She Works Hard For The Money

To save or not to save, that is now the question. I like the idea that I now have some $$ to put away in savings, but the urge to pay off more debt is overwhelming. Laura Rowley posted a great article that speaks to the psychological effects of saving with regards to fixing your personal finances. There are some other interesting topics she writes about, like how we spend in our 20s and begin to, well, pay for it in our 30s and 40s. Yeah...I often wonder what it was I spent $17K on between 1996 - 2002. Some airline travel, food, rent, and a lot of useless crap.Damn it, where was my common sense the days I signed up for credit cards while in college?

Speaking of crap: Crap I Want But Don't Need

• Gaiam Total Balance Ball Kit ($23.99)
  
• Sony Bravia 46" HD LCD TV ($1500)
  
• Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion and Poreless Moisture ($74/$45)
  

After today, I have ONE student loan payment. Wooooohoooo! Extra income! Technically, I could pay off the remainder right now... Pros: it's over and done with, no need to pay the $1.75 in interest. Cons: I take more out of savings (but that's where the money would be going after paying off the loan, so...not really a con when I think about it) Guess I'll get on that later.

And I'm happy to say that I only went over my $50 grocery budget by three dollars. With the rising cost of some items, I may have to re-evaluate that budget. Or not buy wine. :) Decisions, decisions.

Other items purchased out of norm:

1. $1.98 Two Pria bars, for post-hard core workout snack
   
2. $2.99 Donuts and Moon pies for work thing
   
3. $7.24 fresh cherries (yes, for 1.45 lbs) !!!!!
   
4. $9.99 Cakewalk Wine
   

$22.20 on extras.

Could have been worse, I could have gone on a cheese buying rampage (and therein is the cause of me not losing more weight. D'oh!)

Dad is visiting today, and we went to have some Mexican food for dinner. Oh, the irony of me being a single Mexican female. We walked it off at Half Price Books, where I dropped $22 on three books and cupcake kit for my new 'hobby.' *sigh* (burp)