The Weekend Cometh...

This week was a little.....boring? I guess the more euphemistic way of looking at it was that it was very relaxing. I actually took the time to stay home, cook dinner, watch TV, and work on my teaching application. I found out that (yay!) one of my tutoring students, whose last session was Wednesday, really does want me to tutor on a more regular basis --- 3 times per week! And if that wasn't enough, two other new students have requested tutoring sessions. Is it crazy to have four part-time jobs? I found out that Macy's is hiring for the holiday season so I'm tempted to apply there so I can make a couple hundred extra bucks during the cold months. Doesn't sound like a lot, but it would pay off my, ironically, Macy's credit card. We'll see what my new financial advisor says though when I meet with her next weekend.

I'm pretty friggin' proud of myself for one big thing though: I didn't eat out ONCE this week. I made my lunch and brought it to work with me every day, sometimes even bringing breakfast. And at home for dinner I broke out my skillet, Foreman grill, and boiling pots for a week of steak and oriental veggies, red pepper chicken with yellow rice, turkey tacos and Spanish rice, and lo mein. Hot Pockets and the classic Ramen noodles helped curb cravings. And I rediscovered my love for (the very cost-efficient) hot tea. This week was all about Tahitian Vanilla Hazelnut with two shots of whole milk. And I had forgotten that I had a shot of amaretto liquer and also a shot of mango rum left, so I took my pineapple juice and mixed it with each of the liquors for two consecutive nights of nightcapping.

The best deal I found this week: www.restaurant.com provides discounted gift cards to some of the area's restaurants, cafes, and lounges. I'm seriously considering a $20 gift card that has a $50 value for either Creme Cafe, which has FANTASTIC southern cuisine, or Taste of Morocco, which I've been itching to try since it's up the street from my apartment.

Another website I learned about: www.groupon.com. It sends you a daily coupon to whatever the day's special offer is. I was too late (darn it!) to get the Zengo $50 gift card for $25, but there's usually a pretty good deal sent each day.

And finally, Operation Wear Things With Tags got off to an awesome start. On three different days I wore things that still had tags on them. Watching my money has caused me, forced me in a way, to be more creative with the way I style myself. It's fun and frustrating because I can't just go out and buy something if my closet seems too much like a syndicated sitcom (repeated so often that only a few things remain to be good because you've seen it so much). For the first time I wore tights with peep-toe shoes, a trend I was nervous to try, and it turned out fantastically.

This weekend is the first time I'll be spending money in a week on something unnecessary. A ticket to a hip hop dance performance. I haven't been to a dance show in almost a year and I've been in mourning over missed arabesques and krumpin'. Today, though, is all about taking care of what's mine (cleaning the apartment, cleaning out my car) and working on my fashion file.


Blessings...