That too, no Xmas gifts, no gifts for birthdays . Keeping stuff for a longer time, like we could use a new couch so I bought a nice cover for it instead of spending $$$$ on a new one. would like a new tv for the bedroom instead of the old fat tv but that's another 400 for Jammy !
After realizing it was costing too much in airfare to fly from Virginia, I decided to buy a house in Florida. It was a win win situation. Cost of living was cheaper AND airfare is usually well under $300 r/t. Add on a hotel that is less than $100/nt and I have myself a week in Jamaica for less than $1000.00. Now finding someone to keep the kids is a whole other problem.
Pre-kids, I would be totally irresponsible and just go to Jamaica whenever I felt like it...granted I wouldn't be able to afford to pay the electric bill when I got back, but I was young then and didn't really careI knew I could make it until next pay day. No worries. Oh the carefree life.
These days I just get coffee at the office instead of Starbucks. Hardly ever eat out. Don't go out much because I know the drink tab alone here in the states is usually about $60 for 1 night. The little things add up!
"Don't gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver and gold" R.N.M
I give up one of my allowed two weeks of vacation when I go to Jamaica. In giving up that week I am losing a week of time spent with my children who would prefer a camping trip or theme park or anything else with mom and dad that's not the daily grind. I have been blessed in that I can afford to go to the island without too much financial burden, however, each and every time I must put aside the guilt of not spending that precious time with my children and come to grips over the fact that mom and dad are having "me" time. As I read others posts of "giving up" and wonder what it might be that I would give up to go to Negril I think of the time I could spend with my children and realize the answer is, everything...
flip out.
Wow, that must have been great fun ....Pre-kids, I would be totally irresponsible and just go to Jamaica whenever I felt like it...
We are giving up our longer time in Ocho Rios and Port Antonio to spend time Negril. It's not a financial burden, we simple live within our means. Sometimes our means take us to other places. Our means next summer is Jamaica without the kids and some place else with them.
Eating out- we use coupons from restaurant.com with discount from 50 -80 percent of many local restaurants. A $25 coupon to a local restaurant is usually $10 but sometimes they email another discount for 80 percent off. I just bought a $25 coupon to a local restaurant for $2.
Airfare - cycle different credit cards. In the last few months we have earned 75K points from Citibank. 50K from the Premier card and 25K for a checking account. We will earn 50K on the Chase Sapphire in a few weeks. We charged the kids braces and used the deduction from our work health saving deduction to pay off the balance at the end of the month.
Funding - decided not to save for our kids college but will borrow to pay for it when the time comes (2013 and 2017). We will spend our dying days paying back Uncle Sam while reflecting on the great trips we took with the kids.
Edited for only underlined words!
Last edited by Sweet_Dawta; 10-18-2011 at 12:54 AM.
Mostly, I gave up things I didn't like anyway - winter, the holiday 'eating season' that runs Halloween through Easter...and thinking I couldn't take more time away from my job.
I also 'started' some things to help me get here more - like traveling every opportunity that came up (business & personal), picturing myself living a life that would allow me to come more often, imagining everything working out, etc.
Dream on, Lola....we all create our own reality, nah tru?!
Stress.................
I don't smoke but if I did, I would quit and save about $2,920 a year.
QUIT investing in the stock market. The Dow closed at 11,397 down 247 points.
Refinance my mortgage back to 30 (owned it for a while) significantly lowering the payment. Pay on it and the kids student loans til I die.
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