vacation killed our budget

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-25-2005
vacation killed our budget
4
Sun, 08-07-2005 - 11:11pm

Well i knew my sis was getting married for a year, and that we would have to go cross country, but the time came and though my budget was going well i didn't have any extra for the trip, so we had to charge the plane tickets, $850, then a rental car with our regular money $81, then since they had the wedding stuff going on and couldn't spend time entertaining everyone, we ate out at all of our meals, and heck while we were at it did some sightseeing and things that cost MONEY, so all said and done we spent about $350 on all that. It's amazing how you just don't care once you get started spending like that, i hate that feeling, it's like you have to spend money even though you don't want to on restaurant food and such so whats the difference if you spend it on other stupid stuff. This wasreally hard for me b/c i really was starting to get a handle on our finances and this is a major setback that i didn't need. I have been a sahm for about 3 months and amazingly until now i had a better grip on our money then ever b/c i was determined, now i think i have to take some child care jobs to start paying this trip off and get on the right track. If i had implemented some of the plans i have beenreading about before the trip then maybe i would have had the money set aside (mary hunt, dave ramsey) but i have to get to that point where i am caught up enough on the past stuff and then saving for future stuff, its complicated! But now this is behind me and i have a fresh start so i am going to wake up tomorrow and very painfully go through my bills and figure out a plan to pay them and start over, AGAIN!

Thanks for reading!
Shannon

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 08-08-2005 - 12:13am

I've been there done that...you will be able to regroup. We had 3 weddings where our DD was a flower girl in a little over 2 years. All the brides bought the dresses which was nice but none of them were in town. The worst was my brother's where I wound up doing a lot of little stuff like buying extra folding chairs for the reception, a basket for the invitations, stuff to make signs, etc., etc.

2 kickers to that one-the first was at the time we were between finishing graduate school coursework and starting a job (DH had a job but just hadn't started yet) and really overestimated how much money we would have. The second is my brother is now getting a divorce. They were married two years. I feel terrible for him and that is my first priority but I have also thought...dang how about that money I spent on the wedding or my sister and I spent 2 years cross-stitching a wedding sampler and had it professionally framed as their Christmas gift last year OUCH!

Umm..I feel kind of bad about typing this-I don't think your sister will get a divorce! I swear I've been to lots of weddings that worked out LOL. In fact, this is spoiling my perfect track record...

Taleyna

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-25-2005
Mon, 08-08-2005 - 7:50am

Taleyna,

I'm sorry to hear about your brother's divorce, that is sad and I too had been to two weddings in the last few years where the people got divorced shortly after.
My sister and her new husband are really perfect for eachother and I have no worries there, but I was in the wedding and had to buy a dress, and my son was in the wedding as a ring bearer so I had to buy a suit for him, and a dress and shoes for dd...... I have to look at the bills now which I can't cover all of b/c dh missed several days of work for it and we spent so much money there. Well the good thing is, the wedding is over and now I can start digging myself out, but I have a feeling it is going to take me a good 6 months to make up for it.

Shannon

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 08-08-2005 - 8:49am

It's amazing how it adds up isn't it? Have you ever seen the show Bridezillas? I had it on last night while packing and they showed a bride who spent 69,000 on the wedding and took out a home equity loan to do the whole thing. That will take a long time to dig out of-good luck with your dig out!

Taleyna

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 08-08-2005 - 10:23am

I know this feeling exactly! You must feel very frustrated. You can be proud, though, to have been so in control of finances that you can be a sahm at all. I know the scary feeling when you think your sahm-hood dream may be at stake.

Remember that even if you do have to do some childcare or what-not to get caught up, it's temporary. And you're gradually learning the skills you need to prevent it from happening again. It's baby steps. Don't be hard on yourself.

I'll write more later, but my kids are hungry, so I'd better go. :)

Hope you're feeling better. Blessings,

Heather