**Today is Monday, and boy is it manic. Just a crazy work day.

**I read the PF article on winterizing and stuff like that. I am making a mental note to add that to my list of why living here is cheaper in many regards (though it's a "pricey" area). I have nothing to "winterize." I often read winter posts around here and think the same thing (during winter time anyway). Though I know you would all find our "non-seasons" rather boring. But hey, it's frugal!

**Dh and I both got some pretty mild flu bug. Not *that* under the weather, but not quite 100% either. We decided at the last minute not to go to the Waterpark. I was going to take the kids to a local park that we have membership too, instead. Something simple - I didn't mind going out - just not into a lot of walking and climbing and swimming, etc.

Our plan, prior, was actually for BM and dh to go to the water park and for me to take LM to a little amusement park. Dh wanted me to warm him up on some of the rides, since they are going to Disney in a few weeks. I hadn't felt up to the water park, etc., so had agreed. But as our plans changed again, BM really wanted to go there too. I really thought he was mostly too big, and told him so, but probably mentioned it cost too much money.

So, stupid me, I found a $20 bill in my wallet, quite unexpectedly. I am usually so organized that I don't just find money laying around. I mean, come on. So, I screamed with delight that I had found $20. I was very excited about this.

So BM saddles up to me before I even have time to think, and he says, "Mommy, can we go to Funderland now that you found $20????"

Aw, he got me! I said, "Oh sure," before I even really thought about it.

Then it's like, "Wait a minute!" LOL. Does my 6-year-old know how to get what he wants, or what?

I counted up the cash I had to spare and told the kids we could go if they both contributed $3. They flew to their piggy banks the second the words were spoken.

Unfortunately, I read my coupon wrong and had to break my "emergency $20" after all that. Oh well! Just for $2 or so. I also made clear to them that no food would be bought.

In the end, it worked out. The day was rather cool (but extremely pleasant to be walking around outside). I ran into a friend, and we had a good day.

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**While we were gone, I asked dh to install my new bike seat and bike computer. Yes, he spoils me rotten!

Anyway, BM and I went on a short ride, after. The seat is divine, though I probably need to adjust it a bit. The bike computer is pretty cool. We are definitely doing a big ride next weekend, now that we have decent bike locks too. We are doing a long ride with an eating stop mid-way.

OF course BM now wants a bike computer. Not sure how I feel on that. Mine is precariously mounted in that I worry it might get shifted in transport, etc. I am not sure he is gentle enough to handle it, though it did only cost $9.99. *sigh* Will maybe consider a more expensive one for Christmas or something. He wanted to borrow it, but I had to explain how it worked and how the magnets were installed on my bike, etc. He will have to be a little patient. But hey, definitely a great Christmas idea, for him. Dh can probably talk him parents into getting him something a little sturdier.

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**September is working out okay, financially. I seemed to be way negative in the checking, I think I mentioned before. I mostly tracked it back to when my dad was in the hospital - just a lot of little, unexpected expenses, that I probably should have pulled from savings. But it kind of snowballed from there.

However, dh has had an awesome run. He may net $300 this month easy (he usually neys $100 on ebay selling and such, but has netted nothing in recent months. Kids have been home and no doubt his time has been hampered, but business has been much better in September too - it's not just him). I also got a $250 rewards check from Chase. SO, the hole is closing fast, thank goodness.

I feel bad not to be able to save that $250, but am telling myself to get over it.

When we made far more money than we lived on, our philosophy was very "save the left over." & really, it worked fine. I mean, we saved FAR more than we do now even.

But with more expenses and less means, "pay yourself first" is the way to go. I tend to pay ourselves rather aggressively, but it always seems to work out in the end. I realize more and more, as time passes, that this is the way to do it.

I just have a mental block about it. Historically, any unexpected money would go straight into savings. So I still feel a little "bad" when something extra comes along and I "need" it. I have to keep reminding myself that the only reason I can't save it is because I saved a lot already. Duh! IT will take me a while to completely work past this mental block.

In the meantime, I am saving more than I really can justify, and all the extra seems to swoop in so I don't have to dig into the savings. & that's pretty cool. IT's just amazing how things seem to work out.

Well, the negative account in my checking (as of 9/30 anyway) looks to be around $100 at this point. I can live with that. I've got about 16 days to find $100, anyway. If not, I will just transfer some money from savings for October, a few days early. $100 I Can definitely deal with - it doesn't really affect anything. Not like a few days of interest amounts to much, anyway!

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**Oh yes - so we spent my found $20, which doesn't really count. It won't affect our budget anyway.

I called it - the only other thing we bought all weekend was FOOD.

Oh - I did get BM a costume. He wanted to be Dracula for whatever reason. The whole shebang was $10 so I snatched it. (LM is happy with the hand-me-downs we have). But we did spend about $15 on food. Junk. Oh, it was bad. I knew I would pretty much spend no money but food. But I went a little crazy and not sure why. PArt of it was I was trying to get the kids to agree on a treat. It never happened, and I just kept finding more and more food while they fought over it. Then I told them to get their own thing. I won't do that again! We usually pick up fiddle faddle or whatever is on sale there (Walgreens). But I made the mistake of letting them decide, and it went downhill from there. NExt time it will be 99-cent fiddle faddle!

I was a little disturbed though as the kids delighted in hideous and grotesque costumes. Not my little babies any more! BM would have taken anything more grotesque, if it was cheaper. Blech. (Probably best they weren't cheaper). I was a little thrown off. Last year they were happy with the cute little fuzzy costumes. What happened??

& we thought his newfound fascination with Dracula was strange? LOL.