Real fast. So during one of my rare good mommy moments, I was helping my boys put a puzzle together. For the record, this is one of the most patient-trying practices known to modern mothers. I will certainly get tripple points in Heaven for that nail biting twenty minutes.
Anyway, Rexy (3) is chattering away in my ear about who knows what, when he says, “Hey Mommy, I wanna show you sumfin’!” Harrison immediately corrects him. “Rex, it’s not ‘sum-fin’, it’s ‘sum-feen!’
Kids.
If you clicky click on my face, you can read this week’s column. For free.
I agree!! Don’t mess with a woman’s cash!
Except I haven’t gotten that smart yet. I still use the debit card but NOT on the fifteenth of this month. Oh no! I’m going by your rules! How much do you think is justified on a E-4’s income?
And oh…the tender moments of motherhood..I agree with that too! Extra points cuz you have to restrain yourself from putting the piece in the right way without yelling “HA ha! I did it and you didn’t!!”
Ya extra points.
PS Grays Harbor huh? I’ve been there. You been to Marsysville? Maybe a Strawberry parade?
This is why I always say a woman needs her own source of income. Somehow, from somewhere, no matter how small, there is nothing like ‘extra’ money.
Good article Annie! I like the rice and bean reference.
Just for the record, Mr. Thrifty…. We don’t hate you for cracking the whip. It’s a husband’s job to keep us in line just a little…. a very little!
You are a size 2 AND do puzzles with their kids? Do Mormons have saints?
Yes Annie I agree a women needs a little cash that she does not have to account for. I would be so upset as you to turn in receipts and feel like I was being scrutinized for every penny I spent. My big down fall is the Cuppa Joe at the corner by my work. Yes they get $4.51 a couple times a week for my Mocha.
LOVE YOUR ARTICLE! It practically leaps off the page. You have a fabulous style of writing. I am completely jealous…
I’m frugal, by choice. I don’t buy shoes. I kid you not when I tell you I am wearing the same pair of shoes to church that I bought 12 years ago. From a thrift store.
OK, they are Italian shoes and they are black pumps which are timeless really, but there you go… that’s me.
I am a tight wad… by nature.
I know how you can get those shoes you need…errr….want. You gather up receipts that are left behind in shopping carts! Then you have a receipt saying you spent money and you pocket that dollar amount on the receipt!
NOT that I would EVER do that!! OR even SUGGEST it again…..out loud.
Oh poor Annie! This makes me extra thankful that I’ve had the purse strings for 25 years and that my husband only participates in bill paying once ever other two years or so!
So glad I finally got onto your blog! I thought it was a private blog because when I tried to get on before that’s the message I got. Then today I just clicked over from Crash’s sidebar. Yay!
Such a great article and I completely agree. Oh, and by the way, you are an awesome writer!
Annie, you write for the Vidette, my hometown hero! love you. I am totally addicted to your blog, it always brings out a smile. take care!
btw, I live in Orem…
Well I hope MR TIGHTY will allow you to have some cash when we get together next month! Farr’s ice cream HERE. WE. COME!!
Puzzles? I thought getting my toddler to actually EAT food was testing me to the limit. There’s more to look forward to?
P.S. Your article made me giggle. Except I live right near the Steve Madden store, so I’d have to give something else up.
I’ve never heard of Steve Madden, but Dave Ramsey is everywhere in my house! Right down to the laminated budget sheets.
oh, and if I get up there-soon, you need to take me shopping.
Hee hee. It’s not as fun to actually LIVE WITH our super hot husband’s as it’s cracked up to be, is it. I so understand exactly what you said in your article. ha ha OH i SO understand.
Well done, girlfriend.
Annie: Alicia told me that I had to check out your blog because I’m a BIG Dave Ramsey fan. I’ve got books, listend to the radio show, etc. Loved your article, but I have to say that I do support most of Ramsey’s ideas. I especially like what he says, because unlike most financial advisor types, he encourages charitable donations and paying your tithing. And I love him giving folks the honest truth about the “stupid tax.”–Garry
Cute, cute.
Great article too. I’m sure my husband wishes I would be more frugal.
This is why i love my cash tips from doing hair, but just have to say something about our boys wanting to know what we spend….Darren doesnt care what I buy, I just have to log how much I spent on my budget I get every month….He doesnt know what I buy, he just wants to know how much is spent….:)
Cash smash, I recommed skipping that step entirely, just take over the books. I could spend whatever I wanted on whatever I wanted. Except that at the end of the week I have to look at the books… Maybe your way is better afterall.
Funny, I’ve had 4 people say, “Have you read Anne’s article in The Vidette this week? Hilarious!” So, I just read it and I have to agree. I, too, do cash. Not so much because it’s mandated as it’s just simpler. I like (most of the time) going into Walmart and not having the option to overspend. If I’m carrying plastic and I know that a certain amount is available, I’ll find something that I want and justify swiping the card for it. Somehow, when I only have X amount of “real money” on me I realize that I don’t really need what I thought I needed. It still hurts though. For a while, I was tracking everything that I spent in a notebook so that I could chart my spending habits and figure out what could go. That was just WAY too much work though. One of these days I’m going to be independently wealthy and have so much money that my assistant can embezzle from me without my even noticing. I’m always flabbergasted at the stars who are suing their accountants, etc. because they had stolen 4 million over the last year or two. It’s like, “Wow! You have enough mullah that someone took a couple mill and you’re just now noticing?!’
One more thing we have in common.
I get a weekly cash allowance, once it’s gone, it’s gone.
I’m cool with cash. I get excited when I’ve been a “good girl” and have a little extra at the end of the week. But I ugly, really ugly when Secret Agent Man wants to see my receipts or short me a little that week. (cat sound)
I really like Dave Ramsey, but Kevin and I are both really frugal. He makes the money and I pay the bills and our accountant does the taxes. We have no debt (just people who owe us money!) and so it’s easy to like Dave and what he has to say, it all just makes sense. Your article was funny though. I can see why some people wouldn’t like him. 🙂
Annie-
Like Heather said, I give her an allotment every month that she can spend however she wants! That’s the beauty of doing a budget, it’s not restricting you from buying anything; rather, it’s knowing where your money goes every month so you control IT, not IT controlling YOU.
It’s a beautiful concept once understood 🙂
Darren, I HAVE AN ALLOTMENT OF CASH. WE HAVE A BUDGET. Now he wants to know exactly where it’s going. Therein lies the problem. I think you need to have a talk with your brother about micromanagement.
Annie-
Point taken.
As long as you’re not “secretly” buying stuff, then I see no problem of him knowing where your money is going. To me, it’s when you buy stuff secretly because you don’t want him to know is a problem. That’s something that I wouldn’t want to get in the middle of because it’s your marriage.
This whole thing makes me laugh because it reminds me of times when Heather and I have gotten in a fight in the past and sometimes my knee-jerk reaction is to go buy something really expensive and not tell her.
That would be really cool.
I probably couldn’t even put that puzzle together if it were just me.
Everytime I see Dave Ramsey in a Cool Springs restaurants I want to run over and ask him why he needs a $10 million house. You could have a nice home worth several million and still have 7 or 8 million left over to HELP PEOPLE!
@Todd, why do you care how big of a house someone has? His house is paid for and he can afford it. To assume that just because he lives in a $1M dollar house that he should give away $8M to charity is just plain stupid. You have no idea how much he gives to charity or how much he gives away on his show. Stop being jealous and take care of your own life.
Jeff, how much does he give to charity? Do you know?
I would feel good living in a million dollar house and giving $8 million to charity.
http://www.coolsprings.com/news/dave-ramseys-house/
i bought airline, rental car and hotel on credit to go to his seminar is that wrong?