31 Dec
Happy New Year’s Eve, Ten Years Ago
What were you like 10 years ago?
Isn’t it interesting how we attach significance to some numbers? Turning 40 is over the hill. $99 is a much better deal than $100. 5 miles over the speed limit is okay.
As this decade ends today I find myself weighed down with the importance of looking back ten years at where I was, what I did and, maybe more importantly, what I didn’t know.
Certainly nothing makes this ten year span more important than any other, but what the heck. Let’s just decide to attach significance to it anyway, shall we?
Ten years ago I
- just bought my first house. 4br, 3b, 1,800ft2, $129,000
- had known The Wife for 8 months
- smoked
- had never heard of intra-uterine insemination
- had about $2,000 in consumer debt
- worked in the exact same building & job, but the company name was different
- weighed 30 pounds less
- had just brewed my first batch of beer – it was awful
- hosted a New Year’s party at my new house with friends I will not see tonight. Most because they moved away, some because we are no longer friends.
- drove a paid-for pickup with 60k miles
- wish I had heard of Dave Ramsey
Kind of interesting to look back.
What were you like 10 years ago?
the Dad
Posted by KelsaLynn on 12/31/09 at 1:48 pm
Excellent post! Let’s see… 10 years ago, I
- was 18 years old
-a freshman in college
- lived in a dorm w/ 3 other girls
-had not yet met my husband
-drank a 20oz Mountain Dew every morning on my way to class
-had super short hair (looked terrible)
-had crooked teeth b/c I didn’t get braces until 2003
-was 15 lbs lighter but thought I was fat
-finally out of my house- away from my alcoholic mom, trying to figure out how “normal” life works
Posted by pafaff on 12/31/09 at 4:11 pm
You have great posts! 10 years ago, I…
- attended a NYE dinner with my boyfriend (now husband) and another couple.
- bailed on another NYE party, which I got into trouble for, and haven’t been back to any NYE party since (we love being at home).
- was renting an apt.
- quit the marathon training program (will race a half in Jan 2010).
- was 20-30 lbs. heavier.
- was in debt. Though (thank goodness for the plan), now have less consumer debt.
- too, wish I had heard about Dave Ramsey and taken his advise to heart.
- was working the same job for almost half the salary.
In the end, I cannot complain about the past 10 years and am truly looking forward to working a plan in making the next 10 years even better.
Happy New Year!!!
Posted by Jennifer on 01/01/10 at 4:40 pm
Hi!
I love reading your blog and thank you for posting such encouraging comments on my blog! I love the idea of “how far you have come in 10 years”. I was only 14 years old…10 years ago! So, i’ll pass this time. But, I can’t wait to make a post about this in a few years and be able to say (and it will happen!) I am debt free! Thanks!
Posted by Walter on 01/02/10 at 5:14 pm
My past ten years was frenetic. Know that I have a wife and a very young son, I have become more responsible.
Posted by wudnit on 01/04/10 at 8:27 am
My dh and I were thinking about this on New Year’s Eve. Ten years ago, we were:
1. Oblivious to the fact that we would have another child (our youngest was 14 and I was 40, had a son when I was 41).
2. Never imagined that by the end of the decade we would have two grandchildren.
3. Never would have believed that we would own a vacation home!! Which we purchased in 2003.
4. Never would have believed that we would own an apartment building!
5. Wish we had found Dave Ramsey (may not have made so many large purchases!! LOL!!)
6. Still had my dad, whom I miss incredibly.
All in all the last decade had it’s sad moments and difficult moments, but a lot of good things happened as well. Looking forward to what the next decade will bring with eyes wide open financially during this decade!!!
Posted by KelsaLynn on 01/06/10 at 8:14 am
Hey Dad and Mom. Just wanted you to know that I made my blog private. I’d still love for you to have access though so if you give me your email address, I’ll add you to the list of readers. I added a new post today that I thought you’d enjoy reading…
http://kelsalynnfitlog.blogspot.com/2010/01/financial-peace.html
KelsaLynn
Posted by Jennifer on 01/21/10 at 10:30 am
Hmmm . . . I’m a little late, but I’ll bite.
Ten years ago I:
- had a 3 year old and a 1 year old.
- Lived in a two family home (that we owned) and paid less than $600 a month toward our mortage (because we got rent from upstairs).
- Was in debt, probably around $10,000 as that seemed to be my “comfort level” with debt
- Had nothing in savings and was strangely not worried about it
- was 20 lbs thinner
Posted by Tam on 02/14/10 at 2:29 pm
New Year’s Eve 10 years ago….
even though I was SO sick I was curd up in blanket sitting in front of your fireplace at midnight sipping champagne while my 15 month old slept upstairs.
I wish we still lived less that two hours apart. It doesn’t seem so far now….
We lived in a 800 Sq. ft. apartment in Redondo Beach and paid $850/month, were about $30k in debt, still owned the house in San Diego and drove ’96 Dodge Intrepid that we had just paid off. The husband still drove his ’89 CRX. This was just about the time I quit my property management job to pursue acting and went back to Florida to pick up my mom to move her to CA with us. I wish she still lived upstairs from us… Oh and I, also weighed almost 25 pounds less.
Posted by Bruce on 05/19/10 at 8:14 am
My dh and I were thinking about this on New Year’s Eve. Ten years ago, we were:
1. Oblivious to the fact that we would have another child (our youngest was 14 and I was 40, had a son when I was 41).
2. Never imagined that by the end of the decade we would have two grandchildren.
3. Never would have believed that we would own a vacation home!! Which we purchased in 2003.
4. Never would have believed that we would own an apartment building!
5. Wish we had found Dave Ramsey (may not have made so many large purchases!! LOL!!)
6. Still had my dad, whom I miss incredibly.
All in all the last decade had it’s sad moments and difficult moments, but a lot of good things happened as well. Looking forward to what the next decade will bring with eyes wide open financially during this decade!!!
Posted by the Dad on 06/14/10 at 8:54 am
Tam… those were the days.
Bruce, good stuff. So were those purchases made with cash or with debt?