Transforming Your Home to Fall: Budgeting Decorating Ideas

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

Getting Your Home Ready for Fall on a Budget
It’s that time of year where the leaves start falling, pumpkin decorations make their grand appearance and I get an excuse to wear over sized sweaters on a daily basis.  Fall is my favorite time of the year.  The weather is still nice enough to go out and do things with friends but the temperatures are cooler so that you can actually enjoy being outside without sweating. One of my favorite things to do is attend festivals around St. Louis, my favorite is the Apple Butter Festival in Kimmswick.

Fall is about that time that I transition our house look.  I like to add some deeper colors to the decorations, blankets with some texture that yearn for someone to cuddle up with, and autumn spice candles.  There are some inexpensive and quick ways to add a touch of fall to your home:

Transforming Your Home to Fall
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1) Faux fur throws.  I found mine about 2 years ago at Big Lots.  I had a coupon and it was on sale, so overall it cost me about $10.  It’s small enough that it folds up nicely on the couch and is light enough that you can throw it on while the air is running.

Fall Ready Home
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2) Fall decor.  I usually find clearance pumpkins, horns of plenty, and other fall-like decorations at the end of each season at Wal-Mart or craft stores.  Typically you can combine clearance items with coupons and get items pretty cheap, which always makes me happy.  However, if you are just starting out this fall and don’t want to wait until next year to decorate then hit up some local garage sales or flea markets.  Most people purge a lot of items during the summer months and while the temperature is still nice they will continue hosting garage sales for the first few weeks of fall.

Making Your Home Ready for Fall
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3) Candles.  I love candles.  Maybe it’s because we have 2 dogs and I always have a fear that our house smells, but candles are the best.  I typically buy mine at Big Lots or the Dollar Tree.  They won’t last for 200+ hours like the expensive ones will.  Butthey will last me most of the fall season and that’s really all that matters to me.

That’s it.  3 simple steps and your home will be easily transformed from cool, light summer to warm and cozy for fall.

Cheers!

NOLA

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®
NOLA Bourbon Street
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Today is the day.  I am headed down to NOLA for my bachelorette party!  I will be down on Bourbon Street for the weekend celebrating with my sister, future sister-in-law, and close friends.  Cannot wait to party down and make memories that will last forever.

J and I are getting closer to our wedding, and this last fling before the ring is a reminder just how close we are getting.

Cheers to a good time!

Cost Per Wear: Frugal Living

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®
cost per item: frugal living
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A new way to look at your wardrobe – how much do you pay for cost per wear on your clothes?  It may cost $40 to purchase the items, but how many times are you going to actually leave the house in it?  That’s the way to perceive the value of your wardrobe.  That’s how my Dad made me look at my clothes.  Especially when we were out shopping.

Cost Per Wear: Frugal Living
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There are two ways to determine your cost per wear for your wardrobe:

1) The price to purchase the item divided by the number of times you see yourself wearing it.  For example, $40 blouse divided by the 5 times you see yourself leaving the house in it equals $8 per wear.

2) Take the price to purchase the item divided by the value you imagine each wear will bring.  Let’s say that you buy a dress for $80 and you imagine each wear worth about $20.  That means you at least have to wear the dress 4 times to get an equal cost/value.

See?  Simple.

Next time you are out shopping the racks ask yourself, “is the price per wear worth it?”

If it’s yes and you have the extra spending money then buy.  If the answer is no or you do not have the extra cash then walk away.

Cheers!

Having An Emergency Fund Pays

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®
Having an Emergency Fund Pays
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J and I have been talking money lately, working on saving money, and paying off debt.  Luckily we have been able to listen to Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University before we get married (if you haven’t heard of FPU, you have to check it out!).  The first baby step is $1,000 in the bank.  Seemed easy enough, right?  It took budgeting and being diligent, but we reached our goal at the end of September.  Awesome!

Then comes the first Monday of October… dun dun dun and my tooth starts to ache.  I try to “live” with the pain, but it just got worse.  I caved by Friday and had an appointment with the dentist.  The outlook of my teeth was not so great and the final cost for the repairs – $1,050.

Without our emergency fund, we would not have been able to take care of this bill without sacrifice.  We do not have to give up food for the month or better yet, I do not have to live in pain!  It’s hard to see that $1,000 we worked so hard to achieve walk away so quickly, but at the end of the day that is why we have it.

We did not plan for my teeth to have a meltdown, but things happen.  Life happens.  We must adapt, take care of ourselves, and move on.  That is exactly what we are doing.  Starting with our first paycheck of October we will commence the rebuild.  In a short time we will have our emergency fund back to full again and start working towards paying down our debt.

I have to admit that it feels pretty good to be able to take care of this medical bill without help from family and without having to put it on a credit card to pay interest on.  It feels real good.

Want to know something that I find humorous?  The week after we get married is when J can apply for insurance through his work and since we will be married, so can I.  His work has basic dental coverage and if only my teeth could have lasted a bit longer that $1,050 may have only been $700.  But that’s the way life goes and we keep moving.

Having an Emergency Fund Pays
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If you do face a dental emergency like me then do not be afraid to ask questions:

1) does this office do payment plans?  Most would like payment up front since the work is done at that time; however, there might be a Care Credit option that you can apply for.  That way you get the work done and pay a minimal amount of interest.

2) does this office offer a discount plan?  My dentist does!  It was great to learn about it.  For a small annual fee they discount all of the procedures.  I asked for an example – my cleaning and exam that day would normally be $300, but with the plan it was only $175.  The plan more than paid for itself in that moment.  I looked through my costs of what I need done and without the plan it would have been $1,700 or more!  That’s crazy!

3) does your work have to be done right away?  A lot of dentists will be honest with you and tell you what are emergencies and what aren’t.  Those are nice dentists.

It pays to talk to the office staff to learn more.  Each place is different and at the end of the day they need your business.

Cheers!

5 Things I Wish I Would Have Known Before Graduating College

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

The other day I was having a conversation with my parents about life, childhood, and the fact that I am getting married, which blows my mind.  We were talking about life in college and how I could always hear my parents advice in the back of my mind, which guided me.  Or as I like to think kept me from having too much fun, until that one day at a local bar where a friend of mine got drugged because she took a drink from a cute guy.  The cute guy’s friend offered me a drink that looked eerily similar to my friend’s and I turned it down because I heard my Dad’s voice telling me not to take a drink that I didn’t see get made.  At that moment,  I couldn’t understand why the guy instantly lost interest in me… I was cute, I was funny, but why did he stop talking to me?  The next day as my friend was really sick and couldn’t remember the night… it hit me, I know he lost interest because I turned down his drugged drink.
5 Things I Wish I Would Have Known Before Graduating CollegeI really think that with their guidance I have made it pretty far in life with not many bad moments or memories.  My parents always helped and were there for me, sometimes they would let me figure things out on my own; and those moments were harder for me.  Once I graduated with my Masters and started really thinking of my career is when I realized I still had quite a bit of learning to do.

I always hear advice from family, friends, and sometimes even strangers about life.  Sometimes their advice is solicited and sometimes it is not.  So I listen to learn.  There are times that their advice misses the intended target or I have to learn on my own.

Here are 5 things I wish I would have known about before graduating college:

1) Trust your gut when it comes to your career.

5 Things I Wish I Would Have Known Before Graduating College
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it’s important to know that it’s okay to walk away.  Do not waste time in a career that is not right for you.  Now I am not suggesting quitting a job without any source of income or another job.  So, bide your time, look for a new job and when the time is right for you, make your exit.

For example, I thought retail was the answer.  My major in undergrad was Marketing – Retail/Merchandising.  That must mean I wanted to work in retail, right? No.  H-E-double hockey sticks No.  I tried it after college, full-time.  The hours were not great, I missed J in the evenings and on the weekends, and the part that determined my exit was being tossed around and had smoke blown in places that it should not be blown.

2) Don’t lose your best friends.  

My mom always said that there will be friends that go with that phase of your life, but then there are special friends that you will carry through every phase of your life.  It’s important that you keep those people you love, and to keep them, you have to be willing to work at those relationships.

3) Getting an A or a B really doesn’t matter.

5 Things I Wish I Would Have Known Before Graduating College
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I wrote about this in a letter to the incoming freshman class awhile back.  I wish I would have taken it a bit more seriously in college and would have had a bit more fun.  I am not saying that I never had fun, but there are moments that I missed out because I was worried about getting that A.  It didn’t matter.  I’ve never been asked for my GPA or class rank.  I think the degree I earned speaks for itself.

4) Don’t replace the busyness of college with an overwhelming workload.

5 Things I Wish I Would Have Known Before Graduating College
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In college I was actively involved on campus with several clubs and my sorority, and I always had something to do or people to talk to about something.  After college I felt the need to keep myself busy and threw myself into my job.  I wasn’t getting paid that great and there was really no room for me to grow, and I had just set the precedent that I would be available at 10pm Monday-Friday and anytime on the weekends.  When the time came for me to get a life outside of work and I met J, it was hard for my coworkers to swallow that I would only be working 45 hours a week and not 60.

5) How much work it is to be an actual adult without the label of being a student.

I never realized during college how much work and planning it takes to be an adult.  There are responsibilities that come the moment without any hesitation once you walk across that stage and receive that empty leather diploma holder.  I am not talking about bills being due or needing food and shelter; I am talking about the social responsibilities.

Don’t get me wrong being an adult is 1000x better than being a student, but sometimes I wish I could go back to that irresponsible student if only for a moment.

Cheers!

A Little Bit About Me

A Little Bit About Me

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

About Me

So, here i sit trying to think of something to write about.  I have ideas, but no pictures to go with the ideas or I have pictures and have no idea what to write about.  It’s a vicious circle I live in.  As I get older (and closer to my wedding) I have been thinking a lot about who I am and how I got to be this awesome lady.  I thought there would be nothing more fun to read or talk about then a post about myself… okay, I’m really stretching it here and just need to finish a few other topics.

Here we go interesting tid-bits about yours truly:

– my first word was cookie, which is what I am blaming my food problems on
– I love black licorice so much that I named my first do Licorice.  She was a black lab, so it seemed fitting.
– I am absolutely terrified of clowns, people in face paint, masks, or fully body costumes and hate wigs.  Pretty much anything that can completely disguise how a person looks freaks me out.
– I love sweets and probably have the biggest sweet tooth known to man
– I do not like to go into our basement at night. Something about it creeps me out, perhaps it’s the glow in the dark stick-on stars that are all over our unfinished basement that screams this was a child’s playroom or bedroom; and it’s an unfinished basement
– I enjoy working around the house on projects.  When I was little I used to help my dad wire lights around our patio fence, install speakers on our back patio, etc. I am actually pretty handy

about me– My favorite dog breed is a Rottweiler. I had one growing up that would walk with me every morning to the bus stop and meet me when I was dropped off.  That dog saved me from a pretty horrible person one morning and at that moment I decided my children would have a Rottweiler to protect them just as I did
– My guilty reality tv show is Dog and Beth On the Hunt, which replaced Dog The Bounty Hunter.  A little strange, but I do love them and may have waited hours in line for their autograph at a Borders once
– My favorite color is blue and my last 2 cars have been blue
about me
– My favorite season is fall, which had something to do with why we decided to get married in November

about me– My  dream is to be able to provide a refuge for stray or neglected dogs that need a forever home

Cheers!

September Was Great

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

September was a great month for me and my family.
our love storyI shared the story of how J and I met.
tips for developing a budgetTips about developing a budget as a couple that we have been using and being successful at the past few months.
pull apart bread recipeA delicious super-easy recipe for cinnamon-sugar pull apart bread.
organize your desktopA simple DIY desktop organizer that I am loving.
tips for creating a gallery wallWays to get the perfect gallery wall.
Easy Ways To Save Money15 easy, no brainer ways to save money.
bad work habits to breakAnd one of my favorite pieces of the month, 10 bad work habits to kick to the curb.

Overall, September was a great month.  J and I closer to our wedding, we have got to spend a lot of time with our family and friends, and have finished unpacking every box from our move.  Life is good!

Cheers!

Phases

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

phases

People go through different phases of their life and interests from time to time.  Right now my phase is all about this wedding and getting everything perfect.  So, I am sorry that I do not have a post ready for today.  I have all these ideas swirling in my head and when I sit down to type them out – POOF! They go away.  I need to take some time this week to make a major long to-do list for the wedding, for work, and for around the house then I can come back with a clear  mind.

I am going to take today and tomorrow off from this little blog of mine to work on formalizing these ideas.

Thank you for being so understanding!  31 days until J and I get married and then life can resume, except I will be a Mrs. and no longer a Ms.

Cheers!

September Wrap Up and October Goals

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

october goals

September is almost gone and October is right around the corner.

Here’s how I did for September:

1) side hustle – 95%

eh… not the best, but really this was my first month at trying to make any money on the side.  So, with that in mind I am not disappointed.  I sold an order on Etsy, which just made me do a happy dance.  I joined Elance and had one completed job that I got paid for.  With two success I would give this a 95%. I had hopes of making more, but I will take it.

2) purchase the big items for our favors – PASS

Our favor items have been purchased and now we move on to the next project.  It was such a relief the night J and I went to multiple stores to buy all the different pieces we were looking for.

3) pay $200 towards our smallest debt – FAIL

We…er…I miscalculated our emergency fund total and that $200 went in there.  Now we are on track for next month and we will kick butt on paying off some debt.

4) fund our emergency fund all the way – PASS

It is such a good feeling to know that we are covered for any unexpected events.  We do not have to stress if the car breaks or freak out over an unexpected bill.  This makes me a lot calmer and probably nicer to be around.

5) knock out ¼ of the remaining Dave Ramsey Videos – PASS

We do not have that many videos left and we are ahead of schedule.  I think I am learning too much, if that’s even possible.  Sometimes I like to quote Dave Ramsey and J is not amused with me, especially when we are in public.  I like to think I am passing around useful information to those around us, but he does not see it that way.

October goals:

1) Get everything in order for our wedding in ONE month – CRAZY!
2) Book a few more side hustle jobs
3) Pay $200 towards our smallest debt
4) Take the dogs for more walks
5) Finish the Dave Ramsey videos

We are getting married in one month and two days.  Just seems crazy that my life is where it is.  I am so excited for our future together and the years that we have ahead of us.  I think we are in a good place and ready for this step.  It’s just crazy!

Cheers!

Faking It

Posted on by Meredith Rines, MBA, CFP®

faking it

Does faking it work?

It’s no lie that there are days that I just do not have my stuff together, like the other day.  I wake up late or I just cannot seem to wake up.  I have zero motivation to get things done.  It happens to us all, well at least that is what I’m telling myself – days like these happen to everyone, not just me.  But when you are trying to start a career these days need to be rare.

How do you get over the blah feeling?  Fake it.  When you leave the house and step into the workplace, you leave that blah feeling at the door.  You plaster a smile on your face and carry a notepad with you so you do not forget anything in the fog.

I know faking it will not always get you to the place you want to be in your career or will it completely erase that blah feeling.

Take lots and lots of notes.

 I have always loved to-do lists, even at a young age.  So, on the days that you just aren’t feeling it carry around a notepad.  That way you are prepared when your boss calls you into his office to give you a jumbled to-do list that deals with 8 separate clients and a few administrative tasks sprinkled in.  Make details so when you come back to the office the next day your notes make sense and you can remember what you are suppose to be doing.

Wake up early.

If you are like me and like to hit your snooze a few times, then set your alarm earlier.  That way when you finally roll out of bed you will still have time to wake up, get your bearings, and not be rushed.  I feel fierce the mornings that I take time putting makeup on, picking out an outfit and finding jewelry to wear.  I know the days that I leave the house fully dressed I feel good about myself and I rock it at work.

Wait until you get to work to check e-mails.

I get distracted when the first thing I do in the morning is grab my  phone to check  e-mails.  That is the worst mistake I can do.  An e-mail  can get me all worked up then I spend too much time thinking about it and not enough time getting out of bed.  I have started waiting until the workday has began to check e-mails and it has made a difference.

Let’s be honest, my work does not care one bit if I am “out of it,” the clients do not understand when I say that my head is just not in it .  That screams I am unprofessional.  So, faking it the days that you need just a little push will help.

Cheers!