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Home > Caught in a round-about way

Caught in a round-about way

May 22nd, 2009 at 09:33 pm

My brother, whom I love dearly, is moving into a new home soon.

He's basically getting all his bits n pieces bought before he moves in. My family is paying for the vast majority of the stuff...

I'm a bit put out with this - in so far as why can't he make do initially and then buy stuff as he goes on - month by month. Now if he was buying the stuff himself, then fine but my older brother and parents are paying for a lot and they're earning less than/the same as him...

For example his budget for the kitchen floor only stretches to buy linolineum for 400/500.... However my mother, who is a homemaker with a very limited income, decided to buy him tiles for his kitchen floor for 1000 to 1100... she hasn't the cash for this & decided to get a loan to pay for them !!

I stressed that's it's a bad idea to get into debt for tiles when lino will do the job fine for a year or two... that will give my brother enough time to save for the tiles..

but no.... new tiles it is.

This probably sounds like jealousy on my part... and maybe it is to a small degree... But I am really really happy for my brother and wish him every happinesss....it's just that I don't like seeing mother taking on a loan for a non-essential item when my brother is earning more that she is - she's already bought him a new dining room table and chairs...

SO.. to stop her getting a loan... I offered to go half on the tiles... I was planning to give him 100 cash house-warming present but that's going to jump to 500/550 mainly to help my mother...

I'll take it from a fund I'd started for night-course fees and overtime....

I hate to sound like I'm begrudging my brother his good fortune... when I'm not...

I guess I'm just peeved at handing over a week's wages when I wasn't planning to...

that's how frugal I've become !!

But then I tell myself, I love my brother, wish him all the best and hope he gets good service out of the tiles for years - I can feel satisfied I did my bit to help him... and I guess you can't put a value on sibling relationships...

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

6 Responses to “Caught in a round-about way”

  1. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    May 22nd, 2009 at 09:40 pm 1243028458
    1243028458

    I imagine if it were _you_ moving into a new house you would not let your mother go into debt for a nice looking floor. I'd be disgusted if one of my sibs accepted so much from my low pensioned mother. One does not need to have everything new in a house anyway, right? I guess your family is just very excited and happy for your brother and can't restrain themselves. I can understand the feeling, but the head does need to rule on something like that, especially if the existing floor is serviceable.

  2. gamecock43 Says:
    May 22nd, 2009 at 11:26 pm 1243034762
    1243034762

    Well, consider the trade off I guess. Your bro bought a house. He is no longer in danger of moving back in with mom. Tiles are cheaper than having him move in! So in the long run- it's a small price to pay for the security of knowing he's gone, and he aint coming back. And now you must get to work finding 1 more person to go in on the tiles with you and mom- to drop the price down to $350 per person.

  3. dmontngrey Says:
    May 22nd, 2009 at 11:36 pm 1243035380
    1243035380

    Oh, reminds me too much of DH's older brother! Mommy and Daddy do EVERYTHING for him. I wont bore you with my gripes, but it really irks me! At the same time though, they don't "own" US! Smile

  4. Apprentice Bliss Hunter Says:
    May 23rd, 2009 at 11:53 am 1243079634
    1243079634

    Yeah my mother lives from week to week financially and is somewhat a victim of her impulses... I know I certainly wouldn't allow her to get a loan to buy me stuff....

    Great idea Gamecock about the 3rd person... none of family are flush right now... but maybe...

  5. scrf Says:
    May 24th, 2009 at 03:23 am 1243135404
    1243135404

    Is it too late to offer to pay 100% of the cost of linoleum for his housewarming?

  6. Apprentice Bliss Hunter Says:
    May 24th, 2009 at 11:03 pm 1243206188
    1243206188

    scrf.... the tiler is coming Tuesday..:-)

    And I just found out my mother is buying all the curtaims and blinds.... (note to self- just stay silent !)

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