Decision Making and A Decision Made

A few weeks ago, I think (I can't keep track these days!), I found out about a job opening that I wasn't looking for.  A few months back I found out that the job existed, but someone had it.  Daphne has had this position for somewhere around 14 years.  But I love the sound of her job and told Scott it might be something I could do someday.  And then Daphne called me while I was shopping at Target and asked me if I knew she was retiring.  I did know that, but I have a few unpaid jobs already and hadn't considered applying for her job. 

But she called me.  She wanted me to know that my degree and personality would be ideal for this position, her position.  I told her I'd think about it, seriously, and went back to shopping.

Money Unit Review

This week we talked about money in homeschool.  The kids really enjoyed it.  It was an interesting unit, actually. 

We got a book from the library, The History of Money (Barbara A. Somervill), that was great for kids.  There were a lot of pictures and it didn't go too far into anything, but gave a very nice overview from bartering to the Euro. 

We also spent a good deal of time on a website that Mary (my little sister and member of our Gebel Family Homeschool Directors Board) suggested to me.  Planet Orange was succinct, informational, and fun!  We learned about budgeting, saving, and investing. 

Between the book and the web site we learned several new words to add to our growing dictionary (like mint, inflation, and interest).  We also talked about the ways we get, spend, save, and give money.  Our week also included a few activities.  We brainstormed names for money or words having to do with it.  I think moolah is their new favorite!  And Jace kept track of how much we were spending at the grocery store this week.  He was only $17 off at the end.  I didn't think that was bad, but he wants to do it again next week and see if he can do even better! 

All in all, it was a great week.  We changed out schedule because Scott's schedule was different, but I think they did really well with it.  I'm not sure if that's a result of it being something new, being on their best behavior so that Dada could sleep, or if they work better in the afternoon than the morning.  But we're going to keep working with it and see what happens!

How was your homeschooling this week?

Help Wanted!

A few weeks ago I read a post on Finances: Your Way that got me thinking about the kids and money.  I've thought about this subject before but after this article I actually did more than think!  I asked questions of friends and family.  Scott and I discussed it.  I read some other takes, like this one with ideas from Dave Ramsey.  What I was looking for was a way for the kids to understand and respect money.  Here's what we settled on...

This is our "Help Wanted" sign.  It's on the door to our classroom/playroom/office/guest bedroom.  The kids go through that door several times a day, so they can see if money making opportunities are added.  I also let them know, once, if I add something.  Gracie can't read everything yet, so this way I'm sure that she knows what she can do. 

Recycling stays on there all the time.  Our recycling collects in the kitchen and at least once a day there's an arm load that needs to get taken downstairs to just outside the garage doors and get put into the bin.  If one of the kids does this task without being asked they make five whole cents!  Other things get added and after a day or two, if they haven't gotten done, then I do them and erase them.  Or the kids are asked to do them and not get paid.  Either way, you only make money off the help wanted poster if you complete a task without prompting. 

There are several chores that don't earn money.  Setting the table, helping to prepare and/or serve food, cleaning up afterward are all part of life, along with cleaning up toys and other little things I'm sure I'm forgetting. 

The kids keep a tally of how much they've made on the right hand side of dry erase poster.  When their earnings reach a dollar I give them one.  Gracie has earned her first dollar and is on the way towards her second.  Jace is moving a little slower, but that's OK.  They're both helping out more and getting a few cents for their work. 

I've also decided that their money is theirs to do what they want with, for now.  They see me give to charity, both in money and in material donations.  They see me spend.  And they hear about saving money for things we want in the future.  So, I feel pretty good about this step in teaching them more about money and being responsible with it. 

What do you do with your children to help them learn about money? 

A Few Things...

This is going to be a quickie, but I feel like I've accomplished a lot today and wanted to share. So, here goes...

Even though I've left the house every day this week for one thing or another, including grocery shopping, I needed to go again this morning for three items. I was irritated before we walked about the door and figured that what should be a 15 minute trip was going to turn into much more. It didn't! Twenty minutes round trip. I feel good about that. And now I shouldn't have to run to the store until Tuesday, which I believe is going to be my new grocery shopping day.

I unpacked the last of the boxes. There are two boxes of mementos and one of wine glasses that I left packed and stuck on a shelf. There's only so much horizontal space for things!

Yesterday we bought a new-to-us dining room table and chairs and moved the old one to the classroom. Things are looking really good down stairs and up. I really like our new set. Yes, I'll take some pictures soon.

The moving people came and picked up our boxes of paper and the pile of broken down ones and took them away. They seriously took up at least 1/4 of the garage. Scott's gonna be excited!

Tyler took a 4 hour nap. He asked for it at 9:30 this morning! Who am I to say no...and apparently he needed it!

All three kids are playing contentedly downstairs. I know I just mentioned that it's looking good down there. Hopefully that will still be the case when they're done playing!

I balanced both check books. Well, technically I gave up on the one account and drew a few lines and started over at the balance as of the last statement. This particular account, with USAA, is where Scott's checks get deposited and the one we pay all our bills from. Everything else happens in our Focus Bank account. Scott used the USAA account when he was in Connecticut and I obviously didn't keep up with his spending or the random deposits of travel money. On top of that, I haven't balanced it in four months...so I figured it was easiest to count our blessings for not overdrawing and start fresh!

Now, why do we have two checking accounts? Because Focus Bank has a high interest checking account. As long as we have less than $20,000 in the account (they want you to invest it someplace if you have more), check our account online at least once a month, and use the debit card associated with the account at least ten times a month, we get 4.5% interest. Not bad, huh? Go ahead, check 'em out! And, by the way, that account balanced! Woo hoo!

So, I think that's what I've done, along with shower, cuddle, make and eat breakfast and lunch, nibble on some nuts, have a glass of lemonade, take out the recycling and do three loads of laundry. I know...you're disappointed that I haven't folded that laundry yet. I'll go do it now...