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Emily and Ginger's Journey:
To do or not to do? That is the question.
With a budget in mind, we're often faced with the question, “to do or not to do?" Often, there isn’t a right or wrong answer, but rather aligning our decisions with what gets us closer to our goals. We're constantly negotiating needs verses wants, especially with discretionary line items in our budget. Here are a few examples that I'm sure you can relate to.
One of Ginger's all-time favorite musicians came to Milwaukee earlier this month. Tickets were very expensive, and this was definitely a want and not a need. The last time she saw this artist perform was 15 years ago and she wasn't sure if/when the opportunity would present itself again. Ultimately, she made the decision to spend the money, and it proved to be a worthwhile, monumental investment! It was a day-trip getaway with her best friend (without kiddos and spouses) that was priceless and a rare opportunity. Over the next several weeks, Ginger limited spending money on her wants so she could stay within budget. She was able to practice autonomy in a way that felt good to her, while honoring the family's budget.
This past weekend, we got a babysitter, as did our best friends for Saturday night. We were going to venture out on the town for a few drinks. We were really in the mood to play games and thought about bringing one to the bar with us. Ultimately, we decided to cancel our babysitter and have our friends over to our house for drinks and games instead. We had a great time and saved money! We also have a pre-planned date night later this week so we wanted to be mindful of our entertainment budget for the week.
And since winter decided to come full swing very early this year, we quickly realized a number of essential items we needed to buy, including a winter coat, several pairs of winter boats, and a scarf. We didn't have these items worked into our budget just yet, but with good communication and some space in our budget for wiggle room, we got everything we needed to stay warm for the winter. At the end of the day, it all comes down to open communication with your spouse, commitment to working together toward financial goals while also maintaining space for flexibility and autonomy, and preparation for the unexpected curveballs.