It's a fact of life that most of us have to work to pay bills, the mortgage or rent, food and entertainment and everything else.   Most of the time I can dull the pain which comes from having to turn my money over to everyone else, I've grown accustomed to it, but some things are more aggravating than others. Here are the things I hate spending my money on.  Some of them I've had to spend money on in the… Read the rest

I know, I know, after all the kicking and screaming and defensive posts on why I don't need a smart phone and here I find myself owning one and really, really liking it despite myself.  Right up to the moment I purchased the phone, and agreed to the data plan I was having misgivings and second guessing myself.  My son has been encouraging me for months to get a smart phone, and even my husband has one.  I was firmly… Read the rest

For most of my life I've just muddled along, not really giving much care to my health, because I've always considered myself to be healthy.  By that I mean I'm not sick often, and rarely have to take sick time off from work.  I don't have a huge laundry list of complaints… sure I had gained weight in my thirties and forties, and I wasn't too happy about it, but I knew diets didn't work and I didn't think there… Read the rest

I've told y'all I'm planning a big FIVE-OH birthday party for myself, and I've continued to plunk $20 each month into my sinking fund in anticipation of this party.  In the meantime, I turned 48 a couple of months ago, and this year I did something I've never done before. Since my husband and I eat out so rarely, I decided to do what I consider to be a major splurge.  My mother-in-law and my mom always give me $50… Read the rest