Thursday, December 28, 2006

Thursday Thirteen

Having the New Year's Talk about Finances

About once or twice a year we go over our finances. The upcoming new year is a good time to think about projects and special gifts that dip into our savings account. So this week we had "the talk."

1. My husband is going on a mission trip to Haiti--or as our daughter has reminded us since she heard, "one of the most dangerous countries on the planet." However, he isn't going to Port au Prince. Then our son-in-law chimes in with snake stories even though we tell them he will be in the city. He will be helping with construction projects for a Christian school where one of our pastors is teaching that is closer to the border with Dominican Republic than to the capital (which really is crime ridden).

2. Special one time gift for our church which seems to have hit a financial rut in the road to support three campuses and eleven Sunday services.

3. Annual gift for the Lakeside Association, the Methodist Chautauqua community on Lake Erie where we own a cottage.

4. IRA contributions for our children.

5. New stove top for the kitchen. This has been on the list for two years. Only two burners have a work ethic--the other two work when they feel like it.

6. Repaint the bedroom. It looked pretty good to us when we moved here compared to the dark brown and gray living room, orange dining room, electric yellow guest room and red family room, but now the dark blue faux stripe walls are looking a bit, um, dark (male decorators used to live here). We'd like to find a color that will work without replacing the carpeting. I asked my husband if he'd like to do the painting himself, and he quickly and emphatically said, NO.

7. Replace the ceiling fan in the bedroom. We really need the fan because it gets hot in the summer. It works fine, but has an ugly problem. Are there attractive ceiling fans? I've never seen one.

8. Replace the cheap medicine cabinet in my husband's bathroom. It's so cheap the door bends when you open it. Add a second mirror with a nice frame.

9. Replace the light fixture in the bathroom, which doesn't cover what it replaced.

10. Find a better bookcase for the bedroom (I've rearranged it and it looks better, but I have to leave it on the list or I won't have 13).

11. Try to find a head board for our bed that matches resembles our 1963 oiled walnut contemporary dressers. I believe this was on last year's list.

12. Find new bedding that works with the new wall color and the new headboard.

13. Replace the wall mirror in the dressing room area which has become streaky with age and can't be cleaned up.

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Visited and visitors last week and today:
Alison, Amber, Amy Christopher, Anale, AnnaMary, Beth, Bookworm, Bubba, Carol, Caylynn, Celfyddydau Chelle Y. Cheryl, Chickadee, Cinderella, Cindi, Christine, Dane Bramage, Darla, East of Oregon, Gracey, JAM, Jane, Janeen, Janet, Jen, Julie, Katia, Kitty, KT Cat, Lady Bug, LaughingMuse, Laura, Leah, Lisa, Ma, Mar, Melissa, Mikala, Misti, Momtoanangel, N. Mallory, Pippajo, Rashenbo, Sanni, She, Shoshana, Silver, Skittles, Something Blue, Sonny, Southern Girl, Smurf, Sparky, Staci T, Susan, Susan (Mustang), Teena, Terrell, Terri, Tiggerprr, Wackymommy, West of Mars.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, that's quite a list. Some nice things, some things that have to be done and charity; you've got it all.
All the best for the new year to you and yours!

Anonymous said...

Great List

Happy TT and Happy New Year

Anonymous said...

We had the talk with our financial guy a month ago, and the talk with each other a week ago. We revisit the talk every once in while to make sure things are on track. Great list! Happy New Year!

tiggerprr said...

That's a great list, some easily achievable and some a bit more complex. I think that's always wise when you're deciding on budget for expenditures, so you can feel accomplishment when you cross off the easier ones to fit in.

Anonymous said...

That's a great idea. We do it, too, but I tend to wait a couple of months to have The Talk about finances, as my husband's generally too shell-shocked by holiday expenditures to agree to much of anything. :)

Anonymous said...

Great list. We're building a new house. So our lives are consumed with all the expenses involved with that. Good luck on getting all that accomplished!

Anonymous said...

I'd try a list of projects for the New Year... but I'm afraid inflation has struck and ours wouldn't fit the category: How about a Thursday 1300?

Good luck with your projects!

Anonymous said...

I wish I could be as organized as you. You seem to really have a plan in place not only for the immediate future but also some longer term goals.

It seems that we never manage to have the finances chat until April. Perhaps it's due to tax season timing, or when the hubby's vacation accrual begins? Then again, it could just be because one of us isn't home and this is something that needs to be done face-to-face...

Anonymous said...

There's always a place to spend money when you own a house! We will have this financial-planning talk after Jan 1. I sure was hoping to sell our other house before then, but it seems highly unlikely. My TT is also posted, looking backward, not forward like yours.

Anonymous said...

What a great idea...going over finances a couple of times a year as a married couple. While I don't know you and your family that well at all, it sounds like you have a great Christian home and marriage.

Thank you for stopping by my blog, even though I haven't posted in a while. I will be putting something up by the end of the day.

God bless you and your family in the coming new year.

Anonymous said...

Nice list :)

Mine's up too ...

Anonymous said...

Great list...

Here's mine for this week..
Parenting & Discipline

Anonymous said...

Thanks for adding me as an official link! I am honored:)

Anonymous said...

the wording in #5 cracked me up ;-)

Anonymous said...

These are great. Esp the mission trip to Haiti!!

Happy TT!

alisonwonderland said...

you've got some great plans for 2007! we have a meeting with our financial planner toward the end of january . . .

happy TT!

Anonymous said...

My husband and I have had the same talk. But that one usually means I can't buy anything until Feb once we pay off our property tax bill.

Happy TT and happy New Year!!

Anonymous said...

We'll be going over our finance too and finally coming up with a budget to stick with. Have a happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

You seem so disciplined about these things. My husband and I talk about it and make plans and then he goes and buys a new car or something. So everything on our list, stays on our list :(.

Sounds like wonderful plans!! I hope your husband is safe in Haiti!

Anonymous said...

A GREAT List and some of them should be on mine.

Ceiling fans... I guess a white one if your ceiling is white - at least it would blend in with the ceiling.

We, too, have property tax that we had to pay. Usually in escrow, but this year we bought a new home and we don't have an escrow account -- think we will remedy that this year!

Anonymous said...

I love your list, I need to make one of my own. One of my goals is to become more responsible.

Anonymous said...

I'd say put the stove at the top of the list. If you can't cook, you can't eat. If you can't eat, you can't keep up your strength for the rest of the list...
Happy New Year!
LBC

Anonymous said...

Maybe your list will inspire me to look at my finances.

Happy TT, and thanks for visiting me!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog! Yours is like walking into a well organized library, not just one that just was organized but one that's still organized. I am paying close attention, the phrase "stays organized" does not seem part of the known language in my world, although finance talks, at least, is. Happy Friday.

Anonymous said...

Good Luck and may 2007 brings you wealth in your pocket and in your heart.

Anonymous said...

Nice TT !!!

PS. Thanks for visiting me !!! :-)

Anonymous said...

nice list.
there are nice looking ceiling fans out there but one must hunt and they can be expensive. we got lucky with the $ on the one in our family room but we paid for th one in our bedroom. it resembles an antique chandelier.
hope you take care of all these goals.
thanks for stopping by my tt this week.

Anonymous said...

your T13 for this week is a great way to record & track your goals for 2007!

thank you for stopping by my T13 & leaving a comment. =)

Anonymous said...

Wow that's a list. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I'll be back to normal next week