Present
Flexible Stimulus Spending
So, the stimulus checks are coming. I already spent part of mine on a pocket camera. I have a decent Kodak that is smaller than a DSLR but bigger than most point-and-shoots, so it’s kind of bulky to carry around. I thought I’d attempt to bring this new one to concerts and see if I could get any shots. I would never print any of those out, so zoom quality isn’t as important. We’ll see. It’s red, it’s tiny, it’s cute, and it will be my everyday camera. This bodes well for my 101 project, as I’ll attempt to take one photo every day in May…
The rest of my stimulus check? I’m debating whether to put it towards my car loan or stick in in savings. I’ve been doing really good about savings, but I’m torn between building a 3-month emergency fund and paying off the last debt I have. I have been throwing a little extra towards Colbert the past couple of months, so we’ll see what I decide once that money’s in there.
Next month, we’ll have a Flexible Spending Account at work for the first time. Sounds like a no-brainer to me, seeing as I have two (generic) prescriptions every month. I figure if I overestimate my needs and have too much money left at the end of the year, that’s the time to stock up on Claritin. Because seriously? The allergies are horrible. For someone who never had this problem as a child, I long for snot and sneeze free days. Seriously.
But yeah. Still trying to pinch pennies where able. I know you’re saying that going out and buying a camera is not “pinching pennies”, but I did not use my credit card (which still carries a zero balance, by the way!) and hope to get a lot of use out of it.
Now, if we could do something about gas. I know, I live in the cheapest state in the country, as far as gas goes. I also spent over seventy-five bucks on gas last month. On a Chevy Cobalt. And I don’t drive a lot. So, yeah. One bill goes up, another comes down. And Diz bores her readers yet again with money talk.
Discussion
8 comments for “Flexible Stimulus Spending”
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Whoo HOO for photo projects in MAY of all months! :-) gas is up to 3.55 here for reg unleaded. theres talk of a Florida gas tax holiday, which is bad cause then the roads stay sucky. I’m doing all right with my 365 project, uploading photos nearly every day. I’ve had to cheat once, but I Did spend nearly two days layed up with the back. ;-) i have to type my info in here every time :-) but i do it, just for you! :-)
I have an older version of the Fuji Z series and love it. Perfect size for keeping in your pocket, and I like that the lens doesn’t protrude, so you can be a little less obvious when taking photos in public. I’m itching for the new version of this camera since it has the option of taking 2 photos simultaneously, one with flash and one without.
Put your money into whichever pays more. If your loan has a higher interest rate then your savings, pay off the load first. Get rid of a loan and it’s less of a millstone.
In Europe it’s around $8.40 for a (US) gallon of unleaded. You have it cheap.
@Luka - Gas is in the 3.40’s here. I think I should use my feet more. And do you mean cookies aren’t working? I wonder if this is a widespread issue…
@Jeremy - You know, I didn’t realize I had that option till you mentioned it. I will have to read my manual ;)
@Whome - It’s the last loan I have, and the interest is higher. But I’m not comfortable anymore having no savings at all. It’s a balancing act. And $8.40 is ridiculous. I’d be making the most of public transport at that rate.
Why don’t you split the rest? Put some in savings and some on your loan. Oh, I spend $75 in gas a week. Pat lives an hour away. That’s two hrs on the road. Kris goes to school 40 miles away and he goes 3 days a week. His job is 20 miles away. I wish we could spend $75 on gas. At least Kris is almost done with school. Although, I’ll be going there eventually. Maybe by then we’ll have the money to buy that Hybrid because there is NO way I’m taking the bus to the *D*!
I comment on your blog a lot. I need a life.
Oh, I have a Fujifine Pix S series and I love it. It’s the DSLR wanna be. I still haven’t figured out how to use it. I want a regular point and shoot but Kris may hospitalize me if I buy another camera. ; ) I love the Fuji. It takes awesome pictures.
@Jennifer - Yeah, I may split it. We’ll see. I would like a Hybrid but they’re so expensive! Maybe someday.
Nothing wrong with DSLR wannabes. I love my Kodak. I need to practice more :)
Oh, and I like that you comment on my blog. We both need lives.