Some things matter more than your budget...

Yesterday I was taking a shower after a particularly long day at work. I was finally relaxing after having successfully moved into my first one-bedroom apartment and outfitted it on a tight budget.

As I washed my hair, the smell of store brand shampoo made me feel very adult. I had made sacrifices and was living on my own. Sure, I was developing a new extreme of frugal, but I was also making it on my own.

Ending my shower I stepped out to find that I was standing in a few centimeters of stagnant water. My good feelings quickly dissipated when I realized that a shower curtain may not have been a frivolous purchase. I made this realization over and over again as I attempted to mop up my floor and stop water damage to my outside carpet.

What lesson can be garnered from my aquatic fiasco? Well, other than understanding the deep necessity of shower curtains, I also learned that being mature is not solely determined on how frugally you can live or the scarifies you make. It is based on your ability to balance things you need and want with what you have. Paying your own bills doesn't mean you have to go monastic, it just means you have to be more conscious when you hand over your Visa.

How am I putting my lesson to use? I'm buying myself a well-deserved pint of ice cream after a very long week at work. It works out in my budget as $4= mental health.