Spending Money

Word Count: 1715 and beginning Ch 3:) Happy dance!

Currently reading: Moving into Mom's Self-help volumes...the first one is on depression! The Book of Hope: How Women can overcome Depression. Written in the late 1970's, this should be interesting...

I've also begun rewarding myself. If I attain my goal of 16oo+ words, I do some cross-stitch at night. Found a bunch of quilt blocks the MIL started but never finished. Maybe after I get them embroidered, I can give them to Jackie, since she quilts and I don't...K's baby quilt is an embarassing tribute to that:)

Finished Jackie Oh! last night. Boy, does it paint a different picture of the former First Lady than the one I formed 20 or so years ago! Kind of makes you wonder if the Internet and all the 'info on demand' press had existed back then, would Bill Clinton have done things a little more discreetly?

One of the points brought up was Jackie O's spending habits, and the fact JFK yelled at her constantly about the way she spent money. This brought up an interesting mirror point to my own life...my hubby is always on my case about how I spend his money.

First of all, I don't spend it on myself, outside of the occassional book, CD, or needed clothing (when my jeans are wearing out, my coat is no longer keeping me warm, the 2 new sweaters or shirts I add each year, or new shoes when holes appear, or a heel is no longer repairable.), and of course, food and cleaning supplies.

No, what I have the audacity to write checks for are medical bills (imagine that!). His magazine subscriptions. And the utilities.

When he had his heart surgery, I put us on a strict budget and attempted to pay $1500 in medical debt in 4 months, and I nearly succeeded, had he not ended up in the hospital 2 more times. So I sucked it up and tried again the following summer. But by then there was a new baby in the house, and diapers and supplimental formula was expensive, although we did qualify for WIC, which greatly helped in the formula department!

Usually, our entire tax refund goes for delinquent medical bills. For whatever reason, last year, he decided to spend it on other things, and let me get my hair cut; he paid for my website; paid for my trip to the writer's conference; and paid for my Gold subscription to classsmates.com. Bills? What bills? Oh, the ones that are still sitting, waiting to be paid? I've got them stacked from the least expense (I've paid all the ones under $20 already) to the greatest (over $600), and have been attempting to pay at least 2 per week. And since I'm now getting into the $50 ones, and my hubby's employment season is coming to a close, I'm lucky if I pay one a month, due to squirreling away as much as we can into the savings account, because he only has six unemployment checks left, and can't refile until March.

What sparked the discussion? I finally cut the tags off of last year's birthday gift, a black turtleneck given to me by my sister. And he was astounded when I revealed she had sent me a $200 gift certificate, and only spent $30 of it on myself. The rest went for gifts for the kids, because money was tight, and I just could not justify being that selfish.

And then he recalled he had bought me new tennis shoes last January, and I didn't put them on my feet until August. And when he took me ring shopping back when we were newly engaged, I drooled over the $500 ring, but knowing we only had $2000 for the next couple of weeks to live on, I refused to let him buy it, settling for the $200 ring instead.

What would I do if we would happen to win the lottery? First and foremost, pay off the entire stack of bills on my desk; pay up the rent in advance for at least the next year; buy 2 brand new cars; pay up the insurance in advance, and buy new household furniture. Then after I donated heavily to a few choice charities, I'd make some improvements to this house; buy my children and husband some much-needed clothing; and take us all to the dentist. Then I'd take my older two to the eye doctor and get us some new eyes. After that was done, and both kids had ample amounts in their savings accounts, and Jamie's kids had what they needed, then I would take myself on a shopping spree at Barnes and Noble, Edie Bauer, and BMG. And oh yes...new computer, a year's supply of ink for the printer, and plenty of paper. Hire a publicist (just kidding...or then again, maybe not!) and have my work professionally edited. Get one of those iPod for books or whatever they're called.

And since I'm fantasizing here, lets go one further...I'll buy him that house up in Morgan County, since he hates this town so much, and he can stay up there and I'll stay down here. The kids can shuttle back and forth if they want, and I won't have to listen to him gripe about my marketing efforts, since I'll be the one who purchased the winning ticket, ha ha:)

Oh, and I'll also pay for my own education...but then again, if we win big, then there will be no guilt to stay home and write all day, will there? And as I don't feel guilty in the first place, it's a non-issue. I've got 2 more years after this one before the baby enters school full-time.

But I'm remaining optimistic: My books will be in stores, and I'll be bringing in something to help with the bills:)

And maybe I'll take my next royalty check and actually spend it on myself for a change...