I think I'd feel out the rental market to see if it would be worth the time and money to rent it out or not, or if it's better to sell it, take the loss and move on.

LOL - me too! Where is this awesome used HS bookstore? Will it be on our loop? I'm going midwest --> CO/UT/NM/AZ/CA/OR/ID/WY/NB --> home again mid-May to mid-June! If it's in WA, I may need to justify going a bit more north before coming back!

DS would prefer to play all day too. I think it's just part of being 7. DS is very active, so I've adapted to that and we do schoolwork in shorter time periods if it requires seat work. Each day he has to do his math and reading, other subjects are done, but not always as book work or at the table. For history, we usually listen to CD's in the car (SOTW, Story of US, etc.), watch video and do projects along the way. Science is mostly project based, although we do some workbook stuff in MPH 3/4 and read books aloud too. DS attends a local homeschool art class each week and has piano lessons once a week too. When DS has complained about doing school, I reminded him that no matter what, he has to attend school between 7 and 16 in our state, we can do it here (at home) or I can enroll him in school, it's up to him, but it has to be done; I also have reminded him that here, at home, it takes about 2-3 hours a day (about an hour is seat work), at school with a bus ride, he'd be doing school for 9 hours a day. I also remind him that all the time and energy he's using to complain could have been time and energy used to get the work done faster, that he's wasting his time each time he complains, making the time he has to do school longer, not shorter! In the last few months, he hasn't really complained much though, especially since I reduced our time at the table doing seat work and breaking the day up into smaller, shorter chunks rather than trying to do it all in one long stretch.

As DS is getting older, we talk about situational awareness - sometimes accidents are true accidents that may be hard to prevent, but most can be prevented if you're paying attention to what you're doing and think ahead of your actions. We also believe that "forewarned is fair warned" and if you ignore directions or are told not to do something and do it anyway, or know you need to do something but don't, there are consequences with that decision...follow-through is important with the consequences of action or inaction. We try to keep things age-appropriate so the consequences aren't too harsh, but are enough that DS uses the lessons learned to remember next time he's in a similar situation.

DH loves hiking and camping. Me, not so much. He is getting DS ready for his first hike-in in May - they're going to do a seven mile hike with a 3,000 foot elevation gain. In September he's taking DS up into the high Sierras for five nights, so the May hike is a introduction of longer trips to come. Since I've never had to plan something like this, it's been instructive to watch the things DH is getting ready and the things he's talking to DS about. Each person needs a really good backpack, sleeping bag, bed roll, pillow and clothes that are appropriate for where you'll be day and night. In the Rockies in May, DH needs to make sure they have lightweight clothing for the day, but fleece and layers for sleeping since the temperatures are going to drop into the 30's (day temps in 70's). Here is the list I have so far for two nights: DH's pack: Lightweight Tent Tent light Fishing pole, lures, extra line For each: Sleeping bag Bed Roll Pillow For each: 3 socks 2 underwear 2 t-shirts 1 long sleeve fleece 1 thermal pants 1 fleece pants Rain shell Fleece jacket 1 shorts Hiking boots Aqua socks Jammer swim suit Hat Rain poncho Headlamp Flashlight Pocket knife Split between DH and DS packs: Whistle Compass Topo Map Water filter Camp Stove, Fuel canister Waterproof matches Water bottle Mess kit Sunscreen Deet Scott Toilet Paper For each: 2 breakfast 3 lunch 2 dinner 8 Snacks Coffee mixed with sugar, creamer Instant drink mixes 2 one gallon ziploc bags for garbage In DH pack: Epi-pen Benedryl tablets First aid kit Line of rope Duct tape That's the list DH gave me so far. This is the first trip he's made that he needs to take in that much food since every time he's gone in the past, he's fished for his meals and carried in only basics like trail mix and coffee mix....but DS is highly allergic to fish for fun, so while DH will fish, he'll not be looking to cook it with DS around, so we're trying to come up with meals they can carry in that'll work for three days and not weigh too much. ETA: A few things DH is doing with DS in advance of the hike in May.....two nights in a row, he had DS set up the tent in our yard and they slept out, DS was responsible in the morning to break the tent down, pack it up and put it away. He won't be responsible for it when they're camping, but DH wants him to know how to do it if anything were to happen and he needed to do it. Also, he and DS have done two small hikes nearby, with packs on and loaded up (just put stuff in DS's so it weighed about 20 pounds, what his pack will weigh once we load it up) to see how DS manages (he did really well). While doing the local hikes, he's worn his boots and socks he'll wear once they head out so we could see if there were any hot spots or problems before they're out and a couple of miles on the trail.

Mad Scientist

Thank you. We did make a very conscious decision to move here (MO) and decline the offer DH had to go to San Diego. It was one of the best decisions we've ever made and we're finally getting ahead.

Good grief :chillpill: We've lived in NoVA, I've lived in CT and I've lived in NYC, please don't tell me how expensive some places are to live - I've BTDT.

:iagree: That's a good idea!

Can they opt to do it another Sunday? DS's first communion is coming up and we decided to not to the group FHC and have him do his at the same time we have his baby brother baptized and everyone can come in for both. From what the parish we attend told us, the kids can make their FHC anytime after Easter - with the planned group FHC or any Sunday we want - if we want to do another Sunday, we just let them know so the Priest knows and can make it special during the Mass. Our church actually encourages parents to pick another Sunday since they usually have a couple hundred kids making FHC each year (only Catholic church around here) and the church can't accommodate everyone in the group session.

I read somewhere too that sunglasses also inhibit vitamin D production, apparently our retinas need some exposure to the UV light too.

I've never really worried about being in the sun, it is how we make vitamin D after all. But that doesn't mean I go out and stay out so long that I burn...this time of the year, I'll head out for five-ten minutes at a time and work on getting a good base going, as the season progresses, I'll stay out longer and usually can go a couple of hours by July without burning - but I am cautious during the hours of 10-3, I'll stay more in the shade, wear a hat or cover up more to avoid burning. The only time I actually put on some sunscreen is if I can't avoid the sun during it's peak in the mid-day and need to be out for more than an hour in direct sun....but even then, with sunscreen, I don't pretend it's okay to stay out forever!

Even with the clarification it's nothing like our spending. I'm not sure if it's that we're weird, or just prioritized differently? For example, our housing is 10% of DH's gross, on purpose! Once I add in utilities, repairs, maintenance, etc. and even add in lawn care and the housekeeper, I'm still only to 15%. We live in a home with a mortgage below our means because we don't want financial ruin if something happens and want to pay the house off in 15 years so DH can retire! We consciously made the decision when we were buying the house to not spend what the bank told us we could afford, but to buy what we knew we could so we could also save for retirement and pay the house off early. Same with transportation, we spend a lot less because we decided long ago that brand new cars aren't worth the depreciation hit most of the time - we've always bought cars that are 2-3 years old and have taken the big hit already. We made our first exception this year when DH opted to go with a leftover 2011 at a great price since it came with all maintenance for the first four years (or 50,000 miles), so we have zero maintenance costs for the next four years with it.....with the trade of his car for it, our car payment is really reasonable, $250 a month; we have good driving histories, so our insurance isn't crazy high; and DH's commute is reasonable so it's not expensive for gas for his commute. I still drive a 2006 and plan to drive it another year before considering something newer since it's paid off and is running great - no need for a new used car for me yet. All totaled, transportation might be 3% of DH's gross.

Doesn't look anything close to our spending either.

In DH's office the practice pays 100% of the premium for employees and funds the HSA each year for the individual deductible on the policy; if someone opts to take the family coverage, they pay 50% and can fund the HSA up to the max. Since DH owns the practice, the premiums paid and HSA contribution flow through as income for tax purposes, but that doesn't happen with his employees. Looking at one of his employees who does have the family policy that includes spouse and two children, they're paying 50% of the $225 per child and $400 for their spouse (based on age and gender), so $425 a month, about 10% of their gross pay....the HSA contribution they make is another $250 a month (before taxes), so 15.8% of their gross. That said, the premiums and HSA contribution are before taxes, so that reduces the taxes they have taken out each pay check, so on balance, it works out to be about 10% of gross once you consider the taxes that were reduced and no longer taken out.

What they bill the insurance isn't what the insurance reimburses, what you would pay that counts toward your deductible. If they'd billed $3,000, they probably would have been reimbursed what you paid OOP with nothing counting toward your deductible because they can't charge less than they accept for insurance reimbursement except in very rare cases that need to be documented to justify the larger discount. That's part of insurance contracts with doctors and facilities - when they have a patient rate chart, it's usually just a touch above or at their reimbursement rates from insurance companies and/or medicare if they're a medicare provider too. For the HIDA scan, call your insurance company to see what they'll reimburse (or what you'll owe since you need to pay the deductible first before they'll cover the rest 100%)....you'll pay their contract reimbursement rate, not the billed rate or the difference between billed and contract rate!

Mid-Missouri, university town. DH just traded his 2008 BMW for a 2011 and his car payment is $250 a month, for a car most consider a luxury - we actually went the BMW route a few years ago when his 15 year old car was on its last legs and it cost less than what he first looked at, a Nisssan Maxima, plus the BMW includes all maintenance....who is driving a $450 a month payment car if they don't have the income to support that payment? No way we'd buy a car that costs that much a month! In-home, Kindercare, etc. in this area are running $400 a month if you're paying out of pocket and don't qualify for subsidies. Maybe that's because for this area that's about what the market can bear?

When I hired her, I had no idea really that she did as much as she does....I love it and gosh, if I ever lose her, I know I won't likely find a replacement - she's worth every penny since I'm not exactly the most organized person when it comes to the house and she's just made it so much easier to keep things in their place! While I still do the laundry, it is so nice to have someone do the linen & towel change each week and know it's done! At first DH was reluctant to spend money to get cleaning done, but after I had the baby, it was really getting to be more than I could do with everything else I do, so he agreed to give it a try......and now he's loving it too!

Cleaning services usually have checklists of what they do and aren't that flexible to do more unless it's on a list they can charge more for doing...which I'm okay with that, but it isn't really what I need, so I hired someone privately. She comes in once a week and is here most of the day - between six and eight hours. Her rate is a set rate to clean the house, not by the hour and it's what she asked for, a rate I thought quite reasonable for what she does. In addition to the basics (dusting, vacuum, mop, bathroom, chair rails, edges, furniture, etc.) she also changes all bed linens, makes the bed and gets the linens she pulled off the bed to the laundry room, changes all towels in the bathrooms and gets the towels to the laundry room, checks and if needed, refills the soap in the bathrooms, replenishes toilet paper under bathroom sinks, empties and puts away any dishes in the dishwasher and will load any in the sink, she does pick up and put away clutter/piles when she knows where something goes and we've not taken care of it or asks where to put something if she's not sure, if I have laundry clean that needs folding, she'll fold it for me and leave it on beds to be put away, she's taken time to organize our closet in the master bedroom, the kids closets and drawers, and has even organized my pantry. She chalks it up to her being OCD and she likes to see things organized, so she just does it when she sees it needs to be done. She also has each room on a rotation for heavy cleaning, taking one each week to do top to bottom, including windows - so really, my house is always clean......I love it!

True, which is why one should research the various schools and what they will accept. Here in Missouri, MU accepts and credits both CLEP and AP as long as the student has not completed 90 credit hours at the point the AP or CLEP credits are requested. There are different numbers of credits allowed in the different programs, but some are very generous and these types of credits can save a lot of time and a ton of money. But, you do have to do some research before just thinking they'll count. Absolutely agree! Most schools have online what credits will transfer and under what circumstances - again, one needs to do their research and see what will make sense if they opt to do some courses online. If someone can do an online course for the core English requirement for $500 versus $1500 in the classroom, it totally makes sense financially to do it online....you do need to make sure beforehand that it'll transfer and count though!

Right now you have $8000 and need a car. You have a $2000 medical debt to pay off, at 0% interest, that costs you $100 a month. Should you pay it off and leave $6,000 for the car replacement or continue paying $100 a month and have $8,000 for the car? I honestly don't know your situation, but interest free debt costs less long-term than debt that carries interest, even low interest. Only you can decide if your carry cost for a loan is worth it or not. If you did pay off the $2,000, would you need to finance any of the car replacement? If you don't have to - if you can find something that will hold you for a year or two for $6,000 - then it would make sense to pay it off. If you need to finance a portion of the car replacement, you're then taking on interest that you don't have to pay now on the medical debt and doing that doesn't change your buying power all that much since a small loan will require a short repayment schedule, so you're really still looking at about $8,000 and the same payment you're already making - the only thing you'd change is that you'd be paying a car loan, not a medical debt, and you'd actually pay more for it, over the term of the car loan, because of the interest. If it were me, I'd either find a $6,000 vehicle and pay the debt off, knowing I'd trade the replacement vehicle in a year and save money to go toward that in the future, or I'd continue paying the $100 a month and buy an $8,000 vehicle and keep it until the medical debt was paid off. I wouldn't swap one debt for another.

I think it is probably harder to clean with someone in the room, but not just in the house. When my housekeeper comes, she starts downstairs and when she's done down there, she moves to upstairs and gets that done, then does the main floor and does the rooms we're not in first - once all that's done, I take the kids either to a room she's done or downstairs to play, sometimes I'll even take them outside so she can finish up without having to try to work around us...but unless we're out of town, we're usually here. That said, she does come in when we're out of town. We leave a key with my FIL, she goes to pick it up on her cleaning day, then returns it when she's done...we leave her checks with FIL too so when she returns the key he gives her the envelope with that weeks date on it. I look at it this way, if I can't trust her to clean when we're away, why in the world would I think I can trust her even when I'm home? It is trust - someone honest will not be tempted, even with lots of things just laying around - someone dishonest will steal right under your nose if an opportunity presents itself and considering I don't follow her around, there are plenty of opportunities even when I'm home.

:iagree:

The 1, 2, 3 etc. term is the initial period where the interest rate the mortgage starts at stays, after that you'll have another term for how often the mortgage may be adjusted (every 1 year, 2 years, etc.), and a defined maximum the interest may rise with each adjustment and a total maximum the mortgage may rise to over its life. When we were getting our mortgage, the bank was really pushing the ARM they offered.....it was starting at 5%, locked in for 3 years, then adjustments would happen each year, with a max upward adjustment of 1% and a max rate of 12% in the life of the loan - meaning, if interest rates rose and the adjustments over a few years continued to rise too, we could potentially pay a rate of 12% for however long high interest rates lasted before an adjustment back down might happen, if ever in the remaining life of the loan. I remember interest rates in the 80's being crazy high - like 18% - so I did some math and realized if we ever got to high interest again, and had adjustments that took the mortgage up to 12%, we'd be in a too tight position paying it....so we opted for a 30-year mortgage, fixed at 6% and have worked to pay it down and should have it paid off in 15 years. We decided to not go with a 15 year mortgage since the payment was higher and if anything happened we preferred having the lower payment as our option if we needed to just pay the smaller payment in any given month. To give you an example of the difference in payments, using a hypothetical $100,000 mortgage, payments with principle and interest: Fixed 30 year @ 6% = $595.55 Fixed 15 year @ 6% = $843.86 On the first, if you increase payment to the 15 year payment, it's paid off in 15 years, but if you hit a bump in the financial road, your mortgage payment in any given month is really only $595.55, not $843.86, so you can pay it off early, but aren't bound to make that high a payment each month. Compare that to an ARM that might be offered at 3.5% as the teaser rate. The payment initially is lower - $449.04 per month. If the rate stays there or drops, you win, you pay less interest over the life of the mortgage than someone with a higher interest fixed mortgage. But - what if rates go up? Say in year 3, your first adjustment hits and it goes up to 4.5% - now your payment is $506.69. The following year, again another point, so you're up to $569.67. Heck, what happens if by year 9 interest rates are still up and you're now at the 12% max in the ARM - your payment is now up to $1028.61 - much higher than the fixed and much higher than adding in the difference between a 15 year and 30 year fixed payment. The thing DH and I asked ourselves when we look at our mortgage options was - worst case scenario, interest rates go up, we're stuck at the max for years.....do we want to pay that much? We said no.