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Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Tuesday & Wednesday Money Catch-up--Easter Bunny Takes Big Bite$ of April Lettuce

TUESDAY $ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET
  • Kyle, from the Clifton Bike Shop, dropped off my sparkling new pink bike. I had my original for less than a year and part of it broke beyond repair. Under 1-year warranty, new one for free. Kyle moved my blinking light, cup holder and basket mount from old bike to new one, popped bike in his truck, drove to my town to drop it off. I gave him a tip of $30, totally deserved. Our car is too small to fit the bike, and I have missed it. When he arrived, I had to break the news to him that Punch had locked the gears on her new birthday bike....he couldn't fix it on the spot, so he took that back to the shop, repaired it, and drove back from Clifton with it. Another $5 tip. Worth it for our wheels, $35.
  • CVS, 2 beautiful Hallmark Easter cards, one for my mother-in-law in Maine and one for Sis, plus "niece" bday card for our niece in Maine, $19.80.
  • CVS, single Lindt dark chocolate truffle and pink tube of Coppertone Glow, with subtle shimmer and SPF 50 [on sale, $11.99 down to $7.99, plus $3 Extra Bucks coupon and $3 coupon attached to tube, so $1.99!]. $2.96.  
  • Little Daisy Bake Shop, please, don't ask. So fed up with bank stresses lately...it's a long story. Was on phone with bank 30+ minutes yesterday and then waited in person at branch today for 30+ minutes for something that should have been straightforward [it was about buying those two shares of Comcast stock for brokerage account]. Little Daisy is near the bank. I got a chocolate chip scone and mini day-old whoopie pie. Really? Really? Futile attempt to stuff down stress, when things don't go smoothly? Plus tip jar, $4.50.
  • Joyist to work and also meet my friend [and health coach] Rachael. 10th punch on my rewards card, so free lunch--delicious mushroom zucchini soup. Plus hazelnut energy bites and The Luke blend, $19.
  • After Joyist closed at 5:30, moved myself and my bike a few doors closer to home. Locked up at another parking meter [free parking, at least, for bikes]. Lamb meatballs with rice and salad, iced coffee, with jar tip, $20.
TOTAL DAILY SPEND: $101.26.
MONTHLY SPEND AS OF APRIL 16: $2,130.
AVERAGE DAILY SPEND SO FAR THIS MONTH: $133.12.


Big-ticket April spends so far, 16 days into the month:

Lamp, $79; luxe hand cream, $55; Giotto dinner to go + jar of imported Italian artichokes, $46; dog groomer/beauty salon, $75; vet for hamster, $157; necklace repair, $128; blowout, $55; Over the Moon, bday gifts for Punch friend + book for me, $60; Kings groceries, $132; liquor store, $32; bra/underwear/tights, $126; Joyist, $39 one day while working on assignments there; second blowout w service tips, $52; Punchy, Lululemon, $28; Justice, bday gifts and gift bag/pink tissue for Punch friend + shorts for Punch + $2 donation at register, $58; Kings groceries, $63; Joyist, $25 one day while working on deadlines; bike delivery, $35. Steep subtotal of $1,245.

MONEY THOUGHTS: Can I just tell you I am LOVING that new lamp with Liberty of London shade and that tube of luxe hand cream? I really am. Plus the new bra, and the newly replaced bike.

WEDNESDAY $ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET
  • Whole Foods on way home from dropping Punch at school in the nick of time [9:20 a.m.] so she wouldn't be marked tardy. Gallon organic whole milk; fresh ravioli; fresh vegan ravioli [new find!]; 2 large cans Muir Glen tomato sauce [much cheaper than jars]; pot of 6 blooming two-tone yellow/orange tulips, $5; fresh local ricotta; large EVOO; broccoli rabe w garlic; turkey burger and red-skin potato salad from prepared case because I was busy working, wanted to eat healthy; vegan maple breakfast sausage links [sale]; Late July tortilla chips; 2 Meyer lemons, $69.09.
  • Kings, 2 quality baby Easter bunnies [one dark and quite petite, from Lake Champlain Chocolates] for 2 special people in the house, cost together about $10; Stonewall Kitchen black raspberry jam, a family favorite; 2 jars good lemon curd [about $12] for individual Easter dessert tarts; 4 mochi ice cream balls for Punch [I said she could pick a treat]; big sack dry dog food; Newman's Own dog treats; sour cream [sale]; Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips; large can pure pumpkin to layer with plain yogurt; Carr's whole wheat crackers; and jar of bay leaves, because I heard from my friend Anne that moths hate the smell of them--and we have moths in the kitchen, $78.89.
  • Cash to send into school with permission slips for 2 Punchy class trips, one in May and one in June, each involving a chartered schoolbus that leaves the school 9:30 a.m. and returns by 3 or 3:30 p.m. The money goes toward transportation and admission, I believe; the kids bring bag lunches. $20 each, so $40.
  • Sandwich Theory, split a pressed sandwich with P., small bag chips, iced coffee, iced tea, plus $1 tip, $14.26.
  • Montclair municipal parking lot, $1.
  • CVS, to get Fig's RX--and then buy Easter basket goodies of all kinds. I won't elaborate on them here but some are candy and some are not and they are mostly for the girls, with a few faves Dan and Sis like, too, $75.04.
TOTAL DAILY SPEND: $278.28.
MONTHLY SPEND AS OF APRIL 17: $2,413.28.
AVERAGE DAILY SPEND SO FAR THIS MONTH: $141.95.


Big-ticket April spends so far, 17 days into the month:

Lamp, $79; luxe hand cream, $55; Giotto dinner to go + jar of imported Italian artichokes, $46; dog groomer/beauty salon, $75; vet for hamster, $157; necklace repair, $128; blowout, $55; Over the Moon, bday gifts for Punch friend + book for me, $60; Kings groceries, $132; liquor store, $32; bra/underwear/tights, $126; Joyist, $39 one day while working on assignments there; second blowout w service tips, $52; Punchy, Lululemon, $28; Justice, bday gifts and gift bag/pink tissue for Punch friend + shorts for Punch + $2 donation at register, $58; Kings groceries, $63; Joyist, $25 one day while working on deadlines; bike delivery, $35; Whole Foods, $69; CVS & Kings, Easter gifts/basket treats [counting lemon curd for tarts], $97. Steep subtotal of $1,411.

MONEY THOUGHTS: I guess we spend a lot on holidays. Sis is bringing a fancy ham for Easter, so that's great. I tried to be careful and not overbuy. I was UPSET when I remembered in the car that I had a CVS Extra Bucks coupon for $10 off a purchase of $40 or more. So mad. Not sure I will spend $40 or more again before the coupon expires. I looked in my purse but couldn't find it, or I was going to go back in and see if the manager would accept it. I want to keep my monthly spend down even though I've added weekly blowouts [$40 plus tips] back in, such as before Easter Sunday. Pasting these numbers here to remember, from this POST. 

MY TOTAL MARCH SPEND OUT OF POCKET: $4,128.41.
COMPARE TO TOTAL FEBRUARY SPEND OUT OF POCKET: $3,159.25.

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