The Money Meme

I'm starting a new meme today. I am hoping I can learn something from anyone who participates in it. I think I know the "right" (i.e., financially smart) answers for all of these, but I am wondering more generally, am I in the mainstream, or way out there with my spending habits?

I'll start, but as you know my finances are such a disaster, no one should take advice from me. My answers are in blue.

1. Do you use coupons, shop the sales, or pay full price?
I shop the sales and use coupons as much as possible, but I will pay full price for necessities (food mostly) if I can't find them on sale.

2. Do you pay all of the bills as soon as they arrive, or wait until the last minute so you can "earn the last bit of interest" on the money in your checking account?
I used to wait until the last minute to pay them all, thinking I'd earn extra interest, but one late fee is all it takes to wipe out years of "extra interest," so I've joined the "pay the bills as soon as possible" camp. I still sometimes wait until the last minute, if I have to wait for a paycheck so I'll have money in my account. But, as much as possible, I pay the bills as soon as they arrive.

3. Do you charge everything so you can earn your rewards points, or save credit for emergencies only?
I used to charge everything so I could earn rewards points. Now I try not to use the charge cards. But since I never have money in my checking account (it all goes toward the minimum payments), I still find myself charging gas and groceries each month.

4. Do you pay your cards in full each month, or carry a balance?
As anyone who has read any of this blog knows, I carry a balance. Boy, do I carry a balance....

5. If you carry a balance, do you pay the minimum payment each month, or send a little extra?
I send extra when I can. Usually I don't have any extra to send.

6. Do you pay your mortgage every two weeks, or once a month?
Once a month. I do "round up" though, paying an extra few dollars every month to make it a nice even amount. It should take a couple of months off the amortization schedule, and it makes it easier to balance the checkbook, too.

7. How much is your car payment?
$475.00

8. Do you have cable television?
Yes. And cable boxes for 2 televisions. One tv is just hooked up directly to the cable, so we get fewer channels on that one.

9. When shopping for birthday gifts, how much do you spend for:
-- relatives? Depends on the relative. Anywhere from $2 for a card, to $40.00 for those I am closer to.
-- your spouse? Depends on the year and what he has on his "wish list." I've bought foolishly expensive toys such as a computer, to less expensive toys such as a cell phone, on down to a polo shirt and cap in a year when he seemed already to have everything he wanted or needed.
-- your kids? Again, depends on their wish list for the year, but generally not more than $50.00
-- other people's kids (birthday parties your kid attends)? I try to keep it to $10.00 with a maximum of $20.00. No exceptions.

10. If you shop for Christmas gifts, how many people do you purchase gifts for? How much do you spend on each?
I shop for a ridiculous number of friends and relatives. At least 40. And I spend anywhere from $5 to $100, depending on the person and the year. It usually costs me at least $3000 to get through Christmas. I have just got to stop this madness.

11. How much do you spend for other occasions, such as Easter, Valentine's Day, Anniversaries, and other potential gift-giving occasions?
My husband and I spend about $25 on Easter goodies for the kids (candy, small games, Easter Egg dye, and so forth). I usually try to shop the end-of-season sales for things like egg dye and toys, and we save and re-use the plastic eggs, baskets, and "Easter grass." But just last month our supply of baskets and plastic eggs was attacked by rats in the shed (can you believe the rats literally chewed holes in the plastic eggs!?! Yuck!!), and we had to ditch it all. I am guessing I'll spend substantially more for next year's festivities.
Anniversaries are fairly expensive; my husband and I usually try to do something together - a weekend getaway or dinner at a very nice restaurant, so it can run anywhere from $100 to $300.
We are both more frugal with Valentine's Day. A card and some chocolate or a nice shirt or tie - usually get through it for less than $30.

12. You find $100 on the ground (don't laugh; this happened to my husband once!). Do you spend it for a night of fun, or pay bills with it?
He spent it so we could all have fun on our vacation.

13. You go out to lunch dinner with a friend. Did you plan ahead and bring cash, or are you hoping to pay the bill with a card and have your friends give you cash so you'll have money for lunch later this week?
I usually plan to pay with my card, and hope my friend will give me cash (although it's also ok if the waiter will charge half to each of our cards....).

14. It's back-to-school time, and your kid needs clothes. Where do you shop and how much do you spend?
I shop the sales at Target, Dillards, Wal-Mart, Ross, TJMaxx, and anywhere else I can find a good deal. And I don't usually wait until right before school to buy things like t-shirts or polo shirts. If I find a good deal in June, I'll buy it - just get it a little larger than the kids' current size. Sadly, I don't know how much I spend in total; I don't add it up. I probably should have a budget and stick to it, but I figure when I'm spending $2 to $5 for each item, I just buy however many they need and let it go at that.

15. You are shopping for kid clothes in June and you see an absolutely fabulous pair of boots, just your size, on sale. Your current boots are literally falling apart, so you try them on -- and they are comfortable. Do you buy them?
Of course I buy them! Who wouldn't? If I wait until fall to shop for my boots, I'll end up spending a fortune. And I absolutely adore boots!!

16. You owe over $50,000 in credit debt. Do you stay home at all times except when going to the grocery armed with coupons and sale papers, or do you occasionally go out to dinner or a movie? What about the kids? Do you pay for fun activities for them?
I feel I shouldn't. I even feel guilty when I do. But I definitely still go out sometimes, for dinner with my husband or friends, to a movie with the kids, to amusement parks, bowling, and so forth. I try to use coupons and discounts when possible, but I have not mastered the art of totally free entertainment yet. I do spend more time playing board games with my kids and going to free shows and the local (free) water parks and taking advantage of "free days" at the museums than I used to, but I still find it "necessary" or at least very tempting to actually pay for dinner and amusements sometimes.

Okay, that seems like enough for now. I'm not going to tag anyone. If you want to play along with this meme, simply post a link to your blog in the comments section below so I can come see what you've written, add one question and subtract one question, and then answer the questions on your blog.