financegirl on Apr 8th 2008 Frugality, Spending
Tell me if this sounds familiar:
You’re planning on giving your sister a $20 birthday present - probably a DVD that she’s been wanting. You get to the store, and the DVD is on sale for $9.99. “Great,” you think, “Now I can buy her the DVD and a CD.”
Stop right there.
If you want to get out of debt, you need to gift at retail price. This means that if you can find something that’s worth $20, but on sale for $10, you stop shopping and snowflake the newly found $10 to your debt.
The recipient will never know, and you won’t have to feel guilty about cutting your gift budget.
(This post was included in the Festival of Frugality, hosted by Rather be Shopping)
Photo Credit: Closeup of a gift tag by ashleyg, used under Creative Commons licensing
financegirl on Mar 23rd 2008 Debt-Reduction, Spending
This is my mattress, and I can’t take it any more.
My husband got it seven years ago when some co-workers donated used furniture to his post-divorce “bachelor pad.” While we’ve I’ve gotten rid of most of his hand-me-downs, we are still sleeping on this thing, which has to be pushing 20 years (my stepson is sleeping on the full-sized mattress I purchased in college).
Besides the fact that sleeping on someone else’s used mattress is gross, it’s stained, it sags and it’s uncomfortable. We’ve been talking about replacing it for six years, but there’s always been something else that seemed more financially pressing (lately, getting out of debt).
Our get-out-of-debt schedule, $1000 IRS payment and house painting expenses don’t leave any money in the budget for it any time soon. I guess we could buy one for ourselves for Christmas, but I don’t know if I can wait that long (and what a bummer gift)!
I’m not sure if I’m being a spoiled brat, but I just can’t help thinking, “We’re making over $100,000 a year, and I’m sleeping on THIS!?!”
But, I think I have an idea that won’t interfere with our other plans…Garage Sale!
Now, I’m not expecting Sleep Number-type proceeds, but anything we make can go to the mattress fund. I’ve never had a garage sale, so I’m not sure what to expect. But I think we have enough stuff to make at least a couple hundred bucks.
Anyone want to buy a used mattress?
financegirl on Mar 11th 2008 Spending
Pair of Shoes - $140 (shiny black Doc Marten boots back in the day)
Purse - $80 (black leather from Fossil that I bought for a business trip)
Watch - $120 (Diesel watch that was wedding gift to my husband - he no longer wears because he mowed the lawn with it on and it reeks)
Pair of Jeans - $68 (favorite pair ever, from Banana Republic)
Pair of Panties - $23 (cute ones from a local boutique)
Bra - $45 (Victoria’s Secret can be expensive)
Pair of Pants- $80 (wool, from Banana Republic)
T-Shirt - $35 (for my husband)
Dress (excluding wedding dress) - $140 (Ann Taylor dress I bought for a funeral but ended up wearing many times)
Sweater - $68 (zip up cardigan from Ann Taylor Loft that I lost)
Coat/Jacket - $148 (white spring jacket from Ann Taylor, purchased for business trip)
Haircut - $31 plus tip (my last hair stylist)
Meal - $50 per person (French-style restaurant in Napa valley)
Bottle of Wine - $30 (Robert Modavi purchased in Napa)
Camera - $350 (Canon EOS Rebel in ‘01)
Tank of Gas - $3.25 (uh, the other day)
Plane Ticket - $800 (to France)
Car - $15,443 (for an ‘06 car purchased new)
financegirl on Mar 10th 2008 Spending
What’s that ya have?
A St. Patrick’s Day t-shirt.
A St. Patrick’s Day t-shirt? Brilliant!
What do you do with it?
Well, I have found a way to get thousands of Americans to purchase a shirt that they can only wear one time!
So you charge them five bucks and make sure “2008″ appears in the middle of the shirt so they can’t wear it again next year?
Yes!
A 2008 St. Patrick’s Day t-shirt that you can only wear once? Brilliant!
financegirl on Mar 1st 2008 Debt-Reduction, Spending
Some things are easier to say no to than others. Here are some recent questions I’ve had a hard time saying no to, even though I really shouldn’t be spending the money:
- Do you want to come out with us to a bar tonight? (friends)
- Are we going to take another group vacation to the lake this summer? (friends)
- I want to go to see a musical for my birthday. Can you and John come? (my mom)
- Do you want to have your dog’s nails trimmed today? (the vet)
- Can you donate money to my walk for cancer? (one of my company’s clients)
I’ve said yes to some, no to some, and ignored a few for now.
Last night, I was asked another such question.
My sister and her husband had tickets to a musical that I had been wanting to see (but didn’t have the money to buy tickets for) and her husband couldn’t go because he had to work at the last minute. She needed someone to go with her. Tickets were $40, but she said I didn’t necessarily have to pay her, just pay for parking or whatever.
Well, they just recently graduated from college, got married, are getting ready to move and make about 20% of what my husband and I make. Essentially, they are broke (why they are buying tickets to Broadway shows, I don’t know). So I went. And drove there, paid for parking and gave her money for my ticket.
It’s hard to say no when your reason is getting out of debt quickly, and the person asking is just trying to pay their bills.
financegirl on Feb 29th 2008 Spending
I’m a fan of MSN Money columnist MP Dunleavey (although I don’t necessarily agree with her decision to purchase a more expensive house while trying to get out of debt).
Back in July, she wrote an article about
7 Ways to Buy Happiness, in which she discusses spending money in a way that brings long-term happiness. She says that spending more on quality of life, as opposed to “stuff,” is usually a better investment.
This seems to be mostly true for me. Here’s a short list of things I’ve spent money that have brought happiness:
- A month-long trip to France to live with a host family while in high school
- Our dog that we adopted from a local shelter
- My iPod
- Photography classes at an art school
- Family vacations
- Baby grand piano I purchased from my mom’s friend
Generally, the “stuff” I’ve purchased that has made me happy are things that have improved my quality of life. For example, my iPod keeps me entertained while in traffic, helps the time go faster while doing a boring task at work and lets me learn new things through podcasts.
My latest possible addition to this list is the video game Rock Band. I love this game! While it is somewhat expensive ($180 - we bought it off craigslist for $120), we play it a lot. It’s led to “quality time” with my husband and stepson, entertained our friends at the Rock Band parties we throw and is something you can even do by yourself if you’re bored.
financegirl on Feb 28th 2008 Pets, Spending
So, I just got back from the vet for my dog’s annual physical and shots. $172.25!
What happened?
Complete Physical Exam: $35
3-Year Rabies Vaccination: $24
3-Year Distemper/Parvovirus Vaccination: $32
Heartworm Test and Tick Screen: $43.25
Fecal Analysis/Centrifugation: $23.00
Express Anal Glands (I mentioned he’d been scooting around): $15
I think they forgot to charge me for his assisted nail trim (he has to be muzzled and held down), which would have been at least another $15. And, I started buying his heartworm and flea prevention medicine online, or that would have easily been another $100.
Dogs are so expensive. Last year, he ate a bunch of berber carpet when we weren’t home and nearly had to have surgery. He had to have an IV, X-rays and spend a couple nights at the vet for a cost of $740.
Too bad they don’t have flexcare health spending accounts for dogs! I know, I know, there’s always pet insurance, but it’s hardly ever worth it (unless you know in advance that your dog is going to be a dumb-ass carpet-eater).
financegirl on Feb 27th 2008 Spending
Now, I may be trying to get out of debt, but I’m not crazy. If I get $20 for my birthday, I’m going to spend it, not put it toward my debt.
But what to spend it on? If I keep the cash in my wallet with no clear plan, I’ll end up blowing it all on McDonald’s and clearance-rack clothing that I’ll never actually wear. And since our tight getting-out-of-debt budget leaves little money for things like new shoes, makeup and entertainment, I have limitless ideas of how to spend the money.
Instead of blowing my birthday money on impulse purchases, this year I made a list of things I want and ordered them from most to least important in Ta-Da Lists (www.tadalists.com). Here’s my current prioritized list:
1. Emergency fire escape ladders for the upstairs bedrooms
2. 2 pairs of jeans for stepson to replace the ones he ripped
3. Clinique foundation (wait ’til Bonus Time beginning March 9)
4. Baseball opening day tickets
5. More long-sleeve casual shirts
6. New Pumas
7. Train ride into the city to see the Bodies exhibit with family
8. Black patent round-toe pumps
9. New Victoria’s Secret IPEX bra
10. Develop pictures for photo album
11. Swiss Gear Zurich Upright Suitcase
12. 4″ Satin Nickel Standard House Numbers from Restoration Hardware
13. Michael Kors Jet Set watch
14. Banana Republic enamel heart necklace
15. Set of 6 satin nickel wallplates from Target.com
16. Fiona Apple Tidal sheet music
I purchased items 1-3 with my birthday money, and plan to use the list in the future when I extra money to spend.
financegirl on Feb 20th 2008 Spending
While I feel like I had a frugal Valentine’s Day and birthday season, I estimate that we spend about $3,500 per year on gifts. That’s almost $300 per month! ($140 if you don’t count Christmas, which we pay for out of one of our two extra paychecks) This includes gifts, dining out on special occasions, birthday parties, holiday expenses, cards, etc.
I’m not really sure how it got so out of control, or if it is really all that unusual. I try to stick to the following gift limits based on the receipient’s relationship to me:
Birthdays:
$70 Child
$60 Spouse
$30 Parent
$20 Other Relatives and Friends (no party, no present - unless it’s a nephew/niece)
$10-$15 Child’s Friends (no party, no present)
Christmas:
$350 Spouse, $50 Spouse’s Stocking (yes, I realize that’s a lot, but we don’t get much throughout the year)
$300 Child, $30 Child’s Stocking (kids get presents from everyone!)
$50 Parent
$20 Sibling or Niece/Nephew
Weddings:
$50 Good Friends/Relatives
$25 Everyone Else
$30-$35 Shower Gift
$20 Bachelorette/Bachelor Gift
Other Stuff:
$30-$35 Baby Shower Gift
$30 Mother’s/Father’s Day Gift
$170 Child’s Birthday Party/Cake
$25 Anniversary Gift for Spouse
$100 Anniversary Dinner/Entertainment
$130 Hotel for Anniversary
$50 4th of July Entertainment (i.e., Fireworks)
$100 Christmas Entertainment (i.e., Symphony)
financegirl on Feb 20th 2008 Spending
Everyone has a “latte factor,” right?
Mine is Coke. Not the drug, the drink.
My husband and I consume approximately three 12-packs of Coke Zero a week, plus the free drinks my work provides and the plastic bottles he buys once a day. So, I figure that’s at least $500 a year just for the 12-packs. Probably more, when you figure the trips we run to the gas station for a cold $4+ 12-pack when we run out and don’t want to go to the grocery store.
Yikes! I guess it’s still cheaper than the daily Starbuck’s trip though.
