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Browsing posts in: Holidays & Vacations
Oct 27, 2023    |       16 comments

Car versus House

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My last post about the current situation stirred up a lot of comments on options. And things I should do. And, of course, lots of discourse over me being unrealistic and wrong.

Here’s the deal. Personal finance is persona for a reason. And while I greatly appreciate constructive criticism and guidance, shaming me for my priorities and choices, well, really?

So let’s clear some things up and share a bit more…

The House

Before I turned 18, I had moved 18 times. And it’s at least double that now. Being “homeless” especially now that it’s just me, does not scare me. I’m well versed in moving around, I do have family and friends who would house me, and if anyone has been around a while, the idea of living in my car is not one I’m opposed to, it’s even one I have considered quite often over the last 5 years as travelling is in my blood. While it’s not something I want to be forced into, the idea is not a terrible one.

Hope's house

I love my house. But moving and travelling is literally in my blood. While it’s not the choice I want to make right now, it doesn’t frighten me.

And frankly, there are lots of options for car camping that excite me. So all the naysayers concerned about what my kids think of me not having the house…well, they have always known it was something I considered post kid raising. And frankly, none of them especially the younger three want to return to this town I live in. They often encourage me to sell and move somewhere…anywhere.

The Car

As for selling my car, it’s paid for, reliable and has almost 100K miles on it. A quick review of KBB.com provided value, puts a private party sell bringing me between $12-15K. (I have a 2018 Honda HRV and I adore it, there is no other car more perfect for me and my lifestyle. Well, other than the Honda Element which they stopped making.)

I’m sorry, the math just isn’t mathing to me to make selling my car that I MUST have for any work since there is no public transportation here. Not to mention Beauty uses the same car to get her to school and work as well.

Insurance

Now insurance is a whole other conversation. And I’m working on it.

Beauty shares my car, lives with, and has to remain on the policy. But she only drives the car once or twice a week and never more than a 15 miles round trip (school days.)

Princess car is in my name and she is in school full time. She and I have worked on her budget over the years since she started college and she is paying for everything herself with the exception of her car insurance. She just cannot take on any more this year. Maybe come the summer…but right now, she has 0 capacity for more work, more expenses. And I will do everything in my power to keep her in school. She will graduate in May, 2025.

Gymnast is going to start handling his own costs. We’ve started the conversations and exploring options. This weekend he will look at what it would cost for him to have his own insurance plan. Since his car is in my name, we are still trying to figure out logistics.

There is no easy answer. I cannot just say “okay, start paying”, when they are just getting on their own feet. Or rather I won’t. I’m sorry if that’s not the answer you would choose, but again…personal finance.

 

Oct 26, 2023    |       2 comments

Surprising Holiday Statistics and Using Easy Pay for Christmas Gifts

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Every year it seems like the holidays start earlier and earlier. Are you a fan of how soon the Christmas season starts or is it bothersome to you? I’m the kind of person who puts up the Christmas tree on November 1st and leaves it up until the end of January, so I’m already starting my holiday planning.

Luckily, I don’t have to buy a lot of gifts. My family and I have pretty much stopped doing gift exchanges. We don’t live in the same part of the country anymore and don’t fly out to see each other on holidays. We might send each other a Christmas card or small gift card, but there are no expectations. My partner doesn’t have any family gift-giving obligations either.

Buying a Joint Holiday Gift

My partner and I don’t always get each other gifts on holidays, but this year we need some new cookware. We’ve gotten a lot of kitchen equipment secondhand from family and friends, so we haven’t had to invest in cookware up until now. Most of our pots and pans are nonstick and are very scratched up since they’re over five years old. I recently learned that damaged nonstick coatings can leach chemicals into your food, so it’s definitely time to replace them.

I had a gift card from doing some surveys, so I was able to get two enameled cast iron pans from Cuisinart for free about a month ago. We’ve really enjoyed cooking with them, so we decided to splurge on an enameled cast iron Dutch oven to replace our larger cooking pots. I’ve always dreamed of having a French-made Le Creuset pot and found a great deal on QVC. Unfortunately, Le Creuset is eye-watering and expensive, so it was still almost $200 on sale. But we decided to take the plunge and order one as a joint Christmas gift for ourselves. I’ve heard that Le Creuset Dutch ovens are extremely well-made and even come with a lifetime warranty. So I’m hoping ours will last for the rest of our lives, fingers crossed.

Thoughts on Easy Pay

I recently learned about QVC’s Easy Pay program because I was assigned to write an article about it. I never thought that I would sign up for an installment plan, but I didn’t see any downsides to this one. You don’t have to pay any interest or fees and can split up the cost of your item into several installments, which you pay monthly. The Dutch oven I bought will be split up into 5 payments, so it will be a bit easier to work into our budget.

What do you think about installment plans like this? I don’t think the services that charge interest are worth using, but I’m warming up to fee-free payment plans. I think you can get into trouble if you take out multiple payment plans at the same time, especially if you can’t really afford the purchases.

You need to make sure you have more than enough funds to pay for whatever you’re buying, and you can only sign up for a maximum of one installment plan at a time. But they can help with cash flow because they allow you to split up bigger purchases into smaller chunks. I don’t think I’ll use buy now, pay later programs frequently, but I’m less opposed to them than I was before. I used to think there was no way to use them responsibly, but now I realize they can be a helpful tool like rewards credit cards. You just have to be smart about the way you use them.

Surprising Holiday Statistics

I felt a little guilty about our holiday Dutch oven splurge… until I learned how much the average American plans to spend on Christmas this year. According to a study that just came out, respondents are gearing up to drop about $1,650 on holiday expenses. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor when I saw that number.

I’m surprised that people are planning to spend that much in light of inflation and recession fears. Nearly 95% of Americans are stressed out about the cost of food right now, so it seems like people’s priorities are a bit out of whack. Americans probably shouldn’t be spending record amounts on holiday gifts while worrying about how to put food on the table.

Are you worried about food costs? I’m one of the few who aren’t. In my area, it seems like the grocery store price hikes are finally easing up. I’ve even noticed that sales are starting to get better and there are more clearance items available. Lately, I’ve had no trouble staying under my $400 per month food budget.

Also, I’d love to hear what you’re planning to spend on Christmas gifts in the comments. Would you ever use an installment plan to finance presents? Let me know!

Read More 

Christmas 2022 Recap

Let’s Talk About Christmas Spending

How Do You Decide on a Christmas Budget?

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