My parent’s came down recently and they brought with them the last box of wedding planning leftovers. The week before the wedding I had a whole room full of boxes, binders, vases, and other wonderful things in their spare bedroom. Now, three months post-wedding, I’ve received the last remnants of the wedding planning.
I was sifting through all the stuff deciding what to throw away and what could be parlayed into another craft project, when I discovered all my bridal shower cards! It was so nice to read each one’s sentiments and re-look at so many cute greeting cards.
Then I pulled out my aunt’s card. It felt suspiciously full.
I opened it carefully and found… a $100 gift card to Pottery Barn!
This was way better than finding $5 in an old coat pocket- one hundred bucks! Who-hooo!
Showing posts with label Marriage and Money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marriage and Money. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
How I saved $680 dollars this year!
I’m starting to take advantage of my newlywed status and I thought I’d start with my car insurance. Since my coverage is up in October anyways, I thought I’d shop for new coverage for both of us. It's one of those tips to save money that I always see in blogs, but I always think it is not really worth the time and effort. However, being unemployed means I have time to do things like this, so I did.
I have an old full size car and my hubby has a nice zippy commuter car. We both wanted Bodily Injury Liability of 25K person/50K accident, Property Damage Liability of 25K, Medical Payments of 1K, Uninsured motorist bodily injury of 25K person/50K accident, Comprehensive deductibles of $500, and he needed Collision for his car with a $1000 deductible (my car isn’t worth enough money to get Collision).
Boy that’s an ugly string of information- isn’t it?
Whew!
Well, after I typed that information into eight different carriers this is what we came up with:
Premiums for six months for both of us:
Progressive-$893.8
Esurance-$782.5
Geico-$737
State Farm-Couldn’t get the site to work, and after five tries I gave up.
All State-$1,038.99
AAA-$699
California Casualty-$862.5
21st Century-$741
I thought there would be a difference, but Oh-My-Gosh a $339.99 difference! Talk about a way to save money! That’s a savings of almost $680 for this upcoming year; all for about an hour worth of time in front of the computer. $680 an hour- now that’s a well-paying job!
I had no idea that this would be such a smart thing to check out! Have other people had similar experiences with their car insurance quotes?
I have an old full size car and my hubby has a nice zippy commuter car. We both wanted Bodily Injury Liability of 25K person/50K accident, Property Damage Liability of 25K, Medical Payments of 1K, Uninsured motorist bodily injury of 25K person/50K accident, Comprehensive deductibles of $500, and he needed Collision for his car with a $1000 deductible (my car isn’t worth enough money to get Collision).
Boy that’s an ugly string of information- isn’t it?
Whew!
Well, after I typed that information into eight different carriers this is what we came up with:
Premiums for six months for both of us:
Progressive-$893.8
Esurance-$782.5
Geico-$737
State Farm-Couldn’t get the site to work, and after five tries I gave up.
All State-$1,038.99
AAA-$699
California Casualty-$862.5
21st Century-$741
I thought there would be a difference, but Oh-My-Gosh a $339.99 difference! Talk about a way to save money! That’s a savings of almost $680 for this upcoming year; all for about an hour worth of time in front of the computer. $680 an hour- now that’s a well-paying job!
I had no idea that this would be such a smart thing to check out! Have other people had similar experiences with their car insurance quotes?
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The 1950’s house wife
Yesterday, in my September update I alluded to the fact that many people gave us generous checks for our July marriage (Yeah!!!). The problem was that people tended to write the checks out to both of us. This, given that we just got married, seems appropriate.
However, we didn’t have a joint account in which to deposit checks written to a married couple. Uhggg- another account, we thought. So, we decided to add me to my husband’s free checking account which is at a nearby bank.
We sat down with a male associate, who I’ll call Mr. BankTellerMan, who took us through the process of changing a single account into a joint one. I was seated directly across from Mr. BankTellerMan and my husband sat to my left, farthest away from Mr. BankTellerMan. It took a minute or two, but Mr. BankTellerMan seemed to be talking only to my husband.
No, I thought, I’m imagining this.
Then came the phrase, “So now have your wife sign her name to add her as a secondary on the account.” Which was said- and I’m not joking here- directly to my husband!
Mr. BankTellerMan AKA big-fat-sexist!
Mr. BankTellerMan then started in on his sales pitch for the bank’s pathetically low “high” interest savings account. A rate which ING Direct could eat for breakfast and still be hungry. This whole pitch was delivered catty-corner across the table directed at my husband.
Not one nod, not one moment of eye contact from Mr. BankTellerMan to me, the 1950’s housewife.
I could have taken off my top and danced on the chair like Tom Cruise, and he wouldn’t have noticed.
Finally, I had to say something- I mean this was getting just plain awkward.
“So what is your current money-market rate?” I said, trying to be included in the conversation.
Mr. BankTellerMan looked caught off-guard. He looked at me in a manner that conveyed: the boobs can speak?
He bumbled, something to the effect that it changes everyday…blah, blah, blah.
This comment yielded no appreciable difference in Mr. BankTellerMan’s behavior.
The icing on the cake was when Mr. BankTellerMan’s sales pitch ended and my husband needed to make a decision about this "high" interest savings account.
My husband simply said, “My wife handles all the investments.”
The look on Mr. BankTellerMan’s face: priceless.
However, we didn’t have a joint account in which to deposit checks written to a married couple. Uhggg- another account, we thought. So, we decided to add me to my husband’s free checking account which is at a nearby bank.
We sat down with a male associate, who I’ll call Mr. BankTellerMan, who took us through the process of changing a single account into a joint one. I was seated directly across from Mr. BankTellerMan and my husband sat to my left, farthest away from Mr. BankTellerMan. It took a minute or two, but Mr. BankTellerMan seemed to be talking only to my husband.
No, I thought, I’m imagining this.
Then came the phrase, “So now have your wife sign her name to add her as a secondary on the account.” Which was said- and I’m not joking here- directly to my husband!
Mr. BankTellerMan AKA big-fat-sexist!
Mr. BankTellerMan then started in on his sales pitch for the bank’s pathetically low “high” interest savings account. A rate which ING Direct could eat for breakfast and still be hungry. This whole pitch was delivered catty-corner across the table directed at my husband.
Not one nod, not one moment of eye contact from Mr. BankTellerMan to me, the 1950’s housewife.
I could have taken off my top and danced on the chair like Tom Cruise, and he wouldn’t have noticed.
Finally, I had to say something- I mean this was getting just plain awkward.
“So what is your current money-market rate?” I said, trying to be included in the conversation.
Mr. BankTellerMan looked caught off-guard. He looked at me in a manner that conveyed: the boobs can speak?
He bumbled, something to the effect that it changes everyday…blah, blah, blah.
This comment yielded no appreciable difference in Mr. BankTellerMan’s behavior.
The icing on the cake was when Mr. BankTellerMan’s sales pitch ended and my husband needed to make a decision about this "high" interest savings account.
My husband simply said, “My wife handles all the investments.”
The look on Mr. BankTellerMan’s face: priceless.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Gifting rules
I’m very excited about visiting my in-laws this weekend to go to a family wedding! No, really, I am. The issue that is hanging me up is trying to determine how much we should spend on the wedding present.
Generally, we spend about $50, but we spend more if it’s a close friend. These aren’t close friends, and there is an additional complication: we know how much they spent on our wedding present three weeks ago.
We know that they spent $30, and are in roughly the same situation as us (one income due to a recent move). So, to them, it probably wouldn’t seem odd if we spend about $30 on their wedding present.
The problem really is- that I feel kinda badly about this.
Like I have insider information and I’m acting on it.
My hubby says that it’s only fair to spend the same amount they spent on us given that we’re in similar financial situations. We’re financial equals- so gifts should be given using a tit-for-tat strategy. He has no problem with this, it’s his side of the family, and I’ve only met these people once before.
Why am I feeling so uncomfortable about this?
What is your rule for wedding gifts?
Generally, we spend about $50, but we spend more if it’s a close friend. These aren’t close friends, and there is an additional complication: we know how much they spent on our wedding present three weeks ago.
We know that they spent $30, and are in roughly the same situation as us (one income due to a recent move). So, to them, it probably wouldn’t seem odd if we spend about $30 on their wedding present.
The problem really is- that I feel kinda badly about this.
Like I have insider information and I’m acting on it.
My hubby says that it’s only fair to spend the same amount they spent on us given that we’re in similar financial situations. We’re financial equals- so gifts should be given using a tit-for-tat strategy. He has no problem with this, it’s his side of the family, and I’ve only met these people once before.
Why am I feeling so uncomfortable about this?
What is your rule for wedding gifts?
Monday, August 18, 2008
Feathering the Nest
This past weekend my Mom and I returned all my duplicate wedding presents; used the gift card money to buy the stuff I really wanted but didn’t get. However, it seems that in my zeal to complete the bed of my dreams, I spent more than the amount on my gift card.
See I really love downy duvets- so cuddly, so soft, and so warm. This was great when I was in NorCal and the nights actually made frost on the lawn, but in LA that doesn’t often happen. While I think it’s tolerable and worth the coziness factor, my husband doesn’t.
So I found the lightest weight down insert and bought it even though it was over the gift card amount. While I was fully aware of this at the time of purchase, I’m still holding on to my receipt in case this guilt gets any worse (or it’s too hot for the hubby’s comfort).
What my husband doesn’t understand is why I didn’t get cash back for these returned gifts. I explained that since I didn’t have receipts (these were wedding presents) that it was store policy to give back store credit on a gift card.
He looked exasperated and said, “But then you have to spend that money back at that store!”
I’m thinking- well duh. Why would they give you back your money so that you could spend it elsewhere?
While this was the only store I overspent my gift card it made me think: how often do I spend under a gift card amount?
Normally, it makes sense to me to spend the whole gift card and maybe a couple dollars over. That way I come away from a store with two sweaters, three t-shirts, and a pair of flats all for only $6.29 of my own money! While I’m a fairly prudent purchaser and probably would have made those purchases without the gift card, this made me think: do I spend more when the money is in the form of a gift card?
The answer for me is probably yes. It’s always easier for me to spend someone else’s money than my own. How about you? Do you spend more money or in a less sensible manner with gift cards?
See I really love downy duvets- so cuddly, so soft, and so warm. This was great when I was in NorCal and the nights actually made frost on the lawn, but in LA that doesn’t often happen. While I think it’s tolerable and worth the coziness factor, my husband doesn’t.
So I found the lightest weight down insert and bought it even though it was over the gift card amount. While I was fully aware of this at the time of purchase, I’m still holding on to my receipt in case this guilt gets any worse (or it’s too hot for the hubby’s comfort).
What my husband doesn’t understand is why I didn’t get cash back for these returned gifts. I explained that since I didn’t have receipts (these were wedding presents) that it was store policy to give back store credit on a gift card.
He looked exasperated and said, “But then you have to spend that money back at that store!”
I’m thinking- well duh. Why would they give you back your money so that you could spend it elsewhere?
While this was the only store I overspent my gift card it made me think: how often do I spend under a gift card amount?
Normally, it makes sense to me to spend the whole gift card and maybe a couple dollars over. That way I come away from a store with two sweaters, three t-shirts, and a pair of flats all for only $6.29 of my own money! While I’m a fairly prudent purchaser and probably would have made those purchases without the gift card, this made me think: do I spend more when the money is in the form of a gift card?
The answer for me is probably yes. It’s always easier for me to spend someone else’s money than my own. How about you? Do you spend more money or in a less sensible manner with gift cards?
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Thrifty Lovin’
I’ve shared a lot about saving money on your wedding (see Going to the Chapel of Thrifty Love blog) and sharing your wedding photos for free (see Free Photo Sharing blog). So it only seemed fitting to show some wedding photos!
Photo 1- the apparel
A: Don’t shoes from JC Penny’s look good?
B: Engagement ring and manicure
C: Beading and ruching details on my train (an off-the-rack dress, I might add)
D: The hubby’s boutonnière
E: The ring exchange
F: Walking away after the ceremony
G: Dress bustled
H: Earrings made by a vendor on Etsy for only $11
I: The wedding rings
Photo 2- the details (can you tell our colors were pink and brown?)
A: All the ladies bouquets (mine- roses, the girls’- lisianthus)
B: Reception table centerpiece (we made those vases)
C: Family photos displayed in a hutch
D: Our cake (yes- that’s buttercream- yumm!)
E: Programs that were also fans (needed in CA heat)
F: Invitation I made on VistaPrint
G: The buckets lined the ceremony aisle and then were moved to the cocktail tables as centerpieces
H: The mothers’ carried a single orchid
I: Table numbers I made to hang on the chairs by a ribbon (I didn’t want another thing on the tables- just food and flowers)
J: Tablescape
K: My bouquet and our toasting goblets (my parent’s from their wedding)
L: Strawberry and edible flower salad
M: Great wine (bought through a friend who is in a wine club)
N: The fortune bouquet: this bouquet is actually five small bouquets in one. I tossed it and five ladies each got one bouquet with a fortune on their ribbon!
O: Bubbles for the kids (bought on clearance, made labels from leftover mailing labels)
P: Our monogram (which my Dad made)!
Photo 3- The venue
A: Hubby waiting to get married
B: Sign to the outdoor chapel
C: Me waiting to get married
D: Waterfall near ceremony site
E: The outdoor chapel
F: Pond near cocktail area
G: The other side of the pond was the reception site
H: Everyone enjoying lunch on the lawn
I: Kids playing on the lawn
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Free Photo Sharing
I’m being inundated with digital photos from relatives!
I’ve got literately thousands of photos from our wedding. Guess what? The few people who didn’t take their own photos- want mine. Or they want my Uncle’s shot of my grandma. Or they just want to browse them all once, but never print them out (I love photos and I’ll never understand people would don’t print out their digitals).
So, my simple and cheap way of making these all available for free is Picasa Web Albums. Picasa is a free photo editing software available through Google. After editing the photos I hold my favorites in the photo tray. Once I’m done, I upload them to the internet (so simple, huh?). I recommend selecting the following: slowest upload, largest size (because you want people to be able to enlarge them if they so desire) and unlisted (do want some perv looking at photos of your children?).
After you’ve made your album you have the option of emailing the link to the people who want to see the photos. In turn they can download the photos and do as they wish with them. I’m freed from burning CDs and making hundreds of copies of individual photos which would have to be mailed.
(Free)dom!
I’ve got literately thousands of photos from our wedding. Guess what? The few people who didn’t take their own photos- want mine. Or they want my Uncle’s shot of my grandma. Or they just want to browse them all once, but never print them out (I love photos and I’ll never understand people would don’t print out their digitals).
So, my simple and cheap way of making these all available for free is Picasa Web Albums. Picasa is a free photo editing software available through Google. After editing the photos I hold my favorites in the photo tray. Once I’m done, I upload them to the internet (so simple, huh?). I recommend selecting the following: slowest upload, largest size (because you want people to be able to enlarge them if they so desire) and unlisted (do want some perv looking at photos of your children?).
After you’ve made your album you have the option of emailing the link to the people who want to see the photos. In turn they can download the photos and do as they wish with them. I’m freed from burning CDs and making hundreds of copies of individual photos which would have to be mailed.
(Free)dom!
Photo A: Go to Google.com and select even more
Photo B: Under the Communication header select Picasa
Photo C: To upload your photos to the internet, click the web album button
Photo D: Select your desired settings and you're done!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Be back August 4th!
I’ll be wed on July 27, 2008 and then we will be on our honeymoon in Jamaica!
While this is, by far, the most expensive trip we’ve been on as a couple; we found ways to save money even on our honeymoon.
We booked our trip during the green season of Jamaica (which is also a euphemism for hurricane season- so please keep us in your thoughts!) which is much cheaper than high season.
We also booked during a 30% off special months ago.
But by far the biggest cost saver for this honeymoon is:
Our honeymoon registry!
Yes, we adore Crate and Barrel, but we already have two apartments worth of stuff in our current apartment. So, we have been incredibly grateful to the people who have already contributed over $1,500 towards our honeymoon!
While it took some cajoling to get my parents to sign on, and a few raised eyebrows to ignore; the step from people giving us gift cards to C&B to giving us a gift card for our honeymoon wasn’t the leap we expected it to be.
How do people feel about honeymoon registries?
While this is, by far, the most expensive trip we’ve been on as a couple; we found ways to save money even on our honeymoon.
We booked our trip during the green season of Jamaica (which is also a euphemism for hurricane season- so please keep us in your thoughts!) which is much cheaper than high season.
We also booked during a 30% off special months ago.
But by far the biggest cost saver for this honeymoon is:
Our honeymoon registry!
Yes, we adore Crate and Barrel, but we already have two apartments worth of stuff in our current apartment. So, we have been incredibly grateful to the people who have already contributed over $1,500 towards our honeymoon!
While it took some cajoling to get my parents to sign on, and a few raised eyebrows to ignore; the step from people giving us gift cards to C&B to giving us a gift card for our honeymoon wasn’t the leap we expected it to be.
How do people feel about honeymoon registries?
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Going to the chapel of thrifty love
Wow- it’s been a whirl wind last week. I had a great time with all the girls this past weekend, and my fiancé and I have been practicing our dancing. With so many last minute details to look over (cancelations meant new table arrangements, who knew signs could take so long to make?, we broke an electric razor and our digital camera) it hasn’t been an easy or cheap (tiny airline approved bottles=very expensive toothpaste per ounce) experience.
While my parents have been overly generous by paying for the wedding, we did try to be prudent with our spending. Here are some of the ways we tried to wrangle in the budget:
I picked three areas I wanted to spend the most money on:
location, food, and photography
All the other areas (flowers, paper goods, favors) we wheeled and dealed with vendors to get bare bones prices.
We booked my top location on a Sunday, to save on price (and it was the only day open for a year…)
We loved our caterer, and decided to go with a lunch to save money. At lunch time people only need a salad and a main course, no additional desserts beyond the cake, and drink less alcohol (in fact we only have wine and beer which we purchased ourselves). Since the lunch is served, we don’t have to pay for leftover wasted buffet food.
We booked a top notch photographer and an assistant while only paying half the fee by agreeing to edit and organize my own album using his digital negatives (I use to be a photo editor in the year 2000).
I made our invitations through VistaPrint, an online printing service, by creating my own invitation, postcard response card (less postage to furnish), and envelope. It was completely personalized and professional without being ecologically wasteful (who really needs all those extra envelopes and papers?).
Our florist knew how to stretch our flower budget and made some smart suggestions:
Using ceremony decorations at the cocktail tables, tucking big glossy leaves under our arrangements so that we could use fewer flowers (without having ugly filler flowers), and allowing us to make our own vases (birch bark wrapped mason jars) saved us from a $15+ per vase charge.
The favors are small silver frames (on clearance at an online store) that also hold the escort card (a free blank business card courtesy of Vista Print on which we typed each name). Later we intend to send a wedding photo with our thank you card that they can put it in this frame.
We are also bringing in some of our own decorations: family photos for a hutch in the cake area, a branch turned into a photo tree display, wooden monograms made by my Dad carved into our initials, and lots of moss! These items where cheap to bring in and I will be able to have in our home as decorative items that I will cherish forever.
These are just a few of the things that my family and I have thought up as cost saving measures over this last year. What are some of yours?
While my parents have been overly generous by paying for the wedding, we did try to be prudent with our spending. Here are some of the ways we tried to wrangle in the budget:
I picked three areas I wanted to spend the most money on:
location, food, and photography
All the other areas (flowers, paper goods, favors) we wheeled and dealed with vendors to get bare bones prices.
We booked my top location on a Sunday, to save on price (and it was the only day open for a year…)
We loved our caterer, and decided to go with a lunch to save money. At lunch time people only need a salad and a main course, no additional desserts beyond the cake, and drink less alcohol (in fact we only have wine and beer which we purchased ourselves). Since the lunch is served, we don’t have to pay for leftover wasted buffet food.
We booked a top notch photographer and an assistant while only paying half the fee by agreeing to edit and organize my own album using his digital negatives (I use to be a photo editor in the year 2000).
I made our invitations through VistaPrint, an online printing service, by creating my own invitation, postcard response card (less postage to furnish), and envelope. It was completely personalized and professional without being ecologically wasteful (who really needs all those extra envelopes and papers?).
Our florist knew how to stretch our flower budget and made some smart suggestions:
Using ceremony decorations at the cocktail tables, tucking big glossy leaves under our arrangements so that we could use fewer flowers (without having ugly filler flowers), and allowing us to make our own vases (birch bark wrapped mason jars) saved us from a $15+ per vase charge.
The favors are small silver frames (on clearance at an online store) that also hold the escort card (a free blank business card courtesy of Vista Print on which we typed each name). Later we intend to send a wedding photo with our thank you card that they can put it in this frame.
We are also bringing in some of our own decorations: family photos for a hutch in the cake area, a branch turned into a photo tree display, wooden monograms made by my Dad carved into our initials, and lots of moss! These items where cheap to bring in and I will be able to have in our home as decorative items that I will cherish forever.
These are just a few of the things that my family and I have thought up as cost saving measures over this last year. What are some of yours?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
His and Her’s (and Our’s)
As you may recall my fiancé and I were having issues trying to reconcile plans for our financial future together. And, I’m happy to report, we have come to an initial plan!
Right now, without me working, we’re not able to meet these goals. However, after the wedding it’s either a job at a community college (all my applications are out right now!!!) or substitute teaching in the local school district. Consequently, once August comes, I’ll be gainfully employed once again.
So… once we’re both working here is the plan:
As a couple:
$100k for a down payment on a home
As individuals:
EACH $14k in individual money-market accounts for emergencies (together this is a 6 month cushion)
He:
Continue his own savings, investments, and fun money
I:
$3K for this year’s ROTH
$15K for a new car
The rest is fun money
I’ve got some of these goals posted in my sidebar to keep them- literally in my face- reminding me of them.
His salary will continue to pay our living expenses (it’s all automatically deducted from his accounts already- why change it?). Then we take my checks and divide them into three for our savings and investments: third money for him, a third for our joint accounts, and a third for my accounts.
It’s kind of complicated, but it was the best arrangement that we could think of. At the end of August, I’ll tell you how it has (or hasn’t) worked out.
Right now, without me working, we’re not able to meet these goals. However, after the wedding it’s either a job at a community college (all my applications are out right now!!!) or substitute teaching in the local school district. Consequently, once August comes, I’ll be gainfully employed once again.
So… once we’re both working here is the plan:
As a couple:
$100k for a down payment on a home
As individuals:
EACH $14k in individual money-market accounts for emergencies (together this is a 6 month cushion)
He:
Continue his own savings, investments, and fun money
I:
$3K for this year’s ROTH
$15K for a new car
The rest is fun money
I’ve got some of these goals posted in my sidebar to keep them- literally in my face- reminding me of them.
His salary will continue to pay our living expenses (it’s all automatically deducted from his accounts already- why change it?). Then we take my checks and divide them into three for our savings and investments: third money for him, a third for our joint accounts, and a third for my accounts.
It’s kind of complicated, but it was the best arrangement that we could think of. At the end of August, I’ll tell you how it has (or hasn’t) worked out.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Just starting out
My mother-in-law-to-be called last night. She was wondering why we hadn’t deposited one of her friend’s checks.
We looked blankly at one another.
“What check?” we said.
It turned out that her friend sent us a small wedding gift and a nice $100 check in the envelope.
Gulp.
We had never seen an envelope, let alone a check.
Here is rare proof that sometimes being lazy can be to one’s advantage, because I hadn’t taken the big stack of boxes from early wedding gifts downstairs yet. I had just let them pile up where a dining room table should be.
After much digging and scrutinizing wads of gift wrap, we found it jammed between the cardboard folds on the end of a box.
Whew!
This discovery prompted a very exciting turn of events. Just last night we opened our first joint account! A joint savings/money market account at an online institution with a good rate of return (currently a guaranteed 3%). We seeded it with that (almost lost) check that was our first cash wedding gift.
There had been much discussion about registering for monetary gifts (we have a honeymoon registry in addition to traditional registries), but it was a bumpy ride with a variety of family member’s conflicting opinions. While views on this issue still rage, I know I’ll cherish the family silver as well as monetary gifts. I’m envisioning that day in the future when we turn the key to a place we own; we’ll feel the support of the families that gave us seed money to invest all those years ago.
We looked blankly at one another.
“What check?” we said.
It turned out that her friend sent us a small wedding gift and a nice $100 check in the envelope.
Gulp.
We had never seen an envelope, let alone a check.
Here is rare proof that sometimes being lazy can be to one’s advantage, because I hadn’t taken the big stack of boxes from early wedding gifts downstairs yet. I had just let them pile up where a dining room table should be.
After much digging and scrutinizing wads of gift wrap, we found it jammed between the cardboard folds on the end of a box.
Whew!
This discovery prompted a very exciting turn of events. Just last night we opened our first joint account! A joint savings/money market account at an online institution with a good rate of return (currently a guaranteed 3%). We seeded it with that (almost lost) check that was our first cash wedding gift.
There had been much discussion about registering for monetary gifts (we have a honeymoon registry in addition to traditional registries), but it was a bumpy ride with a variety of family member’s conflicting opinions. While views on this issue still rage, I know I’ll cherish the family silver as well as monetary gifts. I’m envisioning that day in the future when we turn the key to a place we own; we’ll feel the support of the families that gave us seed money to invest all those years ago.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Oops- can you cut my bill in half?
When I was first planning the wedding, vendor coordination had taken up most of my time allocated to wedding planning. While the thought that I had been making more phone calls than normal flickered through my mind, I hadn’t seriously considered the ramifications.
That is until- the email came.
You know, the one from Verizon that states you have a bill that is coming due soon. This one said we had over a $400 cell phone bill.
$400!!!!!
In all honesty I was freaked. I’m not working (for a salary that is) and paying unexpected bills when I’m not in control of the money situation- is scary!
My fiancé was surprisingly calm.
Eerily calm
I thought he must be about to explode!
While he scanned the breakdown of charges, I dreaded the results.
The score out of 700 shared minutes:
Him- 600 min.
+Me- 800 min.
=$400 cell phone bill
Then, he said, “I’m not paying this.”
My mind raced- “What?!” I croaked.
“I’m not paying this- it’s ridiculous! If we had originally paid $20 more last month to upgrade our plan we would have been fine,” He said.
So he called Verizon.
Slowly, I realized that he wasn’t mad at me (or really even at himself).
No, he was mad at the system- which for all intensive purposes we had picked.
It was the timing he was worried about. If we had checked a week ago, saw that we were over, and called Verizon to upgrade we would have been covered. The boundaries between when the billing period was over and when we received the bill were the issue. Not the $400.
He got a hold of a middle-aged doting southern lady, Ms. Belle, and explained that he had a fiancé who was planning a wedding and that he was strapped for cash.
It turned out Ms. Belle was twice divorced. The first husband had cheated on her for 15 years. The second had been into drugs. She told him to get lost by dumping all his personal items out the window and into the street (just like in the movies- I imagined!). She knew marital bliss was precarious and said she’d see what she could do.
She pleaded our case to her manager and after a long time on hold the manager came on the line. It turned out that Keith, the manager, was also a recent divorcee. After hearing our story he advised my fiancé to check my cell phone usage everyday- EVERY DAY!!! He sternly cautioned. But after telling the details of his failed marriage, he told us he thought he could eliminate half the bill. But he had to check with his supervisor and would call back on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the call came and went to message:
“Sorry, man. We can’t take off half the bill like I thought we could….
….. we’ll credit you the whole thing!
Happy early wedding present from Verizon! Now, don’t forget my advic- (cut off by machine)”
Thank you Verizon, Keith, and Ms. Belle for giving us our most unusual wedding present yet!
Have you ever haggled your way out of part (or all of) a bill? Tell me about it!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Not so Minty fresh
In an effort to “meld minds” financially with my significant other, I’ve been trying to map out our finances to see where we are as individuals. I figured if we could see where our money is spent and saved we could further refine savings goals for the future. I’d been having a hard time, so I turned to the software program Mint to try and organize all our accounts.
It was working perfectly; it is a great tool- except for the accounts with additional security questions. For some reason, it can’t access those accounts.
This, of course, leaves us with an incomplete picture of our finances as a couple. It begs the questions:
Has anyone else had this problem?
If yes, how do you fix it?
And more importantly, do we have to have it all figured out before enacting steps to save as a couple?
Or should we start somewhere and figure it out along the way?
It was working perfectly; it is a great tool- except for the accounts with additional security questions. For some reason, it can’t access those accounts.
This, of course, leaves us with an incomplete picture of our finances as a couple. It begs the questions:
Has anyone else had this problem?
If yes, how do you fix it?
And more importantly, do we have to have it all figured out before enacting steps to save as a couple?
Or should we start somewhere and figure it out along the way?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Merging finances
To get a better picture of our finances, I created a spreadsheet to see all of our accounts at once.
It turns out, when you merge your lives some things get easier (one home, not two) and others get more complicated.
I have:
One checking institution
Two savings institutions (keep in mind I have multiple accounts)
One investment institution
Four credit cards
He has:
Two checking institutions
Three savings institutions
Three investment institutions (multiple accounts @ one place)
Four credit cards
Grand total of:
Three checking institutions
Four savings institutions
Four investment institutions
Seven credit cards (In full discloser- we have one joint card normally used and each have one alternative card we use. The others sit in the safe.)
That’s a lot of places and accounts to keep straight!
Both he and I have tried to create a whole picture of our finances and are finding it quite hard. Are we diversified as individuals? As a couple? Do we have accounts with overlapping goals? Which accounts should be made joint? Should all of them be? Or should we keep some money individually?
While I’ve successfully integrated dreams, opinions, and vendors for our upcoming wedding, why is it harder to unite financially?
It turns out, when you merge your lives some things get easier (one home, not two) and others get more complicated.
I have:
One checking institution
Two savings institutions (keep in mind I have multiple accounts)
One investment institution
Four credit cards
He has:
Two checking institutions
Three savings institutions
Three investment institutions (multiple accounts @ one place)
Four credit cards
Grand total of:
Three checking institutions
Four savings institutions
Four investment institutions
Seven credit cards (In full discloser- we have one joint card normally used and each have one alternative card we use. The others sit in the safe.)
That’s a lot of places and accounts to keep straight!
Both he and I have tried to create a whole picture of our finances and are finding it quite hard. Are we diversified as individuals? As a couple? Do we have accounts with overlapping goals? Which accounts should be made joint? Should all of them be? Or should we keep some money individually?
While I’ve successfully integrated dreams, opinions, and vendors for our upcoming wedding, why is it harder to unite financially?
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Him vs. Me
This blog has helped me focus in on my personal finances, but also on my married finances. Before we got engaged we talked very broadly about money. We both seemed to be savers in general, and we both disclosed our debts to each other.
Since my fiancé and I are to be married in about a month I thought it was about time that we talked about the future of our finances. What do we want to do with the money we already have? How do we want to save for a house? What do we want to do with cash wedding gifts? That sort of thing.
I should disclose that I prefer it when things are neat and organized. My fiancé believes that if something is left on the floor (btw- this could be a range of items from clothing to important paperwork) it should be left there so the individual can find it later.
These beliefs seem to carry over to finances. I like to pay bills as they come via online banking. He likes to automate everything so he never has to worry about it. I manage my investments myself at a discount brokerage; he has his investments actively managed at a large brokerage firm that also handles his parent’s investments. I like to have separate named accounts for my saving goals: Tithe, Oh @#!% Fund, Fabulous Things, and Baby-Needs-a-New-Car fund (I also have similar names for my corresponding CDs). He on the other hand has one savings account. One.
So the discussion went something like this:
Me: If you only have one savings account, how do you know that you’re saving enough to reach goals that you have?
Him: I don’t have to worry about it.
Me: (confused) What do you mean?
Him: Whatever I don’t spend, I put in my Cash account and I don’t ever touch it.
Me: When would you touch it?
Him: If I need to.
Me: What sort of things would you touch it for?
Him: I don’t know emergencies…
Me: (Thinking- oh it’s an emergency account)
Him: (continuing)… like when I bought your ring and the TV.
Me: But those weren’t emergencies, those were planned purchases!
Let’s just say, at this point, things dissolved. We eventually got things kind of figured out, but really I felt like I had more questions still than answers.
When merging finances it seems you not only have to sign up for the joint accounts, you also have to converge minds.
Anyone got any tips for newlyweds-to-be?
Since my fiancé and I are to be married in about a month I thought it was about time that we talked about the future of our finances. What do we want to do with the money we already have? How do we want to save for a house? What do we want to do with cash wedding gifts? That sort of thing.
I should disclose that I prefer it when things are neat and organized. My fiancé believes that if something is left on the floor (btw- this could be a range of items from clothing to important paperwork) it should be left there so the individual can find it later.
These beliefs seem to carry over to finances. I like to pay bills as they come via online banking. He likes to automate everything so he never has to worry about it. I manage my investments myself at a discount brokerage; he has his investments actively managed at a large brokerage firm that also handles his parent’s investments. I like to have separate named accounts for my saving goals: Tithe, Oh @#!% Fund, Fabulous Things, and Baby-Needs-a-New-Car fund (I also have similar names for my corresponding CDs). He on the other hand has one savings account. One.
So the discussion went something like this:
Me: If you only have one savings account, how do you know that you’re saving enough to reach goals that you have?
Him: I don’t have to worry about it.
Me: (confused) What do you mean?
Him: Whatever I don’t spend, I put in my Cash account and I don’t ever touch it.
Me: When would you touch it?
Him: If I need to.
Me: What sort of things would you touch it for?
Him: I don’t know emergencies…
Me: (Thinking- oh it’s an emergency account)
Him: (continuing)… like when I bought your ring and the TV.
Me: But those weren’t emergencies, those were planned purchases!
Let’s just say, at this point, things dissolved. We eventually got things kind of figured out, but really I felt like I had more questions still than answers.
When merging finances it seems you not only have to sign up for the joint accounts, you also have to converge minds.
Anyone got any tips for newlyweds-to-be?
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