Part of it is because I am working at my second job, putting in hours there. Its tedious, but the money will be good to see when it comes in. I am now more determined to pay off the mbna. I am on schedule, but not always a very patient person when it comes to getting these sorts of things done.

Besides, I am working from home with all my cats curled up on the couch sleeping. Its not all that bad.

Thurs I did make the trip to Walgreens and I put the purchase on my cc. IT was $18.32. I got some ice cream in addition to the misc. personal items. DH and I have been craving some for the past week and since the price was good, I purchased. It was good, though not as good as I remembered.

THis week is goingto be a bit busy. I have some meetings to go to at work, though nothing major. Just have to find the nicer items in my closet to wear.

After I get done with my work, DH and I are going to move our bedroom into the newly finished back bedroom!! We've been using the new bathroom and I am beginning to feel civilized again. Its nice to be in a room that looks clean and is well put together. And as the rest of the house comes together, I am sure that feeling will continue to become the norm.

I havent looked at the Sunday paper yet, so dont know if I will be running lots of errands this afternoon or not. Overall, my spending is wayyyy down for this pay period. This is wonderful and i am going to make another very large payment on my mbna this Friday (payday) I am really tired of owing money right now and am making every effort to pay off the mbna. Its at the top of my avalanche.

Nothing amazing about money going on at the moment. I'm in work mode, actually making more money happen rather than analysis mode where I can talk and theorize about what action to take. Overall, things are going much better. I am starting to see the fruits of my labors. Overall debt is decreasing rapidly. I am waiting for some returns on items that i have ordered through the mail and the numbers will go down even farther. The spending bug, the big ticket spending bug, is out of my system for now. I guess that is amazing news....

Went to get a coffee at lunch. Spent $4.04. But it sure does taste good.

Brought my lunch and have been mining that all day. Constant grazing...I wonder if I'm losing weight because I have a tapeworm or something?? My snacks are all healthy, but they still seem like a lot of volume going in my face. I'm not complaining, mind you. Nor am I rail thin. Just wondering what's going on??? Its a good thing.

The cc is safely at home this morning. And a good thing. I was going to run some errands at lunch for things that I wanted and could pick up quickly. BUT, when I thought it through, I realized I dont have any money on me and would have to run home to get the plastic. This then made me ask if I really needed the items I was going to buy. Of course, the answer is that I could wait on these things. So that is what I will do. I will wait unitl I have cash on hand to make my purchases.

I am craving a coffee however. Its getting hot outside and the longer I wait, the warmer it will be.....not sure...I would have to put it on my employee card which would then come out of my check at the end of the month......I will continue to consider my options before I take any action.

Spending for today:

$3.99 muffins at the grocery store - far cheaper than the ones at work; pd in cash
$22.83 - WalMart; spent the last of my cash; put $1.96 on cc
$15 - visit to Dr. - pd with cc
$23.41 - Walgreen's - $10 copay and misc items; pd with cc; saved $2.00 with instore coupon.
TOTAL for today: $65.23

I carried the plastic today because I knew I would be going to the dr. and did not have enough cash to cover the visit and the script. It's now safely filed in the drawer again. I've spent my cash until payday at the end of the month and am really going to try and not spend anything until then. If I do spend, its going to be well thought out because I am leaving the card at home.

With the last payment to my card, I am really starting to see a difference. The balance has been hovering around $6k (above and below) and just when I start to make progress, something comes up or I become weak willed and spend again. I'm so tired of it that I'm just biting the bullet and not spending like I normally do.

I also have a couple of opportunities to make more money which helps my motivation. I can pay off the balance even sooner than I had originally planned. I just need to put in some extra hours. If I'm busy, I'll be less tempted to spend...that's the theory anyway.

Tonight will be quiet...reading or maybe a long soak in the bath. Oh, and some house cleaning in there....sigh. At least these options are free or very close to it.

Spending today:
$4.04 a.m. coffee
$1.40 afternoon vending machine splurge. I had iced animal crackers with lots of red, white and blue sprinkles. Nothing satisfies your craving for Red dye #40 like iced animal crackers....

The meeting went well this morning. Sureal, but well.

I surfed e-pinions for a while looking for personal items that were highly rated and inexpensive. Found a couple of things and made a list for the next WalMart run. I was tempted to go after work, but instead stopped at the health food store to pick up a special order that had come in. I will wait another day to spend my money. See if I can stretch it out to the weekend. Its tough being a product junky....

DH and I are crabby from the heat. We have the AC on, but its stifling to go outside. This is not a good thing when you are running errands. Even coming home from work is painful because the car doesnt have time to cool down. I am waiting for cooler weather. That will be some time in November.

This week looks like it will continue to be quiet and that is just the way I want it.

Dinner is on the stove, but I'm not hungry yet. I made brown rice, carrots and green beans fresh from the garden (not mine, someone else's garden). I've been reading and trying to stay awake. I think a long soak in the tub is in order tonight; early to bed and early to rise, that sort of thing.

I would like to have another no spend day tomorrow, but I have a meeting with lizzards in the morning, so may need to caffeine by 10:00. I'll bring lots of water again and see if I can be strong....

I have a savings bond I can cash out early this week. It hasnt come to term. Its just old enough for me to cash it. Thought I was doing a good thing by investing in our gov, but the rate of return is far too low. So I'm cashing it in and putting the money toward the cc.

My Sephora order should be coming tomorrow!!

Very sleepy Monday. Just lost my post. The weekend was good, though lots of running around. Spending was only in cash this weekend; no plastic. I've been leaving it at home and havent missed. I"ve had to shift my thinking though. Instead of shopping and thinking that I will have resources enough to pay immediately for my purchase, I now need to be aware thay I am limited by the cash I am carrying.

I am much less willing to part with my cash, so I guess its working. I have about $30 and I want to see if I can stretch it to the next payday.

Spending was minimal this weekend. Did a lot around the house, with the remodel and the usual routine maintenance (sp?) Been trying to do the healthy thing, but feel tired inspite of my best efforts.

I'm ready for some quieter days and some sanity again when it comes to money. No errands to run this week - did them all this weekend!!!

Let's see....

Things here have been so busy that I havent had time to sit down with the master spreadsheet and allocate my hard earned dinero yet. Have found time to spend it though!

I discovered a wonderful site for info on cosmetics. www.delush.com Two women who are on the verge of 30 review products, most of them are upper end and pricey, but they do have a catagory for drugstore finds. I reviewed the list and then went to WalMart (because they accept returns on cosmetics), plunked down a total of about $65 and I have a totally new look. This includes everything from foundation to mascara to nail polish to body lotion. Because family genetics are setting in, I've been looking for new items for a while. Their site has saved me so much time and money that I'm going to send them a line telling them so. The products that I did purchase are of quality similar to the big expensive brands you would purchase in a department store. I am very impressed!!

Its been unbearably hot here with temps over 100 for what seems like weeks. No rain, but then that only makes it feel humid. Dont feel like doing much of anything that feels like work.

This weekend we seal the grout. This involves copious amounts of aromatic hydrocarbons. Translation - get too close and you will loose a lot of brain cells. We will have lots of ventilation to prevent this.

Enough - I must have a coffee this morning. Its' Friday after all.

I went on-line this morning to see if our paystubs were available. They were. In the list of deductions, the amount that you spend at work, i.e. in the cafeteria, at the coffee stand, etc., is listed...or at least the amount that they will be deducting from your check for that pay period.

I am sooooooooooooo thrilled to day that for this pay period a whopping $2.08 was all I spent on food and coffee while at work!!!!! That is a fantastic feeling. All the drudgery of carrying 64 ounces of water in daily is paying off!!!

Last week, DH sold my old computer for parts for $150. I'm just waiting for that check to clear the bank and it will go toward the mbna. Inspite of my recent spending spree, that is still on track to be paid in 5 months. I'm getting better at recognizing when I need to budget cash for smaller items during the month rather than putting them on the card. I really want to stop spending on the plastic all together. I left it at home again today and dont have any plans to run errands at lunch.

Tomorrow will be another story.....more catch up on stuff that didnt happen over the weekend, but I'm waiting to do them on Thur because I will have cash rather than putting things on plastic.

Craving a coffee.....dont know if I want to brave the heat and get one.....will ponder....but am feeling weak....I'm going for the coffee......sigh

Still catching up on errands and running around from the weekend...

Made a return at Factory store and found one more set of pj's. I had a credit, so came out even. My friend and I have made a pact that we will go there no more than once a month. Its just too easy to spend on things you dont really need. Once a month should give enough time for inventory to turn over and new things to come in. We've also agreed to go around payday so we use cash rather than plastic.

Then went to Target. Made a return and looked around. Found a couple of things totally $8. When I got to the register, I remembered that I left my card at home on purpose. Fortunately, I had my checkbook and enough in it to cover the purchase. I'm glad I didnt buy a lot. I like this and will probably not carry my card. It will cut down on spur of the moment spending.

Tonight, still need to get some groceries and then make dinner. Clean up the kitchen and then read again. We went to bed by 10 last night, which has been a miracle around our place. We were both just so tired from all the work we did this weekend.

I skipped the coffee this morning. So that means the only spending so far has been less than $10 at Target.

AND!!! Almost forgot...I got the information for my second job and will start working on that this weekend. I am eager to have some additional money coming in. I will have to see how it goes. I hopes it's something I can continue to do for a while.

$4.04 - a.m. coffee
$2.50 - bad doughnuts from corner store at work
$18.09 - pet store
$4.30 - post office
$15.38 - Kmart (saved 3.98 with coupons and in store sale)

Total spent $44.44 That seems higher than it needs to be...hmmm.

Packed a lunch and brought water from home, avoiding buying unhealthy, overpriced food at work. I will try to avoid the coffee tomorrow. It just dehydrates me anyway.

Dinner tonight will be leftovers. To my relief DH started doing the dishes. I finished when I got home. One more area of our lives that is returning to normal.
He went to Lowes for some more supplies, part of which is shelving for the new closet!! I will be so glad to move into it. Right now I'm working out of one that is probably four feet across. And a third of that is taken up by a very tall elfa (shelving) unit. It makes it a challenge to plan what you are going to wear when you cant quite see it.

Tonight I am home for the rest of the evening. I plan to curl up with a good library book and read until I go to sleep - hopefully that will be early.

Friday is payday. Keep the eyes on the prize....

Its Monday again. Why do these need to happen so often?

The weekend was a whirlwind, but a very, very productive one. DH and I grouted an entire bedroom, probably the second largest room in the entire house. I am so sore that I'm walking like an old woman, all stiff and jerky. But the grout is done!!!! I need to let that sink in.....I have a new found respect for a good floor and the people who make it happen.

Overall, the room is about 90% done now. In a week we seal (sp?) the grout, take care of minor but time consuming things, put shelving in the closet and I think that is it. The doors are painted; just need to be put on the hinges again. Then we can move in. DH may have a longer list as he is the site manager and head contractor, but then he's home more than I and does the bulk of the work.

Because we both slogged it out together for the entire weekend, I didnt have any time to do the household things that support my life outside the house. The kitchen is stacked with dirty dishes. I made soup in the crockpot on Sat, but nothing on Sunday. We ordered carry out last nigth for dinner and I have leftovers for my lunch today, but I feel like this part of the process really suffered. (But the grout is done!!!!) We'll get back on track during the week.

Spending was minimal. I ran a few errands on Sunday while I was out for a coffee at Starbuck's. (It was a HAD TO HAVE caffeine morning.) I tried to get quick, healthy things that we could grab to fill us up so we could keep going. It ended up being triscuits and cookies. Not the best choices, but I was so tired that I wasnt thinking clearly on the fly. In hindsight, fruit seemed too much work. That's a major influence on one's diet. Will have to re-work/shift that one.

Today, I need to pick up some things after work, misc personal items, etc.
I recieved a sample of a deep cleansing mask by Oil of Olay. Its bright blue. Normally, I pass these along because I have moderatley sensitive skin. But I wanted to play, so I tried it. It is lovely!!! It made my skin look good. I looked for the full size and both Target and one of the Wal-marts were completely out of it! Will try K-Mart and maybe Walgreens, though they might be higher. At the other two it was about 6.50 ish. Quite reasonable for the results.

Lunch time was about running errands again today.

Spending:
$9.38 at Factory store. Found two more tops for pj's; bought some shirts for DH, but will be returning them.

$80.25 at Jeweler's. Finally picked up the ring I'd left for repair. Must say they polished it and it looks better than ever when it was in my care.

$6.48 at mom and pop Mexican deli. The food was amazing. The price also included baked goods for people in the front office. So prices were good too.

At the end of the day, I came home, put on my so very reasonably priced pjs and lounged like a princess in my new robe while reading books from the library. DH got subs at Subway. I loaded the dishwasher and ran thre loads of laundry to have my favorite things ready for the week. It was such a relief to wind down after the past couple of days.

I've got a fantastic lunch packed for tomorrow and plan on meeting a friend. We will sit in the shade and catch up on life. I really hope it will be a no spend day. That is what I have planned. I'll see just how it goes.

Walmart - $17.47 - face products, which can be returned with reciept and a loofa for the cat who loves to tear them apart. It saves on the furniture

Target - $45.42 - T-shirts and Aveeno face cleanser. Already have one t-shirt from Target and love the way it fits. Thought I would get more while they were availalble. (They are also half the price and much better quality than the ones available throught LE) The facail cleanser was rated highly as being gentle on sensitive skin. The Neutrogena products that I thought were on sale are not the ones that I use.

Still have to get to the library...I just had dinner and am starting to fade. Still have paperwork to fill out for job #2.

Tomorrow at lunch will be running errands. Things should quiet down on Wednesday.

My original plans for lunch fell through today. So instead I tagged along with another friend who was running errands at Wal-Mart. Feeling sort of dreamy and lazy (possible due to heat of the day; its 103 today), I went to the beauty items/skin care/hope in a jar section.

I spent $16.55. However (aka justification) I love the product I purchased. It is the NEW Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle INTENSIVE Serum for Deep Wrinkles. Wrinkles werent really a concern, rather I wanted something that would exfoliate and smooth my skin without stripping it.

I came back to work and during a slow moment, applied said serum and, oh lovely skin goopie...my skin looks smoooooth and it doesnt sting. Que milagro!! A miracle in itself!! This is important because I have sensitive skin that freaks out at random points in time (havent been able to pin point the one ingrediant that sets off the reaction.) I'm now less a victim of the genetics my mother passed onto me. So worth the $16.55.....

Still weak, I am stopping at Target on the way home. Not only is the entire line of Neutrogena on sale 10%, there are some T-shirts I very much like and I believe are also on sale. I confess, I am falling under the Target spell. What is it with that place? Must be the "quality at a reasonable price" thing. I did some research (e-pinions) to see which other Neutrogena items were rated highly. I havent had luck with them before, but I think that living in the desert has changed my skin a bit. And they are so much cheaper than department store items, though I havent used those in years.

So much for coasting until payday... this is the ugly cycle I find myself in. Like the Downy ball in the spin cycle...momentarily hopelessly unable to fight the forces holding me in place.

Yesteday was a reasonably quiet day. Some running around, but prior to doing so, I thought it through and mapped out the most logical route. The entire errands thing went soo much smoother and I was much less frazzled than I have been recently.

Spending:
-$4.85 - return at Target; picked up wrong item

$9.45 - Walgreens; had a small balance on a gift card

$19.70 - Dillards; found a bathrobe that I wanted for new pjs on clearance %50 off!!

-$79.12 - return at JCP; returned the whole lot of stuff; just wasnt absolutely in love with it.

I went back to Big Lots and stocked up on things. Italian Grape Seed oil was $2.99 for 12 oz, so I bought several. Good thing I did because the stock was dwindling quickly. Seems the word got out. I also bought some Italian carbonated fruit juice and lemonade. The prices were half that in the grocery store. About $18 - DH paid.

Today, I have to pick up a ring at the jeweler's. The stone popped out and its going to be about $75 to reset it!!! This ring must be jinxed. It was a gift, but with all the repairs, its been paid for twice.

Otherwise, I dont forsee any other spending today. Packed an awesome lunch from the weekend leftovers and some relatively healthy snacks for during the day. I am avoiding caffeine for the most part and feel a lot better.

For the most part, I'm going to do my best to hang out until the next payday on the 15th. I really want to keep spending down and do things that are free!! I'm looking into getting a second job to earn more money. Given current climate and events at work, I dont think I will be seeing more money anytime soon. I have paperwork to fill out for the second position tonight. That and a trip to the library are on the agenda. I definatley miss my library books. I'm always up for a mental vacation, especially ones that keep me motivated not to spend.

It was a crazy sort of day. Mainly running around and getting everything done today so we can enjoy tomorrow.

Here is the spending for today:

$39.43 at the amazing discount store near our house. Its called Factory 2 U. Its a very discounted sort of place where you have to dig to find, but when you do, it all pays off. For this amount, I have four sets of matching and four sets of not matching pj cami tops and shorts. That makes 8 pj sets total. I may return the non-matching sets or hold onto them until I find something to coordinate with them. For that price, you cant beat it. But then, how many pjs does a girl need? Either way, it comes out to $5 a set!!!!

$79.12 at JCP; saved 58.06. However, all of it is going back tomorrow except for one pair of pants at $12. The tops didnt match and since I picked up four of them (just in case they did work) the whole lot will go back.

$5.05 US post office - returning an order from LE

$11.14 Target - got out of there with a light load

$28 - Albertsons - last minute groceries for tomorrow DH paid

$17 - Big Lots - DH paid; went in for cotton puffs and came out with an armload of deeply discounted gourmet items. I also figured out why I have this anxiety about finding places for everything. We have a couple of places in town like Big Lots where you can get amazing deals on food from nearly around the world as well as other misc items you might need around the house. When I go there, its purely about looking for deals to be used soon or in the future. This means they will need to be stored and then found later when the time comes. Because there is no consitency in their inventory, you find the good stuff and stock up before everyone else finds out about it. This means there is no rhyme(sp?) or reason to how you can store the purchases because you never know what to expect. You sort of have to keep a mental note of what is in there. Not enought brain space for that, so the worry that something will get lost in the shuffle.

Total spending for today: $134.74 but 67.14 will definately be going back. This leaves $67.60. Not nearly as bad as I thought. It just seemed worse from all the running around. (Had to make 3 trips to Factory because they dont have a fitting room. Thankfully its just down the street, literally.)

Still have a quarter of a tank of gas in the car; from the original fill up a month ago.

Didnt make it to the library, which I was really hoping to do. Will have to do that on Tues or some time during the week.

Tonight we are thinking about going out to watch the comet. We will probably drive out in to the mountains to get away from the city lights. That or we might watch the webcast because midnight will be rather late and the house is air conditioned with far fewer mosquitos.

I am feeling exhausted from this extended weekend. Cant say I will be glad for Tuesday to come...

Today is Sunday. the paper came and I have organized my errands around the items that are on sale. Dont really need too much, but the things I do need are all over town. One item per store it seems. Thankfully we live n a smallish town. It will be good to get out of the house.

I looked at my calendar and the last time I filled my tank was 6/4. I drive from home to work and back. Since we live downtown, I can walk to most places when its not so hot out. That means I'm spending about $20 a month on gas!!!! WOW!!

Friday took the cat into the vet. $159 for the check up and a load of supplements. But he is doing well and I am confident he will continue to do so. I paid in cash!! rather than put it on the card. But this means I wont be able to make an extra payment on the mbna. Not totally terrible, but I really wanted to get ahead with it. On the 15th, I plan to make a huge payment. This will be larger than the amount spent during the course of the month. That is a major change. The tide is turning!!

Yesterday was a no spend day. We worked on the house. I painted door frames and what a difference it makes. The whole room is coming together and finally looks like it. I am so excited. Today will be prepping the tile for grouting, i.e. scraping out excess mortar from between the tiles. Also, getting the last pieces of skirting tile up and DH has some caulking to do in the adjoining bathroom. DH forgot to get the grout and the store is closed today and tomorrow for the holiday. This will have to wait until next weekend.

When we get it done 1) it will be the first room in the whole house to be completely done and 2) we plan to barracade ourselves in from time to time to get away from the rest of the construction. Sort of like being in a hotel...how do we get the room service to deliver?

The other two rooms will go much more quickly (cross fingers here) The deadline is August 22nd.

Havent had caffeine for several days. It contributes to my sinus headaches. I've missed it; its been on my mind like a long lost friend, but overall, I have to say that I'm doind okay with out it.

On another health note, I'm still losing wieght. People I havent seen in a while are commenting on it. That's a good feeling. I've just been working on the house, drinking A LOT of water and parking as far away from my office as possible. One of the things I am looking for today is clothing (yes still) because my pants are starting to bag and my denims shorts from last summer are not working at all.

Its time to get back on track with the finances. I really, really let things slip in June. It seemed like things were getting better, so I spent..mainly on clothes. Semi-professional items i could wear to work and still be comfortable in. Most of these things were from Target. I will make more of an effort to avoid Target in July. In general, I was much looser with spending than I normally am.

I just havent been paying attention for the most part. Laziness. Its also been hotter than H lately - over 100 for the past week with several 100+ days the week before. All I want to do is get cool. All means and methods of logical thought are superceded by the desire to keep cool.

Need to go back to the library and get more reading from the financial section. That should help to stay on track.

I took a very long weekend. Was off yesterday and today. But its really been too hot to do a lot around the house. However, to stay on schedule, there are things I absolutely need to get done today.

Nothing brilliant this morning. I feel rather sheepish for slacking so much, especially since I am the one now feeling the consequences. I choose to look at it this way. All the bills are paid for June, including a couple that I didnt expect like tag renewals for my car; just wasnt thinking. I was going to make an extra payment on my mbna, which I will still be able to do. However, it will be much smaller than I'd hoped. $100 instead of $300. I paid cash for several things rather than run up the balance on my card. The ideal would have been to not spend at all, so I guess this is second best?

Its going to be a long, long wait until the next payday. There shouldnt be any major expenses during the month and 90% of my check can go to paying off the cc's. The check at the end of the month gets divided among the mortgage, utilities and one cc. It seems to be diluted, not leaving enough for a huge payment on the mbna. Really want to get that card paid off, so I can cancel. I keep using it, so the deadline keeps moving. Really have to change that. That's what July will be about.

Spending today:

$32 - WalMart - general misc. and some groceries

I skipped my a.m. coffee today because when I get it everyday I become accustomed to the caffeine and just feel generally yucky all over. I'm going to give away my coffee cards to friends to lessent the temptation. Its a wait and see sort of thing. Just how long can I go with out it? I want to give it up all together, but some mornign when I am completely tired, I will probably break down again and give in.

To reinvigorate my motivation about saving/not spending, I reviewed my spreadsheet and reconciled numbers with cc companies. Sigh. I generally track what I spend and my numbers were off (in my favor) by nearly $90. That was a painful adjustment It puts my overall debt over the limit that I was trying to stay under. But once I get paid next week and pay all bills, the overall debt will decrease by about $600. This will put me well below the current goal. Have to set another one.

I feel like I am finally, finally making some progress - at least something that is reflected in the numbers. This helps with the motivation for doing daily things like bringing lunch and making sure I have water when I go out the front door every morning. Overall, my spending is way, way down. But most importantly, I do not feel deprived in any way. I am focused more on how much I am paying down my debt.

I'm wearing my new shorts and they are very comfy. They were such a great deal!! I am definately going to keep my eyes open for more of those bargains.

Tonight DH and I had plans for a picnic at one of the local parks, but found out the event was actually last night. We took the night off anyway. Tomorrow we are going to see a movie and then will continue working on Friday and through the weekend. We are making progress. Still a million small things to do, but those are becoming fewer and fewer as we keep working.

Just waiting for the week to pass for payday. The numbers should be available on-line by Saturday. That is when I start writing out the checks, holding the on-line payments for the day the money hits my account. Then everything gets paid and the rush wears off and I watch the calandar for two more weeks. Yeah, it sounds pretty routine and even a little boring, but this is what it takes right now. It will all pay off - hopefully in about a year - and I will change my wicked ways to prevent it from happening again. I believe it wll be easier to stay out of debt. I have learnded that my time is more valuable than my job and I really want to get on with the business of living it.

I went back to the discount store after work, the one that has improved its inventory and found shorts that fit me soooo well. They were $4.00 a pair, so I ended up buying 5 pairs. I cleaned out the rack in my size, in the style I liked. I am pleased. Now I have shorts for summer. I was starting to wonder if I would ever find anything that fit, looked good and covered my bum. I am soo pleased.

Also purchased some clothes at Target today. Will have to go back and make a return on other shorts I bought - they cost more and they were short shorts. Didnt fit as well either. Also found a polo that fits well and the color is good. May look to see if I can find one or two more in the same style. Those I can wear to work and look reasonably professional.

I am so relieved that I'm FINALLY finding nice clothes that fit well and are incredibly inexpensive!!! All I needed to do was wait a little longer I guess. Its been fun to hunt out the bargains. I have time over the summer and hope to do more of it before classes begin again in the fall. Now that I know about this discount store, I will become a regular. I will have to bring DH. They have men's khakis for $8. He's bought from this store before and has had good luck, so I know he'll be an easy sell the second time around.

The weekend was a whirlwind. Some spending, but only on-sale items that I Know I will need. I'm at the point in my conversion where I wont even consider a purchase unless the item is on sale or from a discount store (deeply discounted store) - even if I have a coupon. It still needs to be on sale. As a result, now when I shop and pick up a whole lot of items (clothes especially) the total at the register is always way less than I expected. That's always a welcome surprise, but this makes it more tempting to buy more. The "go ahead, get two, its on sale" trap...

Again, seeking balance... I havent been practicing consumerism as a pastime lately and have been quite content. When I do shop, I stick to the list and cant get out of the store fast enough once those items are in the cart. It takes too much of my time and I've got so much else going on right now.

Today I went out on errands at lunch with a friend. It felt like I was just putting my toes out to test the water, but go drenched by a tidal wave instead.

An outlet store near our house has upgraded and now carries clothes that I can wear and the prices are just amazing, so the temptation is there. I feel like a flood is hitting again. This morning a friend gave me a stack of fashion mags. (we trade, so I will be giving her the ones I get until the subscription expires.) so there is all this stuff coming in, and though I've been very careful to purchase things that are relavent(sp?) and needed, it still seems like I have to find somewhere to put all of it. I guess its compounded by the fact that we live in a house that is not put together, so finding a place for new items is rather dicey. And its all going to get moved around again anyway....blah, blah, blah.

I guess I'm just feeling the tempation to purchase. Probably from recent stress, but also from the gradual improvement in my finances. I've worked really hard and am beginning to see some results, so the pressure is off. I guess I'm slacking off. Really need to get back on track. I think I've justified it in my mind - spending can increase a bit because I'm being so frugal in the other areas of my life - packing lunch, no trips to vending machines, cooking dinner everynight, only buying groceries for simple meals, etc.

I always seem to get the weakest between paydays...will have to update and review the spreadsheet as a reminder that hope is still on the horizon....especially before going overboard...sigh. It always seems to come back to this.....

Last night DH and I went for groceries. The total came to $29.38; however, total savings came to $22.89!! Between in store savings and coupons. This is the best I've been able to pull of so far!!

I've been sleeping a lot lately. I think (hope) its just allergies and my body really needed the rest. So, this means spending has been down to a minimum. I'm still getting coffee in the morning, but using up the cards (buy 10 get one free). Once they are out of my wallet, I probably wont get coffee in the morning. Its in the 100's here and ice water has been the best way to beat the heat. My skin looks better when I'm hydrated too.

The weekend looks like minimal spending. DH and I have the back bedroom to work on. We are making progress! The majority of tile is down; we need to cut lots for the out edge and the skirting this weekend. That's going to be my job. DH has been replacing outlets and caulking, odds and ends. I need to paint some doors. We hope to have it completely done by the end of the month, but we are taking it at a leisurely pace, with breaks here and there as needed. It will be so nice to live in a completed house. I'm sure this process will be going on for several years to come. when we bought the house it had been abandoned for several years. I think dust is still coming out of the walls. It will be a very nice house when its done.

I am still being tempted to purchase more clothing. I have plenty of clothes, so something else is driving it. Almost caved in yesterday and went shopping, but drove home instead of to the mall. I found some good deals at LE in the overstocks. There are a couple of other things I've had my eye on for some time...will have to mull this one over. I do need clothes for work....hmmm...need or want...realistic or justification.
Eiither way, the goal is to keep cc spending to an absolute minimum. that is what I need to focus on.

Oh, the joy of pay day is so fleeting. Two weeks of waiting dismissed with a couple of key strokes and auto pay over the internet....sigh...

I just made a major payment on my MBNA. It is finally well below $6k and continuing to decrease rapidly. By my calculations it will be paid off by November. I just love looking at the timeline and seeing how rapidly it will be going down. This is a goal that is within my reach.

Now to just sit tight and not do any spending until the end of the month...that always looks so possible when I have just made a huge payment on my cc's. Its during the middle of the month when stress happens that I get weak and start to feel like I need to spend.

I have errands mapped out for the rest of the week; running to get stuff after work. I am going to re-examine those lists and see if I cant use things that we already have rather than going out to buy more. If I can find substitutions with items already on hand, it helps to get rid of clutter.

Tonight was nachos - using up leftover taco meat and cheese to get rid of leftovers in the fridge. Made plans for the rest of the week, but left it flexible enough to squeeze in as many leftovers as possible. Added up food spening for the past three weeks and it was about $260. This includes going out three or four times. I think that's pretty good since we werent trying, just monitoring. However, at the end of the month, I will add up again. And next month I will make an effort to reduce the cost.

I havent been cooking nearly as much, so we are eating lighter. In addition, I've been holding off going to the grocery store, which forces us to look a little deeper into the cupboards and use up what we already have. So far its been painless. Let's see how long that continues.

Spending for today: $53.50 - personal appt, but paid in cash.
$4.04 - a.m. coffee. Tomorrow's coffee will be free. I've got 10 punches on my card!! Then I think I will try to give it up again. I got suckered in by the card.

I went walking on my lunch hour. That was good. I think I'm losing weight. My clothes are becoming more and more comfortable. Hope to walk again tomorrow. Will have to plan wardrobe accordingly.

This has been a long day. I am very tired. think I'll curl up in bed with a good book. Probably fall asleep over it.

Yesterday was a no spend day and it appears that today will be too. i've spent the better part of the day fighting the urge to get a soda. The thing that stopped me is no cash for the vending machine. I didnt want to borrow any money, so I became more determined to resist the urge. Thankfully, I left a water bottle in the fridge last week, so I had wonderfully cold water instead.

The rest of my energy has gone to fighting allergies. Found some homeopathy and it really makes a difference for me. I've been carrying it in my bag for a couple of weeks now. Just thought of it today.

Tonight dinner is going to be leftovers to clean out the fridge. There are a couple of good things to salvage.

I packed my lunch for today and met a friend. We sat outside and it was lovely. Will make sure I pack one again tonight and bring a book. I'll try to go to the park and get some reading in. My friend will be busy with errands during lunch.

Wednesday is payday. I've figured out what will go where. Now I just need to wait until the money hits my account so I can start the mass exodus of payments.

Overall, a very quiet day...I am glad for that.

The day is only half way through, but so far its been productive. Wed is payday, so I'm allocating funds and aniticipating things I will need until the end of the month so I can pay in cash rather than by card. So far, the list is short That is always good.

Yesterday I discovered that one of the products I had been looking for (tinted moisturizer with high SPF) could be made with products that I already have. Just added some shimmery powder to Neutrogena Dry Touch moisturizer and viola - a healthy glow with protection from the sun! I love it when those things work out. Even better, I bought the powder at Big Lots for a dollar or two and the sunblock was on sale at Walgreens. I'm set for the summer.

The other area of focus is menu planning for the week ahead. I have a list for the grocery store, but have been putting off going. Rather, I'm trying to make due with what we have on hand. So far, its been pretty easy to do this. If I do go to the grocery store, it will be for supplemental items, not the main course.

Speaking of which, I've really cut back on how much and how often I'm cooking these days. DH seems happy so far. If he gets hungry, he snacks on dried fruit or Pria bars - healthy stuff rather than having a huge meal and snacking out of boredom. This should be good for us both for our health, but also financially.

Still in my pj's. Need to get moving, get the paper, scout the sales and run some errands. I hope there arent too many. I'm feeling sort of lazy and we are in the middle of geting the back bedroom tiled and finished so we can move everything back in there. I'm getting a little tired of a futon in the living room. The cats love it, but I feel like I live at the circus sometimes.

Spending so far: $4.04 for the morning coffee. Much needed and I enjoyed all of it.
May need a Coke this afternoon. Will try to be strong and holdout.

Work - I've come to a conclusion on how to handle this. I recently learned that "the pretty" is going to get her job after all and will be doing half of my work!! But I will still be getting the same salary. Who's the fool? (Actually its the half of my job that I dont really care for ) I'm actually able to laugh out loud at this one now!!!

Also, the people installing the pretty have no control over my salary!!! Spoke to the boss and I have nothing to worry about. I will still have a job, doing half the work I thought I would be doing, at the same salary; possibly with a raise on the horizon. (Laughing hard enough to fall out of my chair now.) Granted I will not make as much as the pretty, but I wont have nearly as much stress, nor as many hoops to jump through. Just need to tap dance from time to time when I meet with the clutch of lizzards.

I'm going back to my original plan of keeping a low profile and going about my business, making my money while continuing to do my job well and collecting my paycheck. Outside of this place, I will get on with my life and continue to plump up the FOO fund. What is the saying..."Living well is the best revenge." This lot isnt worth plotting anything against. Its a waste of my life to try and impact theirs. They are all so enamored of one another that logic (other than their own) only angers them.

This is my spin. I have a job in which I very much enjoy the work I do. This is what I want to be when I grow up. Its what I've gone to school for and its something which comes naturally to me.

In a rather indirect, round about way, my prayers are being answered. I make okay money and in reality have a generally easy job. I have a lovely office with a good boss. Its not what I dream of when I let my imagination run wild, but it gets me where I need to go. Once I put my ego aside and calm down, that is easy to see. The wiser part of me sees that this job is such a small part of who I am. Its taken me many years to reach this point and it still sucks to come in most of the time, but I've reached a peace with it. I am really okay with this conclusion. I actually feel a sense of joy and find myself smiling for no particular reason. I feel like I've been freed from a tremendously heavy burden.

On my reading list - "You dont have to be rich" - the author examines the psychology people have about their money (poorly constructed, but conveys the meaning) and how we get sucked into thinking more is better and how the fluctuations of the market and the economy can really jerk our chains if we let it. This is all from the intro, but it looks promising. Another stunning selection from the 332.024 Cha section of your public library.

Spending today: .79 for a Coke

"Needed" some caffeine therapy this afternoon before a meeting. I really wanted a coffee, but the little stand was closed by the time I arrived. That saved me $3.20.

Today I mentioned my plight to the first person in the heirarchy, someone who would have a much broader perspective on the situation. Very promising meeting. I felt better about getting if off my chest. Even if this person is not able to make major changes, I know my back is covered. I'm going to just keep plugging along, doing my job, reducing my debt and adding to the FOO fund.

I dressed up today because I had a meeting at work. Surprisingly when I came home, I was in the mood to clean and organize the house a bit. I think there was a correlation...I felt good today.

However, I am really in the mood to shop right now. I will probably go on-line at Sephora and see what they have for cosmetics. Genetics are starting to set in and I look like I am always tired and sort of spaced out. This is made worse with the sinus infection, which is finally healing. I'll see what their return policy is before getting a shopping cart going.

I packed my lunch for tomorrow and as I did so I thought again that overall, my life seems calmer (omit the last five days from that comment). I really feel more peaceful when I take the time to set myself up for success for the next day. I love having a healthy lunch ready for me when I meet my friends and we sit outside in the shade. I eat less during the day b/c I'm not so stressed and I get to enjoy great company.

Am running the dishwasher and a couple of loads of wash tonight. For some reason it feels sooo good to be home and taking care of those sorts of things. Haven't done it in a while and I imagine this is what it will be like when I retire.

Today I also learned where to get good German bread from a real German bakery. I get excited about these things because we live in a relatively small town, with demagraphics and culinary habits that are very different from what I grew up with. So a change with some familiarity is a good thing.

Thought I would come clean. Here is what I spent this weekend.

20.9 gas (should last for the week)
7.49 Walgreens - sunblock and eye liner brush
20.78 target - Almay face wash and some other trendy cosmetic product that I bought in a moment of weakness
-6.65 target - returned moment of weakness product and bought a second Almay face cleanser
82.91 lands end- they had some amazing deals on their overstocks site; I really hope it all fits; dont want to play the return game via the postal service
82 catfood, but this I paid in cash

I returned the Lauder for $25.15 and am going to cross the mall of my list of places to go. I just dont really care for the vibe. It just doesnt strike me as a place to get a good deal. Just my prejudice.

This morning - Tues - $32.73 vitamins and zinc lozenges for my sinus situation. I was already feeling a million times better this morning from a few things I did last night. Mainly, drinking a whole lot of water and making sure my nasal passages didnt dry out. Half way through the day I lost all steam, overheated and chose to come home. Turns out my immediate boss is out with the same thing.

Since returning from our vacation, I've put $419.22 on plastic. No wonder the debt keeps hovering. I want it to go down. Looking over what I spent this amount on, it all seems like stuff I needed. Will have to examine that a whole lot more.

This afternoon I'll probably read some more, though it gets hard to focus - psysically and mentally, and sleep a lot more.

So far the Almay seems to be working okay. Not sure as I'm tired and worn out from the sinus infection.

The best icon for this entry would be fuming guy, but with a big smile. I'm miffed this morning, but I've got it by the tail....

I was out sick yesterday. (no spend day!! woohoo!!!) In hindsight, I see why my life was bizzare since about Thursday. I was coming down with a flaming sinus infection and my body was sending out all the signs. I just failed to notice them.

In betwen the much needed hours of sleep, I continued to catch up on my reading. Am currently reading "Work Would be Great if it Werent for the People." (650.012?? in the dewey decimal system) Oh how timely. ...grrrrr.....The author talks about developing your evil twin in the workplace and gives advice on when to let them do the talking. At first, it was creepy and seemed unethical. However, she does give sound advice on how office politics are played. Quite honestly, in the situation I find myself, being nice will get me nowhere but squashed under uneeded(sp?) layers of bureacracy. Evil Twin engaged, captain.

I dont plan on doing anything devious/illegal/immoral. I'm just going to point out the obvious to people who have the positional authority to make changes.

Work this morning finds me on a slow burn. However this time its productive. I have my wits about me and am channeling it rather than popping a gasket and getting nowhere.

The drama continues, but I'm armed with more info and a desire to speak up to those who need to hear what I have to say. Learned this morning that the plan is to bring another person in above me as a manager and probalby at a higher pay scale. She would coordinate and assist in some of the projects I am working on. I would be delegating work to her on several of these projects because I am the one who is doing the actual work. Wouldnt that make me the supervisor? And having her in at a pay scale higher than me would be, um, wrong??? Oh, I am going to enjoy this.

BUT THIS IS THE BEST PART!!!!!
A large part of what motivates me to speak so freely to those in income brackets higher than mine is that I went over our finances on Sunday?? night. I found that while I do need to contiue working for several years, we are doing much, much better than I was aware of. I no longer feel quite like I have to cower and beg for my job on a daily basis. Oh how refreshing!!! (this site is creating a monster lol) I think I've already started walking with a swagger. Power to the peasants.

I have to add that in spite of all of this, I feel quite calm. I'm not just flapping in the breeze anymore. I have options and will exercise them. If this woman is hired anyway, I still have options. Will exercise those too. But in the end, I will keep my job and I will continue to do well in it and will continue to report to the guy at the top or someone quite close. What a refreshing change!! Finally, I feel like I'm doing things on my terms.....I'm going to be on clouds for the rest of the day.

I'm so glad to have found this site and am again grateful for everyone who contributes. Thanks so much to all of you!!!