Early Retirement Extreme Forums

@FrugalZen,
I am from the north. I'm from Michigan. I didn't know Floridians don't drink OJ. That's new to me actually.
Being from Michigan, we call soda "pop". I just figured soda is a more well known term, or else I would have used the word pop instead.

It's back to the old thing...if its always there it gets ignored or taken for granted...we have oranges but no apples.
Conversely my family is originally from New Hampshire..my grandparents loved orange juice but didn't care one way or another about apple juice or apple cider.
I grew up on a lake with lots of boats and haven't really gone boating or swimming in a lake for years yet have friends who want to go every weekend.
Mom grew up during the remnants of the depression and during WWII so things like candy were very rare treats...so when I was a child there was ALWAYS some sort of candy to be found in the house or freezer.

@Frugal Zen and Dividend Guy - I grew up in a Florida orange grove and never drink orange juice. I think it has to do with getting oranges for free for years and now having to pay for them (my lonely orange tree in my yard produces very little). Besides that I think that it is better to eat a whole orange than just drink the juice (you get all that healthy fiber). I can't stand grapefruit juice, though! That has to do with having forts in the groves and throwing rotten fruit at each other. Once hit in the head with a moldy grapefruit you are spoiled from ever wanting to drink the juice!

ROFLMAO!!!!
But whats worse is just how hard the little green ones are when you get whacked by one....they HURT.

Easy :
1. Being caught up in the iPhone. Now gone. On Virgin Mobile, $25/mo plan
2. Thinking I needed D-SLR, with "good" lenses. Point and shoot would have been good enough
3. Alcohol
4. Two trips to Hawaii
5. My attempt to publish a DVD on silencing your computer
6. Still smoking. Made it 2 weeks off it in June, fell off the wagon.
7. Used to be land line ( Verizon ) @ $60/mo - then to Vonage $30/mo, now OOMA $4/mo

Just finished my 36th month of recording my expenses...

alcohol+bar: $138 36 mo avg, $157 2011 avg

electronics: $208 36 mo avg, $132 2011 avg
That electronics number is frightening... But that doesn't include rebates. And I usually sell more than half for a small profit. I should improve my accounting.
There is no sales tax in my state.

Not sure if it's embarrassing (more infuriating) but I spend more on state income tax than I do food... I'll be sure to point this out next time someone argues not having sales tax is better than not having an income tax.

@ Protoge - Better DD coffee, than Starbucks. I admit, I used to go to McD on the way to work for iced coffee almost every day. Now I have broken the habit. I bought myself a nice large plastic cup with screw on lid and hard straw from Starbucks, then I brew coffee in the am while getting ready for work, have about a 1/2 cup hot, then fill my large cup with ice and yummy flavored creamer and top with coffee, then drink on the way to work. I feel better about saving money, and less plastic, impact on the environment.
My downfall is clothes, I like fashion trends. I'm trying to cut way back, and I have, but it's not easy. I *love* TJ Maxx, and get things there pretty cheap. I use my chase visa rewards for gift certificates to TJ Maxx, so it feels like free money.

@My Saving Style,

I actually have DD ground coffee at home and make iced coffee with that, drink it before I leave for work, and then grab a DD-made iced coffee on the way to work! Somehow it always tastes better from them.

Still there's no good reason for my doing this and no excuse! Somehow it's become my crutch to make going to work bearable! I'm working on this one...

(You've just reminded me that I also have a plastic iced coffee cup that I can use to take with and to stop buying it on the way to work. Thanks for that!)

I can relate to the clothes & fashion trends too. That used to be a big one for me also. Funny, because I have Chase Visa rewards too and I buy the DD gift cards with it! Good move on the TJ Maxx rewards!

2 children, 2 pets, and booze.

Massages.
Last year I used my healthcare flexible spending account for monthly massages. I'm not really embarrassed by this expense. Although, I realize that it is not a necessity. However, I did notice how getting a monthly massage helped to relieve tension. I hope that my new job will prove to be less stressful. Thus, cancelling the need for monthly massages.
Massages really are nice, though.

My cat. And any dimes I spend at a bar buying a drink I could make for free from my extensive spirits collection at home.

@pka222: my average for the past three years is €45 ($60) per day abroad. I agree tickets are a major pain, followed by accommodation costs. I find that my daily average varies a lot as I have included business travel in my count. I count these because I often manage to extend/unwind during business travel.

I just dropped/lost $60-$80 in cash. Yet another reason to only use credit cards. In the overall scheme of things, it's not that bad, but it's certainly embarrassing to "lose" 10% of your monthly expenses.

Monthly telcom and data costs:
74 Cable TV and high speed internet

34 Landline phone

15 Long distance phone
123 for communication? I don't even carry a cell.

Ughhh I spent $150 this weekend. $70 in clothes, $80 in books. It's really bothering me.
It's crazy how much the ERE frame of mind as set in for me. I spent all weekend chiding myself for buying 2 dress shirts for work, a pair of leather gloves and slippers. And the books that were recommended to me to help my writing.
Still, I can't stop thinking about it To make up for it maybe I'll stop buying my coffees all month.

@palmera -
Return the clothes and books. Tada! Problem solved.
Alternative solution: If you really really love the clothes, they are classics, you'll wear them all the time, then keep them, and stop feeling bad about it. On the books - Are they not available at the library and you intend to refer to them multiple times over a period of time longer than 3 weeks? Are the new and used prices close together? Then keep them and stop feeling bad about it!
I say this only because you want the lifestyle you are building to be sustainable; if you don't want to cut out buying clothes/books for the rest of your life, then don't. Yeah it'll slow down ERE a touch but you're building a life of abundance that you love, rather than "Sacrificing", which wears on you after a while. I say this only because this is the conclusion I came to last month. Spend on the things you love and care about; cut out the other stuff.

@LiquidSapphire I can't agree more with this:
Spend on the things you love and care about; cut out the other stuff.

LS, good point. Thanks!
I bought 2 cotton shirts that fit great and are perfect for work. And, I bought a pair of leather gloves for the impending bitter-cold-to-the-bone weather we are having. I've been meaning to buy leather gloves for 2 years, but I always miss the boat -- by the time I get to Winner's (Canadian equiv of Marshall's) all the black ones are sold out for the season
In my ERE I want to be able to drop $80 on books every few months and $70 on clothes.
Thanks again for snapping me out of it.

Hi Bigato -
Thanks so much for the compliments!
I wish I had some awesome guru answer to put here... but I don't know what to say! I would like to say I was always focused, but maybe over time the more I think about ERE the more my perspective changes. I think a lot of ways I knew information intellectually but I didn't understand it emotionally, intuitively, experientially, or otherwise, until walking various walks over the past few months. There are just different levels of "getting" or "understanding" ERE and what is involved in the process. Maybe I am getting to know myself better, and through self awareness, I can help others. At least that is what I am going to tell myself

I just bought a $3600 piece of art by a famous artist. 4 payments over 4 months. I'm using my work bonus to pay for it.
Read more about my moment of delicious insanity over at my blog.