Falure to Frugal-ize

I took most of last week off from work as a preemptive strike; more long hours are coming at work and I was still having some residual infection issues and the diet of doom was a disaster. By Friday I was feeling better and to make my week complete Saturday I was surprised with a trip to the day spa. My indulgent and frugal husband found two special offers at the day spa in town; and I got to have a day of guilt free pampering. I had my hair cut and and a lemon grass manicure/pedicure combo. It's been nearly a year since I had either. I felt so refreshed and relaxed. And after a nap he took out for Sashimi, yum. And a little shopping (the only non essential was some terracotta pots). I love my Hubs!

All of this luxury has me thinking. There are two very distinct sides of me. A) the barefoot, organ gardening, save the planet side and B) the Coach shoe/handbag , pearl wearing gourmet food eating side. And I know that somewhere there is a balance between these two halves of a whole, but there is one large wedge between them. Frugality! In many ways both of these things can lend themselves to saving money, and to each other. Turn your lights off when not in the room saves energy and money; buying one high quality purse and using it for 2 or more season is better than buying more than 2 purses and sing them for less than one season. But sill you have to have the money to by the one high quality purse to being with. I'd say you even need the money to keep the lights on, but we are at least safe from that.

My spending habits have improved a lot over the past year and a half. But still, most days I don't think I'm doing enough, and then not long after I think about how I miss seeing the J Crew and Lord and Taylor bags sitting on the floor, after a triumphant day of shopping. Is it possible to ever stop wanting? Seeing that many can't even live of a “six figure” income, I'm not so sure.