Octsoberfest

It happened like this: I decided I needed to quit my job and strike out on my own, in small part because I realized it would actually be cheaper to work from home. No more buying gas once a week at $4 a gallon, no more checks written out to the dog walker, no more eating out for lunch (I've never gotten the hang of that bring-your-own-lunch thing). In fact, my calculations indicated that I could save around $500 per month by working from home. (Of course there's the issue of how I'd make any money, but that's a discussion for another time.)

"Fumar acorta la vida"

 

Starting to work from home would mean not only that I'd be going through a huge life transition but also that money would likely be even tighter. These two factors led me to conclude that Oct. 1 was the perfect time to quit smoking. Cold turkey. Quitting smoking would save me at least $60 per month. And there's that whole thing about not wanting to be addicted; as much as I love to smoke, I do not love feeling like I have to smoke.

Photo © 2009 by David Aeschliman

My chances of successfully quitting smoking would be raised, I realized, by keeping myself away from temptation. Namely: the bar. Or any alcohol, for that matter. I have a tendency to chain-smoke when I drink, so if I cut the alcohol out for the entire month of October, it would help me stay true to my goal. Another positive side-effect was that I'd spend less money. Somewhere around $25 a week less.

And that's how I decided on a smoke-free, alcohol-free month of October, which my neighbor and I, after much discussion, renamed Octsoberfest. (I discovered later that other people have also thought of Octsoberfest. I guess there really isn't any such thing as originality. Darn.) If you're interested in reading about how it's been going, click here.

How much money could you save by cutting out one habit or vice for just one month?

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.