Some New Faces of Yakob

These are some of the faces of Yakob we experienced this weekend. Andy and Becky will be posting more on their blog. As I said before, Yakob is a young man with character.

"Ah, say again, ..... What did you say?"

"I do not understand"

"Aren't I just too cute !..."

"Look, it's me in all my glory..."

"I love my Grandpa time"

Jeff

Grandma's time with Jacob and Grandma Top 10 List

1. 
   
   
   
   I just got back from spending time with my new grandson Jacob.
   
   
   
   Here is my initial list of my top 10 blessings about being a Grandma

1. Snuggling with my grandchild


2. The fact that Grandmas can do whatever they want, but not say whatever they want


3. Being called Grandma by all your friends


4. Having new pictures to share (about 200 in the first 2 visits)


5. Looking forward to Grandma and Grandpa time


6. Being able to pass down hobbies and interests that your kids didn't like


7. Talking to them on the computer


8. Not feeling old enough to be a grandma, but so glad I am


9. Planning my next visit before I leave the current one

and Finally 10. Relishing the miracle of a baby being born to your baby

I've only been a Grandma for a short time and I know my list will grow. I have to confess there are so many blessings that I cannot list them all. Jacob thanks for all the blessings you have already given me. I know all my future grandchildren will all be very special.

Thanks Andy and Becky for sharing Little Jake with me this week.

Extra Finance Tip- get $25 free !!

ING one of the online banks that we use is still offering a fantastic deal... if you let me refer you as a customer, and you open an online savings account with only $250, you get $25 free and I get $10 free.

Do the calculation, if you only put the required $250 in the new account, and get $25...then the effective interest is 10%... not too shabby!!!

Then if you invite someone else, you get $10 for each invite.

Over just the past 2 years, I have received $90, because I have had 9 people take advantage of this offer.

ING is FDIC insured, so your money is safe. The have routinely received top ratings for customer service.

Historically, ING has paid among the top interest rates in the country. Currently, while they are not in the top 5 banks for interest, this is a great return, and a safe place to put some of your saving. If you find a better deal later, you can always move the money out and close your account.

If you are interested, email me and I will send you an invite. Check them out at INGdirect.com, but I have to invite you for you to receive $25 and then I will get $10.

I love free money!

Play well!

Jeff

Financial Tip of the Week

While I am certainly no financial expert, playing with my money for me is a hobby.... and a game. The game I play is how to get earn more money from the things I already do, or from the things I already have. The more that I can get from not working means the more that I can use for fun and for giving away to others ( one of my spiritual gifts is GIVING ).

So I want to share my thoughts with you. You can take them or leave them ... they are just my thoughts.

Financial Tip #2

Be a Penny Pincher.... Never Spend Your Pennies or Any of Your Change

Several years ago, while we were still living paycheck to paycheck, I woke up one morning and realized that I was closing in on 40 and we did not have any savings. I read a tip somewhere about the potential impact loose change can have on your savings. From that day forward, I do not believe that I have ever spent a dime, at least a real coin on anything. Those who know me well would agree.

My strategy is to empty my pockets each day after work and place the change in a bowl. Each week I scavenge the cars, the counters at home, Kris's purse... everywhere change can hide, even the laundry area for those coins that remain after washing clothes. But that is only the start...

I then go to the bank weekly and deposit all the loose change I can find into my checking account. If I can find a couple loose dollar bills that Kris would not miss, I take those too. The objective is to get them into the bank! Having the money sit in a jar at home doesn't advance the cause of getting the money to work for me! I know of others who gather and save coins, but they often allow them to sit at home "under the mattress". So, kick them thar coins out of the house, and make them work.... just like your kids.

In the early days, I would bring home coin wrappers from the bank and wrap my coins to make the job easier for the tellers who all got to know me personally (after almost 20 years, Janet who is an officer at my bank still does the same). Kris and the kids even got me my own coin counting machine as a Christmas gift one year. As of late, my bank has a self service coin counter, which customers can use for free. Never, never use a coin counter machine that makes you pay!!!!

Then, importantly, after the deposit into my checking account, I transfer the money into one of my interest accounts. Do not let the money sit the checking account. You will use it and loose it. (See Tip #1)

By following this tip, you can save up $5 to $15 per week... it really works. If you consider say $10 per week in collected change, that adds up to over $520 per year! This is money you will never miss! Then if you make sure it is making money for you, that $520 will turn into over $531 at 2.2% interest (the rate you can most likely find currently...although much less than 3.5% to 4.5% that I have averaged over the past 15 years)

One further tip... never miss the opportunity to pick up a penny, dime, quarter, etc. Yep, I stoop for pennies. We just talked about this a work last week. There is someone who periodically drops a definite trail of pennies and other coins in the parking lot... I love that guy. Kris and I just listened to a repeat show on the Marketplace Money podcast that interviewed individuals and families who made a habit of picking up coins they found... imagine in a year finding an extra $20 to $100 just for exercising your knees.. (one family reportedly found over $1000 over one year). Here is a link to that brief transcript-

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/08/13/change_hunters/

Remember, I play the money game because it allows me to have more resources for fun and to share with others.... allowing me to more effectively use my spiritual gift of giving. You play for your own reason.

Play well !

Jeff

"Who Let the Dogs Out? un, un, un un"

A Story on Jeff

Our Cameron kids are trying to sell their house again to move to St. Joseph to be closer to the schools where they teach and to be closer to Kris and me- yeah sure. But to do so, they have asked us to take their dogs Bailey and Gibson in as boarders. So we have 4 dogs living with us. Our dogs Cooper and Moses are used to the routine, we often have their dogs here, as well as Rocket from Minnesota and Bear from St. Louis (we just hope that we don't get a call from the city asking use to get a kennel license).

I got home last night from Minnesota, leaving Kris to play with Yakob for a week, and was greeted by all 4 pooches, tails wagging, jumping with excitement and joy... not to see me, but because I have spoiled them and whenever I come in, they all expect yummy and munchy treats. Kris is not happy about this routine, but they don't bother her, so what the heck.

I proceeded to drop the munchies into their drooling mouths, and let them outside to do their business (yep, you should see our back yard !.. I am waiting for another hard freeze so that I can do pick-up duty).

Soon with scratching on the gill covering the door notifying me that they are finished, I let them in. They all rush in at fifty miles an hour, and in a blurr... just a trail of brown, black, gray and bits of white, and of course they all get another treat. I comply to get them off my back, then I get ready for a nice quite evening alone. The dogs all have their own places and spots, so they don't bug each other- their own territory. All is quite on, the front.

After several hours of TV, unpacking the car during commercials, filling and emptying the washing machine, and just plain putzing, I proceed to strip down to my scivies and prepare for bed... one last outing for the dogs... you know, their business. I take out my contacts, put on my glasses (without my contacts I can only see out of 1 eye), and let the dogs in. Not quite a blurr this time, as they know what time it is... I see 1 brown, another brown and a little grey object.... but no black .
I call out for Jenni's dog... "Here Gibson"... no response. "Here Gibson" ... still no response.

I begin to search the house.... upstairs bedrooms, basement where they sleep. No Gibson. I put on my slippers, and go outside... still in my scivies... "Here Gibson". Neighbors' lights do on.... oops, not a pretty sight.

Now I panic. This is Jenni's dog. My little girl's most faithful companion (besides hubby James). Had it been little Moses, well Kris knows I would not be too upset (only kidding)... What do I do, call Jenni at 11:30pm in Cameron, "hey your dog is gone".

She must of dug under the fence... she is not under the deck. "Here Gibson"...

I madly dash inside.... pull on my jeans and a sweatshirt, put my contacts back in, all the while in a real panic. Where did Gibson go? How far? How long has she been gone? Where are the keys to the car? Where should I look? I am all alone, who could I possibly help me at almost midnight?

As is enter the garage, I envision dragging a muddy scrappy Gibson into my nice new Honda CRV... if I can find her. No, I'll take the van. It is still messy from my trip. I open the garage door, hop into the van and begin backing out and down the drive. As I roll down the window, to begin my frantic calling, a slobbery black head pushes between the seat and the window and nudges my neck... Gibson !!!!!

As I made my multiple trips to the car to unpack, she must have slipped out and into the van with the lift gate open.

Notes to family:

Jenni- I will do better... Yes I can handle all for 4 dogs for a week all by myself !

Andy and Becky- I will learn from this experience, and promise not to let little Yakob get lost if given the chance !

Kris-Yes I will finish cleaning the car out before you come home, and the house will be clean.

As I write this, all 4 dogs are accounted for.

We're off to see the Yacob

We are getting ready to travel to Minnesota to see grandson Jacob, or Yakob. Nicknaming a member of your family is important, as it adds a permanent identity of sorts. See Andy's blog. http://www.andyandbecky.com/

Yakob seems to be a readily identifiable name, adding character to this fine young man.

As a writer on Wikipedia says,"Yakob, or Jacob as he's known in reality and outside the USSR, is a pretty cool guy. He plays guitar, bass and piano. He writes music. He is smarter than you and his English teacher... He's cooler than you and he has more friends than you. He plans to take over the world."

Now that is a character. That is what grandson should be !

Jeff

Financial Tip of the Week

While I am certainly no financial expert, playing with my money for me is a hobby.... and a game. The game I play is how to get earn more money from the things I already do, or from the things I already have. The more that I can get from not working means the more that I can use for fun and for giving away to others ( one of my spiritual gifts is GIVING ).

So I want to share with you my thoughts. You can take them or leave them... they are just thoughts.

Tip #1

Don't leave excess money in a checking account.... let others pay you to use your money.

Look into on-line savings accounts like ING Direct (Ingdirect.com) or FNBO (FNBOdirect.com). These accounts will pay you more for your money than what you are getting now. Transfer money into those accounts from your checking account, and then transfer money back out when you need it. While interest rates are extremely low currently, over time, this practice will reward you with more money for doing nothing more than making some on-line transfers.

Jeff