November 27, 2007
This is why I can’t have nice things, Part II.
Last week, possessed by who-knows-what, I took off my sterling silver Elsa Peretti starfish necklace because I was wearing gold earrings, and stowed it NOT in my purse or a safe, zipped, safeguarded pocket of any sort. Since the past 4-5 days have been such a harried blur, I just cannot remember where I put it. Days later, walking around with the phantom feeling of the necklace resting in the hollow of my throat, I finally realized that I’d never put it back on. It felt like it was with me this whole time, but it hasn’t been! In fact, I’d stripped off all my other jewelry days ago, returning to my normal, jewelry-free state, and I have NO IDEA what happened!
I am, to be blunt, freaking out. The necklace was a birthday gift from BoyDucky years ago. How could I be so careless? It was a cherished gift that he picked for me, thinking of how I would never ever be so extravagant as to ask for or pick out anything from Tiffany & Co., and knowing that if I were to want something, it would be something other than the ubiquitous, generic heart design that every boy picks for his girl. This despite my never wearing any jewelry for him to base his selection on. He’s good, that one. Starfish was special. And now, after days of never touching hand to heart, I can’t stop placing my hand over where Starfish would form a comforting imprint in my palm, wishing and hoping that it’d materialize.
November 6, 2007
Every time I use an ATM, I always have this almost irrational need to position myself in such a way that people behind me can’t see the screen. With a screen that shows all of the accounts to pick from, with the account numbers and account balances for each, and because all the savings accounts have between three and four digit balances, it’s always seemed wise to try and keep the screen covered up. Of course I look like a twitchy spaz when there’s more than one person behind me, and even worse when the people waiting are spread out to the right and left of me. I’m sure I make them nervous with the neurotic glances over my shoulder and such.
BoyDucky went with me to the ATM yesterday and noticed something, “You know, I’m standing right next to you and can’t see anything.” Intrigued, I looked at the screen from his angle: nothing. I looked at it from the opposite angle: still nothing! Wow, I’ve been a total dork at the ATM this whole time for nothing!
Then, he experimentally leaned over: “I can’t see anything from this angle … this angle … not unless I’m looking straight on … ” at which point he caught sight of my Expenses account balance: “and just from that one second, I can see you have FIVE TIMES more money in your checking account than I do!” *chagrin*
LOL, silly BoyDucky, that’s not my checking account, that’s my Expenses account for the year. I have $13 in checking; I’d never keep that much money in my checking account, it earns so little interest!
He takes this as proof that I’m a better money manager than he. If I am, it’s because I know better than to keep a lot of money in a low-interest bearing account, not because I have much 🙂
November 1, 2007
While mulling over the car repair options on the way to train station, I was struck by a realization: I’m 25. I can now rent a car without paying a supplemental fee!
I think that, and a looming sense of deadlines, are it. That’s all we get. Happy quarter century!
One Frugal Girl and Mapgirl recently blogged about the existing and perhaps unacknowledged abundance in one’s life. They both point out that clothing that’s hidden or stashed is a waste of money if you never using it; likewise with other resources like books or yarn. This is a great reminder of the WWII motto: Use it up, wear it out, make it do!
Ironically, I’m probably more in line with WWII than I am with my own generation on that regard. The ability to buy something new and not wearing it immediately was my private, adolescent idea of personal (closet) wealth. Then, as now, I only bought something new if I had to: if I had to replace something else worn and discarded, or simply couldn’t show up to another school/work event wearing the same thing I wore the last three times. But in high school, I had a girlfriend who always found the best deals, and was a nice medium-large size so she could find at least one of everything that fit her perfectly. She was the queen of buying things without ever trying them on, and so was always in possession of a surplus of lovely attire. She had a Mary Poppins closet: every time she reached in, something so new it still had tags on came out! I positively lusted after her ability to always have something new in that closet of many colors. That, back in the day, symbolized financial stability: buying things because you wanted them, not because you needed them.
Years later, that impressionable little self still wishes that I were “wealthy” enough to buy and stash clothing that’s not immediately pressed into service one I get home. Since it clashes with my need to have a perfectly honed, no-waste-here closet, and I don’t truly have the means for a cornucopia of clothing, I artificially cultivate that feeling of having, instead of needing.
The NY trip yielded the two long sleeved shirts and nice sweaters that I needed for work. I’ve defeated the purpose of having shopped specifically to fill those needs by hanging up the clothing and refusing to wear them for at least a week. Sort of a, “hah, I have new clothes but I don’t have to use them right away!” Since I’ve pruned out the old and worn clothes already, I find myself falling back on some really old stuff that probably shouldn’t be seen in public anymore (like this black shirt I’m wearing from high school), but in the meantime the shiny hasn’t been rubbed off the new stuff.
At the same time, I try to clear out my closet regularly and to root out any article of clothing or shoes languishing in the back of the closet, and that helps keep my eye “fresh.” It’s really too easy to stare at the same things, the same way, and thinking “I have nothing to wear!”
In essence, I’m prolonging the sense of newness for as long as I can. It’s a standing shopping moratorium to help combat the I-wants.
Does anyone use this sort of trick to keep themselves from overconsumption?
October 2, 2007
It’s time. It’s been months – multiple months – since my brother’s made a car payment and it’s time for me to seriously move on selling it. Our agreement, two years ago, was that so long as he continued payments for the car and insurance, he would have use of either the truck or the family sedan. He’s been using and abusing the sedan at will for the past two years, but had kept up with payments throughout that time.
Due to continued poor judgment in all aspects of his life, he’s been unable to make payments for either responsibility for some time now, and I’ve had to bear the cost of the truck payments. Well, no more. He’s been given notice that I’m going to have to sell, and doesn’t seem to care that he’s demonstrated once again that he’s still an irresponsible git who’s only around when he needs something. If there’s a lesson he shouldn’t have to learn, it’s that I don’t mess around.
It irks me that we’ll end up with the poorly maintained sedan after all this time, but there was only so much familial mediation I could deal with. This will leave us with my little sports car and a good deal of maintenance on the Camry. I need to Kelley Blue Book the truck, and then we’ll see where I go from there. This is a headache I really wasn’t in the mood for. The good thing about selling the truck is that since we’ve only used it lightly, it’s in pretty good shape.
Does anyone want a 2005 Toyota Tundra?
October 1, 2007
My water bill came in the mail last week with a surprisingly refreshing note: You can now pay your bill online by credit or debit card!
That’s wonderful!
I don’t think I have anything so advanced as an online billing interface, but at least I can log in online and pay via credit card for next-day posting instead of trying to remember to mail this single mail-only bill.
September 28, 2007
The girls are taking me out tonight to dinner, drinks and dancing tonight. I was excited but the weather’s all gloomy and gross, and all I want to do is go home to curl up with my brand new:
On an entirely different topic, I just got an email from Little Boss asking me not to do anymore OT until further notice. I’m almost sure that it’s a budgetary concern, and not a reflection of performance, but the pessimistic side of me can’t help but think it has to do with the increased goofing off that’s been going on lately. We’ve been collectively letting off steam a little TOO much in the past week, and it probably can’t have helped. I know one other person’s gotten the same request, and we’re equally paranoid about it.
