As the title said, how often do you feel stress/anxiety/worry about your financial situation?
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These days, not ever...we're finally able to live comfortably. We live a very modest lifestyle, though and don't need a lot of luxury things.
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we are living comfortably within our means right now so i don't worry about finances that much, although: (1) we pay for it by living far out and having a long commute; and (2) i am going to start worrying about finances very much when we move to our new (more expensive) place in a few months.
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I voted monthly. Usually when we need to pay our bills.
I probably could also say Every Now and Then when a BIG unforseen/forseen purchase happens too. Like a car repair but also I was stressed out about going to a destination wedding recently ... because airline/hotel/renting a car/food/wedding gift kind of adds up... though we did buy things over a few months to lessen the burden.
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Pretty frequently. We have finally reached a good place where all bills are being paid, we have a set amount going into savings each month and debt amount is steadily going down. It feels good. BUT it took a long time to get to this place AND in just a few short months, J will be in daycare FT so childcare expense will double, and my tuition will increase as I take more credits and books and supplies will be more $$. That's what I'm stressing about. We may be in a "good" place now, but it will be changing shortly. We'll be back to pinching pennies, reducing debt and savings payments just to pay the monthly stuff. I try not to stress about it and just be proactive - which has helped - but it's hard not to. I'm doing better though.
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To all the daily and weekly voters you have my empathy
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I def think about money daily but the stress level varies. We're doing okay but I know we can do better. DH is going back to school in July, switching from 1 full-time job to 2 part-time, and baby is coming in Dec... Streessss!
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On a regular basis. I worry that something will affect one of us and our ability to work or that we'll get a debilitating illness that will wipe us out financially.
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@looch: that's a terrifying thought, and I have it too. Especially since we are not prepared for that scenario at all. I also worry about something bad happening to one of our parents and not being able to help out
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I voted daily. I'm in a low-paying (albeit in my field, full-time, with benefits) job and DH is in grad school full-time with a pitiful stipend. We live within our means but it does get stressful!
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I voted daily. We are getting by right now, and we're able to put money into a 401k, and put a little in savings each month, but some months we still have to dip into savings to pay bills. I mean it doesn't help that we had to put so much money into our house!
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Depends on the time of year. My DH teaches summer school and makes a good amount of extra $ doing that, so not very often during the summer. But it's more frequent around the holidays with all the gifts we have to buy.
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@cmomma17: yeah, I know! I am very much a glass is half empty kind of person with respect to finances, unless a person is sitting on millions and millions, I am of the mind that it is never enough. And I am not talking about living a luxurious life! I stress in the checkout line at Costco!
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Lately, very often! Part time nanny salary isn't exactly covering mr. Bird's lack of an income right now
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I think the amount that I'm stressed has more to do with my personality and less to do with our actual situation - I need to chill out!
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Daily. We pay all of our bills but some months it's tight, I worry about a lot and want to stick every penny away but also want to live a life too.
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@looch: I have anxiety during big grocery shopping trips! I calculate how long I had to work to pay for it. I would love not having my heart race at checkout
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I wrote every now and then, I just got to that point though where I'm not worrying about it all the time. Money is a big stressor for me. Like @looch: I'm of the mind that it's never enough even if you have a big cushion, and not for the sake of living in luxury, but for the sake of preparing for the unexpected, and the expected like retirement and college.
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I would say every now and then. We both have great, well paying jobs and live pretty comfortably so we don't stress about day to day living expenses. However, sometimes things come up and it feels like all we do is spend money, and that's when I get stressed. I'm also a pretty anxious person so every once in a while I will totally stress myself out.
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@looch: oh Costco stresses me to the max!!! First it gives me the gimmies and I want everything in sight, then I feel bad about my situation about not being able to buy "wants," and then at the checkout even with just essentials I get sticker shock!
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@raspberries: This is me too. We have been fortunate enough to never be in a situation where we were anywhere near not being able to pay our bills.... and yet, I worried constantly about money... my husband NEVER worries about money because he just has a much more laid back personality than I do.
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I spend more time thinking about it, but not stressed at all.
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we're in the process or buying an apartment and i constantly worry
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I voted every now and then. It currently feels like more because we are in a "now" phase but I also am fairly confident it will pass soon. I am extremely thankful for our very stable financial situation. I was worrying the other day and realized that even though things are a bit tighter I went to get gas and never gave a second thought to filling up my car, growing up my parents would frequently only put in a few dollars to hold them over until pay day and knowing that is simply not even a thought for me anymore made me feel a billion times better. I wish I could give a hug and a bag of money to anyone in that spot.
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@looch: The Costco checkout line, I was there yesterday trying not to sweat bullets (it'd been a good 2 months since my last trip).
To answer the poll, I voted weekly, but since my Husband is deployed now our situation has changed for the better. We make a good amount on paper, but taxes kill us and leave just enough for the bills. So I know the stress of food/clothes shopping.
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I rarely worry about it. Even when funds are tight, I know we will get through it. We went from two very good paying jobs to one average paying job in our house and i'm still not too worried.
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Lately, it's creeping up on me. We have to put all new siding on the house and buy a new furnace. Yipes
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I wish there was an "other" category in this poll
I don't necessarily worry because we are on a super tight, no wiggle room plan. We budget to the penny. However, budgeting this way isn't exactly fun. Thanks a lot, Dave Ramsey.
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@MamaMoose: Exactly! We've never had to actually worry about money, but if we did, I'd already be an old pro, if that makes sense.
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a couple times a week. not in a "we have nothing" way, but worry about the future. we're in an okay place, but not necessarily comfortable.
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I don't really worry about the day to day but I worry about taking care of everyone and everything in the future.
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@sunny: agreed! It's the big picture that I tend to focus on.
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I put monthly. We're doing really awesome at saving now and are managing our money better than ever. Occasionally things do get tight and we have to make adjustments and can't save as much as we had hoped.
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daily - I make all the money and pay all the bills. Fun stuff!
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I voted every now and then, as PP's mentioned usually when a big unforseen expense arises. It stresses me out. I used to live paycheck to paycheck w no savings so I still have that "panic", even though now we have savings and I don't need to panic. I think i'm just so used to it that I can't stop it. I am a little worried b/c DH's job is "going away" in a few months, but I am trying to be positive and have faith that he'll get shifted into a new role with the same company OR find something else/better
(postive thoughts bring positive results.. hopefully)
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Every single day! The first 2 full weeks of the month are scary times for us right now. We aren't able to save much of anything and that alone is terrifying!
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Every now and then. We stay on top of our budget so I always know where we stand. But there are times where I sit and think about retirement and college savings for our unborn child and I get stressed!
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We don't worry in terms of not having enough, but more like what's the best thing to do in terms of savings/paying off our house/when we should build our next house etc. TOOO much to think about.. so we probably think about those things weekly.
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Daily only because DH currently isn't working. We can live off my income, but I hate not saving!
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I voted never. While we make a lot less with DH being at home we also live below our means and I plan enough in advance where money shouldn't be an issue unless something catastrophic were to occur.
I don't necessarily worry because we are on a super tight, no wiggle room plan. We budget to the penny. However, budgeting this way isn't exactly fun. Thanks a lot, Dave Ramsey.
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