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TVs Anyone – Just Comical

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As I previously mentioned, my ex-husband, Little Gymnast and Princess’ dad recently moved across the country.  Also, as previously mentioned, he stopped paying child support last October due to financial troubles of his own.  Hopefully with this move and the promised job, that will change soon, but when it does it will come as a complete blessing and not something I’m banking on. We are NOT going to discuss him anymore, so please don’t start down that road.  Moving on…

Due to his move and his purging, our house is over-run with TVs.  Remember we will in essentially 3 rooms (2 bedrooms and 1 open living space, that is right at 900 square feet.)  We already have 3 TVs.  One in the main living room where we play video games and watch Netflix, one in the boys room for another game console and one small one that sometimes doubles as a computer monitor for laptops and most just stays put up.  What in the world are we going to do with 2 more good sized TVs?

Of course, the kids won’t let me get rid of them since they are from their dad.  And I understand that for now.

But right now, I’m just giggly that with all that is going on and all that we don’t have…here we are a family of 5 with 5 TVs.  We have 3 rooms and 5 TVs.  We don’t even have cable, don’t really watch TV and we have 5 TVs.

Oh, the irony.  So for now, our dining room that will someday house a table is a storage space for TVs.

Sidenote: He actually brought them several things from his home.  Nothing practical or particularly of interest to them.  But in this matter, I guess it truly is the thought that counts, and I know there is something in all this “stuff” that they will hold on to, since they can no longer hold on to him.

 

 


23 Comments

  • Reply Laura |

    Sell the ones you already have and keep his? Then you won’t be getting rid of dad’s TV but can still earn some extra money and cut back on clutter

    • Reply Hope |

      Mine are much newer and a perfect fit for our space. The ones from him are quite old, ie no network access.

      Maybe after they get tired enough of bumping into them while playing….

  • Reply Connie |

    Keep the best ones or the ones that fit best, sell the others and use the $$ to supplement your dining table fund.

    • Reply Hope |

      Perhaps I can find a desperate college student willing to give me a few bucks for a older flat screen 🙂

  • Reply Kayla @ Shoeaholicnomore |

    Good thoughts guys but have you ever tried to sell a used TV? Not much luck unless they are VERY NEW. Otherwise if they are an older style, even if they work perfectly, you’ll practically have to shove them in people’s arms to give them away let alone selling them.

  • Reply debtor |

    Hope, what’s the story with the car? i’m sooo confused when you say u’ve been living on a strict budget for such a long time but you were able to get a new car…did someone gift it to you or something?

    just trying to understand your TRUE financial picture.

    • Reply Ashley |

      I’m not Hope, but I remember her addressing this before. I think the money came from the savings she’d set aside after doing the big purge last year (before moving into the apartment). She’d saved all that money with the knowledge that eventually she’d have to re-furnish a larger space at some point. She dipped into those funds to buy the car and there’s still some leftover (sorry I can’t remember the name of the post or I’d link, but I think it was a relatively recent post)

      • Reply Meghan |

        Hope has taken a fairly unnecessary beating lately over a car issue, maybe that is what is making her hesitant.

        I think the questions from the car keep coming up because Hope said, when she first mentioned the car, that she would “give the details on that in the next week or so.” (https://www.bloggingawaydebt.com/2015/06/lots-going-on-travel-decision-time-and-almost-there/) And in the comments for that June post even mentioned being excited to share the story as it was a combination of cash and barter that helped her to make the purchase.

        The following week included a list of expected pending posts and details on the car was a listed post. (https://www.bloggingawaydebt.com/2015/07/wear-wash-repeat/)

        More than a month passed from this point until finally mentioning (again in this post: https://www.bloggingawaydebt.com/2015/08/and-were-shopping/) where the cash part of the cash and barter came from and again saying a post is forthcoming. Then, in the comments of that post when someone expressed frustration that we were promised a post in a week or so and more than a month had passed, Hope stated that she didn’t know how to write a story about it because she considers it a “non-story”.

        Truthfully, as a pretty faithful comment reader as well as just the posts I feel like I got the general feel of the story and Hope may feel like she has given so many bits and pieces that she has nothing else to share for a whole story, though she has given quick posts before and everything was fine. But, if you receive the posts via email, or access the site via a handheld device, accessing the comments is a bit more difficult.

        All of that being said, *if I were* to write/want to read a post about the car, it would probably include the following:
        -How the benefits of a second car would totally be worth the cost (the reduced stress of getting 5 people to different work, school, and other activities for example)
        -I would share some of the “must-have’s” for the potential new-to-me car
        -Share how I managed to pay for it, if it is money I have already written about, a simple link to the post would work
        -I could talk about my method of search. Did I just set up a simple search alert on Craigslist? f I had a sales person, how did that happen? Are they friends? Did I go to a used car lot and was approached? Since I had such a strict budget and specific requirements, how did they react to that? Did they think I was dreaming? Did they give me confidence that it was something they could make happen?
        – I could include a sentence about any non-cash payment I was including that helped to “sweeten” the deal. Is this something that took me a few hours and now I am done, or am I going to be doing something over a period of time. Of course, since the PF blogging world is always so curious about how I managed to get into the “bartering” services for services/goods I will need to remember to include a link to either that particular post, or simply a post that is another example of something I have bartered for.
        -I could mention the increased monthly expense in my insurance budget, maybe include where that funding is coming from (are my working children contributing or do I consider the extra chauffeuring help worth shouldering the burden myself?)
        –Since I took my new-to-me car on a road trip shortly after purchase, I could talk about my expectations with the car versus the reality I encountered
        –Finally, I could talk about how the purchase has been working out now that we are back from vacation and getting back into the busy routine of a school year.

  • Reply Kili |

    Since you’re the parent and it’s a super small flat, I’d say stick to having 3 TVs.
    If selling the two least newest / least nicest one isn’t making you any money, maybe just decide together with the kids, who could need them… either some charity organization or someone on freecycle or wherever…
    Another idea: Will Sea Cadet and History Buff need a TV when they move out? does it make sense to put those two additional TVs in storage until then if there’s still space left? I believe you’ve put some of your stuff from the house in storage, right? Or am I confusing things?

    • Reply Hope |

      Hi Kili,
      You are right, we definitely DO NOT need any more TVs. I think I will wait until a bit of time passes and then we will address getting rid of the TVs.
      Saving them for Sea Cadet or History Buff would be a great idea except 1) they are pretty old without the “desirables” to two video game buffs and 2) the storage we have is the size of a small closet it is PACKED so don’t really have any room.

  • Reply Marzey doats |

    I feel so bad for the kids – used TVs are the only thing of their Dads they have to hang on to. I know you dont want to go down the rabbit hole of taling about your ex, nor do you have any control over his life choices. But, maybe you could talk to him and suggest that he get something more meaningful (and smaller) for the kids before he moves? Something the kids could actually keep? Perhaps a book with an inscription? An inexpensive charm to wear on a chain around their neck? Something thoughtful and personal (even if you have to think of it). These things could help the kids, and strengthen their relationship with their dad. And let you get rid of the tvs!

    • Reply Hope |

      He has actually already left so another item is beyond reality now. We will play the hand dealt us.
      Luckily in the realm of important things, this is the most comical in my life.

  • Reply Jen from Boston |

    If you decide to get rid of some of the TVs (and I think maybe you should) and can’t sell them, Best Buy has a program where they’ll take TVs and other electronics and recycle them. They might also be other organizations and local programs that recycle old TVs, but some may charge a fee.

    I feel for your children – it’s hard when a loved moves away 🙁

  • Reply Ally |

    Hugs Hope – I really don’t think you get enough credit for all you have accomplished. Raising and financially supporting four kids all on your own is an incredible feat – let alone paying off the debt that you have!

    • Reply Hope |

      Thanks, Ally, after 7 years as a single mom I have truly learned to walk alone; however, the support of this blog has really helped me turn the corner on my finances and more importantly financial mindset! I am in an entirely different place then I was just a short year ago as far as my thoughts on money!

So, what do you think ?