The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry

Winter can be a very expensive time, simply because you can’t just hang around outdoors unless you are dressed to do so. And wearing long johns all day at work, under my jeans, is not a comfortable idea. Let me explain…

I like to try to get away from the office during my lunch hour. I pack my lunch 98% of the time, like the good little budgeter that I am, and I eat it at my desk upon my return from whatever adventure I embark on. Well, in the summer that adventure can be as simple as taking my (library) book to the park across from my office and enjoying the sunshine from the safety of a shaded bench. You see – free and enjoyable! However, the other 9.5 months require a little imagination on my part.

Quite often I end up in the Toronto underground, idly browsing from store to store. I’m quite a good browser and don’t often feel the urge to purchase, particularly when I’m in a good headspace and firmly on track with my budget. However, January is the month of DEEP discounts. It is also the month of feeling blah. Combine a blah feeling and a sale price and suddenly I find I HAVE to have yet another cowl-necked sweater. This one in purple. Thus I am trying to avoid retail stores at the moment.

*Side note*
My boyfriend asked me to run an errand for him at Eaton Centre yesterday. I called him from the mall and asked why he disliked me so much. There were Sale signs EVERYWHERE! And a smattering of new spring merchandise in some stores. It was torture.
*Side note over*

Another way I pass the time is by browsing the latest magazines at my fave nearby mag store. It’s one of those great stores where no one gives you the fish eye for loitering and not buying anything. And, as I have mentioned, I love glossy mags. However, they tend to overheat this particular store to the nth degree, making it uncomfortable to hang out in my down-filled jacket. (Hmmm…maybe they aren’t so keen on people not buying things…)

So today I came up with a great idea! I decided to find the closest Toronto Public Library branch. You see, I love a library! Probably not surprising, given my penchant for pretty sentences and published tomes. I especially love a library with a periodical section, which would allow me to read the latest mags sans my winter jacket and – most importantly – for free! Turns out, the library was a lot closer than I thought, so I headed out at noon, excited and pleased at my ingenuity.

I arrived at the branch at approximately 12:10pm, grabbed the door handle and pulled. Locked. Locked? I noticed the hours stenciled to the door. On Thursdays, this location doesn’t open until 12:30pm! Have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous? What was I going to do?

I’ll tell you what I did, although I’m not proud of it. I went to Starbucks for a tea and a cookie, which I paid for by interact, leaving a whole $1 in my bank account until payday tomorrow. I was dejected and I turned to consumption and a cookie to comfort me. I’m not perfect people. I’m just…not.


Total debt: Just over $11,000
Spent today: $3.52