If there’s one thing I enjoy out of this life (besides babies, money, love, sex, beer…), it’s putting a close to unresolved issues ;) The worst thing in the world is to have a problem open for months on end, constantly nagging you, until you finally just lose it and decide to knock it all out once and for all (and then of course kick yourself for waiting so long in the first place!).
That pretty much sums up the stress a few of these have recently caused me over the years (yes, two of them had been going on *for years*!), and I’m happy to report that we now have some final successes! WOOHOO! And instead of writing out some long boring blog pots about each of them (which I’d been trying to do for the past two months now), I figured I’d just shoot y’all the summaries and call it a day ;) If anyone wants me to elaborate on any of them or go into deeper details, just ask away in the comments and I’ll be more than happy to hook ya up!
The 3 latest issues we kicked in the ass:
1. The Wedding Ring Fiasco
This was the most recent situation, and also the easiest one to resolve! Though I didn’t really know it going in ;) I had been trying for years to get my dumb wedding ring swapped out because it kept falling apart (crazy, I know), but every dang manager at the store told me it couldn’t be done “due to their policies.” So, as many of you probably recall, I blogged my heart out about it last month and was quickly met with a lot of “that’s messed up!”s, as well as a few suggestions to tweet or call them up on top of it. And I did!
I first tweeted the link to my post to @Helzberg, and literally seconds later I got a response saying they’d love to help me and to DM my contact info. So I did, and a few hours later a rep called me back to hear my story out and see what they can do. And they must have given me their start player over there cuz this guy (Courtney) was by far the best customer service rep I have ever dealt with over the phone in my 32 years on this earth. He was kind, respectful, and most importantly LISTENED to me and understood that there was a problem here than needed to get fixed.
Fast forward a few phone calls and approvals here and there, and 2 days later my issue was resolved!
Not only did I get a full value replacement of my ring that had shot up 3 times worth since I bought it years ago (we paid around $500 for it and the exact same ring now goes for $1,500+ due to the increase in gold!), but they also let me keep my life-time warranty on the new ring as well – something that originally I was gonna have to pay for again, and would have gladly done so (a $150 value). So my love was restored with Helzberg Diamonds, and I’m the proud new owner of a ring I’ll actually wear again every single day of my life ;) That’s a picture of my new ring up above there – I def. should have called a lot sooner!
2. The Moldy Bathroom
Oh man, I never thought I’d see the day when this one was wiped from our to-do list ;) The wife had been talking about it for literally two years, but as soon as we realized it could not only be endangering OUR health, but also our baby’s!, we knew we finally had to do something about it.
So we hired a handyman, decided to “do it right” and upgrade the tiles and features of the shower since it would only cost a few hundred dollars more, and 3 weeks later we were set! Total price tag: $2,500. More than we originally budgeted for, but at the end of the day we were done dealing with it and just happy to be mold-free again as well as now having a sexy place to take showers going forward ;) That before & after picture at the top was/is our new shower!
3. The Leaking Bathroom
The month of May was a nightmare for us here out our house. Not only were we dealing with that moldy bathroom situation above there, but our water heater had just burned out and needed replacement, and then our 2nd bathroom started acting up because we were using it more due to our moldy bathroom being fixed! It was a nightmare!
Fortunately though we decided to do a LOT more research this time than the first go around w/ the handyman services, and instead of paying the $700 initially quoted to fix the water leakage, it ended up costing us about a little less than $200 by contracting a plumber instead :) And then a drywall guy just to patch it up on the side, which is included in that $200 total (the plumber only charged us $65 for his time – part of the drainage tube just needed to be attached better – and the drywall guy charged $125 to patch up two holes we had made in the process). The only reason we did this job so fast was because the baby was hot on our trails, but I’m sooooooo glad we did cuz now – for the first time in a while (knock on wood) – our house is completely up to date and problem free! Woo!
So all of that to say KNOCK OUT THOSE PROBLEMS as fast as you can so you don’t stress yourself out too much ;) I would have gone back and fixed all of these right from the beginning if I could because it was def. not worth the heart ache. And I imagine the same goes for you and your current problems you’re dealing with too – whether it has to do with debt, or loans, or patching up your houses/cars, whatever.
If something’s eating away at you, make it your mission this weekend to start fixing it! And let us know what’s on your mind in the comments below so we can all support and encourage you to do so :) Life doesn’t need to be lived more complicated!, so so suck it up and get ‘er done! (I think I’m actually gonna print that out in bold letters and staple it on my wall, haha… I need the reminder just as much as anyone does!)
GOOD LUCK!
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Great job getting everything taken care of. There is so much we want to do that I can’t just knock it all out in one weekend! I need to fix my motorcycle, cut, paint, and hang 2 regular doors and 3 closet doors, redo the kitchen, redo a half bath, redo a full bath, replace carpet upstairs… it’ll be a long time before it is all done!
The bathroom looks great. It’s amazing how little things always pile up, and you procrastinate until they’re huge, and then you start to do them, and it turns out they’re not as big as you thought they were. I’m about to start a massive project (at least, I think it’s going to be one) and that’s rearrange our playroom/sunroom. We need some multi-functional space, and I’m going to try to make it happen. The organizing part will take the longest, but my two problems are: 1) I always underestimate the amount of time a project will take and 2) I have project ADD – mostly because of issue #1! I’m trying to pace myself though, and hopefully things will be better. :) I’m with Lance – so much to I want to do, there’s no way it can be done in a weekend!
We started organizing the entire home last week. Our baby is almost one year old and we couldn’t get to fix anything during this time, he is a real time eater.
So after work, we would get home and start doing “something” first we organized everything on our living room and decided we needed a new sofa, we got rid of the one we had and bought one with a 40% discount.
Then we organized all the paperwork we had lying all over the house, bought a file organizer and were able to get rid of most of useless things.
We moved then to our closets and I got rid of all the really old outfits that I didn’t even fit in and so my husband’s
We sold our desktop computer and this weekend we’ll buy a laptop to save more space.
This weekend: the baby’s room!
It’s incredible how much crap we have all over his room, things that were needed once but now he has outgrown it. Most of it will go to charity.
I don’t know why but the house seems cleaner than ever hehe!
Awesome! Don’t let me wife see this!! :)
We have a long term basement/garage rearrangement still in the design stage. Our goal is to have it done before week 8 of the football season. Good to be reminded!
Nicely done! Loved the before and after pictures as you can see the difference. One day we need to hire a handyman to do the same for us. One day… Now, I am just looking short-term: I need to clean our condo. It is a little out of control now. I hate it. :)
Congrats on all of your problems fixed oor solved satisfactory! That is awesome :)
Let’s see today I already:
Talked a friend out of freaking out and dropping me because she is going through a divorce
Comforted my husband because he is in the hospital and one of the people he knew in there died last night.
Took recalled excedrine migraine to ditch a headache I had since yesterday that almost turned into a migraine
Cleaned up pee
And that was within the first hour of this morning. I feel like Superwoman already.
I have also been remodeling, and getting ready for school without a clear outlook on my future there (hubby’s in hospital/his boss is angry and emails me every day)
I think this weekend I need to do something I never do RELAX! Maybe I will go zone out at a movie by myself and have some unresolved ME time.
The new bath looks awesome. I need to replace our toilets. I’ve been putting it off for a while now because they still mostly work.I’ll shop around this weekend and see if I can find a nice powerful throne. :)
It’s odd that I’ve begun to start outsourcing projects lately, from pest control, landscaping, and car washes. I have the worst combination of personality traits, lazy and cheap. Since my laziness (when it comes to chores) is incurable, I’ve loosened my grip on my money to pay others to do the heavy lifting. Life has been so much better :)
Now to find a housekeeper :P
Awesome job! Don’t you feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders? The funny thing is I actually do have a couple of things that’s eating away at me which I planned on completing this weekend!
Perfect timing on this post! :-)
@ StackingCash I am doing the exact same thing. Landscapers. Car Washes. Housekeepers. Personal Trainer. Painters.
I think it will be worth it in the long run. Why not live a life without the guilt of neglecting to mow the lawn or clean the bathroom?
I save is so many ways – living WELL below my means in so many areas, that I may as well upgrade the execution of my life… You know what I mean?
We have a long list of to-do’s since we just moved into the place recently. It feels so good to knock things out-congrats!!
I like your sexy bathroom, you’ll have to show us more as you re-do your house. Is there a picture of the babys nursery ? :)
Oh, for the days of home ownership that I long for (I know, foolish me, right?). While that’s a pretty penny to spend on the bathroom, it looks great and I’m sure it is nice to rest easy with baby $.
Ironic that I was just making a list of what I need to accomplish this weekend and here comes your post on the very same subject!
The main thing on my list is to organize the clothes I bought online and match them with the receipts to return. I’ve been lazy (YES…LAZY…I’LL ADMIT IT) about returns. So, I’ve been collecting these clothes over several years (yes, you heard correct…years!) and I need to get my lazy butt going so I can return them to the store (no shipping fees that way).
When I think of all the credit I’ll have when I return them, I can go on a shopping spree!
Y’all can do it!!
@Lance @ Money Life and More – Haha that is a lot! How about just starting on one? ;)
@Laura Brown – You can do it though!!! Maybe just set aside chunks of 30 mins and jump in and work on it? I find that if I do that I usually end up staying more than the 30, and even if I don’t it’s a TON more easier to finish over time than all in one sitting. Having lots of snacks and blaring music also helps with it too ;)
@m1nts – Awesome work! A clean house = a clean mind too! That’s brilliant, keep it up :)
@William @ Drop Dead Money – Haha, that’s specific :) I’m so glad football season is around the corner though, freakin’ love it! GO ‘SKINS!!
@Aloysa @ My Broken Coin – Well the good thing is that cleaning your condo is a lot cheaper than hiring a handyman! Haha… work it out, yo!
@LB – Woahhhh you are so good to everyone!! So sad too, my word :( Yes, please take an hour or two for yourself this weekend and unwind, we all need to do that every now and then :)
@Joe @ Retire By 40 – Haha, there you go :) Maybe you can find some powder blue ones like I saw on HGTV last night? Haha…
@StackingCash – Hey, nothing wrong with that! You value your time and it fits into your priorities :) I can get down with that… I pay people all the time to do stuff for me, it’s awesome!
@Ornella @ Moneylicious – Good! Should I quiz you at the end of it and make sure you took care of it all, missy? :) Also, have you every been out to Gallery 63 in Atlanta? From the Auction Kings TV show? I want to go there sooooo bad now!!
@SH – I totally get what you mean! Nothing wrong at all with prioritizing where your money goes based on what makes you happy like that :)
@L Bee @ Money Tree – Hehe, thanks! Have you seen my old school library yet?
https://budgetsaresexy.com/2012/02/j-money-target-diy-library/
Here’s one pic from our nursury too – haven’t taken many more yet (scroll to the bottom to see):
https://budgetsaresexy.com/2012/06/ultimate-baby-child-costs-tracker/
@20’s Finances – Thanks :) Yeah, it’s a lot nice to think about and enjoy now that we’ve shelled out the money and ridden it from our minds, haha… that’s the hardest part really: pulling the trigger on this stuff!
@Kathy – WOWWW that is awesome though!! You’re gonna have a helluva good time once you get all that store credit! At least you have something exciting on the other end to look forward to :)
I have three big ones I’m attacking this weekend:
1) Finish painting my fence! The wood isn’t treated and I don’t want to be replacing the wood early because it rotted out.
2) Order the nosing for my stairs. I’ve been walking on subfloor on my stairs for 2.5 years, and it’s time to put an end to it.
3) Get up in my attic! I know my house is hurting for insulation, and I know I have bare patches up there. I finally have a ladder high enough to get in there, so I’m assessing the damage this weekend.
Good job. I love the new look of your bathroom. Congratulations!
I have been too busy updating my blog and I have several unfinished posts that I need to get published. I need to find time to complete them and put them up. I hope it gets done right away.
Awesome! It feels so good to have the nagging things crossed off your list, doesn’t it?! And those were BIG things! Congrats! I’ve started making monthly goals for myself instead of yearly ones, and I find I get a LOT more done now. We’ll see if I can keep up the motivation, it’s hard to consistently make progress, as I’m more of a long-term procrastinator, and then when it really starts to bug me, I’m all ‘let’s do this all in one go and get it over with’. This weekend I have a laundry list to get done…thanks for the reminder and motivation!
High five for wrapping shit up!
Congrats on getting some biggies off your list!!! We had a cracked toilet replaced last week and have been doing little jobs around the house for the last month. This weekend is all about my father-in-law’s birthday and catching up with blogging, lol. :-)
@ SH and J. Money, I hear you two loud and clear. It’s still a struggle because I feel I’m entering the territory of the wealthy by outsourcing chores. I’m far from wealthy.
Bathroom looks good; and it is important that they don’t leak – though not certain what the solution to this is. I can be often seen staring at the kitchen ceiling, looking for tell tales stains – they never diappoint :). I was thinking about what I would like to resolve this weekend – and the only thing that comes to mind is that I have to finish the article for PF Olympics (and it is not going great). Thank you for you blog, thank you for providing a worthy distraction.
@Cassie – All pretty do-able things at least! I’ve been meaning to go into our attic too – have nooooo idea what’s in there and have actually totally forgotten we even HAD one to begin with! Thinking of laying down some plywood and start using it for storage :) Can’t be *too* hard to do, right? Hope you get a lot of your stuff done this weekend!
@Manette @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance – Thanks :) I hope you get ’em done too, I know that feeling of being un-finished like that – I currently have like 5 posts in that stage right now :) What works for me is writing stuff down as SOON as it’s in my head and fresh – the longer I wait, the longer it takes me to finish them all up as I quickly lose interest at the same time, haha… good luck to you though!
@Sense – You know it! Smaller, monthly, goals are SO MUCH EASIER to do for sure – I think you’re onto something smart there :)
@B. (Below Her Means) – *High Five* AND *beer cling!*
@Crystal @ Prairie Ecothrifter – There’s always something with houses, eh? :)
@StackingCash – Nothing wrong with FEELING wealthy though ;) Not many can pull that off!
@maria@moneyprinciple – Awww, well thank YOU for always reading and commenting, my friend :) I wish you luck in both the post AND the winning of the PF Olympics! Pour your heart into, girl!
This brought all the stuff we need to do around the house to the forefront of my mind! Aughh! Now if I could only find the time!!
Unfortunately, my wife already made the choice of getting something done for me. Like you, I will be re-doing some work inside the house. We just ordered a ton tiles to work on the floors in our bathroom.
Congrats on kicking butt and getting things accomplished. My plan for this weekend (aka Sunday) is to get a little caught up on work, pay bills, relax in the sunshine and head to church. Nice having a week on the Cape, but now it’s time to get back to business.
@JMoney: I feel the same way about crossing out things from my to do list. Its a great feeling and it opens up room to do more creative things.
I’m a little late to the party, but I did resolve something that’s been driving me freakin’ nuts. My banner on my blog. I kept trying to make it better each time and it just kept sucking. So finally, I hired a pro and have such an awesome banner now.
It’s was way worth the time and money to get rid of that nagging voice that was scream “GHETTO” at me each time I saw it. :-)
PS- Your bathroom looks 100 times better now and the ring is pretty tight too.
Hope you all accomplished the mission!
@Nell @ Housewife Empire – Haha, sorry ;)
@My Money Design – Well, we’re lucky enough to have some amazing women in our lives, eh? :)
@Jenna, Adaptu Community Manager – Awesome! I hope you were able to accomplish it all, my friend!
@Rohit @ The Money Mail – Oh yeah, you got that right. I LOVE the feeling of being 100% free and able to work on whatever creativity comes to my mind – it’s a most wonderful feeling indeed :) (The trick is now just GETTING there more often, haha…)
@Jen @ Master the Art of Saving – Wowwww I love your new banner!! Is it weird that that cartoon chick kinda turns me on?? Haha… way to finally get on it, girl. Looks nice and fun :) (Colors are pretty sweet too)
Of course not—maybe that’s what I was going for. hehe. Thanks, I’m totally loving it. :-)