Remember the Year of Austerity?
Yeah, neither do I.
In the last month, here are some things that have popped up:
Lester needed work done on his car, which has close to 150,000 miles on it. $$
The ceiling in the boys room collapsed. Yes, collapsed. We had to get it fixed with the quickness before the whole slab of plaster fell in on our sleeping darlings. $$$
Dean thought it would be an interesting experiment to see what would happen if he flushed a toy zebra down the toilet. The plumber snaked, vacuumed, tried to break it up, etc. Nothing worked. By the time he finished banging incessantly, we had to buy a new toilet. $$
Our oven has stopped working. Just doesn't come on for some reason. We have to call a repairman this week. I'm sure he'll say we need a new stove, because why wouldn't he. (projected $$$)
The railing outside the house, leading up to our porch, is wobbling - badly. This is dangerous, not to mention an insurance infraction. (projected $$)
The boys outgrew the sneakers we bought them at the BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER. And Clair's toes are hanging off of her little jellies - and the sandals we bought her at the BEGINNING OF SUMMER. We had to buy all of them new shoes. And coats for the winter. Clair still has a lot of hand-me-downs (thank goodness) but somehow mostly dresses and tops. So we had to buy her pants. The boys still have some of Russy's old clothes, but somehow mostly pants, so we had to buy them tops. We went to the mall on Saturday. We left absolutely broke.
$$$$
In addition to soccer, which starts in September for C & D, we have to figure out which activities to enroll all the kids in this fall and winter.
Here are our plans:
Music class for Clair - Sunday mornings
Tumbling class for all kids - Thursday evenings (which will mean crazy rushing after work)
Swim class for all kids - sometime starting in the winter
Can you say "mo' money, mo' money, mo' money?"
$$$$$$$$$
In other news, I'm back to my foolproof financial savings plan of playing the lottery. I'll let you know how that turns out.
Showing posts with label savings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label savings. Show all posts
Monday, August 19, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
The Year of (somewhat) Austerity: An update
Last October (2011), Lester and I declared that 2012 would be the Year of Austerity.
We scaled back on some non-essentials, reduced our weekly cash-on-hand, and resolved to save much more money.
A year later, here's the long and the short of it: We did save SOME money. But not nearly as much as we planned.
There are a couple reasons why. The biggest is our air conditioning fiasco, when our decades old AC unit conked out on us -- during the hottest summer ever! (I'm not making that up; 2012 is on record as the hottest year EVER.) We were forced to completely replace the AC system, and since we are debt-averse (when it can be helped), we just paid for it out of our savings. That was $6,000 we hadn't planned for. Ugh. Just typing that makes me want to weep.
Also, we underestimated how much having a new baby around would eat into "discretionary" money. Taking the full 3 months off for maternity leave, for instance, meant missing three paychecks. That doesn't seem like a lot, but when literally every dollar is accounted for (and with Lester Davis-budgeter-extraordinaire around, believe me EVERY dollar is accounted for) missing three paychecks was a big hit. Not to mention formula and extra diapers and other stuff. Small stuff all adds up.
And finally, I think we have really realized that having every dollar accounted for is just fine until life happens. Plumbing issues, school supplies, new fall clothes for the growing boys, car repairs, computer battery dies, prescription meds for sick kids, babysitting, etc. etc. The list goes on and on.
We realize there either has to be more "disposable" money (or else we will always be tapping into what we'd like to be savings), or we need to be more honest, or realistic is a better word, about how much it really costs to live day-to-day with three little kiddos.
It reminds me of when we first started with our accountant, Joe, and we were newly-married, without kids and saving money at a rapid clip. We were so proud, and so smug. "We're saving like 20-percent of our take-home," we told him, clasping hands and looking giddy.
"Yeah. That's not sustainable," he said.
We were so confused at the time. And we considered not sticking with Joe. Shouldn't your accountant be more encouraging about saving money?
But now we understand, Joe. Now we understand.
We scaled back on some non-essentials, reduced our weekly cash-on-hand, and resolved to save much more money.
A year later, here's the long and the short of it: We did save SOME money. But not nearly as much as we planned.
There are a couple reasons why. The biggest is our air conditioning fiasco, when our decades old AC unit conked out on us -- during the hottest summer ever! (I'm not making that up; 2012 is on record as the hottest year EVER.) We were forced to completely replace the AC system, and since we are debt-averse (when it can be helped), we just paid for it out of our savings. That was $6,000 we hadn't planned for. Ugh. Just typing that makes me want to weep.
Also, we underestimated how much having a new baby around would eat into "discretionary" money. Taking the full 3 months off for maternity leave, for instance, meant missing three paychecks. That doesn't seem like a lot, but when literally every dollar is accounted for (and with Lester Davis-budgeter-extraordinaire around, believe me EVERY dollar is accounted for) missing three paychecks was a big hit. Not to mention formula and extra diapers and other stuff. Small stuff all adds up.
And finally, I think we have really realized that having every dollar accounted for is just fine until life happens. Plumbing issues, school supplies, new fall clothes for the growing boys, car repairs, computer battery dies, prescription meds for sick kids, babysitting, etc. etc. The list goes on and on.
We realize there either has to be more "disposable" money (or else we will always be tapping into what we'd like to be savings), or we need to be more honest, or realistic is a better word, about how much it really costs to live day-to-day with three little kiddos.
It reminds me of when we first started with our accountant, Joe, and we were newly-married, without kids and saving money at a rapid clip. We were so proud, and so smug. "We're saving like 20-percent of our take-home," we told him, clasping hands and looking giddy.
"Yeah. That's not sustainable," he said.
We were so confused at the time. And we considered not sticking with Joe. Shouldn't your accountant be more encouraging about saving money?
But now we understand, Joe. Now we understand.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Year of Austerity
So instead of dressing the boys up this year, we decided to dress up ourselves.
Lester and I went to a friend's Halloween party Saturday night. I was a witch (I already had a hat and a blond wig in the basement). And Lester was Herman Cain, the erstwhile Republican presidential candidate, who is a total nut. Lester's entire costume was a pizza box, with $9.99 written on it. (Because of Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan? Get it?)
He wore all his own clothes.
So, aside from having to order a pizza -- which was payment for my sister coming to sit with the babies while we went out -- the costumes were free!
More than anything else, Lester was happy about that. Have I ever mentioned that my husband is cheap...er....frugal?? :-)
Our frugal Halloween is just the beginning of the ultra-frugal lifestyle that's on the way.
Last night, Lester and I sat down and mapped out how we are going to pull off the "Davis Year of Austerity," beginning in December.
From December 2011 to December 2012, we are going to attempt to save as much money as possible, and spend as little money as possible.
Yes, we are going to attempt this right before Christmas and just before having a baby.
We might just be a tad crazy.
Top 5 things we plan to do differently:
1) We're getting rid of cable. YIKES!!! Here's the thing. We don't watch all THAT much television anyway. And most of what we do watch is on regular broadcast stations (The Today Show, Modern Family, 60 Minutes, football). And we have Netflix, so we get movies to watch regularly. Lester is going to miss having the NFL network, and I am going to miss having AMC and TCM. But we know this is a sacrifice for the family, and a sacrifice wouldn't be a sacrifice if it didn't hurt a little.
2) We're disconnecting our alarm system. (Don't tell any burglars.) I got it when I bought the house because Lester was still in Florida and I was a single woman living in Baltimore city. Mostly, I wanted it for when we were home -- sleeping at night, for example. But when Lester and I got married and he moved in, he found the alarm annoying while we were in the house, and only wanted to use it when we were all out. Well, needless to say, with twin babies, we're infrequently ALL out of the house at the same time, and with another one on the way, I imagine we'll be leaving as a group even less. At least for a while. So, no more alarm.
3) We're downgrading our house-phone to one that dials out and receives calls only. Right now, we have Caller ID and call-waiting and all the other bells and whistles (that we never use anyway), and it just doesn't make sense. Now, this item was a big source of disagreement for Lester and me. He wanted to get rid of the home phone altogether, as that seems to be the trend more and more with folks. But I cannot make myself feel comfortable with having small children in the house and no fixed way to reach 911 if something awful were to ever happen. (God forbid.) Yes, we all have cell phones, but Lester and I are gone all day and that means we're depending on Michelle to have her phone charged, handy etc. for the safety of our children. That seems irresponsible to me. What if Michelle leaves her phone at home one day? (Which has happened before.) What if she forgets to pay her bill? Regardless, it's not her job to have a cell phone. But it IS our job to make sure we do everything in our power to keep our kids safe. So, we're keeping the phone, but only minimally.
4) We're looking into downgrading the cell phone package we have. Right now, we've got a gazillion minutes and unlimited text messaging. Is all that necessary? Really? We don't know -- but we're going to call and find out. One thing: If we're getting rid of the free long-distance capability on our home phone, it might not be prudent to have fewer minutes on our cell phones, with the way my family, in particular, likes to gab.
5) We're drastically cutting back on our weekly spending money. This is something we should have revisited a while ago. Back in the day, when disposable income was something we actually had, I treated myself to regular beautifying. Once a week, I got my hair flat-ironed, and once a month, I got my eyebrows and toes done. The hair straightening alone was (I'm ashamed to say) $65 a week! Ack.
I've long since stopped getting my hair done that often (two babies will do that to ya), but we never adjusted the budget to reflect that. Which meant I had the cash in hand every week. And that meant I found reasons to spend it. Mostly on lunches out at work, or impromptu Target purchases. But now, all that beautification money is going back into the savings pot, and we'll find creative ways to get myself beautified when special occasions pop up.
This will also mean bringing lunch more often than eating lunches out, which means more organization and preparation on my part (ugh! Lord, help me). But considering my new blood-sugar-conscious diet, I should probably do that anyway, I guess. At least during the week.
That last item is going to be the toughest part for me, as I really do like to have a little cash in my pocket for small things -- greeting cards for friends, coffee on the run, last-minute Amazon purchases, yard sale finds, etc. And it feels like I'm working for nothing, if I can't spend $10 on a whim if I want to. (Enter pouty face here).
But I'm not working for nothing. I'm working for this family. Which is getting bigger by the moment. (Cue the kicking baby.)
And we're keeping a small amount of household money for occasional treats, like birthday dinners out, or inexpensive things we really, really, really want. So it won't be all austerity and no fun at all. That would suck.
And honestly, when I think about it, God has blessed our family tremendously -- because, right now, without spending another dime, we truly have all the things that we need, and some of the things that we want. What more can we really ask for in life? Being bitter because I can't get my hair straightened, or order Chinese on Fridays (which I don't need to be eating anyway, hellloooooo!) just borders on avarice a little bit.
Especially when so many people all over this world -- in my own city, as a matter of fact -- are hungry, or cold, or have no idea where they'll sleep tonight.
So for a year -- one calendar year -- I can give up these things, and try to put more money away for the good of our family. It'll be difficult, for SURE, but it'll be worth it.
And sacrifice isn't sacrifice unless it hurts a little, right? Not to mention that the best things in life, a wise woman once reminded me, aren't things at all.
(We love you Cary, Dean and Curve Ball. This sacrifice is for you.)
Lester and I went to a friend's Halloween party Saturday night. I was a witch (I already had a hat and a blond wig in the basement). And Lester was Herman Cain, the erstwhile Republican presidential candidate, who is a total nut. Lester's entire costume was a pizza box, with $9.99 written on it. (Because of Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan? Get it?)
He wore all his own clothes.
So, aside from having to order a pizza -- which was payment for my sister coming to sit with the babies while we went out -- the costumes were free!
More than anything else, Lester was happy about that. Have I ever mentioned that my husband is cheap...er....frugal?? :-)
Our frugal Halloween is just the beginning of the ultra-frugal lifestyle that's on the way.
Last night, Lester and I sat down and mapped out how we are going to pull off the "Davis Year of Austerity," beginning in December.
From December 2011 to December 2012, we are going to attempt to save as much money as possible, and spend as little money as possible.
Yes, we are going to attempt this right before Christmas and just before having a baby.
We might just be a tad crazy.
Top 5 things we plan to do differently:
1) We're getting rid of cable. YIKES!!! Here's the thing. We don't watch all THAT much television anyway. And most of what we do watch is on regular broadcast stations (The Today Show, Modern Family, 60 Minutes, football). And we have Netflix, so we get movies to watch regularly. Lester is going to miss having the NFL network, and I am going to miss having AMC and TCM. But we know this is a sacrifice for the family, and a sacrifice wouldn't be a sacrifice if it didn't hurt a little.
2) We're disconnecting our alarm system. (Don't tell any burglars.) I got it when I bought the house because Lester was still in Florida and I was a single woman living in Baltimore city. Mostly, I wanted it for when we were home -- sleeping at night, for example. But when Lester and I got married and he moved in, he found the alarm annoying while we were in the house, and only wanted to use it when we were all out. Well, needless to say, with twin babies, we're infrequently ALL out of the house at the same time, and with another one on the way, I imagine we'll be leaving as a group even less. At least for a while. So, no more alarm.
3) We're downgrading our house-phone to one that dials out and receives calls only. Right now, we have Caller ID and call-waiting and all the other bells and whistles (that we never use anyway), and it just doesn't make sense. Now, this item was a big source of disagreement for Lester and me. He wanted to get rid of the home phone altogether, as that seems to be the trend more and more with folks. But I cannot make myself feel comfortable with having small children in the house and no fixed way to reach 911 if something awful were to ever happen. (God forbid.) Yes, we all have cell phones, but Lester and I are gone all day and that means we're depending on Michelle to have her phone charged, handy etc. for the safety of our children. That seems irresponsible to me. What if Michelle leaves her phone at home one day? (Which has happened before.) What if she forgets to pay her bill? Regardless, it's not her job to have a cell phone. But it IS our job to make sure we do everything in our power to keep our kids safe. So, we're keeping the phone, but only minimally.
4) We're looking into downgrading the cell phone package we have. Right now, we've got a gazillion minutes and unlimited text messaging. Is all that necessary? Really? We don't know -- but we're going to call and find out. One thing: If we're getting rid of the free long-distance capability on our home phone, it might not be prudent to have fewer minutes on our cell phones, with the way my family, in particular, likes to gab.
5) We're drastically cutting back on our weekly spending money. This is something we should have revisited a while ago. Back in the day, when disposable income was something we actually had, I treated myself to regular beautifying. Once a week, I got my hair flat-ironed, and once a month, I got my eyebrows and toes done. The hair straightening alone was (I'm ashamed to say) $65 a week! Ack.
I've long since stopped getting my hair done that often (two babies will do that to ya), but we never adjusted the budget to reflect that. Which meant I had the cash in hand every week. And that meant I found reasons to spend it. Mostly on lunches out at work, or impromptu Target purchases. But now, all that beautification money is going back into the savings pot, and we'll find creative ways to get myself beautified when special occasions pop up.
This will also mean bringing lunch more often than eating lunches out, which means more organization and preparation on my part (ugh! Lord, help me). But considering my new blood-sugar-conscious diet, I should probably do that anyway, I guess. At least during the week.
That last item is going to be the toughest part for me, as I really do like to have a little cash in my pocket for small things -- greeting cards for friends, coffee on the run, last-minute Amazon purchases, yard sale finds, etc. And it feels like I'm working for nothing, if I can't spend $10 on a whim if I want to. (Enter pouty face here).
But I'm not working for nothing. I'm working for this family. Which is getting bigger by the moment. (Cue the kicking baby.)
And we're keeping a small amount of household money for occasional treats, like birthday dinners out, or inexpensive things we really, really, really want. So it won't be all austerity and no fun at all. That would suck.
And honestly, when I think about it, God has blessed our family tremendously -- because, right now, without spending another dime, we truly have all the things that we need, and some of the things that we want. What more can we really ask for in life? Being bitter because I can't get my hair straightened, or order Chinese on Fridays (which I don't need to be eating anyway, hellloooooo!) just borders on avarice a little bit.
Especially when so many people all over this world -- in my own city, as a matter of fact -- are hungry, or cold, or have no idea where they'll sleep tonight.
So for a year -- one calendar year -- I can give up these things, and try to put more money away for the good of our family. It'll be difficult, for SURE, but it'll be worth it.
And sacrifice isn't sacrifice unless it hurts a little, right? Not to mention that the best things in life, a wise woman once reminded me, aren't things at all.
(We love you Cary, Dean and Curve Ball. This sacrifice is for you.)
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