It may seem strange, but after the initial shock of my father's passing softened, I suddenly had the urge to have another baby. It wasn't in sorrow, but in tears of joy. I felt like my heart had been broken open and I needed a place to give my extra love. Suddenly, deciding to only have two children based on environmental ethics felt like I was limiting myself.


Admittedly, the logistics of it had to do with money. Knowing that I would be passed down family money, I contemplated what I could do to satisfy a legacy. My grandmother would have loved for me to have more children...she always joked, "You know, they are cheaper by the dozen!" She had three children herself, but came from a well-off family with seven children. My grandmother was proud of me for going to college and getting Master's (and she always pushed that in this day/age that I should be able to support myself, just in case), but she also thought I work too long of hours. She worked long hours herself until she had a family (and remembered her hourly wage for every job she worked until she passed away at 94), but she  lived in a different era, and shook her head at the idea of getting two little ones dressed and out the door by 7 every morning. 


So, back to the baby decision...


Well, when I brought up the idea to Hubby he was less than enthusiastic. While he had pressed me for a third just a year earlier (which I thought was way too soon), he suddenly felt he was too old (he just turned 42). Or maybe he thought I was just making an emotional decision (which I was...). At any rate, we've come to a place of peace with our equally balanced household.


But I still can't help but think that if I lived in different economic era that I would be quite happy with more kids. Finances simply does play into our family planning these days, whether families want to admit it or not. Even if we had decided to have a third, we had only ever talked about the possibility in the context of having at least our older in grade school so we could afford expensive child care.I know an acquaintance, whose husband owns a small bike shop, who decided to not have another child based on the fact that they felt they couldn't afford it while his shop was getting off the ground and she was staying home to take care of their son and assist on the business. 


How much has your family finances played a role in your family planning?


~*~*~*~*~*~ 
Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.

I've written several times about Kiva's micro-finance lending, and how it gives money a whole new meaning for hard working people around the globe. With my recent inheritance, I've decided that I can afford to do more.


So, on new year's eve I found 10 entrepreneurs, farmers and hopeful home-buyers who were gracefully requesting loans to help raise their family fortunes and lent them each $100, for a total of $1,000 in loans (plus another $100 as a donation to Kiva). Now our money is helping people in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Ecuador, Tajikistan, Palestine, and previously in El Salvador, Senegal, Peru, and The Democratic Republic of the Congo.


It feels amazing to be able to lend a hand to help people reach their family financial goals around the world. Even if I never personally see the impact, I have no doubt that my generosity is making a difference.


I also contacted Kiva and asked about whether they can find more partners for environmental projects (tree planting, renewable energy...). They replied the same day and have been working on developing more loan partners with green goals, so I look forward to supporting those in the future.


Oh, and BTW, I just had my second blogoversary (1/10/10)! It personally feels like I've been writing for much longer, but in other ways, it feels like I'm just beginning. In my first year it felt like I really was able to voice my goals and achieve many of them. Our dream of saving to travel to Denmark was worth all the effort, and I know this wouldn't have been possible without this blog. Yet, this second year has been more personally challenging to stay motivated, but I really did miss writing during the fall and it feels good to get back to "tip tapping" as Hubby likes to call it ;-) 


On a related note, while I initially intended to earn some extra money from this blog, it honestly hasn't happened yet. I've earned less than $200 in two years, which doesn't even cover my wi-fi bill. I'm not planning to spend a ton of time trying to get advertisers, but I have decided that anything I earn will go toward Kiva loans.


Lastly, a word of thanks to my friends and readers. I know many of you don't comment online, but I've appreciated your personal encouragement throughout my blog writing. It means a lot to me. 


Have you made a Kiva loan yet?


~*~*~*~*~*~ 
Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.

I wrote a while ago about our Flex Friday schedule and how it saves us both time and money. It means long days (7:30-5), but it gives us every other Friday off.


So, when I started considering how money could improve my life, my first thought was more free time. During the fall I reduced my schedule to 36 hours per week, which is still technically full time, but means that I now have every Friday off. It's meant that I now drop off and pick up our Big Guy on Fridays (Hubby does so almost all the time otherwise.) I'm also able to get some exercise, and a hodge podge of family tasks and errands.


I couldn't agree more with Huffington Post editor Laura Rowley, "The company that can create jobs where a woman can work from 8:30 to 2:30 is going to win and win really big." The Huffington Post article also discussed a study finds that being happy at work becomes less important to women's overall well-being when they have pre-school children, possibly because this changes working mothers' priorities."

While I enjoy my current position and am committed to my career, I also feel like creating more of an equal balance for my family is essential. Now that I have a 4 days on and 3 days off I feel like I'm really able to make the most of my time in both places and give more of myself.

Do you have a flexible schedule?
Is it worth it?

~*~*~*~*~*~ 
Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.

Happy 2012!!!

Our new year's celebration was pretty mellow, Bailey's and decaf in bed talking about our family schedule for the east coast new year. After having survived the flu, it was wonderful to have beautiful winter weather for a long family walk.


One of our favorite family activities is talking long walks together, self-narrated by Laura Foster's book Portland Hill Walks. She developed a series of walks to guide you to the best vista, learn about the local history, and enjoy previously unexplored areas of Portland. It's taken us a few years, but we've almost completed every walk in the book.


We started doing our hill walks when our Big Guy could fit in a Kelty pack. Now, at almost 6, he can regularly walk 5 fairly hilly miles (with lots of water and snacks). Girly still uses her chariot, our faded and beloved Zooper stroller, which we've put at least a hundred miles on. She'll walk for stretches, but it's honestly still easier to cart all our water bottles, extra layers, dollies...


While getting some fresh air outdoors is our main objective, I've found that it has given us a deeper sense of place. We remember the quirky history Foster has researched and it has certainly gotten us away from doing the same repetitive park trip weekend after weekend. And there are often parks along the way to take a play break. Usually our walks end up taking us 3-4 hours, and sometimes we'll grab a bite to eat at a local place, which Foster often includes in her guide tips too.


I bought Foster's Portland City Walks book for Hubby for Christmas, and I imagine we'll have just as much fun on those adventures...


Have you discovered Laura Foster's walks?
Which one is your favorite?


~*~*~*~*~*~ 
Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.

Sahalie Falls at headwaters of McKenzie River

Hello again and seasons greetings from Darcy at Sustainable Family Finances!


I hope you've had a joyous and restful holiday season. I've certainly enjoyed the time to play with my family and celebrate all the season's traditions together (I started to write this on the 26th and now both my Twin Sis and I have been down with the flu for three days now...starting to feel a little less miserable).


It seems like ages since I've written for SFF, and it has actually been a few months. I needed a break to reflect on our next financial goals, and I have honestly been at a tough place in relation to writing about some big financial changes. I don't want to appear like I'm bragging, but also don't think I should be ashamed either. But I've come to a point where I'm ready to take our goals to the next level and continue writing about our journey.


I recently received an inheritance from my father Wally, who passed away this last May. Most of the money was actually from my grandparents, and my grandmother's estate hadn't yet even settled when he passed away. Naturally, receiving money in such a way is bittersweet and it's taken me a while to come to terms with it. I feel like I have a new personal decision-making metric to evaluate whether they would have been happy with my choices.  Thankfully, I had a loving relationship with all of them, and it makes me feel like my decisions are making them proud. 


Moments ago I pushed the "confirm" button to make the final payment for my student loans, all $43k worth. I was elated, despite the fact that it ate up almost half my inheritance. I will be thrilled to no longer have $300 siphoned from my account monthly (I'd been paying for 11 years already...which means that I've paid $40k already...most of it interest!) I feel like I have a huge burden lifted and we'll finally be able to start saving for our kids' college tuition.


Our next big family financial decision was to finally buy a minivan. Our thoughts of going carless have vanished, but we are still considering renting our car through Get Around, the new private car lending program that just launched in Portland. We ended up buying a 2012 Toyota Sienna. We still owed $6k, and managed to get $15k for trading in our Subaru Forrester (2008 with just under 30k miles). But instead of going into debt again, we were able to pay the remainder in full. This was a huge financial relief, and we are thrilled to no longer have a $400 monthly car payment.


We are also now 1/4 owners of a post office, which will generate a monthly rental income. My aunt, sister and I have developed an LLC to run the business, and named it after the waterfalls where our family's ashes are scattered, Sahalie and Koosah Adventures. The "adventures" part is because we want to make sure that any venture we take together should be fun too. 


Obviously, these changes have changed our financial outlook significantly. Like my aunt said, we are now officially "ahead of the game, which is a place most people never reach." It feels very good indeed.


I'm also still trying to get my head around what our next financial goals will be, but I feel strongly that having more money hasn't changed who we are. We still have the same values, and despite succumbing to a low mileage vehicle for the duration of having young kids, we will continue to do our best to decrease our negative impact and invest in ways that bring us true joy. 


Wishing your family abundance in 2012!


~*~*~*~*~*~ 
Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.

I've been a not-so-secret admirer of Annie Leonard "Story of..." series since just after I started my blog. Her latest "Story of Broke" really makes me motivated to take action. 


After watching it, I kept thinking about how outraged I was when I first learned how much the government spends on warfare compared to education. There was a graph that made it appallingly easy to under that our 
national budget was completely ill-prioritized. The thing that makes me sadder today is that was almost exactly 20 years ago (I vividly remember being at the Eugene Celebration and visiting all the environmental and social justice booths. I soaked it in like a sponge.) I also somehow naively thought that once I was old enough to start voting that things would get better...


Watching Annie's latest video in the midst of an Occupy movement that will likely be moving to a different level (at least past the emcampment here in Portland) makes me finally believe that we may be gaining enough momentum to transform the economy. It's time to move more than the deck chairs on the Titanic. I still feel a bit overwhelmed by the whole situation, but I certainly am not willing to wait until my kids start asking me why we spend our common money on all the wrong things.


Most of all, I love Annie's message that we aren't broke!! It's really the kind of mental shift we need to make in order to realize that we do have the power to fix our situation. It's both very simple and very complex, but I also believe that it's very much worth us all doing what we can to take action. Watch the quick video, and I think you'll agree.


"The United States isn’t broke; we’re the richest country on the planet and a country in which the richest among us are doing exceptionally well. But the truth is, our economy is broken."










Story of Stuff
Story of Citizens
Story of Cosmetics
Story of Bottled Water
Story of Electronics
Meeting Annie Leonard

What action does Annie inspire you to take?

~*~*~*~*~*~ 
Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.

Several years ago my Twin Sis turned me on to a life visioning practice that I've done a few times. Neither of us remember where she heard the idea, but we both like it. Basically all you do is write a wish list for your life with the words "I am so happy now that..." at the beginning of each sentence, as if your life already has everything you desire. (Even though this specific practice doesn't come from him, I encourage you to check out Mike Dooley's newest bestseller, Leveraging the Universe, it's been just what I need to reflect on my life lately.)


I first wrote such an "happy vision" for my life in fall of 2007 (age 30, our Big Guy was 9 months). Now my life was pretty darn happy at the time, but I had a temporary job that didn't pay much more than enough to cover child care costs and my student loans. At the time we also wanted to have another child soon, and our tiny house would have been hard pressed to fit a fourth family member. So, while life was very good on many levels, and I certainly didn't have much to complain about, there were some nagging financial fears on the horizon. But I basically envisioned what my ideal life would be like. 


I consider this to be highly personal, my own version of Living in Bliss. I really debated about putting it out to the world, but hopefully you will respect what makes me happy...


November 2007

I am so happy now that I am creating an abundant and balanced life. I am so happy now that I am working to create sustainable communities in Portland, and making the world a better place. I am so happy now that I am working with creative and talented people who share my values. I am so happy now that Kieran is thriving in daycare, and enjoying a nurturing learning environment. I am so happy now that we are living in a beautiful and comfortable home in a friendly and vibrant neighborhood. I am so happy now that my yard and garden are gorgeous, and I am able to create joy and abundance in own my backyard. I am so happy now that I am creating a joyful social network of people who care about me, my family, and our values. I am so happy now that I am deeply connected with my extended family, and share with them my joy and enthusiasm for life. I am so happy now that we are traveling, and experiencing beautiful places in our region and around the world  I am so happy now that we can visit friends and family in Denmark. I am so happy now that I am fit, strong and energetic. I am so happy now that I am at peace in my mind, body and soul. I am so happy now that I am continuing to grow and learn as a person. I am so happy now that my college loans are paid off, and I’m saving for my children’s education. I am so happy now that we are driving a car that gets great mileage and is an example of environmental-friendly technology. I am so happy now that I listen to my inner desires, and make them manifest in my life.

February 2008

I am so happy now that I am able to proactively create my instincts in action. I am so happy now that I am living a balanced life, between a joyous family, effective and meaningful career, connected community, and expanded spiritual growth. I am so happy now that my financial priorities reflect my values, and I have enough abundance to create my own sustainable environment and share the joy of living with those in my life.  I am so happy now that I can live in the present, while planning for the future.

Fast forward a few years, and I can see that while my life circumstances have changed, my values are still exactly the same.


October 2011
I am so happy now that my family is living life to the fullest and growing up together. I am so happy now that our kids are in excellent school environments and developing their full potential. I am so happy now that Hubby and I have regular dates nights and occasional getaways. I am so happy now that we can spend more time together as a family and with extended family. I am so happy now that my career is established, and I'm able to use my talents and expand my influence in positive ways. I am so happy now that our home is as sustainable as possible, and our garden is flourishing. I am so happy now that my student loans, and car loan and mortgage is paid off. I am so happy now that we have financial security. I am so happy now that we have a beach house/retreat. I am so happy now that we are able to invest in exciting projects and give to causes we care about. I am so happy now that we volunteer in our community together, and are connected at Grace. I am so happy now that we have a deep social network of friends we love spending time with and celebrate life. I am so happy now that we are able to take family trips to places we are passionate about and discover the world together. I am so happy now that I'm living with grace and ease, while making my dreams come true. 


Now the best part is that I actually feel like I am on the verge of having this entire statement be true! It will naturally be a process, and I don't expect that any of it will happen overnight. I'll need to be continually proactive, but with patience and perseverance, I have no doubt it will all be true.  


What makes you happy...how does your sentence end?


~*~*~*~*~*~ 
Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.

Hubby and I finally had a chance to watch Inside Job, an academy award winning documentary about the implosion of the economy (and how there were plenty of warnings that went unheeded). While infuriating, the film showed how the housing bubble was created by greedy bankers willing to gamble the so-called American dream. Yet, a systematic deregulation of the financial industry was also to blame. Not to mention appointing the fox to guide the hen house (and giving them tax breaks to boot!)


The filmmakers manage to make a complex issue very simple. They also make it engaging, although I wish there were some specific action that I could take. I've personally been detached from the Occupy Wall Street movement...with my comfortable job, I've been far too been to get involved. Yet, this film really makes me think twice and want reform:

While Occupy Wall Street is a fledgling movement, it should remind all of us that we have a say in what happens in our economy. More than that, we have a responsibility to hold our leaders accountable.

We highly recommend Inside Job (narrated by Matt Damon.) 

What did you think of the film?

~*~*~*~*~*~
Sustainable Family Finances
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.

If you're in the market for high end kid and mama stuff for sweet prices, Zulily is the place to find great deals. I first started shopping Zulily last fall, and have found some great buys.


I'm mentioning them again now because there are two current deals (until 10/8) for new Mamas that I highly recommend. You can purchase FuzziBunz cloth diapers for over 50% off, which were one of my favorite cloth diaper brands (my cloth diaper tips too!) 


They also have Zooper strollers on sale ($200 instead of $300). While we don't have the model they have on sale, but they truly make quality products, so I would still vouch for it. And even though $200 may seem like a lot to shell out for a stroller, if you use it for two kids (or sell on CL) this product will last for several generations. We bought ours on CraigsList because the previous owner needed a double stroller, so we managed to get our for about 50% off retail, and it was still totally worth it used. (I'm actually disappointed to see that they don't have any model comparable to ours, it's really a hiking stroller...we've hiked up to 7-8 miles with it...gone over downed trees, mud, and pretty rough terrain!) 


I find the trick with signing up for Zulily is to have all the emails directed to a special inbox (like other retail stuff), then you won't be tempted by the latest daily sale. But then when you are looking for something specific (they have great shoe sales!), you can quickly find a bargain. I also shop Zulily for baby shower gifts, because you can look as is you are splurging without spending too much.


What good Zulily scores have you found?


~*~*~*~*~*~ 
Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.

I've lamented before about my college/grad school loans and how I had being hoping that they would be eligible for the recent federal loan forgiveness program. 


But even though I'm not eligible, I wanted share this quick video about the Income Based Repayment program. It describes the program in simple terms in just a few minutes, if you have/know college age kids, you should definitely share this:





Do you think such a program is fair or just plain socialist?


~*~*~*~*~*~ 
Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.

I know that I've written about Kiva on several occasions already, but after making my 6th loan to a group of Congolese women, I can't help but share again.


It all started out when I lent $50 ($25 to 2 people) for my Dads on Father's Day. Then around the holidays I talked about how Kiva loans are the perfect gift for family members who have everything already. I shared a video about the power of investing in  women. In the mean time I relent that same $50 several times over, after the funds had been repaid. 


Just this week I invested in this group of women from Congo who work together to run a store and fund their own micro-enterprise projects in the village. When I contributed they were at 35% funded and now they are 62%. The loan will be repaid in 6 months, and I look forward to finding another community of people to support in places of need.


Each time I also contribute the suggested $3.25 to Kiva to support the administration of all these loans, which seems to be a reasonable rate.


Have you loaned money through Kiva? I bet you'll get hooked too...


~*~*~*~*~*~ 
Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.

Happy Autumn!


While it's hard to celebrate the season in the midst of a busy work week, I am happy to embrace autumn. 


It personally feels like a much more transitional time than in recent years. Our Big Guy is now in Kindergarten and Girly is quickly growing into her potty training panties. Hubby is ecstatic about the arrival of honey crisps, our family's favorite apple. Our family calendar is already getting full, and I'm doing my best to practice simplicity parenting.


Yet, with all this abundance, I'm also feeling a bit ambivalent about my blog writing. I'm having trouble finding a financial goal that inspires me half as much as our family trip to Denmark. We are continually working to cut our family carbon footprint, but I also feel a bit of a plateau effect. I still want to reflect on my journey, but I'm feeling a bit more relaxed about the venture. Maybe it's just a post-vacation syndrome, but I'm more inclined to crawl in bed with a good book (loving Elizabeth Gilbert's Committed) than turn on our laptop to check in on finances. Or better yet, enjoy the last days of sunshine, while harvesting our heirloom tomatoes.


Once I really reflect, I guess I'm feeling a bit isolated too. While I have a number of readers, blogging hasn't created the community I'd hoped to create. I'm not sure why I ever  expected that writing into cyberspace would create deep seeded values-driven relationships. I have planted a few seeds though...;-)


I guess I just need this autumn to reflect, recharge, and refocus. 


Darcy 


~*~*~*~*~*~ 
Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.

I'm guessing that most of my friends/readers are probably ready for me to return from our fairy tale trip and get back to real life Portland, but I'm reluctant to say "farvel" without a bit more reflection about why I already miss Denmark so much (and it's not the weather ;-) 


Here's my top list:

1. Family comes first for Danes - While surely there are some estranged families in Denmark, as a culture, family really matters to Danes. Many families live near each other, but with the country being so small, you can't ever be that far from "home."
2. Food is central to Danish culture and family life, and almost every family eats dinner together every night, typically lasting at least an hour and then it's coffee hour. Breakfast and lunch is often leisurely as well, and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that while we were visiting we were eating/conversing around the dining table for at least 3 hours a day. (And yes I gained about five pounds on our trip, but when I lived there I didn't gain anything because I was biking and staying active, and thankfully I've almost lost the extra "kilos" since I've been biking again the past few weeks :-)
3. Danes celebrate daily life - Danes seem to savor every season. In summer, Danes head to beach at the glimpse of the sun, stroll through the woods, and eat outdoors as often as weather remotely allows (plus, there's no such thing as being "too hot" there ;-) In winter, Danes love their candles and creating a hyggeligt (cozy) atmosphere in their home. 
4. Danes know how to party - Danes hold the most festive and beautiful parties, and find creative ways to show others how much they care. For special anniversaries or birthdays, family and friends will remake the lyrics of traditional songs to match the celebrant's life story and personality. Plus, if you are lucky, Danes will drink just enough to remove the facade of social shyness that you may find on the surface...once Danes open up to you, you've got a friend for life :-)
5. Danes take care of each other - I think the socialist system is really the key factor behind Denmark being at the top of nearly every happiness research (you must read Living in Bliss). After paying a 40% tax, Danes don't have to worry about health care, education, retirement, or caring for ailing parents (or themselves). As a result, Danes just don't need to waste their energy worrying about the basics that even middle class Americans can't take for granted. Students need to demonstrate their smarts in order to get into their chosen field, but no one is saddled with college loans. New families can afford to take time away from work to care for their children, maternity leave starts a month before the baby is due, public employees get full pay for one year (Dads get two weeks initially and then need to share up to 52 weeks of leave with Moms), and I don't think I need to go on and on again about how financially difficult maternity leave can be for young families in the states... 
6. Danish politics - Needless to say, the politics of a small socialist country are far different. Just yesterday the first female Danish prime minister was elected, and it was interesting to read/talk about the election while we were there. Financing the welfare system was the primary topic, because they have a deficit of $22 billion (which happens to seem paltry in comparison to nearly $15 trillion of U.S. debt!) Yet, even in a tight economy, people were debating how to improve social services, not cut them. I won't rewrite my poli-sci paper from college here, but I would like to point out that a multi-party system really allows for diverse political perspectives to be debated at a national level. I love the fact that there is a leftist female politician in her late twenties who is in the national debate, she was very fiery and articulate when call the current (soon past) prime minister on his politics, and reminding everyone that climate change isn't going to just go away... energy and climate issues have been at the for decades now...

I could go on and on with my love list, but I think you should get the point. While I can't bring Denmark home with me, my trip has inspired me to have celebrate life more like the Danes.


Really the only thing I missed while we were away was our delicious Bull Run water here in Portland. Danish well water does the trick, but it's no where near as refreshing and my curly hair is happy to home :-)


Thanks for following along on journey to Denmark!


~*~*~*~*~*~ 
Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.

I've haven't managed to sort/post all our photos/stories yet (these are from Legoland), but I did complete our Danish family vacation budget.

Almost a year ago I budgeted our trip (as we were steadily saving up!), and my estimate was roughly $7500. I was obviously keeping track of how much money I was withdrawing, but between kroner and cards, I really didn't know how close we were to matching our budget. I was amazed to find the final tally matched so closely:

Family Budget:

Item                                   Estimate                       Actual

4 flights to DK                     $4-5000                          $3991 (on Icelandair)

Rental car                           $800                               $910

Lodging                               none                              $388

Gas/ferry/parking                none (whoops!)               $350 (almost a hundred for ferry)

Sightseeing (Legoland)         $500                               $220    

Meals/groceries                   $800                               $650 restaurants, $450 groceries

Trains                                 none                               $93 (just 5 days in Copenhagen!)

Souvenirs                            $200                               $193 (included anything for us)

Gifts                                                                        $150 (anything for family/friends)

Phone                                 none                               $38 

Transaction fees                  none                              $72

Total:                                $7300                              $7505

While our expenses didn't mirror my estimate exactly (we saved on the flights and spent more on the rental car), it was pretty spot on. I was especially astonished because it's been 12 years since I lived there and I've never fed a family of four. The accuracy more of a fluke than a precise calculation, but I was sure happy to see that we spent what we predicted (we had saved more just in case too!) We also spent $515 on our passports, and I spend around $250 on gifts for family and friends. 

There's a huge caveat to our budget, and I don't want to give you the impression that this is the typical budget for 3 weeks in Denmark. We stayed almost entirely with my host families, which saved us a ton of kroner. We stayed in youth hostels for 4 nights, and the rest of the time we stayed with some of the most beautiful Danes you could imagine. Our groceries covered breakfasts and lunches while we were on the road or at summer houses, and we only ate out for 7 dinners. This was really lucky, because restaurant meals cost us almost $100 (although we did have several pizza nights which cost closer to $50).


While we weren't extravagant, we were able to travel generously and without undue worry. Knowing upfront that we had saved for a few expensive meals made them more palatable (although truly the best meals were made by my lovely host families...yummy!)


Although we saved the full budget, we also had a little wiggle room due to our typical family budget. For example, we usually spend $650-750 a month on groceries and dining out, so our vacation expenses weren't too much higher. We also saved $900 on preschool tuition by having our Big Guy end a month early before starting Kindergarten. 


In the end, I'm most satisfied that we were able to reach our family goal. The trip brought our family even closer together and created many fun stories and beautiful memories. But the part that Hubby didn't quite anticipate was how much he enjoyed getting to know all my host families and friends, and those relationships are worth everything!

How do you budget your family trips?

Do you account for costs that you would normally spend, like a grocery bill?

~*~*~*~*~*~ 
Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.

We are home from our dream vacation to Denmark, and finally over our collective jet lag (turns out to be a surreal family experience!). The kids were star travelers, and thankfully jet lag wasn't too bad on the way there.


It's hard to put the full 3 week trip into words, but we really had a fantastic time. I love Denmark so deeply, and loved sharing such a special place with my family. 


Most of all, I loved being together with all my host families again and seeing our families bond. When our kids weren't busy playing, they were busy entertaining us all.


We also soaked up Denmark's pastoral landscapes and all the amazing views of the sea. We were lucky enough to stay on three different fjords, and having water all around you is just so gorgeous. Hubby will tell you the weather was awful, and truthfully is was one of the worst August's on record, which meant that it was really more like a typical June (and unlike Oregon, the rain never lasted for more than an hour - not withstanding a day of thunderstorms). But we did have five beach days, and lots of sunny memories (minus a very wet walk to the tip of Denmark off Skagen, which still wasn't actually cold). 

I've posted even more family pics on our family blog - West Coast Cronin Clan. I'm also in the process of editing/posting to our online Picasa album. Even though the trip is over, it's wonderful have all the memories.


It was absolutely worth all the planning and saving! 


What would like to know or learn about Denmark?


~*~*~*~*~*~ 
Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.

Today we are flying off on our big family adventure to Denmark!! I'll have infrequent access to email while we are there, but I'll make sure to take lots of photos and I'll be back to blogging regularly in September. Enjoy the rest of your summer!


I knew that buying passports for a family was going to be more expensive than when I only had to pay for myself. But it was still spendier than I anticipated...I expected $400 tops, but here's the break down:


Adult passport renewal = $120
Adult passport replacement = $120, plus a $25 execution fee
Children's passport = $80 plus a $25 execution fee per child
Passport photos = $10 per person


Total passport fees for 4 = $515


Check the government site for current fees


Passports are really priceless though. On an inspiration note, my travel-hearted friend Kim wrote a inspiring blog post about the Power of a Passport. A passport is really your ticket to exploring this beautiful blue ball called planet Earth. Our Big Guy may only be 5, but he was the first to get his passport in the mail, and he looked at it in awe for the longest time. While the photo here is pretty goofy, in his passport pic he was very serious, seeming to know that this photo would forever immortalize him as a traveler. And it's crazy how Girly has already lost much of her baby face in the past six months since we first took our photos. It inspires me to dream of where we may travel together as they grow...


Practical tips:
Unless you are very near your travel date, it's advised to never pay for the expedited passport services, since typically they are finished in about 3 weeks (rather than the 6 weeks they promise). So unless your trip is just a month away, don't bother, but better yet send everything off a few months in advance to save yourself the stress.


Keep in mind that kids that you need to have both parents and the child present in order to submit the application. The passport office in Portland has limited hours (City Hall mid-day on limited days, FYI), so the first time we went without Girly, figuring that nap through her first passport application. But we had to return the next week instead.


Also, our other lesson was that it turned out that Hubby had to get a passport replacement, which added a $25 fee. It turned out that he hadn't seen his passport since our trip to Canada two years ago (very likely in our basement somewhere...). Thankfully he found his previous passport, so the application process wasn't a complete hassle. Plus, his was set to expire anyway so the $110 fee didn't hurt quite as much. We definitely plan on having a home for all our passports when we return so that we'll never have to be in search of them.


OK, so I also have to fess up and say there was one more lesson...I filled out my first application in pencil... I figured that I didn't want to mess it up! A big no-no, so it got delayed by about a month. So, I was really glad that I sent it in 2 1/2 months before our departure...but still a few weeks ago I was starting to get a little worried! 


Now I'm content with photocopies of all four in hand, plus some Danish Kroner!


Is your family ready to travel abroad?
Is travel a priority/value of yours?


~*~*~*~*~*~ 
Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.

Travel light. 
Live light. 
Spread the light. 
Be the light.


This is the mantra I'm trying to keep in mind while packing for our family trip to Denmark (quote was taped to a light switch at my Grandmother's!). While I obviously don't want to forget anything essential, I also don't want to schlep our crap half way across the globe due to a fear of scarcity.  


So we'll be taking one large roller bag, one small roller, kids' backpacks, Hubby's small backpack, a beach bag (overnight carry-on initially), and purse for me...oh, and a car seat and a booster seat...still debating about a stroller/carrier.

In order to pack efficiently, I splurged on Eagle Creek pack-it systems for each family member. My globe-trekking Twin Sis has sworn by them for years now, and I was glad to see they have some nice ones for dress clothes...no need to bring the shoulder-busting dress bag. I managed to buy them all on a 25% off sale at REI.


I also just bought Girly a sweet little owl backpack that she was ready for regardless of the trip (keeps stealing her brother's bag!) I had a handmade backpack very similar as a little girl, hand embroidered by my hippie mama with buckskin straps...sadly I'm not as crafty, but I do seem to find what I want online...


One of the bulkiest items we'll be packing is diapers and wipes. Unfortunately, Girly hasn't quite gone cold-turkey from diapers yet and they are expensive enough in Europe to make it worth our while to pack as many as possible.


Snacks will be another must for our kiddos. While I definitely plan on indoctrinating them in  delicious Danish food, I also know all too well the rate at which they mow through snacks. I'm planning to bring lots of fruit leathers and enough snacks to get us across the globe and well-settled before we venture into foreign snack territory...figuring that good old-fashioned fruit will be the perennial snack.


While I'm approaching the whole packing thing with simplicity, I'm also going to be pretty systematic. So, I'll share my final pack list once we return from Europe for any of you who want to copycat for your next family trip.


What gear does your family travel with?


~*~*~*~*~*~ 
Sustainable Family Finances 
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.