"I LIKE SAVING MONEY, I do, I really do!!" Repeat 1000 times until you actually believe it.

I was listening to the radio this morning and the announcer mentioned that many people who have not been affected by the recession (who's that???) are embarrassed to purchase luxury items such as jewelry, high end cars, or designer clothes.



This, in turn, is not good for the economy, because companies that produce these items are suffering. You know the story. So to those of you who are loaded...get out there and buy yourself that new diamond tennis bracelet and that Hermes Birkin you've been eyeing up!! Help the economy! Keep your housekeeper and your gardener...they need the work.



Okay, now I'm going to talk to the rest of you.



I am not a person who has alot of luxury goods, but I have been trying to be really careful. Knock wood, Brad my husband still has a job, but he who knows what tomorrow will bring.



In the spirit of saving money I've been trying to ENJOY spending less.



Take my car, for example. My minivan is five years old. Lately I've been eying up some cool SUVs. They look great, but I'm going to resist. My car is paid for, it runs great and as long as I keep it clean I'm cool. Yeah, I don't have a sweet Lexus LS 570 with rain sensing wipers and alloy wheels, but at least I won't have a fit if my girls spill ice cream in the back seat.



I've also been working on little things like skipping the McDonald's Diet Cokes and Starbucks Cinnamon Dulce Lattes. (God help me)



Some things I haven't cut back on. My husband would love it if I let go of our cleaning lady who comes every two weeks, but I'm not ready for that. I need her, DESPERATELY. Plus, she needs the work and she's been with us for 8 years. I can't do it to her.



My 9 year old has Ugg boots and a North Face fleece. These are the normal uniform for kids in our town. Throw in gymnastics, tennis, swim lessons and a beach club and things REALLY add up fast. I hate to admit it, but around here, these things are the BASICS. Even when you're "being careful" normal life is EXPENSIVE.


I really hate being panicked and tight on money. It stresses me out and it REALLY stresses out my hubby. So, as part of my quest for self improvement, I have to THINK before I spend. I have to be aware of what's coming in, and what's going out. About college savings, retirement and a safety fund in case, god forbid, my husband loses his job.



Scary stuff.



My strategy is to try to enjoy the feeling of not spending. Yesterday I didn't spend one dime. I made my own coffee, ate at home and didn't shop for anything, not a magazine, not a candy bar...nothing. Sure it's hurting the economy, but I'll let the rich people spend their cash.



If I'm good now, I can spend my golden years hitting tennis balls and looking out at the ocean from my awesome retirement home on the beaches of North Carolina.



And you're all invited to visit me.

Hold on to your pennies!

Economy wise (and in many other ways) we live in some pretty scary times.

As you've probably heard, Lehman Brothers has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

This has hit families in my town pretty hard. A friend of mine called me this morning with her voice shaking. Her husband is out of a job with no severance and no salary. So are thousands of other Lehman employees.

Now they are all competing with each other for whatever jobs are available in their areas of expertise.

Imagine, having you or your husband's source of income cut off, with virtually no safety net.

Hearing my friend's voice really hit home for me. I realized that I really do have to be super careful with our money, at least for the time being.

Granted, losing a job isn't the worst thing that can happen to a person. It happened to me when I was 25 years old. My company lost a big account and they let the newest people go. I felt like the wind was knocked out of me, but my expenses were low, and it was easy to bounce back.

When you have 4 childen, a mortgage and tuition bills to pay, the stakes are pretty high. I feel for them, and I'm not foolish enough to think that it can't happen to my family.

I'm not sure if any of you have been through this. If you have, tell me what happened, and how did you get your life back on track?

Gimme Gimme!

Moving on to my number three in the Caffeine Court Sin Series-GREED!

I'm a Taurus, and Taureans are famous for their love of the finer things in life. I have to admit I'd love to have a Cartier Tank Watch or a gorgeous Louis Vuitton Galliera bag or a Range Rover, or perhaps a new diamond and platinum eternity band.

My birthday is next week, so if you all chip in I'm sure you could get me a nice pair of diamond earrings. I didn't just say that...did I??? See what I mean??! Greed I tell you!!! It's a terrible sin. (Since I don't have any of these things-would it be more accurate to call it ENVY?)

Anyway-I've never gotten myself into trouble buying a $15,000 watch or a $5,000 ring. It's the small stuff that gets me into hot water. Some of my biggest temptations are Target, Marshall's, Pottery Barn, any specialty supermarket like Wegman's, the Bobbi Brown makeup counter, Webkinz (thanks to my very persistent daughter)...and the mall...FAGETABOUT IT! I live in New Jersey for god's sake! The shopping opportunities are so bountiful!

I find that the best way to keep my desire to acquire cute clothes, expensive lipstick and gourmet cookies is to avoid their sources entirely. Running into Target to pick up some dog food and paper towels is like letting a three year old loose in a candy store. Isaac Mizrahi, Mossimo and Cynthia Rowley beckon me like a siren's song. I can hear them - calling to me...luring me to crash on the sharp rocks of financial ruin seventy five dollars at a time.

So I go to these stores as infrequently as possible. (But it's sooo hard to do...I really LOVE scouring the racks of TJ Maxx searching for an amazing find!!)

I try to distract myself from my desire to acquire more material possessions with other activities, like team tennis, volunteering at school and having my children's friends over for play dates. Which leads me to tomorrow's subject-ANGER. How is ANGER related to tennis, volunteering and play dates? Stay tuned my friends.

Can we get personal?

I want to talk to you about something very personal. It's not sex or politics. It's much more intimate than that. Come closer...okay, here we go..I want to talk about money, or more specifically, budgets! Wait, get back here! I know how you feel. When people (aka my husband) try to talk budgets with me-I run for the hills. Those days are over.


For the past couple of years I've been responsible for paying the bills. One trampoline, many tennis lessons a few too many trips to Banana Republic and one very extensive home renovation later, I've been asked to resign my position as Family Accountant. In all seriousness-I'm freaked out about the whole thing. I like having control (I prefer driving to being a passenger, I try to lead when dancing...) BUT, if it makes our life better in the long run-I'm all for it!

As some of you may know-I am constantly trying (key word there) to improve myself. Cutting down on Diet Coke, passing up gossip magazines, cleaning out my closet (my god I'm like Mother Theresa!)

My next hurdle is becoming a more fiscally responsible person. Today-I did what my husband has been begging me to do for years. I did an Excel spreadsheet with a proposed budget. We are still in negotiations, but I am going to surrender my control for awhile and see how it works. I have to say, so far the process has been way less painful than I anticipated and my proposed weekly allowance is quite generous! I should have agreed to this years ago.

Happy Homemaker posted about her "Marriage Saving Budget". I was amazed! Reading her post was like reading about people on another planet! Incredible. I feel that I was drawn to that posting by a higher power. So, my friends, wish me luck on yet another endeavor to improve my life.

How about you ladies and gentlemen? Please share. Are you super organized and completely aware of where all your money is going? Or are you a fly by the seat of your pants kind of creature? (Like me!) Do tell! Don't be shy, according to Sitemeter only 60 people read this blog each day!

"We didn't actually overspend our budget. The allocation simply fell short of our expenditure."

-Keith Davis