I'm so happy I shared what was going on...coming clean feels pretty good. Your comments are so helpful to me in sorting this all out. I know I'll get through it.
Wait, money stuff too? Crap. And I thought the health one was bad!
I have mentioned before that medical bills and living in an expensive place are not helping me. I have tried to create a budget several times to no avail. Hubby and I HATE going over bills and such.
We get depressed so we'd rather avoid it. We do save a little but not enough. This is why I called a financial planner. She is someone I know from church and she works with people like us. She is going to go over everything from life insurance to budgeting. I am finally going to face everything and get a hold of my finances.
How are you with money? Saver? Spender? Do you have a budget? Are you swimming in dough? Barely making it? If you feel like you don't want to leave your name just comment anonymously. I get it! This is a tough subject!
I know money is sort of a tacky subject but I'm coming clean remember!!??
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24 comments:
I bet you are going to feel so much better after meeting with the financial planner. My husband and I are both very money conscious. He has a finance background and I am working on my graduate degree in accounting. We are living off of one income now, so we don't have a lot of extra money, but we do have a budget. When I start working, our budget will become a little more extensive. We want to start saving for vacations, etc.
Good luck with your meeting! I hope she is able to offer you some great advice. Enjoy your week!
book recommendation - David Bach - Smart Couples Finish Rich or The Automatic Millionaire -- can't say enough good things about his books -- easy to read and relate to -- check it out of the library - i promise it will be worth your time!!
My husband tries to budget but I don't listen. How can you budget with four daughters? He has no idea the willpower it takes not to buy that sassy top for one of them.
Oh please. SAHM, two kids that are ALWAYS sick, I like nice things, gas & grocery prices, Hunny works for the govt. Need I say more?
Financial planner sounds good. I'm going to look into that.
Hoping all is well today. :)
We're living on one income now while I'm home with the kiddies, but we had planned WAY in advance for this day.....we have a little over $500,000 saved up in mutual funds/retirement funds/college funds, and we add $1000 per month to that each month without fail...that whole "pay yourself first" thing. This all being said, I do have to admit that we don't drive the fanciest cars, nor do we take the fanciest vacations, but we all are not lacking for anything right now, so this works for us......
I just hate money...well, not really but the stress it brings. My DH and I actually got on the wagon a few months ago and completely decided to stop using credit cards and go to a completely cash system (envelopes! very high tech!) and start paying down dept and saving as well. So far so good! It has taken some getting used too - especially cutting back on eating out (which apparently we did with abandon in the past :-) but the lack of stress and the feeling of control has been wonderful. DH, especially, says his stress level is just amazing now.
Clean, clean...sparkling!
I am a spender and Fiance is a saver! He also has no credit card debt, while I still have some that I am close to paying off. He insists that we pay for our wedding in CASH! No putting any of it on credit cards. I also met with a financial planner last year and when Fiance and I marry and merge our monies we will probably go again. I do have a very strict budget and I stick to it pretty well. I always budget some "fun money" so I don't feel deprived.
Money is such a tough subject to talk about, I think you are brave for putting it out there!!!
Financial woes are always the worst. They just eat at your gut. My husband is a great at budgeting which is very beneficial to me because I'm the worlds worst when it comes to that. He's taught me a lot which has been great. I'm sure that after meeting with a financial planner you will feel a huge weight lifted from you:) Good luck!
My husband is a fantastic budget guy - and amazingly this is an area where we have not fought AT ALL since we got married. We managed to pay off student loans, car loans, & credit cards when he was in the Air Force and we were barely making 30K a year -- and we still went out to dinner, took vacations, etc. We are making more now but are about to shift things around again as he goes back for his Master's (and will still work full time) and I think about going back to teach full time. Being debt free makes this idea much less daunting!
I think the financial planner is a great step. Sticking to a budget and keeping track of EVERYTHING we spend seems like a pain in the neck until you gt used to it - but the rewards (having the extra $$ to do what we want, amazing savings accts. NO credit card debt) make it totally worthwhile.
I used to be terrible with money - credit card debt, etc. but I've done a complete 360 after getting married and having children. I save to an IRA and a mututal fund, drive a car that is 7 yrs. old and paid off, have no debt except our mortgage and spend pretty frugally. We live in a house that either of us could afford should the other lose income. My husband is a saver and a budgeter, but does have some debt from his first marriage/divorce that he diligently works to pay off. The man can carry around an unspent $10 longer than anyone I know. We have a joint account for our joint expenses and then whatever is left over we keep personally and use for whatever bills we have, etc. My husband has (what I consider) to be a substantial child support payment every month (more than our mortgage) and that is paid AFTER TAXES. Honestly, I really had to come to grips with that, knowing that if that income was added to our bottom line we could save more, etc. It's hard for me sometimes seeing how much money goes out to his ex-wife who does not work, while I work 50+ hrs. a week and not nearly as much of his money is spent on the child we have together. That's where the for richer/poorer for better/worse comes in. ha!
I have no concept of money or budgeting. Thank God my boyfriend does! I'm learning, but it's really difficult!
I think meeting with a financial planner was a really good idea!
I thank god everyday that my husband is so financial conscience. If it were left to me we would be in trouble.
Smart Couples Finish Rich is a great book!
I am the spender and my husband very money conscious...he reigns me when I get to "shop happy". We met with a financial planner years ago and has been a lifesaver for us. Sounds like you are on the right track.
I just stumbled upon your blog when I did a Google search for the Preppy Handbook. I can't believe you live in L.A. I thought I was the only preppy person in L.A. - JUST KIDDING! Have you read the Millionaire Next Door? I bet a big part of your problem is where we live. The money thing is crazy here. It's very difficult not to get caught up in it all when we live in L.A. We met with a financial planner a couple years ago & it did help. But I also wanted to go back to work, I have, and it has helped me sleep at night. Sending my kids to a top L.A. private school is financially painful. 1 tuition was fine, but when we started paying 2 - YIKES! There are so many ways to save. I shopped around for gardeners, pool guys, car insurance, internet service. I stopped going to Starbuck's daily, I stopped buying Channel make-up and tried Neutrogena, I don't valet park unless I have to, I buy my Red Vines & water before I go to Arclight, etc. It all adds up.
Good Luck!!!
Finances...I think I revealed part of this in a post the other day, I grew up in a financially unsavvy home, no savings plan or insurance to speak of, which you would think would turn me into a saver....but notsomuch!!!
Fast forward to married life with Ken who is a financial genius, sortof. Anyway he has me invested in all the plans they have at work, stock plans and 401K, etc. I would not have known to do any of it, but he watches it all and while I wish I knew more...maybe that's what my "coming clean" should be....get more involved with the finances. It just seems like a job all on its own...
Thinking of you still...
My husband is real conscientious with our finances. Me, not so much. I guess we're fine, but I know I should be more respectful of our money and not buy unnecessary things so often.
I think meeting with a financial planner is a great idea. My fiance and I are supposed to have our "money talk" soon . . . not really looking forward to that one.
I would love to meet with a financial planner, but I'm afraid of what they would tell me...retirement's set, but I'm sure I could be doing things better now...hey, I didn't say I was coming clean?
Thank goodness my husband and I have the same view on money. We are pretty conservative and live completely within our means. No debt, except a mortgage. We have a financial planner and it has been one of the best moves we made. We hired her nearly 7 years ago when our 2nd child was born. She keeps us looking forward and reminds us to tackle unpleasant issues like life insurance. Good Luck!
My husband has a finance background and keeps us in line...which is good otherwise I'd spend it all. We have recently taken a look at where we want to go and how much we need in the coming years and have decided to scale back where we can.
Also husband is in the process of changing jobs so we're down to one income right now. Hang in there. I love your honesty on these hard issues. Take care.
Karen
I live with a financial planner! My entire life is on a budget! And I am a shop a holic!!!! This makes for an interesting marriage! But...I am gettting better!!!
DH is a saver. I like to save but I like to shop too. We also live in an expensive area. We've chosen to stay in a small house so we can travel, shop, etc. Luckily, we don't live on a budget. I can't budget. I'm trying not to buy clothes for a month. I've only got 3 weeks to go. Eek.
Several have already mentioned it, but David Bach's books are great. I love his "pay yourself first" idea.
I am a spender and my hubby is a saver. Together we make the perfect couple! And we have rubbed off on each other a little bit over the years!
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