04 October 2007

Hunting and Gathering

Earlier this week, I bought 100 pounds of dog food (so the pupsicles will have food and I will be secure in the knowledge that they do) with the 'blow' money my guy had given me.  Then I went to Wal-MartZes and stocked up on laundry detergent, dish detergent, soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, toothbrushes (i'm hard on them and like fresh ones, so rotate them and change them out often~it's a vice, so sue me), deodorant, paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, gallon storage bags, sandwich bags, scrubbies, sponges, and other supplies that help me to feel secure (other women love a good bargain on shoes, i stock soaps and things, at least i use my stuff more than a few times, and they say i'm crazy) with my lil check (and when i say lil, i do mean lil, as in seventy-five bucks lil).  Today, I cashed out my bigger check (when i say bigger, i mean as in about five hundred and fifty bucks~the lil check and the bigger check yield me about six hundred and thirty five dollars per month, yea! frugal me) and paid October's rent; paid a portion of last month's, all of this month's, and part of next month's phone bill; paid early on my electric bill; paid three months' worth of garbage bills; refilled my meds for the month; bought 5 quarts of oil; bought some groceries; and bought an Oster 12 speed blender (cuz i've been wanting a blender for months and months, wow, yeah ok, it's been on my christmas wish list for three years now), a wire whisk, a Rival sandwich maker (two dolla's make ya holla!), and a queen size featherbed (for twenty bucks, a featherbed, for twenty bucks, a queen sized featherbed for twenty bucks~who's the shit?!?  oh yeah, that's right).  After putting ten bucks of gas in the car, I now have four dollar bills and a handful of change til next month.

With the exception of the blender, the sandwich maker, and the featherbed; this is my life, this is what I do, every month.  Not even a week into the month, I'm down to about five bucks.  Every month.

I hate to shop, which works well for me cuz I don't have money to shop with.  So that's all right then.  The reason I even saw the blender and the sandwich maker and the featherbed (warm, cozy winter, ahhhhh) was cuz I went to a store called "Dirt Cheep" (and the salvation army store, they had the sandwich maker) to see if they had mixing bowls because I have none and I bake occasionally and plan to make more often.  And the sad thing is, I feel a smidgen guilty for "splurging" on those items when i ought to have put the money toward my counseling.

Cuz usually, every dollar I have is earmarked for necessities; like, rent, electric, gas, propane, medication, garbage, dog food, me food, personal items, phone (there's a story there), and counseling.  My guy often will ask me if I need anything before he leaves to go back home (we live an hour and a half apart) and mostly I say, "no".  Cuz I don't, not really.  Got food in the cupboard and clothes on my back and a roof over my head.  Then he goes and leaves me something anyway cuz he knows i don't have extra cash on hand, in case something goes awry like needing oil in the car and air in the tires.

Security for me is knowing I have the bills paid and that I am stocked up on toilet paper.  That's the way I hunt and gather.  How do you do it?

3 comments:

  1. Pretty much the same.  I like to know there is food, water, electric.  Period.  

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  2. It was so much easier before I got audited earlier in the year.  We're on a very tight budget presently.

    R

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  3. We are in the same boat basically. Doc is a lifesaver, but I tend to pay my own way. If I need something or rather want something before my check comes the next month he will get it for me without me having to ask. Whatever I have extra I use helping pay the medical bills for the strays I take in. I re-home these animals. So why take whatever little money I have and take care of them? I have a roof over my head, a warm bed to sleep in, and plenty of food on my table. Unless I intercede on these animals plight they won't. I tend to think way too many people waste money on casual un-neccesary items anyway. I get far more love and self worth for myself helping make the world a slightly better place for the living things around me. (Hugs) Indigo

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