More on Money

The spending slashes are working. The money is starting to not run out quite as quickly. I am also catering my shopping list, other than produce, milk, and meat, to stuff on sale. Really, not much difference between Simply Orange and Florida's Natural-so if one is on sale for $3 and the other is $5...you get the idea.

But, money, of course, is never simple. Moira, my college roommate and one of my closest friends, has lived in LA for the 6 years since we graduated from college. She is leaving LA mid-September to move to South Africa. And, well, it's very unlikely that I will be getting to South Africa any time soon. So, she asked me to come to LA for the 2nd weekend of September for her Adios LA Bash (my name, not hers.)

I struggled with this. I really don't want to push my luck with my very generous and understanding employer regarding time off. Eduardo, Johan, and I are also going to be in LA the first weekend of October to visit other friends and for a wedding in La Jolla. That is not going to be a cheap trip. So, you know, disposable income is scarce.

But this is one of my closest friends for 10 years. And I don't know when I will see her again after this. I have no trouble turning away from stuff I might want- clothes, haircuts, waxed brows, new fancy cell phones. But when it comes to a close friend asking me to share in her goodbye; for me to come for one last weekend of roomie time, and then when she offers to split the ticket with me, how can I not do that?

I tend to make financial decisions for "extras" with a litmus test: When I am an old woman, will I look back and think this was money well spent? The answer to that question for expensive haircuts, electronics, or yet another pair of black shoes is probably NO. But a weekend with a dear friend who I may not see for a very long time? I don't think that could anything but YES.