The Three Little Pigs: A Financial Fairytale

Once upon a time, there were three little pigs.  Or rather, three little piggy banks.  There was momma pig, daddy pig, and baby pig.  And each one, had his own skills for saving.   So, it should be no surprise to say their fortunes were built of different make and style.

For instance, Momma Pig didn't save too much.  When she saw something she had to have, she gobbled gobbled gobbled as any greedy pig might.  With a pleasing OINK upon purchase, and a quick curl of her tail, her fortune was muddy, and weak at best.

On the flip side, Daddy Pig was conservative.  A boar, one might say.  In fact, he saved by day, and counted at night.  When he brought the bacon home, he didn't take one bite!  He'd repeat...

"A little piggly, needs room to wiggly... so save, I must must must, or Th-Th-Th-Th-Th... That's All Folks, it's bust bust bust!"

I forgot to mention...

In the great land of Moneyville, there roamed a ravenous, coin-hungry wolf who preyed on unsuspecting piggies (and their banks). 

"Little pig, little pig, let me buy," he'd say, "or I'll shop, and I'll drop 'til your fortune's run dry."

Now obviously, all the empty piggies were most at risk.  I mean, if Wolf came a' callin' and you had no savings, your bank was bust!

To be COIN-tinued...

Fairytale aside, the three pigs titled in the photo above, belong(ed) to each one of us, respectively.  In fact, my husband, Mark, made his in the early 80s!

I was just tickled to have all three in my possession, and wanted to share.  It's also safe to say that we (my husband and I) have different financial behaviors, but in fairness, they're not as opposed as my story depicts. 

In a relationship, money can be such a difficult topic to discuss, or come to terms with even.  My parents, for example, had a really hard time synergizing.  My father was the saver, and my mother, the spender.  It was, over time, a great point of distress in their marriage.  As a result, I've always been timid to discuss financials, to be honest about my purchases, etc.

I'm working on it though...

More important, we want to teach our child, Aksel, to have a good relationship with money, to know the value of a dollar earned, and to give when he's got plenty.  (Fingers crossed!)

PS - Many thanks to all that participated in my Sundae hop!

PPS -  Enter this giveaway before 11:59 PM EDT tonight!

 

Milk Money.

A year ago yesterday, I was in a very different place, but essentially, my goals were the same.  Read what I had to say about getting financially prepared for an emergency. 

By the way, we had one this year.  More on our disaster later...

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

My little man is growing fast, with an appetite to match.  These days, I can barely meet his milk demands.  Try as I might, I'm sure he's thinking, "Mommy!  Come on now, don't nipple-and-dime me! More, please!"  (At least, I imagine he'd say please.)

I had a curious thought the other night, which leads me to today's topic.  I got a chuckle out of it, but it made a little sense...  If only I could save my money like I save my breast milk.  To some of you, this might be a grotesque comparison, but as any nursing mother knows, it's a commodity comparable to gold!  Self-professed, I'm frugal with my stock -- my neatly organized, frozen supply of liquid gold.  Sadly however, when it comes to the green, you know, a dollar, my bank account, my credit cards, I am not so conservative!

So, this one's for my father-in-law, Tony Kohn.

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Main Entry:  Kohn
Pronunciation:  \cōne\
Function:  Verb
Etymology:  German
Date:  1941

1 a:  To save  b:  To save everything  c:  To budget and utilize envelopes ‹To live the good life›

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In the last few years, I've had a true desire to roll my sleeves up, and get serious about my financial future.  However, for one guilty purchase or another, I have not!  I've read the books.  I've created my "Debt Snowball Plan," but I haven't followed through.  Now that I have a child, the stakes are higher.  The probability of a catastropic, "rainy day" is much more likely, and I want to be prepared.  Honestly, I must get prepared! 

So, I'm going to put the "things" down, the materialistic somethings that mean absolutely nothing, and I'm going to embrace the simple joys in life.

For those of you wondering, they are as follows:

Close, baby snuggles in the morning. 
A calming glass of red wine at night.
Love that isn't always easy.
And, family to understand and listen.

I am going to get financially fit in 2010.
If my milk was money, I'd be rich, debt-free, and lovin' it!

Thanks for all the talks, Papa e-KOHN-nom-ics!

A Baby without Socks.

A baby without socks is pure delight!  When a child must wear socks however, I LOVE... Trumpette Johnny's Sneaker Socks - Brights - 0-12 Months.  

My little man has worn his faux sneakers nearly everyday since we received them as a gift from my cousin,  Patricia.  They coordinate with almost every outfit, and in my opinion, add a touch of cool masculinity to each boy ensemble.     

I have a few shower dates on my calendar, and I intend to gift these adorable baby socks!

If these don't tickles your soles, there are a wide assortment to choose from at http://www.trumpette.com/.

For the little girl, I particularly love the Trumpette Pixies Box Set, 0-12 Months!

(Oh boy, or girl rather, if I don't have a shopping problem now, just you wait...  A little girl will definitely delay my plan for financial fitness that I've mentioned in past entries!)

   

PS -- I still love you, Dave! 
The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness