It’s tax week, also the week the mortgage is due; I’m doing up customer invoices, and a couple days ago negotiated a new contract starting next Monday.
This morning, I balanced my biz and personal checking accounts through my bank’s online service. Yesterday, flush (pun intended) with our recent successes around town water installation and yard clean-up, Peter and I talked about the next round of modest home improvements at 11 Edgewater.
In other words: money time.
As a generally mature adult, I’m embarassed to admit that money scares me.
I’ve lost thousands in my retirement accounts because of this. I’m so intimidated by the prospect of Making A Mistake that I’ve let investments slide that I should have gotten rid of, thus Making A Mistake.
I’m one of the few people who’s actually lost money in real estate, having bought a condo when the market was high, and sold it when the market was barely above low.
My neighbor next door has been preparing taxes for over 20 years, and he offered to do my Corporate returns for me this year, thus saving hundreds in accountant fees.
Last night as we went over the final figures, he was actually gleeful – he “likes taxes”. It’s a mind-puzzle for him, and I must admit that I don’t mind doing my personal returns, for the same reason.
But the money factor is still a ridiculous bogeyman, and it might be because there are so many options, so many ways to screw it up.
Stupid example: how easy is it to pick the wrong hairdresser, thus wasting a chunk of hard-earned, after-tax dollars? I envy Peter and my friend Mike, who have decided to go bald.
I hate to shop for almost anything, and have the highest sales resistance of anyone I know. Every decision is wrenching, from deciding on a roll of adhesive tape (good old reliable Scotch or some cheap foreign rip-off), to buying a new laptop.
One of my female friends loves to shop consignment, and sometimes I go with her, just to stay in practice.
Everyone with disposable income has their own personal quirks about spending, and that would be an interesting study.
I don’t mean yet another disgusting list of excesses by the rich, but examples of oddities, like people with six-figure incomes who won’t spend money on long distance.
On the other hand, the last thing the world needs is yet another testament to the American obsession with personal finances.
Especially when you consider that if the Bushites have their way, everyone but the upper 1/2 of 1% will be broke soon enough.
Money – ugh. Can’t live without it, can’t shoot it.