The Honeymoon Fund: A Cautionary Tale
When my husband and I tied the knot, we opted for a unique approach to traditional wedding gifts. Instead of asking for physical presents, we encouraged our guests to contribute to a “honeymoon fund” to help us finance a romantic getaway. Our dream destination was Thailand, but life had other plans.
The Breakdown
After two years, we’ve finally depleted the fund, and I’m sharing our spending habits – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Here’s how we allocated the $7,390:
Home Sweet Home
We invested $130 in apartment decorations, which wasn’t a bad decision, considering we were moving into a new space together. However, I wish I had saved up for these expenses instead of dipping into the fund.
Furniture Faux Pas
A costly mistake was buying a couch online, which turned out to be impractical and poorly made. We spent $1,200 on this mistake, but later redeemed ourselves by purchasing a better couch for $1,290 from a reputable store.
Dining Out
We splurged on restaurants, using $175 from the fund. While the meals were enjoyable, they were unremarkable and not particularly special.
Car Trouble
Life’s unexpected expenses caught up with us when we needed to replace a tire, costing $160. I took the money from the fund, intending to replenish it, but it slipped my mind.
Debt Debacle
The largest chunk of the fund, $3,425, went towards paying off avoidable debts. We made some poor financial decisions, including taking out a large purchase with an interest rate that jumped from 0% to 25% when we didn’t pay it off within a year.
Fitness Flop
I forgot about the $150 gym membership, which I haven’t used in months. This expense was a personal indulgence and not worth it.
Feathered Friend
One of the better investments was our parrot, which brought immense joy to our lives. The $860 spent on our feathered friend was well worth it.
Lessons Learned
Looking back, it’s astonishing how quickly the money disappeared. While we did enjoy some aspects of our spending, we should have budgeted for these expenses instead of relying on the fund. Now that the money’s gone, we’re left without a traditional honeymoon, but we’ve created our own special memories in its place. We’re still looking forward to taking an exotic vacation – this time, on our own terms.
Leave a Reply