<$Wednesday, August 15, 2007$>
Non-news, and news that actually is news: windfalls, computers and out-of-control food spending. Oh my!
| There are things I want to talk about here, things I'm tempted to be very excited about, but I won't let myself yet, on both counts. Sorry to be so enigmatic. There are a couple of things on the horizon, the thought of which have me incredibly jazzed, but they're still only maybes at the moment, and I've learned from harsh experienced that it's not a good idea to go all blog-squee about things that may be. Too often have I had to come back and say "never mind" when it didn't work out. So I'm biting my tongue. But I'm also chomping at the bit. And that ain't easy. In news of things that actually are, Husband got approved for more than enough financial aid to cover his tuition and books both this semester and next, with enough left over (once the university gets around to taking out their share and then cutting him a check) to finally replace our dead computer. Hallelujah and amen! Of course, that won't mean much in terms of getting online from home until we finally move to the city where we can get better-than-dialup access. But considering that I was all gung-ho to take some online web/graphic design courses this year (paid for courtesy of my company's awesome benefits department and their tuition reimbursement program), and had to pass on it this semester because of said lack of home computer, I'm thrilled that at least I'll be able to enroll next semester. Husband starts his classes tomorrow. Yeah, I don't really get starting a term on Thursday, either, but whatever. I'm hoping that his increased activity and workload will translate to us going out less, which will result in spending less and saving more. We really need to get in gear in the "spending less and saving more" department, because we got pretty lazy and complacent about it over the summer. Our biggest downfall, as I've mentioned here before, has been food. With our extremely limited refrigerator space and lack of a stove, we're pretty limited in our options for preparing meals and eating at home, and that makes it hard to have a lot of variety in what we eat. Without variety, we both get to the point where we just can't stand the thought of eating the same stuff one more night, and inevitably we end up either going out to a restaurant or going to get takeout. We spent $60 on deli sushi the other night, which is just inexcusable, and I hated having to account for it (even though it was really yummy sushi). That's about a quarter of our whole grocery budget, for one meal! Clearly, we need to have our asses kicked. That, or I need to poke around this here intertubes and research some more budget-friendly options for preparing a healthy (and, preferably, healthful) variety of foods when you don't have a kitchen. And also, we really, really, REALLY need to stop watching the Food Network and the Travel Channel. Especially that Anthony Bourdain. Labels: extra income, healthy living, loans, money management, spending |
