How 2020 Blew the Budget

Okay, it's time to address the spending that 2020 made us do. Whether quarantine online shopping got a little out of control, budgeted vacay money went to ‘upgrades’ we maybe didn’t really need OR shit happened and you NEEDED to spend your money. Let’s just take a brief moment to point out the fact that shit happens to everyone. 2020 was a whole lot of scrolling, sitting on our butts, a large amount of daydreaming, planning for the unknown future and a whole lot of fixin’ shit.

Online shopping - the mail man probably hates every single one of us and probably my front staircase and I wouldn’t doubt it if a delivery man has thrown packages up my stairs rather than making his way to my front door. But on a positive note...we kept them employed.

‘Upgrading’ Existing Products

• The pandemic was the aha moment and I FINALLY bought a Dyson. Did I need it? No. But I am extremely happy with my purchase.

• I suppose this is less of a boujee upgrade but Kate bought a mattress in a box to replace her probably 20 year old second hand mattress that has followed her around to about 10 fricken houses across the province.

• Kate also decided to invest in a weed wacker. Which is an upgrade from her kitchen scissors.

• OH and how could we forget the keys we are typing on right now. Kate finally ditched her college laptop but only because she spilt a glass of water on it and I gave up on my $200 laptop that I bought two years ago…great purchase, bud.

Now come the necessities rather than the wants

• Buying a new furnace AND air conditioner for one of our rental properties because that’s what 2020 decided needed to happen.

• Having your toilet leak at 2am after you go pee in the middle of the night and wake up to a bathroom flood and have to whip up a quick bathroom remodel.

• When Kate's oven is on the frits midsummer, but who really gives a rats ass because she bought a brand spankin’ new Weber barbeque. She sacrificed her nightly baking and waited until September to make that shiny new oven purchase.

• You notice a decrease in water pressure at your house. Your pressure is so bad that ‘The Shower Police Brad’ rated your shower #4 on his Shower Tour, Fall 2020 (he only toured 4). So the City comes to diagnose the issue, then closes down your road to fix their water main on the road and coincidentally your waterline bursts in your front yard... but you had absolutely no idea for a solid 6 days... but on a positive note, your water pressure is now fantastic. BUT now you have to find someone to dig a new waterline in your front yard DURING the holidays and learn how to live without running water.

• You have to buy an excess of running shoes because you have a ton of extra time to burn through the soles of your shoes on your daily sister power walks. And also just shoes in general and many of them haven’t even made it onto my feet yet because they don’t look cute with sweatpants.

• When your window shatters on your truck door and the truck has 460,000 kilometres on it so you just give up and lay it to rest.. and buy new car.

• When you are still laid off come September so you finally decide to do something you have always wanted to do - get your Real Estate license and power through it now that you have some spare time. Kate also hopped on the bandwagon and enrolled to start her MBA - helllooo student loans.

Buying the wants that have been on your list for a while but fuck it. YOLO

• I bargain shopped and negotiated my way into purchasing an online brand of clear teeth aligners. I have always wanted to fix my teeth and now likely isn’t the best time to do it BUT WHEN IS A GOOD TIME. Frig. 2020 taught me to stop putting shit on the back burner.

• Kate also did a wild thing and spent way too much on skin care. But this is our face we are talking about, if you aren’t happy. Do something about it.

• Between Kate and I both, we bought way too much Lululemon. But that’s what we be living in these days!!

2020 was one hell of a ride. And a bit of a buzz kill at times if I am being honest, but we made it! I hope this blog doesn’t come as negative, I am just hoping you all have just grasped that shit happens and you aren’t going to be able to control it. So maybe chill on the online shopping scroll and chuck a couple bucks into your emergency fund. Your future self will thank you.

This year has been one for the books.

Amy