So far on my debt-free journey along the path to financial freedom, things have been going well…for the most part. Since finding Dave Ramsey, I have slimmed down my living expenses, cut out unnecessary items, and am learning how to live on a real, working budget.
What this sometimes translates into is my having to say “no” to myself… I’m okay with this most of the time, but every so often, there’s something that comes along which I have a really hard time saying “no” to.
Right now, I want a Wii.
I’ve never been a particularly big video game player. Growing up, the only video games available were the giant man-sized consoles in the arcades sporting Pac-Man or Space Invaders. Eventually we started seeing Atari show up in my friends homes. Then Nintendo came out with their original gaming system. Everyone was playing groundbreaking games like Frogger, Q-bert, and Tetris. Once Mario Bros hit the scene, it was the birth of a whole new addiction for us GenX-ers and life would never be the same for any future generations.
I never had Atari, but we did get a Nintendo system when I was in high school. I enjoyed playing some of the games, but it never turned into an all-out love affair like I’ve seen happen with friends (particularly guys) over the years.
But this was before the Wii.
From the time the Wii was introduced, I was intrigued. The fact that there was a system where more than just your thumbs would be involved in the action looked like fun. Add to that, the Wii Fit. Can’t find time to go to the gym? Can’t afford the gym? Hate workout to tapes? Enter the Wii Fit! You can practice balance, take yoga, do aerobics, or even go skiing…all with the Wii Fit. How fabulous. I really want one. Bad.
Here’s how my inner circular dialogue on this subject is going:
“Can I get one?” I hear the inner-me asking. “Please please PLEASE?!”
“No. It’s not in the budget.”
“Well, can we PUT it in the budget? Please?”
“No…not right now.”
“But winter’s coming… We need to workout. We need to have some sort of activity…”
“I know…”
“So the Wii would be perfect – it’s way cheaper than joining a gym, and we can play with it regardless of the weather…”
“I know…”
“So why can’t we get one?”
“Because it’s not in the budget.”
“Well, can we PUT it in the budget?…”
And so it goes.
I’m actually debating trying to get one off of Craig’s List used…I’ve put out a few feelers on this. If I could find a good enough deal, I think I’d give in to myself and pick it up. Maybe. The fact is I was going to try and budget a gym membership back in because I really am feeling the need to get more exercise than I currently do. The Wii would cost more upfront, but would be less over the long-run so from that standpoint, it makes sense.
Then again, it’s still about $300 I don’t really “need” to spend right now. ARG!
This past month has been a rough one for the budget. I’ve blown it pretty much all over the place and now am assessing the carnage. Things have also been tougher at work… While we’re not laying anyone off, we’ve been working hard to find ways to scale back on spending. Corporate travel is at a minimum. Hiring has been put on hold. Bonuses may be looking a bit malnourished compared to last year. And who knows if we’ll even be seeing raises.
Compounded with increased costs at home, this all translates into less money in my debt avalanche to throw at my mountain. Sigh.
Since I’m trying really hard to find other ways to save money, the idea of shelling out a few hundred extra in one shot does not appeal to me. I need to prioritize. I need to figure out what’s important and then focus on that.
From Dave Ramsey’s perspective, top priorities are easy:
- Food
- Shelter
- Clothing
Well, I have plenty of food, I’m not living in a box or in a van down by the river, and I’m not naked so that’s good.
Next on the list would be things like utilities, etc. That’s one area I’m working on shaving some off of. Not electricity or water, but cable/internet and cell phone. Collectively those items are costing me $200/month which seems absolutely insane to me…and that’s with a deal on the Internet right now where I’m only paying $19.99/month. I called Comcast and they basically told me that if I dropped myself down to a basic package, I’d still be paying $92+tax for JUST cable with my current internet deal. Are they insane? I mean really – is this what people are paying these days? How on earth does anyone afford it? Tack onto that my cell phone bill which is averaging about $80/month. Granted, it’s my only phone, but I still think that’s nuts. I could switch to the much ballyhooed “Comcast Triple Play” but that would still end up being close to $150/month (with tax) for cable, internet, and phone with the additional boxes. So much for the advertised $114.95/month pricing which would seem misleading at best.
Apologies – I didn’t mean to get onto such a long cable plan tangent, but just trying to voice my frustration at trying to make the best budgetary decisions. Sometimes it’s an easy call (e.g. should I go out to dinner or not?) but other times the many facets of an issue can make it way difficult (e.g. should I get a Wii, a gym membership, or just buy fat-pants?)
Anyway, all this is to say that the budget is about balance…and trying to find it. What I’m discovering that this is a lot easier said than done.
So the question remains: Is there a future Wii for me?
I just don’t know.
No! I think if you get a Wii you will end up under-using it and it won’t deliver on the money you put into it. I will give you that your brain is more given to puzzles and games than mine – you do better at games in general – so I can’t TOTALLY appreciate your desire for one. It’s easy for me to say “No” when I don’t really care if I have one or not. But, all your other points do paint a picture that suggests financial prudence is important right now for everyone. For many of the same reasons you listed we chose to not remodel our bathroom. Do I every single day have to have that discussion with myself? “If we just had a new bathroom I’d take a bath every night, why can’t we re-do the bathroom if we are going to be here for at least 3 more years!? It will improve resell someday” etc. But the bottom line is even if it’s a GOOD reason and a real reason, money on a bathroom or a Wii is money that is not in your bank should bonuses s-u-c-k even more than anticipated. You are doing such a great job with the Ramsey thing – keep at it!!!
Ask Santa?
@Kyle – My roommate said the same thing, but unfortunately Santa only ever gives me socks and maybe a DVD or two and is not likely to deliver something costing over $50.
@Esther – Sigh. Yes, I hear you…and I’m sure you’re probably right, although I would argue that I would use the Wii Fit. Do you know what all it does? It’s way more than just games – it’s actual workouts with ways to measure your progress, BMI, and biological age, etc. I would have no use for an Xbox or a PS4, but the Wii is a different conversation altogether. Still, the budget screams “NO!” from the sidelines.
If it helps any at all, I have told myself NO to the Wii. My boys have both a PS2 and a PS3. They have no desire for a Wii so I can’t use it as a joint Christmas present for them.
Also, thanks for adding me to your blogroll. I’ve added you to mine.
Well, you could always ask for some visa or walmart giftcards for Christmas, birthday, etc. and save up for it that way. I love our Wii. The other day, my daughter could not go out and pitch because of the rain, so we all played her in baseball, but made her pitch windmill style for practice. We all had a blast.
I would say, don’t work it in your budget, but start a $10 a pay period savings acct for it. Add giftcards, money given, etc. to it and you will have it in no time.
I understand, saving money is a good thing.
I work for Comcast and I can check with my contacts and see if we can offer a different package to save you money. If you are interested in my assistance, please feel free to contact me.
Best Regards,
Mark Casem
Comcast Corp.
National Customer Operations
We_Can_Help@cable.comcast.com
Thanks for making it so that I can read the whole post!
Did you contact Comcast? So wild that they are on here. Maybe the money saved on cable (should that happen) could get put into a “Wii” envelope and you could build it up that way?
just get the darn thing….