Inspiring Travel and Wellness. Join me for adventures above and below the ocean, exploring nature, luxury travel experiences, spa and wellness activities.
We all have enough time and money for something. We just may not have enough time and money for everything. So, we prioritize. I hear people talking about priorities, what is important to them, then I watch spending habits. Often what people say is important is different than what their money is spent on. To me, the best way to understand what is truly important is real spending habits – where someone allocates their time and money.
I have followed a reverse budget for the last 15+ years. Meaning that for my income I start allocating money at the top tier and work my way down the list.
Taxes, retirement, and savings (regular savings, plus at least $1,000 emergency fund) are taken out first.
Then I pay mortgage, utilities, car payment, insurance (home and auto), and health insurance (or may be included in paycheck deductions).
Third is where minimal fuel and food expenses are allocated, no splurges, yet.
Next are payments for any debt (Dave Ramsey’s Snowball strategy to eliminate debt is effective and easy to follow). This is debt not attached to a mortgage or primary vehicle, such as student loans, medical bills, credit card debt, and other non-secured loans.
Finally, anything left over is for dinner out, books, movies/tv, electronics, clothes, travel, or whatever else you feel like.
Cutting back on committed monthly expenses (Mortgage, car payment, monthly cable bill, big ticket electronic, and other “things”) is not a sacrifice, is it liberating! My frugal ways leave more money for retirement savings and discretionary spending on the fun stuff!
My splurges
Not only do I have a gym membership, but it is one of the most expensive in the area. After selling our house with a pool and hot tub, I get my water fix with the 3 outdoor pools, 2 indoor pools, 2 indoor hot tubs, sauna, and steam room at the gym. I use the exercise equipment facilities, as an added bonus. Membership for 2 people is less expensive than weekly pool service alone, not to mention electricity savings to run the pump and the higher water bill that comes with every pool. And there is no need to save up for pool resurfacing, kool deck repair/resurface, or any of the unplanned expenses that occur with a pool (I spent over $25,000 in pool repair & maintenance in the 10 years I owed that pool).
Every year we save up for a big lavish vacation, and a few mini getaways. Travel perks from reward credit cards supplement our vacation which allows us to spend more on sightseeing and activities, food & drink, and any other add-on treats (afternoon couples massage followed by Champagne). Through careful planning, we get the first class upgrades on flights, hotels, and other travel experiences.
I love to shop! I have a weakness for designer shoes, handbags, and clothing. The majority of my wardrobe comes from 3 stores, and two of them have excellent loyalty programs (free shipping, coupons, discount codes, and other perks). I regularly purge my closet to keep the overflow in check, but it is full of high-quality up-scale items that I adore.
We spend more money on active entertainment. This includes annual season tickets to the Symphony, Theatre league, concerts, comedy shows, and other live performances. We support the arts and have a fantastic evening of quality time, above & beyond the typical dinner & a movie date night.
Charity donations are easier when you do not feel like a charity case yourself. We are able to donate money directly to our favorite charities, and spend more money on fundraisers and purchases (auction items & raffle tickets). I have won some amazing prizes through silent auction that I never would have gotten otherwise and supported a good cause. My 30th birthday party was dinner at Disney’s Club 33 that I won at a silent auction to support Education!
Overall, I splurge on activities and experiences. There is no maintenance fee or on-going cost for a memory.
I am fascinated by shopping habits, financial spending, and basic consumer behavior. I discuss this with friends, family, co-workers, and strangers. And I have learned that I am weird, and my spending habits are a bit of an outlier. Basically, I am frugal, but in weird ways that separate me from the coupon cutters and other stereotypical groups depicted on TV.
What I “give up” by being frugal:
We moved out of and sold our larger home with pool, hot tub, large back yard, and “extra” rooms. We now live in a much smaller home that perfectly fits our household. Our small home requires less furniture, less electricity to heat & cool, and less time cleaning it. The smaller back yard has less patio furniture and a smaller water bill due to desert landscaping and less grass, and we do not pay landscaper or pool maintenance. The smaller house is the most cost saving change and makes the most impact to monthly budget and unplanned expenses. Continue reading “Weirdly Frugal – 6 Strategies for Frugal Living”
I am a sci-fi fan, an IT geek, and I like to play dress up at Halloween. I have never been to Comicon, or any con for that matter. For the last several years many of my friends attend and cannot understand why I am not there. So, this year I bought tickets for Comicon. Actually, they do not sell tickets, you have to buy a Membership to gain entrance for one or more days. Fine, I paid for my membership and I am ready to explore everything “Con”, specifically Phoenix Comicon 2015, has to offer.
My guidelines and basic strategy:
I do not pay for autographs or for photo ops with anyone. I do not care who you are, not gonna happen.
I do not wait in long lines for very many things. Even Space Mountain has Fast Pass – totally worth it.
I really do not like crowds. I love to people watch, but I prize my personal space more.
Authors Wesley Chu (middle) and Myke Cole (black Brooklyn shirt)
I attended a few hours Thursday afternoon and all day Friday. Thursday I attended in regular clothes, then several friends told me that I would have more fun in costume. It was not possible for me to have less fun, so Friday I wore a Steampunk outfit. I attended several panels including science, costuming, and a couple SciFi/Fantasy author panels (the author panels were by far the best that I attended, and can be seen at BOOK events).
Star Wars photo ops
I walked around Mos Eisley (Star Wars area) and Lego displays, along with many other themed areas for photos. I waited almost an hour for the over-hyped 5 minute Zombie walk Friday evening (where there was little walking, Zombie security yelling “hold the line”, and play fighting). I walked the entire exhibition hall, which is a very large shopping area full of comics, dust collectors, costume stuff, and other over priced items that I do not need to clutter my house. I ended up buying a few items for Renaissance Festival (2 vendors that do not attend AZ Ren Faire, but 1 that I actively stalk on Etsy).
Lego display
Basically, I learned the most important/popular things to do at Comicon are:
# 1 Photos – People take lots of photos. Pay to have their photo taken with celebrities, pose for photos in front of decorative backdrop, group photos with similarly dresses people, photos with SciFi themed props, and more photos.
# 2 Celebrities – Pay for photo taken with celebrity (#1 above), Pay (separate transaction, complete with separate line to stand in) for celebrity autograph, listen to celebrity in a panel lecture or discussion.
# 3 Panels – Watch celebrity panels (#2 above), attend various themed panels on a wide range of topics (most of which you can watch similar or better on YouTube/Netflix), run a panel (the criteria to run a panel is a pulse and ability to verbalize sounds).
# 4 Costumes – People dress up as everything. I saw Harry Potter characters, Steampunk, Dr. Who, Super Heroes, Game of Thrones, Furries, and a crap ton of other outfits that I have no idea what they are.
Comic books and collectibles
# 5 Shopping – Comic books, art, t-shirts, costumes, collectibles, and so much more to buy.
Action figures and stuff for purchase
More Comic booksLong lines for an event that was overdue to start
The panels and events were poorly managed resulting in long lines, and late starts for scheduled events.
This is my first, last, and only time that I ever will attend Comicon, and most likely any time of con in the future. Some people had fun. Many of my friends look forward to this all year and have a great time. Not for me.
Just like reading, the more your spa the more you know. So, if I had little less spa experience, I would probably like the Revive spa at JW Marriott Desert Ridge in north Phoenix more. Perhaps ignorance is bliss.
