Time is money, and money is time.

If you think you’ve heard me say that in the past, you’re right. That saying goes right along with “Supermom’s Kryptonite is Time.” I say it too often because it’s simply true.

Both are too true in December. My birthday is in late November, followed by Chuck’s and La Petite’s in December, then Christmas, and a few weeks later Amigo’s big day. If we didn’t plan, we’d be broke – or totally unprepared.

My shopping buddies tease me about my tiny purse notebook, but not much. They know me as the organized one, the intellectual, the one who finished her grad school assignments several days early while another dear friend was pulling an all-nighter to meet the postmark deadline. When I explain that in addition to the immediate family we had my sister-in-law a few days before mine and my mother in February, they understand.

My notebook is tiny, it fits in my purse, and I read it and add to it each time I shop – online or in brick and mortar stores. Keeping track reminds me not to overspend while reminding me of wish lists and suggestions, too. (Dear family; did you look for the papercutter I suggested? Try an office supply store. Small and simple is fine.)