Thursday, March 19, 2009

saving money = losing friends?

i am really annoying with this budget thing. let me list all the ways i am annoying:
  • i regularly tell people i can't do things because they are not in my budget. and yes, i admit it, i have occasionally used this as an excuse to get out of something just because i didn't feel like it. however, i feel that is actually justified since if i really don't want to do it, i shouldn't be spending money on it, even if technically i can afford it.
  • i started reading dave ramsey's total money makeover and i am obsessed. i talk about it constantly. my friend eric refers to it as my "cult."
  • due to said dave ramsey obsession, i like telling people what they are doing wrong. to a friend who plays the lottery: "dave ramsey says the lottery is a tax on the stupid." to a friend who bought a new car: "dave ramsey says buying a new car is the same thing as throwing a $100 bill out the window every week." to a friend who is worried about paying for unexpected expenses: "do you have an emergency fund? how much is in it? dave ramsey says you should have 6 months worth of money."
  • i actually am really not even sure what dave ramsey says, but any time i come up with what i think is a good money idea i say it is dave ramsey's idea so that people will pay attention to it. this does not work and people just make fun of me and eric tells them i am in a cult.
  • besides my dave ramsey obsession, i really want to share my new money knowledge with anyone who will listen, and even those who won't. my sister got in a car accident and i wanted to talk about how to save to pay for a new car. then i was like "oh, wait, are you ok?"
  • whenever i go out, i keep written track of my spending. some people are ok with this but others get very uncomfortable when they see me writing down notes on how much i spent after a meal or a drink or a movie.
  • i always ask for deals in restaurants. if i am told there are specials, i have to know what they are and how much. "what's your cheapest beer?" is a common question of mine, followed by, "how much is it?" the other day i was out at a sushi restaurant and the owner came around with a bottle of sake, offering tastes. i would not accept one until i asked, "is this free?" and he assured me it was. some people think this is funny. others really hate it. i say too damn bad, if you don't like it then buy me a drink and then i won't have to worry about the price.
  • i no longer offer to pay for things. i used to sometimes pick up the bill on things here and there, but now i am like "you owe $5 for your drink. plus tip." if someone doesn't leave enough money, i bitch until they shell out what they owe.
  • other side of the coin: i only put in what i owe on group bills. if there is not enough money on the table, i refuse to put in more if i don't owe it (which i almost never do, because i always carefully calculate my portion plus tax and tip). i am not carrying the tip cheaters any longer. i think this probably makes me seem cheap, but again, too damn bad. i have covered the cheap bastards for long enough in my life.
my new thrifty ways are definitely an adjustment for people. in a way it is good in terms of weeding people out. i have felt that some people have been really supportive, whereas some are just uncomfortable or even try to make fun of me. it is very strange and really shows me who is truly my friend. if it makes you that uncomfortable or annoyed to hear me talk about money and watch me managing mine, then you must not really care about me paying off my debt and being financially stable.

10 comments:

  1. I am totally on board. You gotta do what you gotta do. Times have changed and people need to respect that you are taking this new healthy approach to money. I think you are setting a good example.

    Plus I think it's what Tina Fey would do, I just read the Vanity Fair article on her from last month and she is all rules, so she is my new hero.

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  2. Liz, you are my hero. I wish I were this militant about my own money. Also, anyone who's getting annoyed by your budget-consciousness now will just be wild with jealousy when you retire at 45.

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  3. thanks guys! and yes i am all for anything tina fey is doing. i need to read the article.

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  4. People should help take up your slack as they would want their slack taken up by you when they are in need. Anyone who doesn't help you out on the margins but who can is a cheap bastard.

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  5. i hate tip cheaters, as you call them. yet, i lack your audacity to simply call them out and refuse to bail them out. this is probably why i hate the whole idea of tipping.

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  6. You go girl! I'm so incredibly proud of what you're doing!!!

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  7. awww thanks carla!

    douglas: just draw the line. no more!

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  8. I feel you on your Dave Ramsey kick...my friends did the same thing, but gradually they started to come around and most of them have their own Money Makeover Plan.

    When you've got a rock solid financial foundation in the future they will be jealous of the peace you will have.

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  9. Now that I'm back in the real world, I'm catching up on all your blog posts. This is my favorite by far. I can see how some people would be uncomfortable with more public discussions about money and lack thereof, and I'm wondering why that is. Most people don't like to admit when they are hurting financially and talking about debt has been pretty taboo until recently. I'm guessing the people who don't want to hear about it aren't spending their money responsibly and they'd rather keep their heads buried in the sand than admit that they should be as vigilant as you are. In any case, I am super proud of you and will gladly listen to any of your financial advice :).

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  10. Um you sound incredibly annoying. The whole world does not revolve around you and your financial situation.

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