I have ideas. I have lists of things I want to do. I am not happy with the status quo. I want things. Mostly things like home improvements and fun vacations, but still. Want. A friend of mine says she found a handyman who works for cheap. I am wrangling to get a phone number because I have ideas/needs but no skill or really time. Another friend says she knows someone who cleans houses. Boy, I could use a reasonably priced someone to do that as well. I sat on the kitchen floor nursing Scooter this morning (don't ask) and was none too pleased at their state.
And yet...all these things cost money. A finite resource. Just like everyone, we have to pick and choose what we are going to spend our money on. And Christmas is coming up in just a few short months.
I think I have a case of the gimmes. I need to chill myself out a bit and focus on buying just a little bit here and there. Like paint. I want basically the whole house painted. So I need to pick out colors and every paycheck, go and get a color. That way the task gets done and I don't drop $200 on paint in one sitting. I have taken this approach with vacations and Christmas. I decided how much money I thought I would want to spend on vacations/holiday gifts this year and then set up an autodebit into my savings account for each pay period. I guess it is kind of like my personal escrow.
What do you save for? How do you help yourself be patient?
2 comments:
I'm the same way. I hate stasis even more than I hate going to Ikea on a Sunday (eeek, taht will be me today). But I understand. It is so, so hard to want my house to look like a spread in Apartment Therapy and yet the reality is that it should probably stay the home where Goodwill furniture goes to die.
I have the gimmes too! Right now, I'm saving for a new car. I know what I want and how much it will cost, but I won't buy it until I can pay cash. I'm aiming for next spring.
Other things on my wish list: backyard landscaping, repaired sun porch, new kitchen counters. I would also love a cleaning service, but Homer's weird about that kinds of thing.
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