spending habits
The Cardinal's Nest

The LAYAWAY plan

September 10, 2011 08:26 AM
“I’m here to see my shoes.” said the woman at the counter. Working in a shoe store during my undergrad, it was not uncommon to be asked if a customer could visit their shoes....like, LITERALLY, pay them a visit. The shoes in question were a tall pair of BEEEEEEAUTIFUL, italian leather boots ($450). The woman was slowly, but surely, paying for them on her layaway plan*. Every once in a while she’d come by just to see the shoes, to be reminded of what she was saving up for.

LAYAWAY PLANS: I have to say, they have a certain charm. People keeping their eye on the prize, but waiting until they can actually afford it before finalizing the big purchase. The weekly deposits were usually cash and for some reason (despite the impracticality of crazy soft Italian leather during a Prairie Winter) these customers were hell bent on owning the product the old fashioned way...which was kind of refreshing.

Can you imagine if we did that with EVERYTHING?

Actually WAITED until we were in a financial position to
DO or HAVE?


Ha! Can you imagine if the apple** store had a layaway plan?! ie: people actually WAITING to be able to afford something before they added to their arsenal? I’d pay money to see the visitor lineups for that. “Hi, I’m here to say hello to my phone.” But THAT would never happen.


Why?


Because, admittedly, our world is evolving so quickly, that by the time you paid something off, it would have already become obsolete, not to mention that we don’t do that, anymore:


WAIT.


But there are some things you just can’t wait for.


(This is the Cardinal’s Nest letting singers off the hook for spending money like water while they invest in their career.) It’s FALL, and it’s time for auditions. It’s time for gigs to get under way. Time to consider:

  • food
  • travel
  • coaching
  • lessons
  • subletting
  • renting
  • searching
  • spending
Tis’ the season for singers to start flexing their financial muscles, and to make sure there’s something waiting for them on the other end of that high C.


What’s your financial plan this FALL?

Did you SAVE for upcoming expenses to cover the onslaught of auditions
(insert: $4 iced latté remorse)
or will you DIP INTO DEBT and plan the payback in January?

There’s no right or wrong answer to this one. Y.A.P. auditions don’t have layaway plans, and gig opportunities wait for no soprano visiting her accompanist with $10 instalments. It’s gotta’ happen and it’s gotta’ happen now.

So, how will you do it?

  • What do you project you will spend this singing season?
  • What do you project you will earn?
  • How will you account for the deficit or surplus?

(inquiring minds want to know)

Thanks for reading!


*layaway plan: I don’t know if stores still have a layaway plans like the 80’s and 90’s...and if you’re too young to remember that term, don’t tell me. : )))

**apple: yes, I mention apple products a lot. I have never seen a retailer like them. The entire mall will be empty and there’s apple, packed to the rafters with people pushing their way in to be a part of that community, visiting their future

to leave a
COMMENT ON THE BLOG
or to
LIKE/SHARE on FB
click on ....

Comments

Generation UpGrade

March 16, 2011 09:19 AM
It’s yellow, it’s at least 50 years old, and.... it works.

My grandmother was a key figure in my adolescence. I often find myself quoting things that she would say, or mimicking things that she would do. She was an incredible combination of glamour and practicality. Her hat, shoes, coat, scarf, and gloves would always match, but were of the highest quality so, she didn’t need a lot. She had her hair DONE, and most importantly, she always had chocolate ice cream in the freezer for me.

I inherited her blue, blue eyes, her not too wavy, but not so straight hair, her tea service; and I even wear her engagement ring. One other gem that I covet as much as her tea service, and ring is .... her super duper General Electric HAND MIXER!il_570xN.161394092
Yellow like banana custard; solid as a rock. This gadget will out live us all. I’ve used it since I was SEVEN! It was made in a time when industry hadn’t completely figured out that if you make it just good enough, people will buy the next version in a year or two.
It was the generation that made things to last.

I think that we live in a most amazing time where progress and technology seem limitless. It really is mind blowing. I do wonder, however, how it will change the way we will leave a legacy to the coming generations. Our cars, gadgets, and fads last just long enough. I swear (I am being totally serious) there is a timer inside my ipod that is getting ready to say, “this ain’t your grandmother’s mixer. Go buy a new one, sukkah!”

Do we appreciate the fact that we seem to be the generation that invests in things that depreciate?
Are we turning into generation UpGrade?


Since we are in heading into tax preparation time, I thought I’d send out a challenge to see how much you spent on upgrades this year?

  • Upgrades that were a choice, and upgrades that were forced upon you because your investment (gadget) from last year conked out this year?

  • Could you have gone without an upgrade and have invested in your professional development or future savings?

  • Did your upgrades help generate more income or opportunity? (be honest)

I’m curious to hear from you. I don’t need dollar amounts but, it would be interesting to hear how frequently upgrading played a part in your financial overview.

Thank you for reading and writing in. Happy calculating! : )

FOR ARCHIVES please click on www.thecardinalsnest.tumblr.com I will be transferring them over to their new home in the near future.

Comments