loved it almost immediately.

The author, Gretchen Rubin, goes through a period of reflection, and decides that her life is just too good to not be happier than she is. She and her husband are both well-employed, she has two daughters, lives in a nice home in the city she loves, and has loving and supportive extended family and friends. 

She began to research happiness in hopes to determine whether or not a person such as herself, with a pretty average life and no extreme lifestyle changes (such as a terminal illness or loss of job), could make herself happier. She decided to spend one year--focusing on different aspects of her life (marriage, work, hobbies, etc.) each month--doing things that would make her happier, and tracking her progress along the way. With that, The Happiness Project was born. 

I loved this book for a lot of reasons. First, because Rubin makes use of charts and resolutions to implement changes in her life, and it of seems exactly like something I would do too. Next, because she is so real and down to earth. She doesn't pretend to make any major break throughs that don't take time and hard work (in other words, this is not a "just follow these 4 steps to a happier life" kind of book), and is honest about her weaknesses and shortcomings. Finally, I loved this book because it really inspired me. I am a pretty naturally happy person, and I have really a pretty good life. But there are still things I could do to be even happier, and more grateful, and more well-rounded, and this book made me want to do those things.

The Happiness Project made me want to look a little deeper inside myself and see where I could improve, but not in such an "I am making this change because I should" (which is a result of feeling guilty) kind of a way, but more in an "I am making this change because I really want to and I enjoy it" kind of a way. I also read it in December, which was perfect to gear me up for a new year and encouraged me to think of resolutions to make myself happier in 2015.

I would recommend this book to anyone, whether you want to use it as a jumping off point to make changes in your life, or just as a casual read that will make you smile. Do enjoy.

My Resolutions for 2015

It's no secret that I like to make goals. My type A personality gets a high off of list-making, and especially off of crossing things off of that list, so it should be no surprise that I get a little giddy with each new year. It's exciting to think about what I might be able to accomplish. A whole year ahead of me! What should I do with it?!

I just finished reading The Happiness Project, and I got a lot of ideas about how to approach my resolutions this year. I want to stretch, but I also want to be myself. I want to try things I have never tried, and also get better and doing things that I should already be doing. I want to be realistic about my life. I have a one year old. We live on a tight budget. There are some things that won't happen this year. But that's ok.

Here a my resolutions so far. I'm still working out some of the details, because I know that you can't just make a goal without having a plan to accomplish that goal, but for now I wanted to at least get them written down.

Exercise at least once a week. I know, I know, exercising once a week isn't going to get me into shape. But right now I don't exercise at all. I know that I'm not going to do it everyday, and its unlikely that I'll even do it every other day, but once a week? I can do that. I really enjoy walking, but its pretty cold these days, so if I don't get out for a walk with Luke I will go to our gym and run on the treadmill. If I don't get to the gym, I'll do some cardio/stretches/ab workouts inside. I'm trying to be realistic here, so as far as I'm concerned, any kind of working out is progress. Hopefully as I go along I can increase what I do.
Eat less sugar. I have a serious sweet tooth. I eat a lot of sugar. Every day. I know that I should cut back, but it's hard. I've tried to just plain stop eating sugar cold turkey, but that only lasted for about two days before I gave in and ate a whole bag of skittles. So, this time I'm going to try to, again, be more realistic. Here is my plan. During the month of January and February I will be allowed to eat sugar 5 out of 7 days of the week. Then, depending on how that goes, in March and April I will cut it down to 4 out of 7 days. Then down to 3, and then 2 days. I don't think I will cut it down more than that, because, I like sugar. I see no reason to get rid of it altogether, but cutting back will definitely be better for me.
Eat more fruit and vegetables. Along with eating too much sugar, I don't eat nearly enough fruit or vegetables. Its harder in the winter to find good fruit, and I don't love salad, but I know I need to make more of an effort. A new Sprouts is opening right by our house so I am hoping that I can find some better produce there that will help me stick to my goal.
Keep a one sentence journal. I used to write in a journal almost every day for years. Then I got married. I have tried on and off to start writing regularly again, but it never sticks. I got the idea for one sentence journal keeping from The Happiness Project, and I think it may work for me. Just sticking to one sentence takes off a lot of pressure to keep a record of everything, and instead reminds me to just write down the best thing of each day.  I read before I go to sleep almost every night, so I think I can sacrifice a few of those precious minutes to write one or two sentences.
Write a novel in 30 days. I have always wanted to write a novel. I have started bits and pieces here and there. I even tried NaNoWriMo a couple of years ago, but November was just too busy of a month to finish. I've decided I will try a less busy month, like March or June, but most importantly I am just going to focus on writing, not on publishing. Whenever I sit down to write something, I always just want to edit it before I get very far, and I always think about whether or not anyone would every read it. This time, that won't matter. I don't care if my novel is good, I just care about trying and finishing. 

That's all for now! Wish me luck as start this new year!

How to: Let Out a Skirt

I found this skirt at the GoodBuys 99 Cent store in Albuquerque.

I would have paid a dollar, but was half off so I only had to pay 50 cents for it! I figured it was worth the money. I like the overall make, and the fabric is sturdy and in good condition, but it was just too tight around my waist. After inspecting it carefully, I decided it would be a good opportunity to try my hand at letting out a skirt, especially since I pretty much only ever alter things that are 5 sizes too big.

Here is what I did:

1.  First, I used a seam ripper to remove the belt loops in the front of the skirt since I didn't like how they looked and I knew I would never wear a belt with this skirt. I had to unstitch the seam that connects the waistband to the skirt (just around the belt loop) since the loops were actually sewn into the skirt, not just on top of it. Once I pulled out the loops in the front, I top-stitched back over the opening I had made. 

2.  Next I ripped out the seams attaching the waistband to the skirt in the back, starting from the zipper to all the way past the darts and the belt loop (again to remove the loop). You can see here that there is extra length (about 1/2") at each end of the waist band, this is what will give the the extra room to let out the skirt and tells me how much I can let it out. 

 

3.  I turned the skirt inside out and following the seam of the original dart, sewed a new seam, about 1/4" closer to the edge of the skirt. Then I ripped out the original dart seam, pressed flat the new dart, and repeated this step with the dart on the other side of the zipper. This gave me an extra 1/2" on each side of the skirt (the amount of extra waistband I had, as shown above). 

4.  I then pinned the skirt back onto the waistband. As you can see from the picture, there is no longer the extra length at the end of the waistband, but it matches up exactly with the end of the skirt. and, following the original seam, top-stitched to secure the skirt and waistband together. 

5.  Next, I removed the buttons, moved them about an inch to the left and sewed them back on.

6.  I gave the skirt a good press, and tah-dah! A 50 cent skirt that fits!

Reflections and a Happy New Year

I had the opportunity to travel with Phil and Luke to New Mexico to visit my family for Christmas. Luke and I flew down on Dec 16, Phil came later on the 23 and we all came back on Jan 3. While there, I took a break from my blog and my Etsy shop. I checked my email only occasionally and didn't spend any time reading the news or other blogs (something I usually do every morning). I only browsed Pinterest here and there and checked Facebook very little. In every sense of the word, I had a real vacation.

I found that I didn't really miss those things, and while I know that I will continue to use them in the future, it was satisfying to see that I could go without them and still enjoy my time with plenty to do. 

Christmas was lovely, as it always is. Luke really didn't know what was going on, but he was in a great mood and loved tearing up the wrapping paper. It was exciting to start really thinking about our own Christmas traditions, now that Luke is getting bigger (last Christmas he was only a month old and we didn't even buy him gifts). We have decided to implement the "four gift rule" and it was fun to start that for the first time. 

New Years is also one of my favorite times. I love making goals (no surprise there, considering my addiction to list making and organization), and New Years is always an exciting time for me to evaluate my life and think about what I can do to make it more productive and fulfilling in the coming months.
I'm looking forward to continue to use this blog to share my resolutions and projects. I hope that 2015 will be a year of happiness and growth, a year spent with family and friends, a year learning more about myself and my purpose. Here's to a great 2015!