my first week!

well, it's been a little over a week, and i'm happy with how things are going. i'm usually completely tapped out at this point in the month, and it's nice to know there's still a chunk of change in the bank that i haven't touched.

since i started the project, i've spent money on:

groceries last weekend
costco membership
small donation to my sorority (that was promised prior to this project)

and a few items i feel need a little explaining.

i think most of my female readers were probably greek in college, so you all understand the need for "ritual whites." as an advisor, i'm in the same boat and, of course, my old ritual whites are out of commission--don't even know where my white skirt IS. so i had to get a new white skirt this weekend. i was a little unhappy about it, but i cut costs! headed over to savers (big, giant goodwill style thrift store for those who aren't familiar) and got one for $5.

i was VERY proud of myself, though, because i walked right in, picked up what i needed, and walked out (after paying for it, of course.) i didn't puruse the books or anything else...and that's a big deal for me.

also, went out to dinner on saturday night.

here's what happened. my very good friend and "aoii little sister" jackie came up to visit the area for the weekend. d and his friend brandon had been planning on taking over the living room/dining room for about a week to finish filming puppet monster massacre so it was just bad timing to have a mini-dinner party.

i didn't want to miss out on some quality time, and hanging out in my apartment was out of the question so we went to schmuckers on my dime. it was tasty, but i feel pretty confident that i have not fallen off the wagon as a result of our dinner date. it helps that we went to schmucker's which is a great (and pretty cheap) dining experience, especially if you're into kitschy, diner experiences. oh, and pie. yum.

anyway--things are going well. in the near future, i will be spending some money on a gift for my sister for her birthday (again, something i promised her before the project started.)

but dad's birthday is just around the corner and i'm struggling to come up with something crafty he'd enjoy...any ideas? crafting for dudes is hard. especially because most girls just end up making something THEY would like, giving it to a dude who's like, "aw! now what am i supposed to do with this?"

tonight we're getting the crock pot ready for beef stew that will cook all day tomorrow and be ready when we get home from work. of course, i'll let you all know how it goes. :)

xo xo