Friday, September 17, 2010

My New and Improved Paycheck

In the next  week or so I will be getting my very first paycheck as a full time, certified, graduated from college, get to work at 7:15 am, hard-working teacher. This will be a big moment for me. I have never earned anything near what I will be getting paid. Now, please don't rain on my parade. I know that many people scoff at the idea of teacher salary, but to someone who doesn't know what that kind of money looks like in their own pocket, this is a big deal. I have been thinking about what to do with some of the "leftovers" that doesn't go to a bill or mortgage. I know my parents would say to save it. And I will. I promise. But I kinda want to buy a few luxuries that I normally forgo due to my lack of funding. Here is what I have been thinking about:
1. Estee Lauder mascara and primer. I am tired of the cheap crap that I have been wearing for the past two years. I have lost some eyelashes because I have been too poor to take care of them properly. My eyes really do deserve better.
2. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Great Value and Western Family just aren't cuttin' it anymore. I will gladly pay a few more dollars to have the taste and refinement that Kraft offers.
3. Cinemark 16 movies. Bring on the stadium seating! (It was usually a treat for us to go, we felt like kings in thrones.)
4. The Mall. I usually avoid this place. Whenever I have gone in I felt like a poor kid at Christmas looking through the Sears catalog wishing for all the toys. I probably looked like a fool with my nose pressed against the glass doors at Dillards just dreaming about a nice pair of shoes.
5. Not having to put things back at the grocery store. A few of our shopping trips consisted of us making the rounds and then re-tracing our steps to put stuff back that we couldn't afford. It is sort of embarrassing putting stuff back. I am sure that Michael will appreciate not having to add up and count the cost of our mounting grocery bill with every item we put in the cart. But it was a good talent he cultivated and if things get bad in the future we have the survival skill under our belts.

I did learn a lot from being poor. Well, I'm still poor, who are we kidding, but not poor in the sense that we will have to sell some of our clothes to buy groceries poor. I learned a lot of great ways to save money, and I plan on still using those methods. Maybe you can use them too?

1. The Dollar Store is great for buying lunch baggies, garbage bags, tupperware, make-up remover wipes, tin foil, and...pregnancy tests (for those oops times).
2. TJ Maxx and Ross have an impressive selection of home decor, and men's ties, and scrapbook paper.
3. D.I. Just fix it up and it looks like new. Hey, I'm not too proud.
4. One word. IKEA.
5. Ask for essentials for Christmas. I never thought I would have approved of something like that. I used to hate getting things I needed as gifts, but the food-storage has come in handy. (It was a bitter pill to swallow, reality is a pain in the butt.)
6. Go visit your parents. A free meal once in awhile doesn't hurt. (And you thought I was coming over because I wanted to see you...how cute!) Just kidding. I love you Mom and Dad.

I guess I dedicate this post to our parents. Thank you for taking care of me while I was in school. Thank you for not letting us go hungry and friendless. Thank you for teaching us the value of hard work and how far a dollar can really go. Pat yourselves on the back for a job well done. We have almost made it. We're just waiting on Michael now....slowpoke. Again, just kidding. He worked very hard during the worst of it.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

I've Crossed Over...

...to the "grown-up" side. Yesterday I called my mom. We talked for 27 minutes and 17 seconds. All the while I kept thinking a strange thought, well, not too strange, but I kept thinking about when my grandma and mom would talk on the phone .I remember just sitting and listening to their conversation wondering what grandma was saying on the other end and only being able to decipher part of the conversation based on what my mom's responses were. I then thought about how I am doing the same thing. I am calling home to talk to mom. I wonder if anyone sits on the other end wondering what we talk about. Probably not though because the boys don't care about that stuff...they just interrupt and ask regardless of the phone. They are lovable though. Anyway, I think calling home is a grown-up thing. I call home for help on W-2's, insurance, how long to boil eggs, what the difference is between salted and unsalted butter and if that really matters, I call to brag about my cooking conquests (which is really just to show my competence because I think home sometimes wonders),and I call to ask about moral dilemmas. These are grown-up things to do. Grown-ups ask their parents. It is the responsible thing to do, and grown-ups are responsible. My kids better call me too.