In my pursuit to pay off the mortgage, I’ve experimented with cutting a lot of costs. To my delight, I’ve discovered that a ton of these things we didn’t even need! In fact, the free or alternative versions have often been better.
Whether you have a financial goal you need to meet or just don’t like wasting, these are the things you need to stop paying for:
Related post: 10 Things I’m Doing to Pay Off My Mortgage Early (and the 1 Thing I Won’t Do)
Over the past 4 years, I’ve had a crib-sleeper, a co-sleeper, an in-his-own-room sleeper, an only-in-your-arms sleeper, and a next-to-my-bed sleeper…and that was just one child. Now I have a newborn, so the joy starts all over again…and this time with two to juggle. While I love co-sleeping, the fear that’s been instilled in me has led me on a search of all the possible co-sleeping alternatives. And luckily, there are quite a few (looks like I’m not the only one trying to make things work).
So if you’re wondering what your options are if your baby or toddler wants to co-sleep, but you (or your spouse) really aren’t into it, I’ve got you covered! Here are some of your other options:
Related post: 12 Ways to Make Co-Sleeping Safer
It is so easy to push off making long-term investments. This is especially true if you feel like you don’t have what you need right now.
The irony in this is that you will likely always feel like you don’t have enough…and if you keep pushing off essential long-term investments, a time will come when you actually don’t have enough.
This is because we’re all wired to think a certain way about money and that rarely changes. You’re either content or you’re not. You save, or you don’t. You feel like you have enough…or you feel like you don’t.
So, in many cases, you just need to force yourself to make the investments. Luckily, that is really easy now-a-days because you can set up an automatic investment plan that will pull money straight from your checking account or even your paycheck. All you really need to do is set up the account. The rest will happen behind the scenes and you can completely forget about it. Then, when you need it most, it will be there.
So what are the critical long-term investments you should start making now? Here they are:
I will never forget my pediatrician’s fateful do-or-die advice at my son’s 9 month check-up. I had asked about co-sleeping, breastfeeding, babysitting, crying-it-out, napping, feeding solids, sun exposure, eye contact, bathing vs. showering, first words, crawling, walking, teething, socks or no socks, and over-mothering. He said: “Whatever you decide to do is fine. Just don’t ever let him watch TV.”
What?? I just nodded my head. I had gone in worried that he’d think I was crazy and walked out thinking he was crazy. Of all the controversial concerns we have about toddlers, TV was the last thing I was worried about – and to be honest, it still blows my mind that people worry about it so much.
For me, I’m actually glad that I let my son watch TV. In fact, I think we’re both better for it. So before you rip your hair out trying to avoid the inevitable, consider these reasons for giving into a little screen time:
For some reason, putting Easter baskets together for my kids is one of my favorite times of the year. There’s way less pressure than Christmas and spring is just about to come! This year we’ve got a 3-year old and a newborn, so it should be extra fun. While I’m sure my 3-year old would have been satisfied with a basket full of trains, I am bound and determined to make it well-rounded and still tons of fun (if you also have a train obsessed boy, you may just want to check out this post → What to Get for Your Thomas the Train-Obsessed Little Boy). So if you’re looking for Easter basket ideas for 3-year old boys, check some of these out!
I’m always on the hunt for the best documentaries to watch, so putting this list together was a no-brainer! There’s a ton out there these days, but some just can’t be beaten. Every documentary on this list is one that you’ve got to see for yourself!
They will change the way you look, think, act, and feel. These are definitely the best out there.
Happy watching!
With kids, every holiday is more exciting. But the first holiday? There’s few things better than that! Easter is definitely no exception. You’ve got the weather, the family time, and of course…the Easter Bunny! And somehow the planning and preparation is way less stressful than Christmas, so you can focus more on enjoying things. So if you’re still in need of Easter basket ideas for a newborn girl, hopefully this list will be helpful. Enjoy your baby girl’s first Easter!