Your Mom and I did not go down to the UW Badger game last Saturday. We wimped out. It was tolerable weather with 30 degree temperatures, clear skies and windy. Instead we sold the tickets to friends. In hindsight, there are no regrets. The game was over by the end of the first quarter. Badgers are Big 10 Champions and headed for the Rose Bowl. Anyone who attended a Badger game during the season witnessed a championship team. Special. The best part is that I have $200 cash from payment for the seats.
I also have a weekly ritual. On Sunday mornings, I wander down to the “Pipes and Pages” newspaper stand on College Ave. and pick up my favorite Barron’s magazine. It costs $5 per week plus tax. By my calculation, I spend $273 per year. Several weeks ago I got a solicitation to subscribe to Barron’s through the mail at the “professional rate” of $52 per year. I have resisted the invitation in the past because I didn’t want to change my Sunday routine and I wasn’t sure when my subscription would arrive by mail. Even I can take a risk. I subscribed. My magazine arrived on Monday (versus Sunday which is okay). My savings of $221 per year is now taking place. Again I have more cash in my pocket.
So in less than a week I picked up $200 for football tickets and $221 in savings for an annual subscription to Barron’s. Life is good.
Yesterday I got a notice from the University of Wisconsin-Madison that my football ticket program was going up $200 next year. Oops there goes part of my cash savings. How can they do that? We are in a recession.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that managing finances is an ongoing process. The one part of your life you can control is your cash expenditures. You can not control outside forces like ticket prices going up. Use cash wisely.
Love,
Dad