tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174Fri, 01 Nov 2024 09:31:15 +0000PlansBlessingsTaxesTips n TricksBook ReviewDebtThe BasicsBudgetingFree MoneyInvestingMortgageStatusTithinghttp://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Amata)Blogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-357142472282755810Sun, 27 Jun 2010 02:49:00 +00002010-06-26T22:49:43.733-04:00Oy! Seems that we have been under some serious fire lately. In the past few months we have had to pay out... I dont even know how much cash.Lets see, it all started with the plumbing. Our main sewage line was breaking, and needed to be fixed. That was a few hundred, and it was a quick fix that I am not real thrilled about, but for now its working. Then, our garage door broke a coil. Since our http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2010/06/heavy-under-fire.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Layneh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-6432041469369284804Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:58:00 +00002010-01-30T19:46:49.978-05:00After refinancing our mortgage in 2008 we have been able to pay down the principle to the point that we have a solid 20% in equity. That's the magical formula which should allow us to get rid of our Private Mortgage Insurance payment. I have been looking forward to this for sometime so when I knew we were getting close I called our mortgage company, Citimortgage, to see what we needed to do to http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2010/01/pmi-can-be-pain-to-remove.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-6153809569751214005Sun, 13 Dec 2009 01:18:00 +00002009-12-12T20:58:19.004-05:00Well, I've really been slacking at creating posts during the second half of the year. It isn't even really that I haven't had time. It just hasn't been a priority. Instead of blogging I've done things like homework, reading books, playing board and video games, and hanging out with family and pets. Now that it's winter though, things are slowing down somewhat. I have a final on Monday and then http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/12/end-of-year-update.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-1161088631076982952Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:28:00 +00002009-06-16T19:52:54.195-04:00DebtMortgageIn June of 2008 my husband and I decided to refinance our mortgage due to the large drop in interest rates. Now that it's June of 2009 I thought it might be nice to take a look back at how things have changed over the past year and what this change has been for our finances, specifically our equity and overall amount of debt.Where We WereWhen we originally signed up for the mortgage on our house http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/06/mortgage-refinance-look-back.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-7451772844518756821Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:47:00 +00002009-06-13T13:38:50.605-04:00Early in May I had an unexpected surprise when I went to start my classes for the semester. My payment had nearly doubled unbeknownst to me due to my scholarship being canceled for the semester before. My scholarship had been canceled because I dropped a class that I ended up not needing to take. It turns out my adviser should have told me about this when I went to drop the class but failed to dohttp://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/06/unexpected-suprise-follow-up.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-1449270533857265181Sat, 06 Jun 2009 02:29:00 +00002009-06-06T19:45:33.127-04:00And just like that, we're half way through the year! Things seem to go by faster the older I get.If you remember from our previous post, 2009 Financial Goals, our goals for the year are:Pay off our auto loan (our last consumer debt)Install a sliding patio door off our dinning room.Fix our Garage door (it's been broken since we bought the house)Update our BathroomUpdate our http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/06/2nd-quarter-update.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-846475520949891186Wed, 20 May 2009 19:52:00 +00002009-05-20T15:53:08.881-04:00Tips n TricksFirst and foremost, it’s important to note that this is not a diet, this is a lifestyle change. I say that because diets are meant to make you lose weight, but it inevitably always comes back when you stop dieting, however by changing your lifestyle (from here on out, when I say diet, it will refer to what I eat, as a part of the lifestyle change), you won’t see the weight return unless you http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-i-lose-fat.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Layneh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-9030264754924883636Wed, 06 May 2009 01:10:00 +00002009-05-18T09:09:02.027-04:00I was recently able to take a few weeks off of school due to the fact that I ended up not needing to take one of the classes I was enrolled in. This worked out really well since it not only gave me a break but also left a credit on my school account for this next semester. School for this next semester started on May 3rd.When I signed up for this coming semester, back in March, I was notified http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/05/unexpected-suprise.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-5334927543560135006Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:06:00 +00002009-04-11T11:30:22.208-04:00BlessingsMy wife and I have experienced a new kind of television, and we would both highly recommend it. You wont need to change service providers either, its available to everyone!!Recently, we have been working on our garden, keep up with me, this is pertinent, this is our first year. We recently removed an above ground pool, which had a deck built around it. We tore it all down, moved the deck up to http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/04/god-tv.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Layneh)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-1606033026721599300Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:51:00 +00002009-04-06T16:17:51.514-04:00Book ReviewI recently finished The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton. I have to say this was a really good book. This is a financial book for someone who isn't really into finances. Although I love reading financial books I have to admit they can be kind of dry at times. There usually isn't a story binding everything together. That's different with this book. This book is set in Michigan, mainly in the Ann http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/04/book-review-wealthy-barber.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-7556994623833160903Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:54:00 +00002009-03-23T10:53:53.383-04:00InvestingI know I havent been posting much lately, so I am going to give you the reason why.UpDown.com: Its best described as fantasy football meets wall street, meets facebook. When you sign up for a free account, you are given $1 million dollars to invest into the market (no mutual funds yet, however I am told, improvements still to come).The site offers communication through messages, groups and a http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/03/free-investment-toolgame.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Layneh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-4742510504360585830Sat, 21 Mar 2009 23:44:00 +00002009-03-21T21:44:10.920-04:00Book ReviewFor those of you who know me, you know I'm always in the middle of several books. I'm currently reading The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton and just finished The Little Book of Bull Moves in Bear Markets by Peter Schiff. I'm planning on doing a post on The Wealthy Barber in the future but for now let's look at Peter Schiff's newest book.This book gives excellent, in-depth analysis of how America http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/03/book-review-little-book-of-bull-moves.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-1544143347671630380Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:49:00 +00002009-03-11T15:59:28.798-04:00Free MoneyI have a pet peeve I must rant about: pennies or small change isnt worth my time.Here it is, if you can get free money, where do you draw the line on how much time to spend? For me, I will spend time finding coupons, print them out, and take them to the store with me. If your in a rush, and dont feel coupons are worth your time, dont get in line behind me. IF YOU DO, know this, I am not http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/03/worth-your-time.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Layneh)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-98248120670236673Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:38:00 +00002009-03-10T13:10:31.686-04:00Well, I officially had my first full grocery shopping experience at Walmart last night. My husband and I make it a point to go grocery shopping at Meijer instead so we support local business. Sometimes I will pick up a couple things here and there at Walmart but our actual grocery shopping trip is always at Meijer.So there we were, comparing coupons and picking out items when a broadcast comes http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/03/adventures-in-grocery-shopping.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-6151538153367665657Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:56:00 +00002009-03-05T14:20:05.859-05:00It's hard to believe we're in our third month of the year already but I want to give an update on how our financial goals are progressing this quarter. If you remember from our previous post, 2009 Financial Goals, our goals for the year are:Pay off our auto loan (our last consumer debt)Install a sliding patio door off our dinning room.Fix our Garage door (it's been broken since we http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/03/1st-quarter-update.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-150987134138353874Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:14:00 +00002009-02-28T13:35:24.077-05:00TithingLet me start out here, by sharing that tithe is a topic I have been studying and learning about recently. While I have given to the church throughout my entire life, I have never been taught the basics about tithing.Lately, it has struck me that sex and money within the church, are an equal to religion and politics in the work place. Religion and politics are the two topics most people refrain http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/02/importance-of-tithing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Layneh)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-1693355133168541390Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:51:00 +00002009-02-24T14:28:11.990-05:00TaxesMy husband and I went to have our taxes done today. We handed our accountant all the paperwork and should hear back on the results in a couple of weeks. It's going to be hard to wait, I SO want to know now. I'm nervous that we may end up owing taxes this year. There have been some changes since my first post on Taxes and I thought I would follow up with the new information. As you might know by http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/02/tax-time-part-2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-1790129079474061600Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:22:00 +00002009-02-24T14:29:18.201-05:00Tips n TricksSo, Last night hubby and I had a great grocery shopping trip. I actually think we might be able to meet our budget this month. We left Meijer last night and spent... get this... UNDER $100. It's pretty rare that we're able to do that at Meijer. In fact, we only spent $79. Because of sales and coupons we got $16 off so it would have cost us $95 regularly. I think we should be about set for http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/02/adventures-in-grocery-shopping.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-1796147851964605220Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:27:00 +00002009-02-05T11:09:51.232-05:00TaxesIt's the lovely time of year again, Tax time. I'm a bit odd, as I truly do enjoy doing taxes. I just love to add up all the totals and see what was made and what I can write off, I find it very interesting. Sometimes I think maybe I should have been an accountant. But I digress...There are a few things I wanted to notify my readers about, making sure you all get the most up to date information http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/02/tax-time.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-9110049097566193148Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:10:00 +00002009-02-02T16:15:08.368-05:00DebtI've read my fair share of financial books but there are a couple which really stick out in my mind as having a major impact on my outlook. One of these is Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki.There are many things I have been able to take away from this book which have challenged my thinking. The greatest challenge however is Kiyosaki's idea of "good" debt and "bad" debt. Kiyosaki believes thathttp://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/01/does-end-justify-means.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-8202634442850681144Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:23:00 +00002009-01-23T15:14:05.729-05:00BudgetingAs it nears the end of the month, my husband and I tend to look over the monthly budget and see how we're staking up. So far, we're under in 3 out of our main 4 categories. Under by enough that it looks like it will balance the one category we've gone way over in; Pets. As you may remember, one of our goals for this year is to stay under budget in all categories. It seems like it would be easy tohttp://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/01/paint-by-numbers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-1461845106108263889Sun, 11 Jan 2009 06:12:00 +00002009-01-11T01:32:16.555-05:00Tips n TricksDecluttering can be a great way to find some extra room at home as well as make some money.My husband and I are in the process of trying to fix up our house, which includes finishing the basement. In preparation for this we were down there a couple nights ago to help envision what we want to accomplish. One of the things that came up in are planning was decluttering. It can be truly amazing to http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/01/decluttering.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-3622904544065690701Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:39:00 +00002009-02-24T14:28:11.990-05:00TaxesIt's that magical time of the year again for those of us entering a new year of college. Oddly enough this not only includes myself but also my niece this year. I can honestly say I never thought I'd be in college the same time as my niece. That makes me feel a bit old. But I digress...For those of you that may not know, FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the necessary governmenthttp://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/01/fafsa-time.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-4433568157124387962Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:13:00 +00002009-02-24T14:28:35.807-05:00PlansOne thing you should know about me is that I'm a very goal oriented individual. I have specific goals for where I want to be professionally, personally, and fiscally at different points in my life. Thankfully, my husband indulges my goal oriented ways and we sat down earlier this week to hash out our financial goals for 2009.We have a lot of things we want to accomplish. To be honest, I'm not http://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/01/2009-financial-goals.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314819119445347174.post-2562399939175738785Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:54:00 +00002009-02-24T14:28:35.807-05:00PlansI know I haven't been blogging very long but I have been keeping track of our finances for a while now. I finally got a chance today to sit down and look at what my husband and I have been able to accomplish in 2008. I thought I might share that because when you're in the middle of the every day grind of trying to be frugal it can become tedious and easy to lose focus. Stepping back and getting ahttp://responsiblestewardship.blogspot.com/2009/01/accomplishments-of-2008.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amata)0