The Power of Facebook When Planning a Cross Country Move

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Are you on Facebook?  Most everyone seems to be.  After all, Facebook is a great place to catch up with old friends, share photos of your kids (and see friends’ family photos), and even look up what old flames are doing now.

However, have you ever used Facebook as a tool to help facilitate a move?

Remember that cross country move my husband and I considered but didn’t think would actually happen?  Well, it’s going to happen.

This summer, we’ll be moving nearly 2,000 miles from Illinois to Arizona.

In the midst of all of our planning, I’ve been amazed at how Facebook has helped me to both sell stuff and learn about the new city we’re moving to.

Selling Junk Stuff

Cross Country MoveI love dressing my kids in Gymboree clothes that I buy for a steal when they’re on sale and I have a coupon.  A few years ago, I had good luck selling them on eBay after the kids had outgrown them, but now, the market is saturated.  After eBay and PayPal fees, selling there is really not worth my time.

I found that there are several Gymboree groups on Facebook.  Since I have about three years of my daughters’ outgrown clothes to sell, this was a great find.  The first week I listed clothes on the Facebook groups, I earned over $200!  I still have about half of the clothes to sell.  Thanks, Facebook for giving me cash and reducing the “stuff” I’ll have to move.

Making Connections to the New City

Many Facebook groups let you ask off topic questions, so on one of the homeschooling Facebook groups I belong to, I asked an off topic question about the city we’re planning to move to.  Two women who live there responded and told me I could send them private messages about my questions about the area.

These women went above and beyond in answering every question I had.  In fact, one of the women, Donna, invited me to visit her when we took a preliminary trip to Arizona before my husband signed his contract.  We talked with her for over an hour at her house, and she gave us great information about things to do in the city, what she likes and dislikes, etc.

When we make our final move there, she’ll also be an excellent resource as we search for new doctors, dentists, car repair shops, etc.  Plus, it’s nice to have someone that we already know once we get in town.

How to Make Your Own Connections on Facebook

Have you harnessed the power of Facebook?  Doing so is easy.  If you haven’t done so yet, you may want to join some Facebook groups for activities and hobbies you’re interested in.  Finding one group initially is hardest.  Then, once you find a group you like, you’ll see on your sidebar other similar groups that you can join.

Many towns have Facebook pages or swap pages where you can sell and buy items from members in your local community.  Other groups like the Gymboree ones focus on people who like to buy and sell particular brands of clothes.

If you need to move or just to declutter your house, Facebook can be a great resource.

Do you use Facebook for more than just the basic social connection with friends and family?  If so, how?

 

Original photo credit: Gordon Joly on Flickr

Spend a Fixed Amount at the Grocery Store Every Week or Stock Up During Sales?

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A few months ago, I went grocery shopping in the morning on the first of the month, and I couldn’t believe how crowded it was.  After all, it wasn’t a Saturday morning when the usual grocery shopping rush occurs, but a Wednesday morning.

I waited in line to pay for over 20 minutes.  When I asked the cashier what was going on, she said that it was the first of the month, so many people’s SNAP benefits had just replenished.  These people were stocking up after possibly having had very little to eat at the end of the month when they were out of funds.

This phenomenon is not unusual.  Many people who are living on a tight budget (with or without receiving SNAP), after scrimping and doing without for the last 10 to 14 days of the month, are happy to go shopping and stock up.  The problem is that this stock up can consume most of their food budget, and the cycle starts all over again.

I mentioned in my last post that my family is experiencing a period of low income and a tight budget.  Luckily, I don’t foresee this situation remaining stagnant for years.  Within another year or two, my husband will be eligible to apply for a much better job, and as my kids grow up and become more self-sufficient, I should have more time to grow my freelance business.

However, for now, we sometimes run into this feast or famine pattern.  In our high cost of living area, we budget $700 a month for groceries for our family of 5.   (We have food intolerances including beans, gluten, dairy, and eggs, so we have to eat a special diet.)  The last week of the month, we’re eating an odd mix of foods, and we don’t have as many fruits and vegetables as we’d like.

Spend the Same Amount Every Day to Avoid Feast and Famine

I’ve been researching different strategies to help with our grocery budget.  One that I found is rather basic–determine how much you can spend per day on groceries.  For instance, in February, we can spend $25 a day on groceries ($700 divided by 28 days), while in May, we can only spend $22.58 per day.

If I’ve not been to the grocery store for 6 days, I’ll theoretically have $135.48 to spend on that trip, based on a 31 day month.

Using this pattern, I can avoid the feast or famine food cycle by making sure I have enough grocery money, even at the end of the month.

Drawbacks to Spending the Same Amount Every Day

The biggest drawback I see to spending the same amount every day is that there is not much flexibility to take advantage of sales.  For instance, if I normally buy ground turkey for $2.95 a pound, but it’s on sale for $2.45 a pound, I should stock up.  Maybe I’d buy 25 pounds at this discounted rate.  That right there would cost me $61.25, or almost half of my weekly budget.

However, it would save me $12.50 on ground turkey, and the stock would last us a few months.

While spending the same amount every day helps even out the feast or famine cycle, it may not be the best way to stretch your grocery dollars.  Instead, I prefer to buy on sale in bulk so I pay less and get more food, even if it means at the end of the month, each meal with meat has ground turkey in it.

How do you handle your grocery budget?  Do you set a fixed amount to spend each week, or do you set a fixed amount for the month so you can take advantage of sales?

Why I’m Not Throwing My Two-Year Old a Party

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My little bundle of joy is turning two in June. That went fast! With the approach of her birthday, I have been getting asked quite a few times what the theme of her birthday party is. Of course, I said dogs because that is her favorite animal right now.

I spent many hours dreaming up an adorable dog party and even looked up amazing ideas on Pinterest. The things people come up with amaze me! There were toddler dog parties that dog biscuit shaped cookies, wiener dog shaped cup cakes, treats out of dog bowls, and headbands with felt dog ears on them. That may not sound cute to you, but trust me it was. I imagined doing all of this party prep and planning for my sweet little one, and then reality came crashing down.

Here’s the truth. She is going to be two. She would love it if she were surrounded by people and dog things, but she would also love it if we went to McDonalds and got an ice cream cone. Here is what I realized:

  1. Throwing a Party Can Be Pricey: Even when I threw a simple BBQ for her first birthday, I spent about $130 in just food and cheap activities to keep the kid cousins entertained. We are talking hot dogs and hamburgers here, not steaks or anything fancy, so I am not sure why I spent so much money. If I were to go through with the adorable dog themed party, I know I would spend over $200-300.
  2. Who Am I Really Throwing the Party For? It can be so easy to get swept up in the social media/Pinterest movement, wanting to post pictures of perfect parties and creative ideas. If I were to really celebrate Ellie’s second birthday how she would want, it would probably involve a trip to the aquarium, yummy ice cream, and a lot of playtime with mom and dad. The sad thing about these parties is that she will not remember them at this age, so basically I would be throwing this party for myself – which leads me to point three…
  3. Parties Can Be Time Consuming and Stressful: Thinking about the hours of perfecting the house before and after the party is a little overwhelming. I already have troubles trying to keep the house clean with a busy toddler, I don’t need a house full of guests to add more stress. Having nine kid cousins running through my home is also overwhelming. Some people love everything that comes along with throwing parties, but I have to accept that I am not one of them, even when Pinterest mocks me. I would rather spend the time loving my daughter.

So what is the point of all of this? I am not throwing my two year old a birthday party to save myself money, stress, and time. Parties are not a necessity in our children’s lives, but love is. I plan to make Ellie’s day a very special day, but you are not going to see it on Pinterest.

If you are the type of person that loves to throw these types of parties, then go for it. You have been blessed with that gift. For the rest of us moms, save your money and your anxiety and don’t worry that you didn’t throw your child the party of the year.