Two months later
Friday, November 10, 2006
Well, it has been two months since my last blog entry. I have been pretty busy with my new jobs, but lately work has slowed down (good for time, bad for money). We have been on the usual frugal track, with varying degrees of success. Here are some updates:
1. Still trying to walk uptown to stores and bank, but not doing so as much as in the summer. Mostly a time issue now, but gas has gotten a little cheaper. Did hike up to vote the other day, then to the store with my backpack. There are so many cheapskates in my hometown that nobody gives a second look to me with my backpack or collapsible shopping cart in the middle of a modern city grocery store. I love this town.
2. All of my paychecks direct deposited in savings. We are still able to live on Jeff's salary alone, which is good. I need to get more work days in, but we have been traveling and doing other stuff on weekends so I do not want to tie up my time. The eternal dilemma: time -v-money.
3. Unexpected expenses have been horrendous. Hugely expensive car repairs to both cars, especially my ancient Accord, have really taxed our budget. We have had to dip into savings to pay off the repairs, which we charged on our Discovercard. On the up side- we got lots of Discover bonus bucks which we have cashed in for gift cards for Christmas gifts. We have a good start on holiday shopping that way. And we never carry a balance on any of our three credit cards.
4. Found cheap spices for holiday baking at World Market store. Got ground cloves, for example, for $1.99 rather than $5.49 which they wanted in the grocery stores and which I refused to pay.
5. Getting DVDs from the library for free. Did have to buy a new DVD player/VCR. We use the library constantly, as we are both avid readers. I have a long list of books on order from the library- I can't imagine people buying them to read once. The library has every new and old book imaginable.
6. Spending too much at Super Walmart when we go down and visit daughter at OU. Will attempt to slow down on Walmart sprees. Have lately started shopping there for ourselves too much. Time for the Walmart diet (again). It does show up in our bottom line when we abstain from going there.
7. $500 dental bill for me today for toothache out of nowhere. Plus more dental work is needed. Joy.
8. Going to Miami in two weeks to accompany daughter to a wedding (she is afraid to fly and so am I) and have a rare vacation for ourselves.Three round trip airline tickets and three nights in a nice hotel in Coral Gables for $1000 on Priceline. I think I need to change the name of this blog to Household Profligacy!
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