December MM Randoms

[mrsd2006]

Dec 14, 2023 16:22:37 GMT -5 Stan said:

Dec 6, 2023 9:51:44 GMT -5 scm1011 said:

We discovered last week that we (DH) left the fireplace flu partly open last winter and mold grew inside our chimney. Someone came out to remedy yesterday to the tune of $1300. Ugh.

I laughed out loud at “we (DH)”

We also just had our chimney checked and have similar issues. Waiting on the quote. Also just got a 3k HVAC fix quote and that’s with the warranty covering some.

My mom gave me 10k for Christmas. My kid was devastated when I went to Iceland without her this year (it was for our delayed bc of Covid/deployment honeymoon) so I asked her where she’d like to go on a trip next year. We’re going to Kentucky and Norway. Basically the same trip 🤣.

"Kentucky and Norway" made me lol for some reason. 

Went to Norway over the summer. It's amazing. 

[chpmnk1015]

My son made a club soccer team. So happy for him. Not happy about the $2k we just shelled out for that. Sigh. Daughters next payment is due next week for her too.

Dh did get his clothing allowance for fire depth so that was nice.

[niq]

I booked a Disneyland VIP tour. It's cheaper than staying at the on-site hotel, but definitely once in a lifetime pricing...

Christmas has been pretty MM though!

[midwestmama]

chpmnk1015, ugh, club/travel sports is so expensive! Plus gear and then if you get lessons on top of the team/league fee. DH just asked me last night if I was ok with him booking 10 more private baseball lessons (at $55/each) for DS. The amount we are investing in baseball only with the hope of him making a starting spot on the HS varsity team in a few years... (DS wants to be starting catcher on the HS baseball teams (freshman/JV/V), and we are in a large school district where there are 2500 students in the HS, and there are a lot of really good athletes in his grade.) Now if DS were to get a scholarship to play baseball in college, that would be fantastic...

December has not been very MM, as I have paid extra for faster shipping for some gifts to try to ensure they are delivered before Christmas.

[chpmnk1015]

Dec 15, 2023 8:11:14 GMT -5 midwestmama said:

chpmnk1015, ugh, club/travel sports is so expensive! Plus gear and then if you get lessons on top of the team/league fee. DH just asked me last night if I was ok with him booking 10 more private baseball lessons (at $55/each) for DS. The amount we are investing in baseball only with the hope of him making a starting spot on the HS varsity team in a few years... (DS wants to be starting catcher on the HS baseball teams (freshman/JV/V), and we are in a large school district where there are 2500 students in the HS, and there are a lot of really good athletes in his grade.) Now if DS were to get a scholarship to play baseball in college, that would be fantastic...

December has not been very MM, as I have paid extra for faster shipping for some gifts to try to ensure they are delivered before Christmas.

I hear ya!! My son played jv soccer this year as a freshman and hopes to be varsity. He's had some shi**y experiences w daddy ball coaching in town and all those kids will be coming up next year. Ugh. So he wanted his own this. And yep training tonight at 50 bucks. Ugh

[niq]

FYI the NCAA publishes the percentage of high school athletes who compete (scholarship or not) at the college level, and this is probably too optimistic, because it doesn't include players who only play for their club/select/AAU team.

Scholarship or no I think goal-setting, teamwork, etc. are great! I just wish there were a cheaper way to do it than these club/select teams.

www.ncaa.org/sports/2015/3/2/estimated-probability-of-competing-in-college-athletics.aspx

[ohgillian]

I joined a new (to me) credit union that we were eligible for because I had wondered about joining it anyway, and now they have an 18 month CD at 5.75%. I needed somewhere to park the next-car fund and that seems like a good spot. Given the time horizon, I’m not willing to invest it in some thing where it could lose money.

Downside we are now members of 3 credit unions which seems excessive??

[sadlebred]

Dec 18, 2023 15:24:02 GMT -5 niq said:

FYI the NCAA publishes the percentage of high school athletes who compete (scholarship or not) at the college level, and this is probably too optimistic, because it doesn't include players who only play for their club/select/AAU team.

Scholarship or no I think goal-setting, teamwork, etc. are great! I just wish there were a cheaper way to do it than these club/select teams.

www.ncaa.org/sports/2015/3/2/estimated-probability-of-competing-in-college-athletics.aspx

So in other words, you better be female playing ice hockey with those odds!

[bee20]

Those NCAA numbers are actually higher than I expected! I guess my high school really wasn't a sports powerhouse because nobody in my year played in college.

This is my second year at a company where a significant part of my compensation is bonus which varies year to year. My boss is incredibly hands-off so it's hard to gauge my performance. Happily I got more than I was expecting but with this compensation structure I can't just call it all fun money like I did at my last job, where the bonuses were just small perks. I've told other people to use 10% for blow money, but that seems off here.

[ohgillian]

Dec 11, 2023 16:15:27 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

Dec 11, 2023 13:51:06 GMT -5 ohgillian said:

H agreed that we can’t afford a vacation this coming spring (by which I mean “can’t afford it along with all of our other money priorities”) which is good because it has been stressing me out. We decided to do a big trip next Christmas. I’m excited!

How fun! Where are you thinking of going?

We did a small trip over Christmas last year and decided this year that we might want to do that every year.

Not sure but I suggested something that can include European Christmas markets. Open to suggestions.

[ohgillian]

We…..are spending too much money. And we’ve discussed a few times and not changed our behavior.

I think part of the issue is that this is new to us. We bought a vacation house in 2022 and agreed that to afford it comfortably we’d need to cut back. But we haven’t.

To be clear, we are still saving about 15-20(?) percent of our gross income for retirement and both have generous pensions. So it’s not like the long term picture is terrible but I’m mildly concerned about our unwillingness to make the easy changes and cuts that we need to make.

[midwestmama]

Dec 23, 2023 13:48:22 GMT -5 ohgillian said:

Dec 11, 2023 16:15:27 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

How fun! Where are you thinking of going?

We did a small trip over Christmas last year and decided this year that we might want to do that every year.

Not sure but I suggested something that can include European Christmas markets. Open to suggestions.

Yes, you want to go to European Christmas markets!  (I say this because it's on my bucket list.)  A coworker has visited multiple Christmas markets, so if you would ever like suggestions, I can ask her.  I know she loved visiting the market in Strasbourg, France (it is known as the "Capitale de Noel").  (I visited Strasbourg last summer (so sadly not during Christmas market season), and I loved it.  They do have some year-round Christmas shops.)  I have been to the Christmas market in Krakow, Poland, and I thought it was small, but nice, but I have nothing else to compare it to.  (My coworker went to the Krakow market this year, and she thought it was not that great, compared to others she's been to.)  I am in a Facebook group for European Christmas markets so I can live vicariously through other people's trips.

[quesyrah]

Dec 23, 2023 13:48:22 GMT -5 ohgillian said:

Dec 11, 2023 16:15:27 GMT -5 quesyrah said:

How fun! Where are you thinking of going?

We did a small trip over Christmas last year and decided this year that we might want to do that every year.

Not sure but I suggested something that can include European Christmas markets. Open to suggestions.

Ohh this is something both DH and I want to do!!

[midwestmama]

I have had two late deliveries (one hasn't even been shipped yet, and it was supposed to be delivered Dec. 22-27 with expedited shipping), so I contacted both companies to see if they would refund me the difference between regular shipping and expedited shipping. Both companies are actually refunding the full shipping costs, so between the two, I am getting $100 back. That is a nice way to wrap up an expensive month.

[ohgillian]

Dec 27, 2023 13:51:54 GMT -5 midwestmama said:

I have had two late deliveries (one hasn't even been shipped yet, and it was supposed to be delivered Dec. 22-27 with expedited shipping), so I contacted both companies to see if they would refund me the difference between regular shipping and expedited shipping. Both companies are actually refunding the full shipping costs, so between the two, I am getting $100 back. That is a nice way to wrap up an expensive month.

Wow. That’s great!