I don't wanna be financially responsible anymore.

[Apple]

My whine thread, lol.

I've always saved.  When I got my first job (paper route, fifth grade), my dad required that 50% of my earnings went to savings.  I didn't need to spend much, so often would deposit my entire paycheck.  By 8th grade, I was responsible for pretty much anything that wasn't basic food/shelter.  Want to go on an out-of-town field trip?  Fund it yourself...

Learning to save had been a huge boost in life, setting myself up to get a mortgage very young (19), using it as an emergency fund before I knew what one was (spend-aholic now-ex-husband, frequently laid off), being able to pay my way through an associates with minimal loans, being able to send DS to private school for some needed small-class-size years, saving for retirement since 21, sometimes maxing, some years not.

I have several savings goals: save for retirement, save for DS college, save to build new house, save for eventual car replacement, save for home maintenance, save for travel, etc.  But, dammit, sometimes I just want to give up savings and spend more money now.

I recently bought a portable dishwasher.  I had budgeted for it with overtime earnings.  I love it.  I no longer have a sink full of dirty dishes all. the. time.  I'm not killing my back bending over the sink (new house will have higher counter tops, and a dishwasher, I am not killing my back anymore).  Hook it up, an hour later, all the dishes are done.  I'm going to go through cupboards and start eliminating some things that are not dishwasher safe.

So, now I am starting to think of all the other things I've been missing.  Cable would be so nice sometimes.  Faster internet.  A lawncare guy.  A nicer car (remote start and heated/cooled seats?) 

I'm just tired of saving for things in the distant future.  I don't have any trips planned, because the house and college are taking priority, but maybe I should start looking for something for next year.

It's definitely a "first world problem", but I need to snap myself out of it before I go online and buy a bunch of stuff I don't need.  I did finally buy a little Headless Horseman ornament I've had in my Etsy cart for a year.  Now I'm debating on a leather bag again (I tried to get one last year, but the company kept jacking me around with a "we'll ship it in two weeks", "Italy had a lot of vacations this month, so they're behind", etc.  I had to do a credit card dispute to get my money, and it's too bad, because I really liked that bag.)  I may cave on the bag if it is still there at the end of the week (I'm waiting to see how much a non-overtime paycheck will be, I haven't not worked OT since October(?) and I've done a lot of changes to my W4/retirement contribution since then.)

Any blah, blah, savings are good and you know it pep talks?  It's been a while since I just wanted to give up and spend all my money now.

[Deleted]

This is a spot DW and I found ourselves in the last few years, our answer was to create a "forced spend" part of the budget that we make ourselves spend each year on quality of life. It has been used to upgrade vacations, buy a better vehicle and give to family.

My projections also have us hitting retirement "escape velocity" in a few years meaning we won't need to contribute anything else to hit our number. At that point we will have more decisions to make, I want to leave a charitable legacy behind but also want to enjoy myself.

[sesfw]

Apple, make a date night and go out for a great dinner about once a month .......... Oh, and see a show also

Remember that old saying? ........... All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl

It's OK to put fun in your budget



ETA:  we have a special wallet we put our 'snowflake' cash in and consider that our fun money.  Any rebates we get from credit cards/Costco membership goes into that wallet.  I have a change jar and when I cash that in those funds go there also ...... all kinds of ways to put 'fun funds' in your budget.

[Apple]

My big focus is definitely the house, and I've diverted a lot of money there recently.  Might get to move more to the house if DS goes to the community college again next year (save money on room/board/tuition + he'll keep working).

Not sure how Portland's market affects ours, since we're a few hours away, but right now the market is pretty hot, things are selling for way to much, and there is almost nothing for sale.  I'm not in a place to sell quite yet, so maybe it will last a little longer until I am.

Most builders are booked out about two years, but I'm still seeing what I can do.  It's a small house, so really shouldn't take much.  I might look into modular again as well.

[Apple]

Apr 17, 2017 12:29:19 GMT -5 @aj said:

This is a spot DW and I found ourselves in the last few years, our answer was to create a "forced spend" part of the budget that we make ourselves spend each year on quality of life. It has been used to upgrade vacations, buy a better vehicle and give to family.

My projections also have us hitting retirement "escape velocity" in a few years meaning we won't need to contribute anything else to hit our number. At that point we will have more decisions to make, I want to leave a charitable legacy behind but also want to enjoy myself.

That's a great spot to be in!  I'm in a position soon where I will need to keep saving more for tax benefit than to have more in retirement.  

I do find myself "allowing" the better of something more now than I did though.  And now that I've taken up quilting, I have an area where no forcing is necessary to make me want to spend!

[Apple]

Apr 18, 2017 11:06:01 GMT -5 sesfw said:

Apple, make a date night and go out for a great dinner about once a month .......... Oh, and see a show also

Remember that old saying? ........... All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl

It's OK to put fun in your budget



ETA:  we have a special wallet we put our 'snowflake' cash in and consider that our fun money.  Any rebates we get from credit cards/Costco membership goes into that wallet.  I have a change jar and when I cash that in those funds go there also ...... all kinds of ways to put 'fun funds' in your budget.

Date night would require a date...  But, I do keep an eye on shows going on in the big city that I might want to go to.  And I'm starting to pay attention to what movies are playing, in case there is something I might be interested in seeing in a theater (IT).

I do have a "fun money" line in my budget, and I keep some cash on hand that I don't have to account for anywhere at all, but I want to spend over that lately

I might see if I can make it down to Ashland again (Oregon Shakespeare Festival) this summer.  Take my son if he wants to go, take my mom and drop her off with her sisters or my brother on the drive down, and see a couple shows.  It would come out of the vacation budget which has enough to cover everything already. 

[countrygirl2]

We saved and saved. I did start taking some trips with DD in my 60's, hubby did not like it, he wanted

me to save my SS too. I said no way, might drop dead tomorrow. But as folks here know he worked

till 70 anyway.

The one thing I can say is we have what we want in retirement and people that blew all their money

when younger are in many cases hurting. It sure doesn't hurt to save but I would enjoy myself some

along the way.

I did a few times when working but not many.

We have a post office in our little town that is in the bank building, its a small one. It's coming up for

auction soon and I want it. Hubby is teasing me, we know the post office could close anytime, only

rents for $380 a month but they pay maintenance too. It has the original vault.  Maybe built turn

of the century, if possible I'm buying that little sucker. That's the kind of stuff I like.

When we sell our duplex we may also buy a small place in Florida, so life is good.

[dee27]

Apr 18, 2017 11:06:01 GMT -5 sesfw said:

Apple, make a date night and go out for a great dinner about once a month .......... Oh, and see a show also

Remember that old saying? ........... All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl

It's OK to put fun in your budget



ETA:  we have a special wallet we put our 'snowflake' cash in and consider that our fun money.  Any rebates we get from credit cards/Costco membership goes into that wallet.  I have a change jar and when I cash that in those funds go there also ...... all kinds of ways to put 'fun funds' in your budget.

We let our Chase rewards accumulate until we use the cash to pay for a needed item. Two years ago we used the rewards to pay for a freezer and this year the rewards paid for the flight to visit our son.

[Apple]

Apr 18, 2017 13:08:22 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

We saved and saved. I did start taking some trips with DD in my 60's, hubby did not like it, he wanted

me to save my SS too. I said no way, might drop dead tomorrow. But as folks here know he worked

till 70 anyway.

The one thing I can say is we have what we want in retirement and people that blew all their money

when younger are in many cases hurting. It sure doesn't hurt to save but I would enjoy myself some

along the way.

I did a few times when working but not many.

We have a post office in our little town that is in the bank building, its a small one. It's coming up for

auction soon and I want it. Hubby is teasing me, we know the post office could close anytime, only

rents for $380 a month but they pay maintenance too. It has the original vault.  Maybe built turn

of the century, if possible I'm buying that little sucker. That's the kind of stuff I like.

When we sell our duplex we may also buy a small place in Florida, so life is good.

Our old post office was in a really gorgeous building, marble, brass doors for the boxes, etc.  A title company bought it after they built a new PO building (not near as cool).  They kept many of the original features, and one of the rooms where you sign paperwork is the old vault.  

It's definitely nice to have options, both during and after working life...

[Apple]

Apr 18, 2017 17:13:41 GMT -5 dee27 said:

Apr 18, 2017 11:06:01 GMT -5 sesfw said:

Apple, make a date night and go out for a great dinner about once a month .......... Oh, and see a show also

Remember that old saying? ........... All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl

It's OK to put fun in your budget



ETA:  we have a special wallet we put our 'snowflake' cash in and consider that our fun money.  Any rebates we get from credit cards/Costco membership goes into that wallet.  I have a change jar and when I cash that in those funds go there also ...... all kinds of ways to put 'fun funds' in your budget.

We let our Chase rewards accumulate until we use the cash to pay for a needed item. Two years ago we used the rewards to pay for a freezer and this year the rewards paid for the flight to visit our son.

I've thought about doing that, but for now, I just cash it out as a statement credit every month and move the money "saved" into the build-a-house fund.

[Apple]

I finally have a good base-paycheck number again (no overtime on this next check).  It should be good until June, when we are "supposed" to get our COLA (in quotes, because sometimes it takes them until the next year to calculate our raise, and then even longer to finally pay us retroactively.)

Anyway, feeling a little better today.  With the new amount on the paycheck, I am saving a minimum of $550/month toward the new house.  I'm caught up with saving for DS's college until October (my goal is to average $1k/month there), so any overtime/found/extra money will go into the house fund until then.

I still am not finding "the" leather tote, so I'm holding off on that.  However, I found one I really like, for about 1/3 of what I was looking at (it's more simple, smaller), so I did go ahead and pull the trigger on that.  I have a canvas bag that will meet my needs for the other--until I find the perfect one, or not.  So, I moved another 1/3 of that into the house fund, and left the final 1/3 to spend on something else eventually.

DS isn't planning on taking any summer classes this year, and should still be at home, so we'll probably plan a week for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and call it good for the travel this year.  We'll be able to take five days, since he's only working on weekends.  

[grits]

I wanted a small house. Now, I may retire this year, and have to move in 4 to be closer to family because of my health issues. I still want that house but know I better leave it alone. 

[lund]

I hope that your health and work situation lets you work until you can well afford a nice little retirement house closer to your family, Grits!