Living Almost Large (LAL) is a personal finance website and blog which documents one young woman’s journey to financial freedom. LAL is written by a young woman who prefers to remain anonymous. For this reason I will be referring to her simply as LAL.

LAL, please tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m a married, 29 year old graduate student in the sciences. I was born and raised in Hawaii, lived most of my adult life in California, and in the past 3 years relocated to the East Coast. I have been married for 3 years and lived with my DH [dear husband] for 5 years prior. We have joint finances and goals. We have no children at this time although we hope to have children one day soon. I desire to be financially free one day.

Why did you start Living Almost Large?

I have no one to talk to about finances. Finance in our society is something that is kept private and in the closet. We are ashamed of discussing our personal finances so I thought I’d start journaling/blogging our journey to financial freedom.

What does it mean to you to “live large?”

Living large is my idea of financial freedom. It is being able to quit my job if I hate it. It is being able to buy what I want without worrying about breaking my budget. It is having enough money to live as I desire and not worry about finances. Growing up I was very poor then my mom married and we got to “live large”. I aspire to be living well without worrying.

You talk a lot about frugality and host a ‘Festival of Frugality.’ Can you give us some tips?

I’ve hosted a bunch of different carnivals, most recently the Festival of Frugality. Frugality is clipping coupons for items you use. It’s not frugal to clip coupons and buy items you wouldn’t buy anyway. It’s not a deal if you don’t need it. Frugality is realizing that sometimes a cheaper item is not as valuable as a more expensive purchase because it wears out too quickly. Frugality is getting the best deal on something you really want. It’s not living on the cheap forever, nor is it buying the cheapest items out there.

My DH loves soda. I stockpile when I see it on sale at $2 for a 12 pack of coke. It’s a luxury to drink soda but it’s frugal to buy it when it’s cheap. I just bought expensive sneakers but I wear them daily so comfort, not cost, is important.

I like how you said “it’s not a deal if you don’t need it.” I think we all have a story about buying something we don’t need because it’s on sale! LAL, what is a day like “in your heels?”

I live a super casual life. I start my day by working out in the morning, walking my dogs and then catching public transit or biking to work. I typically brown bag my lunch and come home after working 7-8 hours. I then walk my dogs again, cook dinner, and leave a tv on in the background while working on my blog. I also manage our finances, plan shopping trips, or clean my house. Then I walk my dogs and go to bed.

Where would you like to be 5 years from now?

I’d like to have 2 children and be a mom. I’d like to work from home and I am currently working towards that goal. I plan on living on the West Coast in the next 5 years because I would love a warmer climate and be closer to family.

Going back to finance, if we have flexible incomes rather than a fixed income, how do you recommend we budget?

I talked about how to deal with budgeting a flexible income recently. You can read the article here: http://www.livingalmostlarge.com/2008/09/14/budgeting-a-flexible-income/

Do you have a role model?

My mom. Sounds corny right? But I think that being a single parent had a huge effect on my financial habits. I grew up with the mantra, “don’t spend more than you make.” Credit cards should not be used if you can’t afford to pay it off in full. Being a single parent, my mom was very careful with her finances. She kept a steady income and was able to retire at 55 with 2 homes, 100% debt free. I can’t think of a better role model for frugal living and living large.

What advice would you like to give to other young businesswomen?

Be careful about the work/life balance. Whether single or married, the most important thing is finding a balance. While it’s important to work hard, it’s also important to not miss out on life. Life happens while you’re working.

Well said. I have one more question for you. What are you favorite pair of heels (or shoes)?

Right now my favorite pair of shoes is from Naturalizer.

Thank you so much LAL. It has been a pleasure talking to you about living large!

Living Almost Large can be read at www.LivingAlmostLarge.com.