Welcome leomom and faith... how exciting to have two preggy mamas on the thread!
As far as charitable deductions, my understanding is that it needs to add up to a certain amount for it to count because then you will do your deductions as itemized, rather than taking the standard deduc. you cant take both. So, add up all of your deductions and see if they will beat the standard. If they do- great, but if now, just take the regular. You'll get the child credit too this year, so don't forget that. Anyone else who knows more about this or differently, feel free to chime in .
As far as the last few steps in YMOYL Faith (congratulations by the way- that is really, really inspiring to me as we are right in the beginning of this) I think it might come down to what you value more. Personally, I would take the land and acreage any day. You can always find ways to scape up more money or save later to offset maybe. Personally, I'd rather retire a little later on a bit more land, than early and be renting or not someplace i want to be spending my now free time. anyone else?
Dh and I are talking about ways to get a rental income w/o buying another piece of property. Our house does not have a garage, so we are thinking about looking into the cost of a modular garage with an apartment up top. We could rent out the apt. in the summer for probably $800 a week! that would be sooooo amazing. Then in the winter months probably only $600 a month, but that's 1/2 our mortgage; the summer income would more than pay our property taxes for the year plus a great cushion. Its motivating to continue paying off our debt so we can think about tapping onto equity on the house to do that. Though it would mean borrowing against hte house, I think in the long term, its a wise investment.
Did my weekly shopping today. *still* going over 100! It was only $2 today, so I felt better. Maybe if I decrease by $2 each week, i'll finally make it...lol.
As far as charitable deductions, my understanding is that it needs to add up to a certain amount for it to count because then you will do your deductions as itemized, rather than taking the standard deduc. you cant take both. So, add up all of your deductions and see if they will beat the standard. If they do- great, but if now, just take the regular. You'll get the child credit too this year, so don't forget that. Anyone else who knows more about this or differently, feel free to chime in .
As far as the last few steps in YMOYL Faith (congratulations by the way- that is really, really inspiring to me as we are right in the beginning of this) I think it might come down to what you value more. Personally, I would take the land and acreage any day. You can always find ways to scape up more money or save later to offset maybe. Personally, I'd rather retire a little later on a bit more land, than early and be renting or not someplace i want to be spending my now free time. anyone else?
Dh and I are talking about ways to get a rental income w/o buying another piece of property. Our house does not have a garage, so we are thinking about looking into the cost of a modular garage with an apartment up top. We could rent out the apt. in the summer for probably $800 a week! that would be sooooo amazing. Then in the winter months probably only $600 a month, but that's 1/2 our mortgage; the summer income would more than pay our property taxes for the year plus a great cushion. Its motivating to continue paying off our debt so we can think about tapping onto equity on the house to do that. Though it would mean borrowing against hte house, I think in the long term, its a wise investment.
Did my weekly shopping today. *still* going over 100! It was only $2 today, so I felt better. Maybe if I decrease by $2 each week, i'll finally make it...lol.
.
I haven't been able to stay in my grocery budget yet. I keep trying.
With the extra birth expenses, my car breaking down, and just plain out needing to get some things now that we aren't poor anymore (like our own washer and dryer!), we decided to jump off the budget for a month. But in October it is back to bussiness.
:
Way to go! 
: We will have to heat it but thats still not going to be as much as what we payed before just in rent and he was going up too!
