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If you’re someone who hardly has time to go to the spa to relax and cannot do it under your own roof, it probably is a good idea to start revamping your bathroom into a spa-like sanctuary.
To achieve an ambiance that will promote calmness and relaxation, follow these five steps when redesigning your bathroom.
Step #1: Declutter and Get Organized Creatively
You cannot possibly relax with all the clutter scattered around your bathroom. Create a fresh start bykeeping the space clean and organized before proceeding with the main redesign process.
Start by collecting all your towels, toiletries, and other bathroom belongings in one place. Then, group them together according to type or similarity. Put all soaps with shampoos, gather all cosmetic items, and put them all in one place.
Once you accomplish this, you’ll be able to see how much clutter you’ve collected which can help you determine the ones you can let go and those you intend to keep. After that, you can start making your creativity work in choosing storage spaces such as elegantly crafted marble countertops and vanity tables.
Step #2: Repaint with Calming Colors
Once you have removed all the unnecessary items in your bathroom, you can already proceed with the main part of the redesigning process: repainting.
Believe it or not, plain white isn’t your only option to achieve a relaxing bathroom ambiance—you can also opt for soft greys, beige, and other brown tones. You can also make it more soothing and romantic by adding decor, vases, or flowers that sport pale pink shades.
Step #3: Establish a Relaxing Ambiance with Music and Lighting
Next up is to create an ambiance of rest and relaxation in your bathroom. This means you should re-create the space to allow your eyes to rest. To promote calm and stress-relief, adding a sound system and improving the lighting is your best bet.
There are tons of small-yet-powerful speakers you can choose from that allow for effortless camouflaging in any bathroom design. You also have an option to hire bathroom solutions experts who can add subtle lighting that will complement the use of scented candles and crystal light fixtures for the ultimate spa experience.
>> Ease away the stresses of the day with The Sleep Collection
Step #4: Bring Nature In
Photo by Vinicius Amano on Unsplash
The common denominator in almost every spa is the presence of nature or natural elements. If you have the luxury of space and a vast window, it would be a good idea to put it to good use. Move your tub near the window so you can bask in the warmth of the sun while soaking in your tub.
If you don’t have much space, you can still bring nature in by decorating the area with some potted plants. There are tons of plants you can choose from, but you should choose the likes of bamboo, aloe vera, Boston fern, or cast iron plant. The bottom line is to pick a plant that can thrive with infrequent watering and low or indirect sunlight.
Step #5: Add Complementing Accessories and Fittings
Now, it is time for you to choose your bathroom accessories and fittings. It is good to think about plumbing fixtures like you would any piece of jewelry—they act as accessories to the bathroom while functioning as intended.
One thing you can add is a rain shower head with an oversized round head. Just imagine showering under it as you would on a rainy day; feel the stress get washed away by the soothing water trickling down your skin. Talk about relaxing!
You can also change up your bathroom accessories. Some cedar or teak bath mats and a wooden bathtub tray could do your spa-themed bathroom justice.
Ready for a Relaxing Bath?
Achieving calm and relaxation under your own roof is not impossible if you have a spa-like bathroom. You just need to be creative and resourceful while understanding the important elements common in spas to get an effective stress-relieving experience in your own home.
If you’ve had a heart attack, you might think life insurance is out of reach.
While your heart attack will definitely make qualifying more difficult, there are still many companies that would consider your application.
The key to getting insured is a smart application. Good preparation gives you a much better chance of getting a policy at a fair rate.
Finding life insurance can be a long journey. If you’ve had a heart attack, it’s going to be even more difficult, but we are here to help.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the underwriting standards for someone with a heart attack.
Life Insurance Underwriting After A Heart Attack
Your insurance agent should ask a number of questions about your heart attack:
When was your heart attack?
What health problems led to your heart attack?
Did you have any procedures to prevent future problems like coronary angioplasty or a bypass?
Has your condition and health improved since the heart attack?
Do you have a family history of heart disease and have any close family members died of heart disease?
Are you a smoker?
What medications are you taking for your condition?
Common medications for after a heart attack include:
Beta Blockers
Cholesterol medication such as statins
Nitrates
Thrombolytics
None of these prescriptions are going to cause you to be declined depending on the rest of your health.
You want the insurance underwriter to get as clear a picture of your current health situation as possible.
The underwriter is much more likely to reject giving you a policy given your past health problems if you don’t give them all the info.
Life Insurance Quotes After A Heart Attack
When you apply for life insurance after a heart attack, insurance companies will want to thoroughly research your current health. This is because they want to determine whether you’re likely to have another heart attack.
It’s a good idea to wait a couple of years after your heart attack before applying for coverage. This gives your condition time to stabilize plus gives you a chance to improve your lifestyle. Each company has their own rating categories, but here are some basic categories you’ll see:
Preferred Plus: Impossible. A heart attack is just too serious a health problem for you to qualify for this rating.
Preferred: Also likely impossible. Regardless of how much your health improves, insurance companies will still be too worried about your past heart attack.
Standard: In rare cases, you might get this standard policy. To get this rating, your heart attack must have been very mild, it must have been several years since the attack.
Table Rating (substandard): Your most likely rating. The rating you receive will depend on the time since you had your heart attack, your current health at the time of your application, the treatments you took for the heart attack, and whether you have a family history of heart disease.
Declines: You should expect a decline if you’re a year or two of a heart attack Also, applicants that have a poor lifestyle, other health issues or have a family history of heart disease could be declined because of the high chance of future heart attacks.
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Life Insurance Case Studies After A Heart Attack
While your life insurance application always matters, it becomes particularly important after a heart attack. To help hammer this home, here are some stories of clients we’ve worked with in the past.
Case Study #1: Female, 66 years old, does not smoke, had a heart attack at 63, taking Beta Blockers and Statins, and no other pre-existing conditions.
She had a mild heart attack when she was 59. As soon as she got out of the hospital, she tried to buy a life insurance policy. She was denied because she applied too soon. The agent didn’t’ clearly explain why she was rejected so she just assumed she couldn’t get life insurance.
When she contacted us, we suggested she try again as more than enough time had passed since her previous attack. We also recommended she request an EKG to test the current state of her heart as the applicant was in fairly good health. By trying again, this applicant received a rated level 1 policy, the best level before a standard rating.
Case Study #2: Male, 64 years old, had a heart attack at 55 years old, former smoker, improved weight and overall health since the diagnosis, started regularly seeing his doctor at age 60.
This applicant was in poor health. He smoked, was overweight, and had high cholesterol and blood pressure. This lifestyle eventually caused him to have a heart attack at 55. For a few years after his heart attack, the applicant continued his bad habits. However, at age 60, he quit smoking, started seeing his doctor regularly, and dramatically improved his health.
His applications were rejected. We thought this was because insurers weren’t accounting for his better health. He was devastated, but we need the next steps to take. We told him to go to his doctor and ask him to write a note which described his improved health. We included the note with his application and was able to get a rated policy.
Before You Apply
While getting life insurance after a heart attack isn’t easy, it’s definitely possible. It all starts with a good application. To make sure you handle this process correctly, you can work with a qualified broker that understands your medical condition.
If you’ve suffered from a heart attack, you already have a red flag. The life insurance company will scour your application for any other risk factors. You want to clean up your application.
Before you apply for life insurance, you need to get in shape. If you’re carrying any extra weight, the insurance company sees you as a risk for another heart attack. They are going to jack up your premiums because of your weight. The lower the weight on your scale, the lower your premiums can be.
Another thing to do before you submit an application is to find a company that favors applicants with a heart attack. There are companies out there who offer lower premiums than other companies.
In the past nine months I’ve found $12.89 in singles and specie. The cash has shown up in a number of places, but most of it is from coins I picked up.
As usual, I’ll squirrel away the found funds until Thanksgiving, at which time I’ll write a check to a food bank. I’ve been doing this for a couple of decades, including a span of several years during which I had neither a vessel into which to urinate nor a casement through which to dispose of it.
This was a painless way to help others at a time when I worried nonstop about my own ability to stay afloat. Giving to others got me out of my own head, reminding me that plenty of people lived with considerably fewer resources (financial, emotional, practical) than I had.
It also reminded me that despite my fears I actually did have enough to get by. In fact, I had so much enough that I could afford to share a little with others. What richness!
Maybe you’re in a tight spot of your own, or maybe your paycheck covers the basics without much left over. But writing a check isn’t the only way to give. Our time, our talents and even our frugal hacks can make a difference in the world.
The Ultimate Social Network Why give? Because there’s need — and because it’s as good for you as it is for the people to whom you contribute.
Helping others connects us with the bigger picture, i.e., life outside our own little circles of circumstance. Giving is the ultimate social network, because it connects us with the wider world vs. the virtual one.
Suppose you spent an hour driving a veteran to the doctor and back. For you it would be an hour you could spare. For the vet you drove, it would be a lifeline.
Note: You shouldn’t give anything — even your time — if it endangers your equilibrium or your budget. A single parent with one and a half jobs already has enough on his or her plate, and you should chase the wolf away from your own door before you pick a name off the Angel Tree.
The following tips are not one-size-fits-all. For example, maybe you:
Live in a high-rise and don’t know your neighbors.
Aren’t the kind of person who would ever pick up recyclables.
Can’t donate blood for medical reasons.
But surely one of these suggestions will resonate. And if not? Share your own ideas in the comment section.
“Used,” but still useful
Charity thrift shops. Goodwill and others can use clothing, housewares, books and maybe even furniture. However, keep in mind that the stuff you think “still has some use left in it” might not be saleable. Get a receipt in case this is the year you itemize; see “Getting the most from your charitable deductions” for specifics.
The Freecycle Network. Not all chapters are created equal, but I’ve had tremendous success with people coming to get stuff I no longer need.
Got books? This American Library Association fact sheet offers information on libraries that accept donated materials.
Got children’s books? Ask if you can leave your kids’ outgrown titles in the waiting room at a public health clinic or social service agency.
Periodical sharing. When you finish with magazines, ask if it’s OK to leave them at laundromats, job-source organizations or other places adults tend to sit and wait. Cut the mailing label off the front of the mag; it doesn’t hurt to be wary even though identity theft is generally more high-tech than that.
Rags that rock. Before tossing worn-out towels or blankets, see if pet rescue groups could use them.
Holidays for kids. This doesn’t have to cost a bundle. Shop the Black Friday or pre-Black Friday sales, or the loss leaders during the holiday season. If experience has shown you which stores have the best stuff, shave off a few more bucks by paying with a discounted gift card.
Holidays for adults. Social service agencies or places of worship will likely let you know who’s in need. Shop the same sales as noted in “gifts for kids,” above, and also watch daily deal sites like My Bargain Buddy and Dealnews.com.
Clothing drives. Got a second coat, a like-new hat, an extra scarf? If you’re in a cold climate a collection box is waiting somewhere. When I lived in Alaska I carried extra hats, scarves and mittens in the trunk of my car, in case I met a homeless person who needed them. (And I did.)
Pro bono es bueno. Lawyers and doctors aren’t the only ones who donate their time, incidentally. Whether it’s social media savvy or landscape architecture, your skills might be needed by a town landmark, a group home, an elementary school.
Helping hands. Not everyone has an in-demand skill, but just about any of us can stuff envelopes or help clean up after a PTA meeting.
Teach a class. Take stock of what you know well — web design, cake decorating, Excel spreadsheets? — and offer that knowledge to others through a club, afterschool program, fraternal organization or place of worship.
Be a youth-group leader. This is a huge time commitment, and some people (including me) aren’t nuts about certain organizations’ policies on gays and lesbians. But if you can find a match — scouting, 4-H, youth sports, Sunday school — your help is needed.
Mentoring. Big Brothers/Big Sisters is the group people most often choose, but other options exist. Maybe your place of worship has a way to match kids in need with caring adults. Perhaps a professional organization arranges job-shadows for teens interested in your industry. A recent college graduate in your field might need advice and/or networking.
Yard work. Got an elderly or chronically ill neighbor who can’t manage snow, leaves or lawn? Step up.
Give blood. If the bloodmobile comes to the workplace, well, score: You get a break from the job plus juice and cookies! If not, look for blood drives. Donation doesn’t take very long and it’s a literal lifesaver.
Frugal-hack giving
Use your coupon powers for good. By combining sale prices, coupons and instant store rebates, you can pay nothing or next to nothing for toiletries, cleaning products and food items. I’ve donated numerous bags of these things to a shelter and a couple of emergency pantries.
Coupon powers, part 2. Michael’s and Jo-Ann’s have dollar sections and they run “50% off any non-clearance item” coupons in their Sunday ads. Thus I pay 50 cents for knitted gloves that aren’t good to 30 below but do keep out the chill. Shelters can use these.
Clearance tables rule! Speaking of gloves: I found them priced at two pairs for 33 cents a couple of late-winters ago. (I bought 100 pairs to give away.) Clearance tables can also yield gifts for next year’s holiday donations.
Recycle for credit. Trade in spent ink cartridges for store credit at Office Max, Office Depot and Staples, then buy school supplies to donate. Deliver office supplies to your favorite local nonprofit. Drop off teabags or coffee filters at the senior center. (Cartridge trade-in policies vary, so be clear on the rules before you do this.)
Recycle for cash. If you walk for exercise, carry a bag and pick up cans and bottles along the way. Give the money you earn to your favorite cause.
Plant a little extra. If you have one zucchini plant you have enough; if you have two, you have enough to share. Seriously: Put a few extra seeds in the ground and donate extra produce to food bank or soup kitchen.
Calendar creep. Do charities send you calendars, greeting cards and notepads? Offer calendars to teachers (animal-themed ones are a big hit with younger kids), group homes, senior centers or nonprofits, or bundle up the cards and notepads and donate them to charity thrift shops.
A non-pay phone. Got a plan with unlimited minutes? Maybe someone in a veterans’ or long-term-care home wants to call family or friends but can’t afford it. Ask a social worker if you can temporarily donate your phone on a weekend afternoon.
House-caring hack. Next time someone offers you $50 to pick up the mail and feed the cat for a week, make a counter-offer: You’ll do those chores if he or she will make a donation to the charity of your choice. If you’re a cynic, just accept the money and donate it yourself.
Readers: How do you give on a budget — or for free?
Inside: Find money cake ideas! Learn how to make a money cake or buy pre-made kits. This guide has you covered with ideas for creating an edible centerpiece that will wow your guests.
What’s more fun than a money cake? A cake that pulls in money, of course!
This easy-to-make cake is perfect for any gift-giving occasion. All you need is a little bit of creativity and some basic baking skills.
Can you imagine yourself walking up to a graduation or wedding carrying a beautiful money cake?!?! What a way to get people talking.
Equally important, making a money cake is easier than it seems!
With this guide, you’ll be able to make a money cake that looks and tastes amazing. So let’s get started!
This post may contain affiliate links, which helps us to continue providing relevant content and we receive a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the full disclosure here.
What is a money cake?
A money cake is a unique and creative way to give someone a gift of money.
They are a fun surprise that adds an extra element of excitement to gift-giving.
Money cakes are perfect for special occasions like birthdays, weddings, graduations, and holidays.
How many bills does it take to make a money cake?
The number of bills needed depends on the size of the cake you want to make.
Typically, most money cakes use 50 one-dollar bills. However, you can use bigger bills for a larger gift.
The number of bills will be decided on how much you want to spend.
This is one of the popular money gift ideas!
Two Different Ways to make a money cake
Money cakes are a fun and unique way to gift money for special occasions.
Here are a few different techniques to make a money cake:
Rolled-up bills: With this design, you are using dollar bills as decoration.
Real cake with a pull out kit: This would be a complete surprise as the money is hidden underneath the traditional edible cake.
Making a money cake is a fun and exciting way to gift money for special occasions.
You can create a unique and personalized money cake that will surely surprise and delight the recipient.
What materials do I need to make a money cake with rolled-up Dollar Bills?
If you are looking to create a crafty masterpiece using dollar bills, this is exactly how to do it.
To make a Real money cake, you will need:
Crisp bills (use as many as you want, but 50 one-dollar bills are shown in the photo)
A pencil or dowel
Small clear hair rubber bands
Large rubber bands
Round Styrofoam discs or round cookie tins (2-3 of varying sizes)
Ribbon
Removable tape or glue dots
Glue gun or double-sided tape dots
Embellishments to decorate ribbon and top of cake
One round cake board or paper doily (optional)
To assemble the money cake, follow these steps:
Roll one dollar bill around the pencil or dowel and secure it with a small rubber band.
Place one large rubber band around each Styrofoam disc.
Tuck the rolled bills under the rubber bands in a standing position until the Styrofoam discs are completely covered.
Cover the large rubber bands with ribbon and secure dollar bills in place with removable glue dots or tape.
Embellish the cake using stickers or other decorative items.
Adhere the top layer of the cake to the bottom layer using a glue gun or double-sided tape.
Place the completed cake on a cake board and/or paper doily (optional).
Remember to have fun and be creative with your money cake!
Money Cake Assembly Tips:
Make sure you have a sturdy bottom to withhold the weight of the cake.
Use a sturdy and well-constructed cardboard tube for the money.
How to Make an Edible Money Cake
What better way to eat your cake than find money inside!?!? Well, this is exactly how to make a money cake.
To make an edible money cake, you will need a homemade or store-bought cake, a cardboard tube or prepaid money cake kit, dollar bills for money, ribbon or string, plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil.
Step #1 – Make a Cake or Buy a Cake
First, you need to decide if you want to bake a cake or buy a store-bought cake. This is 100% your decision. If you decide to bake a cake, our family LOVES this chocolate cake recipe.
For this type of money cake, you need a sturdy base and size. You need a wide cake (at least 9-inches) and tall (about 4 inches)
If you are planning on giving a small amount of money, then you can do a smaller cake. But, you need enough space to hide your cash.
Please note… do NOT bake the money inside the cake. You will insert the money after baking.
Step #2 – Prep the Money Roll
The easiest way is to buy a pre-made money kit to put the money inside. You can buy them here.
If you want to DIY your money roll, here are the instructions:
Start with a sturdy cardboard tube and cut a slit in the tube the same length as the bags.
Insert money into each vertical treat bag.
Tape the treat bags together to make a long strand.
Roll up the money starting from one end and place it inside the cardboard tube, gently pulling out a few inches of one bag and leaving the rest inside the tube.
Tie a ribbon or string to the end of the treat bag and attach it to a lollipop stick. This is what you will use to “pull the money” out.
Wrap the cardboard tube with plastic wrap leaving an opening for the money to come out. You may use aluminum foil for more stability.
Or buy a money pullout kit!
Step #3 – Assemble the Cake
Wash your hands thoroughly before handling the cake. Additionally, make sure the cardboard tube and treat bags are also clean and food-safe.
First, you need to cut out the cake to insert your pre-made money kit or your DIY money roll.
Place the roll of money into the cardboard tube and gently pull the money through the tube.
Cover the top of the tube with cake/frosting scraps. Make sure to leave the string visible, so you can reveal the money when it’s time to serve the cake.
You can always use the extra cake to make any of these leftover cake recipes.
Step #4 – Decorate the Money Cake
Now, it is time to add your own personal touch by decorating the cake with additional frosting, sprinkles, chocolate chips, ribbon, or other toppings.
You can also attach the money roll to a stick using a homemade or store-bought lollipop, making sure the stick is strong and long enough.
It is important to note that the money should be clean and the money roll clean because you want your cake to be safe for consumption.
Step # 5 – Surprise Time at the Party
Cutting into a money cake can be a surprising and exciting experience for any occasion.
As the cake is sliced into, the recipient will discover that there is actually money inside to pull out and enjoy. This unique and thoughtful gift is perfect for birthdays, weddings, graduations, or any other special event.
Is Making a Money Cake Hard?
While it may seem complicated, making a money cake is not as difficult as it looks.
With time and effort, anyone can create this memorable surprise for their loved ones.
Simply follow the tutorial and tips provided above, and you’ll be able to create your own DIY money cake that will be sure to impress.
If you want the easy button, click here to buy one today.
Buy Money Cake Ideas Near Me
To find and buy money cake ideas near you, start by searching for cake decorators in your area.
Ask if they offer a surprise money pull out kit for their real cakes and if they can provide a quote.
More than likely, you will have to provide the money cake kit to the decorator to add to the cake before decorating.
Remember to give them enough time to create the cake and then enjoy a unique and memorable money cake for any special occasion.
Are there any websites that offer money cake kits?
Yes, there are several websites that offer money cake kits.
These kits provide all the necessary supplies and instructions to create a money cake, making the process easier and more convenient. They are especially useful for those who may not have the time or skills to create a money cake from scratch.
Additionally, some kits offer unique features such as surprise money pull-out kits or customizable cake toppers.
FAQ
It is generally cheaper to make your own money cake from scratch than to purchase a pre-made one from an online seller.
Additionally, making your own money cake allows for customization and a personal touch that store-bought money cakes may not provide.
For a typical money cake, the number of bills used varies depending on the occasion.
With birthday money cakes, the money cake contains $20-50 rolled US dollar bills, with graduations being about $50 – $100 rolled up and placed on top for the recipient to pull.
For weddings and engagements, bills can total $100-200.
Which Money Cake Ideas Are Your Favorites?
Money cakes are a fun and unique way to celebrate special occasions!
With a little creativity, you can make a money cake that is both fun and practical. Whether you use your own materials or buy a pre-made kit, you can create an impressive centerpiece that will be the talk of the party.
Learn how much to give for high school graduation before you start making your money cake!
Moreover, making a money cake allows you to incorporate the gift of money in a unique and surprising way, making it a perfect surprise for birthdays, weddings, graduations, or any special event.
Overall, making a money cake is a fun, creative, and cost-effective way to give a special gift.
Know someone else that needs this, too? Then, please share!!
Politics and a pandemic have shoved stodgy student loans into the spotlight. Since 2020, borrowers have encountered an onslaught of changes to the federal student loan landscape, including more than three years of paused payments, an upcoming repayment plan overhaul and potential debt cancellation.
Backtracked announcements and timeline changes have made it difficult for borrowers to keep up with where things stand. Here’s what you need to know and how to prepare for what comes next.
Announced in August 2022, President Joe Biden’s one-time proposal would erase up to $20,000 in federal student loans for more than 40 million eligible borrowers — but an ensuing legal showdown has put the plan in the hands of the Supreme Court.
In December 2022, the high court said it would evaluate two major lawsuits blocking the loan cancellation plan, and it held student debt cancellation oral arguments in February. The public hearing was the last visible step before a ruling comes out.
The justices are crafting their opinions behind closed doors, so for now, we wait. Legal experts expect a final decision by late June or early July. It will determine whether Biden’s plan can roll out as intended and end the payment pause.
What you can do about it: “Prepare for what you have in front of you today,” says Scott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance. “Don’t make financial decisions premised on what may or may not happen in the courts, because you’re guessing just as much as anyone else.”
One way to prepare is to “pretend” to pay your student loans now by moving your estimated student loan payment from a checking account into a savings account each month, advises Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, a Michigan-based certified financial therapist and partner of the financial wellness app Upwise. When payments turn back on, you’ll already have some money set aside to cover your first few bills. And if cancellation survives the Supreme Court, you could have a bit of extra money set aside for something else.
“We can’t really predict the weather, but we can dress appropriately for it,” Bryan-Podvin says.“We can’t decide … whether or not they’re going to actually let people have the $10,000 to $20,000 in forgiveness, but we do have control over what we do.”
Payments resume late summer 2023 — for now
Timing of the Supreme Court’s decision is set to affect when exactly student loan payments will resume after more than three years of an interest-free federal payment pause, known as forbearance.
Under current guidance, borrowers will need to start repaying their federal student loans 60 days after June 30 or 60 days after the Supreme Court releases its ruling — whichever comes first.
Forbearance started in March 2020, as the pandemic began sweeping the U.S. The government has insisted the current forbearance timeline won’t change again, but note that the expiration date has moved nine times so far.
What you can do about it: Borrowers may be frustrated by the uncertainty, but they should still prepare as if bills will resume later this summer. Reach out to your student loan servicer if you’re not sure what to expect.
“Even if the government decides to make some change or delay something for a month or two, that homework is not wasted,” Buchanan says. “Whenever that day comes, you know what plan you’re going to go into, you know how much that monthly payment is going to be, you know where to send the check.”
Don’t wait for official word of forbearance ending to start that homework, especially when it comes to contacting your servicer. If you do, you could encounter long hold times and delayed responses. “We know we’re going to have a bottleneck of people,” Buchanan adds.
Other loan forgiveness pathways expanded
The U.S. Department of Education has proposed a few recent changes to income-driven repayment, or IDR, plans, which cap monthly federal student loan bills at a set percentage of your income and erase remaining student debt after borrowers make payments for a set number of years.
IDR account adjustment, or waiver
In April 2022, the Education Department announced an IDR and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, or PSLF, one-time account adjustment — also called the IDR waiver — that will move millions of borrowers closer to the student loan forgiveness finish line.
About 40,000 borrowers with older loans were to see balances wiped clean starting this spring, the Department of Education estimated, and more than 3.6 million borrowers are expected to receive at least three years of additional credit toward forgiveness under an IDR plan or PSLF when their accounts are updated in 2024. If you’ve been in repayment for at least 20 or 25 years (including forbearance time), you’ll be free of student debt after the adjustment. If you qualify for PSLF, you’ll be debt-free if 10 years have passed.
What you can do about it: The recount is largely automatic — but if you have commercially held Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, Perkins or Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) Program loans, you must apply to consolidate them at StudentAid.gov by the end of 2023 to get the full benefits. Get started soon because the consolidation process can take time.
Even if you weren’t enrolled in an IDR plan before the pandemic payment pause, you’ll still see the adjustment applied to your account. But if you have a balance remaining after the adjustment, you will need to sign up for an IDR plan once payments resume to keep building credit toward loan forgiveness. Borrowers can call their servicers and submit paperwork today so they’ll be all set to go into an IDR plan as soon as forbearance ends, Buchanan says.
A new IDR plan
A major revision to an IDR plan called REPAYE would halve monthly payments for many borrowers with undergraduate loans and help some reach loan forgiveness more quickly. Students who originally borrowed less than $12,000 would see their remaining balances wiped away after 10 years of payments, instead of the 20 or 25 years under existing IDR plans.
The Education Department unveiled new details about the plan in January, but it’s not yet available to borrowers. Nor is it set in stone. The department aims to finalize and start rolling out the plan by the end of 2023.
What you can do about it: Once the revised IDR is finalized, you can call your servicer to ask about signing up for it. Don’t count on it being available by the time federal student loan payments resume.
Student loan servicer switches
The company that manages your student loans could change in the next couple of years. In April, the Education Department signed contracts with five federal student loan servicers. The new contracts are slated to go live sometime in 2024, but legacy contracts will last through December 2024 to smooth the servicer transition. Effects may be limited: Only one new servicer is entering the arena, and one — OSLA — is leaving.
Eventually, the overhaul will also include the launch of a central servicer portal at StudentAid.gov. The portal is intended to lead to more customer service accountability and prevent borrowers from having to navigate servicer-specific websites.
What you can do about it: Make sure your contact information is up to date with your current servicer, and download a copy of your payment history. You don’t need to do anything else at this point. “From an everyday experience perspective, I don’t know that it’s going to be a whole lot different than it is today,” Buchanan says of the new contract landscape.
If the Department of Education transfers your loans to another servicer, your current servicer and your new one will notify you by mail, email or phone. From that point on, you’ll make monthly payments with the new servicer, and you may need to set up any auto-pay or biweekly payments again. Most servicers deliver the same options, but customer service may differ among them.
Other key student loan changes underway
“Fresh Start” program for delinquent or defaulted loans. People with past-due federal student loans now have a second chance to get them back into good standing, thanks to the government’s temporary “Fresh Start” program. It includes a bevy of benefits, like restored access to IDR plans. Eligible borrowers will need to sign up for Fresh Start within one year of forbearance ending to enjoy its full relief. You can sign up on myeddebt.ed.gov or by calling the Education Department at 800-621-3115.
Bankruptcy guidance. The departments of Education and Justice jointly released updated bankruptcy guidance in November 2022, meant to standardize the requirements for borrowers to discharge their federal student loans in bankruptcy. Local bankruptcy judges will still make final calls case by case. Contact a bankruptcy attorney to see whether this is a good option for you.
Breaking up consolidated spousal loans. In October 2022, Congress passed the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act, which will allow borrowers who previously consolidated their student loans with a spouse — through a program that ran from 1993 until 2006 — to separate them and access debt relief programs, like Public Service Loan Forgiveness. However, lawmakers have not yet said when they’ll roll out the program for eligible borrowers to apply for the loan separation.
Previously, we took a look at the question, “Should Christians Invest In Stocks?“. What we found is that it is possible to be a good steward of God’s money, and still invest. However, there are still a couple of things that we as believers must be careful of when we choose to invest.
The two most prominent dangers to investing for a Christian are, supporting or profiting from sin, and trusting in our wealth instead of God.
Let’s take a look at the first danger:
The First Danger Of Investing: Profiting From Sin
This is probably the most popular reason given by Christians as to why they refuse to invest in stocks. We don’t like the thought of our money going to support Playboy or some other entity that makes money off of sin!
It’s pretty clear from scripture that there is to be a separation between Christians and the sinful practices of the world:
Do not love the world nor the things in the world If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.~ 1 John 2:15-17
If we as slaves to Christ must avoid the “lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life”, then it stands to reason that we should not benefit from companies and organizations that promote these things. It would seem hypocritical to speak out against these things while secretly building our retirement accounts on their success!
It can become so difficult and time-consuming to figure out if a company that you are currently invested in derives any of its profit from ungodly activities. So because of the danger of profiting from sin, many Christians will choose not to invest.
There is something else that we must consider when choosing to invest:
Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? ~ 2 Corinthians 6:14
To present a more clear understanding of this command, here is a note on this verse from my study bible:
not be bound together. Lit. “unequally yoked,” an illustration taken from Old Testament prohibitions to Israel regarding the work-related joining together of two different kinds of livestock (Dt 22:10). By this analogy, Paul taught that it is not right to join together in common spiritual enterprise with those who are not of the same nature (unbelievers). It is impossible under such an arrangement for things to be done to God’s glory. with unbelievers. Christians are not to be bound together with non-Christians in any spiritual enterprise or relationship that would be detrimental to the Christian’s testimony within the body of Christ. ~ The MacArthur Study Bible (page 1741, note on 2 Corinthians 6:14)
When you purchase stocks, you are buying a share of the ownership of that particular company. Because of this, investing is commonly looked at as a partnership between the company and its shareholders. Since we are to avoid joining together in partnerships with ungodly people and entities, we have to now be even more careful about the companies in which we choose to invest.
Can We Avoid Profiting From Sin?
On the surface, this seems like an easy question to answer – of course we can avoid it, just investigate each company to see exactly how they make their money! However, this type of investigation can quickly go pretty far. You may want to consider looking at their business partners, suppliers, and even network on which they advertise.
My point is that it can be pretty much impossible to invest in a company that has no connection to sin and worldliness. If that is the case, how can we feel comfortable investing at all? I think we follow two main principles in order to invest in a way that honors God…
Cut Off Any Clearly Ungodly Partnerships
Any company that openly makes its profit by violating God’s word can immediately be cut of your list of potential investments. Now, I’m not going to take the time to create a list of every action that violates God’s holy and perfect standard, but take a look at 1 John 2:15-17 above, and you should be able to create a list of your own!
If you know that a company involves itself in sinful practices, then you should cut off your relationship with them if possible.
Do Not Violate Your Conscience Or That Of Another Believer
Hear what the Apostle Paul says about this:
Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this–not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way. I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin. ~ Romans 14:13-23
In many of the pagan temples, worshipers sacrificed meat to their idols. This was to both cleanse the meat from demonic contamination (because they believed that evil spirits would indwell food in order to enter into a human’s body when they ate), and to offer up a sacrifice to their false god. Any meat that wasn’t burned on the altar was then sold in the meat markets at a cheap discount.
Many new Christians had been saved out of that pagan lifestyle and thus were very sensitive to these practices, and were sometimes reminded of their past. However, more mature believers knew that there was nothing inherently wrong with the meat and that it was fine for a Christian to buy it and save a lot of money! 1 Corinthians 8:7-13 has this to say about this situation:
However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols?
For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.
As we see in this example, even if we understand that the word of God doesn’t explicitly speak against a particular practice, if it offends another believer, then we are not to do it. Helping to protect the conscience of our brother or sister is more important than whatever gain we would have received by a particular investment (0r meal).
Even if you believe that it is acceptable to invest in a particular stock or fund, if your doing so causes another believer to stumble or even go against his conscience, then you have sinned against both him and Christ!
A Few Things To Consider
Unless you purchase your shares of stock in an I.P.O. (Initial Public Offering), your money does not go to the company
If you are not comfortable investing in a company that owns a company that owns a company that owns a company that sells vending machines to casinos, then please do not go against your conscience
If you scrutinize your investments this heavily, but do not give the same consideration to where you make your day-to-day purchases, some may regard you as a hypocrite and your testimony will still be ruined
Reader Questions
Have you ever invested in a stock against your conscience for any reason (fear of missing out on a huge profit, the pressure of an adviser or other Christian, etc)?
How careful are you when it comes to choosing your investments?
Do you think it’s possible to avoid profiting from sin?
Save more, spend smarter, and make your money go further
One of the monthly expenses many of us forget to include in our budgets is car repair and maintenance. Sure, we put down the price of gas, and maybe an oil change every two or three months, but we forget about most of the ongoing maintenance costs. Cars need regular maintenance over their useful lives, and most of us will pay through the nose to get it performed. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With parts bought online, some simple tools, and a little basic knowledge, many car repairs can be done without visiting a mechanic.
I talked to Richard Reina, the Training Director at CARiD, about some of the easiest car repairs you can do at home. You can find most of the replacement parts at CARiD or similar sites, plus many instructional videos and fact sheets that will ensure you have the help you need every step of the way. I also talked to several mechanics, including a family member who has had over 20 years of experience fixing cars. He, like many other experts, was adamant that with preparation, you can save a lot of time and money on repairs.
1. Change Your Own Brake Pads
When I first heard that, my reaction was “No way, I’m not messing with my brakes!” But as Reina points out, it’s a very simple and inexpensive procedure that mechanics and specialty brake shops will charge hundreds of dollars to do. The industry wants you to think it’s hard, because they make a lot of profit from a very simple procedure, but pads are way easier to replace than old fashioned drum brake “shoes.”
All you need is a wheel lug wrench, some basic wrenches, pliers, and of course a jack and set of jack stands (never get under a car unless it is on jack stands; you cannot rely on the jack as it may fail).
A set of new brake pads will set you back just $20–$40, depending on the car and pad material. Compare that to the industry average of $250 per axle, and you can see how much this DIY job will save you. The procedure is basic. Take off the wheel, remove the hardware, pull out the worn pads, push in the caliper piston, install the new pads, and reinstall the hardware. You should be able to do all four wheels in under an hour, even if this is your first time doing the job. The new pads will last between 30,000–50,000 miles, and you should check them every 10,000 miles. When the pad thickness falls below 2mm–3mm, it’s time for another replacement set.
2. Change the Battery
It amazes me how many people will get a shop to replace the battery, since this is by far the easiest of all DIY repairs. A battery will last 4–6 years, so you should be able to figure out when your current battery is ready to be changed. (Almost every battery will have a date stamped on it, so look for this if you want to be sure.) You do not want to wait until you start having problems. If you do, you could be stranded with a dead battery, and that’s dangerous for many reasons.
The average price of a new battery is around $80, although you can spend more or less depending on the make and model. A dealer will charge upwards of $200 to replace it.
To do the swap, you just need a basic set of wrenches. The biggest warning here, Reina says, is the order in which you remove the replace the cables. Remove the NEGATIVE (black) cable FIRST, and when you have installed the new battery, replace the NEGATIVE cable LAST. If you don’t do it this way, you could short circuit the positive (red) terminal to a grounded part of the car.
3. Do Your Own Oil Change
A typical quick lube place could charge anywhere from $30 to $70 for an oil change. Some can go as high as $90–$100, especially if you own an expensive import. But then you see signs like $15 oil change and think, “Well I’d pay that for the oil and filter anyway, so why not let them do it for me?”
Here’s why. First, there is always an asterisk on those oil changes. They come with conditions, and may not include the correct amount of oil required for your engine (this happens a lot when you bring in an SUV or truck). You will also be given a low-grade oil, rather than a full synthetic or even a synthetic blend. And most importantly, the cheap oil change is a loss leader.
The loss-leader oil change is a great way to get you to hand over your car to the garage so that they can get under the hood and see if it has problems. A reputable place won’t find any unless there are genuine problems. Others, well, let’s just say they find problems that don’t need attention.
Suddenly, the $15 oil change has become thousands in major repairs. Poor establishments will use high-pressure tactics to get you to sign up for the work, and you may not even get the chance to get a second opinion.
So, do it yourself. Buy a good quality oil filter and the best oil you can afford from your local supplier (it can be an auto specialist or a retail store). Other than jack stands and a jack, you’ll need an oil filter wrenchand a drain pan. These only have to be purchased once and will last you decades (my father-in-law has been using the same drain pan for 20 years). You can find videos online walking you through oil changes on a variety of different vehicles.
And one final note. As Richard Reina points out, the days of the “every 3,000 miles” oil changes are long gone. Vehicles these days can often go 10,000 miles between oil changes. Check your manual.
4. Change Your Spark Plugs
There is an episode of the iconic TV series Frasier that shows Niles and Frasier Crane attending an automotive workshop. The very first lesson is how to change spark plugs. It’s one of the easiest home repairs you can do, although these days it is very rare you’ll even have to perform this service. On modern cars, extended-life spark plugs can maintain a precise gap for 100,000 miles. However, it is still wise to check them every 30,000-40,000 miles, just to make sure.
When the time does come to replace your spark plugs, along with your regular set of tools you will need a spark plug wrench. Again, this is a “buy once, use for a lifetime” kind of purchase, and it’s not very expensive (under $10 in most cases). (WikiHow has a great instructional piece here.) And the savings…let’s just say it’s significant. You can pay over $300 for spark plugs to be changed, and spark plugs themselves are rarely more than $30 for a set.
5. Replace a Headlight or Taillight
If you are a good car owner, you will perform a regular walk around of your vehicle. It’s important to do this for many reasons, but one of the biggest is to check that all the lights are working. Not only are lights essential for clear vision, and alerting drivers to your intentions, but you can also incur traffic tickets if they aren’t working. So, try and do this at least once a month (you’ll need someone to help you check the taillights).
If one (or more) isn’t working, it’s time to buy a replacement and do it yourself. With the average hourly repair rate of a garage being $100, you could easily spend $25–$50 per bulb, especially if the shop has a minimum charge.
One of the most important things to do is bring the old bulb with you to the store. You want to make sure you are getting like for like. And, when it comes time to change it out, never touch the bulb glass with your bare hands. The grease from your fingers can cause the bulb to burn out early.
6. Replace Your Windshield Wipers
Some people go to a garage or dealership to have their windshield wipers replaced. This is, without a doubt, a massive waste of your time and money. A set of wipers will run you between $20 and $40 on average, plus the dealer will charge you one hour of labor (that’s about $100). Don’t throw your money away. It takes minutes to replace the wipers on your vehicle yourself, and all of the instructions are provided in the replacement wipers you buy.
When you go to a store — say Walmart or Target — they’ll have a reference manual (these days it’s often a small electronic terminal) which will tell you which wiper sizes you need to ensure a correct fit. In most cases, the old wipers slide out, and the new ones slide in. The last time I changed my wipers, it took two minutes for both…and most of that time was spent trying to hack open the vacuum-sealed plastic package!
7. Replace Your Air Filter
Richard Reina pointed out another simple fix that mechanics and dealerships will heavily mark up with labor costs and parts. And yet, it is a very quick fix (in most cases…if you happen to own a German import, you may have a few extra parts to remove to access the filter). On average, you’ll pay over $100 in labor costs, and $50 for the filter.
The typical cost of an air filter from a retail store is between $15–$20, but again, this can be higher depending on the make and model of your car. In most cases, you will simply have to open up the hood of the car, turn a few screws, open the air filter housing, swap out the old for the news, and replace the screws. It really is that simple, and you can save a ton of money doing it yourself.
8. Fix a Chipped Windshield
I recently had to do this one myself, and I can tell you…it’s so simple. I had a small rock chip in the windshield. I was tempted to go by one of those “fix it free” places that hang out near malls, but they operate through your insurance company, and I wasn’t keen on going through all that for a simple rock chip.
On Amazon or eBay, you can find windshield repair kits for under $15. Some run as low as $8. When you get it, all you need to do is dig out any loose glass with the pin provided, and then thoroughly clean it, and the surrounding area. You will have to stick a small device to the windshield that forms a seal around the rock chip, and then a vacuum contraption will work to apply the resin into the crack. It’s an operation that takes less than one hour, from opening the package to the finished result, and most of that is simply waiting time. Stop that crack from spreading, before you need to replace the entire windshield. That can be costly.
This article first ran on Wisebread.com, a community of bloggers here to help you live large on a small budget. Read more from Wisebread:
Save Hundreds Next Month with These 10 Grocery Shopping Tips
6 Ways to Transition to a New Career After 30
The 8 Classic Personal Finance Books You Must Read
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With the arrival of Memorial Day weekend and the official start of the summer travel season, it’s time to get ready for guests. Thankfully, creating a tranquil visitor-ready space is much easier than you think. Even if you don’t have a lot of space (or are just getting settled in your new house!) just a few thoughtful details came make your visitors feel like they’re getting the royal treatment.
Even though we’ve barely gotten our footing, I’m excited to host our first guests. After living in less than 1,000sq ft, having a guest room feels like such a luxury. Yet my guest room, like the rest of the house, is not even close to being “done.” That’s going to be a loooong process. But if you get creative, you can pull together a totally inviting space.
Obviously, the key to a good stay anywhere is an excellent night’s sleep. If there’s thing you should always invest in, it’s your bed. For our guest room, we went with the Wyatt bed from Room & Board in a soft gray velvet. It has a hotel bed look, which I love. And our Cocoon by Sealy mattress is already getting rave reviews. But it’s how you make your bed that will make visitors feel extra special. I’ve been a bit obsessed with the various bed making styles. My current favorite: sheets tucked in nice and tight, layered blankets folded down almost to the bed’s foot to expose all the colors and textures and then a good stack of pillows. I like just two decorative pillows for a crisp clean look.
Since we don’t have much furniture yet, I had to get creative to make the guest room functional. No bedside tables? No matter! A pouf and a cool decorative ladder (ladders are having a moment) are all you need to give your guests a spot for a glass of water, their phone or a book. This were I also put two of my other key ingredients for a the perfect guest room – fresh flowers and good smells. A lovely candle, or in this case my favorite room spray from le labo, is a luxurious touch.
I repurposed our floor lamp to serve as a bedside light, at least for now. A basket for extra throws is always nice should your guests get cold in the night.
I also think it’s a nice touch to offer your guests a supply of toiletries. A toothbrush and toothpaste, soap, lotion and even shampoo and condition. I’m notorious for getting things (since I’m usually rushing to catch my plane) and this way your visitors don’t even have to ask to borrow something.
Finally, leave out some good reading material. It’s always nice to read a little something before bed and this way you guests to have to sit under the goal of their phones. That is not conducive to a good night’s sleep!
And there you have it. If you add just a few thoughtful details you can have the ultimate guest room. Warning: you may end up waiting to sleep in a room like this yourself.
Room sources: Throw pillows, pouf, ladder, leather basket, throws, p0mpom coverlet, floor cushions Jessie Black / Wyatt bed from Room & Board / Cocoon by Sealy mattress / Flaneur sheets / West Elm floor lamp / Morgan toiletries / florals by Natalie Bowen Designs
In case you’re curious about details of our house here are a few: Benjamin Moore paint in White Whisp / adorne by Legrand switches & wall plates / emtek glass door knobs
original photography for apartment 34 by suzanna scott
William Shakespeare once wrote, “What’s in a name?” Well, for an apartment community, the answer is likely “park” by a mile.
You probably know that data don’t lie. Of the many thousands of listings on Apartment Guide, a handful of words appear over and over again in the property names. This led us to wonder which apartment names are the most popular and by what margin? Wonder no more, as the answers have been definitively determined, along with some other pretty cool info.
The top words in apartment names
“Park” and “village” are the most popular descriptions in apartment community names by a wide margin. The word “park” occurs in 5,315 names listed on Apartment Guide, with “village” a distant (but still admirable) second, at 4,763. Appropriately, in third place is “place,” with 3,160 mentions. “
Creek,” “manor” and “homes” round out the top five, with between 2,000 and 2,150 uses apiece. Not surprisingly, words like “colonial,” “avalon” and “meadow” are way down on the list.
Key data takeaways
No doubt you noticed apartment naming trends long ago all on your own. Here are a few fun factoids based on Apartment Guide listings:
The average number of letters in a property name is 15.4
The average number of words in a property name is 2.4
Some 28,617 listings have “apartments” in the name. That makes up 29.3 percent of the total market.
How does your community compare to these numbers?
Unique apartment names
Not every apartment name features the words “park,” “creek,” “village” or “place” in it. Indeed, there are some pretty humorous exceptions to the standard out there. One example where a thesaurus was clearly used is The Confluence at Harvest Hills in Williston, ND. The word “hills” is used in place of the much more commonly used “ridge.” The word “confluence,” which means, “a coming together,” makes it sound extra fancy.
Photo source: The Confluence at Harvest Hills / ApartmentGuide.com
Another silly word that appears in 129 Apartment Guide listings is “whispering.” Apparently, all varieties of trees don’t just quietly grow, they actually whisper, too! From Whispering Oaks Apartments in Marietta, GA to Whispering Pines Apartments in San Diego, the word shows up all over the country in property names.
Tuscany is a picturesque region in central Italy. You know, the place best known for its culture, food and sexy accents. No doubt that the 86 properties that reference the area in their name want to channel the general vibe so often associated with Tuscany. Need a little bit of knock-off Italian in your life? Check out Tuscany Apartments in Santa Clara, CA, or Via Tuscany Apartments in Melbourne, FL.
An apartment by any other name
It doesn’t really matter what your apartment name is, as long as it’s clean, fits your budget and feels like home. Funny apartment names are really just a bonus!
Every year, I fail to really account for the cost of Christmas. “A few hundred dollars,” I think, for gifts, and then by the first few days of December I’ve bought several pounds of butter, and lots of my favorite seasonal chocolate, and the big size of maple syrup because I’ll be baking and pancake-making a lot this winter. And suddenly I’ve already spent a few hundred dollars, and not a gift among them.
And because my children are children, having grown up in a big extended family of good Christians who are totally O.K. with Santa, (and let me reiterate: a big family, with traditions including fat, stuffed stockings and gift-giving to aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents, going to public school and occasionally coming across those toy ads in the circulars from department stores like the local Fred Meyer… ) well, they expect something. Like, a big something. They want their Christmas-morning minds blown.
I’ve done this to myself.
This year as in years past I have, utterly without thinking or planning, built up the anticipation against my financial best interests and my professed desire for less consumerism. “Well, maybe you might ask for that for Christmas,” I’ll tell my five-year-old when he asks for a toy in September, while we’re shopping for a new lunch bag. “Why don’t you look at this LEGO catalog and tell me what you want for Christmas,” I’ll tell my oldest when he’s claiming boredom in October. “Christmas is coming and I want to save my money for that,” I’ll tell my middle child when he asks for yet another iTunes game around Thanksgiving.
And then the whole frenzy of Thanksgiving comes. I’m not much of a Black Friday shopper — ok, I have not seen the inside of a mall on Black Friday for as long as I can remember — but I do get caught up in the early holiday Pinterest-ing and the Instagram-ing and the Facebook-ing and the tweeting that starts about that time. Some of my knitting friends begin their annual holiday rush to knit gifts for everyone they know. My photographer friends are putting the final touches on calendars and coasters and everything else you can make with photos. There is a flurry of crafting and craft-desiring like none that will occur again until Valentine’s Day.
I get caught up.
And then come the Christmas tree photos.
Let me stop here and say that I am an enormous fan of Christmas trees. I love the smell of a Douglas fir and I love the look of lights glimmering on a tree and I never want to turn them off for weeks and weeks. But to get a medium-sized tree even here in the middle of this Christmas tree land (I think my uncle even grows them on his farm 20 miles away) is $40, plus the inevitable hot chocolate and sugar cookie that must be purchased during the ritual getting-of-the-tree. Usually, I agonize over the cost and then find it in my budget somehow and commence Christmas thrill.
But this year I feel done. I bike around Portland looking at the lots full of trees, trees everywhere, trees in wagons and bicycles and on Subarus and Volvos and I think how ridiculous it is. (I may get over this soon.) All this growing and fertilizing and trucking trees around, all this buying and decorating and lighting and watering, all this sawing and taking down and composting — for what? Over a billion dollars spent just on trees every year!
One day one of my friends (a person I know in real life, even) said on Twitter that her tradition was to get a different angel ornament every year for her tree. I’m quite certain that my friend, who has excellent taste and is not known for excess, had no idea that her little statement would send me into a tailspin of guilt and frustration. But I didn’t have any such tradition and I’d not even bought a baby’s first Christmas ornament for each of my boys and I thought, “maybe I should start a new tradition like that!” and at almost the same time thought, “I don’t wanna!”
I don’t wanna
I waited a respectable amount of time. And I tweeted something about not having energy for the holiday spirit, about getting myself into a tizzy about what I hadn’t done (no wreath-making party, what?) and then realizing I just wanted to write. Several people from a variety of internet circles chimed in, agreeing, commiserating. And then I kept seeing more and more expressions of exhaustion. One friend in the Midwest said she’d given over the reins of the holiday spirit to her husband. She felt conflicted about “raising little consumers.” Another friend was writing a post for a major food web site on the topic — enough with the cookies already!
I realized I was done spending money on Christmas just to take pictures of my family following a cultural tradition that brought up so many feelings of guilt, insufficiency, and financial stress. I could do this my way, right? Right!
Now, how to convert the kids?
I bought my oldest son’s big present for him around the first of December: a bike trailer, a very heavily-used one from a friend. I’d been meaning to get this for him anyway, because pulling his little brother around behind him is a big thrill. (For all of us!) And his pride and gratitude was a big inspiration for me. I came up with a several-pronged strategy that I hope will turn the holidays lower-key without making them feel cheated:
Give the kids the power. Instead of handing down traditions from on high, I’m going to let them direct me as to which traditions they want to follow. “We could go Christmas shopping for each other at Fred Meyer with this money. Or go to the thrift store. Or go out to Little Big Burger. Or save it for gear for our next family camping trip.”
Make the kids do the work. We’re going to go get a tree and Everett gets to pull it back in his trailer. I have an idea this is going to keep the tree pretty small — and cheap. (And if it doesn’t, I’m sure the bragging rights will be well worth the extra money.) I’ll let him do the setting up and decorating, too. This will hopefully keep me from that insane desire to buy new ornaments (so I too can start one of those traditions! Or go with an all-blue theme this year! Or…) and give them the chance to make ornaments if they like.
Give gifts that are collaborative creative projects. We’re making calendars out of my photos and the kids’ art to give to grandparents and cousins. And my big gift to the boys will be wool traveling cloaks straight out of Harry Potter (also practical; they’ll be very warm while riding bikes). I’ll let them pick the fabric and help me design them, letting me engage all my creative energies with a minimum of time spent shopping.
Only bake together. Those December issues of food magazines are like cocaine for me. (And I don’t need new ones; I have over a decade’s worth of Gourmet and Saveur and Martha Stewart Living.) I have three separate cookie cookbooks and I barely eat sugar any more! I will declare baking days and only make cookies if they’re helping the whole way along. And, sorry, no new cookie cutters!
Cleaning before buying. Want a tree? We have to clean the living room first. Asking for new toys for Christmas? I’d better see room for said toys in your bedroom. It’s kind of working! I’ll take “kind of” right now.
Everything used. I’m not buying any new toys this year. You know what they say about cars, that they lose value when you drive them off the lot? Same with toys. Open the package, zap, 50% of the value (if not more). But my kids don’t give a darn, as long as most of the parts are there. I’ll go thrift-store shopping for LEGOs and buy a couple of new-to-them Wii games at the CD and game exchange, and some used books at Powell’s.
The hardest part of all for me is to hold myself back from the desire to look like everyone else does (but with my own creative twist!). The holidays can be such a way to express the highest version of your cultural self. But really, my cultural self is a writer and a mother. I’ll try to remember that, and to resist the urge to see what everyone else is doing on Instagram, and think, “Oh, I can do that too!”