The goal

Balance. What I really want is balance.

Because yes, I do want to live within my means, but I also want to have time and energy to do the things I love. I want to be able to make choices that are socially and environmentally conscientious, and I want to look good and feel healthy. I don’t want to have to choose between these things; I want to find ways to balance them all.So here I am: single, 32, with a house, a dog, and a job that (at least in theory) pays a living wage. And I am struggling to live within my means. I am lucky enough to have escaped student loans and car payments, and right there I am better off than a lot of people. And yet I still find it hard to balance the things that are most important to me.

I don’t think I live excessively. I don’t throw big parties or go clothes shopping more than once a year. I don’t buy expensive cuts of meat, or even buy meat every week. I don’t go out drinking every night or every weekend (anymore). I’ve cut out a lot of the luxuries: regular haircuts, buying wine, facial cleanser, cable TV.

After taxes and bills, my money goes to food, gasoline, auto maintenance, dog care, cigarettes, and the very occasional impulse buy of a book or movie. Really, that’s it. So as you see, when it comes to cutting things out of my budget, I haven’t got a lot to work with.I’ve been trying to put aside a couple hundred dollars into savings each month, but each month there seems to arise some unexpected expense (emergency trip to the vet, visit to the doctor's office that I hadn't planned for, travel for a conference, etc.) that not only prevents me from saving money but actually results in my having to take money out of savings. The situation, therefore, is this: not enough money coming in to cover my expenses, and a dwindling savings account.And yet I want to travel and take classes for fun. I want to put money into savings so I have an emergency fund in case my dog needs another $2,000 surgery or (god forbid) I lose my job. I want to wear pretty clothes, buy local & organic food, and use environmentally friendly cleaning products.The point of this blog is not to whine about all the things I want that I can’t afford. And I am well aware that, compared to many people in this world, I have it really good. No, the point of this blog is to find out if I can have more of what I want by using the resources I do have differently. The Penny Pincher gives me the incentive to start getting creative.