Friday, May 29, 2009

bad bad bad

Yes, yes, I know. I've been a bad blogger, a bad money dieter, a bad eater, a bad runner, definitely a bad worker. Just bad. But I've been having lots and lots of fun!!! (except for the week where I was home with the most awful case of vertigo, that was not fun in any way)

Over the last two months I haven't accumulated any debt, but I haven't saved much either. There was the new computer, the trip to Calgary, the extravagent weekend away in Whistler, the great deal on wine for the wedding which couldn't be passed up, and now that summer is nearly upon is, the weekend getaways to the Sunshine Coast. And so many expenses looming . . . it gives me chest pain to think about it. I need to reevaluate the money diet and figure a way to work it for the summer months that has me saving some money, prevents me from cheating (as I have been lots over the last two months), and doesn't leave me feeling deprived. $60/week just isn't going to cut it when there are things like ferry fare and sipping cold beer on sunny patios to think about. I'm trying to put my thinking cap on and figure out a workable system to implement for June 1st.

Monday, May 11, 2009

week 18

I'm too busy to spend money these days. That is until I get a free afternoon or evening, and then watch out! I didn't even withdraw my weekly $60 from the bank until Friday afternoon but there isn't much of it left after the weekend, and every single shred of it was spent on hooch. Fun times though.

My lovely bridesmaids informed me that I had better get my ass in gear and deal with bridal registry since they had already put the information out there. Yowza. I've struggled with the concept of registry and have been putting it off, but I guess it had to be done. So Friday afternoon I spent meandering through a kitchen store picking lovely things and Saturday afternoon saw me walking around the Bay zapping bar codes with a scanning gun. Interesting times. I second Nicole's recent rant about registry (baby, in her case) and how it's a big old load of bo-shit that you can't register online. Why is it that I can't go on the online catalogue from the comfort of my own home (office) and register on my own schedule (company dime)? More annoying is how if you don't want to be hit with a schwack of spam from the Bay and other companies they affiliate with, you can't just tick (or untick as it were) a box indicating your privacy preferences, you have to actually contact their privacy department and ask them to take you off the list. Bosch.

Anyways, after all the bar code scanning was done with, Tatjana and I headed upstairs to ladies wear where I was happy to find that my favourite bra (the T-shirt bra by Triumph) was on sale 25% off. I've been in desperate need of a new bra for MONTHS, so obviously snagged one. While we were up there we also checked out shoes since I need a pair to wear under my wedding dress. I saw some cute white flipflops with a flower on the front that I think will do if I find nothing else. Outdoor wedding on a very uneven lawn/beach = the most comfortable sensible pair of summertime flats I can find. So then we poked around the dresses since Tatjana still has yet to find her bridesmaid dress and has a very specific vision of what she wants to wear (I told them they could wear any black dress they wanted). She wants a halter dress with a deeply plunging v-neck, some paneling, and a skirt that goes just below the knee. So we're perusing the dresses and I happen to stick my hand into one of the racks and pull out a black v-neck halter dress. The only one around, and we couldn't find any more on nearby racks. She tries it on. It fits PERFECTLY, looks stunning, is EXACTLY what she wants, AND is on sale from $125 down to $25. How awesome is that? Defo the find of the day.

Obviously even though we were still out half an hour later than I said I would be home, we continued shopping. With my strapless wedding dress I am in need of a strapless bikini for the summer, and we just so happened so walk by the bathing suit section and find just that. It wasn't so bad all in all, I got my new bra and a new bikini all said and done for around $80. Doesn't beat Tatjana's $25 bridesmaid dress, but its the first shopping I've done in a very long time, and although I hadn't planned for it, I kept things under control.

This weekend is a long weekend and also Paul's birthday. Being his last birthday while I'm a working lady, I've decided to whisk him away for the weekend. We're going to Whistler, which we've been talking about doing for YEARS, staying here and going for dinner here. It's going to be a pricey weekend, but I've been planning for it for a while so I can absorb it. Yay!