You might have thought that the Syriza victory in Greece would have given Labour a bit of a lift.  After all, here was electoral proof that anti-austerity campaigning worked.  In one of the hardest hit countries of them all too.  Instead, it provoked a debate about Labour's political caution that then lapped over into their heartland topic of the NHS.

The Guardian's Zoe Williams used the syriza victory to ask why Labour wasn't taking a leaf out of their Greek counterparts' playbook and pursuing a more radical line in "standing up to the moneymen".  Must have been music to Ed Miliband's ears.  Or not, perhaps, for as the New Statesman's Anoosh Chakeelian noted, Mr. Miliband was slow and cautious in his own response to the triumph of the Greek left.

Then the NHS reared its head.  Labour have been playing this as a key election winner for them for ages.  Alas, when shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham appeared on Newsnight on Tuesday, it was  to give a disastrous and bad-tempered interview which saw him cornered by Kirsty Wark over the issue of just how much private provision might be acceptable in a Labour run NHS.  This caused the Telegraph's commentator on all things Labour, Dan Hodges, to predict a Cameron victory in May, not least because of Labour's inability to come up with a decent and consistent narrative on the NHS.

And the battle just keeps on raging.  After Alan Milburn attacked the Labour strategy on the NHS, the fight was joined by Roy Hattersely, defending Miliband against Milburn.  Even the Labour's most admired 'lost leader', Alan Johnson, is rumoured to be muttering about the party's dark mood.  Anyway, for a bit of light relief, here's that Burnham interview again, just in case you'd forgotten the clear, lucid and calm defence he offers which is clearly going to see the Tories into the electoral ditch.

Stephen Fry is an eloquent, sometimes amusing, and entertaining man.  He undoubtedly has a brain which can move effortlessly amongst a range of topics, but he's neither philosopher nor theologian.  I'm not sure he's ever claimed to be, in fairness.  So his emotional response to a question on an Irish television show about what he would say to God was just that - an emotional response from an atheist who hates the whole construct of God.  It was nothing new, nothing deep and nothing surprising, and it was said for the most part in a remarkably good-humoured fashion.

So what on earth do we make of the vast army of Fry acolytes who have taken to twitter and online media to proclaim his "outburst" the most eloquent thing ever!  The Huffington Post headlined their report "Atheist Stephen Fry Delivers Incredible Answer....", and that was mild compared to some of the facebook comments which proclaimed Fry the most brilliant responder ever to such a question.  Alas, poor lemmings.  Fry offers anger - in a similar vein to that which has been served up many times before - but no thought.  To hear his supporters you'd think he had single-handedly revealed to us the "Problem of Evil".  So bad luck Thomas Aquinas, Epicurus, Augustine of Hippo, Kant, Hume, C.S.Lewis and countless other Christian and non-Christian writers and thinkers alike who have sought to grapple with the problem.

That the problem of evil remains at the heart of much our spiritual thinking is tortuously apparent, but must we really contend with the problem of over-weaning celebrity elevation too?  As for attempts to respond to the God hatred that Fry espoused, I found this piece by Christian philosopher Peter Kreeft to be a clear one.
And this tweet from blogger Archbishop Cranmer be an appropriate one:

Why should we care any more for @StephenFry's grasp of moral theodicy than @JustinWelby's mastery of Stanislavksi? http://t.co/9LO2XF66oq
— Archbishop Cranmer (@His_Grace) January 31, 2015

They are far from having the next election in the bag, even with Ed Milliband as Labour leader, but that isn't stopping senior Tories spending more time on their possible leadership beauty contest.  Someone should remind them that leadership is a lot more satisfying in government, and they might like to keep half an eye on staying there.

It looks as if one over-exposed potential candidate - Boris of course - and one already over-exposed Cabinet minister - Sajid Javid - are both jostling for the all-important Euro-sceptic vote.  Javid's back story has already made him the darling of  Conservative MPs and the right-wing commentariat, and he's been beefing it up with reminders that he's basically a good Thatcherite ever since he hit the headlines. His 'House' magazine interview also ensures we all know - as if we hadn't already figured it out - that yes, he's a euro-sceptic too.  Boris is consistently all over the place, but he never intentionally misses a populist opportunity, and so has been telling 'Time' magazine that a British exit from Europe would be very manageable indeed - Guido gives the relevant quote here.

The pity about Javid is that he combines an interesting back story with pretty well the whole panoply of right-wing opinions that appeal so much to hard-core Tory members and the Conservative columnists, but so consistently fail to do much to elect Tory governments.  Since John Major, over the course of four Tory leaders, the only one to have been elected - and then on a minority basis - has been David Cameron, also the only one not to have embraced rightist notions in his pre-election period.  The other three, determined euro-sceptics and neo-Thatcherites all, got nowhere near (and one didn't make it to the election).

David Cameron remains far more popular than his party, but while his party is still pretty toxic with the voters, he is pretty toxic with Conservative MPs.  You do sometimes wonder whether Tory MPs and their cheerleaders are existing in some Kafka-esque universe where they will only be happy if they elect the most right-wing of leaders, only to watch him (or her) fail, so that they can begin the "actually he wasn't right-wing enough" post-mortem.   The Tory Party used to be focused on unity behind a leader, and pragmatic centrism towards the electorate.  The defenestration of Margaret Thatcher saw the abandonment of both, and they've never won a majority since.

There are times when I box "human rights" into a little, separate compartment of my overall fascination with global politics, seeing it as the well-meaning pursuit of a handful of liberals who are banging their noble heads against the brick wall of political realism.  Yes, it would be nice if everyone's rights were respected, but no they can hardly be expected to get in the way of the often unpleasant and dirty business of keeping afloat in the mucky world of international relations.  If I keep failing to make the link between an increasingly volatile, war-strewn world and a general western disinterest in human rights, then yes, go ahead and condemn my superficiality and short-sightedness.  But then reflect on the unhappy fact that it is shared - sometimes cynically so - by most of the western public and its duly elected leaders.

This keynote post by Human Rights Watch director Ken Roth on their World Report 2015 has been a real wake-up call, not least because he has so persuasively rooted the continuing abuse of human rights in the unfolding political tragedies around the world.  And its persuasive because, really, we know that the tragic equation he is articulating is right.  It isn't just blind fundamentalism which is driving ISIS's many followers - look at the world they are escaping from and fighting against.  People do usually act from rational motives, and what can be more rational than the desire to fight for your rights and your well-being against oppressive, murderous states.  Does it really surprise us that ISIS's principal theatre of operations, and success, is in two countries whose regimes have relentlessly and brutally suppressed the rights of their minorities?  That Boko Haram might just be a response to the corruption and abuses of the Nigerian government?  That maybe the pro-Russian fighters in eastern Ukraine have legitimate grievances against abuses from the pro-western militias? 

Roth's article is a must-read for a better, more nuanced, and morally based understanding of world affairs.  And then, when you've done with that - and it's a long, wide-ranging read - have a look at another piece by an HRW operator, this time on the forgotten war that Russia is waging in Dagestan. 

Human rights becomes more than a decent liberal pursuit; it becomes a crucial prism through which to understand the turbulent 21st century world. 

One of my favourite blogs has been Andrew Sullivan's "Daily Dish".  It's been running for years, mainly under the auspices of the different publications that Andrew Sullivan has written for - the Atlantic, the Daily Beast - and whichever publication has sponsored it it has always maintained a very individual approach.  And it was exhaustive.  Sullivan updated his thing many times a day; it was pretty exhausting keeping up if you wanted to be a regular reader, but he so often unearthed good stuff elsewhere on the web, or provided his own eloquent arguments and counter-arguments that he was a must-read, whether several times daily, daily, weekly, occasionally - never less than fascinating.

One of the early political bloggers to make a splash, he's finishing up now.  He's been running the Dish as an independent company for the past two years, and while the revenue's been healthy his "note to my readers" talks about the exhausting nature of blogging several times a day, responding, reading, staying abreast of everything......  Reading some of the professional blogger responses to his news,  they join with him in noting how all-consuming their immersion in the digital world has been. 

Is this important?  Well, if you read and rely on Sullivan's Dish then clearly yes.  If you've never come across it, obviously no.  But it has this.  Sullivan was an early pioneer of a digital conversation that grew to include huge numbers of people, who would never have been able to raise their voices in a public forum before and which in a way prefigured the enormous twittersphere and the advance of citizen media.  Sullivan was a journalist and professional writer, but his blog was produced in such a way as to give voice to many diverse readers who were not.  It also directed readers to a host of other articles and posts elsewhere on a rapidly expanding web.  Most of all it was a clear, distinctive voice in the national, and international conversation.

There was a point at which thousands of blogs were being set up daily, many unread except by their authors, many fading quickly into dis-use, because actually blogging requires discipline and commitment.  Many of us who blog do so largely for ourselves, pleased if we garner a handful of readers every so often, but adding more to the noise of the internet ether than to its elucidation and, whilst parading our of course centrally important viewpoints we are probably not extending them very far.  Sullivan's blog added to the noise, certainly, but it became a huge noise that drew people towards it and provoked myriad responses.  That was what blogging could be at its finest, a world which one commentator on the Dish's imminent demise (Buzzfeed editor Ben Smith as it happens) suggests is fast disappearing as new media alters and changes.

But as Sullivan, and several of his responders, notes, the digital life started to take over.  Ridiculously so.  And he has decided to head back into a real world of contemplative reading, responses that don't have to be instant, writing at length and over time, and relating to his human friends again.  In person.  Face to face sort of thing.

I've enjoyed Sullivan's blogging, really appreciated his brilliant and passionate advocacy of Obama's politics and presidency, enjoyed the many views from people's windows that he's published; but I'm looking forward to reading his next stuff, honed over time, and as I read his 'last post' I'm aware of just what a minnow an erratic and small-scale blog like this is (which is sort of humbling), but also how I could never have gone for it in the way he has.  But I'm glad he did.

View image | gettyimages.com

It looks as if the Greek left party Syriza is heading for a big win in today's General Election, even if it is not yet clear whether the party headed by putative Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras cna yet gain a majority.  What is clear is that Greek voters have decided to see if they can bluff the EU into easing up on their austerity conditions for the huge bail-out received in the wake of their economic crisis.

Greece's economic crisis was deeper than most other western countries because Greece's feather-bedding of its public servants was so much more generous.  Greek voters, it seems, have had enough of their dalliance with austerity, although in giving their support to Syriza it's difficult to see what they think the party is now going to be able to offer.  Greece remains in hoc to EU bail-out funds, backed by a Germany which is less bothered by the prospect of Greece leaving the eurozone than she once was.

Greek voters have sent a message that says they don't like tough economic measures and want an easier life.  It's hardly a revolutionary stance for an electorate, but it might end up leading to a revolutionary event - the Greek departure from the euro.  Then the lessons really do begin, for if such a departure sees Greece actually benefitting (Abbie Martin posits this possibility in a level-headed analysis of the Greek election result on the Spectator blog here) it could well encourage other resurgent left-wing parties in Europe, also indulging in anti-austerity populism, to believe they can achieve victory and hang the cost to Europe.

It's not often in modern times that election results in Greece are so eagerly pored over, but the consequences of Syriza's victory could be profound, and the European project significantly changed.

Is Ofsted trying to wage a campaign against Christian schools, perhaps seeing them as distant cousins to the Islamic schools that have been causing controversy?  It certainly seems like it, if the decisions in the north-east are anything to go by.  One Christian free school has already had to close, while another - Grindon Hall - has been placed in special measures.  I know a little about Grindon Hall, having met teachers and pupils from there and hearing very positive reports from other friends who have visited the school.  It was doing well enough for parents to pay for their children to go there when it was independent, and not unreasonably the head took the opportunity of the free schools programme to offer his clearly popular education brand to a wider range of parents, free of charge.  Enter Ofsted.  With the new "British values" criteria grasped firmly in hand, they have graded the school inadequate, despite its apparent success in public exams.  The key thing about Grindon Hall, of course, is that it is a Christian school, promoting Christian values.

The Spectator's Damian Thompson is in no doubt that the Ofsted campaign can happen because Michael Gove was replaced by Nicky Morgan (author of the "British values" document), but you don't have to be a fully paid up Gove-ite (I'm not) to believe that there is something rather strange about a good-performing Christian school being placed in special measures because it does not adhere to "British" values.

Wow - this week has flown by! I love short weeks because I still have the same amount of work to get done but less days to do it in, so the days go by very quickly. I have also been dog sitting, so I have been getting up even earlier in order to take the dog out before work. This makes for long days, but at the same time they seem to be very short. 

Current Book - I am all over the show lately with books. I am currently reading The Tipping Point on my Kindle and The Virgin's Lover in hardback and I have 2 other actual books checked out from the library and 4 e-books! I am on a roll this month though and have already read three books. Let's see if we can keep this train moving! 

Current Running Path - New Years Day run: Mt. Tam summit #1. Last year a local ran to the summit 100 times. It's about 2,500 ft high. Last year I ran to the summit once. Maybe this year we will make it twice!

Current Drink - Strawberry smoothie with coconut water and yogurt 

Current Excitement - I am in travel planning frenzy and am currently booking up all of my summer weekends...   

Current fashion trend - Ultra runners and their beards. Did you know there is a twitter page for ultra runner Rob Krar's beard? Beard is the new mustache. What's next, I wonder?  

Current Favorite Blog/Website - I have been digging Google Calendars lately. I have always used it, but I just set up a shared family page and even have my parents using it. It's fun and handy! 

Current Garden Item - dirt

Current Love - My magic bullet! I have been making smoothies and sauces and it's so fun and easy.

Current Food - My go to food has either been salads or baked potatoes lately. I am feeling a bit lazy in the cooking department these days. I blame the dark of winter.

Current Indulgence - Cookies. I am still riding the holiday snack train and I can't get off. 

Currently Pondering - What is going to happen to the Euro? Is anyone keeping up with the news regarding this? 

Current Mood - Tired. Too many things I want to do and not enough time for sleep.

Current New Find - A new running detour, which takes me to this view:

 

Current Peeve - People who don't pick up their dog poo. I ran in the dusk/dark tonight and almost stepped in a huge pile on the SIDEWALK. Yuck. This also reminds me of my peeve regarding lazy people. Grrr.  
 
Current Song - I have always liked this band, and this song is catchy!




Current Triumph - I broke down and bought a nice down jacket (the Ghost Whisperer) with some of my Christmas money. Why is this a triumph? Well, I got it at about half price and I have been wanting one for a long time but I have been biding my time... I am excited to try it out! 
 
Current TV Show -  I watched Orange Is The New Black and enjoyed it (and am waiting for the next season to be released on Netflix). I also started watching Breaking Bad (finally) and am about half way through the second season. So far so good.

Current Wish-List - There are a lot of things I wish for! I would love to have Scotty beam me somewhere from time to time... but realistically, I am still looking for that perfect sleeping bag that is lightweight and keeps me warm and doesn't cost TOO much (almost impossible). This is the one I am considering, but it is kind of expensive, especially since I would prefer the 20 degree option.

Currently Delaying - This sounds really gross, but the dog I am sitting had a tick and I had to remove it and it was nasty. Yesterday I found another one and today I am hesitant to check her again because I don't want to have to do any more tick removal. It's gross!

What are you delaying? What is your current triumph? What are you reading?

I work with 7 guys. It's a bit like this:

Except there are not any deer.

We work in a small office with a long double-sided shared desk, which means I have someone on my left, right and center by about 1 - 2 feet. We can hear everything that the other people are saying. In addition to that, we have the TV on all day on CNBC or Bloomberg, plus we have a thing called the Hoot, which is basically like a CB channel where traders and other people can broadcast things and communicate with each other. It gets a bit loud sometimes.

Men, as you may know, are very simple. They basically talk about three things: money, women and food. When they get mad at each other, they lay it all out there. Fortunately, although I am generally pretty passive aggressive, this situation works for me. You just say what you mean and if someone has a problem with it, they say so, and then you get over it. It's much more efficient that the way that women do it.

However, it is funny how although men are not as bad at back stabbing or talking behind other people's backs, they do it from time to time. That is part of the problem of working so closely together every day. You really have to get along pretty well and carry your own weight, or it affects the entire group. There is one guy who is not quite there, as in he does things halfway and does not pull his own weight, and it really changes the feeling in the room.

I hear a lot of things in that room. I hear the F word at least a dozen times a day (and the S word? too many times to count). I hear the guys talk about their dates, how hot the new newscaster is on CNBC, or how their wife leaves the peanut butter knife out on the counter. They joke around with each other if one of them wears a pink tie or gets a new haircut. They talk about bathroom functions. I hear and know everything about them. And they are like family to me. You know how your brothers always annoyed you but you loved them just the same? That's how it is with these guys. They are my seven annoying, funny, lovable dwarfs. And I am Snow White.

What is your work setting like? Do you work in close quarters with the people you work with? Do you get along with everyone?

Well, this about wraps up the "Best of" series, but I have saved the best for last! This year I sure did not get to travel as much as I have in past years, but I did make a point to go and visit a few friends, as well as getting a couple of "vacation" days in! Aside from that, I took many day trips / road trips to closer places like Sonoma county, Tahoe, and the Sierra Nevadas. As I mentioned in my finance wrap up post, travel overall is one of my bigger expenses, and it is not by accident!

Charlotte, NC: In February, I went to visit Lisa in Charlotte, and we had a great time eating our way through Asheville, as well as doing a bit of hiking and a lot of visiting!

Asheville, NC

Sisters, Oregon: A trip that has become a tradition, my yearly visit to Sisters was, as always, full of good runs, fresh air and lots and lots of visiting time with a good friend. In addition, she had just had her newest baby, and it was really good to spend some time with both kids! If you are ever in Sisters, be sure to stop at the Sisters Bakery; they have the biggest apple fritters you have ever seen and they are delicious! 

View from the PCT

New York City: I always love visiting New York and this time was no different! My dad was working there and I took the opportunity to visit him and my mom while the weather was good. We had a great time wandering around, sometimes running, and definitely eating a lot! 

Manhattan Bridge

Mayrhofen, Austria (and surrounds): In September, I spent about 12 days in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Everywhere I went was great, but one of my favorite things was a 5 day Alps hiking trip on the Berlin High Trail near Mayrhofen. Each day I would hike all day and then settle down at one of the huts for some food, maybe a song or two (the Tyroleans like their music!) and a game of cards. It was beautiful and I would go back there in a heartbeat (maybe in winter for some skiing).

Berlin High Trail

Some other highlights included going to Phoenix to pace a friend for the Javelina Jundred, to Boston for Easter with friends and to run the marathon, to Mt. Whitney for a nice three day weekend hike, to the Grand Canyon & Vegas on a road trip, to the Redwoods for a camping trip, to Reno for a race, to Bodega Bay for clam chowder and a walk on the beach and to South Lake Tahoe for MLK day and the Superbowl.

Mt. Whitney trail

2014 was a good year full of fun places and great people and I can't wait to start planning trips for 2015!!

Did you do any traveling this year? Where was your favorite trip?

The last year of running has been an interesting one for me.

A few things happened; first I started racing with a team. I joined in order to be more competitive, but what I didn't realize was how many great people I would meet along the way. I have not only made friends within the team I am racing with, but through them, have met many other great people. In addition, once or twice a month, I have been running with a group on the weekends, which is totally new to me. And I like it. Usually I run as a solo artist, but I am beginning to learn that sometimes the miles go quicker when you are with a friend.

Last year I ran 2,552 miles and it was an interesting journey...Some of the highlights were:

Marlette Lake Trail

Running with my friend Kelly. In May, I ran a couple of races where I was injured and under-trained and so I got to run a few races with a friend who normally is a little slower than me. It was a really great chance to get to know each other better and this camaraderie carried easily through the year. In November I had the chance to pace her for the last section of a hundred mile race, and it was good to feel like I was giving something back to her, as she has been super supportive to me this year.

Tahoe Rim Trail

Road trips! It started off in January with a road trip to Sacramento for a race, and the year continued, with road trips for both my own races as well as others. Two of my favorites were a trip to Forrest Hill / Auburn for Western States where we cheered people on and ran around the trails a bit while we waited. The second was a trip up to South Lake Tahoe for the TRT 100. I got a ride up with a virtual stranger who is now a good friend, and I had a great time running on Saturday and cheering for everyone on Sunday. Sometimes the most fun part of the race is the after party and being part of the crowd. I also flew to Pheonix to pace/crew a friend and that was a very exciting trip as well. There is nothing more satisfying than being a part of someone's joy and success.

Getting 2nd place overall female at the Tamalpa 50k. As I was running through the aid stations, people kept shouting out that I was third, and I thought that they just could not count very well, or had missed someone going by. Then at the second to last aid station, they said that I was 2nd woman, and I just thought that this proved my point that they were not really paying enough attention. When I came through the finish shoot, the race director put his arms around me and told me I was second and I was floored! In addition, I got a cool fleece pullover and a drop bag for my efforts!

Anthony Chabot Park

Seeing Broski become a stronger runner as the year has progressed. In March, Broski and I ran the R2R2R together and although it was tough for him, he went on to run the Tamalpa 50k, his first official ultra. In addition, he has really come far in his training and has even signed up for a couple of races in 2015 already!

North Kaibob Trail

Training in the Marin Headlands. They are not really super easy to access (I have to cross a bridge and drive about 20 miles) so I often just run in my own backyard. However, when I do get extra time or have wheels, I love to treat myself with a run in the headlands. The weather is great, the views are fantastic and you can get a decent amount of vertical climb in a relatively short time.

Getting an award!! My running club voted me the ultra runner of the year! It's such an honor, especially since there are a lot of people who are faster, volunteer more, are nicer and who run more races than me.

There are really just too many to list. Other highlights included a Rim to Rim to Rim run at the Grand Canyon, getting to run Boston after the terror of last year's race, and running my first 100k in May. 

So what is on the agenda for this year? Hopefully more fun, more road trips, races and friends. Definitely a lot of hard work, as I have signed up for a 100 mile race this summer! It will be interesting to see where my training takes me and whether or not I become a sniveling mess after running 80 miles.... More on that later!

What were your top running moments in 2014? What are your 2015 fitness goals? 

I feel that I have always been a pretty frugal spender. However, I do not skimp when it comes to certain things. Interesting though, is how my "actual" spending list stacks up to my perceived spending list. In this post from 2012, I thought that the heavy expenses would be: travel, gifts for other people, and running related items.

In all actuality, I was not too far off. Check out the pie chart** below:

Let's break it down, shall we?

Rent -- This includes rent and utilities. This is a category I didn't really consider as something that I "splurge" on, as it is a necessity. However, this is clearly my biggest expense, at over 2x the cost of the next category.

Travel -- I was right when I said I would spend the most on travel. In 2014, I did not skimp on the trips. I went to Charlotte to visit Lisa, central Oregon for an annual summer trip, Mt. Whitney, New York City, Europe and Phoenix. In addition there were several weekend trips to Tahoe, Sacramento and Marin for running excursions as well as many trips to Sonoma county to hang with Broski, and home to see my parents. Looking at the numbers, the dollar amount I spent on travel was a bit outrageous. However, I will bring a bag lunch every day if it means spending that money on traveling!

Dining Out -- This category is pretty self explanatory, and includes dining at all restaurants, bars and coffee shops.

Transportation -- This includes mostly public transportation / commuting costs. However, a couple of times a year I rent a car to get to races or to holiday functions, so car rental and gas are also included in this category. Really, about half of it could also be added into the "travel" category.

All Other --There were a lot of categories, and I had to get rid of some of the smaller ones. However, some of the other categories that were higher on the list but didn't make the cut were: taxes (2.4%), insurance (2.2%), gym (1.1%), credit card fees (0.89%), and entertainment (0.61%). Apparently my main "entertainment" is Running or Dining Out.  

Shopping -- This category is pretty broad, but basically includes the following: gifts, toiletries & household items (non food), clothing & shoes, electronics and books. The bulk of this category went to the gift subtotal. This distant second runner up was toiletries/household items. Funny enough, this year I only spent $4.00 on books, as I am getting most of them from the library these days.

Running -- This includes the cost of races and shopping for running related items. I found it interesting (and proving my theory) that it was high enough to warrant it's own piece of the pie and to not get lumped into the "all other" category.  If transportation costs were also added in, this category would probably be closer to 9%.

Groceries -- Although this is 6% of my spending pie, when it all boils down to it, I spend less than $40 per week on groceries. To note, I very rarely buy meat or alcohol, which are two of the more expensive things. However, I make up for this by buying lots of fancy nuts and cheeses. Of course my food cost is also supplemented with dining out, but even added together, total food costs equal about $80 per week, including booze, coffee and fancy nuts. This also includes food eaten while traveling. This cost could have been a lot higher, but my brother is a wine (and beer) maker and so I can't remember the last time I bought a bottle of wine in the store.

Health -- This mostly includes my premium, but also includes co-pays and contact lenses, which are minimal.

**Not included in the pie was any money set aside for retirement, savings or investments.

The Verdict? I was pretty much spot on regarding where I spend most of my money. I love budgeting how to spend, as well as looking back to see where it all went. I feel that being aware really makes a difference in your spending, just as logging your calories makes you think twice about reaching for that second piece of pie. In order to keep track, I use my bank's "Portfolio" tool, which lets you upload/link all of your accounts so that you can look at them all at the same place. I have also heard good things about Mint, and have just started to try in out recently. So far it seems to have good budgeting tools.

What will I watch next year? I could spend more on groceries and less on eating out, but I really do not eat out that much unless friends are in town or I am traveling. I could save a lot of money by not traveling, but that is one of my rewards to myself and I am not really willing to give that up. However, the Europe trip I took was not really a "budget" trip, so I could have saved by staying in cheaper lodging and/or buying my plane ticket earlier (it was over $1000!). I could also save by buying less gifts or less expensive gifts for people, as well as not buying so much running related stuff.

All in all, I was pretty happy with my spending this year. If you check out Mr. Money Mustache, he writes a post every year about how much he spent the last year, and I am about on par with him. Of course, his is for two people, but on the other hand, he does not have to pay rent (especially rent in the Bay Area). How about you: Do you spend more, less or about the same amount as Mr. Money Mustache?

Do you keep track of your spending? Where do you spend the most? What costs do you feel that you need to minimize and/or cut in 2015?