10 on the 10th: 04.10.2021

 

Hello tax payers and fellow IRS refund anticipators, coming to you on the 10th day of the month for 10 on the 10th:  04.10.2021.  For today’s post we are responding to 10 questions about money.  Or as the O’Jays sang back in my high school days (when I didn’t have any) money, money, money…MON-NEY.  MONEY!!

Hope you will join me!!

10 ON THE 10TH:  04.10.2021

 

I chose this theme for April because here in the U.S. the deadline to file our taxes for the previous year falls on 04.15.2021.  Or the next weekday after the 15th when it falls on a weekend.  Figured all of us Americans would have money on the brain.  Here in Texas, though, our deadline for this year has been extended to 06.15.2021.  On account of Snovid.

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You know, the snow storm that paralyzed the Lone Star state for about a week in February.  I guess all that snow really put a crimp in everyone’s tax filing preparations here.  Contemplated taking the extension myself for our taxes but just didn’t feel right about it when we had barely a snowflake fall.  Sure digging all the cute graphic tees Etsy has for the snowstorm survivors, though.  Think I can get away with wearing one of those?

10 Questions About Money

 

Here are the questions I posed for this month’s post.  As always, I invited participants to take them in their own direction.  To just have fun with them!!

First Job

 

• What was your first job?  How old were you when you started working?  After babysitting, where I was more interested in cleaning the people’s houses than paying attention to their kids, I was a waitress.  Waitressing was totally out of character job for someone as shy as I was.  But over the years, it has been my go-to way to make money when times were tight.  Have slung food at Shoney’s, a steak place in Knoxville, TN that was run by General Mills, a pizza place in Memphis, and Pizza Hut in El Paso.  Never been a stranger to hard work or working multiple jobs at once.  It’s often been said about me – ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ – Donna Summer (1983).
  

Worst Job

 

• Tell us about the best job you’ve ever had.  And the worst.  Best job by far…elementary school librarian.  Loved being with kids and books.  Worst job…hmmm, there have been a couple of crummy ones.  Worst of the worst was a job where I lasted one day as a typesetter and graphic art assistant.  I was so excited when my art professor mentioned to my class the opening at his friend’s business and suggested I apply for the position.  Even more excited when I got the job.  Over lots of other much more qualified applicants.  On that first day, while showing me the typesetting equipment, my new boss asked if I would be interested in accompanying some of his friends on dates.  Just drinks and dinner.  I would get paid (can you say escort service?) to go on dates.  I said no.  A little later, my new boss showed me how to use the graphic art camera that was in a little booth with a curtain drawn around it.  We had to step onto a platform inside the booth to access the camera.  As we did so, he pulled my sundress top down exposing my bra and breasts.  And I slapped him so hard he fell out of the camera booth, landing at the feet of his wife who also worked the business.  Then I quit.  I’m nobody’s ‘Money Honey’ – Lady Gaga (2019).

Saving Money

 

• Are you a saver or a spender?  What about your significant other?  My natural inclination is that of a spender.  A really rich spender.  Might say a ‘Material Girl’ – Madonna (1984).  And I am not sure why that is.  My parents were very much savers.  Maybe that explains it?  PC is a saver.  And much more cautious about spending money.  However, I do know that ‘(Money) Can’t Buy Me Love’ – The Beatles (1964).
  
• How do you save money?  Do you save change?  Christmas Club or vacation accounts?  Time-share? ‘I Wanna Be Rich’ – Calloway (1989) but I save money very poorly!!  Have several savings accounts in different credit unions and banks but there’s not much money in any of them.  I have always saved change.  Almost something sacred about it and I don’t tend to spend it.  Maybe because it is hard to shop with rolls of quarters, nickels and dimes. We recently cashed in our combined jars of change.  Guess how much we had?  $327.00!!  One of my wellness goals this year was to save for Disney and to open a Christmas Club account.  Done.  ✔️  No time-share.  But have entertained the idea of all of us (the girls, their husbands, PC and I) maybe buying a beach front house together somewhere.

Makin’ da Money

 

• Have you ever played the stock market?  Do you play the lottery?  Ever gambled?  Ever won big?  I do like to play the stock market but never have much money to dabble with.  Right now I am contributing $20 a month to Robinhood.  Toward the purchase of stock.  Made a whopping $2.42 on Friday if that tells you anything.  Have never played the lottery.  And, as a result, never won the lottery either.  I gamble – penny slots – when we go to the Inn of the Mountain Gods in Ruidoso, NM.  But my limit is $20.00.  Never made ‘Money for Nothing’ – Dire Straits (1985).
• Is there anything you collect or save thinking it might be valuable some day?  Once upon a time I did buy Lizzie High dolls for my daughters.  But nowadays the only thing I am collecting is dust.  

Spendin’ dat Money

 

• What is your favorite way to splurge?  What do you dislike spending money on most?  Having a mani/pedi, a facial or massage are probably my favorite ways to splurge.  I don’t buy expensive clothes, jewelry, shoes.  I always have to look at the ‘Price Tag’ [feat. B.o.B] – Jessie J (2011).
  And dislike spending money on going to the dentist – as I type this I’m suffering with a toothache.  Going to have to ‘Put Yer Money Where Yer Mouth Is’ – Oasis (2020).
• Who pays the bills?  Who does the taxes?  Do you file early or last minute?  Generally, PC pays the bills but this month I asked to do it just so I would know where to find all the account numbers, etc. to do so if I ever have to down the road.  I do our taxes, which I filed on 04.01.2021.  While I rarely wait til the last minute to file, I am never in a big hurry to get it done either.

Frugal or Spendthrift

 

• Name brands or generic groceries?  Favorite stores to shop?  Have you used grocery pick up?  Delivery? Coupons?  When I was a single mom, I clipped coupons and took a calculator to the grocery store, keeping track of every single penny as I put the groceries in the cart.  We ate nothing but generic.  Now that I do the bulk of my shopping at the commissary on Ft. Bliss, I buy their generic brand for many items.  El Paso has a real shortage of grocery stores.  No HEB, Kroger, Smith’s, no Trader Joe’s or Aldi.  I shop Walmart and the commissary.  Love grocery pick up for fill-in orders between monthly shopping trips.
• Do you shop thrift stores and yard sales?  Ever used Poshmark or eBay?  My sweet Brennyn didn’t have a single thing her first year of life that didn’t come from a yard sale.  Poor baby girl.  She slept in my hand-me-down crib, had an old high chair from a restaurant that went out of business.  In the colder months, when we came home from Panama to visit my parents, she wore yard sale cold weather clothes.  My days of shopping yard sales are behind me, though.  Especially in today’s Covid climate.  I have shopped Poshmark and eBay a time or two.  El Paso is such a poor community that our thrift stores generally only have poorer quality, well used items.  A lot of school uniforms for kids.  Can’t ever find the bargains my blogger buddies do at their thrift stores.

Your Turn

What’s your relationship with money?  Are you a saver or spender?  What’s your favorite splurge?  Won’t you share in a comment or link up your 10 on the 10th 04.10.2021 post below?

Still struggling some with my blog but hope this will be the week that everything falls into place.  

Thank you for stopping by.

Hugs and kisses,