Yikes! I was super wrong. I am currently putting together budgets for the next year for things I want to do and things we are doing.
- We are in 3 out of town weddings which means 3 weddings x2 (flights and hotels + all the bridal stuff + gifts), 3 showers, 3 BPs. In addition I am in another wedding but it's local but hotels will still be needed and the BP is in Vegas.
- We also have friends having babies and some travel is needed for baptisms.
- We also decided to run a half marathon which recommends a few trial races (smaller ones working up the big one) x2 again.
- We also have a laundry list of things that have to get purchased for the house this summer (we've already cut the want list out all together)
The things above are have to do things, and I do not mean to write that in a negative way at all. I love weddings, in fact I may even be in love with them, believe me I wouldn't miss them oh well unless I had something just terrible happen (which has happened twice in my life). However great they are the fact is they are still expensive.
Additional want to dos that are currently off the list unless I win the lottery
- join friends on their yearly trip to Vegas for March Madness (we say we'll do it every year but something always comes up)
- A trip to Seattle (to have good fish and to check the Mariner stadium off our baseball tour list)
- 525 girls weekend in Florida
- join friends for a 30th Birthday surprise (in Vegas...I'm beginning to think my life would be less expensive if I lived in Vegas)
- A trip to Philly where we can actually watch the Phillies play - more for the hubs
- A trip to Utah to ski and do the Olympic Bobsled (this has been a number 1 priority for the hubs since the winter Olympics...maybe next year?)
- Attend some other sporting events - specific to the baseball tour
- visit my grandmother to see Wicked
- Our 1 year anniversary trip we said we'd take.... a year ago....
Now I know people who do it all and maybe they can do it all but the question is how? Do you put it all on credit? Do you ask other people to pay for it? Do you barter services on Craigs List? Some one tell me how you do it because to be honest, I want to do everything on this list. I will barter, I will barter down to every last item in my closest, I will even go as far as giving up my ovaries - see I'm for real. Let's make it happen people.
Side note: we are also saving to visit my bestie in Germany and then to adopt kids...how do you save while doing all the above? Answer that and I'll make you some Monster Cookies from Jess's recipe.
I feel ya! That is why you need to phase people out, or just say no! You are addicted to weddings lover!
ReplyDeleteI think once you decided if you can manage all of your friends you need to consider what makes the friend think you are important. Not in a bad way, but if you can't go to the 1st b-day party do you really need to go to the baptism? My cousin is the one that told me that, she is on child number 2 and felt guilty about not inviting everyone to the 1st bday that she invited to the baptism, but they never saw the child past then more than once. On the flip-side she felt obligated to do it, not to say she didn't want them there but it just cost too much for her to host it.
Would your friends understand if you sent one of your personal touch presents? I think I would.
Don't put it on credit, you will regret it (hey, it rhymes for a reason).
Just love people from a distance and make cuts, if they are your true friends, they will understand. I have great friends that I see rarely but we send each other little things in the mail that remind us of each other. Then when I see them we have a ton to talk about and it is super fun!
PS. Vegas will be the death of me, I am addicted. Fortunately I can't get there enough because I am also addicted to shopping here.
PPS. A bunch of us were going to go to Germany this year to visit and she is coming back so much that it should be ok to just spoil her when she is here, and visit next year.
PPPS. I wonder if you can get another gig on the side working while you commute to an from work (like reviewing books on tape or writing a column on budges, adoption, or wedding advice for a mag when you aren't driving), use the proceeds from that to fund Germany.
PPPPS. I said I would give you sperm! No need to adopt! :)