Hello Again!

[catccc]

I've found my way back to these boards. I can't remember what year it was that I first read Your Money or Your Life Maybe 2007 or so. I've gone back and forth between committing to it and falling away from it in the sense of formalities and charts, but my heart has (mostly) always been congruent with the principles.

I'm 32, a working (full time) mom and my husband, 34, is a stay at home dad to our 2 children, ages 1 & 3. Our finances are in good shape, net worth is about 338K as of last month. https://www.networthiq.com/people/SustainableSavings We are not homeowners, so no mortgage. No other debt. We max out our retirement savings, and mostly live frugally, and always live within our means. So lots to be proud of, IMHO. But sometimes we want to live it up & do (expensive family vacation to Turks & Caicos, anyone?). And with the growth of my income, I'd be fooling myself if I believed that we have not had "spending creep" in recent years.

I'd like to recommit to formalities and decide how I really want to live my life.

Looking forward to spending more time on the boards and getting to know you!

[razz]

Welcome back. You have done well. What about putting a certain amount away monthly for vacation? Let it build up and then take the vacation that you dream of.

[catccc]

Welcome back. You have done well. What about putting a certain amount away monthly for vacation? Let it build up and then take the vacation that you dream of.

Thanks Razz! I sometimes wonder if putting it aside specifically for that purpose would end up in us taking more of these types of vacations. When the money is all in one big pot, you feel kind of guilty when you do it. Don't get me wrong, we had a great time on that vacation, and I wouldn't take it back, but maybe that kind of vacation you should feel guilty about? One of my personal finance "tricks" has been to "pretend I am poor" much of the time. I don't know, I pretty much feel guilty any time I spend money, and always always rationalize that I "deserve" whatever it is I am buying...

[SteveinMN]

Welcome, catccc! Lots of good stuff and good people here....

I will put in a good word for expensive vacations, however. Your kids are small now, but they won't always be. And no one knows what the future can bring. Family vacations have a dividend that cannot be quantified in dollars and cents. They will be the basis for all kinds of experiences for all of you and build family history. You don't have to make the sky the limit on funding vacations. But don't ever feel guilty because you're spending money building positive memories with your family.

[catccc]

Thanks Steve, you are absolutely right. Spending time with family is something I definitely want to do more, whether it is an exotic destination or not!