Feb 15, 2008

Follow-up to my interview with Meredith

I've unfortunately been too busy to listen to the entire podcast of my interview with Meredith of Like Merchant Ships and expand on what Meredith and I talked about, and I know there were many things I wanted to add! But rather than make you wait, I'll offer some thoughts now from memory, and later I'll give you some of the finer points that have escaped me for the moment.

On balancing work & family
This is the hardest part of my life, and I'm actually quite lucky in that I have a well-paying job that still gives me a pretty decent quality of life. In fact, I probably have the best quality of life of any attorney I know, although I've limited my opportunities for career advancement in exchange. I do think it's important to not try to have it all. Five years ago, I wouldn't have been able to imagine that I wouldn't care that much about my career. The turning point for me came when I had two miscarriages and put having a child ahead of work. I realized that I didn't miss the importance of work and have been happy about my priorities ever since.

On grocery shopping & budgeting
I mentioned in the interview that I shop off a list at the market but that I could save more money if I considered what I have on hand before making my weekly menu. Part of the reason I shop the way I do is that we are frugal but money isn't particularly tight, i.e., I don't have to watch every penny. If I did, I would plan out my shopping in much greater detail. Instead, I budget primarily to meet a savings goal. However, I did learn in January that I can probably increase my monthly savings amount by controlling my impulse spending.

On being a part of an online community
We only briefly touched on the subject of the support we get from our online friends, but I think it's safe to say that both Meredith and I really enjoy being a part of an online community. Personally, I can't say enough about how much I've learned from my readers and other bloggers, and how much I enjoy sharing my own knowledge in return. And especially because I blog about money, which is a sensitive topic for most people, I have greatly enjoyed forming online friendships with people who share similar values. I think it's one of the very best things about blogging!

2 comments:

Anshu said...

I totally identify with you when you say that we shouldn't be trying to have it all. In the begining of my married life I tried to be a perfect wife and Daughter in law, and found that I was not paying enough attention to my career. Now I have learnt to balance, I work well at office and then I do household chores and then I save some time for my hobbies and with my husband. So now I am happy and everyone else is happy too.

Chief Family Officer said...

@Learning the Ropes - It sounds like you've found a nice balance for yourself. I feel more like a pendulum sometimes!