Money, It's a Gas: Grab that Cash with Both Hands and Make a Stash

This week is all about money. Bucks. Dough. Moolah. Clams. Greenbacks. Quid. Cold Hard Cash. Loot. Bacon. Coin. Benjamins. And my favorite: Fitties.

This is good timing for this subject given the state of our economy and the state of my wallet. Two years ago (right before the housing market took a plunge) I bought a house. As has always been the case with me, this was just another example of my ability to time things perfectly. And to make matters worse, I didn’t plan on staying in it for very long. But that’s a story for another day. I don’t want to take up too much of your time this week and I don’t have much to say, but the house is just a perfect example of two of my thoughts on money:

The first is that with the purchase of the house, I needed to fill it with nice furniture (first thought, Pottery Barn, second thought: Restoration Hardware, third thought: Target, latest thought: Ikea, next up: Goodwill). I knew that getting everything I needed wouldn’t happen in the first year, but I really thought that 2009 would be the year I could dump the college couch out by the curb and invest in something nice. I currently own two couches, a desk, and a bed. My kitchen table and coffee table (aka TV stand) currently have commitments elsewhere as soon as I can relive them of their duties here, so that doesn’t leave me with much. No wonder I never invite anyone over……Anyway, what I’ve finally realized in the last few months is that I’d rather spend my money on traveling to see friends and going on exciting trips than have furniture. If I’m off doing something fun, then I’m not missing my crappy pink couch. And since I can’t have both….Beach House it is. Mardi Gras it is. Tahoe it is. OBX it is. And I’ll just stick with the furniture I have. And the four completely empty rooms.

Second thought about money is that I have decided to refuse to let the foul mood of our nation and the crappiness of the economy keep me from doing what I want to be doing. If I want to change jobs, I will. And I won’t be (too) afraid. If I want to try to sell my house, I’ll give it a shot (prepare for the worst), but not be afraid to do so. If I want to spend money at the rate I did before the market went in the tank, then I’ll do that as well. I’ve been too good for too long. I invest obscene amounts of money in my 401(k-for krap), own a house, and have several months of salary saved. I refuse to put my life on hold because of fear (DaddyMonday says to blame the liberal media for fear-mongering, I say - don’t tell anyone we’re related). That doesn’t mean I won’t be careful, but I’m not going to let years slip away just to be careful. I’m already on year 3……….

So there: my thoughts on the fitties.