Obviously, many activities fit into two or more categories (craft night with friends, ballroom dancing, etc.)

These days, I’m most lacking in the career-related and social sectors; I have to really focus on prioritizing at work to get the most important things done well and keep my stress low, and I’m saying yes to more social invitations.

As far as financial priorities, I re-evaluate those every time my salary changes plus whenever I notice that one of my savings categories has gone negative for too long, that something is really starting to bug me (like lawn care), or that I really don’t need so much for a category anymore (my big-spending category for electronics and vacations) in comparison to other ares.

In addition, I have these:
* next car – as many other people have mentioned, you can put your old car payments in this fund once you’ve paid off your cars. I took out a loan on my first car and have paid cash for the other three.
* big stuff – this is usually vacations, electronics and, before I had enough, furniture. Only things that are too expensive to cover in my monthly spending go here–so plane tickets will be here, but not food I buy in the grocery store while on vacation.

I have a new temporary one for renovations – now that my house is paid off, I want to get a dishwasher. And covered parking (we get hail, and intense sunshine). And a separate laundry room with both washer and dryer connections instead of just a washer in my kitchen.

I’m thinking of another one for gardening–hiring someone to landscape my yard with low-maintenance native plants. It turns out I despise yard work and never spend time in my yard. (I still like having a house instead of an apartment, though, because I can make noise at all hours.)

You asked what was missing- I think “continuing education/self improvement” is missing. Even as adults it’s important to grow and learn, expanding our horizons. It might be a hobby, or a course for personal/professional development, or even a class at the craft or home improvement store.

Maybe you want to learn how to swim, or take a creative writing class, or take a photography course from the local college.

These shouldn’t be ‘splurges’ (within reason) and personal development should be accounted for in the budget.

What do you think you will spend money on in the next year? What about the next five years? You may not know what repairs are coming, but you know there will be repairs.

Who cares what we think about your showerhead? You were perfectly happy before when it was broken. You’ll be perfectly happy once it’s fixed. What’s the difference?

And now you’re asking us to critique the most basic goals you’ve established for your life? Dude, *why*? We don’t have the same values as you do. Everyone is different. Why change your life by what random strangers say?

To put it in other words: It doesn’t take being a master chef to realize that someone burned your dinner (and to know exactly how NOT do that in the future).

I rearranged my living room/dining room area into a more functional space and it has made a world of difference. While I did buy a $30 mirror (my walls are pretty bare), the overall effect didn’t cost me anything otherwise.

I would, except I bought a fixer-upper and all my car payment savings go to the house. Now that my car is 5 years old now, I’m feeling that I need to bite the bullet and start saving for a new one in a few years. I’ve had 2 years loan free, but that won’t last forever and if I don’t start saving soon I’ll be in a car loan again in 5 years (or less).

The reasons I have loved my homes (whether apartment, dorm, or now our first house) were not because I had expensive furniture or artwork or granite countertops, hardwood floors. I think putting a little time and effort into making a home you love are things like putting your personal touch on it (not necessarily expensive, but putting up a coat of paint, finding a new spot for an old pillow, organizing your bathroom). I think it’s important to have a safe haven that you feel comfortable in and that it’s truly yours.

And I also think the PROCESS of making your house a home is very rewarding, again, picking just the perfect color for the wall, the perfect spot where the sun shines in all day for your cat’s bed, finally figuring out how to fit your coffee-maker in the almost-too-small cupboard. Caring for your home, too, like mopping, getting years of gunk out from the light switch, tightening a loose screw, are all little things to do to have a home you love and have put time and effort into.

Maybe I’m a simple person, but I find great joy in my house and the process of turning it into a home.

So it makes sense to sit down and think explicitly about those priorities and values (and if they’ve changed over time) and whether or not spending matches those lists. It’s one of the exercises David Bach recommends in his “Smart X Finish Rich” series. http://nicoleandmaggie.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/how-do-your-values-guide-your-financial-goals/

And, while I’m at it, do financial bloggers have to be perfect? http://nicoleandmaggie.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/is-it-ok-for-personal-finance-bloggers-to-be-balanced/

As far as the critics go, it’s easy to be a critic on the internet. Yes, it was lazy to let the shower go that long. However, everyone does something silly like that. There’s no need for people to be Internet Tough Guys about it.

I’ve been intently reading about PF for the past year, and the one bit that speaks to me the most is that we all have our own priorities and values, and that we should spend our money accordingly. I love yoga, so I pay $80/month for unlimited classes. I don’t play video games or get my nails done, so I don’t spend money on those. When you spend in line with your values, everything else falls into place (something I have to remind myself often).

They aren’t rich, but when I see the security and lifestyle they have now, it’s certainly good motivation.

I must admit I have the same reaction though when married friends try to give me dating advice. (Really? You met your husband in high school, go away!) But I realized I was taking the easy way out by dismissing them instead of listening to something I didn’t want to hear. Sometimes the advice was bogus, but sometimes there were good ideas I might otherwise have overlooked.