<p>What i don’t spend money on - TVs and TV services. We have old TVs (probably 20 years old) in the family room and master bedroom that are small by today’s standards. I have basic cable, but that is it. We have had big screen TVs in our finished basement that the kids used to watch or play games on - but they were hand me downs from my parents who downsized and a friend who moved. </p>
<p>I also don’t have a stereo system. Just my iphone/ipad/computer, and what used to be called a boom box. My music listening is personal, through headphones for the most part. I have maybe 10 music CDs and about 900 songs on iTunes and that’s it.</p>
<p>I rarely drink, so no money on wine / booze. (No objection, just don’t like the taste.)</p>
<p>We do the yard work and all remodeling (except the kitchen re-do a few years back) ourselves. H is currently updating the ILs condo for its sale later this spring. </p>
<p>The house cleaner every two weeks is the best money I’ve ever spent. </p>
<p>I don’t do manicures/pedicures/facials/massages. I had an original iPod until I needed a new phone a year ago and then went with a iPhone to combine the two.</p>
<p>I do get massages & facials.
No cable.
I also buy good food, but I swear that quality dog food is more expensive than baby food!
Since we just got our pup from a shelter not quite five months ago, we take him with us. He still has a bit of anxiety and I dont want him to have a set back.
Oh- I just got an idea for a thread. Brb.</p>
<p>Emeraldkitty, our dog loves riding in the car with us. She curls up and sleeps the entire way. Getting her out at the destination is the problem! She has figured out that if she’s in the car, we are not abandoning her and that we WILL come back. She goes with us to GA, KY and NJ to see family, wherever we go camping, and we find dog-friendly hotels when we’re on the road, but I will not put her on a plane.</p>
<p>We had been mulling over getting a cabin, but we tend to like visiting a variety of places on vacation vs. staying in one place. The idea of having to maintain a second property gives me the heebee-geebies. I have enough to deal with already!</p>
<p>We have also talked about getting a small trailer instead of our long tradition of tent camping. This is proof to me that we are getting old. :eek: In our usual way, we will continue to debate this for many years before we ever decide to do something about it.</p>
<p>My children had never seen anyone but professional gardeners working on lawns. We were in a different state and we turned down a residential street. They saw a kid mowing the lawn…they were surprised. </p>
<p>Discussion around the Ellebud table this evening. I brought up this thread…We are very fortunate.</p>
<p>I splurge on travel–tending toward trips of 3-5 weeks and now visiting places “just because.” It makes me happy to see places other than meeting rooms and visiting people we know. We went to Gettysburg and Portland because I thought it would be fun, and it WAS! Also rarely just go to a place for a meeting and immediately return home; if we go somewhere, we stay longer or stop along the way there and/or the way back. It really hasn’t cost much more in airfare and many of the hotels are quite reasonable and nice.</p>
<p>Now that H doesn’t have to rush to get back home, it is quite pleasant. I have quite a bit of flexibility in my job and it has been working VERY nicely.</p>
<p>We also splurge in letting H buy whatever electronic computer toys he wants – he’s started bytecoin mining. It amuses him. </p>
<p>Another splurge is to fly our D to join us whenever our schedules mesh. S flies to join us when he can as well. It’s nice!</p>
<p>I’ve only been on an airplane twice in my life…once on our honeymoon and once for a FL vacation 21 years ago. </p>
<p>All our vacations have been in close driving distance from home.<br>
Never had anyone do our yard work. DH does it all.
Never eat at pricey restaurants
Don’t own any fine jewelry or handbags or other accessories
Don’t buy expensive clothes…a lot of our clothes were purchased at thrift stores.
No smart phones or Ipods. We have two laptops w/ internet and cable…no premium movie channels or Netflix subscriptions.
Never had a gym membership
DH cuts his own hair. I have mine cut at one of the walk-in chain salons…never dyed my hair.
We keep cars/trucks for a long time
Have lived on a strict budget for our entire married life. </p>
<p>The rewards of all that are…
No debt other than one car payment
Saved enough money for both kids to graduate from college debt free
Were able to build our dream (retirement) waterfront home three years ago. No mortgage.
Will be moving to our retirement home in May when DH turns 55 and will feasibly be able live w/out jobs.
We have a boat at the end of our pier.</p>
<p>Oh, Pizzagirl, I DO believe that! There are many neighborhoods where no one mows their own lawns, and even in our neighborhood where probably 1 out of 5 homeowners do their own yard work, it is the parents, not the kids! Our kids are unique in our neighborhood. They are SO lucky we LET them do our yard work! I don’t think I have ever seen another kid mowing a lawn since I moved here, so I’m sure my kids haven’t seen it. Crazy, I know!</p>
<p>I have no problem spending money on things, and I prefer to get good quality that will last. But I hate clutter so much that I can’t bring myself to buy anything that will become clutter down the road. I don’t even like FREE stuff if it falls into my clutter category. If someone were handing out brand new free Coach purses, I’d actually hesitate - I already have a purse! On the other hand, if my kids say they need something for school, I’m digging out my credit card. “What, a new pair of basketball shoes will help you in calculus? OK, Honey - your education is our priority!”</p>
<p>PizzaGirl: It is true. Manual labor is very available for gardening. I used to do planting. I no longer plant…but I plan. We have always had a gardener. We had a gardner in our first house.</p>
<p>And yes, we pay about $35 a week for the mow and blow…more for other services. </p>
<p>We have always had housekeepers. When the kids were young…full time livein…now by the hour ($20 per hour). My parents, who were not wealthy, had a housekeeper once a week. When Mr. Ellebud and I married I went to the market and bought cleaning products. And yes, I read the instructions. </p>
<p>My son’s fiancee doesn’t clean well. Her mother sends her housekeeper over every two weeks. (And yes, my son could clean…sort of) but he doesn’t have the time or interest.</p>
<p>As for the vacuum…I had to vacuum something up…couldn’t find the on/off button. Found it. I admitted this to friends…the husband laughed and said, “At least you knew where it was hidden. Ann didn’t know where we kept the vacuum.”</p>
<p>Even if you had housekeepers, I’m sure your kids were aware that not everyone in the world had housekeepers - and even if you had gardening help, I’m sure your kids were aware that not everyone in the world did!</p>
<p>First, my kids were younger. Yes, they read books…Henry and Ribsy…In their world (private school at that time) everyone had help. In their world, when we moved to our current house everyone had help. Apartment kids (and I grew up as an Apartment kid) had help. </p>
<p>Of course they “knew” not everyone had help: We support many charities that assist people. But in their world there was a separation. probably not “good” idea…but that is the reality.</p>
She goes with us to GA, KY and NJ to see family, wherever we go camping, and we find dog-friendly hotels when we’re on the road, but I will not put her on a plane.</p>