financegirl on Feb 25th 2008 Children, Keeping Up with the Joneses
My stepson turns 9 next month, and we are in the process of planning his birthday party. It’s not going to be too elaborate - we’re renting a couple of lanes at the bowling alley during “cosmic bowl” for about 8 kids and having cake. Total cost: $56 plus the cost of invitations, cake and paper plates/utensils.
A few years ago, we had a bigger birthday package at a different bowling alley, where there were about 13 kids, pizza/hot dogs, cake/ice cream, arcade tokens, a private party room and a bowling pin that all the kids sign. Total cost of that package: $170 plus cake. I’m glad most of the parents stuck around, because there were so many kids I’m sure we would have lost one.
Last year, we decided to keep things “simple” and had a slumber party at our house with three guests. It was pure hell - the kids were arguing, crying, chasing the dog, jumping off stairs and spraining ankles, etc. So we decided not to do that again until the kids are older. I will gladly pay the bowling alley $56 to avoid having a party at our house!
Many of my stepson’s friends have much more elaborate parties than we do, however. Common parties include mini golf/go karts at a local fun center (package cost: $256 plus tax/gratuity), attending professional baseball games, lazer tag, parties at pottery studios, etc. Granted, most of the people throwing these parties can afford to, but it can create high expectations for the other children. For example, my stepson came home from a party last year and said, “Jake’s parents gave him $300 for his birthday! Can you believe that? I want to get $300 for my birthday!” So I calmly and politely explained that there is no way in hell that is going to happen.
The trend toward more and more elaborate birthday parties for children is happening throughout the country. If you are interested in the topic, check out this website I found on the subject: http://www.birthdayswithoutpressure.org/
financegirl on Feb 17th 2008 DIY, Frugality, Keeping Up with the Joneses
Our house is almost 10 years old, and as far as we can tell, has never been repainted. I did some touch-up work in the fall, but paint is peeling and things are getting ugly!Now, I’m not sure how much it would cost to hire someone to paint the house, but I’m guessing about a couple grand. So, we’re going to do it ourselves.
We live in a nice upper-middle class neighborhood, and during the two and a half years we’ve lived here, I’ve never seen anyone paint their own house. And all my friends and coworkers think we’re crazy. Oh, and did I mention we have a two story house and my husband is afraid of heights? So I’ll be spending the better part of a week (maybe that’s a little optimistic) on a ladder. Whatever.
We’re taking off 6 days around Memorial Day Weekend, and are planning on having all the prep work done before then so we can start painting right away. And if we don’t finish in those 11 days, we’ll have the whole summer to finish. If we get in too far over our heads, we can hire someone to finish it.
I know sometimes people have all their friends and family over for a “painting party,” but I really don’t want to subject anyone else to this. Plus I’m pretty anal about how things look, and I don’t everyone calling in this favor for the next 10 years. We’ve painted the inside of our house, and I’ve painted lots of houses on summer volunteer trips, so I think we’re up to the task.
I just hope it doesn’t rain.
financegirl on Feb 14th 2008 Debt-Reduction, Frugality, Keeping Up with the Joneses
Whether you’re in a relationship or not, being broke on Valentine’s Day is no fun. But that’s been my situation for the last five years or so.
It used to be because my and my husband’s birthdays are both within five days of Valentine’s Day, and my stepson’s birthday is in early March. So, we decided we’d rather spend money on our birthdays than spend a lot of money on Valentine’s Day. But now that we’ve gotten serious about paying off our debt, there isn’t much money for Valentine’s Day or birthdays.
So tonight we’ll be eating dinner at home and watching “The Wedding Singer.” We each bought each other a small gift and a card out of our weekly personal “allowances,” and my stepson is getting a card and a plastic heart with Reese’s Pieces in it. While it’s not very romantic, I’d much rather have a paid-for car than a piece of overpriced jewelry and a night in a crowded restaurant.
I think this is the case for a lot of people, but there is a lot of pressure to participate in Valentine’s Day. Luckily, I work in a small office where no one receives flowers on Valentine’s Day, so it’s pretty much just like any other day. But there is still a lot of pressure on men to make these kind of gestures, and even some unspoken competition among women about whose partner is the most romantic. So I feel bad (mostly for my husband) when people ask me what we’re doing for Valentine’s Day and I don’t have a “good” answer.
But, staying true to our long-term goals at times when I may have caved before is pretty liberating! So, happy Valentine’s Day to you, no matter what you are doing tonight.
