Stealing this from Natasha, and Emily also filled out {of course}! I always find things like this fascinating to read, and it's also really interesting to fill out - a lot of things I don't think about daily but have to evaluate myself very strictly ha!
1) What was your first job?
How old where you when you started working?
Technically my first job was babysitting. I probably started around 12 or 13 and babysat for families in our neighborhood and families from our church. I also spent the summer before my senior year of high school babysitting for Brent's neighbor - 5 days a week. I didn't particularly enjoy it, but it was a good way to make money!
The first job where I had taxes taken out of my paycheck was working as a Pharmacy Technician-in-Training at a local pharmacy in my town. I worked several afternoons after school, and about 25-30 hours/week in the summer. I also worked there Christmas break and summers for the first couple of years of college. I met one of my bridesmaids there, Angela, and we're friends to this day!
Allena and Angela in the pharmacy - around the year 2000?
2) Tell us about the best and worst job you ever had.
The best job I have is the one I have now! I work for an amazing company with a great team. The benefits are incredible, the people are fantastic, the flexibility can't be beat...it's really the best. I am definitely not passionate about my job, but I am very content.
I am struggling to say what would be my worst job. I've only had 2 full-time jobs - both at the same company - so I guess I'd have to say auditing? But I honestly didn't hate it most of the time. Busy season was THE PITS. But I love the company I work for, so I struggle to say I hated it!
3). Are you a saver or a spender? What about your significant other?
I would say we are largely savers. We are pretty aggressive with our retirement funds and savings accounts, but we also have our moments of frivolity. We are definitely not debt free, but other than our house {which we just refinanced with a 15-year note}, the vast majority of it is interest free. We definitely love to buy things on credit as long as it's interest free - ha! We will keep our money and dole it out to you over time, thank you very much!
4) Have you ever played the stock market?
Do you play the lottery?
Ever gambled?
Ever won big?
My 401K is tied to the stock market and Brent is a stockholder in his company, but we don't truly play the stock market. We periodically buy a lottery ticket when there's a huge pot {with zero hope or expectation we would ever win!}. Our whole family enjoys scratch offs, but same thing - we don't expect anything from it.
I don't like gambling for the most part. It seems like a waste. When we were in Reno in 2004, every few hands of black jack I lost, I thought 'I could have bought some shoes with that.' The last time we went to Las Vegas, I did enjoy playing the slot machines because I could do that for a long time for not a lot of money ha. Trent has learned to play black jack recently and loves playing. I actually really like the game itself and we were having fun using random things as our chips {puzzle pieces was especially hilarious} until Trent remembered Brent had a poker set so now we use real poker chips and play.
5) What is your favorite way to splurge?
What do you dislike spending money on most?
I would have to say clothes and lately shoes! I hope we can get to vacationing more now that Paige is older and especially once she's out of daycare. I have a pretty decent list of places I want to travel, so I really want that to be my main splurge in the future!
I dislike spending money on the boring adult things. New appliances, lawn equipment, repairs. We had to get a new water heater not too long ago, I am getting new tires, we need a microwave - I mean how lame is all that???
6) How do you save money?
Retirement saving just comes out of our paychecks without us even thinking about it. We aren't maxing those accounts out yet, but we are close. Every year I have an annual bump in mine that is automatic. So our retirement accounts are very healthy and have plenty of time to grow.
Our personal savings account grows largely from bonuses at work. Sometimes we use those to pay for something special, but a lot of the times they just go directly into the bank and then we use as needed. We aren't perfect here, and I'd like to see us getting a little tighter with our frivolous spending {Starbucks, fast food, treats for the kids, shoes ha, etc.}, but we are definitely in pretty good shape.
7) Who pays the bills? Who does the taxes?
Bill paying is a joint activity - Brent has a handful he pays, and I have a handful I pay. Although I track everything in a spreadsheet just to make sure everything gets paid on time.
I typically do the taxes. I know I'm a CPA, but I don't feel like my tax knowledge is any better than Brent's, but I somehow have been the one stuck with this task, and at this point I'm pretty fast at it since our lives are very routine.
8) Name brand or generic? Favorite stores to shop at?
Grocery delivery? Pickup? Coupons?
We use a mix of name brand and generic. My main grocery store is H-E-B, which is a Texas-only store, and their generic brand is fantastic. The more they make, the more of it I buy! I almost always do grocery pickup, which I did before COVID. It is just so convenient! I am NOT a coupon person. I don't have the time, patience, or organizational skills for it.
9) Do you shop thrift stores or yard sales?
Ever use Poshmark or eBay?
Largely no. I am not opposed to any of these, they just aren't for me.
My mom is a huge thrift store and garage sale person. I HATED stopping as a kid, and that has bled over into my adult life. I also don't like hunting for things {which is why I also don't like places like Ross or TJ Maxx} which works against me wanting to shop at thrift stores or garage sales.
I have looked online at Poshmark and eBay a lot...but haven't shopped there much. I feel like this is something I could get behind...but again it takes some extra time versus me just shopping at the stores I know and like and waiting for a great sale!
10) Is there anything you collect or save
thinking it may be valuable some day?
Nope. I am NOT a collector. I don't really like knick-knacks so you won't see any collections around our house. My mom is a huge collector of random things, and she is always telling my sister and me that certain things will be worth money one day. So I guess you could say that I will eventually own some things that might be valuable...but I am in no rush to inherit them!
