26 September 2008

Being responsible


On taking a hint from my sister-in-law, I'm going to revise my 101 Things to do in 1,0001 Days by replacing the items that cost money with alternative goals. This means stuff like replacing our cabinets and such - those things that while I would like to do them, they just don't make sense in our lives right now between the downturn in the economy and with our new focus needing to be on Pebbles. So, while we hope that this down turn just means that we get to buy more with our 401(k) and get a better deal on our retirement funds, we still need to be smart about our spending NOW and prepare to take care of our family, knowing that there is always a chance that by the time we want to retire, we may not be able to. It really is a scary thought and while it is several, SEVERAL years away, we can't just ignore it. I've spent times where I was counting my pennies and dimes to see how many taco's I could get at Taco Bell and I don't want to go back to that. My husband and I have done our best to live well within our means so that we were never put in a situation where we REALLY had to worry about money. I'll also admit that lately, we've sort of lost track in keeping up with the budget and I think it is more important now than ever for us to try and get back on track. I know we're not in trouble yet, but since no one knows whats going to happen tomorrow, a little more preparation and planning for what-ifs will help ease my mind some.

Meanwhile, I'm sorry this update doesn't include the great news of Pebbles' birth, but I think its important to get out there while its on my mind - so now I'm off to update my goals and get our budget back in order! Stay tuned, because Pebbles WILL be coming soon!

1 comment:

Cassie said...

Oh, this economy sucks, doesn't it? What you've decided to do is very responsible. I'm still obsessing over getting new siding and building a deck for our house, but I know I should just take that money and store it away.

I'm worried about retirement, too -- I wrote a post about it yesterday because it's been on my mind lately. Our investments are still doing all right, but for how long? It's hard to invest with confidence right now, and hard to resist the urge to pull our money out and put it in a low-return savings account instead. I know that's not the right thing to do, though; I have to believe that things will be on the upswing soon.

Come ON, Pebbles!