Every time I've opened a blank post up this week, I haven't been able to come up with something to write. I like to try and keep my posts focused, lest this become reminiscent of my teenage LiveJournal days; However, clarity has been elusive. I'm going to indulge my stream-of-consciousness today in the hopes a more focused blogger will appear at the end.
When we last left off, pre-hurricane, we had just spent $1,800 on the Hubs' car. Prior to this, we had about $2,200 on our joint Chase card. We made a lump payment of $1,000 before the car repair; However, now we have a $3,300 bill. Ugh. At least at the end of this month, we'll get the Hubs' check for coaching track and that can get paid off. Sandy delayed that by at least a week though, since the whole season was pushed back a week (including the bonus pay schedule).
Speaking of Sandy, I had a bit of a panic moment this past weekend, when I believed there was a very real possibility we weren't going to be paid as scheduled tomorrow (since no one was in last week to submit their time sheets). Thankfully, it looks as though the State of NJ is going to come through and deposit a much needed paycheck in my bank account tomorrow. Phew.
Post car, but pre-Sandy, we went to the Hubs' cousin's wedding in North Jersey. Seriously, people, I love you all, but we need to get out of this wedding phase. I forgot to buy a card & we didn't have time to grab one before the wedding on Friday, so I figured I would mail it to them when we got back, but then I thought that having the cash might be in our best interest if the power was out for an extended period of time. Well, our power came back on sooner than most (so so lucky), but I just can't be trusted with money. In general. Ever. Plus I kind of over spent on groceries right before the storm, so I was doubly broke. Luckily, we didn't lose any food with the storm (again, so so lucky). I just wrote them the check this morning. Whoops.
I did fall into a bit of money yesterday, though! I'm in a football pick-em pool at work and I scored the most points two weeks ago and won $100! I would've won $185, but I hadn't paid my entry fee yet, so that had to be subtracted. I'm currently 13 points off the leader, so I don't know if I have a shot of winning any of the top three prizes, but I'm trying not to think about it or I'll mess up my winning strategy (which is really no strategy at all, but quickly trying to get all my picks in before the start of the first game on Thursday night). I already spent the $100 in the form of a check to the above mentioned bride and groom though. Whoomp whoomp.
I've been spending more money on food lately than I should, specifically lunches. I'm in one of those funks where whatever I've brought doesn't actually appeal to me by the time I need to eat it. Yesterday was one of those days and today is shaping up to be one too. Plus we're going to lunch tomorrow for my co-worker, who already transferred to another county, but we couldn't celebrate since we weren't at work last week!
Lastly, I'll leave you with a little quip about spending money to make money (kind of). After Financial Literacy Month was over, I was reading other personal finance blogs and came across Man vs. Debt. I saw he offered a "class" of sorts called "You vs. Debt" and I thought it would be interesting and relevant to the blog so I signed up. I just started getting the e-mails and was getting pretty excited about the whole thing (well, as excited as you can be for a personal finance class). Yesterday, I got the e-mail to complete my registration and when I went to the website, you had to pay a one time fee of $97! I guess in the grand scheme of things, $97 isn't a lot of money, but really, what could they possibly tell me that I don't already know? I get it - I need to spend less and make more. It's harder than it seems when you're a spender. That's the secret. I just put it out there for free. It was definitely a major WTF moment for me.
It feels to get that jumble of money related "stuff" out there, as disjointed and unorganized as it might have been. How are my lovely readers out there doing? I haven't had any comments on the last four posts - did I lose you all?
Showing posts with label restaurants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label restaurants. Show all posts
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
magic isn't cheap
Next Wednesday, the hubs and I are traveling to the Most Magical Place on Earth (I feel the need to capitalize that, for some reason), as his cross country team is competing in the ESPN Cross Country Classic. Back when we first found out about the trip, we were both pretty psyched. I say we, because I was invited to attend as a chaperone. Sidenote: There are few words in the English language that make you feel old than chaperone.
Before you get your undies in a bunch about taxpayer money being wasted on a non-district employee such as myself (like my Mom), you should know we were responsible for paying our own way. Additionally, the girls cross country coach decided this year, the team would "upgrade" from a value resort to a moderate resort. For those of you who don't know, here are the differences:
Value Resort: Your basic amenities - food court, gift shop, pools (but no water slides), a lot of walking, sometimes long waits for the shuttles. Basically, we would be at the Wide World of Sports hotel (or other Value priced hotel) with every other cross country team attending.
Moderate Resort: A bit more upscale. There's a food court AND a table service restaurant and there are more pools (and some have water slides). The walking is about the same as well as the transportation (Disney shuttle).
I stayed in the Port Orleans Moderate resort when I went to Disney at 17. Honestly, I don't remember anything special about it. The two times the =hubs and I have gone to Disney as adults, we've stayed near Downtown Disney (because we're drunks). Personally, I would've been fine with spending less money on a Value resort this time around. But then again, when there aren't 500 obnoxious high schoolers around our resort while I'm trying to sleep - I'll be grateful.
Granted, I'm sure we saved some money by traveling in a large group, but some things are expensive in Disney no matter which way you look at it. The biggest of these is food. I did some research the other night on this and there are a few websites with helpful suggestions, but the most informative one is Mouse Savers. Every tip you could ever imagine for any Disney vacation is there.
The number #1 tip I found was that you can now bring your own water into the theme parks and fill up at the water fountains as your day goes on. Considering bottle of water usually cost at least $2, this is definitely going to come in handy. You can also bring snacks into the park as well. This weekend, we'll be picking up some travel-friendly snack packs to bring in with us.
The hubs and I also agreed to keep our meals light. He's decided to stick with two meals a day, so if he eats breakfast, he'll skip lunch, and munch on the snacks until dinner. I can't skip meals without turning into an angry bear, so my plan is to bring oatmeal that I can mix up in the room to eat for breakfast then hit the produce stand of whatever park we're in that day (there's one in every park) for a cheap, nutritious filler. Hopefully, when our day starts to wind down I'll be able to grab a few pieces of fruit for the next day as well.
For times that we have to eat in the park, Mouse Savers points out a few money-saving options:
Before you get your undies in a bunch about taxpayer money being wasted on a non-district employee such as myself (like my Mom), you should know we were responsible for paying our own way. Additionally, the girls cross country coach decided this year, the team would "upgrade" from a value resort to a moderate resort. For those of you who don't know, here are the differences:
Value Resort: Your basic amenities - food court, gift shop, pools (but no water slides), a lot of walking, sometimes long waits for the shuttles. Basically, we would be at the Wide World of Sports hotel (or other Value priced hotel) with every other cross country team attending.
Moderate Resort: A bit more upscale. There's a food court AND a table service restaurant and there are more pools (and some have water slides). The walking is about the same as well as the transportation (Disney shuttle).
I stayed in the Port Orleans Moderate resort when I went to Disney at 17. Honestly, I don't remember anything special about it. The two times the =hubs and I have gone to Disney as adults, we've stayed near Downtown Disney (because we're drunks). Personally, I would've been fine with spending less money on a Value resort this time around. But then again, when there aren't 500 obnoxious high schoolers around our resort while I'm trying to sleep - I'll be grateful.
Granted, I'm sure we saved some money by traveling in a large group, but some things are expensive in Disney no matter which way you look at it. The biggest of these is food. I did some research the other night on this and there are a few websites with helpful suggestions, but the most informative one is Mouse Savers. Every tip you could ever imagine for any Disney vacation is there.
The number #1 tip I found was that you can now bring your own water into the theme parks and fill up at the water fountains as your day goes on. Considering bottle of water usually cost at least $2, this is definitely going to come in handy. You can also bring snacks into the park as well. This weekend, we'll be picking up some travel-friendly snack packs to bring in with us.
The hubs and I also agreed to keep our meals light. He's decided to stick with two meals a day, so if he eats breakfast, he'll skip lunch, and munch on the snacks until dinner. I can't skip meals without turning into an angry bear, so my plan is to bring oatmeal that I can mix up in the room to eat for breakfast then hit the produce stand of whatever park we're in that day (there's one in every park) for a cheap, nutritious filler. Hopefully, when our day starts to wind down I'll be able to grab a few pieces of fruit for the next day as well.
For times that we have to eat in the park, Mouse Savers points out a few money-saving options:
- Split a large meal between the two of us. For example, you can get half a rotisserie chicken with mashed potatoes & vegetables for about $10 in at least one restaurant at all the different parks
- Buy kids meal portions at counter service restaurant - no kid required!
- Anything offered as a combination meal you can actually get a la carte. So instead of buying a sandwich, fries, salad, and drink, we can pick & chose what we'll actually eat. No wasted food OR money.
Monday, March 12, 2012
In Revelry
We've officially passed the half way mark in the forty day challenge! I'm happy to report I have not stepped inside a Kohl's, TJ Maxx, or other department store in the past twenty days which is definitely a personal best. I still have a ways to go on this personal financial journey, but we're taking baby steps, at least!
This past weekend was a mish-mash of spending & saving. Friday night, my husband and I met our friends at The Melting Pot in Atlantic City. The four of us have been going out together for Atlantic City Restaurant Week for the past three years, so I knew prior to starting the challenge this night would be coming. We stuffed our faces for $33.12 each and it was phenomenal. Hanging out with great friends is worth every penny! The hubs and I were going to hit the slots, but by the time we were finished eating all we could think about was going to bed. That was at least $20 saved.
To close out Restaurant Week, I went back to Atlantic City on Saturday with my momma to lunch at the new Golden Nugget casino. The food wasn't great, so I'm happy we only paid $20 each (tip included) for the 3 course meal. Then I said a tearful goodbye to my second favorite week of the year (birthday week takes the top spot, obviously).
Momma Q has been saving her inserts from the Sunday paper for me so I spent some quality time with her and clipped a bunch of coupons. Since neither the hubs or I read the actual paper (we're online news people), it saves us a cool $2.25 per week. I also picked up my wedding video which finally came in the mail and so far looks like the worst $600 I ever spent. Win some, lose some, I guess.
Saturday night, I headed up to my sister's house for some more quality family time. Even though I bought gas on my lunch break Friday, the gas in Hammonton was only $3.48 so I couldn't resist the opportunity to fill up for .05 cents cheaper than at home. You know gas prices are out of control when you get excited for under $3.50 a gallon. After hanging out with my sister & her family, I went to The Pour House in Collingswood with my friend. Mrs. A was so generous and paid for my veggie burger (delicious!) and my two beers (Hefeweizen- yum) in exchange for a shout out on the blog. Let's give her a nice round of applause, shall we?
After staying up all night and getting home at 7:00 AM on Sunday, I didn't get any of my household errands accomplished. I ended up running to Walgreens for a heat wrap for my knee which has been super sore lately. I picked up some medicine that I had a store coupon & a manufacturer coupon for, total savings- $3.00! I also purchased my first "reward" which was a new mascara & some concealer. I had coupons for both and the mascara was on sale, which kept me under my $10 limit for both items. Our local produce market finally re-opened for the season, and I was able to use my savings from Saturday to buy a ton of fruits & veggies. I managed to resist buying a box of Girl Scout cookies conveniently located next to the register - a difficult task indeed!
This is the week where the majority of our household bills are due, including my credit card payments, so it's the ideal time not to spend any extra money. Hopefully, I'll be able to work at my friend's restaurant on Saint Patrick's Day so I can sock away some extra money in our savings account. With spring right around the corner, we have a lot of household projects that need to be accomplished!
What did you do this weekend?
Saturday Spent:
$17.32 gas
$14.98 Rite Aid
$22.00 lunch @ Grotto
--------------------------
Saturday Saved:
$25.00
Sunday Spent:
$10.48 Walgreens
$11.67 B&B Produce
---------------------------
Sunday Saved:
$3.00
This past weekend was a mish-mash of spending & saving. Friday night, my husband and I met our friends at The Melting Pot in Atlantic City. The four of us have been going out together for Atlantic City Restaurant Week for the past three years, so I knew prior to starting the challenge this night would be coming. We stuffed our faces for $33.12 each and it was phenomenal. Hanging out with great friends is worth every penny! The hubs and I were going to hit the slots, but by the time we were finished eating all we could think about was going to bed. That was at least $20 saved.
To close out Restaurant Week, I went back to Atlantic City on Saturday with my momma to lunch at the new Golden Nugget casino. The food wasn't great, so I'm happy we only paid $20 each (tip included) for the 3 course meal. Then I said a tearful goodbye to my second favorite week of the year (birthday week takes the top spot, obviously).
Momma Q has been saving her inserts from the Sunday paper for me so I spent some quality time with her and clipped a bunch of coupons. Since neither the hubs or I read the actual paper (we're online news people), it saves us a cool $2.25 per week. I also picked up my wedding video which finally came in the mail and so far looks like the worst $600 I ever spent. Win some, lose some, I guess.
Saturday night, I headed up to my sister's house for some more quality family time. Even though I bought gas on my lunch break Friday, the gas in Hammonton was only $3.48 so I couldn't resist the opportunity to fill up for .05 cents cheaper than at home. You know gas prices are out of control when you get excited for under $3.50 a gallon. After hanging out with my sister & her family, I went to The Pour House in Collingswood with my friend. Mrs. A was so generous and paid for my veggie burger (delicious!) and my two beers (Hefeweizen- yum) in exchange for a shout out on the blog. Let's give her a nice round of applause, shall we?
After staying up all night and getting home at 7:00 AM on Sunday, I didn't get any of my household errands accomplished. I ended up running to Walgreens for a heat wrap for my knee which has been super sore lately. I picked up some medicine that I had a store coupon & a manufacturer coupon for, total savings- $3.00! I also purchased my first "reward" which was a new mascara & some concealer. I had coupons for both and the mascara was on sale, which kept me under my $10 limit for both items. Our local produce market finally re-opened for the season, and I was able to use my savings from Saturday to buy a ton of fruits & veggies. I managed to resist buying a box of Girl Scout cookies conveniently located next to the register - a difficult task indeed!
This is the week where the majority of our household bills are due, including my credit card payments, so it's the ideal time not to spend any extra money. Hopefully, I'll be able to work at my friend's restaurant on Saint Patrick's Day so I can sock away some extra money in our savings account. With spring right around the corner, we have a lot of household projects that need to be accomplished!
What did you do this weekend?
Saturday Spent:
$17.32 gas
$14.98 Rite Aid
$22.00 lunch @ Grotto
--------------------------
Saturday Saved:
$25.00
Sunday Spent:
$10.48 Walgreens
$11.67 B&B Produce
---------------------------
Sunday Saved:
$3.00
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