Night out

Amount spent: $7.00
What: Starbucks

Amount spent: $6.00
What: movie

All I can say is that...it's the end of March. Thank God.

Panera lunch

Amount spent: $9.24
What: lunch at Panera

Mmmm, did I mention how lovely and delicious Panera food is? Especially when it's a bowl of French onion soup and half a Caesar salad. Better than fast food and a much better way to spend time with the boyfriend before he heads back to school.

In other news, I need to stop eating out. It's only March 14. My budget is already blown--yikes.

Days of research, days of spending

Amount spent: $7.77
What: lunch at Skyline

Amount spent: $27.46
What: gas

Amount spent: $6.35
What: four DVD rentals at Blockbuster

Amount spent: $17.63
What: lunch at Skyline (for two)

Amount spent: $180.98
What: car payment

Amount spent: $6.75
What: parking in downtown Cincinnati

Don't panic; I haven't lost my resolve to rein in my spending just yet. As bad as this may look, remember that I'm still trying to get into the habit of recording my purchases in this blog again, and so more than a week of purchases are merely catching up with me here.

Most of it is self-explanatory. The car payment was a necessity, as was the gas (I still can't get over how cheap it is compared to last summer). I have been eating out a bit too much lately, although I'm lucky my cravings have merely been for Skyline. The larger bill was when I paid for both my boyfriend and myself, the smaller when I went out with my younger brother. We probably didn't need to eat out, but it was the least I could do considering he went downtown with me, keeping me company while I conducted research for a journalism capstone project (that's where the $6.75 garage fee comes in). I was going to pay for him, however the waitress perceived that we weren't on a date (thank goodness) and gave us separate checks.

I would like to point out the relatively low bill for DVD rentals at Blockbuster, though. Last summer, when I was determined to catch up on the first two seasons of Big Love, DVD rentals cost me a small fortune. In fact, it was getting so expensive I had to hold off renting until my coffers were refilled. It seems, though, that Blockbuster has switched financial philosophies. Now, rentals for new movies are $1.99 and old movies are merely $.99. Whereas four DVDs last summer would have put me back $16-$20, now I barely broke $10. Amazing.

I need a raise

Money Spent: $4.95
What: iTunes songs

Money Spent: $79.88
What: Ralph Lauren polo shirt

Money Spent: $66.56
What: Nautica cologne set

Money Spent: $69.06
What: Groceries

Money Spent: $13.00
What: Drinks (one martini, a seven-and-seven, and a vodka gimlet)

Money Spent: $43.78
What: Dinner at Brazenhead

Money Spent: $35.00
What: Gas

Money Spent: $27.94
What: Gas

Frankly, I don't want to talk about it. Since July 1, I've spent over $500. It was worth it because items two through five were dedicated to my boyfriend's 21st birthday (and I don't regret a single penny because he deserves it), but the buck really DOES stop here. I'm done. I'll wait to ask for the external hard drive and new laptop battery for my birthday (in September), and I really don't need new clothes. The only thing I plan on buying (for SURE) this summer is a dress for a friend's wedding and a wedding present. Other than that, it's gas and maybe a few extra bucks during a trip to visit the boyfriend in Michigan. *Sigh* I've been waiting so long to write this entry...I've been too scared to even look at my finances. Thank goodness I get paid this Friday.

The last time...I promise

Money Spent: $21.06
What: Dinner at Mimi's Cafe

Money Spent: around $15
What: the DVD "Amelie"

Money Spent: $3.50
What: Candy and frozen lemonade

I seriously think this is my last bout of heavy spending for at least...a week. At least when it comes to eating out. The story behind this is that my friend is leaving for France in two days. A best friend, I will not see her until our birthdays (my 22nd, her 21st) at the end of September. We obviously needed to have a "girl's night out" before she left, bringing us to Mimi's and two delicious dinners--the leftovers of which we both inconveniently left at the restaurant. I then bought "Amelie" at Best Buy because 1) she had not seen it, 2) it was perfectly French and 3) I had been wanting to buy the movie for a long time (it being one of my favorites). We almost waited in line for ice cream at Greater's but decided to buy our own snacks at Krogers instead. (The candy, just to clarify, is for my desk at work). My friends couldn't have picked a worse time to all be flying the coup for bigger and better adventures elsewhere--all these "going away" dinners are seriously going to break the bank. Seriously, what's wrong with Cincinnati, Ohio?

In the spending forecast, there are some major purchases on the horizen. My boyfriend's 21st birthday is only a week away, requiring me to do some major shopping sometime next week. I will delay posting that purchase, however, since he reads this blog. Then there will be the birthday dinner, etc, etc. Also, I need to start seriously considering buying a latop battery and external hard drive. I found the brand I liked in the Dell flyer, and so now I have a more legit way of researching these Iomega drives without resorting to Amazon. And the orange light is still blinking on the laptop, and so that problem HAS to be addressed before I go back to school in the fall.

Money Spent: $7.00
What: Two Starbucks frappacinos

Money Spent: $10.64
What: Earbuds

Money Spent: $54.31
What: Gas

Ok, I'll admit it. Starbucks is a luxury item and I shouldn't indulge in the tasty, sugery concoction that is a mocha frappacino too often. Lucky for me, I don't. But my boyfriend took me out to lunch yesterday and so, with 15 minutes to spare before I had to be back at the office, we decided to waste some time at the local Starbucks. Unfortunately, you can't waste time at a Starbucks without buying something, so I provided our post-lunch dessert. One interesting note about Starbucks, though: the company said yesterday that they plan on closing 19% of new stores that have been opened during the past two years. They cite the suffering economy for the loss of business. I find the concept of the closing Starbucks store--as opposed to a new branch opening every other day--rather telling. In the Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks film "You've Got Mail," Hanks' commentary on their role in society seem to infer that Starbucks had become as ubiquitous a part of American culture as, I don't know, morning traffic. And if they're featured as the meeting place of the Upper West Side book elite, they are also the epitomy of hip and therefore prime material for copy-cat suburbanites. Although I don't see this as the fall of the Starbucks empire, I do find it interesting that Americans, stripped of extra cash by the rising costs of food and gas, can forego those non-fat lattes if they so choose. 10 years ago we may not have heard that tune, but my how times have changed.

The earbuds were a simple choice because the ones that came with my iPod were completely shot...my iPod rounding out its third year on this planet. I refuse to satiate Steve Jobs too much, and either haven't had the money or interest to snap up every product that's come out of Apple. I have my dignity, you know. And those stupid Mac vs. PC commercials annoy me to no end. Sorry Steve, I'm still going to use my Dell no matter how "un-hip" that may make me. With that said, I do need a new iPod but don't have the extra cash this summer. My plan is to wait til Christmas when I can take advantage of the generosity of my elders.

And finally, gas. That's right, it's been 2 whole weeks since I last got gas. I stretched that tank and I'm PROUD. My secret? Well, it is no secret but common knowledge that most people tend to forget. For two weeks, I have barely touched my air conditioning. I drive home with all my windows down and my music turned up, and have reaped the rewards by doubling my drive time. My boyfriend assures me that "everybody" knows about this, but I argue that my discovery is enlightening because I have witnessed this miracle under the terror of $4 gas, the fear of which threatened to completely demoralize me a few weeks ago. I was ready to give up on humanity for awhile. I bought the gas for$4.09 a gallon, unleaded of course. Probably not the best for my engine, and my mother always taught me to automatically default with the "middle button." However, everyone has to buck their upbringing sometime. Filled with this knowledge, I now marvel at those still driving around with their windows sealed tight and their air conditioning pumping. I would have understood them a year ago--when I drove with air conditioning all the time on $3 a gallon. But now, I stand in slightly disgusted awe. I would understand if I took the highway home and witnessed this spectacle, but I don't. I take back roads where the average speed is 35 mph. People... Also a good sign, my car's little computer tells me that I have upped my miles per gallon from 23 mpg to 25.6 mpg. Considering that's all city driving with a V6 engine, I take that as a point of pride. Let's see if I keep it this way for awhile.

Another belated entry

Money Spent: $4.95
What: iTunes

Money Spent: $4.79
What: Blockbuster rental of "Michael Clayton"

Money Spent: $5.38
What: UDF ice craem

Hey, the good news is that all of these tiny purchases are all under $6! Eh? Eh? Ok, I know. Rein in your spending, Laura. Keep that wallet closed. Don't fritter away useful dollars and cents on a music downloading site, where 99 cents songs are like crack to an addict.

I know all these things. But I guess I will, at least, forgive myself these snapshots of discretionary spending in the name of hedonism. Downloading "Young Folks" by Peter, Bjorn and John makes me happy...thank you very much. And it's only the second time I've hit the "buy song" button this summer. I consider that an accomplishment.

The other purchases were in the valient name of date nights everywhere. Plus, I've been dating the same guy for more than three years now. I can afford to foot the bill of ice cream and a rental if he pays for dinner. Romance isn't all dead, but fiscal responsibility is also a crucial component of any relationship you expect (or want) to last. If you, as a female, can look your man in the eye and say "Sweetie, I'll pay for that," it should be a moment of liberation as well as maturity. You have a job--don't deny it. And you save money too, as much as you would like the opposite sex to believe that we spend it all on shoes, hence our empty wallets when the check comes. Don't expect him to stay with you long if he has to foot the bill everytime, ladies. Now, I'm not the champion of feminism everywhere--he did pay for the dinner, and drove for that matter. But I hope that these feminist war cries go a little ways toward explaining my extra spending. I mean, it's only $10...

Oh, and the question I know you're all dying for an answer: was "Michael Clayton" worth the money? Maybe, depending on your tastes. Too bad the boy fell asleep halfway through. But ah, so is love.

A new, and belated, entry

Money Spent: $89.37
What: Car Insurance

Money Spent: $5.00
What: Subway

Money Spent: $10.63
What: Under-the-bed storage bin

Sorry about the insurance entry...as I hooked State Farm up with an automatic withdrawal system, I tend to forget that I pay around $90 a month in car insurance. Well, I didn't forget to record in my financial files, but I overlooked it here. Can't say too much about it, though. I forget what my premium is, or what is covered, but just assume it's standard for a 21-year-old female with a clean driving record.

Concerning Subway: it was a Friday evening, my brother and I were starving from "playing" tennis for the past few hours, and the food stash was running low at our house. However, $5 for a footlong meatball sub (don't judge me because I don't eat like a girl) is a pretty good deal. However, whenever I say I'll save the other half, I usually end up eating 3/4 of the entire thing and throwing away the rest. That can't be good.

The last bit of spending was actually a necessary item that I had been preparing to purchase for some time now. I didn't want to make an extraneous trip to Wal-Mart, so I waited for the boyfriend to come home and take me on a "date" there. Heehee. Aren't we romantic. But in all seriousness, my closet at home and at school has been close to overflowing for months now. And since my wardrobe recently saw an influx in new "professional" clothes for my internship, I needed to move some sweaters and sweatshirts out of the closet. Now if only I could find some way to store that prom dress...

Lucky for me, though, is my paycheck from a week ago. Plus, I received a refund check from school for $30--money left over from one of my meal plans. I plan on cashing it in sometime this week and using that cash in my wallet. If there's anything that annoys me more, it is having to whip out my debit card for a $10 purchase. It barely encourages frugal spending.

Also, look out for an upcoming entry about a recent spending spree on iTunes. I know, I know. I told myself to stay away. Luckily, the total isn't going to come out any more than $6 so don't wet yourselves. But I can't say for sure until I receive a receipt. Until then, here's hoping I keep the wallet in my purse, where it belongs!

Cocktail Hour

Money Spent: $30.04
What: Dinner at the Cheesecake Factory

The story behind this expenditure is actually quite sweet and sentimental. My best friend is going to be working for a graphic design firm in Boston this summer. She left today and I don't know when I'll see her next. We rarely get together during the school year, so it might be months. I hadn't yet seen her this summer, and I missed her surprise going-away party. So we decided to throw all prudence to the mall and enjoy a truly girl's night out. We went to the Cheesecake Factory, ordered fabulously expensive cocktails (the first experience of the kind since we had both turned 21 last fall) and two dinners that neither of us could finish. We then wandered around the mall, browsing aimlessly in a sea of senseless chit-chat. Sure it was expensive. But spending time with a best friend of nearly 17 years was well worth the extra cash.

Payback

Money Spent: $5
What: Bruegger's Bagels

I know, I know. I'm trying to be a frugal lunch-er this summer by diligently packing a turkey on wholegrain wheat everyday. I usually toss in a small square of dark chocolate to nibble on when my energy starts to lack (and enrich myself with plenty of antioxidants!), as well as keep a baggie of Sun Chips and Smarties in my desk. However when a co-worker offered to pick me up something from Bruegger's...I couldn't say no. I hadn't been to the delicious deli since I'd been home, owing to the fact that I rarely eat out while at home and my college town is disappointingly lacking in one. However, I have grown an affinity for a certain sandwich at Bruegger's--turkey, garlic cream cheese, lettuce and a sun-dried tomato spread, hold the onion. Delicious. Plus, I'm still new to the office so it was also an attempt at fitting in and making friends.

Did it work? No idea. Was my sandwich delicious? You bet. Am I sad that I had to surrender $5? Not really. Like I said, I don't get out much.