Jessys Journal

Mike's brother and SIL are planning a trip to Idaho again this summer.  That's where her family lives, so they try to go back as often as possible -- but I must admit, I'd go crazy vacationing in the same place every year! 

Their Idaho vacations sound like fun, though.  There is more to do there than I would have thought -- everything from camping and skiing to golfing and gambling.  Personally, I wouldn't mind taking the kids on a Yellowstone vacation since I've never been before and that seems like something they should see at some point.  Maybe we'll join Mike's family one year when they go out there.

They've also talked about moving to Idaho, and if they do, I'm sure we'll have lots of excuses to go out and see them.  They had their wedding there when they got married, and Mike got to go.  He said it was actually very pretty there, and he would consider moving if they did.  If you know me, you know I'd go just about anywhere!     

admin @ 11:33 | comments(0) | Permanent link

The house is rented, we are picking up our trailer tonight, and we can finally start thinking about having money for fun things once again!  As usual, I've been hounding Mike to think about vacation options for this year, and one of the places we talked about is France.

I'm a little nervous because my French has gone way downhill since I last studied it ten years ago, but I still love the idea of seeing all the wonderful sights in Paris and around the country.  My friends who have been there confirmed that the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Centre Pompidou, and Notre Dame Cathedral are all as amazing in person as they sound.  And I would love for the kids to have the experience of seeing all the artwork at The Louvre, though I'm sure they would be more impressed by seeing the view from the Eiffel Tower!

France hotels are not cheap, but of course, where else are we going to stay?  The plan would be to travel around, staying some of the time in Nice hotels and then spending a large chunk of time in Paris hotels.  Since there are some cheap Paris hotels, we should be able to save money there and then splurge on a few nights in Paris Latin Quarter hotels.  If we can pull it off, it will be the vacation of a lifetime!     

admin @ 11:04 | comments(0) | Permanent link

Shortly after my daughter was born, her dad ended up filing for bankruptcy.  Between paying off the bills he'd charged on his ex-girlfriend's credit cards and buying what he needed to remodel the house, he was $50,000 deep in credit card debt.  Bankruptcy was absolutely the best choice he could have made.  In hind-sight, our only regret is not buying more before he filed -- we could have gotten away with a lot more than we did! 

Unfortunately, bankruptcy laws have changed a lot in the past five years, and it's not as easy to file anymore.  I'd consider it myself otherwise -- but my debt isn't large enough to make it worthwhile.  

If looking over your taxes this week has brought you to consider filing bankruptcy, then you need to visit Bankruptcy HQ to learn more.  This service will help you to decide whether or not filing is the best way for you to get rid of your unsecured debt.  They will even put you in touch with a bankruptcy lawyer who can help you determine whether to file before or after turning in your 2007 taxes.

That's another thing we'd change about Mike's bankruptcy -- his lawyer was awful!  Don't make the same mistake -- let Bankruptcy HQ match you up with a good attorney!    

admin @ 22:13 | comments(0) | Permanent link

It's never too early to start shopping for Father's Day, especially since Mike is not that easy to buy for. I have to say, though, that he is much easier to gift now that he's into electronics. Here's his most recent wish list: Batteries & Chargers , Blank Media , Cables & Connectors , Camera & Photo , Cell Phones & Accessories , Desktops , GPS & Navigation , Memory Cards , MP3 Players , Notebooks , Printers & Scanners , Speakers. Really, with a list like that, the most challenging part of shopping is sticking to our budget!

I would really like to get him a GPS navigation system for the car. We love, love, love going for random drives down back roads, making our own way to new and old places, and it would be nice to have a GPS to rescue us when we get really stuck. Now I just need to figure out which one to buy!

admin @ 21:16 | comments(0) | Permanent link

A few weeks ago, the weather took a turn for the better, and the kids and I were excited to set up a playdate in the park with some friends of ours.  We got there just in time to see Susie -- who always manages to look like the ready-for-anything mom that she is -- unloading her newest contraption out of her van and onto her stroller.  Even though I'm not big on carrying a lot of stuff around with me, I was pretty enthralled by what she called her G-Bag. 

It looked like this: 
and she was able to move it right off the velcro on the dashboard in her van onto a piece of velcro she'd attached to the stroller.  She had some snacks, water, and a few toys for the baby already in the bag from car trips, and within a second, she was all set for the park, too. Totally convenient -- even for someone like myself who hates toting things around!  

From the looks of the G-Bags website, they have bags in a couple different styles and sizes -- and of course a whole array of colors -- so that you can use them for just about anything you need to bring with you to be a prepared mom like Susie.

I don't use bottles or carry much in the way of diapers, but I do like keeping a few standby toys in the car to keep my kids occupied on long rides, and I can definitely see myself using one of these neat bags to store things in the car and then bring them into a restaurant when I know we're going to have a bit of a wait for dinner.  I don't often find myself this excited about mommying products, but there you have it!    

admin @ 10:19 | comments(0) | Permanent link

We have had a ton of bills coming due lately, and one of the most recent was Mike's term life insurance.  For all the talk we do about cutting expenses (bye, bye Blockbuster Online and YMCA membership), this is one that we just won't give up.  Life insurance rates for young, healthy people are just not that bad, and it's too important to have financial protection when you have children.

I know most of you have kids, and thinking about dying and leaving them behind is hard enough . . . planning out things like who will take care of them if they're under 18, who will manage their money, and of course, how will they pay for all the things kids need as they grow.  It's a lot to think about, and it's not a fun subject at all.  If you're like us, you can get through it by joking.  When I start getting on his nerves, Mike always jokes that he is going to get life insurance quotes for me and hire someone to do away with me.  Ha, ha, right?

I get him back by planning how I'll spend my windfall if he passes before I do!        

admin @ 20:24 | comments(0) | Permanent link

More and more people have been coming to see the house lately, and although we had given up hope of ever being able to rent it out, I'm starting to think that we just might get out of here after all. We don't really have a plan, if we do end up renting out the house, but eventually we will be relocating somewhere far away from here. Not to say that "here" is particularly awful; it isn't. But "here" is where I've always been. I am currently living about twenty miles from where I grew up. I can't wait to find a new place to call home!

Since Mike and I are practically professionals at counting our chicks before they're hatched, we've begun talking about our move with renewed excitement. Moving should be exciting, shouldn't it?

We were originally planning on handling all the labor ourselves -- renting or buying a truck or trailer, packing our boxes, and loading our things without any kind of assistance (other than the free kind that may be given by friends and family). Mike's a DIY guy, and he hates relying on people. However, a local moving company has been generating some buzz lately, and that's prompted us to consider hiring professional movers to take our stuff . . . well, wherever it is we end up going. To be honest, I'm all for calling in the pro's.

Of course, before we make any concrete plans, we're going to check out relocation company reviews to make sure that we'll get the kind of service we expect. Obviously, having positive reviews is important.  We don't have an overwhelming amount of valuables -- a couple nice but not incredible televisions and our computers which will probably get packed into our cars anyway -- but that doesn't mean we don't care how our things are treated en route to the new place.

It's a lot to think about, but for some reason, I can't seem to think about much else these days.

admin @ 11:45 | comments(0) | Permanent link

My dad passed away when I was 14, and although losing him was hard for my mom and I, we were infinitely better off than we could have been because he had an excellent life insurance policy.  The money we received from his insurance paid for my first new car, my college education, a good portion of The Wedding That Wasn't, and my clothing store, Riot.  It also allowed for my mom to work only part-time for the rest of her life, and to avoid worrying about money, for the most part.  Absolutely, we would have rather had my dad around, but it was comforting to know that at least one thing was taken care of.

After my own kids were born, my partner made sure to get a life insurance policy that would cover the cost of our house, plus other expenses, if he were to die unexpectedly.  He actually has two policies, since he is covered at work as well as privately.  We joke sometimes that we would be better off if he died -- at least from a financial perspective.  I could sell the house, move wherever I wanted, quit work, and homeschool my kids without a second thought.  As far as family financial protection goes, you can't beat a good term life insurance policy!  It's the other areas in which we would suffer without him.

Lately, though, I've been thinking about life insurance for myself.  Even though I only work part-time, I am a full-time mom.  If something happened to me, it would be an emotional hit for my family, but it would also hurt financially for Mike to put the kids in daycare.  My small income also matters; it pays for things like groceries, entertainment, and extras, and I would never want my children to go without, especially not if they've already lost me.  It hurts to think of that.

When we get our tax refund this year, I think it will be time to invest in a plan for me.  I have been looking through an insurance directory trying to find a good deal.  Being young and in good health, that shouldn't be hard to find.            

jessy @ 10:35 | comments(1) | Permanent link