Feet To the Fire- November

By Molly

Dec12011

With November behind us we’ve just wrapped up our 3rd month with ‘Mike and Molly’s House’.  That leaves us 3 more months to build the blog full time.  We do want to make some income from the blog so we are using this time to focus on building it up as fast as possible.  Come March we will need to bring in other income to cover our expenses so we don’t need to dip into our savings.  One thing that keeps us focused on our goal of creating income from our blog is to report on our goals.

Molly:  I’m well aware making a living as a blogger is a bit of a pipe dream.  It’s tough and only the very few make it.  But…I want to be one of them!!!!  I love writing, researching and coming up with projects for this blog.  I don’t want to have it as a side job I want it as the job!  I also can’t help feeling like I’ve been here before.  Trying to make it big as a dance choreographer and than later trying our hand in building spec houses.  Why can’t we pick something where we actually have a chance at making a living? (whine…)

Mike:  Hon, I think you’re feeling the stress because we’re at the half way point and we really feel the clock ticking.  On the other hand it does feel like we’ve been here before.  » » »

Money, Expenses and a Corrupted File

By Molly

Nov202011

On Molly On Money I would occasionally update my readers on our spending.  We track our expenses in Quicken and post updates on our whiteboard in the kitchen.  I like sharing the information.  I feel it keeps our spending in the foreground rather than letting it slide into the background.  I mean come on, where your money goes tells a story about you.  It’s interesting!

So…have you noticed we have no updates here?  Well, we don’t because I haven’t tracked our spending since the beginning of June. (Hello guilt and shame come sit down next to me on the couch.  How have we been?) It’s not because I haven’t wanted to it’s because I’ve become dependent on a piece of software called Quicken. » » »

Feet to the Fire- October

By Molly

Oct312011

We’ve just finished our second month at Mike and Molly’s House- WHOOT! WHOOT!  We’re starting to get our blog groove on and are enjoying it even more than we expected. Writing articles for the blog has become a motivator for us to go out into the world, discover new things and tell you all about it.

Molly:  We both tend to be homebodies.  Because we want to explore Santa Fe with new eyes it’s been a really cool experience to go out and document what’s out there.  We’ve met more new people in the last few months than our entire history in Santa Fe!

Mike: It seems like everywhere we turn there’s a new post waiting to happen.

Molly:  And to think we were worried about having enough content!  The challenge has become to find enough time to write a post.  I’m not complaining- we want to include everything; an interesting story, quality photos and let’s just throw in a video while we’re at it! » » »

My Sewing Machine is a Wormhole into Another Dimension

By Mike

Sep272011

Today we are participating in First Gen American’s Coffee Talk writer’s challenge.  The challenge today is to use a household item as a metaphor in a blog post that teaches a life or personal finance lesson.  Note that this is a post from Molly’s perspective but written by Mike.

Molly's fabrics swatches

When I (Molly) start a project it typically begins with this thought:  “I’m going to save so much money by making this- new set of curtains, seasonally appropriate bedspread, little black dress… rather than buying it at the store.”  Picture me receiving a gold start for my thrifty ways.

I start out with the best intentions. » » »

It’s Really Very Simple…Really

By Molly

Sep252011

Spending within your means is really very simple (and yet so dang hard to do.)  There is nothing complicated about getting and keeping your financial house in order.  It’s straightforward, simple and doesn’t contain a convoluted formula.

Spend less than you take in!

Yep, that’s it, people!

I’m done with this post!

Mike:  No you’re not…

Dang! » » »

Remembering to Love What I Already Have

By Celebrity Guest

Sep182011

Today we have a guest post.  Cynthia is not only a fellow blogger but a neighbor and a friend.  If you haven’t already, check out her fabulous blog called Growing My Girls.  Today’s post explores the emotional side of spending, consuming and finding value in ‘things’.  It’s something Molly is always turning over and rethinking- What are the emotional triggers that push us to consume? 

When school started, I gave myself a never-before luxurious treat: uninterrupted immersion in my closet.

I did it before attacking the girls’ rooms, before touching the piles of laundry or the filthy floors, before looking at my desk, creating menus, or organizing carpools. Just me and my closet.

» » »

You Know You’re Frugal When…

By Molly

Sep162011

hand-me-down clothes

1.  You find it fun to not buy clothes (I thank god for my girlfriends’ hand-me-downs-Molly).

2.  You walk through Target to stretch your legs rather than to actually buy anything. » » »

I Got Laid Off…Dammit!

By Molly

Sep142011

Molly:  Mike, don’t you think it’s kind of weird I’m dragging my feet on writing today’s post?

Mike: Try,  I…was…laid…off…last…Friday.

Molly:  Yeah and thank you to my local lady friends who promptly took me out and got me sloshed 🙂

 

Not Mike, me, Molly.  Mike was laid off last March.  This time it was me, the breadwinner!

Holy Shipmates, man….(deep sigh)

It’s not as if I didn’t see it coming!  Without divulging too much, I expected it, just not this soon.

» » »

Breadwinner Relay

By Molly

Sep32011

Mike and I have switched or shared the role of breadwinner so many times we can barely keep up.  Right now I’m bringing home the bacon.  Last year at this time he was.  The year before we both were (yep, we had about the same salary).  We’ve both tried self-employment before and with each other with mixed results. While neither one of us particularly enjoys it, for the past six years at least one of us has been ‘out in the workforce’  in order to support the family.   We both agree that having one person staying at home works for our household.  Anyone who has/had kids knows the challenges of conflicting work and kid schedules.

Mike was laid off this past March so he has been playing the stay at home role. » » »