When our cousin went home last month after her 3-month visit, I thought I’d be able to spend more time working on this blog and post more often, but I guess plans are made to be broken. If it’s not one thing, it’s another - all three of our dogs catching cold, changing webhosting plans and 2 out of 3 of our websites breaking, which I’m still working on, etc. But anyways, c’est la vie. So on with the roundup.

PF Bloggers Network

• I really enjoyed Ashley’s Living Like Kings at Wide Open Wallet. Nothing like a little perspective to keep our attitudes in check.
• JB from Get Rich or Die Trying shares their child’s allowance system
• Kristy from Master Your Card warns that Card Issuers May Know You Better than You Think
• Living Almost Large gives us 7 Ways to Stay Poor
• Kevin at No Debt Plan shares a great guide on Protecting Yourself: 5 Easy Steps to a Complete Home Inventory

Elsewhere in the Personal Finance Blogosphere

(more…)

When brought Sophie home, we gave her a baby-wipe bath (she couldn’t have a real bath as she had recently been spayed) because she was so dirty from being at the animal shelter. As soon as we finished cleaning her up, she began sneezing. A couple of days later, after being licked about the mouth and face by Sophie, Wolfgang started showing symptoms of illness - low energy and clingy (our dogs tend to stick close to us and lean their heads on our shoulders or legs when they’re not feeling well), and a day after that he got a fever and stuffy nose.

In all the years we’ve had dogs and cats, we have never had one catch a cold before (we had a horse that did). We did some searching on the internet about dogs getting colds. Many people are of the opinion that dogs don’t get colds like humans do, but it turns out they do, and small dogs especially are prone to cold and easily fall ill and sometimes die from it.

Madoline made a sweatshirt for Sophie to help keep her warm and we kept her in her crate to keep from getting Ludwig sick, too. Her cold didn’t seem too bad; she slept a lot, sometimes sneezed, but didn’t seem to have congestion problems. Wolfgang, however, couldn’t sleep the night his nasal congestion began because he couldn’t breath through his nose. When awake, he panted through his mouth. Every time he put his head down to try to sleep, he couldn’t breathe again. Madoline stayed up with him all night, and first thing the next morning we took them to the vet.

(more…)

While browsing the WiseBread Forums today, I came across an interesting thread in which a member asks: Is “Simple Living” Just Another Term for “Giving Up”?

Several members responded with various opinions:

• There is a difference between simple living and forced poverty.
• Not everyone enjoys the rat race.
• It’s a choice.
• It’s a form of retirement.
• Some live the frugal life because they have no other choice.
• Frugal does not mean “easy,” but instead takes work and ambition.
• It’s the means to an end.

I thought I’d add my own opinion to this and go more into why we live the way we do - sort of a continuation/elaboration on Our Family Financial History which tells how we came to be where we are today. The answer to this question, as evidenced above, is different for everyone depending on your station in life - age, personal goals and lifestyle preferences.

For us, the last answer, “It’s the means to an end,” is closest to our view of “simple living” or “frugal living.” For me, simple living is not just another terms for “giving up.” I like to think of it as “saving up” and making it possible to “live it up” in future years.

Though, I think this has much to do with where we are agewise in our lives. Madoline and I are in our late twenties and we have many years ahead of us. But for someone at midlife, retirement or late-life, it would probably be different.

Our Reasons for Frugal Living are:

• To pay off our house as soon as possible
• To save up to attend graduate school
• To save up for a replacement car when the time comes
• To make sure we and our pets have enough (or more) to live on in later life
• To be able to live as comfortably and healthily as possible in later life
• To be able to help extended family who may need assistance
• To be able to travel and see the all the places we’ve been wanting to see
• To own a small farm on which to keep horses, sheep and dogs
• To be free of debt and worry
• To be able to have the things we want be they large or small
• To be able to pay our taxes - sad, but true

Frugal Living as a Choice

At this time in our lives, we cannot really afford to not live frugally. Our business is still in its development stages, and we are still considering other career paths. Because we prefer to avoid debt and our business is small, we have been using our cash to invest in sewing machines and materials for the business.

So for us, frugal or simple living is a choice because our present lifestyle is also a choice. At this time, we’d like to have a shot at making our business work because we prefer to work for ourselves and be able to work from home so we can be with our dogs who are our closest family. This is the reason we bought our house where the closest city is 40 miles away. We could move to a large city and get full-time jobs if we really wanted or needed to, but for now, we want to try to make our business work.

Frugal Living as a Means to an End

One of the ways in which we hope to make our fortunes is by investing. This also requires some capital other than regular savings and and emergency fund. So that is another reason we live frugally - to save as much money as possible to invest.

How about you? Do you live frugally? If yes, what are your reasons? And if no, why not?

(more…)

Some people—especially those related to us—will surely ask us why we chose to adopt this little orphan when we already had two dogs to care for and our income has suffered noticeably in the current economy. We had actually discussed frequently over the past three years the possibility of adopting a small dog as a model for our pet costuming business.


Border Collies have long been our preferred pets and while Ludwig and Wolfgang are great models, using such large dogs to test new patterns and designs wasted a lot of time and materials, especially if we had to correct the patterns and sew them more than once. But we were worried that adding a third dog would disrupt the equilibrium of our family, that there might be personality conflicts and jealousy. That’s not to mention the additional burden on our time and finances such a change would bring.

A few months ago, we put a link on our blog for Dogs in Danger, a website featuring shelter dogs who are due to be euthanized if they do not find a home very soon. We had hoped placing the link would result in some adoptions of needy dogs. Well . . . . good news! It worked! Although we didn’t end up with one of the dogs on this website (the suitable ones being too far away), looking at all the pictures and descriptions of poor homeless dogs made us finally decide to adopt. After all, an adoption would benefit all parties. It would provide a home and family for the dog while making our business more efficient and hopefully more lucrative.

Another reason for adopting at this time is that foreclosures are causing many owners to give up their pets. By taking a dog out of a shelter, we could make room for another, reducing the euthanasia statistics by one. When the digit 1 represents a life, it’s not such a small number after all.

We began searching online for dogs at local shelters who might be a clothes model, pet, and little sibling for Luwie and Wolfie. There were so many cute ones that we were actually tempted to take two . . . or even three. But finances being a consideration, we had to be practical and choose only one.

There was a dog at the Lancaster Animal Shelter who instantly caught our eye. She was listed as a chihuahua, though we think she is half Italian greyhound or whippet. The poor little dog had actually been recently adopted and returned with the complaint that she was too big for a chihuahua and was very nervous and unhappy to be back at the shelter. Not only was she physically perfect for the job, having a neutral color and clean outline, but she was (and is) incredibly sweet and submissive, and went limp like a ragdoll when picked up.

With a payment of just $38.00, this little girl became our Sophia (pronounced “so-FYE-uh” in the 18th century way), Sophie for short. And we are glad to announce that everything worked out happily. We are fond of Sophia, who is our first toy dog, and she seems quite satisfied with us. Wolfgang is delighted to have a new friend and Ludwig is beginning to get curious about her after raising his eyebrows (he really does) and saying “What’s this?” for 24 hours.

Sophia has started a new life as a little princess with a big wardrobe and has reached the happy ending of the doggy fairy tale which is a “forever home.” Of course, we couldn’t wait to dress her up and already made her two new outfits. Isn’t she lovely?

* * * * * * * * *

(more…)

Update: The Senate has postponed the hearing by a week to June 25, 2008.

Please sign the petition to oppose mandatory spay and neuter of all California pets
Senate hearing June 25, 2008

I apologize for this off-topic post. I don’t usually get my family, friends or acquaintances involved in politics or issues, however this is something that is very important to Madoline and me, and therefore we would like to ask for your help in defending our rights as pet owners.

Some legislators in the State of California are trying to pass a mandatory spay and neuter bill (AB 1634, deceivingly named the “Healthy Pets Act”) that would require every pet dog and cat to be sterilized. We are not against the practice of spaying and neutering in general. However, we feel that it is an indivdual, medical/veterinary decision that should be left to pet owners under advice of their personal veterinarians.

Just a few reasons to oppose AB 1634:

• It will not solve the overpopulation problem which is caused by irresponsible pet owners who already don’t bother with licensing,leashing and anti-roaming laws. These same irresponsible owners who are the cause of the problem are not going to bother with complying with yet another law.
• Studies have shown that sterilization, especially early sterilization which this law will require, is unhealthy for animals. Sterilized animals are at higher risk for:
  • Increased aggression
  • Abnormal and disproportionate bone growth (early spaying/neutering)
  • Increased susceptibility to infectious disease (early spaying/neutering)
  • Behavioral problems including fear, aggression, noise phobia, and undesirable sexual behaviors
  • Tripled risk of hypothyroidism
  • Increased risk of hemangiosarcoma (cardiac tumor)
  • Increased risk of bone cancer
  • Increased urinary ailments including calculi, urine scald, incontinence and obstruction
  • Doubled risk of urinary tract cancer
  • Doubled risk of diabetes
  • Increased risk of prostate cancer
  • Adverse reaction to vaccinations
  • Decreased activity and drive
  • Tripled risk of obesity which is already common problem associated with many health problems
  • Increased chance of “perpetual puppy syndrome” which causes undesirable urination
  • Inhibited social adjustment if neutered prior to complete cognitive development
  • Appreciable demeanor change due to hormone drop (similar to that of menopausal women)
  • Increased cognitive disorders
  • Increased and accelerated degenerative osetological disorders
  • Notable decrease in muscle mass
  • Increased/accelerated/progressive geriatric cognitive impairment
  • 2+ years shorter lifespan compared with unaltered littermates
  • Please click here for more information
• This law would encourage disreputable breeding and puppy mills.
• Please visit the Opposition to the CA Healthy Pet Act, AB 1634 site and Dog & Cat Owners Say No to AB 1634 petition for more reasons why AB 1634 is not the answer to the problem.

On a personal note, our dogs Ludwig and Wolfgang are our only close family. They are purebread, ABCA (American Border Collie Association) registered dogs with excellent working dog bloodlines. They are licensed, live indoors, are never left home alone and never run loose. We bought a house 2 1/2 years ago for the sole purpose of being able to have pets because it is difficult renting with pets. We’re just finally getting settled in to our home and now face the possibility of having to relocate again, an expense we can’t really afford at this time, because we do not want to give up our right to make our own decisions in regards to our dogs’ health.

Again, we are not against the general practice of spaying and neutering. It can be a beneficial procedure for some pets and owners. But this extreme, blanket law would only serve to punish pets and responsible pet owners who are already living in compliance with the law. We just want to retain the right to make our own decisions for our pets.

Please help by signing the petition asking the California Senate to oppose AB 1634. If you can find the time, writing letters or faxes to members of the California Senate would be of great assistance. Please visit the PetPac Action Center for contact information for California legislators and other ways you can help.

The Senate will be holding a hearing regarding this bill on June 25, 2008, so your prompt action will be greatly appreciated.

We thank you in advance for your help.

For the lucky few who have extra leisure time this summer, I thought I’d put together some suggestions for productive and fun activities that will help enhance your personal, academic and/or professional life. Some of these suggestions are addressed as if to young people (students, adolescents, etc.) but can also apply to grown-ups.

My suggestions are divided into the following subsections:

• Summer Hobbies - activities with lasting benefits and meaning
  
• Summer Studies - develop skills that will be useful in life
  
• Summer To-Do’s - a few ways to get your life or home in order
  
• Summer Fitness - ways to keep cool and stay fit
  
• Summer Pet Bonding - make your pet happy and you healthy

Summer Hobbies

Here are some ideas for catching up on tasks that may have been neglected during the year.

• Write in your journal
  Write about your past year, what’s on your mind, who and what you like and dislike, your daydreams, anything. In future years you will be glad you did it and also amused by your younger self. You think you will always remember what happened when, but as time goes by, memories do fade and become forgotten. (Trust me, I’m speaking from experience and I’m not yet 30 and have a memory better than most.)
• Make a family video
  Go around the house and take a video of your family going about its regular business. You will be glad for the memories one day.
• Scrapbook
  Organize family photos, report cards, birthday cards, artwork, concert programs and other keepsakes from the past year into a scrapbook.
• Reading
  Reading (even fun fiction) can help improve your mind, vocabulary, grammar and writing skills. If you go to the library, you can read in an air-conditioned environment without having to pay for the air-conditioning or the books.

Summer Studies

Yes, summer should be fun, but there’s no reason it can’t be both fun and productive.

• Learn a new language
  The benefits of learning languages are endless. Learning a new language can help you to:
  • Get ahead in your career
  • Make new friends from different parts of the world. When you show an interest in someone’s language or culture, they are often appreciative and take an interest in you in return.
  • Improve your English (or first language)
• Learn to play a musical instrument
  Music enhances the mind in many ways. Studies have shown that children who study music at an early age do better in school than those who don’t. Aside from that, it is also just plain fun.
• Learn to sew
  Sewing is a very useful skill to have regardless of your gender. You can learn to mend clothes, make your own clothes and other things for your house, which can save you a lot of money. Older and more skilled children can even make their own clothes for the coming school year. Check out one of our earlier articles for more info: Save Money by Sewing Your Own Clothes.
• Take a computer class
  Learn to type properly, use a spreadsheet or database, design websites, make presentations, etc. Most jobs these days involve computer use, so knowing as much as you can about computers might help you get a higher salary.

Summer To-Do’s

A few suggestions for improving life at home and getting ahead on the coming year.

• Get a head start on your Christmas shopping
  This could save you time and money because you can shop at your leisure and take advantage of summer sales. Leaving your shopping to the last minute usually costs more because you are up against a deadline and usually have fewer options.
• Sort through your stuff
  Go through your clothes and things and prune out those you no longer want or need. You could donate the things you no longer need or hold a garage or yard sale and make some money to put into your college or retirement savings.
• Re-arrange your room or home
  Re-arranging your room or home can have a positive impact on your life. A change can be uplifting and produce an overall feeling of well-being and accomplishment, renew your energy and increase productivity.
• Clean out your computer
  Ideally you would do this several times a year, but if you use the internet and download a lot of things, it’s a good idea to clean out your computer on a regular basis. If there are programs you don’t use, uninstall them. If there are files that you no longer need, delete them. Clean your registry if you’ve had the computer for a while. Keeping your hard drive from getting too full will extend its life.

(more…)