There is a reason that the flight attendants always instruct you to put your own oxygen mask on first before assisting other passengers. If you don't take care of yourself, you are going to be in no position to take care of others. The same is true when it comes to your financial situation. Sometimes you have to put yourself first in order to build a stable financial base. I've recently come across two different financial approaches that emphasize this selfish aspect that I thought were worth passing on.
But first, a call for a guest host: Next week this diary will be part of a weeklong series of diaries on environmental topics. If somebody out there would like to take over and write on being both frugal and environmentally conscious, I'd love to pass off the torch. Email me: frugalfridays (at) gmail.com if you are interested in tackling this topic.