Spending - Week Five (Jan 29-Feb 4)

First things first, boy am I glad this week is over. Too much stuff going on. Tomorrow is day 9 of rush rush rush. Work & home life have whipped me over the last 1.5 weeks.

Oh ya and......

新年快樂

(happy new year!)

Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year tickets - $17
Chinese fun twirling handkerchief - $10
burger king afterwards 4.16
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Ross $4.37. I had a leftover store credit from who knows when. I got myself a shirt (wooohooo!) and a pair of tights for Natalie's clothes next winter.

Ross #2 $13.78 on two large photo albums. I have at least 1200 pictures printed and not in albums. They are in little sad boxes in the TV cabinet.

Target - negative $5.48. Cool huh? I bought an adorable fancy dress for $10, 50% off. Danged if it didn't got to 75% off 2-3 days later. So I brought in the dress and they returned it and resold it to me without even swiping my card. Target...I love you.

Target - $22.26. I was in a wandering mood and I have to find the receipt. I bought even more little girl clothes (thank goodness the clearance racks are empty now, I'm a crazy woman) and some shampoo. I can't remember the rest so I might have to edit this entry.

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birthday stuff (cupcakes, party favors, candles) - 24.10
(I have some stuff to return, I changed party favors.)
Birthday Bounce House & Lunch -18.96
Birthday - 16.73 on 2 Leapster games I hadn't counted yet
new favors - $1.07
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Walmart
groceries - 20.01 (eggs, milk, pears, onions, garlic, cabbage, bbq sauce, diet coke, little french breads, paprika, taco shells, bananas & apples)
clothes - 4 prs of tights - 8.76
seeds - 5.26
cats - 21.06
Christmas (Natalie) - 5.48
The one on the right was marked down to $5, half off! She already had the left one.

Allowance - so I decided to do something that will prob bite me in the butt in a few months. They had a Melissa and Doug train set on clearance tonight. With the extra car set for it, it all came out to $76.64. I asked Natalie if she wanted it with her money (she plays with it every single time we go into that toy store) and she said yes. So I decided to advance her allowance to her. I told her she'd get less every month and she seemed ok with it. Now at four, does she really understand? I say no lol

She hasn't noticed Jan's contribution to her piggy bank was low ($3 instead of $10 down from $20 last year). So I'm thinking as long as I give her something (in dimes, her favorite), and we continue to work on money counting then we are good. I am a super wimp when it comes to after Christmas clearance sales.

Look how awesome it is :) I am going to glue the suspension pieces together so she can put it together herself.


Walmart - $17.06
I went in for wooden dowels and fray check (different post). I also ended up getting chicken, potatoes and egg rolls from the deli. And another wooden bridge for the trains set. I am sure there are a couple of other things too, I need to find this receipt. When I am stressed, I spend. Then I feel guilty about blowing money and that stresses me more.

The reason I am stressed? Daycare dropped our spot. I have the PERFECT schedule. I had every hour planned during the week and it was like a beautiful dance. Natalie has school certain hours, had art& playtime certain hours, baths were certain times on certain days. Gymnastics and Ballet were worked in the mix perfectly. My Mother went part time and revamped her schedule in order to accommodate our new one.

So daycare decided they weren't taking one day kids and we'd have to increase our days. And you know what? I'm not willing to put her in the daycare enviroment for more than what she's been doing. Her attention span (no crappy food) has increased, her attitude has been great and everything has been pretty awesome since I started my remote work schedule in August.

So now I'll have an extra $900 which I'll move to learning materials. This column will now cover any activities I plan on Thursday for her. I have some ideas and I'll need more ideas. But I'm blabber along about that on another post.

(holy cow I spent a lot this week...don't add it up)