WWYD

kimberley wrote: here's the scenerio...

you lost your job a month ago and no new one's are on the horizon. your birthday is coming up and a family member plans to give you a few hundred dollars. what do you do with the money?

gr33n3y3z replied: Save it to help pay bills
Then when things look better later on when you get your job you can always pay yourself back

Calimama replied: Pay the bills.

HuskerMom replied: Needs come before wants, we'd pay the bills.

luvmykids replied: I might at least treat myself to a Starbucks or something very small, but the rest would pay the bills.

DVFlyer replied: Depends on how desperate the finances are. If $300 will finally pay off a credit card, then the whole thing goes toward that or something similar.

Otherwise, spend a small portion (less than $50) on the birthday person and the rest goes to bills.

Always talk to your spouse about this for sure.

Crystalina replied: Pay the bills. I'm a grown-up, I don't need to go out and buy something for myself.

youngmomofone replied: bills

cameragirl21 replied: you left out an important detail, K, so i didn't vote--how badly was your salary needed? does your dh's salary cover your bills? do you need the money for the bills, is there credit card debt? if you need the money for bills or you have cc debt i'd use it to pay that but if your salary was just a bonus in the household then use it to buy yourself something. in principle, i'm pretty practical when it comes to money but if you don't need it to pay bills then there is no reason you can't spend it and enjoy it.

~Roo'sMama~ replied: I would talk it over with Dh to see what we should use it for. He would probably want me to use at least some of it for myself, so I'd probably end up getting myself something little and using the rest for bills.

Boys r us replied: I think as an adult there comes a time when we have to outgrow the need for a birthday gift..I mean, seriously it sounds like the person doing the giving might actually be trying to help you out by giving you the money anyhow knowing that the job was lost. But really..when you need money..money is money, no matter the source it's from(legally of course) ..the fact that it's a gift for a birthday is irrelevant, sounds like the money needs to be spent on bills, I would find it completely irresponsible to do otherwise.

TANNER'S MOM replied: Well, I know I have took my Bday money and paid bills many times. You do what you have to do, but at times I have felt recentful when there was something I wanted and had the money planned for but then life happened. Not recentful at my family but the BS that happens, you know!

stella6979 replied: DH and I would discuss it with eachother, but it would definitely be put towards the bills.

MommyToAshley replied: I would have voted for two answers if would have allowed: I would put it to bills/save it (probably for future bills). I would also discuss how to best use the money with my DH.... we'd probably discuss which bills to pay. LOL.

kimberley replied: thanks for the replies. keep the votes coming.

ftr, i have a job, my birthday is not til October 29 and i rarely get anything from anyone.

eta: to Jennifer's questions, two incomes are required to cover monthly bills. the money is needed.

Boys r us replied: I kinda figured it wasn't you..but it didn't alter my answer, I would give the same advice to anyone in that situation!

lesliesmom replied: I've been doing this for years... even with both DH and I working. My parents and MIL each give me money for my birthday and I will typically pay bills, get some needed stuff for the kids or grocery shop with it. Unfortunately, MIL didn't like this too much so now she only gives me giftcards to Dress Barn or some other ladies clothing store so I have to use it on myself. I hate this because I always feel guilty thinking the $$ could go somewhere else where it's needed more.

Boo&BugsMom replied: Just like Mel, both Troy and I have many times used our birthday money for bills. Each year we both get money from his grandparents and my parents. Sometimes, if we can justify it, we will use some of it for something fun. More often than not, most of it is used towards bills. Needs do come before wants, and if it is between paying a bill on time versus going out to a restaurant, the bill must come first.

holley79 replied: I would save it and pay bills with it. Then when I started working again would put a little back out of each paycheck and pay myself back the money I had to give up.

A&A'smommy replied: I guess I would get something small for myself and spend the rest on bills unless all of it is needed

paradisemommy replied: well i'm guess i'm shallow cause i would get something small that i would really want for myself (if i was the bday girl) but not otherwise buy if i had not had the money and then use the rest to pay the bills where needed. i am usually so busy buying for everyone else that i rarely get anything myself so i'm allowed a splurge every now and then

grapfruit replied:
I'm w/you there. I suppose it depended on how broke we were.