“Spending Money” Archive
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I was paid $100 for some accounting work I was able to do at night. Rather than deposit the funds, I decided to set it aside as grocery money. I try not to keep money in our house since I’m terrified of thieves and think that somehow they will know I’m stashing cash.
I asked my husband where I should hide the money and he looked at me quizzically.
‘Hide it? It’s one hundred bucks, not the Hope Diamond honey. Just put it on the desk’ he said.
‘No!’ I screamed. ‘Can you hide it in a DVD?’ I begged.
‘Sure’ he laughed (sadly, I’m used to him laughing at me).
A few minutes later I asked him which DVD he put the money in. ‘From Justin to Kelly – because no one on God’s green earth would steal that film’ he said.
Gee hon… thanks.
It’s funny how my views about money have continued to change over the last year. Last summer, I would have spent that $100 on a date night or a cute pair of shoes. Now, I can stretch that same $100 into two or three weeks of groceries.
At this time in my life, that $100 IS the Hope Diamond.
I’m reminded that Christmas is just around the corner.
Perhaps it’s because my husband is blaring Amy Grant’s ‘Tender Tennessee Christmas’ in the other room.
No. I’m not joking.
His happy-go-lucky Pollyanna ‘I love the earth and all holidays’ attitude is for the most part a wonderful thing…
But thoughts of Christmas in October simply make me (and anyone within 50 yards of his subwoofer) suicidal.
I have to give him credit… it is an important reminder that we have to start thinking about Christmas gifts now. Since I’m broke and can’t spend 50 bucks on the last remaining blockbuster gift card in the Vons checkout on December 24th, I’ve got to make my plan of action. I’ve got to start taking left over change from payphones, digging through the neighbor’s garbage for recyclables, or compiling leftover foil for a life sized foil ball. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my 29 years on this earth, it’s the fact that everyone needs a foil ball the size of a Honda.
No?
Hmm. Well, what was the best low (or preferably) no cost gift you ever received?
Last year my siblings and I compiled letters from us to our parents telling them how much we appreciated and loved them and had them printed and bound at Shutterfly.com (Walmart.com also provides the same photo type books we used). But I’m out of ideas! Help!
Our credit card WAS paid off. Obvious emphasis on the past tense.
My husband is attending a bachelor party this weekend and the event required one credit card to book the trip for all five attendees (the bill could not be split). Most of our friends know about our recent credit card payoff (maybe shouting that fact from my roof and breaking into song was a clear sign) and naturally suggested that since we ‘had the room’ on our card (as if it were free), that my husband pay for the entire trip and be reimbursed later.
I’m not going to lie. I am upset.
Perhaps I’d be more trusting if this hadn’t happened before with concert and event tickets and in the end, we were always short. People conveniently ‘forget’ to pay or promise to pay later and then get annoyed when reminded. Plus, the credit card will be kept on file in case there are damages to the room or if alcohol is consumed.
When I asked why someone else couldn’t pony up a credit card, he told me it was because everyone is nearly maxed out but us. Um… isn’t that a good reason NOT to loan these people our credit card?
My husband and I rarely fight but this is a sensitive issue for me and I feel like we are opening ourselves up to a lot of potential debt.
Am I overreacting?
About a year and a half ago, my husband said, ‘The shower pan is cracked and water is leaking. If we leave it, we will destroy our bathroom and mold will grow. I’m going to take out the bottom row of tiles, replace the shower pan, and replace the bottom row of tiles.’
I left to housesit for a co-worker and came home to …
My husband explained that he had discovered mold under the floor and in the walls and decided to replace everything to be safe.
So why… why… why… did I assume that when we intended to insulate the separation closet wall in a 50 year old house, that we would simply be able to insulate the closet wall?
This is our spare bedroom as of today…
A few days ago, my husband asked if he could insulate all four walls. We both agreed that as long as we had one wall down, we should take down the remaining three walls, fix the electrical, and fix the phone line. Total tab so far? $142. I am so very thankful to be married to a talented construction man.
When making decisions like these, it’s hard not to want to put it off until later or take the easy way out. What we constantly have to consider is: Is this going to cost more later if avoided?
My nearly $200 electric bill tells me… I should have done this two years ago.
The good news? Energy improvements, including insulation, are tax deductable. Yes!
Want more info? Go to: energystar.gov/taxcredits
In case you missed it…
We paid off our credit card last week.
We’re still working on my husband’s truck loan and the student loan but we promised ourselves little rewards for each payoff. It’s a good way to stay motivated when finishing a long stretch before starting yet another long stretch.
Surprisingly, my husband suggested a night out (surprising because I expected him to suggest something more along the lines of a macho flat screen TV or a beefy new grill). We purchased tickets to see Spamalot at the Civic Theater downtown. The tickets were $17 each (we sit in the nosebleed seats) and with dinner, we’ll likely spend a total of $100.
We get a one night break and it’s off to frugality again.
Here are the current numbers (I’ll work on getting the sidebar updated):
Total Starting Debt: $38,495.86
Total Paid: $16,727.33
Total Remaining: $21,768.53
Breakdown of Remaining Debt –
Truck: $11,934.57
Student Loan: $9,833.96
We’re nearly halfway there. I got an updated payoff date according to our Debt Snowball Calculator on DaveRamsey.com…
December 2010.
We shaved off 4 months so far. Can I get a Woo Hoo?
One of our roommates is moving out on September 1st. We set aside money to cover the loss of rent for the month so we’re still on schedule. I was looking forward to having a quiet month with some alone time with my husband but it looks like I’ll be serenaded by the sounds of hammers and saws. We are using this time to tear down an interior wall between our bedroom and the guest bedroom to add insulation and soundproofing before the new roommate moves in at the end of September. If I want alone time with my man, I’ll have to throw on a hard hat, a ratty t-shirt, and an old pair of jeans. You can count me in whenever sledge hammers are involved.
I’m fortunate to be married to a hardworking construction genius who can do the work himself (plus, my husband looks irresistible in safety goggles). We only have to pay for the materials which should run about $100.
Why are we insulating? Our house was built in the 1950’s and no insulation was used on any interior or exterior walls. Our heating and cooling bills are much higher than they need to be. The initial expense of the upgrade will be quickly paid for in lower electric bills plus, it’s better for the environment. And… our new roommates are newlyweds – that’s reason enough in itself.
It always seems like when we have an opportunity to get ahead, the necessities of life burn through the cash. Between tuition costs, new dog vet bills, and the two weddings, we have had to pony up more than $3,000 in the last two months.
These expenses would have buried us in the past, but careful planning and frugal spending have kept our heads above water.
About This Site
My Debt
- Original Debt: $38,495.86
- Paid: $17,435.80
- Remaining: $21,060.06
- Broken Down
- Auto Loan 1: $0
- Credit Card: $0 Woo Hoo!
- Student Loan: $9,680.19
- Auto Loan 2: $11,379.87
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