Ever since I started writing this blog, I’ve been trying to promote the virtues of frugality.

“Don’t waste money on a new car. ”

“Don’t send the kids to expensive colleges.”

I haven’t changed my mind about these things but I did have a unforeseen shift in attitude recently.

My eldest daughter came home and we had a wonderful 10 day quasi-vacation.  She’s been in the Army for the last 3 years.  We don’t see her that often so when she’s here we celebrate.

We didn’t spend a ton of money on our vacation but we did let our hair down a little.  We went camping at the beach, spent a day in San Diego, went to the movies and ate out a few times.  We bought clothes for her and ourselves and other supplies too.

As you know, I’m a big believer in monthly budgeting.  While I didn’t have a budget for these items in June, I do make a yearly allowance for recreation so we could easily afford our family vacation. But the truth is I would have done everything we did even if we hadn’t budgeted for it. This was a big shift for me and quite frankly, I took myself by surprise.

I just didn’t care all that much about the money we were spending.  I didn’t think about the money.  Not at all.

While we were together, I was just in a constant state of gratitude for my wife and daughters and the life I have.

Now, keep in mind that I didn’t rent out Dodger Stadium or buy my kid a Faberge Egg. But we all did what we wanted to do when we wanted to do it.  When we were in doubt about spending or buying something, we did it. We erred on the side of spending vs saving.

And you know what? It was the right approach.

This mode of behavior is counter to my nature.  I look for value in almost every decision I make.  As I’ve shared before, my income is down this year. In the past, I’ve had this allergic reaction when my family goes outside our budget.  I’ve lived for years with the fear that if they spend “unconsciously” we’ll never get back on track.  I then paint all kinds of doomsday scenarios that have nothing to do with reality or my experience with my wife and kids.

That is my nuttiness and thank goodness and I have a wonderful wife who can lovingly point this out to me.

I share this story with you for a few reasons. The main idea I think is that there are times to be super vigilant and there are times to be carefree.  By being aware of my spending during the day-to-day (something I’m good at) I have a shot to enjoy the things that really matter in life without worrying about the money (something I’m working on).

Enjoy your summer.

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