Expressions of Perceptions

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Infant formula, teething tabs, fever reducer, cantaloupe, the list goes on and on.  Product recalls seem to be as common as diaper changes these days.  As a consumer, it’s a big annoyance.  As a mother, it’s annoying, scary, and expensive.

I buy a month’s worth of formula at a time, and you can bet I’m not just going to throw out 4 large, unopened, expensive canisters of formula and just chalk it up to a wasted purchase.  I’m also not going to feed that stuff to my baby either.

To be honest, my son’s formula wasn’t recalled, at least not the formula he’s been on for the last 6 months or so.  He’s strictly on Earth’s Best Organic formula, but I did have a canister of Similac Organic that I bought and hadn’t used yet.  I guess I was too lazy, or busy, to return it, so I kept it on hand “just in case”.

When I heard about the recent Similac recall, I didn’t even check to see if the canister I had was involved in the recall.  I was going to throw it away just to be extra safe.  But it was expensive.  I could buy alot of diapers, or a canister of bug-free formula, with the money I spent on it.  Rather than throwing it out, I emailed Diapers.com, the place I had ordered it from, and told them that I wanted to return a canister of formula that I wasn’t going to use.  To my surprise, they didn’t mention the recall.  They just authorized the return.

I sent the formula back, and a while later I called to check the status of my return.  They told me that it had been recalled and that I’d have a credit issued to my account.  Well, that sounded good, but I now buy my little guy’s formula from Amazon.com (where I get 15% off and free shipping using their Subscribe & Save program), so I asked if I could get a refund instead.  I was told that the money couldn’t be refunded to my credit card but that they could mail me a check, an offer I happily accepted. 

I didn’t have any of the recalled Tylenol, but since I keep a bottle of fever reducer on hand for each one of my kids so as not to spread their germs to each other by using the same bottle, you can bet I’d be trying to get a refund for that, too!  Even though my family wasn’t affected by that recall, I searched the internet (for the purpose of this article) to see what the pharmaceutical company was doing with regard to refunds.  From what I read, they’re offering refunds and/or coupons for a free replacement product.  Of course that doesn’t undo any damage that has already been done, but it does help offset the cost of your purchase.

So, if a product you’ve purchased is recalled, there are things you can do to try to get a refund, credit, or free product replacement.

            1.  Call the company to ask what they recommend.

            2.  Return the product to the store from which you purchased it.

 Most companies carry product recall insurance to assist with the costs of the recall, which sounds both scary and comforting at the same time.  That doesn’t make up for a baby’s bellyache from drinking recalled formula, but it does provide financial compensation.  That doesn’t necessarily make the problem go away, but it does make life a bit easier to afford!

I was skimming through the non-gmo shopping guide (get yours here for FREE: www.nongmoshoppingguide.com ) when I noticed than Snyder’s of Hanover is listed as being enrolled in the non-gmo project.  I assumed that meant that they were gm-free, but I thought I’d ask just to be safe.  (Literally, safe.  GMO’s are seriously dangerous.)

I emailed Snyder’s of Hanover to double-check that their products were gm-free.  As I awaited their reply, visions of long-forgotten potato chips danced in my head and tempted my tastebuds.  Barbeque, plain, sour cream & onion.  Yummm…..

I received their reply within a day or two.  To my dismay, they told me that the only products that they could guarantee to be gm-free are their organic products sold online.  *sigh*

If course organic is gm-free!  There aren’t allowed to be genetically-modified ingredients in organic products.

Although I was disappointed, I was highly impressed at the company’s honesty.  If they ever sell their organic products in stores, I’ll be sure to try them.  Until then, I’ll just have to stick with my Terra Chips by the Hain Celestial Group.  They’re good, but sometimes a bit too “gourmet”.  Sometimes I miss the taste of plain potato chips and “regular” flavors, but I must say that the Pesto & Smoked Mozzarella Terra Chips are the best potato chips I’ve ever eaten!  And they’re available in stores (Martin’s, Walmart, etc.) 

  http://www.terrachips.com/products/kettles-pesto-mozzarella.php

They’re not organic, but they’re gm-free!

Everyone loves free and discounted things, right?  Well, here’s $20 worth for ya!  http://www.ruelala.com/invite/rmillward01  Go ahead & browse!

Rue La La is offering a free $20 store credit just for registering with them.  Good deal, right?  It gets better.  When you refer others, and they register, you get $10 (per person referred) once they make their first purchase. 

So, here’s the deal with Rue La La:  They have a limited inventory that sells out quick.  They offer new products for sale every single day.  Seriously, they sell whatever featured brands/items for only a matter of days.  They continuously have new sales, so don’t feel rushed to make a purchase!

Some of the items are pretty pricey, but there are tons of items for less than $20 (shirts, shampoo, shower gel, bubble bath, lipstick, etc.).

They even have a Pink Ribbon sale going on now!  So buy yourself something to support breast cancer awareness, get your hubby a new cashmere sweater, or buy your child a new pair of Puma sneakers.  Get a new watch, rug, or Calvin Klein bedding set.

Check it out at http://www.ruelala.com/invite/rmillward01

I just read that October is Clergy Appreciation Month.  It’s already the 23rd, but better late than never, right?  And there’s still 2 more Sundays this month in which you can tell your preacher “Thanks, we appreciate you”.

I’m not gonna go into a long lecture about why you should express your appreciation.  This post isn’t about laying on a guilt trip.  It’s just a friendly reminder, or perhaps a new tidbit of knowledge for you.  What you do with it is up to you.

There are 2 preachers in my town that I plan to send cards to in honor of Clergy Appreciation Month.  I really do appreciate what they do, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually told them that.  I think it feels good to be appreciated, and I’m sure they’d agree.

So, thank you, clergymen.  Your services have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.  You have a calling that (I think) most people would run from, but you embrace it and use it to bless others.

Happy Clergy Appreciation Month!

You’ve probably heard the term “maximum mortgage” before, but do you really know what it is, and is it an accurate calculation of how much house you can afford?

Maximum mortgage is the largest mortgage payment that your lender determines you can afford.  In calculating your maximum mortgage, the lender takes into account all of your current debt (vehicles, credit cards, etc.).  Before issuing you a loan, they also take into account your credit and the property’s value.

Some lenders use set income percentages to calculate your maximum mortgage.  Example:  Using 37% as the lender’s standard figure, if you earn $2,000 per month, you would be given $740 as your maximum monthly mortgage payment.

Other lenders may use the basic guideline of 2-2.5 times your yearly income being the most expensive house you can afford.  Example:  Using 2 as the lender’s standard multiplier, if you earn $60,000 per year, $120,000 would be the most expensive house you could afford.

The process is simple for lenders, but it’s incredibly confusing for borrowers, so I’ll let you in on a little secret:  There is no one-size-fits-all magic formula that’ll be able to accurately provide the maximum mortgage calculation.  Your maximum mortgage depends on what you can afford. 

I’ve had a bank tell me their calculation of my maximum monthly mortgage payment, and I laughed.  Clearly, they didn’t take clothing and diapers into consideration!  I’ve got 3 kids who grow like weeds, 2 of whom are still in diapers.  There’s no way I could’ve afforded what they said I could.  Thank God I realized that.  Had I not done my own calculations and blindly taken the loan, I’d be raising cold, hungry, naked, diaper-less children! 

So, how do you calculate your maximum mortgage?  You figure out what you can afford.  You sit down, figure out your income and expenses, and calculate how much you can afford to spend on a house.  If you’re already on a budget, the work will practically be done for you.

If, for example, you can afford to spend $550 per month on a mortgage, that doesn’t mean you can afford a $198,000 house.  There are more expenses than just the house itself when calculating your mortgage payment.  You’ll also need to figure in the property taxes, the interest rate on the loan, homeowners insurance that may be pro-rated into your mortgage, and possibly association fees if you’re buying a condo or townhouse.

Here is an example:  If you’re looking at a $75,000 house that has $1,200 yearly property taxes, no association fees, and a $300 homeowner’s insurance policy pro-rated into the mortgage, a 30 year loan at 6% interest would put your monthly payment at around $575.  The same house at 5% interest would put your mortgage payment at around $528 per month.  With the 6% interest rate, the house would be more than you could afford.  With the 5% interest rate, it would be affordable.

Since interest rates change so frequently and insurance and taxes vary by location, you may not be able calculate the most expensive house you can afford.  The best you can do is calculate the maximum mortgage payment you can afford.  Once you have that figure, you can calculate the monthly mortgage payment for individual houses that you’d be interested in purchasing.

For more help calculating your potential monthly mortgage payment, you could contact your lender with all of the necessary information (home price, taxes, insurance), or you could use an online mortgage calculator.  One that you may find helpful is http://www.realestateabc.com/calculators/PITI.htm

Remember, you know what you can afford, don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise!

I’d love to own Christian-themed clothing, but most of it costs waaaaay more than I’m willing to spend.  I found a shirt for $23 + shipping.  It’s nice, but I could get the same kind of shirt without a Christian message for about $6 at Walmart.

My religion is important to me, but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to spend frivolously just to have religious-themed clothes.  (Actually, Christianity promotes handling your money wisely, not over-spending.)

Well, today I came across a website I love.  It’s www.SonGear.com.  They’ve got t-shirts for as low as $7.99, men’s long sleeve shirts for as low as $12.99, and other great deals.  I went to www.RetailMeNot.com to search for a discount code for www.SonGear.com and found the code “falldisc15″ for 15% off.

One of my favorite designs there is their “tree hugger” design – the “tree” is actually a cross.  Anyway, this is gonna hafta be a short post, I’ve got some shopping (maybe even Christmas shopping) to do!

Everyone loves free and discounted things, right?  What about free and discounted ”luxury” items?

OneKingsLane.com is offering a free $15 store credit just for registering with them (name, email, password – done!).  It can be applied toward your purchase and shipping costs.  So, if you buy a $9 item, the remaining $6 goes toward your shipping cost.  And there’s no minimum purchase required.

Good deal, right?  It gets better.  When you refer people by email, and they register, you get $15 (per person referred) once they make their first purchase.  (I referred my husband, so that’s like an extra $45 for this household!)

So, here’s the deal with One Kings Lane:  They have a limited inventory that sells out quick.  They offer new products for sale every single day.  Seriously, they sell whatever featured brands/items for like 3 days only.  They continuously have new sales, and your $15 credit’s good for 6 months, so don’t feel rushed to make a purchase!

I loved their Core Bamboo sale.  Cutting boards and bowl sets for $12 (before applying the store credit)!  Sometimes the sales are expensive, so just wait those ones out until they start another sale with $6, $10, or $20 merchandise.  Sundays are food days.

Check it out at www.OneKingsLane.com

And no, I don’t get $15 for referring you through this blog.  It’s email referrals only.

Time for a Check Up – a Financial Check Up

by Randi Lynn Millward

10/7/2010

          If you went to the doctor and were told that your health was substandard and only getting worse, what would you do?  Would you start eating a healthier diet?  Exercise?  Try stress-reduction techniques?  Or would you just continue in your current routine, hoping that there’ll be a magic pill that you can take to make everything better?

            Of course laziness may be easier, but you’d suffer along the way.  Clearly if your physical health is failing you, you’ve got at least some unpleasant physical symptoms.  Medication seems like an easy answer, but what are the side effects?  Could it cause other health problems?  Is it addictive?  If exercise and a healthy diet could fix the problem, wouldn’t that be safer than regularly ingesting potentially dangerous medication that may or may not work for you?

            Don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you not to take “necessary” medication.  I’m just stating that if healthy lifestyle habits are a safer option, they’d probably be the more desirable choice.

            Similarly to your physical health, you can get a “financial check up”, too.  You can even do it yourself.  Just take the time to look, really look, at your finances – your budget, your checkbook register, investments, savings, bank statement, retirement account, credit card statement, and any other financial records you may have.  What do they tell you about your financial health?

            Like your physical health, your financial health has symptoms, too.  Debt, being unable to afford necessary purchases, not knowing where your money went, insufficient savings, and possibly being hounded by bill collectors and debt-consolidation services are all symptoms of poor financial health, and there are many other possible symptoms, too.  A balanced budget, a balanced checkbook, not having to worry about whether or not you can afford to pay your bills, and being debt-free, amongst others, are symptoms of good financial health.

            If you have poor financial health, what are you going to do about it?  Will you continue in your current routine and just hope that Publisher’s Clearinghouse shows up on your doorstep with a big fat check to make everything better, or will you be proactive and take control of your finances?  Just a tip, but playing the lottery or a sweepstakes is generally not regarded as sound investing.

            If you have poor financial health, will you just sit back and wait for your electricity to be turned off, vehicle to be repossessed, and home foreclosed?  Or will you start a budget, balance your checkbook, a live within your means?  The choice is yours.  I’m not saying you’ll never struggle or that you’ll magically be able to afford everything you want to buy, but if you’re in good financial health, you’ll be controlling your finances, they won’t be controlling you.

            If you have good financial health, what are you going to do to make sure you stay that way?  Are you going to keep budgeting, plan for emergencies, and save for retirement?  Or are you going to get complacent and quit budgeting, dip into your savings, and start buying things you realistically can’t afford?

            I encourage you, if haven’t already, to take control of your finances, don’t be complacent, give yourself regular financial “check ups”, and stay in control.  If you’ve got poor financial health, you can take steps to change that.  Be proactive.  Take control of your finances.  You can do it!  If you need help, ask for it.  Just remember:  it is possible!  How do I know?  2 ways: 

1.  By experience – I’ve been in poor financial health.

2.  Matthew 19:26 -With God, all things are possible.

10 Ways to Afford Your Child’s Back-to-School Wardrobe

by Randi Lynn Millward

8/6/2010

 It’s that time of year again.  School is fast approaching.  Huge displays of pencils, tablets, binders, and other school supplies sit side by side throughout the stores.  The summer clothes are on the clearance racks.  The fall clothes abound, with children’s clothing dominating the apparel sections.  After all, it’s a safe bet that most children have grown at least one size since the beginning of last school year, so most of them will need new clothes.

Paying for school clothes is one of those expenses that ranks right up there with Christmas presents and vacations.  But did you ever notice that banks offer Christmas club accounts and vacation club accounts, yet they don’t offer school clothes accounts?  You could always use a regular savings account to save money for school clothes, but how many people actually think to do that?  Most people don’t save up for school clothes, they just try to get a good deal on them when they buy them.

So, how exactly do you get a “good deal” when school clothes shopping?  Is it even possible to find “affordable” clothes in the current economy?  The answers to those questions depend on your income.  No matter what your income though, there are ways for you to get clothes for your ever-growing children.  Let me share my top 10 tips with you.

1.  Buy coordinating pieces:  If you buy clothes in complimenting color schemes, patterns, or designs, you can mix and match the tops and bottoms to create more outfit combinations, thus reducing the number of individual items of clothing that you need to buy.

2.  Shop in the off season:  You can get great deals buying fall clothing on clearance in the spring, and vice versa.  If you can anticipate your child’s growth, buying clothes ahead of time for him to grow into is a great money-saver.  (I once bought my oldest a snow suit on clearance for $12 right after Christmas!)

3.  Swap clothing:  Invite some friends over to swap your children’s gently-used clothing.  They’d probably appreciate both getting rid of unwanted items, and getting free clothing at the same time.  If you don’t have friends to swap with, you could find an online community of people with which to trade.  You could try a Buy-Sell-Trade group or an online classifieds site.

4.  Buy on eBay:  EBay has new and used items for sale, most at discounted prices.  Many sellers offer a shipping discount if you buy multiple items from them.  Some sellers even offer a “lot” of clothing for sale – a “lot” is multiple items of clothing, usually coordinating or in the same size range.

5.  Online discounts:  You can save a significant sum of money if you go to a website like www.RetailMeNot.com and search for online coupons, discount codes, or free shipping codes for your favorite online retailers.  You could also go to your favorite retailer’s website and type “clearance” in the search box to view only discounted merchandise.

6.  Consignment Shops:  Consignment shops are stores that sell merchandise (used or new) for other people for a percentage of the sale price.  The prices at consignment shops are usually very reasonable, and they usually only accept clothing that’s in very good condition.  If you don’t want to buy gently used clothing, you could sell some of your child’s old clothes at a consignment shop to help fund her new wardrobe!

7.  Thrift shops:  Thrift shops are similar to consignment shops, but they’re usually charity-oriented.  They may have new or used clothing for sale, though most is used.  They also have been known to have sales.  I know of a couple mothers who go to Goodwill to shop at their “29-cent” sale rack.

8.  Yard sales:  Have one or shop one!  Yard sales are extremely popular summer events.  If you find a yard sale that has clothing in your child’s size for sale, you could buy his entire wardrobe there for much less than retail.  If you don’t want to shop at a yard sale, you could host your own to help fund your child’s new school clothes from a traditional retailer.

9.  Freecycle:  Freecycle.org is a group with the premise of “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure”.  Members can post for items they’d like to give away or items they’d like to receive.  The site is completely free, so you can’t buy or sell items on it, nor can you trade.

10.  Update existing items:  If your child has clothes that fit but are out of style or that she just doesn’t like anymore, give them an update to avoid buying new.  Decorate jeans with iron-on patches.  Sew tie-backs or decorative buttons on shirts and dresses.  Buy a cheap box of dye and dye them a new color.  Let your child use her imagination, and see what she comes up with!