Frugality and Summer 2012

Sadly, I went a leetle off the rails this summer.

Well, one month in Paris (June) and one month in Oxford (July) earning and yet spending... yeah, that was "off the rails."

I had a great time in both cities plus London and I loved the museum exhibits, theatre, books and meals I indulged in... which is where a great deal of the money went. Oh, and clothes, cosmetics and shoes. Mmmm, shoes!

How do I feel about that?

Mostly, pretty good. I thrive personally when I go to museums and theatre, when I see well-curated exhibits, a variety of art and cultural projects, and enjoy delicious cafe meals. These choices replenish my spirit. I went to eleven exhibitions at nine different museums or foundations, and visited several more museum book shops. I went to eleven cultural sites beyond that, of varying kinds from the White Horse to Kelmscott Manor.

The fact is that while I do believe I spent too much, I was thoughtful about nearly every purchase. I knew, for example, that I wanted to visit my favorite pharmacy and indulge in skin care and homeopathic teas I cannot find at home--and that everything would be on sale there during the second week of June (an annual event!). I knew that I wanted to buy two pairs of ballerines at Repetto, since the black ones I bought in 2010 were so great. I did buy two pairs, both 25% reduced. I bought pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners, notebooks, magnets, buttons/badges and "stuff" to give out to the students in one of my classes who get high marks on quizzes. I bought a very few books, but plan to add to that by purchasing the exhibition catalogs on Amazon (didn't have to carry them home, that way).

I did buy ridiculous amounts of postcards, as per usual, including some repetitions of Richter and Degas paintings.

What's the outcome? I'm paying off credit cards. Sigh. Weighing it through, I'm not sorry... mostly.