Busy Beaver Budget

Wow, its amazing how fast the summer has gone.

The BusyBeaver household went full steam into summer activities.  Travel, vacation, summer camp, birthdays, swimming. It seemed like it would never end.

All this summer fun does come with a decent price tag (although it doesn't have to).

That got me thinking about my budget.  What lessons could I impart about maintaining your sanity while running a household?

Income -  I've worked very hard to get my financial position where it is today.  I've gone from lower paying jobs to seeking higher and higher pay.  While none of these fill my soul, they do fill my son's mouth with food.  I've been on WIC, I've applied for welfare.  Luckily, I didn't have to use those programs long. They are designed to help out those who find themselves in a difficult time.

It was  a big humble pill to swallow.

Being a single parent, most of the financial burden falls on me. Yes, I receive child support, but that only helps. We cannot live off that.

So first, evaluate your income.  While you may be comfortable where you are at, is there an opportunity to branch out and maybe earn more? Could you pursue your hobby and sell some items on the side for a little more cash flow?

Next, and by farthest the biggest part, expenses. Bills. The worst part of checking the mail box.

We'll break this down into several parts.

Household expenses (rent/mortgage, utility bills, etc) things that stay pretty steady

Living expenses (grocery, fuel/gas, etc) things that fluctuate cost from time to time

Outstanding debt (student loans, credit cards)

Household expenses - While you have some control over where you live and therefore how much rent you can afford, there is always the opportunity to look into cost savings.  Renting from a private owner rather than a large corporation often times means no yearly rent increase.  My current landlady has not changed my rent in the 5 years I've lived here. She's an awesome property owner.  She lives next door, so if I have any problems, I just notify her and she resolves them quickly.

Private renting comes with risks.  You may get a non-responsive landlord, one who doesn't fix anything even though the contract says they will. It pays to do your homework.

Electrics/water/trash bills- There is a lot more competition these days for utilities. Price shop. Do the little extra bit of legwork  and you can save lots of money. I recently switched my trash pick up company and went from  $160/quarter to $75/quarter.

Living expenses - There are some amazing apps out there to help you save money.  Like GasBuddy, which lets you know what the prices in your area are, and the trends of rising or falling gas prices.  Apps to save you money on groceries are a dime a dozen, but here are a few more popular ones; ibotta, basket, and Favado.

Online shopping also has many ways to save money. If you regularly use Amazon, sign up for Amazon Prime to save on shipping. Honey helps you save on online purchases, including Amazon.

Outstanding Debt - Typically the most unpleasant part of being a responsible adult.  Paying back those student loans and credit card debts. If you are like me, you may have several student loans and or credit cards. Trying to keep track of each one, and their different due dates is mind boggling.

My best solution at the time was loan consolidation. This is not the best choice for everyone. There are many more options today to deal with your loans than 20 years ago.

For instance to get an idea of where to get started check out the following sites:

• Student Loan Hero
• Nerd Wallet
• Earnest

These are just a few of the many options available if you do an internet search for "How can I reduce my student loans."

Just a quick review of the sites:

• Student Loan Hero - A very well put together site.  It is full of information about consolidating your loans, refinancing, and overall how to get the most of the tools you use to finally pay off those loans. They have an ongoing blog of useful tips and reviews of your different options.  I really wish this was around when I was working through my own student loan consolidation process. I would have made a much different decision (maybe its never too late to change my mind).
• Nerd Wallet - This is geared more towards credit cards, but they do have some information on student and personal loans as well. Calculators, lender rates and some tips on how to lower your payments can be found here.
• Earnest- This site offers information as well as refinancing through Earnest.  
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Also available upon searching were bank options and opinions on their consolidation/refinancing and loan services. I advise you to thoroughly read each one carefully and decide for yourself which option is best.

Extra expenses - Outside of bills, the next area to consider is extra expenses. Where can you afford to go cheaper?  Where can you not?  I tend to have a certain level of quality I'm willing to accept depending on where my finances are.  Name brands can be sacrificed.  Organic is nice but not entirely necessary if you are extra broke this month.  Aldi has re-branded itself as a quality and economic choice for organic options.  It is worth a try!  Farmers markets offer fantastic item choices at prices that are often cheaper than chain stores.  I've written about my local Spice Rack store where I get all my dry goods that are better and far cheaper than the chain store versions.  

Thrift stores are the trend right now to get clothing. There's even a online thrift stores.

I haven't bought clothing from the mall stores in years.  

All these little savings in your life can help save up for that car repair, or new bicycle.  Certainly traveling on a budget has gotten easier with couch surfer and airbnb.  Not to mention if you want to camp and shirk at paying camping fees, there are many campsites that are free (first come first serve).  

Cheaper traveling options often bring you a more memorable experience without the padded cost.  Do you really need a luxury hotel? Or would a rented private room suffice? Hostels are not scary, and some even cater to a more family friendly atmosphere.

Like everything in life these days, it really does pay to do your research.

What are your favorite ways to save money and enjoy life more? Leave comments below!

Wow, its amazing how fast the summer has gone.

Forbearance February 2017

Happy Ground Hog Day!

No shadows here!!! 

Once again its time for The Busy Beaver Mom to participate in Forbearance February.
For those just tuning in.... why give up something for a whole month? Just to see if I can do it!  Of course I pick the shortest month though.

In the past I've given up Facebook, chocolate, and coffee.... this year I'm doing something truly challenging.

Television.

I gave up cable TV years ago.  We weren't watching the tons of programs we were DVRing, and we were just too busy in the BusyBeaver household to be home when the shows we wanted to watch were on.

So now we have Netflix and Amazon Prime, which is what I'll be giving up. (I hear a "Noooooooo" from the background as my son laments my decision.)

This affects him as well.  Usually we are watching one of his favorite programs during dinner.  My giving up television programs takes away his only screen time during the week.

Now, I won't take away his screen time all together, as little as he gets. He'll still be able to play video games and Skype via the Xbox with his cousin in North Carolina.  The last Skype was 5 hours long.
How 2 nine year old boys can talk about Lego figures for 5 hours is beyond me.

Now, I love having the TV on in the background as I clean or do other tasks.  It livens up an otherwise quiet household. Of course quiet household  is subjective between the dogs barking and the cats growling and hissing at the kitten, but you get my point.

So goodbye Netflix and plethora of DVDs, I'll see you in March.

So what will I be doing instead of watching TV?

Let's see, catching up on my reading in my newly organized reading nook. 

I love my inherited chair!

Or work on some crocheting and knitting. 

Here's Shadow, the kitten I found in the road. 

Getting bigger every day and loves to interfere with my knitting and crocheting. 

 String and moving sticks are so much fun!

Maybe spend my time designing another tattoo. 

  

Yes that's a real tattoo.  I designed it last year. 

There are tons of things I should do during the day/weekends that are neglected due to me spending my free time with "Netflix and Chill". Don't be fooled, Netflix and Chill for me is sweatpants, a couch, and total vegging out. When I actually get the time to relax. 

So maybe my garden planning will get done sooner. Or maybe I'll post more frequent updates on the blog. 

The possibilities are endless ;)

Speaking of possibilities, how are those New Year's resolutions going? If you want to work out more, but don't think its fun.... check out this card game my friend developed.  Give CardFit a try! 

Maybe I'll even start working out in my extra no TV time!

Laundry Time!

Just a quick post about the chaos that is my house. :)
So our washing machine is out of commission, and I have procured a replacement but have not yet done the switch in moving the machines around.
So what do you do when you run out of underwear? Have a laundry lesson.

So first I picked up a bar of soap. As a busy beaver mom who loves natural, eco-friendly products... I chose Dr. Bronner's Organic Castile Bar Soap.. almond scent.

So we took the laundry that needed done... upstairs to the bathroom. I have a large green tub from IKEA

This is what my son did his laundry in. I used the bathtub. 

Next, I filled both with hot water and broke out the bar of soap. 

Hand scrubbing the clothes was fun. While we did the laundry I explained how this is how they did laundry in old fashioned times. (He loves everything old-timey)

Also, I explained that when you go camping for extended periods of time, you're not going to have a washing machine around, and this is what you do if you need clean underwear or socks. 

Overall, a fun and excellent learning experience. 

Luckily the dryer works, so we were able to toss the rung out clothes in the dryer and continue onto our Saturday night activities. 

Stray Kitten.

Well it certainly has been busy here in the busy beaver household.
It started last month....

While Saturday went off without a hitch and I actually got my living room cleaned to the level I wanted....
Sunday went totally off-script.
I was taking my son to his dad's house after breakfast with the grandparents, when I saw a small shape in the middle of the road. I stopped the car,  and proceeded to pick up (with out any argument or fight) a small gray kitten.

Estimated age: 7 weeks old

**** Disclaimer: I was a Vet Tech/Assistant for several years and feel comfortable with the treatment options I pursued. ALWAYS check with your vet! This is just what I did for the kitten I found.*******

Luckily I had a box in my car so we managed to put him in there. Upon returning home, I took care of his major problems.
* Severe Flea Anemia
* Ear Mites
* Intestinal Worms (guessing by his big belly)
* Severely malnourished/underweight
* Upper respiratory infection
* Goopy Eyes

First a bath. Can't get rid of flea anemia without getting rid of the fleas.
I bathed him in plain warm water and then a little dawn dish soap.... rinse with diluted apple cider vinegar (fleas hate that).

(DO NOT USE over the counter flea products. Those can kill your kitten!!!)

Of course, since I submerged his body, all the fleas ran to the top of his head. Poor little guy.... so I caught them with my fingernails and squished or drowned as many as I could.
Toweled him off and fed him next... some kitten milk replacer (kmr) formula, and canned cat food. Trying for maximum calories.

Ears.... cleaned out his ears the best I could, but as it was Sunday, the vet wasn't open to get ear meds.
I also used sterile eye wash and cotton pads to clear away as much of the yellow eye discharge that I could.

I isolated the kitten in a dog crate with a litter box, polar fleece blankets and food and water.. plus my son donated a stuffed animal to keep it company.

At this point I wasn't sure if the kitten was going to make it, the flea anemia was pretty severe. His gums were pure white.

I also washed the blankets and towels I used for transport and bath and threw the box outside. Don't want those pesky fleas in my house.
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Monday: Day 2 of the kitten extravaganza
Kitten still has a great appetite and a huge belly.
I went to tractor supply to get some more supplies. I noticed they had Terramycin, which is great for eye infections. So I applied that 2 x a day for 10 days.  (I noticed a difference within 24 hrs, but as with antibiotics you have to finish the due course.)

I also picked up some pyrantel pamoate. I remembered from vet tech days that this was the dewormer of choice.  I couldn't remember the dosage, so I gave a small amount. (proper dose for a small kitten is about 1/2 cc squirted in the mouth of 50mg/ml)

Day 3- 5: Kitten is getting stronger and stronger. Eating well, and overall doing very well. Gave a second bath to get rid of more fleas.
I put diluted lavender oil on all my other pets to deter the fleas from traveling to them.
Day 6: Vet appointment.
Kitten did have ear mites, and intestinal parasites. Flea anemia is much better but still has a few fleas left.
I chose not to test for FELV/FIV at this time.
- I felt his flea anemia was still recovering and needed his blood.
- My strictly indoor cats are older 10-12 years old, and not much risk for them if they contract those diseases at this point.

We did not give him his vaccines yet either. His immune system was already compromised with the upper respiratory infection.  He did receive an antibiotic injection though, and some Revolution.
Revolution is awesome for cats because:
- kills ear mites
- kills fleas
- kills intestinal parasites (roundworms and hookworms)
- kills heartworms in cats (not too worried about that right now)

So it took care of most of his problems up front.

Fast forward to another week..... he's gained weight and getting bigger. Definitely more energetic and playful as my older cats will begrudgingly attest to. (They're not too sure about this THING I brought into the house.)  He is recovered from his goopy eyes, and flea anemia (nice pink gums!).
Still an occassional sneeze here and there, but all in all, a healthy kitten. NOW to get him his shots, and eventually neuter him.

Whether he'll stay with us or get a different permanent home is unclear.... I really don't need extra pets right now... but the kitten is cute... and loves to snuggle with the BusyBeaverMom....

We're still arguing over a proper name.......purrmeister is sitting by my head as I type...

Ten Thousand Villages!

My sister moved to North Carolina a few summers ago. When I went to visit her, I found this wonderful store called Ten Thousand Villages.

The store features jewelry, art, baskets and other home goods, furniture, games, singing bowls, ornaments, and really too many items for me to list them all here.

The items are beautiful and colorful. My favorite thing about the store though is that its all fair trade.
Decent wages for artisans across the globe. None of the child labor in sweat shops to produce the plastic garbage sold at many chain retail stores.

I've listed some of my favorite picks from today's browsing through the online store.
They also have a sale going on right now... 20% off.  A decent deal for those early holiday shoppers out there.

20% off 1 regularly price item

I tend to procrastinate and wait for Cyber Monday, thus utilizing my Amazon Prime Membership and getting fantastic deals....  But each Christmas I try to get less and less commercial and more heart felt. Maybe this year will be exclusively from Ten Thousand Villages (with an exception here and there for special items for my son. I don't think I can get a punching bag through them.)

Here are just a few of my favorite items when recently visited the store....

• Sari Everyday Bag
• 
• Price: $19.50

• Colorful Lightweight Pins 'Flower Power Hair Pins'
• 
• Price: $7.50

• Shesham Wood Puzzle ''I Love You' Puzzle'
• 
• Price: $24.99

• 'Amazon Memories Earrings'
• 
• Price: $59.99

• 'Tree of Light Pendant'
• 
• Price: $175.00

• Silver Earrings 'Infinity Knot Earrings'
• 
• Price: $39.99

• Pearls & Silver Earrings 'Pearl Earrings'
• 
• Price: $29.00

 
If you feel inspired to visit the Ten Thousand Villages online store through one of my links and decide to purchase something from there, as an affiliate marketer I can receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you).  Thanks for your support!

Spice Rack & Bulk Foods

Today I'm going to talk about the secret of my kitchen.  What makes all the delicious meals here in the Busy Beaver Household.

Its the ingredients!

My array of spices, real butter, fresh eggs and other ingredients that I get from Spice Rack & Bulk Foods.
A local dry goods store.

I first saw them at 2nd St. Market, a local farmers market in an old train depot.  They then expanded to a store in my hometown. EVEN BETTER! It's on the way home from work, so I can get any missing ingredients from there on my way home.

Now, I haven't bought traditional store bought eggs in years. In fact, I can't stand the taste of eggs from my grocery store anymore. That's because I've been buying my eggs from Spice Rack, and they are just better!
They are fresher, and I believe they are pasture/grass fed. No matter how they do it, the eggs just taste awesome.

Then there's the butter! Amish roll butter to be exact. I don't know about you, but real butter makes everything taste better.
In fact, I only cook with olive oil and butter. No margarine in this house.

I use instant oatmeal, raw sugar and dried apples from there to make my own instant oatmeal.  This is much cheaper than the packets.

Their quinoa and chia seeds are at the best prices I've seen around town!

There's cheddar cheese powder for popcorn, instant yeast, flour. Anything you could possibly need for baking, even rarer items like arrow root powder.

I won't list every single item, as you can see the list can be quite exhaustive... but I will say, they are my GO TO place for spices and seasoning. In fact we'll be going there soon to get the ingredients for my son to refill his container of baby bam.

Oh! And my 10+ rated bbq  chicken seasoning (per my foodie Aiden) comes from mixing the honey bbq seasoning and rotisserie chicken blend spice together... absolutely delicious!

If you've ever wanted to try to make something you're not familiar with, like curry, you'll find the ingredients there!

Their spices are the freshest and best bargain around! Absolutely perfect for attempting the latest recipe.
They've also partnered with other local businesses to bring fresh bread and pastries and the latest eco-friend gear!

If you're in the Dayton area, definitely check them out! You won't regret it!

Yup! Even Castile Soap!

Cinnamon sticks to stir your hot chocolate!

My son's favorite snack!

Tea Time

I like coffee, I do, but I'm more a tea girl. Today I decided that I really didn't want to do coffee, I've been a bit jittery lately. So I drank Yerba Mate Chai Tea instead.

I love the flavor, and its a great diet tea, as it gives you energy and suppresses your appetite. I kinda ran out of time for breakfast this morning, so this was a great way to get me through to lunch.  Also, since I was at work, this is in a tea bag. I don't really feel like lugging my tea strainers and loose leafs to work.

My pretty tea cup.

Normal Yerba Mate teas are packed with energy and great teas for you, but truthfully, to me... they taste like a tea cup of yard clippings. Bleh.
So the chai packs enough flavor in without being overwhelming.

My other favorite teas are Earl Grey and English Breakfast. Tea is one of the few things I can drink without sugar, any time. Although, I do enjoy real southern sweet tea as well.
But if you are trying to give up sugar (like in forebearance February for example) it works well.

I tend to prefer loose leaf tea over tea bags, but I'm not a snob and take the shortcut when I have to.
When making loose leaf its important to have a good tea strainer.  You know, one that doesn't accidentally spill tea leafs into your cup.

I love mine because its fine mesh doesn't let any stray tea particles through, but plenty of flavor.  Its also machine washable. A total bonus in the busy beaver household.

Now depending on the tea, usually you put in water that is just under boiling, and let it brew for 4-5 minutes. Sometimes less. Typically if you want a stronger cup of tea, put in more tea. Don't let the tea brew longer!
That just makes it bitter.
So strong tea = More tea.

Of course then there is the whole array of teas that are herbal... basically any plant you wanna try.
When I cut back my lemon balm this summer because it was insanely overgrown (its in the mint family after all).  I made a lovely light lemony tea.

Another favorite is Kava Kava tea.  Its super relaxing, and calms the nerves. I usually do my own herbal blend of chamomile, kava root, ginseng, ginko and mint tea... makes for a calming, relaxing good night sleep tea.  There are commercial brands of the tea ready to go if you don't feel like making your own blend.
With Kava though, it can be tough on the liver, so use with care.


Despite what JigglyPuff says, after drinking Kava tea and having a great night sleep, I can handle the morning.