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Travel bucket list
I keep an ongoing travel bucket list that I tweak as the time passes. This bucket list allows me to make plans financially and helps me budget for trips and vacations. I usually plan the following year’s vacations and then keep in mind larger abroad trips that we want to take. Today I am sharing my long and short term bucket lists and where we plan to vacation this year and next. Short term travel plans I typically map out our vacations about a year in advance if they are within the United States. With the children’s school schedule in mind, I am able to plan some time away so…
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Thrift store finds, September
Earlier this month, I gave myself a budget of $25 to go thrifting. I redeemed some credit card points in the form of a Visa gift card and decided that was the max I would spend on my outing. Well, it turns out I only needed a fraction of that! I spent a total of $7+ tax since it was dollar day! I purchased 4 tops, 2 skirts and 1 little pouch. Here are my 3 favorite items: White House, Black Market skirt I think this is one of my favorite thrift stores buys of all time. This cute skirt has stripes, pockets and will go with so many tops.…
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When an unexpected bill hits you!
Last week, I shared about taking a look at your budget periodically and doing a budget reset. When I posted that post, I was all excited about catching up on my leftover summer bills and feeling really comfortable with October. Then I received a very high water bill on Tuesday and started stressing out about it wondering if the utility company had made a mistake, how I would pay it, etc.. At other times, we have had unexpected bills from doctors or maybe an unplanned outing or vacation. What do you do when something like that threatens to break your budget? Medical bills First off, for anyone who doesn’t know,…
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Lessons from summer travels
Since we traveled so much this summer I thought it would be interesting to come up with some lessons I learned from our travels. I love traveling with my family I love going abroad and while it is expensive, with a budget throughout a year or two and with connections and lodging where we travel, it is feasible for our family to travel! We love spending time together whether at the beach or the mountain or the capital town in the republic of Georgia! I am willing to make sacrifices during the year for us to go on vacations. We spend less than others on birthdays and holidays, we do…
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Utility vest to transition into fall
One of my most used vest in the fall is my olive utility vest. It is a few years old and I was inspired by Putting me Together to purchase one after she reshared a post with multiple ways to wear it. Here are some now and later looks for last summer and early fall. You probably can copy these look with a blush, burgundy or other colored vest! Denim shorts and striped shirt A perfect look for the end of the summer! It is too hot here for jeans yet (apart from the occasionnal cooler day) so I will probably still wear my denim shorts well into September. Pair…
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Why do a budget reset?
A budget reset to me is when I look at my monthly budget of income and bills and make adjustments to the different categories. Some bills alternate between seasons (gas bill is high in winter, electricity bill is high in summer), I may have a new grocery bill goal or there is a change in income. When should you do a budget reset? new job (increase or decrease in pay) loss of job when you realize your budget is not working for you when a recurring payment ends (car payment, medical bill) you want to save more How do you do a budget reset? I have attached a form that…
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Dahlonega Gem Panning
We live about 1 hour and a half from Dahlonega in the North Georgia Mountains. Dahlonega is an old gold mining town which features a gold museum in the town square as well as a gold mine, the Consolidated Gold mine. The mine is the largest hard rock gold mine east of the Mississippi. The mine was founded in 1896, and focused on removing gold trapped in quartz veins throughout the property. Gold mining They offer a 40 min tour of the mine followed by a short video showing you how to pan for gold which you try your hand at. This actually is quite difficult and since we were on a time schedule…
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Transitioning a jumpsuit for fall
I actually kind of forgot about my jumpsuit until I was brainstorming ideas for fashion blog posts for the fall. Then I remembered my Amazon black jumpsuit and how comfortable it is! Now, here in Georgia, we will probably have warm weather till close to November with the occasional need for an extra layer on some days. With that in mind, I came up with several outfits using my jumpsuit as a base to build on. Fall accessories I wore this outfit to run some errands this past Friday and while the morning started at 64 degrees, the high was 90 so there was no need for layers. I used…
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Porch makeover
We have a covered porch on the back side of our house which faces the children’s trampoline. It is nice in the fall and spring when the mosquitoes are hibernating. My husband’s grill and smoker stay on the porch because it is about the only spot where the wind doesn’t blow crazy (well, as crazy). My mother in law’s treadmill was there for most of a year but when we put it out to the street, I decided I wanted to make the space cozy but on a small budget. The items I started with were a red bistro set I had bought at Kroger several years back. Behind the…
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Summer in Review
Well, this summer was a summer to remember! We visited several countries, several places in the US and spent some quality time with friends and family. I am actually having a hard time adjusting back to the routine of daily life as I miss my special friends and also miss the places we visited. We made some wonderful memories to cherish and I hope my children remember these summers when they grow up! France and Spain It had been 6 years since we had visited France so we decided this was a good year for that trip since my youngest wasn’t 2 yet and we would save a lot on…