How I Learned About Money

When I was in 8th grade, my mother came to me with a radical proposal:  Instead of taking me out shopping for clothes, shoes, etc., what if I received a clothing allowance?
My response:  Whaaaaaaaa?  Money for clothes?  Like, MY OWN MONEY FOR CLOTHES?  Um, yes, please.  Sign me up, Mom.

The specifics were as follows -
I would receive $100 a month and be responsible for purchasing all my own clothes, including shoes, winter coats, etc.  I would not receive cash, rather I would have to keep track of how much money I was "owed" and my mom would give me money when I was ready to shop.  And best of all, I would get to decide how to spend it.
When you're 13, that's basically like saying you've won the lottery.

The goal was to teach me both the value of money and how to budget.

The reality was that $100 a month is a ridiculous amount of money for a clothing allowance!  I racked up a huge balance and I remember looking at the "clothing allowance" page in my notebook planning and planning and planning things for all that theoretical cash.
The reality was that $100 a month for clothes for a 13 year old means you do not have to budget at all.

However, I did.

Even though I ended up with  a huge amount of money to spend, I never spent it.  I mean, I spent what I needed to spend; I had plenty of clothes and enough shoes and a winter jacket.  But I didn't have too much.  I didn't have 100 pairs of shoes or 10 pairs of jeans or anything super fancy.
Somehow, even with too much of an allowance, I learned what it meant to budget.

I think seeing the balance of what I was "due" felt good.  It was a cushion.  (You know, in case of a fashion emergency.)  And that comfortable feeling is something i still strive to achieve.

I am not super thrifty.  I am not cheap.  I am not a master coupon clipper or deal finder.  I spend too much money on shoes, bags, make-up - all things I never really "need".  I forget to buy what's on sale at the supermarket (or, worse, I buy what's on sale only to realize later that it actually cost more than what I would have bought).  I like shopping; I like buying.
But I know how to save.
I know how to budget.
All because my mom gave a 13-year-old me a chance to figure out money for myself.

So when people ask me how or when I learned to manage my own money, my answer is always the same:
When I was 13, I won the lottery.

Forgetful

Two words:

STICKY.  NOTES.

This refers to 1) actual post-its, 2) the sticky note gadget on my Mac Dashboard, aaaaaaand 3) the sticky note app (or whatever the proper term is) on my work Dell.

Without STICKY NOTES , I have no idea how I would remember that the envelopes for this month's rent bills shouldn't be sealed, or that Guillermo is taking next week off, or that I have a chiropractic appointment at 10am today, or that I have to sit home from 9am - 1pm tomorrow waiting for someone to come and fix my dryer????

Well, I wouldn't remember it all; it's that simple.  My brain is so weird.  I can remember the first and last names of everyone in my 8th grade class, but forget an appointment within minutes of making it.

THREE CHEERS FOR STICKY NOTES!

Beneath the Mountain O' Dolls

Last night's episode of Hoarders distrubed me in ways I never thought possible.  Phyllis' hoard of dolls? It gave me nightmares.  Thank God my sister-in-law called me in the middle because I really needed to turn it off and I wasn't going to do it on my own!

When I watch shows like Hoarders, I go through a cycle of emotions:

• Shock (C'mon, you can't help but be shocked at first!)
• Sadness (Because these people are so visibly lonely; it hurts to listen to them.)
• Frustration (Dude, that's 17 years worth of DOG HAIR that you're refusing to get rid of.  Seriously?!)
• Sadness (Because after the temper tantrum, there's almost always a moment of clarity for the hoarder.)
• Hope (Usually, the houses get cleaned up!  I always have my fingers crossed that the aftercare provided is helpful enough to, you know, allow the dog hair to be vacuumed up from now on.)

At after it's over, I am left with the realization that material things are not important.  Our memories are important.  And people are important.  Not dolls.  Not teddy bears.  Not your baby blankets or your collection of pint glasses.  All of those things are replaceable.  But relationships?  Relationships aren't.

My Name is Rachel, and I'm addicted to Lists.

I am LIST CRAZY this morning (yes, before 8 o'clock).  Here is a list of all my To Do Lists!

• To Do Today
• To Do This Week at Home
• To Do at Home in the Next Month
• To Do at Work Tomorrow
• To Do at Work This Week
• To Do at Work before July
• To Do for My Future
• To Do for Rebecca's Bridal Shower (!!!)

I'm a little overwhelmed just looking at this!  BUUUUUUT, having lists keeps me on track.  They also make me feel accomplished...there's absolutely nothing better than checking off tasks on a to-do list!

Wish me luck; these lists are proof that this week is going to be a doozy!

Credit Card Myths

In keeping with the credit card theme, check out this article, brought to you by LearnVest:

5 Credit Card Myths You'd Regret Buying Into