Saturday Shopping

Went out to dinner, $20.

Picked up snacks at the store, $26.

Bought stand for the new flat-panel TV, $320.

For dinner, we used a coupon to save $4. Unfortunately, we already had dinner thawing in the fridge at home, but Hubby had a craving for something else. I probably should have insisted on eating at home (my dinner didn't taste very good, and was rather unhealthy).

We went way overboard on snacks. In fact, we went out shopping to buy some, then we went BACK to the store to buy more. Popcorn, candy, brownies, cake, frosting, sodas. About the only thing we bought that we actually needed was cat food.

The TV stand was more than I had wanted to spend (my original limit was $250), and was something we didn't really need either. We already have one that is in good condition and is plenty big/sturdy, but it's a modern style with glass shelves and it's difficult to keep clean. I wanted something a bit more traditional, made of wood and with doors, and I wasn't able to find much that I liked.

Unmotivated to Save

I haven't been feeling very motivated to write lately. Money is still a bit tighter than I would like, and we've continued to splurge on (small) items. 

The car insurance bill for our second vehicle arrived today. Six months ago, it was $320. This time around, it's just shy of $400. That's a HUGE increase, percentage-wise. A state-mandated increase accounted for a small portion of it, but the rest was just due to the insurance company hiking premiums (our credit scores haven't changed, we haven't had any tickets or accidents, etc.). Between both vehicles, we've had to pay $150 extra this month... and that's going to be a recurring charge, every six months. For now, we're just going to pay the bill - but Hubby is going to shop around to a few other places and see if we can bring the bill back down to something more reasonable. 

We went out for a nice dinner last night, $52. Then we stopped for dessert afterwards, $15. 

Today we went bowling and then out for pizza, $30. We also picked up a new pair of bowling shoes on clearance for me, $22. Hubby is still deciding which pair of shoes he likes best, but his will likely be around $50, since they didn't have any of his size on clearance. Even so, at $3 to rent bowling shoes, it definitely makes sense to own rather then rent (and if you ask me, the concept of renting shoes is just rather gross). 

Threw out the budget

I only had to work a half day last Friday, which started the weekend on an expensive note. Not only did I have to give up a few extra hours of pay to leave early, but then Hubby & I headed out to my favorite restaurant for a late-lunch ($29). We also ventured to Home Depot to pick up a few necessary supplies ($44). 

Then a friend came over to visit, and we treated her to dinner ($25). We went shopping on Saturday, and I bought some crafting supplies ($21). I'd hoped to spend about $25 total for dinner & shopping, but wasn't too bad. 

The trouble really started on Sunday though, after she left. Hubby & I decided to spend the day relaxing, and went out for lunch downtown ($18). We bought some new window treatments ($65), and we decided to buy something else ($800). 

The damage, $1002. It'll take a month or two to pay that credit card off, and I'll only be able to make minimum payments on my other credit card for the interim. I don't think it'll be possible to pay off my cards by the end of the calendar year... 

Bought an iPhone 3GS

It was a bit of hemming & hawing, but we did end up buying a 32GB iPhone 3GS. I thought we should only get a 16GB, to save the extra $100, but by Saturday evening the local Apple store had sold out of everything else... so that made the decision on which model to get pretty easy. The total came to $316 with tax. 

The 3GS is going to replace our original iPhone (which runs on Edge network), so we'll be able to resell that for around $100. We also have another older smartphone which should sell for around $50. 

So total cost, $166. The monthly bill will also increase by $10/mo, since the data plan that went with the original iPhone was only $20/mo, but 3G & 3GS iPhone data plans are now running $30/mo.