Tag Archives: Budget

I need a new couch


The hours of couchtime I’ve logged in recent weeks have reiterated my need for a new couch. Mine is twenty years old and served hard time in the Anderson household for nearly fifteen of those years. It’s giant and sectional and barely curves its way into my living room, blocking both windows.

But the worst part is the deteriorating structure and cushion. While lying on the couch, the wood beams poke through against my back and hips. In one section, the upholstry holding the frame together has disintegrated such that if you sit directly on it, you sink.

Alas. I’ll add it to the “when I have money” list…

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The Cable Conundrum

Ah, Super Tuesday. The polisci geek’s Super Bowl.

But part of my decision to buy my house meant a very conscious and strict budget. And kicking out the slacker boyfriend shortly after moving in meant that money got even tighter. By my calculations, I have a disposable income of about $11 a month.

I’ve never paid for cable – my most recent apartment was possibly the last surviving incidence of native RCN in the city of Chicago – and am somewhat proud of that silly distinction. Sure, I could argue that I have better things to do than watch TV. That’s especially true in the summer, when I spend hours on my bike or puttering in the yard, but this time of year, mindless, easy TV calls me. And sometimes, I miss HGTV or the Colbert Report or the plethora of reruns.

And tonight, as the slush plops down and I follow election returns online, man, I wish I had cable.