Don't Seek Inspiration Through a Calendar

At the start of 2009 I decided to spruce up my office space with a little day-to-day inspirational quote calendar. You know, something to greet me in the morning other than my yellowish green bamboo plant that's struggling to survive. Out of the 104 days that I've experienced with 365 Meditations and Reflections for Women Who Do Too Much, I can count the number of times on one hand where I have been moved.

For instance today's thought is:

To deal with "shopoholic" tendencies or to curb excessive shopping, author April Bensen recommends that we set a budget for shopping trips.

Well if that wasn't the dullest "A-HA!" moment ever, please enlighten me and share what is. Nothing against author April Bensen - I'm sure this idea was pulled from a book of hers perhaps focusing on budgeting and that it was taken out of context for this pocket calendar. Needless to say this tidbit actually made me feel worse considering my budget for shopping is now $0.

Sign Here

While sitting at the round maple wood table in the realtor's office, I was practicing a breathing technique I learned in my first few yoga classes. The deep breathing is supposed to help put your mind at ease and focus on the task at hand yet it was failing to do so during this very moment. Marisa slapped down the lease in front of me and all I could focus on besides my breathing were the flourescent stickers dispersed throughout the packet of paper which read "Sign Here".

This may sound like Marisa is the devil and I'm about to sign my life away to her and that interpretation isn't very far from the truth. I signed a 15 month lease for a beautiful apartment on Boston's charming Newbury Street whose monthly rent is worth far more than I can afford with the salary I'm bringing in these days. Why did I do it? Perhaps it was the view of the Fenway lights from our doorstep, the sun-filled street I follow for my five minute commute to work, or the warmth the brick walls of my Bostonian apartment bring to my bedroom. Without further ado, I begin my journey on living my life on Newbury in the thriftiest way I know how. Is living a frugal lifestyle in Boston's Back Bay impossible? I'm here to find out at my new residence on Newbury Street.