How Santa "Paid" for Christmas

This was our second Christmas not using credit cards and it felt great!  Usually, every year, we would purchase items on the card and end up paying part of it with the money we received for the holidays.  So, these past couple of years have been nice to actually buy ourselves something with that gift of money. 

As I watched more and more items being added to our son's "Wishlist", I started thinking of a way I could pay for all of that new stuff he wanted.  Sell!  He had toys he no longer played with, so why not try to sell some of them.  I asked him about each toy I wanted to get rid of and he agreed.  The trick was to let him know that he needed to make room for all of his new toys he would be getting from Santa.  I posted some of the items on Facebook for my local friends and some on Craigslist.  Not only did I sell everything I wanted to (and paid for everything he wanted from Santa!), but I was also helping people get some great deals on their gifts, too!  It was a win-win situation. 

As for the rest of the holiday gifts, we had budgeted for that throughout the year.  And, I hit some great sales!!  

Giving Feels Great!

It's true! Giving does feel great. We recommend trying it out for yourself when you have the ability to do so. This year, on top of our annual donations through work, we decided to give a little more of not only our money, but time. And, it was even more fun to involve our son. He is learning the importance of helping others.

One of our projects was for our local food bank. We purchased items to make three complete Turkey Dinners for families in need. This was a project to teach our son of how lucky he is to have what he does and to never take it for granted. And, to show him how it feels to help others in need. He really got into the whole process.

In the end, our food bank ended up getting more dinners that what was needed locally and was able to share with families in other counties.  And, A is now volunteering his time for the food bank.  He does weekend pick ups at local restaurants. 

All of the food for the dinners. 

Another giving project we did this year was all about our boy.  In a previous post where we discuss our son and Financial Peace, Jr., we mention that he has to put at least a quarter in his Give envelope each week.  Halfway through the year, he had seen a commercial for the ASPCA and asked why the animals were so sad.  After a discussion about why some animals do not have homes, he told us he wanted to save his Give money for the "puppies and kitties with no homes".  We agreed to match whatever amount he had saved by the end of the year.  The time came and he had $14.00 in his envelope, so we gave him the other half and headed to Costco for some shopping.  I contacted our local Humane Society and told him about what he had to donate and how hard he had worked to save up for the treats.  They were so impressed by his generosity that they offered a behind the scenes look of the shelter, so he could see some of the animals he would be helping.

 All of the treats he was able to purchase. 

 Putting his donations under the shelter's tree. 

One last way that I like to give is randomly paying it forward to a stranger.  I cannot tell you how good it feels to purchase the coffee of the person behind you in the drive thru!                                                            

Baby Step Summary

1) $1000 baby emergency fund - completed 3/09
2) Pay off debts smallest to largest (excluding mortgage) - completed 7/09
3) 3-6 months expenses (fully funded emergency fund) - completed 3/10
4) Save 15% of income for retirement - Ongoing since 3/10
5) Save for kids college - Ongoing since 3/10 (currently $2000/year)
6) Pay off house early - in progress
7) Build wealth and give like nobody else - can't wait!!!