Today my husband mentioned ordering pizza. I hadn't budgeted for this type of treat and our "food budget" was already spent on groceries for the week. So, this got me thinking about the things I'll miss now that we're getting on track and out of debt!- Being able to just pick up the phone or go online and order dinner in after a long day of work.
- Looking in my closet and thinking I could really use a _______ (fill in the blank - it could be a new black turtleneck, a new pair of jeans, a new pair of running sneakers....). I won't be able to just go out and buy whatever the item was that I felt I needed.
- Going out with co-workers for a drink or two after work. If it's not budgeted and planned for in advance, it's probably not going to happen.
- Just deciding on a Saturday morning that we want to go to Disney for the day/night and pack up and go.
I guess what I'm saying I'll miss the most is spontenaity! If I'm good about it though and able to budget in some fun money each week, then I guess I will still be able to do some of these things in moderation. One of my favorite phrases that seems to apply to this situation is : If you do what you always did, you'll get what you always got! I was too spontaneous in the past and because of it, I was careless with money. I need to be a little less spontaneous now in order to achieve our financial goals. I guess it's time to grow up and put on my big girl pants now.
Question : If you are also on a get out of debt journey, what are some of the things you miss?
I miss being able to go to my favorite coffee house every Sunday morning.
ReplyDeleteI miss being able to eat out as much as I'd like. I know it's not healthy and I know it's financially irresponsible, but I love it, and I miss doing it whenever I want like I used to when I was careless with my credit cards.
ReplyDeleteI'm not trying to get out of debt, but I'm on a strict budget trying to save for my first home.
ReplyDeleteI miss buying cute home decor items during the seasons - Fall, Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, etc. Especially the days after the holiday where everthing is on sale. It's so easy to justify purchases when they're on sale!
I hear you guys! I too love the after holiday sales and stocking up for the next year. Guess I won't be doing that for a while...
ReplyDeleteMake sure you have some money put away for fun and personal spending, if you have no money for fun or grabbing an occasional pizza, you'll go crazy. If you want a good pizza dough recipe, check out "theislandwitches" blog under Jan/10. Her pizza dough recipe rocks, and it freezes well. I don't miss a whole lot of "stuff" right now.
ReplyDelete@ It's me, Sam - You're right, we have to allocate for some fun. Sweet! Thanks for the recipe. I'll check it out.
ReplyDeleteI miss my weekly Magazine and shoes shoes shoes !!!
ReplyDeleteI miss pedicures!
ReplyDeleteI miss pedicures too! So much that I asked for one for my birthday. :) I also gave up clothes shopping and was surprised by how little I actually missed that. And now that I have it back, it's been way easier to spend in moderation.
ReplyDeleteI was listening to a show on resolutions yesterday. THere was a life coach on there who said she makes her clients focus on what they are gaining. So while in the short term you may not be able to buy the clothese or go for drinks, when you are rid of the monthly payments, your budget will allow you to have an increased clothing section.
ReplyDeleteI also think the spontenaity is what get most people into debt. Not being critical, I wouldn't be reading your blog unless I had some debt I wanted to clear away.
Not sure about you but I find reading other peoples blogs a great way to identify similiar things that you do as well, and helps to identify areas of change.
Good luck on your 2011.
BTW, really enjoying this blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Cinta1 :) I like the idea of focusing on what I'm gaining!
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