Well, I think I have a few partners-in-crime for my projects to make more affordable and adorable christmas gifts! Some friends were over last night and we're gonna try to coordinate schedules and talents to make dreams come true.

I've been super busy, and I can't seem to get around to make lunches for work. All my salad fixin's are going bad! Arg!

Yikes, I spent alot of money today. First, it was five bucks for a bagel and a drink for breakfast, then my cell phone bill (two months for $100) then $70 on a pair of jeans. Next, to the craft store to spend $35 on supplies for a project that I'll get $50 back on. Then, to the market and $38 on food. Eeep.

I debated for some time about the jeans, but they are the same brand, cut and wash of jeans that I have been wearing for the past three years, and this will be my fourth pair (I've actually worn holes in delicate places of all three other pairs, that's how much I love wearing jeans), so I am confident that my cost per wear will make up for the large price tag.

But, today I also got a case of free beer and a free TiVO box. It'll be a long time before I can use that TiVo, though!

The best things in life are free

I love finding a song in my musical library that has been around for years and I never really appreciated, and then one day, you hear it at the right time (early morning) with the right weather (oppressively hot with an occasional life-saving breeze) and you become suddenly obsessed with this magical little tune, and wonder why you never realized how fantastic it was earlier.

This time it's Gordon Downie's "Lofty Pines":

"Je suis nee pour la chaleur,"
she said, in her Manhattan French.
"On ne peut rien faire de la chaleur,"
We'll just have to take that chance.
We've got world enough and time,
dreaming of the Lofty Pines...

Well, my second-job boss nixed my overtime for this upcoming week, so I get today off. Sunday is a nice day to have off, a good day to get organized and relax before the week starts all over again. I've been checking out my expenses and trying to see where my trouble spots are. I'm still spending too much on drinks and snacks at the second job, even though I bring food and tea bags. I need to get tougher on myself!

I also decided that I can't buy magazines anymore. I was such a sucker for them whenever I was travelling or babysitting, and I have a huge stack that must have cost me $300. I should tally up all the cover prices. I decided it's enough, and, in true debtor fashion (no pun intended), bought the largest Vogue ever as my last magazine. It's 840 pages! It's heavy enough to knock someone out! I'm recycling all the other magazines and just putting this in its place, as a reminder that i'm not buying these anymore. And it only cost me $4.99. Before you yell at me, I worked eight hours of overtime yesterday and then five babysitting for a total of 12 hours and $230 dollars. So let me be.

When it rains, it pours! I got calls from two of the organizations I volunteer for asking if I had ANY time to work on some critical things this week. I'm juggling alot and I'm not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Usually volunteer work is really gratifying, but this week it's just really inconvienient. It's making me think maybe I should scale back some of this stuff, at least until I'm on more solid financial footing.

The work begins...

My weekend was lost to two long shifts at the second job, although I did have dinner with a friend Saturday which was nice (and almost free, since I brought a $3 dessert of M&M's and fruit!). I bought food at work both days. Bad, bad, bad. But I went to the market today and got the goods for sandwiches and salads to last me through the week, and if I get bored with those, I'll bring in leftovers.

When I got home tonight, I did some serious internet searching on what to say when I call my credit card companies to lower my interest rates, and broke down and paid to check my credit score. Good news, though! It went up 27 points since I checked it last year! It may not seem like alot, but my fair/good credit score was really making me self-conscious about calling up the companies, so it's helping me feel much better!

The Tough Workaholic

Well, turns out I'll be working more than 80 hours for the next two weeks! Yikes! I picked up an extra 16 hours of overtime for this week and 8 for next so that's 40 regular, and between 48 and 56 at the second job, plus I put in 51 hours last week. A friend is coming in at the beginning of next month, so I'll spend a few days with her and get a bunch more hours in September when she leaves.

Unfortunately, some home maintenance that I thought would cost around $300 actually turned out to be $600. So some of this extra work will be going towards that little bill.

Hi There

I'm back! Did you miss me?

I went on a nice, long, frugal vacation, which was immediately followed by a nice, long, seven-day 103 degree fever and stomach virus. A round of IV fluids, antibiotics, tylenol and immodium cocktails and I'm (almost) back to normal! Phew!

I must say, I adore my health insurance. The whole mess cost me under $50 (plus the cost of Gatorade).

I've been a little distracted, obviously, but I get paid tomorrow and will be sending all of it along to my debtors...

Good thing I'm feeling better, because I'll be working 80-work-weeks until the end of August to raise some funds. Focus, focus! I can't wait for the relief of being debt-free!