Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Seventy-six (trom)bones

I just deleted the "Amount We Have Saved This Year" section at right. I deleted it because we are going DOWN, folks, DOWN.

I am trying to remember what we'd saved at our peak. I want to say it was like $18,000. But does anyone remember for sure?

Anyway, now to our name we have $7,631.88. I had to pay a gigantic COBRA payment, and I don't even like snakes, and this move cost more than I thought. Plus, we are living on nearly $100,000 less than we were at the beginning of the year. So into savings we dipped.

I know I should look on the bright side. If we hadn't gone this year without spending, we'd have NO savings whatsoever, which is pretty much what we had the other nine years of our marriage. We always had like $500 or maybe a big $1,000 saved. Which as a dual-income couple with no children was inexcusable! You know it was.

So, nearly eight thousand bucks is actually pretty exciting. As long as we can LEAVE IT ALONE from here on out. Which we may not be able to do, actually.

We are living with one car, and it is not pretty. It is, in fact, ugly. For example, my one outing I have is my volunteer work at the assisted living facility. I can't walk there (I tried to chose a place I could walk to but I accidentally picked a place more than three miles away, through a terrible neighborhood. Oops.), so I have to wait, hovering, like a spider, when Marvin gets home from school. He usually gets home after 4:00, so I LEAP into the car and TEAR over to the home to play this book on tape for Miss Lilly, a blind woman. I have to get there with enough time to play the tape before dinner, which is at 5:00.

So remember how I sold my VW Bug to my mother? Turns out she is not happy with it and wants to sell it, so she is willing to sell it back to us, at whatever monthly payment we can afford. We are thinking about it, trust me.

I know that buying a CAR certainly counts as SPENDING, though. And we are trying to be really really really really strict on our policy now. Even if I did buy some red velvet creme-filled Bingles at the grocery store last night, which I do not think is a cheat, as the rule is we can only buy what we could not make ourselves, and I assure you I do not know how to make red velvet creme-filled Bingles. But OLD June, beginning-of-the-year June, would not have allowed it.

And one more thing. I really have to remember that I did not do this year of no spending in order to save money. In fact, I sincerely thought we were living within our means and that we would save nothing. So having ANY money saved is a PLUS. The POINT was to see what would HAPPEN if we didn't spend. That was it! So, maybe I should get over myself. $7,631.88 will still garner me a lot of Hello Kitty necklaces at year's end.

12 comments:

Melissa Angert {All Things Chic} said...

moving = bleeding money

there's almost no way to avoid it! at least you're not going into debt with moving expenses, right?
you're still doing awesome!!

Anonymous said...

I'm ashamed to say what we have in savings since we moved to the money pit! I think you're doing extremely well and I'd think a car for you is a necessity, not a luxury, so buy your car back.

Anonymous said...

What in the wide wide world of sports is a RED CREME FILLED BINGLE?????? I want one. I want one NOW! Is it like a Zinger???

Could MG walk to school on the days you go visiting or is school too far?

I didn't know your mother didn't like the bug. Shoot. Dang. I love the bug.

I want me some Bingles...the red velvety creme kind and I don't even know what they are. I want one and I should have one since I GOT BIT BY A DOG TODAY.

Anonymous said...

I saw this article on MSN online
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20829879/ I instantly thought of you and how you've talked about the horrid traffic in California. Now that I'm no longer in Chicago, I have all five days back in my calendar year. Rush hour here is about five cars per hour.

Melissa

Anonymous said...

Yes June....the car is a necessity. You need a car. And...you are doing well with money.

What is a Bingle?

Anonymous said...

Since you are so close and could us a bit of almost local humor, check out bobandsheri.com.

Anonymous said...

Must google the red velvet cream filled Bingles. I did hear some snippet on the radio about how Hostess will not be making Twinkies anymore. This does not bother me, but not having access to Bingles might, if I knew what they were.

The Car. Sigh. I know you really really don't want to spend that money. I also know that living in a rural/suburban environment with one car means that one person is essentially a prisoner day in and day out and this can have negative effects on one's psychological well being. I lived quite happily without a car in downtown Toronto, downtown Chicago, but I lived for a week without a car in suburban Tampa and was a miserable ball of goo. Is a bicycle an option? I'm thinking not, with K-2 outside your door. UGH! Good luck with the decision making process!

Anonymous said...

I am HORRIFIED at what a Bingle must be. I think Kelly Garrett would call that chew and spit only.

Christie said...

Look at it this way - would you have even be able to consider letting Marvin do his dream job all across the country if you hadn't saved what you had? You've done amazing. Seven grand is nothing to shake a stick at, sister!

Anonymous said...

You've got to get a NC Cruiser!

Anonymous said...

Ya. Wha Wha! Wha Wha I have over $7,000 in savings! Booo hoo.

That's what I say to YOU June Carter Cash!

I also wanted to say that I too hate snakes. Lovely comment from me today, no?

Jamie

Anonymous said...

I'm sure your move cost lots, so don't be so hard on yourself. Be thankful you had the savings to pay the snake (COBRA). What would have done if you had been spending this past year and not saved all those dollars. Still having over $7,000 in saving is quite an accomplishment. If you are interested, see if you can check out at your library "Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey. It's the BEST book on finance I've ever read, and believe me, I've read them ALL!