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Archive for September, 2015

Maternity Item Sales

September 30th, 2015 at 04:16 am

Started putting some things on a FB Sales site, I already have a few bites. I also have re-upped some Craigslist listing from prior to the baby coming:

Breastfeeding paraphernalia: $45 (Meet set up tomorrow)

3 Nursing Camisoles: $20 (Meet up pending time to be set

Old (bad condition) Telephone Table. Its an antique, but requires a lot of work: $25. Pending pick up on Sunday!

Meal Planning beginning again during Mat Leave :)

September 26th, 2015 at 10:26 pm

We have done very well with not over spending with 'entertainment', but for sanity, we have left the house a bunch for lunches out, etc.

To help combat us doing that too often, I am back to meal planning! I also am working on a freezer meal plan to help with going back to work the first week of November!

This week:

Saturday:

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, sausage & milk
Lunch: salad for me, sandwich for hubby
Dinner: Sandwich for me (feeling lazy) and leftover tortellini for the husband

Sunday:

Breakfast: of multiple options: sausage, bacon, eggs, etc or just cereal

Lunch: Sandwiches and salad

Dinner: Tacos

Will be working on a plan for the upcoming week!

Enjoying Maternity Leave/Christmas Gifts

September 26th, 2015 at 08:26 pm

We have been enjoying our joint maternity leave and are about halfway through. Our little one is so much fun!

She's sleeping today, so I did a little 'shopping'. I used the info from Laura (Keeping it Frugal)'s post about nearly free clothing. I ordered 2 outfits for the baby and a work shirt for myself and paid $0.52. Can't beat that!!

Today, I used a tip from a frugality site that I like to order 5x7 Wooden photo panels from Walgreens.

I used a picture of my nephew playing soccer & ordered 2 for my sister & mom for Christmas. I used a picture of my 2 year old niece playing that I had taken earlier this year and ordered 2 for my mom & sister for Christmas.

Then I made one 5x7 of my husband holding the baby in an outfit that my MIL crocheted and one of my husband's nephew holding the baby. My Mother-In-Law will go ape over them!

Then I took a picture I had taken at our Little One's 1 month birthday and ordered a copy for my sister, my mom & one for myself.

Then I a fun picture of my little one for myself and a picture of the dog in a funny pose for a gift for my husband.

Total of 11 5x7 Wooden photos (normally $14.99 each for a total of $164.89) for $3.75 each (for a grand total of $41.75. Got some great Birthday/Christmas gifts!!

Spendy Spendy Spendy

September 9th, 2015 at 10:38 pm

Last few days have been spendy.

Netflix: $7.99
Duck Race Humane Association Donation: $30.00
Donation to an old teacher's Crowdsourcing Fund $15.00
Tickets to Last Comic Standing comedy show (Parents night out in October) $94.00
Photo Book (gift for grandparent) $10
5x7 baby photos for gifts for family members $4.00
Grocery/Baby supply/Household Supplies: $283.16
Postal Service: $14.70
Eating Out: $64.28
Gas: 22.84

However, we still were able to put a bunch into savings!

$1000 into the New Home Fund
$50 House Repairs Fund
$100 Slush fund
$60 2015 Gifts Fund
$20 Auto Maintenance fund

Little One Arrived!

September 6th, 2015 at 07:48 pm

My little one arrived August 18th. It was a rough labor, but we both are home healthy & happy.



Both my husband & I have 12 weeks of parental leave. I can't believe its almost a 1/3 over. It feels like we've only been home a minute!

Medical expenses are high - adding the baby to our medical increased our family deductible. Her birth alone met that deductible, but we haven't met the out-of-pocket maximum yet. No bills have arrived for these charges, but I can see them on the insurance website. We have planned for this.

I used some free Shutterfly codes to make some baby announcements. $7.99 out of pocket for shipping - we have a large extended family.

Going into this birth, we knew we would pay the overpriced Newborn Photography offered at the hospital. Well worth it to me as the pictures are taken on the baby's 2nd day and she was perfectly malleable to poses. We have ownership of the prints, the rights, etc. and can reproduce into more prints for Christmas presents for a much smaller cost through an online site. This was already budgeted for as well.

Our household costs have increased some - diapers, wipes, formula. I am attempting to cook again after months of being too sick for it.

I am so looking forward to this next adventure in life!