Madville Times Gets Personal... on Finance

As my financially wise friend Matt Paulson says, "Finance Is Personal." A snarky commenter questions the personal finances of my wife and me. Usually, I ignore folks who call me "moron." But today, by casting aspersions on me and my wife (no headship here: we decide our finances together), Anonymous wins and gets my goat and a response:

Thanks for the suggestion, neighbor, but I'd rather stay here in South Dakota and fight to be make things better for my friends and neighbors, even you.

If you really want to know what we spend out money on, come on over for a visit. Here's a sample of our spending habits:

1. Newest car: 2001 Ford Focus, paid for in cash, 113,000 miles, to be driven until it dies.
2. Other car: 1993 Jeep, fully paid for, 120,000 miles to be driven forever (Jeeps never die)
3. Per trip savings that motivate me to ride my bike to town (you've seen me!) instead of driving: $2.
   
4. Wedding rings: 2 gold bands, $250 each. No diamonds. Ever.
   
5. Current debts: $524/month for mortgage, $300/month to pay off $12K medical bill for daughter's delivery and medical expenses
6. Credit card debt: zero (paid off monthly)
7. Health insurance: $225/month premium for policy with $7500 family deductible
8. Utilities: Electricity, land line phone, rural water, Internet service from Sioux Valley ($45/month -- spendy, but no one else provides; used so we can telecommute and try making money with our blogs, online art, etc.). No cable/satellite TV; one Tracfone instead of expensive cell phone plan
9. House: Built for $100K, 1232 sq ft, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, no garage, unfinished basement (but still heaven!)
10. Previous house: 480 square foot cabin, do-it-yourself renovation, lived together in for four years to save money for house and graduate school (part of our plan to improve our own incomes by our own wits and work)
    
11. Home entertainment equipment (TVs, stereos, etc.) purchased since we got married in 2002: one rummage sale radio/CD player for baby's room.
12. Number of big concerts, plays, movies, etc. for which we've bought tickets this year: three -- MHS Spring play (good work, Doc!), one movie this summer; Prairie Village Threshing Jamboree.
13. Amount of alcohol purchased in last 12 months: two bottles of SD wine as gifts, three bottles of cooking wine, two beers while dining out.
14. Amount spent on tobacco, lottery tickets, casino gambling: zero.
15. Number of times I bought school lunch at Montrose during the 2006-2007 school year: two (maybe three)
16. Number of times I brownbagged it in 2006-2007 school year: 175 (approx).
17. Amount I saved each year by not joining the teacher's union: $468 (this year's SDEA-NEA dues)
    

I could go on with this little belly-bumping contest, but I will await Anon's posting of a similar budget as proof of her/his fiscal and moral superiority. Actually, I'd prefer a nice face-to-face visit at the kitchen table about issues that really matter. Seriously, Anon. Give me a call (256-4737). Tell me your name. We'll work through our calendars, find a date, and have you over. We might even indulge in some extravagant homemade brownies for our visit.

When you come over, Anon, maybe we can have an honest discussion about the very clear choice my wife and I made to stay in South Dakota and live on a tight budget. We are where we are because we want to be here. We want to live simply. We accept the financial hit of having one parent stay home to raise the child well (oh yeah, and that saves on daycare expenses). \

But we also recognize that not a lot of young graduates with student loans to pay off and desires for maybe slightly larger houses will be able to afford to make the same choices we have. Fewer and fewer grads are willing to make the sacrifices we demand of teachers. As Professor Schaff points out, rather than make those sacrifices, they'll go elsewhere. That might make Anon happy, but it will also leave us with no one to teach our kids. That's why we advocate things like higher teacher pay. It's not for us: it's for the good of the state.

Instead of getting all snippy and calling names, South Dakota is a lot more fun when we treat each other like neighbors. We can talk about just what we spend our pennies on, we can try to label people as "morons" and "whiners" and make them feel unwelcome, or we can actually face each other as fellow citizens and work together to find solutions.

Sorry to Sibby out on you all, but sometimes, some comments are just too unneighborly, too un-South Dakotan, to let stand without a reply. For those of you who'd like to talk who spends how much on what, fire away with your comments. For those of you who want to have honest discussions about real solutions, well, just keep reading, keep writing, and enjoy!