So hubby and I have made great strides financially. But we are still not there (sigh....do you ever get there?) Anyway, we have tried to find a free weekend to take the concealed carry course for years now and it just happened a local class opened up this weekend and we were off. So I splurged and signed us up. It was $100 a person or 175 for a couple and included breakfast and lunch. In Illinois its a 16 hour course.
The required range time was at a gun store and hubby saw a gun he wanted....$1300.
Peeps, we just bought new windows, $7000. I would have held off on them but water would blow threw them in severe wind/rain (its happened about 4 times this year) and we can't take the chance that it would happen when we are not home and ruin our hardwood floors, etc. We arr also in the midst of saving for $7000 in property taxes (after this we will have a dedicated account for this) Hubby has been promised a gun for his birthday in September.
So he wants to buy this $1300 gun on the visa as his September gun.
Peeps - I dont want to be an ogre and he works very hard. He makes tons more money then I do. But I manage the money and if we could just stay away from major purchases for the rest of the year I could get our savings in goid shape - get more debt paid.
But as I say - I dont want to be an ogre always saying no.
Personally, I'd let him get it but make it clear there will be no other personal big purchases until some time in 2018. Purchases for the house, etc. are different. The windows clearly need replacing.
Talk with him and make sure he understands about no more major purchases. If you are managing the budget he probably is not as in tune with it as you are.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
Go over the finances with him, then ask him if he thinks spending that much on a gun "right now" is doable. Tell him you are concerned about running out later.
I think it's time to involve him in managing the money so that you aren't put in this position of saying yes or no. Sit down with him and have him run the numbers. Then make a decision together, not YOU saying yea or nay.
When you're trying to get your finanaces in order, the last thing you ever want to do is purchase something on credit, especially something that is not a necessity. I'm an ogre and would just say no.
If something is worth having it is worth saving and paying for it in cash. The gun will still be available for sale at a later date.
Yes, it is possible to be financially secure and debt free. I highly recommend reading and following Dave Ramsey. It is a great feeling to "live like no one else, so that you can live like no one else".
Personally I HATE debt. Hate, hate, hate it. When i first got a CC, my dad told me, pay it off in FULL at the end of every month, or don't use it. That was great advice. I have paid my cc in full since the day i had a CC. I have never let a balance run over to the next month. So, i dont' use my cc to finance purchases. Either buy it in cash or you should KNOW that it can paid off next month. But, if you can pay it next month, if not, i wouldn't buy it.
"Honey, I've been going over our budget, and I just
can't find a way to spend $1300 right now. Please,
let's go over the budget, and see if we can re-arrange
anything so you don't have to wait until September
for the gun you really like."
Small question: who promised him a gun for his
birthday? You? A family member? If it was a family
member, maybe you can mention to them that hubby
has seen a gun he really likes.
Or maybe the gun shop will hold it for you, and you
can make payments until September.
I sat down and did a budget - projected til the end of the year and I budgeted $1000 for him to spend for his birthday (for a gun or whatever) I went over the budget with him so he knows about it.
Really there is plenty of money if we could just get away from big bills. I am always paying off a purchase or something.
I sat down and did a budget - projected til the end of the year and I budgeted $1000 for him to spend for his birthday (for a gun or whatever) I went over the budget with him so he knows about it.
Really there is plenty of money if we could just get away from big bills. I am always paying off a purchase or something.
Then tell him 1K is ear marked for him and if he can wait longer for the purchase until the $300 can be added then he can get what he wants. I get the financial juggling, I've done it for years. Finally I don't need to. I do have many wants, but those wants can only come after the savings for retirement, college, and regular savings are tucked away monthly.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
When you're trying to get your finanaces in order, the last thing you ever want to do is purchase something on credit, especially something that is not a necessity. I'm an ogre and would just say no.
If something is worth having it is worth saving and paying for it in cash. The gun will still be available for sale at a later date.
Yes, it is possible to be financially secure and debt free. I highly recommend reading and following Dave Ramsey. It is a great feeling to "live like no one else, so that you can live like no one else".
Hey BP ... have you considered separating your finances from his? You've done a ton of work getting your finances in order, but it doesn't look like he has the same priorities. Is there a way for him to spend his way back into debt and you to stay afloat?
Well he seemd to have realized that we simply cannot get the gun he wants right now. Last night he wanted to buy the gun for his dads birthday (he and his brother are each paying half - different gun). His dads birthday is not until July. I suggested that he wait until July.
Tig he makes massively more then I do. I sort of separate finances because I make certain to psy certain bills (for my car - for example) No way could I now or ever have afforded our house. That was his before we met.
Hey BP ... have you considered separating your finances from his? You've done a ton of work getting your finances in order, but it doesn't look like he has the same priorities. Is there a way for him to spend his way back into debt and you to stay afloat?
Marital debt is HER debt too so I think that would be a bad advice.
Well he seemd to have realized that we simply cannot get the gun he wants right now. Last night he wanted to buy the gun for his dads birthday (he and his brother are each paying half - different gun). His dads birthday is not until July. I suggested that he wait until July.
Tig he makes massively more then I do. I sort of separate finances because I make certain to psy certain bills (for my car - for example) No way could I now or ever have afforded our house. That was his before we met.
Ah. Got it. I thought that his debt and your debt were separate from before you were married. You worked so hard to get out of it, I would hate to see you fall back in because of his 'I want'. It seems I think the worst of your husband ... I'm not sure why. I apologize and will try to balance that going forward.
Generally, I think debt handled responsibly is fine. Most people finance cars b/c they don't have the funds to buy them in cash up front. Houses have payments. Did you finance the windows or pay cash? I, personally, would have financed the windows rather than deplete my savings for that, but if you did pay cash, I don't think it's unreasonable for you to set a goal to get your savings back to a certain amount before any more big purchases.
I like the layaway idea. Is that possible? Then, on his birthday, you give him whatever cash you've set aside to go towards it and he can work on the rest.
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LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
As the daughter of a conservative banker, I learned early on the importance of establishing good credit. So at 18, I applied for a couple credit cards. Sears rejected me, because I had no credit history. JCP gave me my first card. I didn't shop there before, but I started to then, buying sheets & towels for my first apartment. Monthly balances were paid off, and I did not charge more than I could afford. Eventually I was able to build up enough good credit to qualify me for additional cards. The importance of this was to enable me to eventually buy a car and a house. My DH has excellent credit as well, and even now, we have bankers begging to give us loans. (Of course, we decline their "offers".)
Lawyerlady we financed the windows 23 months same as cash. We had just finished paying off some big bills and I REALLY did not want to get them then but if they had ruined our hardwood floors the old windows would havr caused much more damage.
My parents are retired and poor. They have scrimped and saved their whole life, for the most part, kinda, sorta. Actually, what I mean is MOM has scrimped and saved and penny pinched their whole life while dad bought guns whenever he wanted. Now, they are in their late 60's way underwater with their house, still poor and now seriously considering bankruptcy cuz they cant catch a break from medical bills, credit card bills and whatnot. But no no noooooo don't take any of dad's dozens of guns away from him~!
Sorry. I guess after reading the part where the one that doesn't do the bills is the one that is begging for a pricy expenditure, it brought me back to where it all started with my parents.
I doubt this offers an answer for you, but if it were me, I would flat out tell him that after looking at the bills, there is no way in hades that a gun of that price can be bought anytime soon. You want it, save up for it.
