To make a financial-related post today, I spent some moolah and just about finished off my Christmas shopping. My kids are all done, now I just have 3 more gift cards to pick up and some stocking stuffers.

I've increased my contributions to my pre-tax savings account starting next month and received confirmation of this in the mail today. So my paycheck will be smaller, but in the long run, it will pay off. I just have to learn to live with the smaller paycheck. That and the increase in insurance premiums will have a noticeable difference in my paycheck I fear. I'll know what to expect starting in January. And I'll learn to live with it!

Usually I am easy going, and I like to be flexible and try to accommodate everyone. But I hit my limit at work yesterday. It felt great to tell this over-bearing battle-axe to quit trying to dictate the schedules of the assistants so that she could do less work. Of course she huffed off to the administration, who told her yes, the additional assistant was going to work in my room Friday. It was great how she back-tracked, acting like I didn't tell her why I was assigned the assistant for that day. She came back, acting like it was "her" idea to "let" me use the assistant. As if she was the one who made the decision! Eh, whatever lets her save face! I will have no problem dealing with this pushy woman again.
Since it felt so nice dealing with a problem head-on, I am going to start doing so more often. It feels like it is the next step to my whole life change, the one where I stop procrastinating and putting things off. My whole theory is that if I get things done early, and meet issues head on, I get them taken care of and then there is less stress on my system. It feels like it is working.

After a much-needed 4 day break, we are back at school. I spent no money today. It is the first no-spend day in quite a while!

My girls and I enjoyed a quiet evening after school. I worked out for 20 minutes this morning and then ran 2 miles after work, before dinner. I get the exercise in whenever I can, somehow. Although to be honest, there are plenty of times that I can exercise but don't exercise.

I also finished all of my classwork tonight, fortunately this week is a shorter unit than all of the others. 4 more weeks to go, then class #2 of 5 will be finished! It feels so good to have the schoolwork done ahead of schedule, one less "have to do" hanging over my shoulder all week. The trick was to go directly to my school's website, instead of checking email, bank account, or this site! Once I start surfing I get lazy and don't want to do the important stuff. Maybe that will work for me in the morning, too. To not even get on the computer before I exercise.

Yesterday was a pleasant day off. SO and I put together a storage cube set for the girls' room. The girls played Wii nicely together and made a gummy dessert all by themselves. I ran two miles with little DD on the scooter behind me. We cooked our holiday dishes, I studied about an hour, and then we went to dinner at my brother's house.

On the way home from dinner I stopped at Walmart to pick up some jeans on sale for little DD. It was a mad house, but the store seemed to have it under control.

SO is commuter car shopping so we are going out today to check out some models we researched online. Other than that, running 3-4 miles and studying 2-3 hours are the only other tasks on my "have to do" list. We won't need to do much cooking for a few days as we have plenty of leftovers.

Any purchases I have made this week have been on the credit card so that I earn cash back. So today I will transfer more money to the credit card to cover those expenses.

I know lately I've felt pretty crazy: work is nonstop during the day, the usual homework/showers/lunches at night, my own homework for a tough class on the weekends, and trying to fit in exercise throughout the week. When I feel overwhelmed I start to forget things. And procrastinate. It has gotten to be a bad habit, and it needs to STOP.

Game plan: I'm still working out the details.

-Slim down my "priority" list.

-Delegate computer/vegging out time to after the night routine, and save the early mornings for exercise. Exercise will make me feel way more relaxed and ready to start the day than some quiet time on the computer. I need to not even turn the computer on in the morning. I can putter around the kitchen and do some cleaning while I wake up and drink my coffee, then do my run on the treadmill before waking up the kids. I've done this twice this week, baby steps.

-I need to commit to one night a week as the "cleaning and laundry" night. It won't take long, maybe an hour tops if everyone pitches in. Then I won't have household chores hanging over my head throughout the week. Wednesday night is best for our family schedule.

-Plan a few minutes after work to make calls to doctors and service providers, so that these chores don't build up. Just make it automatic after quitting time (I can leave at 3, so most places are still open), to mentally go through my phone call list. Better yet, I'm going to set up remnders on my phone to pop up at 3pm to "call doctor/bank/etc".

I know that when my life runs more smoothly everything else will fall into place: my finances, my fitness, and my family life. Just takes some time to form into habits. By Christmas these should be habits!

Are there any tips/suggestions that work in your life that others can implement to make things simpler or more streamlined? I know I am always looking for new ideas that work!

I feel like it should be Friday evening, after a long week at work, not Tuesday morning! But I'm assuming once I get the kids up and we are in the car, the day will just pick up as I get into the routine of the week. Just a bit worn out, that's all. I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving break, it will be our first holiday off since the beginning of the year.

I didn't finish all of my homework last night. I can finish it during the week, it is maybe 2 hours of video and note taking. The class online is tonight, so that will help answer a lot of questions when I talk with my instructor. It's just a tough unit. Then I take another test this weekend. By Christmas I should have the final exam finished and I can enjoy my break before I decide when to take the next course. If I complete 2 out of 5 then I must keep going until I earn the certificate, really.

We are taking a break from hula lessons until January because of my class. I hate to do that because we really enjoy the lessons, but I can't do everything all at once. When this class is done I will get back into it. A few months off is understandable.

A coworker and I exercised after work yesterday, I always feel better when I exercise. If I don't I feel like I'm missing something important. I need to listen to that nagging feeling that I'm missing something and go exercise instead of ignoring it. I know that exercise helps keep me sane!

Nothing exciting on the money front until payday Thursday. I'm only half-way looking at real estate deals. I don't really have the energy to look for investment properties right now. I think I just have too much on my plate. Work, family, school, it's enough for now.

I took a 2 mile jog around a nearby neighborhood this morning with my little DD on her scooter. I had to cut the jog shorter than usual (because that one leg doing all the pushing on the scooter gets tired after a while!), but it was worth it to have DD with me.

After a quick shower we all went to church, where SO's coworker and her family joined us. Then we went out to lunch. SO, her friend, and her friend's husband are all active duty military, so they each got a free appetizer that we all shared. After a leisurely lunch we stopped at a nearby grocery store to pick up a birthday cake for my mother. SO received a 12% discount on her grocery bill, that was a nice gesture from the grocery store!

Back home big DD gave the dog a bath and dressed her in a cute little summer dress because it has gotten so warm here today. We are taking her to my mom's tonight for her birthday dinner, our dog plays with her new puppy! I quickly sewed a dog bed to give to my mom along with her birthday present. This bed didn't take too long, I'm getting the hang of sewing! I'll take a picture of it tonight with the dog testing it out and upload it to my blog later.

All that is left on my "have to do" list is some homework and then dinner at my mom's house. All in all a peaceful, productive Veteran's day. I'm refreshed and I'll be ready to take on another week at school.

I took the girls trick or treating this year. Usually their dad does this, but he was working out of town this week. We all had a blast, my mom's neighborhood really went all out for it. You could tell the adults at each house were having as much fun as the kids!

November 1, fresh start of a new month. Now that we are not selling the house after all I can take out the decorations that I have. I don't have too many decorations, I have really been training myself to say "no" over the years! I've been decorating with live gourds and pumpkins that I just toss at the end of the season, so combined with the few decorations I do have the house will look just right.

I have done a little bit of Christmas shopping but I need to pick up the pace. I have some money set aside this paycheck to order a few more gifts.

Sticking to my workout plan and limiting eating out is a priority this month. It will keep me healthy and keep me sane, nothing compares to the endorphin rush after a good run!

Today I finished errands: picked up a refill of meds for $5.00, got our regular groceries (only $51, a savings of $30!), and dropped off a check to my daughter's voice teacher. Now I can hide out in the house until this storm passes.

This afternoon we discovered a leak in our upstairs bathroom, from the window made of glass blocks. Luckily it is dripping right into the bathtub, but we will have to deal with that once the storm passes. It hasn't even hit yet, hoping this will be the extent of damage.

I spent the rest of the afternoon doing homework for the course I'm taking and graphing data collected from my students.

I ran 3 miles and did a quick 15 minute kettlebell and abs workout. It's amazing how fast your heartrate can go up just lifting some weights.

SO and I have decided that the girls and I will remain in this house when she gets her orders. She may be moving to D.C. which is only a few hours away. I want to keep the girls in their current schools and near family. Now we are just working on a budget to make all of this work out financially.

The girls just returned from their dad's house and are doing homework and crafts. Planning on a quiet night!

I was up at 4:30 to take SO to the airport, she's checking out a car whe wants to purchase a few states over. Apparently it's such a deal that it is worth the trip, we'll see when she gets back.
After the airport I headed over to Wal-mart (what else is open at 5am?) and picked up some "storm supplies": water, ramen noodles, toilet paper, wine. Only when I checked out did I discover that our state does not permit beer and wine sales until after 6am! Darn, there went my breakfast plans!
I got home and had enough time to run 2 miles on the treadmill, shower, and head to the car service station for some routine maintenance. While I waited I drank coffee and read a book, two of my favorite things!
When I came back home I did some cleaning before I picked up the girls from their dad's house. I was taking the oldest to pick out a Halloween costume. She's 13, a tough age for costumes- most costumes are either "kid costume" or "trampy costume". We lucked out and found one we both approved of, Red Riding Hood. Before I dropped them off with dad again we stopped at the new Target and picked up some ink for my printer, as I have more study guides to print out for my class.
I took a test for my class. We are allowed to take test A and B, and we keep the highest of the two grades. I took both of the tests, and scored a 78 and then a 95. I am going to take both tests every week. Not only does it give me an extra chance to improve my score, but it is also extra practice. 9 weeks to go!
All I have left to do tonight is print out my study guide and then pick up SO from the airport. She was planning on driving the car home, but with the impending storm she is choosing to have the car delivered later in the week.
Tomorrow I plan to sleep in, run, and do several hours of studying. I know this class is seriously cutting into my free time, but it will be worth it. Plus I still get to do the really important things- spend time with my family, work, and exercise, so it isn't that terrible. I just have to be very careful with my time.

I jogged 50 minutes this morning, so I will count that as 5 miles! That is a "long" run for me, usually I have been running about 3 miles at a time.

The rest of the day will be quiet as well. I have homework to do for my class, that can easily eat up the rest of the day. I also want to start sewing an apron I am going to give as a birthday gift.

I may also check out a thrift store for some work shirts. I look for well made ones that are professional yet comfortable. And if they get ruined by activities throughout the day then I won't get upset.

We are grilling ribs for dinner, looking forward to that! It's supposed to be in the low 80s today, love October around here and will enjoy the warm weather as long as it lasts!

Although today was a cold, rainy Sunday, I've enjoyed puttering around the house getting things done in an easy fashion.

After church this morning SO and I decided to clean out the garage a bit. We tossed out the dollar store summer toys and some other things I was holding onto if we ever had a yard sale. Now I can happily say that both of our cars fit into our two car garage! I'm going to enjoy loading up the car from the garage this winter as opposed to the great outdoors!

I then made some tuna pasta salad for lunches this week and drank lots of coffee. After cooking I learned how to make a grocery tote bag out of a t-shirt off the internet. I made two bags out of old t-shirts, and they are pretty cute, if I say so myself!
Finally, I did a Rosetta Stone lesson online while dinner was cooking.

I love having fun without spending any money! It's only 6:30 right now, so I have the rest of the night to read and relax and get the kids all set up before we start another week. I will work on loosening up so I don't get so upset at the things I cannot control. No more complaining! That doesn't solve anything and only brings more negative things into my day.

Love my Fridays! My girls' dad should be back in town from his trip so the plan is for me to drop them off for the weekend after voice lessons. They will be happy to see him, he's been gone several weeks. I usually don't do much else on Friday nights, I'm pretty wiped out by the end of the week. Plus SO is on watch tonight til 10pm. I stopped at the thrift store last night, though, and picked up some easy reads so I will be content to read tonight!

I injured myself at work Wed lunging for the door when one of my students was having a huge meltdown and was about to make a break for it. I went ahead and used the workmans comp doctor to have it checked out. Pulled the hamstring. I'm bummed because it is a reinjury- 2 years ago I spent the summer going to physical therapy for that pulled hamstring! I really don't want to go through the long recovery process again.

Despite the work nonsense I want to get healthy again. Healthy body and healthy mind, I've been doing too much "thinking" and it's bringing me down. So work is not perfect, oh well. I have so many wonderful things in my life to be thankful for, I must step away from all of the negative thoughts and rejoice in the positive while taking steps to make things better. That's another reason why I picked up some cheap, easy reads. It's a way for me to relax and get my mind off of my problems.

What I do know is that shopping and buying some gadget, or "treating" myself to an expensive meal, is not going to make me feel better. Spending money I don't need to spend makes things worse, not better. At least I have learned that through the years!

We did eat out Saturday, it was planned on the menu. We started with our favorite Indian place, delicious! We both ordered a drink but split an appetizer and entree. We still had enough left over for lunch the next day! Then we stopped at the Cheesecake Factory for dessert because we had a gift card I had received after taking a survey. I will be having the rest of my cheesecake for dessert at work today, something nice to look forward to!

I ran 4 miles on Sunday and did 2 hours of work, just to make a dent in the mandatory paperwork. I also did a lot of driving around to pick up kids and drop them off at different places. I dropped my 13 year old at the mall with a friend, it was her first time without me with her. It was the same mall I used to hang out at when I was a kid, I am now officially OLD! Ha!

Lunches are all planned for the week, and dinners too, through Friday. The gas tank was filled yesterday, laundry is done, I want a smooth week!

No eating out: 7/9 days

I think that the only money I spent this week was $2 for a bottle of mineral water and an iced tea for my daughter to take her medicine with (I bribe her with a tasty drink to take fish oil capsules). Since the mineral water was for myself I have to count that as eating out.

So for the week thus far, 6/7 no eating out days.

Both of my girls are signed up for the lessons of their choice, so we have our weekly schedule down now. My coworkers and I started our workouts after school yesterday, so that will also become part of our routine. Now it is up to me to stick to my plans of getting some running miles down on the weekends. No one can do it for me!

Plans for the weekend include grocery shopping, putting together a present for my dad's birthday, running a bunch of miles, and doing a few hours of work. The girls will be spending the night with their grandparents tonight. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

I'm shell-shocked from the first week back! Our class is very BUSY- a very busy, young group. But really sweet, and so much potential! I can't wait for things to settle down and we can start to really see what our students can do. Right now we are still learning the schedule, getting them into a routine.

I'm pressed for time right now and I'll do more reflecting later, haven't had much chance to review the budget really.

No eating out:6/6 days

Nothing too exciting for us, but I was pleased. The girls had a few birthday gift cards to cash in so we took them to a few stores. Then we all went to the pool for a final swim before it closes for the season. Wah. I don't know why it closes so early in our neighborhood, it stays in the high 80s and 90s for a good month! It felt so nice to swim, though, something I've always loved doing.

After swimming I was energized and got on the treadmill. I ran 4 miles, yippee! After showering and a bit more cleaning in the house, we had dinner and dance class.

Last night I researched dance classes for youngest DD, and registered her for one that she has been interested in for a while. That is an additional $48 a month. Still checking into vocal lessons for my other DD. I will have to do a bit of rearranging with the budget to cover these new expenses. I'll wait until the weekend to do that. I've got enough to think about today!
This morning everything should go smoothly. Outfits are picked out, lunches are packed, even breakfast is laid out as much as possible. Now I just need the girls to cooperate!
I didn't spend any money on eating out this month so far- I was treated to dinner and I also used a birthday gift card for coffee, but that is it.
No eating out: 3/3 days

Yesterday I made it out to one store, despite my miserably sick state. I picked up more clothes for the girls and was able to take advantage of a shoe sale so that I could get new running shoes for myself for just $25! I came home and took a nap, then spent a few hours finishing up a blanket I started sewing.

I finally had a good night of sleep and I'm getting better. I plan to help the girls go through their clothes and shoes and get rid of everything that isn't going to get worn, then make a stop at the local thrift store to deliver the goods.

My friend and I will start our afterschool workouts starting tomorrow, I'm looking forward to that! It's more fun with a friend, but besides my afterschool workouts all my other workouts tend to be done at home whenever they can be fit in.

I plan to be much more organized with the lunch packing and clothes planning with the girls this year, to avoid any morning rush. I want everything done the night before that can be taken care of. I need to stick with that.

I was browsing family cars online (SO was curious about a model) and an offer for a $25 gift card popped up if we would do a test drive. Last night we went to the dealer to cash in the deal. We didn't have to go on the test drive because we really had no intention of buying a new car, especially since we will be moving possibly overseas within the next year. The $25 Target gift card will go for Christmas presents!

We are postponing the cruise for a bit. There is new administration at work, my roster has doubled, and I just don't feel comfortable taking some days off in October. I will keep the money in there for the holidays, and then by next summer we will be ready to do some more traveling.

at least it felt that way! We had three birthday parties in a week and two dinners out. Now that it is Monday, it has caught up to me and my shorts felt tight all day! But the parties are over with and the leftovers are done, too. Today I had 3 veggie servings and 2 fruits, so I'm getting back on the better eating band wagon.

I also need to get back on the low spending band wagon. Those meals out and parties weren't cheap, and to be honest the meals out were not worth it. I'm going to make September my "no eating out" month. North Georgia Girl and others have inspired me!

I'm almost done shopping for school stuff. I set a limit of $250 to include clothes, supplies, and haircuts for 2 girls. So far I've spent $200, including some clothes, most school supplies, haircuts and quality shampoo liters. With the remaining $50 I will get the remaining supplies for the girls (shouldn't be more than $10), and bookbags and lunch packs. I will do that shopping this weekend.

I'm back at work now, started last week, getting my room set up and planning. I spent $70 today on an online subscription for an education website that will really help out my class. I'm confident it will be worth the money, I've tested it out in another classroom. So there's no more extra money this week in the budget, but it's ok, I paid myself and my bills first, I can manage until Friday.

The annual Polynesian festival is here, and our group danced yesterday and will dance again this morning. It is total chaos, but we had a great time yesterday. It is on a big outdoor stage right at the beach. So after a few hours of standing around, keeping track of kids, then dressing, it was finally time to perform. A few mistakes here and there, but I was proud of our show regardless. And glad to have it over with!

Of course, after all the chaos, the kids just wanted to go to the beach to play in the waves. So I took 6 of them down to the water and played in the waves with them and watched as they dug a pool in the sand. It was a fun afternoon. My own girls had a great time, I really enjoyed spending the day with them.

We brought home ribs from one of the vendors for $24. Looove Hawaii barbq! We had sides at home along with the ribs, and we still have ribs leftover for a lunch. So for $24 the four of us ate a nice meal plus a little left over.

The only other money spent was $10 for parking.

Today the festival is providing breakfast for the dancers, but I'll still have to pay $10 for parking. I will probably buy a coffee as well. We will most likely be eating lunch at the beach,too. We will probably stay at our group's booth after our performance to sell items. I will pack some food so maybe we can get by with not purchasing full meals for 4 people...

I'm pretty proud of this, it's a lap pad with a cupcake pattern on one side and a fun orange fabric on the back. It weighs 3 pounds. I made it for my classroom.


Weighted lap pads and other weighted objects are often useful to students with sensory issues. You know the kid who just can't sit still, no matter what?Frequently students with autism, attention-deficit disorders, or other disabilities feel more "grounded" with some weight on them and are more able to attend to the present moment. Kind of like when we get x-rays at the dentist and have to wear that weighted lead vest. I actually like that feeling!

I had fun with it and I'm going to continue perfecting my sewing skills, with different patterns and fabrics. My students can try them all out for me!

Yesterday was a NSD, felt good to have one, finally! DD used a birthday gift card to pick up a game on sale at a gaming store. Then we picked up DD2's new glasses, these were paid for when we ordered them a week ago.

Last night I used a groupon deal I had purchased, a month of boot camp classes. I was miserable, but in a good way,I guess! Very tough workout. I was able to keep up, though. I should be able to attend at least 2-3 classes a week until school starts back up for teachers. Then I will have to look at my schedule and the cost of continuing classes. During the school year I do most of my workouts in my classroom afterschool and on my treadmill on the weekends.

Dinner out is already planned with SO and one of her friends, so I have some planned spending tonight. Planned eating out is acceptable this month. Eating out because I didn't plan or I'm feeling lazy is not acceptable, there is no room in my budget for that.

My little dog hasn't been out walking much this summer, she just can't stand the heat. At most we can take her on a short walk around the neighborhood after the sun goes down, but even then it is often still too hot for her. I just realized that mornings are probably better still, because things have cooled off overnight with the sun gone. Plus she gets to run through all the dew that has accumulated on the grass. A little messy, but nice and cool for my dog! I took her out this morning a little before 7am, we were able to do a nice 15-20 minute walk. She wasn't even panting when we were through. Looks like I've got a new routine until the school year starts up again!

Today I plan on mopping the floors, running 3 miles, and doing some cooking. I'm going to do the running at the gym where SO works, so I can meet up with her during her lunch break. I'm bringing my lunch so there is no expense, we just want to spend some time together.

I'm hashing out the plans for little DDs birthday party (Summer is the party season in my family). It will be at the pool. Her dad is providing the meat for the party, as DD has asked for kalbi ribs. For such a big party that would get expensive, so I'm glad her dad already volunteered to do the grilling. So the menu looks like: Kalbi ribs, red rice, baked macaroni and cheese, hummus and tortillas, and green bean casserole! My child's tastes span the globe

Ok,better get started on my free-yet-fulfilling activities for the day! It sounds a little mundane, but I'll feel good afterwards.

Even though it rained steadily, and our pool party had to turn into a house party at the last hour, my daughter had an awesome 13th birthday party! The house looked great, just some simple decorations and glow sticks. The pizza was the most expensive, because I bought so many, and we bought my daughter's favorite, not the cheapest. But we gave out leftover pizza and froze the rest. A friend of ours told us that if you freeze pizza, and just reheat it in the oven, it tastes fine.
I really enjoyed making my girl happy with a simple party with her closest friends. She can be so sweet and you could tell by looking at her that she was having a great time. xoxo

I went ahead and paid summer camps, birthdays and travel out of savings, instead of the credit card. That way I can continue to put money in savings each paycheck instead of sending it to the credit cards. My savings is intended for the things that don't come up every day. I guess I do have a short-term savings account that will flow up and down (this is the account that I will have $5,000 saved by December). I also have my long-term savings which I will transfer most of the cash to when it hits $5,000. Then the plan is to start saving in the short-term account again.

Savings will get back up to speed again, though. Child support has been an issue lately, that has impacted my finances the most. All bills and expenses are still covered, but I have little left over to save. With the paycheck on the first, though, I should be back to saving something each paycheck.

I had an amazing time in Europe, for 5 quick days! I didn't spend too much money, because I have an aversion to "stuff" in my house and my SO covered all of the food and drinks with her dining allowance. I did spend plenty on souvenirs for the family, and my girls loved the things I brought back for them.

As soon as we got back I had my first training for the part time job. I felt good vibes from the company, not sure how to explain that. The staff seemed very professional and "fresh", not beaten down like so many workers seem to appear nowadays. I'm looking forward to starting with them, though it will be a very challenging job. I have already received my first case, and I shadow my supervisor this week to meet the client and family. I wish I could devote more time to this company, but I can only really do the minimum at this time, about 15 hours a week, since I have a full time job as it is. When I meet the family we will decide on a schedule that is acceptable to both of us, so it should be pretty flexible. It's perfect for the summer, as I like having a little something to keep me in the game. It's when I start back in the classroom in the fall that I am worried about keeping up with everything.

According to my Oriental Trading calendar today is Log Cabin Day, so my daughters and I are heading to a local park with the dog to pick up little sticks. We will make a log cabin for the Barbies. Add a break to go to the pool and some dance lessons, and Monday is covered!

A few more days at school, then I'm leaving out of the country for a few days to meet up with SO! So right now there is "zero" down time. Even as I'm procrastinating reading these blogs, there are a million other things I am supposed to be doing!

I haven't thought too much about the part-time position yet, because I don't have the training until I get back. I am concerned about the impact it may have on my home life. My mom has already agreed to help out with child care as needed. I pay her for this, because I don't want her to feel like I'm taking advantage of her. And SO is willing to help out as much as she can after work. They all know that this position can help my career path.

I need to decide if I will sign up for the next class, class 2 out of 5. The first one was a killer, but I kept at it. I think I'm ready for class #2, it starts July 15. I'll be working part time by then, so summer classes should be easy, but it doesn't end until October 8, a month after school starts. Which means beginning of school year mayhem AND tough class of my own to finish up. But I can do it, one class at a time!

I've looked at my credit and debit card accounts online, and I spend way too much money on food. Coffee, meals out, this is adding up. I grocery shop every week, there is food in my house, I'm just giving in to laziness. It doesn't even save that much time to eat out- you still need to sit there and be waited on, and you still have to wait for your food to be cooked! Fortunately I don't usually do fast food, that's just gross to me. But restaurant food isn't much better, just costs more.

Problem #1: After work, 15 minutes from home, feeling weary and hungry.
Solution: Have a meal in the fridge already prepared, that just needs to be heated. Think about how delicious, healthy and cheap a home cooked meal will taste after a long day at work.

Problem #2: Out in town, running errands, away from the house.
Solution: Before I leave the house stock a cooler bag with snacks and drinks that we may need during the day: water bottles, fruit, snacks.

Problem #3: Needing to eat a meal while engaging in entertainment on the weekends (such as out of town, at a festival)

Solution: First, stock a cooler bag and keep it in the car. That way, if we do get hungry or thirsty I can try to postpone the purchase by reminding everyone that we have goodies in the car if we can only wait a little bit. (I'm as bad as the kids at this one, if I get hungry or thirsty, I turn a bit whiny!)

Then, try to plan for these events: bring a set amount of cash, and try to leave the event with cash left over. If out of town: Plan to eat meals out that are actual entertainment, meals that are enjoyed. If it's not "special", make it a meal that you can eat in the room. Those random breakfast, lunch, dinner meals eaten out add up fast.

I'm glad I wrote all of this out, it was in my head, I knew what I needed to do, but now I feel like I have a plan to counteract all of the food spending I was doing!

I'm expecting a productive day at work, I've got end of the year paperwork I've got to get started on somehow.

I showed the condo yesterday, now that the tenant moved out. Hoping it won't take too long to find another tenant. I can afford to pay the mortgage if it's empty, but it will take most of my monthly savings to do so. So the sooner I get a tenant the better. Every day I will take a step to make my condo a more efficient investment. Yesterday I showed the condo. Today I will reschedule the carpet cleaners. This weekend I will purchase the new appliances. Then I can show it any day next week except Tue and Thu. The painter will be out there on Wed.

I don't know about the $10,000 goal. Unless I can figure out a way to make $1,000 in June! I may have to push the goal to the end of July. Which is ok, considering the circumstances.