Orgasmic. That’s the greatest word to describe my non-sexual, unhealthy obsession with saving money. For years, I saved 50 cents out of every dollar I earned. Now that I’m married and need my husband’s approval on finances, I’ve compromised down to 25 cents.

I am the type of person who picks up every penny I find on the ground. I cut my own hair for free. I use canvas bags at the grocery store to save 5 cents. When my phone company surprised me by lowering my bill to $19.00, I screamed like a little girl at the top of my lungs.

My best money saving idea was in 2013. I worked at a massage parlor making $3.00/hour. The MTA (which stands for Might Take Awhile) increased the monthly MetroCard fare again. I couldn’t afford to ride the subway to work, so I bought a foldable adult kick scooter. Every day, I kicked myself to work and back. I hit the jackpot with this one. Not only did I save money, I never dealt with morning train delays again.

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In 2014, Movoto ranked Lubbock as the absolute most boring city in America. Although Lubbock is a small city, it doesn’t have the hustle and bustle energy. There’s not much to do besides eating, drinking, and going to church. Everything closes at 9:00 p.m. and during the summer and winter when college students are away, it’s a ghost town.

Things are getting better. Last month, an ice skating rink opened. Later this year, Adventure Park and Lubbock Aquarium are opening. But what is there to do right now? Locals say there’s a lot to do in Lubbock and then proceed to tell me about the Palo Duro Canyon that’s two hours away. When it’s that far, it’s not even Lubbock anymore.

I’ve lived here for 8 months and decided to explore surrounding areas in Texas and New Mexico. Working 7 days a week caused me to lose my creativity, inspiration, and connection to God. I needed stimulation.

The problem was Handrio and I are saving $3,000.00 to move to Boston. The last time we went on a road trip to Dallas, we got over excited, overspent and got an overdraft. A fun trip turned out anxiety provoking since we couldn’t afford it. I felt scared that would happen again.

It didn’t happen this time though because I planned every possible expense. The destination was White Sands National Monument and Roswell, NM. I budgeted for 3 people at $95.00 per person and I was off by only a few cents. How did we do it?

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