$1 a day rental car (one way) from Arizona - ROAD TRIP!!!

Hello Everyone,

Hertz is currently advertising a $1 per day rental out of Arizona to any of the following states:  Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma, Michigan, and California. 

What a fun way to save some money.  Either fly into Arizona (assuming you are not from AZ), pick up your Hertz rental, explore AZ and do a little roadtrip back home.  Or, in the alternative, do a road trip from AZ to your destination (in one of the above mentioned states) then fly home.

This offer is valid now through May 31st, 2015.  The applicable code is RQ ICFLT1.  Or, click here as I have linked the site.

Budget Series - Pt 6: Using Credit Cards to Leverage Your Expenses

There are some expenses that you just cannot avoid.  You need to pay your utilities, phone bill, groceries, etc.  These all can be paid on your credit card.  These expenses are things that you would have paid by cash or some cash equivalent (e.g., check, money order, etc.)  Instead, if you use a credit card to pay these expenses then immediately pay the credit card off, you have effectively given yourself a "discount" on your regular expenses as well in the form of a rebate.

However, this is something you should NOT do unless you have your spending under control.  Please be warned that once you charge the above expenses on your credit card, you will be tempted to spend the money in your checking account for something else.  In fact, that is why in my earlier post in this budget series I advised using actual cash separated into weekly or biweekly allotments for your allowance in order to help in "resetting" your financial default and keep your spending in line.

For those of you who have now reigned in your spending and are keeping within your budget, find a credit card that gives you the rewards that are the best fit for you. 

For example, when our family was in the market to buy a new car, once we decided that we would be buying a GM car, I signed up for a GM credit card that gave us a generous percentage back on all of our eligible purchases in the form of a voucher for the purchase of a new GM car. 

When I was planning our family trip (the trip to the Dominican Republic, see blog post Vacation Planning Strategies) I opened up a credit card that gave me a generous sign-up miles bonus (which jump started me on my goal of getting my 5 airplane tickets using miles.  Then, all ran all of my purchases and expenses through that credit card until I achieved my goal.

Currently, my goal is to get "assistance" in paying for the hotel to the Dominican Republic.  Through my vacation planning strategy, I secured 2 rooms at a 5 Star all-inclusive resort (including room service) with a kids club and $400 in hotel credits (for massages and such) for $2810 (total for 2 rooms, 5 people, and 9 days).  To reduce this "hotel" bill, I have secured 2 credit cards from American Express, one that will give me $200 if I spend $1000 in eligible purchases in the first 3 months and it is with a 0% interest rate on the purchases for one year.  The other promotion is a $300 statement credit if I spend $1000 in eligible purchases in the first 3 months and 0% interest rate for this purchase for 9 months. Also, the latter credit card gives me a premium 3% back in statement credit for all purchases made directly from a hotel.

When I reserved my hotel room, I only put down a deposit.  There is still about $2000 that needs to be paid off.  Thus, with the statement credit, if I pay off the balance owed on the card, I will get another $74.98 back.  Thus, from the $2810, I have shaven off an additional $574.98 by using the credit card programs to raise money to help pay for the trip.  In total, I am only spending $2235.02 for the hotel portion of this trip, and $0 for the plane tickets.  (In the spirit of true disclosure:  While the plane tickets are $0, I do have to pay taxes, fees, and government charges, which is still several hundreds of dollars).

Now, you will hear many nay sayers saying it is bad to open and close too many credit cards and that it will affect your credit.  However, keep in mind that this is about planning.  When I opened my GM credit card, it took us at least 1.5 to 2 years to spend enough for the car.  Also, when I opened up my airline miles card, it took me about the same amount of time to save for the airplane tickets.  Now, since it does take over a year (usually), you have to make sure you do not end up paying for this planning in the form of credit card membership fees.  Most of the credit cards I have opened did not have any membership fees or the company waived the fees.  I definitely take the fees into consideration.  I chose to keep open my airline miles credit card because I need an open account in order to get the added perk of getting to check-in a bag for free.  While there was a fee, the company's department that tries to talk people out of leaving (retention department perhaps) offered to waive the fees if I made $1000 in eligible purchases in the next 3 months.

Now, I do not know what your household expenses look like but for us, we easily spend $3000 per month on items such as groceries, gas bill, water bill, kid's various activities, restaurants, birthday gifts/special event gifts, etc.

Budget Series - Pt 5: How to Get to Your Goal Sooner

RECAP

You should have created your existing budget.  You should have an IDEAL budget that tells you where you want to be ultimately.  You are more sensitive on how you are spending.  You are now in the more boring phase of the day-to-day.  However, do not be disheartened looking at the large credit card debt and wonder - when will I ever pay that off.

INTERIM CREATIVE MANAGEMENT

Now that your financial infrastructure is set up, we can do some creative management.  If you have been late in paying your credit card, figure out why.  Is it because you get paid after the due date?  If so, contact the credit card company and ask them if they can move the payment date.  If the person you talk to says no, ask to speak to his/her supervisor.  Find someone who is willing to help you and do not stop asking until someone is willing to work with you. 

In my experience, what customer service person you get really makes a difference.  If I get someone who is totally stubborn, I thank them and hang up.  Then, I call again.  When I am certain that no first level customer service person can assist me, I ask for the next person in the food chain.  This is because the person at the next level will most likely have more authority to make things happen.

Bankruptcy Risk
Now, if you find that no customer service person is able or willing to help you, there is something else you may do but I cannot recommend it as I am not sure of its impact.  What may grease the wheels of cooperation is suggesting (only if it is true) that you are in over your head and that you are a bankruptcy risk.  You see, if you file bankruptcy properly the court may discharge all of your existing debts.  So, for the credit card company that has the possibility of never seeing another dime from you and not only losing out on the interest and fees but also the original amount they advanced, doing you that little favor of changing the due date seems reasonable. 

Also, ask if you can get a discount on the interest rate.  Remember, any discount on the interest rate will mean that more of your payment will go towards paying down the balance.  Typically, low interest rates are given to those with good credit and those who have a history of late payments will be assessed a penalty rate.  However, they may be willing to reduce their rate if they think you are

Hardship
Even if you are not contemplating bankruptcy, if you are suffering some form of hardship, do not be shy about letting the customer service person know.  The company may actually have a "hardship" exception which permit the customer service person to do more than they would otherwise be allowed to do.  Examples of your typical hardship is - deaths, divorce, job loss, etc. 

Other examples of hardship (which is not really a hardship but is a stressor nonetheless): planning a wedding (I've used this one to get about a $100 in fees reversed -- "ahhh!! so stressed about the wedding planning and I am so overwhelmed that I was not on top of my accounts.  I am so sorry, please have compassion."), new births, kid problems, school problems, husband/boyfriend/girlfriend problem, etc.

The point under "other examples of hardship" is that when you talk to a customer service person, remember that they are human beings and face the same challenges you do or know someone who does.  You are connecting with them at a human level, not the corporate mega-billion dollar level (which is their employer).  These individuals have more in common with you than they have with their employer.  Therefore, if you can connect with them at that human level, they will be your best advocates in looking through their employer's system to help you.  I do not believe this is disloyal for them.  In fact, I think this is customer service at its best.  The employee is working within the corporate structure to provide as much "service" as possible to the customer creating tremendous good will and also helping their employer by ensuring that the customer will continue to pay their bill.

In conclusion, reset your financial default, reign-in your spending, put yourself on a budget, set your goals, implement interim creative management to get to your goals sooner, then set new goals until you ultimately reach your IDEAL budget.

Good luck.

Another example of stacking and creating your own discount.

Here is another example of stacking and creating a (better) discount for yourself.  Just last Sunday, I was at Costco and walked by their gift card section.  As it is Costco's gift cards give you a 25% discount on a $100 purchase.  That is a 25% savings.  However, I noticed last Sunday that the Buca di Beppo gift card was discounted an extra $5. 

 

There were other gift cards that also were also on sale but I knew those were not my go-to stores.  Buca, while it is not a restaurant I frequent,  it is a restaurant we do go to on occasion.  Remember, as in all coupons, if you end up buying something just because of a coupon, you are actually losing money because you are buying something you would otherwise not have purchased.  The idea is to use coupons to get a discount on things you would actually buy even without a coupon.

 

 

     

 

There is a little more to this, however.  When I saw the Buca gift card sale, I remembered that the Los Angeles Valpak (those discount mailers) had a Buca di Beppo coupon.

Budget Series - Pt 4: Moving Closer To Your Ideal Budget By Goal Setting

Goal setting is really helpful.  It helps you focus on what is important.  It gives you an incentive to stick with a plan.  When you use goal setting to move you closer to your ideal budget, the "reward" is more abstract and esoteric - knowing that you are closer to living without debt (yawn).  So, if that "reward" really is not enticing, feel free to give yourself a real (affordable) reward.  Make sure your reward is worth your while so that it keeps you motivated.  For me, I want a new digital dslr camera that has the video functionality.  Our camera right now does not.  We do have a video camera but it is so old that the battery will not hold a charge.  Now, that camera like that can cost anywhere from $500 to several thousands.  So, I dangle that in front of myself and say - you can get one BUT it cannot be more than $700.  Even that is a huge price tag.  So, I know I will be working very hard for the next year (or perhaps even two) to reach my goal.

You must be confused because I am starting off a section on goal setting to move you from your current pork-bellied spending to a trimmer budget encouraging you to buy something expensive.  It is because we are imperfect and weak.  If we continue to live in denial and set unrealistic goals and expectations, we will NEVER reach our goal.  So, take it easy on yourself.  Again, this is a process.  Now, if you will be content with a nice movie and a dinner as your reward, that is great.  Just pick a reward that you know will motivate you.

Now, looking at your existing pork-bellied budget, what expense are you trying to bring in line OR get rid of altogether?  When my husband and I married, he came into the marriage with several high balance credit card bills.  One of the reason for the high balance was that he had only been paying the minimum amount due or just above that amount.  That is what the credit card companies want you to do.  For them, the ideal customer is someone who is concerned about ruining his credit so will continue to pay the credit card bill, but, will only make the minimum payment.  That way, they can stretch out the repayment and make incredible profit on the interest that accrues on the balance.  Usually, the minimum payment amount does not even include all of the interest that has accrued that month.  Therefore, paying just the minimum payment will result in the interest being added to the balance and now you are paying interest on interest.  Even if you cannot pay off the credit card, it should be your top priority that your payment be at least more than the interest that has accrued that month. 

Once we paid off the credit cards, our next goal was to pay down our school loan.  I was not interested in totally paying off the school loan debt because I could still tax plan and get our adjusted gross income down to a point where we could still deduct our student loan interest.   However, our student loan debt was so large that the total interest we were paying on the loans were greater than what we could deduct.  Since we were paying interest that we could not deduct, it made sense for us to get rid of as much debt as needed to get rid of that portion of the interest.

So, set your goal(s).  What is the first thing you are going to pay off.   Or, what thing do you anticipate needing in the future?  Perhaps a car?  Then, as you begin to trim down your expenses, allocate the freed up funds to a car budget IMMEDIATELY.  If you do not allocate the freed up funds you will spend it.

Now that you have created a plan, the next part of the Budget Series (part 5) will discuss how to get to your goal SOONER.  If any part of what I discussed is unclear, please send me a question so that I can clarify.

BUDGET SERIES: Pt 3 - Creating Your Budget

CREATING YOUR BUDGET

I recommend creating 2 budgets.  The first is the IDEAL budget, kind of like your target weight when you are dieting.  The second is your WORKING budget.  This WORKING budget is the budget you will use day-to-day to bring your spending in line.  The WORKING budget will have a "model" portion that assigns reasonable amounts to each line item expense category.  The reason for doing this is so that you do not overspend in one category leaving you with not enough money to cover your expenses.

For example, if you only have $20 to spend on food on a particular day, it would not be wise for you to buy a breakfast meal that costs $18.  Instead, it would make sense to divide the $20 into three parts - breakfast, lunch, and dinner (for example).  Assuming we divide the $20 into $6 for breakfast, $6 for lunch, and $8 for dinner, you know that if you only spend $4 for breakfast you are doing great and you will be able to have a nicer meal for lunch or dinner.  On the other hand, if you spend $18 for breakfast, you will most likely be hungry for the rest of the day unless some how you find a meal deal (see my blog page, "Discount Dining with Kids") or someone treats you.  Let's just keep my example simple, however, and just say you have to pay your own way.

By initially cutting up the proverbial pie in your model, you are working within a structure that gives you guidance on how much you should/can spend on an item.  Without establishing these parameters up front, you will be spending money without context.  During a discussion I had with a friend of mine she shared with me that her realization that although her mother taught her how to write checks, her mother never taught her how to balance her check book.  Similarly, spending money without a budget is a little on the risky side.

The most important part of the model expenses in your WORKING budget is the amount you allocate (i.e., the share of the pie).  The amount should be a realistic amount given your CURRENT spending habit.  I once had a friend who was so desperate to get out of debt that she only allocated $40 for food for the entire month.  I asked her how in the world she was going to live and she said potatoes.   I do not recommend this drastic approach.  It is unhealthy and you will not be able to keep with it.  It is like in dieting, an extreme diet will only cause you to binge and your weight will yo yo.

The model amount should be a realistic amount given your CURRENT spending habit.  For example, if you are used to going to Starbucks for coffee everyday your budget category where expenses such as these are covered should reflect consider this fact.  Most people cannot stop something cold turkey and people rarely change over night.  So, do not set yourself up for failure.  Be reasonable but with the mindset of retraining those financial muscles that keep your WANT desires in check.  Instead of 7 days per week, perhaps you can limit yourself to 5 days per week, then 5, then 4, etc.   One of the reasons I had you tracking your expenses was so that we can glean from your spending habit what amount to set for each model expense.  Remember, this is a lifestyle change.  It will take some time but you can do it.

Once you have set your model budget, the other section of your WORKING budget is the area where you will be recording your actual expenses.  Yes, I know I asked you to track your expenses for 3 months but I did not say you never have to track your expenses thereafter.  The tracking here is a little different than the tracking you were doing those first three months.  In the first three months, you were data collecting.  And, as you can see, the information was useful.  It gave you a reality check, it gave you examples to do your need versus want analysis (and practice), and it gave you the information to create your budget and set the model expense amounts.  Now that you have created your budget, you will track your expenses but it will be less tedious. 

For example, if you have allocated $100 for your allowance, you can give yourself a break and put $100 in your wallet/purse and use those funds to pay for items that come out of your allowance.  In fact, if you have a huge credit card debt, I recommend this cash method.  I once had someone divide up their monthly allowance into two envelopes.  The first was to cover expenses from the 1st through the 15th.  The second envelope (which was sealed) covered allowance expenses from the 16th through the 30th/31st.  If you ran out of money before the 15th, you had to make due with what you had but I expressly forbid this person from opening the 2nd envelope until the 16th.  If you REALLY need more structure and accountability, you can divide up the allowance into how many weeks there are in the month.  Once you have reset your financial default and you are no longer in debt (or no longer so much in debt) you should learn about using credit cards to leverage your spending power (e.g., see my blog post, "VACATION PLANNING STRATEGIES - FLIGHTS (working the credit card/airline miles programs to fund the flight").

Now, let's turn back to the structure of the budget.  The two essential components of a budget are (1) categories and (2) amounts.  We already talked about how to set the right amount (for the model budget).  As for determining which categories to include in the budget, most of the consumer expenses should come out of your "allowance" category.  For us, we have a separate category for the kids.  Also, going out to eat as a family is its own separate category.  As I have mentioned in my blog in other postings, going out to eat is a WANT expense we actually want to budget for and keep.  We really enjoy going out to eat.  However, we do it cost effectively by leveraging various deals.  (see my blog post, USING GROUPON AND RESTAURANT.COM (AND OTHER SUCH SITES) AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF YOUR BUDGET.)  

Now, if you have stayed with me this far, I am pretty impressed as it was a lot of reading.  Let me now pull it together by showing you a sample budget.

 

 

My notes in red on the sample budget explains a few questions that you may have had upon reviewing the image.

The next part in the series will discuss how to modify your budget and move you closer to your IDEAL budget through goal setting.



BUDGET SERIES - Pt 2: Resetting Your Financial Default

DO you NEED it or do you WANT it?

Absolutely essential to the resetting process is a firm understanding of NEED versus WANT.  In the first part, I talked about "necessity" expenses.  However, you will find that even the necessity expenses sometimes are a combination of a need and want expense.  For example, you need transportation, but you may want a car.  The purchase of a car may totally be justified and actually be the best mode of transportation for your situation (thus elevating the item to the need category), however, what type of car?  Do you need a Porsche?

Please remember the description for my blog, "This blogs provides information, tips, and strategies to help you live WELL by living frugally and making your resources S-T-R-E-T-C-H."  I am not advocating a vow of poverty.  However, when your decision to purchase that Porsche (or whatever) has put you into financial despair and now takes a toll your life, are you living WELL and was it worth it?

Unfortunately, until you begin to properly see an item for what it is - a want item versus a need item, you will be enslaved by your emotional spending habit.  Once you have begun to understand the difference between NEED and WANT, you will regain control over your financial life because YOU will dictate when you will purchase the WANT item.  Remember, you are more precious than an object.  I truly hope you will stick through this process and work out of the financial swamp you may be in right now.

Thus, as you go through tracking your expenses, ask yourself the following question:

1) Is this something the average person in my society (versus social group) needs to have to live the average life.  (I use the term "average" not in the sense of mediocre but in the sense of not an extreme - not dirt poor and not champagne and caviar.)

Again, you will find that except for a handful of items, most of what we buy are WANT items.

2) For this WANT item, why do I WANT it?  Are the reasons for WANTING this item healthy.  

The issue of whether or not something is "healthy" is a loaded question and incredibly complex.  I know I could spin off on this topic and go into a very philosophical discussion.  However it will not get you any closer to your goal so let me give you my rule of thumb - I ask myself: is it loving, is it charitable, is it encouraging, etc.  Those are good qualities and healthy.  However, remember that sometimes wolves come in sheep's clothing.  For example, you may have a spending habit of "treating" others and although you may be viewed as a generous, kind-hearted person, ask yourself if you are "treating" others because you want them to like you?  If this spending habit arises out of your need for approval, it is unhealthy and most assuredly you will find yourself not only deeper in financial debt but emotionally unstable. 

Keep asking yourself - WHY DO I WANT TO BUY THIS ITEM.  You may be surprised but at the very end of your search you may find that your answer may simply be - "because I like it or because I want to."  Frankly, I have no problems with this type of spending (are you surprised) as long as the funds come out of YOUR allowance budget.  It is when you make the purchase on that reason despite (1) despite it causing marital discord, (2) going into debt, (3) causing you anxiety about repayment, that it becomes a problem.

Remember, we are still in the pre-Budget activity phase.  Just like in dieting, there is no magic pill/budget that will immediately transform you.  If you are reading this because you need financial help, only a mindset change will be successful.

In Part 3, I will discuss how to create a budget.

BUDGET SERIES - Pt 1: What is a Budget and pre-Budget activity

BUDGET SERIES - PART ONE:  What Is A Budget?

Simply put, a budget is a plan of how you are going to spend/save your money.  The total from all categories listed on your budget should equal your total income.  The budget can be set to any time length, however, I find that a monthly or bimonthly budget makes the most amount of sense because that is the usual frequency of paychecks and billing cycles.

A budget is an opportunity for you to set out on paper what you believe is the best way to spend your money, before temptations and bad judgment lead you astray.  Now, despite society's message that we are "too hard on ourselves," I have found that at the very bottom of most of our troubles is too much self-love and pride, not self-loathing.  Seriously, isn't it because we believe we are meant for greater things that we get so down on ourselves?  Instead, if we do not expect anything and view everything that comes our way as an undeserved, unexpected blessing (e.g., SO glad I got that ticket only for speeding instead of speeding and running the red - LOL) would we not believe we are THE luckiest person in the world? I know that my statement is extremely controversial so I will not go further.  However, if you are TRULY serious about making a change in your financial situation, please use my controversial statement to prove me wrong and take my challenge.  Track your expenses and prove to me that your spending habits have had nothing to do with your financial situation and that at the very core of your purchasing decision you believe you NEED the item when you actually just WANT the item. 

Tracking your expenses is a necessary pre-cursor to creating a budget.  It is from this data we will identify many of the expense categories and subcategories.  So, track ALL of your expenses for the next 3 months.  I mean everything, including the coins you use to feed the meter and do laundry.   Buy yourself a small, cheap notebook and keep it with you jotting down all of your expenses.  I bet you that your largest expenditure will be in what I call "discretionary spending."  That is fancy word for "allowance."  So, let me tell you what is discretionary spending: restaurants, presents, knick knacks, coffee/drinks, books, etc.  It is the category that is the catchall for all expenses that are not necessity or obligation expenses. 

There are only a handful of things that are necessity expenses.  There are other expenses that are not necessarily "necessities" in my mind but very prudent and wise to have.  I will explain further later.  For now, let me identify the necessity expenses:  rent/mortgage (for your primary place of residence only), utilities (electricity, phone, water, trash, etc.), childcare/dependent care (assuming you work), transportation cost (car payments, bus/train passes, gas, vehicle maintenance and repair, etc.), and food (specifically, groceries), and for those of you who attend a religious organization, tithe. 

Obligation expenses are credit card and charge card bills.  You will find that most of your expenses on the credit cards were non-necessity items.  However, I list them as "obligation expenses" because you have an obligation to pay the money back.  Now, I know many people, when they are in the depths of financial despair are tempted with the promise of a new beginning through bankruptcy.  However, I will submit to you that unless you correct the spending habit and your default money sensitivity (for the lack of a better word), the bankruptcy will only provide you temporary relief because in a few years you will find yourself in the same situation.  I hope you don't, however, look at the people around you who have gone through bankruptcy and really be honest with yourself.  Remember, this is done in your own heart, in secret, so you can be as honest as you want without fear of judgment.  Remember, the purpose here is to really take stock and it is going to be very uncomfortable and most of you will not want to do it.  However, if you are one of the few people who have had enough, please try my method. 

Now, in the paragraph above I said "spending habit" for a reason.  Life is unpredictable and out of our control.  If you ran up your credit card due to some unexpected emergency, illness, or circumstance such as a failed business and you do not have any bad spending habits, I say, give yourself a break.  Do not die under the debt.  You are more precious than money.  If you are eligible for bankruptcy relief, take it, that is why those laws are there.  Do not condemn yourself or fear judgment by others, that is their problem, and not of their business to boot.

So, start tracking your expenses.  Now, why do I want you to track for the next 3 months?  It is because each month brings with it something special - in January you have New Years, in February you have Valentines, etc.  There are tons of "special" days, along with special days that are specific to your situation - birthdays, anniversaries, etc. so that one months of tracking will not give you a clear indication of your spending habit.  Also, with only one month of tracking, you will rationalize your expenses and try to excuse it.  If you are saying, "no, I won't"...again, that is why I challenge you.  EVERYONE I have worked through this process has responded the same.  A famous person once said, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.  Is there anything of which one can say, Look! This is something new”?

It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time." What this means is that most of our reactions and responses are common. 

 

Now, while you are tracking your expenses, there is much to do in terms of "resetting" your financial default.

The next part will be Part 2: Resetting Your Financial Default.

 

CURRENT GROUPON PROMO CODE - 20% off

As of today (April 11, 2015), there is a new Groupon promo code: SPRING20. 

"Get an extra 20% off on any one local deal by April 12 when you use the promo code SPRING20 at checkout. Max discount $50. There's no need to wait—start searching for what you want now!"

This actually may be a promo code that is useful only for deals in or around Los Angeles.  However, try it in your area, or, if you are traveling to Los Angeles, use it and see if you can claim the discount.

USING GROUPON AND RESTAURANT.COM (AND OTHER SUCH SITES) AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF YOUR BUDGET

I will start this blog by saying that I assume you know and understand how a budget works.  If you do not, check back periodically because I plan on putting together a series on budgets: how to create one (and how not to create one) and how to use the budget once you create your own. 

Going back to the topic...

I was sitting at a meeting discussing the...well... campervan as it was my most recent experience.  I was talking about how it saved us at least $40-$50 each time we did not have to go to a restaurant to buy a meal for a family of 5.  A friend looked at me in disbelief.  She kept looking at me and I felt so self-conscious.  I thought... I know $40 to $50 on a meal is so expensive but when you travel and you have no other choice that is how much feeding 5 people costs in our family because I just do not like fast food and tax and tip adds up.  In fact, fast food is not that cheap either.  Then, my friend finally speaks and says - "How in the world can you get out of a restaurant feeding a family of 5 and pay only $40-$50?  What restaurant is that."

You see, our family likes to eat out.  That is one of our biggest vices.  So, I try to make it happen for us by using coupons and cost saving strategies to fund this vice.  For example, earlier this year we went to Universal Studios while we were doing a "staycation."   After Universal, since it was our "vacation" I wanted to take the kids to eat at a nicer restaurant than a hot dog stand.  We went to Wolfgang Puck's restaurant at the City Walk.  Not only was the food unimpressive, the bill was ridiculous considering our order consisted of two pasta dishes, a pizza, and a salad.  I knew I could do better with a little bit of planning and strategizing.

EXAMPLE USING GROUPON
Before our next visit to Universal Studios I looked on Groupon and Restaurant.com to see what restaurant coupons were available.  Groupon was featuring Samba all you can eat (AYCE) Brazilian BBQ.  I had mentally noted that there was a Samba the last time we were at Universal Studios along with the other restaurants my family (basically my husband, my kids and I are pretty easy going) would enjoy.  I purchased one groupon for 2 adults for dinner at Samba at Universal City Walk.  Also, I had recalled seeing a Jamba Juice email offering a BOGO (buy 1 get 1 free) so I printed several copies of that coupon and we went to Universal.  Of course we stopped by the local store and stocked up on "special snacks" the kind that the kids don't get to eat at home.  I also took along 4 regular sized bottles of frozen water I had put in the freezer the night before.  These waters would keep the rest of our drinks cold and, by the end of the day, they will have melted so that we can drink them.  (I generally do not buy ice.  I have found frozen water to be a nice ice substitute and it allows you to save on space and effort [you have less to carry] because that same frozen water bottle, once it begins to melt, is drinkable.)

After Universal Studios, we walked over to Jamba Juice and we bought a nice icy treat for the boys and let them unwind a little before heading to our reservation at Samba.  Then, between the groupon (which was essentially a bogo) and 2 kid's priced meals (the baby is still free at most places), our family of 5 was able to leave the restaurant paying a price equivalent to a 2 adult meal.  (Having said that, we always tip on what would have been the full amount as the discount did not magically reduce the server's workload.)

EXAMPLE USING RESTAURANT.COM
I purchase restaurant.com vouchers for restaurants I know we will be visiting.  When I purchase the restaurant.com voucher, I search for a current promotional code so that what I actually end up paying is 10% to 20% of the restaurant.com voucher amount.  For example, a typical $25 restaurant.com voucher costs $10.  With the right promo code, I end up only paying $1 (10% of $10) or $2 (20% of $10) for the $25 voucher.  The $25 voucher typically requires a $35 to $50 minimum purchase.  Even if the required minimum purchase is $50, I am actually only spending $2 (for the first $25) and then another $25.  In total, my entire purchase is only $27.  Tax and gratuity on the full amount is $14.50 (assuming 20% tip and 9% tax).  Thus, I walk out the door having only spent $41.50 which includes the tax and tip.  Now, try comparing the amount you spend at a McDonalds for a family of 5, without the service and the quality of food, and you will find that the price is comparable.  Just so that you understand where I am coming from, my 2 year old can eat and has eaten 2 hot dogs (I am not saying that is his regular diet, it is just an example.  The pediatrician says he is the perfect size, not underweight or obese, so I guess his little body needs the calories.)  My eldest (8 year old) has been ordering from the grown up menu and eating grown-up sized meals since he was 6.

WHEN THE RESTAURANT YOU WANT TO GO IS NOT ON GROUPON OR RESTAURANT.COM

We have 2 restaurants that we really enjoy but I have never seen them on either of the two sites above.  One is McCormick & Schmick's.   The other is Lucille's BBQ.  Since neither participate on Groupon or Restaurant.com, what I have done in the past is purchase a Costco gift cards to give myself an instant discount.  McCormick's usually costs $79 for a $100 gift card.  Then, I take it to their happy hour.  Now, not only am I saving because of their typical happy hour discounts, I have given myself an additional (approximate) 20% discount on their already fabulous happy hour prices.

The other restaurant we enjoy is Lucille's BBQ.  When we go to Lucille's it is for their regular meals.  The easiest and no-fuss "standard" way we go is by using the gift card system mentioned above.  Now, when I have the time, energy, and inclination, I sometimes do a quick search to see if there are any additional coupons out there to stack my savings.  That is bonus.

Planning and thinking things through really helps to keep us within budget and allows us to enjoy much more.

I hope my blog is helpful.  I keep wondering if people are reading this and thinking...no duh, this is so obvious.

JUCY SPRING BREAK - drive back south (pt 2 of 2)

DAY SIX and SEVEN (4/2 and 4/3)

We picked up our Jucy relocation van on 4/2.  It was an easy pick up.  The prior renters had worked the van hard and it needed some rehabbing at the Los Angeles office.  There weren't any significant issues that made the van not useful so we were fine with it.  We packed up and began our drive down south.

Our first stop was in Monterey.  We did not visit the aquarium.  Knowing we only had a few hours of day light and we did not have any plans on where we would be setting up camp, the aquarium did not seem like a good idea. Also, given our boys' young ages, they probably  would not appreciate the aquarium enough to justify the expense (adult: $39.95 and children: $24.95) for the limited amount of time we would be spending there.  In fact, a typical family of 4 should consider the added benefits of purchasing a fully tax-deductible membership ($195).  If you envision visiting the aquarium at least one more time during the membership term, it is totally worthwhile.  A typical family of 4 will spend $129.80 but none of that amount is tax deductible.  However, the entire $195 membership amount is tax deductible and the membership entitles the member to discounts and a full year of free admission.

As an alternative, if we had planned to on go to the aquarium, we would have purchased the City Pass which included admission to the aquarium and the sight seeing tour bus, which would have made the need to purchase the muni passes unnecessary.  However, the City Passes are not tax deductible.  I have seen discounted City Passes at Costco, Groupon, and www.smartdestinations.com.

In Monterey, we just walked up and down Cannery Row and had ice cream at the Nestle store.  The kiddos were totally happy with that.

After leaving Monterey, we headed south on the 1 and saw some amazing coastal views.  We ended up at Pfeiffer State Park in Big Sur.  They had an open camp site so we grabbed it.  I was interested in this site because the campground sits on the Big Sur river.  You know how kids love the water.  I was first considering camping by the beach but we really did not want to have to run after our fearless 2 year old the whole time.  The river was perfect because the water level was pretty low at the time of our visit.  In fact, the river only came up to my 2 year old's shin for the most part and the current was so gentle that he could maneuver in the water without being knocked down.  However, the water's frigid temperature and the river rocks made it uncomfortable enough to hold back my 2 year old from running off. 

 

We spent one night at Pfeiffer State Park in Big Sur then packed up the next day to drive down the coast a little further.  We left the campground around 2 p.m.  We only stopped a few times to look at the breathtaking scenery.  The kiddos were unimpressed.  They were more interested in the movie they were watching in the van.  Nevertheless, we forced them out of the car to take a few pictures. Yes, we made them pose.  Not sure if you can see it but if you look at the body language of my middle child in the top photo, you can see that he is tightly wound up in a brooding temper tantrum because we forced him to come out and see the majestic view.  Kids!

 

 

We finally arrived in "Southern California."  We were all bushed but not quite ready to finish our vacation.  We (the adults) were done camping, however.  We opted to stay at the Embassy Suites hotel ($108 per night, AAA rate).  Hotel guests received complimentary beverage/snacks 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  The beverages included bartender mixed drinks, wine, scotch, and your plain old soda or Shirley temple.  Hotel guests also received made-to-order breakfast in the morning.  In addition, the hotel had a heated pool and jacuzzi.  This was what we needed to end our vacation on a high note. 

 

DAY EIGHT (4/4)

 

We let the kids play in the pool after breakfast the next morning before checking out.  I also soaked my travel-weary bones in the jacuzzi for a bit.

 

 

 



After checking out, we drove to Solvang, a small Dutch town, where we rode a surrey (a bike made for multiple people) and toured the town. 

After our self-guided tour, we headed back to Jucy and had hot dogs and cup of noodles.  Since the trip to Solvang was totally off the cuff and the decision to rent the surrey totally impromptu, I did not have a chance to look up deals or discounts.  However, I did not sweat it too much because I had saved so much money on the Jucy Campervan, I could afford to loosen the purse strings and splurge a little.

 

After lunch, we walked around the town.  We made the kids sit inside a wooden shoe.  We have a picture of our oldest (who was not quite 2 at the time) in that same shoe.  I thought it would be funny to have a before and after photo.  I promised my first born I will not make him sit in the shoe the next time we go to Solvang...or will I...  

 

 

We ended our vacation with ice cream (just for the kids) then loaded the kiddos in the campervan again and drove home.  We arrived home in about 2 hours, tired and very glad to be home.  We were grateful that the final leg of the trip only took 2 hours.  The best part of campervanning was being able to break up a long drive into smaller chunks so that we were not driving for 5+ hours.  I think the longest time span we drove was about 3 hours.



The end of our Jucy Campervan Springbreak.  You know, everything is better with ice cream.  And, yes, Jucy's relocation special really was $1 per night.  It was great.

CAMPERVAN SPRING BREAK - drive up north (pt 1 of 2)

We are back from our Jucy spring break. 

 

DAY ONE - 3/28
We picked up our vehicle from the Lawndale location on Saturday, March 28th.  There were a few people ahead of us so it took a little over an hour to get the van.  They are only open for a few hours in the morning on Saturday so they get very busy.  It is a good idea to get there when they open, which is at 9 a.m.

It took a little while to figure out the layout of the van.  There is actually a lot of storage space but you have to really look for it.  Here are the locations we used to store our belongings for 5 people:
- The cupboard where the pots and pans are kept
- The drawer where the cups and saucers are kept
- The washbasin/sink
- The 2 large storage basins underneath the moving bench that becomes the bed
- The area behind the bench and the front seats
- The area underneath the front seats
- The area underneath the center console between the 2 front seats
- The glove compartment
- The side compartments on the doors
- The penthouse

Then, we had 2 boxes on top of the "kitchen counter" where we kept our food.

Warning, Jucy uses a flowery cleaning solution that smells sickeningly sweet and permeates the whole van.  I read a review about it so before our trip up I actually ran all the kitchen wares through the dishwasher.  Nonetheless, the refrigerator had the smell.  The van going up was not too bad perhaps because I had wash most of the kitchen items.  The gross part was when the food in the fridge like the lettuce, etc. started to smell like the chemical.

In our van we packed 5 camping chairs, 4 sleeping bags, 2 duffle bags, 2 back packs, 1 tent, 2 sleeping pads, 1 portable porter potty, 1 tri-pod cooking grill, 1 disposable foam ice chest, 1 car seat, and other miscellaneous items.  Yes, we were packed to the brim but the van still gave us about to 20 miles to the gallon and drove fairly easy.

By the time we hit the road, it was near 3 p.m.  We drove the 405 North to the 5 north to the 99 north route and hit Bravo Farm just outside of Fresno.  This is a cool little rest stop.  It has a little petting zoo area where you can feed some goats and other livestock.  There is a cool treehouse for the kids to climb.  You can order food, grab some locally made cheese, etc.  Just yelp it.  Unfortunately, there are several places called "Bravo Farms" so look for the one where the reviewers talk about the tree house.

We ended Day One at a KOA campsite.  It was dark and we thought it best and go with a private campground.  We dined on hot dogs, hard boiled eggs, and hot chocolate by moonlight, campfire, and one lantern, then turned in.

DAY TWO and THREE - 3/29 and 3/30
The KOA we stayed at was just south of Yosemite.  We were glad that we did not have to drive too much longer to get to Yosemite.  We stopped by the local grocery store and bought our groceries for the next few nights.  The tricky part was Yosemite's food storage rules.  Yosemite requires that all food be placed in the bear locker provided at the camp site.  The bears were known to break into cars to look for food.  Unless you were driving a hard sided RV, all food had to be put in the metal bear food storage.

Our Jucy was filled to the brim as is so squeezing in not only more groceries but a disposable cooler and a bag of ice was a little challenging.  It took us just under an hour to get into the Yosemite park.  Then, we continued our drive into Yosemite Valley to look for some first come, first served campsites.  Learning that the only one available was in Hodgdon Meadow.  We were hoping to do the Starry nights Ranger led activity in Yosemite Valley and was pretty bummed because Hodgdon was about 30-40 minutes away.  Nonetheless, the kids were excited about camping in Yosemite so we camped there for two nights.

Hodgdon Meadows campground was very quiet and serene.  Each campsite had a firepit, picnic table, and a bear box.  The campgrounds had flush toilets and running water.  The amenities did not include showers or drinking fountain.  The campsite cost $18 per night (plus the $25 admission fee to get into Yosemite).

The biggest annoyance at Hodgdon Meadows campsite was the HUGE flies that attacked when they smelled food.  I used the tent we had set up as a changing station as a temporary spot to store pre-cooked meals until we were ready to eat.  Once zipped up in the tent, the flies could not find the food and would disappear. 

We spent the nights eating ginormous s'mores.  The kids took turns sleeping in the "penthouse" with dad.  The freakiest part of our trip was the mysterious happy face that appeared on one of our marshmallows.  It was kind of creepy (see below).

 

 

Everyone pitched in with the camping chores.

 

 

From here, we drove out of Yosemite and headed towards the San Francisco area to drop off the Jucy Champ.  Luckily, Hodgdon Meadows is close to the Yosemite park exit towards San Francisco.  The "Gold country" of California is totally gorgeous.

DAY FOUR, FIVE, and SIX- 3/31 to 4/2
It took us a couple of hours to drive to San Leandro.  We stayed at the Marina Inn.  They had great reviews, was less than 2 miles from the Jucy Rental Northern California office.  Also, they provided a free shuttle service to anywhere within 2 miles of the hotel, provided breakfast and all day coffee service, and daily milk and cookie service at 5 p.m.  Our room had a queen size bed and a sleeper sofa.

Just before checking into the Inn, we stopped by Jucy to ask about the drop off and pick up procedure.  Since we had to drop off our minivan on 4/1 and pick up the other van on 4/2, we wanted to coordinate properly so that we could actually reserve a day to visit San Francisco.  Simon at the San Leandro office was totally cool and told us to just drop off the old vehicle and pick up the new vehicle on the same day.  That totally saved us from having to unpack and pack twice.

At the Inn we all took hot showers and baths.  It felt so great to have running water, hot water, and climate control ability.  Then, we headed over to El Torito for their all you can eat taco special for $9.99.  Bellies full, bodies clean, and warmly dressed, we headed back to the Inn to have some cookies and milk.  Afterwards, while the husband took a nap with the baby, I took the older two to the heated pool and Jacuzzi.

The next morning we took the hotel shuttle to the BART station.  Unfortunately, the Youth Clipper discount card had not arrived in time so we paid $8.40 per person for a round trip ticket to San Francisco.  At the Embarcadero station in San Francisco, we opted for the unlimited all day bus and cable car ride pass for $17 per person.  This was one of my regrets. 




We thought we would ride the historic cable cars ($6 per ride) easily making the $17 per person pass cost effective.  However, the line to ride the cable car was ridiculously long (about an hour to an hour and a half) and it was cold. Also, it was more of a hassle catching the bus because we had to take the baby in and out of the stroller making walking the preferred method of travel.  (Our 2 year old likes to run off.)  So, in the end, we spent $64 for the pass but only used $24 worth of travel.  Yes, it bothers me.

We ate fish and chips at a hole in the wall joint off Fisherman's Wharf frequented by locals, The Codmother Fish & Chips.  It received great reviews.  The portions were huge and prices were cheap given its proximity to the Wharf.  For dinner, we ate a gourmet burger joint and spent over $10 per burger. The burgers were good, but not that good.  However, our options were slim, we were tired and cold, and it was close to the Bart station to get back to the hotel.

In San Francisco we also visited the famous Chinatown.  The long stretch of stores selling knick knacks.  Word of caution, do not buy your trinket at the stores right next to the main gate  They are more expensive at those stores.  Several blocks down there are larger souvenir stores that sell the same items at a cheaper price.  Unfortunately, it was cash only and I no longer have the receipt so I cannot provide the name.  However, it was a large store.  For example, my middle child wanted a plastic ninja sword.  It sold for $4.95 at the first store.  At the larger souvenir store, the same sword sold for $1.95.

We returned back to the Inn totally exhausted.  We crashed.  The next day would be the start of our trip back down to Los Angeles via the 1 and the 101.

VBS IN THE WESTSIDE 2015

 

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 2015

 

This list is a work in progress.  I am still waiting to hear back some of the other churches I have contacted.  However, the list you see below are churches who are currently taking registration.

 

 

June 15th  to June 19th

 

BEL AIR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Address...

Neighborhood:  Bel Air

Theme: Everest
Dates: June 15th to June 19th

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Fee: $40
Ages: 3 yrs (by 4/1/15) to 6th grade

Contact: Lauren Garcia @ lauren.garcia@belairpress.org

 

 

 

 

June 22nd to June 26th

KNOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

5840 La Tijera Blvd., Los Angeles, CA  90056

Neighborhood:  Ladera Heights, LA

Theme:
Dates: June 22nd to June 26

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Fee: $65 (full day) and $35 (half day)
Ages: 3 yrs (potty-trained) through 8th grade

Contact: Barbara Anderson @ 323-292-0654

 

July 6th to July 10th

 

VENICE SANTA MONICA FREE METHODIST CHURCH

4871 S. Centinela Ave., L.A. CA. 90066

Neighborhood: Culver City

Theme: Journey Off the Map
Dates: July 6-10 (M-F)
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Fee: $10 (includes VBS music CD and T-Shirt)
Ages: 3 yrs (potty-trained) through 5th grade

Register online at www.venicechurch.org
Contact: Audrey Hodges at venicekids@gmail.com
Make checks payable to VSMFMC-VBS

 

July 13th to July 17th

 

UNIVERSITY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Neighborhood: Ladera Heights, LA

Theme:

Dates:

Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Fee: call

Ages: call

Contact: Lainey Thwing at Lainey@univcc.org

310-670-4747 (x304)

 

July 27th to July 31th

 

ST. JOHNS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Neighborhood: West Los Angeles

Theme:

Dates:

Time: 3 p.m. to

Fee: call

Ages: call

Contact: Alea Hessler at AleaJHessler@gmail.com

310-477-2513 (x203)

WESTSIDE CHRISTAN FELLOWSHIP

Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Theme: SonSparks Lab
Dates: July 27th to July 31st
Time: 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Fee:  call
Ages: call
Contact:  Meredith at  Meredith@westsidechristian.com
(310) 829-9344.
 

August 5th to August 9th

 

FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH OF VENICE

815 Venice Blvd., Venice CA  90291

Neighborhood: Venice

Theme:  SonSurf Beach Bash

Dates: August 5 to August 9th

Time: 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 

Fee: call

Ages: 3 or 4 (preschool) to

Contact: Email bloos28@gmail.com