Lesson 74- Into the Pickle Jar

Is it just me or is everyone on the blogosphere preggers?! Well, it’s left me feeling a little left out. No, this isn’t my announcement that Husband and I are going to try our hand at raising two-legged critters (we’re quite content with this critter and this critter for now). But with all this baby-talk on the World Wide Web, as well as our own friends’ impending two-legged critter, babies have been a topic of discussion. Along with how freakin’ expensive they are! Holy good grief!!! 

This combined with a cool stroller I found at Sport Chalet pricing at a mere $400 we decided it wouldn’t hurt if we started saving our pennies for the day we decide that we are ready to allow our own two-legged critters in to our family.

 So after Husband finished one of his massive pickle jars from Costco, we soaked it over-night in soapy water (who wants their pennies smelling like pickle juice anyways), took off labels, put some pretty decorations on it, some pennies inside it and started our baby fund.

 Okay sure it’s really just a piggy bank. But it’s kinda of cool knowing that when we are ready to expand our family we’ve already got a head-start on the preparation fund.

But sometimes, Husband decides he needs some quarters for the vending machines at work and he takes them from our baby fund!!! The nerve! And so I send him on a guilt trip telling him that he is stealing from our unborn child. It works quite well actually. He repays our baby in $5 bills. Hmm…I should figure out to get Husband to pay me back in $5 bills.

Anyways…here’s the progress that we’ve made over the last few months. Not too bad, don’t ya think?

 




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Lesson 26- A New Mortgage Payment

Earlier this week we got some super good news. Husband bought the house a little over three years ago, pretty much at the height of the housing market inflation.

So when the housing market crashed shortly after we were paying an inflated mortgage payment on a house that had lost significant value. Not fair in my opinion. But as my dad would always say, "Life isn't fair". But fortunately for us, Wells Fargo thought it wasn't fair either and lowered our interest rate to 2% for the next five year, saving us roughly $25,000, or $5,000 a year. See, super good news.

So I guess this lesson is check with your mortgage lender and see what programs they or the government are offering. And if you think, like we did, you won't qualify, give it a shot anyway...somebody has to qualify, and it very well might be you too!