Well the first phase of fix up the condo is nearing completion. We are very happy how the bathrooms came out. I am still doing some work to finish up the kitchen. Now we have to start planning for replacement of our rugs in our dinning/living room & halls. We were thinking of hardwoods for this area and using area rugs. This would define the space better. We would then eventually replace just the carpet in the bedrooms with new carpet. This is the plan anyway...
On another note I read this an article about a year ago about a couple in NY that basically stop spending money. They were only trying to buy really what they needed in order to pay off credit card debt. I find this very interesting... seeing how consumer debt, credit, mortgage, and every other type of debt, is greater than it ever has been in the past. The real question to ask is could each of us actually stop spending? The thing this basically accomplishes is that it defines wants from necessities. Yes there are things you need to buy... just you need to be able define what that is and how much you really value them...
check out this challenge I found on MSN and let me know what you think??? I am really curious.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/FindDealsOnline/CouldYouStopSpendingForAMonth.aspx
Monday, March 12, 2007
Getting back to Normal...
Posted by A Day in the Life of Cait & Kyle at Monday, March 12, 2007
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7 comments:
Interesting idea. There's no way I could do that...
Interesting article.
Oddly enough, that is largely how we live. I buy $25 in groceries a week, and we each get $20 a week for household stuff.
Gas, stamps, and bus passes are a separate issue. We have to agree on other purchases.
We don't even have long distance on our phone or cable TV.
We're such freaks. I've been loosening up a little lately though....
Okay, so I just now followed the link to the article. It's a good idea, and I need to cut down on my spending, which I've been trying to do. But, I don't know about a whole month buying nothing but necessities...I almost feel like I'm doing that now, since I'm not doing any craft shopping during lent. But I do give in to some little impulse buys here and there. I need to stop doing that! :(
Cait and Kyle
Interesting article! Its amazing how hard it is to give up the niceties! We don't follow the article's premise, but we do have a few rules...we never buy anything on credit, if we don't have the cash, we don't get it. As such, we don't have any debt, other than Jan's college loans. We borrow books and dvds from the library, or we buy books for 69cents from Goodwill or used book stores. We do splurge occasionally - but we have to really want something, or have saved for it. About 20 years ago I got into credit card debt, and swore I would never do it again. We even buy airline tickets with our debit card, right from the checking account. We have tied our debit card with Alaska Airlines to earn miles, and in just one year we earned a free round trip ticket - without even really trying! We also go to lots of free or cheap concerts, museums on free admission days, and plays when its pay what you want night.
Still - I know we could do more! The article was definitely food for thought!
Aunt Mo, Tami, Joie, Kerri,
I just found it a very interesting article. I agree with you all that it is very hard to accomplish or maintain for any lenght of time. I just think the premise of the article helps people, mainly younger 20 somethings, to learn how to properly budget. They learn how to distinguish needs from wants. How to plan for a rainy day. They do come, Murphy's Law... It is also a good reminder for the rest of us.
Aunt Mo, Tami, Joie, Kerri,
I just found it a very interesting article. I agree with you all that it is very hard to accomplish or maintain for any lenght of time. I just think the premise of the article helps people, mainly younger 20 somethings, to learn how to properly budget. They learn how to distinguish needs from wants. How to plan for a rainy day. They do come, Murphy's Law... It is also a good reminder for the rest of us.
Before you stop spending for the month I wonder how it went not watching TV for a month? Some people are just more disciplined than others. I find as I get older that I Need less - but still purchase the "I wants". When my kids were younger, I often couldn't go shopping because it was too much hassle (esp. after Joey had a tantrum in the mall -one of the two that he ever had - and I did catalogue shopping for Christmas that year). Now I have no little ones with me - I often say "well, why not?". I think this would be a good exercise for anyone, since I believe we are all victims of advertising and wanting to have more. Now if I can just get my consumer husband to do it!
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