On Money..

A tropical vacation
A second vehicle (for me!)
New kitchen table & chairs
Two nice chairs for the living room
A snowblower
A trip back to NYC.

These are all the things we'd love to have this year.  Is it all going to happen?  Probably not.  I'd love just to accomplish the second vehicle so the babies and I can get out of the house a little more often. 

There are few things that were actually easier when I was single, but I will admit that managing my own money, was one of those things.  I got a paycheck, paid what I had to, and could decide what to do with the rest.  Was I always responsible? No, absolutely not.  Going out with my friends, or buying a new outfit ALWAYS won over putting money into savings, or paying more than the monthly payment on a bill (Ie. Visa).  But I never felt out of control.  Being married with two babies, it no longer matters what I WANT to spend money on.  Michael and I are in complete agreement about prioritizing our babies (as most parents do).  They both have more than enough clothing, toys, supplies (diapers, wipes, etc.) in the house, and there is always a fund of extra money in case we need anything for them.  They will NEVER do without.  And by this, I don't mean they will be spoiled and be the children that get everything they whine for.  I merely mean that if Kingston loses his mittens, I will go that very day and get him another pair, or if two of his sippy cups break, I will go out and get him another type.  

And then we fall at the end of the priority list of course.  This month was a good month for us, so I was planning a haircut, eyebrow wax, and a new outfit.  Just because.  However this morning while Michael was trying to get some work done his 6 year old printer finally died.  It hasn't been scanning/copying for a while now but was still printing OK.  Michael works out of his home office, and to do his job he NEEDS a printer.  So after his morning appointment, he and Kingston headed to the local electronics type store to find a new printer.  "Please keep it under $100," I begged.  $98 later -- we have a shiny new black all-in-one printer.  What does this mean for my "splurge" day?  Gone.  I'm not really upset (that shows how important all that crap was anyway), but happy that this new printer should help make Michael's day-to-day work go a little smoother.  

The last thing that I'll say about money -- is no matter how hard I try, grocery shopping KILLS my budget.  Every single week.  I budget for $100-$150 (we're two and a half people, we should be able to do this), but I'm always over.  Granted I don't budget the babies supplies in groceries, but I'm buying diapers and formula as well.  So $100 a month on diapers, and another $20 on wipes.  Liquid formula is probably close to $100/month but is worth the convenience.  I have always spent a lot of money on food.  I guess deep down I feel like that's the one place people shouldn't deprive themselves.  Again-- I'm not talking about junk and crap you don't really need, I'm talking about things like fresh fruit and veggies (which get expensive in the winter!).  Baby boy LOVES fruit -- all kinds.  Blackberries and raspberries are the current favourite -- and a pint of each always make their way into my cart.  At $3-5 each.. the cost starts to add up.  We burn through 3-3L bags of milk a week, and atleast two boxes of cereal.  Do I really care? Nope. I love that Kingston loves his good food, and we all eat pretty well.  I guess one of my biggest pet peeves is that eating poorly is so much cheaper than eating well. 

Anyways that's all I'm saying about that. 
If any of my readers happen to find a money tree or win the lottery -- please remember me :)