I just lost my post. Went to look up order status in another e-mail which needed a browser and ny entry got wiped out. Probably a good thing. I was complaining about being in debt and needing to go to work again tomorrow. Didnt I just go there last week? Cant that be enough for a while? I really do have other areas of my life that could use a bit more time....

For the weekend, I spent on clothing...about $130 total. There were the swimming suits and then today I bought some T's in lovely colors that can probably pass on casual Friday with some jeans and cool shoes. No other spending, which is a pleasant surprise. I have some returns to make, so that will work out to my advantage as far as money goes.

DH and I went on a very cheap date on Saturday. We went for smoothies, BOGO (buy one get one) free. Then we went to sonic for salads, also bogo free. The total spent for both places was less than $9. I could not tell him often enough how happy I am that he is willing to use coupons. He pointed out that while we will not go out of his way to find or organize them, he is willing to use them. That's fine by me b/c I enjoy the thrill of the hunt and sometimes trying out new things that we normally might not do. He is at the point where he checks to see what coupons we have before renting a movie or suggesting where to go for dinner or carry out.

I'm trying to quit or significantly reduce my sugar intake. I've been a beast all weekend. Last week at work I drank coffee every day - double espresso, thank you very much. I'm probably going through caffeine withdrawl. Also, I've been drinking lots of sugary, fizzy things this summer in an effort to stay cool too. Even though I glean the discount stores for 100% juice/natural items, its still all sugar. So I've switched to sun teas, regular and herbal, and am using Stevia to sweeten them. My body isnt sure what to do just yet. My favorite so far is blueberry and spearmint. Fruity but refreshing. The transition has come at a cost. I am ready to climb the walls!! I'm edgy and unbearable. This too shall pass. And I'm going to try very hard to pass up the coffee tomorrow. This is crazy. Has not made for a pleasant weekend.....grrrrrr

The week ahead should be interesting. There are lots of outdoor events going on around town - movies and ground breaking ceremonies. I put several on the calendar and DH is excited about going. Not sure how it will go with the heat and possible crowds, but we are willing to give it a try.

Money for the week looks okay. The bills are paid and I've got some cash on hand for misc purchases. I still have some things to return so that will be to my advantage. No major purchases planned. I have a couple of items coming in the mail that I am keeping an eye on, but just more of the same.

I think I am feeling restless...the amount of energy spent on work doesnt seem to result in an equal return. The work I have been putting into paying off the debt is not yielding the desired results quickly enough. Overall things are looking much, much better than when I started in Dec/Jan; I dont want that to get lost in the shuffle. I'm just tired of it right now. Maybe its actually a very good thing. Incorporating money saving ways has become routine because I use them whenever I can. They've become a bit boring. Another thing that is different - I do not feel the urge to go shopping recreationally to alleviate this boredom. I shop when I need something, but not to just browse. Takes too much time and I'm not willing to part with my cash for things that will need to be maintained and moved around, aka clutter.

Not completely sure how to view this. I'm sure some of it is wonderful...but I'm still really bored with it. Could also be a sugar junky craving a fix that is doing the talking...not much energy to do anything drastic at the moment (like splurge shopping) so I think we will be okay. Probably just need some sleep.....

Today's deal is clothing related. I bought myself a new swimming suit - actually two of them today. The whole swimming suit search is something i despise for a variety of reasion. 1-body issues and 2- the cash outlay for something I will wear less than five times in the course of the year.

I've been lookind since May when we went on vacation. I have to confess that on our vacation I took a suit that my mother was going to give to Good Will. Yes, it had reached that point.

So, I've been browsing all the catalogs that land in our mailbox, but when I find something I like, it seems to have a $100 price tag attached. I knew there had to be a better way.

I continued the search until now, the end of the season. I got an e-mail from JCP that they were having an end of season sale. Normally most of their stuff doesnt fit me right, but I though I would look. Before this I'd been searching the Lands End site. Expensive!!! I searched on the JCP site for a while, but then realized I had no idea how the suits fit. And since I've lost about 25 pounds in the last year, I had no idea what size I would need. I convinced DH to run to the mall with me, which he seemed glad to do.

The end result was to tankini bottoms for 28.87 with a savings of 36.02. When we got home, I ordered the tops on-line for 54.53, though I didnt calculate the savings. That is two suits for $83.40 including the shipping for the on-line order. Considering that is the cost of one suit in most places, I am thrilled. Now I will no longer need to worry about being comfortable and presentable when I go out in the water.

The expereince has taught me that just like any other situation, if you know what you really want and do the leg work, you can still get what you like and not pay as much as the asking price.

Now, to keep up with the diet so they look even better by the time I go into the pool...

My cat was "helping" with the last entry. She was sitting on the mouse and somehow when I posted the entry, about half of it got truncated. I was going on about how my spending on clothes is wayyy down, but I still splurge via internet shopping from time to time. I buy more than I know I will keep, like a shirt it two sizes to see which one fits better and then return the one that didnt work. So, the amount spent is huge, or much larger than I would normally spend. I feel a pang of guilt when I see the amount of these purchases made on-line, but I dont feel as guilty when I buy locally. I'm wondering if its that on-line shopping gives you time to think about how much you are buying and then its easier to feel buyer's remorse??

Overall, things are looking so much better re money. After paying the mortgage and utilities, I am going to make a considerable payment on the mbna. I've been timing purchases to coincide with pay days, so misc things are usually paid in cash. I havent perfected this yet, but its a move in the right direction. I'm not good with budgeting the small things b/c they are usually impulse buys.

But the numbers are really starting to go down -FINALLY. Its taken six months to change the direction of the momentum, but its finally paying off. And I'm finding money in a couple of places, so that helps. I'm opening up a banking account today to put all of those finds in. Then when its a couple of hundred, I'll get a money order or something and pay on the cc.

This weekend is going to be quiet. DH would like to continue with the housing improvements. I just need to get some sleep. I think an all day pj fest is in order. Havent lounged around in a while. I will need to go to the library and get some reading. I have a fine to pay - one day late on five books.

Its a very casually paced day here and my thinking is working at the pace. The news is that the money scene is starting to show solid improvement; much less wavering back and forth. I need to embrace this change and get all my resources moving in the right direction.

...and how things they have changed. I got the numbers on how much money will be in my check on Friday. I've started writing out checks for the bills and allocating to the mbna. Of course, it doenst help that I did some shopping on-line and increased the balance on the mbna. Overall cc spending is WAY down, but I would like to freeze it at zero. I'm getting closer, so I console myself with that.

We are waiting on one more bill to come in - the electric bill - which will probably be high. So I'm holding off on paying the cc bills. Once the electric bill comes in, all the rest is going to cc's.

I'm really feeling good about my money situation lately. Slowly, but surely it is improving.

My job is also improving. I'm making connections with other people in the department and see good things coming from it. The previous issue is still lingering, but not as in my face as I had previously thought. It hasnt resolved, but I can deal. Overall, the funny thing is that right now I'm doing less work than I've ever done in my life and am looking at advancement within the year. Go figure. Its totally against my work ethic. But I'm going to be a realistic and accept that they are paying me. It's a very confused situation. I've been looking for other opportunities from time to time but very few things are open

Tuesday...not payday....hmmmm...why are we here?

The heat is stifling and it really puts a damper on my motivation. It bakes it right out of me. We are getting summer rains (the monsoon season) and now its humid on top of it all. There is no fighting it, so adapt. That means staying inside and moving more slowly in general - even at the mental level.

Monetarily, things are also moving, albeit slowly. But they are moving and that is what I am focusing on right now. I sat down with the master spreadsheet last night and indulged in some debt repayment fantasies. I included all money that is on my horizon for the next couple of weeks and entered it as payments; this includes returns that are pending, the amount I will pay off on Friday (payday), a bond that I need to cash, payment from the second job, etc. I put it all in there just to see the numbers get smaller. Now, I need to make those payments happen and have the money come in.

Its motivating to see the numbers go down so low and know that they can actually happen in the next couple of weeks. I'm getting a little bored with the just sitting back and waiting; not my style. So playing with the numbers really helps keep my interest.

Had a chat with a friend this morning. Again about getting out of the rut of debt repayment and shifting to saving and investing. I'm so used to looking at a balance and putting effort into making that balance decrease. The shift will be to watch a balance INCREASE! That will be a pleasant shift.

Money hasnt been the main thought on my mind lately. Its sort of running in the background. This is good and bad. I'm always aware of it, but if I just let it sit, its too easy for it to fall off the radar and spend with abandon. So I'm sort of keeping my fingers in the pot, but not able to stir it as much as I would like to...

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.