What did you do with your 1st "nurse" paycheck?(spinoff of DZCarrie's post)

Nurses New Nurse

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Hello! We have a thread going on in the nursing student forum asking what we will do with our first real paychecks. LPN2Be2004 came in and told us how her spending changed once she got her first "nurse" paycheck

I bought good toilet paper ( the expensive kind, not the other stuff that will take rust off of a Buick bumper), a Venus razor, name brand shaving gel (instead of the 98 cent special), Ben and Jerry's ice cream, and expensive foundation.
We are all over there thinking BIG TIME:chuckle ...cars and trips, yadda, yadda...but I loved her response. It's the little simple things like being able to buy Charmin instead of brand X toilet paper that I will love and appreciate. So, my question is: What did all of you do with your first nurse paycheck? How did things change for you?

LPN2Be2004, I hope you did not mind me using your reply:)

Specializes in icu, cardiac, respiratory.

i bought a refrigerator, my old one was from the 1960's with the "icebox" the size of a ice cream container. The new fridge was a "side by side". I was so proud of it that i actaully sat in my kitchen every day for about a week and just stared at it with a big smile on my face

I have a special ring, made from my melted down wedding ring. Prior to going to nursing school, I divorced. He hadn't wanted me to go to nursing school...and I figured I'd need the extra income being a single parent.

So close to the end of the graduation, I designed this ring and had it made and paid for it with my first paycheck as a nurse. :) Kind of my proof of survival, I guess...survived the divorce, survived nursing school. :)

Specializes in LTC, office, home health.

Spoiled my kids!!!!! No more discount sneakers for those two, name brands shoes like their friends!!! Kind of silly but kids are happy. One teenager and a pre-teen really enjoyed going all out at the mall. But now it's back to the old spending habits and paying bills (yuck!!)

Specializes in Oncology RN.

My other new-nurse friends and myself went and had pedicures done. Then, I bought a new bed. The bed I had was old and worn, and the springs would poke you. I had cheap sheets, and no headboard/footboard.

Now, I have a super-nice pillow top bed so tall I had to get a stepstool to climb into it, a nice headboard/footboard, featherbed, duvet, AND 800 thread count sheets. Thank goodness for Nebraska Furniture Mart.

I work nights, so I take sleep very, very seriously.

Well, Im waiting for my first real check as a RN, because I am still in school. My plan is a downpayment on a brand new Dodge Durango. :rotfl:

My Grandma bought a big fancy set of bone china with her paycheck.

My Mom? I dunno.....she probably banked it, she is the original Tightwad Lady. :chuckle

Laura

i should be getting my first nursing paycheck in about five weeks if all goes according to plan (taking NCLEX ON MONDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and I have a list of things to buy

Some highlights:

A NICE espresso machine (ironic becuase this will probably actually save me money in the long run from trips to the 'bucks)

real clothes (not Old Navy, REAL :chuckle )

lots of organic fruit and vegatables

a new spinning wheel and a bunch of new knitting needles

some sort of new pet- I'm leaning toward guinea pig- any suggestions?

nice new nursing shoes

all new makeup

new iron, blender, vacuum, printer, scanner, oohh, I could go on and on

and a nice vacation for my parents (probably for Christmas)

hmmm, lovely thoughts :) :)

Specializes in Geriatrics, DD, Peri-op.
Thank goodness for Nebraska Furniture Mart.

Is that the HUGE one in Omaha? If so, hubby and I bought our first living and bedroom suite there. That's when we were stationed at Offutt.

real clothes (not Old Navy, REAL )

You mean Old Navy isn't real clothing? Man, am I out of touch. I won't even buy anything at Old Navy unless it's on the clearance rack. Other than clearance....thrift stores and yard sales are my life. It's pretty funny actually. I have no problem spending 130 bucks on a pair of Birkenstocks but cringe if I have to pay 10 bucks for a pair of pants. :chuckle I think I'll be that way forever. Heel spurs convince you to buy good shoes. :)

I can't remember what I spent my first nursing check on but it had to be bills. What will I spend my first RN check on? Probably the same thing. I'm only looking at about a 3 dollar an hour raise. :rolleyes: But, hey I do get to go back to the hospital without a wage decrease...which is what I would be looking at now.

Specializes in Geriatrics, DD, Peri-op.

eak16, Jack Handey rocks!

Specializes in OB, House Sup, ER, Med Surg.

a new spinning wheel and a bunch of new knitting needles

some sort of new pet- I'm leaning toward guinea pig- any suggestions?

Eak, you spin too? My oldest dtr and I raise English and Satin Angora Rabbits and we both spin. She has a Babe wheel and I have a Majacraft Susie (bought used). My wheel has been gathering dust since I went back to school and hubby opened up his body shop, though.

I do indeed spin, hoppermom, although I haven't been able to nearly as much for the past few years with nursing school. It is the best therapy- quiet, rhythmic, tactile, productive, you know what I mean :)

I have a Canadian production wheel (in storage because it is gigantic) two wheels that I fell in love with but need fine tuning in order to really work, and my baby, an upright wheel made by a local artist.

ok, back to NCLEX studying

When I got my first paycheck I cried, then promptly brought my kids to the shoe store and bought shoes, went out to dinner and the rest went into the bank. Three months into the workforce, I purchased 2004 Taurus (old car had 295,000 miles, no heat, no lights, and only one door opened). I love my job and the pay ain't nothin to sneeze at.

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