Your Questions Answered: About Tim and I

{ How often do you get out for dates with your hubby? }

Not very often. But it's not like we couldn't if we wanted. My MIL, SIL, sister, best friends and parents would babysit at anytime! We are very lucky and fortunate to have them all around. We never really have the money to spend on ourselves to a dinner, unless it's a special occasion, like our anniversary or a birthday. But then again, we normally would prefer to stay home a cook an elaborate meal together anyway. That's just us. We love to cook together and cook something that is better than just our little average weeknight meals. And to be honest, I don't think our relationship suffers because we don't get time outside the home alone that often. We have plenty of time together because we make it a priority to do so, no matter what.

{ What does your husband do for work and if you were working, what you be doing? }

My husband, Tim, works for a small electrical company that does work for Lockheed Martin, mostly at the headquarters but occasionally at a few other locations around the DC/MD/VA area. There are only 3 employees and the boss. He really likes it and has been working there since before we were married. My dad introduced him to the boss, since he had known him since he started working at Lockheed, and Tim started the next day. We are forever grateful he has such a wonderful job, that he likes and is so flexible. If I was working, I would hope that I would be doing some sort of social work job, since my Master's degree is in Social Work. I would love to be working at a jail, or a private practice under another LCSW. It would have to be something that was interesting and within mental health. I LOVED working at the jails and with severe mentally ill criminals. I miss it a lot, but I know I have many, many years ahead of me to work outside the home.

{ How do you financially plan for 4 kids? }

This is a loaded question.

Well, what can you do? There are plenty of things. You start preparing for the tooth fairy funds and go from there. Haha! Just kidding, kinda. Anyway, we firmly believe that no matter how much money you have, it will never be enough, but we don't want to base our happiness on money. We don't base our happiness on things. We base it on our happy children, our love between us, and our family as a whole. We have a great home, food on our table and we are able to live a comfortable life. Do we worry about bills, sure. Who doesn't?  Do we wish there was more money, sure. But it's okay the way it is. 

To be completely honest, and this might sounds terrible to some, but the future is the future. Things will work out. Money is not everything. But we budget and do the best we can for now to hope for the best in our future.

Will our children go to college? Absolutely, if that's what they choose. They will have to choose something, but education is very important to us so I hope they go to college. It's something I value and I want my children to have that same value. How they get that education will be a variety of ways. Yes, I firmly believe that it's a parent's duty to help your child go to college, at least the first four years, and our children will have an education savings account. Very important to us. Once they want to go further than four years, I think we may help, but that will most likely be up to them, as it was for me. We shall see. It's so hard to predict the future and wonder what our financial situation is in 15-20 years. 

So, in the meantime, I do things to help our financial situation stay the way it is or become a little better. Am I cheap? No, but where it counts I am. But do I budget, clip coupons and buy on sale? ALWAYS! I can't ever buy something full price. No. NEVER!!! I will have guilt for a month and nothing is worth that. Tim and I make sacrifices every day for our family, but what parent doesn't? Do we splurge on some things, yes. I like to shop for my home. My husband prefers to have Sunday NFL Package. So we compromise. But if it came down to food on our table and keeping the lights on, the NFL Package is going first. Ha. 

I make out a weekly menu for the week, and even though I normally have to go to the store once for something I forgot or came up during the week, I think it saves a lot of money. Buying bulk at Costco if you have the room. Example: A package of thighs of chicken - around $10 dollars for 8 packs of 4 thighs each. How do you beat that? Around $15-17 for two pot roasts. Kirkland Mayo in a tub the size of my head for $3.99. You can't even get 1/4th of that at the grocery store for $4.99!

When things are on sale, I make a lot of my homemade stuff and freeze, all the time. Chili, spaghetti sauce, ect...

I shop a lot at Walmart. No shame there. I love Walmart. And those commercials about how you can really save at Walmart versus a grocery store. Totally true. One example. Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Check it out for yourself. I kid you not. But, recently on things that I know are the same price at our grocery store, I get there because they have the whole gas points reward thing and well, we eat A LOT and so therefore I can save A LOT on my gas by buying there. 10 cents per $50 you spend...let's just say over the course of a few months, those points easily add up to over two dollars off of each gallon of gas. And our SUV, not the best with conserving gas, so any assistance is welcomed!

I shop Goodwill, thrift stores, Tot Swap, and yard sales for great deals on things I can fix up or just random things for the house or for the girls. If the girls need a black shirt to go under their halloween costume, I'll check Walmart and Goodwill or another thrift shop. Why not? The only time I won't buy used is if it's something I can get the same price somewhere else brand new. No shame! I love a good deal.

Tim and I were just talking about diapers for four kids the other day and I was saying at most it costs us $80-100 dollars a month in diapers. I don't think that's bad at all, to be honest for FOUR children. Now I buy Walmart brand because that is what works for us. I buy wipes at Costco, that are Kirkland brand and the box lasts us at least 3-4 weeks.

When we moved from Poolesville and left our $400-650 dollar monthly electric bill behind, our new home is built so much better since it's newer and so the electric bill is maybe $100 dollars. And then on the budget plan, it's very reasonable. If you aren't on a budget plan, I highly recommend it.

Tim and I do not have Iphones, Ipads, or any expensive gadgets. We don't need to waste our money on things like that. And we don't care to. We rather go on a vacation or save the money to take the girls somewhere. We aren't missing anything. ANd I don't need one more thing in my hand or buy for my attention. No thank you. We have a nice camera and a video camera. That is important to us. Documentation of our family and the events over time for our children. Like this blog. Free and so memorable for my children. Priceless. 

{ What beliefs do you want to pass on to your children? }

Another hard one. I feel like I am answering essay questions in college again. It's so hard to put into words all the things I want to pass down to my children. First, I would say the belief of God and faith. Second, the importance of family. Third, the importance of love, responsibility, and honesty. Do onto others as you want them to do onto you. Teach love and friendship and how to care for each other. Put others first before you, but don't forget that it's okay to put yourself first at times too. I want to teach them to be happy, healthy, productive women to contribute to making our world a better place. There are so many things.

Family is one of the most important things I want my girls to know. My MIL is one of five girls and I see the love and friendship that her and her sisters have (they are spread out over ten years) and I only hope my girls will be as close as them, always. I love it. It's so neat and I hope my girls will see how close they all are and want to be the same. It may sound morbid, but I honestly think how any day could be our last and I am so glad my girls have each other, since one day I won't be here. What a beautiful blessing to have siblings. There is no better gift. 

I could write a book on all the things I want to pass along to my children and what I hope to teach them in their lives, but honestly, I can't put it into words right now. My day is wasting away and I need to finish so many things before this hurricane hits.

Tomorrow, I'll have any extra questions that anyone has had. And hoping I still have power by then! I'm sure we will, so I am not too worried!