For those of you spending $1000+
Posted By: Just curious on 2006-12-05
In Reply to: How much is your Christmas budget? sm - Curious one
What sorts of things are you buying? I don't think I spend nearly that amount, but my children and family still receive what they want, even my teenager. I can't imagine spending so much money at one time on gifts, so I'm curious what it is that's costing y'all so much. :)
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About $1000 each year, also.
I look at it this way, it's only a week's pay...not too bad.
Here's how we break down our $1000....sm
4 of us living in the house receive gifts totaling no more than $110 (including Santa gifts), so that's $440.
My husband's parents and my mom receive gifts that $50-75, so we allot $225 for the parent gifts.
My husband and I have 4 siblings & spouses between us and they receive gifts that cost no more than $25 each. That's $200.
We have 4 nephews/nieces and they're allotted $20/gift, so that's $80.
The remaining $55 is spent on the little $5 gifts for teachers, close friends and neighbors... usually we bake things or pick up nick-nack things to keep it under $5. Any gift that comes under budget has that surplus added to the gifts for us "basic 4" - which helps my husband and kids focus on watching sale ads and surfing the net for deals for decent gifts.
This year I got some incredible deals on eBay. For my husband I bought a brand new with tags still on it Ralph Lauren suit for $50, including the shipping, and another brand new suit with tags on it for $35 including shipping. For our parents we got a deal with Omaha Steaks where for $60 including shipping they receive a bunch of steaks, pork chops, potatoes and all sorts of stuff. I'm on their e-mail list and when we get notices of the "super sales" we buy most of our meat from them as many of their sales make it cheaper than the stores, and the quality of the food is superb.
I agree with you 1000%!!..besides; if he TRULY loved this woman..
he would be with her...we all know that things happen in life for a reason and perhaps with this attitude of his, it would be better if she went on with her life, and will be truly blessed with a man who will love and treat her in the manner she deserves. Maybe I am making this sound simple but JMO...
PS Happy Holidays!!
Won $1000 on a poker slot machine about 4 years ago...
and 2 weeks ago won $800 on another slot machine on a $20 investment on a penny machine.
We have been spending less than 100
And we are starving. DH took over going to the grocery store from me (He thought I spent too much when I would spend about 150 a week.) It has been months since we do not have a bare cupboard. I am not complaining. I understand we are broke and he needs to pay the creditors. But the one person who has pretty much stopped eating is me. I am home all day and there is never bread to make a sandwich and I often pass up supper because I am tired of eating junky stuff like mac and cheese or spaghetti with meat sauce. He and our 11 year old son, on the other hand eat thirds of whatever meal it is. I get kind of annoyed. Our littlest boy and middle girl eat very little. All 3 take their lunch to school. I say to DH either stop eating so much (for him and the older boy) or buy more. He flips his eyes at me. We even stopped getting microwave popcorn which used to fill them up. So, now I am hoping to work extra to go to the grocery store myself and put an extra 100 a week in myself, but I keep running out of work.
You see, this all started when we started running out of work in transcription about a year ago this fall, and my DH took over the bills. Apparently food was the first to be cut. And, BTW I don't ever go anywhere because there is no gas in my car, and it has 2 flat tires. We live by the school and I borrow DH's car to take the kids but it is always on empty. We seem to make it every time. Oh, well. No need to complain. Just cutting back. The family is lucky I work at home, don't use gas, barely eat. But I do have to pay 10 bucks a month for nerve pills, because it is hard doing without. Like I said, when work picks up transcribing first place I am going after I get gas for the car is to the food store. Eventually I can repair my flat tires.
Let him - for the money you/he is spending in gas sm
you can probably get one of those weekly hotels and at least break even. he needs to tell them up front what he is doing and get a good discount, most will give them if long-term situations. he will get a lot more rest and be a much happier person and easier to live with in the long run. driving wears me out more than anything and i feel for him with that commute! maybe he could even get his job to split the cost with him.
Lunch spending
My husband usually brings leftovers for lunch. I give my daughter $20 for lunch at school (to put in her lunch account), and that usually lasts a week. My other daughter is home by lunchtime and she eats what we have here at home. We spend about $100 a week on groceries. On the weekends we usually go out at least once, maybe twice for lunch and spend anywhere from $15-$25 depending on where we go. My oldest is a vegetarian so we actually save money because if we get takeout, she usually doesn't find anything that she wants to eat. When I was working outside the home I spent way to much on lunch every day, usually about $50 a week.
How is it your money she is spending?
President Obama and his wife have their own incomes from royalties, etc., from his book deals, investments of their previous earnings, and also he receives a paycheck for being President just as you do for being an MT.
I don't think that eTransPlus thinks they can tell me what to buy with my paycheck because they send it to me. Once I accepted a job and do my job, it is none of their business what my check is spent on.
Yeah, my bro. said what you said - not spending a lot of time in sm
condo except to sleep, etc. Both places have nice kitchens, though. I don't know. I usually spend the most time in the condo. We will be there 8 days. Thanks for your input..Still torn though! haha
If you can't reconcile your views on $, spending sm
and happiness (i.e, that both of you deserve to be heard and to be happy), you are rapidly heading for divorce court. Go read some Suze Orman financial advice for women, for a start, and then get some counseling. He is obviously irresponsible with money and you are not. How old are you two, out of curiosity?
How I am spending my money, ah, vacation
I am getting the FULL retirement because reached the 66 year mark. I had to wait an extra year, used to be 65 but with my year of birth had to wait until 66. No slowing down on the MTing, plan to work the same 4 days as doing now. I sure am planning on doing something special, well first 2 checks and then some because of the cost, escorted travel club, planning on paying towards 3 different vacations, one of them being the Rockies and Canada for 9 days. Excited broad here.
Well, I have not changed my spending habits.
I changed my spending habits based on my own personal situation, not the fact that my neighbor has lost his job and now can't spend like that anymore.
One of our problems is that the people with all the money do not spend in proportion to their income as us poorer folks do. They save it and save it and grow more money from it and their money is not being put back into the economy.
I for one have no problem with a millionaire spending $500 for a pair of shoes or whatever else they want to spend their money on.
How much time do you plan on spending in condo?
If it is just a place to sleep and shower while you do the tourist thing, I would go with the cheaper place. But if your plan is to spend time with family talking, hanging out, I would go to condo and relax on beach. The men can go golf while you relax on beach even. If there is a kitchen in the condo and not in the other place, you will save money on food, and it is always fun to hang in a kitchen, cook together, have a few drinks and a few laughs.
Didn't plan it, but seems I am spending mine with a SM
terrible head cold. UGH! 
Not broke but have changed spending habits.
I did reel in some spending a bit and changed a few things in the budget.
Have no intention of going broke.
Don't smoke either. LOL Couldn't afford to with the new taxes on those things!
I feel your pain too, but not spending my money is not going to help you - nm
x
Spending time with parents, absolutely
Mother and daddy divorced but my brother and I spent summer vacations, Christmas, visited daddy, traveled with him and his wife. Tried keeping my children and now my grandchildren close with my mother and daddy (their grandparents and great-grandparents). My son spent summers with both grandparents when he was young but as he aged, they did not seem to be that important in his life. I always, always visited my parents, my grandmother (only one I ever knew out of the 4, others deceased), my aunts, and on and on. I was never asked to stay close, that was just me and I loved it.
Cutting back on Christmas spending this year
I thought it might be a good idea to post ideas for gifts that are inexpensive. I have made a few Christmas gifts in years past, but, since I've already given these particular gifts and my family members already "have one", I need new ideas!
I will start with the ideas of gifts I have given in the past:
I made family wreaths for each of my kids (grown). What I did was, buy a nice size wreath at the craft store, purchase inexpensive small frames at the dollar store (or wherever I could find them), made copies of baby pictures of my kids when they were little, family picture, pics of the grandbabies, etc. and framed each one - wired each framed photo onto the wreath, put in some berry sprays or whatever, and a 20 count string of white lights and some ribbon. Then I sprayed them with spray glue and sprinkled with the white snow stuff. Also, I put a few blank frames with Christmas card fronts so that they could add pics from the inlaws (who I did not have pics as children) and new baby pics as appropriate.
They were darling! My daughter in law actually cried when I gave them their wreath!
I also made a similar thing for my mom - I made her a Grandchildren tree - because she has too many grandchildren to get all their pics on a wreath. I just purchased a small, prelit tree from Wal - Mart, and basically, did the same thing - framed pics of all the grandchildren and children, glued ribbon to the back of the frames - hung them like ornaments, added some ribbon and some berry sprays. It was beautiful and she has used it every year since, because it is small and she can put it together herself - without much work.
I will post more ideas in a little bit, but, I need other ideas from all of you - because, how many memory or family wreaths can you give . . .
Make a list of budget/spending priorities for your self employment income
Dave Ramsey's book has a irregular income planning sheet. Basically you list your expenses with the cash flow sheet. With any steady income you allocate it. For irregular income, make a list from the cash flow sheet of what needs to be paid first. Keep a culmulative total.
Spending a romantic weekend in Atlanta with hubby. Leaving at noon. Can't wait! nm
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