I live in Oakland, CA, so I planted coyote mint, yarrow, and siskiyou. 
Um... it's important to take care of pollinators because without pollinators, we don't have pollination. Without pollination, we don't have flowering plants. Without flowering plants, we will all get very sad and probably die. Plus, bees and butterflies are fun to have around! :)

I use a spreadsheet to track my spending: one sheet is a weekly log and another a monthly log, but the sheet that really changed my habits is my Wishlist. Whenever I want to get a non-essential, I have to add it to the list and wait a week before I buy it. I've realized that, after a week, I often no longer want the item or have figured out a way to do without it.