When Nathalie asked if I could do a blog post on the debt diet in January, I thought I was all set. I positively LIKE being frugal, when I manage it. It’s not like, say, swearing off chocolate, which makes me cranky and resentful. No, frugality is, for me, deeply satisfying.
So I thought I would talk about the pleasure of a small credit card bill in January, that sort of thing. Or I could talk about January as the month in which I reign triumphant, after my husband’s relishing of December, because while I take pleasure in frugality, he, in ways I can’t begin to understand, enjoys spending. (Beth-Anne talks about the experts who tell you that cutting out some small luxury can save you $30, $60, $100 a year. In our house, I am that expert. My husband is the poor beleaguered man being barked at about how if you add this or that up, that’s $50 a year!)
But then, within 24 hours of Nathalie’s request, everything changed. My husband is heading to South Africa in the summer, for work, but with a more-than-generous dose of pleasure time. He went to South Africa a few years ago, and absolutely loved it. Back then, accompanying him was unthinkable: our youngest was a baby, and a challenging one at that. (Come to think of it, solo-parenting for two weeks was also unthinkable at that stage, but somehow I got through it.) But now, the children are a little older. And we have enough points for a plane ticket for me, and so for the price of two children’s fares and food and drink while we’re there, the rest of us can tag along. So we’re going. I can’t even decide whether this is a money-wise decision (enormous value for dollar) or money-foolish. But whatever it is, there it is, SPLAT, on the January credit card bill. SIGH.
February, February…
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Kelly Quinn is the mother of two daughters and lives in Ottawa. See one of her previous posts for us on her electricity bill.
4 Mothers 
What it is, in my opinion, is a beautiful decision to honor your family and the value experience and beauty has in your life. If all of us were brave enough to choose life over frugality once in a while, when a tremendous once in a lifetime opportunity drops into our laps
What a lovely way of putting it–thank you!
Good economy isn’t not spending, but spending well according to what you most want, and making sure funds are available when needed for this. This trip sounds wonderful, and I’m sure your frugal ways have contributed to making it possible. Bon voyage Kelly, I hope you will write and tell us all about it.
Ooh, I like that idea that the frugality is what makes it possible. And that’s a good point–that frugality is not an end in itself, but a way of making sure you spend your money on what really matters, rather than frittering it away.
I think the trip is a wonderful idea, and a wonderful way to spend time and money. Making memories.
How wonderful! I am sure that you will be thinking it was well worth the splat when you are making memories . . . that are priceless. Have fun! Maybe you will write about it for us?