Financial Balance

As I alluded to in my post on Wednesday, I have been BOMBARDED with ideas to write about. One area I've been working on lately is finances and trying balance those out. By balance in this context I don't mean like balance an account, I mean balance spending habits. I've never been bad with finances by any means - the only real debt I've had is in the form of student loans. However, lately I've been on this saving splurge. With the prospect of a wedding, down payment on a home and a few other possible major purchases looming I've set VERY high financial goals for myself. There is a part of me that feels like this is causing me to avoid truly living in the moment.

Don't get me wrong, I don't ever want to be a major spender and go out to dinner every night, feel the need to blow money on alcohol, buy a new car, make major purchases I don't need, or anything like that. However, there is some merit to truly living and enjoying the money you have been given. It's almost as if I'm afraid to spend money on anything other than basic necessities. Granted I am planning to splurge on a few vacations coming up this summer, but other than that I'm fine to just get by.

There has been some fun in this - finding creative ways to make really cheap, yet very tasty meals; figuring out what inexpensive and even free things there are to do around my area; taking up new hobbies, etc. However, I want to make sure I don't become "cheap" or miserly. So I have to find my balance. I think that simply by keeping this in mind, I'll remember to find the balance between spending and saving, but just wanted to let everyone in on what's rolling around in my brain this morning.