Tapped Out
Well, we have front-loaded our spending for 2008, and I think we are about tapped out!
Almost two weeks ago, on the Thursday when it snowed, Rob spun off the highway on the way home from work. Fortunately, he was fine, but his car was totaled. We found out about that last Tuesday, and we spent the rest of last week shopping for a new car. We drove some different cars and went to several different dealers. We finally decided what we wanted, but we didn't realize that we had picked something that was in short supply! We did finally find what we wanted and bought it on Friday night. We got a 2008 Honda CR-V with navigation (which was the part that made it hard to find). The color is Glacier Blue Metallic (sort of a light blue/silver color).
Needless to say, buying a new car wasn't really in the plans this year. After all, we just bought a new house! I think we're going to be able to work it out so that our car payment is barely different. We are going to use the money from the totaled car (which we owned outright) to pay off the older car and replenish what we spent as a down payment on the new car. Basically, our car payment will stay about the same, but will continue longer than we were planning. I hope that we will not need to buy another one for quite awhile now! We have a pretty new fleet - a 2005 Honda Accord and the 2008 CR-V.
Then, since we weren't yet in enough financial pain, we somehow decided it would be a good idea to buy a new television on Saturday. Circuit City had a good deal on the one we wanted, and they were offering 36-month interest-free financing, plus we had a 10% off coupon. We bought a new Sony 52" LCD, just in time for the Superbowl! My whole family ended up being involved in the purchase. We had dinner with my parents on Saturday, and then we had to borrow Dad's truck to pick up the TV. Dad helped us get it, and the rest of the family met us at the house. Dad and my brother hauled the old TV upstairs to our bedroom, and then we set up the new one in the family room. I've got to admit that it looks much better than the old one in there. It was not a small television (34"), but the room has to be set up the long way with the couch at one end and the TV at the other. (There is a fireplace on the longer wall, so we can't put the TV there.) The distance from the TV made it seem really small.
So, we are going to be pinching our pennies for awhile! We should be fine, but I hope we don't run into any more crises for awhile. I'd really like to build the savings account back up to a more comfortable level.
Now, needless to say, I am completely exhausted and desperately in need of sleep. I think I will go clean up the kitchen and head for bed.
Almost two weeks ago, on the Thursday when it snowed, Rob spun off the highway on the way home from work. Fortunately, he was fine, but his car was totaled. We found out about that last Tuesday, and we spent the rest of last week shopping for a new car. We drove some different cars and went to several different dealers. We finally decided what we wanted, but we didn't realize that we had picked something that was in short supply! We did finally find what we wanted and bought it on Friday night. We got a 2008 Honda CR-V with navigation (which was the part that made it hard to find). The color is Glacier Blue Metallic (sort of a light blue/silver color).
Needless to say, buying a new car wasn't really in the plans this year. After all, we just bought a new house! I think we're going to be able to work it out so that our car payment is barely different. We are going to use the money from the totaled car (which we owned outright) to pay off the older car and replenish what we spent as a down payment on the new car. Basically, our car payment will stay about the same, but will continue longer than we were planning. I hope that we will not need to buy another one for quite awhile now! We have a pretty new fleet - a 2005 Honda Accord and the 2008 CR-V.
Then, since we weren't yet in enough financial pain, we somehow decided it would be a good idea to buy a new television on Saturday. Circuit City had a good deal on the one we wanted, and they were offering 36-month interest-free financing, plus we had a 10% off coupon. We bought a new Sony 52" LCD, just in time for the Superbowl! My whole family ended up being involved in the purchase. We had dinner with my parents on Saturday, and then we had to borrow Dad's truck to pick up the TV. Dad helped us get it, and the rest of the family met us at the house. Dad and my brother hauled the old TV upstairs to our bedroom, and then we set up the new one in the family room. I've got to admit that it looks much better than the old one in there. It was not a small television (34"), but the room has to be set up the long way with the couch at one end and the TV at the other. (There is a fireplace on the longer wall, so we can't put the TV there.) The distance from the TV made it seem really small.
So, we are going to be pinching our pennies for awhile! We should be fine, but I hope we don't run into any more crises for awhile. I'd really like to build the savings account back up to a more comfortable level.
Now, needless to say, I am completely exhausted and desperately in need of sleep. I think I will go clean up the kitchen and head for bed.