Money Woes

Lately I've had to fight the urge to spend money frivolously. All I want to do is go to the grocery store and buy steak, fancy cheese, good wine, some avocados. Heck, I really just want to buy some turkey and provolone and make a sandwich. After that, I want to go to the local mall and buy about 4 dresses, new shoes, and new jeans. All stuff I don't "need" at all I just "want"

The truth is, I wish I was above these selfish feelings. When I look around me, I see people who make it with so much less than I have. They didn't grow up with the luxuries that I have had and they don't have the emotional and financial support from their families that I have always had. I am only human though, so it's natural to have some selfish desires.

After 10 months of this however, I am just tired. I'm burnt out. I am getting so tired of being on such a tight budget. The reality I have to face though, is that I am going to be on a tight budget for awhile. Maybe not as tight, and maybe not for the next decade. But realistically, I will have to budget tightly for some time. For comfort, I keep telling myself that all of this budgeting and stressing about money will make me appreciate money when I have it. It will make me be smart with money when I have it. If I can make the little money I'm making now stretch so far, I will be able to make more money stretch even farther.

I just hope that's true and that this experience will truly prove to be as beneficial as I want it to be.

End of the School Year

Last Thursday was the final week of school. It was really sad for me. It's making me realize how little time I have left down here. I also know how much I'm going to miss the kids and I'm realizing how much of an impact they have made on me.

Here's a picture of the last day of school, which also happened to be 5th grade graduation.



Eccence, Me, Natayshia, Shaumarie


Now that it's summer I am still working at the school. Except now I am answering phones in the front office. I miss the kids a lot! My job is not as much fun. I need to be challenged to be happy and excited for work and I don't have that right now. It's only temporary though. I also picked up a babysitting job for every Monday and Wednesday night for this adorable 2 year old girl. So I have been keeping busy.

I may have outdid myself with how stingy I made this months grocery shopping. I have Fridays off now so I had the time to go to a bunch of different grocery stores to do my shopping. Luckily, most of the grocery stores are really close to it's not a huge deal.

First I went to Bi-lo. I had to get olive oil because I am a HUGE spaz and dropped an entire new bottle on the floor the other day. Gahh
But it was originally $9.96, it was on sale for 3 dollars off, then I had a dollar off coupon, so I ended up paying 5.49 for a huge thing of olive oil.
Then apples were by one get one free so I got two bags for $4.00
I also got cottage cheese, on sale for $2.00

Total -$11.47

Then I went to the bread outlet and got my english muffins for $1.80

Then I went to Publix where I just got
Ego Waffles - 2.99

I had a target coupon and Publix will take competitors coupon so I only paid $1.99

Total - $1.99

After that, I went to Food Loin
Lean Cuisines were on sale for $1.99. I got 4 of them and used a coupon I had for $1.00 off - $7.00
Then I got Kraft 100 calorie cheese cubes. They were on sale for 2.79 and used a coupon for a dollar off- $1.79
Then I got a skinny cow ice cream cup- They were 1.25 and I had a dollar off coupon.. so I got it for 25 cents

The total was $9.00


So I think I did pretty good. I also cooked some pulled chicken in the crock pot today. The recipe for that is-


1 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. garlic powder
red pepper flakes

mixed the above in the crock pot. Then I halved four pieced of raw chicken (that I had bought a couple of months ago on sale...) and coated them in the sauce. Put it in the crock pot for 7 hours, shredded the chicken with a fork, then put back in the sauce.

It's sooooo good!

Field Day!

Today was the last full day of school. It was also Field Day. In my opinion, Field Days are one of the most fun days of the year. Even a thunder storm couldn't ruin the fun of today! I really had a wonderful day watching the kids play and compete against eachother. One teacher put it best when she said to me "It's so nice to hear such happy sounds in the hallway on a rainy Tuesday..."



Rajon and Me




Indoor Field Day = Improvising at its finest




Some 4th grade girls being silly