Aaahhh...the psychology of debt
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| Thu, 02-23-2006 - 9:22am |
First, here's my latte factor...here are the luxuries that I buy and don't want to give up.
Yearly camping vacation with my parents & kids-$1000
Yearly vacation with my husband & kids-$1000
Coke/Diet coke habit-$15 a month
Scrapbooking-$25 a month
Satellite TV-$50 a month
DSL-$25 a month
Spring Break getaway with my mom and sisters-$200
I could rationalize all of these and often have to myself but at any rate there it is. I have managed the camping vacations for less but that's usually my absolute highest budget.
Anyway, the point of the post. My DD started therapy last week and while I'm not positive on the costs (first visit has a different costs from eventual visits) we're looking at about $100 a month which is the co-pay. So, I have to come up with that money from somewhere. Arghhh...my latte factor is in jeopardy and I realized over the last couple of days that the money I spend on those things gives me satisfaction not only in the sense that I like doing each of those things but it's also a psychological security blanket. I like knowing that I have things that could be cut if I had to or that I adjust things by not scrapbooking one month in order to have money for something else. As I look at the possible need for dropping something it just makes me so nervous. Silly, I know since the combined total of that money (3400 annually) could make more of a hit on debt and then I would be less nervous in the long run but there it is.
There's also the couple factor-my DH is a workaholic who I don't think is very organized/efficient about his time so he's always rushed, overworked, feels like he never gets anything accomplished and it just seems to add one more thing to his burden to bring up yet more cuts in the budget and I'm venturing into "his" territory with proposed cuts to DSL and satellite. Shoot-$10 of the Coke/Diet Coke cost is also his (more...much more when he's home a full month) but I know he won't cut that out.
So, I'm delaying...I'm working part-time this spring and that money was intended for debt reduction but instead will go for therapy and I'll be hoping/praying that we some improvements over the next few months.
Taleyna

Megan
As for the DSL I think you are getting a great price on that I was paying over $50 a month until recently rates went down in our area and I was able to call and get them to change my bill. The satelite sounds right on track with what most people I know pay for their TV cable/satelite, I don't have that bill because I live in condo which the association fees pay for cable, so my landlord pays those fees.
But 2 trips at $1000 each? Would you be willing to cut them a day or two shorter to save $250? Or maybe make the camping trip this year and the other trip next year? That would be $500 -$1000 possibly. I wouldn't give up the trip with mother/sisters because that's girl time and less than a trip to the mall could cost :)
Oh, well, hopefully the co-pays won't be too high and you can find it in your budget.
Pam
Proud sister of a Marine: