God keeps confirming it

Well, I just found out I will be doing daycare this summer as the little girl I watch will need care after all. This makes me feel so much better as I will not deplete my entire emergency fund. Plus I will have $20 a week for spending and will be able to visit my grandparents in July, and she will be on vacation 2 separate weeks so we will get two weeks off (without pay, but I was not expecting pay all summer.) Plus the other little boy I watch his mom asked me if I could watch him and his brother one day a week so she can keep up on her teaching stuff. This money will pay for Jason's Sept. home school curriculum.
It is also a blessing because I like to sleep in and the little girl I watch comes at 7:00am, so I can't sleep in. I was fearing I would sleep till noon everyday, which is so not good. My day goes so much more smoothly when I am up before my kids.
I am so in awe of how wonderfully God provides. It is amazing how He works out all the details. And this just confirms that He wants me in the home.
This summer we are actually going on two or three trips and I am so excited.
One trip is a four day drive to my grandparents cabin in Ohio.
One trip is a three day, two night camping trip in August in NJ with friends.

In addition we will have at least one week off with no daycare kids to do day trips and such. And we can do day trips with the daycare girl I watch as well, like the beach, zoo, and parks. Our area has so many free or inexpensive things to do, it is really nice.

I am so excited.

Are you already making summer plans? -Becky

Amazing

Hi! I just posted Friday about extra money I needed to come up with for May. Well, I forgot I still had a check I had not cashed and it was enough to send my sister a Target gift card for her new house and get my new brother a gift and ship it to them (along with there Christmas gifts because I never saw them around Christmas.) I am so excited about that.
I am so blessed I paid all of April's bills and will have enough to pay all of May's as well. God is so amazing.
I have been doing a good job not spending money that is not budgeted for. But I do have to take my car in for some repairs so we will see how it goes this month.
How are your financial goals going? How has God amazed you in this area lately? -Becky

I have a new brother

My dad's girlfriend gave birth to me new brother this week. A baby is always a blessing.
Matthew Fredrick R. / 7 lbs 14 oz
born 4-29-08 at around 8:00pm
My dad, Nola, and new brother Matthew

May extra money to come up with

In March & April I did a good job coming up with extra money for additional expenses by selling some used dvds, toys, and an old gold chain & bracelet I had. This month I also have need to come up with additional money (about $80) for:
$30.00-housewarming gift for my sister-her & her husband recently bought a house in Georgia (if she lived closer I would make her a meal and give an offer to clean her house once, but since she is so far I want to send her a gift, any frugal ideas?)
$20-graduation gift for my dear friend Heather who is graduating college (but I may give her free childcare for a date with her husband as a gift.)
$30-baby gift for my new brother (my dad's girlfriend, Nola gave birth to my newest brother, Matthew on Tuesday.) (They also live far away so I can't give my gift of free babysitting or house cleaning to them either.)

It is my goal to be very frugal with everything I do, escpecially since in about a month I will not be working anymore. I am trying to use up everything in my house and not buy anything I do not absloutely need. I have given up most paper products. I will no longer be buying napkins, paper towels, or pads. For all three I have gone cloth. I will use up any paper I have in my house and save one roll of paper towels for my mom, who hates when she can not find any washclothes, kitchen towels, etc. This paper choice will be better for our budget and the environment as well. I also am not buying any books, toys, clothes, or daycare supplies (my weakness) new. I may have to buy ink for computer, but otherwise I have so much that we can use for daycare that I want to use up first. I will still buy used if we need an item. Fortionately I have enough summer clothes and even new sandals that I got on clearance in the winter for $5. Hopefully my boys will have enough too. I think they actually do. They both have new flip flops, sneakers that fit, and bathing suits. They both have at least 5 pairs of shorts that fit, I think this will be plenty. Jason may need water shoes, but Joshua has two pairs. I do not forsee needing much else for summer, except sunblock, but I have three bottles from last year that may still be good (we go through about 5 bottles sunblock a summer.)
I am trying to be as creative as possible as I really want to make continuing to work at home work. I also do not have much work lined up for the summer (it was my plan not to work in summer at all, because I was going to start working outside the home in Sept., but as I previously mentioned in Desires of the heart post that I feel God wants me in the home. I still feel so blessed. Using less actually reminds me how much we really have. We have to this day NEVER gone without a need. Honestly, we have barely gone without a want (although I want a pool, but am happy that we live near free beach and two friends with a pool.)
GOD IS SO GOOD (I can never say ths enough.) -Becky

Wow

Hi! My brother and I are taking my kids to Ohio to visit my grandparents this summer at the end of July. As kids we went to there cabin on the lake often, but I have not been there in about seven years now, and I have only seen my grandparents once in the past few years. Sadly they are not going to be able to keep up the cabin home much longer as there health is failing, so I really want to get there this year. We have to rent a car as neither of us has a car that we can depend on driving to Ohio. I looked into renting and am shocked by the prices.

For a full size car:
20.00 day collision (my policy is only liability and I won't risk having to repair a rental)
5.00-homeland security fee (so they can check that I am not a terrorist)
10.00-additional driver fee (so my brother and I can both drive rental)
35.00-full size car per day
______
$70.00 a day plus 7% NJ sales tax

For a minivan:
20.00-insurance
5.00-homeland security fee
10.00-additional driver fee
90.00-per day
______
$125.00 a day plus 7% sales tax

No way can I afford the minivan. That is crazy!!!

I forget to mention, you get 150 miles free a day, any after that are .25 cents a mile. I am sure we will go over 600 miles. AHHHHH!!! Not to mention we need gas for the trip ( I have budgeted $200 for gas). I am so glad we will have no hotel and food costs as we are staying with my grandparents.

My idea of a frugal vacation is to stay home and walk to the free beach. But it is important for us to see my grandparents.

Anyone planing any trips this summer? -Becky

Tribute to Joanna & all my friends

It is never my intent to offend anyone with this blog, especially my friends. In my post about my weekend with Duane I neglected to mention that on Saturday my friend of 16 years and now current neighbor hung out with us while we played outside. Joanna is so awesome in that she loves to play with my kids and they all have such fun together.
I am so proud of Joanna as she recently graduated from Rutgers.
I love Joanna because no matter what we can ALWAYS laugh together.
In high school Joanna and I spent alot of time together and always had something to say, on the phone, on the bus, hanging out in the yard. I wonder what did we talk about till 2:00am and then all day at school. But still to this day if she comes over at night we talk the hours away. It has been such a blessing to have her as a neighbor and to be close to her again these past 6 months. I especially like to wait by the window and say hello (aka stalking her-lol!)
God is so good in that He has allowed me such a great group of friends throughout my life. All growing up I had Lauren, and then also Joanna, who were both my best friends in high school. I also met Courtney in high school and to this day we have an amazing bond (even though it has been a few years since we saw each other.) When I was a young single mom, I met Monica who not only became my best friend, but the older sister I always wanted. Now a day can't go by that I do not talk to Monica. I love it when she does not hear from me in a few hours she is ready to drive by (and has) to assure I am ok. I also have Charlene, my cousin, who has become a close friend. And I still have Lauren & Joanna as well. Among all the other wonderful people at church who have become my friends. I feel so blessed in this area as I have needed my friends so in the past. I do not want to leave out the closest person to me, my mom. She has been an amazing strength to me, and I love the friendship we have now in addition to our mother/daughter relationship. Yes, I am blessed indeed! -Becky

May Budget

Becky’s Budget May 2008

Income:
Jason $450
Joshua $170
Daycare $200
Daycare $510 (paid $128 weekly)
Daycare $540 (paid $135 weekly)

Total $1870

Expenses:
Tithe $190
Savings $170
Offering $115
Rent $500
Car Repairs $200
Car insurance $80
Gas for car $120
Allowance $60
Gas & electric bill $200
Phone & online $70
Business supplies $30
Food $115
Non groceries $20
Spending $0
Clothes $0
$1870

Sat. night job $120
Tithe -$12
Freedom account -$76 (towards Christmas ’08 only)
Wed. night dinners -$32


NEED TO INCREASE: FOOD, CLOTHING, & SPENDING!!!
Need to save: 3-6 months emergency fund