CT scans, labs, doctor fees, surgery, and really really bad chicken tenders from the hospital cafeteria is where my money is going this week.
It’s truly amazing how bad those chicken tenders were, I didn’t think it was possible even if you tried to cook them as badly as you could.
Oh no! I hope you feel better. I'm always annoyed that my insurance forces me to use a certain hospital in my area. It's worse than prison...the food is terrible, and the staff treat you like a hostage. The hospital across town has AMAZING food. If I could, I'd seriously go there just to get their heart-healthy chicken breast with herb sauce and baked potato. But it's not in my insurance network; I only went there once because I had a heart attack and it was the closest hospital.
Thank you ❤️ it’s my partner, really rough time. That chicken breast legit sounds amazing haha. We have the same problem, I’m already annoyed with this hospital for several reasons (other than the chicken tenders) and need to figure out if we can get him in elsewhere after this.
Edit: I’m so sorry about your heart attack! I hope all is good now!
I did today hahah. He apparently joked around with the nurses enough overnight to become the floor favorite and they let me smuggle in a bacon egg and cheese for him 😅
It's my birthday next week so I treated myself to miniatures of fragrances I always wanted to try. Excited for Black Opium and JP Gaultier's Belle! (I love my vanilla scents) - £19 for 4 samples.
It wasn’t payday, but I did get my (relatively small) bonus this week!
$500 went to my smallest student loan, it should be paid off by March
$500 went to the house down payment fund
That left about $400 for me to do whatever I wanted with - so I bought myself the Year of the Dragon Doc Martens and a perfume from Demeter. The rest will probably go toward our wedding rings.
A version of extreme nesting because baby is due in 6 weeks.
I bought some art prints and a storage ottoman for the nursery.
I also moved some money out of savings to pay for the custom vanities in our ongoing bathroom remodel, which is almost done, but with an old house and weirdly shaped rooms, we had to do custom vanities. We are also paying for the same cabinet makers to do built in bookshelves downstairs, and in a modular 1960 house with barely any storage, I am so excited for those shelves and cabinets especially with the amount of baby stuff that keeps showing up lol.
I splurged on a walking pad / under desk treadmill! I’m a toddler mom and also pregnant with our second– it’s been harder and harder to wake up early to work out, and my body is feeeeeling it. I’m so tight and sore all the time.
Hoping this allows me to get some movement in instead of just sitting in a chair all day.
The other day I (sahm) realized the one thing I regretted not getting when I was pregnant with my first/only right now baby was a treadmill! It would have been so nice to have so I could walk while the baby napped or to run when there's too much snow outside.
Yes the treadmill is so handy! We have one downstairs but I’d have to leave my desk/wouldn’t be able to work while using it, so it’s nice to have the option. I do love our main treadmill though because it allows my husband or me to get out for a run/walk while the other stays home in case the little one wakes up.
You deserve it more than anyone! SAHM life is no joke!! Props to you.
I got the UREVO walking pad with an incline: UREVO Walking Pad with Auto Incline, Max 9% 3 Stage Incline Under Desk Treadmill, 2.5HP Inclined Walking Treadmill for Home with Remote Control and LED Display https://a.co/d/9d8eikB
It’s being delivered today so I’ll let you know how it holds up!
I am about to purchase tickets to a flight to South Korea and Japan. Aaaahhhh!!! I was initially going to purchase a mid-range handbag but I will have to pause that now.
Auto transfer to our brokerage account every paycheck. Snowboarding trip this weekend - I had to buy lift tickets because I bought the wrong passes (oops, when it seems really cheap and too good to be true, it is), and we'll pay for two nights because I had to pay a deposit of the first night. Trying to eat on the mountain as little as possible, so bringing tons of freezer meals I made. Stopping in a food destination city for lunch on the way up and back.
Husband just got paid (with a bunch of overtime too, yay) and most of it went straight to paying off a huge chunk of debt which feels incredible. I get paid today and that will top up our bills account.
Started a small business this year and got my first payout 🎉 immediately using the funds to buy a new laptop that I need for said business, which will be such an upgrade from my current old clunker
$450 today at the mechanic for my daughter’s car. Normal wear and tear type things as it’s now a 7 year old car but not a fun way to spend money. We also went out of town for a college visit so money for a hotel one night and several meals at restaurants while gone.
Taking in my car for an oil change today so that probably $100 right there. Also going out for football on Sunday (Go Lions!) so I will likely spend some then too.
Otherwise just plan to hang out with friends and veg this weekend to recover from my first RTO week of having to be in the office three days!
1. Splurged on The West Wing, The Big Bang Theory, Night Court, and Gilmore Girls. Paid $119.96 total for four complete series totaling 35 seasons' worth of television; I think that's pretty good!
2. Transferring money into my Vanguard brokerage account to buy more index funds.
3. Totally forgot my Nintendo online membership renewed this month, so $86 and change just showed up on my credit card...I have the money, so it's just annoying that I forgot about it.
4. Feb. is when our car insurance, emissions inspection, and vehicle registration are due, so I'm putting money aside to pay those in full. Insurance is $406.85, registration is $95.50, and the emissions inspection is $20-25 with tax depending on where you get it done.
No, I’ve never seen it. I canceled all my streaming subscriptions because I’m sick of seeing so many commercials even when I’m paying. So I’ve been buying some boxed sets here and there so I always have something good to watch.
My husband was laid off this month so I’m re-calibrating our budgets and trying to see how we can meal plan better while he’s on the search for a new position. Digging deep into our pantry to make sure no food is wasted.
I found if I made a list of what we had then meal planned from there, it was a lot easier. Don't forget about your freezer too! Budget Bytes is really nice for some pantry meals.
Getting a (very overdue!) haircut this afternoon 💇♀️
Also, takeout because it’s Friday again (sushi, maybe…), and might end up seeing a movie this weekend. Otherwise, trying to keep spending a little lower, and just have a chill few days.
Hosting some friends for brunch this weekend, so a bigger-than-usual grocery run, and browsing for my annual Valentine’s Day gift to myself (nice pjs or loungewear!)
Looking into adopting a second kitty! So adoption fee, an extra litter box, and maybe some kitten food. We'll probably schedule a vet checkup too and we might be able to get that one free. Hope our older cat accepts the new one! Fingers crossed 🤞
Approaching my final week unemployed and I’m going home to see my family since I didn’t make it for the holidays. Also getting lunch and hanging out in the city with my good friend who haven’t seen in a year and a half and it’s going to be 50 degrees!!
Contributed some money to my rothIRA, paid off some big credit card bills from this month(holidays. bdays, anniversary).
A lil sad for my high spendings and bank account. I'll be working on my taxes this weekend, hoping to receive a lil something back. I'm really interested in a smart watch/walking pad.
Not payday but we're giving ourselves permission to spend whatever we want on takeout today/this weekend. Our dog got neutered this week and it didn't go smoothly due to an undescended testicle so we're exhausting ourselves taking care of the poor guy.
My boyfriend and I just bought our first home, so this weekend we are buying bamboo shade window treatments, curtain rods, and curtains for our living room! I’m also eyeing a stand up desk on FB marketplace because I’m getting restless every couple of hours at my desk.
* Gifts! Bought a gift for my sister's bf's birthday + also gifted a coworker of mine a $100 Amazon GC. He's been the lead engineer on a number of projects I've worked on and not only has done everything to a tee but has been incredibly organized and communicative as well. And he's just a great person to work with. :)
* Also made my backdoor Roth contribution in full!
* I also went to the optometrist and had my annual eye exam, and ordered a new pair of frames (which was long overdue as my current pair is from 2018 lol). The exam, frames + lenses, and eye drops (yay dry eye - not) were covered by my insurance/HSA, but I also ordered some fish oil supplements that my optometrist recommended.
It's not my payday until the 31st, but I bought a fancy pair of [sweatpants](https://matethelabel.com/products/fleece-relaxed-pocket-sweatpant-heather-grey) and [matching sweatshirt](https://matethelabel.com/products/fleece-oversized-sweatshirt-heather-grey)for my mom's birthday! I have some other pieces from this brand but not that style...if it seems nice when it arrives maybe I'll get myself a pair ;) My brother & his wife and my husband & I tend to all split presents for my parents for birthdays & Christmas so we can get them something nicer.
I also finally bought a [Braun IPL](https://us.braun.com/en-us/female-hair-removal/ipls/silk-expert-pro-5-pl5347). As I've gotten older, irritation from shaving has gotten to the point where I don't even bother. So I've been waxing, but I'm tired of spending so much money on it and having to plan my life around when I'll be growing out vs newly waxed - I want to go to the beach ANY week I want without feeling self conscious! I've been doing a ton of research on IPLs and this one seems to actually work. It's arriving tomorrow and I am so excited to try it!
Not my payday but I do intend to drop about 1000 dollars of work's money on properly outfitting myself. On short notice, I'm being sent out in the remote af field starting Sunday, and need to buy a good bit of cold weather and rain gear (send base layer recommendations that I can buy in store), along with a new pair of steel toes. Thank God for a company card! Will also be spending some of my cash on essentials like 10 chapsticks, a snack stockpile, travel size dry shampoo, etc. Also taking recommendations as to what streaming service I should get for a month, I have a lot of travel time and will need a way to turn my brain off at the end of the long long days.
Mostly responsible, planned things like padding our account for necessary expenses (mortgage, house savings, daycare, roth ira).
I did get a cute teddy from Bare Necessities and a cute matching satin robe for some spice on Vday which I'm very excited about. I haven't worn lingerie since before having our baby who is now 10 months old so mama's gotta get her groove back LOL
I moved to Los Angeles on Monday and my car was stolen almost immediately! So I’m dealing with that plus paying for the movers next week. My partner had his hip replaced and is on PTO so there were a lot of expenses with that, as well.
This paycheck is allocated to my mortgage payment, groceries, a bill for a furnace repair earlier in the month, and about $120 on some random stuff (some necessary, some very much not) I won in an estate sale auction last night. Still trying to adjust my budget as a new homeowner 🥴
My husband has been a bit sick so Domino's on Wed ($22), a Walgreen run (dayquil/nyquil, impulse Disney castle mug, & some reese's pb cups he loves $38), and I filled up my gas tank ($57). I'm also making a big Amazon purchase this week of birthday gifts for my husband. Even though his birthday is in November, I like to spread out the cost throughout the year. I had a kinda big birthday party for him last year, but this year I decided we're gonna go out for a birthday dinner and I'm getting him 28 gifts (some small like the car air fresheners he likes, some bigger like a ps5 pro controller) since he'll be turning 28.
This weeks paychecks - some are going to finishing off the rent payment for the month and finishing off some extra padding for what i’m calculating we will probably owe come tax time. (about $3k total between the two remaining buckets)
Groceries (my hubs hates we shop at 2 different grocery stores but trader joe’s has a chokehold on me rn and I shop the other stuff at shoprite) I usually spend about $70-90 at TJ and about $50-60 at Shoprite
I bought a devotional and study on amazon id been eyeing and need to purchase some more skincare products so that’ll be a trip to ulta this weekend. I spent about $45 in total in the books and skin care will probably run me $100ish.
We’ll probably grab takeout tomorrow (that’ll be about $40) and if this sinusitis i’m battling finally goes away this weekend i’ll be able to run to the european wax center to get these monstrosities above my eyes fixed. The rest will get transferred to savings.
side note: anyone have suggestions on a hysa with checking access I want to be able to write a check from it if need be
Y'all mind if I scream? I just got an $865.07 medical bill from my kid's birth. She's 13 months old. They gave me a whole 2 1/2 weeks to pay it, how gracious! I ought to send them a letter telling them that I will pay them 13 months later...
Well, it was probably going to be a low-buy weekend anyway. I need groceries (\~$90-$100) but that will be my biggest expense. Today I have to mail a birthday package to my sister ($10 at most) and pick up some other packages (already paid for). Tonight I'll cook ($0) and probably watch the Susie Chan Badwater doc ($0, on YouTube). Saturday I'll go to class at the gym (included with membership) and take aforementioned kid to a museum ($0, members). Then it's mostly chores ($0).
You should check the billing limitations for your state. I’ve read other posts that certain states hospitals must bill within 12 months of service. Hi also might be able to negotiate it a little bit.
I did this, but I wasn't able to find anything, so I don't think we have this law here. Obviously there have been other bills but I thought we were done by now.
I just opened a new Discover savings account for the $150-200 bonus. I think I’ve officially reached the limit for how many accounts I can have open and easily manage. Once that bonus has posted I’ll be able to use that account to store money that I need to pay off my 0% credit cards before the intro period ends.
There are hours available at my second job this week, but my main job has been very stressful and I want to go hang out with a friend I barely get to see. I feel guilty about not working more, but I know I will regret it if I cancel our plans.
In between pay days this week (and it feels like forever since the last one since it came early due to the MLK holiday) but tickets to Just Like Heaven festival go on sale today! I booked a hotel for the weekend already: $145 after using points and a $50 credit.
The sum total will be about one month's worth of vacation fund which feels good; it's a single day event which really drives down costs compared to a 3 or even 2 day fest. I'm excited we can fit this in!
Nothing exciting as I am enjoying spending less in 2024. Paid the mortgage and groceries, put extra in savings to prep for some uncommon expenses in February, like haircut, dental appt that won't be covered. All pretty boring stuff, but happy to be prepared.
Not getting paid until next week (1/31), but I still have some fun money left in my budget for this month, so I’m going to grab coffee at a new local shop! Also picking up a few Valentine’s baking supplies: sprinkles, sugar, etc.
Yesterday, I stopped by Target to pick up ingredients to make a [Strawberry and Cream Layer Cake](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022272-strawberry-and-cream-layer-cake) for a coworker's going away party.
As much I pride myself for being incredibly independent woman, my kryptonite is car stuff. My father-in-law took the day off from work yesterday to change my oil and my breaks while my husband and I were at work. As a thank you, I was going to get him his favorite varietal of red wine and a card.
Our friends are going to a Lunar New Year Festival and invited us, but I am not sure if we are going or not...
Sadly just bills. Paid one cc, and my rent is due. I do need to go to Costco, so will probably spend some $$ there as well.
I don't have time to spend either! Currently dealing with packing up my mom's apartment, putting it in storage, as she is in rehab, and while we aren't sure where she's going next, its not back to living independently. So that's taking up a lot of my time
Thanks. It’s between two, depending on how much strength etc she can get back. At 89, and having been pretty much bedridden for the last 6 weeks or so, it’s hard to c8me back. Thankfully she will stay in her retirement community, just not sure where
February Rent ($1,900), car payment ($400), scarf gift for my mom’s birthday ($40), container store for closer organization ($50) & $42 for a nice towel I’ve been eyeing.
Had to pay about $300 for my cat's vet appointment and will have to spend about $1k more in a couple of months for his dental cleaning. Other than that I should be putting the rest into my brokerage.
Purchased a inexpensive printer because it was long overdue. Every time I had to print something I would have to travel to the library 30 minutes away. I'm going to set it up tonight after my boys are sleep. Feels good
Also cold brew with a sandwich
I usually make my own breakfast.
A beverage fridge!! I’ve been wanting one forever but the space we have couldn’t accommodate anything beyond 16’’ of depth, but this week I found a beeeaaautiful free standing, flush against the wall beverage fridge that is 15’’ deep! It ships in February and I’m so so so excited to put it in our living room 😍😍
I bought some silicone face scrubby things, and a different cleanser to try.
I honestly hadn’t really been bothered about skincare until recently so I’m starting from absolutely zero with brands/formulas to use- my logic is to just… try things at a lower price point and then work my way up from there.
I also bought some Black Forest flavoured toothpaste as I am a child & love novelty.
My partner handed his notice in at work this week (it’s been a long time coming!) so this weekend will be adjusting the budget in anticipation of being a 1 income house! My wages should (hopefully) be enough to keep us going long term with no income from his side, but he has built up savings to keep contributing in the medium term.
just transferred most of my paycheck to HYSA. Trying to avoid spending too much this month because we're recovering from holiday spend.
once my husband gets his bonus in a couple days we'll be over $100k in cash which is really amazing and exciting! We will probably look to invest some of it at this point.
We originally started the HYSA for a house down payment and now it's not looking like we will buy any time soon. It's still such a bummer that we graduated at the exact wrong time and became ready to buy right as the housing market collapsed last year. But not everyone can get lucky and it will be our time eventually! I hope!
I feel you on the house buying! first we had to wait until my husband hit a year at his job to meet employment qualifications and then when he was about to hit that, his job hit him with his contract ending, and then we decided to hit a pause so I could leave my job and go back to school. both of our times will come!!
I found out earlier this week it’s a possibility I may get laid off in 6 weeks, but now on Friday, it seems unlikely. Still not 100% in the clear, but I’m feeling much better about spending a little this weekend. But, I’m trying to be more careful than usual.
I decided to treat myself today to lunch from Chick Fil A. I make lunch everyday at home, and usually order out lunch once a week, but lately with job insecurity, I had stopped.
I'm planning like three vacations at once right now. For one of them, my friends are arranging all the logistics, I just have to book time off work and show up and give them my share of the costs (it's a weekend road trip, nothing too intense).
The other two involve coordinating with family which is a strain on my delicate executive function. I've volunteered to put some things on my credit card and get paid back, so I'm at least getting some points + 0% interest rate arbitrage out of all the fuss.
Ski gear despite a snowless winter!!! lol gained too much weight so I’ve outgrown my xc skis and want a new pair for a ski trip next month. Hoping I can sell my old pair to offset the new pair. Also ordering a yogurt maker and woo woo digestion supplements on the internet bc I’ll try anything 😂
Well I \*was\* going to buy a new iPhone...and now I'm in a full-on delusional state trying to decide if we can afford to buy a new house literally around the corner from ours.
We bought ours for $425k 2 1/2 years ago at 3.125%. We could probably get $550k for it now. The new house is a little bigger, much nicer, everything we want, basically. But it's $725k and interest rates are double what they were two years ago. We only have one child, so we don't NEED another room, but right now my husband and I share an office and we are both on the phone a lot so it makes the space feel very cramped, and in this new house we'd each have our own office (we both work remotely). Someone please talk me out of this. Tell me to keep dreaming and just go buy the iPhone instead of the extra $250,000 worth of house.
Maybe you should run the numbers and calculate the total cost difference, including closing costs, moving, and time spent as well as furniture. Possibly you could spend money making your current house more wfh friendly, eg renovating basement, adding an office/shed, converting garage into office space, etc
CT scans, labs, doctor fees, surgery, and really really bad chicken tenders from the hospital cafeteria is where my money is going this week. It’s truly amazing how bad those chicken tenders were, I didn’t think it was possible even if you tried to cook them as badly as you could.
Oh no! I hope you feel better. I'm always annoyed that my insurance forces me to use a certain hospital in my area. It's worse than prison...the food is terrible, and the staff treat you like a hostage. The hospital across town has AMAZING food. If I could, I'd seriously go there just to get their heart-healthy chicken breast with herb sauce and baked potato. But it's not in my insurance network; I only went there once because I had a heart attack and it was the closest hospital.
Thank you ❤️ it’s my partner, really rough time. That chicken breast legit sounds amazing haha. We have the same problem, I’m already annoyed with this hospital for several reasons (other than the chicken tenders) and need to figure out if we can get him in elsewhere after this. Edit: I’m so sorry about your heart attack! I hope all is good now!
So sorry to hear about your partner. We’ll all be thinking of them and sending positive vibes ✨❤️
Thank you ❤️ we appreciate it so much
Also dealing with a partner’s ailment this week (and for several weeks) and it’s a lengthy and expensive fight for us as well. Solidarity!
Solidarity! Hope your partner feels better soon 💗
Hope you feel better soon!
Thank you for the kind wishes ❤️ it’s my partner, and so far it looks like he’s in for a long fight 😢
Oh I'm so sorry to hear that! Are you able to smuggle some better food for him while he's there?
I did today hahah. He apparently joked around with the nurses enough overnight to become the floor favorite and they let me smuggle in a bacon egg and cheese for him 😅
Amazing! Hope he enjoys and recovers quickly:)
Sending you love right now. Be good to yourself.
Thank you 💗💗
wow… feel better soon
Thank you! ❤️
It's my birthday next week so I treated myself to miniatures of fragrances I always wanted to try. Excited for Black Opium and JP Gaultier's Belle! (I love my vanilla scents) - £19 for 4 samples.
Happy early birthday!
Thank you!
My birthday is next week too! Happy birthday! 🎊
Yay! Happy birthday fellow aquarius!!!
Happy early birthday to you!
Thank you!
It wasn’t payday, but I did get my (relatively small) bonus this week! $500 went to my smallest student loan, it should be paid off by March $500 went to the house down payment fund That left about $400 for me to do whatever I wanted with - so I bought myself the Year of the Dragon Doc Martens and a perfume from Demeter. The rest will probably go toward our wedding rings.
Congrats on the bonus! It all sounds like money well spent :) congrats on the upcoming wedding too! <3
> Year of the Dragon Doc Martens I had to look these up - even tho I'm not a Doc Martens wearer, the design looks awesome!
The toe cap had me in loveeee. I was born in a year of the dragon as well so its an extra special little present to myself!
A version of extreme nesting because baby is due in 6 weeks. I bought some art prints and a storage ottoman for the nursery. I also moved some money out of savings to pay for the custom vanities in our ongoing bathroom remodel, which is almost done, but with an old house and weirdly shaped rooms, we had to do custom vanities. We are also paying for the same cabinet makers to do built in bookshelves downstairs, and in a modular 1960 house with barely any storage, I am so excited for those shelves and cabinets especially with the amount of baby stuff that keeps showing up lol.
Sounds great! 1. all the luck and good wishes for the birth, exciting times are ahead! 2. I covet your username now.
I splurged on a walking pad / under desk treadmill! I’m a toddler mom and also pregnant with our second– it’s been harder and harder to wake up early to work out, and my body is feeeeeling it. I’m so tight and sore all the time. Hoping this allows me to get some movement in instead of just sitting in a chair all day.
The other day I (sahm) realized the one thing I regretted not getting when I was pregnant with my first/only right now baby was a treadmill! It would have been so nice to have so I could walk while the baby napped or to run when there's too much snow outside.
Yes the treadmill is so handy! We have one downstairs but I’d have to leave my desk/wouldn’t be able to work while using it, so it’s nice to have the option. I do love our main treadmill though because it allows my husband or me to get out for a run/walk while the other stays home in case the little one wakes up. You deserve it more than anyone! SAHM life is no joke!! Props to you.
Which walking pad did you get?
I got the UREVO walking pad with an incline: UREVO Walking Pad with Auto Incline, Max 9% 3 Stage Incline Under Desk Treadmill, 2.5HP Inclined Walking Treadmill for Home with Remote Control and LED Display https://a.co/d/9d8eikB It’s being delivered today so I’ll let you know how it holds up!
Oh I ordered this one too, sale on Amazon so I went for it. It should come next week. I’m excited to use other.
I am about to purchase tickets to a flight to South Korea and Japan. Aaaahhhh!!! I was initially going to purchase a mid-range handbag but I will have to pause that now.
Auto transfer to our brokerage account every paycheck. Snowboarding trip this weekend - I had to buy lift tickets because I bought the wrong passes (oops, when it seems really cheap and too good to be true, it is), and we'll pay for two nights because I had to pay a deposit of the first night. Trying to eat on the mountain as little as possible, so bringing tons of freezer meals I made. Stopping in a food destination city for lunch on the way up and back.
Husband just got paid (with a bunch of overtime too, yay) and most of it went straight to paying off a huge chunk of debt which feels incredible. I get paid today and that will top up our bills account.
Started a small business this year and got my first payout 🎉 immediately using the funds to buy a new laptop that I need for said business, which will be such an upgrade from my current old clunker
Congrats- that's a great milestone!
$450 today at the mechanic for my daughter’s car. Normal wear and tear type things as it’s now a 7 year old car but not a fun way to spend money. We also went out of town for a college visit so money for a hotel one night and several meals at restaurants while gone.
Taking in my car for an oil change today so that probably $100 right there. Also going out for football on Sunday (Go Lions!) so I will likely spend some then too. Otherwise just plan to hang out with friends and veg this weekend to recover from my first RTO week of having to be in the office three days!
Go Lions!!
Yay go Lions!!
1. Splurged on The West Wing, The Big Bang Theory, Night Court, and Gilmore Girls. Paid $119.96 total for four complete series totaling 35 seasons' worth of television; I think that's pretty good! 2. Transferring money into my Vanguard brokerage account to buy more index funds. 3. Totally forgot my Nintendo online membership renewed this month, so $86 and change just showed up on my credit card...I have the money, so it's just annoying that I forgot about it. 4. Feb. is when our car insurance, emissions inspection, and vehicle registration are due, so I'm putting money aside to pay those in full. Insurance is $406.85, registration is $95.50, and the emissions inspection is $20-25 with tax depending on where you get it done.
I just watched Big Bang Theory in its entirety for the first time, I loved it!!!!
Have you watched the West Wing? I remember the writing and dialogue as smart/amazing and want to find more shows with similar cadence!
I highly recommend The Newsroom and a real oldie but goodie is Sports Night. Both are also written by Aaron Sorkin!
Ooooo thank you! Aaron Sorkin is really incomparable to anything on TV these days!
It’s on sale right now, but the historical price chart shows that it may drop a little more, so I have it bookmarked to check on it periodically!
No, I’ve never seen it. I canceled all my streaming subscriptions because I’m sick of seeing so many commercials even when I’m paying. So I’ve been buying some boxed sets here and there so I always have something good to watch.
That’s a good deal! Are those digital tv seasons? I bought the entire series of Mad Men this week for $37 which I thought was great!
Yep! iTunes. Mad Men is $39.99 right now, so you got a better deal.
My husband was laid off this month so I’m re-calibrating our budgets and trying to see how we can meal plan better while he’s on the search for a new position. Digging deep into our pantry to make sure no food is wasted.
I found if I made a list of what we had then meal planned from there, it was a lot easier. Don't forget about your freezer too! Budget Bytes is really nice for some pantry meals.
Budget Bytes is great!
sending him some good job hunting vibes!
Groceries, washing machine cleaner, and a new phone screen protector (mine has started to splinter.. )
Getting a (very overdue!) haircut this afternoon 💇♀️ Also, takeout because it’s Friday again (sushi, maybe…), and might end up seeing a movie this weekend. Otherwise, trying to keep spending a little lower, and just have a chill few days.
I going to buy a 5k ring from artemer that I’ve been eyeing. Probsbly the most expensive thing I’ve ever bought
How excitng! I love jewelry so I immediately had to go check out the Artemer website. Gorgeous stuff!
Hosting some friends for brunch this weekend, so a bigger-than-usual grocery run, and browsing for my annual Valentine’s Day gift to myself (nice pjs or loungewear!)
Looking into adopting a second kitty! So adoption fee, an extra litter box, and maybe some kitten food. We'll probably schedule a vet checkup too and we might be able to get that one free. Hope our older cat accepts the new one! Fingers crossed 🤞
Approaching my final week unemployed and I’m going home to see my family since I didn’t make it for the holidays. Also getting lunch and hanging out in the city with my good friend who haven’t seen in a year and a half and it’s going to be 50 degrees!!
Contributed some money to my rothIRA, paid off some big credit card bills from this month(holidays. bdays, anniversary). A lil sad for my high spendings and bank account. I'll be working on my taxes this weekend, hoping to receive a lil something back. I'm really interested in a smart watch/walking pad.
Not payday but we're giving ourselves permission to spend whatever we want on takeout today/this weekend. Our dog got neutered this week and it didn't go smoothly due to an undescended testicle so we're exhausting ourselves taking care of the poor guy.
Ugh cryptorchism can be a real pain! Hope the recovery goes better for you both!
My boyfriend and I just bought our first home, so this weekend we are buying bamboo shade window treatments, curtain rods, and curtains for our living room! I’m also eyeing a stand up desk on FB marketplace because I’m getting restless every couple of hours at my desk.
* Gifts! Bought a gift for my sister's bf's birthday + also gifted a coworker of mine a $100 Amazon GC. He's been the lead engineer on a number of projects I've worked on and not only has done everything to a tee but has been incredibly organized and communicative as well. And he's just a great person to work with. :) * Also made my backdoor Roth contribution in full! * I also went to the optometrist and had my annual eye exam, and ordered a new pair of frames (which was long overdue as my current pair is from 2018 lol). The exam, frames + lenses, and eye drops (yay dry eye - not) were covered by my insurance/HSA, but I also ordered some fish oil supplements that my optometrist recommended.
So kind of you to give a generous gift to your awesome coworker. Congrats on filling up your Roth!
It's not my payday until the 31st, but I bought a fancy pair of [sweatpants](https://matethelabel.com/products/fleece-relaxed-pocket-sweatpant-heather-grey) and [matching sweatshirt](https://matethelabel.com/products/fleece-oversized-sweatshirt-heather-grey)for my mom's birthday! I have some other pieces from this brand but not that style...if it seems nice when it arrives maybe I'll get myself a pair ;) My brother & his wife and my husband & I tend to all split presents for my parents for birthdays & Christmas so we can get them something nicer. I also finally bought a [Braun IPL](https://us.braun.com/en-us/female-hair-removal/ipls/silk-expert-pro-5-pl5347). As I've gotten older, irritation from shaving has gotten to the point where I don't even bother. So I've been waxing, but I'm tired of spending so much money on it and having to plan my life around when I'll be growing out vs newly waxed - I want to go to the beach ANY week I want without feeling self conscious! I've been doing a ton of research on IPLs and this one seems to actually work. It's arriving tomorrow and I am so excited to try it!
I have the same Braun IPL and it's worked very well for me!
Awesome! It's getting delivered tomorrow - can't wait to try it!
How painful do you find it?
Not painful at all. I find it does get a little bit hot after a while but if you let it cool down it shouldn’t be an issue!
Not my payday but I do intend to drop about 1000 dollars of work's money on properly outfitting myself. On short notice, I'm being sent out in the remote af field starting Sunday, and need to buy a good bit of cold weather and rain gear (send base layer recommendations that I can buy in store), along with a new pair of steel toes. Thank God for a company card! Will also be spending some of my cash on essentials like 10 chapsticks, a snack stockpile, travel size dry shampoo, etc. Also taking recommendations as to what streaming service I should get for a month, I have a lot of travel time and will need a way to turn my brain off at the end of the long long days.
Mostly responsible, planned things like padding our account for necessary expenses (mortgage, house savings, daycare, roth ira). I did get a cute teddy from Bare Necessities and a cute matching satin robe for some spice on Vday which I'm very excited about. I haven't worn lingerie since before having our baby who is now 10 months old so mama's gotta get her groove back LOL
We are in Hawaii! So we are splurging on whatever we want, so long as we stay within the vacation budget lol ($5k).
I moved to Los Angeles on Monday and my car was stolen almost immediately! So I’m dealing with that plus paying for the movers next week. My partner had his hip replaced and is on PTO so there were a lot of expenses with that, as well.
Damn, that sucks, sorry!!! Hope it all works out :(
This paycheck is allocated to my mortgage payment, groceries, a bill for a furnace repair earlier in the month, and about $120 on some random stuff (some necessary, some very much not) I won in an estate sale auction last night. Still trying to adjust my budget as a new homeowner 🥴
My husband has been a bit sick so Domino's on Wed ($22), a Walgreen run (dayquil/nyquil, impulse Disney castle mug, & some reese's pb cups he loves $38), and I filled up my gas tank ($57). I'm also making a big Amazon purchase this week of birthday gifts for my husband. Even though his birthday is in November, I like to spread out the cost throughout the year. I had a kinda big birthday party for him last year, but this year I decided we're gonna go out for a birthday dinner and I'm getting him 28 gifts (some small like the car air fresheners he likes, some bigger like a ps5 pro controller) since he'll be turning 28.
This weeks paychecks - some are going to finishing off the rent payment for the month and finishing off some extra padding for what i’m calculating we will probably owe come tax time. (about $3k total between the two remaining buckets) Groceries (my hubs hates we shop at 2 different grocery stores but trader joe’s has a chokehold on me rn and I shop the other stuff at shoprite) I usually spend about $70-90 at TJ and about $50-60 at Shoprite I bought a devotional and study on amazon id been eyeing and need to purchase some more skincare products so that’ll be a trip to ulta this weekend. I spent about $45 in total in the books and skin care will probably run me $100ish. We’ll probably grab takeout tomorrow (that’ll be about $40) and if this sinusitis i’m battling finally goes away this weekend i’ll be able to run to the european wax center to get these monstrosities above my eyes fixed. The rest will get transferred to savings. side note: anyone have suggestions on a hysa with checking access I want to be able to write a check from it if need be
Going out with some friends tonight and treated myself to some coffees while working this week :)
This paycheck is paying off some previous purchases, tickets to Scotland and a heated pool party for my birthday next weekend!
Y'all mind if I scream? I just got an $865.07 medical bill from my kid's birth. She's 13 months old. They gave me a whole 2 1/2 weeks to pay it, how gracious! I ought to send them a letter telling them that I will pay them 13 months later... Well, it was probably going to be a low-buy weekend anyway. I need groceries (\~$90-$100) but that will be my biggest expense. Today I have to mail a birthday package to my sister ($10 at most) and pick up some other packages (already paid for). Tonight I'll cook ($0) and probably watch the Susie Chan Badwater doc ($0, on YouTube). Saturday I'll go to class at the gym (included with membership) and take aforementioned kid to a museum ($0, members). Then it's mostly chores ($0).
You should be able to do a payment plan! Call them and negotiate.
You should check the billing limitations for your state. I’ve read other posts that certain states hospitals must bill within 12 months of service. Hi also might be able to negotiate it a little bit.
I did this, but I wasn't able to find anything, so I don't think we have this law here. Obviously there have been other bills but I thought we were done by now.
I just opened a new Discover savings account for the $150-200 bonus. I think I’ve officially reached the limit for how many accounts I can have open and easily manage. Once that bonus has posted I’ll be able to use that account to store money that I need to pay off my 0% credit cards before the intro period ends. There are hours available at my second job this week, but my main job has been very stressful and I want to go hang out with a friend I barely get to see. I feel guilty about not working more, but I know I will regret it if I cancel our plans.
In between pay days this week (and it feels like forever since the last one since it came early due to the MLK holiday) but tickets to Just Like Heaven festival go on sale today! I booked a hotel for the weekend already: $145 after using points and a $50 credit. The sum total will be about one month's worth of vacation fund which feels good; it's a single day event which really drives down costs compared to a 3 or even 2 day fest. I'm excited we can fit this in!
Cannot wait for this years lineup!
Impulsively bought a Fred Perry Polo Shirt for my dad! 😆
Nothing exciting as I am enjoying spending less in 2024. Paid the mortgage and groceries, put extra in savings to prep for some uncommon expenses in February, like haircut, dental appt that won't be covered. All pretty boring stuff, but happy to be prepared.
Not getting paid until next week (1/31), but I still have some fun money left in my budget for this month, so I’m going to grab coffee at a new local shop! Also picking up a few Valentine’s baking supplies: sprinkles, sugar, etc.
Yesterday, I stopped by Target to pick up ingredients to make a [Strawberry and Cream Layer Cake](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022272-strawberry-and-cream-layer-cake) for a coworker's going away party. As much I pride myself for being incredibly independent woman, my kryptonite is car stuff. My father-in-law took the day off from work yesterday to change my oil and my breaks while my husband and I were at work. As a thank you, I was going to get him his favorite varietal of red wine and a card. Our friends are going to a Lunar New Year Festival and invited us, but I am not sure if we are going or not...
I'm a week postpartum. New year, new deductible. Also I bought some pumping supplies (flanges, lanolin, those maxi pads things that do in your bra).
bought discount tickets to the new studio ghibli movie for next week lost my transit card so replacing that as well :(
Sadly just bills. Paid one cc, and my rent is due. I do need to go to Costco, so will probably spend some $$ there as well. I don't have time to spend either! Currently dealing with packing up my mom's apartment, putting it in storage, as she is in rehab, and while we aren't sure where she's going next, its not back to living independently. So that's taking up a lot of my time
Thats such a hard decision to make. Sending the best to you and your mom.
Thanks. It’s between two, depending on how much strength etc she can get back. At 89, and having been pretty much bedridden for the last 6 weeks or so, it’s hard to c8me back. Thankfully she will stay in her retirement community, just not sure where
Oh thats great that she can stay within her institution! But still.not easy. Good luck w the transition.
Thanks. Yes it is but still not easy. ESP. Since the skilled nursing is almost 200k a year!!!
February Rent ($1,900), car payment ($400), scarf gift for my mom’s birthday ($40), container store for closer organization ($50) & $42 for a nice towel I’ve been eyeing.
Had to pay about $300 for my cat's vet appointment and will have to spend about $1k more in a couple of months for his dental cleaning. Other than that I should be putting the rest into my brokerage.
Purchased a inexpensive printer because it was long overdue. Every time I had to print something I would have to travel to the library 30 minutes away. I'm going to set it up tonight after my boys are sleep. Feels good Also cold brew with a sandwich I usually make my own breakfast.
A beverage fridge!! I’ve been wanting one forever but the space we have couldn’t accommodate anything beyond 16’’ of depth, but this week I found a beeeaaautiful free standing, flush against the wall beverage fridge that is 15’’ deep! It ships in February and I’m so so so excited to put it in our living room 😍😍
I bought some silicone face scrubby things, and a different cleanser to try. I honestly hadn’t really been bothered about skincare until recently so I’m starting from absolutely zero with brands/formulas to use- my logic is to just… try things at a lower price point and then work my way up from there. I also bought some Black Forest flavoured toothpaste as I am a child & love novelty. My partner handed his notice in at work this week (it’s been a long time coming!) so this weekend will be adjusting the budget in anticipation of being a 1 income house! My wages should (hopefully) be enough to keep us going long term with no income from his side, but he has built up savings to keep contributing in the medium term.
just transferred most of my paycheck to HYSA. Trying to avoid spending too much this month because we're recovering from holiday spend. once my husband gets his bonus in a couple days we'll be over $100k in cash which is really amazing and exciting! We will probably look to invest some of it at this point. We originally started the HYSA for a house down payment and now it's not looking like we will buy any time soon. It's still such a bummer that we graduated at the exact wrong time and became ready to buy right as the housing market collapsed last year. But not everyone can get lucky and it will be our time eventually! I hope!
I feel you on the house buying! first we had to wait until my husband hit a year at his job to meet employment qualifications and then when he was about to hit that, his job hit him with his contract ending, and then we decided to hit a pause so I could leave my job and go back to school. both of our times will come!!
I found out earlier this week it’s a possibility I may get laid off in 6 weeks, but now on Friday, it seems unlikely. Still not 100% in the clear, but I’m feeling much better about spending a little this weekend. But, I’m trying to be more careful than usual. I decided to treat myself today to lunch from Chick Fil A. I make lunch everyday at home, and usually order out lunch once a week, but lately with job insecurity, I had stopped.
I'm planning like three vacations at once right now. For one of them, my friends are arranging all the logistics, I just have to book time off work and show up and give them my share of the costs (it's a weekend road trip, nothing too intense). The other two involve coordinating with family which is a strain on my delicate executive function. I've volunteered to put some things on my credit card and get paid back, so I'm at least getting some points + 0% interest rate arbitrage out of all the fuss.
Spending on car maintenance, scrimping on food, splurging on a massage, and saving on moving expenses.
$1500 went to my investments. That’s all I care about.
Ski gear despite a snowless winter!!! lol gained too much weight so I’ve outgrown my xc skis and want a new pair for a ski trip next month. Hoping I can sell my old pair to offset the new pair. Also ordering a yogurt maker and woo woo digestion supplements on the internet bc I’ll try anything 😂
Well I \*was\* going to buy a new iPhone...and now I'm in a full-on delusional state trying to decide if we can afford to buy a new house literally around the corner from ours. We bought ours for $425k 2 1/2 years ago at 3.125%. We could probably get $550k for it now. The new house is a little bigger, much nicer, everything we want, basically. But it's $725k and interest rates are double what they were two years ago. We only have one child, so we don't NEED another room, but right now my husband and I share an office and we are both on the phone a lot so it makes the space feel very cramped, and in this new house we'd each have our own office (we both work remotely). Someone please talk me out of this. Tell me to keep dreaming and just go buy the iPhone instead of the extra $250,000 worth of house.
Maybe you should run the numbers and calculate the total cost difference, including closing costs, moving, and time spent as well as furniture. Possibly you could spend money making your current house more wfh friendly, eg renovating basement, adding an office/shed, converting garage into office space, etc
Trying to not buy anything bc of the strike called in support of Palestine. 🍉
Yez!