F is for Frugal

Tim got paid today, woot! I am going to have to practice extreme self-control not to spend it all at once. Okay, not really all, but basically we have been extra frugal the last couple of weeks because due to various costs, foreseen and unforeseen (but mostly related to our four-legged children and our two-legged child's Baptism and attendant hoopla), we've been beyond broke. (Disclaimer: when I say "beyond broke" I mean had to dip into savings, not had to Pawn our wedding rings or anything) So when I go into Fabulously Frugal Mode, we try not to buy anything that isn't absolutely necessary. Like my hair mousse, which is why my hair has been so limp lately, although I actually kind of like the look. I've been feeling like a caged animal this week, going kind of crazy, because I've barely been getting out. I've got to find new activities because I'm realizing that a lot of my current ones involve shopping, which is sad and expensive. But anyway, the result of this is often that once Tim gets paid, I go around buying all the stuff I've not been getting and suddenly we're perilously close to broke again. It's an unhappy cycle. Tim just IM'd to ask if he could go out to lunch today. See, it's like we get a little money in our pocket and just can't wait to spend it! (I told him yes, of course, I'm not Draconian!)
Tim depressingly calculated that 10% of his income goes to our health insurance costs. I didn't have the heart to tell him it's actually more than 10%, I'd already calculated this sad little figure. And a national healthcare system would be worse, why exactly? I think someone who runs his health insurance is getting insanely rich because it should not cost that much for healthcare for 2 adults and a baby when the employer is supposedly paying for the employee's part and subsidizing the dependents (I don't believe that they actually are).
Okay, enough bitching. I am fortunate enough to be able to afford to stay home with my baby, own a house, own one car and be two payments away from owning the other. I don't have any credit card debt, (well, two plane tickets and Roxie's hospital bill, but those are already in the works to be paid off), and we all have our health. I suddenly feel sheepish for complaining, especially when so many people have nothing. I'm sorry for the whining but I feel I have to share my pettiness sometimes.