Previous Interviews:
Val from Life of a Valley Girl
Meg from All about Appearances and The Bargain Queen
Elizabeth the Conqueror
Rae from TheNotice
Lady N from NY Flair
Amy from Ramblings from the House on a Corner
Mrs. Micah (MM) from Mrs. Micah: Finance for a Freelance life
Note: A week ago, she celebrated her 6-month blogaversary! CONGRATS!!!
Pick 4 dishes you could eat for the rest of your life
Paella
Pancakes with butter
Cinnamon toast (every morning!)
Grilled cheese with tomato soup.
Yum!
Why is budgeting and saving so important to you?
I feel like it gives me control over my life. It’s fun and creative in a good way. Plus, as the type of person to get depressed and to worry over things, having budgets and stuff helps me stress less. I can say “Well if we spend within the budget this month, we’ll be ok.”
Or “Well we have an emergency fund.”
What are the top 3 tips you’d give to those starting to learn about personal finance?
– Give budgeting a try.
– Don’t think of it as a budget, think of it as a spending plan. It’s the way that you’re choosing to handle all the money you get this month. And you can put chocolate in the plan if you like. I do!
– Read pf blogs and start your own. It’s a supportive community and you can learn so much. Plus, unlike books, you can see how people are living these things out.
How did you get into personal finance in the first place?
My parents always tried to teach me to be responsible with money, but I don’t think they’re the reason I got this into it. I think it started with a PF class in college. Easy A, practical class, so I took it. Did very very well. Then I ran across PF blogs right after I married Micah (and took on the debt load with him) and had to start my own.
If you don’t mind, how much debt DO you have? And what’s your plan
for clearing it?
A bit over $110,000 US. Since most is Micah’s student loans, which are all deferred (no interest yet), we’re focusing on paying off the car. Our goal is to earn a lot, spend a little, pay down debt with a lot, and save/invest the rest.
Name your 3 best buys/investments and why do you consider them so?
My winter coat. It was about $80, relatively stylish (fits my curvy figure nicely) classically black. It’s quite warm and I think it’ll last for a number of years. The per-wear price is hopefully going to end up at something less than a penny.
My lunchbox. It’s one of those fabric, slightly-insulated ones.
Didn’t cost much and I more than made it up by being able to bring leftovers
as lunches to store in the fridge at work and heat in the microwave all last fall. It kept them cold on the commute. I also sometimes use it with the library, but I’ve mostly been able to schedule my work around lunch so I don’t need it as much.
My wrist braces. They’re to stave off carpal tunnel, which I’m as much at risk for at the library as I am on the computer. Working with books all day can really twist up and wear down your wrists. Only $15 for the pair, they’re adjustable and really handy.
What’s the ONE gadget or piece of technolog you cannot live without?
Laptop. I really like being able to work with it in various parts of the apartment. I do so much work on the computer, that I wouldn’t want to be stuck in one place.
It’s not a very sexy laptop, but it’s a good little computer.
You have $1000 to spend. Where would you go and what would you look for? No saving 
!!
I’d spend part of it on a Serger and the rest on fabric.
With the fabric, I’d get some fun and shiny stuff, some plain colors in cotton and some pretty cotton prints and batiks. The last two would be for quilting and the first for playing around.
What’s on your “Must-Buy” list right now?
More server space. Not very sexy, but I think of it as kind of buying my blog.
What’s behind your blog name? Is it a pseudonym?
Well Micah’s real name is Micah. And I started the blog one month to the day after our wedding. I was very much in honeymoon mode.
Plus it’s his debt, so it just seemed appropriate. 
What are your top 3 books that you just absolutely recommend to EVERYONE to read?
Feeling Good by David Burns. It’s the key to cognitive behavioral therapy and I think it’s useful even for people who aren’t depressed.
You Don’t Have to Be Rich by Jean Chatzky. Her two main points are a) by managing your money well, you may actually have more cash at your disposal than a less well-organized person who earns more and b) money doesn’t automatically lead to happiness, you have to have the right mindset first.
Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover. You don’t have to do what he says, but reading it is really worthwhile. It’s important food for thought.
What are your top 5 tips on how to be frugal?
– Look for used before new—but don’t just buy because something cheaper used if you wouldn’t have paid full price new.
– Pause before checking out and ask “Do I really want this? Am I willing to take care of it and maintain it? Will I actually use it beyond these first few times? That kind of value per use am I getting?” You don’t have to ask all the questions, but just opening yourself up to these kinds of thoughts can help keep you from making unnecessary purchases.
– Optimize your wardrobe. That way you don’t find yourself buying extra shirts just so you have something to wear with that nice new pair of slacks that only matches one top. If you want a new set of slacks and tops and budget for it, that’s fine. But if you buy outside your wardrobe without planning, it can lead to more spending to make the purchase “worthwhile.”
– Don’t go to a store if you don’t plan to buy anything.
– Remember when Becky from Shopaholic tried to make a curry? It was supposed to be frugal, but she had to buy all kinds of new stuff and didn’t know how to cook. Frugal for someone else may not be frugal for you.
src=”http://tinyurl.com/ysr2y9″/>
- FB: June Goals
- Bit late out of the gate… but here’s my Budget Roundup
- Why I started Blogging
- Short Update + Favourite Posts
- Financial Snapshot: Two Young Lawyers
Mrs. Micah
on Feb 15th, 2008
@ 5:39 PM:
I love the pics! The food looks particularly yummy.
Thanks so much for interviewing me!
Fabulously Broke
on Feb 15th, 2008
@ 6:47 PM:
Thanks for bein’ a sport!
c12h22o11
on Feb 16th, 2008
@ 12:03 AM:
I love that lunchbox!!! Where did you get the picture?
Fabulously Broke
on Feb 16th, 2008
@ 10:36 AM:
c12h22011: no idea
I googled it!
Ms. M&P
on Feb 16th, 2008
@ 3:06 PM:
This is a great read! It’s nice to find out more about a blogger I read every day–and read it ON a blog I read every day
Fabulously Broke
on Feb 17th, 2008
@ 9:02 AM:
Ms. M&P: Nice.
LOL!!!!