Thursday, April 02, 2009

Free Delivery With Purchase

You ever have one of those days where you're like "oh oh, I'm going to do this and this and this and THIS" and then everything around you fails and basically tells you to just go sit down?

I'm sitting down.

I was thinking, as I am prone to do, about the differences in our lives now. Where once we were a pretty wealthy un-married couple, now we are a pretty broke married couple.

I'm cool with the married part.

And in some ways, I'm cool with the broke part. Even before Thailand I wanted to be free of "stuff." I looked around and thought about the money John and I had spent on "stuff." Then Thailand, well, I found I was most happy without my stuff. The less stuff the better. I have never felt quite so free.

So now that we're home, and active and working again in a variety of different ways, I was wondering what it is, if anything, I miss about having disposable income.

I miss knowing I'm going to be okay...insurance, dental, eye glasses...all these things are nice for people who are, um, getting older. But, I really don't count all that stuff in "what I miss" because its not the disposable part, I'm trying to figure out what luxuries I miss I guess.

I honestly and truly madly and passionately do not miss buying stuff. I never really liked stores anyway, grocery stores, clothing stores...I bought clothes and groceries because I needed them mostly. Although, now that I"ve lost those 8 pounds, something cute wouldn't kill me...

I don't miss things, I miss the intangibles. I miss going to dinner anywhere we wanted on Friday nights. I miss deciding willy nilly to just go to the movies and go to dinner. Remember that? When 70$ a night for a date was no big deal?

I mean, we might still do stuff like that, but now it gets weighed, is it worth it?

We're cancelling our cable.

I'll miss cable - it's an intangible.

But man oh MAN, have I gained a new appreciation for money. I'm trying really hard to Orman this thing out, to create a solid relationship with money, to respect it. To appreciate all the little amounts that come in as well as the big ones. And also, to take it where I can get it!

I went to the bank yesterday and signed up for all those Pick Up Tabs and Double Deposit things...sure, give me more money.

John and I started selling our books and games on half. com. I believe very strongly that books are not meant to sit on a bookshelf, but should be out in the world. Normally I just give them away, once just leaving a whole box of them on the lawn. Now I've sold about 12 books and a game or two and we've almost made 100$!

That's awesome!

I also am learning how to ask for what I deserve. I am learning how to demand payment for services. Importante.

Anyway, enough. I guess I'm just creating this new relationship with money and it's still a little jarbled up. Writing about it helps.

3 comments:

wafelenbak said...

I think I get what you're saying. I don't really miss the buying--I am learning to live leanly and happily. But, I do miss the...safety, I guess...of being able to spend without even thinking about it. Something much more psychological than tangible.
By the same token, I've read that having a stranglehold on your money isn't really healthy either. As with all things, balance...

rachelle said...

i have always liked to look at my books on a shelf.. but not any more. i have one big bookshelf and anything that doesnt fit on it has to go. this year i've been mailing off every book i read to a friend or family member after i read it. maybe i need to check out half.com!

rachelle said...

ps. if you ever see i read a book and you want it, let me know and ill mail it to you! yay, media rate! it's like $2.