Those People

I was never one of those people. Those people that watch every cent they spend, wear layers in their home, and suggest to friends they go out to a certain restaurant because they found a coupon for $1 off two entrees. Those people who won't turn their furnace past 64 or start buying the $.34 yogurt as opposed to the $.50 Yoplait, or who requests separate checks at restaurants to ensure they aren't paying a cent more than they owe. Those people who get angry at themselves when they spent $12 on a pizza when they could've spent $8, or put less money in their godchild's birthday card than in years past, or who think about money constantly. Those people who won't rent a locker at the Y for $5 a month, or will immediately say "no" when friends mention doing anything revolving spending a little money, or are more conscious about "running around town" in order to conserve gas.

I was never one of those people. Not that those people are bad, but I was just never one of them. I didn't watch what I spent, wore shorts in the dead of winter, went to any restaurant I wanted. I jacked the heat up to 70, bought the yogurt I liked and didn't care about separate checks. I ordered the $12 pizza when a friend was coming over, threw an extra $10 in birthday cards and thought about money when I had to. I used to rent a locker at the gym, did things with friends no matter what the cost and drove wherever and whenever I wanted.

I was never one of those people, but I'm becoming one, and it scares me a little. I have to be more frugal than before, not that I ever spent money foolishly, either. But there needs to be a happy medium so I can still live a life. We all need to come up for air, and lately I haven't been.

With that said, I still need to watch what I spend, I don't mind layering my clothes, and I can go to a restaurant even if I don't have a coupon - it's ok. The heat could go to 67 when I am home, I don't mind the $.34 yogurt, and separate checks do make things easier. I have pizza leftover for other meals, and I shouldn't feel bad about the birthday card (p.s. I did buy him an early bday gift this summer). I really don't need to rent a gym locker, I can decide what to do with friends based on cost and if it's something I want to do, and it's ok to not drive all over the place.
I can be one of those people to an extent, but I still need to be me.