Doing my part to stimulate the economy
Posted on March 8, 2009 11 Comments
I haven’t shared a list of recent spends in some time. It’s pouring rain in Chicago today so I took to the car and ran some soggy errands. Here’s the damage:
Spent $96.84 at Ann Taylor Loft on:
2 brightly colored, office appropriate cardigans
1 floral blouse
1 jersey knit shirt
1 skirt ($10!)
The total would have been $126.84 but I used a $30 gift certificate.
While in the store, I resisted the urge to buy a cute jersey dress and a fabulous but full-priced skirt. The clerk gave me a $25.00 gift certificate for my next purchase when I checked out, so maybe I’ll go back when they’re on sale.
Spent $136.11 on 39 items at Whole Foods. Yes, I know you hate when I shop there but they have the longest-lasting produce. My Trader Joe’s produce goes bad after three days. I was also stocking up on frozen Amy’s lunches for the next week to avoid spending $7-$10 per lunch in the office. TJ’s doesn’t have as many lunch options and all the other stores are more expensive for Amy’s lunches and meatless products.
Spent $33.18 on cat food at PetCo. We have to spend a little more on special food for our meow, but it’s way better than having to pay for and give her insulin shots. She’s now 100 percent off insulin and we’ve been able to get her blood sugar back to normal through diet alone. It’s crazy but true.
Spent $12.22 on a pound of coffee at Blue Max roasters. Clearly more expensive than Folgers, but it’s our daily indulgence. Plus, I’m hoping to ween myself off the $2 per cup fare at Au Bon Pain. Brewed a few pots at home last week before dashing out the door and think I can maintain it.
Finally, I need to get a new backpack for work so I’m going to shop for discounts this afternoon online. I’m dreading it though — why do backpacks have to be so fugly? (Thanks to Bobby Breidholt’s Flickr stream for the pic.) Can’t we transfer one or two of our best purse designers to the backpack team? Seriously. My laptop is way too heavy to carry every day in handbag that lopsides my posture.
So there you have it, my spendy day. If it sounds like I’m living a little larger than someone called “The Budgeting Babe,” (lest you think I should be buying my groceries at Aldi and my clothing at thrift stores) know that it’s because I budget for it! Sometimes spending a little more on groceries means spending a little less on expensive lunches, avoiding nights out at the theatre or walking around town to avoid paying for gas. No matter what you plus up or reduce from your bottom line, how you choose to spend is your perogative. Sometimes expensive cheeseballs do the trick for me.
When it comes down to your bottom line, you can live well and still live below your means. Life is all about choices and your wallet is no exception. So, dear readers, run your errands with aplomb this week. Just be sure to budget for it.
Category: Money, Old Posts
Tags: Spending
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11 Responses to “Doing my part to stimulate the economy”
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March 8th, 2009 @ 10:58 pm
You mentioned that you budgeted for your purchases so it’s all good, no judgmental comments here.
Sometimes you have to spend money now to save money in the future for example spending a litte more on cat food now to save on vet bills later.
Good post, would love to see more like this. Keep it up.
March 9th, 2009 @ 12:53 am
Have you checked out Stella McCartney’s design for Le SportSac? There’s a bag they call a “convertible rucksack”. It’s about the size of a backpack and you can carry it like a regular bag/purse or wear it like a backpack. It’s a bit pricey but the fabric is amazing and it’s currently half off at LeSportSac’s website. I got it for even less at Gilt Group but I don’t think they’re selling it anymore.
March 9th, 2009 @ 2:58 am
Too bad Ann Taylor might not be there next time you want to go shopping with their recent announcement about closing store…
March 9th, 2009 @ 3:14 pm
I love Ann Taylor and Loft clearance stuff, great buys and so much of their clothes are relatively timeless.
Have you thought about trying Petfooddirect.com for cat food. They have a fantastic variety, they ship it to your door and if you sign up for updates, they send out online coupons for anywhere from 10 to 22 percent off. Usually enough to cover shipping.
March 9th, 2009 @ 3:16 pm
check out Tom Bihn bags, kind of funky, but also indestructible. I’ve had mine for at least 5 years, and that included a couple of years of NY City subway commuting.
March 9th, 2009 @ 6:34 pm
Have you tried Mobile Edge laptop backpacks? They have bags designed for women, they look great, and they hold up well. I’ve had mine for 2 years and see no end in sight. http://mobileedge.com/womens-laptop-bags/laptop-backpacks
March 9th, 2009 @ 11:12 pm
I’m glad you’re budgeting for some indulgences. I think we all do it, but few bloggers actually mention it.
The fact is, everyone is going to have slightly different priorities. So you juggle the funds to find room for a few cardigans. Others might spend it on graphic novels or dining out.
I think there’s think misconception with PF blogs that the writers have to get nothing extravagant, or even unnecessary. Personally, I tend to call such buys sanity savers.
March 21st, 2009 @ 1:08 pm
Eating healthy & organic is a perfect way to save on doctor bills & future health problems. Are you feeding your cat a raw diet? Just wondering how you got the diabetes under control.
Barb (Kristin's mom)
April 9th, 2009 @ 5:07 am
Greeting! What do you think of wow gold? I always lack of wow gold to buy some great item for my char before the wow patch 3.1 and I need to do wow power leveling for the cheapest wow gold or I have to search cheap wow gold on google search. The world changed since the 3.1 patch released. Short of buy wow gold for me wasn’t so high frequency now. And I’m curious why this situation happened? The items became cheap? Or we can farm wow gold much easy? Hope someone can give me an answer.
November 9th, 2009 @ 2:29 am
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December 10th, 2009 @ 1:30 am
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