on being super-frugal

FYI*: Savers is having one of its semi-annual half-off sales on Monday. (I think they're still doing that twice a year...otherwise, it's only their annual half-off sale.) I have been wanting some new clothes lately, but I've had no reason to buy any. I have enough clothes to wear clean clothes every day without having to wash clothes every single day. I have enough clothes to go to work and kind of act like I have a decent variety (although, someone should have reminded me of this at three o'clock this morning, when I was trying to figure out what to wear today). Is there any justification for me buying new clothes? Yes, I'm asking for others to reassure me here.

I am trying, very diligently, to not go around spending money on things that aren't so much necessities. "How's that going for you?" you ask? Um, yeah. Last night, I bought myself a new Penny Press Variety Puzzles and Games book. (What? What's that you say? Why, yes, I am really and truly a nerd.) I certainly didn't need this book/timesuck, but there you have it.

We really messed up in July and we really paid for it in August. It is decidedly unpleasant to not be able to buy groceries and pay all of the other bills at the same time. For whatever reason, I thought we had gotten past that. Alas. As far as the whole eating dinner at home only for August? We ate out four times. That's pretty frickin' awesome for us. And, the last dinner out was a celebratory one with our dearly beloved friends after they shared some fabulous news.

We will continue to try to keep our spending well within our limits. Not only do we have bills we need to pay off, we are thinking to one day start saving for a couple of big deal (for us) items: a trip to Disneyland in the coming year and, eventually, a house. When we made the decision to start homeschooling, I was thinking we'd probably forego buying our own house, but I just haven't been able to let go of the notion. So, if we save our pennies for a good decade or so, we'll have some money for a downpayment. Let's just hope the real estate market doesn't get as ridiculous as we have recently seen. In the meantime, we are happy where we are; I've just got a problem with letting myself actually be happy. I'm working on that. It's not easy when it seems everyone is telling us, oh-so-insistently, "Now's the time to buy!" (yes, that emphatically). It also doesn't help when people keep reminding us that renting is like flushing money down the toilet. Ah, well.

As for the Disneyland trip? We'd just like to go. Although Pic is still pretty tiny (but oh-so-grown at the same time), we are hoping that she'll eventually be tall enough to go on enough rides to satisfy her. Actually, I have no idea if she'll be into the whole rides thing, but she assures us, now, that she is.

So, wish us luck with the penny-saving, if you will? Grazie mille.

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By the way: Happy September!

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* I usually keep myself from using acronyms around these parts. This, however, reminds me that I once again came across FML today and I once again had to look it up. O, Urban Dictionary! You and your examples make me a little nauseated.