Change of Mindset Yields Change of Pants Size

A funny thing happen on the way to the scale -- I lost about 45 pounds.

It's funny, because I didn't really diet, per se. I didn't head off to the gym each night, and I didn't take the latest and greatest pills. I didn't starve myself and I didn't join weight watchers. I just lost weight.

Around the middle of the summer, I hit the scales at the heaviest I'd ever weighed. I was in a rut at my job, and had little energy to make a change in my life. Luckily, change found me. Maybe I got caught up in politics, but lets just say I was overwhelmed by this phrase I kept hearing, "yes we can!". So I did. Weight loss has tapered recently, but it hasn't gone back up yet, so I'm happy to be in a healthier place and state of mind.

If you're reading this for weight loss tips, here are the things I found helped me to lose weight, but with this disclaimer: Without the change of mindset to want a better life for myself, any attempts at change would probably have been given up on after a week.

1. I started walking more. I mentioned this in an earlier post, but I think it was a critical early effort to raise metabolism. Get off at one subway stop further from your house or job, if it's a possibility. Or just walk anywhere. Walk to the movies, to the park, to the next post office, to the further Starbucks. We all have to walk to get where we're going; my advice is to just walk more.
   
2. We started cooking almost every meal. JC is home with the Pumpkin, and has taken on the duty of head chef. Cooking at home has done three things:
   
   
   
   • We eat healthier. Fewer oils, fewer preservatives, fewer ingredients that sound like they were made in a laboratory.
   • We eat less. Take-out portions are huge, but if, like me, you eat with guppy mentality, "everything is servings per container: 1"
   • We don't have to buy lunches. Lunches are packed when dinner is dished out. This means smaller portions than take out, with the added benefit of massive savings, the amount of which I can't imagine.


3. I rarely drink alcohol anymore. This was mostly a financial decision, but the calories avoided from my nightly beer(s) surely add up. I'll still enjoy a drink with friends, but we almost never drink at home we're really jonesing for it.
4. We eat more fruits and vegetables. I stop in my fruit stand in Elmhurst about twice a week and pick up what's cheap and looks good. I've gotten pineapples for $1, 3 red peppers for $1, and so on. Filling my belly with fruits and vegetables means filling it with less processed ingredients or "bad for you" food.

The recession is hitting everyone hard, but we found ourselves ahead of the curve when we decided for JC to stay home and raise Pumpkin. Who knew we'd be preparing for the storm? We've given up a lot, as I imagine everyone is doing now, but I have to say I really don't miss any of it. Every so often I yearn for a pricey tech gadget, but for the most part I really just stopped "needing" all the things I don't have anymore... including those 45 pounds!

Foreclosures : a great oppotunity, or ambulance chasing?

I've got a moral dilemma of a dialog going on in my head lately. It goes something like this:

Me: "There sure are a lot of folks being victims of foreclosure these days..."
Angel Me: "Yes, it's true. We sure should have these folks in our prayers."
Devil Me: "True... We should wish the best for them. Say, how's that real-estate hunt going?"
Me: "Wow... funny you should mention that. Not too bad. Could always be better."
AM: "That hard work will certainly pay off. I know you trust that everything will work out for the best."
DM: "I'm sure. So what happens to these homes that are foreclosed?"
Me: "Well, the owners can't afford them anymore so they lose them."
DM: "I hear they sell for way under market-value. You should snag one."
AM: "And profit off of the misfortune of others? Do you think he has no conscience?"
Me: "No, you're absolutely right. I couldn't do that."
AM: [proudly] "See?"
Me: "How much under value?"
DM: "I have a website so you can find out."
AM: "Wow -- A 2 bedroom? For that price? Well, if this isn't a sign of God's providence, I don't know what is."
Me: "Isn't this kinda... um, morally grey?"
DM: "Well, the bank is the bad guy here putting mom and little baby joey out on the street. The damage is already done."
AM: "It's true... You'd actually be helping out the economy."
DM: "If you don't, someone else will get it."
AM: "Do you really want Pumpkin to have to grow up in a 6'x5' bedroom, always wishing her daddy loved her enough to not store root vegetables under her makeshift bed?"
Me: "What on earth are you talking about?"
DM: "Yeah, I'm kinda lost on that one too..."

...I'd go on, but it just gets weird from there. You get the point. Morally grey or just pricing based on circumstance?

[link] Free Forclosure Searching

A Home of Our Own, not just a home: how we've been doing and our future plans.

Columbia and I were talking last night and decided we needed to set a reasonable goal for ourselves. 1 post a week. It's not much, but it's SO MUCH more than we've been doing lately. Before we share our plans with you, here's how we've been doing:

Living on One Income in NYC

• Even though Columbia completed 30 credits above his masters degree (the top salary in the doe) this past summer, it took a couple of months for the transcripts to come through... then processing time... FINALLY at the end of December we got the raise, and the retro-active pay (for the day he completed the last credit). We had been just learning to break even (and not dip into our savings anymore) when this happened, so we were overjoyed for the new monthly cushion and to be able to pay back some of our savings.
• We've cut out spending even more. It's funny how frugalness really leads to more frugalness. And we don't feel like we're depriving ourselves or Pumpkin. Our families also gave us quite a few gift cards for Christmas and birthdays (Columbia's is November, Mine is in January) so we've been able to use them for special treats as well as necessities like clothing.
• Columbia found an awesome produce stand near his job in Elmhurst. He is at that school on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, so twice a week he stops there. He spends about $10 each time and gets their best deals on the best looking fruit and veggies. This week one of his hot finds was 2 quarts of beautiful strawberries for $2. His purchases there have become what we base our menus around.
• We have actually started paying into our savings again each month. Yep. We're working with an excess. I'm feel as if I should maybe erase that - just incase typing the words jinxes us or something (so the bold and italics was probably really overdoing it =). I was looking through our bank statements in February and realized that we are at the same place we were last year at this time when we had 2 salaries. We feel so blessed that I am able to stay home with Pumpkin without putting us into debt.
• Cha-Ching! Tax refund! We realize we will not get this windfall next year, but it is nice to have such a big addition to our savings. We even got a good amount back from the state, which is unheard of for us.

Our Plans

• At this point, all signs point to my staying home another year. I am thankful that the NYCDOE lets me decide on a year-by-year basis. I'm still a commitment-phob at heart, so this makes it easier on me mentally.
• We are looking to buy an apartment. Yep. Really. A 2 bedroom at that. No, I'm not kidding! The housing market has hit NYC and we are in a place where we can take advantage of it. Columbia even went to TWO open houses last Sunday and we plan on going to at least 2 more this week. Last year at this time I was telling friends that 1 bedrooms were finally coming into our price range. Now, we are seeing twice as many 2 bedrooms for that same number! Our union has worked out a relationship with Acorn Housing (they are NOT Acorn) so that we get extra perks (lower interest rates, etc). We'd went to an informational seminar several years ago and thought they were a great resource. Columbia went to another in January to start the ball rolling this time. We are nearly ready to send in our paperwork and see what our loan pre-approval number is. This will decide a lot for us. Including if we continue to look in Manhattan or start searching the outer-boroughs (Columbia, stop crying, it will be okay =). A good reminder for me has been that the apartment we buy does not need to be our home forever, just the next 5-6 years at least. This realization takes a considerable amount of weight off of my shoulders.
• One post a week. It will probably revolve around apartment hunting, where we are in the process, or how our 2 cats are not only the bane of my existence, but are crippling our chances at getting approved by a coop or condo board. Just kidding about the cats... sort of. :/

On another note, Pumpkin turned 1 March 9th! She is such a joy.

Our Birthday Girl!

(Note: this is not our apt, but a family member's home in LI)

What's your tipping policy?

I'm a very inconsistent tipper. Now more than ever, I'm trying to restrict what I spend, so I think about it frequently. To make it more confusing, I must not know all the rules. I've had the conversation with people over the years, and everyone has different ideas of what's an appropriate tip for a given situation. Here are the categories in which my confusion lies:

1. Take-out Food
   This is what got me started thinking about it again today. With our first attempt at Taco Soup brewing for dinner (and more than a few lunches) JC and I caved and enjoyed Lenny's for lunch. I thought I'd pocket the delivery tip and go pick it up myself. Online, I was confronted with a tip box at the end. Huh? Why else would I pick it up? Call me crazy, but the main reason I'm picking it up is to save a couple of dollars on delivery. I left it blank, but surely felt some guilt about it. Paying by credit card makes it worse, since that tip line shows up, looking all blank and lonely. Sorry, tip line, but you're sleeping alone tonight. Am I the only one who leaves the tip line blank for take-out??
   
   
2. Delivered Food
   JC and I have disagreements over this. I used to tip 15%, as that's what I thought tip practically translated to (I believe it's Finnish in origin....) Anyway, we ordered with a few friends one night and I figured the tip was about $20 for bringing food from 5 blocks away. After a few awkward glances around the table, we figured tipping for delivery is more of a set-price thing, loosely based on (distance) x (the number of bags delivered) / (the temperature) + (Preciptation) / (Mode of Transportation)... and somehow pie gets figured in there (the dessert, not the mathematical constant, which would be too easy).... Now it's "ahhhh, give him $3". I'd like to see that tip calculator.
   
   
3. Sit-down Food
   My general feel here is 15-20%. It's rare that the tip is ever dependent on quality of service, though if someone goes above and beyond, we try to be generous. Lousy service still gets at least 15%, but as they say, "you can't put a price on talking smack behind someones back." - author unknown
   
   
4. Service for something included (ie. leaks repaired by the landlord)
   This might make a difference in the type of apartment you live in. If you're in a full-service doorman type building, it might be expected that you tip anyone who comes into your apartment to do work. Of course, if you got it like that, props to you -- it might be in your nature to tip anyway, and this point is moot. In the past month we've had no water for a 36-hour span, and no heat for the same amount of time three days later. You can rightly assume that we're not living with the Jeffersons. We generally don't tip for landlord service, but we'll offer coffee/coke/water, etc.
   
   
5. Service such as furniture delivery, man with a van, etc.
   Another confusing one, as you've generally paid a shipping cost for your item, possibly a large amount. So how much more do you tip for a service you already paid extra for? I figure you can probably size up number of people * bulk of delivery * time spent in your home... In my experience, this usually comes out to between $5 and $15 per person.
   
   
6. Taxis
   A co-worker from around 2000 had some formula in his head which was something like "I round up until it hits $10, then I round up and add a dollar". I thought this was pretty measly (consider a trip that totaled $9.70), but with small totals and cabbies that don't really deal with change, this is usually my least consistent place to tip. Granted, my taxi days are few and far between now, but occasionally it happens. My preferred method in the past year has been to use a credit card, and just tip a dollar or two on a short ride. No change, no fuss, and no ATM charges...
   

Do these "rules" sound way off? Are there exceptions to the rules that I'm missing? I'd love to hear your thoughts (...um, unless you're the cashier at Lenny's. :)

Will the Economic Climate Lead to Your DIY Renaissance?

Lifehacker posted recently about how The "Greater Depression" Can be a DIY Renaissance and referenced 2 bloggers who are seeing and living this trend. While Columbia and I have been feeling the pinch, it is not solely because of the ecomonic problems facing our nation. I chose to stay home with Pumpkin and cut our income in half. This makes our financial struggles self-imposed, but they are still real.

While we have always enjoyed the idea of diy projects in the past, we have definitely kicked it up a notch these past 2 months. A limited income has actually made us appreciate what can come from out hands and encourages us to diy more often, and in more adventurous ways. Here are a few examples:

1. We make our own bread. I tried it to see if I could do it. Then I realized how easy it is with a kitchen aid mixer. We keep meaning to break it down into 'cost per loaf' but haven't yet. This has expanded into making pizza dough, bread sticks and french bread.

The first loaf - my shaping ability has improved, as has the taste of the bread! Practice really does make perfect in the case.

2. We make Pumpkins baby food. Part of it is cost, but most of it is knowing what she's eating (other than stuff on the floor that is). There is so much enjoyment in making it for her, too.

A sampling of food from the freezer - 1 cube ends up being tbsp so we know eactly how much she's getting.

3. I made Pumpkins Halloween Costume. I posted about it here. It has really encouraged me to attempt to make more of her clothes... as soon as I get a chance!

At the end of her first Halloween - What else could Our Little Pumpkin be but a pumpkin?


Has the economic situation made you think more about DIY projects? If so, we'd love to hear about it... or see it!

Bein' a dad isn't so bad (except that you gotta feed em')

Friday morning I saw a subway ad for "New York City Dads." It's a city program designed for (surprise surprise) dads in New York City. I figured, "hey that's me!" so I checked it out. The site communicates a message that's more and more prominent lately (or perhaps I just pick up on it more now): Reminding men that they need to be daddies and not just babydaddies.

I'd like to think that I am there for Pumpkin as much as I can be, but I could always be doing more. The site has a lot of great suggestions, including 100 free or cheap things to do with your child in NYC, separated by age group. "The Ultimate Playground Tour" certainly piques my interest; a toddler version of the pub-crawl, trying to monkey around on 21 central park playgrounds in one day. Oh I am so there... with Pumpkin, of course. Obviously.

If you're a NYC dad or know one who is, please share the NYC Dads site with them. And here are a few PSAs from fatherhood.org. The second one is pretty much my goal when I come home each day. :)

NYC Dads: www.nyc.gov/nycdads

(Title from the Loudin Wainwright song, "Bein' a Dad". Thanks, Curtis!)

Oh yeah, and if all your friends were using coupons, would you too?

Every few Sundays, depending on my mood and the amount of stockpiled meat in the house, I'll stop by the newsstand and browse the cheapest Sunday paper. If I see that shiny paper insert, I lay down my $1 and throw my arm up, waving that newspaper, and yell out, "that's right world! I am buying toilet paper this week, and I'm going to save 60¢ on any two rolls of charmin!" I usually don't visit the same newsstand twice, for obvious reasons.

JC is really good about finding coupons online too. Various blogs in our "stretching a buck" blogroll (in the column on the right) post links to the finest deals and coupons. Coupons.com also has coupons you can print at home. Check with your grocery store though, as some don't trust this whole "internet" thingamahoo.

CNN posted an article today that says coupon use is increasing as our economy continues to tank. The reason isn't hard. Let's say you buy a sunday paper for $1. If you get two mediocre coupons out of it that each save you 60¢, then you've already made a 20¢ profit. If you're looking to save some money, buying the things you were already going to buy for less isn't rocket science. Combine that with a sale (typically a couple of weeks after the coupons are out, but before they expire) and you're looking at rockbottom pricing.

Of course, if you need designer checks or patriotic commemorative plates, I can't think of a better resource than those very same SmartSource inserts. Look, it's win-win no matter how you cut it.

...Or clip it.

Link: Economic shock gives rise to coupon cutting [via CNN]

To Get Away or Stay: Celebrating Our Anniversary

Stella tries to be a stowaway in our honeymoon luggage.
October 6, 2005.

Columbia and I were married 3 years ago today. It was a wonderful day. To celebrate, each year we have gone to the Berkshires for the long Columbus Day weekend. We were not sure if we should go this year; we are trying to live on one income and vacationing is not so frugal. We thought there might be a way to pull it off. So we put our cheapskate hats on and came up with some ways to go away for our anniversary for only a little dough. Here's how we're doing it:

1. Renting a car from a cheaper location, even though it's not so convenient
   Columbia was debating where to rent a car in August when we visited my family in PA. The Enterprise in Yonkers is much cheaper than the rental car spots around here (and they except discount codes). While it's not the most convenient location (especially with an infant), we will save a lot of money by renting there. Columbia has off today for Yom Kippur (what a nice anniversary gift, no?) so we can get the car today. Pumpkin and I will pick up Columbia when he gets out of work tomorrow. While we're paying for an extra day to do this, the cost we are saving is significant. Plus, Columbia can pack up the trunk tonight so Pumpkin and I don't have to do it tomorrow. Sweet!
   
   
2. Staying 2 nights instead of 3
   We are not going away for the entire weekend. If we come back on Sunday evening we can return the car on Monday without rushing. It will still be a nice weekend and Columbia can have a day without driving a long distance before returning to work. We will save one night's accommodations plus meals for an entire day. It's a good way to save money and not need a vacation to rest after our vacation away.
   
   
3. Looking for free activities
   We could go to the petting zoo that charges $6 per adult or the one that is free! Pumpkin, in her 7 month old way, will not care if the $6 petting zoo would have been better. There are also tons of spots to go hiking and see the fall foliage. Free and good exercise!
   
   
4. Bringing some of our own meals
   Breakfast is included at the hotel and we are packing snacks and PBJs for the drive. We'll also bring water and some champagne to celebrate in our room... after our little girl goes to sleep. Food can be expensive, so the more we bring the less it will cost us in the end.
   
   
5. Utilizing the car and the location
   Living in NYC we find schlepping to be part of the package. We'll take advantage of having the car and get some item we wouldn't be able to carry easily, like kitty litter. It's bound to be cheaper at a discount chain than a local pet store. We'll also go to the fruit stands and markets to stock up on fresh produce.
   
   
6. Staying at a hotel, not a B&B
   We are not staying at the cheapest hotel possible. We thought about it, but we kept coming back to The Simple Dollar's post about saving money with a baby. There are some things not worth skimping on for the safety and welfare of your child. We thought a hotel fell into this category. We wanted a clean, safe place for Pumpkin. I didn't want to have to worry about bugs, or moldy tubs, or... . We found a moderately priced hotel that had excellent ratings and was very family friendly. There's even an indoor pool - it will be Pumpkin's first pool experience. The price is still cheaper than what we've paid the past 2 years to stay in a quaint Bed & Breakfast. And the hotel has a DIY waffle iron for breakfast!
   

While the anniversary weekend may not be as romantic as those in the past, it will still be a weekend away together. Knowing that we've found ways to make it more affordable will help us enjoy it more. Best of all, we will be together - all three of us - and that's worth celebrating!

Don't worry, we won't forget you! We've got several great posts scheduled for this weekend.

Recycle? Reduce!

While making dinner, I bumped my leg on the recyclables bag that hangs from a cabinet knob. It was overflowing. Again. I didn't feel any satisfaction this time in our 'green' efforts and didn't get the 'green glow.' While we are recycling, there is still quite a bit of waste. I began wondering if there was a way to reduce the amount of waste we have, recyclable or otherwise. One way might be to utilize more fresh fruits and vegetables in our cooking. That is not always the cheapest option, especially for a family now living on one income. When planning meals for next week I want to think more about the produce on sale and how we might center the meals around those items. Surely there are ways to be environmentally minded and frugal. If so, we'll find them!

Posted picture used under creative commons license from Flickr user caseyswest.

Western Beef... I wanted to love you.

Last time I rented a car, I had to put that go-stuff in it (gasoline? I'm not very auto-minded), and found myself searching West End Avenue for one of those gasoline stores. Wouldn't you know it, I found a Western Beef! Had I found a local, fully functional discount grocery store? (Note: They do not sell the gasoline. Don't even ask. Trust me.)


View Larger Map

I told JC, and we searched the ads, and wouldn't you know it, they have some stellar deals. Ground turkey for $1.39/lb, 99¢ for 2/lb bag of onions, $3.99/48oz of canola oil, Silk milk for $3/half gallon... We headed out.

When we got there, the sale stars faded from my eyes. No ground turkey... onions with fruit flies... misleading sale items... A sliver lining to this cloud was that the butcher was very nice and ground us up some turkey on the spot. Our walk of shame home had only a few things from our list.

Despite a somewhat disappointing first experience, I think we'd try Western Beef again. It was kinda a schlep and not nearly as amazing an experience as I was hoping for. But if the deals were sweet enough, we'd consider the hike again.

Western beef has 21 locations in the greater NYC area. We went to the one at West 62nd and West End Avenue.

Will that be cash or credit?

Columbia and I have been long time proponents of using credit cards. I know this is not a popular stance in the frugal folk society, but here are some reasons why it has been a positive experience for us:

- We NEVER carry over a balance. Ever. The bill gets paid in full every month.
- We have no debt. We also have no equity. As we don't own anything, showing responsible credit card use is helpful in getting a home loan. This will be handy someday in the future. Someday...
- Cash burns a hole in my pocket. If I have it I tend to want to spend it because there's no trace of my sins. The credit card has a statement that will reveal my $4.32 Starbucks purchase. I'm much less likely to splurge if the evidence is going to be around.
- As the credit card has a statement, by using it for all of our purchases we can see exactly where our money went each month. This can be done with cash by using receipts. Collecting all of the receipts has been a problem in the past and saving them all leads to clutter.
- We get money back. It's only 1% but it's something. Occasionally there are special deals we unknowingly hit and it is a bit more. We have an amazon card and we get reward credit towards amazon.com. As this is our online store of choice (not that we purchase often), we use the credit to buy gifts for family or items we might need. Buying a baby gate for Pumpkin gets much easier when you're not laying out the moolah for it.

Credit is not the method for everyone. It may not even be the method for us soon. As we evaluate our life on one income we may have a much harder time having our income be greater than our spending. If this is the case then we might have to go to the highly regarded envelope system. Simple Mom posted a great explanation on how she has made it work for her. As much as I hate the idea of resorting to that (it does seem like a lot of work), if it makes living on one income possible then we may switch. Until then, Charge It!

Posted picture used under creative commons license from Flikr user paalia.

Beating the Delivery Boy (and other ways to avoid ordering in)

Does the clinkity-click of bicycle locks outside your window make your heart race and your mouth water? When you hear it, do you instinctively say, "Food's here!" even though you didn't order from anywhere? Does your cutlery drawer have more plastic than metal silverware? If you've answered yes to any of the above, you might be a candidate for delivery detox. Believe me when I say that ordering delivery in this house had all the textbook signs of addiction.

Here's how we're just keeping our local dealers at bay:

1 - Set a limit
If you're going to order in (and enjoy a break from cooking), set a limit and stick to it. Once a week, twice a week - whatever you're comfortable with.

2 - Make a Plan
...and follow through. (ed. That's what Brian Boitanno would do). The weeks that we plan a menu are the weeks that we don't order in. Just knowing what you're going to have for dinner strikes out that dreaded phase: "I don't know? What do you want for dinner." The opposite is also true - weeks without menus are typically dotted with delivery dinners.

3 - Buy Ahead
Having good food in the house helps avoid menu temptation. Make sure the items are in your house the day before you need them. That way if you don't make it to the store you don't run into the the problem from #2.

4 - Destroy the Evidence
In what might be the boldest move, we've trashed those menus! That's right, pitched the whole collection. Ditch your favorites and even the one for that Thai place that closed years ago. (What, it's closed??) If you have the restaurants on speed dial or programmed into your cell phone (it's handy to call when you get out of the train then you can meet the delivery man at the door, right?) - time to delete them. After all, should the Chirpin' Chicken really get priority over your mom?

5 - Beat the Delivery Boy (um, "beat" as in "be faster than"...)

We've had a few times when we've had to wait nearly an hour for the delivery boy. What was supposed to be a quick solution to hunger turns us into zombies at about the 30 minute mark. Don't be afraid to do easy -- grilled cheese sandwiches and a can of tomato soup, Eggs and toast and jam, or a freezer dinner. It's amazing how quickly you can get some sort of dinner on the table when you make the decision to cook.

6 - Have a Contingency Plan
One of the last home dinners where we didn't cook was picking up a rotisserie chicken and some roasted veggies at Fairway. It wasn't free but it was cheaper than ordering from just about anywhere. It was also nice to know roughly what was in our food. If you know you're not going to be able to cook anything, it might be worth checking out the hot food options at your local supermarket.

Photo by Columbia (during the long days and sleepless nights after Pumpkin's homecoming)

Surviving Street Fairs

I noticed that our block had barricades at the end of it this morning, and that meant one thing to me. Riot. Street fair.

We've missed most of the streetfairs this summer, and I'm sure this is near to the last of them. I used to love people watching and enjoying a mozzerepa... oh, heavenly corny goodness. But today, as we take Pumpkin to her first street fair, here's how we're planning to beat the $5 lemonades and !!**CHEAP SOCKS**!!.

Columbia and JC's Three Step Plan to Financially Surviving Street Fairs

1. Eat before we leave
Heck, drink first too. Today on the menu is BLTs on JC's homemade bread, and some leftover "let this cold go away" soup.

2. Plan your attack
Street fairs usually don't surprise folks who have gone before. I know we don't need a Shammy Mop, we don't need a 1lb container of sage, and... well, I might need !!**CHEAP SOCKS**!!, but that can wait. We know we want Mr. Pickle's briney goodness, and hopefully the farmer's market is there too for a couple of squashes. Other than that, it's a no-buy zone. ...wait, are those the sweet sounds of Raggaeton filling my ear cavities??? No, Columbia -- stay sharp.

3. Make a budget
We're allotting $10. In our days of frugal living, blowing $10 seems a little wasteful, as I think those pickles are about $6. But if we go with a $$ amount in mind, we're less likely to walk home with a ficus and a persian rug, both of which will be eaten by our terrorist cats. Bring only what you want if that's helpful to you.

That's it. We're off. ... oh, I did NOT plan on there being zeppolis and Italian sausage...

Getting our ducks in a row (planning ahead to live on one income)

Columbia and I have always thought we would want me to stay at home when we had children. When we started planning for Pumpkin (we apparently are not very spontaneous) we made some preparations for how I might be able to stay at home.

1 - Maxxing that Salary Columbia went back to school a year ago to reach the highest pay possible for his years in the Dept of Ed. To finish by this fall he took 18 credits over the summer. Was it hard? On all of us? Yes, but this was the simplest way to bring in more money continually, even if it meant paying out some in the immediate.

2 - Nesting We built our nest egg. Columbia laughed when I used that term recently, but it's what we have saved. At it's most, it was nearly 6 months of basic expenses. It has dwindled now, but mostly because of Number 1 above.

3 - It Pays to be Healthy I didn't take any sick days last year. Instead I saved them and was able to use them after Pumpkin was born. This was a huge help during our adjustment phase to single income living. Until school started this year we had only had 2 months of single income life. This was due to planning... and Pumpkins timing. =)

4 - Deducting the Kid... and the Wife Columbia and I had both been losing a huge chunk of our paychecks to taxes. I knew that we should change Columbia's W-4, but I wasn't sure to what. Thankfully the IRS's W-4 form has basic directions on it (who've thunk it?). By using an online withholding calculator we were able to see what the change would look like in take home pay. We'll get less back in April but we'll have it now when we need it.

5 - It's All Mental Mentally preparing ourselves for this adjustment made it much easier. We both grew up with frugal parents and were relatively frugal in our lifestyles. We knew that adjustments would need to be made and that we would be sacrificing some (many?) of our creature comforts. It's worth it to us. We may not be able to live on one income forever. We may not be able to live in Manhattan forever, but we are committed to raising Pumpkin here for as long as we can. For the next year, at least, we'll give her the best life we can in our home in the city.

Picture by Columbia at the CP Model Boat Pond.

A Blog Re-Purposed, A New Look and an Adventurous Year Ahead

Changes, Changes, Changes, but all for the best, and all to share our experiment.  JC is taking the year off work to raise Pumpkin.  That means Columbia will be the sole bread winner.  How is this even possible in New York City, let alone Manhattan?  We're not sure... but we're willing to try.  For a year anyway.  

As we chronicle this time, we'll share the ups and downs, the deals we find, our love for the city and the cuteness that is Pumpkin.  The banner's changing, the theme has been tweaked, but our lives and our ramblings will forever be about a home in the city.