It's more a want than a need, but it's a want that you can justify to some degree as opposed to a completely frivolous want. IMO, those are two different things. :)

I also want a scooter for many of the same reasons. Right now with gas prices where they are I put $60 worth of gas in my car a week. I live in a climate where riding a scooter or a bike is possible probably 8-9 months out of the year. Even if I only rode it to work 3 days a week, I could probably stretch my tank of gas to 2 weeks or more. That would save me ~$130 a month in gas alone. Not to count that it would mean I'd be changing the oil once every 4 or 5 months as opposed to every 2-3 months, that I'd be rotating tires less, etc.

Plus, I'd probably use the scooter for more of my short local errands like running to the grocery store and so forth, so potential savings are even higher.

It would probably take me about a year to break even (assuming gas prices stayed about the same) and after that I'd actually come out ahead (albeit by only a little) to keep the scooter.

Right now I can't justify the initial expense, but at some point I think it will make sense for me.

Check first. In my state you won't get arrested for not paying them, but the city or county will send them to a collection agency if you don't pay.

Hm. Well I disagree with you about "looking for it". I get the impression that you've never lived outside of a religiously intolerant area, therefore wouldn't get what I'm talking about. I don't "Look" for this kind of thing, but when it smacks you in the face, especially coming from a much more open part of the country, it's hard to not see it.

I am in NC probably about once a month ... currently. That is, in 2011. And every day I see religious intolerance. I don't "intentionally" look for it; it's just there. When I am smacked down because I don't believe what the majority believes, it's hard to be "confident and comfortable" in it.

I don't need anyone to "validate" my beliefs. But I would like to not be treated as some kind of freak because I believe something other than the cultural norm in that state.

@Lindsey - do you remember the movie "Hellboy"? I remember driving through southern NC and seeing a movie theater that had "Heckboy" on it's marquis. God forbid they should put the word "hell" on a movie marquis.

That's the kind of thing I'm talking about. It seems minor and subtle, until you're living it. Then it's often ... well, horrific.

Keep in mind that if you move to the South, you're moving into a very religious part of the country. A lot of people don't consider that, but it can be massive culture shock when moving from someplace like California. I've lived on the West Coast (both PNW and California) as well as in several states in the South and it takes getting used to.

North Carolina especially is very evangelical Christian. Charlotte is the home of Billy Graham and the major universities in and around the Triangle area have some kind of religious affiliation which is taken seriously. The Southern Baptist Convention is the biggest religious affiliation in NC. Also the state Constitution of NC prohibits professed atheists from holding public office.

I love the geography of NC, but I honestly would never live there because of how religion permeates every part of life there - even worse than the state where I live which is considered pretty conservative Deep South. The laws of the state will be heavily influenced by the religious population and it will affect what you can buy, drink, and even the movies you can see - either year round or on Sundays.

None of this may matter to you, but it is something that is really important to me and that I consider carefully before moving to a new location. Just FYI. :)

Ok, let me preface this by saying that in my other life, I'm a wedding vendor. :)

One of the things that is so frustrating in wedding planning - both from the vendor side AND the client side - is that most people do not throw large catered parties for their closest 200 friends all the time. So they have no idea what things really cost. This is not a fault or blame game at all. It's just a fact. Most people just don't entertain on that scale. So when they start seeing the numbers, sticker shock is very real and very scary.

The thing is truly most vendors are NOT trying to scam you. Most of us have figured out how much money we need to make per event in order to make a profit. And profit is not a dirty word. It's a fact of life. If I don't make a profit, I don't pay my bills.

Do I charge more for a wedding client than for a standard individual client? Yes. Why? Not because I'm trying to scam a couple, but because in my experience in 20+ years in the industry, wedding clients are more demanding. Their wedding is a huge, life event and they want everything to be perfect. They put additional demands on their vendors, and that's why it costs more. I invest probably double and sometimes triple the time in my wedding clients over my standard everyday commercial clients.

Are there wedding clients who are less needing of that level of attention? Yes, sure there are. But they are few and far between. I've laughed more than once to see my clients post on a bridal message board (one they didn't know I read) that they are not needy clients and they just want basic services at a basic price - and they are some of the most time consuming and picky clients I have.

Throwing a great big party and catering it and having a photographer and a band and all that stuff .. it's expensive. There are no two ways around that. There are certainly ways to save costs, though. Just remember that your vendors aren't there as a favor. They are in business to earn money. Hopefully the people you choose will love what they do - but they also need to pay their bills and put food on their tables. If they don't make enough money to do that, then they won't be in business long.

I do keep a "want" list - not just of clothing, but in general of shopping things. A good bit of my list is on amazon.com where I can refer to it and check prices. I also find that when I want something, if I add it to a list and revisit it in a few days, I often find I don't really want it any more - or at the very least I realize I don't NEED it. It does help me to keep from impulse buying.
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I so relate. I'm really quite shy, although people say they don't think I am. But it's all a front. I really am terribly uncomfortable in large social settings with acquaintances and co-workers (as opposed to friends, where I'm fine just being me). Like you I ask a lot of questions and then .. sort of lapse into a state of semi-self-mockery.

I wish I were better at "working" a room. I think it's a skill that can be learned, but I just have a hard time knowing where to start!

Sounds like a good plan. I like that you've built in a "treat" or two (I personally don't like to use the word "cheat") because it will help to keep you on track the rest of the while.

I have to admit I have a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to the word "detox" about diets. There is so much garbage out there about detoxing and ridding your body of poisons and so forth and so many people fall for the idea that they need to "purify" their systems by drinking lemon juice for 10 days or that they need to take a pill to remove junk from their colons or whatever ... ARGH! :)

But your "detox" looks to be based on some really good, healthy habits and is more about add more nutrients to your body than about some freaky detox plan. I approve!! LOL

Congrats! I am still working towards my $2000 goal - and after that I'll be aiming for $10k.

@Dan. How can you justify NOT having an emergency fund, no matter what kind of debt you have? If something happens in your life, how do you plan to pay for it?
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