Was going to buy a bike helmet this month. May, still. But thinking of pushing it off.
Spent too much money!
Went to Kohl's last night to look for pants. My strategy is to wear like the same pants every day, because pant shopping is usually so miserable.
I noticed my most worn black pants were looking sort of tired and my employer may appreciate if I bought some new pants!
Went to Kohls and scored. I love that they don't monitor the dressing rooms and I could take in like 10 pair at a time. The whole ordeal still took an hour. My usual brand is no longer there - nor anywhere online - ????
Shoes are similar so I have taken to stocking up on shoes when I like them. Thing is my shoe size remains the same for eternity (hopefully). Clothing sizing is more iffy - less benefit to stocking up (though honestly I've been the same size for about 4 years - since having child). All it takes it to stock up on a pile of pants to jinx weight loss or weight gain, I am sure.
Anyway, I found them! 2 pairs of stretchy pants at the perfect height. They looked a little odd with my flats, but I gave it a go anyway. Tried them on at home with my small heels and they looked like they had been tailored to my height and shoes. SCORE!!! $30/each - I'll wear them as long as they last. I would have bought a second black pair too, but all they had was one - thank goodness I snagged it.
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I have a favorite "Daisy Fuentes" shirt and I saw them there, full price for $36. I considered buying it anyway because I LOVE this shirt and it seems very high quality. Love the material, etc.
Anyway, I looked again and saw it was $10 off - PHEW!!!!! I am so stoked.
I also found a very cute kind of casual shrug to wear in the summer (light material to maybe wear over a tank top). It was probably $30, but it was CUTE!
My wardrobe is going to be looking much nicer come Monday - phew!
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Unfortunately, my credit card was declined. Turns out in the end dh made a $5 play station charge and Chase marked it as suspicious. So when I got home dh says to me, "You spent $125 at Kohls?" LOL. They called him while I was out.
At the store I had held my breath and pulled out my CU credit card. I had never used it so not sure what to expect. But it worked - phew. That is precisely why I have 2 cards. The last thing I needed was the inability to pay for the clothes I shopped over an hour for. !!
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Went to the grocery store to stock up on some food for BBQ today. It worked out pretty well. I stopped by another store at 5:00 and it was a MOB. I thought, "nevermind," and went over to Kohls. There was a grocery store right next to it, and the place was cleared out at about 6:45. It had obviously been hit by a mob the hour prior. WOW. But I just ran in and out.
Find? Cantaloupe at 10 cents a pound! This is the "upscale" grocery chain that none of my cheap friends shop at. They sure miss out. They are all busy wasting their money at Safeway - we hardly shop there any more it has gotten so expensive the last couple of years.
Anyway, stocked up on cantaloupe, watermelon, and chips for BBQ. Only paid about $12 so wasn't bad.
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I was perusing Quicken to see where we were for the year.
I have mentioned, dh and I get an allowance of $50/month, mostly to buy things the other wouldn't agree with. I don't keep a particularly close eye on it so laughed when I saw we were both at $400 for the year (through August). I hadn't looked all year - we obviously know our spending limits...
I am sure our "allowances" were bigger before children and may be bigger some day again, but we really can't afford to splurge more than that these days. Not that we never splurge - we just have to agree on any splurge more than $600 per year, each.
Dh bought a lot of games and movies, but also a blu ray player.
I bought a new bike, some clothes, and some piano music and CDs.
We both find having a little something to splurge is nice - doesn't have to be a lot!
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Anyway, overall, expenses for us are way down this year, over last year.
Through 8/15:
*Spent $1k less on auto repairs/gas (this will change with all our car repairs coming up!)
*$3500 less on childcare. Not only is BM out of preschool, but LM has been in preschool limbo for a while.
*Spent $1k less with smaller mortgage payments this year
All told, spent $6k less through 8/15/09 than we did through 8/15/08.
Went Shopping
August 15th, 2009 at 03:10 pm
August 15th, 2009 at 04:04 pm 1250348665
So this past Wed. ABC news, "Seven on Your Side" was all about Chase closing 'good standing' people's accounts, usually with no warning. You just use your card one day and it doesn't work. Sending letters with bogus reasons why they closed it. They showed stacks of consumer complaints. Screw Chase! We will never use them, ever.
BTW, if I log on to the account online it shows the available credit etc. etc. Nothing about the acct. closed!
Sorry for the LONG post! But THANKS for letting me vent!
August 15th, 2009 at 04:29 pm 1250350167
In this case - no complaint. Last time we had a random $5 charge it turned out to be fraudulent. So I was relieved it wasn't fraud (AGAIN - would be third time this year) and didn't mind them being vigilant. I admit I was relieved both that my card was still open and that it hadn't been breached.
I like Chase for the rewards (at least $500 cash per year) BUT I guess it is good I have my CU card. Just in case!
August 16th, 2009 at 01:18 am 1250381903
I have heard Discover and AmEx have good rewards. I am not really interested in getting another CC now. We have others that give cash back or buy gift cards, etc.
August 16th, 2009 at 03:00 am 1250388048
August 16th, 2009 at 04:32 pm 1250436760
FT75 - It doesn't matter the size - I can never find pants - just a weird shape. It's actually easier since kids since my waist is wider. But I've been pant-size 0 - 10 most my adulthood (before kids) and could NEVER find clothes. Sorry to say! I am very pear shaped and so it's been easier to find pants with a more proportional waist. So I actually don't mind the bigger size so much.