Prioritizing appearances vs. fitness (my own and my dog's)

I was hoping to get some feedback from you wonderful folks. I started saving for plastics even before surgery. Most of my wish list is optional, but I will absolutely need a brachioplasty, no question. I can't wear most short-sleeve shirts now because of how my arms look in them and how much they squeeze. At Christmas, my 4-year-old niece kept asking to play with my extra arm skin in front of everyone...it was hilarious but awful at the same time.

Lately I haven't been able to contribute anymore to my plastics savings because it's all going other places. I'm spending all of my extra income on my personal trainer and weekly day camp for my dog. Together these are about $320 a month. I've been thrilled with both though -- I'm stronger than I've ever been in my life, can actually see muscle definition under the flab now, and feel better emotionally than I have in a long time. My dog has also become a lot less anxious getting to run around 25 acres of fenced in woods every Wednesday. He whines and barks less on the other days when he's home alone, and he's a lot less fearful around strangers. It's turned him into a new dog.

How do you recommend continuing to save for plastics without giving up these expensive but wonderful things? I have a year contract with my trainer, but I'm not sure if I want to stop seeing her after that because it's been so helpful. I know plenty of people search online to make their own workouts, but I'm clueless. I'm due for a raise at the end of March, but I usually increase my 401k contribution by the same amount. I have a CareCredit card already, but financing doesn't matter if you can't afford the monthly payments. Any suggestions on how you'd prioritize or where you'd try to come up with the money?

Well, as somebody whose had to cut back in many areas just to stay afloat lately, here's some of what I've done, in general.  Got a less expensive car and eliminated car payments and cut back on insurance coverages too, cut back on cable to just basic internet connection & netflix, got serious about turning down the heat/AC (electric) in the house and bought more warm blankets to cuddle up in, shop more at the Goodwill and less new clothes, very little eating out and use coupons wherever I can, got a cheaper Boost Mobile phone, and other things like that.  I hope this helps!  Good luck!

Thanks! Unfortunately I'm already doing most of these things (no car payment, no cable, only Goodwill clothes shopping), but at least I know that's why I can afford doggy day camp, lol.

Hi! A couple of ideas: take this year's raise and put it into your plastics savings instead and/or pick up an extra shift or 2 per month for overtime, if possible, and put that all toward plastics.  Not knowing your budget and your household info, it's hard to give more specific advice.  Have you done a budget on mint.com or a similar place?  It helps with budgeting and with tracking your spending, so maybe you could see some savings there, ie do you spend a lot of $$ on phones/cable?  Fine tooth comb time.  Good luck!

Thanks, I think I'll do that with this year's raise since I know it will be a bit bigger than last year's. I wish I could pick up OT, but since I'm salaried, they pay me for 40 hours a week no matter what I work.    We do ok for DINKs but definitely aren't wealthy. We have a pretty reasonable phone plan (on a family plan w/ my parents) and don't have cable, but I'm sure there are other areas I could cut back. I used Mint.com in the past but canceled when it started double-counting all the transactions on one credit card, but I'm sure it's improved in the last 7 years, so I think I'll try it again.  

I LOVE that you used "DINKs"!  I'm a marketing teacher and my high school students love it when I say DINKs or DINKYs!  I'm not sure if you're a nurse, but since you're salaried, is there any time for per diem shifts at another employer?  Just a thought.

FYI, in case anyone's wondering:  Double Income, No Kids (DINK), and Double Income, No Kids Yet (DINKY)

I actually supervise a sleep center...I could definitely pick up per diem shifts elsewhere (techs are at a shortage around here right now), but it would be with 7PM-7AM working hours, which would be kind of tough to work around my usual Mon-Fri 7AM-4PM. I've looked for gigs scoring sleep studies from home, but those jobs are kind of like unicorns in this field, lol.

I've never worked with a personal trainer, but given how close you are to goal, I wonder if you could make the encounters less frequent at the end of your contract, and put some of that money toward the proceedures you want.  Like, instead of seeing them for every workout, or once a week, perhaps you could work with the trainer once every other week or once a month, then do things on your own (mimicing what you did during the trainer session) in-between? 

Does the doggy daycare have half-day sessions instead of full days?  Perhaps that might also trim a bit of the cost?  

That's a good idea! I have the sessions basically "pre-bought" but I could make them last past the contract by going less frequently then would still have sessions left to use after it's up (and after I'm done paying for them).

Asher's daycare doesn't have half days because it's an hour away (they actually bring doggy shuttles into Portland to pick up the dogs in the morning and drop them off in the afternoon), but my husband thinks we could do with sending him every other week. Especially once it starts staying light out later so he can get longer evening walks.

Spending $320/month on a personal trainer (which has made you stronger) and doggie camp (which has your dog less anxious) adds up to $3,840 annually. Justly defending those two expenses is a cue you might not want to save for plastics as bad as you might think you do or else you would have already given up these two expensive but wonderful things. I recommend writing down on paper this question:  What is more important to me:  a.  keep the same saving-pace for plastic surgery      or      b. give up one or more good things to speed up the process?  Circle which one means the most to you and be content with your choice.