Sunday, August 06, 2006

Rambling

The hydrangeas are blooming all over town. I haven't seen any "blue" ones though, they all seem to be white. (Ours is still in the ground and it is still in "brown stick" status. Yes I know that means it's dead, but it looks all Ikebana in the garden, so it's still there.) We bought a blooming jasmine to replace the dead stick we bought, only to find out that they can't survive outside for the winter so we can't put it in the ground.

It looks like we are buying that property. Both spouse and I are very excited about it. We are using all of our means to acquire it, and even though the property will have a positive cash flow, I'm going to go into extreme spendthrift mode, I just know it. I get nervous when the savings fall below a certain level.

A long time ago, I chose bankruptcy to eliminate all the debt I had accumulated in college. What were the credit card companies thinking? In the end, they "gave" me over 50,000 dollars in credit for a student working as a busboy in a hotel - part time. I lay the blame squarely on them. (It feels better to blame them than cop to being irresponsible.) It was the easiest thing to do, fill out a few papers, make sad eyes at the judge and POOF! No more creditors.

But then, you must live within your means for 10 years as that's how long the black mark follows you around. And so I did, and continue to do so. I have credit cards now, but I never let them carry a balance. Ever.

How did I get from flowers to here? I have no point. Really. Enjoy the day.

18 comments:

Snooze said...

There's nothing wrong with living frugally. If only more people in our society aspired to do so.

Anonymous said...

My Grandmother used to have beautiful hydrangeas - I remember she used to put nails in the ground around the roots to make the blooms change colors - I do not remember the original color of the flower or what color the iron from the nail changed them to, but I just remember how pretty they were...

How did I get from you not carrying credit card debt to my Grandmother sticking nails in the ground around flowers...

Enjoy your Sunday!

CoffeeDog said...

Our hydrangeas bloomed this year for the first time! They were pinkish.

Mrs Coffeedog is very frugal, can get a quarter out of a dime. I am more free with money, but then I earned more than her in my life so it's easy to see where we get out styles. It's TAX FREE weekend here in GA and I think we are going to go buy a dining room table this weekend....more on that on my blog I'm sure.

The Lone Rangers said...

Congrats on the property!!

Leave the hydrangeas alone they'll bloom next year...

I didn't have a job in college (I went on the Army GI bill) and still got a TON of cards, I never paid off and caused me angst later in life...

r said...

Flowers are always good.

I'm proud I've paid off my huge credit card debt. Yes, I have more (debt) now, but not like before. I think it's just important to figure out what one can live with (being frugal, using credit, adding that extra shot of cream in one's coffee each morning), and then figuring out how to make that work.

Hope your day's great.

Chunks said...

Money is money. It doesn't matter how much you have saved, it's not like you can take it with you when you die. Better to spend it, live out your dreams and do what you like while you are here. As far as I can tell, the world is ending anyway, so let 'er buck!

-signed Chicken Little

dirk.mancuso said...

Congrats on getting the property!

As for how you got from flowers to financial responsibilty, who cares? Your posts are always worth the trip.

Anonymous said...

Hydrangeas are one of my favs. The bloomin' season here is long gone. They're brown sticks again. Lots of pretty electric blue ones too. You know you're pretty smart for at least handling your debt, instead of sinking deeper and deeper. Oh and your eyelid flip from a few posts ago is scary. *Runs to hide under the bed*

Adam said...

I say you return the stick. Even in the sweltering heat here in Dallas my hydrangea is blooming and its "blue."

Congrats on the new property.

Nicki said...

I'm down to one credit card, finally. Everyone tells me how good that is. Then I tell them the balance on it, and they choke.

Congrats on acquiring the new habits - they're hard to come by.

Anonymous said...

I wrote a coment filled with witty remarks and roll in the floor jokes and one liners that would make anne coulter crack a smile, but when I tried to post it, I got a disconnected window. Anyway, just put the Jasmine in the ground pot and all and don't forget to dig it back up before frost. Here is one joke I had before. You could plant the Jasmine and the pot seperatly. Having a balance on your credit card is required by the constituion of both Canada and the USA i'm pretty sure.

A Bear in the Woods said...

I went through pretty much the same thing, 'cept on a little bit smaller scale. And now I tend to obsess a good bit over outflow as opposed to income. Credit Cards! For me it was like the CC companies put a nuclear device in the hands of an angry baby.

GayProf said...

When I graduated college, I had zero debt – No student loans, no balance on any of my credit cards, no car loan. I was free and clear. Then I decided to go to graduate school. Now I am crushed by debt. Ugh. Why don’t I have an ulcer?

That’s great news about the property! I know that you and Spouse will make it even more fantastic! Does this mean you will be launching your own line of adult toys as well?

Sunshine said...

I love the quantum leap. :P

Patricia said...

every time i see a hydrangea, i think of the brown stick. i simply refuse to give up on it. congrats on the property, sir landlord!

Mark in DE said...

Hydrangeas and azaleas are my two favorite flowers. There are lots of blue, violet, and purple hydrangeas around here. I've heard that the acidity of the soil determines their color, and that you can change their color by adding things to their soil. Just FYI, in case you want to try a little chemistry in the garden.

Jason said...

I don't think you can eliminate your student debt by declaring bankruptcy here in Canada anymore. :(

Jenn from WA said...

As I understand it, the color of the flower is affected by the PH of the soil. We have acidic soil in the Northwest, so voila: Blue hydrangeas. Akaline soil will create pink hydrangeas. For bluer hydrangeas, add aluminate sulfate to the soil to make it more acidic. Old time gardeners used citrus rinds around their hydrangeas for bluer color. For pinker hydrangeas, add dolomite lime to sweeten the soil. Add these substances to the soil in the Fall every year.