Daily Bread

I owe my credit card an apology.

• $249.74 - Urban Outfitters. Luggage and sandals for my trip to Prague! Or maybe a happy-early-birthday-to-me present? I did use a 10% off coupon, so I'm thinking of all the money I saved.
• $1.00 - Vending machine...peanut M&Ms. 2 pm sugar fix.
• $13.41 - Target. Cheaper than the grocery for frozen food and pantry staples!
• $8.73 - Yogart frozen yogurt. I'm stocking up for emergencies.

From Alpha Consumer blog by Kimberly Palmer on How to Donate to Charity for Free: When everyone's cutting their budget -- and charities need more help than ever -- how can we be generous? It turns out there are ways to do it without spending extra money. For example, consider giving away used clothes or books, or signing up to be an organ donor. You can also learn more about the causes that you already give to, in order to become a more effective giver.

Daily Bread

$0! Nothing! Not a cent! I didn't spend any money today.

On the other hand, I'd like to buy the California Supreme Court and 52% of the California population a clue.

Daily Bread

$2.75 - Vending machine veggie platter at work. The ONLY thing in there that doesn't resemble Dinty Moore beef stew, whether it actually is or not
$120 - Hive Salon. Hair cut and color from the most talented stylist ever. Except maybe for her twin sister. Who also cuts hair. Strange but true.
$13 - Divine Nails. Because nothing follows an expensive haircut better than the cheapest manicure you can find. Which, two hours later, I've already ruined. At least they only asked me if I want salt scrub and not if I want pretty flower, real pretty flower, or gel wrap.

And, I forgot my Russian Lit reader at the nail shop and had to make two trips back to get it. I'm chalking it up to karmic retribution for reading Lenin manifestos while getting a mani.

$25.13 - Trader Joe's. Salads for work, frozen seafood for the halibut.
$45.00 - Target. Sundries.

I'm sensing a pattern with the Trader Joe's and Target shopping...

Daily Bread

• $12.25 - Trader Joe's. Post-yoga snacks and veggies for the week. TJ's produce is at least as good as the farmer's market. And they don't even pretend that it comes from local farmers.
• $5.25 - Cream. Cappuccino and tea made studying fun! Or at least bearable.
• $27.50 - AMC Movies. $22 for two adult tickets plus $5.25 for a kid's pack snack. I forgot the bag of Smart Food popcorn I meant to sneak in. At least Star Trek was two thumbs way up. Bad Robot = Good Movie

Cheap entertainment, from Real Simple magazine: At hulu.com, an online video service that offers free downloadable hit TV shows and movies, users can choose from more than 900 prime-time TV hits, as well as classics and movies such as St. Elmo’s Fire and Men in Black.

Daily Bread

Justification is the word of the day

• $4.50 - Java Depot. Long bike rides deserve good treats.
• $11.50 - La Mision dry cleaners
• $8.01 - Cream coffee shop. Veggie posole soup, iced tea, and cookie. Long study sessions deserve good treats.
• $14.50 - Henry's. More studying, more treats...
• $11.51 - Whole Foods. Yogurt, fake chicken, fruit strips. Being prepared with good food for workdays saves me from gross vending machine food disasters.
• $13.21- Target. Moisturizer and lip balm and Miracle Gro. 'Cause I'm worth it.

Sweet tip from Real Simple: Pass up the dessert tray. Commercial bakeries typically sell sweets to midrange restaurants, then those dining spots mark up the prices and cash in, says Steve Dublanica, author of Waiter Rant, a restaurant-industry tell-all. After dinner, stop by an ice cream parlor or a bakery for a treat costing about 40 percent less.

Daily Bread

Payday. Give me convenience or give me death.

• $3.55 - Starbucks cappuccino. Repeat after me: Corporate coffee is not the devil.
• $5.45 - Barona gas station store, Diet 7up, Coke Zero, two packages of Dots, one package of Mambo candy, chewy Jolly Ranchers. Plus a couple of snarky comments from the guy at the checkout stand.
• $33.98 - Gas at Barona Station. The average price of gas is up 10 cents a gallon from last week. Just in time for Memorial Day!
• $4.00 - bottle of Bud Light at Live Wire. Superhot mustachioed man bought me my first one. Cold beer, warm friends.
• $9.01 - Frozen yogurt. I buy in bulk.

Saving at Starbucks from Wisebread.com: A misto is brewed coffee with steamed milk (as opposed to espresso with steamed milk). They generally cost about $1 less than regular lattes.
If you just want something hot and sweet, try steamed milk with a shot of flavored syrup.

Daily Bread

I spent money today.

• $3.25 - Cappuccino at Art of Espresso. Good to the last fair trade drop
• $480.40 - HP Mini 1000 with HP Swirl Imprint Finis- Genuine Windows XP Home with Service Pack 3- Intel(R) Atom(TM) Processor N270 (1.60GHz)- FREE Upgrade to 1GB DDR2 System Memory (1 Dimm)- 16GB (Solid State Drive Flash Module)- Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 950- 10.1" diagonal SD LED BrightView Infinity Widescreen Display (1024 x 576)- HP Mini Webcam with HP Imprint Finish (Swirl) - For 10.1" Display- Wireless-G Card with Bluetooth- HP Color Matching Keyboard- 3 Cell Lithium Polymer Battery- HP Mini Mobile Drive (8GB)- HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope... This is for vacation in Prague. More specifically, for the 18 hour flight each way. For watching English-language movies. For teh internetz. For writing in cafes.
• $8.50 give or take - Sunshine Market. Garden salad, Diet Sprite, hot tea, jelly beans, Goldfish pretzels...too weak...must have snacks for class
• $10.41 - Trader Joe's salads, sliced mushrooms. Not intended to be consumed together.

I spend a lot of money on food for a skinny girl.