Top Two Tuesday {Money}

Whoa, I feel like I am on a blogging roll today! My followers probably know I don't always participate in T2T — because I never want to blog just for the sake of blogging — but I love this week's topic!

Top Two Things I've Learned About Money

{1} Just because you have it doesn't mean you have to spend it. 
My parents taught me this at a young age, always making me put any Christmas and birthday money in a savings account and save at least half of my paychecks from my part-time job when I was in high school. Although it may have stunk at the time, I was SO GLAD to have those savings to fall back on while I was in college. While I didn't make the greatest money decisions right after I graduated and had a full-time job (basically quadrupling my income, and I don't make much!) I feel I have gotten back on the path. I grow a garden during the summer and preserve as much as possible, I shop sales and use coupons. It's nice to see how far I can make $50 stretch — and also to have that money to save or purchase other necessities. 
And on the same note, just because you are approved for it, you don't have to borrow it. I've seen too many people get trapped by credit cards and end up filing for bankruptcy! J and I do have two loans outside of the house and his truck, BUT they are both 0% interest for a set period of time, and we make larger payments so we can get it paid off without accruing any interest. This works out really well for us :)


{2} It's OK to splurge every now and then. 
Did you just do a double take? Ha! Yes, even though I am Miss Frugal, I've learned that you can't pinch your pennies all the time. Every now and then, it's OK to go out and spend 50 bucks on a nice dinner date just for some time out. It's OK for me to get highlights in my hair a few times a year, if that's what makes me happy. It's alright to have a night out with the girls. A couple years ago when we got serious about buying a house, J and I didn't have  much savings built up, and that kinda freaked me out. Although we qualified for a 100 percent loan and closing costs, I was apprehensive about borrowing that much and having little to no equity, and no nest egg. So we saved BIG TIME for about five months while we house hunted. During that time, we basically quit going out and didn't buy anything for ourselves. While I think that's a good thing to do for short periods, I noticed that we definitely splurged once we were off of our savings kick. Like right now, we're really starting to focus on saving up for our wedding. But that doesn't mean we stress over spending money on other things we want, we just do it in moderation. 

What I've Learned ... about friendship

I haven't participated in Top Two Tuesday for awhile, but this week's topic really struck a chord with me. I never like to participate in these things if I don't feel I have anything real to share/contribute, but a lot of things about friendship have come to the front burner over the past week, so ... 

Top Two Things I've Learned About Friendship

{1} The BEST friends are the ones who tell you directly what they think of your decisions, etc., and don't go around talking behind your back. Maybe I'm just different, but I'd always prefer someone straight up say "I don't think that's a good idea" or "I don't agree with you" than tell someone else that. Because it always gets back. Always. And I, too, try to be extremely honest. My friends all know that while it may hurt, I'm the one who will be blunt with them and not sugar-coat everything. Tough love :)

{2} You don't have to talk/text/email every day to be friends. This is the biggest thing I've learned! During college, some friends and I drifted apart. But once we lived close to each other again, we picked right back up where we'd left off four to five years earlier! We can go a month or longer without talking on the phone, but it's still good! I'm there for them, and they know I'm still there too. I'm not saying it's bad to have contact every day, but I also don't think it's necessary to be great friends.

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

Top Two Tuesday

I've been thinking a lot about what I want to accomplish in 2011 lately, so this TTT comes at the perfect time!

{1} To be a better me. This means being healthier (food choices and working out), more positive, nicer (quit that talking behind others' backs!) and anything that makes me someone I would admire, respect and look up to. I really need to work on not getting caught up on what others think of me, and learning that, when they may not treat me as well as I think they should, to turn the other cheek and walk away instead of talking back. I also need to learn how to better let go - and, in some instances, just cut people out of my life!

{2} Be better at handling money. Sometimes, I feel like I'm great three weeks out of the month, then splurge the last week. I think I do a good job of saving, but I really need to figure out how to budget gifts and some splurge funds for myself into the budget. In terms of our budget as a couple, I want to see if there is any fat to be trimmed. Also, we aim to have our lawn mower paid off during the free interest period (by March - yikes!) and also have the shed we recently purchased paid off during its free interest period, which ends in November. Actually, I'd love to just have them both paid off as soon as we have the money!

I can't wait to read everyone else's lists! I think seeing what others plan to do really makes me examine my own life and question whether there is room for improvement. 

Top Two Tuesday

I've never participated in TTT before, but I've seen a lot of my bloggie friends do so and figured why not! Plus, I love today's theme :)


*Favorite Christmas memories*


{1} This is a favorite story in my family. When I was a kid my grandma put whiskey on my gums when I was teething. (Yes, I grew up in the sticks.) Well, I loved the taste so much that it became customary that I ran to the whiskey cabinet EVERY time we went to her house for a little taste. I guess I went a little overboard because one year when we were at Church, Santa stopped in and stole the whiskey. Bad Santa. That was the end of my whiskey days - for awhile at least. (Please don't judge me, my parents or grandma for this!)


{2} Last Christmas! It was mine and J's first Christmas in our new house and we were just so grateful to have a home of our own and start having real holiday traditions! We are fortunate to usually spend Christmas with just the two of us, so we get to sleep in, have breakfast, then open and play with our gifts. We also had J's family over to celebrate the day after last year, and we look forward to continuing that tradition as well!