An Update on Our Shopping List

Remember when I told you all that I was in a buying mood? I shared a list of purchases we were considering and gave details on each of them. Well, I thought it would be fun to let you know what's happened since that post in July. Here's the list as well as what we've done with each item:

• A house -- We've made the decision to stay put for now. We looked for three years but couldn't find a combination of price, location, and house/land that was better than what we had now. So we decided to remain in our current home and upgrade it a bit instead of moving.
• A car -- As I noted in the original post, we'll probably get a new car in the fall. I'll begin my car-buying process in the summer sometime.
• A vacation -- We were looking at going somewhere warm this winter, but a combination of work, school, and extracurricular activities (my son plays basketball and I'm an assistant coach) has put the damper on this idea for now.
• A laptop -- Postponed this one indefinitely. I'm getting by fine with what we have now.
• A Television -- Got it and I'm loving it. TV never looked so crystal clear!
• Furniture -- We bought a new couch as well as a desk and bookshelves for our study (a dining room converted to a "study".) Still on the list are two new chairs, a coffee table, and an end table for the living room. (BTW, we also had this room painted.)
• Furnace -- Got it (and a new AC unit to boot.) FYI, we've now received all the rebates that were part of this deal -- only the $1,500 tax credit to take now when we do our taxes.
• Having the glass in two windows replaced -- Didn't get around to it. We'll do it in the spring.
• Getting cable TV -- Got it, got a good deal, and LOVE it. We DVR our favorite shows (soccer games, Nature, Nova, AFA) as well as watch Comcast's On Demand shows quite often. We rent DVDs too -- either from Blockbuster or from the library (free) -- but we haven't been to a movie theater since we got the TV/cable combination.
• A Wii -- Not only got this, but added a PS3 at Christmas as well. We're still enjoying both. The PS3 is the favorite for the kids and me (also has Blu-Ray, BTW) but the Wii is preferred when guests come over and we want to have group games.
• Snowblower -- This wasn't on the first list, but we did buy a new one this year. It was over $600, but given the economics of snow removal in our area, it will pay for itself in three years (versus hiring a snow removal company.)

Those were the items on the original list. Since we made the "not moving" decision, we've expanded our home improvement list and will be looking at the following additional purchases in the next few months:

• A new front door -- We currently have a double-door set up that's about 80% glass. It's frosted a bit, but not much, and you can pretty much see into our living room from the outside. The door is also not that attractive and despite our best efforts, is rather breezy in the winter. We'd like a new, energy-efficient, single door with side glass that allows a bit more privacy and security, a better appearance, better protection from the elements, and a storm-door/screen-door that will allow for a breeze in the summer and added weather protection in the winter.
• A patio area -- We already have a deck, but would like to add a brick or stamped concrete (made to look like brick) patio area in our backyard. It would have a place for chairs and a table as well as a small fit pit. Added advantage: less yard to mow. ;-)
• Landscaping -- When our house was built 25 years ago, no one really planned for the size of various plants and trees way down the road. As a result, we have a bush that trying to eat our garage and needs to be removed, our backyard woods trying to stamp out any light/grass that might try and slip through to the earth, and a side yard that's so dark in mid-day (due to the tall trees around it) that nothing sun-loving would dare to grow there. Fortunately we have a friend in this business who can give us some great advice (and hopefully a good deal.)
• Lawn mower -- Our current push (not propelled) lawn mower is almost 20 years old. I could go into the various things wrong with it, but let's just say it's not in great operational condition. I bought it at Sears for something like $120, so I think I've received my value from it. ;-) Anyway, it's time to get a new one.
• Others -- We have a few other things on our wish list -- get the garage floor stained/painted, replace outside lights, added insulation for the attic -- but I'm not sure we'll have the time (and budget) to handle these this year. We'll see how it all unfolds.

BTW, NONE of this stuff, either stuff we've already purchased or will purchase, has been paid for by borrowing money (nor has it been taken from our basic savings plans -- 401k, 529s, etc.). We have made and will make purchases either out of current income that's budget for the purpose or out of savings. Of course we will pay with our credit card when we can (getting 2% back all the time) but we'll always pay the amount in full when the bill is due.

I'll give you an update later in the year so we all can see how this list panned out. ;-)

Comments

[Tyler]

Get the new lawnmower... friend had his for 20 years, slipped one day, chopped off his big toe because the mower didnt have an auto shut off/safety features of modern mowers.

[Eugene Krabs]

I'm kind of bummed that most of the recession discounts are gone now. Luckily, I've gotten pretty much all that I wanted and was on sale.

[tom]

Looks like it's time to bust out the work gloves!

You can do a lot of those additions yourself for a fraction of the cost. Get the kids involved for a family affair.

As for the lawn mower, check out consumer reports, they have ratings for those.

[Moneymonk]

Paying it from cash flow is the best way to go no annoying bills a month later in your mailbox

I want a '27 iMac, I also plan to purchase it from my current income. We also remodel the guest bathroon with cash. The best feeling :)

[Crystal]

We have a list of things we want and are slowly making our way through as well.

Three years ago we got the Wii (my Christmas gift to my hubby the day after Christmas after stalking a Gamestop for 2 months and one of the employees taking pity on me).

Two years ago we got our 47" LCD TV and corner entertainment unit ($1800). We also had wood laminate installed throughout our bottom floor instead of carpet ($2200), repainted the bottom floor ($200), and replaced a few fixtures ($200). My hubby got me a pretty Cherry curio cabinet ($225). We also landscaped the front yard a bit ($125 and two really sweaty weekends).

Last year we purchased our bedroom set and Tempurpedic mattress ($6000). I still cringe at the price, but my husband hasn't had back pain since we made the purchase. He also is in love with our bedroom set (dark, solid wood...masculine-looking). He's happy enough that I try to see past the price...I never cringe around him. :-)

This year we only plan to hunt down a few matching book shelves and a hobby table for the guest bedroom/library/hobby room.

I want to recarpet the second floor and repaint the rest of the house, but I haven't put a target date on that...the cost/benefit analysis in my head says that it just isn't that important. :-)

We never pay interest on any of these purchases. We also have emergency fund accounts for the home and cars in case something unexpected pops up.

I like having lists of fun stuff to buy since we spend so much of our energy simply saving for retirement...being able to splurge once in a while is necessary for us.

[Crystal]

@FMF
I was rooting for y'all to have a great family vacation...hope it happens sometime this year. :-)

[Ace of Wealth]

I think having a list of big purchase items that you're looking to buy is a fabulous idea. Not only does it give you specific goals to save towards, but you can plan for them. Know that you'll need a new furnace within the next couple years? Set aside just $25 dollars a paycheck and you'll be well on your way to saving up for the big purchase.

It's important to remember the reason why we work so hard to save money and being frugal is with the ultimate goal of being able to enjoy what money provides us.

[Justin]

Just as a noe, you may want to go ahead and get a Netflix subscription if you don't already have one, instead of going to Blockbuster. You can stream some movies and tv shows through the Wii (and I believe the PS3 as well), which gives you more bang for the buck than blockbuster rentals.

[Crystal]

@Justin,
Netflix streams through the Wii? I knew that it worked with a PS3 or an Xbox, but I didn't think it would work with our Wii. That would be fantastic!

[Jclimber]

Look into Snapper for your lawn mower. A bit more expensive than the Craftsman mowers but better built (e.g. solid steel axle for front wheels vs the wheels just bolted onto the frame).

[K at Greenshield]

I get in those moods occasionally. But you have to remember to take it easy on the purchasing, lest you run up too much debt.

[Nate K]

I went to a small, liberal arts college and because of our mission and types of degrees, many of our students went into seminary, public service, non-profits, NGOs, social work, education, and other types of service degrees.

I'd also say that these are some of the smartest people I've met and people who serve as leaders with a good sense of asking the right questions. They won't make a ton of money and that's OK with them. If they do make a lot of money it will be because they became a leader by the qualities that were built up by the community around them.

I'd rather be happy with my calling, my life, and my family than make money to retire early (if I even get a chance in life to make it that far).

In other words, what isn't in those studies is a good sense of the community that a young adult will spend 4+ years in. What qualities will be developed there? What do students think of their peers? What do they think of faculty? Who has inspired them? Those are the real questions to ask.

[Kenny C]

Nate: What are you talking about? lol

[Nate K]

Ha. So, the above comment I made obviously doesn't go with this post. Sorry!

To make up for it:
I'd agree on the Snapper for the mower. I have two (riding and push). Both are OHV engines and they run super nicely. Very easy to maintain on your own as well.