Tag Budget

7 Fabulous Moving Tips from a Dr. Wife!

llmckenzi 1 Comment
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Our medical school journey has come to an end, yay! I am so proud of my husband for this amazing accomplishment and I’m excited for our next adventure… Residency! Wish us luck! This new adventure will be relocating us from South Carolina to Florida! We can’t wait to see what the sunshine state has in store for us for the next four years!
We are so proud and excited for new changes however, as many of my fellow Dr. wives can agree, we do not look forward to moving! Most of the move falls on our plate as well as all of the stress! This move has taught me a lot along the way which I have translated to some pretty awesome moving tips to share with you.
Moving Tip 1: Start packing the moment you find out you are moving! Seriously, the day after Match Day I started packing up closets and holiday decorations. Pack all non essential items. This with help you immensely when it’s go time!
Moving Tip 2: Use colored duct tape to organize your moving system. I know this may sound crazy or like too much work but trust me, it will help you when you are unpacking a sea of boxes trying to find essential items. I used three different colors: pink, green and blue.  I placed just a small 2×2 piece of duct tape in each corner of each box. The pink was for boxes that needed to be opened immediately. Things like medicine, sheets and food. The green was for boxes that needed to be opened semi urgently. Things like toys, lamps, pots and pans. Lastly the blue was for non urgent things. These boxes are still in our garage! Haha, I have all summer to organize those boxes. They contain things like holiday decorations, coats and winter clothes (we won’t need those in the summer heat of Florida!). For fragile items I recommend putting a larger piece of duct tape across the top of the box to help remind the movers to be careful with it. When that doesn’t work… I just write death threats on those boxes, just kidding (I’m really not!).
Moving Tip 3: Mark each box with the name of the room that it will be unpacked in your new house. Our last move we did the opposite and wrote the name of the room it was packed in and it caused so much confusion since our house had doubled in size.
Moving Tip 4: Wash essential items ahead of time and place them in bags instead of boxes. A few days prior to our move I washed all the new sheets for our beds and placed them in non-scented trash bags and plastic airtight bins. You can also toss in a dryer sheet to keep them smelling extra fresh! These were the first bins to be unloaded and once beds were built at the new house fresh linens went on them! Also, you can do the same with silverwear. Wash and dry ahead of time then place them in ziplock bags before placing into boxes. Use all non-essential linens such as moving blankets to wrap fragile items in. We used old towels, sheets, blankets & pillows instead of buying bubble wrap.
Moving Tip 5: Find your moving tribe! A few posts back I wrote about how important it is in Medical School to find your tribe (your support team). Now is the time to call upon that tribe and beg them to help you pack, move and unpack! Feel free to pay them how you please. In our case, it was lots of pizza and beer!
Moving Tip 6: Create a budget.. then double it!  Moving is so expensive and it’s better to be over-prepared than under… like us! This past move killed our budget, because we ended up having to rent two moving trucks for all our stuff. I don’t know why we do this to ourselves but moving always starts off with a good budget them explodes in your face on moving day! The upside is if you end up under budget then you will now have a nice nest egg to buy some new things for your new house. Which brings me to my final tip…
Moving Tip 7: Expect the unexpected! Moving is so stressful. Every time we have moved something has gone wrong. The upside is we will be extra cautious with future moves. In the mean time, take a deep breath and just live day by day. I promise everything will eventually get unpacked and all will be well again.
When all else fails, there is always next time. Of course, we will be hiring a full service to move for us while my family and I will take a long vacation to Hawaii!
Happy Movin’

Shopping on a Med Student budget!

llmckenzi 1 Comment

I am a stay at home mom (SAHM) so I am always looking for ways to save money for my family. Our medical school budget is split into three parts: Bills, Gas, and Food/ Necessities. Unfortunately we have paid off all the bills that we can and cannot cut our bill budget anymore (well unless we win the lottery… but that is just wishful thinking!) As for gas the only way to cut our budget is to not drive anywhere… and I don’t think my husband would be a fan of running to work and school. That leaves me having to get creative with our food and necessities budget. My husband and three kids love their groceries and they sure know how to clean out our cupboards. My journey as a SAHM and med student wife continues to be a challenge for me but here are a few helpful tips I have found along the way…

Shopping Tip 1: Always make a list!

Making out a shopping list that only includes the items you need, will help you stay on budget. I do allow myself one treat each week that is not on the list since I usually find something on sale that would make my week go from ordinary to extraordinary! Note: I only allow an extra treat when I have wiggle room in my budget. Every once in awhile I forget to get something on my list (this happens more frequently when I bring the kids with me shopping.) If I don’t have time to run to the store, I will ask my wonderful med student husband to pick it up for me. However you should know that my husband is notorious for going to the store and coming home with bags and bags of snacks, treats, and too much food! The best part is not only did he go over budget but sometimes he even forgets to pick up what I asked him to grab for me (Haha, this is one of the joys of marriage!) I also find when I bring the whole family shopping I tend to go over budget because everyone likes to put individual treats in the cart. Always make a list and stick to it! Another helpful tip for grocery shopping is make a weekly menu! A few years ago I started making a weekly menu to save time and money at the grocery store. I bought a small whiteboard and some dry erase markers and each week I make out our menu. It took awhile for my family to get on board with this new plan, since my family likes to eat how they feel. Over time this little tip has saved us money (which is AMAZING!!!) but at first it may be hard sticking to the menu. Trust me, as long as you stick to it you will see a difference in your budget! A bonus tip is to plan your menu around what is on sale at your local grocery store that week.

Shopping Tip 2: Bring your own reusable bags!

Not only is this tip better for our environment but it also pays to help save the earth (literally!) Many stores offer incentives and will pay you to bring your own bag. Usually it is only a few cents but over time that adds up! So do your part and bring your own bag! My favorite bags are the Target bags because they only cost you a dollar, they are sturdy and hold up to my heavy grocery items and Target gives me 5 cents for every bag I bring with me! Score!

Shopping Tip 3: Buy yourself a small calculator or use your phone app!

When I first began this journey of living on a budget, I often found that when I took a running tally of my groceries I was always off. I went to the Dollar Store and bought myself a small calculator to bring with me everywhere.  You can also use the calculator app on your phone but I find it easier to do it the old fashion way! Trust me, your calculator will become your best friend when you are trying to stick to a budget. Every once in awhile I will get strange looks in the store since I have my calculator in one hand and my list in the other, all while pushing the carriage and grabbing all the items on my list. The best part about using a calculator while you shop is that you will know if you are over or under budget before you get to the checkout counter. It also gets you familiar with the prices of products so when you get to the checkout counter you will know right away if something rang up incorrectly. Don’t be afraid to ask for a manager if you think something is mismarked and always take a picture of the price with your camera phone because most stores will honor the mismarked price if you have proof.

Shopping Tip 4: Use coupons, they will save you a ton!

I still consider myself a coupon virgin because I am still new at it but I saved my family over $125 the first month I tried it. I cut coupons from the weekly ads in the newspapers. I sign up for any e-coupons that get sent to my email.  I also have coupons sent to my phone that can be scanned right from my phone. The best way to coupon is to tell your friends and family. My family and friends will save their weekly newspaper coupons for me and any other ads that I may be able to use. The more coupons you have the more you can save! Make sure to check out the stores coupon policy because some stores will allow you to double or triple coupons. Other stores may only allow you to use one manufacturers coupon and one store coupon per item. Also, some stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond will take expired coupons, so you’re welcome!

Shopping Tip 5: Buy store brand products!

If I don’t have a coupon for a name brand product then I will buy the store brand. Some products you will see only a few cents of difference and then others you will find are dollars less than the brand name products. Most of the time the quality of the store brands are just as good or even better than some of the name brands.  I usually will buy store brand on my canned goods and my frozen foods.

Shopping Tip 6: Take advantage of reward programs!

I always sign up for free rewards programs. It usually is a great way to save a little extra! Some of my favorite programs offer free “cash” or store credit if you spend a certain amount of money. Most of these programs you have to read the fine print to check and see if there is an expiration date (and make sure you take advantage of it before it expires!). Other programs work as an additional coupon that you can just scan at checkout. I also use cash back apps like Ibotta, which takes the hassle out of searching online ads to find rebates and coupons for certain products.  Ebates is a similar program that offers cash back rewards if you online shop off of their website. I like to use Checkout 51 to save me money at the grocery store. This is also a free money savings app that saves you the time and effort of cutting coupons by doing it for you. Shopkick is my favorite in-store app that you sign into using your phone and Bluetooth where you earn points for simply walking into certain stores and scanning certain products. Sometimes you can double or triple your points if you purchase the item and scan your receipt. You can cash in your points for gift cards, purses, TV’s and other cool items. So what are you waiting for, start downloading and start saving!!

Shopping Tip 7: Buy online!

Over the years I have found it more difficult to find the time to get to the store to shop. Besides grocery shopping and my obsessive Target shopping addiction, I don’t shop in store as much as I used to. I find online shopping much easier since I can essentially shop around and check product prices at multiple places while sitting in the comforts of my home. Heck, most of my shopping is done late at night after I have put our kiddos to bed. I love online shopping because I often find the deals to be better than in-store. Many places will even allow you to use multiple coupons online while in-store that may not be the case.   

Shopping Tip 8: Buy in Bulk!

Since our student loans get distributed twice a year, I have found that buying in bulk has saved us a ton of money on certain products. There are many wholesale clubs that offer special perks and some even pay for themselves if you spend a certain amount in a year.  Do not worry if you do not have any wholesale clubs nearby, you can buy many bulk items on Amazon. I buy our paper goods and non-perishables in bulk at our local wholesale club. On Amazon I buy our cat food, baby diapers and wipes, since they have the best deals with their Subscribe & Save program.

I hope these tips help to make your shopping work for you and your budget! Check back soon for more budget friendly tips! For travel saving tips check out Traveling on a Med Student Budget

Happy Travelin’

 

Disclaimer: I do not work for and/or get any compensation from any of the following companies listed above: Target, Amazon, Ibotta, Ebates, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Checkout51 and Shopkick. This article is based on my own experiences and opinions.

Traveling on a Med Student Budget

llmckenzi 1 Comment

 

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I am a stay at home mama on a limited budget. We are constantly cutting corners to stay afloat. Medical school was not built for families, especially one like ours with children who have medical problems. We live off student loan checks that only come twice a year and a per-diem paramedic job that my husband has on the side to help us get by. So now you are probably wondering how we manage to travel so much on a shoestring budget. Well let me tell you it’s not easy!

  • We budget. I know this is a given since we are in medical school but everything we do is budgeted for. We even budget on vacation. It’s important to make a plan of all your travel expenses including hotel, food, and souvenirs. We even try to over budget in order to make sure we have some room for unplanned necessities.
  • We put a little bit aside each week. Taking as little as $25 out of your paycheck every other week can add up to $650 at the end of the year! That can easily pay for a relaxing getaway or a fun family weekend.
  • We stay with family whenever possible. Not only does that save us on hotel cost but it also fills our “home sickness” gap since we live in SC and most of our family live up north.
  • We drive everywhere! Our mini van was the best purchase we have ever made! It can easily turn into our home away from home when traveling. Plane tickets for a family of five would cost a fortune. So we drive, and if we can’t drive or afford to fly then we don’t go. Someday my husband and I dream of traveling the world on a “Doctors salary” but until then no First Class for us!
  • We bring food from home! Not only does this save us some serious cash but also since I have two children with food allergies it gives us the peace of mind that everything they eat is safe. We always make sure to pack breakfast and snacks since those are the most convenient meals to travel with. We do enjoy eating out every once in awhile but only if it’s in the budget! Another way to save some money while on vacation is by splitting or sharing meals. We can order two adult meals and it will easily feed four of us. We also eat a lot of pizza when traveling because a large pizza will feed us all, and it is so cheap!
  • We use travel points from our credit card. We put gas and groceries on our credit card each week then pay it off. By doing this we earn points that we use to pay for things like airfare & hotels. We love using the Disney Chase card because we can convert our points to Disney dollars and use it when we vacation in Disney. Nothing makes a Mickey bar taste sweeter than knowing it was purchased using your free credit card points!
  • We use websites like Priceline, Orbitz & Hotels.com. Last year we had to travel to Boston quite often because of my son’s medical condition. Over the course of a year we stayed in over ten hotels. If you book ten hotel nights using the Hotel.com website you earn a free night stay. We just recently used our free hotel night and stayed at a gorgeous hotel in Charlotte, NC. Priceline comes in handy when we have an idea of where we want to stay but also a price point to stick to.  It has been super helpful to be able to stay on budget while finding fabulous four and five star hotels. Priceline is also good for last minute travel deals. Orbitz is a great tool because you can earn Orbucks. Every time you book with them you can earn a number of Orbucks, then you can use the Orbucks to pay for future travel on the Orbitz website. You have to sign up to earn rewards though!

My husband and I made a pact prior to him starting medical school that we would never get too busy making a living that we forgot to make a life.  Now go out and see the world! Go to as many places as you can! You can always make money but you can’t always make memories (especially Disney memories)!

I look forward to hearing other ways you and your family save on travel!

 

Happy Travelin’

 

Disclaimer: These are my own opinions and experiences. I do not work for Disney, Orbitz, Priceline, or Hotels.com. I do not receive compensation of any kind from these companies. 

Ten Fabulous Traveling Tips

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This year my family & I have been fortunate enough to be able to take some amazing trips. We have traveled to Disney World, Boston, MA, Washington, DC, Durham, NC, Wilmington, NC, Hilton Head, SC and Jacksonville, Fl. While some of these trips were planned some were also spontaneous adventures. Our family loves to pack up the car for a night or two and take the kids on a mystery ride. Over the years we have mastered the art of the road trip. I thought I would share a few tips with you.

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1. Hangers- Most hotels already have some in your room however if they don’t then I recommend bringing some from home. We use hangers to hang our wet bathing suits on. Genius, I know right! This saves us some coin, so we don’t have to use the hotel dryer. There is nothing I hate more than coming home from a trip with your suitcase smelling like stale pool water (gross!). Most Disney World Resort hotels have a clothesline in the shower, so I recommend bringing clothes pins, since they take up less space.

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2. Bins- Most of the time you can find these bins in my office filled with all sorts of fun finds. When we are traveling I empty it out and fill the drawers with food for my boys, since they require special allergy friendly diets. The key is to find bins that are portable but also are not too heavy when you fill the drawers with food. The bins work out great in hotel rooms since there is usually not a lot of extra space to store food. When traveling to Disney World we like to pack extra food for the entire family so that we do not have to eat out as much, which saves us a lot of money in the parks!

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3. Collapsible Hamper- I picked up this beauty at the Dollar store. Since we are a family of five we have a lot of laundry! The hamper comes in handy so that we do not have to put dirty clothes in our suitcase with our clean clothes. It also makes going to the hotel laundry room a lot easier!

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4. Toy organizer for your car- We bought this toy organizer a few years ago and it was worth every penny! Trust me, you and your car will thank me for this tip! There is nothing worse than taking a road trip with kids and arriving to your destination to find your backseat looking like a bomb went off! I have found that a Dollar store shoe organizer does the trick just as well!

5. Prizes/ Car Games- After a few hours in the car I am sure your little ones have already played with every toy they brought with them. This is when I get the mom of year award… before the trip I will go to the Dollar Store or hit up the Target dollar bins and buy some small games & toys. I will then randomly hand out a few of these prizes to keep the little ones entertained for the remainder of the trip. Our family loves car games to pass the time. One of our favorite games is Eye Spy. Although after a while you may tire of the same trees, cars and billboards. Once your little ones learn how to read you can play the license plate game which is always fun. Another tip is to save unopened kids meal toys. My kids get so excited for kid’s meal toys, it is like Christmas morning all over again!

6. Plan Breaks- I like to get to our destination as fast as possible but when traveling with little ones I have found that planning breaks ahead of time is a must! I like to find stops where the kids can run and play. I have found that most outlet shops have playgrounds that are a great way to get some ‘ya yas’ out before continuing on with your trip. We also like to pack a lunch, have a picnic and maybe do a little shopping. If you don’t have access to any outlets or malls along your journey then you can also turn a rest stop into a fun adventure. You can have your little ones play tag or simply just run before heading back in the car. Don’t forget to have everyone empty his or her bladders before getting in the car! I can’t even begin to tell you how many times we have left a rest stop just to have someone say five minutes later that they need to use the bathroom.

7. Portable DVD player- This is my secret weapon! My kids can tell you that it takes us about 4 movies to get to Disney World, ha-ha! Whenever we are about to take a long car ride we hook up the DVD players even if we decide not to use them. They are a wonderful distraction from the long hours in the car plus who doesn’t enjoy a few hours of screen time!

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8. Snack Bag- This was a gift from another Disney loving family like us! Anytime we are planning to leave our house for a few hours we take our snack bag along and fill it with allergy friendly snacks for our boys as well as some breakfast & lunch food so we can stop and have a picnic. Most highway rest stops are filled with junk food or fast food so bringing healthy treats from home is super helpful and saves you some money.

9. Overnight Bag- Some of our road trips are 10 hours or more so we like to stop at a hotel for a night and get a good night sleep before continuing on our adventure. Instead of bringing in 4 suitcases into the hotel for just one night I usually pack an overnight bag for the entire family. I will pack pajamas, a change or clothes and a bathing suit (if the hotel has a pool) for everyone. I also like to do this when we travel on a plane too just in case the airline happens to lose our luggage. Also, when traveling to Disney World, the Magical Express will pick you up and take you to your hotel then magically your suitcase arrives at your room a few hours later. While waiting for your luggage to arrive however, it is nice to have quick access to a bathing suit or a fresh change of clothes after a long day of travel.

10. Blow up tube- I purchased this one at the Dollar store. I keep it in our suitcase as a back up if I forget to bring our Puddle Jumper life vest. A blow up tube is perfect for traveling because its compact and all you need is a little hot air! There is nothing better than arriving to your hotel after a long day and taking a dip in the pool! Also a great way for your little ones to get some energy out before heading to bed.

If you have decided to fly instead of drive to your destination, I have found that the cheapest flights are best to book on a Tuesday at 3:00pm six weeks prior to your trip. Our family has also found that last-minute travel websites like Priceline are amazing for saving a ton a money at the last minute. We have stayed at 4 & 5 star hotels for a quarter of the price and sometimes we have booked them an hour prior to arriving! Hope you have found these travel tips helpful!

Happy Travelin’