Update on Our Shopping List

In January I gave you all an update on our shopping list. Now that a few months have passed, I thought it was time to give another report. Here goes:

• Car -- I'm planning to begin my car-buying process in the next couple of weeks and have a new vehicle by the end of October at the latest.

• Vacation -- We're off to Chicago (hopefully, we've had to postpone a trip here twice) in September and looking at going somewhere warm in the winter. I'm thinking Hawaii at the end of January.

• Laptop -- Still postponed. I'm wondering if an iPad will be a better option for what we need.

• Furniture -- Closing in on a table for our "study." Still need two new chairs, a coffee table, and an end table for the living room.

• Glass replaced in two windows -- Ordered. Should be in and installed soon.

• New front door -- Got it. Love it. It changed the look of the house (both inside and out), but for the better IMO.

• Patio area -- We took advice from our landscaper and decided to wait on the brick or stamped concrete patio area in our backyard (he said, "That's expensive and how do you know you'll like/use it?" Good point.) Instead we bought a fire ring and to see how much we would use it. Found out soon thereafter that there are rules on having fires in our neighborhood, though the mayor's office and the fire department seem to differ on what they are exactly. Still deciding how to proceed.

• Landscaping -- We had several overgrown trees (and one bush) taken down, a good part of our "woods" cleared and mulched (we did much of this ourselves, saving us some good money), plants added around the yard, the area under our deck leveled and rocked, and a French drain installed to help with drainage away from our house. We still have more to do and may get some done yet this year. No matter what, we'll still have a list for stuff to do in "phase 2" next year.

• Lawn mower -- Got one. Love it. So does my son, who does most of the mowing.

And just in case anyone is wondering, let me repeat that 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 another update at the beginning of the year so you can keep tracking our progress. ;-)

Comments

[Mark]

I just got back from my honeymoon in Hawaii and absolutely loved it. Any particular islands you were planning on going to?

[FMF]

Mark --

I have an upcoming post about this in early September where I'll ask for suggestions (look for it and offer your thoughts), but for now I'm thinking Oahu.

[Budgeting in the Fun Stuff]

You have so much more patience than me and Mr. BFS. We seem to go out and get whatever we want after looking around for deals for a couple of weeks.

Let us all know what yuo decide in regards to the laptop. We're in the market as well...

[SWW]

If only there were a few more like you.
You seem to know what you want and are able to save for it.
Well done.

[brooklyn money]

FMF, I am like you in that I've been saving for years and now that I'm spending everyone else is in saving mode. It's good to go against the grain.

[Beth]

I've used a friend's ipad and found that they are terrible for typing! If you need to write a lot, I wouldn't recommend one. The touch screen is also rather annoying for trying to click on links when they're in a list. (my friend keeps accidentally clicking on ads just trying to hold and use the thing.)

Other than that, they're great devices.

[Deanna]

I enjoyed reading this post and look forward to hearing how the rest of the purchases on your list go. Have you thought about using layaway for any of the big ticket items? I've teamed up with Sears & Kmart to share smart shopping tips. If you know you need an item, but don't want to incur finance charges, layaway seems like a good option that allows you to pay off the purchase interest free over a set period of time. Have you ever used a retail tool like layaway?

Deanna

[FMF]

Deanna --

No, we usually save up and pay cash, and shop around to get a good deal. I'm not sure how layaway benefits me as a consumer. I see how it can benefit the retailer though.

And as for Sears and Kmart, I try to buy as little as possible from each of them. I haven't had much luck with either in the past.

[Matt]

An IPad? You disappoint me. Over rated and very irritating.Nothing more than a glorified Iphone and a dumbed down laptop making apple rich.

I prefer my laptop anyday over an IPad.

Maybe you should wait for the MaxI-Pad.

[Rich A.]

FMF,

Apple is giving away a free iPod Touch with every computer purchase (desktop or laptop) as part of a back-to-school special.

I'm heading to Chicago too, the week of Labor Day, and noticed that many of the museums there are offering free days. You can Google "Chicago museum free days" to find some sites that list the dates. Maybe your trip will coincide with the dates they're free.

Rich

[Pamela]

I wish I can do these as well. Most of the income goes to the bills; the rent, car insurance, electricty, cable and phone plans.. argh! What a pain.

[Doug]

My wife and I went to Oahu for our 10th Anniversary. We greatly enjoyed the Royal Hawaiian (the pink palace) on Waikiki. Obviously Pearl Harbor is a must, and touring the USS Missouri was interesting. One of the absolute highlights was a shark encounter, you can check it out at hawaiisharkencounters dot com. We are hoping to go back in the next few years with our kids. Trip Advisor is an awesome resource for planning a vacation anywhere!

[KH]

Am I the only one surprised by this? I'd say that you are overthinking and wasting time "researching" and so on for months over several very minor purchases. Isn't time an asset you should also be aiming to conserve?

This is especially odd since you have shared with us that you are very financially secure. You are agonizing over spending on a table? A lawnmower? A laptop?

My advice is to just buy quality and after that the exact model & other particulars isn't really worth sweating over.

Lawnmower: buy a Honda.

Laptop: buy a Toshiba.

Furniture: Get it from a reputable mass retailer like Pottery Barn or similar and be done with it. They have catalogues showing entire rooms of stuff that "goes" together--why not get it all from there? If you want, you can go to one of their stores and get additional advice from one of their designers for free. Let the pro's worry about design stuff like keeping the scale of the pieces appropriate and making sure the styles match. It's not worth trying to save a nickle here & there on furniture by picking up different pieces and trying to put the design together yourself--you'll be looking at that stuff for decades to come. Unless of course, you are actually an interior designer or enjoy that sort of thing!

Car: I'd buy a Honda. Go to a dealership and drive a couple models. Pick one. Check the prices on the internet. Go back and buy it. You can do it all in 1 afternoon.

Landscaping: OK this does take time and thought. Something to consider: it is critical to start now with a coherent design that looks good and that takes everything into account so that 5 years from now you aren't forced to redo stuff or move things because it looks bad or you installed a tree that quickly got too large for your yard. Consider hiring and paying a landscape designer (check with local nurseries) to do a comprehensive master design for your property, including all drainage plans, fences, tree identity placement, pool, whatever, and that is integrated with your house's style, soil, sunlight exposure, and all local codes. Then you can do the actual work a bit at a time either yourself or via hiring outside people.

[FMF]

KH --

1. We're doing more with our lives than just making purchases, you know. We do have other interests. ;-)

2. We didn't become wealthy by buying the first thing we see/want.

3. "My advice is to just buy quality and after that the exact model & other particulars isn't really worth sweating over." Really? You don't mow your own yard, do you? Ha!