Money Matters

So I don't usually talk about finances on my blog. Because a) that can get maybe a little TOO personal for strangers, and b) nobody cares.

However with that said, I am kind of feeling like now is a good time, what with Chad and I just getting a mortgage and with the holidays coming up and whatnot. I apologize because this may be a long post.

We have known going into this house purchase that we will be putting a LOT of money into the house (although not all right at the beginning, obviously). Everytime we each get paid, we put money into a joint "house" account to pay for things like the bills, projects, etc. This isn't something new for me. The past couple years, I have been shoveling money into my savings account in anticipation of this purchase so I wouldn't go into financial shock. Chad, however, has not quite been doing that. He doesn't complain about putting the money aside, but I can tell it's hard for him to not be able to just go spend however much money he wants on whatever hobby is in season at that time.

The thing that I feel like I struggle with is knowing when to spend money on myself. In all honesty, when I get paid, my money goes towards my car payment, credit card, house account, savings, groceries, and gas. The only things I really buy for myself are a movie here and there, and maybe some books. And when I do buy those things, I feel guilty.

Is that normal?

I posted on Facebook last week that I could really go for a pedicure. A friend of mine saw it and we made plans to meet up yesterday after work to get pedicures and chat (since we never get to hang out with each other... different work schedules, etc). 

It was a good time. I really needed it. But at the end of it all, I felt guilty for paying $25 on a pedicure.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! I mean, seriously. It's not like I am unemployed or have kids to feed. It's $25. But I still sit here and tell myself that there are so many other things that money could have gone towards.

You wanna know my ultimate financial goal? To have a house payment and normal bills, but not have any other debt. I don't want to be paying on my credit card for the rest of my life (although it's got a really small limit, so it's not like it's a HUGE deal), and I don't want to always have a car payment. Yes, I realize that eventually my car will need to be replaced, but I don't ever want to be one of those people who pays their car off and immediately goes out and spends another $25000 on a new car to pay on for another 6 years. 

Really that's the only thing this post was about. Nobody talks about these things on blogs... I see so many posts about people buying Tory Burch shoes, or going to Starbuck's twice a day, and it makes me wonder... do people REALLY use all their money that way?

I dream of being debt free!!!

Source: Uploaded by user via Julie on Pinterest

That's all I have to say about that.