My warm vacation is still so far away - in the meantime, I will just have to tolerate the cold Oregon beaches.
I did my taxes yesterday and am having to pay big because of capital gains on a mutual fund that was liquidated for X. Also, I am filing as single but had my witholding of last year as married.
So I decided that since my budget is stretched, that X needs to help take on some of the kids extra curricular activity expenses. I wrote her an email breaking down those expenses and that she will be responsible for S8's piano and chinese lessons and D6's violin lessons (all about $280 a month). I also proposed that we share equally for things like kids haircuts and clothes of which she has been doing most of that (she is a shopper). We have it agreed that the kids clothes are not kept track of between the houses.
I have heard no response yet, but if she refuses then she has no leg to stand on as there is nothing in the divorce judgment saying that I had to pay for everything. She will most likely use the excuse that she only works part time and hardly makes any money. Too bad - she can work a side job as a waitress that pays well or she can use some of the huge settlement payoff. I am leaving it up to her if she wants to let the kids continue with those specific lessons that she wants the kids to do so badly.
