Ways I’ve Lost Money This Week | brokeGIRLrich
Over at Medium Sized Family, Jamie does this amazing 5 Ways We’ve Saved this week that I love reading – because awesome personal finance skillz are really just a combination of a bazillion tiny wins that grow over time.
I thought of her posts many times this week as I failed and failed and failed and in the spirit of transparency, here’s a list of the ways I’ve failed this week
*I get three free meals a day at work. Since we moved to NYC, I’ve eaten out at least one meal almost every day.
*I got my laundry picked up and washed.
*I lost my thumb drive and had to go buy another.
*I lost several work receipts and can’t get reimbursed now.
*I threw out a rebate coupon because it felt like it would take too much time to fill it out.
So what do we do with money fails? Heaven knows if you’ve been reading here long enough, you know I have a pile of them from time to time.
Identifying the problem usually helps – currently it’s that I have very little time. When I do have a little time and some co-workers are like, “let’s go grab some pizza,” the idea of leaving the lot is so appealing I have trouble saying no.
So how do I fix this problem?
Well, time will help a little. By the end of next week, our show will be loaded in, most of the big media outlets will have already covered us, the prep for several special shows will be mostly done, and the show will be open (so come check out the circus in Lincoln Center, if you’re a New Yorker).
Things like being so frazzled I can’t tackle a rebate form shouldn’t occur anymore. Or losing things.
Also, with a little more time, staying here, eating and then hanging out with friends on the lot is a lot more appealing.
To be honest, not sure what to do about the laundry, since Lincoln Center is a little hoity toity and there are no Laundromats within 10 blocks, but I can probably work something better out in the long run.
So in retrospect, it appears that being wildly overworked and exhausted are two key factors that lead to overspending and not-so-well thought out spending.
How’s your week been?
I did a 40$ and an $80 trip to Lowe’s yesterday. Last night, I was clearing paper clutter from the dining room table, and spotted a 10$ lowes coupon card. It expires today.
Mr. JumpStart recently posted…25 Thoughts I’ve had after Learning to Travel Hack with Credit Cards.
I’ve been known to fill rebates out, put them in an envelope with a stamp on it and then…sit on it until it’s too late to mail. For some reason getting it out to the mailbox is difficult for me. I have no explanation or excuse. I recently got a rebate all packed up, but then maybe lost it? I am hoping I actually put it in the mailbox-we’ll just have to see.
I hope things calm down for you soon and you’re able to get into a better rhythm!
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I’m totally guilty of being the too lazy to rebate person too! It just seems like so much work and then I have to remember to check if the rebate’s come in which is the worst part about it! I think I’m just afraid of it being dropped into a void and me losing all that time to fill it out for nothing…
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There were a few months when I was single that I paid to get my laundry done. I was making about $15,000 per year and laundry was about $10.00 per week. However, at the timeI was living over some people’s garage about 30 minutes from anywhere and about 45 minutes from work. If I dropped my laundry off on the way to work I could pick it up on the way home. If I went to the laundrymat across the street from the cleaners, I’d kill Saturday morning. At that time in my life, it was worth it to pay somone to do my laundry so I could spend my limited free time on things I enjoyed. Now, with a washer in my home (and kids to handle the folding) paying someone to do my laundry seems like a silly luxury, but back in the day it made perfect sense and I think was a wise use of money to buy free time.
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Aw, thanks! You definitely just made me feel a little better about it!