Core Values
“Nature abhors a vacuum. And so do I.” – Anne Gibbons
In December, I mentioned two personal goals for the New Year: 1. Track expenses for a few months and 2. Live without a cleaning service.
Well… the living without a cleaning service lasted less than 30 days. We just couldn’t do it. Our friend at My Open Wallet left this comment on the cleaning house post, “I think for a couple, housekeeping can be an issue that is worth resolving via outside help-- either a cleaning lady or a therapist!”
Truer words were never spoken. No therapy required. We quickly found a new cleaning service. The ironic part of this story is that the new cleaning service is $10 more a week than the other one. So much for saving money… but at least we’re back to living in a clean home with a loving home life. Even the cat is happy.
This brings me to the overall topic of reducing our latte factor and why I thought it was smart to track our expenses. I still agree with the saving money experts that you need to know where your money is going but after a month of writing down every penny, well, there weren’t any surprises. I actually was delighted to find that we don’t spend as much money on eating out as I expected. Our biggest expense is groceries… we’re very happy staying in on Friday night, sipping wine as we cook dinner together. And especially now that the house is sparkling clean.
In a post last month, called Workforce, I mentioned that I agree with Loral Langemeier’s new book, The Millionaire Maker, and why she doesn’t preach about cutting expenses. She says, “Millionaires don’t worry about a latte a day.”
Terry Savage at MSN Money writes, “Certainly, you can affect your personal balance sheet by spending less money dining out or on entertainment. Making a pot of coffee at the office instead of buying a $3 latte will make a slight difference in your cash flow. But the big difference is usually made on the income side of the ledger.”
So I’m sure that writing down your expenses is still a good exercise if you’re a spend thrift or impulsive shopper and you find that the small leaks are sinking the ship. For me personally, this has never been a problem. I’m even a tight wad when I travel on expense account. I guess I just wasn’t born with the consumer-gene.
I think the thing that sets people apart is their income potential. And it’s not about making more money at work. Earned income is usually capped. Passive income is what I believe makes people wealthy. If you’ve been following Sitting Pretty for any length of time, then you all know how I feel about this topic… my personal mantra… buy income producing rental properties.
In December, I mentioned two personal goals for the New Year: 1. Track expenses for a few months and 2. Live without a cleaning service.
Well… the living without a cleaning service lasted less than 30 days. We just couldn’t do it. Our friend at My Open Wallet left this comment on the cleaning house post, “I think for a couple, housekeeping can be an issue that is worth resolving via outside help-- either a cleaning lady or a therapist!”
Truer words were never spoken. No therapy required. We quickly found a new cleaning service. The ironic part of this story is that the new cleaning service is $10 more a week than the other one. So much for saving money… but at least we’re back to living in a clean home with a loving home life. Even the cat is happy.
This brings me to the overall topic of reducing our latte factor and why I thought it was smart to track our expenses. I still agree with the saving money experts that you need to know where your money is going but after a month of writing down every penny, well, there weren’t any surprises. I actually was delighted to find that we don’t spend as much money on eating out as I expected. Our biggest expense is groceries… we’re very happy staying in on Friday night, sipping wine as we cook dinner together. And especially now that the house is sparkling clean.
In a post last month, called Workforce, I mentioned that I agree with Loral Langemeier’s new book, The Millionaire Maker, and why she doesn’t preach about cutting expenses. She says, “Millionaires don’t worry about a latte a day.”
Terry Savage at MSN Money writes, “Certainly, you can affect your personal balance sheet by spending less money dining out or on entertainment. Making a pot of coffee at the office instead of buying a $3 latte will make a slight difference in your cash flow. But the big difference is usually made on the income side of the ledger.”
So I’m sure that writing down your expenses is still a good exercise if you’re a spend thrift or impulsive shopper and you find that the small leaks are sinking the ship. For me personally, this has never been a problem. I’m even a tight wad when I travel on expense account. I guess I just wasn’t born with the consumer-gene.
I think the thing that sets people apart is their income potential. And it’s not about making more money at work. Earned income is usually capped. Passive income is what I believe makes people wealthy. If you’ve been following Sitting Pretty for any length of time, then you all know how I feel about this topic… my personal mantra… buy income producing rental properties.
posted by Nina Smith at 5:27 AM
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