As you know, towards the end of August we were counting the minutes until our baby arrived. Thankfully, our little one, Dahlia, arrived on August 31, 2021. She is a beautiful, healthy baby girl and she has completely changed our world.

Meet Dahlia

Let us formally introduce you to Dahlia. She was born 7 lbs. 14 oz. at 8:54 p.m. on August 31. From the moment we met her, she amazed us both.

Of course, there have been plenty of ups and downs. Labor was not easy. I was technically in labor a little over 32 hours and in the hospital four days. Breastfeeding was extremely difficult and caused me a great deal of anxiety. We’ve had to address the cost of formula, find a formula that sits well with her, pacifier or no pacifier, swing or no swing, and the list of decisions and concerns goes on. But, from what I understand, that’s parenthood. We are just along for the ride!

Right now, she is a little over two months old and sleeps really well. Both of us are adjusting to our new lives as parents who work from home. Kids change your life in so many amazing ways. Of course, I went through the life-changing experience of giving birth, but we have also brought a life into this world who is so special to us both. Neither of us knew we could love anyone as much as we love our little girl. As we look to what’s next for us, she is at the center of every decision, every move we are making.

What This Means For Our Debt Free Journey

Preparing for Dahlia’s arrival was our main focus throughout 2021. We’ve been stocking up on things, saving money, and paying for medical care to get her here safely. All of our prep work paid off well. We have been prepared for just about everything that has been thrown our way since she arrived. As far as our debt freedom journey goes, it is still slow moving. However, our journey has a whole new meaning now.

Now, our debt-free journey is about providing a more financially stable environment for our child, something we both lacked growing up. It gives us a new sense of purpose and more urgency behind paying down and paying off our debts. At the beginning of the year, we will be shifting our focus to paying off large sums on our car loan. After that, we will focus the efforts on student loans and small debts. That is our plan for now. The sooner we are debt-free the sooner we are able to look at buying a home and building the life we picture for our family.

To me, this is the magic of the debt-free community. Everyone has their reasons behind their journey. Some people want to be financially free, others want to avoid hardship (because they’ve been there), and people like us want to build a positive, health environment for their families.

What is the reason you decided to pursue debt freedom? 

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• My Favorite Debt-Free Instagrammers
• How We Are Preparing For Our New Arrival
• Pre-Baby Debt Update

December is next week! How crazy is that? It seems like 2018 flew by and, while we’ve made a lot of progress this year, we are looking forward to a much better year in 2019 financially.

First, we have to push through the hustle-and-bustle of the holiday season. We have a lot of plans coming up that will likely require some strict budgeting on our parts. Both of us love giving gifts. This year, we will be finding ways to do that without spending much cash so we can continue focusing on our personal goals.

A Hiccup in Our Holiday Plans

Just a month ago we were optimistic about being able to spend some money on Christmas. My other half had a new job and we were slowly starting to dig ourselves out of debt. However, the new job didn’t pan out the way we’d hoped and he has found himself temporarily unemployed again.

He almost immediately landed another gig that starts the first week of December. So, we won’t be down and out for long, but it will hinder our ability to do everything we’d planned on for Christmas. This year the folks that live out of town won’t be receiving big packages. Family and friends that live closer will be receiving handmade gifts and personal moments instead of anything too costly.

Budgeting for Christmas

Normally we budget around $1,000 total for our families and friends for Christmas. This year, we are scaling that WAY down. Instead of sending and giving gifts, we are planning to make quite a few of our items.

First, our godchildren are coming over the second Saturday in December to bake and do crafts. This will serve as their Christmas gift (and they’ll get to leave with something cool that THEY made). The entire day will only cost us about $20.

For family and friends that are local, we are planning to make goodie boxes. You can grab cookie tins for $1 each at the Dollar Store this time of year. Then we are going to make everything else from scratch. When all is said and done, it should cost around $5 per person.

Folks that live further away will be receiving a Christmas photo and card. We have some cards leftover from last year that we will use and potentially buy a few extra if needed. The photos will be printed at mass and cost less than $10 total.

I also grabbed some yarn at Michael’s on Black Friday (10 skeins for $20). I plan to make some hats and scarves for family and friends both near and far.

At first, we were a bit stressed and bummed out when we started budgeting for Christmas. What we realized was that this will probably be one of the most fulfilling Christmas seasons of all. Not only will we be furthering our overall goal of being more financially secure, but we will also be able to hand make gifts that will be appreciated by our friends and families.

Readers, how are you handling budgeting for the holidays? Are you making any gifts?

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Our daughter is turning one next week and it has had me in a reflective mood. I’ve been thinking about how much has changed over the past year. We became parents and, every day since then, we’ve gotten to watch our little one grow. A lot has changed financially as well.

Last year, I wrote a blog post delving into the true cost of having a baby. IVF and fertility treatments set aside, it costs tens of thousands of dollars to deliver a baby. Then, you have to consider the costs of the first year. So, does my post from last year still hold true?

Labor & Delivery Cost

I updated the blog when we received the bill from labor and delivery. When all was said and done, my out-of-pocket cost wasn’t that much. My insurance covered most of the medications and procedures leading up to and during delivery. For many people, this is not the case and they wind up having a bill in their mailbox for $30K two months after giving birth.

Our Monthly Budget Changes

The biggest change for our family has been the increased monthly spending. Specifically, our food and home costs have increased. There is a monthly clothing budget that wasn’t there before because kids grow so fast. Other additions to the budget have included formula ($300/month), diapers ($70/month), wipes ($15/month), plus all the extra food that seems to be consumed in the house these days.

Not to mention, all three of us are home every day. So, the electric and gas bills are higher than they used to be. In truth, this has been the true cost of adding a child to our family. We’ve seen more monthly budget changes than anything else.

Thankfully, my husband and I are both working full-time and can meet the changes to our finances as they come. We’ve even had the cash to cover several emergencies more recently. Our dryer quit and we had to pay $390 for a new one to be installed. We had to pay landscapers to take care of a bush on our property ($250). No worries, our EF saved us! (Focusing on saving during pregnancy and since the birth of our daughter was definitely the right move for us.)

Being ‘Prepared’ For Children

My mom always told me that if I waited “until I was ready” to have children that I’d never have any. That’s the truth! If you want to have children, it is a good idea to make sure you have a relatively stable financial life. However, don’t think you have to have surpluses and everything perfectly in place before starting your family. Because, in all honesty, things will never be 100% perfect. You’ll have to adjust to your new baby’s needs and your own needs as well.

You can prepare and never actually be prepared for having kids.

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• Researching 529 Savings Plans and the Benefits
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If you have young kids, you understand that it can be challenging to find a job that meets your needs and the needs of your family. Fortunately, a growing number of careers are becoming remote. Here are some great remote jobs with flexible hours that are ideal for parents.

1. IT Support

More and more people are setting up a presence online. With this influx comes an increased risk of cyber-attacks and therefore the need for IT experts who can help individuals and businesses stay safe from the risks that come with being online. Even with the danger aside, most people are not particularly good at working online and so they may need assistance from time to time. This means that if you are competent or interested in IT, you may find an amazing remote job if you take some training or leverage any that you may already have to begin with. The gaming industry, which is the industry that is the second most targeted for Layer 7 DDoS attacks, may especially need IT to support so this is one of the places you could start looking for an opportunity.

2. Social Media Specialist

As different businesses strive for a market share on the digital space, they are starting to see the weight that social media has and the benefits that they can get from it. This means that there are many opportunities for social media specialists who are needed to handle the social media presence of these different businesses. If you are passionate about helping a business grow and you know a thing or two about trends and strategies, you may find a place in the world of social media management.

3. Customer Service Representative

This is another great opportunity for parents who want to work while taking care of their children. It entails handling a business’s customers and responding to their complaints or guiding them to a solution in a way that maintains a good reputation for the business in question. To serve in this capacity, therefore, you must have great communication and be willing to learn about the business you will be assisting. This could entail, for example, having information about a dedicated server if you will work for a company in the computer and IT industry.

4. Online Tutor

For parents who have extensive knowledge in a particular field and a willingness to help others learn, becoming an online tutor is a potential job. Simply organize lessons into tangible parts and come up with an outline for coursework. You can then sell this material as a tutorial or offer online classes in real time that cater to people from anywhere in the world. This is especially important to think about when you consider the pandemic that rocked the world in 2020 and whose effects are still being felt. At the end of it all, you will have helped people improve and enjoy the gratification of getting paid for a job well done.

5. Writer

Finally, if you have a way with words and would like to get paid for them, think about becoming a writer. There are different ways in which you can make a living writing. These include looking for clients who want content for their online spaces, working for pay from companies that offer writing gigs, and creating a blog to offer information to the public. For the last, you could pair the blog with a service or product for sale and also sell advertising space to businesses and individuals willing to buy it.

Consider these five remote job opportunities that you could look into and keep in mind that while you may have to start at the bottom, growth is possible. Soon enough, you could make your remote job a full-time opportunity and never have to work a job to which you have to commute to again.

According to Houzz, two in every five homeowners admitted to using their bathroom to relax. You shouldn’t have to go to your guest bathroom to find a quiet place in your home. If you’ve been thinking of transforming your backyard into your own private oasis for your family, but you’ve been worried you couldn’t afford it, no worries! Here are a few ways you can transform your landscaping and boost your curb appeal all on a budget.

Raise Your Flower Bed

One great way to improve curb appeal on your family home is with flowers. Flowers add beauty and fragrance. However, raising the flower bed can give you these benefits while also creating some more contrast between the parts of your yard. As you plan to raise your flower bed, consider the different materials you could use. If you need to go with the cheapest option, that’s alright. But if you can spend just a little bit more money, consider going with solid wood. Solid wood is more environmentally friendly and sustainable than other popular landscaping materials. It also makes the flower beds more attractive.

Plant a Functional Garden

Your garden can serve both an aesthetic and practical purpose. Consider a vegetable garden that will feed your family. Plant things like herbs, fruits, and vegetables in your yard. They’re often very beautiful, with foliage and flowers that are perfect for decorating. Then, once the edible parts are ripe, you’ll also be able to provide fresh, healthy food. If you’ve never gardened before, start simple and try a few plants that you know you like. Then experiment each year as you build your garden. It will add color and personality to your yard, boosting your curb appeal.

DIY a Walkway

Having a walkway from the sidewalk to your door is a simple way to improve your curb appeal. However, getting it done by a professional can be expensive. Look into DIY options to set it up yourself. Using paving stones can create a whimsical, yet useful walkway without having to spend hundreds of dollars on supplies. If you keep it simple, you can get very good results this way. It will not only serve a practical purpose, but it will also add some uniqueness and contrast to your yard.

Add Lighting

Landscape lighting is beautiful, adding a warm glow to the yard in the evening and at night. While there are expensive options available, you can also get great results cheaply. Use solar pegs to illuminate your walkway. These are often inexpensive and can also serve a practical purpose by guiding visitors toward the safe ways to your front door. Look into string lights, as well. With the right lighting, you can make your yard look cozy, exciting, or both at the same time!

Hang Window Boxes

By hanging window boxes and filling them with flowers, you can improve the appearance of your home’s exterior without spending a lot of money. Flowers add a splash of color to the front of your house, making it look cheerful to anybody passing by. You can do a number of different things with your flower boxes. Plant identical flowers in each one to keep a neat theme going. Or plant various flowers together to get a rainbow of colors in your home.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to improve your home’s curb appeal. With a few cheap purchases and some extra work on your part, you can have a home and yard that look expensive and comfortable. This can help if you’re planning to sell your house, but it can also just make it a more enjoyable place to live.