Even when we were trying to conceive I knew I wanted to use cloth diapers.  When we finally got pregnant I started doing research (basically asking a million questions to one of my BFFs) and decided to go the simple route and try prefolds and covers. Prefolds are the cloth diapers you probably think of- the old fashioned ones your grandmother probably used.  The covers are a lot easier to use now and have snaps or aplix (velcro) that secure the diaper on the baby and keep the baby’s clothes dry.  There were many benefits for using prefolds:

1. They are cheap compared to other diapers like pocket diapers and all-in-ones.  I couldn’t afford $20 per diaper that would get used once and have to get washed. $1.50, I can handle that.  If one gets ruined, no big deal.  If I ruin a $20 diaper, I would cry.

2. They are natural cotton fibers, which come clean easier and rarely have stink issues.  Easy to take care of and wash!

3. There are many sizes to choose from, which makes a nice fit on the baby.

Overall, my biggest factor in choosing to use prefolds was the price.  We cloth diaper to save money, keep diapers out of the landfill, and keep chemicals away from our baby’s bottom.  I wanted to save as much money as possible but still be happy with cloth diapering.  Here is our current stash:

-24 Newborn prefolds from Green Mountain Diapers
-9 Newborn Proraps (covers)
-24 Infant prefolds from Green Mountain Diapers
-1 Bummis Super Brite Small Cover
-1 Thirsties Small cover
-7 Flip covers (one sized- fit baby from 7 lbs to potty training)
-7 BumGenius one size pocket diapers
-A few various covers and diapers I got from a friend

We started cloth diapering when our daughter was about a week old. We didn’t want to have to fool with the cloth when she was still passing meconium, and I didn’t want to be stressed about doing diaper laundry. Before she was born, I went back and forth on whether I would be buying newborn sized diapers because I didn’t know how big she would be. I am very thankful I did, because she is still wearing them at 6 weeks old!

I got over 20 free BumGenius diapers free off a message board I read. I just had to pay shipping. The diapers were very well loved and needed all the elastic and velcro replaced. After I repaired one diaper and saw how long it took, I sorted the diapers and passed on the ones I knew I wouldn’t be using to someone else. I kept 10 total, and still have 3 to repair.

So far we’re loving the cloth diapers. Penny seems to be happy when she’s in them, and even Mr. Money changes diapers! He’s got the prefold folds down, and it’s pretty awesome that he doesn’t complain about it. I’m very glad we decided to try the prefolds and covers right now! I may search for some used diapers if there are some different ones I want to try.

Would you use cloth diapers? Do you have any questions?

I’m starting to realize that before I had a baby, I was pretty much a tightwad.  Since my baby’s been born, I’ve loosened up a little.  For instance, I’ve purchased a few new outfits for her that didn’t come from a thrift store.  I’ve purchased new cloth diapers that I didn’t really need just because I wanted to try them or they are cute (I can also re-sell them if I don’t like them, or when I’m done with them).  We’ve used the dishwasher and dryer more times than I’d like.  We probably aren’t saving quite as much money as we could (but we’re still saving).

I’m happy.  Spending a little money on things that are important to me makes me happy.  Hoarding my money doesn’t do me any good if I’m miserable.  One of my 2012 financial goals was to find a nice balance, and I’m still working hard to achieve that.  It’s a constant struggle for me, because most of the time I think I should live as cheaply as possible in order to save the most amount of money that I can.

Sometimes it’s overwhelming thinking about all the things we need to save for: unexpected expenses, retirement, the baby’s college, new vehicles, etc.  I have to tell myself as long as we’re saving something, we’re doing okay. Life is about experiencing things and living life to its fullest.  Having a baby really makes you have a new take on life, and I never imagined it would be this good.

For the past 5 months I’ve been a stay at home mom.  There are a lot of things that I’ve noticed over these past few months about our money spending habits.  Before I quit my job, Mr. Money and I enjoyed eating out frequently.  It was our hobby I guess.  Well, after we had the baby we’d find ourselves so tired that we’d grab take out or just go out for dinner.  Looking over our budget and bank balance, I’ve realized that’s got to change.  We just can’t afford to go out to eat like we used to and still be able to meet our savings goals and stay on budget.  I’m going to make a conscious effort to meal plan a bit better and make sure that we aren’t just being lazy when we go out to eat.  Maybe it would help to have a set night to go out to dinner?

I get the moving itch every few weeks or so.  It is hard having a baby and not being around family!  The reason is probably not what most people assume: I don’t feel overwhelmed taking care of the baby.  I prefer to be the one taking care of her.  I just feel like my family is missing out on watching her grow up and that makes me sad.  Sometimes I dream about Mr. Money finding a new job in Michigan, us selling our house and buying a new one up there with a few acres to grow food and have animals.  That would be fabulous.

We’ve got a nice garden growing this year, and that is thanks to Mr. Money. I can’t wait to be able to eat the yummy veggies right from our backyard. We’ve got squash, green beans, watermelon, tomatoes, red raspberries, carrots, beets, swiss chard, and broccoli growing.  Yay!

I am really enjoying not working outside of the home.  I feel like this was just meant to be and I am happier than I have ever been.  It is worth every sacrifice!

As you can imagine, we received many gifts when we found out we were expecting Penny and also after her birth.  I’ve said before that I didn’t want a ton of baby “things” and that still holds true.  However, my mother never got that memo (well, she did but she’s an excited grandmother) and went completely overboard.  I appreciate her gesture, but it is overwhelming to go through numerous garbage bags full of baby clothes and toys multiple times.  I’ve gone through and donated items to some less fortunate mamas and that makes me feel good.  Now that Penny is 5 months old I’m starting to go through and evaluate what we want to keep for future babies.  Here are some of the things we have, and what we plan on doing with them.

-Baby swing: keeping.  Penny still uses it, and it was a shower gift brand new, so it stays.  The only time it gets used is when I shower, and then it’s presence is invaluable.

- Pack N Play:keeping. We’ve used this as a changing table and I’m anticipating using it as Penny grows.

-Bouncer: Not sure.  We got a pink bouncer brand new (we wanted the big items all gender neutral, which they are) but I don’t know if it is worth storing for 2-3 years or so.

-Bumbo Baby Seat: Probably selling.  They can easily be purchased on Craigslist usually.

-Crib: keeping, as it was purchased brand new with an organic crib mattress.

-Outgrown clothing: keeping some of it, donating the excess and items I wouldn’t use anyway.  There’s no sense in keeping a million baby clothes.

All of the larger items that were purchased new and that are gender neutral we’ll most likely keep.  Items that were purchased second hand that still have life left will most likely be sold on Craigslist or gifted to a friend.  There are so many baby items that you can buy second hand it’s not even funny.

What really gets me is that people say you need a ton of things for baby, and having babies is so expensive, when really, you can do it so cheaply.  Pretty much the only things we’ve really needed and used for Penny are cloth diapers, boobies (for milk), a wrap or carrier. clothes, and a safe place to sleep.  It truly is amazing how little you really need.  It is nice to have somewhere to set them down when you need to, but you can always lay them on a blanket on the floor.

What baby items did you decide to keep, and which ones did you get rid of?

I love wearing Penny, and to be honest, sometimes it’s the only way I’m able to get things done! Either she’s fussy and just wants to be held, or I want to keep her from getting into trouble while I try to do laundry or clean. Babywearing helps me in so many ways, and it also benefits Penny! I’ve tried a few different styles of baby carriers so far (it’s addicting!) and one of my favorites is the Boba 3g. Here are some of the features I love about this soft structured carrier (SSC).

Picture courtesy of Boba

-It’s super easy to use. Once you adjust it to your personal settings, you just clip two buckles (one at the waist and one at the shoulders) and it is secure. My dad has used the Boba 3g Carrier, and you just let out the straps (or take them in) and it’s good to go for another person.

-The comfort is amazing. My mother was skeptical about the Boba Carrier hurting her back.  She tried it and loved it!  I have worn Penny for hours at a parade and had no discomfort at all.  The straps are padded so they are very comfortable.  The baby’s weight seems to be evenly distributed so you don’t feel any pressure points.

-You can use it for newborns with no separate insert. Other SSC carriers you have to purchase a “newborn insert” to use it for babies 7-15 pounds.  With the Boba 3g, you just flip up the bottom, snap it, and it makes a little pocket to put the baby in.  It’s safe, and it works.  Since Penny is tiny at around 13 pounds, I’ve used this carry with her and she really likes it because she can see over the carrier.

-Purse holding strap and pockets. The Boba 3g carrier has a little snap-able purse holding strap. It is harder to carry your purse while using a baby carrier sometimes and having the purse holding strap is not only great for convenience, it’s wonderful for safety as well.  Since it snaps, it would be harder for someone to steal your purse.  The Boba also has nice little zipping pockets that you can put keys or other small items in if you need storage.  I think this is awesome!  I like to take Penny for walks around the neighborhood, and it’s nice to be able to store my keys in the carrier versus having to carry them in my hand.

-It’s beautiful and 100% cotton. I chose the “Soho” print and love it.  I really like that it is eye-catching, and when I go out in public I know it turns heads.  The all-cotton fabric is so nice because it is breathable.  I haven’t felt really hot while wearing Penny because of it.  We have been baby wearing all summer, despite the 100 degree heat!

-The hood is so convenient. The Boba 3g comes with a hood that goes into a small pocket at the top of the carrier.  I have used the hood to protect Penny from the sun, and also when she naps.  If I forget a hat or sunglasses (or she just doesn’t want to leave them on!) I don’t worry because I can just flip the hood up.  No big deal!

-The high back and foot straps. The carrier is nice and high, which makes it secure for small babies as well as larger toddlers.  With the Boba 3g Carrier, you can use it from newborn to toddler without having to buy a new carrier.  I think this is a great investment.

Enter for your chance to win a Boba Baby Carrier, and one of two Boba Wraps! All products can be seen at www.bobafamily.com. With Boba products it is easier than ever to enjoy Freedom Together as a family and Boba wants YOU to get a chance to use their products. To enter to win, “Like” them on Facebook and for an additional two entries, follow them on Twitter.
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I received a Boba 3g Carrier to review.  No other compensation was received, and all views are my own.

We’re exactly three months away from Christmas.  Yikes.  I’m already planning because this is my first Christmas as a stay-at-home mom, and my lack of income is going to make it more interesting to purchase Christmas gifts.  I’m sure we’ll be fine though, and it will just spur me to be more creative.  Here are some things I’m working on to make our Christmas season a good one without over spending!

1. Make gifts. This is an obvious.  I need to get a move on this because if I’m going to knit things, it is going to take time.  And with an 8 month old baby, I’m going to have to find time first!  My plan is to knit a ton of dish cloths while I’m riding in the car and when I have some down time.  I think that will be the easiest.  I’d also like to knit some socks for people and maybe some new cute things for Penny.

2. Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a great way to make a little extra money for me.  What I do is use the search engine every time I need to search for something, and when I accumulate enough Swagbucks I cash them in for $5 Amazon gift cards. I am banking them right now to buy Christmas presents.  I think I may also get some Target gift cards so I can do some shopping in person!  I make sure to do some of the easy things to earn more Swagbucks too.  Sign up and start earning.

3. Doing an activity versus purchasing items for people. One of my best friends has two girls and we were discussing Christmas and how it’s going to be different this year.  We decided that instead of exchanging gifts (since our girls are going to get tons of things from other people any way) we’re going to do a special outing or make a nice dinner and spend time together.  That will be very enjoyable, and will save us each money and clutter.

4. Stashing away a little extra cash whenever I’ve got it. $20 here and there adds up, and I’ve been taking $20 from each paycheck for months now and saving that in our Christmas fund.  Also, when I sell things on Craigslist or online, I separate that money and save it for Christmas.

Have you started thinking about Christmas yet?

So, this is a post I never thought I would be writing.  After seven years of working for the same company, Mr. Money lost his job.  I think we’re both still in shock and will try to figure out what is the best plan for our family.  I am so thankful that we have always been able to live on not a lot of money, so it’s not like we’re going to feel a huge lifestyle downgrade.

I hope he is able to find a job quickly and that it is even better than the last one he had.  Benefits would be amazing!  Right now we have to pay for our really crappy health insurance ourselves and it’s expensive and doesn’t cover a lot.  Better health insurance and a 401k plan would be amazing.  While we’re at it, I’ll take good hours too.

I’m trying to come up with some ideas to make money from home for myself.  I could start babysitting now that Mr. Money is home to help but after he goes back to work it may be difficult.  I am sure I will come up with something that will help.  For right now, we’re trimming our budget down to the necessities and seeing how we can save money each month.  We had to stop our retirement contributions temporarily too.

I’m trying to stay positive.  It’s scary when you are a one income family with a baby and your one source of income is eliminated.    We’ve gotten through everything before, so I’m confident that we will come ahead out of this and things will all work out just fine.

I had to unsubscribe from the feed of one of my favorite home decorating blogs this morning.  I’ve been reading it for years, but lately I’ve noticed that their pictures of beautiful rooms and neat projects was making me feel like my house was greatly inferior.  Years ago I was embarrassed of my house, and while the feeling is still there sometimes, for the most part I am proud of how I’ve fixed up and decorated.  It really feels like home now, and I love the size and layout.  I have such a hard time reading blogs and looking at pictures online and not comparing them to my house.  It’s hard to picture the houses not picture-perfect (and I’m sure that most of the houses aren’t immaculate all the time).  I realized that by reading all these house blogs I was setting unrealistic expectations of my own house and had to change something.  It was stressing me out when anything in my house was out of place or dirty.  With Penny, it’s harder for me to do things than in used to be, and I’d rather spend time with her than spend all my days cleaning.

I’ve also noticed the more time I spend on Pinterest, the more I feel overwhelmed and not good enough.  I see all these pictures of beautiful, perfect birthday parties for kids and think of how I want Penny’s birthday to be perfect.  However, I know as long as we’re spending the day with her I know it will it be perfect.  I really don’t need to spend hundreds on decorations for her to have a good birthday.

The fact is, I need to learn to be content with what I have, especially now that Mr. Money is unemployed.  I need to stop making lists of everything in my house that I would like to upgrade and just be happy with how it is.  I have to stop comparing things to others, because a lot of things online aren’t really how they are in real life.  I’ve got a great house, beautiful family, and a lot to be thankful for.  I’ll be focusing on that instead of thinking of all the things I’d like to have.  That should help me find some contentment with what I have.  At this point, as long as all of our family has all of our needs met, I’ll be happy.  I can’t ask for much more than that.

Obviously, with Mr. Money unemployed, we’re adopting a bare bones budget.  Here’s our budget and what we’ve done so far:

Mortgage- $793.00 (Can’t change this)
Escrow- $220.00 (Can’t change this)
Gas & Electric- $140.00- Since we budget this ourselves, we currently have a surplus.  If things get really bad I can use up all the money in our electricity account and start contributing again when Mr. Money has a job.  I’ve started line-drying all the clothes and we’ve turned the thermostat down a little.  Hopefully those two things will help.
Car Insurance- $92.00- I can shop around for quotes but since we bundle our homeowners insurance with it, I don’t know how much cheaper I can get it.
Groceries- $300.00 I cut this a lot, and it makes me sad.  I am hoping we can actually make it on $300 a  month for groceries.
Cell Phone- $43.00- Mr. Money is going to take over my phone since he’s losing his company phone.  I’ll go without until I get a prepaid.
Cable, Phone, Internet- $145.00- I’m going to call to see if we can get it cheaper.  I have to have a home phone and we need the internet so Mr. Money can search for a job.
Gas- $150.00- We cut this a lot since there isn’t a need to drive every day.
Retirement- put on hold
Savings- put on hold
Health Insurance- $240.00- we have to pay this all ourselves now each month.
Dogs- $70.00
Water Bill- $22.00

I won’t lie, I’m really scared right now.  Hopefully he will be able to start collecting unemployment soon. He had three interviews with one company last Monday but hasn’t heard anything back yet  I think I’ll be less stressed once I know we’ll have some money coming in.  I’m still trying to come up with some ideas of things I can do from home to bring in money.

It seems as though everything I can think of is already being done or just not a good idea.

I’m hoping Mr. Money will line up a good paying job with benefits soon. The unknown is so scary!

Do you see anything in our budget you think I should change?

It’s been way too long, and I owe you guys an update.

-Mr. Money got a job! He is the chef of a restaurant again, working noon to midnights, but he has benefits! It is awesome.  We are so, so thankful.  We were able to spend Thanksgiving with my family and my sister came to spend Christmas with us so that was nice.

-Penny celebrated her first birthday last month.  I cannot believe my baby is a year old!  She is now walking and babbling and busy being cute.

-I’m hoping we get a tax refund this year.  Hopefully with my lack of income and us having Penny will help.  I’m confused on how many exemptions Mr. Money should claim, so I’m trying to figure that out.

I have so many things I’d like to blog about, but it is so hard to find time when caring for a baby basically by myself.  I’m so thankful that Penny is such a joy to be with.  We spend  a lot of time at home playing with toys and hanging out.

I’ll try my hardest to update again soon! Thank you all for the support!

I realize that we’re almost two months into 2013, but I’d still like to go over our 2012 goals and recap how we did. I also need to set up some 2013 goals!

1. Set up a savings account for the baby. We opened a savings account with ING (now Capital One 360) for the baby a few months after she was born.  We put any birthday/gift money into it for her.  I need to research 529 plans and see if that is something we’d like to do.

2. Figure out life insurance. We have some life insurance though Mr. Money’s employer but should probably look into getting more.

3. Change beneficiaries.  Did this!  It was very easy once we got the baby’s social security number.

4. Make more money blogging/working from home. Looking back, this was quite a lofty goal.  I mainly focused on taking care of my high needs baby while trying to keep the house clean.  It was a little crazy.  Although I didn’t quite achieve this goal, I don’t feel one ounce of guilt about it.  I am doing what I love and couldn’t be happier.  I did watch my friend’s 10 month old daughter for a few weeks for her and it was nuts.  I did make a little extra money though.

5. Stay debt free. Yay! No new debt.

6. Finish up all house projects that need to be done. Ha. Who didn’t see this one coming?!  I can’t get any house projects done with my crazy baby.  :)  I did manage to paint our bathroom though!

7. Learn to relax and not worry so darn much. Having a baby really makes you stop and think about what really is important.  2012 was the best year of my life, and I would do it all over again in a second!  I can’t wait to watch Penny learn and grow over the years!

I do need to work on our 2013 goals and figure out what we want to accomplish.  I’m looking forward to great things!

Over the past few months I’ve been a little more lax about spending money than I used to be.  I have had a hard time in the past spending money on fun things, and was always beating myself up about it.  I decided to be a little more laid back and it’s come back to bite me in the butt.  It’s not like we’re living paycheck to paycheck as a result of it, nor have we gone into debt, but I have noticed little habits that I’d like to nip in the bud before they get out of hand.

It’s so hard because when I spend money and get fun new things (especially in the mail) it makes me so happy! Then I realize how much money I’ve spend and how I probably didn’t need that thingamajig and it makes me sad.  Luckily, I’ve noticed that this has become a problem and I’m starting to address the issue.

My biggest problem is shopping as a hobby.  I’ll admit, there have been quite a few days where I’ve been bored and to combat that I’ve gone to Target.  Well, Target is like a black hole and not only do I get sucked in to look at all the pretty things, but then I end up buying things that I didn’t plan on buying or need.  I also notice that the more trips that I make to the store, the more money ends up going out that month.  It makes sense: I’ll stop at the grocery store to buy something for dinner and then while I’m there I “need” at tea or a Larabar, and while a few bucks really isn’t going to break me, if I do that every day for a month it adds up really quickly!

I have been trying to keep busy by attending moms’ groups, play dates and other meetings so that I’ll be able to get out of the house.  What’s nice about those activities is that they are mostly free.  The park, splash pads, and library are also great resources for when I want something to do that won’t cost me anything.

I’m really not too worried about our finances, but I do believe that I need to be more conscious when it comes to spending money.  Buying things that we really don’t need is silly, and in the long run will not be good for our financial future.

Are you a hobby shopper? Do you tend to buy things when you’re bored?

Last November Mr. Money lost his job.  Luckily, he was able to find a great job that paid really well and actually provided benefits. Last week we received the unfortunate news that he will have to take an hourly position for 40 hours a week at a huge pay cut.  I’ve been an emotional wreck for a few days, but I’m trying to see the positive in the situation and try to do something about it.  I feel if I have a plan that will make me feel better.  Here are some of the things I’m going to be doing:

-Going over our budget and getting back on the bare bones budget.    This bums me out because I liked having wiggle room, saving for retirement, and being able to pay our bills.  With Mr. Money’s new pay, we’re either going to be really close or short with being able to pay our bills.  I’ll know more once he gets that first lower paycheck.

-I’m going to be working more at freelance writing to see if I an generate more income this way.  I could go try to find a job outside of the house, but with the small salary I’d make it wouldn’t be worth it after we had to pay daycare expenses for Penny.  I’m really hoping that I can help bring in some money this way.

-We’ll be making more of our beauty products and cleaning products. I actually used my laundry detergent recipe the other day and made a batch.  It’s been working well. I’ve also started using vinegar in a fabric softener ball to help the detergent.  I’ve gotten used to buying expensive natural beauty products like toothpaste, shampoo, etc and I’ll have to stop that.  I think I’m going to come up with a different toothpaste recipe and start doing No Poo again.  I’ve been using baking soda and vinegar to clean pretty much everything in the house so that won’t really change.

-Line drying our clothes is back in full swing. When it’s nice outside I am able to hang out clothes out to dry.  It’s nice because the sun also helps remove stains.  When I’m worried about rain, I hang dry in my basement. Fun times.  The towels are crunchy but Mr. Money said he actually likes them better that way. Weirdo.

-Stop paying extra on the mortgage and put retirement contributions on hold for the time being.  We were putting an extra $50 a month on the mortgage and it was lovely to see the balance go down more each month, but if we can’t do it right now we can’t do it.  Also, not saving for retirement scares me but I can’t worry about it.  We’ll catch up soon, I’m sure.

Hopefully we’ll be able to make it work on his new salary.  We’re going to do everything we can to live on it and I hope we’re successful!  At least we weren’t used to an extravagant lifestyle so this isn’t going to be too much of a shock.  I’m also very, very thankful that he still has a job!

Do you have any tips for surviving a pay cut?

Cloth diapering is an excellent way to save money and reduce waste.  Disposable paper diapers are made with dangerous chemicals, use resources, and can take over 500 years to break down in a landfill.  Before we got pregnant, I made the decision to cloth diaper Penny for all the aforementioned reasons.  We decided to buy cotton prefold diapers and PUL (Polyurethane Laminate) diaper covers to try.  I’m very glad we did, as they worked fabulously for us while we used them.  Unfortunately, she is sensitive to wet cotton rubbing her and would get a rash so we had to switch to a different kind of cloth diaper.

Penny in a prefold cloth diaper with Boingos

Flat diapers and prefolds are an excellent way to start cloth diapering.  Flat diapers are “old school” and are pieces of single layer cotton fabric measuring about 27×27 inches.  They need to be folded in a certain way before being put on the baby, and there are many different folds available.  Flat diapers are the least expensive option for cloth diapering. One option for cloth diapering is to buy 24 flats and 4-6 covers.  That would cost you as little as $37.90 for 2 dozen OsoCozy Unbleached Birdseye Flat Diapers and $39.80 for 4 Econobum Covers. For $77.70 you could cloth diaper from birth to potty training. Of course, I’d personally recommend more than 4 covers but you could make do.

Prefold diapers are a rectangle that are several layers thick, with more layers in the middle for absorbency.  They need to be folded before put on the baby, but you can also tri fold them and lay them in covers.   If you want to attach them to the baby, you can use a Snappi , a pair of Boingos, or plain old diaper pins.  For $51.90, you can purchase 2 dozen Prefold Cloth Diapers and use those tri folded from birth to potty training.  You’ll still need to buy diaper covers to make them waterproof, but even then it’s still super cheap! With prefolds if you attach them on the baby, you will need to buy different sizes of prefolds unless you buy the traditional sized ones and fold down the extra fabric.  We purchased three dozen infant sized ones and Penny can still use them tri folded into pocket diapers.

Penny in a wool diaper cover

PUL diaper covers are much different than plastic pants.  They come in many different brands and have either a velcro or snap closure.  For our diapers, we picked snaps because they last longer and never need to be replaced.  Also, I think when a baby sits up and the front part of their diaper hits their tummy, snaps are much more comfortable than velcro.  The diaper cover is what makes the diaper waterproof.

Wool diaper covers are more expensive than PUL covers but are so cute, soft, and breathe better than PUL.  If you are looking for an all natural diaper cover, wool is the way to go! It is also naturally antibacterial and will also absorb a small amount while still being water resistant.  Wool covers can be excellent for night time diapering!

Pros of cotton cloth diapers: they are inexpensive, they wash up well, you can generally use them for more than one baby, and they can take a beating.  I love cotton cloth diapers because they absorb more quickly than a synthetic fiber, such as microfiber. Also, you are much less likely to have compression leaks with cotton versus microfiber.

What’s your opinion on cloth diapering?

*Links are to Amazon items. If you purchase through my link I receive a small fee. Thank you!

 For some reason, the ants this year have been especially bad in our kitchen and bedroom. I make sure all the food is put away and the counters are clean, but they still love to make their ant trails all over my house. It seems to get worse in the summer.  Annoying! We’ve been using Terro liquid ant killer, and it works really quickly, but I don’t want the chemicals in my house. I worry that Penny might get a hold of one of the traps and that wouldn’t be good. Obviously, we make sure they are out of her reach but you never know with a kid around!

My mother in law mentioned that she’s had really good luck with a homemade natural ant killer.  I decided to give it a try, and it works really well!  Here’s how you make it:

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup of water
-2 Tablespoons of borax
-1 cup of white sugar

Mix 1/2 cup of water, 2 Tablespoons of borax (the same kind you use in your laundry detergent recipe!), and 1 cup of sugar.  Boil it in a pot for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Allow the mixture to cool and thicken.  When the homemade ant killer is cool it’s ready to use.  We use small plastic containers to put it in.  Just set it on the counter or anywhere in the area that the ants are and let them go to town!  What’s really neat is that borax is actually an ingredient in the Terro liquid ant traps.

The ants love the mixture because it’s nice and sweet, and the borax is like a secret little potion that ends up killing them.  I think it’s very interesting how the ant killer works.  The ants eat the homemade natural ant killer and take it back to the queen for her to eat.  After she eats it she dies, and that should start the demise of the ant colony.

I feel much better about having sugar and borax traipsed around my house versus the chemicals in the Terro liquid ant killer.  There’s been controversy about whether or not borax is safe, but I look at it as a better option over using something that I’m not 100% sure what’s in it.  There are a few options if you’d like something a little easier than making up a liquid ant killer.  You can use cinnamon sticks or peeled garlic cloves near where the ants come in.  For some reason, they do not like either of those scents and it makes them not want to return.  White vinegar also has been rumored to keep ants away.  Just put some in a spray bottle and spray where the ants are coming it.  It should deter them from returning.

Personally we’ve had great success with the homemade ant killer liquid recipe above.  It only has a few ingredients, takes a few minutes to make, and really works!  Give it a try and let me know how well it works for you!

Do you have an ant problem?  Does it seem to be worse at certain parts of the year?

*post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Chlorine bleach is very toxic to not only people, but it’s also bad for the environment.  Bleach releases dioxins and other chemicals in the air when you wash with it.  It’s not something you really want to have around your house if you can help it.  Unfortunately, many people use bleach as a disinfectant and brightener for clothes, as bleach has been around for many years.  It does work well, but it’s not something I want to use on a regular basis.  Every time I think of bleach and the environment, I think of the coral reefs in Australia that are losing their color.  Sad news!

Fortunately, there are many alternatives to chlorine bleach, and many of them work well to disinfect and whiten whites.  Here are some eco friendly alternatives we use instead of chlorine bleach.

-Sunshine.  The sun is a powerful whitener and brightener.  We hang our whites outside to dry.  Not only does it save us from having to use the dryer, which saves us money, but it also will help remove spots out of clothes.  I actually had a colored shirt of Penny’s that was badly stained that I laid out in the sun wet, and by the afternoon the spots were gone!  I seriously couldn’t believe it.  The sun can also help kill germs, which is a nice added bonus.

-Peroxide.  Our midwife swears by peroxide, and now we do too!  It actually gets blood out of fabrics without bleaching them.  Sometimes when our whites are looking a little dingy I’ll soak them overnight in hot water, laundry detergent, and 1/2-1 cup of peroxide.  It helps get stains out of Mr. Money’s chef coats as well.  Remember how when you used to get a cut and your mom would pour peroxide on it?  That’s because it helps kill germs too.  Sometimes when our cloth diapers get a little funky I’ll do a rinse with some peroxide and it really helps!

-Seventh Generation Non-Chlorine bleach.  It only contains natural ingredients: natural oxygen safe bleach, oxygen bleach stabilizer, and deionized water.  It is non-toxic, color safe, and biodegradable.  We’ve used it with great results!

-Ecover Non-Chlorine Bleach. Ecover non-chlorine bleach is 100% sodium percarbonate, which is biodegradable and non-toxic.  I like that this product does not contain fillers like certain other brands.  When you buy the Ecover non-chlorine bleach, you’re spending money on the product, not fillers.

-Vinegar.  We use vinegar in pretty much all of our homemade cleaning products.  I love that it kills germs and makes things feel so fresh and clean.  Vinegar can be very helpful in killing mold in the bathrooms!

-Tea tree oil.  Tea tree oil has antibacterial and anti-fungal qualities.  While tea tree oil will disinfect, I don’t think it will help whiten and brighten clothes as well as some of the other options.

These are some of our favorite ways to avoid traditional chlorine bleach. We do keep some on hand for emergencies (you never know when you may need it!) but for every day use we try to skip it.

Do you use chlorine bleach in your house?

*post contains Amazon Affiliate links

I cannot stand having excess “things” around my house.  I like to have things organized and clean for the most part, and when we have too much crap it annoys me.  One thing that I struggle with is trying to figure out what to keep and store versus getting rid of and taking the risk of having to re-buy it eventually.

My mother has been so generous in buying Penny clothes from yard sales and thrift stores.  However, she also has gone a little overboard and we’ve ended up with three ginormous tubs of clothes in the basement that Penny has outgrown.  She’s only wearing 12 month or 18 month clothes right now, so that’s a ton of clothes in newborn-9 month size!

I struggle with deciding if I should keep everything in case we have another girl eventually, or just selling it and giving my mom the money since she bought it all in the first place.  The frugal side of me says it’s silly to get rid of anything because if we do have another girl she can use the clothes and we won’t have to spend anything for the ones we already have.  The minimalist side of me says to sell or donate a lot of it because even if we do have another girl, she may be born in the summer versus winter like Penny, and a lot of the clothes will be opposite season and we won’t be able to use them.

I also feel like babies don’t really need that many clothes in their wardrobe anyway and I can always sell or donate some of the clothes and if we need to buy a few pieces of clothing in the future I’m sure I can find it second hand.

The other problem I have is the logistics of selling.  Consignment stores take a huge cut, children’s clothing sales may or may not be worth it, and if you only get fifty cents for an item, is it really worth selling?

It’s not like the clothes are causing me any inconvenience by sitting in tubs in the basement (other than the fact I could use that storage space for other things) so I feel silly even worrying about them.

How do you balance minimalism versus frugality? 

I left my job at the bank in January of 2012 before Penny was born. Mr. Money was working for a restaurant and they provided him with a cell phone (an iPhone) that they paid the bill for.  When he lost his job, he obviously lost the previously paid-for cell phone plan.  This left us with a dilemma: we needed to figure out what we were going to do about our cell phone service.  Prior to him having that job, we both had Motorola Razrs (ha!) that we had on a family plan with Verizon.  The phones served their purpose and we had a basic plan. We’ve thought about starting our own business and then we could use both phones for that, but once we realized the importance of business loans we squashed that idea.

Mr. Money became spoiled by the iPhone and wanted to keep the phone active.  We checked with various providers and the plans were around $80 a month, a lot more than I wanted to spend. We discussed putting both of us on a family plan again but I was hesitant to sign a two year contract.  That feels like debt to me, and I don’t like contracts or debt.  The best idea was for Mr. Money to take over my phone number and use his iPhone.

We ended up going with a prepaid option that costs about $45 a month and has unlimited talk, text, and web.  He was able to keep his iPhone so there was no cost for the phone.  The service works great and the only thing we have to do is remember to refill the phone each month.  He receives a text when it’s seven days from coming due, so that is very helpful.

I have no had a cell phone for about nine months now.  I won’t lie, there are some days that I would love to have a smart phone so I could look up something (remember when I was considering getting an iPhone?) or be able to text a friend.  Overall though, it doesn’t bother me and the savings are definitely worth it.

We have a home phone, internet access, and I have an old iPhone I use as an iPod sometimes so it’s not like I need a cell phone.  It is kind of weird to meet new friends and they’ll ask for my number to text and I have to explain that I don’t have a cell phone.  Sometimes I do worry about not having one for emergencies, like when I’m out shopping with Penny, but a lot of the time my sister or Mr. Money are with me so no big deal.  I’ve considered going with a prepaid phone but right now I don’t want to have the added expense so I just do without.

I’m sure I’m in the minority of thirty year olds that don’t have a cell phone.  I figure that people lived without them for so many years that I am able to as well.  I’m not against cell phones, but right now I feel like it’s something that I can do without to save my family money.

Could you live without a cell phone?

We’ve really been conscious as to where our money’s been going lately, and I’ve been taking many steps to ensure that there is little to no unnecessary spending. There are so many tips and tricks to save money, some of them easier than others; some are downright a pain-in-the-butt. Lots of things I don’t like doing just because they aggravate me or are more work but when you want to conserve as much money as possible, you do them. Here are some of the things I don’t like to do to save money.

-Wash and reuse plastic freezer bags. I feel like it is hard to get these clean, but really it’s not as bad as I make it to be. They drying is the longest part- often when the outside dries I flip them inside out to get the inside to dry. One really good thing about reusing the plastic sandwich bags is that we’re keeping them out of the landfill. We do use glass reusable storage containers, but for some things, plastic freezer bags are the way to go.

-Hang dry laundry. What bugs me about hang drying laundry is that it takes a lot longer than throwing your clothes into the dryer. Also, the clothes come out stiffer than if they were dried in the dryer with wool dryer balls. If it helps save money on the electric bill then it’s worth it. Also, the clothes will hopefully last longer and unnoticed stains are much easier to get out than if the clothes have been dried in the dryer.

-Minimize/consolidate trips. Before, I was taking a trip to Target at least once a week. Now I’m trying to stay home as much as possible to reduce the amount of gas we use and minimize our unnecessary spending. I try to hit up as many stores as possible when I’m out so that my time isn’t wasted and I don’t have to go back out again. I miss (at least) window shopping for fun. It’s also a pain to have to take the baby in and out of the car a bunch of times when I go to many stores.

-No poo. Sometimes I get tired of having to mix the baking soda and water, then apply the apple cider vinegar rinse, etc.  I would also love to just wash with a good smelling shampoo and have the scent last.  The nice thing is, with no poo I’m not exposing myself to a bunch of chemicals and I’m also saving a ton over buying all natural shampoo.

-Going without cable.  *Sigh* I love having cable, just because I know mindless tv is right there at my fingertips, but is it really good for us?  No.  Going with Netflix is a much better option to help save money.

First world problems, right?! Overall, these aren’t horrible, they’re just not what I’m used to.  I am hoping that with time they’ll just become second nature and I’ll be used to it!

What things do you do to save money that you don’t like?

So back in 2011 I was looking for fee free IRAs. Mr. Money and I both had IRAs at a brokerage firm and the $40 annual fee was eating into our accounts, especially mine that contained around $400.  I said I was going to either move it to a new brokerage firm that had no or low annual fees or move it to ING where it could sit in an IRA savings account.  At least if I did that, I’d be avoiding the $40 annual fee.

Well that didn’t happen.

Penny was born, life got crazy and I didn’t even think about that IRA after that.  Until last month when I got another bill for $40. Doh.  And now the account balance was roughly $379, since they took out the $40 annual fee for last year.  So I called them up, asked about closing it and moving it over to Capital One 360 so I would avoid penalties and they reminded me of the $75 closing fee.  Yay.  So now I’m down to $264 after the annual fee and closing fee.

I am really disappointed because I thought my account was in mutual funds, but it turns out that it was sitting in cash.  Like I’m going to make any money with it not being invested.  I ended up opening a ROTH IRA with Capital One 360 as a place to park the money.  Even if I leave it there and never add any more money, at least it won’t be eaten by annual fees.  Plus, there is no closing fee in the event that I decide to roll it into an IRA with another institution.

The paperwork is in the mail and I’m just waiting for them to take care of it.  I’m annoyed at myself that I didn’t get it taken care of earlier but what can I do now?  One of my most annoying habits is when I’m intimidated by something (like the thought of rolling over IRAs, researching investments, and possibly screwing up retirement funds) I put it off.  I’ve got to learn to be better about that.  I feel so much better when I just get things done!

We’re planning on leaving Mr. Money’s IRA at the brokerage firm because even with the $40 annual fee he still comes out ahead in his account.  I’m really going to sit down and look at Vanguard and see about rolling my 401k from my old job there.  What concerns me is that part of it is in a traditional 401k and part of it is in a ROTH 401k, so I don’t know how they’d go about rolling that over.  Of course, they’re the experts so I probably should give them a call

I think once all of our retirement funds are all together I’ll feel a lot better about it.  We’re fairly young and need to get that money working for us!

I was so aggravated that I let this happen but then I realized that it’s already done and all I can do is learn from it and move on.  Have you made any money mistakes lately?