Squelching the gimmes

[spotty_dog]

I consider myself a fairly balanced spender. I splurge in some areas, scrimp in others, and generally feel pretty frugal. I've lately made a real effort to throw off the shackles of consumer culture, and have been pretty successful in separating my "needs" from my "wants".

But suddenly I am hit with an incredible urge to purchase a whole slew of things. From clothing and haircuts to hobby supplies and books, I want it all and I want it now! None of it is strictly necessary, of course, but some of it has been a long time coming (I've been talking about buying a work outfit or two and getting a haircut for months now).

It's not that we can't afford a few frivolities, but I'm terrified that if I give in the floodgates will open and I'll find myself spending recklessly.

So. Any tips? How do you stay in budget while still indulging yourself from time to time? And how do you get thoroughly self-indulgent purchases to pass muster with the SO? (DH is very likely not going to approve of me launching a new hobby to go along with the other three or four that get intermittent dribs and drabs of my free time. He's so darned logical. )

[pstone]

At our house we are both the most penny pinching people I know, we really don't spend on anything. Now mind you, I would LOVE to buy new clothes and I almost always want to re-do the house (the designer in me)

Try starting out really small on the hobby, or give up somethine else to pay for it?

[spotty_dog]

Thanks, guys. Peter, I think you've got the right idea. The new hobby is handspinning (I'm a fiber arts fiend). I desperately want all sorts of pretty artisan-made tools to go along with it, but I could easily get started with about a $5 investment in homemade tools. That way I can justify further expenditures once I'm sure I'll stick with it. And if I do, practicality starts to apply because I can make yarn for knitting (another hobby) more cheaply than I can buy it.

And ladybug, I believe you feel my pain. The book that prompted me to get introspective about this stuff, the name eludes me but Kelly is the one who recommended it in the Book forum. I don't want the media and "peer pressure" telling me what I just *have* to have, you know? Setting larger goals is a great idea.

What's frustrating is that my birthday is in 2 weeks and I can't even give up my death grip on practicality in order to be a little selfish there. Whatever happened to the birthdays where your wish list was chock full of over-priced flash in the pan fad toy?

[Vanquisher]

http://members.fortunecity.com/wavjunky/swl-g/gimme.wav

Apparently you have to copy and past this link to get it to work for some reason.

I'm entitled, and I've lived in the poor house for long enough. If I want a coffee and a magazine, I'm buying one.

Yes, my debt is out of control. Yes, I've put too much on credit cards. So, I'm supposed to have no husband and no shopping? I don't think so.

Financial management comes when he makes more than minimum wage. Until then, frugality be damned![/url]

[Vishenka69]

So, I'm supposed to have no husband and no shopping? I don't think so.

Completely agree with this. Of course it's much easier since we don't have a house or kids. I've always bought whatever I want, granted I can pay it off at the end of the month. The only things I've allowed myself to carry over are vacation charges.

Alison,
If I were in your shoes, I would go for the haircut and take a "wait and see" on the clothes. But that would just be my preference. It seems like if I take one thing off the list, I forget about the remaining items a little bit. Some time usually tempers it for me...but I hear 'ya.

[spotty_dog]

Heh, thanks Nellie. I bought some pants on sale while on vacation, which encouraged that craving to simmer down. And DH said he likes my hair this length so I may or may not go for a trim.

I splurged and bought the spinning supplies though. But at least it came to less than I'd expected. I still want some books, but they are saved on my Amazon wishlist and I can keep getting them from the library while I wait for a good time to acquire them myself. Maybe Christmas.

Hey Nellie, after this trip I think Sacramento and Portland are neck-and-neck with Denver in third.

Enjoy your pants!

Sounds like you had a nice trip. A year from now, DH will start looking for jobs and we will need to have better idea of whether we want to end up in Denver or Portland. As of right now, I am absolutely torn. Both are great places to live. You can't lose either way, IMO!

[spotty_dog]

Ooh, the light is glimmering at you!

I liked Denver a lot as a city but for DH it didn't compare favorably with Portland. (Also he hears the program is malignant, but we have a local contact looking into that.) So he's looking more seriously at OHSU. And he really likes the Davis program -- something about lots of vacation time. Sacramento sounds quite livable too.

(Also he hears the program is malignant, but we have a local contact looking into that.)

Huh....it's been three years since DH was through there as an intern and a year more since med school. Too much time has passed, I suppose. If I had to take a guess, he thought well of the program but had a bit of a rougher time with a rotation because of a not so great resident (who stood out in that most were not like that).

If Denver friends and family were not part of the equation, Portland would win hands down. We looked at Sacremento too because DH could have started residency a year earlier there. Lots about it sounded great but I was wary of the housing prices and summer heat. More vacation time is not a bad thing!

re: OHSU....verify that this applies to the ED dept. DH got double the usual pay increase this last year because GME is trying to meet resident demands and avoid the possibility of them unionizing. Next up on the list is going from 3 to 4 weeks of vacation per year for PGY2 and up (not sure about PGY1). I've got my fingers crossed that this happens for the next year.