Preparing for the future lifestyle

[Tenacious_D]

Hey all,

I have a while to go before I can even think about what kind of lifestyle change is going to happen once DH starts making money again. Have any of you thought about what life is going to be like once some money starts coming in? What will you do? Will you continue to work if you are working now? Will you get help with the kids? Travel, shop, pick up expensive sports etc. My DH and I (pre-med school) enjoyed a certain lifestyle and I wonder when we will get to return to some of those things we used to enjoy when we had money. Just curious.

[rainbabies]

[Vishenka69]

We never really had a lifestyle that we had to give up (as medicine is DH's only career) but having 2 incomes for a couple of years is definitely better than having only one. As for the future, I have so many plans and wants that it'll take a day to list everything. I do have very strict priorities, however. No big purchases until we buy our own place and possibly another car. But once we get that out of the picture, the floodgates will be open.

[spotty_dog]

Maybe I'm naive, but I don't anticipate any major changes. We've been lucky to maintain a pretty luxurious lifestyle throughout medical school. Our needs are being met, as are most of our wants.

It *will* be pretty swell though when I'm not the only breadwinner.

[Malpka]

A cleaning lady. We had one when we were both working, but had to cut it out when I became a SAHM. I could live without the rest forever, but there WILL come a day when I will no longer have to scrub floors and toilets!

[Cumberland]

A horse. I had one when I was a teenager, and had to sell her when I went to college. I have told DH that I would like to get one when the kids are in school. I have no plans to stop working, I really like what I do and it is usually ( but not always!!) low stress.

[Tenacious_D]

Rebecca I love your Avatar

I was one of those kids who didn't grow up with very much. A lot of hand me downs. So when I finished undergrad DH and I both had pretty decent paying jobs (I was a teacher and he a Chemist). I enjoyed this new life of being able to buy new clothes and the such. It only lasted a few years but I enjoyed the vacations and other fun aspects of having some money and I just realized the comfortable living was just a tease and now I am back to the way it was when I was growing up. It could be worse though so I guess I can't complain....maybe just a little.

[Vanquisher]

As for the future, I have so many plans and wants that it'll take a day to list everything.

I am with you on this. The list is long. So long, in fact, that I doubt I could remember it all. I can't count the number of times one of us has said, "One day when we have money..."

I would just like to get rid of the worry about money. The constant worry. Oh, and then we will get to the list.

1. Cars that are new and nice and run.
2. A Professional Kitchenaid stand mixer. (This is on my mind as I bake for the cookie exchange.)
3. Clothes in Ann Taylor (if they fit me) without looking at the price tags.
4. If something breaks, fixing it.
5. Cleaning service.
6. Decorations for my house and nice furniture that, get this, matches and isn't made of particle board.
7. I could go on and on and on, but at the risk of sounding too materialistic, I'll stop. :!

Danielle, we had a nice middle class lifestyle before this too. Not as nice as some other folks our age, but firmly middle class. I also grew up in a frugal environment. Of course, not having a lot of money in the 1970's/80's is a lot different than not having a lot in 2005. NO one wore anything designer in the world I lived in.

1. Hybrid cars for both of us.
2. New wardrobes for all of us.
3. A cleaning service.
4. front loading washer and dryer.
5. A green house.
6. To feed my inner furniture whore.
7. No worries about healthcare.
8. No free lunches.
9. A Dyson
10. One of everything Fiesta ware.

[DCJenn]

We had it and now that I'm not working, it's sort of on hold. Of course, the fact that he earned a salary while attending med school and will be promoted before we leave DC DOES help. and we were completely insane with the stuff that we did prior to my quitting my job.

So, once the income begins to flow as it once did:

1) New car for me. Haven't decided what, I was going to go with the Accord Hybrid but the Civic just won Car of the Year so I'll maybe check that out.

2) Vacations, vacations, and more vacations. I LOVE to travel so my poor airplane-phobic husband is just going to have to get a grip. (hey, he managed to survive Aeroflot from Moscow to Perm without a problem. Of course the beer he slammed prior to boarding didn't hurt)

3) New bedroom furniture. and NOT from the PX.

4) A complete new wardrobe of undergarments. NOT from the PX.

5) Reinstituting the maid service (actually this is going to happen in January because we will have to put the house on the market and to be honest, they do a much better job in 1/4 the amount of time.)

6) Finishing our home gym equipment so that there is no need to join a gym (although the ones on the Army posts are usually nice, we just don't live close enough to plan on going. Maybe when we move)

7) A house with a yard big enough for my poor pup to run himself ragged.

Jenn

[DCJenn]

Tracy-

the dyson is totally worth every single stinking penny we paid for it. With 1 dog and three cats, I HAVE to vacuum every day. We killed two previous vacuums. This thing rocks. and it's purple. How fab is that?

Jenn

Oh, Oh, and when I finally mail our last credit card payments I'm xeroxing a picture of my butt and sending it to them with a note to Kiss It because they won't be seeing a bloody dime from us ever again!!

:>

Our finances have ebbed and flowed depending on my employment status. Things I have missed when not working -- getting the house cleaned, travel, not as much worry around car maintenance and tire replacement, clothes and such for kids. I anticipate that when DH finishes, it will be more of a bump than my income so I would add more travel to the list. I'm sure I will think of plenty of other things.

[Vanquisher]

Oh, Oh, and when I finally mail our last credit card payments I'm xeroxing a picture of my butt and sending it to them with a note to Kiss It because they won't be seeing a bloody dime from us ever again!!

:>

Thanks Annie, I can always count on you to make me smile. Love you!

[Vishenka69]

Reading all of your lists, I now feel guilty for wanting anything. Aside from my own car, we already feed our other indulgences (cleaning woman, travel, clothes). Although it would be nice not to wait for 6 months until something goes on sale and out of season and not to have furniture that falls apart when you simply look at it and be able to take a bath in a brand new bathtub (not the one that's twice my age and has seen at least a dozen other tenants)...

Time to get back to work, so we can at least afford our current lifestyle.

[migirl]

the dyson is totally worth every single stinnking penny we paid for it.

While I've only been a Dyson owner for ... 10 days now, I agree with this 150%. WOW, is all I can say about the amount of dirt/hair/dust/grime this thing picked up and EWWWW about the fact that it was all living in our carpet unbeknownst to me and our old Kenmore! After using it just *twice* I had to empty the collection canister!