Expressions of Perceptions

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I went to the store today to pick up a few things, but while I was there, I saw that the fall and winter clothing was on clearance, so I picked up a jacket for my youngest child and a jacket for my oldest.  After all, they were only $3 each… or so I thought.

The sign on the clothing rack said $3.  Another sign stated that blue dot and gray dot apparel was only $3.  The jackets were both on $3 racks and had gray dots on their tags.  Unfortunately, at the register, they rang up for full-price.

Usually I pay very close attention at check-out, but today the cashier had me quite distracted with some wonderful news, like prodigal son type news, and it affected both me and her.  So, when she told me the total, I paid and left, not really thinking about prices very much.  Since I’m on a budget though, I had to review my receipt at home to record my purchases, and I was surprised to see that I was charged full price for both jackets.

So, what do you do if you’re overcharged?  Had I been paying attention when the cashier was ringing up the jackets, I could’ve questioned the price right away.  Then, either the cashier would have adjusted the price for me, or I would’ve had to decide whether to pay full price or put the jackets back.  Now that I’m home, my options are to either keep the jackets that I paid full price for, or return them to the store. 

Although my budget does allow for my occasional impulse shopping, it lets me know how much money I can afford to spend on impulse purchases.  That helps me to not feel guilty if I sometimes overpay or buy something unnecessary.

So, what do you do if you’re overcharged?  That’s up to you.  Whatever you do though, use your budget!

I received an extra sewage bill in my mailbox last week.  I didn’t stress over it much because I figured that surely it had to be a mistake.  A couple days later, I called about it, sure that I would be told to just throw it away, but to my surprise, I was told that I had to pay it – even though the account wasn’t in my name, nor had I ever co-signed for it!

It turns out that the previous tenants at my other house had NEVER paid their sewage bill.  It was in their name.  They lived at the residence.  They agreed to bear the responsibility for it in the lease that they signed.  But they never paid it, ever, the entire time they lived there.

Apparently, if a tenant doesn’t pay their water and/or sewage bills, the property owner is responsible for those bills, no matter what the lease says.  The owner legally has to pay them, though the owner can sue the tenants for reimbursement.

I did not know that.  I wish I had.  I also wish that the township had notified me much sooner about the outstanding sewage bill instead of letting the balance continue to grow each month for the entire time the tenants lived there and then presenting it to me 6 months after I had evicted them.

Nonetheless, this is a word of caution to you (and me):  Be careful who you let rent from you.  Remember, if they don’t pay their bills, you might have to!

I received a letter from my children’s pediatrician informing us that she was moving out of state.  I remember a time when she was on vacation and I had to take my oldest daughter to my doctor instead.  That visit wasn’t covered by our HMO insurance plan for my daughter, so I had to pay out of pocket.  I didn’t want that to happen again, so I needed to find a new pediatrician as soon as possible.

After asking around, I called the office of the man who will be our new pediatrician.  I was quite satisfied with the answers to all of the questions I asked and decided on him right away, but I couldn’t just start taking my children there immediately.  I’d have to call our insurance company first.

Since we have an HMO, our PCP (primary care physician) is listed right on our insurance cards.  We get to choose the PCP, but whoever is listed is who the insurance company pays for us to see.  Since we’re changing our PCP, we need to inform the insurance company of our newly-chosen doctor.  They will enter it into their system and send out new insurance cards promptly.

Such a simple phone call can be financially costly if it’s forgotten.  It’s best to get it done right away instead of scrambling to do it, and possibly forgetting, when your child gets sick.

We eat a healthy non-gmo diet, mostly organic, so I don’t expect our food to be cheap.  I’d really like to lower my food budget, but I’m not sure how to.  I recently read a food article buy a woman who feeds her family of 6 (5 of whom are boys with double-digit ages!) on $600 a month.  Sadly, that woman puts me to shame, and we’re only a family of 5.  Her family eats mostly organic, and they do have a huge garden and fruit tress that they preserve the harvest from, but they don’t eat much meat, and they do eat alot of noodles.  Unfortunately, that wouldn’t fly at my house.  Not to mention, food in her area of the country is much cheaper than it is here.  (One example, my eggs cost over double the amount that she pays for her eggs.  Don’t even get me started on the price comparison for fruits and meat.)

My kids are still young, but they sure do eat alot.  And they’re not only picky, but one of them also has food allergies.  I have to try to cook food that both tastes good and is safe for my family to eat, and that’s quite a challenge.

My oldest child detests cheese, noodles, anything pickled, and anything spicy.  My middle child refuses meat, but loves her cheese and carbohydrates.  My youngest child is wonderful because he likes most things.  And my husband hates vegetables and will rarely eat fruit, and he’s pretty much opposed to anything that may even be remotely construed as healthy.

I think one of the reasons I spend so much money on food is because in trying to please everyone, every meal turns out to be a feast in which I prepare a main dish with multiple side dishes so that there’s sure to be something that everyone will eat.

Yes, it’s most likely my fault for letting my kids get so picky instead of just telling them to eat what’s on the table (although my mother-in-law bears the responsibility for my husband’s pickiness), but I swear they’d go on a week-long hunger strike, my husband included, if I did that.  Trust me, I’ve tried, but I worried they would starve if I didn’t cave.

Getting back on subject, my goal is to find some healthy, inexpensive, kid-friendly, husband-friendly recipes to make for the month of February.  I know I’ll experience some resistance at first, but I’ve got to try.  I’m hoping that making a meal calendar in advance will help me to plan my meals and shopping list, and perhaps swap out some more expensive meals for less expensive ones.  So, I’ve got my meal calendar made.  Now I’m going to see what I can change on it to make it less expensive yet equally nutritious.  I know I won’t be able to cut my food budget in half in a single month, but by planning ahead with my meal calendar, I’m hoping to whittle it down a little bit every month until it’s at least close to what I want it to be.

If you’ve ever read any of my writings, you know that I’m a huge advocate of budgeting.  I like to know where my money’s going and how much of it is going there.  Living in the northeastern part of the country though, some of my bills, especially gas and electric, can fluctuate quite a bit throughout the year.

Fortunately, most of my utilities are on the budget program.  Being on the budget program means that my bills are the same year-round, even though I use more heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer.

For example, I may only use $30 worth of natural gas in June, but use $300 worth of natural gas in December.  That’s definitely a huge fluctuation.  On the budget program, the gas company would estimate my total yearly expected usage, based on my previous usage, and divide the total amount by 12 (for the 12 months of the year).  That would be my total monthly bill, no matter what the season.

It’s much easier to plan my monthly budget when I know what my bills will be.  I’m sure it would be helpful for you, too.  So, check with your utility companies to see if they offer a budget program that you could sign up for.  If they don’t you could always urge them to start one!

I’m trying to purge my house of “things”.  My oldest daughter was recently diagnosed with multiple allergies, the most severe of which is, according to her blood test, caused by dust.  Well, the fewer things we have, the fewer things for dust to cling to.  Apparently though, we aren’t the only ones getting rid of things.

My pastor’s wife, a wonderful friend of mine, called and asked me to come over to her house to get some clothes for myself and my children.  She said a woman in town had donated 18 big rubbermaid totes full of assorted clothing left over from a yard sale.  The woman didn’t want the clothing to go to Goodwill where it would be sold.  Instead, she wanted people to have it for free.

That really is a great idea.  I know that when I’m getting rid of things, I usually try to think of someone to offer them to.  If I can’t think of anyone, I take the items to Goodwill.  Sometimes I even just throw things away, but those are things I deem pretty useless, so hopefully that’s not too incredibly wasteful.

I never bother to get a donation receipt from Goodwill, but I know that some people do for tax purposes.  Donations to churches are tax-deductible, too.

I had never thought of donating my “things” to a church before, but this woman has definitely given me a different perspective.  How many families are there that the church could help with used clothing?  Could the church possibly use a slow cooker that I don’t have storage space for?  Would they know of families that can’t afford toys for their children that they could give my children’s old toys to?

I think donating to a church is a much better idea than just taking things to Goodwill.  It’s tax-deductible for you and free for the recipients of your “things”.  A church really is like a family, a community of people caring for each other.  They could give your unwanted “things” to others who aren’t even church members, possibly also giving them the opportunity to share the Gospel with others in the process.

Overall, I’d say donating to a church beats donating to Goodwill hands-down.

My 4-year old daughter’s allergies became quite alarming.  It was beyond sniffles and sneezes and to the point of asthmatic reactions, breathing treatments every four hours, an more.  When the pediatrician mentioned that she wondered if my insurance would cover allergy testing, I didn’t care if it was covered or not.  In my mind, I needed to do everything possible to help my daughter, so if she needed allergy tests, I’d pay out of pocket if I had to.

The pediatrician ordered a blood allergy test, a test that, from what I’ve researched, is less painful than skin allergy testing but also less accurate and more expensive.  I took my daughter to the hospital where she had 3 tubes of blood drawn.

I knew blood allergy testing was more expensive than skin allergy testing, but I was willing to clean out my savings account if necessary to get my daughter the help the pediatrician thought was necessary.  Little did I know that I didn’t have enough money in my savings account to cover the actual cost.

I was shocked when I received the statement of charges from my insurance company.  The allergy testing was nearly $1400!  Talk about feeling nauseous.  I cringed and squinted, afraid to see the number, as I checked to see how much I owed out-of-pocket.  To my surprise and utter amazement, I owed nothing.

Praise the Lord (and trust me I did) that the allergy testing was covered by our insurance.  I did feel like I was let off the hook, but not without learning a lesson.  No ne wants to base their child’s medical care on money, but sometimes questions need to be asked.  I’m not saying that medical help should be ignored, because it definitely shouldn’t, but sometimes there are other options.

I could have asked about skin allergy testing, but I honestly thought it couldn’t possibly cost more than a few hundred dollars for some bloodwork.  Money aside, had I known that skin allergy testing was more accurate, I may have chosen it simply for accuracy’s sake.  But I never asked questions.  I made decisions based on my emotions, not based on critical thinking and reasoning.  It wasn’t an informed decision, and I do regret that, but my daughter has been doing much better lately since we got the results.  We’ve had to modify a few things in our diet and environment, but it’s an incredibly small price to pay for my precious girl’s well-being.

Money’s not everything, but when you don’t have enough of ot to pay your bill, it is something. 

I know that the hospital we go to has a charity program that offers discounts and free medical care to patients who qualify.  The income guidelines are very generous, and although I haven’t received any assistance from them, I know that others have.  It’s a generous, caring thing that the hospital does for those who need help.  If you’re ever in the situation I was spared from, ask your local hospital if they offer discounts or free medical care.  I would think they’d be sensitive to your situation.

With the unlimited resources on the internet, financial information and resources are much easier to find and use now than they used to be.  I remember calling the bank numerous times when I was shopping for my first home trying to figure out what my price range was.  I was thoroughly confused by the escrow and had no idea how to figure it in to my mortgage payment.  The loan officer at the bank was both helpful and patient, but I’m sure I was a bit of a thorn in her side.

Now, many years later, and back to house-shopping, I no longer have to call my bank to figure out my price range.  Not only does my bank’s website have free financial calculators that I can use, but countless other websites offer that information as well.

Below are some of the website I’ve frequented and found to be helpful.

The Northwest Savings Bank Mortgage Calculator:

http://nwsb.mortgagewebcenter.com/CheckRates/SearchCriteria.asp?PID=22&bhcp=1

CBN Finance Calculators:

www.cbn.com/finance/calculators/index.aspx

Financial Calculators from FinancialCalculators.com:

www.financialcalculators.com

And of course Dave Ramsey:
www.daveramsey.com/category/tools

No matter what financial decision or equation you’re trying to figure out, there are many, many resources online to help you.  So, take advantage of the information at your fingertips.  With such easy access to financial help, not knowing isn’t a very valid excuse anymore.

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, it’s full-steam ahead to Christmas.  There was Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and countless other sales.  Sales are good, but try not to let them coax you into buying something you otherwise wouldn’t have purchased.

I made sure that I stayed home on Black Friday and Thanksgiving weekend.  I was anxious to get my girls each a Christmas dress, but there was no way I was taking them out in that craziness.

I bought a few things online, but not the super-ultra-mega-special-priced-one-day-only type of stuff.  I just bought what I normally would have bought.  Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have mined lower prices, and I’m happy for everyone that got a low price on the items they wanted to buy, but I think I did pretty well not buying things unnecessarily just because of their price.

The following week, I took my kids shopping.  I was sure I’d pay more for their dresses than I would have on Black Friday, but I was okay with that.  I was pleasantly surprised though when we got to JCPenney’s and saw that their dresses were 50% off.  My youngest daughter got a half-priced dress, and my oldest daughter got a dress on clearance that was 60% off.  I was so happy that I grabbed them each a new pack of tights, too, but I put the tights back once I realized that I could get them cheaper from Kmart.

And so, our Christmas shopping season begins.  Decorations.  Gifts for others.  Cards.  Postage.  Extra money spent on gas to drive around and look at Christmas lights.  All are expenses, but I’m doing a good job of keeping track so as not to go over budget.

I have a little notebook in which I wrote down the amount of money I’ve allotted for Christmas spending.  Every time I make a purchase, I write it down and deduct the cost of it from the amount I budgeted.  That way, I can easily just glance at my tablet and see how much money I have left to spend.  It’s like a budget that only has a single category, but I could easily make a category for each person that I’m buying for, along with other expenses such as wrapping paper, cards, postage, decorations, and other miscellaneous items.

So, whether we’re ready for it or not, the holiday is fast-approaching.  It’s not to late to take control though.  Start your budget, and see how much easier and less stressful your holiday shopping  can be!

I’ve been wanting a bigger house for years now.  When I’m asked my price range, it’s difficult to give a number because taxes, interest rates, insurance, and closing costs need to be figured in to the equation.  My price range varies by about $30,000, but at least I’ve got a range, right?

When looking for houses in my price range, I sometimes feel limited.  There aren’t many places for sale at all in my area, let alone in my price range.  I expanded the area I found acceptable to live in and found a slightly larger variety of houses to choose from, but I’m still looking.

The problem with looking in my price range, though, is that I’m looking at the asking price.  The asking price is the maximum amount the seller expects to receive for the property.  It’s not set in stone.  It shouldn’t be viewed as the price, but rather as the platform at which negotiation can begin.

When considering making a real estate purchase, you can always offer lass than the asking price.  The seller may not accept your offer, but they will probably almost always consider it.  They will probably give you a counteroffer, and the negotiations can go back and forth until you’re both satisfied with the price.

Here are just a few examples of offers being accepted. 

1.  My aunt and uncle made a very low offer on a property that had been listed for sale for a long time.  They got their approximately $125,000 house for just $61,000.

2.  The owner of a home on my dad’s street wanted around $85,000, but through negotiations, was talked down to $55,000.

3.  A house I looked at but decided against buying due to the high price and improvements it needed was listed for $137,500 and recently sold for $90,000.

The asking price can be quite intimidating, but the seller asks so much because he or she knows that potential buyers will offer less than the asking price.  You may not always be able to get an awesome deal.  For example, a house a street over from us is listed at $85,000, but the owner offered it to us for $80,000, saying it was the absolute lowest he could go.  It’s not a house I’d really like to buy, but the seller knows we’ve been looking for a bigger house, so he offered his to us.  $5,000 may not be a huge discount, but it’s a discount nonetheless.

I strongly encourage you to make an offer rather than just viewing the asking price as being set in stone.  You may get a great deal, you may not, but if you don’t try, you’ll never know!