A Recap of 2013

Last January I settled on a high deductible insurance plan, decided my frugality was making life unnecessarily difficult, considered the reality that time is more valuable than money,  listed the top ten financial lessons I learned in my son’s first year and paid my good fortune forward with an impromptu baby shower.

In February I unsubscribed from bargain blogs, wrote about the end of my previous job, gave my credit the boot and listed the details for earning the most money when selling unwanted books.

In March I wrote about sharing finances equally between spouses and then went on a long tangent about unequal handouts from parents that involved five separate posts. Those included the topic of financial inequality, turning down a gift from your parents, buying your child a house, working in a job that doesn’t support your lifestyle and the bitterness you feel as a slighted sibling. These posts resulted in a plethora of spicy comments and emails, which also prompted me to reflect on the equality of two gifts.

In April I asked when do you have enough? Listed ways to save on children’s toys, had trouble parting with possessions and contemplated purchasing a new car,

In May I paid someone to clean out my fridgebought a car below the invoice price, further contemplated the question of enough and created an incredibly long list of refinancing details. We refinanced nine times in twelve years!

In June I negotiated prices on eBay, quantified the impact having a child had on my finances, wondered who should pay on a first date and was told I was the “richest person” someone knew.

In July I focused on spending less on my son’s wardrobe, wrote about one of the toughest part of being a stay-at-home parent, watched our net worth climb, bought a membership to the zoo, wrote about the joy of tossing the brown bag approach to lunch and focused on the positive.

In August my purse was stolen, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, bought a pool membership we never used, wondered if I was ripping off a local salad bar, contemplated my stay-at-home decision and considered giving coupons the boot.

In September I went on a tangent about women who wish for little girls, learned how to tame my cravings by purchasing expensive chocolates, found a few tricks for getting dinner to the table faster, was shocked by a $700 clothing bill and realized my husband is a very generous man.

Speaking of generous spirits in October my husband presented a waiter with a 50% tip. I removed clutter from the house a couple of times and bought a couple of new treasures. I lost my keys, reflected on the timing of things and recognized the preciousness of time and the value of learning things from everyday experiences including spending time with my son.

In November I continued purging and even got rid of things that were perfectly useful. I also reflected deeply after a good friend’s memorial service, realized I have an uncomfortable relationship with wealth and that a wad of money is not the end goal.

In December I contemplated creating a joy ledger for all of my expenses, lost out on a giveaway when I failed to answer the phone and asked the readers whether or not I should give away my baby stuff even though I want another child.

This was without a doubt one of the best years of my life and I hope that my happiness continues into the new year.

Wishing you all the best too!

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