Change Is Inevitable…So Spend It!
Posted
May 20, 2008 at
11:38 am by
Kadi
When I was a little girl, my daddy would tell me that I had champagne taste on a beer budget. He also said that I couldn’t put a penny in my pocket without it burning a hole right through. Aside from the realization that my dad wasn’t very original in his witticisms, I learned that my love for the finer things in life, paired with the inability to save money, would stick with me throughout my teenage years and right into adulthood. Most people would get a good paying career and quench their desires to spend money frivolously. Not me. What did I do? I popped out seven kids, making it pretty damn hard to squander money on the coveted True Religion jeans that make my butt look so fantastic. Even though the demands of financially providing for so many kids make it impossible to go on shopping sprees and chug two hundred dollar bottles of 1932 vintage wine, it doesn’t extinguish my champagne taste buds from yearning for the flavor of it.
I do not even enjoy shopping anymore. It is soooo unexciting to pick out spaghetti sauce and juice boxes at the local grocery store. Whenever some spend thrift mommy suggests playing the coupon game, I literally shudder. The words “coupon” and “game” are an oxymoron, in my book. How can people take joy in clipping pieces of paper and hunting down deals, while grocery store hopping? I only clip coupons because I have to. It is a labor of love, not a leisurely activity. Games are activities that I enjoy doing, like playing Bunco or winning a poker tournament. Coupon clipping is not anywhere close to my idea of a game. No matter how much money I save, it never gives me the same shot of adrenaline as going “All In!” Never has…never will.
Saving money is even harder than finding fun in the coupon game. Some say that it is a thrill to look at their savings account and see the figures grow. When I look at our savings account balance, all I see is my new bed room set, waiting to be purchased. When my husband lectures me on retirement and investing, it is like he is speaking Spanish. Sure, I can understand what he is saying, but my native language is much more effortless to comprehend. I speak fluent Spendanese. If there was a game for who can spend the most, I’d be the champ. If you hand me a Nordstrom catalog, I can easily pick out the most expensive pair of Manolo Blahniks on the page, without seeing the prices. How? Easy, they are the pair that my eye is attracted to. Some would say that it is a gift, but it has become my curse.
I have a role to fulfill as a responsible parent of seven kids. It is my duty to save money, do without luxuries and buy generic brands. Do I enjoy it? No. It is my cross to bear. There are so many great things about having a large family and one income. I get to stay home and be the one to raise my kids. I get to witness all of their first milestones. I get to blog in my bikini, while getting a tan. I will never be bored. I get seven bed time kisses. I will have lots of grandkids, someday! I will (hopefully) have one kid that likes me enough to change my diaper when I get old. The money issue, however, is one of the less desirable parts of my life as a mother of seven. I will wear my Target brand jeans, but I will not swing my hips the way I would in True Religions. I will drink my five dollar bottle of wine, but it won’t taste as good. I will drive my 15 passenger van, but will not rev the engine as if I were driving a Jaguar. I accept it, I live it, but nobody can persuade me to be thrilled about it!
Tags: coupons, financial, Humor, Money, saving, shopping, spending |
12 Responses to “Change Is Inevitable…So Spend It!”
RSS feed for comments on this post.
Leave a comment
Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately in an effort to remove commercial messages, irrelevancies, excessive foul language, racist/sexist/hateful comments, spoofed/cloaked IPs and/or personal attacks and will be edited/deleted at our discretion. Thank you for your patience.
1. Jessica said:
May 20, 2008 @ 6:04 pm
Again, you’re preachin’ to the choir. Prescott and I sometimes daydream about the disposable income we’d have and all the luxuries we’d indulge in if we didn’t have camp, dentistry, children’s clothes, gadgets and necessities to buy.
Well, at least you aren’t buying yourself True Religion jeans while other priorities are left attended. Nothing burns my but more than to see a mother in designer jeans and then her kids are wearing rags that are noticeably too small. I used to work with a woman like that and I thought she was such an ass.
2. Queen Bee said:
May 20, 2008 @ 8:56 pm
Oh wow do I hear ya! Pinching pennies, clipping coupons all in the name of the future of our children. I went from being a budgeting child to a budgeting adult with no time to practice my Spendanese in between. I have the same Expensive Sensory Perception as well. I daydream about what it could have been like as a wealthy single professional (with man candy of course) but then I get roused with a chorus of moooooooooooooooooom, and I remember why I am content right in the here and now (however I still circle every damn thing I like in the catalog’s and bookmark all of my favorites online LOL!)
3. Stacey S said:
May 20, 2008 @ 9:23 pm
I just know in my heart of hearts I was MEANT to have money!!!! I know what to do with it….I just don’t know how to obtain it! I’m the good girl who pays myself first every week…X amount in the savings & X amount in the IRA comes right out of my paycheck. I tighten up the belt a bit before my son’s birthday, school shopping & Christmas, and I have my trusty “break glass in case of emergency fund”. After all that & the bills have all been paid, there is not a lot left over. BUT I do treat myself every so often. I’m having my ultrasonic facial tomorrow (yippy!), I get pedicures in the summer time, I HAVE to have my Coco Channel Mademoiselle perfume, and I just had a little spree at Macy’s last week (free gift w/ purchase at the Lancôme counter….SCORE)!
So as long as everyone’s needs are being met & the bills are paid…I see nothing wrong with doing a little “extra” for yourself! We deserve it & I am guilt free!
4. Allison G. said:
May 21, 2008 @ 10:32 am
I agree. As long as the bills are paid, then it’s OK to treat yourself nicely once in a while. Although I don’t go to Macy’s and Nordstrom, because I’m a cheaskate. Even an economic stimulus can’t get me to shop there. I splurge on my scrapbooking stuff.
And I know I’m a freak, but I don’t get pedicures (I think a good scrub and some lotion after my shower, and my own toenail poish is good enough).
Maybe it’s a personal space issue. I hate having someone monkey around with my feet just as much as I hate having a pap smear. Maybe I can convince my Gyno to get me a pedicure while my feet are in the stirrups. You know, kill two birds with one stone.
5. Stacey S said:
May 21, 2008 @ 11:52 am
Too funny Allison…maybe we could open up an all inclusive OBGYN office/Day Spa….get your VaJayJay examined while you recieve a pedicure, manicure, & mini facial! (of course they probably already have one in L.A)
The Macy’s thing is definitely something that only happens when they are having their sales & give always…the pedicure & the facial is about the pampering…to be able to sit back & relax while someone massages you & makes you feel good about yourself is a wonderful thing! Everyone in my family knows how much I love these little indulgences so for my birthday, Christmas, mother’s day etc… They all get me gift certificates to the spa…if I use them sparingly the only out of pocket money is the tip! I highly recommend it!
6. Allison G. said:
May 21, 2008 @ 12:18 pm
Oh I get the pampering thing! I love love love getting my hair done. I always say if I ever won the lottery, I would get a salon shampoo job every day! I love when the gal massages my scalp!
I just don’t like getting my nails and feet done.
7. Courtney Ortega said:
May 21, 2008 @ 5:14 pm
Kadi. Our husbands are the same. He does all the savings. I have issues with spending money. I have my own bank account that my husband likes to make fun of me for. If I don’t have any overdraft fees going on I am good to go. Haha. I do get pedicures every 2 weeks during the summer, but I get a union check once a month and that covers it for me. We are military though, which people around us seem to think that we get paid a crap load of money and we are rich. Pssh year right. Anyways, whole other subject. What I was going to say is. I am totally the same way, money goes straight threw me. I can’t save for the life of me. Thank god for my husband.
8. Kadi said:
May 21, 2008 @ 7:12 pm
9. Stacey S said:
May 22, 2008 @ 6:14 pm
[quote comment="164935"]Kadi. Our husbands are the same. He does all the savings. I have issues with spending money. I have my own bank account that my husband likes to make fun of me for. If I don’t have any overdraft fees going on I am good to go. Haha. I do get pedicures every 2 weeks during the summer, but I get a union check once a month and that covers it for me. We are military though, which people around us seem to think that we get paid a crap load of money and we are rich. Pssh year right. Anyways, whole other subject. What I was going to say is. I am totally the same way, money goes straight threw me. I can’t save for the life of me. Thank god for my husband.[/quote]
I feel ya Courtney! I was a military wife for 10 years & spending money was what I did to occupy my time while hubby was deployed…but we didn’t have butt loads of it which was a very common misconception. They gave us a crappy house to live in with free utilities (looked like section 8 housing)!WhoHoo big break there!
It was a real life changing experience when we divorced and I had NO money! LOL. I’m getting back on track now…but I work 2 jobs..so if I want to sit in a she-she-poo-poo spa & have my pedicures & facials so for a 1/2 hour I can pretend I’m “fancy” so be it!
I work hard for my money….so hard for it honey!
10. Courtney Ortega said:
May 24, 2008 @ 8:00 am
[quote comment="165131"][quote comment="164935"]Kadi. Our husbands are the same. He does all the savings. I have issues with spending money. I have my own bank account that my husband likes to make fun of me for. If I don’t have any overdraft fees going on I am good to go. Haha. I do get pedicures every 2 weeks during the summer, but I get a union check once a month and that covers it for me. We are military though, which people around us seem to think that we get paid a crap load of money and we are rich. Pssh year right. Anyways, whole other subject. What I was going to say is. I am totally the same way, money goes straight threw me. I can’t save for the life of me. Thank god for my husband.[/quote]
I feel ya Courtney! I was a military wife for 10 years & spending money was what I did to occupy my time while hubby was deployed…but we didn’t have butt loads of it which was a very common misconception. They gave us a crappy house to live in with free utilities (looked like section 8 housing)!WhoHoo big break there!
It was a real life changing experience when we divorced and I had NO money! LOL. I’m getting back on track now…but I work 2 jobs..so if I want to sit in a she-she-poo-poo spa & have my pedicures & facials so for a 1/2 hour I can pretend I’m “fancy” so be it!
I work hard for my money….so hard for it honey![/quote]
Yeah the housing we have is awful. I hate sharing a bathroom with a 4 year old and my husband. I have lived in Air Force housing all my life. This is the worst.
11. Grandma frm Ks. said:
May 24, 2008 @ 5:43 pm
quote comment=”165131″][
Yeah the housing we have is awful. I hate sharing a bathroom with a 4 year old and my husband. I have lived in Air Force housing all my life. This is the worst.[/quote] It really makes me sad to think what all our military men and women offer (themselves) and our country can”t do better by them then what they have done, What is really upsetting is how some of our leaders live, to me they are stealing from the ones who protect them so they can have the best. Sorry for butting in.
12. Stacey S said:
May 24, 2008 @ 8:00 pm
Our first duty station was Ft. Know Kentucky….our housing was right acroos the street from the Gold Depository! It was the view I had out of my living room window every day! My husband and I actually had to sign a waiver stating that we were made aware that there was asbestos & lead paint in the house…and if any one of us got sick later we could not take legal action. He was an E-2 at the time and I had a one year old & no car….we had no other options. Welcome to the United States Army! I bet there are a million of us who could tell you these kinds of stories and much worse. It’s not as glorified as they make it out to be!