Tip Of The Day: Behold, my anxiously awaited Spending Recap for last week! Okay, maybe you don’t long for it with bated breath. And perhaps, you don’t give a hoo-hah what I spend each week – but it’s my own personal challenge, and I’m really trying to stick with it.
Tip For Tomorrow: More reader tidbits of savings goodness, to include an awesome Amazon tip from our Stunt Girl. She’s been risking her lives and limbs again to bring us the latest in frugality.
Further Elucidation Of My Cheap Deal: Every week, I sit down with my receipts and figure out exactly what damage I’ve inflicted on my checking account. Sometimes it’s embarrassing (how much fast food can one Chick EAT?), sometimes it’s revelatory (clearly, I’m addicted to Target), and sometimes I’m surprised by my own savings (Menards FTW!).
My goal is to track my weekly spending for one full year. With any luck, I’ll save money with this exercise. If not, at least I’ll have a very clear idea of where my money goes – something many of us turn a blind eye to. This week, much of my cash went toward Christmas gifts, as well as a VERY annoying purchase of vast expense.
Weekly Spending Recap, “On The Second Week Of Christmas, My True Love Shopped For Me – I Wish” Edition:
Monday, December 7
Target, groceries for my belly and TP for the aftermath, $19.85
Tuesday, December 8
SuperAmerica, gas for the guzzler and food to stave off hunger-induced rage, $23.22
Menards, saved big money there on cleaning supplies, $9.89
Wednesday, December 9
Archiver’s, ginormous hole puncher, $13.91
Half Price Books, holiday cards (if you send me a card, I WILL send one back), $5.33
Nameless store, gift for someone, $13.37
Another nameless store, another gift for a nameless someone (actually, two someone-s), $19.26
Thursday, December 10
Rainbow Foods, treat for Saturday for Ma and, $3.78
Walgreens, hair treatment (50% off a discontinued item) and more polish remover (good for getting Rub N Buff off your hands), $6.08
Friday, December 11
Yet one more nameless store, more gifts for more people, $23.48
You guessed it – ANOTHER store, more gifts and will it ever end?, $37.00
Saturday, December 12
South France BP, gas for le Honda (no, it’s not actually French), $20.00
Target, birthday card for Boo-Boo and THE MOST EXPENSIVE PRINTER CARTRIDGE IN THE WORLD HOLY GOD, $40.00
Walgreens, emergency holiday lights (buy one, get one FREE!), $4.28
Total For The Week: $229.45. If it hadn’t been for that INSANELY EXPENSIVE PRINTER CARTRIDGE OF DOOOOOOOOM, I would have spent under $200 for another Christmas shopping week. Sigh. Stupid, evil printers – I should have snuck into Edina Realty and printed my stuff off for FREE. Next time…
On the plus side, I’m almost done shopping. Good thing too, seeing as how Christmas is in 9 FREAKING DAYS, OH GOD, WHHHYYYYY???? Okay, I’ll stop yelling now. And to help calm us all down, let’s gaze upon something pretty, shall we?
![matt-damon-jason-bourne[1]](http://www.thecheapchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/matt-damon-jason-bourne1.jpg "matt-damon-jason-bourne[1]")
See, isn’t that better? I find looking at Matt Damon as Jason Bourne always cures whatever ails me – but only as Jason Bourne. I don’t find him attractive in any other roll:
![6a00d8341c730253ef0120a67fad1b970c-500wi[1]](http://www.thecheapchick.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/6a00d8341c730253ef0120a67fad1b970c-500wi1.jpg "6a00d8341c730253ef0120a67fad1b970c-500wi[1]")
Okay, maybe as a hot South African rugby player. I do like my men dirty and sweaty and beating up other guys. Yum.
3 Comments
Gah! You could have purchased a new printer for that! Craziness. Make sure you set your default to lower quality printing (then adjust the print properties when you have something that HAS to look good). Your ink will go a heckuva lot further.
My husband was watching the Bourne movies over the weekend and said “I hope you don’t mind” and I gave him a “no dear, whatever you want” while thinking “OH BOY, HOT MATT DAMON KICKING FOLKS BUTTS”. We must all try to be a little more giving this month, right?
And I am also going to try writing down whatever I spend next year. I’ve done a budget for 2 years but have not tracked cash expenses which can eat you alive. I’m trying to prepare for retirement (one of these years) and really need to see where the cash outlay is going. So thanks for the inspiration.
Unfortunately, those people are in the business of selling ink-dispensers, not printers, so the printer is the small portion of the expense. VERY annoying.
In other news, a tip for you! Today I shopped at (my very favorite store) Value Village. I found a pair of tall boots I wanted (because we all need just one more pair). They were marked $23.99. I found this excessive because they were NOT leather, were NOT a brand name I recognized, and the heel was rubber, not wood. I asked to see a pricer, voiced my opinion, and asked to have the price lowered. She did – $18.99. Never hurts to ask.