6/7/09

Spent $47 on groceries.

Total: $47

ONE YEAR LATER

One year later, I have learned to be more sustainable and responsible with my money. Unfortunately I have a lot of debt.

So, I sat down and combed through my bank and credit card statements and monthly bills. I was very honest in what I spend on things. The result? Annually, I spend almost $6,000 more than I take in.

The scary part is that I thought I was being frugal.

Over were the days of extravagance during student loan refund check-driven law school. Yet, still I am short each month. Sure, I put some to savings and pay over the minimum on my credit card, but I'm disappointed that I'm not even close to breaking even.

Part of the problem is that I'm on the lower end of the salary scale for attorneys. The bright side is that I'm not an attorney. The down side is that I have the student loan debt of one. I'm not willing to work at a job I don't want for more money, so until one comes along that I like and happens to pay more, I'm stuck with my current income. I don't have a family to provide for, so I think I'm allowed to be picky in my career choices.

So - I'm bringing the blog back! Starting tomorrow (Sunday being the first day of the week) I will again log my daily expenses, regardless of how trivial. Hopefully this will rein in any unnecessary spending.

CONCLUSION

Well, my personal challenge -- at least the documented part -- has come to an end. If you're curious, I spent approximately $1800 the month of May.

That includes close to $400 on pets alone (Sheba's diabetes will put a dent in my budget), $100 on bar/dining (that was pretty low compared to month totals in, say, law school), $250 on groceries (surprisingly low), $331 on a plane ticket to a wedding in Des Moines (necessary), $375 on rent (necessary), $50 on internet (necessary), and the rest divided among prescriptions, clothes (only $40!), transportation, and coffee and snacks. While being pretty thrifty I need to do better: no clothes, and only $200 on groceries...and no more visits to the Plaid Pantry! The good news is I only spent $80 on gas which was only due to hiking trips and driving around Mt. Hood. I am actively trying to sell my car to supplement my savings and pay for all things feline diabetes. I only make like $2200/month after taxes (Oregon has a high income tax to make up for the lack of sales tax) so spending $1800/month leaves little for the savings.

Due to Sheba's diabetes and the blow my roommates and I received yesterday (we have 30 days to vacate*) my personal challenges for June have changed. My quest for fresh food is the same, but the search will be limited to Safeway -- not more expensive food co-ops (unless I can find some cheap items there). I think this will be a better challenge: how to eat healthy and environmentally-friendly on a shoe-string budget. In addition to finding good, inexpensive food my challenge will be finding a new place to live...and creative ways to make money (spoiler alert: I'm doing some preliminary research into grant writing).

*We have a month-to-month tenancy so our landlord is only obligated to give us 30 days notice. He lives in the basement and wants to move back upstairs. We were hoping for more notice...but instead we got a letter. Sweet.

DAY THIRTY

Sheba was formally diagnosed with feline diabetes so we returned to the Vet clinic and I learned how to administer insulin and what to feed her, what to watch for, etc. She is now on a special diet (Hill's Prescription Diet w/d Feline) and the Vet actually wants her to lose another pound or more. She thinks that if we get Sheba's insulin regulated and weight regulated, there is a chance Sheba could actually overcome diabetes. The insulin is pretty easy to administer - a small dose (with a tiny needle and syringe) twice daily: 6am and 6pm. I hope she starts to feel better soon.
Cost (food, insulin, syringes, office visit): $127.90

At work I spent $0.50 on coffee. After work I spent $1.00 on a doughnut at the opening of the new Voodoo Doughnut in NE PDX. There was even a donut march from the current store downtown, over the Burnside Bridge to the new store. We were 10 minutes late and somehow missed the march completely. Who knew Voodoo Doughnut organizers were so punctual. We reached the new store just as the drum group was finishing and then joined the giant line for doughnuts.

Total spent: $128.90

DAY TWENTY NINE

Adrienne and I are like the same person. Looks like we'll both be blogging about food in June. THE MADNESS CONTINUES.

I took Sheba to the Vet this afternoon. This cost $202.80 ($45.00 for the exam, $141.90 for lab tests, $14.95 to draw blood, $0.95 to dispose of bio hazard waste, and $0.00 for tender love and care (although I think that was included in the exam fee)). I used this vet last summer when I lived here, and while it's now a bit out of my way (I had to DRIVE...and to the neighborhood I used to live in...) but I really like the vets there and the staff is really nice. I will know for certain tomorrow when the lab results come back, but my vet is almost certain Sheba is diabetic. This means I will likely have to return tomorrow so that they can teach me how to administer insulin. This is actually good news because he said in a few weeks she should be back to her old self again -- or at least not drinking and urinating all the time.

I ate some pop tarts and drank 3 cups of coffee this morning at work: $2.50.

I checked more into the food coop store here in Portland - People's - and I think I'll check it out this weekend.

Total spent: $205.30

DAY TWENTY-EIGHT

Wednesday.

Nearing the end of this blogging experience.

I think I'll keep it up, however not on a daily basis. Maybe it's because I'm still accustomed to school, but I've found that I fare better with "official" challenges than just attempts to do better. June's challenge? Eating healthier, fresher, and smarter. I intend to check out local food co-ops and maybe even attempt COOKING for myself. I actually did tonight: I marinated some tofu strips in soy sauce, fried them, then put them on a bun and ate it like a BBQ sandwich. Actually, it was pretty tasty. Tofu is a superfood: it goes in any dish, it soaks up the flavor of whatever you cook it with, and its healthy. I also intend to eat more fresh foods (including vegetables) and limit my processed food intake. All of course while maintaining my sustainable lifestyle.
So, in sum, June's Sustainability Goals:
1) Shop at Local Food Co-ops and Farmers' Markets
2) Buy vegetables!
3) No junk food!
4) No pop (or soda if you can't handle "pop")!
This will be a challenge because Safeway is close, cheap, and accessible and buying fresh and buying local can be a bit spendy. However, I think it balances out as long as you cut out the unnecessary junk food and learn to be creative with the ingredients you have. I don't think I'll be able to cut out Safeway completely, but I'll check into it.

Today I picked up breakfast at Plaid Pantry and spent $5.30, then spent $1.00 on coffee at work. I'm hoping tomorrow's vet visit isn't too expensive. More importantly, I hope that Sheba only has an infection or at least something easily treatable. I've made myself sick with worry about her. I wish I'd taken her to the vet when I was in Kansas or at least before it progressed to this point. Hopefully I'll know more tomorrow.

I listed my car on Craig's List and put some "For Sale" signs on it. I don't use it and I need the money, so it's time to get rid of it. Unfortunately I'm not the only in Portland trying to sell a car, so it may take awhile.

Total spent: $6.30

DAY TWENTY-SEVEN

I spent $2.25 on coffee and pop tarts at work this morning.

I will be spending quite a bit of money at the Vet on Thursday. There is something wrong with Sheba and I think it is related to her kidneys or bladder. Either way, she has been drinking an unusual amount of water for the past couple of months and I've noticed weight loss -- but not in her stomach. In the past couple of weeks she has urinated on herself as if she simply cannot hold it in or get up, and now has mobility problems. She can only walk a short distance and can no longer jump up on furniture. It's quite painful for me to watch my beloved Sheba and not know what is wrong. I thought at first she was just adjusting to Wink (my Boston Terrier who flew here from Kansas in March) or that maybe it had something to do with age (she's seven), but I realize now she has the signs of kidney disease or something similar. This morning she again messed on herself, and I knew I needed to call the Vet. Her appointment is Thursday afternoon so hopefully we will know more then. Fingers crossed and happy thoughts for Sheba!

Total spent: $2.25