The irony of the post isn’t lost of me. I wrote it earlier in the week, and last night we had a tree branch go through our roof and into the living room. I will be bolding any edits I make this morning while waiting for the contractor. Here is your regularly scheduled programming:

In true WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) form, I hate talking about money.

But I love talking about personal finance. Two sides of the same coin, I know. But one is more about theory and much less intrusive. The theory of personal finance has always fascinated me.

When I was in youth group, my dad led a class by Dave Ramsey for teenagers. I was hooked. When I moved to Montgomery I got into podcasts. Dave’s was one of the first I downloaded. This was before I was subscribed to so many shows, so  at work I usually got through all three hours. I think I could easily answer most personal finance questions the way Dave would at this point.

He’s all about the baby steps. You can find more about these on here on his website:  The 7 Baby Steps – Dave Ramsey

But the steps I want to talk about today are the emergency funds: the $1,000 and the 3-6 months. Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of articles about how many Americans wouldn’t be able to cover a $400 emergency without borrowing or selling something. And that has me concerned for a lot of people out there.

I’m a big proponent of the emergency fund. The day Joel and I moved into our house the cable guy unhooked the old connection box, the neutral line to our house was broken, which caused a huge power surge to tear through our appliances. The fridge, microwave, oven and furnace all had to be repaired (power surges not covered by home warranties FYI). Day one – welcome to home ownership.

We’ve since had to replace the A.C. (only a small portion covered by our home warranty that we had the seller pay for) as well as the water heater (a slightly larger portion paid for by the warranty, but still with out of pocket costs). And we’re currently dealing with a leaky dishwasher. We’ve had this home one year on May 1st.

How I would have acted if we didn’t have an emergency fund.

Then this happened last night:

Thats a tree in our living room. The branch snapped off and stabbed through our roof and living room ceiling. For scale, notice 6′ Joel next to the branch on the roof.

So we’ve been grateful for our emergency fund several times this year. And last night – when we had to pay the guy immediately for removing the tree. He didn’t take cards (so no credit), so I wrote him a check. A big check. I was so thankful that we have our emergency fund.  We are so blessed to not have any debt other than our mortgage. Joel had minimal student loans, which we paid off in the first couple months of marriage and neither of us had car debt. Our parents are awesome. Plain and simple. But we don’t want to waste the gift they’ve given us by living beyond our means now.

So what’s my favorite tool to stay within my budget?It’s a now old school one: Online banking.

Online banking allows us to have multiple accounts and simply transfer money between them. I’m not talking just a checking and a savings. We have 6 accounts right now. Yes, six and it’s not excessive – we’re thinking of adding another.

The six are as follows:

J&K Checking – This is what our debit cards are linked to. Money either of us spend (all accounts are shared) from daily swipes comes out of this account. We also use this account for cellphone, water, gas and electricity bills. So basically our monthly expenses draw from this account.

House Payment – Out of the first check of the month we deposit the amount of our mortgage payment into this fund. We never have to worry about such a big draft coming out of our daily checking account. We have everything set to automatic, so I make sure the drafts have happened, but I never have to remember when to pay which bill.

Repair Replace and Gift Fund- this is the one we’re currently thinking about splitting into two. Buying a house means maintenance. Owning two cars means maintenance. Lots of Repairing. The Replace should be called “Katelyn wants a new sofa really bad” fund because that’s what we’re saving for right now. The “Gifts” really means Christmas – monthly expenses such as mother’s day or birthdays are cash flowed out of that month’s budget (that’s how we do it at least, budgeting either way makes sense).

Vacation – Here’s where I stray a little from Dave Ramsey. We have a credit card. We use it for convenience, especially on trips. We have never and plan to never carry a balance. Why do I mention this in the vacation fund? Because when we travel we put everything on the credit card and pay it as soon as the charges have cleared from the vacation fund.We don’t have to worry about large holds on our checking account from hotels or car rentals. But we don’t spend more than we have, its just a good way for us to keep up with out of the ordinary spending. If you can’t stick to a budget for your trip though, I suggest keeping it safe and on debit.

Car Fund – we know we’ll have to buy a new car in the next few years. We put a little money aside each month because we know this will be a really big purchase. We won’t use the emergency fund for this – because its not an emergency, we know its coming. Since this large purchase is years away (hopefully) we also don’t use the Repair Replace fund because I’m weak and would see that cash piling up and not think 5 years out and say to myself “ooh all the Restoration Hardware couches and West Elm media stands can be mine today!”. So this is a safety net we’ve set for ourselves.

and finally

The Emergency Fund – right now we have 4 months of current rate monthly spending in the account. If one or both of us were to lose our jobs, we would be able to make it last longer (I’d have to cut out my Target and TJ Maxx trips, but we could do it). This account has fluctuated. It’s taken hits, but its been there for us. We make it a priority to build back up when it takes a beating.

We’ve probably all heard, “Pay yourself first” but if you don’t separate what is going to you and what is going out the door then paying yourself first can lead to irresponsible spending.

So this personal finance post got a lot more about practice instead of theory. I hope that I  have been able to make someone evaluate the way they handle their money. To those younger than me out there: get started on the right foot. Don’t fall into all the trappings of credit card debt or car loans.// To the people older than me: its not too late to clean up your financial situation, but it won’t get better until you make it get better. // To those my age: we got this. Start planning for retirement now, and the future won’t be as scary.

Anyone else use multiple accounts or have tips to keep yourself on a budget? I’d love to hear about them! Anyone else interested in more personal finance discussions should check out Personal Finance – Reddit.

Thanks to everyone who checked in on us last night. We really felt a part of this community. 

 

 

I was in Starkville, Mississippi when the tornadoes tore through Tuscaloosa. We were without power, and made the trip to Tupelo to eat dinner because they had electricity at the Outback Steakhouse. We had no idea how bad it was.

On our way home, the news of UA hit. We had many friends who were at the University of Alabama. We were scared, but were fortunate to not lose anyone that day.

On this five year anniversary of those tornadoes that changed the landscape of Alabama forever, I wanted to share a podcast episode that came out earlier this week.

http://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/myths-and-truths-about-tornadoes/

I recommend everyone listening to this episode – Myths and Truths about Tornadoes. Learn something new or refresh your safety skills. This is such a dangerous time of year in the South, and this podcast is full of interesting information and a few tips.

“Stuff You Should Know” is one of my favorites. These dudes ramble, they get off topic, but they do their research. If you can handle a conversation with me, I suggest giving this a podcast a shot.

 

Joel and I are travelers. We absolutely love visiting new places, but with my recent work schedule we haven’t been able to satisfy our travel bug lately. But one of my forever friends was getting married this weekend outside of Savannah, GA. So we took the opportunity to have a long weekend getaway.

I am in love with the southern charm, the walk-ability and the trees. Y’ALL THE TREES!

Forsyth Park

We stayed in a great B&B off of Chatham Square. Right near Forsyth Park. The Savannah Inn Bed and Breakfast. Who knew breakfast would be so good at a bed and breakfast? Well, everyone but me. We had a fantastic room with a private bath, and didn’t have to move the car all weekend. This was one of the more affordable options for a B&B in downtown, and a fantastic value!

Row houses turned into a B&B

Exploring the city was our favorite thing to do. Leisurely strolling down the wide sidewalks and wondering into little shops was good for my soul. We arrived on Thursday and had a late lunch/early dinner at B&D Burgers – a cute little pub downtown. Its a local chain, great burgers and shakes and fun atmosphere. We went to the river front, and loved the architecture on the way down there (well, some of the hotels were ugly – but the 70’s & 80’s weren’t pretty for architecture most places..) The city’s fabric of the really old, kinda old, and relatively new but still old could really be seen.

Thursday night we went on a haunted tour. I’m not a horror movie fan or a believer in ghosts, but it was a fun way to stroll late at night and get a different take on the city. Savannah’s history is so rich,and our tour guide was able to give us interesting information beyond who died where. We learned a lot, and laughed a lot. Highly recommend!

Our tour during a full moon. Wonderfully spooky!

Friday we went to The Lady and Sons for lunch. Paula Deen can cook some chicken, but she needs some help planning a menu. Touristy and manufactured is how this place seemed (which I knew it was, but they could have hidden it better.. especially for the prices). I’d skip if I were to do it again, there are so many great restaurants to eat at!

Leopold’s is a Savannah staple I wouldn’t skip! It’s an old fashion ice cream parlor, and it’s full of charm.

We also went to the SCAD Museum of Art. A little off the more beaten path, this small museum was a neat place for art lovers. They had some great pieces of modern art and the building is a jewel as well.

The cemetery downtown was beautiful. After our haunted tour, we loved looking at the headstones with birth and death dates changed by civil war soldiers and the famous and infamous residents of the park-like cemetery. There was even a jungle gym and swings in one corner of the “park”, you can’t grow up in Savannah without making history your playground.

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was another great stop for history and architecture lovers. The twin rooftops can be seen from around the city, and the architecture inside is lovely. Its a self guided tour, and a peaceful way to rest your feet.

Dinner was the highlight our last night in Savannah. The Olde Pink House lived up to all the ravings I’d heard and seen online.

This mansion turned restaurant is a must splurge experience. You’ve gotta go down into the basement to visit the tavern as well.  We had dinner in the once sitting room, and got the Savannah Bee honey and cheese platter as an appetizer. The beauty and wonderful taste turned me into one of “those people” taking pictures of my food in a really nice restaurant. Joel is still dreaming about his scallops and my steak was perfection.

Look at the honeycomb!

We took the 30 minute drive out to Tybee Island on Saturday morning and we were glad we did! Touring the lighthouse was a great way to see for miles. We lunched back in Savannah, at the Green Truck Pub – a Krystal turned into a cute restaurant. We arrived just before the crowd, but when we left there was a line around the building. The family recipe pimento cheese on top of my burger, the house made ranch and everything tasting so fresh made our trip away from downtown worth it.

Overall Savannah is a great long weekend trip. I could have stayed forever, but in a few days got to check off all the highlights. Savannah is tucked away from the rest of the world, but if you are ever close, swing by!

We’re dreaming of other weekend getaways and would love to hear some ideas driving distance from central Alabama!

 

 

I was going to be a doctor. An orthopedic surgeon in fact. I liked the idea of breaking bones I guess..

But the second semester of my senior year in high school a flip switched.  I remember an older friend coming home after being in Mississippi State’s Architecture school and telling me everything about it. More specifically everything she HATED about it. I listened, and was in awe. It all sounded AWESOME! Projects instead of papers? Where do I sign up?

2013 Babies – and Joel with a goatee

Flash forward. I graduated Architecture school knowing that I had indeed found my place in the world. Not to mention my person (Joel and I were in studio together since Freshman year).

Joel’s goatee and I in front of our final projects

But getting into the real world is hard. Its hard for everyone, but I only have my perspective to talk about. Architect Intern is going to be my title until I pass all of my licensing exams and finish my “internship”. I’m not still in school, that’s just what they call the apprenticeship-like program. People are always surprised at what it takes to legally call yourself an architect, but trust me, you didn’t want me to be in charge of putting a building together that first year or two out.

Which is why architect interns do the bathroom elevations. We don’t get “the fun stuff” our first couple of years. Every once in a while I got to do a conceptual site plan, or model something really neat, but the majority of my mental creative energy was going into writing a professional email while curbing the urge to end sentences with “haha”.

After settling into professional life, I realized how much I needed a creative outlet even though I’m in a very creative field. It sounds so cliche, but a few years away from school and deep into a daily routine I realized I needed something to get me out of my rut and into a groove.

Enter ceramics. More like.. re-enter. I took ceramics in college and fell in love. There is something about being at a wheel and turning a lump of dirt into something usefully that could almost make me cry thinking about it. I’m so lucky to have found Studio 101 Pottery. I started going on and off last March. Some of  you were lucky enough to receive Christmas gifts handmade by Katelyn. I’ve told multiple people its a form of therapy for me, and if I take time off I see how true that is!

Christmas 2015 presents in the works

But I’m not very good yet. I like quick projects. I sew stuff.. but if I can’t do it in a few hours it probably never gets done. I’m the same with other art forms. Joel is an amazing water colorist. I’ve never had the patience for it. But you just can’t do clay quickly. You literally have to watch it dry. There are so many steps beyond the initial making of the thing to it becoming useful or artwork or (my favorite) both.

Some of my college work – Stegosaurus and all

Clay forces me to slow down. It gives me time to figure out what I want to make. The first minutes on the wheel have nothing to do with what you are trying to get out of the clay. Those minutes are the same for every piece. Centering. You can’t start without the clay being centered. Well, you can – and I have – but it never ends up well. You get something lopsided or more likely collapsed. It screams of metaphors y’all. They’re so obnoxiously  obvious.

My beautiful niece with her “custom piece”

Do something for you – to recenter yourself. Do something outside of the daily grind. I now have scheduled time outs. Wednesday nights from 6 to 8 I’m at the studio. Adulthood usually requires some planning, but don’t forget to plan something fun. Have a creative outlet. This blog is becoming that for me as well, thanks for letting me share, and let me know what your favorite outlets are!

 

 

Spring has sprung in the Wasser household. The weather seemed like it couldn’t quite make up its mind, but I couldn’t wait any longer to get some things done around the house.

We’ve got some budget unfriendly maintenance coming up – so I had to keep my spring decorating on the friendly side of cheap. But here are a few outdoor and small decor items that make a big difference in making your home feel happy about the weather.

Starting with the exterior. Mulch people, mulch! It makes a huge difference. Joel and I decided with other things we’re doing this year we weren’t going to try and replace the small ground cover we thought died off last fall – slugs were Joel’s greatest enemy. So we only got new mulch and spread it around the established plants. The difference it made!

Fun lawn ornaments at Target are hard to resist.

Lucky after all the rain last week we’ve noticed that most of our hostas are making a return, now if we can just get Dobby to stop “helping” while we’re weeding they might make it another year.

We have a great front porch, and during the fall I love to do a cute pumpkin/mum/hay bell  arrangement. But this spring I noticed I was definitely lacking some color to welcome guests into my home. I looked at Target, but couldn’t justify spending so much on one pillow or a set of cushions. Costco to the rescue. I was able to purchase these two cushions and two pillows for 60% less than Target.

Not a perfect fit, but they help hide the fact that the free swing we have is in desperate need of a new paint job, summer projects are piling up already!

Another great place to get a deal on outdoor pillows is Ross. As anyone who has ever walked in the store knows- Ross is a real hit-or-miss kind of place. But right now their garden and patio stuff is great and super reasonable. I picked up a pair of these pillows for only $6.99!

Like my mother, I can’t resist a pineapple. The colonial symbol for hospitality seems fitting for the other side of our porch.

Moving inside – Our front door leads directly into our living and dining space. So I’ve found having a blank dining room table makes my home look “unfinished”. But having place settings on the table isn’t practical for our lifestyle. We eat, study, play games and do projects at our  table. So a  runner and hand carved basket fit the bill for easy-to-move decor. It’s been filled with pinecones for fall and winter – but I wanted something fresh for spring. Target Threshold vase filler was the inexpensive winner this time. I recommend checking online Target deals and selecting the “pick up in store” option at checkout. They have special coupons that you can’t use in stores, but you get the instant gratification of not having to wait for your items! The runner is from TJ Maxx and they have great options for under $15. Just measure your table before you go!

I’m hoping in an upcoming weekend my mother in law can come down and help me redo my table and chairs (Jane – this is me asking if you’ll come help out!) I want to re stain the top and paint the chairs and table legs Farmhouse Paint – Weathered Stone, which is pictured inside the hutch in the photo below:

Excuse the iphone lighting.

My final suggestion for quick and cheap spring time accents is succulents! Joel is the one with the green thumb in our family – but even I can keep these alive. We have a working aloe plant above the sink in our kitchen – which we use for cuts, burns and bug bites (I’m prone to all three). I added another “jelly bean” succulent to the kitchen window as well as next to the snake plants in our living room. Snake plants are also great for plant killers and low light rooms.

Happy Spring y’all. Let me know some of your favorite refreshing decorating items!