Back and Ready for 2015!

WOW!!! I forgot how much money can slip through my fingers when I'm not paying attention to it. Corey and I set a Christmas budget that we followed strictly....until we landed in Macomb, IL for Christmas. From the Winter Solstice to Christmas Eve, he and I were both spending money on last-minute presents, tissue paper, and stocking-stuffers. (I don't want to brag, but because of his last-minute spending, I am now the happy and proud owner of a pair of diamond stud earrings from the Diamond Den in Macomb, IL. This is the first diamond anything I have ever received other than a wedding ring. Woo-hoo!)



Before we left for Illinois on a two-week vacation to visit every single family member we could squeeze in, we took out $400.00 cash. $200.00 of that was our Fun Dollar allotment for the trip. The other $100.00 that we each received was to just have "cash on hand". We used it to pay for dinner at Denny's in Tucumcari, New Mexico, picture frames for family members' Christmas presents with the kids' portraits in them, and mostly food-related things. I went to Walgreen's to print off the copies of the pictures for the kids, and ended up filling up the cart with other Christmas presents, and lots of chocolate for the stockings. I whipped out my $100.00 extra cash and paid for the $97.00 worth of merchandise I piled into my cart. I don't think I have ever before been so smitten with holiday spending!

I also made three different trips to the Dollar Tree in Macomb in search of stocking-stuffers to accompany the Lindt Chocolates from Walgreen's. It's amazing how I can preach all year about accountability with money, and in three days' time manage to blaze through almost $200.00. Christmas doesn't come from a store? Ha! It shouldn't, but it does...mostly...I can't argue with that one. As idealistic and frugal as I might like to think that I am, I will still spend money if the "why" is right.

So, after reflecting on the spending habits for the past year, and looking at my "generosity of spirit" this Christmas season, I decided that my first purchase for the new year should be a present for someone else. My Aunt Peggy's birthday is tomorrow and I want to get her something special. After seeing her as a part of our holiday visiting spree, I decided that a pair of L.L Bean Shearling Slippers would be the ideal gift to send her using my Fun Dollars. Corey bought me a pair last year, and I use them every evening from October to March. Every time she puts on these slippers, she will remember her niece who lives 2,000 miles away. And since I have never before sent her a birthday gift, I think that splurging a little is definitely OK. I will still have money left for the rest of the pay cycle (and some Christmas gift money left over too, yay!)


Happy New Years, Fun Dollars readers! I hope that your 2015 is prosperous and wonderful.

L.L. Bean Shearling Slippers for Aunt Peggy's Birthday- $70.00
Balance this pay cycle- $30.00
Happy Spending!