2 Mommies and a Baby
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Thursday, December 28, 2006
Financial responsibility
My First New Year’s Resolution for 2007 – Be Fiscally Responsible.
Sometimes, I am like a kid.
Usually, Lois is able to keep some reigns on me just a little. Not so much lately since she’s on bed rest.
Most of our arguments are about money.
I usually don’t mind spending it, she usually wants to give me a $20/week allowance.
It’s not like I go out clothes or shoe shopping and drop several hundred dollars all the time, it’s more the $2 Dunkin Donuts coffee, $10 take out for lunch, $30 for going out here and there, $25 for a college football jersey. That sort of spending.
So, I need to be better. Like right now, we have a new car payment, a mortgage payment, student loan payments, other stuff and ONLY ONE INCOME. It’s a little scary.
But two things I did yesterday and today really made me happy. (I am fairly easy to please).
One:
I spent $10 on lunch today. It consisted of a diet root bear, a bag of ruffles and a grinder (hoagie to those of you in Philly, sub to the Jerseyites) from the “#1 Grinder” deli in Connecticut – Nardelli’s in Waterbury. I am in absolute glory sitting here with my large Italian Combo grinder with EVERYTHING, including the hot sauce. It’s really the greatest sandwich I have ever had. It totally made my week.
Next week, I will actually go to the grocery store deli and bring my own lunch to work.
Two:
I spent $9 adding NFL Network to my cable plan. It’s $6.99/month + the $2 installation fee. It’s not just the NFL Network, it includes Turner Classic Movies, Speed Channel, Fox Soccer Channel, College Sports TV, Outdoor Channel, BET on Jazz, Fox Movies FXM, Tennis Channel, etc.
When I mentioned something about talking to the cable company yesterday, Lois asked me if I did anything that costs more money. I was very silent for a while, hoping she would get sidetracked onto another issue and forget she asked me that question. It didn’t work. So I promised to cancel it after January.
Why do I need NFL Network, you ask?
Because MY ALMA MATER IS PLAYING IN A BOWL GAME!!!
And since it’s an essentially obscure bowl game, the Texas Bowl, it is only being broadcast on the NFL Network.
Please note that all other bowl games are being shown on ESPN, CBS and ABC.
So, I am buckling down on the spending (I promise LO!!). I am overlooking the $100 that I spent on Lois’ baby gift and the $33 that I just spent putting gas in the car this morning ($2.45/gallon was a deal!).
My New Year’s resolution (#1 in a list of many) will be buckle down and be smarter about money.
I will be driving my car to work from now on. My 4-cylinder Hyundai with 97k miles and a noisy rattle gets about 15 miles/gallon better mileage that Lois’ car.
I will bring lunch to work like I used to do when Lois was taking care of me.
I will make sure that I think "will Lois kill me if I buy this?" before I make any decisions to swipe the debit card.
And I promise to stop rationalizing "she can’t kill me, she can’t get out of bed."
Sometimes, I am like a kid.
Usually, Lois is able to keep some reigns on me just a little. Not so much lately since she’s on bed rest.
Most of our arguments are about money.
I usually don’t mind spending it, she usually wants to give me a $20/week allowance.
It’s not like I go out clothes or shoe shopping and drop several hundred dollars all the time, it’s more the $2 Dunkin Donuts coffee, $10 take out for lunch, $30 for going out here and there, $25 for a college football jersey. That sort of spending.
So, I need to be better. Like right now, we have a new car payment, a mortgage payment, student loan payments, other stuff and ONLY ONE INCOME. It’s a little scary.
But two things I did yesterday and today really made me happy. (I am fairly easy to please).
One:
I spent $10 on lunch today. It consisted of a diet root bear, a bag of ruffles and a grinder (hoagie to those of you in Philly, sub to the Jerseyites) from the “#1 Grinder” deli in Connecticut – Nardelli’s in Waterbury. I am in absolute glory sitting here with my large Italian Combo grinder with EVERYTHING, including the hot sauce. It’s really the greatest sandwich I have ever had. It totally made my week.
Next week, I will actually go to the grocery store deli and bring my own lunch to work.
Two:
I spent $9 adding NFL Network to my cable plan. It’s $6.99/month + the $2 installation fee. It’s not just the NFL Network, it includes Turner Classic Movies, Speed Channel, Fox Soccer Channel, College Sports TV, Outdoor Channel, BET on Jazz, Fox Movies FXM, Tennis Channel, etc.
When I mentioned something about talking to the cable company yesterday, Lois asked me if I did anything that costs more money. I was very silent for a while, hoping she would get sidetracked onto another issue and forget she asked me that question. It didn’t work. So I promised to cancel it after January.
Why do I need NFL Network, you ask?
Because MY ALMA MATER IS PLAYING IN A BOWL GAME!!!
And since it’s an essentially obscure bowl game, the Texas Bowl, it is only being broadcast on the NFL Network.
Please note that all other bowl games are being shown on ESPN, CBS and ABC.
So, I am buckling down on the spending (I promise LO!!). I am overlooking the $100 that I spent on Lois’ baby gift and the $33 that I just spent putting gas in the car this morning ($2.45/gallon was a deal!).
My New Year’s resolution (#1 in a list of many) will be buckle down and be smarter about money.
I will be driving my car to work from now on. My 4-cylinder Hyundai with 97k miles and a noisy rattle gets about 15 miles/gallon better mileage that Lois’ car.
I will bring lunch to work like I used to do when Lois was taking care of me.
I will make sure that I think "will Lois kill me if I buy this?" before I make any decisions to swipe the debit card.
And I promise to stop rationalizing "she can’t kill me, she can’t get out of bed."
7 Comments:
Holly, I spend money just like you. I hope we never go down to one income. I never know where my money goes... It literally is coffee and dinners out. Though I do take my lunch to work 4 out of 5 days a week.
I can so relate! I'm also a spender. I also have the typical coffee and lunch out which can add up to $10-$20 per day. It's insane. I'm worried one day Shelly will really take my debit card away and put me on a budget. My big sacrifice for 2007 will be to give up my DirecTV Sunday NFL Ticket. I will SO miss it but it's over $200 a season which isn't the wisest money spent with a new little one. At least I'll still have the NFL Network!!
We are also going to be on one income and a bit (maternity leave here in Canada is 1 year but that will be less than half my salary). Spending is so much fun and so easy to do. The problem is little things add up like dinner/lunch out. We all have to buckle down with little ones on the way. Good luck!!!!
LOL I think if you stick to those last two, it'll cover most of the rest. :)
you coulda come over my mom's house tonight and watched the game for free, she probably would have thrown in dinner too :)
I wandered in and could not help but notice the Nardelli's reference.
As a Waterbury Native, I cannot but one hundred percent agree...
But with the caveat of...GO FOR THE CHICKEN CUTLET GRINDER next time.
It is literally the closest to heaven you will ever come while alive.
Suzanne
I love chicken cutlet grinders! I'm going back for one next week. So what if I doesn't fit into my "lose weight" resolution.
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