Why do we need to be frugal?

I know if I was reading this blog I would be kind of confused as to WHY my family needs to be frugal.  We have great health insurance and Early Intervention pays for his therapy.  So here is a little breakdown.

Bear had a fever in January for 4 days.  When it started we went to the pediatrician.  $20
Then he had his checkup with 3 different specialists. $105
Over the weekend it spiked to 104+ so we went to the Emergency Room.  $100
January meds for the month: $30

In February Bear spiked another fever while we were out of state so we went to a local doctor.  (The one my parents used) $20
His fever, again, spiked to 104+ on a Friday evening so we went to the Emergency Room and they drew blood, did a urinalysis and a chest x-ray.  $100 co-pay and $62 coinsurance for the labs.
Sunday his fever climbed to 106+ so we headed to a different Emergency Room at a renowned Children’s Hospital. $100
When we returned home his fever returned at 103.5 so we headed back to the pediatrician. $20
February meds for the month: $30

In March we all caught the plague.  We all headed to the doctors office  $60
March meds for the month: $42 (including antibiotics for all of us)

In April Bear had his appointments with 3 specialists: $105 and we were sent home with another medication
He spikes a fever, so back to the pediatrician.  They think they see an ear infection so we’re sent on our way with antibiotics.  $20
All the doctors are on vacation and we can’t get back in with the pedi for a follow up, so we head to an Ear Nose Throat Specialist (ENT).  $35
ENT says his ear looks great, but they find fluid in the other one, the tympanogram is flat.  So we return in a week to make sure his ear is clear. $35
April meds for the month: $50

In May we have a 6 month follow-up with another specialist.  $35
May meds for the month: $30

In June we have our specialist appointment that we had to cancel in March because of the plague.  Our insurance only covers the doctor visit and not the counseling half.  $35 for the co-pay and $120 for the counseling portion. 
We also have to pay for the testing that this appointment sent out.  The cost of the test is $5500 and we may have to pay up to 40% of that.
June meds for the month: $30

Bear has a follow up with his physiatrist.  He prescribes us AFO’s and a gait trainer.  $35
Early in July we go get Bear fitted for AFO’s.  We still haven’t seen that bill yet, but I’ll post about them below.
Late July he spikes another fever and we head to the pediatrician.  He sort of has a minor rash so they say to wait and see.  $20 
July meds for the month: $30

August 11 Bear spikes another fever.  We choose not to head to the pediatrician.  His fever disappears after 2 days.  We head to a 6 month follow up with a specialist. $35
August 22 we have another 6 month follow up with a specialist $35
August 28 Bear spikes ANOTHER fever.  We head to the pediatrician. $20
Over the weekend it spikes to 105+ and he is constantly screaming, they draw blood and do a urinalysis and administer Motrin. $100 + coinsurance for the labs.
He is still screaming after his fever breaks (4 days) and we take him back to the pediatrician. $20 (this is technically September) 
August meds for the month: $30

Now we’re scheduled to meet with the immunologist on Wednesday.  That will be another $35.  Add to this the amount we pay in gas.  Each specialist is about a 40 mile drive each way.  We used to be able to schedule them all on the same day, however, they’re all assigning different wait times between appointments.  Each time Bear has a fever we go through about 2 bottles of Motrin and 1 bottle of Tylenol.  He is intolerant to corn syrup so we have to buy the expensive brands.

Now onto the AFO’s.  AFO is an acronym for an ankle-foot-orthotic.  Basically they’re ankle braces.  Some children with low-tone need them to stabilize the ankle.  Bear needs them because of his high tone.  His toes are always pointed downwards and his heel cord is in danger of shortening.  These make it so he cannot point his toes downward.  He must wear them all waking hours.  The fun thing, you get to pick cool patterns.  His are cars, planes and trucks.  However, because his are so little there are very few whole pictures.

His AFO’s are custom made.  We went in once and they casted his feet and then they formed the material around them.  The second time they check the fit and send you on your way.

I didn’t realize how expensive they are.  $1740. 

Thank goodness for insurance.  Our coinsurance is $293.

So there you have an estimate of our extra medical costs in 2011 alone.  Don’t forget, there are still well-visits, immunizations, Hubs’ and I’s physicals, and other things that are trivial.   These are only the amounts that we have to pay.  The amount insurance has had to pay is astronomical.

.

Back with my latest frugal mission.

I'm not quite ready to write my story about what I've been going through lately.  It will come, in time.  Patience, dear readers, patience.

I spent a few weeks visiting my parents halfway across the country with Bear and had a great time.  However, more than once I was asked how I could possible feed my family HEALTHY meals while sticking to a budget.  Coupons and sales are only for over processed junk and THEY like to feed their family healthy meals.

This is downright insulting.  I would say 80% of the time I shop the outside of the grocery story with cereal and pasta added to it.  We live in an agricultural area so our seasonal local produce is usually ridiculously cheap and very fresh and ripe.  Our milk products are usually inexpensive, but meat is through the roof.  Finding protein for around $2.00/lb is quite the bargain here.

After getting home yesterday, my mom kindly accompanied me to the grocery store so I could stock up.
Here's what I got all for under $25.  (Some of these are approximations because I think my mom took my receipt home).
1 head red leaf lettuce - $0.89
1 head romaine lettuce - $0.89
2 cucumbers - $0.33/each
1 bunch of radishes - $0.33
1 box (24ct) of quart sized tea bags - $1.69
1 pack of fresh stuffed mushrooms -$2.99 after a $2.00 coupon on the package (these are in the produce department)
2 mushroom burgers made with lean ground beef - $2.04
rainbow sherbet - $1.99 (ice cream was too expensive)
1.5 lbs peaches - $0.99/lb
2 lbs grapes - $0.99/lb
1.75 lbs organic bananas - $0.39/lb (these are perfectly ripe so they were on the sell fast cart in the produce section marked down)
1 seedless watermelon - $2.98
2 cantaloupe - $0.98/each
2 lb baby carrots - $1.99
1 dozen brown eggs - $2.29 (I am picky about eggs, you can buy grocery store eggs for as cheap as $1/dozen)
11 cups of dannon yogurt - $0.32/each
3 half gal of milk (1%, skim, whole) - $1.25 each
1 lb tomatoes -$0.99/lb

plus a $10 rewards coupon from my grocery store.

Somehow I'm failing to find the over processed junk food or exorbitant spending.  I even managed organic bananas.

Meal plan for the week (Bear and I didn't get home till Monday afternoon)

Monday
Dinner: Restaurant treat for my mom because she drove us home

Tuesday
Lunch: chicken salad over lettuce
Dinner: stuffed mushrooms, burgers and Gingered Baby Carrots

Wednesday
Lunch: I don't know what Hubs had, but I had a late breakfast of cereal so I didn't eat lunch
Dinner: Baked Corndogs for the Hubs (we only use all beef hot dogs (Nathans or Hebrew National) and it was a homemade cornbread mix.  I have a frozen TV dinner from Amy's Organic line.  They're all organic and some are even gluten free.  I love their Tortilla Bowl and Mac and Cheese.   They've also got new light and lean meals which are fabulous.  We both had a salad with dinner.

Thursday
Lunch: Leftover corndogs and turkey salad over lettuce (I had frozen cooked turkey leftover from the last time we had a turkey, added mayo, celery and onion)
Dinner: Crockpot ribs, frozen corn and watermelon

Friday
Lunch: Salad
Dinner:  Mexican restaurant.  My Dad is out here on business so he wants to take us to dinner, yes my Mom was just here Monday and part of Tuesday.  She had to leave Tuesday by lunchtime to get home so she could drive my Dad to the airport on Wednesday morning.

I don't usually plan Saturday or Sunday meals because we usually decide together in the morning what we're having.

I do know we have a carry-in at church on Sunday for the annual meeting.  I plan to make gluten-free chocolate cupcakes and maybe corn pudding. 

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming, swimming...

And eventually you'll find the other side!

Bear finally had a great doctor's visit and we don't have to go back for two years!  Yes, this was a pretty insignificant specialist in the grade of Bear's issues however one less doctor is still ONE LESS DOCTOR!

Rain again.  Rain tomorrow.  Blech.  I am so over it. 

More frugal fun though!

Our edition of our library newspaper came out today and I signed us up for two music classes and one storytime.  The other story time has it's registration closed for another month.  So I will call back and schedule then.

The good thing about being "on the in" this time is that we can go to our local library only a few minutes away and the county library.  We don't have to make the twenty minute drive to the one where did our last music class. 

Hubs and I also joined the lake.  Unfortunately we're out of county so it cost $5 more, but $30/person for the entire summer is well worth it.  It costs $4/person each time to go.  So we would have to go 8 times to make it worth it.  Bear is still free.  I don't know how much we will go but I figured having a pass would make me more likely to use it.  We're already planning on going the day after Bear's party, obviously weather permitting.  The good news is that there are two lakes and we can choose to go to either with our passes.  And Bear has been in a few pools already and LOVES the water!

Well that was frustrating...

Blogger deleted all posts made after Wednesday!!!

So my frugal instincts have been having a detrimental effect on my wallet.

Bear is chronically "irritated".  His muscle tone is so tight that he kind of exists on his last nerve for much of the time.  And while he is on medicine to combat it, it's not 100% effective.  Add this irritation to teething and we're in a fussy nightmare. 

So I've been looking into amber teething necklaces and THANKFULLY!!! Bear is only getting his FIRST tooth now so I've had time.

BabyHalfOff had InspiredbyFinn Amber Teething Necklaces on sale for, yep you guessed it, 50% off!
So we're now on the bandwagon.

Tomorrow we have a baby sitter coming (who so graciously volunteered last month) so that Hubs and I can get some work done on the house, for Bear's 1st birthday, in the yard, and run some errands. 

This means I'm on with my own Clean Up Smackdown!

Okay last time I emptied the dishwasher while Bear played on the floor.  Can I empty the dishwasher and dish rack this time?!  And go!!!

Yes I know, I have a sitter coming, so I can clean.  But, I want it to seem like I'm I've got this whole Stay At Home Mom thing down not near as messy as I really am.

I'm just one of those people that falls in the category of last minute inspired procrastinator.  I'm trying to change my ways.  I have cleaning schedules, and home organization guides, etc and for some reason I always choose Bear over schedules.

My home is not DIRTY.  I never let it get that far, but there is usually a pile of clean laundry folded in the living room, dirty bottes on the table waiting to get rinsed for the dishwasher, an unmade bed, and some cat food spilled over the bowl.

What usually happens is it stays this way for a few days week, until I finally get so sick of it that I make Hubs watch Bear for an hour while I do my Clean Up Smackdown.

Today it was supposed to happen during naptime (which is going on currently), however, I forgot to turn on his sound machine.  So I can't clean up much without making noise and waking my baby.

Or I'm just using this as an excuse to sit on my butt and blog and watch terrible afternoon TV.

Or both.......

Cloth Wipes Begets...

Family cloth.

I made a bunch more 8"x8" flannel squares to use.  Initially I was just planning to use them for myself because I doubted Hubs would ever be sold on the idea.

But much to my surprise he was!  So now we use cloth wipes instead of toilet paper, any extra dirty ones we use the diaper sprayer to clean off and throw them in the diaper pail.  Come wash day they go in with the diapers and get nice and clean.

This was less about the Eco-Friendly aspect and more about the cost savings aspect.  I used more of the flannel I had left over (I told you I had a LOT of it, I probably still have 2 yards left) so it was only a matter of using some time to zig-zag the edges.

So far it's been an adjustment, but our toilet paper with a small amount left on it is still hanging on.

Oh, and don't worry, we don't expect guests to join in with the family cloth. 

I've been neglecting my blog for something so much bigger...

THE SUN!!! It has made it's appearance for the past 3 days....

I took time to mow half the lawn last night, put Bear in the swing yesterday and today, we went for a walk in the park yesterday and my laundry smells like sunshine!

And back to the rain we go with a thunderstorm tonight and rain everyday in the rest of the weeklong forecast.

For your viewing pleasure...
My cute cats, Hubs and Bear (well they're technically in the photo)

Wow, I'm a slacker.

I have been neither crafty nor cheap this week.  In fact, the amount of pajamas I've been wearing probably isn't classy.

This weather has got me in a major funk.  Yesterday was raining (for about the 100th day in a row, literally, it was 40 degrees) so Bear and I headed out to replace his cloth diapers.  I ended up spending $111.  Hubs was livid!  He said I had just bought diapers and that this certainly wasn't cost effective anymore.

Then I told him that I sold the other diapers, and a few other things to cover the cost of the new diapers.

Then he was okay with it. 

So maybe that was sort of frugal.  Instead of just blowing money and saying "charge it" I actually took the time and made the money first.  I am $15 short, however I have one more thing to sell, for $15. 

Yesterday finally cleared up so I took up our new mower and got to work.  The grass was about 8" tall and (probably to the joyful screams of our neighbor) I finally had a chance to mow.  Unfortunately it looks terrible because the ground is so saturated that the mower left "ruts" in the lawn and I didn't finish it.  I only had an hour and we have about 2.5 acres to mow. I did the side next to our neighbor who takes very good care of his lawn so it would look better. 

Our ground is so wet here that when you step on the driveway (it's gravel) water oozes out.  The ditches on either side of the road are almost full to the top and some roads are flooded over. 

Thank the Lord with joyful praise that there isn't a cloud in the sky today.  However, the next nice day we're supposed to have is next Sunday.  Not this Sunday, May 8, NEXT Sunday. 

It's got me in such a funk.  It's such a pain to get out of the house, yet sitting in the house when it's dark and damp gets me depressed.  I just want some sunshine and some warmth.  Despite the cloudless sky, it's 40 degrees out, and we still have frost. 

Where did spring go?  Can someone please go find it and bring it back?!

Sometimes special needs

bites your wallet in the butt!

I posted recently about my new diapers.  Well I've had to sell them all. The Thirsties diaper covers fit very well over the hips, too well for Bear.  He is so stiff that the pressure from the diaper makes him unable to move his hips.  I tried BumGenius and all was well. 

Bear has thwarted my plans, however I did manage to sell all 3 Duo Wraps and 2 Duo Diapers.  I'm also selling my Beco because we can't use that either.

This week is an off week.  We had therapy and 9 month vaccines today (over 2 months late) so I planned an easy rest of the week.  It's hard to do therapy when his thighs are sore so these were the last appointments for us until the 10th.

Speaking of 9 month vaccines I have Bear's stats.
He's 11 months old and weighs 19lb 1oz.  He is 28 in long.  So he's in about 25-30% for height and weight.  Which is so funny, because everyone including his doctors always remark about how big he is, "He's huge!!!' is a common remark. But he really isn't.  I think it's because we struggled so much when he was little that all of a sudden he seems to be growing well.

I think the poor medical assistant feels bad telling me how small his head is though. She always measures Bears head circumference and NEVER tells me how big it is or if it's on the growth chart, but she gets all vocal and animated about his height and weight.

Last month his head was in the 2-5% category which is holding steady.  According to the geneticist in the NICU this isn't worrisome.  He felt his head was small from molding at birth and as long as it grew on the curve it was fine.

Bear is rocking up on all fours and reaching for toys with intensity that I have never seen.  We still struggle with solids on a daily basis and moving his limbs independently.  He is the toughest little guy I have ever seen, you should see him in his walker at therapy!

Free, Frugal Fun!

Now that Bear is 10 months old I've been trying to find new things for us to do.  Generally, we just run errands either walking around Target or the grocery store. 

However, when you're trying to stay on a budget and avoiding unneccesary purchases, this isn't the smartest thing to do.  So I decided to do some research on things we can do.

There is a local Mom's group at a church however, it runs until May and it costs $20.  So, it seems really expensive to pay $20 for 2 months.  There is another Mom's group for the area and again, it costs $20 but I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to something I have to PAY for.  I was looking for things to do that were free, in case Bear has a total meltdown or just can't handle it. 

I looked up things at our local library however they generally don't start until 2 years old.   We live in a "township" of a town.  Our mailing address is for the town, however we have a different school system and library.  Then I realized that the town, which is about 8 miles away is the county seat so their library is MUCH larger than our little one.  They have a 5 week story time for children 24 months and under.  2 of the weeks are already over, and we're going to miss one of the 3 left, but it's free and they had plenty of spots available.  So in a few minutes, Bear and I will be heading out to the library for a fun story time.

The worst part of it all, he's been sleeping great and we've all even been sleeping in.  Some days he's not even up till 8:30.  I'm forseeing that I will be prepping things the night before.

Why do babies grow up so fast??
I've been looking through pictures for his 1st Birthday and it makes me cry everytime that he's not a little baby anymore.  Where did this little baby go?

April Accountability #1

My first accountability goal for April is to cook at home 6 days a week.  Sundays is a day for the Lord and for our Christian community.

To us this includes fellowship with our friends and generally after church we either go to lunch as a family or with another family.  Sometimes we have carry-ins after church.

Lately church has poorly coincided with Bear's naps.  However, he has recently dropped from 2 to 1 nap a day.  He seems to sleep better with 1 long nap versus 2 shorter naps.  So while we may not be there very long we do make an effort to go.

Also, Hubs parents will be out helping with some landscaping renovations and I know we will go out to eat at least once with them.

And then, we are so grateful, a woman from church has so graciously offered to babysit Bear for us.  So Hubs and I will probably have an afternoon date one weekend and I'm sure that will include a lunch (because I don't see it warming up enough for a picnic) out.

On top of that, the end of April is Easter and my family will be visiting.  So I've made a realistic goal and included 4 days of eating out.

I started Thursday night with making a slow cooker pot roast.  It was one of those last minute lucky meals.  The roast was still frozen, I had 3 potatoes left, and a bag of onions.  I threw it together, added some seasoning and prayed it would be edible.  It actually turned out great and Hubs and I both have lunch for April 1.

So 1 meal down, only 54 to go (not including breakfast, I generally don't eat anything and Hubs has oatmeal until it runs out).