Frugal movies. . . .

I don't enjoy the luxury of just chilling at home much these days (and, truth be told, I'm not a couch potato even in the best of times . . .) Between Job #1, Job #2, and being a full-time graduate student, my schedule is tight, but my budget is even tighter, meaning that entertainment gets squeezed in here and there, as time and money permit.

A couple of years ago, I explored the possibility of 'renting' movies at the local library, only to find that the most popular movies (meaning, anything with a title I recognized) had from 10 to 75 'holds' on them, placed by other patrons. I chafed at the prospect of not having my movies when I wanted them---wait times could be months long---and continued to rent some instant gratification from Blockbuster, at almost $4 a pop!

Now that I'm two-thirds through my graduate program, I'm feeling the need for additional 'self-care' while also feeling the pinch in my budget from ramping up my savings to account for my upcoming drop to part-time status at the day job.

So once again, I went back to my beloved Multnomah County Library website and set to work finding some movies that interested me. I dutifully placed my holds, behind scores of other library patrons, and settled in for a long wait.

Imagine my surprise, then, when just weeks later I received an email from the library letting me know that my first DVD hold had come in! I trotted down to the library before getting on the Max (light rail system) for the ride home, and presented myself at the DVD counter. Shockingly, there were FIVE movies waiting for me! In placing my holds, I had tried to be strategic, placing holds up to the limit of ten DVD's, thinking that they would arrive in a staggered fashion, allowing me to watch one or two DVD's every weekend or so. Not so, not so. Although patrons are allowed a whopping TWO WEEKS to keep their DVD's, many often return them in mere days, meaning that the 'hold list' decreases much more quickly than I had assumed.

So far, I've watched six or seven FREE movies over the course of the past month or so. Using coupons, I purchase some packaged popcorn, and voila, I have a fun movie night that cost pennies. I've had friends over to watch a couple of movies with me, and if they bring beverages, we're all set for a frugal evening of entertainment.

Note: I have been downloading free audiobooks for my MP3 player for about a year, which I use when I go to the gym. I can get all sorts of books this way, without paying the $15-$30 they cost on the iTunes and other audiobook sites. . . .

Frugal exercise. . .

I've noticed a subtle thickening around my waist and hips, over the past six months or so. My doctor says that some weight gain is normal as women age, a comment I'm trying to ignore. It's probably no coincidence that this began around the time I terminated my gym membership while simultaneously beginning to socialize more (meaning, I eat---and drink---"out" more than I used to). I certainly don't want to spend any more money on a new---larger---wardrobe, so what's a gal to do when she's trying to budget AND lose some weight?

In the summer, it's not been difficult to get myself down to the track for a run---free exercise! And yesterday, I spent a grueling few hours in the front yard making a dent in the weeds that have suddenly sprung from the earth. I probably did the equivalent of a hundred lunges and squats yesterday, just pulling, gathering, and depositing in the green waste can.

Now, though, I'm starting to worry about fall and winter, when it's literally dark when I get home from work, meaning I can't just run down the street to the (unlit) track, let alone run on the paths in Mt. Tabor park. Is it better for me to spend the $35 a month on a gym membership, to avoid having to spend more money on better fitting clothing?

At this point, I'm saving money on food, since I'm trying to eat smaller portions, with more fresh fruits and vegetables, rather than the tons of pasta, rice, and noodles I generally eat. I'm also cutting back on my alcohol consumption, which is saving me a pretty penny. But I'm still not debt-free (I still owe $1800 to my credit card), and I wanted to use the gym membership as a 'reward' of sorts, when I was able to finally close that card out.

Although I haven't yet decided on the winter gym membership question, here are some habits I can develop now, to help me save money on exercise:

• Use free weights; I actually already have these, in 2 lb and 8 lb (ouch!) weights. All I need to do is get into the habit of using them regularly.
• Utilize the internet. There are actually short 'podcasts', or online videos, that go through exercise routines that I can do at home.
• Buy a jump-rope. Even if I can't run (and I LOVE running), using a jump-rope might give me the same cardio workout, possibly in less time. And it's CHEAP!
• Check out an exercise DVD from the library. It might be fun to check out a different DVD every week, so I have some variety in my exercise routines.

So there it is. There may be some alternatives to restarting my gym membership; at the very least, I'm going to give it a shot and see how I feel.

A Frugal Fourth. . . . .

I'm in California, celebrating the Fourth of July with family. While I did spend a bit to come down here, it was less than my budgeted $200 ($192, to be exact) for my airline ticket. Since I'm staying with family, my housing costs are nothing, and the activities we've planned are no-cost or low-cost. All in all, a very frugal holiday!

If you haven't yet planned your Fourth of July festivities, here are some tips to keeping the costs low this year:

• Have a barbeque! Ask invitees to bring something for the grill, something to drink, or a dessert or side dish. You can create a fun event without having to take on the entire cost yourselves.


• Keep it simple. Create foods from scratch, when possible (home made potato salad, for example) and when that isn't possible, buy your hot dogs and buns on sale or in the store brand rather than paying for the pricier name brands.


• Borrow what you need. Need a BBQ? Frisbees? A croquet set? Why not try asking neighbors or friends and family if they have what you need? This could save some money (and some trips to Target) and you won't end up purchasing things that you'll use only a few times a year.


• Watch fireworks for free. In Oregon, there are tents set up everywhere selling fireworks. I'm sure many people spend hundreds of dollars on this stuff (judging by the fact that I begin hearing bangs and explosions at least a week before the 4th, and at least a few days after as well). Why buy your fireworks, when there are professional shows in almost every county in the country?

I wish all of you a safe, happy Fourth of July!

Good news and bad news. . .

Bad news first.

I invited a new friend over for dinner last night, and was stood up! I had been looking forward to it---I happened to have a free evening (i.e. no work, no school), which doesn't occur often these days. Although we made our plans a few days ago, to be truthful, I suppose I can't really say I was 'stood up'---it might be more accurate to say that I was 'rainchecked', because he's swamped at work. I guess I'm not the only one, eh?

On to the good news.

He let me know with enough time that I spent exactly zero money on our dinner. I hadn't visited the grocery store yet, nor had I even begun preparing any food. Being that it's the end of the month, I was stressing a bit about the extra money I would be spending. Instead, I found myself with a lazy, sunny evening on the deck (free!), reading a couple of magazines that have been sitting around the house for months (also free!).

So, whether or not this guy gets another invitation to dinner at my house, this situation does beg the question: how does one entertain without spending loads of cash? Here are a few ideas I came up with last night as I watched the sun go down:

• Go for a walk or hike: Portland is full of parks, large and small. There is a great one near me called Mount Tabor, which has some nice trails, plus lawn areas that have views of downtown. Most parks are accessible by public transportation, and a short drive would take us to some other amazing hikes, without using too much gas.
• Bike rides! Again, with Portland being a very bike friendly city, it's an easy ride to the waterfront (or to a park!). Bring an inexpensive picnic and you can have a lovely day by the river for very little money.
• Free events. Powell's Bookstore often offers author readings and lectures. I've only been to one since I've lived in Portland (Calvin Trillin), but that's because I haven't regularly checked the Powell's Bookstore website to see what's coming up. Best of all, these events are free! Working on a university campus, there are also loads of free and low-cost events all the time.
• Movie night--at home. The library has DVD's that can be rented (free, of course), although this takes some planning. I've found that these movies often have lots of holds, so signing up for a DVD and being flexible about when to watch it are key. When this doesn't work, renting a $4 DVD from a video store is a good second choice.

I'm sure there are more ideas for free or low-cost entertaining and socializing out there in the blogosphere. I'll keep looking, and if you have any suggestions of your own, feel free to comment!

Apologies. . . . .

I'm sorry for my blog silence over the past few days! I thought when the term ended I would have almost two weeks of relaxation and school-free bliss, but that was not the case, unfortunately. How is it that I've been busier than ever?

I think what happened is that I've tried to cram so much (socializing, cleaning the house, getting the yard in order, making travel plans) into my two week break that I became overwhelmed. The worst part is, I've not been keeping close track of my spending---I'm afraid to look at my bank account!

This week, classes start up again, and I'm hoping with the return to this schedule, I'll be back at the blog on a daily, or at least every-other-day basis. One of my New Year's Resolutions for 2008 was to find a better balance between work, school, and LIFE, and while I've added more fun to my life, I've not cut back on work or school. Do any of you do this? Take on more than you can handle (or think you can handle), trying to take every opportunity, not missing out on anything? While trying to simplify my life (and succeeding in some areas), other areas are out of control!

In trying to get my life back, I came across some easy behavior changes that might help:

• Make time for yourself. Take a walk, meditate, or visit the park.
• Cancel subscriptions to magazines you don't have time to read (I have stacks of National Geographic sitting unread in my home right now)
• Cut back on television time. This doesn't apply to me as much, since I watch the news in the morning and that's about it.
• Stop being a slave to communication: home phones, cell phones, text messages, voicemail, email. All of these things are time-suckers.
• Say 'no' instead of 'yes'. Determine which activities you really have time for. For example, I don't have to work six days a week---I can probably work four, and still be okay financially.
• Focus on goals you'd like to meet. Focus on doing a few really well, rather than many in a mediocre way.
• Focus on values---I think in my quest to pay my debt and increase my savings, I've forgotten that I also want to have more 'down' time in my life, more time to meet new people in a relaxed way (not in the daily hour or two I have free between jobs and school).

I think the key to possibly finding more balance in my work/school/life conundrum is to find balance in the battle to destroy my debt. I've been so focused that other areas of my life might be getting squeezed out. I am still going to work toward repaying my debt, don't get me wrong. But I may need to slow down---I only have this one life, and I'm not sure I want to look back and remember working myself to exhaustion!

Frugal support, part deux. . . .

Wednesday, I met with a small group of people in the Portland area who are also pursuing increasingly frugal habits, attempting to spend less, save more, and basically reduce our own contributions to a society filled with overconsumption and waste.

While the group was small, it was interesting and included the following (names and genders have been changed to protect the frugal):

John: recently moved to Portland, and while the transition has been a smooth one, he wants to learn how to live on less and save more. He shared some of his strategies, which include using coupons, lighting his home with candles in the winter to reduce energy usage (this sounds so cozy), and taking public transportation when he can.

Ann: has been living by the tenets of Your Money or Your Life for the past two years. As a result of insight gained from the book, she decided to sell her house and now rents an apartment. She is also a fan of the Tightwad Gazette, which is a wonderful (though giant) book of hundreds (possibly thousands) of frugal tips. This is someone I think I can learn from.

Jeff: Jeff is an entrepreneur, and was primarily interested in issues related to consumerism, greed, and more 'global' problems. The rest of the group, including myself, were more interested in discussing what we, as individuals, can do to live more frugally. Still, an interesting person.

Mike: Mike is married with a child, and, like John, also recently relocated to the Portland area. He is also a member of a "green parenting" group, which sounds interesting. Although he's been in the city for a short time, he's already made contact with other vegans and those interested in forming a food co-op.

This was our first meeting, and I sincerely hope we can manage to get together again. I'm definitely going to suggest meeting with one or more of the people who were there to discuss voluntary simplicity and frugal issues in more depth.

Frugal support. . . .

Tonight, I'm getting together with a small group of strangers to discuss frugality, our definitions of simple living, and strategies we use to downsize our lives. I searched for months and months, beginning last fall, for a group in the Portland area that would help support my goals, people from whom I could learn, and to whom I could share the amazing changes I've been making in my life. I didn't find such a group until now.

We're meeting for coffee after work, and although I'm a bit nervous (I get a little shy when meeting new people), I'm also really excited to meet these fellow frugalers (is that a word? I guess it is now. . . ) and find out what makes them tick. Specifically, I'm interested in knowing if there was a defining moment that helped them make the change from consumers and spenders to savers.

It's possible that I'll be the only person to show up, in which case I'll have coffee with myself and discuss frugality with. . . myself (doing my little bit to 'keep Portland weird').

In the meantime, do YOU have a defining moment that helped you make the switch from spender to saver (even if you're not yet saving at the level you want to be?) Do you have a support group, whether friends, family, or online strangers, that helps you stay on track and learn new strategies?

Since I never found my 'human' group all those months ago, I turned to the internet, and have discovered so many people with the same struggles, ideas, and dreams. I hope I can supplement my blog friends with 'real life' frugal buddies. I'll let you know how it goes!

Falling off the frugal wagon. . .

I mentioned in my post yesterday that I'm not a big drinker. One beer or glass of wine, and I'm good. Two, and I'm looking for the closest place to take a nap. This helps keep my grocery costs down, and stretches my fun budget pretty far: often I can get away with a night out for less than $20.

For example, last night I went out for celebratory drinks with some classmates, after having taken a rather horrible midterm. I started with a peartini, which is already somewhat outside my comfort zone, as I usually just have a beer. The midterm was bad enough that a pear-flavored martini with sugar on the rim sounded heavenly. And it was!

Much chatting and laughter ensued, and before I knew it, we were ordering appetizers---fruit, cheese, and bread. Somewhere between the peartini and the appetizer, I made the muddled decision to order a sangria---after all, it was on the happy hour menu, and only $4! I do like a sale. . . .

By the end of the evening, we each realized that we had various commitments that required us to go our separate ways. Of course, when the bill came, we all reached for our wallets: two of us had our debit cards, the other two had cash. I offered, in a peartini/sangria-induced fog, to use my debit card, and the others could just give me cash. It worked out perfectly!

Except: now I'm walking around with what seems like a giant wad of cash in my wallet, and it's whispering "shoes, you need new shoes . . . . " So, my challenge is to make good use of that money (within my budget) without going completely overboard and falling off the frugal wagon. Next time, I'll overcome my laziness and stop by the ATM for my $20 'allowance' before going out for drinks. . . .

April zero-based budget. . . . .

I've found that a zero-based budget is working fairly well for me, although it does require some tweaking throughout the month as unexpected expenses arise. I also need to think about my 'fun money' allocation, as it seems that I use this money for items that I wouldn't normally consider fun (like the notebooks I'm going to buy today for my classes). As usual, I'll be updating this throughout the month.



Here are the links to my February and March zero based budgets, for comparison.

Danger's gone. . . .

My friend left this afternoon, and as expected, the shopping and spending (hers, mostly) was a sight to see. Her current 'obsession' (other than bags, shoes, and makeup) is costly fabric, with which she's making these amazing little boxes. She buys cardboard boxes at a craft store, then covers them with velvet and silk fabric, embellishing with fancy ribbon. The piece de resistance is a flower made of ribbon, that she affixes to the top of the box. The boxes, while beautiful, are created with high-end materials, and are none-too-cheap to make. Not exactly a frugal past-time. I have to say, I did accompany her to a few fabric and notions shops in the area, and am guilty of spending some of my own hard-earned cash on pretty velvet---most of which I'll probably never use. Here's an accounting of the money I spent while my houseguest was in town (three days):

Dinner: $62.75
Velvet fabric: $16.50
Other craft supplies: $4.48
Pedicure: $26.00
Breakfast: $17.40
Movie: $5.50

Since I rarely carry cash, I used my debit card to take care of our dinner the first night, and also paid for fabric, for which my friend was going to reimburse me. Instead, she covered my drinks/appetizer/dinner and lunch the next day. At which time I felt that I then owed her money, and bought her breakfast. Now, I have no idea whether I spent more or she did---we didn't keep a close accounting of this. Next time I have a visitor, I'll do several things differently:

1. Save for the visit: I spent roughly $130 over three days---money that I could have had in savings, since I've known since December that this particular friend planned to visit. Had I saved $50 a month up until now, I would have had this money set aside, rather than taking it out of my checking account.

2. Carry cash: this will help me to pay for my share, rather than coming up with elaborate schemes in which I pay for dinner, the friend pays for lunch, and no one knows how much either owes.

3. Keep a close accounting of who paid for what: when spending time with a heavy shopper/spender, be sure that close attention is paid to what you owe---it may seem nit-picky at the time, but it can save money in the long run.

4. Don't get carried away by someone else's obsession: it was fun to shop for and buy fabric---I like being crafty. However, I have neither the money nor the time to be searching out high-end fabric and then sitting around and making pretty boxes. There are only so many people in my life who would enjoy a useless item (beautiful or not) like that.

There is some good news: I still can't find my credit card. Therefore, everything I spent came out of my checking account. This forced me to think about my purchases---I have a feeling that if I had been carrying a credit card, my purchases would have been even greater than they were.

I was happy to see my friend---we had a good visit. But it also reminded me of why I'm living a more frugal life. I don't need as much stuff as I used to think I did. Those pretty boxes are great! But they'll sit in my house and gather dust for about a year or two until I can find a way to get rid of them. Better not to have them in the first place!

Finally Frugal reminder. . . .

A close friend is in town visiting this weekend, so I'll be posting next on Sunday evening or Monday afternoon, with an update of how I managed to control my spending in spite of the influence of a "shopper".

This is what I'm up against. . . . .

This Saks Fifth Avenue window, seen above, is right across from the light rail stop I often use. Luckily, I'm smart enough (and poor enough) that I've never stepped foot in the store. The salespeople would take one look at my Old Navy/Banana Republic wardrobe and my old Timbuk2 bag and immediately divine the knowledge that I can't afford a $200 dress (on sale!) Even during my days of wanton credit-card use, I went for quantity over quality (not that a $100 Juicy Couture t-shirt is made in a "better" Thai sweatshop than a $40 Gap blouse. . . .)

With this kind of advertising, though, is it any wonder Americans are over-extended and under-satisfied? You might 'want' that yummy orange handbag the mannequin is holding, but how long will that (probably $500) purchase satisfy you? How long until you're on the search for the next 'must have' bag, or belt, or pair of shoes? I have a friend who is constantly on the search for the bag/shoes/thing she has to have; once she knows her target, she spends hours online searching it out, weeks tracking it down, until finally she pounces----and these things are never cheap.

She's visiting me for the weekend, so I'm curious to see what her latest 'need' is. As for myself, I'm going to try to view the inevitable shopping excursions from the perspective of an anthropologist or sociologist, rather than getting swept up in my own need for more stuff.

Tomorrow, I'll post about Affluenza, a PBS documentary about the reasons behind and the consequences of Americans' need for STUFF. Soon, I'll also write a brief review of the book, which is one of the few I actually purchased last year.

What's going on in the blogosphere. . . .?

It's pretty quiet in my personal finance world, so I thought I'd create a compilation of recent posts from other personal finance and/or frugality blogs:

Lynnae at BeingFrugal posted a great article with suggestions for frugal spring break activities. For those with kids, there are some helpful tips on how not to blow the budget while entertaining the children.

Along the same lines, FrugalMomLA has posted some links to websites for the pre-Kindergarten to grade 2 kiddos.

J.D. over at Get Rich Slowly asks the question, "how to live simply, without looking cheap"? Something I've struggled with as I attempt to have a social life while living frugally.

Meanwhile, Moolonomy explains why a penny saved is actually better than a penny earned.

The Simple Dollar (which I haven't visited for quite some time) reviews a book called The Little Book that Builds Wealth. This is book five of a series of investment books by Wiley Publishing. Today, maybe I'll do a search of the site for a review of the first in the series, so as not to miss anything.

As for me, I'm all set to go out and help and friend celebrate her birthday tonight, and am planning to eat before I go----and I'll be driving, so that means my alcohol consumption will be limited. I'm hoping to keep the entire evening under $10, including the drink I plan to buy for the birthday girl.

Danger's a comin'. . . . .

A good friend is coming to visit at the end of the month, someone with whom I've spent countless hours drinking coffee, chatting, and yes, shopping. This will be the first visit we've had since I started my new frugal living habits, and I'm a little nervous about how I'll handle the pressure to spend money on things I don't need.

The last time she visited (in October, I believe), I bought a pair of shoes I've literally never worn. I HAD to have them at the time, but there they sit in my closet, mocking me with their shiny newness. Granted, I think they cost less than $20, but that is in addition to the roughly $60 I also spent on another pair of shoes (which I do wear occasionally) as well as some $20 hand lotion from Kiehls ($20! For hand lotion! WHAT was I thinking? It is great stuff, though). I believe there was also the purchase of some makeup, which I rarely use.

I'm trying to think of strategies that I can use to avoid this happening again. I do want to go out to breakfast and dinner, get coffee somewhere, and perhaps go to a movie, so I'm going to budget for this. But I don't want to spend anything on items that I wouldn't have purchased had my friend not been visiting (because I wouldn't have dared step foot in Banana Republic, Nordstrom, or Anthropologie).

I still can't find my credit card (not that I've spent much time looking), which is a good thing. The fact that I'm truly limited to the cash in my checking account will serve to control my spending----just paying for the entertainment noted above will be a stretch this month, in fact.

I'm going to spend some time over the next two weeks researching some other strategies I can use to control my spending urges when my friend visits, and I'll share what I find on these pages.

Making sense of my travel budget. . . .

It's odd. A week in Mexico threw me completely off----I often didn't write down exactly what I was buying with my pesos, and I paid absolutely no attention to how much money I was taking from the local village ATM machine. I'm still muddling through my finances three days after my return, trying to determine how much I really spent on my vacation (too much, I'm sure).

Luckily, I hid my credit card from myself about two months ago, and now I can't find it! So I couldn't have put anything on credit even if I had wanted to! Not being able to find my credit card gave me a bit of a panic----it's like my security blanket, and I definitely felt some anxiety at not having it in my wallet, just in case. But I found that I could survive without it, in spite of only having access to the cash in my checking account (as opposed to the "cash" available through credit).

It appears that I used much more cash during my vacation week than I anticipated:

Money from ATM/debit while in Mexico: $285.92

Money taken to Mexico: $200

Airport parking: $56

Housesitter: $100

House rental: $500 (paid in advance)

I may even be missing some information here, as well. For example, I'm pretty sure I paid for my horseback ride with my debit card, and that hasn't shown up on my account yet. . . .

The Spanish word for frugal is. . . "frugal".

In preparation for my trip to Mexico (where I am right now), I checked out my favorite sites to see what kind of travel advice they could give to a certain frugal individual (me).

First, I visited WiseBread , and found these gems:

Frugal Travel: Tips for Packing Light

Keeping the Budget in Budget Travel

Eating Cheap While Abroad

Then, on to Get Rich Slowly

Ten Money Savings Vacation and Travel Tips

At Saving Advice :

How I Take Frequent Vacations on a Limited Budget

Plonkee Money had this advice:

Going Somewhere Nice? Packing Light Rules

Almost all of these sites mention packing light, which is something I did NOT do. Actually, having a completely full suitcase means that my Mexican purchases will need to be teeny tiny (and cheap) or they won't be coming home with me at all.

Back in the swing of things on Sunday, guys, and maybe I can even upload some pictures.

Hola from Mexico!

Our house has internet access, so here I am sitting on the veranda, watching the surf (and the surfers), drinking my morning coffee. It occurs to me that someone could live here full time if only he or she had a job in which telecommuting was possible. Not me, obviously. What a life, though!

So far, I've spent more than I thought I would, primarily because I'm not familiar with the exchange rate yet, and I'm also horrible at math---I'm not really sure how many dollars my pesos represent---must get on this.

For example, a small container of milk (for coffee) and 8 fresh eggs came to 20 pesos, which I think is about $2.00---if so, quite a deal. However, dinner (delicious mahi-mahi filet with shrimp and cheese, and the requisite margarita) was 300 pesos. A beer at a local bar was 50 pesos. Granted, I'm also just kind of throwing pesos in my friends' direction, hoping it covers my share--another thing I shouldn't be doing.

Hoping to get better at the peso to dollar exchange, and hoping that I'll take the time to figure out exactly how much I owe at any given time, rather than throwing money at someone.

Have a lovely week, everyone! I'll post again in a couple of days. . . . .

Mexico bound. . . .

I may not be able to post regularly for the next week or so, but don’t despair! I’ll be back!

I am off tomorrow morning for a week in a seaside village in Mexico! “WHAT?”, you say? “What right do you have going off to Mexico when you’ve got credit card debt to pay off? Who do you think you are, anyway”?

Well, here’s how I’m doing it---and I’m paying CASH!

1. My airline ticket was purchased by a family member, as a combined birthday/Christmas present.
2. We are renting a house in a small town, my portion of which will come to $500, or less than $75 per night.
3. Food: It’s Mexico. Can you say fish tacos and cheap beer?
4. Entertainment: beach (i.e. free)

And here’s how I came up with the cash for the house rental, food, and entertainment costs. About three years ago, I opened an ING Online savings account, and had $50 automatically transferred from my checking account each month. When I moved to Portland, I froze the automatic payments, until I was more familiar with my new salary and living costs. Then I promptly forgot about the account.

Last summer, I happened to be doing some personal finance reading, and suddenly remembered my ING account. Since I had completely forgotten my login ID and password, I contacted ING by phone and they were kind enough to restore my access to the site.

To my delight, I found that I had almost $800 amassed in the account! So that money, along with $300 from my hefty tax refund will completely fund my weeklong vacation in Mexico! I know, I know, Dave Ramsey would not approve, most likely. I'm okay with that. I'm taking a vacation that won't get me any closer to financial freedom, but since I'm committed to NOT using credit while I'm away, at least I won't be moving backward in my debt reduction journey.

Retail therapy. . . .

Mark Morlock, my favorite columnist of all time, writes today about the American need to spend our way out of feelings of powerlessness, misery, and depression. His message is extremely political, as usual (one of the reasons I love him so very, very much), so if you're not overly liberal or if you're even slightly right of center, you might want to avoid clicking on his link---his writing WILL piss you off! Just a fair warning. . . .

Politics aside, his message is a good one for a newly frugal gal (a Fru-Gal?) like myself. Many an afternoon I've spent cruising the aisles at Macy's, Banana Republic, or The Gap, looking for that something special to make me feel. . . .well. . . special! Especially after a rough day at work in which my imperfections were magnified 1000x under the very nose of my boss, a new pair of shoes or a cute sweater could do wonders for the soul!

Morlock's column, of course, mentions the Bush presidency and our current economy of consumption as reason enough to begin to purge our collective STUFF (Mark doesn't suggest recycling or donation, though, which perturbs me---bad Mark, very bad!). Personally, regardless of politics, I'm trying to live less as a consumer (see my review of Not Buying It if you're interested) and take more time for the people in my life---the less stuff I buy, the less I'll have to (eventually) work, and the more time and energy I'll have for the people I love.

Socially frugal. . . .

My budget is pretty tight at the moment (see my post about my zero-based budget to see just how much I'm squeezing out of my salary). I think I have about $75 budgeted for 'fun' this month, which has to include all purchases and social costs that are not absolutely necessary (like the $39 boots I talked myself out of last week).

Today, I went to a baby shower, in honor of one of my coworkers. Thankfully, the parents requested no gifts, since they already have one child and don't need anything more. As an inexpensive 'gift', however, I created a sign-up sheet for friends and coworkers to bring a simple meal to their home once a week after the baby is about a month old. My pregnant coworker also indicated that having someone come over and hold the baby for an hour or two to allow for naps and showers would be great. Perfect free gift, and my colleagues were happy to sign up.

Unfortunately, I also agreed to bring a fruit salad to the brunch/baby shower. For some reason I thought this would be very inexpensive. It's just fruit, right? Well, it's fruit, in FEBRUARY! I spent close to $15 dollars on one salad! Everyone loved it, and there were no leftovers, but I spent 20% of my month's 'fun' money on one salad.

Sigh. I'm still getting used to this new frugal lifestyle, while attempting to retain some semblance of a social life. It's not easy! Next time maybe I'll just bring a carton of juice. . . . . that can't cost more than $3 or $4 dollars, right?