Splurging and Saving
With the economy being what it is, I had resolved to start saving more and spending less. However I haven't been particularly good at sticking to my mantra. I bought this amazing dress, and I have no idea where I will wear it. In fact, I don't even know why I bought it, other than it was really pretty (an impluse purchase). At least is was a good deal (about 40% off). Maybe I can wear it to a holiday party this December. Anyway, here is a picture: While I can't justify my frivilous spending (although it is a very pretty dress), I will admit that I am saving a money taking the bus. The bus started out as an experiment to prevent paying for parking (my employer used to subsidize our parking). I figured if I drove my car (there aren't any convenient busses close to my home) to some place other than downtown I wouldn't have to pay for parking. Parking is about $170/month (and that is the cheap parking) so it isn't exactly cheap and I got a *free* bus pass, so that part of my commute doesn't really cost anything. Now the driving portion of my commute is shorter, so I am also saving money on gas (I used to drive 16 miles each way, and now I drive 15 miles total). This means I am cuttting my gas bill by more than 50%. I used to fill up my tank about every two weeks or so (at about $50--depending largely on gas prices) so it is saving me about $50 per month (plus the cost of parking)!So at least I am saving a little bit of money (and I am also helping the world by driving less and using public transportation, which is always a good thing). The other benefits of riding the bus is more time for reading, being able to decompress on my way home from work (this was harder to do in stressful traffic), walking a little bit more on my commute (which burns extra calories), and having a set schedule (I generally catch the bus around the same time, and leave work around the same time). The last one on the list has probably been the best thing since it has forced me to schedule my time and manage my days more efficiently--I really do feel like I am getting a lot more done. Who knew having a schedule would help so much with being organized and improving time management?