Last Day

So, this is my last day blogging my spending. It's crazy to me that's it's been a year since I started. In September 2008 I was $11,500 in credit card debt, and as of today I am credit-card-debt free and actually have $2,000 in a savings account earning interest! (Thank you, ING.) I admit that it will be somewhat freeing to not have to log in every day to record every penny spent, but I will also miss the accountability and knowing that some of my nearest and dearest are checking in on me frequently. I am happy to report that since I have started saving, I am much more spending-conscious overall, and so I am not that worried about not tracking everything any more, as my inclinations seem to move me more and more towards saving every day.

I was hoping that today would be a zero dollar day, just for symbolic purposes, but as my NYT charge came through this morning, and I am one day away from my monthly smarttrip benefits being added to my Metro card but had to get into work today anyways, it was not to be. Oh well. All in all I'd say this whole adventure was still a resounding success!

$11.25 - monthly subscription to the Sunday NYT

$4 - Metro card

$17.52 - John Frieda hair products and apricot face scrub (I saved $7 with coupons!)

$9.71 - lunch and diet Coke from SoHo

$34.80 - groceries, some to supplement my farm share and back porch veggies to make Tomato Pie (delicious!) and pesto potato salad

Total = $77.28

$7.53 - snacks at Sheetz

$9.44 - 6-pack of Magic Hat Roxey Rolles

Total = $16.97

$40 - dermatology appointment

$34.99 - prescriptions

$10 - gas to Maureen for ride to Pgh

$8 - road snacks

Total = $92.99

$17.32 - 6 pack of Magic Hat Roxey Rolles (loving this brew!) and American Spirits and a string cheese

$12 - happy hours at Porter's with Maureen, Emma and Gunjan

$57.29 - dinner and drinks with Alexis, Ross and Behrad (so fun to reminisce with oberlin kids . . .)

Total = $69.29

$7.13 - Sauvignon Blanc to make Fresh Corn Risotto (paired with a caprese salad made with my farm share tomatoes? A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.)

$9 - Pacific Chicken wrap and caesar salad from Sandella's

$58.75 - groceries

Total = $67.75

$23 - food and beers with Emma at RFD, post pool and pre 'Inglourious Basterds', which was glourious.

$10.63 - 6 pack of Magic Hat Roxy Rolles Autumn Seasonal (I can't wait for fall!)

Total = $33.63

$16.33 - 6-packs for Red Sox game watching with Ross and Alexis

$23.50 - 2 tickets for "District 9" with Alexis

$4.56 - candy for movie

$4.99 - conditioner

Total = $49.38

$9 - myfooddiary.com monthly fee

$6.50 - cab to Ragtime's

Total = $15.50

$12.50 - WAMU monthly pledge

$16.63 - Guinness and chicken sliders at 4 Courts

Total = $29.13

$4.29 - banana-walnut bread and coffee from Starbucks

$9 - pacific chicken wrap, salad and diet Coke from Sandella's

Total = $13.29

$100 - Beyond Borders monthly donation

$52 - Rogue Ale and oysters special at The Reef with Emma, Maureen, Alexis and Ross

$12 - cab home from Adams Morgan

Total = $164

$8.40 - strawberries, blueberries, grapes and bananas from the fruit stand guy

$29.74 - toothpaste, floss, tp, cat food, tampons, shaving gel, kitchen sponges from Alice.com (love this website!)

$7 - cab to date #2 with Seth at La Tasca - delish Spanish tapas!

Total = $45.14

$28.45 - three ring binder, 100 plastic sheet holders and some gum at CVS (all my recipes and want-to-make rcipes are finally organized in a beautiful blue binder - I love it!)

$47.47 - groceries

Total = $75.92

(+)$10 - poker game winnings at Meredith's super fun Nascar-themed keg race party

$38.06 - work happy hour and dinner with Emma at E&C (delish veggie burger!)

$10.75 - ticket to see Funny People (it was pretty good)

$14.50 - two Guinness at Four Courts while watching the Sox whomp on the Rangers!

Total = $63.31

Zero Dollar Day/Zero Dollar Date

Holy crap - 3 zero dollar days in a month! It's a streak!

August 12 - Zero Dollar Day (personal day off work)

August 13 - Zero Dollar Date (so nice when they pay :)

$24 - happy hour at Galaxy Hut with Emma and Maureen

$4.13 - Camel Lights

$52 - dinner and drinks at O'Sullivan's with E+M and Ben

Total = $80.13

$5.25 - strawberries, bananas and apples from the fruit stand by my office

$61.21 - groceries at Giant

Total = $66.46

$9.40 - burrito at Bethany Beach (with Lizzy and Pesha)

$2.50 - small twist soft-serve (b/c icecream cones at the beach are a must!)

$5 - chocolate from the Candy Kitchen

Total = $16.90

$9.44 - Netflix (watched in last month: Ned Kelly and disc 1 of Friday Nights Lights, Season 3)

$8.34 - salad and diet Coke from Lawson's deli

$8.85 - happy hour with Maureen and Agnes

$62.88 - 5 and 1/2 hours, 15 innings of ultimately gut-wrenching Sox-Yankees baseball at The Bungalow in the Village of Shirlington (VA is strange) with Quinn and Lizzy

Total = $80.07

$9 - lunch from Sandella's

$3.62 - Oatmeal Cookie Chunk icecream cone from Ben and Jerry's

$15.78 - beers to take to Lizzy and Zoe's for dinner

Total = $28.40

Zero Dollar Day

It's been a loooooong time.

$8 - Camel Lights

$20.75 - beers at RFD w/ Maureen and Emma

$15 - beers at Galaxy Hut w/ Emma

I love happy hour with my ladies.

$8.95 - Kitchen Sink Chef Salad from the brown bag

$5.14 - gas

Total = $14.09

wow.

I have $500 in my ING savings account. I don't think I have ever had $500 in a savings account before, at least not one where I had any control over withdrawals. I also have a couple of bills to pay off, but I think I will wait and just get them with my next paycheck. I REALLY LIKE having $500 in a savings account. Really like it a lot. A. Lot.

$15 - first month of Sunday NYT subscription - LOVE IT!

$35.85 - brunch at Matchbox with Lizzy (their mimosas are killer)

$8.75 - "500 Days of Summer" with Lizzy

$3.67 - Coke for Emma, diet Coke for me (when I got home she had just bought the same :)

Total = $63.27

$21.65 - Whole Foods (the secret to spending under $30 at Whole Foods is apparently to go every 2-3 days :)

$20 - prescription

$48 - food and drinks with Emma, Maureen, Alexis at Mackey's

$10 - 6-pack for dinner at Lizzy and Zoe's

$12 - drinks at Rock Bottom with Maureen and Emma

$4 - cab home with Emma

Total = $94

$10 - to Emma for loaning me money yesterday to get a metro pass to get to work and buying me lunch. why? because i managed to leave my wallet at Whitlow's on tuesday night. genius. fortunately and wonderfully and oh so amazingly, I got it back the next day completely intact! I love Virginia!

$25.55 - Whole Foods

$37.49 - Harry Potter books 1-6 in paperback. I get sporadic urges to re-read one book or another, and though I've read them all the only one I seem to own any more is book 7, so I figured I'd splurge on the set. I did NOT cave and buy the hardback, 7 book series in its own trunk case for $150, even though I really wanted to. Progress!

$29.99 - 2-pack of Vitality electric/sonic toothbrushes from Woot.com. My dentist said I should invest in one of these, and after having 3 cavities drilled and filled in three months I am thinking it will be worth it.

$3.75 - 12-pack of diet Coke and granola bars (yay CVS extra bucks!)

$18 - cab to VA after work with Emma and Maureen (the trains were backed up)

$22 - pitcher at Galaxy Hut

$12 - fish tacos at Whitlow's

Total = $123.23 (ouch.)

$16.80 - burrata cheese to go with my first farm share tomato & white wine

$92.80 - One more ticket to Kings of Leon in September so my brother can come!

another crazy night in Arlington with Emma :)

$2.15 - Starbucks coffee -- having a slow-moving morning

$21.43 - Elephant and Castle with Emma and Patrick

$5.76- wine from 7-11

$40 - Galaxy Hut

$21 - Ragtime's

$20 - Four Courts

Total = $110.34

$9.44 - 6-pack of Redhook ESB

$178.33 - tickets to see Kings of Leon on September 8 with Emma (for her birthday!), these are front and center, general admission, fight your way to the stage tickets, it is going to be AMAZING!

Total = $187.77

$20 - added to Metro card

$5.76 - Barefoot Pinot Grigio from 7-11

Total = $25.76

$66.54 - 12 pairs of contacts from Vision Direct (hopefully enough to last me for at least the next year)

$7 - beers at The Bottom Line with Emma (why wait for delayed trains on the orange line if you can drink happy hour beers at TBL!)

$34.75 - grilled cheese and pitchers at Galaxy Hut

Total = $108.29

$12.50 - monthly WAMU pledge

$9 - Myfooddiary.com monthly fee

$3.33 - Kiva.com (addition to re-paid funds to send out another $25 loan. I love this site.)

$10.23 - gas for Emma's car

Total = $35.06

$5.28 - In Touch magazine and sunblock (more trashy pool reading; if I keep making the pool a weekend habit I'm going to need to step up the quality of my reading material)

$32.38 - Trader Joe's. I stopped by to pick up a baguette to make Apple Brown Betty (with apples from my farm share!) and a 6-pack and left with those two items plus cereal, coffee, hummus, pretzels, tortellini, and pot stickers. A very clear example of why one shouldn't go grocery shopping while sun-dazed and delirious.

Total = $37.66

i am national news!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106775679

not really, but I am still happy to be on the radio again!

$8.65 - Details and Life&Style - because trashy magazines are a requirement for poolside reading (and I just discovered the best free pool in DC! Thanks, Lizzy!)

$3.95 - cinnamon cookie dough icecream cone

$11.55 - beer to take to Lizzy's friend's BBQ

$2.79 - cat food

$50 - Beyond Borders donation

Total = $76.94

(perfect summer day -- priceless!)

$4.28 - Pret yogurt/blueberry/granola pot

$2.15 - coffee from Starbucks

$77.11 - groceries at Whole Foods (it's amazing how I can stop in to pick up a few ingredients to make some specific recipes and walk out with those plus 2 lbs of blueberries, a 6-pack of local craft brew and $9 worth of heirloom tomatoes, but I guess that's why it's Whole Foods . . . ah well. All delicious anyways, as were these Spicy, Citrusy Black Beans!)

Total = $83.54

$8.25 - coffee and fruit/cheese plate from Starbucks (I NEED to get to the grocery store to buy some breakfast food and stop dropping $8 a day on overpriced ridiculousness)

$6.59 - Sandella's sandwich

$10 - ticket to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - totally fantastic!

$5 - diet Coke at the movies (I don't know why I do this.)

$4.42 - cat food and Vitamin water at 7-11

Total = $34.26

wow.

Today I am officially credit card debt free. Which I find utterly amazing and shocking and incredible. Now I'm going to start on creating that sizable savings account and figuring out what to do with it :)

$8.45 - Pret yogurt/granola/blueberry pot and smoothie

$36.15 - laundry detergent, contact solution, aluminum foil, dish soap, toilet paper, paper towels, and cat food - all from alice.com, which might just be the best lifestyle convenience website ever.

$6.36 - Sandella's wrap for dinner

$53 - ticket to see Spring Awakening with Lizzy and Zoe

Total = $103.96

$8 - Elephant & Castle

$28.25 - The Bottom Line

(I have so much fun going out after work with Maureen, I don't even care how tired I am the next day)

Total = $36.25

$4.25 - bananas, strawberries and plums from the fruit stand

$6.74 - spinach melt and japchae from Soho for lunch

Total = $10.96

$43.72 - Whole Foods -- to make lunch for my Mom and Henry before they left for Europe for a month (lucky ducks.)

$25.63 - brunch at Matchbox with Alexis, Peter and Katie

$13 - tickets to see "Bruno" with Alexis and Peter (totally, utterly, mind-blowingly shocking and obscene. it was an experience!)

$5 - "medium" diet Coke at the movies

Total = $43.63

$3.23 - grapefruit juice from Pret (I LOVE this stuff)

$6.29 - salad from Lawson's Deli for lunch

$14.10 - two glasses of rose champagne at CORK to start off Alexis' b-day celebration

$50 - my share of an absolutely fantastically delicious and fun dinner at CORK, one of those great eating/wine-drinking experiences that goes on for hours with lots of fun people, dynamic conversation and peals of laughter

$46.50 - a round of oatmeal cookie shots (Alexis and my favorite) and beer at Stetson's

$15 - cab home

$3.73 - dark chocolate M&Ms and smoked almonds at 7-11 (I love bizarre late-night snack buying)

Total = $138.85 (and all totally worth it)

$3.42 - grilled chicken from SoHo for lunch to go with leftover Cabbage-Radish Slaw from last night

$13.67 - white wine and camel lights from 7-11

Total = $17.09

$10.50 - "I Bet You Can't" floral mug on e-bay. Inspired by Ben's recent find of another "IBYC" over-size beer glass, I went on my own hunt and found this sort of hilarious antique. I think the best part is that the "I Bet You Can't" doesn't really make any sense on this mug. I mean, is the mug betting that you can't drink really hot tea? Either way this is clearly family heirloom material.

$9.44 - Netflix (watched in last month: Body of Lies and first two episodes of the True Blood series)

$8.73 - Cajun Cobb Salad from the brown bag

Total = $18.17

$7.92 - 12-pack of diet Coke and sugar-free peppermint patties from CVS (I avoided buying over $40 in hair products though, even though I REALLY WANTED TO!)

$28.42 - groceries to make Greek Zucchini and Herb Pie and Cabbage Radish Slaw with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette for dinner with my Mom tomorrow (and I'm so happy to say that over half of the ingredients for both of these (and all of the main ones) come from my farm share or my back porch!!

Total = $36.34

$4.98 - coffee and breakfast sandwich from Starbucks -- it was HARD to get up this morning

$10.75 - ticket to see The Proposal with Lizzie (super fun and I now have a very large crush on Ryan Reynolds)

$40.55 - dinner at Matchbox with Lizzie and Zoe (after many beers at Rocket Bar with Lizzie - fun!)

Total = $51.30

It's a holiday

$24 - cupcakes

$10 - beer

$7.40 - cigarettes

$8.50 - cab

$50 - Beyond Borders monthly pledge

Total = $97.90

I was going to explain some of the above, but this might just be my favorite blog post ever, so I'm not going to.

$24.22 - brunch with Emma at Ragtime's

$2.98 - diet Coke and Whoppers for the movies

$10.75 - ticket to see Public Enemies (okay) and Up (soooo sweet!)

Total = $37.95

$27 - donation to Center on Race, Poverty & Environment for Jenny's b-day

$55 - drinks and dinner at The Big Hunt with Emma, Maureen and friends

$32.30 - snacks at Whole Foods (had to get some tomato and mozz to go with the fresh basil I got from my boss and picked from our porch garden!)

Total = $114.30

$27.33 - prescription and Aleve (hello, PMS, my old friend)

$5 - Metro card

$4 - fruit stand plum, bananas and strawberries

$4.68 - breakfast sandwich and coffee from Starbucks (it is hard to motivate back to the office)

$30 - quarters for laundry

$1.35 - diet Coke

$5.50 - ticket to see Away We Go -- such a lovely movie!

$5.50 - popcorn

Total = $56.03

Update: Credit card debt is now in the triple-digits. HA!

(Vacation spending update coming soon.)

V.A.C.A.T.I.O.N.

VT/Boston/IBYC was an absolute blast. Loved it, even though it rained most of the time I was there. I flew to Boston on Saturday (picked up an "O" magazine, a "GQ" and some snacks in the aiport for $13.33) and drove up to VT, spent the night at the Essex Inn with KB and $87 on dinner and drinks (yay steak dinners!), on Sunday dropped $13.62 on gas, $7.71 on Wendy's, $35.96 on wine for to enjoy with dinner with Holli and Joe and as a thank you for letting me stay at their beautiful house, and $1.75 on a diet Coke to keep me awake through the drive back to Boston. Had a lovely dinner with H&J and Ian at their house on Sunday evening, and stayed in their oh-soooo-comfy guest bed with Ian.

And then I got tired of exposition :)

Monday:

$11.95 - gas at the airport

$4.57 - coffee

$10 - Charlie Ticket

$10.49 - Red Sox umbrella (had to spend the extra $3 to show my Boston pride)

$17 - MFA ticket (can't believe it's taken me so long to go to the MFA, but it was awesome and beautiful and I loved the John Singer Sargent paintings)

$5.30 - who knows?

$12.50 - WAMU monthly pledge

$10 - cab to Sacha's after one of the best dinners I have ever had at Eastern Standard with oysters, crab legs, lobster, ceviche, steak tartare, roasted duck, delish cheeses and lemon panacotta and three incredibly delish bottles of wine. Thank you, SACH!

Tuesday:

$9 - myfooddiary.com

$8.35 - coffee and breakfast bagel

$46 - Shay's (Harpoon IPAs, PBRs and tuna melts with Shana, just like the old days at KSG)

$22.97 - Papyrus

Wednesday:

$36 - bus to Lee to meet up with Matt

$14.31 - RiteAid

$47.27 - Baba Louie's -- delish pizza and microbrews with Matt

Thursday - $115.68 - package store purchases for IBYC 2009

Sunday:

$10 - Collin's Diner - very hung-over breakfast post-IBYC

$7 - Vitamin water, water, and a 3 Musketeers

$10 - Chinese food with Lauren & Ben in Boston

Monday:

$9.42 - coffee, breakfast sandwich and brownie from Blunch -- love this place!

$13.10 - New Yorker, diet Coke, fruit Mentos -- airport sustenance

$6 - MARC ticket to Union Station

$18.78 - Boli's order-in -- pretending I am still on vacation and can eat whatever I want

Vacation Total = $614.06

$19 - beers at Galaxy Hut with Maureen (I love that place)

$11.57 - 6-pack and Camel Lights from 7-11

Total = $30.57

$24.50 - dinner at Meskerem with Evelyne (in DC for the summer!)

$6 - added to Metro card

Total = $30.50

$10.02 - salad and a diet Coke from the brown bag

$27.85 - groceries to make delicious Noodles and Mushroom with Ginger Dressing and White Bean Salad -- lunch for the week is taken care of!

Total = $37.87

$56.95 - contacts (I am so tired of being ripped off for contacts from f***ing Sterling Optical. I can get these for $20 less online, but that f***ing store won't confirm my prescription, and I felt totally ripped off when I bought glasses from them last year. AUGH. Rant over.)

$25.10 - delicious, natural soap from Holli's friend Laura

Total = $82.05

Going Local (sort of)

I am starting to see some pay off from the $500+ investment this spring in a summer farm share. Although the rainy spring has put a damper on veggie growth so most things will be a few weeks later than anticipated, I did get mustard greens, spring onions, basil, chives, garlic scapes and fresh eggs this week. For dinner tonight I had the eggs with some shallots, feta, and the local chives along with a salad of local greens, raisins, and pecans. All in all pretty delicious and quite nice looking!

$12 - tip at Vietnamese resturant with Mike Brownell (back from China!), Sam (Mike's little brother) and Megan (Sam's super nice girlfriend)

$5.35 - Rita's with Mike, Sam and Megan

$15.78 - Red Hook IP and Modelo for Lizzy and me

$40 - dinner and drinks at The Heights with Lizzy, Zoe and friend

Total = $73.13

$2.86 - iced coffee from Starbucks (waaaaay too hot and sticky to make coffee this morning)

$1.63 - diet Coke

$23.38 - drinks and nachos at Mackey's with Emma (TGIF)

$51.25 - drinks at Lucky Bar with Emma, Ross, Alexis

$12 - drinks at Marvin with Lizzy and Zoe

$91.12

$7.63 - Acai smoothie and almonds from Juice Zone

$17 - added to Metro card

$59.90 - groceries, some to make Curried Couscous and Garbanzo Bean Salad - SO delicious and super easy!

Total = $84.53

Debt Update

I am really excited. As of June 15 I will be down to $1,637 of credit card debt. I should get my $700 security deposit back from my D.C. apartment no later than mid-July, which will take me below $1,000, which means that I can 100% absolutely without a doubt pay off ALL of my credit card debt in July! Holy crap! I can't believe this is actually so close to really happening . . .

$11.75 - sandwich and gazpacho from Pret for lunch

$8.29 - diet Coke, Dove cucumber lotion and a card

$6.77 - wine and string cheese from 7-11

Total = $26.81

$18.50 - Car Talk mug for my Dad's birthday

$14.35 - birthday card for Dad, John Frieda shampoo and conditioner (it's been so long since I indulged . . . ) and a diet Coke

$5.76 - Barefoot Pinot Grigio (it was a long day)

Total = $38.61

$62.69 - groceries to make dinner along with my first farm share veggies! Delish!

$9.44 - Netflix (I dropped my subscription to one-at-a-time, because Emma has Netflix too, and cable, and there's just no reason for me to have two at a time any more!) Evidence of this - last month I watched one DVD - Flight of the Conchords, and I still haven't returned it. This my favorite song of theirs - please check it out, it will make your day!

$26.82 - pots for the free seedlings we got from Bull Run Mountain Farm (where I have my summer farm share)

$21 - drinks for Emily's b-day

Total = $47.68

$10 - lunch and a diet Coke at SoHo

$50 - first monthly donation to Beyond Borders (Emma and I volunteered at an event for them and I figured I should use some of my extra $$ for someone besides myself. It was a really powerful night.)

$8.16 - Camel Lights and water

$51.50 - drinks and dinner at Galaxy Hut for me and Emma

Total = $119.66

$6.98 - Snapfish -- pictures from my b-day at Stetson's

$84.70 - moving van charge from Monday's move to VA

Total = $91.68

$9.79 - lunch and a diet Coke from Soho

$20 - added to Metro card 

$131.09 - groceries, and cat stuff (including a $35 water filter fountain thing that will hopefully get Jack to start drinking water again - she is missing the bathroom sink in our old apartment.)

Total = $160.87

i have got problems

after calculating that without any extra effort on my part I will be debt-free by mid-July I promptly went online and spend $400 on clothes.  idiotic.  

$.75 - Washington Post

$100 - cavity fillings at the dentist office (yech)

$5.45 - ACAI energy smoothie

$3.05 - diet Ginger Ale

Total = $109.25

Saturday

$60 - cash to Luke to pay for gas and tolls while picking up some of my stuff to store at my Mom's

$12.63 - snacks from 7-11

$4.95 - "The Wreck" sandwich from Potbelly's (delish!)

$10.75 - ticket to see Terminator: Salvation with Emma

$35.98 - dinner at Lebanese Taverna with Emma (even more delish!)

$19 - drinks at L'Enfant

$8.63 - Camel lights & Perrier (no comment)

Sunday

$20 - Chinese food at Emma's (my new home!)

Monday

$20 - gas for Emma's car (to get the moving van)

$9.44 - 6-pack of Red Hook Ale (you can't move in without a 6-pack to end the day)

Weekend Total = $201.38

$6.28 - Vitamin Water, Naked Superfood, and a muffin

$9 - cab to work

$5 - Oberlin transcript fee

$10.40 - lunch from Soho

Total = $30.68

$5.45 - breakfast from Starbucks

$14.47 - John Frieda Frizz Ease hair product and a goodbye card for Laura (sniff)

$34.61 - beers and snacks at Elephant & Castle with work crew

$19.73 - beers at The Bottom Line with Maureen & Emma

$10 - cab to McFadden's (where an entire rugby team from Scotland just happened to be hanging out for the night)

$12 - cab home (way too late for a school night)

Total = $96.26

$45 - (can't say at the moment)

$13.70 - lunch from the Brown Bag

Total = $58.70

Yes, Austin really was this much fun

(that's Emma, me, Emily and some other people . . . not sure who . . . )

$7.59 - breakfast and coffee at Starbucks

Not an inexpensive holiday weekend . . .

Saturday:

$10 - added to Metro card

$10.75 - ticket to see Star Trek with Emma (super fun movie!)

$3.17 - diet Coke and fruit mentos to munch while watching movie

$7 - wine for dinner at Lizzy and Zoe's (delish eggplant curry)

Total = $30.92

Sunday:

$16.80 - brunch at Rosemary's Thyme with Emma

$15.65 - margaritas at La Loma with Emma

$51.50 - drinks at The Red and The Black Bar (while watching my step-brother's band Meeting of Important People - they were GREAT!)

$6.25 - beer at Local 16 while dancing with Emma

$5 - jumbo slice pizza (I cannot stay away, it's like crack for drunk people)

$4.17 - diet Coke, club soda, and a banana at 7-11 (the late night clerks there must think I am so strange)

Total = $99.37

Monday: 

$55.98 - three books at Kramerbooks (I love buying books, way too much in fact) - Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson, The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta, and Breaking Dawn (the last Twilight book) - did I buy the other two books to make up for that one?  Yes, probably.

$13.18 - lunch from Marvelous Market (to eat in the park at Dupont Circle while reading my new books!)

$2.86 - iced coffee from Starbucks

Total = $71.94

Grand Holiday Weekend Total = $202.23 (yeesh, it's a good thing I'm moving in with Emma next week)

$9.88 - salad and diet Coke from Pret a Manger for lunch

$25 - doctor co-pay

$24 - beers at Solly's wuith Zoe, Lizzy, Ross and Clay

$8 - pizza at Duccini's (AMAZING! best jumbo slice in town.)

Total = $66.88

$3 - coffee from Starbucks - sometime the office stuff just won't cut it, and even though I spent $95 at the grocery store yesterday, I forgot to buy milk (for coffee at home)

$4.18 - milk and a diet Coke

Total = $7.18

$7.59 - breakfast and coffee from Starbucks

$12.50 - monthly pledge to WAMU

$9 - monthly subscription to myfooddiary.com (I have got to get serious about this eating better/exercising thing again)

$9.88 - salad and diet Coke from Pret

$95.29 - groceries from Harris Teeter - I had NO food in the house after being gone for 10 days, and am super excited to make some of the recipes from this month's Everyday FOOD magazine.  Last night I made Salmon Salad with Capers and Parsley (after poaching salmon for the first time) and Sesame Broccoli.  They were both DELICIOUS!

Total = $134.26

AM/Austin

I don't think I spent any money while at the AM in San Antonio, or at least I spent very little, but I promptly made up for that by blowing $450 in three days in Austin.  Not sure how I accomplished such an impressive feat considering it's one of the most affordable cities I've visited, but I know I had ALOT of fun and ate ALOT of delicious food and drank ALOT of tasty margaritas and heard ALOT of totally awesome music.  Suffice to say I LOVE Austin.

Hey all (and by "all", I mean Holli and Lizzy) - I am in San Antonio/Austin until next Tuesday so won't be posting my fascinating reports on my frivolous spending.  I know you're disappointed, but I'll be back at it soon.

$14.79 - Netflix (watched in the last month: Rescue Me Season 1, I Have Never Forgotten You, Twilight, Vicky Christina Barcelona)

$51.99 - tulips for my Momma

$9.72 - lunch at Soho (they take credit/debit cards now instead of cash only . .  uh oh)

$14.47 - bud lite and tater tots with Maureen and Emma (I love the specials at The Bottom Line)

Total = $76.18

$9.72 - salad and diet Coke from the brown bag

$5.72 - coffee and a breakfast sandwich from Starbucks

$3.84 - yogurt parfait from Pret

$38 - boxes for moving!

$9 - cab home from work (it was raining and I was t-i-r-e-d)

Total = $56.56

$31.43 - sweet potato fries and beers at E&C with Patrick and Emma

$9 - cab to Dolly's 

$20 - PBRs with Emma, Ross, Clay and Alexis (and late-night Sox watching!)

$8.67 - cereal and Gatorade from 7-11

Total = $69.10

$19.27 - groceries at Metro K

$26.52 - groceries from Metro K to make grilled cheese & tomato soup (it rained all weekend in DC and I had a serious craving)

$22.99 - drinks with Zoe at Solly's

$14 - drinks at The Bottom Line with Emma and Jenn/Nate + friends

$7 - cab home

Total = $70.51

$9.07 - breakfast from Pret a Manger

$22 - drinks at Rocket Bar with Emma before dinner at Bar Louie and WOLVERINE!

$14.26 - 7-11 late night cereal snack attack 

Total = $45.33

$5.94 - yogurt parfait and coffee from Starbucks

$12.69 - prescription, yogurt and diet Coke

$18.08 - happy hour with emma at E&C

Total = $36.71

$1.69 - diet Coke

$13.62 - drinks at Elephant & Castle, now open directly beneath our office -  dangerous!  

$23.50 - two tickets to see Origins: Wolverine on Friday.  I am so excited!

Debt Update

Current remaining credit card debt: $2,837

Expected payments: $900 in May (regular payment), $900 in June (regular payment), $700 in June (security deposit from apartment), $337 in July (remainder of debt).

SO CLOSE!!

$99.20 - BWI-BOS roundtrip ticket for June 20-29!!

BIRTHDAY

Friday birthday happy hour with friends at Stetson's ended with an epic Red Sox win over the Yankees and the coolest birthday cake ever.  We drank lots of pitchers and some oatmeal cookie shots and my very nice and very generous friends picked up the whole tab ($0). After Stetsons, a smaller group of us went to The Blaguard ($20), Bourbon and finally Tom Tom for some hilarious late-night dancing followed by some serious pizza noshing.

Saturday was a slow-to-get-started day, but eventually Emma, Wallis, Alexis, Ross, Sean and I all made it to Cantler's in Annapolis for delicious crabs, mussels, clams and shrimp ($45.07).  After our epic meal (and some more birthday cake), we chilled at Ross aand Alexis' for the rest of the night ($5 on icecream sandwich and soda water).

On Sunday afternoon, Wallis and I walked to the zoo, stopping for iced coffee on the way ($4).  After the zoo (FREE!) we went to Lebanese Taverna for a very relaxed and pleasant afternoon nosh ($30.55), then listened to me on the radio (!) and then headed over to Alexis' to watch the final Sox-Yankees game -- SWEEEEEEEP!!! ($46 - beers and food).  Wallis and I headed home around midnight, sleepy but very satisfied ($2.35 - Gatorade).

Epic birthday weekend: $152.97

Video Killed The Radio Star

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103509103

$12 - added to Metro Smartcard to get to the Board Meeting in Crystal City

$9.80 - 6-pack Longhammer IPA (I had a beer before NPR came over to my apartment to interview me about being a 20-something with credit card debt and about this blog!)

$18.60 - Camel Lights, an empanada and $10 for Zoe from a cab loan from last week (I smoked one and gave the rest of the pack to Zo)

$25.20 - dinner at Tamarindo with Wallis (yay!), Alexis and Ross

Total = $65.60

$1.35 - bus to work (I think it will never stop raining)

$9.08 - CVS

16.33 - drinks with Emma at The Bottom Line

Total = $26.76

The elusive zero dollar day strikes again!

It's a depressingly infrequent occurrence.

$27.50 - 2 Twilight books (augh, embarrassing, but they are addictive) and Little Heathens (to make myself feel more intellectual)

$12.50 - monthly pledge to WAMU

$5.49 - lunch from Sandella's

$112.95 - Trader Joe's (I cannot control myself in that store)

Total = $158.44

$5.97 - Washington Post, orange juice, milk

$13 - takeout from Mr. Chen's with Alexis and Caitlin

Total = $18.97

$11.98 - 12-pack Miller Lite 

&

$13.97 - coffee and sandwiches from Starbucks (Ross requested beer and sandwiches while watching Alexis play lax Saturday morning/afternoon, it was his birthday)

$20 - drinks at Medieval Times

$40 - drinks at Stetsons and The Blaguard

Total = $85.95

$4.68 - coffee and a breakfast sandwich from Starbucks, it was one of those mornings . . .

$27.64 - take out dinner from Nooshi

Total = $32.32

$25 - to the District of Columbia for taxes.  I filed weeks ago, do you think they'll notice that I just now paid?

$8.25 - Remember The Alamo salad from the brown bag

$47.25 - Medieval Times reservations for Ross' b-day on Saturday

Total = $80.50

$5.50 - five . . five dollar . . five dollar footlong! sandwich from Subway on my way to hear Handel's Messiah at the movie theater (recording of King's College Choir this Easter; it was beautiful!)

$48.93 - cds from BMG (they're closing and having super sales, I after recently getting TV on the Radio's new album, Dear Science, I want more new music!).  So, I got: Sugarland - Love On The Inside, Counting Crows - Saturday Nights & Sunday Morning, Jamey Johnson - That Lonesome Song, Keith Urban - Greatest Hits, Ryan Adams - Cardinology.  I am in a country kind of mood!

$78.77 - groceries from Harris Teeter, to make tilapia fish cakes, salt crusted fingerling potatoes and coconut cupcakes, all Martha Stewart recipes.  The fish cakes were "eh", but the potatoes and the cupcakes were delish!

$8.75 - ticket to see Adventureland (filmed in the amusement park in Pittsburgh - Kennywood, and had a cameo/extra role by my childhood best friend's little brother-hilarious!)

$36 - dinner and drinks at Mandu with Alexis, Ross, Sean and Clay

Total = $44.75

$4.86 - oatmeal and coffee at Starbucks

$14.79 - Netflix subscription (watched in the last month, in order of awesomeness: Rachel Getting Married, The United States of Leland, Friday Night Lights Season 2, This American Life Season 1, Greenfingers.  They were all really good!)

$33.03 - happy hour drinks & nachos with Emma, Agnes and Patrick

$46.00 - delicious micro-brews with Emma at Galaxy Hut

Total = $98.68

$50 - copay at dentist.  I really like my new dentist, and I really hate my dental insurance.  Also, I have 4 cavities, but two are in one tooth, so really it's like, 3, right?

$31.53 - dinner and lots of drinks at The Bottom Line with Emma -- fun fun fun!!!

Total = $81.53

$4.24 - Ricola cough drops, kleenex and floss (I am sick and have a dentist appointment tomorrow.  yech.)

$6 - cab from work to home to pick up the CD that had all the work on it that I'd done over the weekend which I had forgotten when I left the apartment this morning (Happy Monday :P)

$20 - two weeks worth of Tim losing more weight than me (I lost just a pound, but am not feeling too bad about it since I was on vacation for a good chunk of that time.  Next week I will win!!)

Total = $26

$124.10 - groceries from Harris Teeter (some day I will go there and spend less than $100; my excuse this time is that I bought $13 environmentally friendly light bulbs, a Brita filter, and olive oil)

$25 - doctor copay

$10 - prescription

$11.97 - Honey Nut Cheerios and Raisin Bran and milk from 7-11 (I had a serious cereal snack-attack craving)

Total = $46.97

San Fran Trip Day 3

So on Friday morning, Ian woke up early-ish and went to the gym (how he managed that after our 14 mile walk . . well, that's Ian :), and I slept in and then got some coffee and a lox bagel and went to Dolores Park to read the paper. Ian met me at the park and we checked out some thrift stores in the Castro; I was on a mission to get a new hoodie, but couldn't find the right one, I think truly great hoodies are generally "borrowed" from other people.

After thrift-shopping we drove to Little Luca, and had what had to be two of the world's largest and messiest sandwiches. They were DELICIOUS, but afterwards we thought we were going to explode. Then we drove almost to the top of San Bernadino mountain, scrabbled our way through what may or may not have been off-limits terrain, to very top, and enjoyed a beautiful clear view of all of San Francisco . . .

. . . while being irradiated by the 6 very large radio towers that we were standing right next to.

Next we headed across town to Coite Tower, where we were hoping to climb the 21 stories to the top of the tower to burn off those sandwiches, but the stairs were closed so we rode the elevator to the top for another beautiful view of San Fran and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Afterwards we walked down the hill behind Coite Tower, which is where the wild parrots live (from the documentary The Parrots of Telegraph Hill), and where there are some of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen. The whole hill is covered in private gardens, but there are public "streets" (which are actually wooden walkways and stairs) that you can walk up and down the entire hill. As we walked around, flocks of parrots flew back and forth over our heads, it was magic!

After the gardens we headed back to Ian's apartment for a couple hours of R&R, then got a drink at the 500 Club, and then met up with Ian's friends, Matt and Heather, at Elixer. We stayed until close and after stopping for pizza, headed home to bed happy and tired!

$2.79 - shipping and handling for free CD from BMG (Dear Science - TV on the Radio)

$5.94 - Drain-O and a can of chick-peas

Total = $8.73

San Fran Trip Day 2

Ian and I were both up by 9:30am or so, we got coffee at Ritual (Ian's favorite coffee place), and then croissants at Tartine (Ian's favorute croissant place), they were both outstanding! We hung out in Dolores park for a bit and enjoyed a cookie, and then walked over to Golden Gate Park, where we ran across a couple of lawn bowling courts, and struck up a conversation with the very nice retirees who were playing that day (they let us take some pictures too!)

Next we went to the California Academy of the Sciences, where we spent most of our time in the aquarium section, which was SOOOO COOL! Ian took some great pictures, and overall I was just in awe!

After the aquarium we walked through a couple of different San Francisco neighborhoods and saw some truly spectacular houses; we ended up in Crissyfield Park by the bay, where we had about an hour to lay around and rest our tired feet.

Next we walked over to the North End to have dinner with a Ian's friends, Matt and Heather, a very nice couple from PA! We sat outside at a lovely Italian place and enjoyed some very refreshing beers and delish pasta. After dinner we all went to Beach Blanket Babylon(they had won free tickets in a pub quiz the week before). BBB is a San Francisco tradition, and is basically like a crazy acid trip cabaret show.

Ian and another friend, Larry, and I then took a cab to the Castro (thank goodness no more walking!), stopped for a couple drinks at Moby Dick's and ended up at the 500 club in the Mission, where we ran into a friend of ours from Oberlin! After a couple more drinks, Ian and I headed home with very tired feet but happy hearts and heads! The next day we figured out we had walked 14 miles all over the city!

$12.51 - drinks (margaritas!) and dinner (quesadillas!) with Emma (yay Mexican happy hour specials!)

San Fran Trip Day 1

On wednesday, Ian picked me up from the airpot around 2:30 in his very nice Honda Civic, we dropped my stuff off in his very nice 1-bedroom apartment in NOE Valley (it's on a hill, so I don't know why it's called a valley, but whatever.)  We picked up fish tacos from a delish taco place near his apartment and took them to Dolores Park, a beautiful park near Ian's apartment with a fantastic view of the city.  We decided to drive to Point Reyes to watch the sunset, and took some very funny pictures on the beach.  It was super windy, but so cool to see the huge (to me anyways) waves crashing on the beach, and watch the sun set into the fog.

For dinner we went to Plant Organic Leaf Cafe (or something like that), a veggie-focused cafe that was super delicious.  We had wasabi veggie burgers and split a salty chocolate caramel tart -- so good!

On the way back to Ian's we stopped by Twin Peaks for a night-time view of the city.  Again, incredibly beautiful and also very windy!

Stay tuned for Day 2 tomorrow, where we walk 14 miles all over San Francisco!

Sunset Day 1

$4.84 - oatmeal and coffee from Starbucks

$9.95 - e-file 2008 taxes on Taxslayer.com

(+)$66 - federal tax refund

$15 - donation to my friend Fro's Habitat for Humanity project

Total = (+)$36.21

I left my heart . . .

$420 - 5 and 1/2 incredibly fun, energetic, exhausting and relaxing days in San Francisco with Ian!  Details and pictures coming soon!

$9.90 - salad and a diet Coke for lunch

$10 - gift certificate to Tim for his 2nd week in a row victory

Total = $19.90

$9.35 - 6-pack Sierra Nevada Torpedo for 2nd night of dinner at Zoe and Lizzy's (such a treat to get to hang out twice in one weekend and eat delicious burritos and veggie lasagna!)  

$18.21 - brunch at Rosemary's Thyme with Emma

$31.85 - fruit, lots and lots of fruit, from Harris Teeter (trying to avoid the post-Friday night sugar binge with healthy things!)

Total = $50.06

$12.50 - monthly pledge to WAMU (local NPR)

$7.70 - pizza and a diet Coke for lunch

$25 - happy hour with Emma and Jenn at The Bottom Line

$9.25 - 6-pack Sierra Nevada 

$5.50 - Subway sandwich ("5 dollar foot-long!")

$5.37 - Gatorade and a donut (preparing for the AM hang-over in advance!)

Total = $65.32

"We have gotten into the habit of spending money we haven't earned, to buy things we don't need, to impress people that we don't like.  So get rid of that habit."

- Deepak Chopra

on a diet anyone?

$4.79 - two packs of gum and a 2-liter caffeine free diet Coke

$6 - 2 March Madness brackets for the office pool

Think Globally, Eat Locally

$267.50 - half of my CSA share payment for weekly veggies, fruit and eggs from Bull Run Mountain farm.  I am SOOOOO excited to be part of a CSA program this year, and can't wait for the first pick-up date on June 8!  As an extra bonus, the fact that I will be getting all the fruit and veggies and eggs I will need for $28/week is pretty awesome.  

$101.35 - groceries at Harris Teeter (still more than I want to be spending in one trip, but this one did include $16 worth of savings and I spent $10 on quality cat food, sooooo, not too bad.)

$9.62 - Washington Post, coffee, donuts and a Gatorade from 7-11

$10 - Chinese food with Alexis

Total = $19.62

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

$52 - haircut plus tip with Dino at Bang Salon (I finally have someone to cut my hair who I catually like!)

$7 - cab to Kegs and Eggs party in Columbia Heights with Alexis and Ross

$11 - cab to Marley and Jeff's for beer pong

$15 - Guinness at Duffy's

$15 - who knows what at The Blaguard

Total = $100

$2.15 - venti coffee at Starbucks

$10 - gift certificate at half.com for Tim -- winner in week 1 of our 2-person Biggest Loser challenge.  He kicked my butt, I have got to get serious!

$8.95 - flatbread from Sandelli's and a diet Coke

$47.48 - happy hour at Mackey's with Emma and Maureen (if it lasts until 9pm is it still Happy Hour?)

Total = $68.58

$19.65 - dinner and drinks with Emma before "OMAN . . . O, Man!" at the Kennedy Center.  It had some fun dancing but was bizarrely after-school-special-y. ("Yes, Timmy, we CAN learn to appreciate other cultures!)

$6 - cab home

Zero Dollar Day

They don't happen nearly often enough, but when they do I am so happy!

$40 - dental appt co-pay (just for x-rays! I haven't even gotten my teeth cleaned yet :P)

$35.65 - groceries

Total = $75.65

$14.79 - Netflix subscription (I downgraded to 2/month - movies watched in the last month in order of enjoyment include: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, WALL-E, Friday Night Lights Season 2, The Darjeeling Limited, Heavy Metal in Baghdad, Hamlet 2)

$3.79 - cat food and a string cheese

Total = $18.58

Let's Go Crazy

Super-fun, ridiculous weeked in New York:

Alexis and I caught the Megabus in DC at 3:30p on Friday afternoon, and arrived in NYC around 9.  We were hungry and in need of some refreshing beverages so we found a tasty looking place in Chelsea and ate delicious, rich, creamy pasta dishes (I have never had such delicious gnocchi).  Ross and Peter met up with us there and we ended up just staying for several hours, drinking beers and catching up - it was delightful! ($79.86)

Saturday morning, Peter and I went to Neptune Diner by his apartment in Queens ($2 for tip), and then that afternoon Peter, Alexis, Ross, Ross' sister Caitlin and I spent 3 or 4 lovely hours at the Astoria Beer Garden ($60 on pitchers and plates of keilbasa, red cabbage, pierogies and sauerkraut).

Peter and I took the train to the West Village ($10 added to Metrocard) and picked up some redbull and Sparks ($9) on the way to the main event of the evening, a party at Jimbo's apartment with 5 bands, the last of which was a Purple Rain cover band, led by Matt, aka the best Prince doppelganger ever.  It was an INCREDIBLE performance.  We stayed and danced and hung out on their roof deck until after 5am, and then Peter and I cabbed back to Queens and went to the Neptune Diner for some very much needed food ($24.65).

The next afternoon when I finally got out of bed, I got a bagel and coffee and snacks for the road ($12.35) and then Ross and Alexis picked me up from Peter's (yay for cars!  No Megabus!).  It was a very pleasant 4 hours back to DC, with a stop for Sbarro along the way ($6.25).

An utterly successful weekend in NYC: $202.11

$39.68 - tickets to see Oman O, Man! next week with Emma at the Kennedy Center (we'll pay for our culture, thank you very much)

$13 - beers at happy hour with Emma, Maureen, Patrick and Laura

$16.39 - dinner with Zoe at Peri Peri?  Peri Pollo?  Nando Peri Pollo?  I have no idea what the place is called, but the chicken was delish

$0 - really excellent and practical life advice from Zo.

Total = $69.07

$21.68 - drink and dinner at TGIFridays - after unsuccessfully trying to take in some culture for free at the Kennedy Center (too crowded, no seats, etc), Emma and I decided to take in some American culture instead at TGIFridays.  We both got stomach aches.  Oh well.

$6 - cab home

$6.97 - kitty litter and club soda

Total = $34.65

$1.35 - bus to work (it's COLD outside - wind chill around 0 degrees)

$1.35 - bus to work (DC got 6" of snow overnight, and we had a 2-hour delay for going to work!)

$3.63 - bagel and coffee from Starbucks

$9.40 - stamps from USPS.com to finally send the Christmas thank-you cards sitting on my desk (better late than never, right?)

Total = $14.38

$7.63 - Washington Post, cat food, club soda and a donut

$117.02 - groceries at Harris Teeter (that thing I said before about not shopping hungover?  Still true.)

$3.19 - multigrain bagel and coffee from Starbucks (I am trying to balance my budget with my goals of eating lowcarb, i.e. not spending $6 on the fruit/cheese plate.)

$30 - online order of a DC Metro Smartrip card.  Yes, I have lived in DC for 14 months and am just now getting around to getting a Smartrip card . . Although I paid $5 for the privilege of buying it online and having it shipped to me, I will save 10 cents on every bus trip now that I won't be paying in cash (and I can join everyone else in feeling superior to the poor fools struggling with their change while everyone else waits impatiently behind them, in the rain).  So I only have to take 50 bus trips to make it worth it.  That'll probably happen before I leave DC.

$10 - donation to Maine Coast Semester solar panels challenge

$22.50 - Chinese food for me and Emma

$11.82 - 6pack of Brooklyn Pinstripe Ale

$8 - cab to Jenn's

$40-ish - drinks at 3rd Edition, a lame, lame, lame Georgetown bar (Emma and I have decided we will never go out in Georgetown again)

$2.50 - ATM fee (rrrrrgh)

$7 - cab home

Total = $135.01

Progress

Another $0 day!

Mickey Rourke should have won the best-actor Oscar

$1.59 - diet Coke

$7.50 - ticket to see "The Wrestler" with Alexis.  It was really, really good, and really, really intense.

$22.63 - 3 Stella Artois with Alexis after the show (it was only supposed to be one, but we got talking . . .)

Total = $31.72

Delightful Zero Dollar Day

I spent no money today, which is always good, and also had a very good day.  After work I worked out and then went to Alexis' for a delicious, delicious dinner of flank steak, fingerling potatoes and steamed broccoli, and watched Obama's totally awesome speech to Congress.  Overall excellent.

$8.25 - coffee and fruit/cheese breakfast at Starbucks

$9.80 - salad and diet Coke for lunch

$40 - prescriptions

$27.02 - groceries for dinner with Emma and hopefully enough leftovers for lunch for the rest of the week!

Total = $85.07

$10 - ticket to see Slumdog Millionaire - wanting to check it out before it swept at the Oscars

$9.25 - popcorn and soda - couldn't resist

$27.47 - Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack and a workout dvd - had to have the soundtrack!!

$18 - 6-pack and some groceries - for Oscar-watching at Alexis and Ross'

$7.34 - club soda and Camel Lights (moment of weakness, I only smoked 1!)

Total = $72.06

$12.50 - first monthly payment to WAMU, my local public radio station ($150 for the year)

$8.71 - bottle of Famega from Best Cellars

$40-ish dollars - drinks at the Blaguard and Porter's

Total = $61.21 - ish

Trying desperately (but not really, obviously)

2/18/09: 

$15 - Chinese food with Alexis.  Was great to see her and catch up, it's been almost a month, which is ridiculous since we live 5 minutes apart.  

2/19/09:

$8 - cab to get to work due to lateness caused by intestinal issues from previously mentioned Chinese food. Oh well.

$24.62 - dinner and drinks with Emma before going to see 'Milk' with Emma and Zoe - awesome, awesome movie with AMAZING performances

Total = $42.62

Smoke Out Update

It's been 13 weeks and 3 days since I mostly quit smoking.  So far in the month of February I have only smoked on 2 days, which is pretty awesome.  It helps that I have had laryngitis for the past week, but even without that, the not-smoking is still coming pretty easily.

So far, around 900 cigarettes not smoked, and around $220 saved!

$5.01 - milk and cat food 

I am desperately trying to NOT spend any money until the end of the month, so hopefully there will be few to no significant blog posts for a bit (except for Friday night, when I know I'm going out :)

$3.18 - Washington Post and a diet Coke

$122.51 - groceries at Harris Teeter (in addition to not shopping when hungry, I think it is also advisable to not shop while hung-over.  I ended up buying $20 worth of gourmet cheese among other strange and unnecessary purchases. Ah well . . . )

I forgot one of my resolutions, and that is:

8) Go to at least 2 free events/galleries/happenings in DC every month.

$7 - cab to work to get cupcakes in safely :)

$60-ish - Arlington mini pub crawl with Emma, Maureen, and Emily

$6 - cab home

Total = $73

Cupcake Madness

$59.73 - groceries and ingredients to make Brownie Heart Cupcakes and Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream . They both turned out GREAT!  See pictures :)

2009 Resolutions/Aspirations

So I keep forgetting my list of resolutions/aspirations at home, but I think I can remember them all.  So, in 2009 I plan to:

1) Read 12 books

2) Cook for friends at least 2x per month

3) Start volunteering at the National Rehab Hospital

4) Call Gram at least 1x per week

5) Call Mom/Henry and my Dad at least 1x per month

6) Lose 30 lbs (6 down, 24 to go!)

7) Pay off all my credit card debt and save $6,000

(I think that's it . . .)

$37.84 - CVS (it was all absolutely necessary stuff - hair product, Emergen-C, vitamins, etc)

$36.50 - roundtrip bus ticket to NYC on Megabus for March 6-8 (look at me being thrifty and not taking the Amtrak train even though it is a bajillion times more pleasant :)

$8 - happy hour drinks with Emma at The Bottom Line

Exciting Milestone

I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled to report that I am now down to making payments on only one credit card.  As of 2/15, I will owe $4,612 on one zero-interest card and that balance will be $0 no later than July 2009.  Wow, just typing those words makes me really happy.  As I near the point of zero debt, paying my credit card bills has actually become a pleasure, and with the end in sight I have this amazing feeling of lightness and imminent freedom, it actually gives me butterflies in my stomach!

Debt-free life, here I come!!!!

(2009 New Year's Resolutions coming soon.  Yes, I know it's February but it took me a while to settle on the ones that were most important to me.)

$35 - cheeses, fresh mozz, veggies at the Farmer's Market

$7.35 - Washington Post and kitty litter

$17.97 - Netflix subscription (movies watched in the last month, in liked most to liked least order: Man on Wire, Riding Giants, John Adams miniseries, Friday Night Lights Season 2, Burn After Reading, Year of the Dog, Darkon)

$50 - part of rental car charge from last weekend

Total = $110.32

$8 - beers at Raven Grill with Zoe

$1.35 - bus to work

$25.45 - dinner and drinks with Emma at cafe asia

$50 - ticket to see the Alvin Ailey dance troupe at the Kennedy Center - with the PRESIDENT!!!

$32 - drinks at McFadden's with work friends

Total = $108.80

$7 - cab to get home after happy hour drinks with Emma (needed to get home quickly so I'd have enough time to make dinner for Zoe and Lizzy -- Peppercorn Chicken with Lemon Spinach and Sweet Potato Gratin -- they both turned out great, and the combo of all the flavors and colors of the meail made for one of my best yet!

My Interview Moment

Holli - thanks for the great questions!!!

1.  Work often feels like nothing more than work.  What is your dream job --- the one that would bring you pure happiness and fulfillment?  Why?   What, if anything, are you doing to turn this dream into a reality?

I have two answers to this question, neither of which I'm sure are it, but I think they are.  Over the last year or so, I have decided that my dream job may be being a stay at home mom.  I want marriage and kids and to raise a family, and I want to raise the kids myself (rather than daycare or a nanny); I think I would find it immensely fulfilling.  It's a bit difficult to work proactively to turn this dream into a reality, but I am trying to become as good and interesting and accomplished a person as possible, so that I can find the right guy, and raise great kids.

My other answer is that I would love to own a bakery or a cafe or something along those lines.  I would want it to be a place where people come to hang out, a very neighborhood-y sort of place, and it would open early and close late!  I think I would find this so fulfilling because it would satisfy my need for community and comfort and lots of people and activity in my life, and also indulge my love of baking and sweets and coffee!  I am doing squat to turn this dream into reality, as I don't think it's a realistic option.

2. If you could travel anywhere with anyone (all expenses paid), where would you go and who would you go with?
Recently I have been thinking about how cool it would be to go to Australia and New Zealand, so let's say there.  I would want to go with a gang of my friends, 10 at least, including my Aussie friend Tim so that he could show us around.  I can imagine the trouble/fun we would get into!

3.  What is your proudest moment in life thus far?  

This was the hardest question for me to answer, I thought about it all day yesterday, and still haven't been able to come up with a defining moment.  I think there are two that I can say sort of equal eachother in terms of making me feel proud and that I have been living a good life.  One is when I got my second job at my current employer, it was such a step up in terms of responsibility and compensation, and really the result of previous good work at the association, as well as a series of lucky accidents I suppose.  I was proud to have been asked to fill the position, and I was proud that I was able to negotiate such favorable compensation for myself.  The other moment is really a series of moments I have had, often at IBYC (my favorite annual summer party), but at other times as well when surrounded by friends, who are all having a marvelous time at a party in my old apartment, or dinner at a friend's house, or something along those lines.  I am proud that I have such an amazing group of intelligent, caring, funny, dynamic and interesting people in my life, and that I know I will have them forever!

4. What character trait do you find most appealing in friends?  What trait are you most attracted to in men?

In friends I suppose it's an excellent sense of humor, my best friends are the people who I love to laugh with, and I find that people who are funny are also intelligent, which is another bonus.  I also really value loyalty in friends.  In men, I am drawn to self-confidence.  Men who know who they are and are comfortable with that can be themselves, and if they know themselves, they are more available to get to know me in a very real way.  I am also a sucker for guys who can make me laugh.  Compassion is also a must.

5. Some lessons in life can only be learned the hard way.  What is one such lesson you've learned? 

This is my softball question, right?   The biggest life lesson I have learned so far, that has to be lived to be learned, is money management.  I got myself into a great big $16k pile of credit card debt, and I am close to getting myself out of it.  Once I am out, I will never be in this situation again.  I think I needed to live this to learn it, as I am not an inherently responsible person when it comes to money and finances.  That being said, I think that when my credit card debt is completely paid off, that THAT will be the proudest moment of my life.

$1.35 - bus to work

$108.76 - groceries from Harris Teeter (I cann;t help myself in that store)

Total = $110.11

$8.25 - breakfast and coffee at Starbucks

$33.83 - The Complete New Yorker on DVD (an amazing deal!)

$9 - lunch and a diet Coke

$34.14 - drinks and wings with Emma after work

$17.23 - groceries

Total = $102.45

Weekend Update

Saturday: 

$5.87 - windshield washer fluid

Sunday: 

$19.13 - gas

Monday:

$5.75 - breakfast bar and a coffee at Sheetz on my way back from 6-time Super-Bowl Champion city!

$24.85 - gas

$9.88 - salad and a diet Coke from Pret A Manger (a new place to spend too much money on deliciously tempting lunches)

Total = $65.48

$1.35 - bus to work (feeling lazy)

$10 - Metro card

$5.27 - sandwich and coffee at Sheetz (on my way to Pittsburgh, ahem, I mean SIX-BURGH!!)

$8.15 - tolls

Total = $24.77

$30 - beers and delicious dinner at Busboys & Poets with Zoe and Lizzy (decompressing after a totally successful Board presentation!)

$10 - cab home

$1.35 - bus fare to work (yesterday's lovely snow has turned into sheets of ice and freezing rain.  DC weather is WHACK.)

$32.55 - groceries to make a pasta-less lasagna (really quite good, the recipe substitutes eggplant for pasta). Recipe here: http://www.recipezaar.com/I-Lost-My-Noodles-Low-CarbSouth-Beach-Eggplant-Lasagna-83464

Smoke-out(ish) Update Week 10

It's been 10 weeks + 1 day since I quit smoking regularly, and I am pretty pleased with the results.  I sat down last night to figure out exactly how much I am still smoking, and am happy to report that there were only 5 days in January that I had a cigarette.  This is pretty great for me!  I still haven't bought a pack, and don't ever plan to again, which is awesome.

Total Money Saved Not Smoking: $178

Total Cigarettes Not Smoked: 675-ish

$6.41 - first two episodes of the new season of LOST (down-loaded from iTunes on Friday)

$30 - prescription

Total = $36.41

Recovery

Thanks to the suggestion of my very wise boss, I took Wednesday off work, and spent the majority of the day in bed, recovering.  Treated myself to a delicious baby spinach-roasted garlic-feta cheese gourmet pizza and Caesar salad ($27.94).  

Thursday and Friday were work-filled and went by suprisingly slowly.  On Friday I splurged on Starbucks ($8.75), squeezed in a doc appt ($25 + $20 prescriptions), picked up some groceries ($29.54), and that evening promptly started sniffling, sneezing, and getting sick.

Spent this past weekend taking it very easy, drinking lots of tea, and sleeping, watching DVDs, and getting caught up on some work ($20.23 on tea, lozenges, soup, etc).  Went out on Sunday morning in search of an internet connection ($14 at Tryst for brunch), and finally found one at Starbucks for $3.99 for 2 hours (pretty much a rip-off when combined with the nastiest drink I have ever had - the Vanilla Rooibus Tea Latte- $4.02).

Back at work, and ready to grind out this week, which ends with a Board meeting where I'll be giving a 30 minute presentation - holy crap!

Total for Recovery from Inauguration: $153.47

Inauguration Celebration!!

After a very fun Friday night out, I spent Saturday (1/17) recovering, grocery shopping ($34.01), watching Netflix and generally taking it very, very easy.  On Sunday, I tried to go to the concert on the Mall, but got there waaaaay too late to get in, and so instead met up with Emma for drinks at The Bottom Line.  From there we went to Buffalo Billiards to watch the Steelers game ($13) with Maureen and friends.  Alexis and Will met up with us there, and the three of us headed to U St for more frivolity at Solly's and Stetson's.  I stopped by 7-11 on the way home for drunk snacks ($9.71), and went to bed very happy that I still had three more days off, and that Barack Obama would be inaugurated in less than two days!

On Monday I spent another very lazy day at home, and then headed over to Ross' on Capitol Hill to spend the night in order to be closer to the action in the morning.  Picked up a 12 pack of Yuengling on the way ($11.98).  Didn't sleep much because it seemed like every firetruck, police car and ambulance in the District was tearing up and down Pennsylvania Avenue with their sirens on full-blast.  It happened so much that when we woke up ay 7am to get to the ceremony the first thing I did was check the internet for some terrible disaster at the Capitol.  Fortunately, there was none.

Had a terrible time getting into the inauguration event, even with a ticket, and even getting in line before 8am, luckily we did finally make it in (lots of people didn't) around 11:20, in time to see all the speeches and hear all the music and generally take note of the magnificence of what was occuring all around us.  The roar of the 2 million crowd from the Mall is a sound I will never forget!  That night, Alexis and Ross organized a lovely dinner at Ulah Bistro for a delightful group of friends ($35), and we spent the rest of night bar hopping ($24) and party-crashing ($20).  I picked up drunk snacks on my way home around 4am ($7.29), and fell to bed knowing that the world was already a better, safer place.

At some point over the weekend I took out $50 from the ATM, but I have no idea where I spent it (cabs, drinks, food, who knows?)

Total $ for Inauguration Celebration: $204.99

$50 - doctor copay

$20 - Metro card for inauguration weekend getting-around

$30.54 - happy hour at Mackey's with Emma and Patrick

$6.93 - Sparks! to take to Ross'

$47.45 - Chinese food for me, Alexis, and Emma  

Total = $124.92

$224.80 - flight to San Francisco in march to visit Ian!!

$20 - parking ticket picked up while in Boston over New Year's (sometime I will visit Boston without getting a parking ticket.  really.)

Total = $244.80

$10.35 - two glasses of wine with Emma at Vapiano's

$1.35 - bus to work 

$7.59 - Power Protein breakfast and coffee from Starbucks

$147.19 - groceries from Harris Teeter (a ridiculous amount to spend all at once, but I got some killer deals on stuff that will last, and then almost killed myself carrying it all home.)

Total = $156.13

Smoke-Out (ish) Update Week 8

It's been 8 weeks of my relatively smoke-free lifestyle, and I've saved $141 not smoking 540 cigarettes or so :)

I have to say the sheer number of cigarettes that I haven't smoked is the most amazing thing to me.  Or rather, what's amazing/shocking is that even though I was only smoking 5-10 a day when I quit, they add up really fast!

Either way, I am still feeling good and loving not being a (regular) smoker!

Weekend Update

Fantastic, super, incredibly fun weekend in New York.  I realized I hadn't visited in over a year and a half, and that is way too long to stay away from one of the most fun cities in the world.  Every time I visit NYC I always have a great time, and this past weekend was no exception!  I took a cab from the office to Union Station ($8) and then the Amtrak to Penn Station in NYC.  Got a new Metro card ($14) and hopped on the train to Astoria to drop off my stuff at Peter B.'s beautiful new apartment.  Since Peter had the flu and needed his sleep, I spent the night in Carrol Gardens, Brooklyn with Alex and Alyson, two good friends from Oberlin who I haven't seen in a long time.  We went out for beers to Minibar, and then drank some more at their apartment ($25), laughing and telling stories and generally having a great time.  The next day I woke up around noon and stopped for a bagel and coffee ($3.75) before getting on the train back to Peter's.  I LOVE New York bagels.  That evening I met up with Evelyne, another dear friend who I haven't seen in forever, and we caught up over drinks at a bar in Penn Station before hitting the PBR rodeo!!  The rodeo was a blast, saw tons of bullriding and drank lots of Budweiser ($25), and generally had a riotous time.  After the rodeo Evelyne and I went to Rudy's, a great dive bar nearby that gives you free hotdogs and has $7 pitchers!  We ate 7 hotdogs between the two of us (gross, I know, but they just kept coming) and drank 2 pitchers and danced and laughed and had a hilarious time ($14).  Took the train back to Astoria at 2am exhausted but happy!  The next day had brunch with Peter ($18) and then took the Bolt bus back to DC, stopping for snacks on the way ($7.05).  When I got back to DC I hopped in a cab over to Ross' ($8) to watch the rest of the Steelers' win and the Golden Globes with Ross, Alexis, and Ben, while noshing on Thai ($14), and then took another late-night cab back to my apartment ($12).

Back to work, and it's a busy week, but I am so looking forward to the inauguration festivities next weekend and am scheming on how to get to the PBR World Championships in Vegas next November. :)

Total = $148.55

$7.35 - Power Protein breakfast and coffee from Starbucks

$10.35 - Cowboy Steak salad and diet Coke from the Brown Bag

$10 - money added to laundry card

$17.97 - Netflix subscription (TV shows rented in the last month: Friday Nights Lights, Freaks and Geeks, The Wire, movies: The Dark Night, Bullrider, Helvetica, Tropic Thunder, Planet B-Boy)

$560 - car rental for holiday travel (got me from DC to Pittsburgh to Boston to DC, so not terrible)

Total = $605.67

$1.35 - bus to work (another gross and rainy day, winter has officially hit DC)

$444.04 - gas, tolls, eating out, groceries, trip to Target for a sweeper and other "necessities", in sum, all of my spending from 12/24 - 1/4, except for my rental car, which was hideously expensive but hasn't posted to my Discover card yet so I'm not posting it here yet.

$22 - drink and dinner with Emma at the Science Club

Total = $476.39

On the positive side, I am very happy to report that although all of this spending occured on a credit card, it has already all been paid off now that I have access to my debit cards and bank accounts once again.  This is NOT something that would have occured in the past.  

This.  This is why I never have any money and can never meet my spending goals.  Because I do stupid things like signing up for multiple food magazine subscriptions (there's a third on the way!), and feeling compelled to give money to my alma maters or matii, or however you would say it.  Even when I am being pretty good and not boozing and dining my $ away, I still find a way to dispose of it far faster than should be possible.  I need to come up with a plan.

$1.35 - bus fare to work (cold and raining and awful outside)

$15 - Food Network magazine subscription

$12 - Everyday Food magazine subscription

$20 - donation to Chewonki, the organization that runs the Maine Coast Semester

$15 - donation to Oberlin scholarship fund

$20 - BoltBus ticket from NYC-DC for Sunday (on my way back from seeing the Professional Bull Rider's rodeo in Madison Square Garden!!)

$35.51 - two calendars (one for home, one for the office), a New Yorker (I should just suck it up and get a subscription even if I don't read it most of the time), and Team of Rivals (book about Lincoln and his cabinet that I have been wanting to read ever since I heard the author speak and ended in tears - she is amazing!)

(Mostly) Smoke-Out Update Week 7

So, while I cannot exactly say that I have QUIT SMOKING in all capital letters or shout it from the rooftops because I have smoked approximately 2 cigarettes per week for the last 7 weeks, all in all I am doing pretty well.  So far I have saved about $124 dollars and not smoked 476 cigarettes, which makes the 10-14 that I have smoked not seem that bad. :)

I have no idea

Exactly how much $$$ I spent over the holidays, or what I spent it on (rental car and eating out, mostly, I think).  But due to the recent loss-theft of my wallet, I had to put it all on one Discover card, so when that total comes through in a couple days, I'll post it, no matter how hideous it turns out to be.

Spending today:

$9.68 - Miss Mae's Cajun Cobb salad (relatively South beach diet friendly, thank goodness)