10 on the 10th: Money and Spending Habits

 Since the 10th falls on a Saturday this month and I always link up with Lysha for her ISpy photography challenge each Saturday I thought I'd take a break from my usual Friday Favorites post and share my answers for Leslie's 10 on the 10th instead.  This month we're talking about Money! 



1. What was your first job?  How old were you when you started working? My first job was working at Brook's Pharmacy. I was in high school and not yet able to drive but the pharmacy was only a few blocks from our house so my parents didn't mind driving me. I started out working as a cashier but hated it and my best friend's mom (who was my boss!) offered to have me take over ordering and keeping the make-up wall stocked and organized.  I was told repeatedly that I was the best person they had ever hired for that job.  

2. Tell us about the best job you’ve ever had.  And the worst. I have been really lucky in that I've had lots of great jobs!  Of course my best job ever has been being a mom and a homeschooling mom at that. I love these years I've gotten to spend alongside my boys. 

They were so little when we first started!  My sister was homeschooling too so we used to meet up almost weekly for some outing and adventure.



I also worked at a few day cares while I was in college and for one of them my sister and I worked in the same infant room. It was so much fun working together!  


I worked as a substitute for a few years-- all long term sub jobs where I really got to make connections with great classes of kids.  The job I was most excited about-- being a librarian at the private school my boys were attending ended up falling through at the last minute when the school shut it's doors less than a week before we were due to start.  I did get paid for the school year though so it wasn't a total loss. 

I met one of my best friends while I was working in a consignment store in college (which I'll talk about later). We were bridesmaids in each other's weddings and still get together at least once a year with all our kids. 


3.Are you a saver or a spender?  What about your significant other? I am definitely a saver!  Though I have no problem spending money I like to watch our account balances swell and grow.  We always joke that while I am great at spending small sums of money often my husband hardly ever buys small things like clothes and shoes but enjoys purchasing bit ticket items-- like the ranger or the jet ski.  Lately he's been pricing out Polaris Razors and a newer car for me... I keep putting him off but I'm sure he'll wear me down eventually.   

 



4.Have you ever played the stock market?  Do you play the lottery?  Ever gambled?  Ever won big? While I have never played the stock market I do own stocks.  My grandfather made a bit of money with the stock market and invested in Walmart socks for the family each Christmas (just small sums that he set to automatically reinvest) before his stroke and his passing.  I honestly don't know what to do with them so they just sit there and I read my annual reports on them.  

I have never played the lottery but have been to Vegas and the Ct casinos a few times. I have played slot machines but am not very good at all.  I'm happy if my $20 bucks can last me a few hours on slots.  

Taken on our 10 year anniversary trip

My mother in law always put a few scratch tickets in our Christmas stockings and one year I won $100; that's probably the biggest win I've ever had. 

5. What is your favorite way to splurge?  What do you dislike spending money on most? My favorite splurge is our family vacations.  We tend to do them up big every few years and have had some really fantastic trips making great memories together.  






I HATE spending money on taxes; specifically our property taxes which are no joke here in CT. I feel like we get so little back for all that money-- our town struggles to keep their schools accredited (one big reason why we turned to homeschooling at the urging of my fellow teachers and school principal), our roads are always full of potholes and cracks from our harsh winters, and we have no trash pickup/ street lights/ town water/ etc. out where we live.  

6. How do you save money?  Do you save change?  Christmas Club or vacation accounts?  Time-share?  I save money in lots of small ways-- some months I make sure to leave my credit cards at home and only spend what cash I have on hand when I go shopping. We do save up all our pocket change and turn it in every year or two.  Mostly though I look for small ways to cut back on our spending.  We have looked into a few time share properties but each one so far that we have looked at actually cost more in the long run!  So we vacation in the off season and take advantage of sales and discounts. I am a big sales shopper when it comes to everything! Even my new living room set was 40% off!




7. Who pays the bills?  Who does the taxes?  Do you file early or last minute? I pay all the bills and while I gather all the materials we have a tax accountant do our taxes for us.  

We typically have to file an extension each year because it is a very lengthy process with the various businesses that my husband is owner/ part owner of.  The business taxes have to be settled first since their gain or loss is partially used to determine our taxes (somehow?  I really don't understand our taxes anymore; which is why we hire someone for that!).  But this year they are already done and filed! It feels so good to have that out of the way. 

8.Name brands or generic groceries?  Favorite stores to shop?  Have you used grocery pick up?  Delivery? Coupons? We buy a good mix of brand name and generic groceries.  I'm always up for trying the store brand but some just don't live up to the name brands.  

My favorite grocery store is Market Basket but we shop all over.  We began using grocery pick up this past year when it became available in our area (delivery is still NOT an option here).  And I have been loving grocery pick up through our local Stop and Shop (the only chain other than Walmart that even offers this service).  



I will use coupons but since me mostly buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat it is really hard to find coupons to use. 

Inside our local Market Basket



9.Do you shop thrift stores and yard sales?  Ever used Poshmark or eBay? I don't shop thrift stores or yard sales anymore but I did work in a second hand/ consignment shop when I was in college.  It was so much fun but so hard not to spend my whole paycheck!  I priced out the clothing we received having been a big time shopper with my grandmother I was able to identify the higher end brands versus the everyday and knew what the approximate retail price would be so could price things accordingly.  Having a first glance at the clothes before they went out on the floor was so tempting!  I used to bring armfuls of clothes to the consignment shop and made some good money doing that  until they all shut down.  

I used to sell lots of retired Stampin Up! sets on eBay when I was a demonstrator but often felt that the time and expense of shipping them wasn't really worth the few dollars I was making. Now I just keep all my sets and enjoy using them to make cards and things.



10. Is there anything you collect or save thinking it might be valuable some day? Nope!  I am not one to really save or collect anything. 

Linking up with: On the Edge, 










Comments

  1. Family vacations are worth every penny. I used to sub too. Thought about doing it again but the way the schools are, that’s a big no, lol. Have a great weekend.

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  2. It looks like I missed the second parts of these questions on mine! Oh well. Good point on being a mom being the best job. I didn't think of saying that!

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    1. Oops! LOl. I'm sure your post is just fine.

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  3. Our taxes are no joke in Illinois too, and I hate paying them too. :(

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    1. Taxes are the worst and they just keep going up and up..

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  4. I am for sure not good at the big purchases. As a kid I struggled to spend birthday gift cards bc I was afraid I would use the funds for the wrong thing!

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  5. Really enjoyed reading this! Amen for splurging on vacations- yes please! :)

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    1. Thank you! I can't wait to start spending on vacations again.

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  6. I love these prompts - I'm doing them next week.
    I used to work in pharmacy when I was in high school & LOVED IT. I would hate to do it now - I bet with insurance craziness, its a whole other ball game.
    Vacations were meant to splurge

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  7. Yes to splurging on family vacations! That's what we usually splurge on, too! Totally worth it! And I love your Vegas picture. B and I used to go there every year before we had kids. We love Vegas! We're not huge gamblers either, though. We spent most of our time seeing the sights and eating all the food!

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    1. That's what we did! Lots of great food places to pick from too.

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  8. So fun to read! I worked in pharmacy for all of my "working outside the home life" (around 25ish years), loved the pharmacy life in Germany so much more but also enjoyed it here in the States!! Now pharmacies are just too busy with hours cut and a pill to take for simply every little ailment, vaccination clinics on top of dispensing meds - I couldn't imagine going back. Loving being a SAHM/housewife/part time blogger.
    Spending money on vacations is truly the best money spent!

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    1. I think it's the best money ever spent too.

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  9. I haven't been buying much since the pandemic. We spend the most on travel, but don't regret a thing. Thanks for your blog visit!

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    1. We haven't been buying much this year either; which my bank account is just loving!

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  10. I don't shop consignment anymore either. I used to shop Ebay though. I am a saver most of the time too. But I am the worst at saving for vacations. I love the throwback photos. Have a great weekend!

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    1. I used shopped Ebay a time or two but never did much with it; even on the selling end.

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  11. How interesting to read and so nice to learn more about you.
    My fella and I are the same. I can easily spend small amounts but he is the one to make all the big purchases. x

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  12. LOL - I am a huge spender. Sometimes my husband tells me to chill out haha!

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    1. My husband says I spend a lot too but I am buying clothes, shoes, food, toiletries, etc. for the WHOLE family while he only orders things sporadically.

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  13. Loved your post. I would agree, vacations get a splurge. I would've loved to work in a book store. That would be so fun.

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  14. vacations are my big splurge as well. I thought it was interesting when you said your husband spends on big items and you spend on smaller things. I think that is a definite gender difference.

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  15. This was so fascinating to read! I love seeing how other people do things like save money here and there.. and also what they choose to spend it on!

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    1. I think finances and money matters are always so unique and interesting to learn about too.

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  16. Really enjoyed reading this post and getting to know a little more about you. No wonder you homeschool!! How can the school system justify not being able to remain accredited? My goodness!!
    Market Basket!! Haven't thought of them in years. We had one in Memphis that my mom shopped. We really have a drought in grocery store choices around here. Your store looks very well stocked.
    Yay for the great deal on your new living room furniture. I try very very hard not to pay full price for anything. And realy hate paying shipping!!
    We are going to need new cars over here but I am going to make mine last as long as I can.
    Gosh you and your sister look a lot alike. Cuties!!

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    1. Yep, our school gets put on probation for accreditation often-- we pour tons of local tax money into the school but it is always struggling. Having worked inside it I can honestly say it's hard to see where the money goes or even how they could do better. But state funding is based on state testing scores and since it's a pretty rural/ poor area the town usually doesn't rank very high in testing and therefor doesn't get much funding back from the state... it's a crazy catch-22 that puts these at risk kids at even greater risk. There has been talk for years of creating a magnet school since that gets a lot more funding and would draw students (and money!) from other nearby towns but so far that hasn't happened either.

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  17. Joanne, that was really interesting to read! I am not much of a gambler at all (my father was a compulsive gambler so I have always stayed away from it). However, I have visited Las Vegas a few times and do enjoy the slot machines. Like you, if $20 lasts me a few hours on a nickel slot machine, I consider it money well spent for a few hours of entertainment. The very first time I went to Las Vegas, I was playing a slot machine in the airport on my way home and won enough to pay for my entire trip! I think I ended up winning around $2000 on two different slot machines. It never happened again after that first time though! I guess beginner's luck is a real thing. LOL

    Shelbee
    www.shelbeeontheedge.com

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  18. Family vacations are where we splurge too! And you've had some really interesting jobs. I never thought about how you need to know about pricing to work in a thrift store but that makes so much sense.

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    1. Yeah, typically we try to place used garments at 1/2- 1/3 of original retail price (depending on if it's new with tags or not).

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