One zit, two zit, red zit, blue zit

Oh what a lovely weekend. (Obviously this isn't a comment on the current weather conditions.) Lots of time with friends, quality hours with the DP, and a an afternoon at the spa.

That's right - the spa.

But here's my question about spas: Does anyone actually enjoy pan flute music? I swear that as I was waiting for my massage to begin there was a pan flute version of Bon Jovi's "Blaze of Glory" playing. Ick. Why not some lovely classical music? Or tame piano jazz? Since when does pan flute equal relaxation?

All that aside, it was a relaxing afternoon. In addition to my massage (I feel like I cheated on my regular massage therapist... Forgive me!), I had a facial. With extractions. Which is just a fancy way of saying that someone else picked my zits. It wasn't comfortable and I'm still pretty raw looking from the experience. Plus, knowing my skin as I do, I'll most likely wake up with half a dozen new zits tomorrow. (Generally my skin prefers not to be touched.) But it was still a good time.

Despite my recent ramblings about my overactive credit card usage, I did put the spa on credit. I'll pay it off at the end of the week!

As for my cash spending, we did a HUGE grocery shop yesterday, so my weekly allowance is already very depleted. But the house is full of healthy food now, so why would I need to spend anything?

Tax money goal: $2000
Current balance: $0
Spent yesterday: $85
Spent today: $0

Black Friday, indeed

Did everyone hear about the Wal-Mart employee who was trampled to death today? Trampled to death by people who were so desperate to buy more shit to fill up their lives that they killed another human being. Can you even believe that? A healthy 34-year-old man showed up at his temp job today, most likely dreading the Black Friday crowds, and left in a body bag.

I'm incredibly upset by this story and I have so many questions. Did the store still open? (The death happened at 5:03 a.m., just after they opened the doors.) Did they still merrily ring the cash registers all day? Did the throng that caused the death get the deals they came for? Do they feel guilty? Were employees expected to man their posts after someone was killed manning theirs?

Is $50 off a big-screen TV (or whatever!) worth it?

Okay, on a much happier note, I just spent a lovely evening with some of the smart, beautiful women in my life. It's so nice to spend time in the company of people I admire. We all should remember to nurture those relationships. Hmmm...sounds like the makings of a New Year's resolution...

Tax money goal: $2000
Current balance: $0
Spent today: $0

Habitual badness

Why is it so easy to fall back into bad habits? It's maddening! The bad habit I'm referring to is the reckless use of credit.

That's right - my credit card has been making regular appearances in the past few weeks. There were a few Christmas presents (reasoning: I'm going to spend this money anyway, so I might as well do it now.), some magazine subscriptions (reasoning: These will give me more freelancing ideas and if I get them before the end of the year I can write them off on my taxes.) and my ugly choir outfit (reasoning: I have to have this to perform in the concert coming up.). Amazing! It happens so quickly.

Note to self: Stop using the damn credit card and pay off what you've already charged!

It's only a few hundred, so don't be too alarmed that I've fallen completely off the wagon. I just need to get it in check before things get out of hand.

And speaking of getting things in check, I charged something else to my credit card today: a Weight Watchers membership.

I've been struggling over this internally for more than a few weeks now, trying to figure out why I can't lose the 10-15 extra pounds on my own. I've done the WW thing several times, so I know how it all works, but after a meltdown this morning I realized that I need the structure of attending meetings and the support offered by the group setting.

I have to admit, having already had the WW experience more than once, I felt ashamed that I had to go back. Ashamed that those bad habits keep rearing their ugly (sugary goodness) heads. But after going to my first meeting today and listening to all the women speak, I'm done with any shame. It's a wasted emotion. Instead I will choose to feel empowered by the choice I'm making to take care of myself and my health.

One more bad habit to confess tonight. (Geez, you'd think I was Catholic!) I didn't do a good job of tracking all my spending this week. So let's just say that I spent my entire $100 and probably a bit more. Tomorrow is a new start, a fresh week. See you then.

Tax money goal: $2000
Current balance: $0

Writer/Singer/Financial Wizard

I was chatting with a friend tonight about all things money. She and a few of her girlfriends have started a money group based on the well-known Smart Cookies group. And she asked if I would come and be a guest speaker at one of their meetings!

Imagine that.

I might have scoffed at the very idea if it had been the first time since I publicly embarked on this journey that someone has asked me for money advice. But it's happened before. Quite a few times. Last week I exchanged several emails with a cookie-baking colleague that wanted to know my secrets.

It's so weird to go from being a person who used to lay awake at night fretting over how I was ever going to dig my way out to a person that gets asked for advice!

I like this new role!

(I've totally stacked "I"s in this post. Forgive my crappy editing.)

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to log on and look at my $0 balance again.

Tax money goal: $2000
Spent today: $9

The lady who lunches

Well, I think I've discovered my first challenge in post-school debt life - lunch!

I have been a dutiful brown-bagger for years and years, but lately I've been buying my noontime nosh. Part of it is a lack of leftovers. You see, normally I cook a big dinner for the DP and I, so I can save some for lunch the next day. But now that a weekday dinner with the DP is as rare as a pair of well-fitting jeans, I've become lazy about cooking altogether. All the mess and effort just for me? No thanks.

But buying lunch is not only overwhelming (there are a LOT of choices), but pricey! Today I had a delicious sandwich and some chocolate milk...for ELEVEN DOLLARS! Ugh. That's more than a T-shirt at Joe Fresh. So wrong.

So you'll all be happy to know that I actually made dinner tonight - including leftovers! (But Wednesday I already have a lunch date... who can say no to crepes!?)

Tax money goal: $2000
Current balance: $0
Spent this weekend: $22-ish
Spent today: $26

The grand finale and a new beginning

My original goal was my half-birthday, March 8, 2009. My real goal was December 31st, 2008.

In the end, it has taken me 277 blog posts, lots of them whiny and plenty of them boring, to get here. But I'm here. I did it.

I PAID OFF ALL MY STUDENT LOANS!!

In the past 11-ish months I've managed to pay of the final $11,270.90. In total my two rounds of school cost me $32,000. I cannot begin to do the math on how much I paid in interest during the past 11 years, which is probably a good thing. I think the number would cause me to curl up in the fetal position and cry for a good long time.

And now is not the time for crying - it's the time for celebrating!!

Many of you have asked me how I'm going to celebrate. Truth is, this weekend is already claimed as far as celebrations go, because it is the DP's mom's birthday. But next weekend I'm thinking a little visit to the spa might be in order... A massage, which I can claim on my insurance, and a facial. And lots of time lounging around in a bathrobe in public. Pure decadence.

And don't worry, I'm not closing down shop here at Freedom 33.5! I'm just changing direction: Rather than watching my debt go down, you can watch my savings go up! The first order of business is re-saving my tax money for all the freelancing I've done this year. (More than $7000 worth! Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.) After that I will be re-paying the DP in the form of saving. But more on that when we get there.

I'm anticipating some major challenges in the near future. How do I not just spend like crazy now that this weight has been lifted? And I'll need your help with them.

And speaking of you guys, I have to say a huge, enormous



(Hmmm... I was hoping that picture would be bigger. Ah well, you get the drift!)

I couldn't have done it without you. All of you. Whether you posted comments or cheered me on in person or just silently came along for the journey, you guys were instrumental in helping me accomplish this huge goal. And you've all made me feel so good about myself! I never would have imagined anyone asking me for financial advice! I truly can't thank you all enough.

And I can't believe how excited I am to have financial goals! I guess I'm truly a grown-up now. No going back.

So, for old times sake...

Total debt: $0

And now for new times...

Tax money goal: $2000
Current balance: $0
Spent today (because my budget isn't going anywhere): $8-ish

I'll be up north this weekend, but I'll be back on Monday.

Unenjoyable shopping?

I have a confession - I don't like shopping for shoes.

Do I have to give my "girly" card back now?

Let me clarify. It's not that I don't love shoes. I do. They are beautiful and fabulous to look at. I covet many, many pairs. But I hate the process of finding ones to actually wear. Not only am I a transit whore, which rules out anything difficult or painful to walk in, but I also have wide feet and bunions. (Sexy, eh?) And those two things make 99.9% of the shoes in the world both painful and difficult to walk in for me.

On top of all this, I can only afford to have shoes that go with the majority of things I own. So they need to be comfortable, practical and cute, because I still like to be somewhat fashionable!

Currently I am in need of boots. Two pairs, to be exact. My tall boots are so worn out that it looks like I went to war in them. (I'm very hard on my shoes.) And my shorter boots, the ones I wear with pants and stuff, have a hole in them. Not so good in the now slushy conditions. (I did buy a pair of proper winter boots last year, but I haven't taken them out yet.)

I can't even bear to begin the search. Tall boot shopping is a nightmare, because apparently my calves are bigger than the average tall boot buyer's calves. Personally I have zero problems with my calves (Thank god I don't have to buy boots for my butt!), but I cannot zip up non-stretchy tall boots. (I tell myself that my muscle sits too high. And I'm terrified of doing any sort of calf exercises at the gym for fear of growing a more prominent muscle.) And the stretchy ones generally look, well, kind of cheap.

It's all so depressing.

So I went to the mall tonight...and didn't even look at boots. Instead I went in search of the long black skirt I need for my choir performances. I figured Sears might be a good bet, because, I rationalized, there aren't really any stylish clothes in Sears.

How wrong I was! The Sears at Eaton Centre sells Tevrow + Chase and Kenneth Cole. Some very cute stuff! Luckily for me they also had a nice big selection of ugly stuff. And I found a black skirt! I think it has a little too much flare at the bottom, but I bought it. For $30, which didn't seem too bad. (I know, I wanted to find something used, but that takes time! I'm a little short on time.) The surly woman at the cash told me I could get $10 off if I got a Sears Card, but I really don't want a Sears Card. Was that silly?

I'll deal with the boots at some point.

Tune in tomorrow for the BIG DAY!

Total debt: $250 :-)
Spent today: $8-ish (I charged the skirt!)
Weekly total: $107.74 (A bit over...)

Oh, this is good

I could not wait to get home from choir and type the big new to y'all. Are you ready? Are you sure?

There was some money in the mail. A fairly large chunk. And all of it went to my loan. And now my loan is sooooo small. And payday is Friday. And Friday will be the day we've all been waiting for.

Can you believe it?

Total debt: $250 (!!!!!!!)
Spent today: $8.25

Bring back the pony express

Distressing news! Back in September one of my birthday cards went awol in the mail and ended up back where it began, weeks later, with my proper address clearly marked on the front. Annoying, particularly for the senders because they had to pay to cancel the cheque that was within it, but we all assumed it was one small misstep by Canada Post.

But news has trickled down that another birthday card and letter from my Grandma was also returned to sender sans errors.

And this leads me to believe that there could be more! Perhaps even some of the elusive money that I've been waiting for!

But what does one do in the situation? I stopped by the postal outlet closest to me on the way home this evening and asked for their suggestions. I was directed to the customer service number. But these are the people that are currently on strike!

And then, to add insult to potential injury, all that was waiting in my mailbox was a bill. I bet they never get returned to sender for no good reason!

In other news, the snow isn't even on the ground yet and I can already feel the seasonal affective disorder setting in. And this is making me hungry:



Total debt: $1400 and a bit
Spent today: $4-ish

You can say I'm a dreamer

Have I ever mentioned how strong my imagination is? It's kind of scary. Thankfully I don't spend as much time deluding myself as I used to. Having a loving DP helps, because I never need to convince myself that my unrequited fantasy boyfriend will be sitting on the steps to my apartment building with a huge bouquet of roses waiting to profess his love for me. Instead I know the DP will likely be hanging out at home reading a comic book upon my return. And that he'll be happy to see me. He'll even put down the comic book and listen to my stream of consciousness monologue about my day. He's patient that way.

I did, however, engage my powers of suggestion this evening. My focus - the elusive money in the mail. I decided that there would be not just the most belated of the cheques (my contact tells me she is increasing her priority on the matter "ten-fold"), but that there would be a second cheque. And that the combination of these cheques would more than cover the last of my loan.

I planned it all out. How I wouldn't even bother going upstairs, but would instead turn around and deposit the cheques directly. And then, on my way home, I would stop and buy myself something for dinner. A celebratory sub, perhaps. Upon my return home I would immediately fire up my computer and share the news with all of you! I even contemplated different ways to organize the post: Do I give it all away up front or do I save the news until the end and finish big?

It was vivid and complete in my mind. So imagine my surprise when the only thing to be found in the small metal cage that is my mailbox was a Bell bill. And that bill isn't even in my name. So there was nothing for me. No money. No dinner. No boastful blog post. Just Bell. Stupid, stupid bell.

Sigh. It's coming. I have to believe it's coming. Both the money and the end. Wait for it.

Total debt: $1400 and a bit
Spent yesterday: $74 (Groceries and a printer!)
Spent today: $3.99

A scanner darkly

It's almost 11 p.m. on Sunday night, which is totally late for me. But I've been playing with our new toy. Yep. Money was spent and now we finally have a printer/scanner in the house. And it's SO MUCH FUN!

How can a printer/scanner be SO MUCH FUN? you ask. Well, I've spent hours scanning in old photos and posting them on Facebook. First pics of me as a wee one.



And then photos with other Facebook folks. Old pics they most likely haven't seen in a long while, if ever! And then I've been enjoying all the comments. Incredibly enjoyable!

Anyway, I have to go to bed. So not only am I cutting this short, but I'm also not prepared to do my daily tally. I'll fess up tomorrow. (The printer was on sale, so I didn't go too crazy.)

Oh, we also went to the free weekend at the AGO last night. We had to stand in line (in the rain) for 20 minutes to get in, but it was worth it. The renovations are gorgeous, especially the Galleria Italia.



(This pic does not do it justice. Check it out!)

Okay, to bed I go. Really I just want to stay up all night posting pics, but I'll try to hold off until tomorrow.

Total debt: $1400 and a bit
Spent yesterday: $0

One more for the road:

Book nerds unite

My germs and I stayed home today. It seemed like the smart thing to do. And thanks to a bunch of extra sleep and a chance encounter with my neighbour who suggested I try this, I actually feel a whole lot better tonight. (Ever since I wrote this article, I can't bring myself to take over-the-counter cold meds that dry out my whole system. Sure my symptoms are temporarily masked, but the dehydration leaves me feeling like hell. The new method proved much more effective. My neighbour - who claims to have not had a cold in 20 years - also told me to only eat and drink lukewarm things. But that seems totally crazy to me.)

Anyway, now I'm feeling fairly human and it's Friday night. And instead of having my fun night with the girls, I'm home alone. (The DP is out with some guys, because the girls were supposed to be here.) I figured I might as well do laundry.

As I think I've mentioned before in this blog, there is a big bookshelf full of books to take down by our laundry room. You know, people leave some and then people take some. Mostly it just seems like books people have abandoned when they didn't have time to make a trip to goodwill before they moved. That would explain the really old psych 101 textbooks. Overall though, it's a fascinating collection. Lots of mysteries, a number of Harlequins (Including a couple from the "Dangerous Men" series. I don't get the bad boy fascination at all.), a book about baseball by the dad from Mr. Belvedere.

Every time I browse through the selection while waiting for the elevator, it makes me think about why people buy books. And what people's books say about them. And how much I enjoy the flirtation I can have with books from the library. No long term commitment required. (Although I do feel guilty, since I realize that writers need to make a living, too. And I'm not helping them by reading their books for free. But one day I promise to buy lots and lots of books once again. Cross my heart.)

I like what my bookshelves say about me, even if it paints a picture of who I was circa 2000. I like that my love of Can Lit is highlighted, even if I've secretly been overdosing on chick lit of late. And my geeky music theatre history buff persona is out in the open for anyone who happens to look for it. (The stack of Original Cast Albums isn't far away, either.) The DP's shelves are wonderfully diverse, full of reference books of every sort.

Where am I going with this? Nowhere coherent. The congestion has apparently gone to my brain.

But last week, once on the subway and once at choir, I saw women reading on this. And I didn't get it. First of all, I had no idea what they were reading, which was strange. I know we're not supposed to "judge a book by its cover," but I love having brief exchanges with strangers over a shared literary experience. When Harry Potter was just becoming a big thing, I used to feel a kinship with other adults carrying around the latest tomb. It was good to know that if we got trapped in a tunnel together, we could discuss whether Voldermort is actually part of Harry's soul.

But beyond my needs, I didn't see how these electronic devices were proper substitutions for an actual book. What about the feel of the paper? What about the dust jacket blurbs? What about the fancy endpapers and the beauty of the signatures lined up along the spine? Because not all books are just words on paper. Imagine trying to read Generation X on one of those thingys! How would they create the asides in the margins? Or what about the beautiful sketches in some of the chapters of Fall on Your Knees that hide secrets of their own? Books are more than just arrangements of letters on paper. Books have a feeling about them.

Don't get me wrong - my back would probably thank me if I stopped carrying around books everywhere I went. But I'm going to risk a little pain for a whole lot of joy. I like to live dangerously! (Just not with dangerous men.)

Vive les livres!

Total debt: $1400 and a bit
Spent today: $9.50 (A brief walk to the drugstore and for a wee treat to soothe my sick body.)

Sneeze, cough, blech

I'm under the weather. (What does that mean, anyway?) I had to leave work early and I had to cancel plans to have some lovely women over tomorrow night. I'm so sad! I was so looking forward to seeing them all. But I can't bear to expose them all to my germs. And I just don't know how I'm going to feel tomorrow.

I hate being sick!

And, in case I wasn't grumpy enough, STILL NO MONEY IN THE MAIL! I'm going to have to send another HELLO! email.

Hey, so I've had lots of questions about what I'm going to do with this blog when the final $1400 is paid off. Anyone have any ideas? My money goals don't end with the closing of my student loan account. I then have to re-save my tax money to cover all the extra freelance income that I've earned this year. Then I need to pay the DP the $5000-ish that I still owe him. So I can blog about those things. Or I could set some big goal and work towards it... maybe write a book?
Thoughts?

Another thing I've been asked is if I'm going to celebrate when I'm done. And I really want to! I just don't know what I should do, so I'm taking suggestions.

Help me out everyone!

Total debt: $1400 and a bit
Spent yesterday: $1.85
Spent today: $20-ish
Weekly total: $106-ish (Oops. a little over.)

A foggy day in London town

Since I filled my evening with a trip to the gym, a bath, a deep-conditioning treatment on my hair and too many episodes of Sex and the City, I am left with but a few moments to blog before dreamland comes for me.

I tried my first London Fog today. There was lots of conflicting advice over where to purchase it, but I ended up at Starbucks, because they have comfy chairs and I wanted to sit and read a magazine.

I liked it! I really liked it. This could be habit forming.

Oh, and despite the fact that all of you told me about it, I still felt weird about asking for it at the counter. Like they wouldn't know what I was talking about! But of course they did. I should really learn to trust my lovely readers.

Total debt: $1400 and a bit (I'm trying to wait until Friday before I once again go after the tardiest of the money in the mail.)
Spent today: $13.17 (My new favourite drink and a roast chicken, because I just don't feel like cooking these days.)

I wish it was Sunday

Today was such a stereotypical Monday that at times I felt I was in a bad movie. The kind of movie that stars a D-list celebrity that had a mere moment in the spotlight ten years ago, but has somehow managed to avoid "Celebrity Rehab." The kind of movie that would underscore the opening scenes with "Manic Monday."

And what would happen in that opening scene?

It would start with a big zit on my forehead. Thankfully under my handy dandy bangs. (Bangs would have been a godsend in high school!)

Then I would arrive at the subway station and reach into my pocket only to find that I'd left my metro pass at home.

Later I would be feeling smug after my lunch hour workout, only to have the toilet overflow on my boots when I try to flush it.

I'd arrive home and find no money in the mail, despite the fact that it's been more than SIXTY DAYS since I submitted an invoice!

Then I'd attempt to do laundry, only to discover that I only have enough change for three loads, so I can only wash the darks.

And of course my laundry luck sucks and I end up having to make multiple extra trips to get it all done. (And yet another extra trip to retrieve my keys from the laundry room after I take the elevator ten floors and can't get into my apartment.)

But now the day is nearly over and I can relax. Gather my strength for tomorrow.

Total debt: $1400 and a bit (That doesn't feel like Monday debt!)
Spent today: $5.50 (SUBWAY FARE! Gah!)

Merrily we roll along

The vegetables are roasting and the salmon is ready to go in the oven. Do you know what that means? Yup, it's Sunday night once again. Not that I mind it so much, since I had a wonderful weekend.

One of the DP's good friends from university came to stay with us last night. He's in town from Berlin, so we had a nice dinner, drank some wine and played Boggle. (We're wild and crazy that way.) It's so great to talk to someone who is leading such a different life than we are. A great reminder of all the paths available to us in this world. Plus it was just a lot of fun!

And then today I found myself on an impromptu road trip to Kitchener with one of my oldest friends. We had planned to go for a big walk, just to have some one on one time, but she needed to pick something up from her in laws house in Kitchener and asked if I wanted to come along. It was a perfect way to get caught up - especially since it wasn't such a nice day for walking.

Other joys this weekend included an incredibly tasty pumpkin spice cake that I made and this site. I dare you to not enjoy it!

Total debt: $1400 and a bit (Cross your fingers for some money in the mail this week, so we can all watch the last bit of this thing disappear!)
Spent yesterday: $55 (Groceries. It was pricey because I read this the other day, so we bought a huge bag of walnuts. Those nuts are not cheap!)
Spent today: $1.28 (Car trip girl talk requires a cup of tea.)

For the love of hair

Lessons I learned at the salon today:

- The surroundings need to be fancy and comfortable in order for me to enjoy spending almost $100 on a haircut. Cramped, crowded, noisy spaces don't cut it. (Ha ha, I made a pun. They don't "cut" it... get it!?)

- If you subscribe to as many magazines as I do, there's probably nothing new for you to read at the salon.

- Stylists that wear utility belts filled with various scissors, combs and clips look like extras from a Ben Stiller/Adam Sandler/Chris Rock movie that parodies salon culture.

- I don't find fancy comb-spinning impressive. It just looks showy.

- Even though a stylist is named Hero, like your favourite character on a television drama that has a cast of thousands, that doesn't mean you're going to love him.

- Even though you ask for something else, you're bound to leave the salon with a reverse bob.

- There's no joy in flitting around from salon to salon, trying to re-create the magic you have with that one special stylist. It ain't gonna happen.

So, my haircut is fine. The DP likes it. I'm not offended by it. Time will tell if it grows out nicely. It's just...not exactly what I hoped for. But I recognize that I may have been hoping for something that wasn't possible given the hair I started with. And I will also acknowledge that I may not have explained my desires to the stylist in the most cohesive of manners. Alas...

My beloved stylist better be back at work in the new year. Back injury heal thyself!

Total debt: $1400 and a bit (I know you know this, but I wanted to say it again!)
Spent today: $9.67 (Plus $90 on the haircut, but I kept money aside for that, so it doesn't have to go in my weekly budget. Because I said so!)

I'm feelin' low (in a really good way)

Okay, this is a morning update to announce my new number, because I can't possibly wait until tonight. Guys, I am so close that I can see y'all cheering at the finish line!

Total debt: $1400 and a bit!!!!
Spent today: Stay tuned! There's a pricey haircut in my day AND I'm totally buying some lunch to celebrate the unbelievably low number.

Drinking to my health

I couldn't resist the urge for a treat this afternoon, so I thought I'd try something new at Starbucks - a green tea latte. Everywhere I go lately, I hear of someone ordering one or drinking one, and I got curious. It seems like a great idea! Green tea = antioxidants (to protect me from disease). Latte = more milk, which I don't drink enough of (to keep my bones healthy and strong). In fact, it almost sounded like something I should have. You know, for my health!

I looked it up on the Starbucks website beforehand and discovered that it also has a hint of mango in it and is about the same amount of calories as my beloved chai latte. Off I go in hot pursuit of a new flavour sensation.

I wish I could tell you that I fell in love with a steamed beverage today, but the truth is that I poured half of it out so I could recycle the cup. It just had a distinctly fake flavour to me. Plus I looked it, which I don't recommend. It's very, very green. Bad bridesmaid dress green. Not pretty at all. And, as if those things weren't bad enough, after I poured out the last of it, there was a mound of some sort of congealed powder stuck to the bottom of the cup. So it wasn't actual brewed tea, which I kind of figured from the colour, meaning that there's a good chance not a single antioxidant was present.

Alas, I thought, back to my beloved chai. Until one of my team members at work asked if I've ever had a London Fog... Apparently it's Earl Gray tea (my fave) with steamed milk and a shot of vanilla!

It's good to try new things, right?

Between my disappointing treat, some new lip balm and drinks and munchies with some lovely ladies after work, it was a bit of a spendy end to the week.

Total debt: $2400 and a bit (Tomorrow I'm forecasting record lows...)
Spent today: $26.37
Weekly total: $132.37 (As I suspected.)

Not such a "Secondhand Rose." Sorry Barbra!

I wish I had the secondhand shopping gene. Maybe we only get a few special skills at birth and I used up my allotment with the ability to form nice sentences, an unlimited memory for song lyrics and an insatiable appetite for baked goods.

I was thinking about this today as I wandered through Winners. (I needed to get away from my desk, but I also needed to avoid places where they sell baked goods, because my "special skill" was demanding to be fed.) I saw that they now have women's ski pants for $49.95, which made me extra glad that my Costco membership-wielding friend had saved me a bundle of dough (mmmm...dough...) on my ski ensemble. But then I wondered if I should have gone to Goodwill or some other secondhand store and saved even more.

Truth be told, I'm not very good at navigating through those stores. I can't see the possibilities the way other people can. One of my oldest friends totally got the gene and is forever showing off some fabulous find for either her or her children. (Her son's awesome-and expensive looking-Halloween costume was one of her treasures. Priced at $10, she bought it on half-price day for $5. I didn't even know they had half-price days! Why don't the stores I shop at have half-price days?) She's also a wiz at getting stains out of anything and everything. I'm the person who stains something and donates it to the secondhand store!

Come to think of it, I also watched her bargain her ass off in an optical store at a mall. She chose frames that were priced at $450 and somehow talked them down to $400 including her lenses and with no tax! Maybe I need to ask her for some lessons...

I have the same lack of vision when it comes to "antiques." I'm using quotation marks around the word, because all I see when I look at "antiques" is old furniture. While I love to go to someones house and see an eclectic mix of interesting, old pieces, I'm doomed to live in my Billy Bookcase-lined rooms for lack of imagination.

What about you guys? Can you see the forest for the trees or are you imaginationally challenged like me?

Total debt: $2400 and a bit (Not for much longer...)
Spent today: $0

The politics of wanting

I'm eating a piece of Apple Crumble pie. Doesn't that seem appropriate for election night? I'm also multitasking and trying to decide which channel is best for coverage. It's a historic night! I am writing this post on a historic night.

But, of course, I'm not going to post about political things. I'm going to post about stuff that I want, but can't have. Namely this house.

This is quite close to the modest apartment that the DP and I share. On a street that I love. There was an open house this past weekend and I made the mistake of checking it out.

It's beeeeyoutiful! Of course, it's way too big for the cat, the DP and I. We could each have our own floor and the basement would still be empty. The wine cellar thingy would be wasted on us. Oh, and obviously we cannot afford it. But I love it. Very, very much.

Something else I want - and could afford - but won't let myself have right now is this. In a nice deep purple. And some new pants to go with it.

But I'm getting close and I refuse to ring in 2009 without closing my damn student loan account!

Send me your strength. And think blue.

Total debt: $2400 and a bit
Spent yesterday and today: $6-ish

A day at the museum

It was a very, very expensive (that's French for expensive) weekend around these parts. Not that we did anything crazy! But a day at the Royal Ontario Museum is simply not cheap.

First there's $22 just to get in. And then you spend $10+ on a bit of lunch. (Tasty lunch, though. Well done ROM!) And then, once the museum has kicked your ass, you have to stop at Starbucks for tea and treats just so you have enough energy to get home. And that costs $5+.

Our lovely houseguest was kind enough to treat us to our beloved Hero Burger for dinner last night. (Post-museum none of us had the inclination to actually prepare anything.)
And then there was the $55 on groceries today. Oh, and $5 on lottery tickets yesterday, because the jackpot was $39 million. (We didn't win. Surprise, surprise.)

Basically, I spent my entire week's budget in two days. However, I thought this might happen, so I did save an extra $40 in my account, since I do have some social events to attend this week. And that's okay. Sometimes it's okay to blow a huge chunk of money on a cultural experience.

Here are a few of our photos. (We have none from the diamond exhibit, because we
weren't allowed!)











Total debt: $2400 and a bit
Spent this weekend: $100-ish

A new number!

Okay, Saturday morning post to tell you all that some more money trickled in today, so I have a new number! (It's not a spectacular new number, but at least it's new.)

Total debt: $2400 and a bit! (And soon to come down much, much more.)
Spent today: I don't know yet! But there definitely will be some spending.