Pregnancy Blog

When I mentioned that our stockpile has meant that I don’t need to go shopping, Mr. Credit Card pointed out an emergency fund provides peace of mind too. I hadn’t thought about our emergency fund much because it’s always there. In fact, so much of our finances are on autopilot that I hadn’t thought much about money in the midst of the medical-induced stress.

Not surprisingly, then, during the current medical crisis, money hasn’t been a source of stress - even though we’ve been spending significantly more on fast food and toys.

I haven’t seen anything on the actual medical costs yet. I expect them to be substantial, but I don’t have to worry about our ability to pay them. Because we’ve had good financial practices in place for years - namely, good health insurance, a flexible spending account with wiggle room, and a solid emergency fund - there should be more than enough money to pay the bills.

(Which isn’t to say that I’m not interested to get the explanation of benefits statement from our insurance company, because I’m very curious to see how much a three-day hospital stay can cost. Not to mention three trips to the ER and an ambulance ride!)

Previously: How much should you contribute to a Flexible Spending Account?

Go here to see the original:
Good Financial Practices = No Financial Stress During Stressful Times

I enjoyed writing last week’s posts with brief comments and thoughts, so I’m going to make it a regular feature as soon as I come up with a good name for it. Any suggestions?

Meanwhile, I want to offer a couple of updates:

Smitten Kitchen’s Lobster Rolls were very good. I used Trader Joe’s frozen langostino tails, and I think this dish would be amazing with real fresh lobster. But what really makes the dish sing is the buttered brioche, so definitely don’t try subbing the bread. (I used TJ’s brioche rolls, which the kids love toasted and buttered.)

I’d mentioned that there are some good deals this week at Walgreens, but you might want to hold off on your shopping until at least tomorrow. I Heart Wags is reporting that there will be a $5 off $25 coupon in a special circular starting Wednesday and good through Friday.

And speaking of Walgreens, there’s another photo deal this week. Get a free 8×10 photo collage with code , there’s two printable $25 gift card coupons for Rite Aid (pdf) that expire at the end of the month. For the first time since I can remember, this week’s Rite Aid circular didn’t have any transferred prescription coupons, and I needed a coupon to use at CVS. They take competitor’s pharmacy coupons, which means I haven’t paid anything out of pocket for my front of store deals in a long time! (Thanks to Money Saving Mom for the coupon link.)

Excerpted from:
Twitterish thoughts: I think I’m going to make this a regular feature

If you have young children, I hope you’re already acquainted with Baby Cheapskate – it was one of the first blogs I started reading, and I think it’s a must-subscribe blog for any parent with young kids. I’m actually a little sad that I – or my kids, rather – are outgrowing BC, because it’s been such a fabulous resource on all kinds of baby-related deals.

Angie has a super handy spreadsheet that every parent who buys diapers ought to memorize (or at least keep a copy of in their wallet) – it lists the target price of diapers by brand and size. Unless you’re using cloth diapers, this is vital information that will save you hundreds of dollars through your child’s first three years or so.

In addition to diaper deals, Angie keeps me up to date on the latest sales and bargains on baby and kid-related products. Right now, I’m keeping an eye on BC for car seat deals (I’m looking to buy a couple more Nautilus seats in the near future, and Angie tells me I might be able to find a good deal in September). You’ll also find updates on stroller markdowns, photo deals, and more.

After you check out Baby Cheapskate, head over to Freepeats.org, which is kind of like Freecycle but for baby and children’s products only. There’s a nominal membership fee of $1, but you’ll get it back after you post two offers. And residents of San Diego and Birmingham (AL) can join for free this week!

And if you’re a blogger, be sure to check out Angie’s other project, BlogCoach, for tips and info to help you maximize your blog.

Previously: Meet other blogs on my blogroll

More here:
Meet my Blogroll: Baby Cheapskate

I think every blogger struggles at some point over how much information to share. If a blog is public, anyone can read what’s published. And once it’s out there, you can’t take it back. Even if you un-publish something, it might be cached, or quoted, or at least indelibly etched in someone’s memory.

Since day one of this blog, I’ve tried to err on the side of caution, and not publish anything I might later regret. There are times when I’ve been unsuccessful, but for the most part, I think I’ve done a good job of protecting my family’s privacy. I particularly don’t want the day to come, five or ten or fifteen years from now, when one of my boys is furious with me for something I innocently revealed.

This is all a roundabout explanation of why I’ve been so mysterious about our medical crisis. I don’t want to go into details simply because I don’t want to compromise my children’s privacy - now or in the future. But I did want to explain why I’m not sharing details, since I know I’d be curious if it one of the bloggers I read every day was so oblique. And I sincerely appreciate all of the kind thoughts and prayers. They truly mean a lot!

View original here:
Deciding how much to share

Thanks to all the medical craziness around here, it’s been a while since I did a roundup. So here’s a super monster edition:

WFMW: Gifting with Free Samples @ Moneywise Moms - Gina made a lovely gift basket for a teacher out of free samples, which is just brilliant.

FabuLESS Freezer Cooking: Taco Rice Salad @ Fabulessly Frugal - I’m all for make-ahead recipes, so this recipe caught my eye.

CVS 101 (part 2) @ Centsible Savings - I consider myself a Drugstore Game veteran when it comes to CVS, but I must admit that I haven’t taken advantage of rain checks. After reading this post, I’m definitely going to try to remember to ask for one when something is out of stock.

Nasu no miso dengaku: Japanese slow-roasted eggplant with dengaku sauce @ Just Hungry - This is one of my favorite Japanese dishes, and now I know how to make it!

Tutorial: How to Make a Hamburger Birthday Cake @ Frugal Upstate - This cake looks amazing and would be perfect for a BBQ, birthday or otherwise.

I’ve Waited Long Enough. I Couldn’t Wait Any Longer @ Scribbit - Michelle’s raves about how easy it is to make bread are making me look forward to cooler weather, when I can turn the oven on without guilt.

My Brown Bag Lunch Experiment – Save Over $1,000 a Year @ Generation X Finance - If you’ve ever wondered just how much you can save by brown-bagging your lunch, Jeremy’s got the numerical proof.

Ask Unclutterer: Help for students with ADHD @ Unclutterer - This post sings the same tune that I’ve been singing latey: be an advocate for your child. And know that there are things you can do to make the school year easier and more enjoyable for everyone involved.

How I Lost Money by Trying to Save It @ One Money Dummy Getting Smarter - I suspect that many, if not most, of us bargain shoppers can relate to this story.

Giveaways to check out:
Babyhawk mei tai @ Organic Girl - Ends 9/15 (I had a Babyhawk when Tyler was born and I loved it! Read more about mei tais.)
Olivia DVD @ Brimful Curiosities - Ends 8/31
GX Racers prize pack @ “Deal”ectible Mommies - Ends 8/28

And the stockpile pic of the week is Coupon-Nut’s stockpile at A Full Cup.

Go here to read the rest:
Roundup: Monster edition