The good:

Yesterday, I saved $52 at the grocery store using coupons. I got about a dozen items for free. It felt really good. I can see how the hunt for the discount can become addictive. My "stockpile", which will one day allow me to buy only on sale, is slowly growing. This doesn't even include all the toothpaste:



In other good news, my tax forms are finally arriving. I have input most of them into our tax program, and it appears we will be getting a huge refund, which will go directly into the house fund. Yay!

And, I finally shopped for a new cell phone. After several calls and hours wasted on the phone with customer service (who would have thought changing plans with the same carrier would be so hard?) I have a new plan. It will save us a minimum of $300 a year.

The bad AND the ugly, all rolled into one:

I have spent WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY too much money these past couple of weeks. We had to stock up on some big ticket item we were out of, such as tea (I buy bulk, yes I drink that much), and cat food.

Our 15-year old cat is on a very special diet for his health issues. No getting around it.

My sister and I are also taking my mom on vacation to Las Vegas in April. It is one of her Christmas gifts. It's on her bucket list, plus my late dad's sister lives there. Have to do it. I put all three airfares on my CC (sister said will pay back, but will likely wait until her tax refund arrives. Ugh. ) So, that's $992 on the card.

I also paid the deposit for the first night in the hotel -- $123.

Plus, hubby and I took a one night, 2-day minication while the in-laws were here, just to have some adult time. So, we had one night at a hotel, plus ski lift tickets, and food. Not expensive, but still. Money out.

And here is the UGLY UGLY.

Go ahead. Yell at me. I deserve it. I had frugality fatigue something awful. I work so hard, and every penny always goes to some goal or some responsible means.

CeeJay will appreciate this: I look terrible. I used to be pretty. Now, I am a hot mess, so to speak. None of my clothes fit (thanks kids)... my hair is crazy, my wardrobe is nil because I sold my clothes to consignment. Even if you lose the weight, your body will not be shaped the same after babies. No getting around it.

So, I have zip to wear. I wear the same pair of jeans just about every day.

So yes. I was bad. I took myself shopping. Everything was on sale, but it still wasn't cheap and it was still money I shouldn't be spending. I'm not going into debt or anything, but I haven't exactly been putting anything in savings lately, either.

I bought two pairs of boots at DSW. I love love love them and will keep them for years. Unfortunately, I am now out $100.

I also bought a Saints T-shirt (they are my team!), and two pairs of jeans on sale at Old Navy for $20. Too good to pass up.

I bought some undies at Victoria Secret. I had a $25 gift card, but still spent $11 out of pocket.

And today, I bought myself an awesomely cute purse off the clearance rack at Target, as well as some more undies. That set me back about $35.

Okay, it's not exactly a shopping spree at Saks Fifth Avenue, but it might as well be for me.

I am also planning to hit up the Sally Beauty Supply this weekend to get some supplies for my hair and nails. I'm way overdue.

In the interest of accountability, I'm going to post my good, bad and ugly financial happenings for the week every Friday. That is the end, per se, of my 'fiscal week'.

Good:

The $400 weekly CC spending cap
This week's total: $281
No plans to spend any more today, so this is it.

I found a $25 toys r us gift card while cleaning out my office. Love free money!

$640 freelance check arrived, so $320 to IRA, $96 to car balance, $224 to kids' college. Transfers have already been made.

Started to get my coupons organized and outline a grocery savings strategy. I am a newbie, and don't expect to get a lot of things for next to nothing, but I'm going to try. My goals now are to clip, print, and download more coupons, to shop only sales, and to try to pay at least 30 percent less than I am now for the things we use every day.

I paid the January car payment of $240 as well ($217 plus $23 extra). I have four large debits from the account every month, and realized that 3 of them were scheduled for the second paycheck of the month. I like to take two out of each, for budgeting purposes, so I moved the car payment into this check.

Bad

Unfortunately, the real estate tax bill came in the mail $1428/half a year, so the $400 I was hoping to send to savings this payday will likely not make it in to the account. I might be able to send something, but certainly not that much. I like to keep a pad in the checking account.