I know there are others here who feel like they and their families are on completely different pages moneywise, but sometimes I just dont know how to handle things as they come up.

Every spare cent - my allowance, my half.com money - for the past 2 months has been going straight towards being able to go to Anchorage and have the baby. I havent even been putting MY OWN MONEY into my personal savings account, because Im worried about no having enough.

Which is fine, as it is, my money, and my choice.

But then, when my husband mentions that - due to the afterschool tutoring program he is currently running, he's already made about $260 this WEEK, and is going to buy a Wii with it - why does this bother me so much?

It is, in fact, his money, his choice. i KNOW that. I do.

And thats probably why I just twitched a little and told him I wasnt entirely comfortable with that.

He got an Xbox360 for Christmas, half from me, half from his parents. He bought several games for it. He used his allowance for the NEXT several months (note: next, not last) to buy the Windows Vista upgrade. He just got us an AeroGarden (this is why I shouldnt go out of town and leave him on his own. Infomercials!). And most of this was from HIS account - which we also have to pay bills out of.

We are still very very close to maxed out on four out of five credit cards - mostly maxed while he was in school full time, and I was working a lower paying job. And the other maxed to move us to Alaska in the first place.

We are making a very good wage up here, and we COULD afford it, especially with this tutoring job. He's right, he's worked alot, and the Wii isnt as expensive as the other systems, so he probably could easily buy it with his paychecks from the tutoring.

But it just feels like we are on completely different pages. And no matter how much we talk about it, I get frustrated, because I feel like he isnt hearing or understanding my concerns.

Any advice?

Well..not really, but attempting to save as much money as possible while having kids!

Im due in May, and really, we dont have that much more that we NEED for the baby.

We're cloth diapering, so that's some money at the outset. So far, though, through ebay, I think Ive gotten some pretty good deals. We're using Kissaluvs and bum!Genius diapers initially - and while we still need a few more of both, we have 12 b!G and 13 kissaluvs, as well as 7 diaper covers, which is at least enough to get us started. All of that, including shipping, was about $285, and we can use those throughout diapering.

We're very lucky that both sides of the family are RIDICULOUSLY excited, as this is the very first grandchild for both, so they have gone a bit overboard with clothes and supplies. We've been given a crib, bouncy seat, car seat and stroller, baby bath..all kinds of things.

We still need a pack and play for the kiddo to sleep in while in Anchorage and then Georgia, and we still need fun exciting things like a breast pump. Bleh.

But, overall, we really havent had to spend much out of pocket at all - except for medical bills and little things we just wanted to buy for the fun of it..

I think this baby thing might just work!

We finally found a place to live in Anchorage!

We're only leasing it for 2 months, because all we need is a place for mom and I to stay before I have the baby, and then a place for mom and I and the baby to stay until we get the all clear for both of us to travel.

And this place sounds GREAT. Its fully furnished, corporate (so everything like towels and dishes come with), weekly maid service (!), highspeed wireless, cable, phone, garage - for $1200 a month.

Which is EXTREMELY expensive.

But, its a 2 bedroom, and its less than 5 minutes from the hospital where my doctor's office is, and where im going to be giving birth.

Plus, I LOOKED at cheaper places, and either they had alot of stairs (and Im having enough trouble with stairs NOW), and/or they werent in good neighborhoods, or they were teeny.

Id rather live somewhere I feel comfortable and spend the money on it, then somewhere cheaper that makes me nervous.

Plus, the parents are footing half of the bill - and my mother is used to the high life. So, I dont think SHE would be comfortable in many of the cheaper places.

I looked at a one bedroom in the same neighborhood, and it was $1100! This is only $100 more a month, and it has TWO BEDROOMS. The other place told me they could probably "find a pull out cot."

Im not asking my mother to sleep on a cot for 2 months - especially not when she's coming all the way out here so I dont have to stay alone in a city while Im 9 months pregnant.

Old Navy -
Dec: $510
Jan: $445
Feb: $449
Now: $432
lim: $600

Chase -
Dec: $2886
Jan: $1374
Feb: $0
Now: $0
lim: $3000

REI -
Dec: $5073
Jan: $4873
Feb: $4819
Now: $4980 (*sigh*)
lim: $5000

Discover -
Dec: $6698
Jan: $6644
Feb: $6630
Now: $6623
lim: $6700

USAA -
Feb: $1475
Now: $1343
lim: $1500

TOTAL -
Dec: $15,167
Jan: $14,819
Feb: $13,373
Now: $13,378

I swear, everytime I go out of town, Brandus completely forgets how to use his OWN DEBIT CARD and uses a credit card. Im going to have to take them away..again!

February was a complicated month!

First, my computer died. Completely. Would barely turn on, and wouldnt fully boot before freezing. Fortunately, it's still under warrenty and I sent it back to Dell to get it fixed. I get it back on Monday. This doesnt sound like much of a budget buster until you realize that I track my budget ON THE COMPUTER.

So, tracking has fallen by the wayside, which means we spent more than we should have on stupid things, Im sure.

Then came an unexpected trip to the doctor when I was having a worrisome number of contractions, and so Brandus and I had to go in Anchorage (2 days after I got back!) to go to the hospital to get checked out. If I had been thinking at all (instead of being upset about having to make the trip and being very upset about how condescending the doctor was), I would have stayed and done my normal appointment a little early. As now I have to go again!

On top of that, I checked my credit card balances and minimum payments right before I paid them and discovered, to my surprise, that the REI card was over the limit!

Brandus had used it several times while I was in Anchorage the first time, but hadnt bothered to tell me!

Honestly, how is this a difficult concept?

The credit cards are still VERY CLOSE to the limit, except for the evil Chase card, which ISNT TO BE TOUCHED EVER. You have no money in your bank account. So, reason would say, "I shouldnt go to the store 4 days in a row and spend $20+ every trip."

Does that just make too much sense or something? AARGH!

I told him he owed me the $70 over the limit fees. Because there is no freaking reason why I should pay it. BECAUSE I KNOW BETTER THAN TO SPEND MONEY I DONT HAVE!

And Im all stressing out too, because in one month, I have to be in Anchorage until the baby comes, and we still dont have a place to live.

Not to mention that we are trying to decide which would be less hassle and difficulty for us and the cats - taking them to GA and then to CO and then back to AK, or boarding them in Anchorage. So, there's some more expenses. Plus, us getting to GA in the first place. Plus, baby stuff, even though we've got the basics. Plus, medical expenses.

I know it will all work out, especially because we have a little over $1000 saved for me going to Anchorage, the almost $1000 the insurance currently owes us, and the $1400 anticipated tax refund.

But, I like to plan, and I dont like not being able to go on and take care of this stuff!