Budgets done for Vacations

Upcoming vacations that have line items in my household budget:

• Las Vegas - 2 or 3 nights/3 or 4 days, haven't decided yet (April)
• Chicago - 3 nights/4 days (May)
• Virginia - 3 nights/4 days (June)
• Missouri - 4 nights/5 days (July)
• Botswana, Africa - a week and a half? not sure yet (prob. October?)
  

Each vacation has several hundred dollars applied to it except for the Africa trip which has at least a couple grand applied to it. There will no lodging costs for the Chicago (Stefano got the hotel) or Missouri (staying at Brandone's house) trips and for part of the Virginia (staying w/Bean for at least a couple nights) trip.

Killer Deal on Shoes

I am wearing a very nice brown suede pair of classy pumps that I got for $6--down from their original price of $70! I also got another pair of brown leather pumps that I paid $6 for--down from their orig. price of $65! How, you may ask? From the clearance rack at JC Penney. Another 30% off the sale price. And finally using a 15% off coupon from doing their online survey. Ta-da! Damn, this shit turns me ON!!!!

Budget 2010

So far I've done my household budget up to May 2010. Things are holding steady and I should even be able to start up a Roth IRA around February. I am guessing I'll look into installing it at my credit union.

There's some extravagant things I still want to include in my budget and with some planning, I should be able to do most of them. Tops are:

1. Microdermabrasion session (deep facial cleansing)
2. New bedroom set/new mattress
3. New dining room set
4. New home stereo system
5. Bigger flat screen TV for downstairs w/entertainment cabinet
   
6. Lasik surgery on my other eye???
7. Upgrade my basic cable to include premium movie channels
   
8. and of course, lots and lots of trips: Vegas in April, Virginia in June, Missouri in July, and Africa in October. And I want to pay cash for all of them!
   

Extra Gig Money

So now I'm a gigging musician and my guitarist has guaranteed me $50-$100 per gig. It's not a lot of dough and barely covers my gas expenses to rehearsal and the gig, but that's not why I play music anymore. Now I play for the pure enjoyment of it, to have fun, play some excellent tunes, keep up my bass chops and get better, make friends, meet people, etc.! But it's nice to have the extra walking around money, that's for sure. Plus this weekend I made $175 for two gigs, so that's actually a nice substantial amount of extra $ for the week. I bought one of my boyfriends breakfast on Sunday morning and bought the other boyfriend dinner on Sunday night and was happy to do it!

My New Money Life

I will not quit Job #2 b/c the extra $ is just too good to pass up. Sure, it would be great to have my evenings free, esp. now that I'm playing in a band again, but big deal, ultimately. I'd just be sitting around the house watching tv/reading or out at Happy Hours spending $.

So I have much more $ at my disposal now that I am sans a husband and stepchild. Unfortunately it is temporarily going to lawyers' fees and some ridiculously expensive car repairs over the past couple of months (Oct: $700+ and last week: $881!!!). But I still have a nice chunk of extra $ to spend on ME. I am also spending a small amount of $ on my BFFF, JR, but that is worth it to me in order to have him with me and be my constant companion. I refuse to spend $ on a man again but hanging out with JR is different b/c 1. He is so much fun and makes me so happy and 2. I WANT to treat him to drinks, movies, etc.--not HAVE to do it.

Retail Therapy: My Version

These things are not expensive but do enhance my quality of life and provide a little therapy these days.

Bought:

1. Brain game word book (bought with coupon)
2. Big bottle of Coconut Rum (the value $25 bottle, heh heh)

Need to buy:

1. New David Bromberg CD
2. Luxury robe from...? Victoria's Secretions?
   
3. New Sports bras (time to replace anyway)
4. New dainty underthings (that he hasn't seen/touched!!!)
5. New rugs to replace his as I don't want to see them anymore
   

Well It's All About Priorities, Isn't It?

We were standing around the office yesterday. The subject of shopping came up and somehow it was pointed out that I, Adela, am the Master of Financial Wisdom, Coupons, Smart Shopping, etc. Another girl said that she took the Dave Ramsey financial peace class and they wanted her to cut her shopping budget way down, but she didn't agree with doing so. She said her clothing budget is $100/month and that was as far down as she could go.

I didn't tell them that I NEVER go clothes shopping. I mean, I've gone clothes shopping what, twice this year? And once for a bathing suit. I did admit to going to Taxi Taxi and getting stuff during their $1 sales but that's just b/c I couldn't imagine the looks of horror I would get from these other women when I confessed to never going clothes shopping. Oh my God. I've got better things to do with my time and my money.

But this is why I am going to be SO wealthy when I'm in my 40's and she won't! (She and I are the same age exactly!)