Currently…

Tags

BRMCWC, Justified, pregnancy, writing

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! I figured most people are off from work today, so I thought I’d keep the topic light.

Obsessing over: Justified. I had to wait a little while for the price to come down, but I finally bought season 2 on DVD. I think this is one of the best shows on television. It’s well-written, both in storyline and dialogue, and the characters are fully-developed, yet not predictable. I’m gonna be bold here and say that Boyd Crowder is one of the best characters/villains in the history of television. The show is violent and there is some very adult language, so if you’re sensitive to that kind of thing you may want to take my word on all this. If you’ve already seen season 3, please no spoilers. You can see more about the characters I love (and love to hate) here and here.

Working on: New ideas for The Budget Maven. I was so honored to receive the first place award for blogging at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference (BRMCWC), but now that means I’ve got to live up to the title. No pressure, right? I always want to provide my readers with inspiration, motivation, or entertainment, but I never want get too comfortable and feel like I’m on writing auto-pilot, so I’m really doing some soul-searching now to come up with topics that will be helpful to you and me both.

Thinking about:  Everything I learned at the BRMCWC. In particular, some of the things I learned in author Steven James’ class about the status of certain characters and how that creates tension throughout your story. I also learned a TON from Zena Dell Lowe’s class on what Hollywood knows that every writer should know. She and Steven both reiterated why, as Christians, we should be making better movies and better books than Hollywood, but in efforts to create inspirational, “feel-good” stories, we sacrifice the truth about life. Very deep stuff.

Anticipating: Getting over morning sickness. Although this is first time I’ve officially announced it on the blog, I’m 11 weeks pregnant with my first child. About 5 weeks ago, morning sickness kicked in. Although it’s been manageable and I know I could have it a lot worse, I’ll be so glad for a respite and happy to feel more like my normal self. By the way, I’ve found that Preggie Pop Drops (a very sour candy you can find at Earth Fare or Babies ‘R Us) are about the best way to deal with morning sickness.

Listening to: Dolly Parton. I think Dolly is one of the best songwriters and storytellers in the world. I picked up her Live from the U.K. CD/DVD combo last week and have loved revisiting some of her classics and hearing some of her newest songs.

Eating: See morning sickness above, and you’ll know I’ve just been eating whatever I can keep down, which right now is a lot of carbs and crackers.

Wishing: I’m not sure I’m wishing for anything right now. I feel really blessed at the moment, so wishing seems kind of ungrateful and pointless. Maybe I’ll have some new wishes next time.

How about you? What are you up to today? Feel free to do your own “currently” post on your blog and link back in the comments!

Thrifty and Nifty: {Guest Post} Saving Money on Entertainment

Tags

college, coupons, entertainment, saving money

Today my guest on the Thrifty and Nifty series is Sarah from Pretty Providence. Sarah is a full-time college student and blogger who’s become an expert at living well on less, especially when it comes to entertainment.

What’s your idea of a perfect day?

I’d wake up around eight thirty, head out the door with my husband in tow around nine, get some donuts and go from yard sale to yard sale for a few hours. After that we would get home, take a nap, and maybe watch a movie. Just relax. Then in the evening we’d get dressed up and go out to dinner and to a local concert or to a dollar movie. I love days like that.

Do you like your own handwriting?

Actually yes. I’ve always doodled and played around with it. My first roommate asked me to make her a practice sheet so she could learn to do bubble letters like mine. I happily obliged. I still doodle my name all over everything.

What are you listening to these days?

I love a mix of things. Right now my most played list consists of Ben Kweller, The Avett Brothers, Isaac Russell, Cake, Sharon Jones, The Little Willies, Old Crow Medicine Show, Taylor Swift and various rap songs.

If they made a movie about your life, who would play you? What would the movie be titled?

I would love for Emma Stone to play me. I have such a girl crush on her. The movie could be called “The Girl Who Doesn’t Stop Talking.”

Who or what inspires you?

Scriptures and modern inspiration from my church leaders, and music has always been a huge inspiration for me. Lyrics in particular, when they say just the right thing and it sounds beautiful. I love it.

What is your money philosophy, and how does it affect your daily living?

No debt. Right now that is the main focus because my husband and I are both students and are going to graduate with a clean slate. It can be tempting when things get really tight but we decided when we got married that we wouldn’t borrow money, and so far it has worked out great. Making that decision from the beginning, not leaving it as an option, has made other choices easy for us. If we don’t have the cash, we don’t buy. I feel more secure in my daily life knowing that we are free, and all of the money we earn is ours to keep or choose what to do with.

What sacrifices have you made to create the life you live now? What benefits have come from making these sacrifices?

We make sacrifices in how we choose to spend money every day. We don’t buy many new things, but that’s not important to us. We cut back in certain areas in order to make room for others so that we can still do the things we enjoy. For example: eating out is my favorite thing to do, and we also really like seeing movies. We decided that since movie tickets are $9 at regular theaters but $1.25 at our local discount theater, we would just wait for movies to get there. That way we save $15 every time we see a movie which leaves us more in the budget to eat out with!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, financial or otherwise? 

As a wedding gift my brother-in-law gave us the book Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey and it completely changed the way I see money, budgeting and especially debt. I highly recommend it to everyone I meet.

Any money-saving tips you’d like to share?

Have patience. You can save a ton of money just by walking away from an item at the store and deciding you’ll come back if you still want it the next day. Also, familiarize yourself with using coupons. I’m not talking about the kind highlighted on the show Extreme Couponing on TLC. That’s crazy time-consuming and no one needs that much of one item. You can save a ton of money by learning about your local store’s sale cycles and taking advantage of the deals they send out in their ads each week. Certain bloggers do the work for you by finding sales and which coupons go with which item for you so you don’t have to spend too much time getting them ready. Also Groupon and similar deal sites can help a lot in your endeavors, especially if you are looking to treat yourself to a dinner out or other entertainment. You probably get coupons in your mail for local businesses as well, or you can sign up for e-mail lists where your favorite places will send you deals that way. The possibilities are endless and if you look for a way to save money- you will find one!

My name is Sarah Skaggs, I am married to a super great man. I am a senior in college and I blog over at Pretty Providence. I love spending time with my family and friends, bargain-hunting and going out to eat, especially for Sushi or Indian food! I also love to bake cakes and throw parties, watch Parks & Rec, and am currently learning to sew and speak Spanish.

Have a Thrifty and Nifty Thursday, Everyone!

The Tuesday Ten: {The Best of The Budget Maven}

Tags

Best Of, kids and money, money advice, money saving tips, thriftiness, tipping

Since I’m away at a writer’s conference this week, I thought I’d share some of most popular posts for any new Budget Maven readers out there. The regular Tuesday Ten will return next week.

1. Living Like No One Else

2. Debt: A Love Story

3. A Fine Line between Thrifty and Cheap

4. Don’t Wait Until Everything’s Perfect

5. The Tipping Point

6. 5 Things I Want My Kids to Know

7. Gratitude’s an Attitude 

8. Take a Contentment Inventory

9. Remember the Good ‘Ole Days?

10. Letting “Just Enough” Be Enough

Happy Tuesday!

This Week…

I’m away at a writer’s conference this week (insert scream of joy), so I won’t be posting as much as I normally do. But be sure to check back in this week for the Tuesday Ten and the Thrifty and Nifty series (I have another awesome guest this week!).

I’ll be back to the regular posting schedule next week. Have a great week!

Links to Love {80′s edition}

Tags

Jon Cryer, New Kids on the Block, Pretty in Pink, She-Ra, Sixteen Candles

Happy Friday, everyone! Here are some links to keep you entertained and occupied this weekend.

Since I’m still on an 80′s kick (see this week’s Tuesday Ten), I found some other fun things on ETSY.

• These coin purses designed to look like the cassette tape of New Kids on the Block’s Step by Step album.
• I shouldn’t even have to explain why I love this She-Ra, Princess of Power brooch.
• Sixteen Candles necklace? Yes, please. (Alycia, I thought of you when I saw this).

And to get you in a fun mood for the weekend, here’s one of my favorite 80′s movie scenes: Ducky from Pretty in Pink doing his “cover” of Otis Redding’s Try a Little Tenderness.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Thrifty and Nifty: {Guest Post} Moving on a Budget

Tags

moving on a budget

Today’s Thrifty & Nifty guest knows a thing or two about frequent moves, and she’s learned a few budget-friendly techniques for making a big move a little less painful and costly. Welcome writer and editor Alycia Morales to The Budget Maven!

What’s your idea of a perfect day?

Waking up to happy children, sending them off to school, and heading for Starbucks to drink decaf coffee and do some writing, then enjoying a quiet evening at home with the family snuggled on the couch.

Do you like your own handwriting?

Yes. (Should I admit that?) I’ve been told it’s some of the nicest handwriting others have seen. I hope they’re telling me the truth!

What are you listening to these days?

 I’ve created a “Quiet Times” station on Pandora. I plugged in Beethoven first, then added other classical composers and found myself adding Downton Abbey’s soundtrack and Carter Burwell to it. I’ve discovered a lot of great songs this week.

If they made a movie about your life, who would play you? What would the movie be titled?

Molly Ringwald. Whirlwind Moves

Who or what inspires you?

God’s Word, Creation’s Beauty, Life, My Family

What is your money philosophy, and how does it affect your daily living?

We move a lot for my husband’s job, so we have to be careful with our finances and our possessions. We are motivated to get out of debt and to save now that we’ve been blessed with the opportunity to see various parts of the United States. Moving requires discipline in our budgeting.  Because I have to pack once every two years or so, I try not to buy a lot of “stuff.” I also find myself whittling down what we have each time I start packing it up again. We donate a lot to local churches, Goodwill or the Salvation Army, or I sell things to earn money for gas toward our next move. I buy most of our stuff on sale and use coupons and gas points at the grocery store. I also love craigslist and yard sales on Facebook. Occasionally, we’ll give away our larger furniture pieces rather than haul them to the next state we’re heading for. Finding cheaper used items to replace them with is becoming a treasure hunt for deals for me.

What sacrifices have you made to create the life you live now? What benefits have come from making these sacrifices?

We’ve sacrificed quite a bit, but it’s been worth all of it. My husband was working as a union carpenter when the economy in NY went downhill. Just when we needed it most, God blessed him with a salaried position with one of the contractors he’d worked for. He became a field engineer (construction surveyor), and we started moving with the jobs. We left NY and all of our family and friends for Alabama. From there, we’ve lived in South Carolina, Indiana, and Georgia. The non-material things like visiting with our family have been our biggest sacrifices, but with the lack of space, we’ve chosen to keep our load light and avoid certain purchases. On the flipside, it’s kept us on track for our financial goals, and our debt is gradually reducing.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, financial or otherwise? You don’t need credit cards to have credit. Pay with cash. Don’t spend over your income.

Any money-saving tips you’d like to share?

When moving:

1. Order your utilities first. Utilities and cable companies tend to run credit checks. Every time they run one, your score fluctuates. Utilities have a higher deposit requirement. The last time we moved, I found this out the hard way. I called Comcast first, then the electric company. Comcast didn’t charge me what would have been a $50 (or so) deposit. The electric company charged me $350. Because Comcast’s hit on my credit score cost me the five points the electric company was looking for…
2. If you move as much as I do, space isn’t as important as money. We’re living in a 1970’s singlewide that has two additional rooms added onto it, saving over $300 per month in rent. It’s cozy living, but the extra money in our pocket each month outweighs the spacial limitations.
3. Spend a few dollars to save time and energy. Instead of rounding up cardboard boxes (or spending money on them at packing stores), I buy plastic totes to pack in. They are (fairly) weatherproof, hold a bunch of stuff, and stack neatly in a corner or closet or outdoor shed in between moves. They also stack neatly inside a trailer or moving truck.

Alycia Morales spends 80 percent of her time living and 20 percent on the road again, packing or unpacking. She enjoys seeing the country with her husband and four children and has recently started blogging about it at http://frequentmoves.blogspot.com/. In her spare time, she’s a freelance writer and editor who loves decaf coffee, reading, taking pictures of God’s creation, and watching NCIS and Bones.

Wordless{ish} Wednesday Writing Prompt

Tags

gardening, writing prompt

In 30 words or less, write the opening sentence(s) to a story based on the photo below. You can even write a short poem if you prefer this time. It can be humorous, scary, dramatic, or whatever you like. Just write your sentence(s) in the comments section, and I’ll pick a winner by next Monday. 

I don’t really garden much yet, but there’s always been something so cathartic about pulling weeds or digging in the dirt for me that I thought this photo might conjure up some healthy catharsis, or at least a good story, in someone’s mind.

The Tuesday Ten: {Totally 80′s Movies}

Tags

80's movies, The Goonies, Adventures in Babysitting, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Princess Bride, Ghostbusters, The Karate Kid, Troop Beverly Hills, Steel Magnolias, Labyrinth, Beetlejuice

Every so often, I get on an 80’s movie kick at our house, much to Ryan’s chagrin. (The poor man had never seen The Princess Bride when we met, and I still married him. That’s love right there!)

Anyway, today’s Tuesday Ten is all about my favorite, totally awesome movies from the eighties. So, adjust your leg warmers and slap bracelets, and let’s get started.

Labyrinth: Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) faces off against a goblin king (played by David Bowie) to rescue her baby brother from his evil clutches. This movie features the brilliant direction and writing of the late Jim Henson and includes some of his best puppet work as well.

Troop Beverly Hills: Shelley Long plays a spoiled Beverly Hills trophy wife turned Girl Scout Troop leader in this hilarious fish-out-of-water comedy. In typical 80’s movie fashion, she learns valuable lessons about what’s really important in life (like her daughter) and a few things about herself along the way.

Steel Magnolias: Not only a quintessential 80’s movie, but also the quintessential movie about Southern women. Sally Field and Julia Roberts star in this tearjerker about a mother and daughter who love each other dearly but clash over the daughter’s choice to have a child despite being warned of the health risks. I don’t like to brag, but just so you know I can perform all the parts from the beauty shop scene by myself.

Adventures in Babysitting: This movie follows babysitter, Chris (Elisabeth Shue) and the kids in her care for the night as they get into one mishap after another while their parents are out on the town. Creepy tow-truck drivers, car thieves, and rival gangs fighting on the subway are just the start of their problems…the kids have got to be back at home, and in one piece, by the time their parents get home.

The Princess Bride: One word: “Mah-wage”. Courageous Westley braves dangerous swordsmen, giants, and rodents of unusual size to rescue his one true love, Buttercup, from the castle of the evil Prince Humperdink in this satire starring some of the biggest names in comedy.

The Goonies: Before he was a hobbit in Lord of the Rings, Sean Astin was the adorably dorky Mikey in this movie about a group of neighborhood kids on a hunt to find One-Eyed Willie’s treasure in hopes to save their dying town from greedy developers. And thus began my eternal crush on Josh Brolin, who plays Mikey’s older brother.

Ghostbusters: Something strange in your neighborhood? Well after this movie we all learned who we could call: this wise-crackin’, rule-breaking, ghost-busting team of social misfits. Throw in Slimer and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow man and you’ve got yourself the formula for classic 80’s style sci-fi comedy.

The Karate Kid: Starring my first boyfriend, Ralph Macchio, this is the tale of new kid Daniel Russo who’s bullied by local jocks. A kind hearted janitor, Mr. Miyagi, saves him from a nearly fatal beating and teaches him the art of karate. If that’s not movie magic, then I don’t know what is.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: One of my favorite movies to pop in on a real sick day, Matthew Broderick plays the title character in this funny flick. Ferris is a witty, charming, lovably mischievous young man who decides to fake sick so he can spend the day with his best friend, Cameron, and pretty girlfriend, Sloane instead of at school. Evading both his naive parents and stickler principal, Ferris and company spend the day seeing the local sights and yes, learning about who they truly are.

Beetlejuice: This fantastically creepy film began my obsession/love for Tim Burton’s quirky style. When a young married couple dies in a car accident, they return to their house to find it now occupied by a spoiled yuppie couple and their troubled daughter. Wanting to scare the new tenants and reclaim their house, the couple enlists the help of a self-proclaimed guru of the afterlife, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton, need I say more).

Did your favorite make the cut? If not, what’s your favorite 80’s movie?

Rainy Days and Mondays

Tags

A Case of the Mondays, Rainy Days

As I was sitting here coming up with what was supposed to be a very compelling blog post for today, water began to drip from our bedroom ceiling. Oh joy! We’ve had torrential rain here since yesterday, and it’s supposed to continue through tomorrow, so as I placed a towel and a large bowl under the drip, this song popped into my head: (Never let it be said that I don’t have a sense of irony.) The compelling post will have to wait. Happy Monday!

Rainy Days and Mondays

Links to Love

Tags

Animoto, Links to love, mother's day gift ideas

Happy Friday, Everyone! Here are a few links to check out as you begin your weekend.

Whether for Mother’s Day or another special occasion, I love these gift ideas from Etsy:

• Quirky bookmarks
• This platter is absolutely gorgeous in both color and design.
• This knitted bag is unusual but girly.
• For the book lovers in your life, these Kindle covers are too cute.

If you’re a more DIY type, try your hand at creating a personalized video on Animoto. I recently won a free year’s subscription (normally only $30) from a contest on The Paper Mama and was so thrilled to see how easy it was to upload pictures and create a one-of-a-kind video of cherished memories. I plan on making one for my niece and nephew soon, but for now, you can enjoy the one I made of our wedding. Our anniversary is at the end of this month, so I thought that’d be fitting.

{Our Wedding}