Cash Catch-up

Tired and had some slips with leftover Baked Alexa and my mother-in-law's excellent apple cake in the house. Tomorrow, fresh start.

TCOY

1. 7 a.m. support group. Helpful. I appreciate my friends there.
2. Promising phone interview for job.
3. Walked in and out of town. Determined to get back to my walks. Felt good.
4. Wrote interview thank you notes [in addition to emails] while at gymnastics. Punch took class from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Popped letters into mailbox on our way home.
5. Talked to Sis and Moey.
6. Planning two-night Cape Cod getaway with my friend Anne for next week.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET ON PUNCHY'S BDAY, MONDAY, MARCH 11:

• CVS, again waiting for family RXs, got groceries, including raisins, 3 jars PB, fruit leathers, walnuts, baking soda, 4 pints Haagen Dazs ice cream on sale to make Punchy's Baked Alexa, magazine for work, Nivea body washes, 2 bottles white vinegar for cleaning, 2 gallons distilled water for CPAP machine, Dr. Teal's bath salts, Hallmark bday card, big pink bow, about $60.
• Whole Foods, for two quarts organic strawberries to dip in dark chocolate; pita chips; Nut Thins crackers; salsa; 2 loaves Italian bread; pasta; 2 spaghetti squash; emergency jar of tomato sauce [but I had enough homemade for bday dinner with friends & Sis]; bananas; Mineral Fusion lipstick [on sale, plus $3 coupon], pint premium vegan ice cream for Figgy; $85.

DAILY TOTAL: $145.

RUNNING TOTAL FOR MONTH AS OF MARCH 11: $1736.57.

SO FAR, THAT'S AN AVERAGE DAILY SPEND OF: $157.87.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET TUESDAY, MARCH 12: 

• Marcel dinner, delicious fish tacos plus large decaf latte, $16.95 plus tip for jar, $18.
• Vending machine at gymnastics, late night, $2 for Punch, $2 for me, so $4.
• Taco Bell drive thru, Punch, with small pink lemonade, $9.23.

DAILY TOTAL: $31.23.

RUNNING TOTAL FOR MONTH AS OF MARCH 12: $1767.80.

SO FAR, THAT'S AN AVERAGE DAILY SPEND OF: $147.32

THE HAIRCUT, Whole Foods and PUNCH BIRTHDAY GIFTS, INCLUDING BIKE, REALLY DROVE IT UP. Spends will be unusually high when it's Punchy's or Figgy's birthday.

MONEY THOUGHT: Calculating my daily average spend for every day of the month in an ongoing tally [Kim's great suggestion to do ongoing monthly spend tally] keeps me more aware. I'm trying to reduce that daily average spend as the month progresses and the birthday gifts are behind us.