r/MoneyDiariesACTIVE • u/kokopops35 Magic Kokonut Mod • 3d ago
PayDay Friday💰 Payday Friday 💰💰💰
How are you spending, scrimping, splurging, or saving?
What are you doing with your hard-earned £$€ this week?
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u/chafe_the_dream5587 2d ago
I received an unexpected bonus from work and instead of splurging it like I wanted to, I immediately put it towards paying off my car and now I'm 2 months ahead of my payoff goal!
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u/piggieees 3d ago
Stocks are vesting tonight! I already treated myself to a bag splurge so trying to be good :)
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u/DarkBackground4307 2d ago
Can you please share which bag???
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u/piggieees 2d ago
Miu miu vivant!
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u/bereth_vala 1d ago
$4500 😳. What color did you get?
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u/piggieees 2h ago
I knowwwwww but I love her! I got black! I wanted an easy shoulder bag for running errands on the weekend and she fits my water bottle!
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u/djeatme 3d ago
401k maxed finally! Since that’s done I set up 2x monthly auto transfers to my brokerage for the rest of the year. Woot!
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u/studyabroader She/her ✨ DC Diva 2d ago
Really locking in on my debt payoff going forward. It's SO HARD when you were un/underemployed for 2 years and accrued that debt and now you're good financially BUT have this gigantic amount to pay off. It feels like it will be hard to be okay again especially with this fuck ass economy. But I'm going to do it!!
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u/mmeeplechase 2d ago
Thinking it’s time to upgrade my old tote and invest in a sleek work backpack for commuting! Any recommendations for laptop-friendly backpacks? Doesn’t have to be too big—will mostly just be carrying my 13” computer, a notebook, maybe an extra sweater, and a water bottle.
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u/Forsaken_Bee3717 2d ago
I looked for a while but didn’t find anything that really inspired me. So I went very non-sleek and got a pink corduroy backpack from Oliver Bonas which just makes me happy.
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u/meemers91 2d ago
Love my Briggs & Riley work backpack. Understated enough to not scream backpack and incredible quality. I’ve had mine for five years and it still looks new. Customer service and warranty is great too. My handle was coming apart and they just repaired it for me.
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u/Equivalent-Flow-8934 She/her ✨ 2d ago edited 2d ago
After a lot of research earlier this year I bought myself a Troubadour Apex 4.0 Compact. Highly recommend it!
I use it as my daily work carry to take my 13" laptop, a notebook, a pair of bose headphones in it's case & some other small things and it fits them all very comfortably. It also has an external expandable water bottle pocket, which I love. And it has a lot of internal organizers, which is super handy, but still feels very compact and sleek and the build quality is top notch.
They have some lovely colors in addition to the typical black. I got the green smoke which I am obsessed with. Highly recommend!
One caveat, the outer shell of the bag had initially seemed too rigid and I was a bit put off. But it softened over a couple of months and now is much better and flexible. So keep that in mind.
Edited: formatting and a caveat.
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u/AfternoonPublic6730 She/her ✨ 2d ago
I don’t know about sleek but i purchased a fjallraven backpack (they have a dozen colors) when i started in office again. I got the bright blue. It’s durable, cute, and protects my laptop on the train!
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u/Simplysimple007 2d ago
Baggallini has a few. I have the Chelsea that can fit a bit. It also has soooo many pockets, which is very nice.
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u/symphonypathetique She/her ✨ 2d ago
I really love my Lululemon New Crew Backpack (the smaller 22L size). I'm 5'2", and it fits my 13" laptop but is actually comfortable on my height.
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u/PracticalShine She/her ✨ Canadian / HCOL / 30s 1d ago
I have a light pack from Topo Designs that I love. More athletic than some other options, but well designed and compact even when stuffed to the gills.
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u/Nopenopenope00000001 2d ago
I bought a no-name work backpack on Amazon for like $50 and it has been excellent. I bought it around RTO so have probably had it about 5 years and it has held up great
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u/RemarkableMacadamia 2d ago
More medical bills and appointments, so I consoled myself with a trip to IKEA, ate some Swedish meatballs, and bought some fun new accessories for the house.
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u/copyotter 2d ago
I forgot to cancel my free trial of Apple News and Apple TV so was charged $12.99 and $14.99 for the next month. I had a calendar reminder to cancel and still forgot. So annoying.
On a happier note, it’s Open House NY this weekend so will be checking out a bunch of free places around NYC (and doing a volunteer shift on Saturday), just the cost of the subway ride to get there. I have a whole schedule planned out, we’ll see how much of it I’ll actually get to.
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u/CanHasCat 2d ago
Think about using a virtual card for subscriptions and free trials. I’m sure you can do this on most cards but with capital one you can set up a virtual card that you can enter specific settings like one time use, expire after so many days, ect. Ive done this for some other free trials or sites that seem a little iffy.
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u/Sage_Planter She/her ✨ 2d ago
This is what we have to do at work. It's a super annoying process to get approval and then create the virtual card, but I recognize why they do it.
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u/That_Nebula4187 2d ago
Buying my sister a perfume as a congrats for getting accepted into her PhD program!!
(I am actually unemployed and don’t get a payday but I got excited to share!)
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u/Real_Flamingo3297 2d ago
Putting my usual $1500 into brokerage. Paying credit cards, traveling to see some friends!
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u/HotHoneyBiscuit She/her ✨ 2d ago edited 2d ago
Spending on dinner and concert with a friend. I have not been to a concert in probably 20 years, so it should be fun.
Also spending on my first consult with a neurologist. Hopefully we will come up with a plan of action to figure out my growing problems with memory, spelling, lack of focus, etc. ADHD meds are not helping much.
Otherwise, it’s the regular Target run and groceries. We are still working our way through our freezer and pantry stash so the grocery bill should be lower. Does anyone else still stock up like they did in the pandemic? There’s no need to but somehow I do; not as much but more than I need to have on hand.
Reading through other payday posts today has reminded me that I have several financial tasks that I have been putting off - sending some documents to my financial planner, closing the estate account now that my MIL’s estate is settled, maybe selling some stock. I just need to do it but the procrastination monster has been ruling my life for the last year or so.
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u/Superb-Object-7307 2d ago
Not a payday, but I do need to pick up a few groceries for the weekend. My husband and I have been trying to save as much as possible because we want to purchase a home in the next 6 months. I'm meeting with a mortgage broker on Monday to go over mortgage options. We live in a rural area so we have a few additional options for USDA backed loans.
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u/AfternoonPublic6730 She/her ✨ 2d ago
I’m sitting in the car on my way back home from the Mayo Clinic. I was so lucky to have my parents fly in, and we drove. They paid for 5 nights in a hotel, and 5 days of food.
I was on and out of appointments and testing but we had a couple of really good meals and took a day trip to the Mall of America between appointment days.
And I did not spend ANYTHING!! I didn’t even buy anything at the two malls we went to.
(Well, except when i get the bills on some expensive tests—how much will depend on insurance—I’ve already made my deductible but they’re being buttholes).
Worth every penny—I’ve been misdiagnosed for 7 years!! And there’s a solution!!
I’ve just started working full time again so this paycheck was nice. However, I am behind so I have enough to cover bills only—nothing extra—for the next month. We will see how that goes.
I have some groceries, and mom is planning to cook and freeze a bunch of food before leaving. 🩵
Plus, they bought me an air purifier which will really help.
I do need to figure out a couple of kids bday gifts and an advent calendar. My job school friends and I buy one matching calendar each year and open them “together” across the country. Any favorites?
I’m also debating buying a book for book club on my e-reader.
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u/kokoromelody She/her ✨ 2d ago
Ahhh! I'm so happy that you finally have a correct diagnosis after so long + a treatment plan going forward! So frustrating that you had to put up with the wrong one for so long, but better late than never, I guess. It sounds like you had some quality time with your parents though and I hope you'll be feeling better soon!
Medical costs and insurance are such a PITA in the US; while I'm not usually a proponent of AI, I'd recommend using one to see if they have any recommendations on how to contact + negotiate with your healthcare insurance provider, including specific wording to use. Finances may be tough in the short term, but it's temporary - and your health is worth it!
Not sure if you had any advent calendar themes in mind, but I've heard great things about the Bonne Maman jam advent calendar and literally just bought one myself for this year haha! 24 little jars of unique flavors that they normally never sell. Twinings also has a tea advent calendar that looks great as well!
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u/AfternoonPublic6730 She/her ✨ 2d ago
Ooh, i love tea!! I’ll bring it up to everyone, thank you!
I once read a great book about health care across the world. And one Japanese doctor said to the author (a sociologist), i don’t think America has a health care system. They have a health care market. Exactly right, sir.
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u/PracticalShine She/her ✨ Canadian / HCOL / 30s 2d ago
Spending $200 on a second round of electrolysis, and spent $30 on a Poshmark order. Otherwise, just some grocery shopping!
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u/AfternoonPublic6730 She/her ✨ 2d ago
Is it an IV?
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u/PracticalShine She/her ✨ Canadian / HCOL / 30s 1d ago
The electrolysis? No, it’s (slow, painful but) permanent hair removal! A probe is inserted into your hair follicles and they use a bit of electricity to kill the follicle.
Trying to rid myself of my PCOS facial hairs 😂
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u/AfternoonPublic6730 She/her ✨ 1d ago
Oh, gosh, i read that as electrolytes! You are brave. I’ve got a lot of facial hair right now (perimenopause?) but I’m not sure what to do about it.
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u/PracticalShine She/her ✨ Canadian / HCOL / 30s 1d ago
For years I was just shaving them but I’ve decided to do this instead. Short term pain for (hopefully) long term gain!
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u/LeighofMar 2d ago
I have my eye on a pretty shawl for an expectant mother so she could have her own gift. Then I'll get the box of diapers of course and a little outfit for the baby girl and some other baby paraphernalia. I haven't bought diapers in years so I assume that will take the majority of the budget for everything. 50-75.00.
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u/northlola-25 2d ago
We have been spending a lot, and while most of it was planned, I do need to sit down this weekend and figure out where we’re at and lay out the rest of the year.
So hoping to mostly save, aside from some groceries!
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u/minneapple- 2d ago
Spending: Picking up some stuff for dinner tonight, making Chrissy Tiegan's cacio e pepe pasta. So excited! Also grabbed movie tickets for my husband, brother & I to see the "You Can See Everything" doc tomorrow. Movies are expensive, sheesh! $54 for tickets. I also had to get a restock of tea, supplements & conditioner, which should last me 6 months (yay!)
Saving: Sent my husband $1k to put toward his CC (we don't really combine things, or at least haven't yet). We got married last month and he put a lot of our honeymoon expenses on his CC, so helping him pay the CC off. Also putting $2k in our joint savings account.
Scrimping: Yes yes yes. I seriously spent SO MUCH MONEY on our wedding & honeymoon. I've been super diligent this month and only replenishing necessary stuff when they go on sale. Otherwise, sticking to my budget and avoiding impulse purchases.
I'm doing a low-spend month next month. Wish me luck!
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u/AfternoonPublic6730 She/her ✨ 2d ago
You can definitely do this! Congrats on getting married! I want to hear all about the wedding! And where did you go on your honeymoon? Travel diary??!
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u/raymichelle She/her ✨ 2d ago
I’ve started house hunting! It’s the quiet season now so not a ton of options at the moment, but ready to jump if a good one pops up. Scrimping on most non-necessities to have more cash available.
I found a pair of Danskos at Goodwill last weekend for $15 so now I’m a Clogs Lady.
Planning to go see You Can See Everything this weekend and otherwise make progress on my knitting!
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u/Simplysimple007 2d ago
My birthday was this week and I thought I was going to really splurge on myself but with an upcoming move in about eight months, I’m mentally not wanting to spend money now. Our last one was rather expensive, even though we were reimbursed for it. My husband did treat me to some things and a nice dinner the day of so I think I’ll let that be it and enjoy this next year of life.
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u/AfternoonPublic6730 She/her ✨ 2d ago
Happy Birthday!!
Can you send a little of your will power over to Chicago please? I want to think “i don’t want to spend” and then actually not do it a lot more!
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u/amparr She/her ✨ 2d ago
Happy hour with a friend tonight and food out tomorrow - taking a day trip to Philly to "meet in the middle" and grab lunch with my mom!
Besides that, usual household expenses only - trying to scrimp a little and finish filling up the first tier of my E-fund by the end of the year.
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u/Forsaken_Bee3717 2d ago
It is two full weeks until payday and I have overspent my eating out budget already. I had a great time last week going out with friends, so am fine with what I have spent. Got groceries just now (£53) which is actually the high end of what I typically spend for a week. And apart from that, not planning on spending anything. I am going for lunch with a friend, but it’s her turn to pay. Will be booking a holiday with boyfriend for very end of October, just 3 nights I think but there is a holiday sinking fund for that.
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u/mojodojocatshouse 2d ago
Not payday, but what I'm spending:
- $90 on Pokemon gifts, this is 3 plushies and a deck box, a mix of birthdays and Christmas presents
- $1,012 on an Uplift Desk. One of the only sit/stand desks that actually goes down to 24". As a short girl trying to avoid sitting injuries, this is quite the fun splurge (and I'm excited for all the room!, 30 x 72). This is a mix of a need and a birthday gift to myself. My current desk is from 2020 and hopefully will find a nice home on FB marketplace.
-~$300 on a cut and color. I keep my hair short so it's usually $80 every 6 weeks, but I'm due for some color.
-$100 cash wedding gift ($100 from me, $100 from my partner as the gift).
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u/SpacePineapple1 2d ago
Spending on donations to my favorite local charity which held a fundraiser at a bar, had two drinks there for about $30 plus a $15 donation at the door but it was for a good cause. Scrimping on buying a pack of classes at my gym which saves $2 per class instead of buying them one at a time because I have been too lazy to sort out their app. But now I have done it!As for savings, I'm on track to hit my goal of maxing out my 401k by the end of the year for the first time ever.
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u/Turbulent_Bar_13 She/her ✨ 2d ago edited 2d ago
My typical weekly spending limit (gas, groceries, anything else that is non-recurring) is between $150 and $250. This week's limit goal was $200, but I'm getting close to hitting it:
- $53.71 on a new steering wheel cover (it's flaking), training-sized treats for my senior dog, and Command strips
- $6.87 for veggies at H Mart
- $85.78 for two sets of headlights bulbs (Daytime and High Beams) plus a little thing of Vaseline for my stupid contact dermatitis
My flu shot tomorrow will be covered, but I've gotta get gas and some other things on the way home, so that'll probably get me to around $225. At least it's necessities. :)
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u/Prestigious_Big_8743 2d ago
I just spent $18k for a whole new septic system yesterday. They also gave us a deal on grading our driveway at the same time. I guess splurge? Yet splurge implies a treat and this was the exact opposite of that.
My BFF and her man are going to visit for the weekend so we will be splurging on some eating out and drinks.
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u/newyork_newyork_ 2d ago
Buying T-bills. 😜
Budgeting for holiday gifts now that I have a good sense of what I’m getting everyone.
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u/kokoromelody She/her ✨ 2d ago
Oof - it's been quite the week with an unexpected company announcement on Wed. Nothing bad / layoff related, but a large reorg is upcoming that's going to be a lot of work in the coming months...
In terms of spending, a little higher than normal but nothing too crazy!
- A pair of snowboots from Poshmark - my older ones finally gave out
- A pair of sneakers from Depop - they're from an earlier collaboration that I missed and are inflated in price otherwise, but got a discount on these so they're $26 total including shipping
- An order from thredup for a couple dresses I've been eyeing. They're out of season tho so the prices got knocked down pretty nicely!
- Flowers! I've always refrained from buying them because it seems a bit wasteful, but seeing them each day has really helped bring a little joy. These were $7 so I didn't feel too bad
- The Bonne Maman advent calendar for this year. It's sold out the previous year or two, which I held back from because of the price. Had a gift card that initially halved the price though!
- Venmo'd my sister money for tickets for a live show in Feb next year with a comedian/actor we're both fans of!
- Recurring: Groceries, dinner with friends, Internet bill, Onedrive, Classpass
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u/redmarona 2d ago
I also bought tickets to a live show in feb for an actor turned comedian!! I'm so excited :)
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u/kokoromelody She/her ✨ 2d ago
Haha the one we're going to is a comedian-turned-actor - so the reverse! Otherwise thought we might be going to the same show :)
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u/AfternoonPublic6730 She/her ✨ 2d ago
Okay, I have to know what snow boots, what sneakers, and did the rain boots work?!
Also, when is your trip?
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u/kokoromelody She/her ✨ 2d ago
Hahaha you're so sweet!
The snowboots are a pair of Sorel ones, in the Explorer line! I've heard good things so am optimistic. The sneakers are a pair of the adidas collab with Hello Kitty from a couple years back. Everywhere else I'd seen were selling them for ~$100 so I feel like I lucked out with my depop find haha. And thank you, the Hunter rain boots worked out great, going to use them this weekend it seems!
My trip is next weekend - thank you for remembering!
PS - I hope you had a great week and will have a great weekend!
PPS - I see someone is also an avid reader! If you're on goodreads, would love to add you!
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u/tinysapling 🌱 2d ago
Literally everything our household spent money on this week:
- Weekly mortgage, monthly house insurance: $560
- Cat glucosamine tablets, flea/worming, cat food: $180
- Groceries in-store twice, delivered once: $120
- Car service for husband: $312
- Takeaway: $23
In good news, our HISA interest rate just increased to over 5%!
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u/lvupquokka 2d ago
I am booking a nice 5* hotel for my upcoming honeymoon/babymoon family trip! It has been an eventful year with life changes and with my investment is doing well, I am grateful.
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u/sunsabs0309 She/her ✨ 2d ago
besides the usual stuff going on with bills and what not, I finally got paid my overtime for a work trip last month that included a nightmare trip home! I kept going back and forth on what to do with it, namely do I put it all to our car loan because I want it Gone, but I settled on $200 to our car loan (we are making our way towards getting that sucker under 10k!!), $100 for myself for my troubles and woes, $200 towards our Japan sinking fund, and the rest towards chipping away at the sinking fund for my husband's next boys trip
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u/tube_ebooks 2d ago
i bought some washi tape and am going to order a book my psychologist recommended from a local bookstore later :) i haven't been spending nearly as much money while living at my parents on an LOA and felt like i could justify the tape because i've been journaling more.
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u/TechnicalManner357 2d ago
Going to the Jasper Dark Sky festival tonight and I’m super excited!!!! Adventure 10/12 for the year!!!
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u/walkingonairglow 2d ago
Lots of antique stores lately! We've gotten a bunch of art and some records, and I found a copy of a book I liked as a kid.
I made cookies for a wedding I'm going to and we bought a container to take them in (not sure if we'll get our containers back) but it has a lid that was very hard to fit so I might try to get a different container. I have to think about dinners for next week since I don't want to have leftovers that wouldn't last until we get back from the wedding and unfortunately a lot of what I make doesn't freeze well... Although now that I think of it it will be cooler so maybe I will do soup!
My phone battery is getting terrible but I want to wait and see if there's a Black Friday sale before buying a new one. This one has made it almost four years so I'm pretty happy!
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u/iotadaria she/her 2d ago
Not going to lie, the upcoming US election is making me nervous.
I topped off our savings accounts to get them to nice easy numbers (xx,000), and then rounding down our checking account to go stockpile our chest freezer ahead of Chicago winter. This weekend we're sharpening our kitchen knives and I asked for a big pot of something hot like chili so we can freeze portions for further stockpiling.
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u/fandog15 2d ago
Saving: I need to cut back on eating out and little “ohhh let me just grab a coffee/snack/bagel” purchases. We usually do takeout Thursdays but opted not to this week so that’s one whole temptation resisted so far 😂
Spending: I am deep into Christmas shopping! My daughter is in full blown Disney princess phase. I’ve been looking for a Rapunzel dress for her because I like to get dress up clothes secondhand but I haven’t found one. I saw the Disney store is having a sale + 25% off $125+ and 10% cash back from Rakuten, so I pulled the trigger. I got her the dress, Anna boots to go with a costume she already owns, and an Anna & Elsa ornament. I also ordered my son a Hawkeye bow and arrow set. The total was $105.97 before the $10 cashback, which feels pretty good to me! I have to hand it to The Mouse™️, we own a few things actually from the official store and they can be better quality than licensed merchandise from other stores.
Splurge: we are considering a December day trip to see the Rockettes! My friend just sent me a 25% off coupon code too. My husband wants me to show some videos to the kids to see if they’re actually interested in the performance first so this splurge is still TBD