I used to be a better saver than I am now. I tried to sock some of the little money I had away for that so- called rainy day. It usually wound up going toward something else like car insurance or stuff for the boys. It seems I'm good at saving if it's for a specific something. If there's a goal in mind for that cash I can hide it away and not touch it. If not, it always seems to disappear, whether it's dinner out for everyone, a night out for me and the hubby, something the kids end up needing, it vanishes. Quite easily and quite quickly. Life is short and you can't take it with you so why not enjoy what you got?
I would really like to be better especially now with the family and the house cause you do never know when that rain is coming. My husband just isn't that way and when the finances are joint it's tough. He is definitely a big old spender. But with him no matter what everything seems to work out. I could be stressing about money and he finds a way and fixes it. Which is why he now handles the bills. Which is also why we took our tax return money last year and had the trip of a lifetime. Instead of doing the adult, responsible thing and paying off, or down, some of our bills. The bills will still be there. My kids will only be young once. The trip cross country was something both Rob and I wanted to do with our kids. It is something we will always remember. And it was an incredible family trip. Now that we've been back awhile it may not be the only trip of a lifetime as we've talked about hitting the states we missed this go round on the next big trip we take. It may sound crazy but knowing we did it once we will most likely do it again. It was that amazing and that worth it. Of course reality is coming through first. I have a list of things we need to get done or have done around the house with tax money this year. And after such a big trip an easy relaxing do nothing trip down to the timeshare we have in Florida is perfect. Especially since it's already paid for.
Our spending habits may not be the best to rub off on the kids though. They are of course having one heck of a childhood with the stuff we try to do with them. Emily saves up her money for certain things she knows she wants. Sometimes she will just buy candy with it but even when she does that she'll try to buy some for her little brother too. The big boys are old enough to be thinking about future and cars and stuff they'll be spending their own money on. They made out like bandits in the money department for their birthday. Because of their age no one really knows what to get them and I feel that too. They got a bunch of cash and some checks too. When I asked them if I should cash their checks or put them in the bank Andrew said bank, Robert said cash.
Their choices really weren't a surprise to me. When Robert has money he spends it all. It may take a little time but it goes. He'll ask to walk to Target and almost always comes back with something. Andrew usually would go with him. If Andrew spent any of his money it was on something small, I mean really small, like a pack of gum. Sometimes I'll joke with the kids and say, "I don't feel like cooking. Who wants to buy me dinner?" Robert is always the first volunteer. When they really want take out they have paid for it on occassion. Not very often. I think a lot of Roberts money gets spent on food. He'll walk to Dunkin Donuts and bring home a dozen. (And no he does not eat them all himself.) I know he also brings extra to school to buy snacks and stuff there in addition to lunch. At least when he has it.
I do it too when I have it. Cause really what good is having it if you can't enjoy at least some of it? The grocery trips where I don't have to count out what I'm spending, it's nice to be able to pick up some of my favorites, my kids favorites, my husbands favorites, that we don't always have. It's a nice treat. Besides if you don't treat yourself no one else will. At least not as often as you might like.
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