It's been too long

I created this blog after loads of sleepless nights and frustrations surrounding our financial status at the conception of this blog.

I jotted down tons of ideas, witty posts, and I let it die. I'm sorry about that.

A little update on us. We're not so broke anymore and that's a good thing. Of course, the bad thing is I've let 'broke in love' slide. But really down in the bottom of my heart, being responsible with money and our future is paramount in my mind.

So why should this blog die? So my lovely few remaining readers, it's not going to! There will be no pigenholing here. No 'sorry you're not broke enough to be commentating on this'. Forget it!

This will be what it was meant to be. A place for people to share ways to live life, have fun, share tips and tricks for living a cost effective life.

As I sit here drinking my diet tonic and Bombay Sapphire I got at Duty Free on my last cross atlantic trip...it reminds me how far we have come (hi we have a SECOND CAR!!!!) and how far we have to go!

More on the car. It's a used, 2006 VW Jetta 2.5 sport edition. It's hot. My husband is in LOVE with this car. Seriously. I think our marriage has improved leaps and bounds in the purchase of a car with 32K on it. We both now have our independance (I use the CX7 when I need to a few times a week to park at the station-but hate paying the 4.00 a day!- but it lets me get on with MY life too!) I had my first real taste of freedom this weekend when out with friends, I was out almost the whole day with neary a word about 'Where I was' because HE HAD A CAR TOO!!!!!!!

It's heaven. And our payment, since we put a decent chunk down, is a little over 200.00. Used cars, the right used cars, rock. Let's hope ours stays that way! :)

The Babe has been working......

To help us lose our broke status, I take portraits of children and families on weekends. I tried something new to help out an organization I used to volunteer with, the Junior League of Boston. I shot their ball at the beginning of March and have been up to my ears in editing as it is way out of my comfort zone. I also did a shoot yesterday for a one year old in Lowell. Interested in seeing? Visit my photography blog.

And of course, if you're interested in any photo work and are in the New England area, feel free to visit my website! :)

But for real...these things keep me very busy.....and bring in some money here and there which helps us in the grand scheme of things! So at the moment....I'm mum. But don't worry, I have plenty of ideas in the hopper...I just need to get them down on paper! ;) More later this week!

Cash is King...I am the Queen

The bloke and I have paid off a lot debt over our relationship. I came into the relationship knowing he had a lot of debt and knowing we'd have to pay it off together. Luckily we got hitched and I moved to the UK, I could not imagine paying off sterling in dollars..back when it was $1=.50 sterling). Once we were out of the debt hole, a year and a half into our marriage...we felt rich. I mean, no more paying debt?! So we were uber responsible and lived off one salary and squirreled away another....we bought things with our credit card and paid it off every month. And because we had that other salary going to the bank...seeing the high balance on the credit card didn't bother me.

Fast forward to now, where high balances paralyze me with fear. Proper fear. We charge a lot of items on our cards for the miles (worth it yes...but tell me when we can afford to travel again mmkay?). Every month I'd watch the balance grow and grow and I'd get a pit in my stomach...forcing me to extremes (like creating this blog, how about them apples?).

Finally I've decided to take the biggest step in our financial freedom so to speak. We're on the cash only system. It's a new month and I've planned out what needs to be in our account to get us through to mid month....and then what we'll need to the end of the month. (some call this budgeting-GET OUT!!!). I've moved the rest into savings (Thank you US tax return HAH!) and we will live off of what we have. The credit card is RETIRED.

As if by magic, my credit card had to reissue my card due to the data stealing that happened a month ago...so this has forced me to move all of our automatic payments to our bank accounts...and the credit card will be used for work purchases only. (That $5,000 flight to Singapore? CHA CHING Miles!) I already feel great about this. In fact...I love looking at my bank balance every day and seeing money leaving it (Don't lock me up ok?). I feel in control again and it is the best feeling ever. I know exactly where I am every day...and where we have to cut back. So, here is to a month of ALL CASH.

Have any of you made this change recently and benefited from it? What are the struggles you've encountered along the way? Do your partners buy into the 'Cash is King' mentality?

Broke Girls Love Bags

I'm going to do a little promo for my friend Karen, creator of Venezie Bags. I've been a loyal fan from the beginning and her bags just get cuter and cuter every time.

She has a contest going on her blog to name her latest design. It needs to be a New England name (go ahead and use Google to look some up!) and you can enter as many suggestions as you see fit.

If she likes your choice, you win a free bag! I carry a few of these and get comments all the time, so show her some support Broke in Love fans!

Growing your waist while shrinking the bill

On the train home the other day, I was reading the Improper Bostonian as I usually do when I'm short on books and have exhausted my ipod playlist. I was shocked at the number of ads for restaurants offering deals to get bums in the seats. Most of the deals were 3 courses at fancy places you could never afford if you were concerned with wallet weakness. The bottom line: if you're looking for a special night out, check your local high end dining establishments. These places are especially screaming for business and devising innovative ways of offering high quality food at lower prices. Also, if you're like us and like a good glass of wine and little bites of different things, a lot of places are now offering tapas menus to get people in for lower prices.

So get on Google or pick up your local arts and entertainment magazine to find those deals! Dining specials are the perfect way to try out a new place...and save a little cash in the process.

Don't forget to check out Restaurant.com for certificates to bring the price of that bill down. We use these often!

For the Boston blokes and babes, lets not forget Restaurant Week! (this year it's over 2 weeks!) If you're not in the Boston area, see if your local city or town arranges one of these weeks.

No Cost Fun: Explore your local Parks

I know it's winter and it's bloody cold. But when I looked at the weather report for the weekend and saw the big sun shining, it was easy for me to ignore the 36 degrees. I called up another couple and asked if they were up for a hike and happily they joined as well!

Getting out and exploring your local parks is something I really encourage. I'd been to Blue Hills Reservation before, however had taken an easier route the past few times. Turns out the other couple had hiked the harder trails which were extremely challenging (to the tune of me on my tummy clinging onto a rock at one point to bypass the ice). We had a great journey from where we parked by the pond in the picture below to the observation tower where the picture was taken.
Hi there little car. Right there by the snow covered pond in the distance. The magic of exploring your local parks is, a lot of times it's FREE. Also there is nothing like having your loved one by your side as you walk in the peaceful woods. And having him there to pull you up when you need the extra leverage. :)

So get out there. Get out the local guide books. Wikipedia your local area and find somewhere to explore. Don't have rocky hills to climb? Walk somewhere flat. I know you people have ponds and farms near by.....Get out there and enjoy nature together! It's a great way to get free exercise and to spend a day away from the malls and stores that tempt our wallets!

Low Cost Fun: Take a Road Trip!

Thank goodness the price of gas has leveled out a bit so my next suggestion will be met with fewer eye-rolls than 6 months ago. Take a road trip. Get out the travel guides for your area. Go online and do some cyber exploring of the towns (or for us, the states!) near you. Taking a road trip, having a basic understanding of where you are going, opens the doors for some 2 hours in a car induced communication (as well as plenty of eye rolling as your partner gets heated at the other drivers on the road).

We began our Sunday quest by going to Maine. Originally I'd wanted to have gone up for a night away to a B&B and even found a few low cost options due to the time of year. But I had to take a look at our accounts and ask myself what was really important? A night away, when we don't have any children and only a bird to really bother us at home. Or a nice drive, new scenery and some tasty food? Option #2 won, especially since I got my Dyson for Valentine's Day (a steal on a DC17 at Bed Bath and Beyond. They will match the current online price of 345.00 AND you can use your 20% off coupon. SCORE).

So ahead we went, after gassing up the car and plying ourselves with coffee. We hit the Maine border and I told the Bloke to pull off...so we took a beautiful coastal route to the town we were going to donate some hard earned cash to. We got there, barely. Note to self...start out on a road trip well fed. One piece of toast and some strawberries hours earlier does not a happy couple make. We got there, pulled into the beautiful town of Ogonquit to a restaurant I'd read about and wanted to try. The issue, the place was PACKED. 2PM and PACKED. All of the parking around the little shops were full, leaving us to drive a mile away and walk.

This was the best thing that could have happened, other than our terrible hunger, we took the Marginal Way along the water and what a sight! (photos would have been included here however I was too hungry on the way there and since it was unpaved, the Bloke wanted to take the regular street back BOO). Finally we got to MC Perkins Cove, were seated at a table with a beautiful view, and enjoyed our belated Valentines meal of lobster rolls and fries (mine with tempurai-sh sweet potato fries!) Ok. I had a bloody mary too seen below and it was GOOD!

The view, the fresh air, the food, it was the perfect get away for us. We saved $125.00 on lodging and still had a lovely day. We got home and felt like we'd done something! So many times when you're watching your wallet, we get the "Poor Me's". I can tell you, feeling the cool wind whip across my face, holding my husband's hand as we struggled along icy Marginal Way, the "Poor Me's" never entered my mind.

Total cost of Day:

Gas: $12.00
Lunch: $75.00 (Lobster rolls and fries X 2, Bloody Mary, Beer and split dessert). This is high as it is our big dining out of the month and can easily be adjusted to your needs! I would have happily stopped at a road side shack for lobster rolls, something that is much easier in the summer!

Saved: $125.00 on Accommodation