On the Weekend Getaway
I generally give preference in my budget to spontaneous getaways versus things like fancy home decor, nice dinners out, or even new socks. I admit, sometimes they end up costing more than I would have liked to spend (mainly because I can be quite stingy). However, on my return home, I never think about that. I've gained more than money can ever buy and I feel rejuvenated enough to get back to work and bust my tushie to cover the extra cost.
People always tell me that they wish they could go do the things I do and I always have the same response - you absolutely can! There is no reason anybody can't be doing the same things I am. Perhaps you don't have the luxury of working from home, but sometimes the weekend is all you need (and at times that's even all I have because as flexible as my job might be it can take weeks of planning since working for yourself generally means free time doesn't exactly exist). I also don't want you to have the impression that I am this budgeting master who has her sh*t under control. I'll be honest with you, I absolutely have no idea what I'm doing financially most of the time. But I do know where my priorities lie.
So I'm just here to tell you, that if you let go of some of those material desires, even just once in a while, you can easily begin to enrich your life with experiences. Starting small with those weekend getaways is one of the best ways to catch the travel bug...and pretty soon you'll find yourself converting price tags to the cost of flight tickets. Then, the brief happiness of a new TV is replaced by your face lighting up when you tell the story of unexpectedly catching a sunset on the open seas.
Taken on a spontaneous sunset sail during a weekend in Key West