Is there A Money Saving App?

 

Moose and I gave each other in the most unromantic and least secretive way Android phones for Christmas.  By unromantic I mean we dashed into Best Buy on Black Friday and bought them.  By least secretive I mean we bought them together and then I wrapped them, hauled them to Montana, then a week later we unwrapped them.

I didn't think that we could afford them and now looking at my financial planner on my new Android phone I see that I was right.  We should have given each other handmade coupon books and socks and that is it.

The good news is that we are Virgin Mobile customers so we get unlimited web, text and data with an adequate amount of minutes  for $25 a month no contract.  It makes me happy to know that we won't be sinking tons of money into a plan just because we were a little foolish on Black Friday.

I have already strengthened relationships because many of my friends and family members are REALLY happy that they can text me all the time now. And really if you were my sister you would want to tell me things all the time, wouldn't you? I am happy too because I can nag Moose without hearing his annoyed voice on the other end of the phone.  I can also send him lists of things to get at the grocery store all the time.

If only La Keira would figure out texting we could realize the Batphone dream.

I am totally excited to use my scriptures app at church on Sunday and not have to add my heavy quad to the already heavy Keep-the-Kids-Entertained-and-Quiet-During-Sacrament-Meeting bag.

But still I feel guilty that we spent so much money.  In my defense my Mom told me we should do it, and we all know that we should listen to our mothers.

I am hoping that I will be able to use the phone to help me save money like my brother did when we were Christmas shopping.  I have joined Groupon, am working on figuring out the barcode scanner and the aforementioned financial planner will help me feel really guilty and think 5 times before spending ANY money.

Do you have any helpful money saving tips you have realized with your smart phone?

Community Autumn Fair at Bethany

Yesterday, we took Nutmeg to an Community Autumn Faire, it was a fund raiser for a local Waldorf school. Knowing that "Waldorf" means nature, fairies and handcrafted goodness I was happy to go.

I have been looking for an Autumn fair to go to ever since Moose and I went to The Feast of the Hunter's Moon back when we lived in Indiana. They are so friendly and gentle. There is nothing like decorating with pumpkins and hay bales with the smell of cider in the air. The fair we went to yesterday was full of families who knew each other and we chatting and having a great time together as a community.

I wanted to do that for my community. So Bethany, Portland, Oregon I want to have a community Autumn Fair next fall. Will you support me in this?

I am thinking about crafts for the kids, apples, pumpkins, hay and cider. Music from people in the community, performances of all types. Maybe the Indian dancing group will preform. Food stalls, and items for sale. Booths hosted by our local shops and institutions. Stalls for learning, places to sit and chat with your neighbors.

I don't know yet if we will just try to break even or benefit a local charity but whatever we do the main point will be becoming a community.

I want to celebrate our community because I LOVE living in Bethany! So what do you say Bethany? Will you support a Community Autumn Fair (and me) in Bethany in 2010?

There is a poll to the right of the blog. Let me know whether I want to jump into this big, scary and wonderful commitment.

Notes to Self (and Moose)

Do not take the kids out to eat.

Do not take the kids out to eat at Newport Bay.

Newport Bay is much more expensive than you remember.

Newport Bay has cut down on their portion sizes, 5 slices of seared Ahi Tuna for $22 is not a good value.

Order the Salmon.

Nutmeg will NOT eat her burger - just order fries.

Newport Bay DOES take reservations - waiting 35 minutes is not fun.

Your cell phone has a cool game to play while waiting.

It is amazing how Newport Bay can take an inch of apple and slice it to look like 3 kid's servings of apples.

The $15 off card you get in the mail will pay for the tip or you could look at it as they pay for 2 kid's meals which your kids will not eat. This is NOT a bargain.

The next time Samurai Mom is too depressed to cook dinner she should make a run to Sushi Town and pick up a box of corn dogs on the way home.

Even though $14.99 a lb at the market seems dreadfully expensive it is a bargain compared to eating at Newport Bay. It is OK to buy $3o worth of salmon at the grocery store.

We will be eating off of the food storage this next week to make up for the bill at Newport Bay.

Print out this note and refer to it the next time you are tempted to eat out.

Odds and Ends

Things I noticed today on my way to the torture that is shopping for foundation garments.

-Girl in the passenger seat of the yellow Mercedes Kompressor pulling her gum out of her mouth in a long string and letting it pop back in.

-Someone folding a tank top in the front window of a shop and the tank top was folded so narrowly. There is no way that is 1/4 the width of any woman.

-I think that there is a size limit at Victoria's Secret, I have never seen anyone that worked there that was not toothpick thin. I wonder how they explain that to the equal opportunity people. And honestly, it is so humiliating to explain to those girls the requirements of a woman that has borne 3 children. May they have stretch marks, the painful kind.

Puppy Fever

I think that the puppy fever has passed. I don't know what it was but for about 5 days I had a serious case of puppy fever.
I know what brought it on. When my dad walked in the door last week he said something about a dog and breeds that don't shed and how it is so good for the kids and before I knew it my firmly held position of no furry pets in the house had gone right out the window in an obsession to find the perfect puppy. For the kids yes, but since I am a clever mom I KNOW that any and all pet duties would fall to me so I had better love that puppy. So I decided I would get a puppy that I liked for me and claim naming rights and take it on solitary walks in the green space.
On the second night of the puppy fever I couldn't sleep and got up and read about dogs on the Internet until my computer turned itself off (at 2 am it goes to bed.) I very quickly settled on a Scottish Terrier because they are so very me don't you think? They like to be the boss and the center of attention, they are friendly and loyal but suspicious of strangers. And they are so very stylish, classic but unusual only a Scottie would go with my fabulous 50's skirts. I also liked that they are small enough not to be in the way but big enough that they aren't ridiculous.

Then I found THIS ad
Irresistible, non? And then I was hooked I was going to get a Scottie under the Christmas Tree on Christmas day and name him Banquo or MacDuff or some other fabulous name from the Scottish play and we would be pals.

After a few days I started realizing that dogs are expensive. Especially Scotties. Apparently Scottish Terrier Puppies are $500 to $700 and even "adopting" a grown Scottie will set you back $450. (Remember the good old days when you could get a dog for free?) Then add all the shots, and vet bills, and doggie beds, and leashes,and toys, and food, and dog dishes. And Scotties are seriously high maintenance what with the haircuts every 7 weeks. Apparently there is A way to groom Scotties and if you deviate you will be arrested by the doggie police and I KNOW there is a large unit here in Portland. So that is I don't even know how much money - every 7 weeks. Or you could learn to do it your self and buy all this dog grooming gear and have one more person in the house to complain when it is hair cut night. Plus a stylish Scottie would certainly need a tartan coat.

And did you know that there are Scottie play dates and Halloween parties!?!?! Apparently doggie playdates are fairly common, I don't get it, setting up playdate for kids is weird enough for me.

So nearly $1000 in the first year and high maintenance of the dog's coat and the picking up of... well you know what combined with the ultimate realization of the mere possibility of fleas. And that's it, I was done, no puppy.

Now, in hindsight, I am glad. I think it was a big step for me, I am not a dog person. When I come to your house and your dog sniffs me, or licks me or jumps on me, I am not even mildly amused. I am trying not to let you see the repulsion. So just the 5 day puppy obsession must mean...something. Right? I am progressing.

But Scottie fever has yielded positive things.
I now know that Scotties are the most stylish dog, period.
Trader Joe's has Scottie shaped licorice candy in the stores right now.
The picture at the top of my post is SO cool.
And last night surrounded by yards of soft black terry cloth I made this
Everyone LOVES him. Moose said the words cute and adorable of his own volition.

Tomorrow I will make more and have them for sale in my Etsy shop.

I Can't Take the Pressure!

I love that I have blog fans. But I can't handle the pressure. I have been very busy the last few days cleaning for Thanksgiving festivities and entertaining my folks, I haven't had time to blog, but my fans are so disappointed that I am not blogging, I have been ordered to sit and blog but I can't do it on demand people. See Samurai Mom stressing about blogging on demand.

I think my family makes me a little silly I am actually contemplating getting a dog, a cut little Scottie I think. My dad informs me that they don't shed. I have always said "No animals in the house." I am not an animal person but the boys deserve a dog.
Comments?