Welcome the New Year. 2008 was crazy wasn’t it? Outrageous gas prices, housing market bubble burst, elections, bailouts for failing businesses, etc. We all know, we were all there. All I have to say is “lame”.

Gee, your business is failing…aawww…too bad. Maybe it’s because you made bad business decisions. Go find a new line of work. Todays failures only set us up for the next success.

Oh, you can’t pay your house payment because it’s 50% of your take home pay….aawww…I guess you shouldn’t have taken out that second mortage to pay off your credit card debt for all that crap you bought that you probably really didn’t need.

Oh, you feel entitled to whatever you want because you think you deserve it? Well, why don’t you get off your butt and WORK for it, save for it, and pay for it…IN CASH.

Seriously, we can’t expect governement to take care of us. Do you honestly think the state can make better decisions for your own personal life than you? Do you really want them telling you what to do? Do they really know what is best for you? Do you really want to settle for what they are dishing out? …lame…

If history has proven anything, big government and big spending will not solve this mess. Only we, the American, people can pull ourselves out of this. This is a classic Roosevelt vs. Reagan economics.

Anyway, if you have been consistently smart with your money…dare I say conservative with your money, you probably are doing okay and will be just fine as those around you who haven’t been continue to crash.

Do you have your emergency fund? Are you debt free? Do you have food storage? Do you live well within your means? Are you ready for the next 4 years? Anyone who knows how the economy works should know that it goes up and down. You have to practice self control in the ups to make it through the downs. The key is to stay consistent and see the whole picture.

My wish for 2009: Let these times make us realize what is truely important in life. Recessions don’t have to be all doom and gloom. Find the positive in life. What is more important? That huge expensive cable package to watch 500 channels or finding other things to do with your family and spending real time with them?

You have heard of Suze Orman, right? She’s a financial advisor and she is amazing. I love to hear her speak, I love to see her on her show and I love how she totally tells people how it is. My favorite though is how she sometimes yells at people when they want to do stupid things with their money. “Oh, you are so denied!!!” as she would say to people who call in during her “Can I afford it” segment on her show.

Anyway, she is also an author. I am reading her book, “The Courage to be Rich” and I love it. I recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about money matters. Especially women. Don’t leave all the finances up your husband. We both need to be equally versed in how the world of money works. Everything from buying a home and learning about mortgages and how they work (and all the different kinds there are) to  savings and retirement plans (and how to decide what would work best for you). 

I’m telling you ladies, we need to know this stuff.

 Oh, by the way, I am still pregnant! ugh…

Let me start my blog off by introducing myself. My name is Mom, or Mommy. I also go by the name Laura. I have been married for almost 5 years with one daughter and another one on the way. I have worked full time and after my first daughter was born, I worked part time. Now with the impending birth of the second daughter, I will become a “stay at home mom”.

I am not quite sure how I feel about that term. I am sure there are several other titles I could use. Using the term “stay at home mom” signifies to me that I would just sit at home all day. Although I know I will not be sitting. Every mom knows this and every man tries not to think about it. The mear thought of what we really do at home is too much for them to even fathom.

I love my husband. He’s wonderful, smart, handsome and has a great career that supports us. Now, what happens with that support is up to me. I don’t know which is more difficult, making the money or deciding what to do with it. I guess that’s why we are interdependant. It’s too much for one person to handle, so we split the work. He brings home the cash and I send it right back on out. That’s what my blogs will be about. What I do with our money. So far I haven’t had any complaints from my husband on how I have managed it.

I have been told by some people that I am stingy with money. But yet, I have also been told by others that I am smart with money. As the co-owner and operator of our home, I should know what needs to be done with the family finances. I feel like I almost have to treat my home like a business to keep it running successfully. My hope is to help anyone struggling, confused, need a change or just starting out with how to financially run their household.

There was a story done on the Today show not too long ago about a University offering a Homemaking Major. I thought it was awesome. Although the “experts” they had on the show for the pros and the cons were both disappointing and the news story could have been better. But that’s beside the point. I think it’s great that a University would invest such time and energy into something that has been highly overlooked and taken for granted. Running a household and raising children is difficult, it’s harder than any career I can think of.

http://jamaoliver.wordpress.com/2007/08/24/southwestern-baptist-theological-seminary-offers-homemaking-major/

Whoever this is explains my point well.

Welcome to my blog.