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 :)