I've come to a really scary realization today... we are in dire need to seriously start saving more money. The thought of playing grownup alone is giving me a migraine, but perhaps we have crossed the threshold of carefree living-paycheck-to-paycheck years... I'm sure it's been a while, we just never wanted to accept it.
In our defense, we have done pretty good for ourselves since getting married and having a baby. We both have steady (though extremely underpaid) jobs that pay the bills, we are blessed with two sets of generous grandparents who constantly array us with clothes and toys and all the other baby necessities, we have excellent medical coverage which leaves us with very minimal (if none at all) out-of-pocket expenses when it comes to the frequent emergency room visits and long list of prescriptions...... So yes, we've been fortunate that beyond paying for our "grown up" responsibilities, we are still able to enjoy our vices --- eating out (when we're too lazy to cook), shopping splurges and even our recent vacation to the caribbeans. And just recently... a very odd purchase of colored stacking cups that we justified as "therapeutic".
Sure, we've saved before. But it was always for a short-time goal. We set aside money for the wedding. Then that was quick and done over with. Then we set aside some money for our honeymoon, which we spent every penny of it (and then charged some). But to save just because? We're working on that... my goal is to have a couple of months worth of expenses saved up, AND also save up for our first home.
Though at this point, it's premature to entertain the idea of buying a house within the next 2 years, especially if the BIG "plan" is to move back California by April of next year. If we were to stay here in West Virginia, perhaps we could afford to buy our first home even with our current deprived salaries. Where else can you find a nice 3 bedroom house with a 2-car garage and a park for a backyard for less than $100,000? But as tempting as their real-estate market is (and while this state isn't actually a bad place to raise a family), settling here just isn't part of the "plan"... whatever that is. What we ought to do is start a separate home savings account -- only to avoid potentially feeling rich enough one day to buy a new plasma screen tv... or run off to Paris for a weekend getaway.
Hmmmmm.... that really does sound good right about now.
In our defense, we have done pretty good for ourselves since getting married and having a baby. We both have steady (though extremely underpaid) jobs that pay the bills, we are blessed with two sets of generous grandparents who constantly array us with clothes and toys and all the other baby necessities, we have excellent medical coverage which leaves us with very minimal (if none at all) out-of-pocket expenses when it comes to the frequent emergency room visits and long list of prescriptions...... So yes, we've been fortunate that beyond paying for our "grown up" responsibilities, we are still able to enjoy our vices --- eating out (when we're too lazy to cook), shopping splurges and even our recent vacation to the caribbeans. And just recently... a very odd purchase of colored stacking cups that we justified as "therapeutic".
Sure, we've saved before. But it was always for a short-time goal. We set aside money for the wedding. Then that was quick and done over with. Then we set aside some money for our honeymoon, which we spent every penny of it (and then charged some). But to save just because? We're working on that... my goal is to have a couple of months worth of expenses saved up, AND also save up for our first home.
Though at this point, it's premature to entertain the idea of buying a house within the next 2 years, especially if the BIG "plan" is to move back California by April of next year. If we were to stay here in West Virginia, perhaps we could afford to buy our first home even with our current deprived salaries. Where else can you find a nice 3 bedroom house with a 2-car garage and a park for a backyard for less than $100,000? But as tempting as their real-estate market is (and while this state isn't actually a bad place to raise a family), settling here just isn't part of the "plan"... whatever that is. What we ought to do is start a separate home savings account -- only to avoid potentially feeling rich enough one day to buy a new plasma screen tv... or run off to Paris for a weekend getaway.
Hmmmmm.... that really does sound good right about now.
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