25 thoughts on “The Spender’s Lament”

1. You’re funny. I am with Robert…I think my mistake was having children, they have more needs than mine. What’s up with that? :_-) I’m sure booking a trip to London, Brussels, and Paris with my sister doesn’t help, but ..

   You are right, there is a game called life. Pay your taxes, keep the roof in good care, and the car well tended, the designer this or that… not needed, as for the rest, one day or bill at a time.
2. And that’s not even factoring in a little treat for yourself . . . Oh, for a little disposable income (if that’s not an oxymoron)!
   • My treat? I suppose you could consider being able to go to my daughter’s graduation and not having to see it via some live video stream, all because I can’t afford the price of the flight. Yes, it’s going to cost a tiny bundle, but it’s worth it to see my daughter receive her degree! 🙂
3. Last year I started putting 10% of (almost) every paycheck away in an online savings account where I couldn’t readily get to it. I don’t have a fortune, but it is slowly building as an emergency fund. Got it up to $1,000 at one point, then needed new tires, but at least I didn’t have to stress about where I’d get the money or put them on a credit card (which I no longer use). Even a little bit every week adds up. Keep trying!
   • Thanks, Jayne, for the pep talk. I really am trying. Fingers crossed!
4. How well I know this one. You want to add mine?

   Contract ends unexpectedly, no income for 4 months.
5. New transmission for car, pump for well, heat pump for home, and those were just the biggies. But in spite of the set-backs, I will never, ever sacrifice hair care. Some things are worth the expenditures.
6. Yep…quite a lamenting challenge to stay on that exhausting treadmill. “It’s always something.” Last year both our cars saw the end of their lives. My station wagon Passat at 120K and my husband’s truck at 250+K. We replaced mine right away with a Toyota, of course. And then my husband and I tried an experiment. How long could we be a one car duo? It lasted from October to just this past February. It worked for a while but then we both realized we “really need” a truck to haul things back and forth to the farm. btw We just saved on our AT&T bill bundling our land phone with cable and internet…yep saving about $80 a month…we got a raise.
   • Georgette, I actually got rid of my landline, so I’m saving some there. But after a while of not having it the money saved got sucked up into some other expense. So, it’s back to square one. Sigh.
7. Phooey. We just think we need stuff. I am just as guilty. But looking at all my spending last year as I do my taxes, I really feel like simplifying my life. Really.
   • I would like to simplify just by eliminating a lot of the stuff I’ve accumulated. One of these days, I will!
8. THE LAMENT OF MOST OF US ILLUSTRATED HERE. Some people boast about paying that credit card balance every month. Well that is just wonderful but for people living on the margin in this economy it is the only way to get a needed refrigerator and because of economic circumstances it may take months to pay off and God forbid the kid needs braces.
   • I cannot imagine being able to pay off that credit card balance every month. Just when I think I’m getting close, something else comes up that is dire. Sigh.
9. The trick, I think is to hide something to save. But we will always need toilet paper and gas and dog food and hair color. It never ends. Sigh. I just had my refrigerator and car repaired on the same day I have to do a major Shoprite run. Yikes–the bill for one day!
   • Shoprite! I remember shopping there with my mother when I was a kid and still lived on Long Island. We had a Pathmark which I think became Shoprite. We also had a Waldbaum’s. Wonder if that’s still there.
10. I’ve always heard that things cost much more west of the Rockies, and you’ve confirmed that, my friend. I know you love being a California girl, but oh my, you could really save by moving to Illinois (where we, too, have a nearly bankrupt state!)

    That said, I so identified with your dilemma over a flattering outfit for graduation (and loved your wonderful comment about showing off for the ex!!)

    Why does it seem that, the minute we get a little money, something breaks or needs tending, and we wind up poorer than before?! It’s like we get some money and immediately, a sign goes up on our heads, flagging the fact for creditors everywhere. Grrr, hard to get ahead!
    • Really, Debbie? I take for granted these prices. Like gas costing $4.40/gallon, and so on. So I can’t imagine being anywhere where it’s a lot cheaper. You’re right. Something is always breaking. Right now I’m living with no overhead light in the living room. Must replace the ceiling fan but am waiting for my tax refund. Any day now!
11. So true!
    • A never ending cycle!
12. Oh Monica, I am in fits of laughter again, I love the idea of making Henry brush his own teeth….that is certainly very expensive. I had no idea. You know there is always something going on isn’t there? My husband and I sigh at the fact that we finish one payment, then comes another. Mostly our kids and their activities, plus the bills. Either that or one month we decide to save extra and the car needs a new part, or we have a few weekends of entertainment and puffff, just like that savings are off, forget trying to re- upholster, it hasn’t even happened at my house :-). We decided to simplify our life a lot more so we could travel and for that we need to save, it is very difficult to put aside money each year as the kids grow older too. Europe has spoiled me for more visits. Sigh.
    I have no doubt you will look beautiful at your daughter’s graduation and your ex will know he gave up a lot when he sees you. That should be fun, shouldn’t it? 🙂 Where is she going to College by the way? What a proud mama you must be. Congratulations my dear.
    • MM, Apparently for dogs to have a good, thorough cleaning, they need to be put under. knocked out, if you will. I guess it’s true because when I try to brush his teeth myself, I can barely get the front teeth clean. Henry doesn’t care for me trying to get the back teeth. “Open wide!” I say. He just runs away, without giving it a thought. Or maybe he is giving it a thought and that’s why he runs. Sheesh.
13. I find it’s sort of like the rule that says you don’t talk about how much you’re getting on your tax refund in the car because then it will need at least that much in repairs. In order to save money I have to make it disappear from my consciousness. That’s why it’s easiest to have it automatically removed from the paycheck – so you never see it. Sadly that requires a corporate 9-5 kind of job. Who has one of those!?
    • I do have a little removed each month for my 401K, but I won’t see it until I retire and by then it won’t add up to much, given inflation, etc.
14. Monica I long ago came to the conclusion that the more I save the more the bills come in.

    We have a family motto and it’s as follows….

    If you have it then spend it
    If you don’t have it then get it.

    The nearest money gets to growing on trees is that in most countries bank notes are made of paper, paper comes from wood and the wood grew on a tree. Perhaps that’s where the saying comes from, who knows?

    An amusing post Monica and very accurate, bills just keep coming in like the tide they can’t be stopped.

    I have known a few people over the years who have saved and never got round to spending it, I can’t see the point, the nearest you can get to taking it with you when you shuffle off this earth is to make sure they put you in a very expensive box.

    Money and I are like holiday friends we get on together but we rarely spend more than a week in each others company.
    • Good point, Robert. I guess money really does grow on trees after all. 😉

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