A little bit of this and that.
My assignment from my financial person, Mary Johnson, last month was to refigure this year’s budget to include 5% for retirement. Where was I going to find that money? I am down to bare bones already.
Well, hopefully for this month I have found a little.
She also challenged me to have a garage sale or sell things on Craigslist. That sounded like a great idea, but I have just recently moved from a small apartment and since I couldn’t store much there and because I didn’t want to pay a lot of money to my movers, I got rid a lot of stuff before I moved.
Dylan said that he’s afraid that when he comes home from school one day that our condo will be empty. I told him to look around in his closet to see if he wants to sell any games or toys. I got the eye roll!
Speaking of Dylan, I told him that the new video from WKOW says that 3 out of the 4 families from Project Money have second jobs. I told him that he has to start pulling his share of the income load. He said, Mom, I’m 12 what can I do? So he asked me if he could have a lemonade stand and if I could make some cookies. So as I am writing this blog he is outside selling his little heart out. I made some chocolate chip cookies and I made some oatmeal raisin cookies. I hope he makes a million. I wonder how much of the profit will be in his stomach? He just texted me that he wants to try the lemonade because he is thirsty from selling and he wants to try the cookies to see if they are up to his standards. Oh brother!
Mary also asked me to make out a new budget for 2012. My whole life I have done it backwards. I bought what I wanted and then paid for it. And paid and paid and paid. I never planned for it or saved for it or looked to see if it fit into a budget , which I never ever made out until this year.
I tried to be generous with myself with my clothing budget, because I am out of clothes, but it’s really fun to save. Did I really say that? It seems like an out of body experience when you are putting your own money in the savings category. And you have more than one paycheck to put in there for the month. It’s like I am playing around with someone else’s numbers. No bills, more money in savings!
The last thing that Mary asked me to do is go to cash for my food. I resisted that the most. I like my debit card and I like to see where my money goes everyday on line. That was easy for me. Well, I hate to say it, it really is working. I watch what I buy more than I did before. I add it up in my head so that I don’t embarrass myself at the checkout by going over and then having to put something back. The debit card IS too easy. Swipe and go, then look back. Cash is in hand and you don’t have to look back. You look down and you want to have some left over just in case!
As I have been going through this process of growing up and handling my money like an adult, I have seen my daughter change the way she handles money. I have seen Dylan stop asking for things all of the time. I think as you show strength and maturity your kids start getting smarter and stronger for the future.
I wonder if Mary realizes that she is not only changing my life, she is changing my future generations. Thanks Mary!
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Dylan, I love your way of thinking with the lemonade/cookie stand. I often tell my kids that I need to try their treats first to make sure what they're about to eat isn't "poisonous." (Admittedly, this makes them roll their eyes, but they always grin & let me have a bite.)
Posted by: Cheryl T. | 09/14/2011 at 09:32 AM