First World California Problem

I just realized that I may not wear all my winter clothing this year. I don’t have that many sweaters/heavy clothing but this warm winter just didn’t give much opportunity and I love winter / fall clothes and sweaters!

Resolutions

Well, I made chicken salad…it was good.

And my kids are more stylish (thanks, ebay)

I Don’t Blog, I Shop..

Apparently once I stop blogging, I start spending more time online shopping…

Goodbye

I won’t be blogging anymore but will leave the site up. You can probably find me commenting on Grumpy Rumblings, Laura Vanderkam or Wandering Cloud.

A Cheap Summer Vacation?

One of the biggest take-aways I got from the classic finance book, “Your Money or Your Life”, was the idea that you can meet your needs differently.  In our consumer-driven culture, we instinctively reach for our credit cards to meet our needs and wants.  If we want to relax, we book a massage or trip.  If we are sad, we buy a gadget or purse.  We often forget that those same needs/wants can be met by frugal options.

As I said, the idea of frugal options was eye-opening for me.  However, after my intial enthusiasm wore off, I fell back to my usual habits of swiping my credit cards.   As soon as we decided on our summer vacation, I booked a hotel and started looking for deals to amusement parks and zoos.

Of course a slew of bills, including dreaded DMV fees and medical bills, made me re-think our vacation plans.  I cancelled the beach hotel reservation ($140 per night + $20 daily parking fee).  Our planned excursions will be scaled down, too.  Instead of the Long Beach Aquarium  ($18.95 per adult after a discount), I found a smaller aquarium with a $5 admission fee for the entire family.  Plus, the beach is free!

If this change of plans was only about saving money, it would be kind of depressing.  What makes a difference is that I know that these cheaper options will meet the same needs.  A hotel stay would have meant a change of scenery but the kids get cranky in foreign settings and the sleep battle would probably not be worth it.   If I hire the cleaning lady for an extra visit, buy some fresh flowers and change the bed sheets, I’ll be pretty happy.  As for the fancy aquarium, all I really wanted was to expose my kids to more things. They probably don’t have the stamina or interest to appreciate a large aquarium.  A smaller aquarium combined with a visit to a beach (free) will do the same thing.  

I’ve also found a lot of free or lower-cost family-friendly activities to fill out the rest of our summer vacation calendar.  Summer can be fun and cheap.

What are your exciting vacation plans, if any?

Random Thoughts…on the Work/Life Juggle

There is a funny chapter in Tina Fey’s Bossypants where she is overseeing major developments at work while trying to plan her daughter’s birthday party.  I feel like that right now, only even less focused.

Thoughts running through my head:

Work, work, work. Should I use the Friends & Family discount at Land’s End? Work, work, more work thoughts. I want to make lasagna this weekend.  Must email so-and-so back.  Have I emailed C– in accounting? Or should I make chicken with brown rice? Must ask husband to buy some bell peppers and use the Whole Foods voucher. Work stuff.  I have to prepare for 3 meetings today.  I need to call the dentist. When do I get a flu shot? Work, work, work.  I want to read some blogs instead of work.  Isn’t there a big sale at Old Navy? I need to upload photos.  Why is her life so much easier than mine? Back to work…. Ever had one of those days or weeks?