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AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P
2,611 Posts
Hi,
In general nurses are not salaried and get payed hourly.
Unfortunately, I have been making in the 80-90K range for at least the last 5 years (as a medic, not as a nurse) and have a lot of regrets about buying "toys" instead of banking money for that day I would want a house. Maybe because I assumed I would stay in my condo forever.
Fast forward to a year ago when a mother and her child moved into the condo above me (it is a garden style and I was on the first floor, never again will that happen), and her child who was almost two would stomp across the floor NON-STOP, all day when they were home! I mean non-stop! I could no longer relax in my own home because it sounded like a two year old was going to come through my ceiling at any moment and that would start around 6 am, 5 am some weeks, and would continue until 8pm when she put him to bed. Yes, I tried drowning it out with the stereo etc, nothing worked. I kept trying to think positive and tell myself he will grow out of that stage etc etc. I bought this condo 9 years ago brand new (yes I bought a condo instead of renting, it payed off since I would have owed taxes for the past several years if I hadn't bought and was renting instead), and had put minimal work into it besides paint and routine small repairs, because, yes I was to busy wasting money on toys like a new computer every year or two, guns, ATV x2, a new car every year, a scooter, motorcycles, and lots of other crap! In March of this year I came to realization that I did not want to live in a condo any longer, as I was fed up with the noise above me (and I understood there wasn't much that could be done about it since it isn't acceptable to lock the two year old in a closet so he isn't stomping over head) and all the ridiculous rules made by all the old prudes living in the complex, you know the ones that had no life and nothing better to do than walk around the condo complex looking for rule breakers. I decided it was time to move on, so I spent a couple weeks getting rid of clutter and cleaning and put the condo on the market where it sat for a little over a month, not because it wasn't desirable for its location and layout, but because I had not spent a penny updating it. Remember I was to busy buying toys... Sigh... The rugs were old and stinky, the kitchen cabinets were just basic, counters were laminate, no back splash, you get the picture. Multiple other condos were going on the market that had updates either with wood flooring, SS appliances, granite, and they were selling much faster even when they were more money. I had spoke to my upstairs neighbor and asked her to try and be as quiet as possible when there was a showing. I went into her place and she had upgraded it to granite, SS appliances, wood floors etc. She suddenly decided oh, I think I will be a copycat and put my condo on market just because you are (which was ok because I was excited to get rid of the stomping kid even though he was cute). She put hers on the market and because she had spent money on the upgrades it sold in less than 3 days and for over asking.
I learned my lesson at that time and realized i had made a huge mistake not sinking any money into my unit over the years. I pulled it off the market and had to pay over 5k for new flooring (something I could have easily done a few years prior when I wouldn't have been worrying about coming up with closing costs and a down payment for a new house), painted EVERY room in neutral colors and added new curtains and accessories to make it feel homey (all of this cost close to 3K on top of the flooring costs). I put it back on the market with the new flooring and paint etc, and it sold in two days, but now my savings account was quite depleted. So, here I am working 90 hour work weeks so I can rebuild my savings AND pay off the motorcycle and student loans that I could have payed off years ago if I hadn't been busy buying more things.
The lesson here is spend your money wisely, not on toys and junk, but save that money for a home down payment, or on home improvements if you already own one, on traveling and experiences. yes, it's ok to splurge once in a while or go out to eat, but before you buy something think long and hard as to how much you really need it. Need verse want. Over the past month I have learned to control my urge to buy everything and anything I want, and only buy what is actually needed. I was spending 400.00 going out to eat every month, which is just unbelievable. I was spending even more than that on crap every month, just wasting money because I had it to waste.
I am buying a brand new home and will now put money towards that in the future. My vehicle I plan on keeping until it is payed off at least, and then I will use it so I have a big down payment on my next vehicle and a lower my car payments. (I am a big believer buying only new vehicles and not owning a car past five years, as I feel you spend more on repairs than you would on a car payment). I won't be spending 400 plus on eating out and will no longer be able to just go to the store and pick up whatever I want when I want it, but that is ok because having a house to call my own is far more important to me, than having a bunch of nice junk that I will get bored with.
Long story short, control your spending even though it may be the first time you will have copious amounts of money in your life. Buy only the necessities! If you are going to buy a new car don't buy the luxury model with all the bells and whistles, but the low model or the one in the middle. Another tip is MAINTAIN YOUR CREDIT, don't use the credit cards unless you can pay them off at the end of the month, even if they are interest free. Get into the habit of not having constant credit card debt. I did that several years ago and it has been the best thing, since now, if I have any amount of debt on my credit card I feel uncomfortable about it and will pay it off! Credit cards are probably the number one thing that gets people in trouble, don't fall into that trap!
Spend responsibly!
Annie