Finance Gets Personal

A few monthly dinner parties ago, I lamented about how expensive the whole process was, and whether it would be cheaper just to go out to eat.

So tonight, I tested that theory.

Instead of planning a menu, shopping, taking a half day off work and cooking an appetizer, main course and dessert, I ordered Mexican food to go. It was so much more enjoyable and relaxing! And also… not any more expensive!

My past two dinner parties have cost about $35, not including ingredients already on hand (i.e., the chicken already in the freezer, milk, eggs, etc.). And trust me, keeping it to $35 involved a lot of planning and strategic menu selection - I’ve had them cost as much as $100 before I got all coupon-crazy.

Tonight’s total restaurant bill for the three of us: $35, including taxes and tip.

Now that, I can deal with.

Photo Credit: Do I Make You Hungry by spcbrass, used under Creative Commons licensing.

There’s been a lot of stuff going on in Finance Gets Personal land, so much so that there hasn’t been much time to write!

So, let’s get caught up, shall we?

The Vacuum
While on the hunt for a cheap vacuum, we managed to break the vacuum we’d been borrowing from my in-laws. Can you freaking believe that?!?! We think we may have figured out why we are the vacuum serial killers though.

My stepson has a lot of Webkinz, which are little stuffed animals that you can also play with online (or something - I’m too old to understand this crap). Sometimes, our dog kidnaps one and it becomes his new toy. AND, since our dog destroys all his toys, we’ve discovered that Webkinz have a little packet of tiny plastic balls inside of their stuffing. The packet gets chewed open, and tiny plastic balls are lodged in the carpet throughout the house. We think that when the vacuum sucks these up, they melt and cause major problems!

So, no more Webkinz for the dog!

We went to Target to buy the in-laws one of the vacuums that was on clearance there for $65, but when we called to see which one they wanted, they insisted that they don’t need one. They’ve been replacing all their carpet with hardwood, and only their bedroom is left. They’re planning on replacing that within the next month, so I guess we got lucky!

So, back to our vacuum. While I last wrote that we were going to buy a cheap one and use the American Express in order to extend the warranty, we ended up getting the Dyson Animal I wanted through Frys. It’s refurbished, and I’m not sure if the warranty extends beyond six months, but it was only $206 (including taxes and shipping), included all the attachments and arrived just like new. I LOVE it so far!

My Sister’s Financial Peace University Classes
I’m really not sure how this is going because we haven’t talked about it since the first class. But I’m going to be seeing her tomorrow and hopefully will find out more then. As I reported earlier, her husband is going with her and they are at least halfway through baby step 1 ($1,000 emergency fund).

Layoffs at My Husband’s Company
While the layoffs were originally scheduled for March 12, that date was moved up to March 6 (today). But they found out yesterday that his group was not affected by the layoffs at all! So that is wonderful news!

Meanwhile, my company announced that we probably won’t be having quarterly bonuses this year and were getting 3% raises across the board (we wouldn’t have gotten anything, but they felt bad about not giving people raises last year either). However, we are currently SWAMPED with new projects, and should be until at least June.

So, it looks like the ramen noodle budget will not be necessary. We’ll probably be moving most of the money we have in savings (beyond the $1,000 emergency fund) to the second mortgage balance in the next week or two.

Taxes
By stalking SlickDeals.net, I found a free download of H&R Block Tax Cut with free e-filing and used it to prepare our federal taxes. We’ve already received our $635 refund and can now submit our state return, which will swallow that $635 plus another $55. Did I mention we have to file two state returns? I’ll be doing the second one on paper so we don’t have to pay to download an additional state (not sure how we’ll come out on that one, though last year we got back $130 or so).

I guess I should get on that, so things don’t turn out like last year.

What I’ve Been Doing for the Past Month (i.e., Spending Money)
I’ve probably mentioned this before, but I have a “life list” of things to do before I die. Some of them (play blackjack in a casino) are easier and less expensive than others (own a photography studio). One of the items on my list is to have an Oscar party. So, I did!

Of course, being the freak I am, everything had to be on theme. I had food and drinks for each movie, a ballot contest with prizes, a red carpet and decorations, gift bags (hello, drugstore stockpile!), paparazzi, etc. It was fun, but expensive (for example, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button featured caviar with creme fraiche on toast points and vodka shots)!

Then, I had a business trip (love getting mileage reimbursement for traveling to the airport, by the way) and party-planning for my stepson’s upcoming birthday (they’re going to a movie theater to see “Mall Cop” and play laser tag).

So, things have been busy! But I think we’re all caught up now, and I look forward to posting more soon.

I’ve had it with vacuums!

Four vacuums in the last five years! Four!

After the first one broke (I don’t remember what brand that one was), I turned to Consumer Reports and bought this Hoover WindTunnel Bagless for about $200:



It lasted about a year and a half, and then I bought this #1 Consumer Reports rated Kenmore Progressive Vacuum for $300:


One year and nine months later, it’s time to go shopping again.

The question is, since we’re still trying to get out of debt, do we buy a cheap vacuum (under $100), or get this Dyson DC17 Animal?:


I can get the Dyson for $439.99 after using a 20% off coupon from Bed Bath & Beyond, and that’s the cheapest price I can find. (A few weeks ago there was a refurbished one on Overstock.com for under $300, but those are no longer available.) I plan to use the money from our emergency fund and pay it back with half of tomorrow’s extra debt payment.

I thought about having our Kenmore repaired, but we think the motor is the problem and that’s an expensive repair. Everyone I know who has a Dyson swears by them, but I tend to be pretty skeptical and want to make sure I’m not just paying for their marketing.

But I also know that if I buy a cheap vacuum, I’ll probably be in the same situation again before we’re out of debt.

I want to be frugal, but I also don’t want to be cheap.

What do you think?

One of the things that sold me on our house was the windows.

The dining room has floor-to-ceiling windows - well, very long windows with smaller windows on top of them. Ten windows in all. They overlook the backyard, and are beautiful.

The problem is, at night, the windows give half the neighborhood and anyone driving down the street parallel to ours a great view of the entire house. So we mostly keep the cheap, yellowed, falling-apart blinds that came with the house closed.

I’ve been wanting to replace the blinds with wooden blinds ever since we moved in. Faux wood, at least. Hell…I’d settle for bamboo at this point. But at a price of $100+ per window, it’s something that will have to wait.

Recently, the strings in one of the blinds snapped. Well - not so recently - I tied the string in a knot and the blinds have been hanging haphazardly half-open, half-closed at a diagonal for at least the past six months.

This drove me crazy. And today, I decided to do something about it: visit Lowe’s.

Did I break down and buy the $100 blinds for all 10 windows?

No, I special-ordered white vinyl blinds to replace the one that broke (and the side-window blind that broke and was taken down three years ago).

I felt like I was giving up on ever having nice blinds.

Which is irrational.

But it was still hard.

Photo Credit: After: Dining Room by srbyug, used under Creative Commons licensing.

Here we go again.

It started with a few innocent purchases at Ann Taylor for 50-90% off.

Then, I started buying anything I wanted that was on sale since I had a $50 off $100 promotion code.

After the promotion code expired, I spent $6 at T.J. Maxx on “The Everything Home Storage Solutions Book,” and started organizing our bathroom and walk-in closet. Of course, this required a new ironing board ($20), bins for the closet ($30), a row of hooks ($16), a recycling container for under the sink ($7) and a wall cabinet ($50). So that’s $123 so far, and I haven’t even bought wooden hangers for the fourth of the closet that still needs them, or bins/boxes/shelfs for the toiletry stockpile under the sink.

I’m out of control.

My husband called me on it last night, as I was sitting on the floor of the bathroom with a million pieces of the wall cabinet I was trying to assemble (with no success, I might add).

“How much did you spend tonight?”

“Um, $70.”

“I thought you weren’t going to spend very much money on this!”

“Yeah, well we need a cabinet to keep all the medicine in instead of having it in a big heap under the sink!”

“Look, that’s great that you want to organize the house, but don’t you remember the talk we had last time this happened? We can do this kind of stuff when we’re debt free.”

“What, in three years? I can’t take it anymore! Our house is always a mess and I’m embarrased to have people over!”

“We just need to clean the house. There’s no need to buy all this stuff!”

(Crying now) “But the reason our house is never clean is because we’re unorganized! I can’t organize stuff when we have nothing to put things in!”

“Have you been taking your medicine?

“Yes!!!!”

“Are you almost out or something?”

“No!!!!”

“Are you bailing on me?”

“No.”

“Well, it’s not fair. You know, I’d like to buy a new computer or go on vacation, but you don’t see that happening! I know it’s for the good of the house, but you need to find something else to do.”

“But I’m bored!

“So get a hobby. I’m going to get a hobby.”

“Everything I like to do costs money - photography, fashion, decorating…”

“So let’s find a free hobby”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, let’s look online. But, I think I need to take your debit card.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. It’s in my purse.”

(Holds up credit card) “You’re not using this are you?”

“No.”

“OK, well I’ll leave that in here for emergencies. Where’s all your cash? You only have like $25 in here? Did you already spend all your money?”

“No, I just haven’t gone to the ATM yet.”

“OK, well go to the ATM tomorrow, then give me your card. If you put all the cabinet pieces in a pile and put all the little pieces in a bag, I’ll put it together Wednesday night after work.”

“Really? OK.”

So, it’s back to cash only for me…

Photo Credit: Reorganizing my closet by Melilotus, used under Creative Commons licensing.

The last time I went to a Halloween party, my husband and I ended up spending over $100 on our costumes.

They weren’t really anything elaborate - I think we were both punk rockers. I wore an AC/DC shirt (yes I know, not very punk - whatever), a jean skirt, fishnets, Chucks, a spiky dog collar and a fake mohawk, and I think my husband also had a crazy wig and a band t-shirt.

I wanted us to be Napoleon Dynamite and his little sideways ponytail rubber-bracelet wearing girlfriend, but I figured that would be more expensive since we didn’t already have any of that stuff (soooo…I’m guessing this must have been in 2004!).

I searched around some local costume and “vintage” shops for cheap ideas, but everything was EXPENSIVE! So my costume idea that started with a cheap wig and a jean skirt I already owned turned out to actually be quite pricey.

Now that Halloween is on a Friday this year and my stepson is going to be at his mom’s house, we’re trying to decide what to do. A lot of our friends have kids and will be out trick or treating, and the Halloween party we’ve been invited to is a 30-mile drive from our house at a bar with a costume contest. And if anything’s worse than a costume party, it’s a costume contest.

Soooo…will we just stay home and pass out candy? I’m too cheap and lazy for this whole dressing up bit. I mean, are there even any original ideas anymore? I’m sure everyone is going to be dressed as: Amy Winehouse, Sarah Palin/Barack Obama/John McCain/etc., Michael Phelps, The Joker, etc., and I don’t feel like being clever.

At least my dog is getting some use out of the spiky collar from my last Halloween costume.

Photo Credit: Halloween Punk Rocker by rypmar7, used under Creative Commons licensing.

I’m sure I’m not alone on this, but taking my car into the shop usually ends with me feeling like I got screwed over.

About four months ago, I took my car into the dealer for an oil change because I had a coupon. They said that I needed to get new brake pads the next time I came in. OK, whatever, I figured I’d find some place else to do it cheaply since the dealer is always expensive.

So I’ve been saving coupons for auto repair shops, and decided to take my car into Express Auto Service with a $59.99 brake special coupon. Apparently, the coupon just covers either the front or rear brakes, and I didn’t know exactly what was wrong. So they look at the car and call me back (while I’m in the bathroom at a gas station, no less!) - the rear brake pads need to be replaced and something about the rotors needing to be resurfaced (maybe I waited too long to get the brakes done?). Oh, and your car’s manufacturer recommends ceramic brakes instead of the metal ones included in the $59.99 brake special. So it’s going to end up being $167, but you’ll get a free oil change. “OK, I’ll do it,” I said, secretly steaming.

What really bugs me is that I have no idea whether I got a good deal or got ripped off. I suppose I could call around and ask for quotes ahead of time, but when you don’t really know what the problem is, it’s hard to communicate what needs to be done.

I guess I should have taken that Women’s Automotive class in high school after all.

Photo Credit: Banksville Quality Auto by Macwagen, used under Creative Commons licensing.

With all the sales and promotions at Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft lately, I’ve been doing a bit of a wardrobe overhaul.

A few years ago, I bought The Lucky Shopping Manual, hoping it would provide me with a list of items that every wardrobe should contain. And boy, did it!

Here are the basic pieces (not including the “nice-to-haves”):

• 2 All-Season Work Skirts (Tropical Wool)
• 1 Day-to-Night Skirt (Dress it Up or Down)
• 2 Summer Work Skirts (Crisp and Structured)
• 1 Denim Skirt
• 2 Summer Weekend Skirts (Dress Them Up or Down)
• 2 Good White Tees (You Need a Couple, Because They’ll Stain)
• 2 Good Black Tees (Black Fades in the Wash - Always Have a Spare on Hand)
• 4 Tanks (for Beachwear and Layering)
• 1 Striped Tee (Wide or Narrow Stripes)
• 1 Henley or Polo
• 6 Work Tops (Your Choice of Shapes)
• 3 Fun Tops (For Going Out at Night)
• 4 Weekend Tops (T-Shirt Alternatives)
• 2 Summer Weekend Dresses
• 1 Summer Evening Dress
• 1 Summer Daytime Party Dress
• 2 Summer Work Dresses
• 2 Winter Work Dresses
• 1 Winter Weekend Dress
• 1 Winter Evening Dress
• 2 Fitted Pullover Sweaters for Work (V-Neck or Crewneck)
• 2 Cardigans (For Evening and Office)
• 1 Black Turtleneck (Thin and Fitted, Not Boxy)
• 2 Weekend Sweaters (At Least One that’s Really Warm)
• 1 Pair of Jeans to Wear With Heels
• 1 Pair of Weekend Jeans You Can Wreck
• 1 Pair of Jeans to Wear With Flats
• 3 Pairs of Winter Work Pants (Tropical Wool, or a Comparable Blend)
• 3 Pairs of Summer Work Pants
• 2 Pairs of All-Season Work Pants
• 1 Pair of Lightweight Evening Pants (Satin, for Winter and Summer)
• 2 Classic Suits (Serious for Work, But Versatile)
• 1 Skirt Suit (A Trendy Shape for Work or Nighttime)
• 1 Evening Suit (You’ll Wear the Pants All the Time)
• 1 Everyday Bag (Stick with Black or Dark Brown)
• 1 Small Work Bag
• 1 Work Tote or Briefcase (Whichever is Right for Your Job)
• 1 Casual Tote (Inexpensive and Washable)
• 1 Evening Bag
• 1 Small Going Out Bag (Just Big Enough for Your Wallet, Keys and Lipstick)
• 2 Pairs of Knee Boots
• 1 Pair of Good Office Shoes for Winter
• 1 Pair of Casual Shoes for Winter
• 1 Pair of Evening Shoes for Winter
• 2 Pairs of Good Office Shoes for Summer
• 1 Pair of Good Flat Sandals
• 1 Pair of Flip-Flops
• 1 Pair of Strappy, Sexy Sandals
• 1 Good Wool Blazer
• 1 Short Jacket (Lightweight Wool or Blend)
• 1 Denim Jacket
• 7 Pairs of Everyday Underpants
• 3 Everyday Bras (The Style You Always Wear)
• 1 Pair of Evening Hose
• 1 Black Bra with Pretty Straps (Under Sleeveless Black Tops)
• 1 Nude Stretchy Camisole (For Sheer Tops)
• 1 Silky Camisole (With Lace Trim You Can Show Off Under V-Necks)
• 1 Pair of Thin Wool Tights for Winter (Solid or Tweedy)
• 1 Convertible Bra
• 1 Cute Set to Sleep In
• As Many Pairs of Work Hose as You Need
• 2 Swimmable Suits
• 1 Top Cover-Up (Long-Sleeve for Sun Protection)
• 1 Bottom Cover-Up (For the Walk to the Snack Bar)
• 1 Overcoat (Classic Styling)
• 1 Fall Coat
• 1 Warm Parka (Long Enough to Cover Your Hips)
• 1 Spring Jacket
• 1 Raincoat (Functional But Fun)

Oh my gosh, just TYPING that was exhausting, let alone shopping and paying for all that!

Overall, I think it’s a good list, though perhaps a bit too dressy for my needs (four suits, including an “evening suit?”). But it’s a good place to start.

Still, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed. I mean, I probably own about half these things, and half of the things I own are items I don’t particularly like!

What’s a broke, stylish (ahem, that should probably be “stylish” in quotations) girl to do?!?!

As I’ve mentioned before, my husband and I are addicted to Coke. Coke Zero, specifically.

Oftentimes I will buy one of those $4.49 12-packs at QuikTrip and it will be gone the next day. I’m really not exaggerating here.

So, I was a bit surprised a few weeks ago when my husband asked me not to buy any Coke at the grocery store. Apparently I had told him about the lady who did lab experiments on rats where they developed tumors after consuming diet soda, and it really had an effect on him.

“Great!,” I thought. “We’re really going to save money on groceries!” (Obviously, not too concerned about the whole cancer angle.)

I wasn’t too worried about my next Coke fix either, since I have a never-ending supply of the stuff at work.

However, our savings was short-lived, as last week we again started making runs to the gas station for a cold 12-pack.

I guess it’s back to printing $1 off coupons from My Coke Rewards and hoping for weekly 3/$9 sales. Sigh.

A few years ago, the husband and I started using one of our “extra” paychecks to pay for Christmas instead of funding one of those cute little Christmas Club accounts at the bank.

As you probably know, an “extra” paycheck occurs twice a year if you are paid every two weeks, because there are 26 pay periods in a 12 month period. So, there are two months where you get paid three times instead of the typical two.

While we still make our per-paycheck extra debt payment of $887.62, we take whatever’s left over and use it for either summer vacation or Christmas. This has usually worked out nicely because the extra paychecks came in June and December.

Last year, it was May and November, but this year it’s April and October. October?!?!

Sure, this means I get to start shopping early, but c’mon. Two months of not whittling my Christmas money away on clothes and household expenses? One month of not finding other things that I could add to the pile of presents I already bought?

I know, I know, some of you get your Christmas shopping done the day after Christmas the previous year, I’m sure. But I am not one of those people! Or at least, not yet.

But if I do decide to go Christmas shopping in October instead of stashing the cash ’til Black Friday, at least they’ll be plenty of inflatable snowmen and LCD snowflake lights already on the shelf!

Photo Credit: Santa by solyanka, used under Creative Commons licensing.