Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Put Your Money Where Your Wallet Is

My idea of a relaxing evening is sipping a tea, or better yet, a hot chocolate, and writing a letter or reading a book, neither of which I do, of course, because I’m always glued to the computer screen, keeping in touch with faraway family and friends, since most of them do not live next door to us in Moscow, or I’m ordering toiletries over the Internet, also because Target is not located just down the street from us.

My husband’s idea of a relaxing evening is checking his financial portfolio and creating Excel spreadsheets that reflect various rates of savings and returns over the future.

My idea of financial diversification is keeping small bits of cash, preferably in different currencies and including coins, which I love for their shiny clinkiness, all over the house in little wallets and purses, so that when I find them, I’m pleasantly surprised and suddenly in the black.

My husband, who tracks every penny (in Excel), expresses no surprise when I come across a long-lost wallet with bills and coins inside. Instead, he rolls his eyes and laughs at me.

What? Isn’t this a kind of saving? Isn’t this the kind of currency hedging our grad school ForEx professor would be proud of?

At the very least, when I find a wallet or purse with money tucked inside, my husband and I know that until now, that money has not been misspent.

He urges me to put it into the budget, or the bank.

I’d rather spend it on another face cream, or else hide it again for the next time.