Planning how to spend money is fun!!
Jan. 3rd, 2009 07:15 amI took MrB & I's last paychecks for 2008, and used the year-to-date numbers on them to do a rough draft of what our taxes would look like.
We're the types who like to have a lot taken out during the year so we're guaranteed of getting a refund. It's one of the only ways that's easy for us to save, and then have the money come back in a lump sum where we both agree we can spend part of it. If we were to reduce our/my withholdings so less taxes were taken out, we could probably arrange it to get to a point where we only had a small refund... but I know us, and I know we'd just keep the extra money from each paycheck, and wouldn't save it up to spend on something.
Anyway, we should get a really good sized refund! :D We're going to put half of whatever we get into savings, and we're doing to spend the other half!! :D
So far, here's what we're thinking of getting:
A 40" or 42" LCD HDTV. Probably a Samsung model, Consumer Reports rates them very highly.
A new processor for our Home Theater PC (the computer that acts as our TiVo).
A new video card for our Home Theater PC (so it can more easily record HD shows).
I'm really really looking forward to the new TV! Right now the computer stuff is really hard to read on the TV screen... because computers are designed to be displayed (at least now a days) on absolutely nothing less than 1024x768. Standard definition TV's are only 720x480! It's a real headache. Even with large fonts and everything else, text is fuzzy, dialog boxes take up a HUGE portion of the screen, and it's just not fun & easy to read. All of that will disappear when we get a new TV as we're going to make sure to get a 1080p HDTV (those have a resolution of 1980x1080; 1080i is 1280x1080; and 720p is 1280x720).
PLUS, one of the things I'm looking forward to almost as much as the new TV... we're going to get a Wii!!! :D And a Wii Fit!
I have two games I'm still in the middle of playing on my ps2. Final Fantasy XII, and Rogue Galaxy. MrB proposed (and rightly so) that once we/I got the Wii (and the games Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Mario Kart, Super Mario Galaxy, and an RPG if I can find one), I'm not going to want to play the PS2 very much. So I'm going to finish those two PS2 games, then once we've bought the TV and have it all set up, THEN we'll go get the Wii. :D
I'm really looking forward to the Wii Fit. We have an elliptical machine, but I never use it... it's BORING as hell. and I can't even read a book while I'm on it. Someday I want a stationary bike or a treadmill so I can a book while exercising. It's the only way I'll actually enjoy exercising. Well, I do enjoy getting outside and going for walks, but when the weather's cold & dark & rainy it's not so fun.
Anyone else have a Wii or a Wii Fit? What do you think of it?
We're the types who like to have a lot taken out during the year so we're guaranteed of getting a refund. It's one of the only ways that's easy for us to save, and then have the money come back in a lump sum where we both agree we can spend part of it. If we were to reduce our/my withholdings so less taxes were taken out, we could probably arrange it to get to a point where we only had a small refund... but I know us, and I know we'd just keep the extra money from each paycheck, and wouldn't save it up to spend on something.
Anyway, we should get a really good sized refund! :D We're going to put half of whatever we get into savings, and we're doing to spend the other half!! :D
So far, here's what we're thinking of getting:
A 40" or 42" LCD HDTV. Probably a Samsung model, Consumer Reports rates them very highly.
A new processor for our Home Theater PC (the computer that acts as our TiVo).
A new video card for our Home Theater PC (so it can more easily record HD shows).
I'm really really looking forward to the new TV! Right now the computer stuff is really hard to read on the TV screen... because computers are designed to be displayed (at least now a days) on absolutely nothing less than 1024x768. Standard definition TV's are only 720x480! It's a real headache. Even with large fonts and everything else, text is fuzzy, dialog boxes take up a HUGE portion of the screen, and it's just not fun & easy to read. All of that will disappear when we get a new TV as we're going to make sure to get a 1080p HDTV (those have a resolution of 1980x1080; 1080i is 1280x1080; and 720p is 1280x720).
PLUS, one of the things I'm looking forward to almost as much as the new TV... we're going to get a Wii!!! :D And a Wii Fit!
I have two games I'm still in the middle of playing on my ps2. Final Fantasy XII, and Rogue Galaxy. MrB proposed (and rightly so) that once we/I got the Wii (and the games Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Mario Kart, Super Mario Galaxy, and an RPG if I can find one), I'm not going to want to play the PS2 very much. So I'm going to finish those two PS2 games, then once we've bought the TV and have it all set up, THEN we'll go get the Wii. :D
I'm really looking forward to the Wii Fit. We have an elliptical machine, but I never use it... it's BORING as hell. and I can't even read a book while I'm on it. Someday I want a stationary bike or a treadmill so I can a book while exercising. It's the only way I'll actually enjoy exercising. Well, I do enjoy getting outside and going for walks, but when the weather's cold & dark & rainy it's not so fun.
Anyone else have a Wii or a Wii Fit? What do you think of it?