I dropped the total in my goal title from $200 to $150 since we won’t have to get a lawn mower… really I should drop it to $100, but I still haven’t gone out shopping for area rugs, of which I’ll need a couple, so I don’t know what kinds of prices I’ll find. I also realized that a new vacuum cleaner doesn’t have to be too high on the priority list, because only two of the rooms are carpeted and the rest is hardwood, so the dinky little stick vacuum I already have will do for now.
Hooray! One less thing we’ll need to buy. I’d assumed that we would need to buy a lawn mower, but didn’t think about the fact that my boyfriend’s sister only lives a few blocks from our new house. So for now, at least, we’ll just pop over and borrow hers when we need it. I’ll probably keep an eye out at yard sales and such, but no rush!
Went to Pier One to exchange some stemware I’d received for my birthday, only to find a big sale going on: buy one, get one half-off for all dining items! Not good for my wallet. So I exchanged the four wine glasses I had for six of the ones I wanted, then got four lovely placemats that I really hope will match the color of the dining room, four napkin rings, and four margarita glasses.
- 6 wine glasses: 3 at $6, 3 at $3… $28.62 with tax
- 4 margarita glasses: 2 at $2, 2 at $1… $6.36 with tax
- 4 placemats: 2 at $4, 2 at $2… $12.72 with tax
- 4 napkin rings: 2 at $1.28, 2 at $0.64… $4.07 with tax
Total: $51.77… minus $25.44 in returns… $26.33
- 7:00 AM: 2 packets low-sugar apple and cinnamon oatmeal, 1 tbsp. honey
- 7:30 AM: 3 marshmallow Peeps (I was weak! Can’t resist them!)
- 9:45 AM: 1 hard-boiled egg
- 11:00 AM: about 1 cup penne with vodka cream sauce
- 1:00 PM: mandarin orange fruit cup
- 2:45 PM: oatmeal creme cookie (vending machine… BAD!)
We’re moving into a new house in April, and there is a large room in the basement that I’m planning to claim at least half of as my art studio. So once we’re settled in, I’m going to start painting furniture again and trying to sell it. Would be nice to have a little extra income from that, since it’s something I can have fun with anyway!
- 7:15 AM: 2 packets low-sugar apple and cinnamon oatmeal, 1 tbsp. honey
- 10:30 AM: about 1 cup penne with vodka cream sauce
- 11:00 AM: mandarin orange fruit cup
- 1:30 PM: 1 hard-boiled egg
- 2:30 PM: sugar-free peach fruit cup
(EDIT: forgot what I had for dinner!)
I came into work this morning having only found 3 MEASLY PENNIES this whole week, and was very disappointed to have to report such a lame total. But I visited the breakroom on the way into the office and decided to check underneath the vending machines. Voila... two quarters and a penny! So now I can more happily report $0.54 for the week. (Must try to check there more often, but it’s a bit embarrassing to get down on the floor if the breakroom is not empty.)
3/10/07 – 3/16/07: $0.54
Quarters: 2
Dimes: 0
Nickels: 0
Pennies: 4
Grand total: $3.56
Had to change the goal from “one month” to “30 days” since I never get around to recording the weekends. 30 days, 30 entries, works for me!
- 7:15 AM: 2 packets of low-sugar apple and cinnamon oatmeal, 1 tbsp. honey
- 9:15 AM: 1 hard-boiled egg
- 11:00 AM: about 1 cup homemade chicken and noodles
- 12:15 PM: tropical fruit cup
- 2:00 PM: handful of baby carrots
- 5:00 PM: 5 powdered mini-doughnuts (BAD!)
- 8:00 PM: penne with vodka cream sauce, asparagus, garlic bread, 2 glasses of wine
- 10:00-11:45 PM: three popsicles (damn basketball tournament!)
- 7:15 AM: 2 packets low-sugar apple and cinnamon oatmeal, 1 tbsp. honey
- 9:30 AM: 1 hard-boiled egg
- 10:30 AM: tropical fruit cup
- 11:00 AM: 8 reduced-fat Pringles
- 12:00-1:00 PM: 5 Girl Scout cookies (that was the last of them, no more!)
- 1:30 PM: about 20 baby carrots dipped in 1 tbsp. of light ranch dressing
- 3:00 PM: 1 hard-boiled egg
- 6:30 PM: salad with light ranch dressing
- 7:30 PM: baked chicken, vegetables and rice, 2 pieces garlic bread, 2 glasses of wine
- 10:00 PM: 2 bedtime popsicles
I can cook anything you want for dinner, but for some reason I am just breakfast-cooking challenged! Can’t get bacon done quite right and it always curls up, can’t ever seem to get that smooth brown surface on a pancake, and I can’t do eggs without breaking the yolk at some point. It’s so frustrating!
I’ve decided I need to master some breakfast/brunch recipes, because we’ll be having out-of-town guests at our new house for Derby, and I don’t want to have to serve those poor people cold cereal! So out come the cookbooks, and I’m going to start trying recipes like frittate, breakfast casseroles, etc., and hopefully find a few that I can successfully make for company! Last Christmas I made a French toast casserole that was a hit (and easy, prepared the night before and popped into the oven in the AM) but of course I can’t find that recipe now. GRR!!!
Taking recommendations!
- 7:15 AM: 2 packets low-sugar apple and cinnamon oatmeal, 1 tbsp. honey
- 9:30 AM: 1 hard-boiled egg
- 10:45 AM: tropical fruit cup
- 11:15 AM: about 1/4 cup lima beans
- 2:15 PM: mandarin orange fruit cup
- 7:00 PM: small filet mignon, roasted red potatoes, steamed green beans, salad with light ranch dressing.
- 11:00 PM: two bedtime popsicles
- 7:45 AM: 2 packets of low-sugar apple and cinnamon oatmeal, tbsp. of honey
- 10:30 AM: chips and salsa (that was the last of the chips… no more!)
- 12:30 PM: tropical fruit cup
- 2:30 PM: handful of peanuts
- 6:30 PM: salad with light ranch dressing, lemon roasted chicken with croutons (Ina Garten recipe, TRY IT!)
- 10:00 PM: 2 bedtime popsicles
I’m so excited! The owner of the house we liked finally called and said the house is pretty much ours. But he wants us to meet his wife this weekend before we sign the lease; apparently she gets the last word. So I’m still just a wee bit nervous that something could go awry.
The owner actually worried us earlier this week when he told us that he had some personal concerns about renting to an unmarried couple because his son once rented a house with his girlfriend, then they broke up and the lease was all screwed up. So we were worried that we were going to be denied because of that. But it looks as if we’ve overcome that obstacle! Now we just have to charm his wife.
It’s a conspiracy! Nobody’s leaving coins for me to find anymore! I did find a new source, though… was at a fast-food drive-thru window, and the cashier dropped a penny on the ground as she was giving me change. When I opened my car door to retrieve it, I found some other dropped change there too. Guess people don’t want to bother getting out of their cars to pick it up! I don’t eat much fast food, but I’ll be sure to check whenever I do.
3/3/07 – 3/9/07: $0.35
Quarters: 0
Dimes: 2
Nickels: 2
Pennies: 5
Grand total: $3.02
- 7:30 AM: 2 Girl Scout cookies (oh, how I wish we’d run out of cookies already!)
- 8:00 AM: 1 hard-boiled egg
- 9:30 AM: about 1 cup of pad thai
- 11:45 AM: 2 Girl Scout cookies
- 12:15 PM: about 20 chips and salsa
- 1:30 PM: tropical fruit cup
- 5:00 PM: 1 taco: beef, lettuce, cheese
- 7:30 AM: about 1 cup of Frosted Mini Wheats cereal, 1 Girl Scout cookie
- 10:00 AM: 1 hard-boiled egg, about 20 chips and salsa, tropical fruit cup
- 11:00 AM: 3 Girl Scout cookies
- 1:00 PM: handful of baby carrots
- 2:15 PM: 1 hard-boiled egg, pineapple fruit cup
- 4:00 PM: about 1 cup of pad thai
- 10:00 PM: bedtime popsicle
