Just a 47-year-old mom of 2 in Northern California. My kids are Monkey Monkey(MM) and Drama Llama (DL). I am married to Monkey Hubby (MH). School is slow and unorganized this year. Received $60 request for field trip fees. I am quite sure they did not use all of last year's fees (only went on like half of the field trips originally planned!) BUT, no carryovers like they did before.
They "unofficially" asked for $25 for supplies and $10 for t-shirts. It's annoying because if you don't send the money in "just so" it will never get cashed. Even when you send it in, in a requested envelope - it takes a year to cash.
No envelope - just like a call or an e-mail message. Ugh. Sending it with the field trip fees - but separate checks to help along with the bureaucratic process. I know if I send one lump check it will ruin "the system" and never get cashed. Gotta love it!
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Someone mentioned to me new cars don't need "smog checks." Car is not "new" and we bought dh's car just as "new" and have always had it smogged.
But I finally looked it up - must be a newer rule. My 2005 van does not need a smog check for first 6 years.
Who knew something was "cheaper" by going "newer?" There's a first. 
I can't say I minded having to fix my van's problems. We can put it off a month or two, but I still want to fix it this year...
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Is the grass always greener on the other side?
In this economy, renewed jealousy continually rears its ugly head. Of course everyone is jealous that my spouse does not work.
I think it's just a side effect of being more social. The "jealousy" was just as pronounced when the economy was booming. The more we socialize, the more we hear, "It Must Be Nice."
Even a good friend of mine asked the other day if my spouse was working or looking for work. Huh? Where did that come from? Have I ever mentioned he was looking for work?
The kicker was when another confident, well off friend, started in on the jealousy thing. Oy vey! Just didn't expect it from her. I think she is just in a bad spot right now, with her job. She is in a similar profession and has taken to telling me how lucky I am to have such great hours (as if this fell into my lap? Believe me, I know I have it good - I worked for it. & I have no idea what I will do to maintain said work schedule as my boss rapidly nears retirement). The spouse at home is just the kicker. I have a little sympathy - she switched jobs hoping to rachet back a bit, but instead the hours have been worse. I think she is just a little blindsided, and her husband has been working out of town. I think it is temporary jealousy.
It's just ironic when someone who makes 2-3 times your income voices jealousy of your slow work schedule. She could quite easily cut back her work hours and salary by six figures. But, she may have to give up the luxury cars and the multiple homes. !!!
As with most people, jealous of the leisure time, but not jealous of much else. Not jealous of the older/cheaper cars, pinching pennies, eating in most nights, etc.
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With time, dh's volunteer schedule is REALLY filling up. I guess in this economy it is harder to find volunteers - I don't know.
To those who think dh just sits around at home - I laugh. I think I prefer my work schedule!!!!! Well, I am sure I do. (I prefer working to taking care of kids and household - no doubt about it).
It is probably one of my biggest pet peeves - the whole idea that the only thing worthwhile in life is working for a paycheck. There is plenty of other important "work" in this world.
Grass is Always Greener...
August 19th, 2009 at 03:17 pm
August 19th, 2009 at 03:22 pm 1250691748
As the stay at home spouse, it was nice to see your last comment
Most women who I know who work are envious of my situation as a SAHM. Funny because DH's minivan is 12 years old, our vacation this year was subsidized by my grandmother, I coupon and scavenge sales, and my clothes are not of the high-end designer caliber.
The fun thing about the SA Community is like-minded cyber-friends.
August 19th, 2009 at 03:51 pm 1250693474
August 19th, 2009 at 05:32 pm 1250699525
The funny thing for me is I met a lot of people here when we first had babies - and were WAY more broke than now. A lot of those people were snotty to me then, and these days they are looking me up. They want to hang out with old, poor, Monkey Mama, so they can feel better about themselves. Thing is, things are better now for us than have been since having kids. They keep telling me, "I thought you had no money for that. I thought you never ate out. I thought you never bought anything or went on vacation." Um, yeah? For a couple of years so I could take some maternity leave? Balance is extremely important to me. I could give up anything material to spend time with my newborns. Now they are in school, I am making almost doube the income, and we have a few more luxuries. My priorities have evolved. Spending months at home is no longer a priority.
They are just SO clueless that we are here because of making sacricies for a short time. It's like the sacrifices we made to get into our home. So we lived like college students for a couple of years out of college. So what? Was 2 years. Big whoop. PEople don't understand how freeing it is when you live on little means due to CHOICE. Doing it out of necessity is not the same thing. I am afraid I have dissapointed a great many people who thought they could identify with me in hard times. They are annoyed I have disposable income. Even more annoyed my spouse still doesn't work.
August 19th, 2009 at 05:33 pm 1250699622
The funny thing for me is I met a lot of people here when we first had babies - and were WAY more broke than now. A lot of those people were snotty to me then, and these days they are looking me up. They want to hang out with old, poor, Monkey Mama, so they can feel better about themselves. Thing is, things are better now for us than have been since having kids. They keep telling me, "I thought you had no money for that. I thought you never ate out. I thought you never bought anything or went on vacation. I thought you weren't saving for retirement." Um, yeah? For a couple of years so I could take some maternity leave? Balance is extremely important to me. I could give up anything material to spend time with my newborns. Now they are in school, I am making almost doube the income, and we have a few more luxuries. My priorities have evolved. Spending months at home is no longer a priority.
They are just SO clueless that we are here because of making sacricies for a short time. It's like the sacrifices we made to get into our home. So we lived like college students for a couple of years out of college. So what? Was 2 years. Big whoop. PEople don't understand how freeing it is when you live on little means due to CHOICE. Doing it out of necessity is not the same thing. I am afraid I have dissapointed a great many people who thought they could identify with me in hard times. They are annoyed I have disposable income. Pretty much - these are people I Can never please, and I could care less about them after the way they treated me for being "different."
August 20th, 2009 at 06:08 am 1250744938
August 20th, 2009 at 07:30 am 1250749855
August 20th, 2009 at 04:16 pm 1250781415
August 20th, 2009 at 05:10 pm 1250784603
On the flip side, met quite a few people when we moved here who were in way over their heads, and who weren't very nice to us for being so "broke/cheap." They are literally losing their homes, and coming around a bit. Some they have been looking me up and being nice to me - maybe realizing they were a little harsh and we are faring okay. BUT, then they say, "I thought you couldn't afford anything. I thought you never ate out. I thought you didn't vacation." Almost accusingly. Um, yeah? When we made 50% of my current income and my priority was staying home with my newborn babies a few months? Priorities evolve? Hello? I think they thought they could suddenly identify with me, but they don't.
Cutting down because you "have to" is nothing like cutting down because you "want to," for a specific goal. I think most people still have a long ways to go, overall. More desparation, still about as much cluelessness.