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Archive for November, 2007

Booked other trips - Vegas and Paris. House can wait.

November 30th, 2007 at 03:35 pm

I have read your comments, thank you.

I also thought about it, and decided to give it another year - to take advantage of more travelling opportunities.

We had to book the one to Vegas yesterday (our free ticket was expiring). We had to pay for the second ticket(we wanted to go on the same flight), so the airfare for both of us ended up costing $350. (from NY).
We are going in 2 weeks.

And, we booked our hotel room in Paris (on Champs Elysees!) for 7 days. Costs €580 per day - does not even have a pool, but the location! Of course, I would not pay €4,000 for a week just for the hotel. We are doing it with DH's reward points.
(I have to get some compensation for him being away almost 100 nights a year).

I think with hotel costs out of the way, Paris can be financially manageable. Man, dollar is so weak! it is at $1.47 for €1 now.

Do I want a house??????

November 28th, 2007 at 10:30 pm

I do, and I don’t. I keep thinking about it, we got pre-approved… we almost submitted an offer and than I chickened out.

I do want a house, with a yard (even a tiny one), with trees seen from the window, a driveway of my own to park anytime, a WASHING MACHINE at home! (my dream). New York renters will understand what I am talking about.

But if we buy one:
No more month long vacations abroad.
No more ski trips.
No more eating out with friends.
No more nice wine.
No more shopping.
No more family nearby.
Right now we are renting apartments in the same building. They look after our pets when we are gone, I am not alone when my husband is on business trips, we get occasional hot meals, I can always borrow jewelry/shoes/accessories, tripling my wardrobe…

I can have a house, but would have to give up my life as I know it and count every dollar for many many years.
House would become everything – for 30 years! The loss of freedom that comes with such a drastic cut in discretionary income is scary. Right now we could live on one income in the event of a job loss.

I am looking at a beautiful house in a nice town, and I want it. I want to live in it. I am so tempted.

Is it a good investment? I don’t know, considering where real estate is headed.
Will we suddenly become “typical” people, chained to our house, able to only leave for 2 weeks a year? Does this mean the end of youth?

New holiday ornaments tradition

November 28th, 2007 at 06:54 pm


We have a box of so-so cheap ornaments.
The really beautiful ones are very expensive to buy. (around $30 each - and you need a lot of them) I feel too guilty to do it.

I think we should start a new tradition of buying 1-2 really beautiful ornaments each year, and slowly building the family collection.

We'll remember which ornament we got which year, and if we have kids, we'll have a beautiful tree. (and leave the collection to them.)

Bought all my holiday cards from UNICEF

November 27th, 2007 at 07:32 pm

Good cause and they are beautiful too.
More expensive, of course, but that's the point of fundsrasing.

Also got a beautiful box with blank cards (they have design, but no writing) to use as "thank you" cards.

Now I must actually write them...

I cooked today (a new dish)

November 27th, 2007 at 02:19 am

delicious sandwiches Smile

Took a fresh baguette, scooped out the middle, left the crust.

spread some goat cheese on it, than olive paste and than put some hot califlower baked with garlic(from yesterday), some roasted eggplant and roasted pepper and sprinkled it all with parmesan cheese.

got $500 gift today!

November 26th, 2007 at 04:18 am

We just went out to dinner with 2 friends (a married couple). I was totally surprised when they gave us a card with $500 check in it. It was our wedding gift.

I feel it is very generous, since we did not even throw the wedding. We had a city hall ceremony and an unplanned dinner in an inexpensive restaurant nearby. (it was 5 weeks ago, and we just came back from our honeymoon this Monday)

This couple are good friends, and we knew them even before we became a couple. Still, I did not expect it.

Fast food - it is the smell

November 23rd, 2007 at 08:30 pm

It was cold, so walked into Blimpies, looked at the menu, but could not get anything and walked out. The "fast food" smell gets to me.

In the past few years I walked into McDonalds and other fast food places several times, but walked out unable to eat. I don't know how the smell of these places have does not bother other people.

I ended up eating in Cosi. Only a little better, but $10 for a sandwich and a drink.
I have to start bringing lunch more.

Back today! My vacation total is crazy.

November 19th, 2007 at 05:02 pm

We landed today at 6:00 am.

I just looked at our cash withdrawals and credit card statements we spent close to $8,400! - and we mostly stayed in youth hostels.

I was planning on much less - but Argentina is much more expensive than countries where we normally travel.

We also ate at best restaurants and did active stuff(glacier hiking, paragliding, horse riding, kayaking, camping/more hiking, etc). And 3 internal flights/and 3 overnight buses... And bought 2 expensive ski jackets (when you are freezing your priorities get rearranged fast) and a fantastic leather purse for my moms birthday. But still, that price tag is high.

Now I need to get into the money saving mode. It will be tough to give up nice wine. Frown