If anyone has suggestions on how to past a spreadheet into the blog so that my budget and expenses are easy to see, I will accept and perhaps even implement those suggestions.

Well, a few budget hits to report. Last week my boyfriend and I underwent some drama re: meals out. One night I was home sick all day, and he came home with burritos from a local, healthy little place. I totally appreciated it, but I felt guilty, too: me being on a budget doesn’t mean I want to be a mooch. He correctly pointed out that I’ve been treating him an awful lot lately, so I’ll accept the free burrito. But then, a few days later, he went out for fast food. (I was home in bed, feeling unwell, again.) I thought I had expressed I wanted three items off whatever dollar or value menu was where he went, and that I wanted no beverage. I ended up with a Meal, which isn’t exactly expensive but was less food, more non-water beverage, and more money than I wanted to spend. He wanted to just let me pay $3, but that isn’t right. So, I’m paying the $5.50 my meal cost including tax. And we are both clearer that I don’t want to cheat, and that I want cheap food if from the outside, and I’d rather avoid using my funds for fast food. Whew.

If anyone points out that fast food is not the best to eat on a budget especially if one feels unwell, I’d have to agree. I have a lot of issues with fast food. Fast Food Nation was an excellent book. For socio- economic, health, environmental, etc., reasons, I’d rather not eat it. (I will defend to the death your right to eat it, so hush.) However, even though it is not so great, my taste buds adore it, and sometimes I do use it as a numbing drug, since I no longer smoke or drink. I’m not necessarily excusing it as much as admitting that I have a love/hate relationship with the greasiness.

I filled up the tank for $26.21. My monthly budget is $15, but I use less than a tank a month, so I’ll just not have to use the $15 next month.

I did pay $100 for my Water aerobics class at the Adult School. This class will go five months, so it’s a pretty good deal. I have a question into Jesse on the YNAB system: you are supposed to save/budget for bigger expenses that don’t happen monthly but you can anticipate. What I can’t see, yet, is how it works if you spend a lot at the beginning for the next few months. I should be able to spread the $100 over five months, but according to the system I have $83 less to spend in April. We’ll see what Jesse says.

(YNAB is You Need a Budget, JMJJ215's site/program. I bought it for 19.95 as part of the $20 challenge, to track my Challenge progress.)

I took a further hit: my work offered low cost blood tests, one a regular work up, one for thyroid, for $25 each. My doctor recommended I take them (I’ve been having some issues). So that’s $50, but it's not monthly. And, I paid a $10 prescription co-pay for one of my meds for a three month supply.

I am excited, still, and undeprived, still. Hey, it's day thirteen.