To My Loyal Readers

Sorry for the lack of posting. I have a ton of ideas, but I can' t seem to finish any posts! I've been on a mini vacation for this past week and I'm starting a new project this Monday. Hopefully I'll get back into posting this upcoming week.

In the meantime, here are some random thoughts:

You can really see inflation when you go somewhere to get one specific thing that you haven't purchased a in few years. In my case, C and I went to one of our favorite restaurants in NY. Something that used to cost $20 3 years ago is now $28!

Sometimes I remember something as being better than it really is. It's the idea that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

For some reason, I've always been turned off by Suze Orman. I found one of her books, 9 Steps to Financial Freedom, so I started reading it. It's been pretty good. I remember going to a book signing with David Bach and hearing him say that 80% of what he and Suze says are the same. I started reading the book and it's been great so far. She talks about how our early experiences with money shape our view of money now. Too bad, I can't really remember any of my early experiences with money. I will post some early memories later and you will see how little I remember.

It's important to set a budget when you vacation. C and I are on a work/vacation type vacation (i.e. about half of this trip is being subsidized by own employers). Too bad our employers don't cover the full cost of our meals and shopping!

Does anyone else think that the new frozen yogurt craze (i.e. pinkberry, red mango, et al.) is crazy? I think it's creating a new market. A yummy, healthy (gotta love the fresh fruit toppings) new latte factor! Personally I love red mango.

How I Became Frugal

My experience with frugality began when I was living in NYC. I was a poor graduate student with family loans, educational loans, and sky high rent. In my prior life, I was a pampered college student that could meet all of my needs and most of my wants, courtesy of my parents.

Living on my own with no income was an eye opening experience. I remember passing up the jazz club with friends since the cover was $15. I wanted to go, but I remember thinking that I needed to make my money last as long as possible. With rent at $1,000 a month and less than $10,000 in the bank, I wasn't sure how I was going to make it through the year.

This was an important time in my life. Had I transitioned from parental supported college immediately to the working world, I may not have gained as much appreciation for the difficulty of managing money and making money. At this time, I found the dollar stretcher, a website that has been an invaluable resource in helping me find ways to save and stretch my money.

Of course, I can't say I'm the epitome of frugality. I think it's all about the choices and tradeoffs that we make. My husband and I are planning on spending an extravagant amount of money on a vacation later this year. We are doing out best to minimize waste in our everyday lives - both for our wallets and the environment. We want to consciously spend our money on items that will bring us happiness rather than let it slip away.