Essentials

January 2011 will be the start of essential living. It'll be time to dive in hard, pay off debt and spend money on essentials. Problem...often I make purchases that at the moment seem "essential" to me but in reality they are so far from it. Guess it's time to write down guidelines for the "essential" category.

Finding Balance

I feel like I'm in a constant state of trying to find "balance". Balance in everything. I'm also always in a state (in my mind at least) of trying to simplify. Most of the time I fail. Occasionally there is a moment of success. How does one who give up consumerism? How do you save money to go towards paying down debt and saving for a dream? How does one find balance between fixing up a house not knowing if it will eventually be a rental or one that will be sold? How does one find balance in teaching her children at home when not wanting to be real "schoolish" and yet wanting a little structure? Where is the balance between wanting to make things for others and becoming selfish about the time used to make those things?