Yes, I know, I didn’t quite get this done at breakneck speed. But here you go.
July
I had a great experience with the CEO of Carbonite. I’m still recommending them to friends, even though the service didn’t work on my Mac. I bought some new tires. Exciting, I know. I discovered Alice.com. Still love them. I talked a little about collecting. I also read and wrote about someone who was living on nothing.
August
August was my month of crazy. Things were busy, but I still managed to blog a bit. I was surprised at how well my retirement accounts were doing. I discussed batch cooking. And still don’t do it. I learned some cool things about James Smithson and what we know about historical figures based on their bank accounts. I wondered why I would do something I didn’t want to do. I stopped saving things for special occasions.
September
I started seriously pondering a new job. As of January, I’m still in the old job, but I’m hoping things are looking up. I mocked the term “recessionista.” I discussed the difference between frugal and cheap and got some good comments. I wondered if the employed owed something to our unemployed friends. I asked where people store their bulk purchases.
October
I wondered what was better – big savings or little savings. I think the answer is both. I discussed gift purchases as a percentage of your salary. A friend started pre-spending her bonus. Personal finance bloggers were called out for being imperfect and no one was surprised. I got accosted by a charity marketer. And then, my roommate moved out.
November
I got a small bonus and pre-spent it. On dental work. Super fun. I applied for a job that would mean a pay cut. Haven’t heard anything on that yet. I decided to use an FSA for 2010. I was faced with exposure of my Social Security number and other personal info. I finished the month on Jury Duty.
December
There was some water damage to my apartment, reminding me that there are perks to renting. I asked how people deal with unwanted advice. I discussed information overload. I think I like information overload. I demanded what I thought I deserved. I shared my thoughts on golden handcuffs. Then I took a short break to enjoy the holidays.
So 2009. Not a bad year, all in all. I’m looking forward to 2010. So far, so good!
