Anyone else bleed money?

[mrsltg]

This was definitely a beast of my own making. This weekend I took the girls to visit my parents on Long Island. Gas and tolls - $70.00. Friday we went to the mall to have Valentine pictures done - $150.00. We stopped by Gymboree - $150.00 and Janie and Jack - $65.00. Saturday Mom and I took my 5 y.o. to the American Girl Place. I paid for the train tickets - 27.00. Tickets for the show at AG place - 60.00, lunch - 75.00. Between Mom and I we spent $500.00 on doll and accessories. Mind you, this was not a birthday- just something we've been planning to do when she was 5 since she was born. To escape the snow we drove home on Saturday evening. Gas and tolls - $70.00. On Sunday I took the girls to Target to buy frames for the new pictures and storage containers for the American Girl stuff. Of course at Target you never buy only what you came for - $120.00 Spending makes me hungry - $11.00.

When all is said and done this weekend cost me over $1000. WTH??????? The good news is it's only money and I'll make more tomorrow. Oh well, it just dawned on me as I was sitting here. Does anyone else do this on what amounts to unnecessary things? Thanks for listening and making me feel better!

Erin

 

[Free4Life11]

Just be glad you didn't post this on the budget board. At least you didn't say you put anything on credit card. Whew, that would have surely set some people off!

I know what you mean though, sometimes I just can't believe how fast money goes!

 

[icebrat001]

Dear SO goes through phases where she can bleed money, but I nip it in the butt really quick. I like to keep my money, not spend it! However, when we do spend money it tends to get spent in bulk, as we rather purchase a nice item from the get go as opposed to buy cheap and keep replacing.

I wouldn't really call your trip bleeding money, you planned for it since she was born. It was an expected expense.

 

[mrsltg]

Thanks for the support! Nope, nothing on the credit card - well, actually it's American Express but that's paid at the end of the month so it's all the same as cash to me.

Erin

 

[luvwinnie]

As long as you don't do this regularly (unless you can afford it!), I think you had a great time and made memories with your family!

 

[chesirechik]

That happens to me sometimes. It's like, wait, where did all my money go? LOL

 

[Bob Slydell]

I like to keep my money, not spend it!

Spoken by the person who's buying $100 pairs of jeans.

 

[Nancy]

Well since you planned most of it ahead of time you knew it was going to cost some money. The only thing I might have skipped were the pictures for Valentines day...that seems like a lot of money for pictures. Gas and tolls are a necessary evil of driving anywhere now. And I know just what you mean about Target. You go in for 1 thing and wham...100.00 or more later..you're out the door.

I don't go out a lot but when my kids were little I couldn't walk into the Disney Store without dropping at least $50.00. So, I don't bleed money anymore, but I used to.

 

[minniedisney1]

Glad to know I am not the only one that "bleeds"!!! I have gotten a lot better though since my DH started keeping up with the finances. As he put it "$1500 for lunches & playing with your mommy friends for 2 months is TOO MUCH!!!!!!!! " He is VERY frugal to put it mildly. I am still a compulsive shopper & it is really hard not to shop. I did give DH all my credit cards. I only have my checkcard now linked to our checking acct. I don't use the atm though. When I do get the urge to shop for just "stuff", I have a support network in place & call them. I do remember the fun days of spending, spending, spending!!!

 

[welovedisneyx4]

2 or 3 years ago, DD had cheerleading practice twice a week at a school right by Wal-Mart. Well, what did I do instead of watching the boring practice? Of course I hauled my butt over to WM-always under the guise of picking up something we needed- and proceded to come out w/ lots of stuff we didn't need!!! I will say doing that really hurt and took a lot of the cushion we had created w/ some extra $ we had recvd. Curses on you Wal-Mart!!!

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I sometimes bleed smaller amounts - mosty at the bookstore where I frequently find myself handing over $20+ for a hardback book and shamefully looking left and right hoping my husband is not watching. When - I decide that I really don't want to go home and buy the same book off of Amazon Used for $5, because it will take a week to ship it to my house AND I WANT TO READ IT NOW!!!

I like to spend money, but I like to spend it on stuff that really makes us happy. Not silly stuff that one week later we are looking at the bills and thinking, "Why the heck did we do that????"

 

[labdogs42]

Sometimes I do, but as long as it is for something that YOU enjoy, I think it is OK. I know what you mean about the Valentine's pictures -- I always spend a bunch on professional portraits of my DS, but that is something I truly enjoy and will cherish. I take TONS of pictures of him myself, but I love a good posed studio pic. As long as you have it and aren't doing it all the time, I say what the heck! You only live once! (now, if this was on cc it would be a different story!)

 

[cinmell]

You're not alone, I do it too!

 

[jajuan]

DD has a cheer competition in Atlanta next weekend...we live in Dallas. We have to pay hotel, food, and airfare along with competition fees.

So...last weekend we had one in downtown Dallas that we had to arrive for at 7am. We are not morning people and it takes us 45 min to get downtown. So...we got a hotel room (good deal on priceline) for Friday night and ate down there...plus 18.00 parking. Spent 15 for me to get into the competition and after a few snacks for DD at competition, spent another 30 or so. We found out we had to be there at the same tiem on Sunday and we did it all again. We did get another mom and daughters to share the hotel with us. Anyway...my point is that we did NOT expect to spend the extra money in our home town...especially when we are going to Atlanta the very next weekend.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I need some big bandages because I bleed so much. I have so many $30-50, $100 charges on charge statement each month that I shocked when I see the total. I always hope it's added wrong
I spent so much this past year that I will max out on Disney Reward dollars at $750.00. And I didn't receive any double or truple reward offers!

 

[mrsgus06]

Making memories with your children: Priceless!


I felt like I was in a Visa commercial. Yes, most of the time I bleed money, I still have 5 kids at home. However, when I go grocery shopping, it is like someone hit a major artery, it's gushing, not bleeding! Enjoy their childhood!!

 

[Lyn5]

I really splurged this Valentine's too I bought my DH an XBox 360 with a few games....he has really been enjoying it

 

[barkley]

had an aquaintance whose family and friends did a "spending intervention" on him. he always made good money, never had major bills, lived in a nice house and maintained a nice lifestyle for his family. but he just bled money on NOTHING-with the exception of millions of paperback books (which he would never get rid of but that was another issue) there was nothing to show for the massive amounts of cash he spent-it went to lunches, coffees, newspapers, magazines-all stuff that got used or tossed out quickly.

his wife kept trying to point out how much they could put away if he cut back, his friends said the same thing-never changed his ways. finaly the whole group got together and showed him how much he had actualy blown over the past few months. he was amazed-he could'nt figure out where it had all gone. what realy drove it home for him was when they pointed out how his habits were affecting the kids-they had no concept of delayed gratification and thought that money just flowed from their dad's atm card (and they viewed mom as the bad guy for not being as free spending ).

he handed over his atm card and just got a gas card and a rational amount of cash each month. it was amazing to see the change in habits once he actualy had to peel off dollar bills for purchases. handing over a $5 spot for a latte and a muffin hit a lot harder than just swiping his card.

 

[Chicago526]

I've gotten better since I put away all the credit cards, but I know what you mean (especially going in for 2 things at Target and come out pushing a shoping cart!).

But now I only have my debit card on me, so once the money is gone, it's gone! Helps to curb my Target addictiong when I know that I also need to buy gas and food for the week!

 

[HayGan]

Yep!

Anyone care to give me a transfusion