What are we gonna do with the money we've saved?

It's eight o'clock on Saturday morning. I have been up for an hour and a half. I have eaten, started doing laundry, and soon I will shower. When did I become 87 years old?

I used to get HOME at 7 a.m. on Saturday mornings; I remember dragging myself in as the sun came up. I can no longer imagine why staying out so long was that interesting. What was keeping me amused till 7 a.m., really?

So since I was up, and since Marvin Gardens is watching the world's most boring documentary, from his collection of mind-numbingly dull and depressing documentaries, I started thinking about money.

As you can see from the column on the right-hand side of this blog (unless I later change where the column can be found, in which case I apologize for confusing you), we have accumulated quite a bit of cash by not spending any money. We have saved wayyyyyy more than I thought we could. I recall several times over the years asking Marvin Gardens, "Where does all our money go?" and he would say, "It goes to bills! We don't have any extra money."

Well, clearly we were misguided.

So now we will finish this year with maybe $20,000 saved up (I am deleting the money we spent on taxes, a thing that still makes me resentful). So what are we gonna do with the extra cash?

I have heard you are supposed to have three months' income saved up, for some reason or another. I guess in case of emergency or if you ever get fired or something. So, is that three months' income BEFORE taxes? Is it three months' living expenses? Cause there is a big difference there. Do any of my fiscally responsible friends (Cindy) know the answer to this?

If we blow off being fiscally responsible -- and have you met us? We probably will -- what'll we purchase with our newfound cash? My friend Renee is moving with her husband and child to Maui later this year. Perhaps next year we can visit her. I have never been to Hawaii. I am certain I am the ONLY friend who has considered bothering poor Renee for a free place to stay next year.

We will not have enough for a down payment on a house, not in this stupid area. We will not even have enough for a down payment on a CONDO. The median price for a single-family home in LA County is currently $545,000. And I would like to meet the person who can show me a home for sale that's LESS than $545,000, cause I haven't seen one listed for years. So that's out.

I did peruse one of my favorite websites, kate spade, to see if there was anything I needed to buy myself next year. And you know what? Not really. Then I looked at my second-favorite site, and nothing thrilled me there, either.

Have I already gotten out of the habit of not spending?

I guess we could pay off my car, or wait till just the right thing presents itself. Someone said we could be really noble and give all the money to charity. Again, have you met us? Although maybe a little could go to the Humane Society, certainly.

I guess if there was going to be something on my mind, how to spend several thousand dollars isn't the worst thing that could be going on.

I guess I will sign off now, as my feet are cold. It is supposed to be 90 degrees this weekend. Tell that to my extremities.