Well, we planned a party for my son's first birthday. Unfortunatly, I am struggling to relax and enjoy it. I have been avoiding going to the store, because I don't want to spend any money. I need things to bake his cake, but I can't seem to bring myself to go. My dh went instead. He stuck to the list!!
I feel like it will be at least 10 years before we get out of cc debt. I have been thinking that we should combine all of the cc's on one 0% interest and make one payment instead of trying to remember to make 4. Any ideas?
My son's first birthday
May 13th, 2006 at 01:37 pm
May 13th, 2006 at 03:47 pm 1147535245
The only advice I have is that you try to work a little money into the budget for non-monthly expenses (like birthdays, insurance, car repairs, Christmas, etc.)
When I first started budgeting, I sat down and figured out all of these types of expenses...and then divided by the number of paychecks each year..then I put that much into an account each paycheck.
The reason I am suggesting this, is that it made me sad to read that you were reluctant to go and get the items for your sons first birthday cake. Budgeting those items will provide you 'guilt free' money for those events.
While it is important to pay off the cc debt, IMO it is also important to have some wriggle room for fun.
May 13th, 2006 at 03:52 pm 1147535543
I agree with Ray, budget for those non-monthly events and, plan to have a guilt-free 2nd birthday party next year (it doesn't have to be huge, it doesn't have to be expensive...for my ex's niece's 2nd birthday, we all got together to cut a cake - we didn't even have a pinata, which is a must by salvadoran standards- the kid had soooo much fun!...there were clowns on her cake, and she got to blow out the candles 5 times...just because everytime she blew them out she'd say "Again!"...)
May 13th, 2006 at 03:53 pm 1147535604
May 14th, 2006 at 01:22 am 1147569733
Re: birthday cake. Your goal is to spend money wisely, not to not spend it at all. You've got to be flexible sometimes. A fun birthday party, a chance to create some good family memories will cheer you up and keep you going. Frugal people are usually optimistic and cheery (at least we are) and try to spend strategically; cheap people shut down spending altogether, which leads to splurging. Next year.
Remember that saving money is a life long project - its not a sprint, its a marathon.
May 14th, 2006 at 03:27 am 1147577268
Trace your babies hand print, date and put away. Do this on each birthday and keep in a scrapbook. More fun in the long run than cake, in my opinion of course!!