For Math this semester, Hannah is doing the high school curriculum version of Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University". You may have heard of the general program, but he has filled out his program to make it a semester long and geared to private schools and homeschooled students.
Harry and I have been skirting the issue that we are OK money managers, but not excellent at having our money do the best job it can for us. You might remember me blogging before about watching the cash-flow and such because of the economy, but after a unit or two of this financial curriculum made for 10-11 graders, we are changing some stuff in our own financial mindsets.
What we're working on right now is the idea that way too much money gets spent on nothing. We've talked about tightening up (but not cutting off) the unaccounted for spending money.
Today Hannah and I took a trip to St. Louis because we were both going nuts looking at the same 3000 sf every day. We had a great time. We went to the St. Louis Art Museum (free but I dropped a 10 in the donation box) (hope to get time to write a separate blog about the visit) We then went looking for a place for Lunch. We by-passed The Cheesecake Factory for the food court in the Galleria. While in the mall I did something I have never done - walked into a Sephora and walked out with nothing. We did buy some stuff at Bath & Body - but Hannah had a gift card from Christmas - thanks DJ! Bought a pair of pants off the clearance rack at REI (and a birthday gift for Harry) and didn't even walk in to the really cool but really expensive kitchen gadget shop I adore. Went to Whole Foods and kept picking stuff up and putting it back. I did buy some stuff we can't get here, but my restraint was exceptional.
The bottom line was that I came back with a lot of the money I took with me. Huh. I guess it can be done.
~M.E.
OK, I bought a collection guide at the museum, but those don't count. That's an educational expense. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Incidentally, I have been getting into Dave Ramsey as well. As you may or may not have been aware, I did not manage my finances well while I was in Chicago and was in need of some wisdom. I had heard excellent things about Dave Ramsey and have just started looking into his teachings myself. I am curious to learn what you think of him.
We went to the art museum there a few years ago and found it pretty cool. I'm surprised it's not bigger, but I guess most folks in the Midwest go to Chicago for their art fix.
Vicki: They had a limited budget when they started collecting in the 1880's, and several other cities had started museums at the same time, so art prices were rising. They have had a few nice pieces donated from private collections, but mostly they are minor works from major artists, and major works from lesser-knowns - like most smaller civic institutions. Their forte now is as a stopping place for traveling exhibitions. I understand that they have had some really good ones in the last 20 years, and almost 1/2 of the space on the main floor of the building is dedicated to this.
With me, it's books. I find it very, very difficult to refrain from buying a book (or two) wherever I go, but somehow I've managed. Now I rely more on the library.
A couple of years ago I realized I don't exist for the sake of the economy and began coming home with less or nothing. My trip to AZ a couple of weeks ago yielded ZIP, NADA, ZERO other than empty paper coffee cups and 5 rocks I picked up at stops along the way.
Vunderbar!
I was shocked, being in Winslow, at LaPosada where I THOUGHT the gift shop would hold "essentials". Ah, not so.
Namaste......
Post a Comment