Update on Our Shopping List

In January I gave you all an update on our shopping list. Now that a few months have passed, I thought it was time to give another report. Here goes:

• Car — I’m planning to begin my car-buying process in the next couple of weeks and have a new vehicle by the end of October at the latest.

• Vacation — We’re off to Chicago (hopefully, we’ve had to postpone a trip here twice) in September and looking at going somewhere warm in the winter. I’m thinking Hawaii at the end of January.

• Laptop — Still postponed. I’m wondering if an iPad will be a better option for what we need.

• Furniture — Closing in on a table for our “study.” Still need two new chairs, a coffee table, and an end table for the living room.

• Glass replaced in two windows — Ordered. Should be in and installed soon.

• New front door — Got it. Love it. It changed the look of the house (both inside and out), but for the better IMO.

• Patio area — We took advice from our landscaper and decided to wait on the brick or stamped concrete patio area in our backyard (he said, “That’s expensive and how do you know you’ll like/use it?” Good point.) Instead we bought a fire ring and to see how much we would use it. Found out soon thereafter that there are rules on having fires in our neighborhood, though the mayor’s office and the fire department seem to differ on what they are exactly. Still deciding how to proceed.

• Landscaping — We had several overgrown trees (and one bush) taken down, a good part of our “woods” cleared and mulched (we did much of this ourselves, saving us some good money), plants added around the yard, the area under our deck leveled and rocked, and a French drain installed to help with drainage away from our house. We still have more to do and may get some done yet this year. No matter what, we’ll still have a list for stuff to do in “phase 2″ next year.

• Lawn mower — Got one. Love it. So does my son, who does most of the mowing.

And just in case anyone is wondering, let me repeat that NONE of this stuff, either stuff we’ve already purchased or will purchase, has been paid for by borrowing money (nor has it been taken from our basic savings plans — 401k, 529s, etc.). We have made and will make purchases either out of current income that’s budget for the purpose or out of savings. Of course we will pay with our credit card when we can (getting 2% back all the time) but we’ll always pay the amount in full when the bill is due.

I’ll give you another update at the beginning of the year so you can keep tracking our progress.