The cost of raising a child

Just want to share this one, it was forwarded to me...


The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college
tuition.For those with kids, that figure leads to wild fantasies about all the money we could have banked if not for your child.

For others, that number might confirm the decision to remain childless. But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into $8,896.66 a year, $741.38 a month, or $171.08 a week.That's a
mere $24.44 a day! Just over a dollar an hour. Still, you might think the best financial advice says don't have children if you want to be "rich". It is just the opposite.

So, what DO you get for your $160,140?

> Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
> Glimpses of God everyday.
> Giggles under the covers every night.
> More love than your heart can hold.
> Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
> Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
> A hand to hold usually covered with jam.
> A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sandcastles, and skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.
>Someone to laugh yourself silly with no matter what the boss said or how poorly your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up.

> You get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide- and-seek, catch lightning bugs, and never stop believing in Santa Claus.
> You have an excuse to keep: reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney movies, and wishing on stars.
> You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck.

> You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, taking the training wheels off the bike, removing a splinter, filling a wading pool, coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.
> You get a front row seat to history to witness the first step, first word, first bra, first date, and first time behind the wheel.
> You get to be immortal.
> You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren.
> You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.
> In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God.
> You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they
will, like you, love without counting the cost.
Author Unknown

Our family is growing by two feet

It was one of those happiest feeling you won't easily forget....

June 28, 2012 came by and I still haven't got my period yet. I let one week passed thinking its just delayed but beginning to have some doubts because usually my period is regular.

July 8, 2012, finally got the chance to do some testing using a pregnancy kit. 2 dark pink lines!

July 9, 2012, contemplating on how to tell/surprise my hubby. I decided to announce the big news to hubby by saying it straight up.

July 10, 2012, I told my husband by giving the pregnancy test result to our little boy Migi and asked him to give it to his dadee.

July 14, 2012 through transvaginal ultrasound it was really confirmed that our family is growing by 2 feet.

Money Saving Tip: Reducing Electric Bill

It’s official! Summer is here already says Pagasa. Along with increased heat comes the increase in our electric bills. Today I used the Meralco Appliance Calculator (http://www.meralco.com.ph/mac) and here’s what I’ve discovered.

The biggest contributor to our household energy cost is our AIRCON which accounts for 25.69% of our total electric bill. It is followed by our ENTERTAINMENT appliances which accounts for 25% of the total bill then next comes our REFRIGERATOR which accounts for 17.7% of our bill.

Thus, below are some tips on how we can reduce our electric bill.

AIRCON

1. Keep the filters clean by cleaning it twice a month.
2. If your unit has a timer, set it off automatically three hours before you wake up.
3. Make sure your air conditioner is sized properly for your space.
4. Don’t place potential source of heat like television and lamps near the unit. This will cause the aircon to run longer.

ENTERTAINMENT

1. Unplug entertainment appliance when not in use. These are electrical vampires that uses electricity merely by being plugged into the wall.
2. Easiest way to save energy with TV is turn it off.

REFRIGERATOR

1. Defrost when the ice becomes more than 1/4 inch thick.
2. Place it at least 4 inches away from the wall so as not to overwork the motor.
3. Don’t place warm food inside.
4. Refrain from frequent opening of the door.
5. Thaw frozen food inside the refrigerator and not in the counter. It will help cool the refrigerator.