Staying Put, Creatively

As I've posted before, my husband and I live in a HCOLA in a very tiny apartment. We spend $1000/month to rent a studio apartment that's under 500 square feet. Previously, we rented a dungeon basement apartment that was 1 br for the same price, but it was seriously scaryville.

We've been here for 2.5 years, and lately, we've been tripping over ourselves, each other, the dog, and just about everything we own. I think all three of us have been lusting after more space, possibly a little outdoor action, a bedroom with a door...I watch the craigslist postings just about daily, and have even gone to check out a few places. The rents here have remained relatively stable, with some deductions happening at the higher-end luxury market. Everything I've found has either been very expensive or it's been scaryville part 2. I feel like we're comfortable with the rent we're paying, and even though we could probably go up as high as $1500/month, we're really not into the idea of spending more on housing at this point. We'd much rather be able to pay off our debt faster and have more flexibility in our lives.

We've decided to stay put, for at least 1-2 years, and invest a little in making our little place comfortable. It's comfortable, but I feel like it has a very temporary feel to it. I'm an avid reader of apartment therapy and a devotee of Ikea, and I think over the past month or so I've really developed a vision of how we could be comfortable here - feel at home. We've also decided to make some changes in our lives as well, non-habitat wise, and for some of them, I will need a dedicated office-type space here. Over the next few weeks, we'll be installing shelving on the walls, decluttering some of our stuff, and I'm starting my campaign for a loft bed. I know they're sometimes dorm-like, but I've seen some done really nicely that don't make me think college. As long as I get my way, we'll be getting a queen-sized loft to accommodate the mattress we already have, and I'll be constructing my office underneath it, sort of like this (layout of the loft/office wise, not decor):

You can see the living area through the slats - this is underneath a loft bed, with plywood used to create 'walls' - click the link to see more pictures - the entrance way is covered by a paper screen

Also, we'll be purchasing this bad boy as soon as all my amazon gift cards come through:

jigga jigga yeah! portable washing machine baby!

no more dirty expensive laundry room for the negative_net_worth household!

We have a sweet paint hook-up, and my husband already owns more power tools than Sears, so we'll be doing the labor ourselves. I expect (hope?) that we can pull this all together for under $1000. I hope, anyway! It won't be perfect, but at least it will be home.

And...if we make this work for a few more years, that tinyhouse is going to seem like a mcmansion!

Sick Days

Hi blog! It's been awhile! It's been just as long since I looked at my checkbook too and I feel pretty bad for being so neglectful. I have good excuses, I promise! In addition to working my tush off this month, I came down with a terrible cold. It came at a pretty lousy time, and I'm sure it took longer to run it's course because of the sick day drama that I deal with whenever I'm sick.

In theory, if you're sick, you should stay home. I've always been a strong believer that sick people should indeed stay home, rest and get better, and not infect the masses. But what's a girl to do - if I take sick time at work (which is supposedly allowed), I get attitude from the boss. I can understand bosses' opinions on the subject - excessive sick time is a pain in the ass, it interrupts the normal course of the day, makes business operations more difficult, whatever - but occasional sick time should be respected, and the person involved should not be made to feel like a jerk for staying home. Or worse, feel like they can't stay home. I wouldn't be fired for staying home sick, but I definitely am in the position where if I stayed home, things would not go so good. I can only hope that one day, I'll be the employer, and I can have a fair sick policy.

How does your employer feel about sick time?

In other news - I still seem to be spending less money this month with the less rigid budget. I'm taking it easy this weekend to get over the tail end of my cold and will be catching up with the checkbook and plans!

Freestyle Budgeting

Freestyle budgeting is my clever little title for what I've done in terms of budget this month. I think it sounds a lot better than "I was so busy that I didn't really sit down and write this month's budget".

What I've done is simply write down the bills I need to pay and when, and have a general idea of everything else. I haven't accounted for the extra income this month (so far $700 and counting between myself and my husband) and I didn't go to the bank and withdraw the household funds for the month. I think I was spending more because the cash was there and it was "in the budget". I'm not sure if this is working out so well because I'm just so dang busy that aside from grabbing takeout and being a bit delinquent in packing my lunch in the morning, I'm not really spending money or that it actually is a better method for us to be less rigid. I'm going to try it this way for the month and then see how it all stacks up in the end. If I'm able to pay off more debt in October than I was in September, I'll try it for another month.

I've been a very delinquent blogger this month as well, and I keep telling myself that it's because of my extra work, but I really do need to keep posting to keep myself accountable. I haven't done much goal wise this month - again I'm blaming the extra work - and now I'm sick. I think my body's telling me to slow my roll.

I'm already looking forward to this upcoming weekend, during which I have NOTHING planned. Aside from catching up. And the following weekend, I have a delightful fall day planned - pumpkins and apple picking and the whole nine yards. Looking forward to that has been keeping me going these past couple of weeks. I also chickened out and canceled my root canal. I have totally convinced myself that canceling was wise - I want to have all of the money saved up first, just in case something happens and we were unable to pay for the remainder of the procedure after I'd started already without resorting to credit. Stay tuned to see if I actually get it done or not after the money's saved! (don't worry...I will. My mother and my husband have already made me swear I will. And I won't break my word to them!)

And in the extra job front...things are better. I'm feeling less intimidated by this group of people. I'll be posting more about why soon.

Awkwardness

Do you feel awkward around people you know are better off financially? I grew up with a wide range of friends, some down right wealthy, some lower middle class, some who would be considered poor. I am from a solidly upper middle class background. I never felt awkward or uncomfortable around any of them or around their families. I also work in a very affluent area, but deal with the same type of mix of people daily. Again, never had a problem, didn't fit in, felt inferior, whatever.

But lately, I've been in a bit of an odd situation - I've been around a particular group of very wealthy folks in a work-related (on my side job) way and I don't feel comfortable around them. (We don't work together, I work, and come into contact with them) These folks are obviously very well off. They dress their kids in designer clothes, drive nice cars, live in huge homes, donate princely sums at the drop of a hat, etc. Their lounge wear probably cost more than my nicest dress. And I feel very small around them. I know it's stupid and silly, but I just can't seem to get a handle on the whole thing. I don't think it's the wealth itself is the issue. I've been on equal terms with richer people. And I'm not jealous of them. It's more of an undercurrent of awkwardness. They're polite, and it's not meanness, but it's clear that they regard me like a piece from a different puzzle, which is what makes me feel so uncomfortable.

Forget Bacon, We're Bringing in a Pig

It's been a little quiet here at negative net worth land because I've been very busy with the extra income opportunities I mentioned back in September. I'll be working after my day job some additional evenings this month and possibly into November, worked this past weekend for a second gig, and will be doing that next weekend as well. Also we had a nice little surprise, my husband was given two extra days of work this week due to another employee's absence. He'll have a nice little sum in overtime on his next paycheck.

In terms of October income, we're doing great! In terms of October budget, I'm behind - I still need to write it. What is it about going away for a week that makes you 3 weeks behind by the time you get back? Argh! I'll be playing catch up today while trying to rest for my busy week ahead.

Bye, Bye September!

Another September gone...fall's here, I'm another year older, and Gingerbread Lattes are coming around the corner, and 2010 is approaching quicker than I'd like.

I'm not proud of how I did in September. Our vacation ended up being a real shitstorm compared to what we'd planned for. I'm still glad I relaxed enough to go ahead and spend the money on it, but it does delay debt reduction once again. I think that I tend to plan an awesome budget and stick to it, but then I don't execute it properly. I'm still trying to find the willpower to actually do what I plan to do. Maybe it's because my goals still feel so far away. Or maybe because we plan and the universe laughs. Or maybe it's because I've been a bit depressed about my recent birthday. I'm not sure what my road block is. I'm making progress, but slower than I should be. I'm definitely not overambitious with my plans.

Whatever it is, I really hope to do better in October. I think I will start posting a weekly update on how I'm doing with my goals and budget for the month, instead of doing it on a monthly basis.

September Goals in Review:

-10 NSD...I only had 2.

-5 Frugal Fun Days...I only had 1

-$500 saved towards my root canal...money's in the account, just waiting to transfer to savings

-Made no additional debt payments this month

Dentistry in America

I read this interesting article about dental care in America today. It's actually an interesting series, and I'll be sure to read the future articles as they're published.

As I've posted, I'm facing a very expensive root canal, $1200, despite my dental coverage. I really wonder if my dental coverage is even worth it for me and for my employer. My employer could instead pay me whatever is currently being spent on my dental premiums, which I could in turn save myself for my dental care and considering that in an average year I only go for cleanings, I'd likely come out ahead.

And although spending on dental services is less than 4.5 percent of health care expenditures, a greater percentage comes out of patients' pockets. Whereas only 10.3 percent of physician costs, 3.3 percent of hospital care, and 26.8 percent of nursing-care expenses were paid out-of-pocket in 2007, Americans paid 44.2 percent of dental bills themselves.

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Despite its many limitations, it's better to have dental coverage than to be without it. The National Association of Dental Plans found that the 152 million Americans who had dental insurance in 2007 were 49 percent more likely to have visited the dentist for a checkup or cleaning in the previous six months and 42 percent more likely to take their children to the dentist twice a year.

In the end, I likely be too afraid to approach my employer on the subject - never give up something like fully paid insurance premiums - but it's definitely something to think about. And please don't get me wrong - I'm grateful for my dental coverage, and I think more people should have it as a part of their benefits package. I just get the sense that it's one of the best rackets out there...