Review of The Millionaire Next Door

The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fascinating book! The authors spent a lot of time researching millionaires and studying their lifestyles and habits. The bottom line I gleaned from it is to be frugal, don't live beyond your means. Instead of trying to live a perceived lifestyle of the "rich" invest, be content, and accumulate wealth. A lot of time was spent on emphasizing the benefits of not buying flashy, expensive cars or other expensive "toys".

Millionaires are those that take the time to plan out their financial goals, make good budgets, and invest wisely.

There wasn't a lot of time spent on the habit of giving in this book, which was disappointing. I know that one of my goals of becoming wealthy is to be able to give away and help others with my cash.

Definitely a good book to read and glean insights from.

View all my reviews

So What’s New with the Reagan’s???

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This poor little blog has been sorely neglected for quite a while now. Seems like neither of us has felt particularly inspired lately…. But we’ll try and change that. We both enjoy coming up with posts, but it seems that it has been put on the back burner for a while – now it’s time to just sit down and write!

So what’s new with us lately? Well, first big piece of news: JC’s “Proof of Permanent Residence” paperwork finally came in the mail! WOOHOO! He is all approved as a Permanent Resident in Canada. He just has to leave and then come back in through the border to “officially land” so that border services can do all their official stamping and signing and then he’s good. Then he can finally look for work and we can have dual incomes. Until I go on maternity leave for a year that is… but still, mat leave pay (in Alberta) is 55% of my normal salary for a whole year, which is still pretty awesome.

After much planning and trying to figure out logistics, we finally have a plan in motion to go down to Butte and get the rest of his stuff, and then he can “land” on the way back up. We leave Friday (tonight!!!), drive part of the way, crash at my parent’s place, then get up bright and early Saturday and finish the drive. We’ll then get to spend the next 48 hours madly sorting through boxes and boxes of his stuff, selling his car, doing some necessary banking, packing a U-Haul and a truck, and still finding some time to visit with JC’s parents. It’ll be a whirlwind trip, but it’ll feel so good to finally have all JC’s belongings here in our little duplex in Canada!

We’re very thankful for JC’s parents and their willingness to help with sorting and whatnot, and for allowing us to sleep in their spare room and eat their food. : ) We’re also very thankful that my Dad happened to have next Monday/Tuesday off, and that he and my Mom were more than willing to drive down in their truck and pull the U-Haul back up to Canada, plus let us ride with them. I am also thankful for the big cab on their truck, which will allow all 4 of us to ride fairly comfortably…. This is an especially big deal to the Prego! I like comfort!!! : )

Speaking of prego… I’m 19.5 weeks along now. Just about halfway there!!! So far this has been an easy-peasy pregnancy and for that I am very thankful. Some very slight nausea for the first trimester, but thanks to the awesome-ness that is ginger-ale, it never bothered me much at all. The slight nausea left completely around week 14 and I’ve been feeling awesome since. Having energy now feels so nice, however around 7:00 at night, I definitely crash big time. If I want to accomplish anything after work, I better do it right away or it doesn’t happen cause I’m half-asleep. It’s kind of funny – JC is a major Morning Zombie and I’m now the evening Prego Zombie.

Next Tuesday is ultrasound day! We’re hoping and praying that baby Peanut behaves and cooperates and allows the ultrasound tech to tell us what the gender is. : ) It totally doesn’t matter to me what the baby is... I just want to know!!! I am planner at heart and not knowing the gender is driving me nuts! How can I pick fabric and sew curtains without knowing to make them boy-ish or girl-ish??? How can I wash and fold an entire 3 month wardrobe of baby clothes and put it away in the dresser if I don’t know to go with pink or blue?!?!? The horror!!! : ) I’ve had a feeling the whole time that it’s a girl, but that is just a feeling and nothing more… but we’ll see. I do have a bet going though – if I’m right and it’s a girl, my friend Brittany owes me a cute baby girl outfit. However, if I’m wrong and it’s a boy, then she wins and I owe her a cute outfit for her baby girl. Frankly, either way I win… either I get a cute baby outfit or I get to go shopping for a cute baby outfit… oh darn! : )

We will be sharing what the gender is on facebook and also on here, but we’re not sharing our name choices… the name shall remain a secret from everyone until little Mr or little Miss makes his/her appearance! : ) But I can give you some background:

We’ve had many, many discussions over the past several months on what names we would like for our baby – boy or girl. First we had to decide if we should go with traditional family names or something brand new. While we both can appreciate the cool tradition of naming our baby after a family member, we both agreed that we wanted our baby to have their own name and identity, separate from Grandparents or Aunt or Uncle. Than decision firmly made, it then took a while a finally find a girl and a boy first name we both agreed on, let alone middle names. If I loved a name, JC vetoed it. If JC suggested a name, I made a yucky face. And on and on. Finally one day a month ago I spent an entire lunch time at work pouring through an online list of top 1000 boy and girl names. I came away with my top 5 favourites of each and brought home the list for JC. Luckily, he immediately really liked one name from each list! Phew! Since then we’ve gone around and around on middle names… but we had a bit of a breakthrough in our baby name decision earlier this week. I had a sudden inspiration for girl middle name while at work and when I told JC, we slightly modified it and both loved it. We felt inspired and then changed the boy middle name too. So I think we’re finally 99.9% happy with both names! Sheesh, I thought picking a name would be easier…. : )

Well, that is pretty much it for Reagan news. I promise we’ll be better at posting from now on!

Big News!!

If I had to count on my fingers, a post with the title of Big News would be any of the following: a move, a new job, building a house, buying a yacht, or a new baby.  I should make you all try to figure out what the big news is, but since a lot of people already know, it wouldn't be much fun.

So.  Prepare yourself. 

Brianna and I are having a BABY!  Yup, you read that correctly.  In mid-April we will be the proud parents of a bouncing baby!  We won't know the sex for awhile, but we do intend on finding out.

Brianna has started nesting.  She has already been scouring Kijiji for deals on used baby items.  Right after we found out, she discovered a full nursery set for a little under half price!  We made the trip to Red Deer and fit it all into our Caliber!  I was quite pleased and surprised that it all fit.  Advantages to having a hatchback.  Once we know if it's a boy or a girl, she'll be able to put her plans into action!

We told our parents right away.  It just happened that her parents were celebrating their anniversary the same day we found out.  We told them that night out at the lake and they were surprised and quite happy!  Then we told my parents over video chat.  I really wish we had recorded that, because their faces were priceless!  Then we worked our way out and have told the Facebook world.

It's quite exciting!  I've always wanted to be a Dad and I have a special place in my heart for kids, so now that I'm going to have one of my own, it makes me burst with joy!  Brianna is especially excited! This is something she has dreamed and asked for, for a long time.  She can't wait to meet our little Peanut!

We will be happy if it's a boy or a girl or even a Klingon, but our friends are almost all thinking it's a girl.  What do you think?  My desire is split, but I wouldn't mind having a little girl to take on daddy dates.

Anniversary trip

Better late then never - It's the anniversary post!!!

Tuesday, August 7th, JC and I got to celebrate our First Anniversary!!!   We had planned and saved for several months and budgeted enough to go to Jasper National Park for two days and celebrate together.  We had a slight hiccup in our plans, since we both ended up with really bad colds the weekend before (complete with nasty ear infection and pink eye for me – Yay!).  We were feeling much better by Tuesday, thanks to Tylenol Sinus, Buckley’s Cold and Sinus, and my lovely bottle of antibiotics pills and eye drops, but we still felt a little under the weather.  Nevertheless, we decided no mere cold would hold us back, so armed with endless supplies of Kleenex and cold meds, we got up early Tuesday morning and packed our stuff into the car and headed off for an adventure.  We were also armed with Timmies coffees, which I think helped a lot too.  The caffeine helped counteract the slight sleepiness the cold pills were giving me…   : )  

But before I continue, I should back up… that morning right after our alarms went off at 6:00, we exchanged anniversary gifts.  JC went all out for me. 

Hmm, slight back-up again… first… The night before he gave me a thumb drive that was filled with music for me to listen to at work, as well as nine short 2-3 minute videos of him on a number of subjects; everything from memories to plans of the future.  It was so sweet!  Yes, he made me cry… in a good way.  He also stuck a couple short videos of my nephew laughing like crazy while being pushed around in his wagon, which are always awesome.  

Ok, back to morning… I opened two small jewellery boxes.  In the first one I found a beautiful silver and agate necklace that JC’s Grandpa gave his Grandma, back when they were dating.  Apparently, his Grandma had given the necklace to JC’s Mom, Ruth, with instructions that it be given to JC to give to his bride someday.  Very sweet and very cool gift!  I love heirlooms!  The other jewellery box contained a beautiful pair of black agate earrings to match the necklace.  Totally awesome gifts!  My hubby is so sweet!  

Back to the trip.  The forecast had been for rain and cloudy skies all day for Rocky and Jasper, but with the slight exception of some cloud about an hour west of Rocky that lasted all of 15 minutes, it was clear skies for the whole drive.  The scenery was gorgeous, as always.  I absolutely LOVE driving through the National Parks.   The majesty and beauty of the Rocky Mountains are amazing to me.  

We got to Jasper around noon and enjoyed a nice picnic lunch at a cute day-use area at Pyramid Lake.  It was so quiet and serene… It started to cloud up then and we got into the car just in time to avoid a rain shower.   We decided to check out Maligne Canyon, Medicine Lake, and Maligne Lake, however due to a mudslide from all the rain they had recently, the road was blocked off just past the Canyon.  Oh well, the lakes will wait til next time.  The canyon was awesome though, as usual.  I love the mist from the falls and the sound of the crashing water.  It’s my favorite stop in Jasper.  

We went to check into our hotel then, only to find that they had booked us into a Standard Room with a queen size bed, instead of the King size we booked online.  Well, the manager looked around on the computer and said that all their King rooms were booked, however if we wanted, he would give us a full suite with a queen size bed for our troubles.  Yeah, we totally said Yes to that!   So, we got a really nice, spacious, one bedroom suite, complete with living room and kitchen/dining, for the price of our original standard room…. Twice the room for half the price.  I love it!  

We had searched online for a good restaurant to go to for dinner that night and had settled on The Pines, a nice restaurant out at Pyramid Lake.  The reviews online were all good and the menu sounded yummy.  Well, the reviews were bang-on.  The restaurant was nice and quiet, and we got a table right beside the windows so we could look out on the lake and enjoy the scenery.  The food was delicious, from our roasted garlic, warm Camembert cheese and crusty bread appetizer, to our two entrees of grilled halibut, risotto and green beans, and stuffed chicken breast, scalloped potatoes and grilled veggies, to our lovely dessert of chocolate cream cheese mousse between layers of rich chocolate cake, with whipped cream and berries.  It was all Y-U-M-M-Y!  Our server even gave us our dessert on the house, since it was our anniversary.  It was such a nice, romantic dinner and we both loved it.  

The next day we enjoyed the breakfast buffet and strolled through all the shops in the town site and did some shopping.  By noon, JC was feeling a bit sick again, so we decided to slowly wind our way home.  We stopped a couple times to take some photos of the mountains and enjoy the views.  Once out of the Park, we stopped at a cute little campground and had another picnic lunch, before heading home.  Nice little place by a creek… we plan on taking our tent there next summer and camping for a weekend.  We got home at supper time and spent the evening relaxing on the couch, eating chicken fingers and curly fries, and watching Cars 2.  Perfect way to end the day!  : )  

Well, that was our first anniversary.  I loved spending the special time with my awesome hubby.  We made some great memories and had a wonderful time together.  We are both so glad we took that step a year ago and said “I do” and we’re anxious to see what the next year holds for us.  I know one thing for sure: God is good and the future looks glorious!
  

Everyday-ness...

Yikes!  Sheesh, this is really bad isn’t it?  Last blog post was on June 12…. Over a month and no writing – not so good! 

We’ve encountered a bit of a snag though… it seems that lately both of us have hit this slump and can’t seem to find inspiration to write for this blog.  I (Brianna) have started and half-written about half a dozen entries, only to read them over and completely dislike what I’ve written, delete everything, and sit there staring at a blank page, waiting for a light bulb to go off above my head and for inspiration to magically zap my brain like lightning.  Not happening so far….

I did have a bit of a realization though, what’s wrong with just writing about the Everyday-Ness that is our life?  Who said our posts have to be all fancy and dealing with the big and epic part of life?  After all, it’s our blog, so I shall write about what I please!  : ) 

Ok, so without further ado, here is what’s been going on in the Everyday-Ness that is JC and Brianna Reagan’s life over the past month or so:  

Summer has proved to be a busy season for us so far.  JC parents, John and Ruth, came to visit for 5 days back in mid-June, which was a lot of fun.  We got to hang out and visit and spend some time getting to know each other better.  

JC and his Dad, John

JC and I with his Mom, Ruth

During that time they were here, we celebrated Father’s Day for both JC’s Dad and my Dad, Richard.  We had a wonderful BBQ Shish Kebab supper!  Delicious!  My hubby is definitely the Grill-Master. 

JC and his Dad admiring the BBQ feast!

My sister, Rebecca, and I with Dad on Father's Day.

 

That same weekend was also a big milestone in my family… it was my nephew Gabriel’s 1^st Birthday!  We hosted the party at our house and we had a blast.  Birthday Boy enjoyed opening his presents, getting lots of attention, and smashing his hands into his cake and flinging bits of it everywhere.   I love that little dude.  <3 

Gabriel enjoying his yummy Winnie the Pooh theme cake.  By the end of it, he was covered head to toe in frosting.  :)

End of June marked another big milestone in our family… my parents, sis, and nephew all moved!    My Dad, a journeyman electrician in the oilfield, was offered a bigger, better job by the company he works for, to transfer and be in on the planning/building stages of a new mega-project.  After much thought, discussion and prayer, he and my Mom decided to accept the transfer and make the move.  My sister, Becky, decided to join them too.  So after spending all of adult life living about 5 minutes from each other, they packed up and moved 2.5 hours away.  Sure, it’s not that far by any means, but it will definitely make things different.  JC and I are going to head down to see them this coming weekend and check out their new house and new town.  We’re pretty excited! 

JC and I have been spending all of our free weekends (not many so far) out at our campsite at Burntstick Lake, about 40 minutes from Rocky.  My family has had a site at this Lake for about 14 years now, and 4 years ago, I got a site for myself.  Mom and Dad allowed us to have their old RV to share with Becky/Gabriel, so we’re pretty set up.  We’ve got a nice big woodshed, the camper, a bbq, an awesome rock fire pit, and lots of trees.  Ahhh, wonderful!   Next stop is to find a canoe so that we can get out on the water.  Right now we’re limited to getting on the water when Dad is there to drive his boat, so a canoe will be great for us.  

The most recent pic I have of the Lake is from last year... Chainsaw Master JC sawing firewood at our campsite. 

We’re still waiting on JC’s immigration paperwork to come through so that he can finally work.  We did chat with our immigration lawyer a couple weeks ago and she said that we should hear something by the end of August at the latest.  It will be so nice when he can finally start working! 

Oh, how could I forget!  My best girlfriend Marie is getting married in a mere 11 days and I get the honour of being a bridesmaid!   It has been so much fun watching Marie and Andrew and their journey, from dating to engaged, and now about to take that step and become Husband and Wife.  I don’t think he could have found a more amazing woman, and I don’t think she could have found a more awesome guy.  God has definitely brought them together!  So, next week marks the beginning of last-minute-wedding-craziness… at least as far as I’m involved... I’m pretty sure it has been craziness for the two of them for the past several months.  : )   I am very excited to be part of their big day! 

Marie and Andrew at our wedding last year... now it's their turn! 

Well, I think that is about it for an update on us… 

Here’s a good question for our readers: What do YOU want to see us write about?  Any ideas/topics?  Inspire us!  : ) 

How to love your wife

We all know the story:  Husband comes in after work, turns on the tv and starts to veg.  Wife comes in and starts to talk.  Husband grunts, wife wants to know what is going on in his life, husband grunts and turns up the tv.  Wife gets mad and starts yelling and eventually leaves.  (I think I just described every sitcom out there).

Men, this is not a good thing.  If your wife does not feel loved, listened to, and a part of you, she will be lonely and feel like you don't care.  This leads to dysfunction and an unhappy marriage.  Take the initiative and be involved in your wife's life. 

Here are a few practical ways to love your wife:

• Spend time with her.  Set aside the computer, the football game, the puttering in the yard, the video games and take the time to engage with her.  One of the things my wife appreciates is when I show her love by being available for her when she gets home.  I try to do chores or something not computer related when I know she's coming home soon.  
  
• Do little things for her.  Putting away dishes, doing a load of laundry, or any various chores speaks a lot to your wife.  Even the act of opening a door will show her that you love her and care for her.
  
• Be romantic.  Don't turn off that part of you just because you're married.  Bringing home a bouquet of flowers for no particular reason makes your wife feel special.  Say "I love you" and "you're beautiful" and mean it.  Again, make your wife feel special.  Don't do it in a selfish manner, but put her before yourself.
  
  
• Remember, she's made of spaghetti, following topics one right after another.  I know that can be difficult and by remembering that, you can switch boxes better.  Let her know that she's moving too fast or that you need to switch boxes before she starts talking.
  
• I know that as men we have been taught to be closed in our emotions and not let anyone in.  Guys, that's one of the surest ways to drive your wife away!  Learn how to let your walls down and let your wife see your feelings and your deepest desires.  She will respond in a myriad of ways to that intimacy and your marriage will be stronger for that.
  
• Be the leader and the protector of your marriage. 
  
• Be willing to admit your faults and be willing to work on your marriage.  Everyone can learn to love more, and you're no exception. 
  
• Take time to grow in God.  Allow the Holy Spirit to guide your life and pull you closer to Him.  Be disciplined in your reading of the Word, even if you don't like reading.  It is the best way to learn how to live your life in love and respect.
  
• Pray together.  Make a habit of going to bed and praying over each other before you go to sleep.
  
• Read marriage books and learn more ways to love your wife.  Ask the elders you know who have good, strong, and Godly marriages about what they have done.  

I know there are a lot more ways and methods to build a strong marriage.  Be open and loving to your wife and you will see yourself change and then you'll see change in her. 

Have you tried any of these ideas?  How did they work?  What other things do you do to love your wife?

JC Starts a Bucket List

A number of people have been talking about bucket lists (or I should say I've seen a few people talking about it over the last few years and I watched part of that movie with Morgan Freeman).

The concept intrigues me.  Do I go for the lifetime goals or do I make short term goals?  Do they have to be serious or silly or odd or what?

Being the geek that I am, I googled it.  Seems that a bucket list should be things that are somewhat challenging and mean something.  They can be serious, or silly; short or long.  Some people categorize them, others just write them as they come.

That said, I've decided to start a bucket list!

JC's First 10 Bucket List Items!

1. See Niagara Falls
2. Sky Dive at least once
3. Read the Bible through in one sitting
4. Climb the Washington Monument
5. Shoot a Moose (and eat it)
6. Eat snake
7. Visit Scotland again.
8. Celebrate my 10th Anniversary in Hawaii
9. Become a father
10. Catch a fish from a boat
11. Become debt free

I'm sure I will add to these over time and I welcome your encouragement as my life progresses.

What would you put on your bucket list?  Do you have one?  Have you started checking off items?