The List

It's been over two years since Stu and I had a heart-to-heart that went something like this:
Stuart: Honey, I think we both know what needs to happen about our finances.
Sue: You're right. We need to sell our house and move all 3 kids + dog into a one-room trailer.

Stuart: Um, no. I was thinking you should get a job.
Sue: Are you sure we shouldn't sell the house and move to a trailer? That sounds easier.

I mean, we all know that being a stay-at-home mom was not really seeming like such a good gig for me, anyway, right!? But somehow the dreaded Job Search seemed harder than uprooting our home.

Shortly thereafter I found a job, and I've been working full time ever since. (Well, until 3 weeks ago when I quit that job. Anyway, that's a topic for another post. Let's keep on topic, please.) The plan was that we would use my paycheck just for "work related expenses" and everything else from my paycheck would go to pay down debt. One might say we took a rather broad approach to "work related expenses," because it ended up seeming as though there was no "extra" to put toward paying off debt. What do we do?!?
Approximately one year ago, a year into the "working to pay down debt" plan, we were no longer adding to our debt, nor were we really taking care of it either. Enter a 10% pay reduction at my job. And a 50% increase in child care expenses. And a new-to-us car payment. And what do you have?!? (insert ruffling pom poms): A perfect storm for financial doom! Mwaa hahaha!

So one year ago, Stu and I signed up for a "Total Money Makeover" class at church aka Financial Peace University aka Dave Ramsey. That class taught us how naughty credit card companies are, how horrible collectors are, and how to dicker someone down on the price of a used car or new furniture. For real.

However, we also learned some really valuable tools to making our financial life better. Now our commitment to Financial Peace is not unlike our commitment to other things: full of angst and distrust. However, we've applied some new money management principals to our life and have quit buying everything we want. I hate it, honestly. I want to buy steak and wine and new flip flops, damn it! I vacillate between being happy to shop at Goodwill and desiring to buy in triplicate the nicest newest things I find.

This past year on the Dave Ramsey plan we refer to as being in "emergency mode." This is not what Dave prescribes. He has several "Baby Steps" and encourages those who can not do them quickly to take on a menial second job to get $1,000 in the bank and to start paying off the Evil Credit Companies (Baby Steps One and Two, respectively).  It took us WAY longer to do the first Baby Step than is encouraged, but we believed it was because of the Perfect Storm of Financial Mayhem, so we decided to just tighten our belts and make it work. And we did. We paid off the minivan, we saved up a cushion, and paid off one of our 4 credit cards. We used cash for Christmas gifts, spent the tax return wisely, and quit giving presents. We began to see a light at the end of the tunnel. And then I quit my job.
So, let's review: Emergency Mode begins August 2009. July 2010 we exit Emergency Mode then promptly use all of our savings from Baby Step One on a new water heater. August 2010 I quit my job, thereby reinstating Emergency Mode. And there you have it, folks. Yet another period of living skinny. Just in time for school supplies! Yippee!!

So, in this time of living uber-thrifty, I am jonesin' for some spendiforous living. Some below is my list of what I'd get if money were no object, if Emergency Mode were aborted and I could do whatever I want. (Or if I decided to break the rules and use a credit card.). Le Sigh.

The List: new running shoes,  hair bands, vitamins Omega 3-6-9 and SAM-e which is certain to change my life, right? whole nutmeg and curry from Penzey Spices, a new vacuum cleaner (Seriously, I understand why some women ask for them for Christmas), and a new coffee grinder

Ok, I'm feeling really lame about my list now. Really Sue? SAM-e and a headband? Oh, you're soooo deprived. (see the dripping sarcasm?) See, I also want fabric, but it's not on the list because I have a gift card to JoAnn Fabrics, but can't bring myself to spend it. See, it might not really be the Spending Plan keeping me from buying things, but just my good-old-fashioned tightwad-ed-ness. Ok, deep breath. My life is not bad. My list is not long. I have everything I need. I am not deprived.

Thanks for indulging my lame-o list. It helped me gain perspective.