Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
The good, the bad, and the ugly...
Shit is going down.
The good:
The wife and I officially put our house on the market a few weeks ago. It's something we've been tossing around for awhile, and finally committed to doing in the spirit of the new year. I have mixed emotions. We love our house, and we've really enjoyed making it ours and bringing it back to life these past 5 years. In fact, since seeing it advertised, I can't help but feel like we're abandoning a loved one. It's like leaving an elderly grandmother at a care facility--it kinda makes me sad.
But not too sad, mind you. After all, if it sold at a price anywhere in the neighborhood of what we're asking for, the celebration would be excessive and vulgar. Of course, we're completely aware of the fact that the economy (particularly the housing market) is about as stable as Courtney Love in detox, so we're not picking out new furniture just yet. It's okay though--we're in no hurry. We're just testing the waters.
We have our reasons for selling:
1.) We like Adrian, but not really.
2.) The house is big--we need to downsize to something a little more appropriate.
3.) It would be very convenient for us to be a little closer to our jobs and the parents who often serve as our personal chefs/childcare providers/financiers.
4.) Being tied to a mortgage payment makes us queasy.
5.) We'd like to meet our financial goal of saving (or spending frivolously) one whole paycheck a month. Selling would definitely make that goal attainable (within a year or two).
Keep your fingers crossed. I'll keep you posted.
P.S. It would be inappropriate not to mention in "the good" that my son is still perfect. Really, I don't know what the wife and I did to deserve him, but I hope we keep it up.
The bad:
People who know me know that I have a strong aversion to anything relating to numbers. Anything that requires a skill level greater than what's required to maintain a checkbook is beyond me. I choose to believe that things like the economy, the NASDAQ, and federal spending are all made up of fairy dust and crazy glue. I swear it's all a grand conspiracy to stupefy us commoners. I don't know a lot about these things, but I know enough to be certain that times are tough and people are struggling.
It's never polite to talk about money. In fact, it's common and rude. I've always taken the stance that money, religion, and Britney Spears have no place in civilized social conversations. I hope an exception can be made in this case (not for Britney's sake, but for mine). The wife and I can name a dozen people we know personally who have been laid off, had their hours cut back, or simply can't find a job. These are educated people--their fields include journalism, architecture, sales, and engineering to name a few. Each has at least a bachelors level degree and all are loyal, hardworking, and honest people. Like I said, times are tough and people are struggling.
Fortunately, the wife and I remain employed and on good terms with our respective employers. We've trimmed our budget and streamlined our spending, but there are still times when the bank account gets low and there we're days away from a paycheck. Still, we're hanging on and making it work. I say this because there are those out there who find a little comfort in knowing that they aren't alone in their financial frustrations. I am one of them. Case in point, last week, I needed to hear a like-minded and fellow middle-classer say the words, "I'm broke and have no money." Not knowing who to turn to, I call my good buddy A. Here's our conversation:
A: Hello?
Me: Please tell me that you're broke and have no money.
A: I'm broke and have no money.
Me: Really? You're not just saying that are you?
A: Really. I'm broke and have no money.
Me: You just made my day.
The conversation continued with a fun game of "whose got it worse." It ended with an invitation for the wife and I to come over and split a pizza because, well, none of us could afford anything better. Some families are less fortunate than ours. There are others far better off. In either case, tough times are here--they will be here tomorrow, next month, and even next year. And until better days lift our spirits, we have each other to remind us that we're all in this crazy thing together and for that I am grateful.
The ugly:
I love my cousins. We have "cousins night" every month. This month it was brought to our attention that three of us will be turning 30 soon. I am one of those fortunate people. More than once I looked at the wife and spoke the following words: "I'm getting too old for this shit." And if you don't believe me, I present:
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
Exhibit 3:
This would not have happened in my younger days. Actually, it would have, but it wouldn't have taken so long to recover. Like I said, times are tough and people are struggling.
The good:
The wife and I officially put our house on the market a few weeks ago. It's something we've been tossing around for awhile, and finally committed to doing in the spirit of the new year. I have mixed emotions. We love our house, and we've really enjoyed making it ours and bringing it back to life these past 5 years. In fact, since seeing it advertised, I can't help but feel like we're abandoning a loved one. It's like leaving an elderly grandmother at a care facility--it kinda makes me sad.
But not too sad, mind you. After all, if it sold at a price anywhere in the neighborhood of what we're asking for, the celebration would be excessive and vulgar. Of course, we're completely aware of the fact that the economy (particularly the housing market) is about as stable as Courtney Love in detox, so we're not picking out new furniture just yet. It's okay though--we're in no hurry. We're just testing the waters.
We have our reasons for selling:
1.) We like Adrian, but not really.
2.) The house is big--we need to downsize to something a little more appropriate.
3.) It would be very convenient for us to be a little closer to our jobs and the parents who often serve as our personal chefs/childcare providers/financiers.
4.) Being tied to a mortgage payment makes us queasy.
5.) We'd like to meet our financial goal of saving (or spending frivolously) one whole paycheck a month. Selling would definitely make that goal attainable (within a year or two).
Keep your fingers crossed. I'll keep you posted.
P.S. It would be inappropriate not to mention in "the good" that my son is still perfect. Really, I don't know what the wife and I did to deserve him, but I hope we keep it up.
The bad:
People who know me know that I have a strong aversion to anything relating to numbers. Anything that requires a skill level greater than what's required to maintain a checkbook is beyond me. I choose to believe that things like the economy, the NASDAQ, and federal spending are all made up of fairy dust and crazy glue. I swear it's all a grand conspiracy to stupefy us commoners. I don't know a lot about these things, but I know enough to be certain that times are tough and people are struggling.
It's never polite to talk about money. In fact, it's common and rude. I've always taken the stance that money, religion, and Britney Spears have no place in civilized social conversations. I hope an exception can be made in this case (not for Britney's sake, but for mine). The wife and I can name a dozen people we know personally who have been laid off, had their hours cut back, or simply can't find a job. These are educated people--their fields include journalism, architecture, sales, and engineering to name a few. Each has at least a bachelors level degree and all are loyal, hardworking, and honest people. Like I said, times are tough and people are struggling.
Fortunately, the wife and I remain employed and on good terms with our respective employers. We've trimmed our budget and streamlined our spending, but there are still times when the bank account gets low and there we're days away from a paycheck. Still, we're hanging on and making it work. I say this because there are those out there who find a little comfort in knowing that they aren't alone in their financial frustrations. I am one of them. Case in point, last week, I needed to hear a like-minded and fellow middle-classer say the words, "I'm broke and have no money." Not knowing who to turn to, I call my good buddy A. Here's our conversation:
A: Hello?
Me: Please tell me that you're broke and have no money.
A: I'm broke and have no money.
Me: Really? You're not just saying that are you?
A: Really. I'm broke and have no money.
Me: You just made my day.
The conversation continued with a fun game of "whose got it worse." It ended with an invitation for the wife and I to come over and split a pizza because, well, none of us could afford anything better. Some families are less fortunate than ours. There are others far better off. In either case, tough times are here--they will be here tomorrow, next month, and even next year. And until better days lift our spirits, we have each other to remind us that we're all in this crazy thing together and for that I am grateful.
The ugly:
I love my cousins. We have "cousins night" every month. This month it was brought to our attention that three of us will be turning 30 soon. I am one of those fortunate people. More than once I looked at the wife and spoke the following words: "I'm getting too old for this shit." And if you don't believe me, I present:
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
Exhibit 3:
This would not have happened in my younger days. Actually, it would have, but it wouldn't have taken so long to recover. Like I said, times are tough and people are struggling.
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