Hire ME to Manage Your Money...

This might be one of those, "You had to be there moments", but tonight Eric and I went to dinner for my birthday.  My mother was gracious enough to watch T-Man so we could do this.  One of my many wishes for the day was to invest in the new 2010 calendar pages for my Fra.nklin Planner so I can begin organizing my life for the new year.  We stopped into the Frankl.in Covey store after we ate.

One goal I have for the new year is to save, save, save money.  With the desire for another adoption, we need to accumulate more funds than we have right now for that cause.  The planner style I chose was Jean Ch.atsky's financial planning planner pages.  I noted the price of only $22.95 and knew that this was a good deal (no need for a finacial planner for me -- I gots it all figured out!).  They tend to be more in the $40.00 range.  I go to the checkout and the kind gentleman rings me up and tells me the total is $36.72.  NOW that is some kind of tax!  The man kept looking at me and then back to the planner; back at me, then at the planner.  I have to say it was wigging me out a bit.  My brain registered that $22/$36 was quite a discrepancy, but things didn't really register with me and I didn't really know what to say or why he was looking at me (Not that I am making excuses, but I have been up with a sick child for two days).

He finally said, "These are mismarked.  They are really $36, but I guess I have to give it to you for the marked price of $22."  I kindly said, "Thank you, yes, that was the number I looked at when I decided to make the purchase."

I can only imagine the conversation going on inside that man's head.  Boy lady, you really do need this financial planner, duh!  The price is $22, but you'll let me charge you $36??  Are you really that clueless?  Did you think you were getting a good deal?

I think he kept starring at me to give me the opportunity to prove my monetary intelligence to him and show him that I did notice the error.  Come on girl, watch me, I rang this up at $22 and the total is $36, are you sure you don't want to say something to me?

He probably really want to charge me the true price just to prove the point, that yes, you really do need to purchase our product -- you are in serious need of help and I'm not sure these planning pages will do it for you!  But thankfully he was honest about the issue and kind enough to point it out to the financial challenged woman looking at planners on a Friday night at 8:00 p.m. Thanks Nate, you saved me $10.00 -- I mean, $14.

I think I need to invest in a smartcard.

Thanks Mom for the night out!  And speaking of money -- Thank you Mom and Dad for the precious metal!

"Bye-Bye Combine"

Busy times . . .

*We went to a farm this weekend with friends to pick a pumpkin, take a hay ride, eat apple cider donuts (very much worth the drive just for the food) and to let T-man experience a ride on a combine. Fun times! The combine ride went around the farm fields for about 15 minutes and did that make for one happy little boy! This was the conversation for most of the 30 minute ride home -

Back seat: "Bye-Bye Combine"

Front seat: "Yes, T-Man, Bye-Bye Combine. We'll come back and see you next year"

Back seat: "Bye-Bye Combine"
Front seat: "Yes, T-Man, Bye-Bye Combine. We'll come back and see you next year"

Back seat: "Bye-Bye Combine"
Front seat: "Yes, T-Man, Bye-Bye Combine. We'll come back and see you next year"

Until this happened:

"Nite-Nite T-Man"

*Three things said at church today hit home:

• Even though we live in trying, terrible, and difficult times, there is HOPE (this, of course, caught my attention immediately). It wasn't an "all you have to do is...." list of things you should be doing but are not, but a good review of our basic Gospel principles that I certainly needed to hear. The words hit home for me. There is hope!


• "Faith without works is dead" James 2:20 -- I have been struggling lately with our "waiting" for another child to join our family (but we're not supposed to be waiting - we're supposed to be finding). I always thought I was patient until I came face to face with adoption. I have looked at every adoption-related site, blog, agency, birth parent website, and book. I have stayed up waaaaay past my bedtime on far too many nights!! We have posted our family profile on-line with Adoption.com and LDS Family Services, I am having "Pass along cards" made of our family as we speak. We contact our case worker every three to four weeks just to keep our name on the tip of his tongue at all times. I have created this blog for the sole purpose of sharing our hope to adopt. I guess hearing the scripture, "Faith without works is dead" (read more on this topic) just reinforced that we ARE doing all that we can to find the other child that is supposed to join our family. We can't give up hope; we have to have faith, stay strong, and continue to do all that we can do to make another miracle happen for us. There is another child meant to be a part of our family, but in the Lord's time, not my "but I want it now!" time.

• Be Frugal (nudge, nudge, "Did you hear that Eric?") - Just because you have the money, doesn't mean you have use the money. I am terrible at saving. I do, but not like I/WE should be saving. It was just nice to hear this topic applied to all - not just those struggling with the crazy economic times that we are living in, but all should think twice about their spending and make wise choices.