How Many Quarters Can I Stuff In A Phone Booth?

"Flights to Scotland are still so cheap," Doug said. "If we travel before mid-March, we can fly to Glasgow for practically nothing. What do you say?"

I'm in a weird mood, I guess. Part of me says, "I ain't getting any younger, baby. Book it now!" (And that part of me knows what it's talking about: Today is my birthday and, true to trend, the number keeps getting higher.)

Still, we don't exactly have the money to book it now, baby. In addition, we're self-employed, and our outlook for the coming year doesn't hold quite as much financial promise as the year that just ended--although that could change, of course.

Here's the deal: A few months back, I started a Europe fund in a goofy red tin bank that's shaped like a British phone booth, and I've accumulated $290 in spare quarters so far. I'm getting a huge kick out of "saving up" for a vacation, instead of putting it on a card and paying later. It feels good to me--like when we finally go, we will have earned it, instead of just taken it.

So, we agreed on this: For my birthday present, Doug is dropping a nice chunk of change into the phone booth. And then again in six weeks, on our 28th anniversary, another chunk. And then for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and Father's Day.

By the time we finished discussing how to get back to the old country, we were both really excited about our plan to actually save up for it, instead of just booking it, baby.

Question: Do you ever actually save up for a financial goal? Do you feel any differently about that than you would if you put what you wanted on a card and paid later?

Does anyone else believe anymore in the joys of deferred gratification?

Posted by Katy on 12/29/04 at 07:30 AM

Fallible Comments...

I'm downright lousy at saving, but very good at paying back. We do very exact accounting in our household, thanks to my husband and his engineer brain, and my "fun money" fund is nearly always in the red, but I faithfully bring it back to zero before making another purchase.

I like the way you make saving *sound*, though. We do have a quarter bucket but I think I might have to give this a try in a more purposeful way.
-----
Posted by Sarah on 12/29/04 at 02:59 PM
It is too easy to get into the spend and pay back later mode. I am with Sarah and spend and then pay back.

I know that it should be as you described. Save for what you really want. I imagine that the reward would taste so much sweeter.

Take Care
Michael
Posted by Michael on 12/29/04 at 04:42 PM
Happy Birthday, Katy!

What a concept - deferred gratification... Lots of wisdom in your post. Hope the phone booth fills up fast. I predict this is one holiday that, when it comes, you'll enjoy to the hilt.
Posted by violet on 12/29/04 at 04:43 PM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I find that saving up for something is much more satisfying than putting it on a card and paying later. I tend to be a little anxious when I've spent money I know I'll have to cough up later. I hate the period in between booking it (baby) and paying for it, so to eliminate that bit saves me a lot of sleepless nights.
Posted by Mary on 12/29/04 at 06:55 PM
Happy birthday, dear Katy! I hope it's a sweet one for you.

The gratification of saving for something that you really want is definitely worth the waiting. I'm now saving up for a trip to Australia that probably won't be taken until summer, but man am I going to enjoy that trip!
Posted by Amber on 12/30/04 at 12:08 AM
Happy Birthday!

Seeing how I am a college student, I suppose my view is a bit skewed. I have to save up for anything. I have one credit card in my name that I use to purchase gifts without Mom and Dad knowing, and one card on their account for emergencies. Everything else is in the bank.. slowly saving for my next goal.

In fact, I just completed my latest goal, in aim of a ring for my future wife. Next? Saving money, piece by piece, paycheck by paycheck, for a down payment on a car sometime after I graduate.

One thing my Dad taught me growing up was if you save 10% of everything you earn, you will always have a fund for emergencies/retirement. I'm already looking into mutual funds that accept small initial deposits (~$500) so I can start saving for our future. I save 35% of everything I earn or am given as gifts... 10% for the future, 25% for my current goal.

But as I said, I'm a college student who primarily lives off his parents' checkbook. I pay my car insurance and for my own fun things.

I think this was too long. Oops. Happy Birthday, again! :D
Posted by Kevin on 12/30/04 at 03:49 AM
Happy birthday, Katy! :)

Now that I no longer have a card, I'm looking into saving with a goal in mind: down payment for a house one day, overseas vacations, etc. I'm very bad at delayed gratification (no patience to wait) but now I have no choice! hehehee
Posted by irene on 12/30/04 at 08:04 AM
Waiting and saving is definitely better. Sure you could charge it and pay it later. But you go on your trip and have a blast and then when you get back home, you have a huge bill looming over your head for months. By the time you pay it off, you begin to wonder if it was even worth it. On the other hand, if you save first, you enjoy your vacation and when you return home, your thoughts remained focused on all the wonderful memories you made while away. Much better!! :) Saving and waiting is BETTER. ;)
Posted by Hope on 12/30/04 at 12:37 PM
happy birthday!
And I 'love' this new new for your page. Brillant, and suits you so well!
I hadn't been in awhile and missed reading these blogs. Happy new year!
Posted by cro on 12/30/04 at 03:22 PM
Katy! Happy Birthday, dear one!

I tried to come to your site a while back and was very sad because it didn't work for me that time.. so I was ecstatic to come back in great hope for a return only to find it never *really* went away. Yay! I've got a lot of catching up to do.. haven't been around in a while because I joined the Navy and went to bootcamp this summer.

I'm so all about delayed gratification. It's one of my favorite soapbox subjects in discussions with others, too. I did finally get a credit card recently only because my credit report was blank and in my mid-twenties, it's past time to start building credit. And now that I have a steady (and quite decent for my low-financial-maintenance self) income -- for the next five years whether I want to or not -- I'm able to budget much better and more realistically. But my skills of living in a poor job market before made me stinkin' good at budgeting conservatively. So, I use my card for almost everything I do, but only put on it what I budgeted for that item/bill/etc AND what I have in the bank. I've been able to start taking other people out for lunch or dinner, but again, only if I've got the actual cashage in my regular account. No racking up debt to return humanity's favors.

Hope you're having a wonderful New Year's and are doing well! I'll catch up on your blog at work.. for now, I'm off to spend time with my niece. :)
Posted by Patty on 12/31/04 at 04:22 PM
good idea. Put money in a jar. wish we had done that for our trip to England in 1997 as it took two years to pay off the 5,000 in credit
debt. But... we paid it off. Well, we had to attend a wedding so we could not wait until we saved up. But I want to go back so badly and research my grandmothers family. So, maybe I might just start that jar. hmmmm....
Posted by Candace Pfau on 01/01/05 at 10:59 PM
Hi Katie,
Happy Birthday! My sis in law, Candace Pfau, who posted just above me, turned me onto your BLOG! I love it! I also love the idea of saving toward a particular goal which I do all the time! I keep back whatever is left of my weekly allowance (I work so use most of it at Starbucks!), but I do save some each week, too. About a month ago I got a lovely DELL laptop for my hubby and me to share! Paid CASH and got extras with it! It was well worth the two years it took to save up for this laptop which we are truly enjoying! Bless you, Bunny
Posted by Bunny Mercier on 01/02/05 at 06:23 PM
Wow! You all have some passionate feelings about this subject! I tried to answer with a long comment yesterday, but I lost it. I'll try again now...

Sarah and Michael--In many situations, I do spend and then pay back. I'm a a GREAT payer-backer, and find it gratifying to see how fast and furiously I can do it. Just not AS gratifying as saving up and then spending.

Violet--I'm very excited to see the little bank filling up! Really, once you decide to save the cash, it's amazing how fast it can happen.

Mary--Whoa. Maybe that explains my sleepless nights! :)
Posted by Katy Raymond on 01/03/05 at 03:26 PM
Amber--Australia! How great is that? That's another place I'd love to see--I'm glad you're working toward such a wonderful trip.

Kevin--I think I love your father. OK. That sounds weird, but you know what I mean. And the fact that you've listened to his wisdom is wonderful. He's set you on a great course, and your future wife will thank him later!

Irene--I'm glad you checked in here! And that you're safe and sound in Malaysia. Congrats on ditching the card lifestyle--I predict you'll have a house in no time.
Posted by Katy Raymond on 01/03/05 at 03:31 PM
Hope--I like the way your mind works! There's nothing worse, IMO, than getting home from a vacation and feeling like the next year of work is to pay for last year's fun. It feels the same to me as paying for last year's Christmas this year, which takes the joy out of looking forward to the next holiday season...BTW, are you the Hope whose husband is in the service?

Christian--Hey, guy! Thanks for visiting. How does it feel being a college graduate? Thanks for the compliment on the site--all Doug's doing, as I'm sure you know. Have you checked out his site? Click anywhere here that you see the word "marginal."
Posted by Katy Raymond on 01/03/05 at 03:46 PM
Patty--The Navy! What a big change in your life! I hope it's going great for you. I really did lose track of you for a while there, with a couple computer changes and stuff. Now I'm back on board with reading about all your escapades. Blessings to you!

Candace--Girl, you will love the jar! It feels like "hope" instead of "hopeless." I'll just bet Europe is so much more wonderful when it's paid in full! (My trip in 2000 wasn't completely paid for up front, and it grated on me...)

Bunny--Welcome! Congrats on nickel and diming your way to a laptop. But tell me: is it easy to share it with your hubby? When I got my new iBook, I kind of got attached to it in a hurry. One night I crawled into bed and my mac was down at the foot of the bed. Doug was standing across the room facing the TV, changing channels. I saw my iBook, reached for it, and heard myself say (quite lovingly), "Come here, baby..." Doug turned around with a big grin on his face and headed my way! And then I said, "Not you, hon. My iBook!" I wouldn't want to share my hubby, but I have a terrible time sharing my iBook! ;)
Posted by Katy Raymond on 01/03/05 at 03:56 PM
Katy-

Yes,Australia! I can hardly wait for it. I'm going to lead worship at a church there with some friends; and then we'll tour the place as much as time allows. I'll definitely be taking pictures, so you can live vicariously until you get to take your own journey!
Posted by Amber on 01/04/05 at 01:40 AM
The app store has a lot of free applications. MS word is not availble for the iPhone.You can view word documents but not create or edit them.
Posted by Phone Cases on 09/11/09 at 10:35 PM
iPhone 3GShas more memory capacity, a better camera with video (3mp), voice control, better visuals, faster processor for applications and internet, and a few minor differences.<a >All Kit FM transmitter</a>
Posted by Michale on 09/14/09 at 04:29 AM
A telephone booth, telephone kiosk, telephone call box or telephone box is a small structure furnished with a payphone and designed for a telephone user's convenience. Such a booth usually has a door to provide privacy and a window to let others know if the booth is in use.
Posted by Flash drives on 01/28/11 at 04:04 AM

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Personal blog of christian writer & fallible mom Katy McKenna Raymond in Kansas City, Missouri Katy is represented by Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary Read more Katy at LateBoomer.net Follow Katy on Twitter Follow Katy on Facebook 123 Recent Posts Try Becoming Brenda Starr Off Beat Scattered That’s It So I’ve Finally Signed With An Agent. Now What? The Spoon Sciatica Sweetheart A Woman’s Train of Thought Has No Caboose However much we own, we are all still living on borrowed time After all, when restaurants shrink portions, they don’t shrink prices. As with everything in life, balance is key. Slow down, you move too fast… Yeah, I know. I have issues. Search Advanced Search Syndicate Login E me at katy @ ngenius.com	How Many Quarters Can I Stuff In A Phone Booth? "Flights to Scotland are still so cheap," Doug said. "If we travel before mid-March, we can fly to Glasgow for practically nothing. What do you say?" I'm in a weird mood, I guess. Part of me says, "I ain't getting any younger, baby. Book it now!" (And that part of me knows what it's talking about: Today is my birthday and, true to trend, the number keeps getting higher.) Still, we don't exactly have the money to book it now, baby. In addition, we're self-employed, and our outlook for the coming year doesn't hold quite as much financial promise as the year that just ended--although that could change, of course. Here's the deal: A few months back, I started a Europe fund in a goofy red tin bank that's shaped like a British phone booth, and I've accumulated $290 in spare quarters so far. I'm getting a huge kick out of "saving up" for a vacation, instead of putting it on a card and paying later. It feels good to me--like when we finally go, we will have earned it, instead of just taken it. So, we agreed on this: For my birthday present, Doug is dropping a nice chunk of change into the phone booth. And then again in six weeks, on our 28th anniversary, another chunk. And then for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and Father's Day. By the time we finished discussing how to get back to the old country, we were both really excited about our plan to actually save up for it, instead of just booking it, baby. Question: Do you ever actually save up for a financial goal? Do you feel any differently about that than you would if you put what you wanted on a card and paid later? Does anyone else believe anymore in the joys of deferred gratification? Posted by Katy on 12/29/04 at 07:30 AM Fallible Comments... I'm downright lousy at saving, but very good at paying back. We do very exact accounting in our household, thanks to my husband and his engineer brain, and my "fun money" fund is nearly always in the red, but I faithfully bring it back to zero before making another purchase. I like the way you make saving sound, though. We do have a quarter bucket but I think I might have to give this a try in a more purposeful way. ----- Posted by Sarah on 12/29/04 at 02:59 PM It is too easy to get into the spend and pay back later mode. I am with Sarah and spend and then pay back. I know that it should be as you described. Save for what you really want. I imagine that the reward would taste so much sweeter. Take Care Michael Posted by Michael on 12/29/04 at 04:42 PM Happy Birthday, Katy! What a concept - deferred gratification... Lots of wisdom in your post. Hope the phone booth fills up fast. I predict this is one holiday that, when it comes, you'll enjoy to the hilt. Posted by violet on 12/29/04 at 04:43 PM HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I find that saving up for something is much more satisfying than putting it on a card and paying later. I tend to be a little anxious when I've spent money I know I'll have to cough up later. I hate the period in between booking it (baby) and paying for it, so to eliminate that bit saves me a lot of sleepless nights. Posted by Mary on 12/29/04 at 06:55 PM Happy birthday, dear Katy! I hope it's a sweet one for you. The gratification of saving for something that you really want is definitely worth the waiting. I'm now saving up for a trip to Australia that probably won't be taken until summer, but man am I going to enjoy that trip! Posted by Amber on 12/30/04 at 12:08 AM Happy Birthday! Seeing how I am a college student, I suppose my view is a bit skewed. I have to save up for anything. I have one credit card in my name that I use to purchase gifts without Mom and Dad knowing, and one card on their account for emergencies. Everything else is in the bank.. slowly saving for my next goal. In fact, I just completed my latest goal, in aim of a ring for my future wife. Next? Saving money, piece by piece, paycheck by paycheck, for a down payment on a car sometime after I graduate. One thing my Dad taught me growing up was if you save 10% of everything you earn, you will always have a fund for emergencies/retirement. I'm already looking into mutual funds that accept small initial deposits (~$500) so I can start saving for our future. I save 35% of everything I earn or am given as gifts... 10% for the future, 25% for my current goal. But as I said, I'm a college student who primarily lives off his parents' checkbook. I pay my car insurance and for my own fun things. I think this was too long. Oops. Happy Birthday, again! :D Posted by Kevin on 12/30/04 at 03:49 AM Happy birthday, Katy! :) Now that I no longer have a card, I'm looking into saving with a goal in mind: down payment for a house one day, overseas vacations, etc. I'm very bad at delayed gratification (no patience to wait) but now I have no choice! hehehee Posted by irene on 12/30/04 at 08:04 AM Waiting and saving is definitely better. Sure you could charge it and pay it later. But you go on your trip and have a blast and then when you get back home, you have a huge bill looming over your head for months. By the time you pay it off, you begin to wonder if it was even worth it. On the other hand, if you save first, you enjoy your vacation and when you return home, your thoughts remained focused on all the wonderful memories you made while away. Much better!! :) Saving and waiting is BETTER. ;) Posted by Hope on 12/30/04 at 12:37 PM happy birthday! And I 'love' this new new for your page. Brillant, and suits you so well! I hadn't been in awhile and missed reading these blogs. Happy new year! Posted by cro on 12/30/04 at 03:22 PM Katy! Happy Birthday, dear one! I tried to come to your site a while back and was very sad because it didn't work for me that time.. so I was ecstatic to come back in great hope for a return only to find it never really went away. Yay! I've got a lot of catching up to do.. haven't been around in a while because I joined the Navy and went to bootcamp this summer. I'm so all about delayed gratification. It's one of my favorite soapbox subjects in discussions with others, too. I did finally get a credit card recently only because my credit report was blank and in my mid-twenties, it's past time to start building credit. And now that I have a steady (and quite decent for my low-financial-maintenance self) income -- for the next five years whether I want to or not -- I'm able to budget much better and more realistically. But my skills of living in a poor job market before made me stinkin' good at budgeting conservatively. So, I use my card for almost everything I do, but only put on it what I budgeted for that item/bill/etc AND what I have in the bank. I've been able to start taking other people out for lunch or dinner, but again, only if I've got the actual cashage in my regular account. No racking up debt to return humanity's favors. Hope you're having a wonderful New Year's and are doing well! I'll catch up on your blog at work.. for now, I'm off to spend time with my niece. :) Posted by Patty on 12/31/04 at 04:22 PM good idea. Put money in a jar. wish we had done that for our trip to England in 1997 as it took two years to pay off the 5,000 in credit debt. But... we paid it off. Well, we had to attend a wedding so we could not wait until we saved up. But I want to go back so badly and research my grandmothers family. So, maybe I might just start that jar. hmmmm.... Posted by Candace Pfau on 01/01/05 at 10:59 PM Hi Katie, Happy Birthday! My sis in law, Candace Pfau, who posted just above me, turned me onto your BLOG! I love it! I also love the idea of saving toward a particular goal which I do all the time! I keep back whatever is left of my weekly allowance (I work so use most of it at Starbucks!), but I do save some each week, too. About a month ago I got a lovely DELL laptop for my hubby and me to share! Paid CASH and got extras with it! It was well worth the two years it took to save up for this laptop which we are truly enjoying! Bless you, Bunny Posted by Bunny Mercier on 01/02/05 at 06:23 PM Wow! You all have some passionate feelings about this subject! I tried to answer with a long comment yesterday, but I lost it. I'll try again now... Sarah and Michael--In many situations, I do spend and then pay back. I'm a a GREAT payer-backer, and find it gratifying to see how fast and furiously I can do it. Just not AS gratifying as saving up and then spending. Violet--I'm very excited to see the little bank filling up! Really, once you decide to save the cash, it's amazing how fast it can happen. Mary--Whoa. Maybe that explains my sleepless nights! :) Posted by Katy Raymond on 01/03/05 at 03:26 PM Amber--Australia! How great is that? That's another place I'd love to see--I'm glad you're working toward such a wonderful trip. Kevin--I think I love your father. OK. That sounds weird, but you know what I mean. And the fact that you've listened to his wisdom is wonderful. He's set you on a great course, and your future wife will thank him later! Irene--I'm glad you checked in here! And that you're safe and sound in Malaysia. Congrats on ditching the card lifestyle--I predict you'll have a house in no time. Posted by Katy Raymond on 01/03/05 at 03:31 PM Hope--I like the way your mind works! There's nothing worse, IMO, than getting home from a vacation and feeling like the next year of work is to pay for last year's fun. It feels the same to me as paying for last year's Christmas this year, which takes the joy out of looking forward to the next holiday season...BTW, are you the Hope whose husband is in the service? Christian--Hey, guy! Thanks for visiting. How does it feel being a college graduate? Thanks for the compliment on the site--all Doug's doing, as I'm sure you know. Have you checked out his site? Click anywhere here that you see the word "marginal." Posted by Katy Raymond on 01/03/05 at 03:46 PM Patty--The Navy! What a big change in your life! I hope it's going great for you. I really did lose track of you for a while there, with a couple computer changes and stuff. Now I'm back on board with reading about all your escapades. Blessings to you! Candace--Girl, you will love the jar! It feels like "hope" instead of "hopeless." I'll just bet Europe is so much more wonderful when it's paid in full! (My trip in 2000 wasn't completely paid for up front, and it grated on me...) Bunny--Welcome! Congrats on nickel and diming your way to a laptop. But tell me: is it easy to share it with your hubby? When I got my new iBook, I kind of got attached to it in a hurry. One night I crawled into bed and my mac was down at the foot of the bed. Doug was standing across the room facing the TV, changing channels. I saw my iBook, reached for it, and heard myself say (quite lovingly), "Come here, baby..." Doug turned around with a big grin on his face and headed my way! And then I said, "Not you, hon. My iBook!" I wouldn't want to share my hubby, but I have a terrible time sharing my iBook! ;) Posted by Katy Raymond on 01/03/05 at 03:56 PM Katy- Yes,Australia! I can hardly wait for it. I'm going to lead worship at a church there with some friends; and then we'll tour the place as much as time allows. I'll definitely be taking pictures, so you can live vicariously until you get to take your own journey! Posted by Amber on 01/04/05 at 01:40 AM The app store has a lot of free applications. MS word is not availble for the iPhone.You can view word documents but not create or edit them. Posted by Phone Cases on 09/11/09 at 10:35 PM iPhone 3GShas more memory capacity, a better camera with video (3mp), voice control, better visuals, faster processor for applications and internet, and a few minor differences.<a >All Kit FM transmitter</a> Posted by Michale on 09/14/09 at 04:29 AM A telephone booth, telephone kiosk, telephone call box or telephone box is a small structure furnished with a payphone and designed for a telephone user's convenience. Such a booth usually has a door to provide privacy and a window to let others know if the booth is in use. Posted by Flash drives on 01/28/11 at 04:04 AM Page 1 of 1 pages Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. Next entry: Firming Up My Lack of Resolve Previous entry: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Toes << Back to main


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How Many Quarters Can I Stuff In A Phone Booth?

Personal blog of christian
writer & fallible mom
Katy McKenna Raymond
in Kansas City, Missouri