I'm getting a tax refund & spending it frivolously

[Mardi Gras Audrey]

we should be getting back ~$6k feds and $2500 state.  I think DH wants to keep it in cash (He loves cash... I tell him about phil's numbers and how we can get $$ in the market but he doesn't care.... Maybe a pic of Phil surrounded by all his benjamins would help? ).  

Frivolous things.... maybe DH will quit his job.  He doesn't like the job or the commute.. I told him we can make it if he quits and goes to school but he hasn't pulled the trigger quite yet.  I'm sure one of these days he'll be pulling a Peter and just not showing up anymore.

Oh, Carl... what does a $3.5k dining set look like?  I'm honestly curious... We have one that is pretty formal and was $500.  I'm trying to picture a $3k+ set but I can't....

[Deleted]

Feb 26, 2013 0:27:30 GMT -5 Mardi Gras Audrey said:

Why not! I am getting flamed already, might as well go all the way.

Living room





Seems now it is on sale, darn it!

www.bostoninteriors.com/furniture/living_room/small_space_solutions/sofas/vaughn-sofa.cfm

We bought it for $999 + taxes + delivery


Dining Room



Breakdown :
- > Benches : $ 349 x 2 www.crateandbarrel.com/basque-honey-62-bench/s434779
-> Chairs : $199 X 2 www.crateandbarrel.com/basque-honey-side-chair/s685855
-> Table : $799 www.crateandbarrel.com/basque-honey-82-dining-table/s180378
-> Buffer : $1,199 www.crateandbarrel.com/dining-and-entertaining/dining-and-kitchen-storage/basque-honey-large-buffet/f14070

Total : $3,094 + taxes + delivery

Let the flame/lecture begin

[steph08]

We're getting a refund back as well (majority is DH's education credit, and this is the last year for that). DH is getting GPS collars for his beagles and then I will put the rest into savings. I think it's frivolous to spend 1k on collars, but he doesn't want much, so I try to be okay with it! He keeps trying to play it off like it will make my life easier, ya right!

[swamp]

I'm giggling imagining play doh, finger paints, glitter, kid toys, and all the other mess that comes with kids crapping up Carl's showcase home. 

[muttleynfelix]

Feb 26, 2013 7:03:55 GMT -5 swamp said:

I'm giggling imagining play doh, finger paints, glitter, kid toys, and all the other mess that comes with kids crapping up Carl's showcase home. 

The funny thing is that my new dining room table was $900 and looks very similar to that. (Actually I think mine is nicer). 

[973beachbum]

We are getting back $900 but I already did my frivolous spending a few weeks ago when I got two handbags, a pair of boots and a pair of skinny jeans.

[973beachbum]

As far as the cost of furniture, I don't think a $1000 sofa is all that expensive.  I bought a sofa and dining room set in 1989 and the solid wood chairs alone were $168 each.  I don't know why I remember that number.   I would bet that the table and chairs was $1200 and that was almost 25 years ago.  I know I am going to YM hell but my dining room is still around and doing fine.  I doubt a cheap set from Wally World would be.

[plugginaway22]

I love that dining room set!  Even scratched up it should last a long time.

[steph08]

Feb 26, 2013 7:52:25 GMT -5 @tbird said:

Feb 26, 2013 6:27:11 GMT -5 steph08 said:

We're getting a refund back as well (majority is DH's education credit, and this is the last year for that). DH is getting GPS collars for his beagles and then I will put the rest into savings. I think it's frivolous to spend 1k on collars, but he doesn't want much, so I try to be okay with it! He keeps trying to play it off like it will make my life easier, ya right!

protecting puppies?

Priceless!

True Rukh! Love my beagles, even if they are hellions sometimes!   This will allow DH to see wherever they are when they go rabbit hunting, so he knows if they are too far away from him, near a road, etc.

Supposedly we can set a perimeter in our yard as well and it will alert me when the beagles go too close to it (like an electric fence, but it just alerts me, I don't think it shocks the dogs). If that is true, that will be nice.  My boxers could care less what is out and about in the yard, but the beagles just sniff and sniff and sniff.

[busymom]

C, I'm picturing kids having hot wheels races across the top of that table.  Not that I would know anything about THAT!    Maybe I should send your wife pics of how my kids managed to ding up my livingroom end tables.  I'm planning on getting them refinished & repaired someday, since they're oak, & even that gets dented & scratched when you've got kids....


My "non-YM approved" splurge with our tax refund will be replacing the basement freezer that recently died.  'Cause a good YM'er would put that money in their EF, or maybe pay off the rest of my car loan.  

[Deleted]

Feb 26, 2013 7:03:55 GMT -5 swamp said:

I'm giggling imaginhering play doh, finger paints, glitter, kid toys, and all the other mess that comes with kids crapping up Carl's showcase home. 

LOL!!!

On a serious note, her home is her castle and she loves it; it's her piece of paradise. It has been that way since we moved in together 5 years ago. I am the social butterfly compared to my wife being the home buddy, so she loves it when it is just the way she wants it.
 
I call the furniture magazine she gets her porn because she gets excited when she gets them, browse them and eve have some apps on her iphone. She loves changing things around, etc.

It bring her happiness and joy, so I let her have it. Our home is definitely her domain and I don't mess with that or get involve (only when it comes to costs and over a certain amount, I get veto power).

The other day I took pictures while she was in NY and texted her and said: Enjoy those pictures because in a year or more, this will not look anything like this.
Imagine baby seat, toys, high chair covering the space. Max toys all over, etc.

Since her mom is her on steroids when it comes to keeping a house clean, who knows. Might not look that different except a few kids items around!
Haha, even I couldn't stop laughing through that one








 


We don't know what we are going to do with all crap in this room yet since that is the baby's room; I am pretty sure my wife has a plan and just haven't bothered to share it with me yet. Now we use it as an office / guest room. The white sofa (yes WHITE) turn into a fulls size bed!

[Deleted]

I don't believe anything about my life if YM approved....but I really don't care.  I managed to raise 3 kids (well still some in process) on my own in a HCOLA without child support or any government services.

[NoNamePerson]

Geeze, and I owe Feds $66 and state $354 - all due to IRA distribution Probably the same next year too!!

[Deleted]

Feb 26, 2013 8:41:32 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

Geeze, and I owe Feds $66 and state $354 - all due to IRA distribution Probably the same next year too!!

Phil would be so proud of you

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

I'm shocked that that dining table and little buffet was $3k! I mean, it's a nice table set, but not nearly what I'd have expected for $3k! Maybe I'm out of touch with furniture prices any more...

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

My splurge with my smallish refund was getting the furnace fixed.

Although, I did go out and buy a new laptop the other day. In my defense, I waited 6 months since my old one died and I'm working a side gig that should pay for it over the next month or so... but... that's my non-YM splurge. And I love not having to schlep to the library any more!

[NancysSummerSip]

Feb 25, 2013 20:11:54 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

We purchased a 3.5k dinning room set from Crate & Barrel, a 1.2k sofa from Boston Interiors.

We are getting back 1k from the Feds, $450 from NY and $100 from MA. We are using that to go on a trip for our 10 year Anniversary, my birthday and her birthday. So all in one trip!

We are also trying to decide between buying her the mini cooper clubman now or when the lease is over on her Honda Civic in September, we are still debating. Why? We just got approved for 0% loan and not sure if we want to pull the trigger or risk waiting till September. The new car will come to about 30k.

And we are planning on getting pregnant between now and next year. Using the pull out method so might get pregnant sooner than later ; going on 5 months now and have been lucky so far

Damn, I am going to YM hell!

We have a 2011 Clubman. You're gonna love it!

Just brought our stack of paperwork to the accountant today. I wanted to get it done before the home renovations begin. We owe and have nothing to deduct.
Four rooms' worth of new floors (three in bamboo and one in carpet). A splurge of sorts, except the carpet in three of the rooms is 30 years old (original to the house), it's shag, and it's orange. Sure, go ahead and laugh. It's so bad, that when some of it was destroyed by hurricane-related water intrusion a few years back, I was actually rejoicing.
Other splurge - a trip to Canada in a few months. I have family there to visit. We will not rent a car, since we don't know our way around anyway, but the plane tickets will be pricey enough (we are going nonstop from an airport an hour and a half away) and staying at a nice hotel (not top end, just nice).

[Deleted]

Mrs. C could Dear Lillie the toys.

dearlillieblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/where-are-all-toys-and-more-give-thanks.html

[Deleted]

We might be getting a third car.  DH's is on it's last legs and we want one in reserve for when it dies. Of course, we'll be spending less than Carl did on his furniture.  LOL   We found a good deal on a 99 Camry for $3200 OBO.  

[milee]

Not that C or Mrs. C needs our approval, but I think most of their apartment looks pretty kid-friendly.  That table is sturdy and the wood will hide some of the indicental nicks or scratches.  Most of the apartment looks like it has hardwood or solid surface floors and it's not cluttered.  Little people could easily play on the floor in many places.

Yeah, any upholstered sofa is going to be a risk, but at least the white one looks like a slipcover, so it could be washed and eventually replaced or dyed darker.

Overall, I think their place looks really nice and wish I had that kind of eye for putting stuff together.  When we were broke, I thought my problem was that I didn't have the money to decorate.  Now that I have the money, I realize more of my problem is not really knowing (and honestly, not being interested enough to find out) how to put looks together.  Mrs. C seems to know how to do that, so she'll figure out the kid stuff.  Looks like a nice, comfy, cosy nest.

[Mardi Gras Audrey]

Carl, I love your wife's taste.  Your place looks great.  The dining set is nice-the buffet is what made it more expensive (When you said $3k, I thought that was just for the table/chairs).  

[zibazinski]

We bought a copper top dining table and 6 well cushioned and nicely fabric chairs for it. Paid for 4 chairs and got 2 free for the same price. But if we had kids no way would we have bought that. Sofas are spendy.  Ours, which is on a smaller scale, was almost 3k. But it's gorgeous and well made and can be utilized in any home we ever put it in. We did wait until the table was on sale which was almost a year.

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

No, but I am rethinking my budget numbers for replacing my sofa this year...

[Mardi Gras Audrey]

Feb 26, 2013 11:49:49 GMT -5 @wrongsideof30 said:

Does anyone else feel like they want a new dining set now?

Yes 

[Martivir]

We're taking a weekend trip. Nothing too fancy. The rest is going towards boring stuff like savings and stuff we need. Blasted kid has just about grown out of his car seat and I need to do some landscaping.

Carl, your wife has great taste. I've always wanted something like your new dining set but it would take up my entire kitchen. No dining room here. 

[muttleynfelix]

Feb 26, 2013 11:49:49 GMT -5 @wrongsideof30 said:

Does anyone else feel like they want a new dining set now?

Nope, but that is only because we just bought ours in September!    We looked for 6 YEARS!  It is so nice to have a table that will seat more than 2 people and our food!

[Deleted]

Your home is beautiful Carl! 

[constanz22]

Feb 26, 2013 12:48:05 GMT -5 @beerwench said:

Your home is beautiful Carl! 

Agreed! But, it looks too perfect, like I'd be afraid to sit down or put a drink anywhere. I prefer stylish but lived in (mine is just lived in...lol) and where do you keep your "stuff"? There isn't anything, anywhere...

[Deleted]

Feb 26, 2013 14:10:23 GMT -5 constanz22 said:

Feb 26, 2013 12:48:05 GMT -5 @beerwench said:

Your home is beautiful Carl! 

Agreed! But, it looks too perfect, like I'd be afraid to sit down or put a drink anywhere. I prefer stylish but lived in (mine is just lived in...lol) and where do you keep your "stuff"? There isn't anything, anywhere...

Yeah, no kidding.  Do you have a big-assed storage room you shovel all your stuff into.  LOL  I can't imagine having a place that small being that tidy. 

[t-dog]

I am putting in a pool - flame on...