I am NOT a financial expert — just a really cheap Dutch woman!
And even though we use a credit card for almost EVERY SINGLE thing we purchase, I am 100% against credit card debt… and I’ve never once paid any interest, late fees, finance charges etc. It’s how my parents taught me and it what makes sense for Dave and me.
However, I’m not 100% against any debt at all.
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Again, I’m not a financial expert, but I’ve talked with enough bankers, accountants, investment agencies, and other financially savvy people to know that some debt CAN be good debt!
I know it sounds crazy to think there could be such a thing as “good debt”, but without any debt at all, it’s very difficult to have a credit history or a credit report. And without a credit report, you will probably have a difficult time if you ever needed to take out a loan or open a credit card — especially now days when banks are really cracking down.
What Debt is Good Debt?
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1. Having a credit card balance and paying it off IN FULL at the end of each month.
As I mentioned before, I’m 100% against credit card debt, however our credit card ALWAYS has some sort of balance from that current month. And even though we pay the balance IN FULL at the end of each month {and never pay any interest or fees} it is still considered a “debt” during that specific month because we own money that we haven’t paid yet.
And as long as you pay your balance in full each month, this type of debt actually looks really good on your credit report because it shows you are responsible and pay off your debt right away.
2. Student Loans:
Oh don’t even get me started on students loans!!! These were one of the debts we diligently worked to pay off — thanks to our Before Baby Bucket List. And even though I just hated having this debt, I was told that student loans are actually a good debt to have.
They usually have very low interest rates {mine were around 3% and Dave’s were actually at 0% because he was getting his masters}. They also show that you’ve participated in higher education which will hopefully prepare you for a higher paying job… and allow you to pay the loans off quicker.
3. Mortgage Loan:
I would say that FOR THE MOST PART, mortgage loans are classified as good debt because your home is probably your most valuable asset and it SHOULD continue to appreciate in value over time.
However, we all know how awful the housing market is right now and if you took out a mortgage for way more than you can handle, it might NOT be considered good debt anymore.
4. Small Loans that are quickly repaid:
There may be times, either for business or personal reasons, that you just have to take out a small loan. And even though it might be considered bad debt initially; if you pay it off quickly, it could actually help your credit report by showing how responsible you are with paying off debt.
What if You Have Bad Debt?
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I’ve been told that even if you have “bad debt” like a car loan, unpaid credit card debt, etc. it still might not hurt your credit report as long as you are making regular payments and decreasing the over-all debt amount each month.
So that’s just something to keep in mind as well!
There is SO much more information I could share on this topic, but since I’m not a financial expert, I don’t feel like I should. However, as the holiday season continues to inch closer… and as you are tempted to buy “one more thing” for everyone on your list… just keep asking yourself if it’s worth getting into “bad debt” or not.
I would say that 99% of the time it’s NOT!
What are your thoughts on good debt and bad debt?
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Every year, as I make my Christmas gift list and search for great bargins on creative Christmas gifts, I always start thinking about all the DIFFERENT ways people handle “gift giving”.
Even in just our immediate and extended families, Dave and I have 7 or more different ways of gift-giving. Most of them don’t require a huge time or financial investment, and all of these different ways are an opportunity to spend fun holiday memories with family and friends.
How We Do Christmas Gifts?
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I know every family and group has different gift-giving traditions, so I thought I would first share a few of the different ways my family and extended family handles Christmas gifts… but then I’d love to know how you do it too!
My Mom’s Side of the Family = $2 gift-trading game.
My mom has a very big family and my grandparents currently have 29 grandchildren/spouses and 4 1/2 great grandchildren {5 when ours decides to arrives!} There are also various “significant others” that are at our holiday party each year – so it would be impossible buy a gift for every single aunt, uncle, cousin, etc!
So what we’ve been doing as far as Christmas gifts is to have a few people in charge of finding great deals on different items {usually we can get many things for free} and then everyone chips in $2 to cover the cost. We play some type of game with female gifts and then with the male gifts and each time a person goes to the middle and unwraps their gift, they can either keep it or trade with someone else.
However, once a gift is traded 2 times, it’s done and can’t be traded any more.
This game is a fun way to interact, spend time with family, and get a few nice things without having to spend much money. It’s great for our very large group.
My Dad’s Side of the Family = gifts until you’re married.
My dad’s side of the family is MUCH smaller than my mom’s so all the kids {cousins} got a gift from everyone until they were married… then they were “cut off”!
My grandma always gave all the married cousins and aunts/uncles money, but the unmarried grand-kids and great grand-kids got gifts.
My Immediate Family = gifts for everyone.
Since my immediate family is just my mom, dad, 2 sisters, and sister’s fiance, it’s really not that big of a deal to buy a gift for everyone. We don’t go overboard and usually go in together for my parent’s gifts.
Also, growing up, we always got to open one present before church on Christmas morning… and then we waited until later on Christmas evening to open the rest.
Dave’s Immediate Family = name draw.
Since Dave’s immediate family has grown quite a bit over the last few years, we finally decided to switch over to the name drawing method.
We will pick names over Thanksgiving weekend and set a budget. Then every person will only have to buy one gift. We’ll still all get his parents something, and his parents will get us all something, but I’m thinking the name draw will really help to simplify my holiday shopping this year!
Dave’s Extended Family = nothing.
Almost all of Dave’s relatives live in another state so we rarely see them on Christmas. And even though it would be fun to get together with them, it’s kind of nice not to have those extra gifts to buy each year!
Friends = gag gifts of homemade food gifts.
We still get together with a group of college friends each Christmas — for an “ugly sweater party”. And while we don’t have any traditional plan for gifts, we usually end up doing some type of gag gift or we bring food gifts for everyone.
It usually doesn’t cost much, but is still a fun way to give a little holiday cheer to our friends.
Our New Little Family = gifts for everyone!
This is the very first year we will be celebrating Christmas as our very own family! Since the baby will be here by then, and our two international students will not be going home for Christmas, we’ll have to start our own brand new tradition!
This will also be the very first year {ever} that we don’t have any parties on Christmas Day, so we are currently planning to spend a somewhat relaxed day at home and open presents after church in the morning.
I’m still not sure if I’ll have stocking for everyone yet… we’ll see!
So what about you and all your many different holiday parties…
How do YOU Do Christmas Gifts?
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One of my favorite hobbies is to paint and distress furniture — which is interesting, because it’s not something I EVER saw my parents do, and I honestly wouldn’t even consider myself to be overly creative or crafty.
However, my desire for “old farmhouse style” on a very limited budget forced me to get creative and start making my own “distressed furniture” from cheapy Craigslist finds!
And over the past five years, I’ve become a much better painter, learned many new techniques, and figured out how to REALLY streamline and simplify the whole process — betcha that doesn’t surprise you though 
Here are 3 of my favorite SIMPLE furniture distressing techniques:
1. Stain/Glaze Technique: used on green armoire
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I found this armoire on Craigslist and I immediately snatched it up. Yes, I know it’s ugly and made out of particle board, but it was only $20 and I was able to transform it into a make-shift mudroom!
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Clean the wood/board with denatured alcohol to remove any oil, grease, and dirt.
2. Remove doors, hinges, knobs, etc.
3. Paint 2 coats of whatever color you want the cabinet to be. Let Dry!
4. Use an old rag or t shirt to rub a dark brown stain or glaze over the paint
5. Make sure you really work the stain or glaze in with a “random” motion so it doesn’t look too perfect.
NOTE: If you use glaze, it will probably “harden up” quite quickly and then you’re finished. However, if you use stain, it will NOT soak in and will become very sticky. Once it gets sticky, move onto the next step.
6. Use a foam brush to apply one or two coats of polyurethane directly over the sticky stain {The stain will not soak into the paint so unless you do the polyurethane over top, your furniture will stay sticky!}
You can see the difference before {left} and after the glaze. I love the deeper green color after the glaze!
TOTAL TIME:
About 3 hours plus drying time.
2. Dry Brush Technique: used on our changing table
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This was another fantastic Craigslist find. It’s an absolutely gorgeous, solid wood, Bassett dresser, and I loved everything about it… except the stain {very yellowy and NOT my style at all.}
However the structure was great, I loved the chunky wooden knobs, and it was literally the perfect size for our nursery — so I painted it red and then distressed it!
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Clean the wood/board with denatured alcohol to remove any oil, grease, and dirt.
2. Remove drawers, knobs, etc.
3. Paint 2 coats of your “base color” {mine was red}. Let Dry!
4. Use a VERY dry brush and get a VERY small amount of white or lighter colored paint on the tips of the bristles.
5. With a light “stroking” motion, quickly and gently “dry-brush” the white paint over the base color… always going in the same direction.
6. While the white paint is still a little damp, you can go over it with a steal wool to get an even more distressed look… or just leave it “as is”.
TOTAL TIME:
About 2 hours plus drying time.
3. Steal Wool Technique: used on our nightstand
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Sorry, I don’t have any “before” pictures of this one!
This nightstand is another solid wood piece I snatched up for only $10 on Craigslist — and it was already stained a really, really deep brown. I loved the stain color but wanted to lighten it up a bit so it didn’t blend in with our floors.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Clean the wood/board with denatured alcohol to remove any oil, grease, and dirt.
2. Remove drawers, knobs, etc.
3. Choose a contrasting paint color — if your furniture is a light stain, then choose a dark paint. If it’s a dark stain, choose a lighter paint.
4. Paint 2 coats of paint over the entire piece {I obviously left the top unpainted but that was just my choice}.
5. Wait until the paint is ALMOST DRY and then use a piece of steal wool to gently rub off the paint on the corners, around the handles, or anywhere else you want to look distressed.
I used the same technique on this night stand too.
TOTAL TIME:
About 30 minutes plus drying time.
The Materials I Use:
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I almost always use Behr paint from Home Depot — and I ALWAYS stock up on Labor Day and Memorial Day because they have great rebates at that time. You can just purchase a bunch of un-tinted paint and then when you’re ready to paint something, go back to the store and have it tinted.
I use semi-gloss or satin for all my furniture projects, and rarely waste the money for primer!
I use whatever brushes and rollers I can get free after rebate from Menards — and I’ve never had any issues! I do always look for the 2″ angled brushes for furniture though.
For furniture, I use these 4″ foam rollers because they allow me to get into tight places, and they leave a really smooth finish.
And as you can see, I don’t spend a lot of money on paint trays and buckets — just simple paper plates and disposable food containers!
See, I told you it was simple!
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I know a lot of people are intimidated by painting anything… let alone furniture. But I want to assure you that you can do this!
Just find a piece of furniture for super cheap at a thrift store or on Craigslist and give it a try. If you totally fail, you haven’t wasted much except your time. And I guarantee you’ll get better with every piece you paint!
Have you ever tried painting furniture?
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A few weeks ago, I talked about how I organize my purse clutter — and featured a bunch of really cool organizing tools from Invite L that I just KNEW you would love…
Well, today {as promised} I’m going to be giving away those same organizing products — just in time for the holidays!!! yay!
And just because I want to give you one more opportunity to drool over these gorgeous products, here are a few pictures of the items that will be included in today’s giveaway!
Felt Bag-in-Bag:
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I’ve been using the green Felt Bag-in-Bag for the past month now, both inside other larger bags and all on its own. And no mater where I bring it, I always get loads of compliments from friends, family, and complete strangers.
It’s just such an attractive bag… that also happens to be super functional!
Dual Bag-in-Bag:
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Seriously — do you know how much stuff the Dual Bag-in-Bag can store and organize!! And it’s SO small!
It also fits perfectly in our diaper bag with plenty of extra room for baby things!
The Agenda: my new favorite planner!
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Invite L. has a huge selection of planners and agendas that are totally customizable!
I’m currently using their Agenda, which allows me to start on any day of the year and organize each day, week, month, and year! I love that there is PLENTY of room to write out the activities for every single day and extra room for notes, or all my to-dos at the bottom.
I’ve used many planners, and so far, this one is my favorite!
Colorful Masking Tape:
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I’m seriously SOOOO excited to use some of this tape for wrapping holiday gifts!
The Giveaway:
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Today, one lucky Simple Organized Living reader will win an Invite L. Prize Pack that includes:
- One Bag-in-Bag {your choice}
- One Agenda Planner
- One Set of 3 Decorative Masking Tapes
A second reader will win:
- One Bag-in-Bag {your choice}
Finally, TEN readers will win:
- $5 gift card to use on any of the Invite L. organizing products!
How to Enter:
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1. Leave a comment. What would YOU use the Bag-in-Bag for?
2. Like Simple Organized Living on Facebook, and then leave a separate comment letting me know you did {or that you do already}.
If you are reading this in your email or feed reader, please visit the actual blog post to enter. Email entries, Facebook comments, and Twitter messages will NOT be counted.
Prizes:
(1) Invite L. prize pack as described above.
(1) Invite L. Bag-in-Bag
(10) Invite L. $5 gift cards
This giveaway ends at 10:00 pm on Monday, 11/14/2011 and is open to all U.S. residents 18 years or older. I will use And the Winner Is to select the winning comments at random. Winners will be notified by email and noted at the top of this post. Winners must respond within 48 hours of notification to claim their prize or I will choose a new winner. Please see my full disclosure policy and contact me with any questions you have. Good luck!
I love hot chocolate and can be “forced” to drink it in almost any climate — even if I’m not cold! However, I don’t love paying top dollar for it at fancy coffee places and restaurants. I also don’t really like the “cheaper tasting” watered down hot chocolate packets from the store.
So thankfully, my mom always made her own homemade hot chocolate mix… and shared her really easy recipe with me {it only has 4 ingredients}!
The ingredients are SO simple, and even just one batch will probably make enough for an entire winter of sipping delight. However, I often make at least 2 batches because I give it away as gifts over the holiday season and throughout the winter months.
My only TWO recommendation before you get started are:
1. Make sure you have a VERY LARGE container to mix the ingredients in — and it would be nice if that container had a tight-fitting lid.
2. If you want to make a double or triple batch, make it as 2 or 3 single batches instead of one massive batch because I can almost guarantee you won’t have a bowl or container big enough to hold all the ingredients at one time — yes, I know this from experience
Other than those “words of caution” this recipe is extremely simple, straight forward, and nearly impossible to mess up… I promise!
Recipe for 1 Large Batch of Hot Chocolate Mix:
Ingredients:
- 24 oz. box of dry/powdered milk
- 1 c. non-dairy creamer {you could also use a flavored creamer for something different}
- 2 c. powdered sugar
- 16 oz. instant chocolate drink mix {I used Nestle because it was on sale!}
- whipped topping, marshmallows, and chocolate chips {optional}
Directions to make the dried mix:
- Mix all ingredients in a VERY large bowl or storage container with a tight-fitting lid
- Shake the container until all the ingredients are well mixed {you could stir it, but it gets quite “dusty” with all the powdery ingredients}
- Store in an air-tight container or zip-top bag in your pantry or freezer. It should stay good for a very long time.
- Dump about 1/3 c. of dried mix into the bottom of a coffee mug
- Add 1 c. boiling water and stir
- Top with whipped cream, marshmallows, cinnamon, chocolate chips, caramel, or any other favorite toppings
This is MY all-time favorite hot chocolate recipe, but I know there are many other variations out there.
Make your favorite one, and then package it up as fun Christmas gift, hostess gift, teacher gift, or for anyone else on your gift list this year! Just make sure to include the mixing instructions.
I just love giving homemade food gifts, and as you can see by the photos above, this hot chocolate mix is a REALLY easy gift to package up and it looks great no matter how you do it. Just please DO NOT include a mug… no one needs another mug to clutter up their kitchen!!
Here are a few of my gift packaging ideas:
- Layer the hot chocolate mix, chocolate chips and marshmallows in a small mason jar
- Put the hot chocolate mix in a zip top bag and then put inside an oatmeal canister or a small gift bag
- Decorate empty coffee containers and then fill with hot chocolate mix
- Layer hot chocolate mix, candies, and marshmallows in clear cellophane bags
Seriously, the possibilities are endless!
And if you’re looking for more money-saving uses for dried milk, I have a bunch listed over here… along with a fun FREE printable!
Once I have all my hot chocolate gifts packaged up, then I take whatever is left over {usually a ton} and divide it up into smaller disposable containers I have on hand. I clearly label each container and keep a couple in our pantry and the rest go into our freezer for the rest of the winter!
What’s your favorite way to drink hot chocolate?
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Make sure to visit the Simple Organized Living Recipe Box for lots more simple, delicious, family friendly, budget conscious recipe ideas!
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I SO need to learn all of this!
