How Much for Your Dignity?
My name is ChgoRed, and yesterday I was a bargain vulture.
Jan 29, 2004
Jan 23, 2004
Object Lesson
On my mind this week, a quote from Gandhi. OK, not Gandhi; Nishkulanand Swami, quoted in Gandhi's autobiography. Still, on my mind.
"Renunciation of objects, without the renunciation of desires, is shortlived, however you may try."
Simple, but it fits right into aspects of my life--trying to eat better, trying to spend less money, etc. You can give up the Krispy Kreme, but until you give up the desire for Krispy Kreme, you're doomed to go get one eventually.
Jan 17, 2004
Back to Life, Back to Reality
Enough about Michael, the readers (and The Boyfriend) say. What about the budgeting project? And weren't you supposed to be turning your apartment inside out or something?
Well, that would be a good way to put it.
Jan 02, 2004
Frugally Fragrant
So, Day 2 of that whole budget resolution, and I'm $7 ahead! Woo!
Well, this is actually due to a winning lottery ticket. And if you discount the buck I spent to buy it, I’m only $6 ahead. Still, woo.
Dec 31, 2003
Shopped, Dropped, Etc.
Fatal shopping trip assessment: “My heart was in the right place.”
Dec 17, 2003
Be it Resolved
The day before Thanksgiving, I got my wallet stolen. I was having lunch at a popular Chicago restaurant (hint: it serves British food), and someone in the crowd decided to help himself. Mr. Stickyfingers ended up with my bank debit card, a credit card, and £35 that I'd been meaning to take back to the bank (wonder what he made of that). Due to the holiday weekend, it took a little longer to get the new cards, and I had to exist for about 9 days solely on--horrors!--cash.
Imagine, if you can, having no plastic at all in your wallet. It's totally gone. Everything you buy for the next two weeks must be paid for in cash or checks. So long, MasterCard; bye-bye, ATM. When was the last time you even cashed a check at the bank? I won't say it was a liberating experience; more like a hassle and a half. Still, the notion that I wasn't adding to my credit card debt--that I couldn't even if I wanted to--was quite nice. Refreshing, even.
Jump ahead a few weeks. New cards have been received and duly put into use for Christmas shopping. Today, feeling good and smug about the fact that the shopping is done and most of the gifts have already arrived, I decided to start laying out next year's budget.
Ow.
Less than 10 minutes of calculations, and it's apparent that if I *stick* to this budget, I'll end the year about $2K ahead. Granted, that's after figuring (a never-before accomplished) $500/month for savings. But since I count that as untouchable, the leftover is not much of a cushion. Or at least not as much as I'd like.
I'm mulling over the idea of making a simple resolution this year: to live within my means. To buy nothing (save maybe airline tickets) with credit. It sounds goofy to say it out loud, and I haven't officially agreed to do this yet. I need to do some research, go over this year’s expenses, see where I could cut costs, etc.
The more I think about the idea, the more appealing it seems.
