As Frugality Falls, I Begin To Think DifferentTM

I am what many may classify as "cheap." I prefer "frugal", or "thrifty", but I'll let you call it what you will. I'm one who rarely spends money on going out to eat, going out for drinks, or other miscellaneous expenses. Instant gratification is something I won't let myself slide into.

None the less, this weekend, after 3 years of lusting after it more than was probably healthy, I have purchased a 60GB iPod off eBay. It is used so I got it for $170 less than retail, I guess I'll know by the end of the week if that was a good deal or not. Apple is expected to release G6 iPods April 1, but between all the long plane flights and driving I've found myself doing as of late, this seemed like the right time.

I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but for me dropping that kind of cash to listen to a few songs was far from easy. It is such a frivolous expense, a luxury item. I don't think of myself as much of a luxury item kind of person. It always seemed to me like the "extra" money spent on those items could go to better, smarter uses. Maybe I'm learning that quality of life needs to be balanced into all of this, or maybe I just got materialistic.

In general, I think I'm slowly becoming less frugal. Maybe that isn't the right way to phrase it, I'd say I'm becoming more practical. I'm still as frugal as ever, but am realizing some things are worth spending money on. Plane tickets to NYC would be a perfect example, as would my cell phone (I'm sure many of you remember when I was too cheap for a cell). All in all, I think I'm starting to become more balanced. Maybe this purchase isn't part of that balance, but it got me thinking more about how I handle my money.