We are coming to a close of our first 3 weeks.
Did you know that next week, we all have the option to CHANGE our Personal Wildcards?
Yup. This is the time we evaluate how we have been doing with those tasks we thought we needed work on. Do we hold on to them for another 3 weeks to create a solid habit? Do we change it up and challenge ourselves to do something else? (Our 2 required tasks will remain the same for all 3 categories--for the entire challenge.)
Whatever you decide, you will START THE NEXT THREE-WEEK PERSONAL WILDCARDS ON MONDAY, APRIL 22ND.
While you mull that over, think about what you want to write about this week. Here's the question:
What has been the most worthwhile purchase you have ever made, and why? We don't need the amount of money spent. Just a story or thought will do.
My answer isn't necessarily something we've purchased, but something that we're putting money towards and that is our retirement. We started saving many years ago and it's an investment in our future. Scott and I have talked about the things we'd like to do doing our retirement and that's a hard question for me to answer. I know I'd like to be able to be near my boys and I'd like to travel. Investing in our future is definitely worthwhile!
ReplyDeleteOkay, so there is a reason that I wrote the blog question last night and then waited until today to respond: I hate spending money. I hate, hate, hate it. (Unless Eric and I have just had an argument, or I am fed up with making dinner. Then a quick trip to buy a blouse, or a take-out pizza will hit the spot!)
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I manage the budget that Eric and I have come up with, together. I always keep him in the loop, but I am primarily responsible for the bills, groceries, and everyday purchases. Nothing bothers me more than going over a budget set for food, clothes, gasoline, etc. Eric and I have a deal that we can spend up to $50 without having to tell the other about it, but anything over requires a simple, Here's-what-I-spent-just-so-you-know.
That being said, the most important 'purchases' I have ever made were the bills after each child was born. I know the real debt goes to Heavenly Father, for letting us have these wonderful little rugrats in our home, but temporally-speaking, I do not regret one dime spent on my children.
And every time Eric and I go over the budget, trying to prioritize what acquisition to work toward next, it is with our kids in mind.
Though paying someone to mow and trim my yard the past two years has certainly been something that brings me joy each time I come home from work and find it done, my most worthwhile purchase has to be my piano. An antinque now suffering the wear and tear of it's 130+ years, it sits there with the keyboard always uncovered inviting little fingers to touch out (or sometimes pound out) an impromptu melody. Two of my sons found solice in their teenage years in the free-form pieces that came from within them and in my own midnight devotional, I find that same peace.
ReplyDeleteThis is really hard. I don't buy many things. My temple clothes are up there on important purchases, my marriage license (that the temple accidentally shredded but the state didn't make me pay for again because they thought it was funny to get a shredded license in the mail), my gall bladder surgery copays, and several other life changing purchases I can't think of at the moment. I'd have to say, though, that the one that stood out the most is my camera. It covers so many aspects of my life. Income, my love of family history, a hobby, an artistic outlet, but most of all all the wonderful pictures I have of my family SMILING at me and knowing I was there for each and every single moment.
ReplyDeleteTough question. Anything worldly or tangible seems trite in comparison to stuff like kids, spouses, and other family stuff. But in the vein of temporal things, I think that first real date with Erin is right up there. Anyone who can put up with me and my shenanigans is worth that small investment, even if I have to keep making those monthly payments so she'll be my friend.
ReplyDeleteActually, I might change this in all seriousness (but I'll leave my original comment for legacy purposes):
DeleteErin and I were supposed to get our wills done for YEARS and just "never got around to it." That was __really stupid__ because it would have created unnecessary hardship for the other or for the kids if anything were to happen. Once we did it (we were kind of forced to do so when we both took a trip to India together a few years ago), and augmented that with some insurance policies that needed to be in place, the simple peace of mind it brought is something I can't really place a value on. Now the only worry is that if I kick it early, Erin will probably be much better off!
I would have to say my first home (even though we just sold it). It's the place where my family has learned to work hard and take care of a home, to have fun together, to be thankful for our circumstances. I have taught school in this home, held family home evenings, had many parties with friends and family, brought kids home from the hospital to this home, made long lasting friendships, built many wonderful memories in this home. It will always hold a special place in my heart because so many wonderful things have happened to my family because of owning this home.
ReplyDeleteI think I would have to say that education is the best thing I paid for. (I didn't pay the bills for any of my children so I can't use that one!) Although my education/certifications is not as advanced as many of you, it has served me well. It has paid the bills and provided me financial security on my own. Education is one of the few things that we can take with us.
ReplyDeleteI asked my 9 year old the question and her response was, "um, the holy ghost?". I thought that to be a deep answer for a little girl. While it may not be temporal purchase, it was purchased with faith! I have appreciated and agreed with all of your answers. Right now, I think that life insurance is something I consider on the top of my list of important purchases. The past 3 weeks I have watched my 30 year old friend grieve the unexpected loss of her husband. She has 4 little kids ranging from 9 - 8 months. I am glad her husband had life insurance so that she can meet their immediate needs, along with being able to be with her kids without too much worry of money over the next while. It has made my husband and I have some serious conversations and brought up some concerns I hadn't thought of before. We have broken down just how we should use/invest our life insurance money if the unexpected were to happen, so that our kids could be as comfortable as possible in that hard situation. Being prepared does take away (some) fear.
ReplyDeleteHeather, these questions are hard to answer! Haha...
ReplyDeleteI can't nail down just one purchase. My thoughts lead more to a few small financial decisions I've made over the years. For example, buying the Altima from you all instead of buying a car from a dealership was a great blessing when my Camry was dying. Because of that opportunity, I am less in debt than I would have been. For me, instead of making large purchases, it has been choosing not to make large purchases when I've wanted to that have blessed me most. I'm like you, Heather. I hate spending money. I'm actually glad I've learned not to make large impulse buys that I'll regret later. But then again, if I had money to burn, that'd be a whole different can o' worms.
I am nearly 100% certain that Brad will agree with me on this one, but one of the best (if not the best) things we have spent money on is our Europe trip we took 3 summers ago. We were gone for 5 weeks, and were able to see and visit lots of places like London, Austria, Switzerland, Paris, Rome, Venice, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, and etc. We were also able to go to Wimbledon, which was a dream of ours as Brad is a big Tennis Player, and I a big tennis fan. And it was a wonderful experience to see Brad's parents as missionaries. It was a lot more money than we anticipated, but we both feel like it was the only time in our life that we could do such a thing. We have wonderful memories, and it is a highlight of our first few years of marriage.
ReplyDeleteThis is Emily posting as Brad and Emily
DeleteThis is Brad now. I agree with Emily on the best purchase we have made. That trip to Europe was one of the highlights of my life. I enjoy buying things that I can use over and over again (TV's, car, etc.) but I have found that I rarely ever regret going on trips. Em and I will have memories from that Europe trip for the rest of our lives. It will (and is) always fun to look back at pictures and discuss our experiences there.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many things I can answer with this one. Like the Xbox, as it is used to keep the family entertained, my bed, etc. The one that I ended up on is my wife's wedding ring. Probably because not only did I spend money on it but I also invested a lot of thought into it as well. Some of you may not know that I designed the ring and worked for weeks with the ring maker to get it the way I wanted it. I wanted a special ring for my special girl.
ReplyDeleteAhh, I love this! I remember how much time, effort and thought you put into the ring. I will never forget the look on your face when you showed it to me. Your eyes lit up and you could see the excitement and love you had put into that ring.
DeleteI have been having a hard time answering this one. Don't know if I have settled on mine just yet but I will agree with my sweet hubbie's answer for his. I get comments on the ring everywhere I go because it is unique. And when people see it, they think we an actually afford to live here! :) I think as for me, I will have to agree with my mom and say my education. Not only did it put me in the place where I met, dated and married Wade, it got us through our first year and a half of marriage since Wade was laid off about a month or so before we were married. It has also served us very well here. When we needed extra income, I was not optomistic because in NC, hiring part-time instead of full-time therapists was not common practice. But we were blessed that it is actually done very frequently here and I found employment right away.
ReplyDeleteMy best investment was a college education. Back in those days (I graduated from the University of Colorado in 1961 with a BSEE degree), it did not cost as much as it does now, but taking into account inflation, it probably did. That led to my being an officer in the US Army Corps of Engineers, that provided another and very different education. Both led to much better employment than I would have had without that "sheepskin" and the military experience. Both enabled me to better support a wonderful family, of which I am certainly very proud (in a positive sense.
ReplyDeleteI have to sign this as Ed since I still have been unable to get the blog sing-in to work for me. Ed.
Like most other people have said, I have not had an easy time with this one. For all the purchases that I have thought about and saved up for and weighed options and researched prior to handing over my money, there wasn't one that stood out as a clear answer. Eventually, I realized that it was because the items themselves weren't the important part, but what they stood for when I bought them. Amy's engagement ring was never about purchasing a diamond, but giving her something that she could look at and smile and wear proudly. The first time I bought a rifle, it meant a better tool for certain hunting trips with my dad. My computers meant paying work or the ability to work more efficiently in school. My cameras and lenses and studio gear were putting my undergrad education to good use and investing in my income. My bikes were purchased for the time spent outside exercising, and thereby investing in my own good health and mental well-being. Even the TV was purchased marking a milestone as I finished grad school. Looking at the price tags on those things, a loaf of bread seems kind of silly, but there is one decision that I keep coming back to, and it started with a loaf of bread.
ReplyDeleteAfter college, when I was just getting started as a freelancer for the local paper and trying to find a handful of clients to pay the bills on any given month, I was broke. Seriously, big time, can't-believe-I'm-eating-this-for-dinner-AGAIN, broke. After several conversations with a good friend and with family members, I was shopping for groceries, and remembered someone (possibly my bishop) saying, "Life is too short to eat bad bread." While I never took that as license to buy food that was beyond my means, or make other purchases carelessly or with a cavalier "eat drink and be merry" approach, I did take it as a reminder that being happy that you like the bread for your peanut butter and jelly sandwich is an investment worth making. Saving 75 cents or a dollar was simply not worth being unhappy with every single one of my sandwiches. Being happy is an investment worth making, especially when it was such a small financial sum. I found ways to save the money elsewhere, but that loaf of bread was where I started to remember that it was worth investing in simply being happy with a small, simple thing.
John, this rocks! I'll never look at a loaf of bread the same way, again.
DeleteI agree with Heather, I will never look at a loaf of bread the same again. I also think this is GREAT advice.
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