Surprise Kiss

Archive for the ‘Money/Budget/Saving’ Category

With so many people out of work and having trouble making their mortgage payments I wanted to let you know about an article on CNN.com. It is written by Tami Luhby. She explains how people can apply for a new government loan by the end of the year. There are some specifications so please take the time to read the article.

Emergency Homeowners Loan Program

Since money is one of the main reasons people get divorced I wanted to make sure you were aware of this program. I know how stressful it can be when you don’t know where your next dollar is coming from. Hope this helps people who are in need during this economic downturn.

Don’t let money problems end your marriage. Work together and come to an agreement on how you will spend and save your money. When you agree on money as a couple your marriage is more likely to be strong.

*Don’t forget to pickup the items I wrote about on Sept 29th called “Spice Up Your Holidays” for a very romantic Halloween and Christmas!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

Did you know money is the number one reason for arguments in the first ten years of a marriage? And 30% of marriages end in divorce over money issues. This is huge!

Over the weekend a young friend, who has been living with her sweetheart for a year, emailed me that they didn’t agree how their money should be spent. They are in debt and she is trying to pay everything off and he is trying to help his father financially as much as he can even if it means he is late with his car payment. I sent her some ways to work around the issue and the importance of being open with him by sitting down and showing him where all their money is going to. Without a full understanding of where your money is going how can you both make an intelligent decision about how to spend your money?

Yesterday Natalie Morales on the Today Show interviewed Psychologist and Health Contributor to Women’s Health Magazine Michelle Callahan about speaking the same financial language. I thought you could benefit from watching the video. Michelle had a lot of sound advice for couples.

Speak the Same Financial Language

Whether you have been married for one year or forty years you should make it a point to review your financial situation together at least once a month. Things change and implementing some of the things Michelle was telling Natalie about will help you to make good financial decisions and keep your marriage strong.

If you don’t have a sound financial relationship how can you have a marriage that is open and loving? Sparks will be flying when one of you finds out your finances are in trouble. The only kind of sparks here at SurpriseKiss.com I want you both to have are the loving physical kind toward each other. 

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

Ok, you have saved enough money to fly someplace with your sweetheart. And I know you want to arrive to your destination ready to enjoy each other and the area you have chosen. Here are a few tips that might help you.

Chose the right flight. Try to take the first or second flight. Flights after 9 AM are when most delays begin. Try to fly midweek. Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday is usually the least busy.

Get a paper ticket. Even though airlines like to you get an electronic ticket get a paper ticket. If there is a problem with your flight a paper ticket may be needed to get another flight.

What you need to know before you go. Go to www.tsa.gov. This site will give you the information you need to know before you go on your trip. Click on “For Travelers” Here is some of the information on this site:

• New security rules when traveling in the US
• Food & gifts
• How to get through the line faster
• Liquid rules
• Acceptable identification at checkpoints
• Prohibited items

There is additional information on this site. Check it out.

Were comfortable clothes. Don’t wear tight clothing. You want to be comfortable. There is nothing worst than sitting on plane and being uncomfortable. Ladies, on the day you fly don’t wear an underwire bra with security equipment more sensitive you may beep because of metal tucked away underneath.

Your fight has been cancelled. Don’t go to the customer-service line. Call the airline. You can get a seat on the next flight while everyone else is still waiting in line.

Plan ahead when traveling by plane and you will be hassle free and ready to enjoy the alone time you both have been planning for. Romance and relaxation!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

Have you seen the Disney movie “Up” yet? If you haven’t watch it go out and rent it this weekend and watch it with your family. If it weren’t for our granddaughter Larry and I wouldn’t have bothered to watch it.

Up is a cute movie about an elderly man and his dreams of adventure. When he was a little boy he read about the adventures of his favorite explorer and wanted to be just like him when he grew up. He met a girl who had the same dreams. He married her and they saved for their big adventure, but like you and me life got in the way and their savings went to pay for the unexpected things in life. You know new tires, illness, doctor bills, home repairs, etc. Before they knew it, they were too old and they had let life pass them by. But at 78, after his wife had died, he takes a wild journey with an 8 year old boy scout. They fight the bad guys and out of this world beasts. This movie is funny, heartwarming and thrown in with lots of adventure.

While I was watching it I was thinking about how many of us do exactly what the Fredricksen’s do. We save and save and then the unexpected happens. The refrigerator breaks down or one of the kids gets sick and the money we have saved for our anniversary needs to be used. I have to admit I have been known to dip into my savings to pay cash for the unexpected, which of course means not enough money to go away. Through the years I have learned to put additional money away in a separate account for life’s unexpected little disasters and still have the money we need to have our romantic rendezvous on our anniversary.

What I hope you find is as you save your $5 a week and see how easy it is to live on $5 less every week you will start to put aside addition money for those little unexpected things in life that happen to all of us. Open up an extra savings account and start to put $5 a week in there for those unexpected little disasters. It took me a while to figure out I needed to put more money away because I didn’t want to dip into my anniversary savings. Now I have my emergency fund.

Plan your adventures and don’t let the unexpected things in life stop you. Have an emergency fund so you won’t have to dip into your anniversary fund.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

Every week you are reminded to save your $5.00 a week and at the end of the year you will have saved $260.00 so that you can stay at a very nice hotel or inn. When I talk to people about staying at an expensive hotel or inn what I hear most of the time is the comment that they would prefer to stay at a less expensive hotel because they hardly spend anytime in the room. I cringe when I hear this comment because we are talking about having a romantic rendezvous on your anniversary. For those who have never stayed at a higher end hotel or inn let me explain the difference.

Budget Hotels

The rooms are very basic, nothing fancy. I’m sorry but I want you to have something special to remember. It’s your anniversary after all! It is the date you got married and you should make it special. The beds are usually very cheap and uncomfortable. Who wants to be romantic in an uncomfortable bed and then wake up with a back ache in the morning? They have very inexpensive bedding, it is thin and the sheets are rough. O, ya just what you want when you are lying naked. Towels are cheap, small and very thin. Getting completely dry is a problem. Do you want to go to bed wet? The walls are thin and you can usually hear people in the other room talking or watching TV late at night or God forbid, doing the deed when you and your spouse should be. If you can hear people next door, do you want the people next door to hear you when you and your spouse are in the throws of your romantic evening? Get the idea?

Expensive Hotels

The rooms are usually well decorated. What a way to honor the special day you got married on. You are celebrating your commitment to each other. Shouldn’t that be treated extra special? The beds are comfortable. No back aches when you wake up, just bliss! Their bedding is well appointed and is thick with extra bed pillows and the sheets are of higher count which makes them very soft. Your bare bodies will say thank you. Towels are thick, large and soft. You body will be dry and cozy. The radio typically has an iPod connection so you can play your favorite romantic music. Ah! Romance and music, nothing goes better. The walls are well insulated and there is no noise coming from next door. You will have a quiet romantic evening. When you walk into the room you both will be singing “Let’s get it on….!”

Like always please, research online before you make reservations at a hotel or inn. What are the reviews for a particular hotel or inn you are planning on staying at? One place you could look at is Trip Advisor. Also, ask friends and family where they like to stay and why?  Like anything “Buyer Beware Before You Stay.”

Make it a point to stay at a hotel or inn that cost a little more than you usually pay. Your marriage is worth it! It will have that afterglow weeks later and be saying thank you for such a special anniversary.

*Don’t forget to get the items I mentioned you needed for Valentines Day in my blog on “Are You Ready.” You will be told what to do with the second set of items on February 12th. If you liked my Christmas idea you will like this one!

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2010, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.

Yesterday you learned about my favorite website, TripAdvisor.com. This is the website I to refer to before I go on a trip. Today you will see how it works. I choose Portland, OR for a romantic getaway. The hotel I chose to compare was rated number 1 by popularity on this site. Out of 5 stars it got 4 ½ stars. There were 84 reviews and 65 reviews rated the hotel excellent. Here is the breakdown on how TripAdvisor.com showed me the differences in rates for this particular hotel. You will be very surprised at how varied the price can be.

Date: 11/7/2009 through 11/8/2009

Hotel: RiverPlace Hotel, Portland OR

Room Type: Deluxe King, City or Courtyard view, Featherborne Bed

• Hotels.com  $122.10
• Orbitz.com  $160.64
• Priceline.com  $169.00
• Expedia.com  $122.10
• Travelocity.com $149.40
• PerfectEscapes.com $144.00

As you can see the difference in price can vary as much as $46.90. Please be aware these prices do not include tax and parking fees.

Also on the left side of the hotel information you can find out what to do in Portland. See the list below:

• Travel Guide
• Things to Do
• Restaurants
• Map

TripAdvisor.com is a great place to refer to for a one stop shop for the best prices on hotels reviewed by people like you and me. TripAdvisor.com will help you find that perfect hotel for your perfect romance.

Keep those sparks flying!
JoJo

© 2009 – 2012, Surprise Kiss. All rights reserved.