I really enjoy baking holiday sweet treats and listening to all kinds of holiday music. And sipping hot cocoa! If I had to alter a tradition, I'd say I could do without the heavy Christmas dinner. I'd be perfectly happy with a lighter meal with less fuss.
What if your truth is "I want to look nice and save." More so, look nice? I think I am afraid of the future. I still save, though, through my 401k, but I don't think it is enough.
I agree that the 30 year loan gives you flexibility, and it can be handy to have a lower loan payment obligation if you're applying for another loan, e.g., if you're looking to take out a new mortgage to buy an investment property. If you stretch yourself too far on your mortgage, the bank may not let you borrow enough to get the investment property you want.
But one thing the post didn't mention is that shorter term loans usually have lower interest rates, too. So the savings comes not only from paying off the loan early, but from the difference in interest rates. I usually run a couple of amortization schedules before deciding, but if it looks like I can save a good amount of interest in the first few years by going for the shorter term loan, I will usually take the shorter loan with the thought that I can refi in several years if I need to reduce my monthly payments at that point to get more flexibility.
I recommend "Medical Coding" as a wonderful work from home option. Yes, you will need training. You can't just code medical records without having proper training. However, this is a real and promising career. I used to work for "Career Step" and they have an awesome Medical Coding course.
Their training is done online and is self-paced. You could finish the program in 4 months but 6 months is probably more realistic. They do however give you up to a year to get it all done. Their program is approved by the American Health Information Management Association and the American Academy of Professional Coders. They work specifically with a company called IOD inc. that hires their grads to work from home right out of the program.
The average salary for this career is about $40,000. Their entire program including books, instructors and job assistance is around $3,000 and they offer sweet payment plans.
If you want more info or have questions let me know @ katherine.b.ashby@gmail.com
pulling out the holiday decorations, picking out the tree and decorating it with xmas music in the background. then deciding on what recipes to bake to giveaway as gifts.
On Christmas eve, we order Chinese food and watch It's a Wonderful Life. Then we open new Christmas pajamas, put them on and take a family photo by the tree. Our "children" are 18 and 19, and still enjoy these traditions, and it's fun to look back and see the changes (in all of us) over the years.
Other favorite traditions include putting up decorations inside and outside and then, driving around to look at lights.
On Christmas eve, we order Chinese food and watch It's a Wonderful Life. Then we open new Christmas pajamas, put them on and take a family photo by the tree. Our "children" are 18 and 19, and still enjoy these traditions, and it's fun to look back and see the changes (in all of us) over the years.
Other favorite traditions include putting up decorations inside and outside and then, driving around to look at lights.
Our family gathers at my house beginning on Christmas Eve with a feast of Ham, shrimp, baked beans, raw vegetables, and of course cookies and candies. While spending our time we watch "Its a Wonderful Life" to remind us to be grateful. Then every Christmas morning we gather to open presents and peek into our stockings. Our dog, Electra, who passed away always participated as well. She would wait until it was her turn to open one of her presents and then open it, leap for joy and then take it around to everyone to show off. She always insisted on her stocking hung as well. One year I felt I would not hang hers. She had a fit! She pulled it from the box and threw it at me and announced with a bark she wanted it hung! So it is still hung every year in her honor.
My traditions change because my family changes. My DD moved out, so this will be the first Christmas she doesn't wake up in our house. She and her boyfriend are visiting his family Christmas Eve, and will come by us Christmas afternoon. I even decorated the tree by myself this year. It's all good. :)
My family always makes homemade candy (a ton of it!). Now that my sister and I are out of college and living further away, we still try to get back to help. Unfortunately, I have to miss the candy making day this year, but next year it will be in full force for me!
There are a few that we look forward to each year. The Advent calendar with a chocolate behind each day, hanging up the stockings, going out Christmas Eve to visit friends (same house gathering for the past 29 years).
The one I am reminded of the most is to make sure we have cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Christmas Day after opening presents. We started doing that when the kids were very small as a way to be able to prep in breakfast in advance and have something ready to eat before we go visiting the family. Now that the kids are in their early 20s they still make sure we have the stuff to make the rolls on Christmas morning.
We love to pick out a tree and then decorate it
We put clementines in the kids stockings.
Watching Elf every year
Listening to Christmas music and drinking hot chocolate
My favorite tradition is decorating the tree
Big breakfast on Christmas Day, long walk, then back in PJs.
I really enjoy baking holiday sweet treats and listening to all kinds of holiday music. And sipping hot cocoa! If I had to alter a tradition, I'd say I could do without the heavy Christmas dinner. I'd be perfectly happy with a lighter meal with less fuss.
Advent calendar
i try to attend a candlelight service on christmas eve every year.
What if your truth is "I want to look nice and save." More so, look nice? I think I am afraid of the future. I still save, though, through my 401k, but I don't think it is enough.
Thank you this is really helpful. Who came
up with these amazing ideas?
I agree that the 30 year loan gives you flexibility, and it can be handy to have a lower loan payment obligation if you're applying for another loan, e.g., if you're looking to take out a new mortgage to buy an investment property. If you stretch yourself too far on your mortgage, the bank may not let you borrow enough to get the investment property you want.
But one thing the post didn't mention is that shorter term loans usually have lower interest rates, too. So the savings comes not only from paying off the loan early, but from the difference in interest rates. I usually run a couple of amortization schedules before deciding, but if it looks like I can save a good amount of interest in the first few years by going for the shorter term loan, I will usually take the shorter loan with the thought that I can refi in several years if I need to reduce my monthly payments at that point to get more flexibility.
We always spend Christmas Eve at my parents house and Christmas Day with my wife's family.
Our biggest tradition are baking meringue cookies and Snow on the Mountain using recipes from my 98-year old grandmother!
I love to bake with my family. We also decorate the tree together.
I recommend "Medical Coding" as a wonderful work from home option. Yes, you will need training. You can't just code medical records without having proper training. However, this is a real and promising career. I used to work for "Career Step" and they have an awesome Medical Coding course.
This is their website: http://www.careerstep.com/?uid=ref43233
Their training is done online and is self-paced. You could finish the program in 4 months but 6 months is probably more realistic. They do however give you up to a year to get it all done. Their program is approved by the American Health Information Management Association and the American Academy of Professional Coders. They work specifically with a company called IOD inc. that hires their grads to work from home right out of the program.
The average salary for this career is about $40,000. Their entire program including books, instructors and job assistance is around $3,000 and they offer sweet payment plans.
If you want more info or have questions let me know @ katherine.b.ashby@gmail.com
After Christmas Eve service, we drive around and look at some of our town's best holiday light displays.
pulling out the holiday decorations, picking out the tree and decorating it with xmas music in the background. then deciding on what recipes to bake to giveaway as gifts.
We have cooking days, decorating days, and then we celebrate together with some great food and fun.
Doing a puzzle together Christmas Eve!
On Christmas eve, we order Chinese food and watch It's a Wonderful Life. Then we open new Christmas pajamas, put them on and take a family photo by the tree. Our "children" are 18 and 19, and still enjoy these traditions, and it's fun to look back and see the changes (in all of us) over the years.
Other favorite traditions include putting up decorations inside and outside and then, driving around to look at lights.
On Christmas eve, we order Chinese food and watch It's a Wonderful Life. Then we open new Christmas pajamas, put them on and take a family photo by the tree. Our "children" are 18 and 19, and still enjoy these traditions, and it's fun to look back and see the changes (in all of us) over the years.
Other favorite traditions include putting up decorations inside and outside and then, driving around to look at lights.
Our family gathers at my house beginning on Christmas Eve with a feast of Ham, shrimp, baked beans, raw vegetables, and of course cookies and candies. While spending our time we watch "Its a Wonderful Life" to remind us to be grateful. Then every Christmas morning we gather to open presents and peek into our stockings. Our dog, Electra, who passed away always participated as well. She would wait until it was her turn to open one of her presents and then open it, leap for joy and then take it around to everyone to show off. She always insisted on her stocking hung as well. One year I felt I would not hang hers. She had a fit! She pulled it from the box and threw it at me and announced with a bark she wanted it hung! So it is still hung every year in her honor.
My traditions change because my family changes. My DD moved out, so this will be the first Christmas she doesn't wake up in our house. She and her boyfriend are visiting his family Christmas Eve, and will come by us Christmas afternoon. I even decorated the tree by myself this year. It's all good. :)
My family always makes homemade candy (a ton of it!). Now that my sister and I are out of college and living further away, we still try to get back to help. Unfortunately, I have to miss the candy making day this year, but next year it will be in full force for me!
There are a few that we look forward to each year. The Advent calendar with a chocolate behind each day, hanging up the stockings, going out Christmas Eve to visit friends (same house gathering for the past 29 years).
The one I am reminded of the most is to make sure we have cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Christmas Day after opening presents. We started doing that when the kids were very small as a way to be able to prep in breakfast in advance and have something ready to eat before we go visiting the family. Now that the kids are in their early 20s they still make sure we have the stuff to make the rolls on Christmas morning.