Happy Easter

It's been a while since you last heard from me and my accounts of accounting for Fun Dollars. This may come as a shock to many of you, but as of January of this year, we suspended our Fun Dollars. This new turn of events stemmed from our Christmas trip and daughter's birthday, followed closely by our son's birthday all vying to swallow us in the name of consumerism. We had to buy presents. We had to buy cake. We had to buy balloons. We had to pump gas to get across town (or across the country to visit for the holidays.) In our minds, all of those extra expenses were "gimmies". Why wouldn't we buy presents for our kids? Why not save money and drive instead of fly across the country? In light of our extra-extra spending, Corey and I decided we could live without our Fun Dollars until further notice.

Three months have passed, and we still have not budgeted for our Fun Dollars. What we did instead was completely deconstruct our family's finances and start from scratch.

The catalyst of this momentous event came in the form of resignation from Corey's previous job. With no hard feelings, Corey was told that the job he had worked (ridiculously) hard at for nine months was not exactly the right place for him in the company. He was asked to abandon his post with a month's paid salary.

Many of you might be thinking, "PANIC!!!! WHAT WILL WE DO NOW????" I am a stay-at-home house spouse. I have no income whatsoever. We solely rely on Corey to bring home the bacon. Much to my surprise, I felt an overwhelming sense of calm and relief. Working 80+ hours a week and being on-call 24/7 was no longer a part of our family life.

Thankfully, Corey has a massive contacts list, and within days he was interviewing for a position with the insurance company he has been with since he was sixteen, Country Companies.

He was slated to start officially working on March 7, pending a passing score on four exams. This left him at home, with us, studying, and taking care of business that was left hugely undone after our move to the Valley.

As the wife of someone who worked such long hours, and the mother of two, I was just barely able to keep my head above water during our first several months in the Phoenix area. I was just starting to get the hang of it when Corey's time with his old job came to a close. To my relief, he spent the time when he was not studying for his exams cleaning out the garage, organizing closets, and addressing long-forgotten projects. One such project was setting up an online budgeting system...and actually sticking to it.

We reduced our spending. We cancelled a few subscriptions. We decided what was really necessary, and what was realistic. Then...we executed it. That's the hard part. It's the part when you delay a purchase because it's not in the budget. Or you say 'no' to something, even though you want it. Bottle of wine? No thanks. Netflix? Nah. We can live without it. We have Hulu and Amazon. Bam, $9.00 a month back in the bank.

Acting as better stewards of our food by eating what we already have as well as planning meals has saved us $50.00 a week in groceries. $50.00 A WEEK!!!! That's $209 each month we are now ahead. Now, we could go back to our original Fun Dollars allotment, but why? When we are actively building up our bank account, why turn our backs on frugality just to shake hands with consumerism?

For me, I like the challenge. I find ways to budget delicious meals, and make dessert, all within the bounds of our new budget. No longer do I feel the need to eat out at a restaurant. I like what we have at home. (We still budget $20.00 a week for eating out if we so choose, but so far, we have only done that once since setting up the new system.) Since we have a meal plan, I am not panicking about what to make each night. I know I can open the fridge, and have all the ingredients for tonight's meal because we planned for it. Also, since we gave up regular alcohol consumption at the beginning of the month, we don't feel the need to "go out" and indulge. We did enjoy some margaritas over Spring Break, however, and it was with tequila we already had.

With a month of practicing and executing our budget plans, I felt confident as the Easter Holiday loomed ever closer. Each week, we allot a certain amount for non-grocery purchases; the stuff I would buy a Target, like toilet paper, Kleenex, toothpaste, etc.  I was also ahead of the budget for this category since I skipped my weekly Target trip over Spring Break. (Go to Target with two kids? No, thank you.) I asked Corey if a $10.00 Easter budget would be Ok, knowing that I had a little cushion from last week. He agreed.

Many of you might be thinking, "Easter? On $10.00 for two kids??? Impossible." Well, I am here to tell you, it's not only possible, it is essential.

Our children will have a fun and memorable Easter Holiday. They will not "go without". They will have treats and sweets and an Easter outfit for church. Buy "borrowing" another $10.00 from last week's unused budgeted amount, I managed to not only create a cute, pastel, Easter-themed goodie spread for the kids, I also found a way to incorporate BOTH of their church outfits into that budget as well.

I started with what I already had.

Carrick's pants from last year's Easter outfit still fit him and are in good condition. I needed to replace his dress shirt, and (if I found one that worked) a vest as well. Lily has an adorable pink gingham sundress that she inherited that looks like new and she is just now big enough to fit into. All she needed were some cute white shoes or sandals to wear with it. Dress shirt, vest and shoes for the kids cost me a total of $7.00 at two different Goodwill stores. All items were in like-new condition.

Among the other items I "already had" were Easter buckets from last year's community Easter Egg hunt. From this I also scored a boat-load of free Easter eggs, since the kids got to keep the eggs they found. I also had a bag of grass; green and pink. I spent $2.00 at Dollar Tree on two 5oz. bags of Easter chocolate. I filled 26 of the left over Easter Eggs with the candy (and ate 3 of them myself). Yes, each child gets a total of 13 Easter Eggs, that's it. They get to find the eggs, they get what's inside. Do you think they are going to complain that they didn't get more? NO! Because they are going to be so happy with the fact that they are even getting candy they it doesn't matter the amount. And let's face it, parents, less is more with candy, am I right?

At Target, I spent a whopping $10.00 on items to fill the baskets. I bought paintable wooden bird houses for each kiddo. Lily's has a more "girly" look and includes pink, purple and yellow paint, with a brush. Carrick's has blue, yellow and red, the primary colors, which he is a fan of. Not only is it a present, it's a present with purpose. The kids can enjoy the activity of painting, and hanging up their bird houses. I also bought them each a butterfly net. Carrick has been begging me for one ever since the bugs stared popping up more. Watching my kids run around the yard, exploring their world, trying to catch bugs? Yes, please. Both presents are activities, and things they can appreciate, and they are not expensive, fancy or elaborate. Why? Because they don't have to be. Keeping it simple...

I also bought them each a Reese's Pieces carrot, since they are both in love with those little bite-sized drops of peanutbuttery.....mmmm....Where was I? Oh yes...Total on Easter so far: $19.00, and that's where it ends, folks.

The rest is all stuff we already had. I put two springy books in each of their baskets from our book shelves. "Guess How Much I Love You" in Carrick's basket, and "A Child's Garden of Verses" for Lily. One has rabbits on the cover, the other a little girl with a flower garland around her head (it is the same copy I had as a child, so in addition to looking springy, it's also vintage.) I can read to the kids as they paint their bird houses. Tada!!! Memories made. Money saved. That's what it's all about. Oh yeah, and the Easter Bunnies (and Care Bear) were already a part of our stuffed animal collection. THEY DO NOT NEED MORE STUFFED ANIMALS...AND I BET YOUR KIDS DON'T NEED ANYMORE, EITHER. Use what you already have. Your kids will not complain that a sweet friend, a long-forgotten toy, has made a miraculous reappearance for Easter. In fact, you can hide the toys all year long, and only pull them out for the Easter season.

So, I challenge you, this holiday, and every holiday, look at what you already have. Respect your own finances. And remember, those few fleeting minutes or hours of euphoria your kids feel when they open up their Easter baskets is NOT, I repeat, NOT worth breaking your bank over. They will know you love them whether or not they have a chocolate Easter Bunny. And if they don't know that already, an extravagant Easter spread of goodies will only mask it temporarily, and you probably have bigger things to worry about besides saving money. But to all of you who have children who know they are loved, make that the real message, on any holiday. Holidays are about family. Not things. Not treats. Not toys and eggs. Get creative, and make an Easter that everyone will remember.

Gone in 60 Hours

Last week, we received a new installment of Fun Dollars. This pay cycle I only pulled out $80 for myself. The reason for the reduction in my own Fun Dollars amount is simple: I started using the Beach Body program, and their "Shakeology" is $120 for a month's supply. Corey graciously told me to order the program; including Shakeology, the 21 Day Fix as well as streaming Beach Body on Demand (their online workout video collection.) He told me that taking $20 out of my Fun Dollars each pay cycle would be what I would normally spend on things like ice cream and Burger King. Since I was determined not to spend my Fun Dollars on junk food with this new program, I happily agreed. (Plus it is a drop in the bucket towards defraying the cost of the Skakeology each month.)

With this 21 Day Fix set to arrive in the mail any day, I was more determined than ever to be successful with it; and that meant removing ALL temptation. I knew exactly where to start...Skateland!

Skateland is one of the more entertaining family outings we have discovered. Carrick's school hosted a fund-raiser there the week before he left. I had never been to Skateland, but had driven by it on multiple occasions. I was thrilled at the chance to finally have a reason to go. (I spent many a day at Scottie's Skateland in Quincy, IL as a youth.) Mostly I was intimidated by the thought of taking two children to a skating rink. Carrick is/was still new on his skates. I knew I would have to be available for him "just in case". I also wondered whether or not Lily could even participate. But with this school fund raiser, I figured there would be lots of other parents and children there. So, if Lily couldn't skate, maybe she could find someone to play with.

As it turned out, Lily was actually able to rent toddler skates that fit over her shoes. They also had "skate mates", a PVC pipe walker on wheels, basically. She practically ran around the rink armed with her stable skates and her crutch. Carrick on the other hand, refused to use a skate mate, or his mother's helping hand. His friends from school were there, and he insisted on avoiding me. "No, mom, I can do it on my own!" This was essentially my first foray into the world of "geez mom, don't embarrass me in front of my friends." He did crash out, landing on his backside dozens of times, but he always recovered.

The kids had such a blast at the fundraiser that we went back two days later for Customer Appreciation Day, which included free admission! While we were there, I played the game "Red Light/Green Light". I wasn't the only parent playing, either. I had fun chatting with the other parents lined up against the back wall before we started. I ended up winning free admission for me and the kids for the next week on Wednesday.

Wednesday (of last week) was two days in to the new pay cycle, and I had $80.00 in my wallet. It was also Carrick's "visit day" at his new Montessori School. I told him we would go back to Skateland to celebrate him going to a new school (and use our free admission.) As soon as we walked through the door at the skating rink, some kid in a school uniform of khaki shorts and a navy polo said, "Hey, buddy!" to Carrick. I asked him, "do you know that kid?"

"Yeah! He goes to Montessori!" Carrick replied.

Moments later, we saw a little girl. Carrick's face lit up, "Hey, Lily!" He turned to me, "Mom! Her name is Lily, just like my sister! AND she's in my class at the Montessori school!!!!" I recognized the girl from when we were there a week ago, on Thursday. After putting on the kids' skates, and my own, I saw one of the same parents who played Red Light/Green Light last week also. He came up to me and said, "I heard your son is going to the Montessori School." I smiled and said yes. "My wife teaches there, Miss Nicole. She's the aide in your son's classroom. All 4 of my kids go there."

I thought, wow...small world. In 50 days of going to the "other" school, we never ONCE saw someone he knew from school out in public. Here we are, after just one visit day at the new school, and I ran in to 5 kids (Lily was someone else's kid) from Carrick's new school. I took this as a sign that I made the right decision about where he attends class.

As I zoomed around the skating rink, with the wind hitting my face, I knew things were going to get better. All the stress from Carrick's old school would soon diminish. He was making friends, and I was hearing great things about his new school. Lily and Carrick amused themselves with snacks from the concession stand as I skated by myself, letting go of everything, just being one with the movement. It felt so good.

Afterwards, we went out for pizza. The next day I treated them to one last fling of Burger King (for breakfast AND after school snack...no, I don't normally do that.) I spent as much of my Fun Dollars as I could. I didn't want anything left over to tempt me in my new endeavor.

On Friday, I went on a Goodwill shopping spree. I bought Carrick "new" polos, pants, belts, shoes, a hoodie, and a hat to wear to his new school. I put them in a gift bag when I got home and wrote him a card, telling him how proud we are of him. I also bought Lily a few new dolls, hats and shoes while Goodwill shopping too. We made it to FOUR different Goodwills last Friday! I used my Fun Dollars for every purchase.

I started this week with $2.00 in my wallet. They stayed there until yesterday when I ate half a slice of cheese pizza at Costco with Lily for lunch. Don't worry, they account for cheese pizza in the eating program that goes along with the Beach Body challenge I am working on. I wasn't cheating. But the good news is, my Fun Dollars are gone for the weekend...no ice cream splurges here. Then I get a new installment next Monday, just in time for my Sister Visit Trip to Chicago! (So, yes, there may be *some* splurging, but only in moderation...I still want that beach body!)

Admission to Skateland, skate rental, snacks, pizza afterward, Burger King for breakfast and lunch, Goodwill shopping spree, and Costco pizza- $80.00

Balance this pay cycle- $0.00

Happy Spending!

A Trip to the City

Ever since we picked up "Nana" and "Dedah" from the airport over a week ago, Carrick has done nothing but chime the wonders of the Lite Rail. In the past year, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport built an elevated tram system (similar to the monorail at Disney World) to transport passengers from the Metro Lite Rail system to the airport. We watched in awe as they constructed a bridge that towered over the rest of the airport, wondering what it would be. Bit by bit, the construction was completed, and the bridge's use was revealed.

I decided that instead of endure endless questions about the Lite Rail from Carrick, I could just indulge his curiosity and actually take him on a ride. I knew that he would dearly love to use the Sky Train, but the problem was the transportation from our car to the Sky Train station. There is no parking, just a massive carport for drop-offs, either by car or by city bus. I would have to park at the next nearest "Park and Ride" station, buy a ticket, ride the rail to the Sky Train station, and get off.

I did my research online about rates and schedules. I also called an attendant to make sure I understood everything. After all, if I was going to take my kids on a field trip through the city using public transportation, I needed to know I was getting on the right train, and not taking us somewhere unknown.

Lily is clutching her "ticket".

After school, I picked up Carrick and surprised him with our outing. We first stopped at Burger King were I put some mailer coupons to good use. The kids were also surprised that Burger King had a play place. This was their first experience with one that wasn't at a McDonald's (which they have only experienced twice ever.)

With full tummies, we headed out to Central Phoenix. I got slightly lost, but thanks to GPS, I made my way to the 38th Street Park and Ride. We parked, purchased tickets (to ride all of 6 blocks) and waited for the Mesa Eastbound to arrive. After alighting at 44th street, we climbed up the stairs to enter the massive, air-conditioned world of the Sky Train station.


It is still a fairly new facility, but it is streamlined and efficient. A passenger can either be dropped off at the station by a friend, or can ride a city bus or a Lite Rail train to the Sky Train Station. (There is no parking lot.) Once inside the station, you can print your boarding pass at a kiosk, buy a bottle of water, and use the restroom. It seemed like a vast building compared to the amount of usage it might see at one time, but I guess that adds to its impressiveness.

On the uppermost level of the Sky Train station, there are rows of automatic doors on each side. A "train" (a two-capsule tram) arrives every 4 minutes. The children and I watched the automated flashing announcement scroll across the arrival board above the doors "Next train arriving in 3 minutes". The train arrived and the doors slid open. We quickly scrambled inside. We were the only passengers in the second capsule. I felt like I was in a space ship, or a citizen in a Star Wars movie. The kids hurried from one seat to the other until the voice chimed, "Please hold on", and the tram took off at surprising speed.

I could not believe how quickly the tram increased velocity! I had to actually hang on! It zipped down the incline towards the airport. We rounded a bend, and then, for the fun part, we elevated high up over everything crossing the "sky bridge". This was part of the construction of the Sky Train that had me burning with curiosity. As they built it, I saw this concrete structure towering over the airport and wondered, "what the heck are they building? Is it a monorail? Are cars going to use it?" It captivated my imagination. Now I was ON it!!!! It seriously was like being on a roller coaster! Being that high up and going the speed we were going pumped a bit of adrenaline through my body.

The kids and I had giant smiles on our faces as the female voice announced, "Terminal 4", and the tram slowed to a stop. We rode to the end of the line at Terminal 3, and then exited the Sky Train. We could have stayed on because the capsule we were in just started running backwards to return to the Sky Train station. The capsules are driverless; they all run on computer and sensors. We waited for three more minutes until the next tram arrived. We rode it to the end of the line and exited.

As we walked across the enclosed glass bridge over Washington Street, I was brimming with pride. My two little tykes were perfectly behaved for this incredible adventure into the city. It was no small thing for me to take them (alone, Corey was at work) on a Lite Rail I had never used before, transfer them safely, and get back to the car. I was so impressed with how well they listened and stayed with me. No running off, no meltdowns, no whining, just rapt attention to what was going on around them, taking it all in.

I gave each of the kids a high five as we headed back to the car. "Well done," I said, "You guys are officially city kids."

Morning donuts- $3.00
Lunch at Costco with Lily- $4.00
Tickets to ride the Lite Rail- $6.00
After school snack at Burger King- $7.00
Bottled water at the Sky Train station- $2.00

Balance this pay cycle- $6.00

Happy Spending!

A Purse Full of Fun Dollars

Now that I have outfits that I love, courtesy of my Goodwill shopping spree, I could now cruise the mall in confidence. In truth, I was avoiding checking out the Chandler Fashion Center just because I didn't really like what was in my closet.  If I am going shopping, I want to look as if I actually go shopping. (A fresh coat of mascara can only take the outfit so far...)

With rain in the forecast for Wednesday afternoon, we (my parents and I) made plans to explore the mall next to their hotel. Never before have I ever lived in the same town as a mall, so having a shopping mecca like the Chandler Fashion Center just a few exits from my house seems surreal. "You mean Pottery Barn and Nordstrom are just right here???" I still am having trouble wrapping my small-town girl mind around that one.

I wasn't on a mission to drop a bunch of cash at the mall, I just wanted to explore. I wanted to wander through some stores and just get a feel for the place. I did have a small, very short list of some supplemental items that Goodwill just couldn't supply; (cute) hair ties, something for my lips, and a key chain that has a clip (so that I can keep my car keys in the car running while I pop out to get the mail at our complex.) I had an idea for each of these items of where I wanted to shop. After spending several shopping sessions with my sister in Schaumberg at Woodfield Mall, I felt more acquainted with stores I was otherwise unfamiliar with.

I knew I could find cheap lip gloss at Forever 21. I don't go there for clothes (mostly because I don't really like their fashions,) but, as my sister so wisely states, "It's good for the basics." I can buy a handful of plain cami tank tops for a few dollars each. (I think they ring in at $1.90 or some ridiculous price like that.) Or a thin cardigan to keep me warm in all the icy air that is pumped through every edifice in town. I know that I can find inexpensive accessories there also. The hair ties were cute and sophisticated at the same time, so I snagged a card off the shelf with gold and silver pairings for $2.90. I also promised Lily that I would buy her her own lip gloss if she would stay in the stroller while I shopped. She did, and so a pink lip gloss became hers for $1.90. I also took one home for me in the same color.

After indulging Lily in a trip through "the pink store" (a.k.a. Victoria's Secret), we headed upstairs in the glass elevator to level 2. There I found an Icing store. I love this grown-up version of Claire's. I can find earrings, sunglasses, hats, scarves, and, yes, classy-looking key chains relatively inexpensively. I remembered seeing a collection of glittery key chains at the Icing in the Woodfield Mall the last time I shopped with my sister. Thankfully, nationally accessible stores carry the same wares in every store. They did indeed have the key chain I was looking for. After debating between a turquoise fish and an anchor, I chose the anchor. I am very happy with this decision. I no longer loose my dark key set in my purse. The glitter from the anchor alerts me, "here are your keys, dear!" And the key chain came with a clip, so I can easily unhook my P.O. box keys while leaving the air conditioning on in the car.


As I sat in the parent pit, I mean, play place, watching Carrick and Lily frolic with other kids, I snapped this picture. The purse; bought with Fun Dollars. The wallet; purchased with Fun Dollars. Hair ties, lip gloss and key chain, all the products of Fun Dollars at work. I love looking at my purse and seeing it filled with my decisions. Each of these items came from me choosing to part with my Fun Dollars. There are no regrets, no feelings of guilt about spending, just pride in knowing, "These are mine. I chose them, I bought them, I use them." Happy Spending indeed. 




Key chain at Icing- $10
2 Lip glosses and hair ties at Forever 21- $7.00
Wetzel's Pretzel for the kids to split- $3

Balance this pay cycle- $28.00

Happy Spending

Less is More

Of course, after I preach the virtues of restraint, what do I do? I go on a shopping spree (ish). You'd think that with any and every store imaginable in a ten-minute radius that I would be able to find somewhere more interesting to shop than Goodwill. Wasn't there a Goodwill in Sedona? Isn't that where I spent quite a few Fun Dollars in my past life???

Yes, and yes. Which is why I felt comfortable taking my Fun Dollars there yesterday. With mom and dad in town visiting, I was handed a golden opportunity to go shopping. Mom makes a great shopping buddy and dad is a fabulous baby sitter! My mother shops almost exclusively at thrift stores. She marvels at her ability to find just about anything at rock-bottom prices at places like Goodwill. She and I were on the same mission: create a new wardrobe.

Mom packed lightly for this trip, mostly because she had already purged many of her clothes from her closet. She had amassed a collection of things that no longer felt right on her, clothes that felt worn out, out-dated and "not her" anymore. I too purged much of my closet before moving. After holding two garage sales, I was in the "get rid of it" state of mind. Anything and everything that did not make me feel my best when I put it on was taken straight to the donation center.

One of the first things mom asked me after claiming her bags at the airport was, "Do you have any Goodwills near where you live now?" I wanted to laugh...

We have about 7 Goodwills within a 7 mile radius! No joke! Goodwill down here is as ubiquitous as Starbucks! There's one on every corner is seems like! The store I chose for our girl's-day-out-shopping-spree was the newly opened Goodwill at Priest Rd and Elliot. It is the size of a Marshall's store, with the selection of a Marshall's store to boot.

With a bigger population, there is greater diversity of goods. There are not just retired folks donating here (like in Sedona). There are college students from ASU getting rid of things after the semester is over. There are young women who are shopaholics bringing in their designer duds. Suffice it to say, when I went tearing through the aisles, there was not shortage of things for me to try on.

Just one of the six shirts I scored at Goodwill.

I decided to stick with just buying shirts for this outing. I have four pairs of solid-colored linen shorts from Banana Republic and I rotate through them (and two pairs of leggings) for what I wear on the bottom. I had been cycling through the same few shirts just because they were the only things left that I could wear with solid colored shorts.  I thought starting from the base of shorts, it would be easy to find shirts that coordinated with them. After an hour of trying on several dozen tops, I found 6 that really worked for me and my existing wardrobe. I also scored two purses and a sun hat.

When I came home yesterday after my shopping spree, I matched up shorts and tops. My closet looks so happy now with six new outfits! It's a small start, but it will get me through the week looking and feeling my best. Paying $3.99 for an almost new Express shirt feels good. Getting a whole bag full of name-brand tops for $3.99 each feels even better. Paying less and getting more, now that's what I'm talkin' about!





6 shirts, 2 purses and a sun hat at Goodwill- $35.00

bottled water from Circle K- $4.00

Lunch at Jimmy John's- $6.00

Balance this pay cycle- $48.00

Happy Spending!

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

We are moved. We are (mostly) unpacked. We have a new couch. Our new bed frame is set for delivery today. Life is good.

I have spent my entire life living in small towns. The largest of them being Cottonwood, AZ. Corey and I spent our first six months in Arizona living in Cottonwood. The approximate population of that particular area, I believe is in the 60,000 range (give or take a few hundred snowbirds.) Sedona, AZ and Macomb, IL were the next biggest cities I have called home, with around 20,000 people each. Now, compare the size of those three towns to where we live now, boasting 6 million people; that's a lot of people.

Lots of people means lots of commerce. The options for places to spend Fun Dollars is limitless. If I saved up all of my Fun Dollars for a month, I could buy a plane ticket to visit my sister. Why not, when the airport is 15 minutes away? Or I could go to IKEA and redo a room of our new home. After all, it's just across town, just down the street. Or we could go out to eat, but the question is where? Do we want Cuban, Caribbean, or Korean for dinner? OR I could just take the kids to a water park, or an amusement park on the weekend, and spend half my Fun Dollars on carnival rides. Really, the only limit to me spending my Fun Dollars is my own budget. Whatever I can dream up to do, we can go do. It's all here.

With the endless list of possible places to park my cash comes a huge responsibility. I cannot just pass off cooking supper each night and instead go out to eat. I cannot just drive to the Chandler Fashion Center and buy a whole new wardrobe for myself. I cannot just take the kids to Castles and Coasters every weekend. There must be some restraint.

Thank Goodness I have been tracking my Fun Dollars for a year and a half and have now developed the skill and art of spending discernment. I truly believe that this move was properly timed. Had we moved a year ago, yeah I could have handled it, but I still had much to learn about my spending habits. Even if we had moved six months ago, I think I still would have felt the need to make bigger, more exciting purchases, even if it was just for the sake of writing about it here on the Fun Dollars blog. I would have blown through my money way too quickly if we had moved much earlier than what we did.

The past three weeks since we moved, I have been exploring neighborhoods, discovering parks, and investigating places to shop. Instead of just making a purchase automatically, I have instead held back and shopped around for the best deals (for household purchases, not Fun Dollar purchases. We only just "turned on" the Fun Dollars budget again this week.) Shopping around was a luxury not really afforded before. In Cottonwood, there was Wal-Mart, JC Penny, Home Depot, and several local eateries worth frequenting. In Sedona, there was Beall's Outlet, Goodwill, and a Gap Outlet, with several other local places worth checking out for shopping/eating. If we wanted any more options outside of what I just listed, we had to drive 45 minutes to Flagstaff. That's where Marshall's, Target, Old Navy, the Mall, Kohl's, etc. were all located. Since it took a day's worth of commitment to go shopping at these places, I had to have an actual need to drive that far to justify the cost of travel. I would have to feed myself while I was out all day. I would have to have a list long enough to make the trip worth my while, thereby making spending almost a necessity just to get variety.

Here in Phoenix, the variety is all just minutes away. I can drive down the street to Bed, Bath and Beyond to check the price of sheets for our new bed, then walk next door to compare the prices at Marshall's. If I don't like what I see, it's not a big deal, because I haven't wasted an entire day just driving to these places to check on prices. I can turn right around and drive to Target or Ross today, tomorrow, or the next day because they are only seven minutes away. (Which is exactly what I did yesterday.) I am no longer limited by time and distance. They have become my allies.

Before, when we needed to do more extended shopping outside of the Sedona area, we would have to pack snacks, or plan a cheap meal out (usually at Taco Bell.) Now, we have a home right in the middle of everything. We can go shopping in one area, head home for a snack, then go right back out to another part of town. It's no longer a gamble for the kids getting hungry, or me needing a little pick-me-up. I can accomplish much of what I need to do during the hours that Carrick is at school. I can run some laundry, go out shopping, come back home to do dishes, and still have time to relax while Lily naps before picking up Carrick. I don't have to spend a majority of my day in the car driving to accomplish what I need to get done, thereby maximizing the time I spend with one kiddo at home.

I am really looking forward to the next few months of spending my Fun Dollars. It is going to be a whole new adventure! (By the way, did any of you see the new tagline for Fun Dollars? It's now "Adventures in Spending".) I am super-excited to track and observe my spending habits in this new environment. New challenges, new "wants", new stores and eateries all beckon for me to come and be a part of this spending adventure!

Plate of Orange and Teriyaki Chicken at Panda Express- $7.00

Balance this pay cycle- $93.00

Happy Spending!

Settling In...

We moved...*snap* just like that.

Remember earlier this summer when I posted about our "impromptu" trip to Mexico? Well, it was sort of like that. Corey called me on his way back from Phoenix last Friday and said we should rent a U-Haul and move this weekend. He had just signed the lease on our new place and had keys and a garage door opener.

Really? Now? Are you crazy? We just paid rent for August (in Sedona), and you want to move now?

Well, I guess it's a good thing I had been preparing for this moment all summer long. Packing, decluttering, donating, hosting two garage sales, and more packing...It was the moment of truth. Had my diligence with my summer task of "packing as if we were moving" paid off? Yes, a resounding YES!!!!

We did rent a U-Haul the very next day, around 5pm, actually. Niccole took Carrick to her house for one last sleepover, and another friend of ours came over to help us start loading up the truck. I staged what was ready to load, she and Corey did the loading. We worked until about 9 that night.

The next day, our friend came back over around 9 in the morning with her two children. The kids ran around with Lily for a while, then another friend of ours showed up to help (also with her two children.) Shortly after her arrival, Niccole brought Carrick home, and we added two more 6-year-olds to the mix (and two more adult helping hands, Niccole, and her husband.) Together, with four ladies and two dudes, we all loaded up the truck, packed and cleaned our house.

We didn't totally finish all of it, but the help was more appreciated than our friends will ever know. Without them, it would have taken Corey and me so much longer (especially with the kids.) Having all the other kids around was like a party for them. They all played well and kept each other occupied so the adults could forge ahead with the moving-out process.

The group dispersed around 3. We were all exhausted and the kids needed a nap. After an hour of siesta time, Corey and I finished loading up the van. We left Sedona around 6. By 11:30 that night, we were in our new home and the van was empty (thanks to the help of one of Corey's Phoenix friends.)

As I laid there in my bed, tired, run-down, and aching, I couldn't help but smile. This felt like home. The room, the house, the neighborhood, all of it. There was something comforting and familiar about the place we had chose to live in.

So, why so sudden? Why not make trips back and forth and slowly move in all month? Why didn't I tell Corey to stuff it when he said, "Hey! Let's just pack up and move this weekend"?

One word: Family.

I have been living the life of a single mom all summer long. My husband has been in Phoenix living in hotels all summer long. We have not seen each other enough. The kids miss him. He is lonely. We just all needed to be together as a family as quickly as possible. Yeah, I could have drove some loads of stuff down to Phoenix and then packed up a U-Haul with just furniture at the end. But, I gotta say, after one trip back to do some cleaning the day after we moved, it was torture!!! I could have done it just find by myself, but I had both kids with me. The two-hour trip there and back, the mess in the house, no TV or toys to play with while mom takes care of business all make for two very cranky kiddos. (And cranky kiddos tend to make cranky mommies. It's a lose/lose situation.)

Also, because we put in our 30-day notice with our rental company, they want to start showing our property to potential renters. The thought of having to pack, watch two kids and keep the house tidy enough to show gives me hives. The faster we vacate, the better. It's one less stressor in my life during this time of major transition.

So, we are getting our boxes unpacked. The house is slowly becoming a home. The kids have been able to play on the playground just across the driveway as well as dip in the community pool. Corey has been able to enjoy a quick commute to work, then come home to his wife and kids. We are all under one roof now, and that's what really matters.