When You Have To Pat Yourself On The Back
What I wanted to do tonight: Order out some Chinese dumplings for dinner and buy a new glossy magazine to flip through. Total theoretical cost: $10
What I did do: Ate leftovers and downloaded a free TV show on iTunes. (This feed let’s you know what free downloads are available from iTunes. Very handy.) Total actual cost: $3
Once a month, in an effort to save funds, I like to not go to the grocery store for a week and really clean out the fridge and pantry. The results are usually bizarre and can result in small portions of random dishes. I find though that I waste less food this way as I find, for example, some corn that has migrated its way to the back of the fridge or a can of beans I forgot I had.
I Heart/Hate My Budget
I moved to my current location a few months ago and accepted a job that pays $7,000 less a year than my last job. While it may sound crazy to some, I think most would agree with the statement “Money isn’t everything”. Because it isn’t. I love my current job. When I am there, I’m happy. I like the people I work with, I find my actual work interesting, and I feel needed and appreciated. I leave it at the end of the day and never think about it after I drive out of the parking lot. But did I mention I barely make above minimum wage and have bare bones health insurance with a $5,000 deductible?
So I have decided to use the last two months to figure out my budget, which I need to stick to pretty closely. Here is what I’ve figured out so far: