Here goes nothing

I am starting this to keep myself accountable… to nobody, but somehow putting this out there makes me feel like I am.

I picked this site name because 1) I’m a Swiftie and 2) the definition (according to Wikipedia anyway) seemed to fit my general approach to frugality and simpler living.

Elements of an Anti-Hero:

1.      The antihero is doomed to fail before their adventure begins. Check. 40+ years of spendy behavior shows that this is not my natural tendency. Like, at all.

2.      The second constitutes the blame of that failure on everyone but themselves. This isn’t entirely true. As a human being, I’m quite self-effacing and accountable. But it’s true our society surrounds us with constant temptations to spend, consume and rinse, repeat so the fault isn’t ALL mine, right? I also have a spendy spouse and spendy children who I am trying to mold into financially savvy people, so we’re all in this together.

3.      Thirdly, they offer a critique of social morals and reality. I’ll… try, I guess? Do we as a society overspend and consume too much? Yes. Is it very bad for our planet? Oh goodness, yes. So I approach this knowing it’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.

Everyone is obsessed with Elder Millennials, but what about us, who are technically on the Gen X side? I like to call myself an Infant Gen Xer. I was born in 1979 and identify with so much from both generations. I know so many of us are in the trenches with busy jobs, young children, aging parents, and demands of our time, energy and money from every which way but loose.

Here’s the tea – by FIRE standards, I could technically retire. I love and follow so many FIRE and frugality bloggers, but I don’t have a great deal of financial wisdom to impart. Or even a little deal. One, I am still a novice to it myself, and two, way smarter people are all over that. But I enjoy spending money, working fulfills my chronic over-achiever who cries out for praise, and I’m too old and crotchety and set in my ways to do many things on the cheap.

This is more so I can share how a fairly typical privileged family spends their money, and how they will slowly try to reign it in but also celebrate and spend it where it adds value and brings joy.

So, let’s dive in, shall we?