What do you do with your time? Do you like to dance off your frustrations? How about drinking until your eye’s bleed? Do you hate being alone, so you are constantly finding any reason to not be home? Does your cat even know who you are anymore? Well, there’s plenty of ways to keep you off your couch in South Florida, which, of course, also means that there’s a lot of places out there ready, willing and able to take your money.

Even though our trees don’t shed their leaves doesn’t mean that your personal money tree isn’t dropping scattered piles all around. As folks up north are bundled up during the annual winter hibernation – we are in the midst of a season filled with countless social activities, events, galas and fund-raisers. Not even counting the clubs, bars and lounges with tempting, pulsating vibes and $13 glasses of wine – we have no shortage of ways to experience a cold, wind-chill in our savings account. Working harder trying to keep up with a fat, social calendar is a standard strategy for most of us. Everywhere you turn a feel-good charity organization for a highly publicized disease is hosting something somewhere. If you volunteer with any of these groups you already know that over a short period of time it will cost you more than a privileged membership fee. It’s always good for a tax write-off, but with less time and fewer entertainment dollars flowing, it’s pretty important to understand the value of saying “no”.

It’s nice to feel wanted and help some form of humanity, but South Florida has too much going on to do it all. If you don’t practice common sense and self-control, it can easily get pretty over-whelming. We’ve all seen friends and business associates burn out before St. Patrick’s Day as they have a sensational overdose of “butterfly syndrome”. Frankly, they are more exposed than a chubby Canadian in a Speedo.

Even if cash isn’t an issue – time always is. We’re surrounded by a lot of wealthy socialites who can spread around dough like a French Pastry Chef, but run out of hours in a day. The best of them know that by not showing up can carry as much buzz as when they do. It creates a sense of mystery and an aura of being missed. If you don’t attend a particular gathering, it’s always nice to hear that someone noticed. It may even boost your standing with the “in” crowd” since you had the audacity to blow-off a notable function. Of course, that can also knock you down a few notches if you are the co-chair of the event and your excuse was staying home to order a new Burberry hat for your dog online.

Playing the scene really takes planning. Anyone can fire up their Blackberry and make the calendar light up like a South Beach club, but if you don’t survive the season – what’s the point. If you wind up having a new detox wing named in your honor then maybe your time and money are being spent in the wrong places.

All the best,

Gerry